There are so many things that I could say about the second installment to Michelle Hodkin’s, Mara Dyer series. It was AMAZING. BREATHTAKING. CAPTIVATING. From the very first page, Hodkin’s left me utterly breathless. I wanted more. And in wanting more I was never for a second disappointed. I devoured the book in four sittings – mainly because of school and work. If it weren’t for those two things then I most likely would have finished in a day. It was that ENTICING – not letting you go for a moment. Every chapter adds on to the mystery of who is Mara Dyer, which is the impending question that arises in BOTH books.

We last left Mara with a startling revelation in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Her ex-boyfriend, Jude, is alive, which we all – including Mara – thought died in the collapse of the asylum. Oh, boy. Is he more alive than EVER. He terrorizes Mara, haunting her life in every way possible. Every one around her believes she’s becoming unhinged, which is true, but it’s not because she’s psychotic – like she’s diagnosed. This is where Hodkin’s brings in elements of PTSD – very much like TUoMD – mixing it with an air of supernatural suspense.

From terrifying hand-made dolls, strange dreams, hidden secrets, and mental hospitals, The Evolution of Mara Dyer is nothing short of startling and riveting, completely gnawing at your brain, trying to make sense of it all. It has a definite CREEP factor, but balancing the dark air of the story is light humor and the blossoming romance between Mara and Noah. Even Hodkin’s secondary characters (Jamie, Daniel, Joseph, Stella, ect.) frame the story. No character goes to waste and it’s definitely something that I thoroughly enjoy and love about Hodkin’s writing.

Read more here: https://emzsnow.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/book-review-the-evolution-of-mara-dyer/

I’ve been reading this book over the past few weeks because 1) life has been hectic and 2) I’ve been negligent. But the times that I could read it were when I couldn’t sleep (which kept my mind off of strees) and at work (when I was on break or lunch). The many times that I did stop and read this book…well…it kept me enthralled. It was fun and sassy with a mythological twist of monsters freely roaming the streets of San Francisco.

I absolutely loved the beginning where Tera puts the audience right in the middle of the action with Gretchen (one of her main protagonist) fighting some beasties. We learn from Gretchen that she is a direct decedent from Medusa, destined to send back the mythological creatures that escaped from their world to ours.

Read more on my blog: https://emzsnow.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/book-review-sweet-venom-medusa-girls-1-by-tera-lynn-childs/

When I first read the summary I was completely captivated by the Romeo & Juliet vibe I instantly received. Plus, isn’t the cover gorgeous? I’m a sucker for beautiful covers. Anyways, my R&J speculations were dead on as I began reading. From the very beginning, Lawrence weaves his story with parallels from Shakespeare’s most popular play, Romeo & Juliet. But just as it has similarities to Shakespeare’s themes, it is also a unique and creative story ignited by the power of love.

I found the beginning hard to read – as I find most dystopian novels at first. Why? Well, I think it’s because it’s set in a different world with terminology that at first needs to be understood. After reading two chapters I set the book aside. I couldn’t read it anymore. I found it dragging and boring. But when I picked up the book again that night I found myself unable to put it down. The plot picked up, sending Aria (the main protagonist) into a journey. All she wants is to remember. She wants to remember her love for Thomas, who is the son of her father’s sworn enemy and who she has no recollection of. She wants to remember why she even took Stic (a drug infused with Mystic magic), causing her to loss her memory in the first place. As the novel progresses, she begins to have distant dreams of the past, pushing her forward on her quest.

When she meets Hunter, who is a Mystic rebel, Aria is on her way to the East side to see her fiance, Thomas. There is something familiar about Hunter, but she let’s it pass. Of course, as the reader I couldn’t help but theorize that she must have known Hunter. But he was part of the memories that she had lost. When we find out who he really is, it’s not difficult to put the puzzle pieces together. It takes Aria more time to figure it out, though. I don’t blame her, seeing as she has so many other things to worry about. Like the impending wedding to a guy she doesn’t love and the fact that her dad is practically a mobster and her mother is a selfish and cold-hearted woman. True villainous tyrants, if you ask me. They will do anything to keep their power over the city, including killing their own daughter.

