Read Like Kayla

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

As a fan of The Selection, I was sad to see The Elite fall into the “sophomore slump” category. There were parts of the book that helped save it, in my opinion, from being a total flop.  You know on reality dating shows when you want to fast forward through the “but I love him so much *tear tear* I really love him *sniffle sniffle* for real *[insert ugly cry here]*” parts? Well I found myself wanting to do the same with a good amount of chapters in The Elite.

I was drawn to America for her strong character in The Selection. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and be the person she is. I considered America to be a bit of a fighter and the type of girl worthy of looking up to. That all changes in The Elite and I found myself wondering what happened to the headstrong girl we first met?

My biggest complaint with The Elite is all the flip flopping. Does America love Aspen, does America love Maxon, does America want to be a princess, is Maxon a bad guy, is he a good guy, is Aspen a better choice and repeat. Just when things were set up to go a certain way, there’s a flip that changes it all around. Which made for this book being a bit of a flop. I found myself seeing a bit of redemption with the ending, but that quickly did a flip then a flop.

Overall, The Elite brings a lot of changes with it. While some general emotional confusion from America is to be expected there is entire chapters in this book dedicated to it. It’s too much time flip flopping and not enough time getting to the more interesting plot. The Elite falls short to The Selection, but not enough for me to give up on the series. Hopefully the third part gets better.

Rating: 5.5/10

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

I’ll start this review off with an open letter to author Amy Tintera. Dear Amy, MORE! Warm wishes, Kayla. I think that tells you all you need to know when it comes to how I feel about Reboot. I can’t remember who exactly told me about Reboot, I know it was a tweet, whoever you are thank you.

Right away I was drawn into the new twist on zombies. The idea of Reboots is rather fascinating, for me at least, and learning more about Wren’s world is enjoyable. I did like how being a Reboot came with setbacks, in a way being a shell of your former self. Rebooting comes at a price and that is your humanity. I like that little check and balance, so to speak, from nature.

Callum quickly becomes a character you want to protect and see good things happen for. Wren also quickly became a narrator whose head I enjoyed getting in. It was interesting to see her deal with the set of circumstances she faces when it comes to Callum.

Overall, the action of Reboot combined with likeable characters and a fresh idea makes for a read you can’t help but devour. No pun intended, okay well maybe. I was left wanting more and hope a sequel is in the future. Amy Tintera, you’ve won me over.

Rating: 10/10

In a dystopian America, life isn’t easy for Lacey DeWitt. In the last six months,her father has been killed, she and her mother were relocated to a tiny apartment, she’s been pulled out of high school, and they’re both forced to work in one of the government run factories.

Things take a turn for the worst when Lacey is attacked one night on her way home from work. Forced to defend herself from the very people who are meant to protect, she flees in to the forest. Now, with the help of Eric, a renegade Boot and major hottie she met along the way, she’ll need to survive hungry wolves, help out a pair of stray twins, and evade capture by the Civil Patrol.

Can this 16 year old survive life on the run?

    Silent Changes by Melissa Murphy is a rather short read that leaves you wanting more but doesn’t weigh you down with needless over description. The story is short, sweet and simple, which only helps aid the urgency of being out on the run for your life.

   I enjoyed the story and the fact that there won’t countless lines of unneeded description (I’m looking at you Gray by Pete Wentz). While it made for an easy and quick read, at times I felt there were parts of the story lacking. More information on the government and how things got to this point would have been nice. With a title like Silent Changes I found myself wondering if there would be some sort of supernatural element to it and was actually a bit confused the first few chapters thinking something supernatural was going on. With the government being a ‘villain’ in the story little was done to make you hate them.

   Lacey and Eric were rather believable characters. Neither of them had skills they were super amazing at and had general knowledge that would help them survive but didn’t make for an easy survival. They did the best they could with what skills and supplies they had. Lacey does make for a likeable and enjoyable narrator. I could not stand the Twins, especially blanking-on-her-name. I felt she was far too cliché and found myself thinking of Monica Morrell from Rachel Caine’s Morgan Vampires series and well every girl-you-love-to-hate out there. It made for a weak character that’s easy to hate and I wish more had been done with her.

   Overall, Silent Changes was rather enjoyable and I look forward to the next part. I give major credit to Melissa Murphy for telling a story straight forward without tons of bells and whistles to dress it up. Wanting to know what would happen next to Lacey and Eric had me turning the pages and staying up a bit too late a few nights in a row. I’ll definitely check out the second part.

