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erinarkin20
3.5 stars
Skandal is the second book of the Sekret series by Lindsay Smith and I thought it wrapped up Yulia’s story in a good way.
The book picks up with Yulia living in Washington D.C. with her father and Valentin. Having left her brother and mother behind, Yulia is constantly worried about them and how they are being used by the KGB but she is also unsure about her place within the CIA. She has been placed within a group to help her learn more about her psychic power so she can in turn, help the government figure out what General Rostov is up to and how to stop him but she definitely has some challenges to overcome due to the fact that she is Russian and worked fro Rostov.
Yulia is at a point where she needs to embrace her power and she does but she also struggles with knowing that everything she does for the CIA is a danger to her mother. I liked seeing her grow into her psychic ability and eventually begin to use it in a way that allows her to understand she is a strong, young woman. On top of her learning to use her ability better, she is also learning more about who her father is and what he has been up to. It was tough for Yulia to reconcile the man she is with now with the man she grew up with and loved. He is so different and she has no idea why. When she does find out why, it all began to make sense.
One of my favorite parts of this book was seeing the relationship between Yulia and Valya evolve. As Valya continues to struggle with his ability and the things he remembers from his childhood, Yulia looks to do whatever she can to help him. This could be as simple as being with him during a nightmare or on the extreme end, absorbing his vision and pain. This is where mastering her ability was important for her and she is willing to go to whatever lengths she has to in order to help Valya.
On top of all of that, Yulia is reminded every day that they have commitments to the government to help bring down the General however they could and that means they can't just hide away from everyone in their house. They are all in danger and the fact that the KGB has people out in the world that are being used to get to the most important people in the government, creates an even greater danger for Yulia and the group as their abilities are being used against them in some situations.
The pacing in this book felt a bit slower than the last book and at times I struggled with it but in the end, I thought the story was well done. Smith brought all of the pieces together and linking the paranormal aspect with the governmental fears of the 1960’s was great. I’m a history nerd so this was right up my alley and if you liked the first book, definitely check out this one as you will want to know how things end up for this group.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Skandal is the second book of the Sekret series by Lindsay Smith and I thought it wrapped up Yulia’s story in a good way.
The book picks up with Yulia living in Washington D.C. with her father and Valentin. Having left her brother and mother behind, Yulia is constantly worried about them and how they are being used by the KGB but she is also unsure about her place within the CIA. She has been placed within a group to help her learn more about her psychic power so she can in turn, help the government figure out what General Rostov is up to and how to stop him but she definitely has some challenges to overcome due to the fact that she is Russian and worked fro Rostov.
Yulia is at a point where she needs to embrace her power and she does but she also struggles with knowing that everything she does for the CIA is a danger to her mother. I liked seeing her grow into her psychic ability and eventually begin to use it in a way that allows her to understand she is a strong, young woman. On top of her learning to use her ability better, she is also learning more about who her father is and what he has been up to. It was tough for Yulia to reconcile the man she is with now with the man she grew up with and loved. He is so different and she has no idea why. When she does find out why, it all began to make sense.
One of my favorite parts of this book was seeing the relationship between Yulia and Valya evolve. As Valya continues to struggle with his ability and the things he remembers from his childhood, Yulia looks to do whatever she can to help him. This could be as simple as being with him during a nightmare or on the extreme end, absorbing his vision and pain. This is where mastering her ability was important for her and she is willing to go to whatever lengths she has to in order to help Valya.
On top of all of that, Yulia is reminded every day that they have commitments to the government to help bring down the General however they could and that means they can't just hide away from everyone in their house. They are all in danger and the fact that the KGB has people out in the world that are being used to get to the most important people in the government, creates an even greater danger for Yulia and the group as their abilities are being used against them in some situations.
The pacing in this book felt a bit slower than the last book and at times I struggled with it but in the end, I thought the story was well done. Smith brought all of the pieces together and linking the paranormal aspect with the governmental fears of the 1960’s was great. I’m a history nerd so this was right up my alley and if you liked the first book, definitely check out this one as you will want to know how things end up for this group.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Ok..so I'm going to need the next book immediately.
Where do I start with Red Queen???? I loved everything about this story and it all starts with that amazing cover. I mean, there are just some books that the cover just grabs me and the second I saw this one last year, it went right on my to read list…I don’t even think I read the book summary right away – I love it that much!
But that is the added bonus because the story within the cover was fantastic! I forced myself to wait to start this one…mostly because I didn’t want to have to wait so long in between this book and the next (everyone knows how impatient I am, right??). Once I was able to start, I really couldn’t put it down. No spoilers here though so don't blame me if this review doesn't give a ton of detail.
First, Aveyard creates some great characters and gives us enough back story and development to help move the story along and although some might feel it was an “info dump” I didn’t feel that way at all. There tends to be a (very) thin line between too much and not enough information given but I thought that Aveyard did a great job of establishing the overall story as well as who these characters were.
In addition to that, another piece of the story is that the Silvers run things. They have certain strengths/powers that add an x-men feel to the story. Some can manipulate water, fire, or electricity. Others can control metal and still others can get inside people’s minds. The Reds on the other hand are the laborers and the ones who go off to fight the war the Silvers started over a hundred years ago and the Reds are suffering by fighting for them.
