Eona (Eon #2) by Alison Goodman | Book Review

Eona by Alison Goodman

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons
Publication Date: March 29th, 2012

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Once she was Eon, a girl disguised as a boy, risking her life for the chance to become a Dragoneye apprentice. Now she is Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye, her country’s savior – but she has an even more dangerous secret. She cannot control her power. Each time she tries, it twists into a killing force. And more destruction is on her trail – High Lord Sethon’s army. She and her companions must find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona’s power if he is to wrest back his throne. But to help him, she must drive a dark bargain with an old enemy, which could obliterate them all.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“We are all more— and less—than what we seem.”

This series has been one heck of a ride. Never have I gone from hating to loving as much as I have with this crazy cast.

But man, Alison Goodman can tell an amazing story. It’s complex and well written and has such an amazing cast of complex and flawed characters.

I loved the political battle, and the struggle all the characters had with power and their humanity. I loved dragons, the entire energy world was absolutely fascinating. This story and this world that Alison Goodman has created is so unique and I even though this book was 600+ pages I was really sad when it ended.

I really loved Eona’s character. I’m not saying she didn’t frustrate me, oh she did. But gosh, she faces and has to make many tough decisions throughout the novel. Granted they’re not always the correct ones. She’s someone who has all this power and it’s because of that power she has a tough time trusting those around her. And also trusting in herself, for with great power comes great responsibility.

“You have seen me at my worst and at my weakest. Let me show you my best.”

Ido, I’ll admit it, I didn’t love him in the first book, but I was drawn to him. He intrigued me in a way Kygo didn’t. And even though he’s a murderer and possibly a psychopath, I couldn’t help but feel for him. Whether it’s by Sethon or Kygo, or even Eona, he was always being controlled by someone. Used for his power, used for killing. Is that what shaped him to be the person he is? To be this selfish character who only looked out for himself and was fueled by his own ambition? I don’t know. But I want to know, I want to know so much more about him.

“I know that love is about power, too. Who gives, who takes. Who is willing to risk showing their true self.”

I had a major love-hate relationship with Kygo as well. Surprising since I almost always fall for the royalty character. He’s emperor and because he’s an emperor he has to make tough decisions that will be best for the empire and his people. In his own way, I knew he cared for Eona, but at times I wondered if that was enough. Or if his quest to reclaim his throne would turn him into someone just like his uncle.

“In the end, power is always used to gain more power. That is the nature of the beast.”

Now the ending, most readers will be satisfied. It tied up some loose ends without exactly making it a happily ever after. But I really wanted more, I still have questions!

Overall, Eona was everything you could ever ask for in a fantasy series: great world-building, complex characters, political battles for power, and my personal favorite, moral ambiguity. Oh and dragons! Can’t forget that. Definitely, recommend if you’re looking for an awesome fantasy series!

“You lie even to yourself. Now that is the mark of a fool.”

5 out of 5 stars

★★★★★

Buy Eona:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Buy Eon:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

Shadow and Crow (Silver and Bone #3) by Claudia Cain | Book Review

Shadow and Crow by Claudia Cain

Page Count: 492
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery
Publication Date: July 13th, 2018

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Tick. Tock.
Jennifer Jones is no stranger to trouble. She’s been framed for murder, hunted by the government, and just stopped a sorcerer from summoning murderous entities. By now, trouble is an old friend.
But there is always something worse to come. Something smarter. Something darker.
For the first time in three hundred years, Jennifer might be outmatched.
And as shadows gather and events draw towards a cataclysmic close, she can’t ignore the curse that now plagues her – or the fact that she’s rapidly running out of time

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

Disclaimer: A huge thank you to the author for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

“Sometimes there are no good decisions. There are only decisions that aren’t as bad as others.”

What a fun and wonderful journey this has been.

Shadow and Crow was a thrilling, mysterious, very creepy and chilling finale to such a wonder trilogy.

I will admit I forgot a couple of the side characters, but I did remember our wonderful main cast: Jennifer, Ian, Oliver, Dave, Gabrielle, Cameron, and beautiful mysterious Mosi.

It had been a while since I had read the second book of the trilogy and while the third book does give a couple of recap paragraphs, I definitely recommend maybe a skim read through the ending scenes of Smoke and Mirrors to refresh your mind.

I have said this in my precious reviews, but Claudia Cain has such a nice writing style that keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire story. With a little less than 500 pages for practically all three books this series can get a bit exhausting to read.

It always takes me a bit of courage to bring myself to start an almost 500 paged story, Shadow and Crow captures your attention and pulls you into its story.

