The YA Prom

Do you have your dress ready? Hair? Shoes? Makeup?

Because it's YA Prom time! 

I totally love this idea that Alexa and Gaby created! All you have to do is pick your date and your dress, and head to prom! Granted, I'm much closer to 30 now than actual prom age, but that didn't stop me from having a blast with this post! So without further ado, here are my selections for my date, dress, shoes, and hair. :)

My date....

None other than the dashing and debonair privateer prince himself, Nikolai STURMHOND!

Was there every any doubt? I did briefly consider taking Hector or Chaol, but in the end, I would love to hang out with this guy for an evening, adventuring, and snarking about all the things.

So what does one wear to prom with a pirate?  

Well, here's my dress pantsuit...

Source

I originally considered doing a dress, but then I figured Sturmhond and I would be getting up to all kinds of hijinx, so I figured I'd be slightly more practical. I mean, who can run around and get up to trouble in a dress? Not me, that's for sure.

Speaking of running...  

I'll need some shoes.

Source: Jimmy Choo

Seeing as how we plan on getting into all kinds mischief, I need some flat shoes to run around in. With Sturmhond's connections, I'm going to have the Fabrikators make sure they are indestructible and extra comfy. ;)

And finally, I'll need my hair to look all pretty. But also functional.  

So here's how I'll fix my hair.

Source

I like the idea of having my hair pulled back (not quite into a ponytail), but still having it be elegant and beautiful. This hairstyle definitely fits the bill.

And because this is what really matters, this is my prom date for life & I at our wedding 7+ years ago:

So that's it! Will I be seeing you at prom? Will I be sharing my date with any of you?

Review: A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

Book: A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

Released: January 23, 2014

Publisher: Viking

Pages: 384 (Kindle Edition)

Stars: 5+ and ALL THE FLAILS

Goodreads

How gorgeous is this cover by the way?!?

From Goodreads:

Welcome to the world of the fabulously wealthy in London, 1909, where dresses and houses are overwhelmingly opulent, social class means everything, and women are taught to be nothing more than wives and mothers. Into this world comes seventeen-year-old Victoria Darling, who wants only to be an artist—a nearly impossible dream for a girl.
           
After Vicky poses nude for her illicit art class, she is expelled from her French finishing school. Shamed and scandalized, her parents try to marry her off to the wealthy Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky has other things on her mind: her clandestine application to the Royal College of Art; her participation in the suffragette movement; and her growing attraction to a working-class boy who may be her muse—or may be the love of her life. As the world of debutante balls, corsets, and high society obligations closes in around her, Vicky must figure out: just how much is she willing to sacrifice to pursue her dreams?

A wonderfully romantic historical novel by debut author Sharon Biggs Waller. There is so much love put in to this novel, I can't even describe it. Waller definitely did her homework on this one-just check out the index at the back! She included so much real-life description and people of the era. It never feels like you're getting a history lesson, as she ties it all in to the plot in such a way that you can't help but come away from the book just a little bit more knowledgeable.

Vicky is our heroine/MC/plucky little lady whom I adore. She's an extremely talented aspiring artist, has an overbearing (and quite misogynistic) father, a loving brother, and a mother who surprised me. Vicky is outspoken and free-minded, especially as a woman in Britain in the 1900s.

But of course there's the boys. Edmund, Vicky's not totally horrible fiance, and PC William Fletcher. Oh Will, how I like thee. He's so wonderful, and considerate, and a constable to boot! You can't help fall in love with Will over the course of this book.

The suffragettes also play a major role in this story, from the well known, to the ones that Waller invented. I adored them all.

We first meet Vicky in France where she's attending boarding school like a proper young lady in 1900s English society. But she wants to be an artist and therefore takes lessons with a local master where she is the only woman. On the day we first meet Vicky she's in her class and the model is missing. Instead of leaving, or having one of the guys pose (yet again-as they take turns when there's no model), Vicky opts to pose in the nude so the other artists can sketch her. As luck would have it, one of her fellow classmates sees her, tells the headmaster, and Vicky is sent home from boarding school in disgrace. But does Vicky care? Not so much. She just wants to continue to be an artist, with her ultimate goal attending the art college, and she will do anything to achieve her goal-even if it means going along with her parents' wishes.

