457 pages Published: May 7, 2013 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Summary:
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
Review:
The 5th Wave was never high up in my TBR list. I’m not really into the alien thing. Books with aliens are hit or miss for me. I’ve had the book with me for years now and I wanted to check it off but never found the need to read it. It wasn’t until the movie was in Starz. I decided to watch it. I’ve watched book adaptations before as an indicator if I should read a book or not. While the movie didn’t blow my mind with awesomeness, I really enjoyed it and knew that the book should be better. I picked up and started reading right after the credits rolled. If you didn’t like the movie, you will really like the book. They are so different but in a good way.
I enjoyed the characters and I love that it switches between them. It helps you get a glimpse of each character and help you fall for them. I like that the POVs weren’t all the same. You can tell who was “talking” in each chapter. While I did enjoy them, I didn’t overly love them – as I usually am when it comes of Sci-Fi characters. Along with that, I felt like the story was just that … a story. I didn’t feel as sucked into the world as I wanted to (hence the one star deficit). But I really did enjoy it. I’m not racing to get the second book and again that’s mostly because I don’t really read books with aliens – that’s just a personal choice.
What I really like about the book and what made it feel unique was the waves. The aliens really planned out their invasion. Maybe my alien-virginity is showing but I like how it was like step by step way to eliminate the population. I mostly really liked the plot twists. They were fantastic and really pushed the plot forward. There’s a twist with Evan but the twist with the alien invasion and their plans were so, so good. It surprised me. I think that the second half was better than the first and I am looking forward to what the second and third book have in store for me.
272 pages Published: August 2, 2015 by Swoon Reads Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Summary:
After a cyber bullying incident turns her life upside down, a handsome wheelchair rugby player shows a former mean girl that everyone deserves a second chance.
The party was at her house. The photos were posted to her Facebook account. That’s all the evidence anyone needed to condemn Nikki Baylor for a cyberbullying incident that humiliated a classmate and nearly resulted in the girl’s suicide. Now Nikki’s been expelled from her old school, her friends have abandoned her, and even her own parents can’t look her in the eye. With her plans for the future all but destroyed, Nikki resigns herself to being the girl everyone hates – almost as much as she hates herself. But then Nikki meets Pax, a spirited wheelchair rugby player who knows what it’s like when one mistake completely shatters your life. Refusing to judge her because of her past, he shows her that everyone deserves a second chance… and everyone deserves to be loved.
Review:
I was introduced to Karole Cozzo through Netgalley when I read her first book… and I LOVED it! I even went out afterwards to buy it. I was so excited for her next book and immediately bought this when it came out. It took me longer to actually get to it (TBR lists that never end!) BUT I finally did and boy do I regret waiting. I love Cozzo’s writing style and how it elicits so much emotions. I don’t really have anything in common with Nikki, nothing at all really. However, I was able to connect with her. I felt what she felt and understood her. Her situation is tricky because she is caught in the cyber bullying incident. She isn’t directly responsible for it but she didn’t stop it either. However, as you read on, you can tell she really did felt remorse. The outcome of her taking the fall for the cyber bullying was incredibly hard and how she is treated by both her family and her “best friends” was truly heartbreaking.
Enter Pax – who is everything that I would want in a guy. He’s the total opposite of me and of Nikki. He’s very uplifting and positive. He’s charming and funny (wait guys, I’m funny too, so not the TOTAL opposite of me haha). Anyway, he is going through his own challenges and because of some bad choices, he was paralyzed. I like how he has come to terms with what happened but that he also still struggles, especially when it comes to Nikki. I love the way their relationship was weaved together. They definitely bring each other up. At first, it only felt like Pax was helping Nikki out but then you see the synergistic (big fancy word I learned in nutrition lol) effect of their relationship. Basically, they work together to produce a greater effect.
What I love about this book was all the struggles they went through – aye does that make me sound like a sadistic reader? Let me explain. I love their challenges because you get to see how they worked to overcome it. I liked that there wasn’t this simple solution and that it just wasn’t done overnight. They worked hard for it. I mean, it also added the drama, which HELLOOOO! Bring out the tissues! I also liked that it dealt with cyber bullying. I feel like that form of bullying is increasing nowadays with the technology and even though it kind of was like PSA, it didn’t feel like one. There are dangers to cyber bullying and ignoring it or letting it happen doesn’t help the victim. Well, that’s my PSA of that day.
348 pages Published: February 25, 2014 by Harlequin Teen Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Summary:
One kiss could be the last.
