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 :)

Review: Reaping Me Softly

Title: Reaping Me Softly

Author: Kate Evangalista

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Blurb:
Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she's learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she's had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clarke, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn't mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne's world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne's life. But will Niko break his own Reaper's code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

The Review:

When I first read the blurb for this book I got really excited because I really love the whole reaper mythos. I just think it's so interesting and full of story potential. This story is told from two different points of view which is always interesting because you can see how each person is feeling about the other and you can see how things can be interpreted differently. The two points of view we get is from Arriane and Nikolas.

This story started out a bit strangely for me. We meet Arriane, a girl who can see dead people, telling her best friend Ben about her mysterious powers. I'm so used to books where the lead character debates on and on about whether or not they should tell anyone about their gifts so it was surprising to skip all of that and start right where she tells him her secret. Regardless of this I have to say I really enjoyed this book! I like Arriane as a character, she is smart, nice, and caring. She has also been in love with Nikolas Clark (AKA Niko) since he moved to her hometown freshman year. That's not all that's going out in her life though, she also has a sister in the hospital with kidney failure.

I loved Niko, the handsome gentlemanly reaper. He was just the right amount of being a complete sweetheart and being a total badass. When we first meet Niko he's going through an existential crisis of sorts. He feels like his life has no meaning and he starts to let himself fade away much to the chagrin of his boss, Death. When he finally meets Arriane in his chemistry class he is shocked that he hasn't noticed her for the past three years.

Another thing that I found surprising about this  book was that the Reapers are actually allowed to have relationships with humans. In most books like this it is forbidden to have any sort of romantic entanglement with a human. I really liked that the author went this direction, it was refreshing. I was also surprised at Death himself, I was expecting him to be a terrible guy but when he actually said that Niko's love for Arriane "delighted" him, I couldn't stop myself from saying "aw I love Death" and then feeling super awkward about it...

Things eventually take a turn for the worse when Niko unknowingly reaps the soul of someone very close to Arriane's heart. The actions that take place after that one event threatens to tear them apart while also threatening they're lives.

One thing I found a bit odd about this book was the bully Darla. She appeared to have the whole school wrapped around her little finger, even the teachers. This just wasn't realistic to me and I know that talking about realism while reviewing a book about reapers sounds a bit odd, but something about it really rubbed me the wrong way.

This story had a bit of a cliffhanger at the end so I really hope the author continues writing this series. It was a fun read and the characters were great.

Don't forget to leave a comment on about what you thought of either the book or the review. I love getting other people's opinions :)

Review: Eve

Title: Eve

Author: Anna Carey

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

The Review:
This is a book that I had thought about reading for a long time, I just never seemed to have enough time to get around to it. When I finally did read it I could have kicked myself for waiting so long!

Our titular character is Eve who lost her mother to the plague when she was five years old. Now as a teenager she is attending and about to graduate as her class valedictorian from an all school where the girls are well taken care of. Eve believes her impending graduation to be a great thing, she believes that she will get to go off and learn a trade for four years and then be off to the city of sand where she would become a great artist. She believed all of this was going to happen, until she ran into her rival Arden who has plans to escape the school. Arden tells Eve that all the graduates are going to be used for breeding purposes to get the world's population back on track after the plague killed so many. Eve doesn't believe her  even though her gut is telling her otherwise, she decides to go looking for proof. Eve sneaks her way to the trade school hoping that Arden was mistaken but to her horror she discovers that Arden was telling the truth the whole time. Eve has no choice but to escape and try to survive on her own in the real world.

