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.

Review: The Essence

Title: The Essence

Author: Kimberly Derting

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb:

At the luminous conclusion of The Pledge, Charlaina defeated the tyrant Sabara and took her place as Queen of Ludania. But Charlie knows that Sabara has not disappeared: The evil queen’s Essence is fused to Charlie’s psyche, ready to arise at the first sign of weakness.

Charlie is not weak, but she’s being pushed to the brink. In addition to suppressing the ever-present influence of Sabara, she’s busy being queen—and battling a growing resistance determined to return Ludania to its discriminatory caste system. Charlie wants to be the same girl Max loves, who Brook trusts, but she’s Your Majesty now, and she feels torn in two.

As Charlie journeys to an annual summit to meet with leaders of nearby Queendoms—an event where her ability to understand all languages will be the utmost asset—she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. And the only person she can turn to for help is the evil soul residing within.

Review:
This is a book I have been waiting for ever since I read the first book in the series, The Pledge, which I absolutely loved! If you haven't read the first book then you really should do it now because it really is an amazing book.

Charlie is finally Queen of Ludania and for the most part she likes it; she likes that she can enact change and she likes that her parents don't have to work so hard anymore, and she gets to be with Max, the guy she loves. There are some things however that aren't so great; there are some people who are against Charlie, against her plan to bring equality to Ludania and they will stop at nothing to make sure she fails.

Charlie also has a secret, one that is tearing her up inside. The former Queen Sabara is trapped in her mind fighting Charlie for control. I think that Sabara being inside Charlie's head is very interesting. Charlie is clearly a very strong person and under normal circumstances I think she would be able to fight Sabara off easily. Unfortunately Charlie is dealing with a resistance group, learning how to be a queen, and trying to keep Sabara a secret from everyone so they don't think she's gone insane. That's a lot to deal with for anyone let alone a seventeen year old. Throughout this whole book I was so upset with Charlie for not telling anyone her secret to anyone who could help her, especially Max. I understand why she wouldn't want to tell anyone but I was still upset by it. This is also one of the things that I really like about Charlie; she makes mistakes. She isn't some perfect person who can do no wrong, which makes her easy to relate to.

Another part of the story that made me angry was Niko Bartolo. The love interest of Sabara. I hated that Charlie was being forced to have feelings for him because of Sabara. Charlie clearly loves Max but because of these other "feelings" their relationship gets strained. The author Kimberly Derting did a great job here, even if it was upsetting for me to see Charlie have to go through that.

Other Characters:
Zafir- I loved Zafir in this! His stark refusal to call Charlie by her name rather than Your Majesty throughout the book was really funny. If I didn't love Max so much with Charlie then I think it would be really interesting to see Zafir and Charlie together. I know that most likely won't happen but it's interesting to think about.

Brook- I think Brook has grown so much as a character in this book. She is more responsible and even nicer. I felt so bad for her because of her relationship with her dad.

Aron- Aron has gotten much more book time in The Essence and I'm very happy about that. In The Pledge I was initially worried about him being a competing love interest for Charlie but as that turned out not to be true I grew to love him.

Kimberly Derting is a great author and I recommend this book wholeheartedly. I look forward to reading more from her, specifically Dead Silence, the next in the body finder series.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Title: The Fault in our Stars

Author: John Green

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Review:

This normally isn't the sort of book I read. I'm usually all about paranormal romance or science fiction books, but after becoming a part of nerdfighteria (if you don't know about the nerdfighters look them up, you'll thank me later) I knew I had to read this book.

This book is amazing! It's funny, smart, and sad without being depressing. Yes the main character has cancer and yes that is sad but this book also makes you realize  how short life can be and how you have to make sure you're doing all you can to get the most out of it.

Hazel Grace Lancaster is an amazing character. She is strong, smart, and incredibly witty. When she goes to her cancer kid support group she never expects to meet the fascinating and hot Augustus Waters. Hazel and Augustus have incredible chemistry. They have witty banter and a real emotional connection. I wish these characters were real so that I could have a chance to really get to know them.

One of my favorite things about Hazel is her love of the book An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. She says of this book: "sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books like An Imperial Affliction, which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal." (The Fault in Our Stars pg. 29). I think that anyone who loves to read has felt that way at some point in their life about a book. The fact that Hazel shares this book with Augustus shows how much she trusts him.

The characters in this story are very interesting. Such as one of her old school friends Kaitlyn who Hazel has trouble talking to because the cancer makes Kaitlyn feel like she has to watch what she says. Hazel's friend Isaac who is also in the cancer kid support group is a great character. He is funny and he can understand what Hazel is going through. Hazel's parents are also not what you'd expect. Hazel's mother is strong and doesn't break down easily while Hazel's father cries all the time because of his sadness over his daughters cancer. I really love the role reversal here because in a lot of other book and movies where parents are dealing with their child having cancer, it is often the mother who always breaks down.