I really enjoyed unpacking the mystery of this story, and I have to admit the villain of the story as well as the descriptions of the creepy shadow creatures from across the veil that can only be seen if cursed really freaked me out.

However, while I love a good paranormal mystery, for me the heart of this trilogy lies in its amazing main character, Jennifer Jones.

“I had a family once.”
“Do you not have a family now?”

Words cannot even begin to express my love for Jennifer. She has done terrible things, things she will never truly forgive herself for, but she is so dang selfless and wonderful and badass.

“I’ve never felt self-conscious about immortality until I have to try and explain it.”

She would do anything for her friends even if it means harm upon herself. She cares so much for Ian whom she takes under her wing, for Oliver who is the closest thing to family she has, for Mosi who has been with her for so long.

Seeing the affects of the curse on her, especially when it pertained to those she cared for, honestly broke my heart.

“I’m a person. I’m your friend. The fact that I could live forever doesn’t change the fact that your death would make ever day beyond this one worse.”

Jennifer and Oliver’s familial relationship is the sweetest thing ever. They have been through so much together, would do anything for each other, and I love it so much.

“He’s walked in darkness enough times to know when there’s something in darkness with him.”

And here comes my second favorite character of the trilogy: Mosi. Ahh, beautiful mysterious Mosi. His despair and his guilt broke my heart. Cain does a great job portraying the immense guilt and grief Mosi has, for he’s ancient and has been around for a long time. His protectiveness of Jennifer was so adorable and sweet, and I really love Mosi’s character.

There’s still so much about him that we do not know.

This trilogy honestly has so much lgbt+ representation and I just love it so much? Jennifer is bi and there’s a lesbian romance that’s super sweet and it’s just great.

Heads up though, after the first book the series isn’t really big on romance. I personally did not mind and that’s coming from someone who loves to ship people.

A quick honorable mention character: I really do love Igor, he is so strange and mysterious, but helpful in his own way. I loved how he was sort of a rock for Jennifer in her darkest times.

And finally, the ending. The ending was perfect. I loved how Cain finished off the series with room open for a possible companion/continuation series, but also how it all came back full circle.

“It mattered,” I say. “It doesn’t make a difference how much or little time it was. It mattered. All of it.”

Even if I cried a little bit, even if I was desperately hoping for something else, I am satisfied with the ending and could not have seen any other outcome.

There is clearly still so much in store for a lot of the characters and I wish them all the happiness in whatever goals they may choose.

“There is nothing in the world as definite as a total end. There is only change.”

4.5 out of 5 stars

★★★★½/5

–

Purchase Shadow and Crow:

Amazon

Start at the beginning! Purchase Silver and Bone:

Amazon

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD | DEPOP

In the Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) by Alexandra Bracken | Book Review

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Page Count: 535
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Young Adult
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Ruby can’t look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government’s attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds. 
They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America’s children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the “rehabilitation camps” housing thousands of other Psi kids.
Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“The darkest minds never fade in the afterlight.”

Not going to lie, I love how the titles of the books form a sentence.

Actual. Literal. Chills.

I love it.

*deep breath*

Gosh darn it, this series has been a giant rollercoaster of emotions.

I definitely think I prefer third person point of view when it comes to books that are not contemporary, but damn, first person point of view, and just being so intimately connected with the main character’s thoughts and feelings, really hits you right in the feels.

I honestly have not cried this much because of a book series in a really long time.

There is just something about children being treated so horribly that turns me into a giant puddle of tears.

I was a mess at the ending of Never Fade.

I was a mess during that scene between Vida and Ruby.

I am a mess over that ending.

Which I guess isn’t an ending since there’s another book coming out, but still.

My heart is in pain.

“They don’t burn, do they? Not like us.”

I know some people found Ruby annoying, but I connected with her so much. Even though she makes mistakes, I loved her. I love how protective and strong she is. She is such an amazing character and it has been a pleasure going on this journey with her.

Liam is such a precious soul. He is so sweet and selfless and kind. His heart and his soul is so inherently good. He makes me want to hope, he makes me believe in happiness.

Vida is my hero, I love her friendship with Ruby and how they always have each other’s backs. I loved how helpful she was with Zu and her interactions with Chubs. Despite all the awful things that’s happened to her Vida is strong and brave and beautiful.

Chubs is this best, he is honestly such a mom friend and I love him with all my heart.

Jude and Zu and are giant balls of sunshine that must be protected at all cost.

Nico, poor baby Nico. He deserves love and happiness after everything he has had to deal with. He deserves people who love him for who he is instead of manipulating him.