I really loved this book, it was really well written and the characters were very relatable. At times Eve could be very naive and a bit careless, but that stems from her being essentially brainwashed by the adults who run the school she was at. Once she got farther away from the school and got a little life experience under her belt she began to understand what the world was about. That's not to say she didn't make mistakes every one in a while but if she was perfect, this book would have been really boring. Eventually she meets up with Arden and although they didn't like each other at school they quickly learned to depend on one another. After a few days on the road together they both go hunting and separate for a bit, Eve is a terrible hunter but I can forgive her for that because she has spent her whole life in a school not being allowed out in the real world. While "hunting" Eve stumbles across a bear cub (this is one of those moments where Eve doesn't totally think things through) and starts to pet it and play with it. Unsurprisingly the cub's mother isn't far off. As Eve prepares to be mauled something unexpected happens; she is saved by a boy. Now, the school has taught Eve to be fearful of men. She was always told that they were brutal and how dangerous love was. Eve was reluctant at first but given a choice between being eaten by a bear and going with a boy the choice was obvious. Caleb, the "dangerous" boy takes Eve and Arden to his home. His home is a cave in the mountains where he lives with many other guys. Eve befriends some of the young boys and starts to teach them to read. This part sort of reminded me of Wendy telling stories to the lost boys in Peter Pan. As the weeks go by romance begins to spring between Eve and Caleb despite her initial fears of men. Eve and Arden still aren't safe though, they discover that Eve has a bounty on her head and it doesn't seem like the leader of all the boys likes having them around.

I loved the characters in this book, even if they weren't in it for a very long time there was usually something about them that made me want to get to know more about them. I particularly enjoyed how Arden went from being harsh and bitter to being able to really open up to Eve and become her friend. Caleb is the quintessential sweet guy that every girl wants to be with. He is smart, sweet, and brave. The little boys that Eve teaches to read are just adorable and so sweet. I would love to know more about them. I would also like to know more about Eve's friends back at school. I felt so bad when Eve didn't have time to warn them about their awful fate.

My one and only complaint is that this book felt so short and I really just wanted it to keep going. I can't wait to read the next one in the series and continue on this adventure with Eve.

Tell me in the comments what you thought of Eve, and if you haven't read it maybe you could suggest a book that you really loved. I love getting comments and feedback :)

My Thoughts On: Love Triangles

I've decided to talk about something today that is very prevalent in fiction today; love triangles. Love triangles are everywhere; in books, movies, even in real life. For the most part when it comes to love triangles i'm not a huge fan. I understand the purpose of love triangles is to create an obstacle for the main couple and I admit that they can be exciting, but sometimes they can go on for a bit too long and I just want the girl (or boy) to make a decision. If there is a love triangle in the book I'm reading (and let's be honest when is there ever not a love triangle) then as long as it is done well and doesn't consume the whole book I'm   okay with it and usually actually end up enjoying the drama t creates.

An example of an annoying love triangle is Twilight; the majority of that series was based on a love triangle (a really creepy love triangle). Bella spent a lot of time playing with these boys' hearts and honestly was kind of a jerk to both of them. I absolutely hate it in a book when a girl is stringing along two guys along and they just go with it like it's no big deal. At some point I want the guys to say "enough is enough, you've spent way too long thinking about this and we're not going to wait anymore so have fun being by yourself."

An example of a good love triangle is the Vampire Academy series; In this series Rose and Dimitri are obviously meant to be together. Sure there are different obstacles such as age, and duties to their jobs but you know in the end what will happen. So when the author threw in Adrian Ivashkov (swoon) it just added to the excitement and tension. The best part about this love triangle is that the fact that it didn't take over the series. There was still action and adventure, the love triangle just added more to the story.

The thing that makes a love triangle acceptable to me is if you can take that triangle away and the story is still good and can hold up without that drama. I don't think the love triangle should be the entire point of a story. Of course these are just my opinions and I'm open to hearing all different ideas so please feel free to comment and tell me what you think about love triangles :)

Review: The Dead and the Gone/ This World We Live In

Title: The Dead and the Gone

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle. With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

The Review:
This is the second book in the Life As We Knew It series. The first book was told through the eyes of Miranda This time we get to hear from Alex Morales, a seventeen year old boy from New York. After an asteroids disastrous collision into the moon causes the moon to be knocked out of orbit and pushed closer to the Earth terrible things begin to happen; Alex Morales loses his parents He doesn't know if they're safe, injured, or dead. So it's up to Alex to take care of his two younger sisters; fourteen year-old Brianna, and twelve year-old Julie. Although Alex and his sisters hope that things will get better, their food supplies soon begin to decline. Luckily Brianna is able to be sent to a convent to work and learn where she can get three meals a day. Alex and Julie have to work a bit harder and while the schools are still open and serving lunch it still isn't enough. Alex and his friend Kevin have to resort to searching through the dead bodies littering the streets of New York , looking for anything of value that they can trade for food. As Alex and Julie find a rhythm and think they can survive Brianna comes home with a fresh case of adult onset asthma and thinks get a lot more complicated.