Mare Barrow knows she is destined to head to the war – just like her brothers. She isn’t apprenticed and supports her family as a pick pocket and one of her attempts to steal from the wrong person, puts Mare into a situation she never thought she would be in. What I liked about her is that she is strong and smart and willing to do what she needs to in order to help her family – even if it means she isn’t doing what is considered the right thing (stealing). This is what ultimately drops her into the situation she finds herself in…Wow, I am being incredibly vague, huh?? Along with her good points, there are some things about Mare that drove me crazy. She didn’t always make the right decision but I can’t hold it against her, she is only seventeen and in quite a few situations where she doesn’t really have a choice around how things will go for her.
Along with Mare, another character to mention is Kilorn, the boy who grew up with Mare in The Stilts. He was apprenticed to become a fisherman when something unexpected happens which is another part of the story that sets things in motion. There are a whole lot more characters that I could mention here but I don’t want to ruin any bit of the story by saying something that may give anything away.
There were a number of twists and turns in this story and it has a lot of action which kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. The end of this book made me immediately want book two in my hands and I really don’t know what to expect next. If you haven’t added this book to your to read list yet, definitely do it now and then be sure to get your hands on this book as soon as it comes out. If you enjoy fantasy and/or dystopian genres, love action and intrigue, I don’t think you will regret it.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Where do I start with Red Queen???? I loved everything about this story and it all starts with that amazing cover. I mean, there are just some books that the cover just grabs me and the second I saw this one last year, it went right on my to read list…I don’t even think I read the book summary right away – I love it that much!
But that is the added bonus because the story within the cover was fantastic! I forced myself to wait to start this one…mostly because I didn’t want to have to wait so long in between this book and the next (everyone knows how impatient I am, right??). Once I was able to start, I really couldn’t put it down. No spoilers here though so don't blame me if this review doesn't give a ton of detail.
First, Aveyard creates some great characters and gives us enough back story and development to help move the story along and although some might feel it was an “info dump” I didn’t feel that way at all. There tends to be a (very) thin line between too much and not enough information given but I thought that Aveyard did a great job of establishing the overall story as well as who these characters were.
In addition to that, another piece of the story is that the Silvers run things. They have certain strengths/powers that add an x-men feel to the story. Some can manipulate water, fire, or electricity. Others can control metal and still others can get inside people’s minds. The Reds on the other hand are the laborers and the ones who go off to fight the war the Silvers started over a hundred years ago and the Reds are suffering by fighting for them.
Mare Barrow knows she is destined to head to the war – just like her brothers. She isn’t apprenticed and supports her family as a pick pocket and one of her attempts to steal from the wrong person, puts Mare into a situation she never thought she would be in. What I liked about her is that she is strong and smart and willing to do what she needs to in order to help her family – even if it means she isn’t doing what is considered the right thing (stealing). This is what ultimately drops her into the situation she finds herself in…Wow, I am being incredibly vague, huh?? Along with her good points, there are some things about Mare that drove me crazy. She didn’t always make the right decision but I can’t hold it against her, she is only seventeen and in quite a few situations where she doesn’t really have a choice around how things will go for her.
Along with Mare, another character to mention is Kilorn, the boy who grew up with Mare in The Stilts. He was apprenticed to become a fisherman when something unexpected happens which is another part of the story that sets things in motion. There are a whole lot more characters that I could mention here but I don’t want to ruin any bit of the story by saying something that may give anything away.
There were a number of twists and turns in this story and it has a lot of action which kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. The end of this book made me immediately want book two in my hands and I really don’t know what to expect next. If you haven’t added this book to your to read list yet, definitely do it now and then be sure to get your hands on this book as soon as it comes out. If you enjoy fantasy and/or dystopian genres, love action and intrigue, I don’t think you will regret it.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
So that just happened.
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand was one of those books that I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. It definitely has a sad topic (suicide) and for whatever reason, I have read a number of sad topic books already this year (I’m not sure why) and haven’t been super impressed with them but I admit, this story grabbed me and there may have been a few tears by the end. I will most likely not do this story a lot of justice with my review – sorry, that is usually what happens when I read something that really gets me, but take my word for it. This book is one you should definitely check out.
Lex is a senior in high school and up until about 18 months ago, the biggest thing on her mind was whether she was going to get into MIT. That isn’t to say she has things easy. As the story opens, we actually find out that she is trying to cope with the fact that her brother committed suicide and although there was a history of issues with him, she can’t really figure out what happened to trigger it. On top of all of that, she feels guilty because the night he killed himself, he sent her a text that she never responded to. As part of her therapy, she is given a notebook to write notes to someone (anyone) which is supposed to help her come to terms with what happened.
I like Lex. She obviously is smart and everything she has, she has had to work for. She isn’t necessarily popular but she also isn’t unpopular…she just kind of floats along the fringes at school and has her own group of friends but we find out that she has decided to distance herself from them after Ty’s death. It has a lot to do with how she copes with the grief and their responses to what happened but there is also another reason. Don’t hate me, but I can’t say what it is as it is a pivotal piece of why she feels so guilty throughout the story.
I thought all of the secondary characters were well done. As I mentioned, Lex has really pulled away from her friends and that includes breaking up with her boyfriend Steven. Despite that, Steven tried to be supportive – however he could…even if Lex didn’t want him to be. Sadie was an old friend who drifted away and now they have a common experience to discuss. Lex’s parents – it was interesting to see the difference in Lex’s relationships with her mother and father. And Ty – he obviously wasn’t alive but I thought Hand did a wonderful job of building his character out through flashbacks and things that Lex remembered about him.