Yep. That’s right.

Even though I felt like the love story was predictable in Mystic City, there were still many surprises throughout the novel. The betrayals ran deep between blood and allies, while startling secrets about character’s actual identities are revealed. Towards the end of the book there is a specific betrayal that I’m completely shocked about. I just couldn’t believe it and it seemed that that specific person could have been trusted the most. I learned a valuable lesson just by that part: NEVER TRUST ANYONE.

There’s also magic. Beautiful and unique magic, which is one of the main issues that arises in the story. Mystics aren’t to be trusted. They are to drained when they reach thirteen years because it’s when their powers are fully developed. There are some who are against the drainings. They are the rebels who live underground the city’s abandoned tunnels. The people who live in the Aeries believe them to all be evil because of a single action that a group of them committed, which we find out the validity to that story throughout the novel. I found it parallel to the bombing of the Twin Towers in New York by a handful of Muslim men and the bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese. Suddenly, when a group of people that are from a different race or religion or are simply “different than the norm” all who belong to said group are condemned. Which isn’t right by any means. But it’s much like what happens to the Mystics in the novel.

If you love dystopian novels and romance you’ll definitely be a fan of Theo Lawrence’s new series. Like I said, it has loads of Romeo & Juliet parallels but Lawrence makes Shakespeare’s themes all his own, integrating them into the foundation of the story. There are also vivid comparisons to political questions and actions that truly churn your mind. It’s quite intriguing and captivating. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished because so many things kept happening that kept fueling the story. The conclusion is startling and inevitable, but filled with so much passion. I couldn’t help myself liking Aria Rose for her strength and courage. It’s definitely one of new favorite series and I absolutely cannot wait until next summer when Renegade Heart hits shelves!

Newly fresh YA voice, Terah Edun, delivers a nice, fast paced read full of adventure, magic, and a wee bit of romance.

I honestly thought that the book was really nicely written. I'm trying to get into the habit of reading indie books because self-published authors deserve some cred too! I was happy and honored to have the author herself contact me, asking to read her book and write a review. I accepted without hesitation because I absolutely love reading everything and anything. With that being said....let's move on to the review itself.

For the very beginning, I thought that it was a little confusing. It jumped around from p.o.v. to p.o.v and I had to physically take down notes to keep track of the characters. There are 4 p.o.v's altogether, but it's written in 3rd person. I felt like at some points the p.o.v's were the same...while other times they were wholly different, contrasting one another perfectly. Edun's voice is strong and I liked that because it drove the story, making it a light and fast-paced read.

After I got through the first few chapters of the novel, it got easier to read. I suddenly knew who Allorna, Sidimo, Vedaris, and Sitara were. I saw them as four teenage misfits, kinda running from the law and settling at a magic school. It made it easy for me to see them in that sort of analogy to go forth with the story, which is unique and inventive, all on it own.

If there is one thing I love about stories it's original plot lines and creative worlds. Edun does not disappoint in that aspect.

The other thing that I liked was the romance part woven into the novel. It wasn't sappy-first-love, which I detest. I loved that Terah actually takes the time to develop the romance between the two characters. Not going to say who cause it's SPOILERS, as River Song likes to say. It's quite refreshing to read that since most of often YA novels consist of "love at first."

All in all, I thought that Terah Edun's first novel in her YA fantasy Algardis series was a great start! It definitely introduced a nice handful of characters and built the world in which the story takes place. I'd definitely recommend this to YA fantasy lovers!

I wanted to read this book because of it’s sequel, Enlightened. It has a beautiful cover that automatically garnered the attention of the YA lover in me. But of course, I couldn’t read the sequel without reading the first novel to begin with. And that my folks, was my mistake. I didn’t take the time to read the synopsis or read reviews (not that I read too much into them in the first place; everyone has their own opinions). I was excited to read this book because I saw that it had 4 star ratings and beyond. Plus, it was an Indie book and I’ve been trying to expand my horizons.