Her parents, on the other hand, have an entirely different goal for Vicky. Make her into a proper society lady, presenting her to the king, and marrying her off. And that's when we meet Edmund. While he's not totally vile as could have been the case, he's rather apathetic to everything in general.

In the midst of all the wedding planning/house preparing/general boring things expected of women in the early 1900s, Vicky manages to get involved with the suffragettes. I loved this story line. This is when Waller really manages to bring history to life. She takes women that actually lived during this time and weaves them seamlessly in to Vicky's story.

Interwoven through all of this is Will. He becomes Vicky's muse. She draws him constantly for her portfolio. He supports her in a way that no one else does. He provides a much-needed distraction for Vicky when her "regular" life gets too mundane. He's just there for her for when needs it most.

I love, love, LOVE this book so much. I'm already planning to reread it sometime (as soon as my TBR becomes slightly more manageable).  There are so many wonderful parts of this book. One of my absolute favorites is when Vicky is presented. It was laugh-out-loud funny.

While there is definitely some romance (and swoony romance at that), it never overpowers the rest of the story; it truly is a great balance. I wanted to know what happens next, after the end of the book more than anything. With that said, I was more than happy with the conclusion of the book. It was a rather perfect ending to an amazing story.

I would love to gush about this more, but you know I can't. Because you really need to read this for yourself.

I would absolutely rec this book to people. If you like historical fiction, England, women's rights, swoony boys and other things that are awesome, I think you'd like this book. I've already rec'd it to several friends hoping they'll read it soon so we can discuss all the FEELS.

Review: The Seers by Julianna Scott

Book: The Seers by Julianna Scott

Series: The Holders #2

Released: February 14, 2014

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Pages: 430 (Kindle)

Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads

*I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review*

 

 From Goodreads:

After nearly being drained of her ability and betrayed by a man her father trusted, Becca Ingle was left with one clue — Ciaran Shea. He holds the key to the downfall of the power-mad Holder, Darragh, and can ensure the safety of both Holder and Human kind alike... but is he willing to help?

Becca, Alex, Jocelyn, and Cormac set out for Adare Manor to meet with the Bhunaidh, an aristocratic group of pure blooded Holders of whom Ciaran is a rumored member. However, when Becca discovers that they might not be the only ones after the information Ciaran has, everyone begins to wonder if Bhunaidh might not be as uninvolved with Darragh as they claim.

A race to uncover Ciaran’s secrets begins, where the line between friend and foe is blurred, and everyone seems to have their own agenda. Becca will have to call on every ability at her disposal to uncover the truth, all the while knowing that sometimes the answer is more dangerous than the question.

I'm going to try something different for my reviews for a while (or now on, depending on how it goes). I need a better way to sort my thoughts, instead of just rambling on, and on, and on... Let me know if you prefer this format, or the old one.

 Note: As will all series continuations, this review will contain spoilers for the first book. Ye be warned.

I rather enjoyed this book and its predecessor, The Holders. It's a good combination of paranormal and contemporary, all set in one of my favorite places that I've never visited, Ireland. The Seers picks up directly where The Holders left off. Which, if you've read my reviews before, you know I enjoy. I despise missing scenes between books. I don't like being left out of the action. I hadn't heard anything about it until I received it from Netgalley, which is rather a shame, because I liked it and I think others will as well.

Becca is back in full force. I love her as a MC. She's intelligent and snarky. I love her wit, and her fierce protectiveness over her friends and family. But she's not perfect by any means. She's stubborn, sometimes almost to her detriment. But she's strong, and willing to learn. She tries not to show weakness, even when I felt like she should. So basically, she's a fully-realized character, and I adore her.

Then there's Alex. How could anyone not fall in love with Alex? He's quiet and strong. Caring and protective. He's insecure and loving. He's most definitely a perfect match for Becca. I particularly enjoyed the back and forth in his relationship with Becca. Are they perfect? No. But they do compliment each other nicely. They have their ups and downs, talk about it with each other (YAY!) and come out better for each other in the end.

Also making appearances are Chloe (who I would really, really like to learn more about her in the 3rd book, okay?), Jocelyn (whose relationship with Becca is improving but still complicated. I'm enjoying the back-and-forth between them), Cormac (who is awesome and please tell me more about him, kthanksbye),a as well as a few of the other characters from the first book.

