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.