I loved this book so much. Alex is a great character and I really found his struggle to survive with his family to be extremely engrossing. He does a great job taking care of his sisters and they do a great job taking care of him. He is a good guy even if he does sometimes have fleeting thoughts about dropping his sisters off somewhere and going off on his own.

I personally liked having the book told from the perspective of Alex rather than Miranda because he seemed much more mature and his struggle was so much harder. Of Alex's sisters I liked Julie a lot more than Brianna. Julie is young and she can be annoying at times but Brianna is extremely religious and overly hopeful. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being religious, it's just that Brianna is borderline delusional at times.

Title: This World We Live In

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Rating: 2.5 stars

The Blurb:
In the year that has passed since a meteor collided with the moon, Miranda’s friends and neighbors have died, the landscape has frozen, and food has become increasingly scarce. The struggle to survive intensifies when Miranda’s father and stepmother arrive with a baby and three strangers in tow. One of the newcomers is Alex Morales, and as Miranda’s complicated feelings for him turn to love, his plans for his future thwart their relationship. Then a devastating tornado hits, and Miranda makes a decision that will change their lives forever.

The Review:
This book is the third in the Life As We Knew It series. It's been a year since the moon was pushed closer to the Earth and things are slowly starting to get better. Miranda's dad comes home with his wife and their new baby Gabriel. Along with them comes a man named Charlie and Alex and Julie Morales from the second book.

This book was really short and it just wasn't as good as the first two. I liked that the two groups came together and that we get to here more from Alex but that was about it. There were so many things that I had problems with. Miranda and Alex strike up a romance which is nice, but they fall in love ridiculously fast and it's not realistic at all. Another thing that annoys me is that Matt (previously one of my favorite characters) becomes a complete tool! He gets married to some girl he meets at a motel while searching for food. When he brings her home he starts to treat his family like crap. This whole book feels like it was something the author wrote in a day and it just doesn't flow properly. I hate that I'm giving this book such a low rating because I loved the first two but I just really didn't like it.

Review: Ever After

Title: Ever After

Author: Kim Harrison

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
The ever-after, the demonic realm that parallels our own, is shrinking, and if it disappears, so does all magic. It's up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to fix the ever-after before the fragile balance between magic users and humans falls apart.

Of course, there's also the small fact that Rachel is the one who caused the ley line to rip in the first place, and her life is forfeit unless she can fix it. Not to mention the most powerful demon in the ever-after—the soul-eater Ku'Sox Sha-Ku'ru—has vowed to destroy her, and has kidnapped her friend and her goddaughter as leverage. If Rachel doesn't give herself up, they will die.

The Review:
Kim Harrison is without a doubt in my top five of favorite authors. Ever After is the eleventh book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison and I have loved every single one of them. If you're reading this review and you haven't read any Kim Harrison books then my advice to you is to get out and go get the first in the series. I can guarantee you will have to read the next ten because it is so good. In Ever After Rachel Morgan (the heroine of the story) has to fix a ley line that is causing the destruction of the ever after (the demon realm). The only problem is Ku'Sox a crazy evil demon is doing his best to make sure she doesn't fix it. Ku'Sox kidnaps Rachel's godchild Lucy and Rachel's elf friend Ceri so now Rachel has to work with another elf, Trent Kalamack Lucy's father and Rachel's onetime enemy who is now her friend (and maybe more). 

 Ever After was great. It had everything; action, adventure, snarky comments, witty banter,and of course some romance. Rachel Morgan has matured so much since the beginning of the series, but don't worry she is still a bad ass in leather who gets things done. I was so happy that there was a lot of Trent and Rachel in this book seeing as I absolutely love them together. There was also a lot of Jenks  (the smart mouthed pixy) which always makes me happy as he is my favorite character. I loved the teamwork involved in trying to defeat and outsmart Ku'Sox. there was a moment in this book when Rachel, Trent, and Al (Rachel's demon mentor) are working together and that was so amazing one; because of the longtime feud between demons and elves, and two; because Al and Trent are both awesome characters who don't spend nearly enough time around each other. 