But I was terribly disappointed with Devyn Dawson’s The Light Tamer. There is a major tense issue. That’s the first thing that threw me off. It’s written terribly in that way which a reader can’t dissect which tense the author is using. I mentally had to correct sentences on every page because it wasn’t written grammatically correct. After the third chapter I gave up all together because a) it’s not my job to edit this book and b) it took away from my enjoyment of it. I honestly wish that it would have been proofread thoroughly before it being published. I think that it would have made a world of difference.

Second thing that bothered me was the entire execution of the plot. So you have a fifteen-year-old teenage girl named, Jessie, who just moved to New Bern, North Carolina. Upon her first day she meets Caleb. A few days after, Caleb and her go on a date where he, not so subtly, tells Jessie that she is a supernatural creature – a light tamer. What does she do? Believes him. She doesn’t question it for a fraction of a moment. First of all, what kind of person believes a stranger at face value? If it were me I would have run away from him and thought he was crazy. That’s what any normal girl would do, right?

Along with the whole discovery of Jessie being a light tamer was her romance with Caleb. It happened in 2.o seconds. When he tells her that she’s a light tamer, just like him, he also throws the curve ball that she’s BONDED TO HIM. Yep. That’s right. He wants to touch her and be around her every second of every day. Add that to the fact that he can read her every thought, and you have a teenage boy with an Edward Cullen complex, minus the whole mentally abusive aspect.

It sounds horrible, what I’m saying, but in my opinion it was not written well. It was under-developed in many ways. The romance being one of them. But there had to be something that kept me reading till the end, right? Why else would I have finished?

The book did have some redeeming qualities about it. First thing was the world that Devyn created. I’ve never read or come across anything that resembled a light tamer. They are humans who have the ability to heal and need the strength from the light to feel safe, warm, and connected. There are also dark ones who were previous light tamers but were converted to the dark side when they lost the protection of their family or their bond mate. Her concepts were original and I’ll give Ms. Dawson brownie points for that. Her writing also had a strong voice, which made the book nothing short of dull.

There are many people who loved this book, but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea. It sucks because I really wanted to read the sequel and now I have lost interest because of how badly the book was written. Like I said, if the book was thoroughly proofread and developed more as a whole then it would have been an amazing start to a series.

Breathtaking. Captivating. Exquisite.

There are so many words to describe how absolutely gripping the conclusion to the Matched trilogy was in Reached. It took me well over a week to finish this book. Why? Because part of me did not want it to end - thanks to Anna, I figured that out. With that said, I read the last few chapters with tears in my eyes because everything was finally coming together. After all the trials and tribulations that Cassia, Ky, and Xander had to go through from the very beginning of their journey, they all find closure (peace?) in some form or another. It was bittersweet.

In the last installment it finally comes down to one final adventure that leaves you speechless and shell-shocked. Ally Condie does not waste any time to put us into the heart of the action. The first few chapters we are struck with a plague sweeping the Society and only the Rising - a rebel group - has the cure. Xander works beside the epidemic as a Physic in Central's medical building. Ky is a pilot, delivering cures all throughout the cities of the Society. And finally, Cassia is a sorter, masking herself within the Society as a rebel, ready for their next mission.

One of my favorite things about the final book was that Ally Condie wrote the novel in three different p.o.v's. Xander becomes a new narrator besides Cassia and Ky's point-of-view, giving the reader a chance to know more about Xander. All the voices are strong and true to each character, allowing us to differentiate between them at any given point within the novel. It's something that can't be easily accomplished, but Ally Condie does a beautiful job in achieving that.

Within the society, life has changed - and continues to change, drastically. Cassia, Ky, and Xander become pivotal characters within the story as they each are important in their own way for the cause. For half of the book, we follow Cassia, Ky, and Xander on their own journey. As the reader, we discover unknown fun facts - as I like to call them - about Ky from Xander and so forth. We find out how the two men feel about one another. You'd think that they would hate each other because they are competing to win Cassia's heart. But it's not like that whatsoever. Ky and Xander respect one another. That reason alone made me love them even more. For Cassia it was never a struggle of who she would pick because she truly loves them both. I would have had a difficult time choosing one of them. They are each honorable and strong in their own way, but one has always had Cassia's heart.