We're introduced to Bastian, whose parents are the leaders of  the Bhunaidh, an aristocratic group of pure blooded Holders. I couldn't get a read on Bastian at first-probably because Becca couldn't either. But by the mid-part of the book, holy moly, do I like him. He's great. There's lots more characters we meet while at Adare (Bastian's home), but no one really of consequence, other than his brother who does become a major factor.

The group from St. Brigid's head to Adare Manor to talk to the Bhunaidh to see if they will help them locate Ciaran Shea. Shea is, of course, the key to finding Darragh and thwarting his diabolical plans. While some places of the story were a bit slow, it still maintained a nice pace leading up to each twist and turn. To tell you more would be all kinds of spoilery, so you'll just have to read it for yourself.

There were definitely a few surprises, which I rather enjoyed. I love when I am legitimately surprised in books, as it doesn't happen as often anymore. If you read it, by all means, PLEASE tweet me or leave a comment. I desperately want to talk to someone about this book.

Absolutely. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes Harry Potter, the X-Men or any other book with a bit of supernatural flair to it. I can't wait to read the next one!

Happy dance

Review: Lady Thief by AC Gaughen

Book: Lady Thief by AC Gaughen

Series: Scarlet #2

Released: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Pages: 320 (Kindle edition)

Stars: 5+ and ALL THE FLAILS

Goodreads

From Goodreads:

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

*As with all books within a series, there will be spoilers for previous books. Ye be warned.*

The very first review I wrote on The Broke Book Girls (way back in November....) was for Scarlet by AC Gaughen. Little did I know that this series would quickly become one of my new favorites. I discovered it on a whim, and man did I fall in love. So when Lady Thief, the second book in the series, came out at the beginning of February, I read it immediately (it's taken me this long to get my feels in order to be coherent enough to put words down).

The FEELS this book gave me. I was all over the place. Ecstatic, happy, thrilled, worried, terrified, distraught, depressed, curled up in the fetal position and huddled in the corner, you name it, I probably felt it over the course of this book. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED it. So very much. Just be prepared for the feels. Gaughen will give you hope and then rip your heart out.

Oh Scarlet. I love love love her so much. She's so damaged and flawed while still being crazy awesome. Only this time she has even more to deal with. Rob is suffering from serious issues. I still love Much, maybe even more so. John as some truly heartbreaking moments. And Gisbourne still sucks. 

But maybe not as much Prince John, the new reigning d-bag. His mom-Eleanor of Aquitaine-is totally awesome and the most amazing royal to ever be royal.

Lady Thief picks up shortly after Scarlet ended (huzzah!). Scarlet finds herself still married to Gisbourne, while longing to be with Rob. And Rob. Poor Rob is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He wakes up from nightmares every night and attacks whoever is nearby. Even if that person is Scarlet (welcome to book 2!).

Prince John is coming in to Nottingham to name a new sheriff, with Gisbourne pretty much being the main, and only, candidate. With him comes his entourage, and his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine along with him. I adore her by the way. She's rather fabulous. Due to the Prince's arrival, Gisbourne strikes a deal with Scarlet. In exchange for Scarlet coming to the castle to live with him and acting the part of his wife-and a proper lady of the court, Gisbourne will grant her an annulment. All of this happens at the start of the book. We also get to have the famous tournament (sadly no fox on stilts), meet Alan-a-Dale, and learn more about Rob's time in the Crusades.

Gaughen created a masterpiece. She takes you for a ride in the most wonderful and imaginative way possible. She yanks you back and forth and your feels will never be the same. Rob and Scarlet's relationship is back-and-forth and ridiculously complicated. But I will ship this ship until the very end. There are so many twists and turns, and even though I figured one of the major ones out, it was still the most amazing thing ever. There are parts, seriously depressing parts of this book. I bawled my eyes in a couple of places. And the ending. Your heart will be ripped into shreds by the ending, if it isn't in tatters already. You'll just want to huddle in the corner until the pain goes away.

I wish I could tell you more, but you must definitely go into this book blind. Trust me, it would not have the same effect if you knew what was going to happen.

A thousand times yes. I will push this book on to anyone I possibly can. I honestly think this book should, and will, be adored by anyone who reads it.

Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Book: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Series: Pivot Point #2

Released: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 360 (Kindle)

Rating: 4.5

Goodreads

 From Goodreads:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Let me just start by saying I will read absolutely anything Kasie West writes. This is her third book, and I have loved and adored all 3. She is churning out books {almost} as fast as I can read them. She is a master at weaving complex stories that are still accessible, with a dose of swoony boys, snark, twists and turns, and characters to love.