SPOILERS
One of the things I love about Kim Harrison is that she isn't afraid to kill her characters and that makes reading her books all the more exciting. Yes I'm still upset that she killed Kisten in For a Few Demons More (Why Kim!? WHY DID KISTEN HAVE TO DIE!?) and I'm still sad about the death of Matalina in Black Magic Sanction but I understand why she did it and I respect her for it. In Ever After things haven't changed. In a surprise twist Ceri and Pierce are dead. (Why Kim!? Not Ceri! I feel bad saying that I'm glad pierce is dead, but I am). I know I shouldn't be surprised but I really loved Ceri's character, and Quen loved her so much! Anyway kudos to you Kim Harrison for making me care so much about these characters that I actually cry when they die, that is truly a mark of an amazing author.
End Spoilers

I didn't want to give too much away as this is such a new book so this is all I'm going to say for the moment. I just want to say thank you Kim Harrison for writing some of the most amazing characters I've ever known. I know this series will soon come to an end and I can honestly say I will be so sad when that day comes and I will miss these characters so much.

Review Uglies

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

The Review:
In this world when you turn sixteen you get cosmetic surgery that makes you "pretty," not just the people who are rich, everyone. Scott Westerfeld created an amazing story about what it means to truly be beautiful. This book really does make you think about what it means to be pretty; in Uglies being pretty means having a symmetrical face, big doe eyes, and pouty lips. Throughout reading this book I found myself wondering if I would ever have anything like this done to myself, surely everyone has something they'd like to change about themselves. I discovered that my answer would be no. All of my imperfections are what makes me, me and this is something that Scott Westerfeld portrays masterfully in Uglies.

Tally is our heroine in this book and she can't wait to be turned pretty. Her best friend Peris has already had the operation and Tally feels alone in the world. That is until she meets Shay an ugly who has the same birthday as Tally meaning they will both get the operation done at the same time. Tally and Shay become fast friends and Tally just gets more and more excited about being pretty. The only problem is that Shay doesn't want to be pretty, she wants to stay an ugly and soon she tells Tally about a place called the smoke, where no one has to get the operation. Where people keep there natural faces. Tally is appalled and wants nothing to do with it, she has her heart set on turning pretty. So Shay leaves Tally behind so she can find the place where she can stay herself.  When Tally finally goes in for her operation she is told the only way she will be turned pretty is to find out where Shay has gone and turn in all the uglies in hiding. Tally has got a big decision to make and once she decides, there's no turning back.

Tally is a great character, she always does what she thinks is right even if what she thinks is right may change. She is able to acknowledge when she makes a mistake and apologizes for it. The fact that she has flaws makes her very relatable which is something I love. If a character doesn't have flaws then it's too hard to identify with them and they don't seem real.

I like Shay, she doesn't want to conform to her society so she goes out on her own to find the place that will accept her for who she is on the inside and not based on what she looks like. I really respect her for that.

David is the son of the people who run the smoke and he takes a liking to Tally right away. The only problem is that Shay likes him David and this proves to be a point of contention between Shay and Tally.

This book is just a really great read. It's insightful, interesting, and beautifully written. I can't wait to get the next book in the series titled Pretties from the library so I can continue enjoying Scott Westerfelds wonderful world.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Rating: 3 stars

The Blurb:

Mara Dyer doesn’t know if she is crazy or haunted—all she knows is that everyone around her is dying in this suspenseful and “strong, inventive tale” (Kirkus Reviews).

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister, and as if that weren’t enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations—or are they premonitions?—and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there’s Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what’s real, what’s imagined—and what’s very, very dangerous.

The Review:
Mara Dyer was in a horrible accident, one that left her with no memory of how it even happened. All she knows is that her best friend, boyfriend, and her boyfriends sister are dead. Mara begins seeing things, hallucinating, and she knows that something is terribly wrong with her. She tries to hide it from her family but they can see through her facade. So in order to avoid being put into a mental institution Mara suggests moving and getting a fresh start.

This book was an interesting read. I just couldn't really get into it. I liked the psychological nature of it, it made it exciting and at times a bit scary. The hallucinations that the main character has throughout the book would be terrifying. I thought that it was really interesting how throughout the book the main character slowly starts to get her memory back. The romance was nice. It was one of those flirty bantering types of romance so I really enjoyed it. It seemed to take a while to get to anything paranormal happening and when it did happen I found myself disappointed with the powers.

