I finally got off the hold list for this book. I was trying to figure out why people were so crazy over this book. Everyone was pretty tight lipped and only that it was so good. Speaking of holds, there are currently almost 700, still. Yikes! Anyways, I took it on our vacation because we had a 10 hour road trip.



I'm a Psychology major so anything that has to do with the psyche is fascinating to me. The main character, Rachel really drove me nuts. She's in a horrible place. She lost her husband, her home, her job, her sanity. She still takes to train in everyday to keep up appearances that she's working. She's become an alcoholic and all she really does is constantly drink. She's miserable about her lost marriage and is having a hard time moving on. When she's on a bender, she likes to call her ex at all hours.



One day, she's on the train like normal, when she sees something horrible. To her anyways, it was just the appearance of what happened. She has made up these whole stories about people that she passes on the way to work. When she sees something that she doesn't agree with, it throws her completely off. She doesn't know the whole story, just that they are perfect in her head. She then becomes insanely intoxicated and events happen that she does not remember. It's a rough morning when she wakes up and there's a missing person. In fact, it's the person she idolizes. So she then makes it a mission to figure out what happened to her.



The whole time though, she's not sure if maybe she had something to do with it. She repeatedly drives me insane because she puts herself in horrible situations. She also makes things so much worse for her. Every time you think, "it will be this time!" It then it turns out that it will not be that time.. or the next. You start to get frustrated but then again you understand.



I liked that we get the three different points of view throughout this book. We get the story of three women, whose lives are entangled with each other in the present. We learn the past of Megan, who Rachel perceives as the perfect wife. We also get the story of Rache's ex-husbands new wife. I really didn't know what was going on until I got close to the end. I had no idea who was at fault. It's really amazing to see what people will do in their self-interest. I'm amazed by all the women and how selfishly they acted and irresponsibly. I was also shocked at the lengths someone would take.



You just fly through the book, mostly because you have to know what is happening. I don't know why it's blown up as much as it has. Don't get me wrong, it's an okay book, but not the greatest.

I don't know why it took me so long to read this!

It was a very fast read. It was interesting but I felt like the ending of the book was a bit rushed.
The characters were the best part of this book. I loved Jubilee and how she didn't take crap from anyone. I love how she was a stickler for rules but then realized that things aren't always black and white. Flynn is also a great character. I think that he and Jubilee are perfect for each other. They balance each other out, really.

I loved the appearance of Tarver and Lilac from the previous book. I think that they will all make big impressions in the next book, by working together. At least, I hope so!

I'm adding the third book to my list for next month. It will be nice to finally finish this story. Although, it's not as great as, The Illuminae Files, it is still in enjoyable.

4.5 stars

This was a great ending to the trilogy. I'm having a hard time even coming up with a review because my thoughts are just all over the place. Here goes..

This is a great series and there's a reason why it's so popular. I'm so sad that it is over. I was reading this book so fast that I realized I had about 100 pages left and wanted to stop. I didn't want to finish.

The characters in this book are amazing. The way that they have developed and grown throughout the series is pretty special. They do not disappoint in this book.

Kady Grant is just as determined and has been through so much. Even so, she definitely doesn't give up and I honestly don't know how she does it. There's a point in this book when you will think... Noooo... but it's totally in her character! One of the best really. I still totally love her and Ezra. 

I really liked Nik and Hanna in this book too. They stepped up and really grew as people. Plus, Nik's sarcasm makes for some tension breaking moments. He had great banter with several of the characters and it really helps that you can laugh. I love how these two didn't just do the insta-all-consuming-you-are-my-everything thing. It took time and it was really great the way the authors handled it. 

Asha and Rhys, while I really liked their characters, I didn't feel like we really got to know them. I feel like you could make a whole book just about them and the world they are living on. There's so much there that got introduced and I would have liked more. I think that's my only issue with the book. 

Ella reminds me so much of Lisbeth Salander from the Millennium series? Anyone? Especially, when they call her the spider hacker. Her vibe and awesome hacking skills just really reminded me of Lisbeth, whom I loved. So of course, I loved Ella too! 

Aiden... Oh Aiden... There's a lot of change with Aiden but at the same time, none at all. It's really hard to explain and I don't really want to ruin anything. I started to really feel for him. 

There are also a lot of great supporting characters in this book! Finally, some adults that are helping out and looking after these kids! I really loved this series and this final book was a great ending.  There's lots of action and interesting plot twists. It's a really fast read too. I still think  one of the things that I love about this series is all the artistry. It's quite beautiful and different.  This is one series that I know I will re-read! 