Split Second is the follow up novel to Pivot Point, so if you haven't read the first one, there will be spoilers for the first book in this review (also, what are you waiting for? Get thee to a bookstore, pronto). I loved Pivot Point (review here), and the follow up most definitely did not disappoint. Each chapter kept me hooked (seriously, it's like there's mini cliff-hangers for almost every chapter), and I couldn't stop reading it.

Split Second picks up right where Pivot Point left off. While Pivot Point alternated between the Paranormal and Norm chapters, Split Second alternates between Addie & Laila chapters (with texts at the top of each chapter to clarify who is talking). While dual points of view don't usually work for me, this one did. They each had a distinctive voice, and even when they are together in later chapters, it is still easy to determine who is talking-even with the texts at the top of each chapter. 

I was already fully invested in Addie's storyline, but the one I didn't expect to love so much was Laila's. We got glimpses of her in Pivot Point, but by having her POV in Split Second, we are able to learn even more about her. She's snarky, damaged, subborn and fiercely protective of her friendship with Addie and her brothers, particularly Eli. Also happening in this book, a love interest for Laila by the name of Connor. Oh Connor, he's a great match for Laila. I enjoyed their conversations, particularly when they would try to one-up each other and not let the other person win.

And then there's the Addie & Trevor feels. I LOVED them together so much in Pivot Point. I was devastated when Addie had Laila remove her memories of Trevor at the end of the previous book. It made me smad.

What West does such a wonderful job of doing in Split Second is totally building Addie & Trevor's relationship. Again. It doesn't feel stale. It feels new and fresh and it totally worked for me. Also spoiler *his three things he kept asking her after she told him may have been my favorite part of their relationship. So sweet.*

One of my favorite minor characters from Pivot Point is also in this book: Brody, Trevor's totally cute little brother. I am so glad we got to see him again. He helps with the meet-cute when Addie & Trevor first see each other again. A great moment for sure.

Duke is back again also. I have such mixed feelings about him. I could not stand the guy for obvious reasons after the first book, and honestly I didn't like him for most of this one either, but he does come through in a few areas over the course of Split Second.

Overall, I felt the actual plot in Split Second is stronger than in Pivot Point. I enjoyed how we got to jump right in to this story on this one (which is one of the reasons I love series so much) and it paid off in action. There are some INTENSE moments in this book. And the story is better for it. I could not stop reading the last 25% of the book for this exact reason. I HAD to know how everything was going to be resolved.

I was happy to hear that while the main story of Addie & Trevor is over, that Kasie West is considering wring a companion novel (or 2, or 3, or 4...). There is so much potential left to explore inside (and outside) the Compound. I hope she writes more about this world.

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Book: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Released: February 25, 2014

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 320 (Kindle)

Rating: 3.5

Goodreads

**I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review**

From Goodreads:

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

So this book. It's part Hunger Games. Part Survivor. And part The Amazing Race. All things that I enjoy. While there are definitely some similarities to the above mentioned movie & TV shows, there are some twists that make this book unique. Did it redefine the genre? No, but what really would at this point? Did I enjoy this book? Yes, yes I did. Sadly, there was no Jeff Probst though.

Come on in, guys

While there are some qualities of The Hunger Games to this book, ie: you have to fight to the death to win the prize, that's pretty much where it ended, and even so it's not necessary to kill everyone in order to win. There are people of all ages participating in the Brimstone Bleed (which, by the way, is a totally awesome name. I dig the alliteration). They are all there to win The Cure to saved a loved one.

That's what this whole Brimstone Bleed is all about. The winner will received The Cure, which will save their loved one who is sick and dying back at home. But to win, they must compete in 4 different landscapes: the jungle, the desert, the ocean and the mountains. In this book we only see the jungle and the desert, and boy are they brutal. In the jungle it rains all the time. In the desert it's oppressively hot during the day, and freezing at night. In addition to the environment, there are other threats, namely the other competitors and mysterious jungle men. The goal of each round is to find the blue flags which will lead them to the base camp... and safety.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The main character of our story is Tella. She's enters the Brimstone Bleed to save her older brother. Without knowing what she's getting herself in to, she leaves her home in Montana and drives to Lincoln, Nebraska. There she picks out an egg, which will be her Pandora. The Pandoras will help each Contender through their journey. I like the Pandoras, especially when you find out what they are, and what they can do. Tella's in particular is pretty awesome. 