My advice to those who are thinking about buying this book is simple: do it. You won't regret it. Don't be put off because you think this book is going to be a depressing story about cancer, this book is so much more than that. 

DFTBA

Author John Green Reading Chapter One of The Fault in Our Stars

YouTube book clubs

There are some great book clubs that are online, one of my personal favorites is the Vaginal Fantasy book club which is a google hangout between four women; Felicia Day, Bonnie Burton, Kiala Kazebee, and Veronica Belmont. They get together once a month and talk about a romance book that they have all read. These books range from paranormal romance to romantic science fiction. These women are all so much fun to watch and they even interact with fans on twitter, YouTube, and goodreads throughout the show.

Rating: 5 stars

They're next hangout is on January 29 at 8PM PST on youtube.com/geekandsundry and the book they are reading this month is Outlander by Diana Galbadon. They also have an alternate book as well. This months alt book is In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks. This book club is a lot of fun to watch for women and men alike so I definitely recommend it to everyone who loves to read. Below is their latest episode where they talk about Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead.

Review: Feed

Title: Feed

Author: Mira Grant

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb:
The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Review: This is another book that was recommended to me by my sister (she has some good recommendations...). Other than the zombie aspect one of the biggest things that excited me about this book was that the main character was a political news blogger (I love politics). Georgia Mason is a dedicated worker who is always searching for the truth. I really admire this about her. She is tough but also caring, she a great role model for women.

I love this book because the characters are so interesting. The whole time I was reading this book I just kept wanting to learn more about everyone. (I was also scared of them dying but that's just part of the fun in reading a zombie book). Georgia's blogging team is complete with her adopted brother Shaun who is the risk taker of the group, and Georgette Meissonier (also known as Buffy) who is the tech expert who also writes love stories and poetry. Together the three make a great team and they end up getting chosen to follow Senator Peter Ryman's presidential campaign. Along the way Georgia's and her team Discover corruption from other candidates and they are determined to find out the truth even if it kills them.

One of the great things about this book is that there are blog entries throughout. Here is one of my favorites: 

"My name is Georgia Carolyn Mason. I am one of the Orphans of the Rising, the class of people who were under two years of age when the dead first started to walk. My biological family is presumably listed somewhere on The Wall, an anonymous footnote of a dead world. Their world died in the Rising. They didn’t live to see the new one. My adoptive parents have raised me to ask questions, understand the realities of my situation, and, in times of necessity, to shoot first. They have equipped me with the tools I need to survive, and I am grateful. Through this blog, I will do my best to share my experiences and opinions as openly and honestly as I can. It is the best way to honor the family that raised me; it is the only way I have to honor the family that lost me. I’m going to tell you the truth as I understand it. You can take it from there. —From Images May Disturb You, the blog of Georgia Mason, June 20, 2035."

Grant, Mira (2012-05-22). Blackout (The Newsflesh Trilogy) (p. 3). Hachette Book Group. Kindle Edition.

These blog entries are one of the reasons this book amazing. You don't only get Georgia's blog entries either. You also get them from Shaun and Buffy which I love because it's like peeking into their brain and finding out what they're really like and what they're thinking.

Mira Grant is an amazing author. She knows how to build a world effortlessly and she really makes you care about the people she's writing about. Mira Grant also writes other books under the name Seanan McGuire so if you like this book then you should definitely check out some of her other work.

Review: The Body Finder

Title: The Body Finder

Author: Kimberly Derting

Rating: 4 stars

The Blurb: 

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Review:
I stumbled upon this book while at a signing for Kim Harrison and Kelley Armstrong. The premise sounded so different from most other books that I read  that I had to try it. The Body Finder is a great read, especially if you're looking for something other than your standard paranormal romance.

Violet's amazing gift of being able to find the dead is incredibly impressive. She is able to sense the echos of dead things as well as sense if someone has ever killed anyone (whether intentional or not). This is a terrifying gift to have but Violet makes the most of it and uses it to try and help people around her.

One of the most interesting things about this book is that every once in a while you get a chapter from the point of view of the killer. It makes the book so much scarier and more interesting than if those chapters were left out. Whenever I read those chapters I always got so creeped out and it made the book even more fun to read.

Violet Ambrose is a very relatable leading character. Other than her ability to find dead bodies of course. One of the things I love about this book is that her family knows about her secret. It's a refreshing change from most other books where the heroine has to hide the deep dark secret from her family. Violet is able to ask them for advice which I think is so great because a lot of books portray teenage girls as being ambivalent towards their families. I also love that Violets best Friend Jay Heaton knows. 

