Arson goes much deeper than just the surface. This is a book about two dysfunctional families. Arson and Emery both have a lot of their plates. They are just 17 years old and already they have to deal with a lot. Emery lives behind a mask and Arson can start fire and he seems terrified of his ability.

Arson and Emery both acted more grownup than their adult counterparts. Emery's mom is flighty and downright rude, and her dad is falling apart. No one wants to take any accountability for their actions. I felt so bad for Emery. And Arson's grandmother is the worst of them all. She treats Arson AWFUL! I wanted to hit her. I know she was unwell but the poor boy. Oh my heart went out to him. This book affected me on a very emotional level- especially when Arson and Emery volunteered at hospice. Oh Abe, you are way too cool!)I really just wanted the adults in this story to wake up!

Arson and Emery both take a while to really get close to someone because of their pasts. It is understandable, and regardless of this I really enjoyed seeing the progression of their friendship/relationship. Overall, I enjoyed Arson. It is not a light book by any means. It's pretty dark and troubling, but that is the life that these two teens were dealt, and they are dealing with it the best they can. I'll admit that I got a little confused at the end of the book, but it only made me want to read the second book- Ashes- even more!

I read Marked and Changed back to back so it is going to be a little bit hard for me to distinguish between the two books but I will do my best. It helps that there is a very clear turning point between the two. Let's start with that. I LOVED that Marked did not end with a cliff-hanger. It ended in the perfect spot in my opinion- something big had happened a few chapters back and Tessa was just starting to deal with the reprecussions. It left you read to read the next book but not in the crazy way that cliff-hangers do. I thought it was well done.
I liked Tessa and Jace. I liked them as individuals and I liked the idea of them together- but I wasn't head over heels in love with either of them. They each did things to annoy me. I thought there attraction was a little too quick and I don't approve of cheating. Even though I didn't like Tessa's ex at all, I still felt bad for him. (even though his actions later on made me really dislike him) And what Jace did was really selfish. I just wish that he had talked to Tessa about it first. Don't get me wrong I really like the two of them together but what Jace did just really rubbed me the wrong way and I thought that Tessa was too quick to forgive. But I get why she did- she must have felt incredibly alone! I can't even imagine!
Marked is a quick, easy read. I finished it in just a few hours. The writing is inviting and very good. it didn't make me fall head over heels in love but it was entertaining non-the less. For people looking for a quick werewolf story, Marked and Changed might be the perfect duology for you.

I said it before and I will say it again- I am really liking the idea and length of Duologies. I still love a good, long series but when there are just two books it sometimes make me feel like I am just reading one super long book. And I do love myself a super long book. I do think that I prefer to have both books available before I start reading the first one, bcause it is always better to read books back to back.
I enjoyed Changed a little more than I liked Marked. This story picks up where Markd left off- a few weeks before the full moon. I was really interested to see what was going to happen and to see what these secrets that Jace had up his sleeve where. I mean, didn't he already have enough secrets?
Tessa is understandably nervous, but I think she does a pretty good job of handling stuff. I was kind of bummed that her super tight friendship with her friend Rachel suffered in this book. I hate it when friends drift apart. I liked Jace a lot more in this book. Because his "act" was all behind him, he got to be much more himself and I found myself forgiving him just like Tessa did. I thought what happened during the first moon was pretty darn funny. That was a twist that I was not expecting to see and one that I really enjoyed.
I couldn't believe when I found out what Jace's big secret was. I was back to being mad at him! It just made him seem even more selfish and he didn't even seem concerned! I thought that was the craziest thing of all. No one seemed overly concerned. If it were me or someone in my life, I would be flipping out by what Tessa had to subject herself to!
Overall, everything works out and everyone gets their HEA. I liked it. I thought it was a cute story, but the ending did seem a little rushed. I think that this duology is perfect for people that like quick reads. If you want to be able to take a day or a few days and get to know some new character and see their story through from start to finish, then Marked and Changed are the books for you.

This book is a school girls fantasy. I would say it fits into the new adult genre. The characters are in their mid 20s. I really enjoyed it. By the end of the second chapter I was sucked in and didn't come up for air until a few hours later when I realized that I devoured the book in a single sitting.

Both Ryan and Kate are jaded and damaged and because of this they are guarded and keep people at a distance. What I liked about this book is that you could tell they liked each other from the beginning, but they both had a lot of internal struggles to deal with before they could be together properly. At first, I was annoyed that Ryan knew Kate was "different" so early on. I felt like he didn't get to know her well, but I quickly saw that this wasn't an insta love thing- it was a gut reaction and it didn't affect the deeper story line at all. I loved that about Preservation. Yes, they get together quickly, but it is so much more than that. Preservation is about two flawed individuals that need to do soem self evaluation and growth and try and make things work.