In Lincoln is where Tella first encounters Guy. He then continues to make random appearances in the first half of the book, before staying for good. He's pretty rough around the edges and hard to figure out, that's for sure. Little by little information about him is given throughout the book. I liked the slow flow of information, it seemed more realistic that way.

Is it the clumpy way he walks? Or the grumpy way he talks?

There's a group of Contenders that Tella meets up with, and they each have their own story about why they are there. Some are revealed quickly, and some at the end. Each one serves a purpose in Tella's development as a person, and helps her to survive. While Harper comes off as prickly at first, I ended up rather liking her as a person. 

Then there's Titus, a/k/a the bad guy. He sucks and I don't like him. He's pretty much evil and reminded me of The Darkling from The Grisha Trilogy (except that The Darkling is not totally evil? Maybe?) in that he wanted Tella to join him for REASONS that I can't go into because SPOILERS sweetie.

I liked that there was so much action & adventure throughout the entire book. There's so twists and turns, and there were a few instances where it did manage to surprise me and keep me on my toes.

But there is one major thing that I most definitely did NOT like. There is some animal cruelty, which is one of my biggest book turn offs. I get that it was used as a plot device to show just how evil some of the Contenders are, but yeah, I was so not a fan. Even more so when it was a mandated act as part of the Brimstone Bleed. Not cool at all. 

But other than that, I really did enjoy this book. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series. I'd recommend it to people who like survival stories, and who don't mind conflict, adventure, and people being dirty. :)

Review: The Tyrant's Daughter by JC Carlson

Book: The Tyrant's Daughter by JC Carlson

Released: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304 (Kindle)

Rating: 3.75

 

Goodreads 

 

*I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an open and honest review*

From Goodreads:

THERE: In an unnamed Middle Eastern country, fifteen-year-old Laila has always lived like royalty. Her father is a dictator of sorts, though she knows him as King—just as his father was, and just as her ttle brother Bastien will be one day. Then everything changes: Laila's father is killed in a coup.

HERE: As war surges, Laila flees to a life of exile in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Overnight she becomes a nobody. Even as she adjusts to a new school and new friends, she is haunted by the past. Was her father really a dictator like the American newspapers say? What was the cost of her family's privilege?

Far from feeling guilty, her mother is determined to regain their position of power. So she's engineering a power play—conspiring with CIA operatives and rebel factions to gain a foothold to the throne. Laila can't bear to stand still as yet another international crisis takes shape around her. But how can one girl stop a conflict that spans generations?

 

 One of my goals for this year was to read more books outside of my favorite genre. So when I came across this book on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I held off on reading it for a few weeks after downloading it to my kindle and piggy-backed it with the series my book club was reading (Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson). They were a great pairing together. Since I was already immersed in the culture of Middle Eastern countries,  it made the transition into this world much easier. 

This story centers around 15 year old Laila. She is forced to flee her home country with her mother and younger brother in the wake of her father's (who was the king) death during a coup. Carlson does not name a specific country, but rather describes the country in generalizations for that area of the world. Occasionally I tried to picture a specific country, but it really didn't affect my enjoyment of the story not having one named in particular.

 

Upon arrival in the US, Laila struggles, while her 6 year old brother adapted much more easily. Laila was surprised, and often disgusted with the American culture that was so much different than her own. I really enjoyed reading how Laila was dealing with the differences. Things that seem minor or not a big deal to us (shorts, tank tops, fast food lines, etc), were a totally new thing to her. 

 

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was her conversation with two of her friends about the differences in relationships between girls and guys in their respective countries.. In Laila's country, they rarely interact with the opposite sex, and discussion with other females is truly about friendship and camaraderie; whereas in the US, all the girls talked about was the boys.

Speaking of boys.... Laila meets the super cute and sweet Ian. He takes her to do all the fun, normal American things. And tries to teach her how to drive, which provided some great moments of discussion between the two. I loved the development of their relationship, including the ups and downs which is very indicative of high school students dating.