As Lex comes to term with her feelings about what Ty did and what happened the night he committed suicide, she also starts to figure out her relationship with her father, her mother, and Steven. Her lack of communication with everyone was what was creating the distance and as she starts to tell them what is really going on in her head, things start to come together. There is still this huge tragedy that everyone has to deal with but they also slowly come to realize that they have to continue to live. All the things Lex couldn’t say out loud are documented in the notebook and this is what she uses to really let Steven know what happened and why she did what she did.
I thought Hand did a wonderful job of showing just how painful it is to go through something like this and although there is definitely sadness, there is also hope. By the time the story ends, she has clearly turned a corner and I felt optimistic that she would be ok. If you are looking for a moving story about family, love, and dealing with loss; consider checking this one out. Having read the book, the cover (a post-it note on the mirror) makes a lot of sense and I love it even more than I already did.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the review copy.
The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand was one of those books that I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it. It definitely has a sad topic (suicide) and for whatever reason, I have read a number of sad topic books already this year (I’m not sure why) and haven’t been super impressed with them but I admit, this story grabbed me and there may have been a few tears by the end. I will most likely not do this story a lot of justice with my review – sorry, that is usually what happens when I read something that really gets me, but take my word for it. This book is one you should definitely check out.
Lex is a senior in high school and up until about 18 months ago, the biggest thing on her mind was whether she was going to get into MIT. That isn’t to say she has things easy. As the story opens, we actually find out that she is trying to cope with the fact that her brother committed suicide and although there was a history of issues with him, she can’t really figure out what happened to trigger it. On top of all of that, she feels guilty because the night he killed himself, he sent her a text that she never responded to. As part of her therapy, she is given a notebook to write notes to someone (anyone) which is supposed to help her come to terms with what happened.
I like Lex. She obviously is smart and everything she has, she has had to work for. She isn’t necessarily popular but she also isn’t unpopular…she just kind of floats along the fringes at school and has her own group of friends but we find out that she has decided to distance herself from them after Ty’s death. It has a lot to do with how she copes with the grief and their responses to what happened but there is also another reason. Don’t hate me, but I can’t say what it is as it is a pivotal piece of why she feels so guilty throughout the story.
I thought all of the secondary characters were well done. As I mentioned, Lex has really pulled away from her friends and that includes breaking up with her boyfriend Steven. Despite that, Steven tried to be supportive – however he could…even if Lex didn’t want him to be. Sadie was an old friend who drifted away and now they have a common experience to discuss. Lex’s parents – it was interesting to see the difference in Lex’s relationships with her mother and father. And Ty – he obviously wasn’t alive but I thought Hand did a wonderful job of building his character out through flashbacks and things that Lex remembered about him.
As Lex comes to term with her feelings about what Ty did and what happened the night he committed suicide, she also starts to figure out her relationship with her father, her mother, and Steven. Her lack of communication with everyone was what was creating the distance and as she starts to tell them what is really going on in her head, things start to come together. There is still this huge tragedy that everyone has to deal with but they also slowly come to realize that they have to continue to live. All the things Lex couldn’t say out loud are documented in the notebook and this is what she uses to really let Steven know what happened and why she did what she did.
I thought Hand did a wonderful job of showing just how painful it is to go through something like this and although there is definitely sadness, there is also hope. By the time the story ends, she has clearly turned a corner and I felt optimistic that she would be ok. If you are looking for a moving story about family, love, and dealing with loss; consider checking this one out. Having read the book, the cover (a post-it note on the mirror) makes a lot of sense and I love it even more than I already did.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for the review copy.
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4.5 stars...
I have to admit that I have been impatiently waiting for Ignite which is book two of the Defy series by Sara B. Larson. I mean, I can’t even pretend I was even a little bit patient about this one as I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next in this series. Admittedly I won’t be saying too much about everything in this review because I can’t ruin this book for anyone so don’t hate me because I’m not going to put any spoilers out there.
Ignite picks up shortly after Defy ended and I recommend doing a quick review of the final chapters (if you can handle it) to lead you right into this one. Larson does a quick review of what happened to wrap up the last book but it was super helpful (to me) to revisit the end before I got back into where things were going for Alexa.
As we dive in, Alexa is back to being Damien’s personal guard which is definitely a tough situation to be in…for both of them. They both still have strong feelings for each other and while Damien really wants to be with Alexa, Alexa still doesn’t believe that she could ever be his queen which means she continues to do what she can to distance herself from Damien and their feeling s for each other. She also continues to be a close friend to Rylan but knows that she doesn’t love him like she loves Damien and there will never be anything more than friendship between them and Rylan respects this. It was interesting to see her struggle with doing what she thought was right and it was clear she was more than willing to sacrifice her happiness in order to protect Damien and the Kingdom.
Despite what she has been through, Alexa is still the strong fighter she has always been and I loved that even though she is hurting and she hears the things that are said about her, she continues to do the things she feels are important, like being a royal guard.
Damien struggles a bit with being King. Not that he can’t do it, but that he isn’t used to letting others take action and he has to allow it. As King, he can’t dive right into danger and that isn’t something he is necessarily comfortable with and it makes him feel a bit powerless, which is interesting considering he is the King. I do love that he isn’t afraid to try to get Alexa to see they deserve to be happy and together. Where Alexa seems to be thinking more about the bigger picture and her suitability to be queen, he is mostly concerned about being with the person he loves and being happy. I have to admit, the swoony bits with Damien made me happy…don’t judge me.
Outside of the relationship stuff in this book, there is a bigger threat out there to the Kingdom of Antion. Damien is facing something he can’t control and blame is being placed on Blevon, who supposedly has a peace treaty with Antion. As Alexa gets pulled into the middle of what is going on, she learns who is really behind the threat and she also finds out there isn’t a lot she can do to eliminate it.