“What they don’t tell you about forgiveness is this—you don’t give it for the other person’s sake, but your own.”

I am not going to lie I did feel a little bad for Clancy especially toward the end, but I can never forgive him for what he did to Nico.

It is awful. I hate people who play with other’s emotions like that.

All of these kids deserve so much better.

All of the characters are so wonderful and I am so happy to have gotten to know them. To see their relationships, to know their struggles and their flaws, their pain and their sadness.

I love them. I love them. I love them.

They will never fade in the afterlight.

In the Afterlight was an amazing finale that wrapped up a lot the loose ends.

The future is still uncertain, but like Jude said, the future is like an open road, and I am hopeful that whatever life throws at these kids they will be able to get through it.

For their friendship is a bond that can never be broken.

I do hope some of my questions are answered in the novellas though!

“It rained the day they brought us to Thurmond.
And it rained the day I walked out.”

4.5 out of 5 stars

★★★★½/5

–

Buy In the Afterlight:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Start at the beginning! Buy The Darkest Minds:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD | DEPOP

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West | Spoiler Free Book Review

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publication Date: July 26th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?
While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she’s flustered — and kind of feels like she’s falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer — but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

–Spoiler Free!–

“Words brought us together though they almost kept us apart.
You trusted me with your secrets and then you stole my heart.”

This book was so adorable. I cannot stop smiling at all the cuteness.

“Who are you talking to?”
“Myself.”
“You do that a lot.”
“I know. I’m the only one who understands me.”

I want so badly to rate it 5 stars because of the ending alone, but alas, I cannot look past how upset the main character made me. I found Lily to be really funny and awkward. I loved her passion for music and her relationship with her family. In the beginning I really loved her, she reminded me a little of myself–an awkward person who talked to themselves occasionally, didn’t mind being alone and loved indie music–but she’s just so judgmental and it was a huge turn off for me.

“I was fine alone. Sometimes I preferred it that way.”

Especially toward a certain someone and it made me so mad because I loved him. I loved him so, so much. Gosh, he’s a total sweetheart. The last third of the book had me swooning and my heart fluttering with full on excitement.

Kasie West has always been one of my guilty pleasure reads. If anyone else besides her had written this book I most likely wouldn’t have picked it up or put it so high on my to-be-read pile.

But with her, I can’t explain it. You’ll definitely have to read one of her books to really understand what I mean. They cast a spell on you. Suddenly your normal reviewer mind just shuts off and you return to being that casual reader that reads a book simply for pure pleasure.

P.S. I Like You, The Distance Between Us, and On the Fence (still haven’t read The Fill-In Boyfriend yet, shhhh) are books that are a ton of fun. They’re cute, they’re funny, and they’re for pure entertainment. Which at the end of the day, is something everyone needs once in a while.

Will this book win a ton of literary awards? Probably not. But I don’t think it’s a book that sets out to do that either. It’s a book that makes you feel happy.

Overall, I definitely recommend you check out Kasie West’s novels! My favorite is The Distance Between Us, but P.S. I Like You was so much fun to read as well! When you feel yourself succumbing into a dreaded reading slump, I assure you they’ll pull you out of it!

3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½

Buy P.S. I Like You

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

Sea Spell (The Waterfire Saga #4) by Jennifer Donnelly | Book Review

Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date: June 14th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home–and her beloved Mahdi–again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Just because you failed today doesn’t mean you’ve failed forever. Falling down doesn’t mean anything. It’s staying down that does you in.”

Sea Spell was a great finale to a series that I ended up liking way more than I thought I would. It was a conclusion that was satisfying, but still left a few unanswered questions. Which I surprisingly am okay with.

“A little while ago, I lost faith in myself. It nearly did me in. You helped me swim back from the brink. Now it’s my turn to help Becca. Because if the six of us lose faith in one another, we’ve lost everything.”

My favorite aspect of this series will always be the relationships. Not necessarily the romantic ones, those I found a bit rushed and wasn’t really attached to, but the relationship between friends.

Sera, Neela, Ling, Becca, Ava, and Astrid, I loved their friendship, their sisterhood so, so much. Each girl grows up to become strong, independent women. They all had to make many tough decisions, but in the end I am so proud of each and every one of them.

“Because it’s time, Des,” she finally said.
“Time for what?”
“Time to play my uncle’s game like a queen, not a pawn.”

Serafina especially, she gets most of the development since she is the main, main character. She started off the series confused and afraid. My heart was breaking for her, but she pushes past all her insecurity and in the end becomes such a strong person, a strong leader. A real queen, and gosh I am so happy for her.