I liked the Mara Dyer (the main character), she persevered through a horrible tragedy and does her best at living a normal life. Although she can be a bit whiny at times.

The love interest, Noah Shaw was fun. He has a British accent which automatically makes him even more awesome. He is charming and devastatingly handsome so I really liked him.

I really liked Mara's family; they all moved from their home, their friends, their schools, and their jobs just to give her a fresh start. They uprooted their lives without question for her. Honestly I felt like Mara was kind of ungrateful. All she did was complain about how intrusive her mom was being. I think that her mom has every right to be worried about Mara but Mara just complains and yells at her mom to leave her alone. If Mara would just talk to her mom every once in a while she probably wouldn't feel the need to ask how she's doing all the time. Mara's brother Daniel is probably my favorite character. He is kind and smart, I would've liked to see more of the friendship between her and Daniel. Mara also has a little brother named Joseph who is also pretty awesome. Mara's dad is a lawyer and he's working on a big case throughout the book so we don't see too much of him.

The paranormal powers were just okay. They weren't amazing or anything. They weren't even all that helpful. So I really wasn't that impressed with this book but I may read the next one, I haven't really decided yet.

Review: Scored

Title: Scored

Author: Lauren McLaughlin

Rating: 3 stars

The Blurb:
Set in the future when teenagers are monitored via camera and their recorded actions and confessions plugged into a computer program that determines their ability to succeed. All kids given a "score" that determines their future potential. This score can get kids into colleges, grant scholarships, or destroy all hope for the above. Scored's reluctant heroine is Imani, a girl whose high score is brought down when her best friend's score plummets. Where do you draw the line between doing what feels morally right and what can mean your future? Friendship, romance, loyalty, family, human connection and human value: all are questioned in this fresh and compelling dystopian novel set in the scarily foreseeable future.

The Review:
This book has a really interesting premise. it's about a world where teenagers are monitored pretty much at all times. They are monitored by a computer program and the score they get by the end of their high school career will determine which college they go to or even if they go to college at all. In this world it is extremely easy for you to make a mistake and have your score drop but nearly impossible for you to get it to rise back up. One little mistake can determine your future and it might not even be a mistake that you made, just by associating with someone who doesn't follow the rules could cause your score to drop.

I liked this book it had a good premise and it seemed like it would be really interesting. The main character Imani is driven and ambitious which I like about her, she is also loyal to her friend Cady even though they both have different scores (Imani has a 92 and Cady is in the low 70s). The strangest things affect your score; whether it's speeding, questioning authority, being in an unsavory area, or just hanging out with someone with a lower score. Cady could cause Imani's score to drop. I like that she takes this risk for her best friend. Then something awful happens. Cady is caught dating an unscored boy which drops her score to 28. Just by being friends with her Imani's score drops to  the 70's and Imani didn't even know it was going on.

The romance in this book was really lacking. There was some banter between Imani and her love interest Diego but it wasn't the flirty sort of banter or even full on passionate fighting. It just felt a bit mundane. I liked both of the characters but they just didn't have any chemistry at all and I honestly didn't think there would be a romantic spark between them.

The ending of this book was really abrupt. It was like the author couldn't think of what else to write so she just decided to come up with an extremely anticlimactic ending that was not satisfying in the least.

If there was another book written in this series then I would consider reading simply because I really love the premise and I think this story could go somewhere really interesting.

Review: Timepiece An Hourglass Novel

Title: Timepiece An Hourglass Novel

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
 Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough. . . .

The Review:
 This is the second book in the hourglass series by Myra McEntire. I previously reviewed the first in the series, it also received a 5 star review. I loved this book even more than the first. It was told from a different point of view which I was a bit wary about in the beginning but then I realized it was being told from the point of view of resident bad boy Kaleb Ballard. Kaleb was one of my favorite characters in the first book so I was really excited about learning more about him.

Kaleb is such an interesting character because he has so much emotion in him. His dad came back from the dead, his mom has had her memories taken from her and is now in a coma, and the girl he had feelings for is with his best friend. He is constantly underestimated by his dad and I love that throughout this book he is trying to prove his worth to him. While Kaleb has all of these hard things to deal with he is always a nice guy and does his best to help people.