With everything going on, we are introduced to some new characters in this book. Both Lady Vera and Rafe are catalysts to where the story heads in Ignite and I found their roles interesting. I will be curious to see where the story leads in book three now that things ended the way that they did…OH MY GOD!! I can’t believe I just did that (sorry, not sorry).
Ok – so don’t hate me for that. I really can’t say anything about that plot line because so much happens tied to the new characters and if I were to say anything, I would ruin the story for those that don’t like spoilers…so just trust me when I say, you will read all about it and then be thankful that I didn’t give anything away.
I have to admit, the ending of this book kind of killed me (if you couldn’t tell by my last update). There is so much that is up in the air. Good things and bad things are on the horizon for these characters and this book already has me wondering when I can get my hands on the next book.
So Sara….well done! You have made me love these characters and their stories…so much so that I can’t stand the fact that I now have to wait another year for the next book. For those that worry about it, there isn’t a cliffhanger in this story but I am not lying when I say I would have loved it if Larson had given us a bit more. Mostly because I can’t handle all of the questions running around in my mind. Now, my next mission is to find someone who is open to bribery in exchange for an early copy of book three.
Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy.
I have to admit that I have been impatiently waiting for Ignite which is book two of the Defy series by Sara B. Larson. I mean, I can’t even pretend I was even a little bit patient about this one as I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen next in this series. Admittedly I won’t be saying too much about everything in this review because I can’t ruin this book for anyone so don’t hate me because I’m not going to put any spoilers out there.
Ignite picks up shortly after Defy ended and I recommend doing a quick review of the final chapters (if you can handle it) to lead you right into this one. Larson does a quick review of what happened to wrap up the last book but it was super helpful (to me) to revisit the end before I got back into where things were going for Alexa.
As we dive in, Alexa is back to being Damien’s personal guard which is definitely a tough situation to be in…for both of them. They both still have strong feelings for each other and while Damien really wants to be with Alexa, Alexa still doesn’t believe that she could ever be his queen which means she continues to do what she can to distance herself from Damien and their feeling s for each other. She also continues to be a close friend to Rylan but knows that she doesn’t love him like she loves Damien and there will never be anything more than friendship between them and Rylan respects this. It was interesting to see her struggle with doing what she thought was right and it was clear she was more than willing to sacrifice her happiness in order to protect Damien and the Kingdom.
Despite what she has been through, Alexa is still the strong fighter she has always been and I loved that even though she is hurting and she hears the things that are said about her, she continues to do the things she feels are important, like being a royal guard.
Damien struggles a bit with being King. Not that he can’t do it, but that he isn’t used to letting others take action and he has to allow it. As King, he can’t dive right into danger and that isn’t something he is necessarily comfortable with and it makes him feel a bit powerless, which is interesting considering he is the King. I do love that he isn’t afraid to try to get Alexa to see they deserve to be happy and together. Where Alexa seems to be thinking more about the bigger picture and her suitability to be queen, he is mostly concerned about being with the person he loves and being happy. I have to admit, the swoony bits with Damien made me happy…don’t judge me.
Outside of the relationship stuff in this book, there is a bigger threat out there to the Kingdom of Antion. Damien is facing something he can’t control and blame is being placed on Blevon, who supposedly has a peace treaty with Antion. As Alexa gets pulled into the middle of what is going on, she learns who is really behind the threat and she also finds out there isn’t a lot she can do to eliminate it.
With everything going on, we are introduced to some new characters in this book. Both Lady Vera and Rafe are catalysts to where the story heads in Ignite and I found their roles interesting. I will be curious to see where the story leads in book three now that things ended the way that they did…OH MY GOD!! I can’t believe I just did that (sorry, not sorry).
Ok – so don’t hate me for that. I really can’t say anything about that plot line because so much happens tied to the new characters and if I were to say anything, I would ruin the story for those that don’t like spoilers…so just trust me when I say, you will read all about it and then be thankful that I didn’t give anything away.
I have to admit, the ending of this book kind of killed me (if you couldn’t tell by my last update). There is so much that is up in the air. Good things and bad things are on the horizon for these characters and this book already has me wondering when I can get my hands on the next book.
So Sara….well done! You have made me love these characters and their stories…so much so that I can’t stand the fact that I now have to wait another year for the next book. For those that worry about it, there isn’t a cliffhanger in this story but I am not lying when I say I would have loved it if Larson had given us a bit more. Mostly because I can’t handle all of the questions running around in my mind. Now, my next mission is to find someone who is open to bribery in exchange for an early copy of book three.
Thank you to Scholastic for the review copy.
We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist was one of those books that I went into not really knowing what to expect and I have to say, by the time I finished the book, I was glad I made the decision to read it.
This book isn’t what I would consider my normal read and I think that is what I liked about it. Josh has a pretty different story. Add to that the fact that he tends to focus on the positive and has a fairly unique voice and I was turning the pages to better understand why he hadn’t had a girlfriend for longer than twenty three hours….in the eighth grade.
As I mentioned, Sundquist has a unique story and embedded in that story is a deeper dive into why he hasn’t had a serious relationship. As Josh sets out to investigate what really happened, I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things I was reading. One of the things I enjoyed was how upfront Josh is about the role religion played in his house growing up and the fact that he was homeschooled until freshman year.
There is a section of the book for each girl that Josh conducted his investigation into… he ties in a hypothesis, some graphs, and his findings which absolutely make the book the great account that it is. But as Josh finds out, what it all really comes down to in the end is that he needed to accept himself and face his fears that he might get rejected…and it is ok.