I also loved the developing and complicated friendship between Laila & Emmy. Emmy quickly adopts Laila in to her group and tries to show her "the ropes" in school and other parts of Laila's new world. I loved how Carlson wrote this friendship. Things weren't always easy, and they often clashed or had problems with each other, but that's how friendship is, especially in high school. It was an accurate portrayal of how each of the girls would have interacted together.

Even through all of this, Laila (and her brother) never truly feel comfortable and find their place in the US. Despite everything Laila learns about how the rest of the world views her country, she still yearns to return home. I was glad to see that Carlson didn't take the easy way out and just make the story about how impressed Laila was with everything and how she wanted nothing more than to stay in America. I felt it was much more realistic this way.

 

The journey Laila goes on through this story is great. From despair at leaving her home country, to trying to adjust to a "new normal," to uncovering things about her father and her country, Laila learns a lot during the course of the book. And still remains good. I definitely enjoyed her as a main character, and would read more about her in the future.

 

While this book was more political than what I usually read, I really enjoyed it overall. It definitely succeeding in making me see that part of the world in a different light. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about different cultures, in fact I immediately suggested it to my sister-in-law who particularly enjoys books of this genre.

Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Book: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Released: November 22, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 251 (Nook version)

Stars: 2 Stars out of 5

   Harper Scott's sister, June, is the golden child; she has perfect grades, she's pretty, and popular. So when June commits suicide, no one can explain why and Harper is devastated.

   Searching for answers and attempting to keep June's ashes from being split in two by her divorcing parents, Harper steals them and sets off on a road trip. She's accompanied by her best friend, Laney, and Jake Tolan, the mysterious boy with secrets of his own and some sort of connection to June. The three of them set off to take June to the one place she had always dreamed of ... California. 

   I'll start off by saying that I had a difficult time relating to Harper. She's self obsessed and lacks awareness of others around her. She doesn't seem to have thought about what stealing her sister's ashes would do to her grieving parents. After all, she's taking away what remains for their dead daughter. It came off as heartless and selfish. 

The black and white contrast between June and Harper was very cliche. June was the perfect one and Harper has a bad attitude and is always in trouble. June was gorgeous and outgoing, Harper is plain and unpopular. Harper's constant sulking and focus on how perfect everyone else is compared to her was extremely tiresome and obnoxious.

The road trip portion of the book does make story a bit lighter. The group has many interesting encounters along the way. However, when they reach their destination, Harper is forced to confront the secret Jake has been keeping from her. That particular scene was so anti-climatic that I almost stopped reading the book right then and there. It seemed that the only point of Jake's secret was to cause conflict between him and Harper. For me, personally, this big secret came off as inconsequential and Harper's reaction to it made her even more juvenile in my eyes. 

As far as the mystery of June's suicide? There is no real resolution. I was hoping for something emotional, something cathartic. But it wasn't any one thing that caused her to take her life. June was just a girl who kept all her real emotions hidden and was in far more pain than anyone realized. This tends to be the case in a lot of teen suicides; so the aspect of the book was realistic, I suppose.

There are a few more bits of drama here and there. Laney's drama for instance, though her issues came late in the book and seemed forced. As did Harper and Jake's romance. They literally go from their first kiss to having sex for the first time in the same scene. 

The only aspect of this book that actually saved it from getting one star or no stars at all was the music. Jake has some interesting taste in music, much of which I appreciate. 

With all of that said ... The suicide of a sibling seems so devastating to me that it’s hard to imagine any sort of closure within this book actually being achieved and in a few short months at that. All in all I gave Saving June two stars. It was mediocre at best. 

Happy reading!

SJ

Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Book: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1

Released: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 304 (Kindle)

Rating: 5+

Goodreads 

*Pets the pretty cover*

From Goodreads:

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked - surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed, and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

 Yeah, so this book. I love it. It's one I'll be reading again. I know a lot of people are dystopia-d out, but I am not. Honestly, it's one of my favorite things to read. I love entering a world different than our own, in any way shape or form (including space!). 

To be honest, there wasn't really anything I didn't enjoy about this book. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, which kept the story fresh and interesting. While it didn't reinvent the dystopain genre, it still felt new to me.

The story takes place in Washington DC. There is a caste system with numbers (much like in The Selection by Kiera Cass), and students are given a test when they turn 17 (much like Divergent), but that's where the similarities end, at least for those two books. Based upon your test score, you are then sorted into a class, with 1 being the worst, and 7 (only reserved for the Hart family who rules) the highest. 