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever.
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul.
But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.
Review:
To be completely honest, I did not know what to expect with this one. I absolutely love anything and everything from Jennifer L. Armentrout. But I admit, the cover and the title threw me off. It was pre-judgment on my part but who else hasn’t judged a book by it’s cover. I seriously don’t know how she does it! Every. Single. Time. I read her books and she pulls me into the world and makes me addicted. White Hot Kiss is no different! I cannot wait to read more from the series. I was really hesitant at first about the whole gargoyles but hey! It’s a new topic and it was cool.
The main character is half Gargoyle/”Warden” and half demon. You know with that kind of DNA she is bound to be something special. She lives with Wardens, who protect the world and she is raised into believing that demons are the big bad wolves. (Aren’t they always?) Anyway, her purpose with the Wardens come into question when she meets the demon Roth. Layla is in luuuurve with her best friend Zayne but it’s a huge no-no because she’s half demon (the whole soul sucking thing) and they can’t have kids to increase the Warden population. I loved both Zayne and Roth, for different reasons. They are very different in personality but they are similar in how much they care for Layla and want to protect her … it’s just displayed in a different way.
Other than having amazing characters, the plot was so fantastic! It kept you on the edge. It had romance, friendship, action, and you know lots of drama to keep you glued to the pages. Now there are some frustrating scenes with Zayne but in the end, you can tell how much he does care and love Layla. Now that ending, prepárate! (Get ready/prepare yourself). It’s intense and shocking and it will leave you crying on the floor! It was so surprising. I cried a lot haha.
346 pages Published: January 31, 2017 by Harper Teen Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Summary:
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?
Review:
Kasie West books are always an auto-buy for me. I fell in love with her contemporaries and her writing style exactly one year ago when I binge read all her published contemporaries. I love the way they made me feel. They were so much fun to read. They are fluffy and light. The same can be said about By Your Side. There’s a lot of reviews that I read about people not enjoying because they we’re expecting a bookworm in a library and that it would be magical. In real-life, we’d all love to be stuck in a library for a weekend and read our lives away, but I mean … how would that translate into a book? But everyone has their opinion. I love West’s books because there’s always something deeper than just the love story. In this book, we have the main character, Autumn, who has an anxiety disorder that she keeps hidden from her friends. Unfortunately, some of her friends think that she’s a flake. Dax, on the other hand, deals with neglect, loneliness, and inability to trust others because of constant moving between foster homes.
They are completely opposite people but I love how they mesh well together. They were so adorable and I love how their relationship develops. I love accepting they are of each other. Autumn opens up a lot more to him than to some of her friends and Dax pretty much gets his first friend in Autumn. I love the progression of the plot. I loved the drama haha. It surprised me actually because I wasn’t expecting it. It gave a good explanation as to why no one was wondering where Autumn was and why no one thought to go back to the library to look for her. Seriously, read this book if you want something easy and fun. The romance is just plain adorable!
The Infernal Devices #2 502 pages Published: December 6, 2011 by Simon & Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Steam Punk
Summary:
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
Review:
We live and breathe words. …. It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them. Reading your words, what you wrote, how you were lonely sometimes and afraid, but always brave; the way you saw the world, its colors and textures and sounds, I felt–I felt the way you thought, hoped, felt, dreamt. I felt I was dreaming and thinking and feeling with you. I dreamed what you dreamed, wanted what you wanted–and then I realized that truly I just wanted you.
If you know me at all, you know how much I enjoy Clare’s The Infernal Device. This is about the fourth or fifth time I reread the trilogy. I also own like 5 different copies of the books (no judging!). Anyway, I love and I hate whenever I reread this because it’s the book where crap hits the fan. I would say that it’s the most painful book in the trilogy but nothing beats the epilogue of Clockwork Princess – don’t argue with me on this! I still remember the first time I read this, I was dying! I cried so so much. Even after reading it so many times, it still hurts me. Will, Tessa and Jem have become my little babies and I can’t bear to see them in pain.
What I really love about this book is the friendship and love. Clare displays it all so well between the three and even though I do not like the idea of Jem and Tessa, I accept it. I don’t hate it but I mean, I’m 2000% a Wessa shipper. I think I love them more because I see myself in both Will and Tessa, plus Will Herondale is like my fictional boyfriend for life. I really enjoy Clare’s writing style and it makes it that much more enjoyable. This book is definitely tragic and I’m preparing myself for the depression after reading Clockwork Princess.
