I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

NOT at ALL what I expected!!! When I picked up The Last Orphans to read, I was expecting the typical young adult dystopian that I've come to know and love. But it was so much more! This story follows Shane Tucker and his friends at the start of an apocalyptic adventure. Animals are turning and killing the adults, in a matter of hours there are none left in their small town in northern Georgia. Together with a small entourage of little kids, the teens head to Atlanta in the hopes that the military base has survived and they have the answers to what is going on.

Less than one day passed since the sky turned green and the animals went mad. It felt like a year. How much more could he take before he snapped?

Told in a 3rd person limited POV, you experience the story through Shane's eyes. I like Shane! At first I wasn't sure, he has a hard relationship with his dad, his grandmother who was his rock has just died (the book starts with them leaving her funeral), and he seems swallowed by grief. How is he going to fare in this dystopian world? I'm happy to say he turns out to be the leader of his little group. He has strong values and convictions that guide his actions, making him a fair leader even though he doesn't want the job. He's also a teenager with typical teenage hormones guiding him where Kelly is concerned.

Kelly Douglas is a senior at his high school, a cheerleader, and completely out of his league. She also happens to be the girl he's crushed on most of his life. When he finds her after her parents are killed, Shane finds a motive for living. He needs to protect her and her sister and find out what's happening before it happens to them. There isn't really much romance in the book, more just Shane feeling protective of Kelly and wanting to see her smile again.

I really liked that the author tells this story as the apocalypse begins, and really the entire book takes place over just a few days as the teens scramble to take care of themselves and the little kids they find on the way. There are some violent scenes as the adults are killed in front of Shane and as the teens encounter other survivors, some from gangs and some from juvenile detention centers. Really this is a story about survival and finding help in a world gone mad. Oh and be warned the author is not afraid to kill anyone off which makes the story realistic because come on we all know that if something happened in real life that not everyone would live.

Overall I really liked this story and can't wait for April and book two! The author ends the book in a way that leaves you thinking "What the heck?!" and then I was scrambling to find book two's synopsis just because I needed a bit of clarification on what was going to happen to Shane and the others. If you like young adult dystopians, a little science fiction then I highly suggest you go check out [b:The Last Orphans|22030244|The Last Orphans (The Last Orphans, #1)|N.W. Harris|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1398983220s/22030244.jpg|41350176]! You won't be disappointed you did.

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I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

I feel the need to preface this review with the fact that I LOVE [a:Laura Thalassa|7152490|Laura Thalassa|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1372456585p2/7152490.jpg]'s writing and as such my review may be slightly biased ;) The Vanishing Girl is a new adult, sci-fi adventure about Ember Pierce, a young woman with the unusual ability of teleportation and her discovery of a secret government program to build super-spies. Okay so that's a very simplified version of what this book is actually about but you get the gist.

Ember is an interesting character. I wasn't sure whether I should applaud her or dislike her. She's kind of an unlikable character that grew on me. Since puberty she's had this secret. Every night for ten minutes after she falls asleep she transports to somewhere around the globe. She's learned how to lie and how to stay hidden, inconspicuous, in these situations. She believes she's the only one of her kind, that is until the government shows up to take her. Throughout this whole ordeal she shows that she is capable of taking care of herself and hiding her own emotions. That is until Caden Hawthorne enters the picture.

Caden is Ember's "pair" or partner in the Prometheus Project (secret government experiment). He asks to be a part of Ember's extraction team, basically he wants to be there when the government gets her. He traps her when they don't. So obviously she hates him, but dang him he's just too cute! So she's also attracted to him. I also like Caden. His witty, sarcastic humor and self-confidence bring lightness to an otherwise dark story. But there's more to Caden then he lets on and that's intriguing for both the reader and Ember.

This story is short and a very fast-paced read. I had a hard time sitting the book down and couldn't turn the pages fast enough! The plot is pretty basic. Ember wants answers as to why she is they way she is and why the government is holding her hostage. There's also a side story that ties to the main plot that involves Adrian Sumners a man that Ember meets on one of her nightly excursions before being captured by the Prometheus Project. I thought he was going to have a bigger role in the story but it turns out that it's only minor and I hope he comes back though ;)

Overall I really enjoyed The Vanishing Girl. The characters are a bit snarky (which I love because I am too) and the plot drove the story. My only complaint - and it's a minor one - is that I felt that the sex scenes and raging hormones of the characters were out of place for the characters' situation. The scenes felt forced instead of naturally occurring. Besides that it was a great book! If you enjoy the new adult genre and you're looking for a bit of something different to read, I highly recommend you check out this book. And if you do, come back and tell me about it!

PS I feel it is my obligation to warn you that [a:Laura Thalassa|7152490|Laura Thalassa|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1372456585p2/7152490.jpg] likes cliffhangers and this book is no exception. I'm dying for book two!!!