If you haven't seen this book somewhere in the last month, you live in a box. LOL. No offense. It's been all over Facebook and instagram. Not to mention several groups and blogs. I sometimes get nervous about books that are so hyped. I'm glad that I picked this up at the HPB sale because I really enjoyed it.

This book is intense and full of politics, violence, class, and race. It's heavy. She does not shy away from it and that's not a bad thing. Especially, this day and age. It's really relevant to what this world is going through now.

I loved the world building, it was so detailed. She does a fantastic job with it. You get more than just all the pages of information dumps that drive me crazy. She weaves it into the plot and I never became bored. It doesn't keep the plot from flowing at all and it's one heck of a plot. So much action and so rich. It's definitely a unique story. I usually like different POV's but I felt like they didn't differ the much. There are three in this book and she needed to distinguish them a little more.

Character development was fantastic. Although, I love Zel, my favorite was Amari. To me, she has the most personal growth. She starts off as scared and insecure but becomes confident and strong. I think that Zel and Amari make the perfect team and I hope to see more of that as this story continues.

On that note, I didn't care for Inan much. I felt like he gave me a case of whiplash. One moment he's for the cause and all about it and then the next he's terrified of magic and is sure he needs to stop it. I understand that his dad really did a number on him but come on. People he saw using magic for harm, were trying to protect others. They had no choice. This is the conundrum though: choice. It's hard for people to understand that good and evil are a choice. Just because one person chooses one over the other, doesn't make them all the same.

Anyways, at the end I think there's some teasing about a love triangle. Best case, would be that the new option just becomes THE option. Since, I'm not a huge fan of Inan, I'm kind of all for a new love interest. This is crazy because I usually hate love triangles!

Overall, this is a really great read. It's fast paced and the story is just so interesting. The cliffhanger at the end is pretty awesome! I really can't wait for the next book. In this case, they hype is real.  I just heard that this has been picked up for a movie...


"They say you never forget your first love. What they don't say though, is that sometimes your first love won't forget you..."

This is a debut psychological thriller novel by Roz Nay. Wow, what a thriller it was. 

We start off at a prison station, with Angela being asked questions, by an investigator, Detective Novak.  Instead of just answering questions, Angela starts to reveal the whole story, from the beginning. This takes them back at least 10 years to her High School days. It's about how she fell in love with her H.S sweetheart and what happened. The detective keeps calling it a love story and she keeps saying it's not. So right away, you get the feeling that something is very wrong here. 

It's definitely a really refreshing take on a thriller. I was immediately drawn to Angela and wanted to believe every word she said. Although, I had this feeling, could I really trust her? All these details are being revealed and you see this manipulation, by both Angela and Det. Novak. It's a game and I couldn't put the book down. I had to know what happened and who did what. I was sucked into the story and did not put this book down. It's a pretty fast read too because it's only 272p. 

The way that Angela tells her story, makes you feel for her, trust her and feel all the emotions she feels. You love who she does, you hate who she does and it's terrifying. Even the detective, I immediately disliked him even though he's just doing his job. Why did I feel this way? Angela. 

I was completely shocked at the end. I still can't stop thinking about it. It's been a while since I've read a psychological thriller. Sometimes they all feel the same to me. So, I'm glad it had been a while before picking this up. 

I am a little confused about the "our" in the title. I don't want to ruin any plot points but I'm still a bit unsure about that part. Regardless, I still really enjoyed this book! 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, St. Martin's Press. Thank you! It has in no way, influenced my opinions and thoughts on this book. @Stmartinspress #ShareOurSecret

You can see my review here: : Books Are The New Black

I've read a lot of good books lately and this is one of them! I didn't know what to expect because there's a lot of mixed reviews. 

"Remember, it's only a game..." or is it?

Yes, this book has a carnival/circus theme and really reminds me of, The Night Circus. From the very beginning I was drawn into this story. The plot flowed so smoothly and I couldn't put this down. I flew through this book. The story is just so enchanting and a mystery! The whole time, I kept trying to read behind the lines! I really didn't figure out was happening. One minute, I thought I had realized what was going on, to find out I was way off. There's a lot of twists and turns but not too many that you get lost. 

I loved Julian. He was my favorite character. I kept trying to figure him out and I really did enjoy his banter with Scarlett. There is a quote that Scarlett uses to describe him and I find it perfect:

"She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out."

I also really liked Tella, I wish we would have had more of her in this story but I imagine she will be a major player in the second book. 

I did feel like the ending was a bit anti-climatic and a little safe. It's okay though because we are left with a pretty good cliffhanger. Come on book two! 