“Was love enough? Was it stronger than her uncle’s brutality, his just for power, his hatred? Was it stronger than fear? Stronger than death?”

The theme of love has always been so prominent in this series. It’s a story about love in all different shapes and sizes. A story with love between friends, allies, and family. And what it means to really risk it all for those you love.

The battle for Cerulea and the one against Abbandon were so much fun to read about! It was heart pounding and had me at the edge of my seat. I couldn’t flipping pages. Absolutely epic and so thrilling.

Oh and don’t worry, the pun game is still going strong. For example, *clears throat* “Holy silt!”
Ahhh, a book looking to catch my pun loving heart.

The epilogue leaves room for spin offs and I’m super excited to see if Jennifer Donnelly decides to expand on this world.

Overall, a really great conclusion! I ended up liking this series way more than I expected and I’m kind of sad to see it go. If you’re looking for a fun, quick, magical, fantasea read with great friendships I definitely recommend giving this series a chance!

“Where there’s life, there’s hope.”

4 out of 5 stars

★★★★

Buy Sea Spell:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Start at the beginning! Buy Deep Blue:

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass | Book Review

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Castella Cresswell and her five siblings—Hannan, Caspar, Mortimer, Delvive, and Jerusalem—know what it’s like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.
Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they’re still the freaks they’ve always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.
Castley’s world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father’s grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father’s lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“But that’s what life is like; it blinds you. It makes you think you’ll never escape. But you will. You will if you keep fighting, even if sometimes you don’t know what you’re fighting for.”

The Cresswell plot was a dark, creepy, and gripping novel that I’m still not really sure how I feel about.

It’s hard for me to review this book because I personally have very little knowledge about strict religious families, or religion at all really. I can’t tell if these children’s reactions were true to life or not, because things that seem clearly wrong aren’t wrong to them.

The Cresswell children: Castella (our narrator), Hannan, Delvive, Casper, Mortimer, and Jerusalem all listen and accept their father’s religious teachings without a second thought.

And it was scary. So scary to see them get punished for the simplest things and to accept it with only minimal acts of rebellion. So scary to see them turn on each other in fear of God or their father punishing them. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

“‘Because I can’t tell if you’re lying. I can’t tell whether you’re telling the truth or not. I can’t ever tell.'”

For some of the children, you just couldn’t tell how much they believed in what their father told them and where their loyalties lay.

“When you were living a life you hated, there was absolutely nothing worse than the people who were living the life you wanted.”

I really felt for Castley, all she wanted was to be a regular teenage girl. She could be kind of annoying and make stupid decisions, but I blame most of it on the cruel way she was raised.

“Most people, the so-called “good people,” looked that other way when we crossed the street, like my teachers never looked me in the eye when they noticed my wrists were bruised”

Also, can we talk about the fact that these children literally have ALL OF THE SIGNS of abuse (bruises, burn marks, haunted looks in their eyes) and nobody cares?

Is this what happens in real life? Because if it is, we humans need to get our act together. I didn’t think I’d need to say this, but ABUSE IS NOT OKAY. Nor can it be ignored or brushed aside. If you’re constantly seeing bruises on children, or actually know that they’re psycho father is locking them up in some weird sewer, you do something about it.

I have never been this upset with a made up town.

The ending was also a little disappointing. There were a lot of things left in the open and I still have a ton of unanswered questions. Especially about Mr. and Mrs. Cresswell, I mean I hated their father, but I was also really curious about him and his past and why he became the way he is. And I can’t forget about that mysterious carved star!

“He looked like someone who could have had any life he wanted. So why had he chosen this one?”

Overall, the Cresswell Plot was one creepy ride, but I wasn’t a fan of any of the characters and I really just wanted more from the ending.

“Sometimes love was a spell people put you under to keep you from seeing who they really were.”

*Disclaimer: all quotes were taken from an ARC copy of this novel that was kindly sent to me from BigHonchoMedia and DisneyHyperion

2.5 out of 5 stars

★★½

Buy The Cresswell Plot

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

Monthly Update | June 2016

JUNE 2016

CURRENTLY READING:

1. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
2. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan
3. Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead (okay like who am I kidding? I’m not actually making any progress in this book)

JUNE WRAP-UP:

1. The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey
   ★★★★/5
2. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (reread)
   ★★★★½/5
3. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
   ★★★★/5
4. Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
   ★★★½/5
5. The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass
   ★★★/5
6. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan (reread)
   ★★★★★/5
7. Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan (reread)
   ★★★★★/5
8. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan and illustrated by John Rocco
   ★★★★★/5
9. The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
   ★★★★/5

JULY TBR:

1. Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead
2. The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
3. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
4. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas
5. The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu
6. The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu
7. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan
8. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

READING CHALLENGE PROGRESS:

I have read 52 books out of my goal of 100 and according to Goodreads I am 3 books ahead of schedule! Oh my gosh I’m a litter over halfway done!! Whoo! I really wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I’m remaining optimistic that I can read 100 books by the end of the year!