Kitty Doe, an orphan abandoned by her parents because they could only keep one child (hence the last name Doe), takes her test, and receives a 3. And is assigned to do really crappy work. Literally. But instead of moving to Denver, she decides to become a prostitute. When she decides that's her plan, she leaves behind her boyfriend and the only mother she's ever known. 

On her first night in the brothel, she's purchased for a lot of money. The buyer? None other than the ruler himself, Daxton Hart. Turns out he needs someone to replace his niece Lila, who he, uh, had offed. Kitty's eyes are a perfect match to Lila's, and eyes are the one thing masking can't change. So what would be in it for Kitty other than not dying? Well her 3 will turn in to a 7. Her life will be perfect. She just has to do everything Daxton and his diabolical mother Augusta tell her to do. Which includes putting down the rebellion Lila was supporting. And marrying Knox, Lila's fiance. Sounds like a delightful family, yes?

This family is a hot mess. So much deception. So much backstabbing. SO many great plot points. I honestly couldn't keep track of who was screwing over who. There were so many twists, turns and unexpected happenings to keep me on my toes.

Plotting. Evil plotting.

Also, Elsewhere. ELSEWHERE. Holy crap guys. There's no way to describe what happens there. You'll just have to read it for yourself.

The characters in this story are so fantastically complex. Just when you think you have someone figured out, they go and do something that blows you out of the water and changes your opinion. This happens again and again and again. Kitty is a wonderful heroine. She's smart (despite what her test score showed), strong, intuitive, cunning and just all around awesome. Definitely a great character to build your story around. So much depends on her, and she doesn't disappoint. The supporting cast of characters doesn't let you down either. Benjy is a devoted boyfriend, who is also super intelligent. I wish there had been more development for his character, but I'm hoping it'll happen in the rest of the series. Knox, Celia, Daxton, and the real Lila are all equally fascinating in their own right. Each person has their own motivations, and it's a difficult task to decide who you really want to come out on top. 

And can I just talk about Augusta for a minute? The matriarch of the family is crazy diabolical you guys. What a great villain. She is unpredictable and that makes her super scary. 

I totally pictured Ursula in my head.

There are so many revelations throughout the book I couldn't even keep track of all of them. But WOW. Carter does a great job of making each twist mean something. They are all there for a reason, and they work. Oh how they work.

SO... yeah. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up. It's wonderfully grim, gritty, and complex.

Review: Splintered by AG Howard

Book: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Series: Splintered #1

Released: January 15, 2013

Publisher: Amulet

Pages: 384 (Kindle)

Rating: 4.5

Goodreads

I love this cover. Gorgeous font. Love it all.

From Goodreads:

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

First things first, I have an insane amount of books on my kindle waiting to be read. So many, in fact, that I made my husband choose my next book since I was feeling even more indecisive than usual. He scrolled through all the choices and summaries and immediately decided on Splintered. He's a big fan of Lewis Carroll and the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. I'd been meaning to get to reading this for a long time, and thanks to my husband I finally did. I'm very glad I read this book. I really enjoyed it and even more exciting is upon finishing the book and reading the author bio, I discovered that A.G. Howard lives in my hometown (I live in a small-ish town. So yeah, this was super exciting for me as it never happens). So down the rabbit hole I went.

Obviously this book appeals to people that enjoy Carroll's story and the movie(s), but be prepared, this book is CrAzY and messed up. The world Howard creates in her version of Wonderland is fantastically creepy, and I mean that in the best way possible. She takes the well-known characters and twists them and makes the much darker. The White Rabbit is actually the Rabid White-an antlered creature that is mostly skin and bones. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum are actually two spider-like creatures in charge of the dead. The Mad-Hatter is still mad, but he has no face. Creeeeep-y.

But in the midst of all the creepiness, there's Alyssa. She's a descendant of Alice, THE Alice, from Carroll's stories. We meet Alyssa before she ever steps foot in Wonderland. She lives with her dad and her mom Alison is in an insane asylum. She's a skater girl who works in a vintage clothing shop. What I love so much about Alyssa is how level-headed she is. Even when the world is going bonkers around her she is able to think clearly (well, almost always. coughhuggingMorpheuscough).