(Not going to say who she choose in the end! I'll spare that spoiler ;))

Apart from the romance, this book is more than just a girl trying to choose between two guys. It's about freedom, fighting for what you believe in, and so so much more. There are surprising revelations that tie together all three books perfectly, giving me a nostalgic feeling of the past 3 years of reading this trilogy. I absolutely love Ally Condie's beautiful prose and how her writing is weaved with symbolism. Her writing is evocative and engaging for each p.o.v. that you will not want to put it down unless you absolutely have to - like say doing mundane things like cleaning or eating.

It was a beautiful conclusion to an incredible series. I highly recommend it if you have not read the final installment. I recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian novels. It's different - as dystopian novles often are - and definitely will not disappointment. If you haven't read this series whatsoever, I prithee, go forth and buy yourself a copy! You won't regret it :)

I first came upon this book by my friend Anna. She mentioned it in one of our conversations and at first I wasn’t curious. But one thing lead to another and I found myself looking up the book and absolutely loving the cover! Beautiful, isn’t it? I love how her eyes are a startling and vibrant blue, while the background is purple, and her dress is the cat’s meow!

Sorry. I’m still stuck in the 1920′s lingo as I write this.

It’s been two weeks since I finished this book, so I’m going to try to recall my memory and feelings as best I can dolls. There it is again. From the beginning, I found Scarlet Jacobs to be a very likable and strong character. She has amnesia, and it gives her a dreary view of the world. At the same time, she was sassy, which I loved. It gave her narration a fresh, new voice. But as the story progressed, I couldn’t help but be annoyed by her.

For one, I didn’t much like how every time she saw Gabriel or Tristan Archer, she would comment on their appearance. Like, okay, I get it. They are hot. I don’t need to be reminded every 2.5 seconds. Alright, so that was kind of a stretch but it’s just one of the things that I really disliked. It was part of the romance which felt shallow and fell flat. There was one particular instance where Gabriel called Tristan selfish because he was sacrificing himself to save Scarlet and breaking the curse that ensnares him with Scarlet, and Gabriel unable to be loved.

I know, it’s a tad bit confusing; the curse and all.

I seriously wanted to punch Gabriel because what Tristan was doing wasn’t selfish at all. He was being honorable. I believe that he was a great character all throughout the story, even if he was moody and brooding. He acted that way because he had to, to keep Scarlet safe.

The other male protagonist, Gabriel (which by the way, Tristan and Gabriel are twins but have different colored eyes!) was just boring. He was the good brother. I also thought he was selfish and an idiot. Just ignore me because I am sounding mean now. Ugh. He is an immortal along with his brother, Tristan, but they act like regular teenage guys. You’d think that since they’ve been alive for more than 500 years they’d be just a wee bit mature. But nada.

The story is written in third person with three different p.o.v.s – i.e. Scarlet, Gabriel, and Tristian. They were all written very well, each character having their own voice. In some ways it drove the story, making it easy and very fast-paced. But in other ways it fell short and was disappointing. It was poorly executing since the main plot line took too long to be revealed and what we knew (as the reader) became redundant. It was also very predictably, which made the book just…okay.

I am very iffy about reading the remainder of the series. The only reason I want to keep reading is because it was a light and easy read. Plus, I want to know what happens to Tristan after that horrible cliffhanger.

Overall, like I said, the book was OKAY. It just wasn’t something that I completely loved. But alas, when I start a series I must COMPLETE it, unless it’s just down right horrible; which this wasn’t. Come to think of it, I may just read the rest of the series. Maybe it’ll be better!

Positive thinking here!

Lastly, I’ll leave you with some memorable quotes from the novel:

“Life isn’t about the past and the future. It’s about today.” He paused. “It’s about five minutes from now and two seconds ago. It’s moments, you know? Not years. Years aren’t what define us.”

‘You better not be messing with her, because I will kill you. Slowly. And painfully. And I’ll probably start by plucking out your very manly eyebrows. So, be warned!”

“Don’t beg, dude. It’s lame.”

“Gabriel will kill me. And then Scarlet would kill me. And they could just keep on killing me over and over again because I don’t ever die.”

“Yes. Yes, Gabriel. I’m the Grim Reaper. You caught me. I drive around in my car full of weapons collecting souls.”