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OMG!!!! I don't know why I haven't read this book before now, but OMG!!! I LOVED IT!!! I can honestly say I don't understand why there's so many mixed reviews of this book. It's a unique twist on the young adult dystopian and I cannot wait to read more of this series.

Deuce - horrible name by the way for a girl - has grown up underground in the subway tunnels of NYC. She's never been above ground and why would she? The tunnels are full of what she calls Freaks (known to the reader as zombies) and the stories of above ground will turn your insides out. Trained to be a hunter, Deuce and her partner Fade are sent to investigate claims that the Freaks have overtaken another enclave. What they find though is that the Freaks are smarter and hunting in a way they never have. Their leaders don't believe them and send them Topside which to Deuce means death. What she finds though is a new way of living and the strangeness of falling in love.

So I liked Deuce. She is tough, but naive as most are in her enclave. She trusts her elders blindly, until they turn on her. Then she doesn't know how to trust or even how to love Fade. Experiencing the horrors of the Freaks and the gangs and all the other dangers that await her is an experience that I loved!

What I liked most about the book is that it doesn't put a lot of focus on the romantic relationship between Fade and Deuce. Instead it focuses on their survival Topside and the dangers they face. I have a lot of questions about this dystopian world though and I hope that the next books answer them! If you like young adult dystopian and like me haven't read this series yet, go do it NOW!

FYI: This is review will be more fangirling than reviewing...

For those that don't know me, I have a soft spot for historical fiction. I love books that take me back in time and show me life before electricity and iPhones and computers. I even like books that show these things but, you know, like fifty years ago. I love the little escape from my ordinary life. Most of these historical fictions read like a fairy tale. A character stuck in time, sweeping romances, brutality, and war....hmmm...I'm pretty sure that I just described Outlander, the massive 896 page first in series book by Diana Gabaldon in ten words :D

I LOVE this book!!! Claire Randall is on a second honeymoon with her estranged husband Frank at the end of WWII. A war nurse, she is now trying to find what normal was and how she fits into it. When fate takes Claire through the stones of Craigh na Dun, she finds herself in 1740s Scotland and in the middle of a skirmish between the Scottish Highlanders and the British Redcoats. Kidnapped by a band of Highlanders, Claire discovers a life she didn't know she wanted.

Claire Randall is a character that I related to on many levels. She's just spend 6 years nursing during WWII and has seen her husband all of three times during those 6 years. She feels a disconnect that is evident to the reader from the beginning of the story. She desperately wants to love Frank, but finds things difficult to say the least. It's like there is a wall there that just won't go away.

Then Claire falls through the rabbit hole, so to speak, and discovers a life that is so far different from her own that she takes refuge in it. Her main goal through a majority of the book is to find her way back to the 1940s, but as the plot progresses and Claire finds herself more and more attached to the people of the 1740s I rooted for her to stay!

The author does an amazing job of telling this story through Claire's eyes. She's experiencing the Scottish Highlands, clans and all, through the eyes of a historian and learning that not all that is written in history is as it happened. There were moments throughout the book where I wanted to yell at her because she had seemed to forget where or I guess really when she was and would use terms unfamiliar to the Highlanders she traveled with. This added humor and some irony to this otherwise stressful situation.

Then there's Jamie Fraser, a young Scottish outlaw who Claire just can't seem to get her mind off of and if I'm honest neither could I. Here's Claire, stuck in a place she knows nothing of, and then there's Jamie a laird who can't go home. Both are outlanders in a sense and naturally fall together during the story. The romance that builds between them is natural. I didn't find it forced. It's more of a soul mate type story. At times I found myself feeling sorry for Frank in the future who must be worried and scouring the countryside for his missing wife, but then at the same time I hoped Claire would see what I was reading into Jamie's actions and never go home.

Overall I loved the book. Despite it's size I found it a fast read, though I'll admit the beginning did drag a bit until Claire found herself falling through time. I fell in love with the characters and their plight, the writing, and the details in the historical aspects of the story. I liked this book so much that I'm a bit hesitant to continue the series. Confusing, I know but true.

Why do I feel this way? Well, Jamie and Claire's story is so touching and sweet and endearing (at least to me) and I felt it was complete at the conclusion. I'm scared to read more of the series now because I don't want to ruin my feelings for this first book!!! Have you read the series? Is it safe to go on?! I'm scared!!!

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So I didn't think it was possible, but I LOVED Scarlet even more than I did Cinder. This book picks up right where we last saw Cinder and the author does something that usually turns me off to series. She introduced not one, but three new main characters and POVs while keeping Cinder and Kai as well :D I LOVED IT!!!!