The romance between Violet and Jay is really nice. I like that it springs out of friendship and rather than an instantaneous love it builds slowly over time. This is one of the more realistic relationships I've had the pleasure of reading about. Romantic tension aside I think the friendship between Violet and Jay is great. The fact that he knows her secret creates a high amount of trust.

This book is really engaging, as is the entire series. I think the author did a great job creating a world full of mystery and romance.

Review: Enclave

Title: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Rating: 2 stars

Blurb: 
WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.


As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.


As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.


Review: 
This book had so much potential! I absolutely loved the first half of this book and was excited because I believed I had found a new amazing series. The main character, Deuce was strong and independent and the love interest Fade was mysterious and kind. Then things took a turn for the worse. Deuce and Fade end up rescuing a girl named Tegan from a gang who rapes her on a nightly basis. This same gang captures Deuce and nearly condemn her to the same fate as Tegan but luckily they escape. Everyone in this awful gang is killed with the exception of the gang leader Stalker. Inexplicably Deuce, Fade, and reluctantly Tegan let him come along with them. If that wasn't bad enough Stalker somehow manages to become a possible romantic interest for Deuce!

Even though the writing in this book is done well I just can't wrap my head around the fact that anyone would start to find a rapist attractive. Deuce is an awful role model for girls and this book does feminism a disservice. For this reason I could never even think about recommending this book to anyone I know.

Review: Bloodlines

Title: Bloodlines

Author: Richelle Mead

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb:
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Timesbestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive--this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Review: 

This book is part of the Bloodlines series which is a spin off of Richelle Meads Vampire Acadamy series (which also gets 5 stars). This book was pleasantly surprising. I had read all six books in the Vampire Academy series and loved them all, especially the heroine Rose Hathaway. When I found out about this new series I was a bit nervous about it because although it was set in the same world it was told from the point of view of a totally different character. Not only a different character but someone completely opposite from the strong brash heroine I had come to know. Thankfully I gave this series a chance.

Sydnay Sage is smart, loyal, and very relatable. She has been trained in alchemy since she was a child. In her line of work she has to deal with vampires (also known as moroi and strigoi) and the messes they leave behind. We first meet Sydney in the Vampire Academy series. She is seen as professional and a bit uptight. Despite her alchemy training telling her otherwise Sydney agrees to to help the vampires as in the long run it is for the greater good for everyone involved.

In Bloodlines we meet up with Sydney a few months down the road from the last VA book. We discover that although her intentions were good and ultimately her actions were proven to be the right move the alchemists were not happy about her helping the moroi and they even threaten to "reeducate" her. Luckily they instead give her a chance at redemption. Her new assignment; helping to protect the young and talkative moroi princess Jill Dragomir. In protecting her the alchemists hope to prevent a full fledged war between the vampires.

Luckily Sydney isn't the only one looking out for Jill; she's also got Eddie Castille a half vampire (also known as a dhampir) who wants to prove his worth and Adrian Ivashkov a snarky moroi with a heart of gold who's vices include drinking and smoking.

Some of the best parts in this book are when Sydney is dealing with her warring emotions when it comes to vampires. All of her alchemy training tells her to be disgusted with them and their unnatural ways, while another part of her starts to see them as her friends.

I have grown to love this series even more than Vampire Academy which I didn't think could happen. My advice is to read pretty much any Richelle Mead book you come across because she is an amazing author who writes some of my favorite characters ever.

Review: The Emperor's Edge

Title: The Emperor's Edge

Author: Lindsay Buroker

Rating: 5 stars


The Blurb:
Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed. Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead. 

Review: 
When my sister first recommended this book to me I wasn't so sure if I was going to like it. I've never been more happy to be wrong in my life! I absolutely love this book. It's spectacularly written and the story really pulled me in.

The story takes place in the Turgonian Empire, also known as the most powerful nation in the world. Amaranthe Lokdon is an imperial law enforcer who aspires to be the first female sergeant. She deserves it too after being a corporal for six years and working harder than any man. A time comes when she is given the assignment of a lifetime. If she can complete it then she will get all she's ever dreamed of. The only problem is the assignment is finding and killing notorious assassin Sicarius. Things don't go as planned and Amaranthe finds herself on an intense mission, along with Sicarius, to save Emperor Sespian.

The heroine of the story, Amaranthe Lokdon is one of the best female role models in a book that I've encountered in quite awhile. She is strong, smart, and doesn't take no for an answer. throughout the book she assembles a ragtag crew of misfits. They include Maldynado; the confident fashion forward fighter, Books; the guilt ridden genius, Akstyr; the petulant young wizard, and Sicarius; the notorious and quiet assassin (and my personal favorite character).

This is the first book in an amazing series that I would recommend to anyone who loves adventure, witty banter, amazing characters, and a bit of romance. Plus as an added bonus if you have a kindle you can get the first book in the series for free!