JUNE BOOK HAUL:

1. Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins
2. This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
3. The Veins of the Ocean by Patricia Engel
4. Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
5. Shrill by Lindy West
6. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
7. Modern Lovers by Emma Straub
8. With Malice by Eileen Cook
9. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken
10. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
11. Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
12. Sea Spell (Waterfire saga #4) by Jennifer Donnelly
13. The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu
14. The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski
15. The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
16. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
17. Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor
18. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor
19. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
20. Saga Volume One by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

–

WHY ARE BROADWAY TICKETS SO EXPENSIVE?

I’m trying to convince my parents to take me to see Hamilton, but tickets are so expensive and always sold out and ugh, I’m just so sad. I really wanted to see the show before Lin-Manuel Miranda leaves the cast *internally crying*
(btw, can i just say phillipa soo has the voice of an angel)

Anywhoo, as you can see I got a poop load of new books, but then again what’s new? *sigh* I seriously need to go on a book buying ban. A huge thank you to Big Honcho Media for sending me With Malice, my lovely sis for gifting me Sea Spell, my friend Tanika for giving me a copy of The Amazing Book is Not On Fire and to Book of the Month Club for sending me their June selection of books!

In other news, besides my struggle with self-control, the book club I’m apart of (@theliterarylions) will be reading The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson for July! I’m really excited because I heard that characters from Since You’ve Been Gone have a cameo! Ahhh, I’m hoping for some Frank and Emily scenes ❤ (Fremily?).

Oh and I impulsively started my reread for the Percy Jackson series and it was the best decision I ever made. Percy Jackson was exactly what I needed back in my awkward elementary school days and it’s still exactly what I need even now. The series is my childhood, it was my first love, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

Until next time everyone! Happy reading! More reviews and other posts to come! I have some posts I’ve wanted to do, I just need to get off my lazy butt and actually write them!

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins | Book Review

Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins

Genre: Contemporary, Anthology
Publication Date: May, 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

Maybe it’s the long, lazy days, or maybe it’s the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.
Featuring stories by Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith.

–Spoiler Free!–

What a great collection of stories! They’re all so diverse and different from each other. I really do think that there’s a story in this anthology for everyone, and thankfully I did end up liking most of the short stories. My biggest complaint is that a lot of the stories were depressing. I went in hoping for a cutesy and adorable summer romance and I got a little of that, but not a lot. This anthology was definitely not what I was expecting, but it was overall a fun read.

Hearts, Scales, Tongue, and Tail by Leigh Bardugo
★★★★½/5

What a great story to start the anthology! It was adorable, magical, and just beautifully written. I was a bit confused by the ending, but I really liked it nonetheless! Eli and Gracie’s relationship was just so dang sweet, definitely one of my favorites of the bunch. Leigh Bardugo is the queen.

“There are monsters everywhere, tsigele. It’s always good to know their names.”

The End of Love by Nina LaCour
★★★★/5

I really liked this story! It was such a lovely and sweet summer contemporary. With a lesbian relationship! I don’t get to read much of those. I’ve never read a novel by Nina LaCour before, but I definitely want to check out more of her works.

“As much as people want to look on the bright side, skip straight to the future when everything will be okay, the truth is that there is this time, where you sometimes have trouble breathing, and you feel powerless. Like you’re screaming and no one hears you.”

Last Stand At the Cinegore by Libba Bray
★★/5

This one was a bit…weird. I don’t really know how else to describe it. I can’t say I was really invested in the story or the relationships. It was overall just really strange and all over the place, but interesting, if a bit rushed. I’m not exactly sure what happened if I’m being honest.

“Some things you couldn’t plan for; you just had to react in the moment and hope it was enough.”

Sick Pleasure by Francesca Lia Block
★★½/5

Sick Pleasure was also a bit weird, but interesting. Especially the ending. The fact that every character had a letter for a name which took me by surprise and took a while to get used to. It was also kind of depressing, but I did not at all expect it to end in the way it did.

I was so curious about the background for the story that I even Googled it because that’s the kind of person I am.
If you’re interested as well, click here. It’s a blog post written by the author, so nothing illegal I promise, hahah.

