Champion by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.40
Goodreads Summary:
He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.
Actual Rating: 4.5
AHHH!! That ending though. I was almost so angry about the ending until the last page.
This book was the perfect ending to this series. I couldn't have planned for it to go any better.
This book didn't drag at ALL.. There was action from start to finish. There were questions and then there were answers. There was crazy stupid love & feelings and there were twists and turns I couldn't even wrap my head around.
These characters have grown and changed at the perfect speed and intensity. They have all become so dear to me.[ everyone lived in the end.. I thought for sure the author was going to kill off at least one of the main characters. I couldn't believe everything that went down in the "10 years later" chapter and I wasn't happy about it until the last page. It kinda felt like no matter which side of the love triangle you were on, you got a tiny bit of happily ever after. (hide spoiler)]
**SPOILER**
I'm so glad that everyone lived in the end.. I thought for sure the author was going to kill off at least one of the main characters. I couldn't believe everything that went down in the "10 years later" chapter and I wasn't happy about it until the last page. It kinda felt like no matter which side of the love triangle you were on, you got a tiny bit of happily ever after.
Loved this series, love the characters, love the dystopian world, LOVE the historical background behind the dystopia and how the world came to be that way. It's not all that unbelievable to be honest.. We could be facing a similar society in the not so far away future.
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Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.61
Goodreads Summary:
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?
My Rating: 4.5
Sarah J Maas did it again.
Honestly this book took me a little longer than normal to get through. It wasn't exactly a "page turner".. a "I have to know what happens NOW" book. It was just really good, quality material. Good characters that you can't help but love. Extreme devastation when one dies or is going through some touch situation.
Celaena remains one of my top 3 favorite main characters in any book ever. She grows and changes and evolves in every single chapter of every single book. Usually I don't like when I get to know the main characters in book 1 & 2 and then the author goes and throws in new characters in book 3. Sometimes that can really ruin a book but that is so not the case here. All the new characters in Heir of Fire, Rowan, Maeve, Emrys, Luca, Aedion.. they were all enjoyable and interesting and I loved getting to know them.
I really savored this book cause I knew it would end without a Chaolaena reunion and that's what I found myself longing for throughout the book.
Time to wait and beg for an ARC of book 4! Can't wait to see Celaena's army rise up and change the world.
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Feed by Mira Grant
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.88
Goodreads Summary:
The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop.
The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected.
The truth will get out, even if it kills them.
Actual Rating: 1.2
Sorry but no. I did not enjoy this book at ALL.
I'll admit I jumped into it without even reading the blurb. It was part of a challenge for a group I'm in. I don't do zombies so if I had read the blurb I probably wouldn't have read it. However, since it was voted on and had some pretty good ratings, I agreed.
It was page by page torture. Very information heavy and zero character development. Also, there was no romance aspect at all but the MC and her brother seemed to flirt with each other a lot. That really creeped me out.
At first I did like the blogger aspect and hoped that the story would outweigh the zombies. It did not. I definitely won't be reading the rest of this series.
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If I Stay by Gayle Forman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.97
Goodreads Summary:
Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.
I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.
Stay, he says.
Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?
Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.
If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.
My Rating: 3.7
LITERALLY SOBBING.
All in all, this book wasn't that eventful.. It wasn't that entertaining but it was damn emotional.
Poor Mia... the car crash happened sooo early and the emotional toll started almost right away.. The memories that she flashed back to weren't all that sentimental but it helped define the characters..
Her parents were super cool and the underlying music theme that tied them all together was super cute.. Mia & Adam has such a cute relationship.
I can't wait to see the movie!
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The Diviners by Libba Bray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.97
Goodreads Summary:
Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.
Actual Rating: 3.8
This book was different than the books I typically read but I'm really glad I read it. I feel a bit more educated about a different day and age and maybe it'll help me answer a couple more questions on Jeopardy some time.
Set in 1929 during the age of prohibition and speak-easys, feisty miss Evie Oneal is a young girl with special powers, determined to discover the serial killer on the loose in New York. The Diviners are a group of people with paranormal abilities. Some can speak to the dead, some can tell the future.
After a lot of adventures and meeting the right (or wrong) people, Evie helps her uncle Will and a couple of her new friends track down the killer.
This book was a bit long for my taste but was so incredibly well written I couldn't fathom giving it any less than 4 stars. Libbra Bray is seriously talented. It was night and day different from reading something from a "new author."