Let's take a moment to discuss the two guys in Alyssa's life. Morpheus and Jeb. Ahhh Jeb. He's Alyssa's best friend/crush since she was in 6th grade. He follows Alyssa through the mirror into Wonderland and helps her through all her trials. He's sweet and kind and caring, but also daring. He does everything he can to help her. But then there's Morpheus. He's the one who came to Alyssa in her dreams to teach her about Wonderland. He's all dark, mysterious and has this kind of power over Alyssa.

There were so many twists and turns in this story. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out plot points, but this one kept me on my toes the entire time. Every time I felt I finally had something figured out, BAM, wrong. I loved it. I really enjoy stories that surprise me.

Most of all, the writing in this is absolutely breathtaking. Howard does a magnificent job of balancing the writing to sound like Alyssa and maintaining the beauty of the story. The visuals that are created are stunning. I would LOVE to see a graphic novel of this. The world and this story would lend itself fantastically to one.

Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #3

Released: February 4, 2014

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 352 (Kindle)

Rating: 5++ {So much flailing}

Goodreads

From Goodreads:

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

As with all books in a series, while I won't give any spoilers for this book, plots points from the first two books will be mentioned in passing. You've been warned. And if for some reason you haven't heard of these books, let alone read them, go now and get them. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Okay. Now that I got that out of the way. YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK. It was everything I wanted it to be. I don't even think I'll be as coherent as usual during this review. I'm that worked up over this book.

I'm STILL in a glass case of emotion

As I mentioned in my review for Into the Still Blue, I have been a little weary of series enders ever since I read Allegiant. I am most happy to say this did not disappoint. Not even a little bit. I loved every. single. minute. of it. So much so that I started reading it at approximately midnight last night, and stayed up until 2:30 to finish it (yes, I read that fast). 

The story picks up right where Unravel Me left off. I love when books do this. I am not a fan of gaps between stories. I get enough of that on TV (*side-eyes Sherlock*). I want to know everything that happens. Luckily for me, Mafi delivers. 

I love being inside Juliette's head. Girl is fascinating. She has so many different thoughts running through her head at one time. One of my favorite things about this series, is that through Mafi's unique writing style, you can really see the growth in Juliette as a person. She started off as completely broken and basically came across as insane in Shatter Me. By the end of Ignite Me, she is a completely different, and amazing, person. I loved seeing her change and develop throughout the series. She really comes in to her own, and develops and OWNS her strength. Just like I'd been wanting her to do.

Speaking of character growth and changes, can I just take a minute to discuss Warner? *sigh* I was pretty much Team Warner, even in Shatter Me. I ensconced myself firmly in his camp after reading Destroy Me. Unravel Me kept me there, and Fracture Me just made me really dislike Adam. So yeah, I've always been a fan of Warner. He is such a complex character, and I was more than happy to get to know him even more through the course of Ignite Me. Also, this happens:

And I'm jealous of the size of his closet.

Oh. And Chapter 55. Better than Chapter 62 from Shatter Me. Hot.

One of the biggest questions for the end of the series was who Juliette would end up with. While I won't say whether I was happy or not (thus giving away who she picks), I was at least glad, as Juliette puts it, she wasn't with anyone "by default."

Also making an appearance? Our boy Kenji. If she ever decides to continue this series, or do companion novels, or basically anything, I hope Kenji gets to be the focus. I love his character so much. And his friendship with Juliette is absolutely fantastic. It reminds me so much of the friendship between Roar and Aria from the Under the Never Sky series. Right down the the quips and nicknames. I actually laughed out loud a couple of times, I enjoyed them together so much. I love how they are always there for each other, willing to back the other up, and also willing to tell the other when they're being an idiot. Seeing healthy relationships and friendships make me happy.

Plus there's lots of great James moments. I love that kid. His interactions with Warner are priceless.

I will say there is not a lot of action in this book. At all. It's mostly build up and relationships building between characters, which is totally fine by me. The action that you're expecting, honestly doesn't even happen until you're 90% of the way through the book. Then BAM! It's there. And it goes fast. And then.

THEN it's over. I was so ridiculously sad to finish this book. I didn't want it to end. I felt like there could be so much more to this story. I hope one day Tahereh Mafi will want to revisit this world. I love these characters so much (except for maybe Adam...).

There's so much more I could say. And want to say. But really, I just want you all to read these books. They're so wonderful and I love them. I hope you will too.