If you are looking for a quick read that will have you turning the pages wondering just what Josh will find out in this “semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation” definitely check this book out. I found it entertaining and Josh’s voice is definitely unique.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
This book isn’t what I would consider my normal read and I think that is what I liked about it. Josh has a pretty different story. Add to that the fact that he tends to focus on the positive and has a fairly unique voice and I was turning the pages to better understand why he hadn’t had a girlfriend for longer than twenty three hours….in the eighth grade.
As I mentioned, Sundquist has a unique story and embedded in that story is a deeper dive into why he hasn’t had a serious relationship. As Josh sets out to investigate what really happened, I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things I was reading. One of the things I enjoyed was how upfront Josh is about the role religion played in his house growing up and the fact that he was homeschooled until freshman year.
There is a section of the book for each girl that Josh conducted his investigation into… he ties in a hypothesis, some graphs, and his findings which absolutely make the book the great account that it is. But as Josh finds out, what it all really comes down to in the end is that he needed to accept himself and face his fears that he might get rejected…and it is ok.
If you are looking for a quick read that will have you turning the pages wondering just what Josh will find out in this “semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation” definitely check this book out. I found it entertaining and Josh’s voice is definitely unique.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
Get Even by Gretchen McNeil is the first in the Don’t Get Mad series and I did enjoy it. I do have to admit, there are quite a few characters and I felt like that although the story moved forward, not one thing was resolved in this book of the series. I’m pretty sure everyone knows how I feel about that but with that said; I still think the story was very well done.
Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot are the main characters and have nothing in common…except for DGM. Through a twist of fate – or just school assignments – these four ended up working on a project together, which led to them collaborating on more than just homework. They ended up forming Don’t Get Mad (DGM) to get revenge on those that deserve it. It works out beautifully that they are not even remotely connected as it allows them to avoid drawing attention to themselves and being considered as the perpetrators.
I really liked how McNeil tied these characters together. She also made them seem real – they are in high school and acted like they were which I appreciate. Also, while there were a number of characters introduced, I thought all added value to the story. In addition to the array of main characters in DGM, there are some great secondary characters that fill the roles of best friend, boyfriend, and ex-boyfriend. McNeil did a great job of creating a group of students that cover the breadth of backgrounds you would see in a typical high school setting which was great.
As for the story, when one of their classmates ends up dead and holding a DGM card, things start to get serious. Now the girls need to find out what is really going on and who is trying to pin this murder on them. As they begin to dig into what is going on, they find out their identities may not be as secret as they thought and because of this, they need to find out who knows about them…and is trying to frame them for something they didn’t do. While it is true that there is no resolution (or even a clue) as to who is behind anything that is going on, I’m not sure it would have been possible for McNeil to give us a hint. With that said, I am impatient enough to say that I really do wish I would have gotten something that clued me into who may have “done it”. I can honestly say, I have absolutely no idea who it is at this point. Besides - I wouldn't tell you anyway...so I will stop here and just encourage you to check this out when you can!
If you’re looking for a mystery that introduces some solidly built characters, definitely check this one out. I flew through this one and will definitely be checking out book two when it comes out.
Thank you to the Publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot are the main characters and have nothing in common…except for DGM. Through a twist of fate – or just school assignments – these four ended up working on a project together, which led to them collaborating on more than just homework. They ended up forming Don’t Get Mad (DGM) to get revenge on those that deserve it. It works out beautifully that they are not even remotely connected as it allows them to avoid drawing attention to themselves and being considered as the perpetrators.
I really liked how McNeil tied these characters together. She also made them seem real – they are in high school and acted like they were which I appreciate. Also, while there were a number of characters introduced, I thought all added value to the story. In addition to the array of main characters in DGM, there are some great secondary characters that fill the roles of best friend, boyfriend, and ex-boyfriend. McNeil did a great job of creating a group of students that cover the breadth of backgrounds you would see in a typical high school setting which was great.
As for the story, when one of their classmates ends up dead and holding a DGM card, things start to get serious. Now the girls need to find out what is really going on and who is trying to pin this murder on them. As they begin to dig into what is going on, they find out their identities may not be as secret as they thought and because of this, they need to find out who knows about them…and is trying to frame them for something they didn’t do. While it is true that there is no resolution (or even a clue) as to who is behind anything that is going on, I’m not sure it would have been possible for McNeil to give us a hint. With that said, I am impatient enough to say that I really do wish I would have gotten something that clued me into who may have “done it”. I can honestly say, I have absolutely no idea who it is at this point. Besides - I wouldn't tell you anyway...so I will stop here and just encourage you to check this out when you can!
If you’re looking for a mystery that introduces some solidly built characters, definitely check this one out. I flew through this one and will definitely be checking out book two when it comes out.
Thank you to the Publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Great story but holy major cliffhanger!
The Jewel by Amy Ewing was one of the books I knew I had to get at BEA and thankfully I got my hands on a copy. I love this cover and I know what you’re thinking…another girl in a dress. But in my opinion, it completely fits the tone of this book and for real, it is lovely!
The book opens with an introduction into Violet current situation. Violet has been living in a surrogate facility called Southgate and today is her last day there. Tomorrow she goes to auction and will be sold to the highest bidder. As a surrogate in training, she has been living in the facility for years learning how to use the auguries (more to come on this later) and how well she has done is reflected in her final auction lot number. The higher they are, the better they have scored on the testing and of 200 lots, Violet is ranked 197.