On top of all of the things he is dealing with Kaleb Ballard also has the power to feel people's emotions which can get a bit overwhelming. It gets even more complicated when he starts seeing ripples in time. He shouldn't be able to see the ripples like Emerson and Michael but something is changing the way time works and Kaleb and the others who work for hourglass have to figure out what's going on before time is changed forever.

In the beginning of this novel I was curious about whether or not Kaleb would be trying to get together with Emerson Cole, the character who told the story from Hourglass. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that while Kaleb still harbored some feelings for Emerson, he wasn't going to try to pursue her. I was glad partly because I didn't want him interfering in Emerson's and Michael's relationship but I was mainly happy because I don't think Kaleb and Emerson would work well in a romantic way. I like them more as friends.

Emerson's best friend Lily plays a much bigger role in this book than she did in the first one. Lily has the power to locate things and this is something that Kaleb and the team greatly need. Kaleb and Lily's first meeting does not go well. He makes some drunken advances and she slaps him for it (which is awesome). As they begin to work and get to know each other They start to understand one another and that really brings them closer together.

Myra McEntire is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors (especially because of the awesome Doctor Who references). She has a great writing style and creates amazing characters that I really care about. I am so excited for the next book in the hourglass series. I will be anxiously waiting for Infinityglass to come out on July 9th. Thank you Myra McEntire for the great stories and characters.
 

Review: Peeps

Title: Peeps

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Blurb:

A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.

Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .

Review:
This book was really cool. It sort of reminded me of a Michael Crichton book (which in my opinion is a huge compliment) because it had a lot of information about different parasites and I felt like I was being educated as well as entertained. At times learning about the parasites was kind of creepy, but the interesting aspects of it really outweighed the creep factor. It actually made me want to research parasites a bit.

I liked the new twist on the vampire mythology. It was really interesting reading about how the vampire myths got started and how people thought it was all magic and the devils work when in actuality it all happened because of a parasite that had evolved over many years. I always love it when instead of magic, science is used to explain things. I especially liked it because it felt like something that could conceivably happen.

The main character Cal Thompson was somewhat forgettable. He was nice and I liked him but he didn't really seem to have too many flaws (other than the fact that he is a carrier of "vampirism") and I really prefer my main characters to have some flaws in them. His story of how he became a carrier of vampirism was interesting though.

I really like the other main character character in this book. Her name is Lace and she is a journalism student so I thought that was pretty cool (as a journalism student myself I can relate to her). I like how tenacious and brave she is. I do have one huge problem with her though,  Lace says "dude" way too much. I seriously wanted to smack her every time she said it (a possible overreaction but that really can't be helped), but other than that I did really like her character.

This book was a lot of fun to read; it has science, a slight romance, some detective work, and some action. I'm really glad that I picked this book up. Although while I did enjoy the book I felt like everything got tied up a bit too neatly at the end.

Scott Westerfeld is a great writer and I'm really looking forward to reading other books by him. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone because it has a lot of appeal and I think that most people would enjoy reading it.

Review: Life As We Knew It

Title: Life As We Knew It

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer

Rating: 4 stars

The Blurb:

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

    

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Review: 
This book was a little slow starting for me at the very beginning but I think that had to do with me getting used to the story being told through the main characters diary.  It really started to pick up after the first 50 or so pages however and I really enjoyed it.  In the beginning the main character Miranda is your typical teenage girl with typical teenage girl problems (not being asked to prom, no money for skating lessons etc..). Everything changes when an asteroid hits the moon and throws it closer to the Earth. This causes tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. I really loved how Miranda's mom reacted. She took charge and made sure to stock up on food and gas before everything got even crazier than they already were. She made sure her kids were safe and planned for months down the road. She really reminds me of my mom which is probably why she's my favorite character. Miranda honestly acts kind of incompetent during this phase. It was like she couldn't understand why her mom was so worried. Thankfully Miranda starts to mature throughout the book and does her best to help her family. Miranda's older brother Matt understands better than Miranda how important it was that their mom was able to get supplies that could help them survive. Miranda's younger brother Jonny doesn't really understand the severity of the situation until later on in the book. There is another great character named Mrs. Nessbit. she is an old woman who lived through WWII and the great depression. She is smart and unafraid of what the future holds.