Rating: 8/10

Please Note: I received a copy of this book from Mama Says Read, a great site you must check out, but the opinion expressed above is 100% my own.

Sometimes, late at night in the hotel room, after the lights have gone out and the mistakes have already been made, when it is heavy and silent and still, I lie awake and listen to my pulse on the pillow…

Imagine you are on a tour bus, the miles whistling away beneath you as you sleep. Tomorrow you will wake up in downtown Somewhere. It doesn’t matter. All the skylines look the same. Time is only marked by events. The world is on a first-name basis with you.

But you…you barely even know yourself. There are those who give in completely to the idea of what it means to be famous. And those who can’t ever seem to leave the past behind. Life is a deep and contemplative story stuck on repeat—love, loss, self-destruction, self-discovery.

If you could go back to the way things were before you made it…would everything still be gray?

(Note: A shorter than usual review. This one was a tough one to review)

I was intrigued to read Gray since I first heard about it. It was a rather interesting read and while it’s fictional, there are many real life experiences that any Fall Out Boy fan can see to be true. I enjoyed the writing style but did find at times things could drag on. The story comes full circle in a way.

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Raven left me wanting more of the Delirium universe pictures from the set of the TV pilot made me want even more. Requiem, the final part in the Delirium trilogy, was a perfect fix but I’m still left wanting more. As far as final parts go, I found it an enjoyable read but the ending left me a little disappointed. It leaves things open for another book or maybe a novella of sorts.

The one thing I liked about Requiem, is Lena continued to grow as a character. She became stronger, more of a fighter and stood her ground. This is a different Lena that we first met and I enjoyed seeing her character evolve. This book alternates between Hana and Lena, which at first I wasn’t so sold on a cured Hana as a narrator but found myself loving her. Towards the end there is a great alternation between the two characters and one big event. Compared to Lena though, Hana’s life is dull till the last dozen or so chapters.

Overall, I thought Requiem was good but not as good as the previous books. At times I felt too much was being devoted to Hana’s wedding and not enough to Lena and the resistance. Things felt a little rush, but we did get to see a massive change. As mentioned the ending is left kind of open and I hope for a bit more of the Delirium world. Now to cross fingers that the pilot is picked up!

Rating; 7.5/10

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Ever since I first read Heist Society I found myself wondering what would happen if the Gallagher Girl and Heist Society worlds combined well Ally Carter gave me that answer. Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves story brings Hale, from Heist Society, and Macey, from the Gallagher Girls series, together at a party as well as some familiar faces.

The story throws them in the middle of a hostage situation and together Hale and Macey must use their respective skills to figure out what the kidnappers want and how to protect the hostages. In true Heist Society fashion the story features a twist at the end. Among the familiar faces is Cammie’s aunt from GG’s as well as Kat from Heist Society. Slightly disappointing that Cammie or any of the other girls aren’t mentioned. The ending leaves the door open for future partnerships, though Kat working on the right side of the law permanently doesn’t seem likely.

Overall, Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves story is an enjoyable read for any Heist Society and/or Gallagher Girls fan. Not recommended for those who haven’t read the series for there are some points brought up that touch into spoiler territory. I look forward to possibly reading more adventures when the spy and thief worlds collide.

Rating: 8/10

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting—or stealing—whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line.

When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir—this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

I don’t know what’s happened with Ally Carter but the last Gallagher Girls book and now this one, the latest in the Heist Society series, have gotten five times better than the ‘good’ they were. As a Leverage fan who was disappointed by the cancellation of the series, Perfect Scoundrels really was a perfect book for my con craving.

This book focuses more on the case than it does the lives of the characters outside of the book. Sure, Hale and Kat’s relationship is a big part of the book but it doesn’t steal the spotlight from the job. We do get to see inside the life Hale left behind when he left with Kat years ago and also get an understanding as to why he left. New characters are introduced, both friends and villains, and we get to see more of Kat’s family. It was a bit of a disappointment that Nick was only around for a few chapters and didn’t do much for the story.

Overall, I loved Perfect Scoundrels way more than the previous books in the series. It focuses on the con, tossing in bits and pieces of the characters’ lives into it. Seeing Kat and her ‘Big Store’ was rather enjoyable. Leverage fans might just find themselves envisioning it as an episode of Leverage, I know I did. Fans of cons and heists, this is a book for you.

Rating: 9.5/10

This captivating 50-page digital-original story set in the world of Lauren Oliver’s New York Times bestselling Delirium series focuses on Raven, the fiery leader of a rebel group in the Wilds.