Again, I'm glad I read this, it was very educational and different but I'm not interested in reading the rest of the series.
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Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.72
Goodreads Summary:
In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.
In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
Actual Rating: 4.0
An interesting concept, well executed, interesting characters.
I really liked this! I liked the writing style and the way the author argued every point form both sides. It had a good about of suspense and wondering to keep you on the edge of your seat but you were finding out answers to all your questions in good time.
The futuristic logistics that went into this book are pretty amazing. This author really wrapped her head around this idea, this Community, and made it her own. Turned it in to a surprisingly cute love story with more than one unexpected twist.
Honestly I've never read anything like it! Can't wait to see what happens in the next one..
(Only downside was it dragged on in places... was a bit repetitive)
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Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.98
Goodreads Summary:
Time is slipping away....
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?
Actual Rating: 4.8
This book was a refreshing read! It had all the aspects of dystopian & sic fi with the right amount of romance and mystery. The ending really had my head spinning and I am totally on bored with this series.
Tella is a young girl with a sick brother. She randomly gets a device left in her room with a message about something called The Brimstone Bleed. The message on the device tells her that if she wins this race, she will get a cure for her brother. Against the wishes of her family, she escapes and enters herself into this crazy race that she knows nothing about.
Tella is then thrown into this competition with over a hundred other competitors. Oh and lets not forget their Pandora's! Little eggs that hatch into genetically engineered animal helpers that do some really awesome magic tricks when their Contender's life is in danger. Tella and her Pandora, Madox, trek through the jungle and the desert. Along the way they make a bunch of friends and a few enemies.
This book was full of unpredictable surprises and funny, entertaining characters. I'm already begging the author for an ARC of book 2.
Get on board people! This book is about to blow up.
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Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.18
Goodreads Summary:
For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.
Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.
In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.
Better than the first one but still not great.
In Hallowed I actually started to like the characters but I think that almost always happens in the second book of a series. I got to know them more and dissect their relationships with each other. This book was a total love triangle and those can be fun to read if done right.
Tucker and Christian are totally different and Clara likes them each for their own reasons. I personally flip flopped between who I liked best throughout the book so I can totally understand Clara's predicament.
The Angel aspect is interesting and fresh and there's always new information to be learned. There was very little action in this book but a lot of suspense and information..
Near the end, Jeffrey, Clara's little brother took off and left Clara to deal with the loss of her mother and her latest heartbreak. I'm curious about where Jeffrey ran off too and what the deal is with him. Guess that means I have to finish off the trilogy!
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Fallen by Lauren Kate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.75
Goodreads Summary:
What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?
17-year-old Lucinda falls in love with a gorgeous, intelligent boy, Daniel, at her new school, the grim, foreboding Sword & Cross . . . only to find out that Daniel is a fallen angel, and that they have spent lifetimes finding and losing one another as good & evil forces plot to keep them apart.
Get ready to fall . . .
Actual Rating: 3.5
Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be but I still don't know how it got a movie deal.
Fallen is about a girl who gets sent to some "reform school" which turns out to be full of Angels... good ones and bad ones. In the beginning I felt a bit overwhelmed.. A lot of characters were dumped on you and very little information.. It wasn't until the second to last chapter that you finally got the word "angel" out there and then it wasn't until the very last chapter that you actually got some answers.
I was bored out of my mind for the first half of the book.. nothing really happened. It wasn't until about 3/4 through that I was like hmm okay this is interesting.. Must. Find. Out. Details. But even by the end I didn't care much.. Now I must go look up the cast and decide before hand if the movie is gonna be better or worse.
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Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.09
Goodreads Summary:
An edgy, realistic, and utterly captivating novel from an exciting new voice in teen fiction.
Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.
When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.
A searing, poignant book, Faking Normal is the extraordinary debut novel from an exciting new author-Courtney C. Stevens.
Actual Rating: 3.3
My rating on this book actually increased by a full point and star in the last few chapters of the book.
In the beginning it was kinda hard to get in to. The main character was kind of annoying to me and I didn't understand her issues.. The writing style was good, it kept me on my toes, had me constantly switching my guess of who the "bad guy" and "good guy" were.
Bodee was more interesting of a character than Alexi was and I think I enjoyed watching him fall in love more than her. I heard so many good things about this book I wish it would have been a little better.
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