348 pages Published: November 1, 2016 by Delacorte Press Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Summary:
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
Review:
Sorry guys, I don’t know this one wasn’t for me. I was really disappointed because I really loved Everything, Everything. The premise of The Sun is Also a Star sounded so good but in the end, it felt pretentious and unrealistic. I know that it’s just a book but really? Falling in love in less than 24 hours? Come on! Especially when the two characters have nothing in common. I mean they’re both smart and both immigrants. But one’s a poet and very touchy-feely (Daniel) and the other is super scientific and very anti-love (Natasha). And you’re going to tell me that they fall in love in a span of not even 24 hours but more like 12 or so.
I had difficulties connecting to the main characters. I felt like they were extremes … like be normal or something (again this is just me). I honestly thought that they were both so annoying. I rolled my eyes so much with this book, I think I strained it. I don’t remember much about Natasha other than her love of science and Nirvana. She also had a strained relationship with her father because he’s basically the reason why they are being deported. Daniel was really into poetry. He had long hair. His brother was a major douchebag. His parents wanted him to be a doctor. Everything else in between the first page and the last was lost on me.
I love Yoon because she writes diversity and it was great that she was writing a book with immigrants. That’s great. I’m an immigrant. My friend’s an immigrant. Let’s face it, America is filled with immigrants. It wouldn’t be what it is today without immigrants. The whole illegal immigration though … I don’t want to get political because I can’t stand politics but I was triggered, especially with Natasha complaining that she wouldn’t be eligible for scholarships with her stolen social security. I just … speechless. I understand her hardship and I feel for her you know? She’s intelligent and has so much potential and she for sure deserves that scholarship. It was a total cognitive dissonance for me.
Overall, this book and I did not play well together. Diversity was the only thing really working for me. Tee multiple point of views were hit and miss for me. I liked some of the views but mostly, I made the pace really choppy for me. It felt intrusive sometimes. I just wanted to finish the scene and then I get information on hair???? The points of view also served to show just how coincidental every little thing is in this book. No thanks.
352 pages Published: December 8, 2015 by Simon Pulse Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Military
Summary:
In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave.
When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks—someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend…
Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa—the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.
But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for.
When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what.
But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise…
Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her?
Review:
Guys, I don’t even know where to start. This book is everything. I am so speechless. I just loved this book so so much. I read this one 2 weeks ago and I’m still not over it. I was crying so much, my face was so swollen the next day. I was up until 6 in the morning reading this. #NoRegret. I’ll try to keep it spoiler free but if I need to, the text will be in white and you’ll have to highlight to read it. Like this! Back to the book, READ IT! Have a box of tissues with you because you’ll need it starting at the prologue. I knew that once I read that prologue, I was stuck. I love how Mila was able to tug on your heart-strings and play with your emotions. Here are characters that you’ve never met and you already feel bad for Jessa. With just her quick memories, you didn’t want either Kit or Riley to be dead. That right there just sets you up to fall in love, not just the writing style and plot, but with the very essence of the characters.
After the prologue, Gray goes back three months and basically tells the story of how Kit and Jessa get together. Along with that, she changes points of view between Kit and Jessa, which I think is one of the best ways to tell a love story. The romance does seem rushed at first because the book just started and Bam! He’s kissing her already but in their relationship you can see their years of friendship in their comfort and knowledge of each other. Their relationship is so pure and I just love much Kit supports Jessa. She lives in a home where her father is borderline abusive and she kind of has a nonexistent relationship with her mom. With her brother deployed, she’s alone to handle her parents who don’t encourage her to pursue her dreams. Kit is the opposite. He sets up auditions for her and helps her learn how to drive. I wish we got to see more of a relationship between Jessa and Riley but even then, you could tell how much he loved her. You still got to know him and you still fell for him.
…. Which brings me to the next topic: the death. This is where the waterworks set in. There was not a page where I didn’t cry. I think I knew who it was but I also didn’t want it to happen. I was totally okay with another person dying but not Kit or Riley. The scene before the bombing, you just knew. When I turned the page and Riley’s name was there. That was it. I broke down. He was supposed to get married and he has a son on the way. I was dying. But at the same time, it wasn’t Kit. The circumstances surrounding Riley’s death was so unfair and so sad! Guys, I couldn’t stop crying. Just when I felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel and my tears would stop flowing, something else would happen… I may or may not be over dramatic but it’s still very depressing. There are just so many great aspects and scenes in the book and I wish I could talk about all of it. One of the most memorable was when Kit finally came back home to Jessa and apologizes to her. Plus! The grave scene, where Kit apologizes to Riley for messing up. Wow! So cathartic. That was intense. If you look reading books that will break your heart or if you’re a hopeless romantic like me, you need to pick this one up. You will just eat it all up! I wish that they book was only longer so that I could stay in the universe and see more of the characters.