I was immediately pulled into Violet’s story and felt sad for her. Despite the care and training she has had available to her, we find out that as a child growing up in the Marsh, she didn’t really have a choice of where she ended up. Once a girl is tested, if she is found to be a surrogate, she is immediately taken away from her family and put into one of the facilities. As such, Violet was torn away from her little brother and sister as well as her mother. The day the book begins is the first time she is allowed to visit/see them since she was taken and will be the last time before she is auctioned off…basically her last chance ever.
It is clear Violet truly wishes she wasn’t a surrogate. She struggles with her lack of identity and the fact that she has to give up everything to make things better for the royalty that will purchase her…with no say in the matter. Of course, I don’t blame her at all and her smaller rebellions are the ones that make her stand out more as a character.
As Violet is prepped for the auction, she is assigned to Lucien. I mention him because he is the first person who is nice to her during the entire process and he comes back into the story later on. As Violet is auctioned off, it is obvious this is a form of slavery. She is bought by the Duchess of the Lake and referred to as “Surrogate” or 197. Violet’s maid isn’t allowed to say her name and her identity is basically erased as she isn’t supposed worry about anything but helping the Duchess have a perfect baby.
This leads me into the auguries. These are the things that make someone a candidate for surrogacy and as Violet has scored high on her testing, it shows she has strength. The auguries affect color, shape, and growth. It is up to Violet to use the auguries to help the Duchess have a healthy child and the Duchess has been waiting for someone as strong as her for a while. The Duchess has an ulterior motive here (other than having a healthy child) and with the help of her physician, Dr. Blythe, she expects Violet to use her auguries to not only make her child healthy and beautiful, but she also expects her to use the third augury to ensure the child is born faster than any of the others…specifically, she wants her to carry the child to term in 3 months instead of the normal 9 months.
As I mentioned, there are some underlying objectives that the Duchess has. As the story progresses, we find out quite a bit. First, the Electress and Exetor (who basically run the city) recently had a son and most royal families are trying to have the best daughter in order to have their child be betrothed to the young child. The Duchess is no different but we also find out things about her past that make this an even more important goal to her. As these royals compete to have the first and best daughter, Violet and other surrogates are constantly in danger and because of this as well as the fact that they are owned by the royals, they are kept under lock and key with very little freedom.
Ewing did a good job of building this world. She gives enough background on the structure of the rings (The Marsh, The Bank, The Jewel, etc.) which helped me picture this world. I do wish we had gotten more background on the auguries. There was some information on the royalty and the reason behind why they no longer had their own children but I didn’t really get what really happened that got everyone to this point. Also, what was different in Violet than other girls – what made her such a strong surrogate and gave her these abilities?? I need to know more!
The secondary characters add a lot to this story. Raven is Violet’s best friend at Southgate and as she is sold off, they are expecting to never see each other again but little did they know, they are actually living right next door to each other. As the story progresses, Raven’s situation has a huge impact on what happens to Violet. That is all I can say without giving anything away but I have hopes that we will see her again in the next book.
Lucien becomes Violet’s only hope. I won’t give anything away but he is the one person who gives her hope for a different life and one that will be on her terms. Garnet, who is the Duchess’ son, is interesting. Again, I won’t give anything away here but I am so excited to see what happens next with him.
This leads me to Ash. There is a bit of an instant attraction between Ash and Violet…that is my warning to you. With that said, I liked him. He gave Violet someone to connect to and be herself. Unfortunately he wasn’t really in charge of what he did himself as a companion and this definitely created a strain on their relationship. Despite that and the many other challenges they face, they are able to secretly form a relationship and ultimately this is what turns things horribly wrong for these two.
One thing to note is that this book ends up on a major cliffhanger so if that isn’t your thing, go into this being warned. If you enjoy the dystopian genre you will definitely want to check this one out. The surrogacy piece is a new spin in this type of novel and although it is pretty horrific, it is what I think makes this book stand out amongst the sea of dystopians out there today. I am absolutely looking forward to book two of this series as I need to know what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to HarperTeen for the review copy!
The Jewel by Amy Ewing was one of the books I knew I had to get at BEA and thankfully I got my hands on a copy. I love this cover and I know what you’re thinking…another girl in a dress. But in my opinion, it completely fits the tone of this book and for real, it is lovely!
The book opens with an introduction into Violet current situation. Violet has been living in a surrogate facility called Southgate and today is her last day there. Tomorrow she goes to auction and will be sold to the highest bidder. As a surrogate in training, she has been living in the facility for years learning how to use the auguries (more to come on this later) and how well she has done is reflected in her final auction lot number. The higher they are, the better they have scored on the testing and of 200 lots, Violet is ranked 197.
I was immediately pulled into Violet’s story and felt sad for her. Despite the care and training she has had available to her, we find out that as a child growing up in the Marsh, she didn’t really have a choice of where she ended up. Once a girl is tested, if she is found to be a surrogate, she is immediately taken away from her family and put into one of the facilities. As such, Violet was torn away from her little brother and sister as well as her mother. The day the book begins is the first time she is allowed to visit/see them since she was taken and will be the last time before she is auctioned off…basically her last chance ever.
It is clear Violet truly wishes she wasn’t a surrogate. She struggles with her lack of identity and the fact that she has to give up everything to make things better for the royalty that will purchase her…with no say in the matter. Of course, I don’t blame her at all and her smaller rebellions are the ones that make her stand out more as a character.