I would definitely not call this a cutesy summer romance!

“Love can be so strange and sad. It can be hard to understand why we run toward certain people and away from others at different times in our lives. Why we search so hard for that thing we are looking for, and then run so fast when we find it.”

In Ninety Minutes Turn North by Stephanie Perkins
★★★★½/5

I was thankfully told ahead a time that this story was a continuation to the short story Stephanie had written in her holiday anthology “My True Love Gave to Me”, which I haven’t fully read yet, but I of course read the story there before I read this one.

North is so flipping cute! How Stephanie continues to write such swoon worthy characters I will never know.

I love him and Marigold so much, and I’m so happy we got to read more about them. They’re both so adorable. This story was just so darn sweet and a ton of fun! I’m just happy they’re happy.

CAN I HAVE A NORTH? THANKS.

“But what if we like this mountain? What if we can’t even see the other mountains because we’re so infatuated with the one standing right before us?”

Souvenirs by Tim Federle
★★★/5

This story was just depressing. Like come on, I didn’t pick up a book called “Summer Days and Summer Nights” and expect to be hit with a bunch of truth and realistic-ness about life. I wanted the laughs! The fluff! The cute romance. Sigh. Even so, I did like our narrator, Matt, and his mom. It was really just bittersweet and sad. And I guess I’ll admit it, I didn’t like Kieth anyway.

“We were going to be best friends forever, and then we weren’t. I was going to have a hole in my heart for all time, and then I didn’t. I moved on—even if some part of me stayed scarred by Stacy leaving me. But the thing about scars is that, as much as they knot you up, they can make you stronger, too. Collect enough scars and you get a whole extra layer of skin, for free.”

Inertia by Veronica Roth
★★★½/5

This short story was so creative and unique, not to mention totally Veronica Roth. A science fiction story that deals with memories and the mind. A program called the Last Visitation that allows people to revisits memories that both parties shared. Super interesting concept, but I did however have a hard time connecting with the characters or feeling their chemistry. The story was kind of depressing too, but the ending was sweet.

“‘Sadness and anger aren’t the only feelings that count as feelings.'”

Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron
★★★★/5

Okay, so this story was actually really cute and summery, if a bit dramatic what with the matchmaking scheme and over dramatic dialogue. The narrator addresses the reader, which I personally found funny and fun, but will differ from person to person. There were so many characters that it was hard to keep track of all of them, or to get really invested in their stories, but overall it was a hilariously light and fun read!

“Because if we are all fools, then perhaps there is some wisdom in falling in love.”

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbery
★★★½/5

This story got really dark and (surprise) depressing. What I thought would be a cute little story about a girl learning to move on when she hears that her cousin, and best friend, is moving to San Francisco with her girlfriend, turned out to be much deeper than that. Our main character can come off a bit rude, but I felt for her, she’s just trying to cope. Granted in a terrible lets-get-angry way, but still. It’s a story of love and grief and acceptance and I’m happy with the way it ended. I hope for the best for each character.

“Maybe saying good-bye isn’t all bad. Maybe it means I’m making room for someone new.”

Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare
★★★★½ /5

Okay, so the story I was most excited about was thankfully not a let down! Whoo! (Or am I just complete utter Cassie Clare trash?) Ahh, I absolutely loved the description of the carnival so, so much. It was creepy and dark and just super awesome! Can I have a pet demon?

Kidding, kind of. Anyway, the story was really epic and fun!

The romance was sweet too, even if it did make me uncomfortable and hesitant at first, but I love Lulu and Lucus, they’re both so adorable!

“People come to shows like ours to be scared, yeah. But they also come to live. To feel magic. They come to feel brave, like they’ve faced the dark forces.”

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith
★★★★/5

Ahhh, this one was so cute! I’ve always been a bit iffy with Jennifer E. Smith’s writing, but this story flew by and left me wanting more. The romance was adorable and absolutely loved our two love interests.

“There are still about a thousand ways this could all go wrong. But there are a thousand different ways it could go right, too.”

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman
★★★/5

Okay, so like the main character in this story is practically me. In this world, time has frozen on August 4th (unrealistic and leaves me with a ton of questions, but whatever, who cares, we can move past that) and he spends most of his time reading all of the books (can this happen in real life?). Love it. I personally found Mark funny and quirky, his relationship and adventures with Margaret was also fun. I can’t say I really bought the romance, but overall the story was entertaining.

“For the time being I was living without consequences. But you can’t hold back consequences forever.”