Scarlet Benoit is a fun character. At eighteen she is taking care of her grandmother's farm while trying to find her since she has been missing for two weeks as of the start of this book. She's a feisty character, speaks her mind and doesn't care what others think of her. She's sympathetic to the "crazy cyborg girl" they keep showing on the netlink and to all Lunars. Why? Because I believe she choses to see the best in people. Hence her attraction to Wolf.

Oh Wolf! You stole my heart you sneaky little....wolf!!! Wolf is a mysterious street fighter who takes up for Scarlet when some people begin insulting her. He's intense, a little shy, backward, and obviously didn't have what we might call a "normal" upbringing. That's all I can tell you about him without spoilers. However I will say that I <3 him even more than Emperor Kai, if that's even possible!

The other new character is American pilot Carswell Thorne. Thorne is in prison with Cinder and happens upon her while she is escaping. Together they make it to his hidden ship and fly off. I like Thorne. And I really don't know why! He's arrogant, conceited, and full of himself but I like him! I could see Cinder settling down with him, but don't worry fangirls the author makes it quite clear that Cinder has eyes for only Kai and this relationship with Thorne is JUST friendship.

What made this story phenomenal for me was how the author took the story of Red Riding Hood and integrated it seamlessly with the world she'd created in Cinder.



The very loose retelling of Red Riding Hood fit well with the story of Scarlet and Wolf. And then how their problems intersected those of Kai and Cinder was just...awesome! I'll admit that I had it figured it out, so I wasn't too surprised by the couple of plot twist the author threw the readers, but even knowing they were coming I was still surprised, shocked, and awed!!!

Overall, if you haven't read the Lunar Chronicles yet, go do so now!!! I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, and I'll admit that I will be more than a little sad when the last book comes out at the end of this year. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, young adult literature, and science fiction (because yes it is definitely that!) than I highly recommend you read this series. It doesn't disappoint!

Oh my goodness!!! This book was amazing!!! Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch reminded me why I LOVE young adult fantasy. It was THAT good! The story follows Meira, one of seven Winter refugees living outside the slave camps. Meira with her fellow refugees/rebels are trying to infiltrate Spring and restore their kingdom with the boy-king Mather, Meira's best friend.

The world of Snow Like Ashes is very reminiscent of Game of Thrones. It is divided into 8 kingdoms, four seasons (Spring, Winter, Fall, and Summer) and four Rhythms. About 16 years prior to the start of the book, Spring invaded Winter, taking its citizens as slaves, killing the King and Queen, only 25 Winterians escaped, Meira and the prince among them.

Now only 8 refugees remain and they are trying to restore their kingdom. A seemingly impossible task, yes, but it makes for an awesome book! Meira makes for a great main character. The book is told entirely from her perspective and she's angry at the beginning. She's been trained as a soldier, raised by all in the camp because she is an orphan, but this only serves to make her stronger in my opinion.

There's a bit of a love triangle. One I saw coming, but worked for the book. Meira loves Mather, and Mather loves Meira, but nothing can come of it. He is King and she is a commoner. Then enters Theron the prince of Cordellia (one of the Rhythm kingdoms). A marriage is arranged between them in the hopes of gaining Cordellia's support in invading Spring. I really like Theron. He is very sweet and kind to Meira. And I rooted for him a bit ;)

Overall I highly recommend you read this book, especially if you enjoy young adult fantasy. I read it in one sitting, unable to sit it down to even sleep! It was a fun, fast read from first page to the last. And it left me wanting more! I can't wait for book two later this year :D

Devon's Choice by Catherine Bennett is a quick read about a young woman at a crossroads in life. Devon is twenty-eight, still lives at home with her ailing father, and trying to start her own business. She's in a dead end relationship when she meets Brandon a charming young man trying to make his family business grow.

I really loved this book! Devon is a fun character that I related to on every level. She's a bit lost at the beginning of the book. Her mother died five years prior, and since then she's lived with her dad, who is not doing to well himself. She's working at a coffee shop by day and by night trying to make a go of her online company. Pride, I think, keeps her from accepting any help from anyone. She wants to succeed on her own.

Brandon isn't much better. When we first meet him, he is working himself to the bone to make his family business grow. He inherited it when his father died unexpectedly, and now he's running it his way. When he meets Devon, he realizes this is the girl he wants to settle down with. Maybe he is ready. I like Brandon! He's honest, kind-hearted, and good to Devon.

The plot of the story is a light romance with some ups and downs. But what makes the plot unique is the author's ability to interweave Christianity and make this clean romance a story of redemption. It's sweet and heartbreaking at moments and I just loved it! It's short, only about 150 pages so it can easily be read in one sitting if you choose to do so. If you enjoy inspirational, clean romance I highly recommend you go grab a copy. You can thank me later ;)

I received an eARC of this book from the author via I Am a Reader in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review