Favorite Quotes:
“Come back to me,” I whisper.
“Always,” he answers, kissing me for the last time.”
“If you ask me do I want you to be waiting for me the day I get off the plane? Yes. Do I want to talk to you every night on the phone and know that you’re my girl and that I’m coming home to you? Yes. Am I going to be thinking of you every single moment while I’m gone – yes. But it’s not fair on you asking you to wait.”
“What about you? Are you doing what you love?’ He looks across at me before turning back to the road.
‘I was,’ he says. ‘And now?’ I ask in a whisper, because that’s all I can manage.
‘Now, I have to leave you”
“Does he call you his north star? Because that’s what you are to me. You’re the reason I made it home.”
“Does he tell you that you’re all he thinks about? Does he tell you that he lives for you? That he breathes for you? That he dreams of you every damn moment, awake and asleep? Does he tell you any of that?’ He pauses to look at me and I try to keep a blank face. ‘No, I didn’t think so,’ he says quietly.”
The songs below may be spoilery, especially if you’re good at drawing deducting and inference. These are songs that I heard after reading the book and felt were very complimentary to the book, especially the second half. They’re honestly depressing as crap when you know what happens in the book.
I know you care, I know it is always been there
But there is trouble ahead I can feel it
You are just saving yourself when you hide it
Yeah, I know you care
I see it in the way that you stare
As if there was trouble ahead, and you knew it
I’ll be saving myself from the ruin
And I know you care
I was young but I wasn’t naive
I watched helpless as you turned around to leave
And still I have the pain I have to carry
A past so deep that even you could not bury if you tried
After all this time
I never thought we’d be here
Never thought we’d be here
When my love for you was blind
But I couldn’t make you see it
Couldn’t make you see it
That I loved you more than you’ll ever know
A part of me died when I let you go
I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go wherever you go
And I will never leave without letting you know
Don’t you give up on me
Don’t you give up on me
‘Cause you’re all i got
And time won’t stop.
I am damaged at best
Like you’ve already figured out
I’m falling apart
I’m barely breathing
With a broken heart
That’s still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I’m holding on, I’m holdin’ on, I’m holdin’ on
Barely holding on to you
As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.
And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.
In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.
Bullet Review:
“He was my strength when I needed him to be, my friend when I needed someone to talk me down, my equal in a world where by law I would always be less than him, and honest to gods, he was the love of my life.”
Can I just say how much I looooove Aiden?! He’s so perfect. I love Aiden and Alex, they’re perfect. This book’s perfect. Jennifer L. Armentrout is perfect.
♥ What can I say other than that Sentinel was the perfect ending that I could hope for the series. It was honestly so amazing how everything turned out
♥ Armentrout continues the series where it left off and keeps you wanting more and at the edge of your seat.
♥ The writing is just as amazing and it is the same Armentrout, witty type of dialogue that she loves to use in her books
♥ One of the best things about this book is that you really see the development of Alex’s character. She is so much more mature and level headed than when we first met her. I actually love her now. She’s uses her brain to make her decisions and is less likely to act on her impulsiveness.
♥ The best thing about this series is the dynamic relationship between Alex and Aiden. Let’s not kid ourselves, anything with Aiden is amazing. They are truly made for each other. They understand each other so much emotionally and they are in sync in battle. It was amazing to read.
♥ In every review for the Half-Blood series, I have swooned over the magnificence of Aiden over and over again. I mean, I even named one of my Sims kids after him! Ha I’m a nerd. He is everything you would want in a character. Very funny, dependable, loveable, caring, sweet, physically active and strong, loyal, and every nice adjective out there.
♥ The last time I brought up Seth, it was not good. I never really loved him as a character because he was so arrogant and I think what happens to him in this book really knocks him down a peg or two. I liked that he knocked down a peg or two but it made me feel for him. He’s got a series all to himself, I’m still deciding on if I will read it or not.
♥ The ending was fantastic and I wish it didn’t have to end. I wish I got to know more about the war and the relationships with the Greek gods and the future of all the other characters. But I know, the book can’t go on forever. We can only dream.