Charlotte is fiercely independent and I get that. I can relate to it, but even I think she goes too far with it. And Ryan is the typical guy that was burned and then turns to a womanizing but no deep connection path. I loved seeing their character growth throughout the book. They each had little setbacks along the way, but in the game of life- who doesn't? It was very realistic and very addicitive.

I loved Preservation and can see it as the type of real and smart book that I would go back to for a re-read. If you are looking for a more mature read about how two people can grow up and try to make it work, Preservation is a great book to pick up!
Settling

Settling picks up right where the first book, Solid, left off. Settling is really about getting answers. There are still so many more secrets left uncovered, but this book had a bit of a different tone than Solid did. I really enjoyed it and I read it pretty fast.
Clio is an interesting girl. On one hand, I totally understand and relate to her need to figure out answers. I have that same inquisitive nature and in her case it is even more important because the secrets involve her and her friends. But on the other hand, she certainly does a good job of pushing people away. And I know why she did it but still it scares me that she will be left all alone and no one will give her a chance to explain. There is a scene in the book where she is trying to rule out suspects and it just seemed like a scene from the movie Harriet the Spy, where the list falls into the wrong hands and everyone gets mad at her.

Plus there is the whole thing with Ford and Jack. I think there are some secrets going on with Ford, but I am not sure what they are yet. And Jack is just so awesome. I really hope he gives her a chance in the next book. I hope all of her friends do. Slowly seeing the relationships fall apart made me so sad.

Settling is a great middle book in the series. You get some questions answers, a few more twists and turns thrown in and some pretty big road blocks, but I am liking the progression. I didn't exactly love the way it ended but, I am hoping things turn around in the next book or I am going to be one sad puppy. Settling was more of an emotional journey for Clio than Solid was, and for me as well. I really liked where the book took us but I was pretty darn nervous for Clio for most of the story. I need to read the next book before I can get any sort of peace of mind. That being said, I am really excited to read the next book because this whole conspiracy thing has me so intrigued! I want to get to the bottom of this just as much as Clio. I just hope she accepts herself more in the next book and that her friends do as well.

I have read a few dual book series, and I like it. The length is great. You can get from the start to a finish of a story in more detail than in just a standalone book but it still feels like a standalone story. However, I like to read both books back to back. I don't think I would enjoy it as much if I had to wait a year between each book. I put up with the wait for series because most of the time there will be another book after it, but knowing you are waiting for the last installment is torturous.

I liked Severance, but not as much as I enjoyed Volition. I did get my wish- Joel was not as perfect in this book. I enjoyed seeing a more human aspect to him. And the storyline was pretty creepy. Stalkers really creep me out. I loved reading about Joel and Charlotte and seeing them overcome all the odds, but there is one thing that I just don't like in my stories. And that is babies. I know, I know- you can't believe it! But hey if that type of thing doesn't bother you, then you will probably love the book! (and for the record, I don't have a personal vendetta against babies or people that have them, I just prefer to not see them pop up in the books that I read).

I think that Joel and Charlotte's story is a compelling one. I enjoyed getting to know them, and I really liked the edge of your seat storyline in the second half of the book. I was a little worried that things would be happy go lucky for the couple and that th book would be boring, but that wasn't the case. There are plenty of roadblocks for the two to keep you turning pages. Volition and Severance is a good duaology for people that don't mind angels and a little religion.

Warning: this book deals with some darker themes of a serious nature.(rape/attempted rape)

I really enjoyed Volition. I know that may sound strange after you just read the warning above, but this book isn't so much about rape and the victims as it is about love and becoming a strong, good person. Charlotte has been through a lot. She doesn't even like to go out to clubs, and the one night that her friends finally drag her out, something awful almost happens to her. The rest of the book deal with the aftermath of this night, including a strange new addition to her life- Joel.

Joel is one of those guys that is so perfect. He is too good to be true. Granted, Joel has a reason for being so utterly good, and even though it’s a "secret" it was pretty obvious to me right away. I love how innately good Joel is and how much he cares for Charlotte, but I would have liked to see a few more faults in him. Something to make him seem a little more realistic. But it is pretty hard to not like Joel; he is just so loyal. I'm glad that even though Charlotte was smitten with Joel from about day 2, she still realized how strange his appearance in her life was. I would like to think I would act logically too and not get swept up in the romance of it all if a strange man "saved" me and promptly took me straight to a hotel room and then proceeded to have many unexplained occurrences surrounding him. But even though Charlotte tried to act rationally, she just couldn't stay away from Joel. But the more I got to see the two of them together, the less it bugged me.

I really liked that the whole trial process was explained and that we got to know some of the other girls that this had happened to. And then the end of the book was like a whirlwind. Most of the book is set at a moderate pace, but the ends sped things up considerably. All of a sudden a bunch of stuff was happening that I totally didn't see coming! The ending totally shocked me, and left me really wanting to read the second book to see how the story would all end. Even with its serious themes and nature, Volition was a really sweet romance to me. I really hope everything works out for Joel and Charlotte in the next book.