As Violet is prepped for the auction, she is assigned to Lucien. I mention him because he is the first person who is nice to her during the entire process and he comes back into the story later on. As Violet is auctioned off, it is obvious this is a form of slavery. She is bought by the Duchess of the Lake and referred to as “Surrogate” or 197. Violet’s maid isn’t allowed to say her name and her identity is basically erased as she isn’t supposed worry about anything but helping the Duchess have a perfect baby.
This leads me into the auguries. These are the things that make someone a candidate for surrogacy and as Violet has scored high on her testing, it shows she has strength. The auguries affect color, shape, and growth. It is up to Violet to use the auguries to help the Duchess have a healthy child and the Duchess has been waiting for someone as strong as her for a while. The Duchess has an ulterior motive here (other than having a healthy child) and with the help of her physician, Dr. Blythe, she expects Violet to use her auguries to not only make her child healthy and beautiful, but she also expects her to use the third augury to ensure the child is born faster than any of the others…specifically, she wants her to carry the child to term in 3 months instead of the normal 9 months.
As I mentioned, there are some underlying objectives that the Duchess has. As the story progresses, we find out quite a bit. First, the Electress and Exetor (who basically run the city) recently had a son and most royal families are trying to have the best daughter in order to have their child be betrothed to the young child. The Duchess is no different but we also find out things about her past that make this an even more important goal to her. As these royals compete to have the first and best daughter, Violet and other surrogates are constantly in danger and because of this as well as the fact that they are owned by the royals, they are kept under lock and key with very little freedom.
Ewing did a good job of building this world. She gives enough background on the structure of the rings (The Marsh, The Bank, The Jewel, etc.) which helped me picture this world. I do wish we had gotten more background on the auguries. There was some information on the royalty and the reason behind why they no longer had their own children but I didn’t really get what really happened that got everyone to this point. Also, what was different in Violet than other girls – what made her such a strong surrogate and gave her these abilities?? I need to know more!
The secondary characters add a lot to this story. Raven is Violet’s best friend at Southgate and as she is sold off, they are expecting to never see each other again but little did they know, they are actually living right next door to each other. As the story progresses, Raven’s situation has a huge impact on what happens to Violet. That is all I can say without giving anything away but I have hopes that we will see her again in the next book.
Lucien becomes Violet’s only hope. I won’t give anything away but he is the one person who gives her hope for a different life and one that will be on her terms. Garnet, who is the Duchess’ son, is interesting. Again, I won’t give anything away here but I am so excited to see what happens next with him.
This leads me to Ash. There is a bit of an instant attraction between Ash and Violet…that is my warning to you. With that said, I liked him. He gave Violet someone to connect to and be herself. Unfortunately he wasn’t really in charge of what he did himself as a companion and this definitely created a strain on their relationship. Despite that and the many other challenges they face, they are able to secretly form a relationship and ultimately this is what turns things horribly wrong for these two.
One thing to note is that this book ends up on a major cliffhanger so if that isn’t your thing, go into this being warned. If you enjoy the dystopian genre you will definitely want to check this one out. The surrogacy piece is a new spin in this type of novel and although it is pretty horrific, it is what I think makes this book stand out amongst the sea of dystopians out there today. I am absolutely looking forward to book two of this series as I need to know what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to HarperTeen for the review copy!
AHHHHH...the feels!! I loved this...Full review to come closer to release date. If you want more...expand the spoiler tag - no spoilers there though. :)
I enjoyed seeing Celaena finally embrace who she is and I can't wait to see what happens next for her. When her new world collides with the King and Arobynn Hamel I have a feeling things are going to get even more interesting!
Maas is a master at developing the worlds these characters live in and bringing the reader along for the ride. I can't say enough about how much I love this about her stories.
Another great book in a wonderful series. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of book four.
Spoiler
I loved this book and the only sadness I have about this book of the series is the fact that I didn't get to read more of Celaena and Chaol working their stuff out as well as the swoony stuff we got in book two. With that said, I thought this book moved the story along well - both from Celaena's point of view as well as from Chaol and Damian's points of view.I enjoyed seeing Celaena finally embrace who she is and I can't wait to see what happens next for her. When her new world collides with the King and Arobynn Hamel I have a feeling things are going to get even more interesting!
Maas is a master at developing the worlds these characters live in and bringing the reader along for the ride. I can't say enough about how much I love this about her stories.
Another great book in a wonderful series. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of book four.
I can easily say that The Kiss of Deception is one of my favorite reads so far this year. I loved the characters, the story, the continual action, and yes…the romance. Once I started this book I couldn't force myself to put it down. It made me feel happy, sad, angry, and probably a million other things but don’t take my word for it…go read this as soon as you can. I will spoiler tag this to prevent giving anything away…but if you don’t like spoilers, continue at your own risk.
As the story progresses, we are introduced to other characters. There is the Prince and the Assassin (they also have chapters referencing them as Kaden and Rafe). Now here is where Pearson hooked me even more. As a reader, you are never told who is who and I was continually guessing if Rafe was the prince or the assassin and if Kaden was the prince or the assassin. Just when I thought I had it figured out, one of the characters would make me think the opposite of what I had settled on. Additionally, Lia is introduced to these characters at the exact same time and neither of them reveals who they really are to her even though they both know exactly who she is despite her trying to keep it a secret.
As the story progresses, we find out that due to Lia fleeing her wedding day, things have gotten a bit worse between Dalbreck and Morrighan. On top of that, the Barbarians of Venda have been threatening the kingdoms and creating problems. Little does everyone realize just how much Venda has been preparing themselves to go up against the kingdoms. They have built armies and have been destroying land and bridges to keep the soldiers occupied.