Loved this book and it was a great second book. I absolutely love what Sherry Ficklin did with Sophie. She is a lot braver and bolder in this book, which is a great thing. I think all the characters in this book are much more developed and so much more interesting. I also love how there are so many twists and turns to this book and you are always kept in the dark. It’s quite hard to do to me but she doesn’t a great job to keep me guessing. I will say that it is still a big slow paced but that’s okay. There is a lot of violence in this book and is a tad on the dark side but it’s not too much. A great read and I recommend it!

4.5 stars... 

It took me a minute to remember where we left off at the end of book 3. It has been years, since I've read it. I was really excited to read this and bought it at the HPB sale last weekend. 

I started and finished this book in one day. I couldn't put it down and it's such a fast read. Mafi does a great job of expanding and building the world in this book. 

There's a lot of new characters in this book and I love most of them, if not all. There's a lot of diversity, which I appreciate. I love that she even showed it with those from a different country, using their mother tongue in dialogue, even if it wasn't totally accurate. Now, there's some comments about the Spanish and Argentiean characters. I understand how it's not accurately represented but at the same time, if I remember correctly, it is not where they are residing. It's where they were born. It was remapped for the Restablisment and now they are all like one.  Now, since I'm a spansih speaking Mexican, residing in Ohio, USA... I can tell you that where you reside changes language so much. There's slang and there's all kinds of different tones and dialects that can change. Just saying.

For me, this was Juliette's best book. She grew so much and then really found out who she was. My favorite part of the book was probably her drunken scene. Mostly, because she ends up really turning things around here. She is starting to find who she is and not caring what other people think or say. 

Not only did Juliette grow up, I think that Kenji and Warner also did some growing. Kenji adds a lot of humor, especially to some dark and tense situations. I love his banter with Warner. I'm really worried about where we are going from here with these two characters. 

I love getting the different POV's from Juliette and Warner. Warner is a character that I really loved in the previous series, so getting his POV, made me so very happy.  

This is a really character driven book, like her previous. There's not a lot of action until at the end. It's really mostly about these characters trying to find out who they are and where they belong. There's a lot of politics too. So beware, if you are looking for an action packed adventure, you will not be getting that here. 

There's been a lot of comments about the transgender scene. Mostly, how the character was introduced. I have to agree here. While I was reading it, I thought it was weird/awkward and not really a good way to handle it. 

Now, that ending. I was not expecting that. At. All.

I really cannot wait for the next book. Honestly, I had no idea this was another trilogy. I thought she was wrapping up these characters in this book. I was about 80% through and realized there was no way this was going to wrap up. I went to goodreads and realized it's a trilogy. Oops. 

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book. Like I said, it's a quick read because I was glued to the pages. I couldn't put it down. She's done a great job with introducing new characters and now we can find out more about Juliette and what really happened. I am very, very happy with how this book turned out! Again, I can't wait for more answers in the next book!!! 

You can see my review here: Books Are The New Black

I'm probably in the unpopular opinion on this book. It was just okay but I DNF. I got about 300 pages in and I just couldn't do it anymore. I felt like the story was just going nowhere. 

First of all, I feel like this was more a middle grade book than YA. This is my first Pierce book. I'm not sure if it's her writing style or what but a lot of the content just really felt middle grade to me.

The writing was so slow and it was hard for me to get through this. This writing style is just not for me. There were times that I would be interested and then times that this story would just drag on. There was so much potential for this book but unfortunately, it fell really flat for me. The whole time, I kept hoping that something was going to happen. Nope, nothing really ever happens. This book is solely information and set up for future books.

I did like some of the characters but I had a really hard time ever getting connected to them. At about 200 pages, I was just trying to get through it. I felt like there had to be something amazing coming up, since so many people are talking about this book. The main character, Arram was just not very personable. He didn't have much of a personality for me to connect to. I think I was most interested in Ozorne's character, just because there is some mystery about his character. He's really sweet but has a tinge of darkness to his personality. Although, that was not explored too much in this book. I'm sure it will be, in following books.

The worst part is that the whole entire time, I kept thinking and comparing it to Harry Potter. Once that popped into my head, I couldn't stop thinking it.

I don't think I will picking up the other books in this series. Maybe, Pierce's writing is just not for me. If I would have read some of the other books in this similar world, maybe I would have liked this more.

Sometimes, I have a problem with DNF books. I'm doing A lot of reading now and my husband reminded me that I don't have time for that! I gave it a real go, it far surpassed my 50-100 page test. 

You can see my review here: Books Are The New Black