3.5/5 gavels

This book had me riveted! Completely riveted the entire time. I loved the writing style of Jolene Stockman so much. The jelly bean theory totally fascinated me. I loved how poppy thought everything through. I am a big fan of plans, so I liked her right off the bat. The Jelly Bean Crisis was instant love for me.

Poppy has it all together- or so it would seem. She is a girl after my own heart. Or maybe Bex is. but either way, they both started out pretty much the same. Which a total life plan already made, and she is only a junior in high school. Poppy is super smart, but sometimes she has a tendency to think things to death and that sometimes gets in the way. Plus, who has all the answers at 17? no one, but don't tell Poppy that. I got the feeling that not knowing was the worst possible scenario for her.

Poppy gets this big award for college and instead of accepting it, she flips out. She doesn't know what she wants to do. Will finance actually make her happy? So she got her super strict parents, and the school to agree on a gap month. This was the only part of the story that I thought was a little unrealistic. I don't know any high school that would give the ok to allow a student to miss a month of classes straight. I would have preferred to see her do the soul search on summer break or something. But regardless of that, the concept and the writing were what made me love The Jelly Bean Crisis. Even though, for me it was easy to see what Poppy's passion would be, but I still loved seeing her journey.

The Jelly Bean Crisis makes you think. It will make you laugh, make you smile. The writing is fantastic! It has enchanting quality to it. It just flows beautifully on the page. It just seems effortless for Jolene. I love the message of the Jelly Bean Crisis. This is a great book.

**This is a new adult book.** Never Say Never is a great book for music fans. I have read quite a few music themed books this year, come to think about it. I really enjoyed Never Say Never as an addition to their ranks.

Never is the daughter of a rock and rock legend. And with that comes a certain celebrity status that she wants nothing to do with. I liked that she really did seem to want nothing to do with her birth right popularity. She didn't even want her famous dad to know that she was the lead singer in a band. A band of all guys and her- so right away you know that there are going to be some problems.

Luc, Kyle and Danny are the three main guys in Never Say Never. The only problem I really had with the book was that everyone seemed to like Never. I have noticed a pattern of every guy in sight having a thing for the main girl in a story lately. I did like that one of the band members did not seem to be romantically interested in Neve. That was refreshing, but having four (we can't forget Geoff) guys fight over her seemed a bit much to me. But each of the guys were different and the real story here was between Neve and Danny.

I loved Neve and I liked Danny. I just couldn't bring myself to fall in love with him in this book. I did like him quite a bit more towards the end and I am super interested in seeing how he is in the next book. But I kind of like Luc the best. He has this polite reserved style that I thought was just adorable. He is a lot less of a hothead than kyle is- that's for sure. I hope good things are to come for Luc in the next book.

Never say never is well written, and a really cool story. I loved seeing the journey of the band and watching Never deal with some of the trials and tribulations of growing up. I hope the band can hold it all together, but I am sure that with the return of Geoff things are bound to get rocky. Plus I see Kyle as a bit of a wild card. If you are looking for a whirlwind rock and roll romance, Never Say Never would be a great book for you!

I'll admit that I was a little nervous to read Glitch. At first I was super excited- the summary sounds so cool and it immediately got my attention. Then, I started seeing a few so-so reviews and I got nervous that the book wouldn't live up to my expectations. But, I was so happy with Glitch! I really enjoyed it. I think Glitch's concept is creepy and thought provoking.

The world in Glitch is super creepy and crazy. I can't even imagine this kind of total control. It is so invasive and sad. It just makes me sad that these people live their whole lives without emotions and really any type of individual thought. To me, that is the death of civilization.

Zoel, or Zoe is such a vibrant and alive main character. I loved seeing the world through her "glitches". Everything seemed so real and heightened. She is so special. I loved her. She was honestly my favorite part of Glitch. She is smart, and compassionate.

Adrian is equally passionate. I know one of the main annoyances I have heard about Glitch is Insta-love between Zoe and Adrian. This did not bug me at all! I didn't even really see it as insta-love. The way I saw it, Zoe was experiencing all of these emotions for the first time, so everything was kind of heightened. Plus, there is a twist in the book and later on I feel like Zoe totally proved her feelings. As for Adrian, it didn't seem too sudden for him either because he has been getting to know Zoe for over a year really. Nothing instant about that. The other guy in this story is Max. I didn't like Max. And that's all I am going to say about him. Although I am really interested to see what part he will play in the next book.

Glitch is a great dystopian. It was so detailed, and the pacing was fantastic. I loved all the action, and the twists totally caught me off guard. This is looking like it is going to be an awesome series! I am already dying to know what will happen in the next book! If you are looking for a fast paced dystopian with a creepy and unique concept and some great romance to boot- Glitch is the book for you!