While living in Terravin and working at the Inn as a maid, she begins to forge a friendship with both Rafe and Kaden. It is obvious she is drawn more to Rafe than Kaden but while that is true, she comes to trust both of them. Of course, just as things are starting to fall into place and she is happy, Lia finds out that something horrible has happened to her brother, his wife, and their unborn child, Lia decides she needs to go back to her father and ask for forgiveness as well as see if there is any way to avoid any further danger.
When Lia and Pauline begin to make the trek back to Morrighan, they are intercepted and this is the point where it becomes clear which character is the assassin and which one is the prince….I kind of don’t want to say it - so I won’t. Just know that while it is now clear who is who from here on, it doesn't make things easier. Lia knows exactly who the assassin is because he and his band of barbarians take her away but she still doesn't know that the other character is the prince. She still believes him to be a farmer and as she is taken away, she regrets that she may never see him again.
As Lia and the barbarians travel across the country, it is clear that the assassin is conflicted. He clearly has feelings for Lia and has lied to the group because telling them that Lia has the gift is the only way he can save her. If they didn't believe him, they would expect her death and that is something he couldn't go through with.
I loved how Pearson built this story out. By keeping it a mystery as to who was who in this story, I felt just as betrayed by the assassin when I found out who it was. Ok…maybe not as betrayed but I really liked both of these guys – even though I knew one of them was supposed to kill her. They both helped Lia and even seemed very normal while helping out at the Inn.
By the end of this story, my heart hurt so much for Lia. She was kidnapped, believed she wouldn't see the man she cares about, had to watch people she loves die, and so much more. Through it all she stayed true to who she was and I loved her for that.
I also loved how Pearson built up this world. She has a lovely way of describing everything around the characters and pulled me right into the story this way.
Please note, I have only touched on a few of the things going on in this book - there is so much more that I haven't even talked about here just because I don't want to give anything away AND I don't want to ramble on and on. Trust me when I say that you should definitely pick this one up as soon as you possibly can. I will be waiting anxiously for book two to come out because Pearson has hooked me into this and I need (Yes…need) to know what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the early copy.
Spoiler
Princess Lia is the First Daughter of the Hours of Morrighan. As a First Daughter, there is potential that she will have “the gift” and it is her duty to follow the direction of her father, the King. He and the King of Dalbreck have arranged an alliance through her marriage to the Prince of Dalbreck. Unfortunately for Lia, she has never met him and has no desire to be stuck in a marriage that isn't of her choosing, like her brothers. Lia has the support of her friend, Pauline and the day before her wedding, they make the decision to flee.As the story progresses, we are introduced to other characters. There is the Prince and the Assassin (they also have chapters referencing them as Kaden and Rafe). Now here is where Pearson hooked me even more. As a reader, you are never told who is who and I was continually guessing if Rafe was the prince or the assassin and if Kaden was the prince or the assassin. Just when I thought I had it figured out, one of the characters would make me think the opposite of what I had settled on. Additionally, Lia is introduced to these characters at the exact same time and neither of them reveals who they really are to her even though they both know exactly who she is despite her trying to keep it a secret.
As the story progresses, we find out that due to Lia fleeing her wedding day, things have gotten a bit worse between Dalbreck and Morrighan. On top of that, the Barbarians of Venda have been threatening the kingdoms and creating problems. Little does everyone realize just how much Venda has been preparing themselves to go up against the kingdoms. They have built armies and have been destroying land and bridges to keep the soldiers occupied.
While living in Terravin and working at the Inn as a maid, she begins to forge a friendship with both Rafe and Kaden. It is obvious she is drawn more to Rafe than Kaden but while that is true, she comes to trust both of them. Of course, just as things are starting to fall into place and she is happy, Lia finds out that something horrible has happened to her brother, his wife, and their unborn child, Lia decides she needs to go back to her father and ask for forgiveness as well as see if there is any way to avoid any further danger.
When Lia and Pauline begin to make the trek back to Morrighan, they are intercepted and this is the point where it becomes clear which character is the assassin and which one is the prince….I kind of don’t want to say it - so I won’t. Just know that while it is now clear who is who from here on, it doesn't make things easier. Lia knows exactly who the assassin is because he and his band of barbarians take her away but she still doesn't know that the other character is the prince. She still believes him to be a farmer and as she is taken away, she regrets that she may never see him again.
As Lia and the barbarians travel across the country, it is clear that the assassin is conflicted. He clearly has feelings for Lia and has lied to the group because telling them that Lia has the gift is the only way he can save her. If they didn't believe him, they would expect her death and that is something he couldn't go through with.
I loved how Pearson built this story out. By keeping it a mystery as to who was who in this story, I felt just as betrayed by the assassin when I found out who it was. Ok…maybe not as betrayed but I really liked both of these guys – even though I knew one of them was supposed to kill her. They both helped Lia and even seemed very normal while helping out at the Inn.
By the end of this story, my heart hurt so much for Lia. She was kidnapped, believed she wouldn't see the man she cares about, had to watch people she loves die, and so much more. Through it all she stayed true to who she was and I loved her for that.
I also loved how Pearson built up this world. She has a lovely way of describing everything around the characters and pulled me right into the story this way.
Please note, I have only touched on a few of the things going on in this book - there is so much more that I haven't even talked about here just because I don't want to give anything away AND I don't want to ramble on and on. Trust me when I say that you should definitely pick this one up as soon as you possibly can. I will be waiting anxiously for book two to come out because Pearson has hooked me into this and I need (Yes…need) to know what happens next for these characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the early copy.