 I didn't particularly like Miranda's friends Megan and Sammi; Megan is insanely religious and thinks that it's Gods plan for her to die. She literally starves herself because she believes that's what she's supposed to do.  Megan was really scary the majority of the time. Sammi isn't as bad as Megan. The main problem I had with her was that she left with a forty year old man who claimed he could protect her, and her parents were okay with it! They just let her go and that really angered me that they would let her go just because it would be easier for them not to have one more mouth to feed. If they truly cared about her they would've made her sta6y or gone with her.

This book really makes you think about what you would do in a situation like this. I really enjoyed the story, the characters, and the love this family had for one another that helps them keep hope for the future.

Review: Sudden Independants

Title: Sudden Independents

Author: Ted Hill

Rating: 2 stars

The blurb:
Jimmy never thought he’d be spending the apocalypse farming in Nebraska and worrying about Hunter. But when the plague killed their parents, along with everyone over the age of seventeen, Jimmy suddenly became head of the household.

Then the oldest kid in town turned eighteen and the plague chased him down. Now Jimmy has one more thing to worry about—and he’s running out of time.

Hunter finds a little girl named Catherine under a cottonwood tree in the middle of nowhere. When Catherine magically heals Hunter’s broken arm, Jimmy hopes he will survive his eighteenth birthday if he can protect her from the horseman responsible for unleashing the plague.

Review:
This book started out with some very small potential, towards the end however, it took a nosedive.

First of all this book wasn't written well. I felt like it was written by a high school student. Second of all this book also had a very religious theme to it. There are some books out there that have wonderful subtle religious themes, this book was extremely obvious in it's religious propaganda. And third of all this book was very male dominated. The female characters were weak and disappointing. I prefer the female characters I read about to be empowered and strong.

There are some parts of the book that I didn't hate; such as the character Jimmy, he was mature and kind, and I really liked that about him. He was really the only character I liked in the book though. The rest of them are annoying and immature, especially Jimmy's brother Hunter.

This is a really short review simply because there just isn't much to say other than I really hated this book. I really like the dystopian genre so I was really sad that this book was such a disappointment. This is all just my opinion though so if you do want to try reading it then you should, I just wouldn't personally recommend it.

Review: Hourglass

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb: 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Review:

Emerson Cole sees things. She sees people from the past who are long gone and no one else can see them. She always thought she was crazy until her brother Thomas hires Michael Weaver, who understands what she is going through, to come and help her. Emerson and Michael have instant chemistry which is surprising to Emerson because she has virtually no experience when it comes to guys. She is initially wary of him and even ends up punching him, but slowly Emerson comes to trust him and she is able to tell him things that she has kept bottled up for years.  Michael helps Emerson and teaches her that she isn't a freak and shows her that there are others like her, including himself.

Oh my God, this book was so wonderful! The writing was spectacular and I was pulled in right from the beginning of the book. Author Myra McEntire is an excellent writer. She builds the world in a realistic way and the characters are fun and interesting. Emerson The seventeen year old protagonist is short, sarcastic, and feisty. She is certainly no damsel in distress, which I really appreciate. Michael Weaver, Emerson's love interest, is mysterious and sweet. Emerson really is an intriguing character. She has a very interesting back story that begs to be told.

There are some other really interesting and well written characters as well; such as Emerson's older brother, Thomas, who has taken care of her ever since their parents died four years ago. He is an architect who loves to renovate old buildings and he deeply cares for his sisters safety. There is also Drue. Dru is Thomas's wife. She is awesome! She fills the void left by Emerson's mother and has a very sweet nature. One of the things that I love in this book is that Thomas and Dru know what's going on. It's refreshing after reading so many books where the main character has to hide what's going on from her family so I really appreciate that McEntire was able to do this differently. The other characters include Lily, Emerson's best friend who may have a secret of her own. There's Kaleb, who is Michael's best friend. He can be a bit of a screw up but he has good intentions. He also has feelings for Emerson which cause a slight love triangle. There is Cat is a theoretical physicist who has her own special abilities. And last but not least there is Ava, who is seemingly Michael's girlfriend, which honestly upset me. It was obvious to me that Michael and Emerson should be together so I was very upset that this character had the gall to be with him.

This book was great. I read it in one sitting and it has everything: time travel, romance, action, twists, and references to Doctor Who and Harry Potter!! Those references honestly made me love the book even more so thank you Myra McEntire for being awesome.