As a teenager, Raven made the split-second decision to flee across the border to the Wilds, compelled to save an abandoned newborn—a baby girl left for dead and already blue from the cold. When she and the baby are taken in by a band of rebels, Raven finds herself an outsider within a tight-knit group. The only other newcomer is an untrustworthy boy known as the Thief until he finally earns himself a new name: Tack.

Now she and Tack are inseparable, committed to each other, the fledgling rebellion, and a future together. But as they both take center stage in the fight, Raven must decide whether the dangers of the revolution are worth risking her dreams of a peaceful life with Tack.

As her story hurtles back and forth between past and present, Raven transforms from a scared girl newly arrived in the Wilds to the tough leader who helps Lena save former Deliria-Free poster boy Julian Fineman from a death sentence. Whatever the original mission may have been, Raven abides by a conviction that she believes to her core: You always return for the people you love.

By turns surprising, revelatory, and poignant, Raven’s story enriches the Delirium world and resonates with a voice that is as vulnerable as it is 

Since the character of Raven was first introduced I found myself wanting to know more about her so I was very pleased to hear about this novella. My favorite part was the way it was written, the quick changes between then and now with no notice. They all flowed together very nicely, though some too nicely and I was left having to re-read a few sentences. Raven not only offers another look at Raven but also Tack, who I quickly became a fan of. A storyline with Raven became predictable quickly to me, but should make things interesting in the next book in the series. Overall, I was left feeling satisfied and wanting to read the next book soon!

Rating: 9/10

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection…

Before Aspen broke America’s heart…

There was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life…

Don’t miss this thrilling 128-page original novella set in the world of the New York Times bestselling novel The Selection. Also features a teaser to The Elite, Kiera Cass’s hotly anticipated sequel to The Selection.

Reading The Prince reminded me of how much I loved The Selection and Kiera Cass’ style of writing. Even though I knew what would be happening in The Prince, I was right away drawn in to the point what I knew became an afterthought. This novella offers a glimpse into the mind of Prince Maxon and made see him more of the everyday guy than a prince. It was also enjoyable to see the royal family behind closed doors. Overall, The Prince is a great read for any fan of The Selection. Now to wait for The Elite to come out!

Rating: 9.5/10

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch—a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood—or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.

The Golden Lily left me thirsty for more Bloodlines and well The Indigo Spell quenched my thirst big time. Picking up shortly after Bloodlines left off, The Indigo Spell features a much bigger threat, more Sydney and Adrian, and more plot twists. All of this making for one great book.

In this book we see Sydney evolving even more, she’s becoming very different than the Sydney Sage we met in the Vampire Academy series. As I read I found myself liking Sydney and I found myself relating to her. Adrian has also evolved and we see a side of him we only got snippets with when he was with Rose. The banter between Sydney and Adrian is something I could read for days. More magic comes for this book and there are some things that I found beyond neat.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Indigo Spell. There isn’t much I can say in my review without it being filled with spoilers. Sydney and Adrian take center stage in this book but the others are present. It’s been really neat to see how Sydney and Adrian have grown as characters since the VA-days. One thing is for sure, Richelle Mead is not out of stories to tell her in VA world.

Rating: 9.5/10

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I will admit to having a hard time getting through Beautiful Creatures. I am not a huge fan of male narrators, there’s only been one series I’ve enjoyed (Rainbow Boys) that has a male narrator. I’m one of the people who hopped onto the Beautiful Creatures band wagon after seeing the movie trailer and expected something different than the book.

I did really enjoy the setting of the book and the details that went into setting up the town. I found that many of the minor characters were enjoyable in the sense you liked them or you loved to hate them. Ridley quickly became a favorite of mine and I’d love to read something from her perspective. Amma also became a favorite of mine and I enjoyed reading about finding one of her charms tucked away somewhere. Oh and Boo, I wish he got a little more page time.

However I found myself having a hard time relating to the story due to the male narrator. I much rather would have read something from Lena’s perceptive or maybe alternating chapters. For me, I read it expecting to experience her caster abilities as she does them, not read about how Ethan experiences them. This lead to me reading maybe one chapter a night instead of 2+.

Overall, I can saw Beautiful Creatures is good but I don’t think I’ll be moving on to read the later books. The male POV was a deal breaker to me. At times it felt like “homework” not something I was doing for enjoyment. The book did help me enjoy the movie even more though.

Rating: 6/10