3.5 out of 5 stars

★★★½

–

Buy Summer Days and Summer Nights

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: August, 2013

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Some things you hear with your ears. Others, you hear with your heart.”

Crown of Midnight was everything that I wanted from Throne of Glass. There was more action (YES), twists and turns, some that broke my heart and others I didn’t even see coming, more magic, and an assassin actually being a badass assassin.

“But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.”

A huge improvement from Throne of Glass in my opinion. Celaena still annoys me, but I’ll admit she’s slowly growing on me, or maybe I’m just getting used to her self-centeredness. She shows a more vulnerable side to her in this novel, which I absolutely loved. She’s still little-miss-perfect and everyone still loves her, but I hope she starts showing a more flawed and broken side especially after that ending.

Dorian is my absolute favorite. I love him so, so much. His character development is absolutely amazing, he starts off as kind of the one-dimensional cliché player Prince character, but he’s grown into so much more. He’s captured my heart since the very beginning and he will continue to have it until the end of time. I just wish so badly he’d stand up to his asshole of a father. If anyone is going to take down the King of Adarlan I want it to be Dorian Havilliard. I’m loving the direction his character is going in, and I’m desperately hoping we get more chapters and scenes from him.

I don’t have a problem with Chaol. I don’t hate or love him. I do think he worries too much though. I get that he cares about Celaena, but COME ON, she’s a fucking assassin for fucks sake. Stop. Sometimes I just don’t get him, he says he’s loyal to the King and Dorian, but then he says he loves Celaena more? He says he loves Celaena, but then freaks out when he finds out things about her and that she *gasp* kills people. Everyone else seems to really love him, but I don’t know. Maybe I’m just in the minority in this one.

The King of Adarlan is starting to become a much more interesting character. In the first novel I honestly didn’t feel the threat of him, all I got was major asshole vibes, but not “I’m a terrifying, psychotic, killing machine”. However, in Crown of Midnight he takes a huge turn from generic evil guy into something much more sinister and complex. I’ve always had a soft spot for the evil characters, but the King of Adarlan is terrifying and the absolute worst.

“Then Celaena and the King of Adarlan smiled at each other, and it was the most terrifying thing Dorian had ever seen.”

One of the things I really love about this series is the relationships. Not really the romantic ones (more on that later), but the friendships. I loved Celaena and Nehemia and I loved Chaol and Dorian’s friendship. It hurt me so much to see them fighting over Celaena and I really hope their friendship wins out in the aftermath of the series.

“Because, you remind me of how the world ought to be. What the world can be.”

Although this series doesn’t focus much on romantic relationship, which makes me very happy, it’s still there and it’s a love triangle.

The truth is I don’t hate love triangles, sure it sucks when your ship doesn’t sail and when your favorite character gets hurt, but they don’t turn me away when choosing a book. As long as the love triangle is don’t right. And the love triangle is okay. Both boys seem to really care for Celaena, but I don’t know. Whatever happens, I hope they all find happiness.

I can already tell my ship is sinking and that makes me a little sad. Maybe it’s for the best, I think he can do better than her anyway, but I just want so badly for him to be happy.

“It was like coming home or being born or suddenly finding an entire half of herself that had been missing.”

And gosh, that ending. That ending was crazy. I have to admit I saw the big reveal coming, but there were so many other amazing twists that shocked me and I loved it so much!

The world building in this series is amazing, I cannot wait to explore more of this world! I’m especially curious about Terrasen!

Overall, after being not-so blown away over Throne of Glass I’m glad I picked up the sequel. This series is very entertaining and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for Heir of Fire. More Dorian I hope.

4 out 5 stars

★★★★

“To escape death, she’d become death.”

Buy Crown of Midnight

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Buy Throne of Glass

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD

 

The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey | Book Review

The Last Star by Rick Yancey

Genre: Science Fiction
Publication Date: May 2016

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads)

The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.
They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.
But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.
In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.

–Possible Spoilers! Read at your own risk!–

“Some things down to the smallest of things, are worth the sum of all things”

I’ve been trying for these past few days to write this review. Trying and clearly failing miserably.

How could I possibly even begin to explain how this finale made me feel?

I hated it, but I also loved it too.

The Last Star was everything I thought I wanted for a conclusion and yet I hate it so much. I hate it for making me feel this way.

“It’s not about the time, Evan, but what we do with it.”

It made me laugh, it made me cry. I was at the edge of my seat with fear and excitement. My heart was racing with ever flip of the page and I feared for every characters life. I never wanted it to end.

It was heartbreaking, it was tense, it was action packed, it was confusing as hell, but it was all worth it. It was so fucking worth it. All for that mind-blowing conclusion. I loved how everything tied together.

I loved and hated every minute reading it.

“She was the mayfly, here for a day, then gone. She was the last star, burning bright in a sea of limitless black.”

Cassiopeia, my mayfly, the last human on earth. Sassy until the very end. I love, love Cassie so much. She’s brave, she’s compassionate, she’s hilarious, and she’s just such a wonderful character. Her love for her friends, her love for her brother, and her overall badassness make her one of my all time favorite characters ever.

“But I am even more than this. I am all those they remember, the ones they loved, everyone they knew, and everyone they only heard about. How many are contained in me? Count the stars. Go on, number the grains of sand. That’s me.
I am humanity.”

She is humanity and I am so proud of her. I’m so proud of her for standing up for what she believes in, I will miss her so much.

“He was a finisher who could not finish. His was the heart of a hunter who lacked the heart to kill.”

Evan, my shark. Gosh, where can I even begin to explain my love for Evan Walker? I loved him in the 5th Wave and I loved him in the Infinite Sea. Oh, I wish he had more story time in the Last Star and more scenes with Cassie, I just love them both so much. I felt like he was really brushed to the side in this novel and it made me very sad. What Rick Yancey did to my poor baby Evan will ruin me forever.

“Call me Zombie.
Everything hurts. Even blinking hurts. But I’m getting up. That’s what zombies do.
We rise.”

Ben, my zombie. We had a rough patch in the Infinite Sea, but Ben really shines in this novel. And I’m happy to say that he’s won my heart again. He’s such a good person and a total sweetheart.

“The 12th System can protect you from the pain the afflicts your body, but it’s helped against the pain that crushes your soul.”

Ringer and I have a very complicated relationship. I’ve never really had strong feelings for her, not like I felt with Cassie.

“I am what he made me.”

Yes, I felt for Ringer, but I just don’t understand her at all. I’m upset that The Last Star turned into the “Ringer show”. This will please major Ringer fans, but it personally wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s like everyone else was just brushed aside.

“Maybe that’s it, he thinks. Maybe there’s already nobody human left. Maybe they’re all infested.
Which means he’s the last one. He’s the last human on Earth.”

Sammy, my adorable baby. We get a few chapters in his point of view in this book and all of them made me so unbearably sad. He has changed so much since the 5th Wave, which is understandable, but still so sad. My heart breaks for Sam. I hate how he’s experienced so much more than I boy his age should. I hated how he treated Cassie though. Cassie is literally fighting so hard for him and he just treats her like shit.

In a true Rick Yancey fashion, the Last Star starts off slowly, but creepy with a crazy ass scene staring a priest that gave me the chills.

“But I know what faith is, Father. I know what it is to believe in something. The lights go out, they come back on. The floodwaters roll in, they roll out again. Folks get sick, they get better. Life goes on. That’s true faith, isn’t it? Your mumbo-jumbo about heaven and hell, sin and salvation, throw it all out and you’re still left with that. Even your biggest church-bashing atheist has faith in that. Life will go on.”

Rick then takes us back to the characters we all know and love and slowly builds up the tension. Just when you think maybe you’re safe, suddenly BAM. We are thrown head first into action and crazy and confusing mindfucks.

“Our hearts, the war.
Her body, the battlefield.”

And then the ending. The ending broke my heart into a million irreparable pieces. But the truth is that even though I was mad and sad and felt betrayed (I still do), I don’t know how else this series could have ended.

The finale was heartbreaking, it was messy, but it felt right. Perfectly imperfect. Rick Yancey shows us that life and stories don’t have to end in a perfectly neat bow, especially when there’s an “alien” apocalypse going on. There were questions left unanswered, things I’m still a bit confused about, and characters left hanging which that makes me sad. I hated how some of the characters were left.

Although I kind of wanted more of an “epilogue” than we got, I also know myself. I know that if I was being completely honest with myself, I was relieved.

And that’s the truth. The whole, ugly truth.

In conclusion, the Last Star was one heck of a ride. I loved it, but I also hated it. I wanted more, but I also didn’t.

Confused? Upset? Yeah, so am I.

Endings are always so hard, and it sure as hell is going to be hard to say goodbye to this series and all of these amazing characters.

God this review is a mess. I blame Rick Yancey for ruining me like this.

4 out 5 stars

★★★★

“Love is forever. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be love. The world is beautiful. If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be the world.”

Buy The Last Star

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Buy The 5th Wave

Book Depository
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

–

Let’s be friends!

INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | BLOGLOVIN | WATTPAD