Seeing Light Review

Author: Michelle Warren
Title: Seeing Light (Seraphina Parrish Trilogy)
Published: 10/10/2013
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As the corruption of the Society intensifies and the questions surrounding her mother mount, Seraphina Parrish embarks on a journey to find Terease in the terrifying Wandering city of Nocturna. But the information she learns there only sends her team on a dangerous mission to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Delving deep into the disturbing secrets of their world, the revelations quickly unravel, revealing shocking truths about the Society and Sera’s life. In the end, power and courage clash in a mission for freedom that may shatter the Wandering world completely.

Review:

I’ve had my good and bad times with the Seraphina Parrish Trilogy, and to be honest I didn’t set my hopes too high for the last book. It was a lot what I expected it to be, and didn’t exactly capture my attention as much as the first. So if you feel rebellious today, click on read more even though we both know you’re not up to the third yet. And if you’ve made your way to getting up to reading Seeing Light then please humor my opinions.

Protecting Truth Review

Author: Michelle Warren
Title: Protecting Truth (Seraphina Parrish Trilogy)
Published: 09/19/2012
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Seraphina’s keeping a secret from her Wandering team: she’s perfecting her fighting skills. But telling Sam and Bishop the truth would only alert them to her plan: to go back in time, save her mom, and finish what she started. With the help of Turner, Bishop’s handsome twin, she progresses toward her goal but plummets deeper into dangerous territory where the lines of friendship and romance are blurred. One passionate kiss changes everything, leading Sera to unravel a shocking web of family secrets, heartbreaking ulterior motives, and sinister agendas. Love and lies collide in a haunting climax, where the truest souls may not survive.

Review:

No. No. No. Noooo. This book is all flavors of no. I hate sequels, it’s now a thing on my hate list, smushed between wet doorknobs and when people clap at the end of a movie. (I will never understand the clapping.) Protecting Truth you are as awful as your name sounds. Seriously, what kind of name is that? Now before I give y’all the low down on why I hate the Seraphina Parrish Trilogy sequel, I shall attempt to explain it. Although, I doubt it’ll make any sense being that Protecting Truth may have outnumbered the Starcrossed Trilogy of unnecessary plot twists. This is the sequel's review, don't read it unless you've read the first book unless you're a spoiler person. I know, everyone indulges in that guilty pleasure now and then. 

Wander Dust Review

Author: Michelle Warren
Title: Wander Dust (Seraphina Parrish Trilogy)
Published: 11/30/2011
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Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

Review:

So, I tap danced around reading Wander Dust for quite some time now. The cover drew me in for sure, and the summary seemed interesting enough, but nothing ever gave me that push to pick it up. I was searching through my to-read list, and I decided that I should finally read the darn book already instead of staring at it, and letting my mind drift off. The fact that I learned for the first time the book would be about time travelers really gave me a shove that was needed. Now that I read Wander Dust I'm really really am glad that I did, it’s a great book, and here’s what happens.

Seraphina Parrish, is an only child, she lives with her dad in Miami Beach, and her life’s goal is to finally get him to notice her. She’s done the whole rebellious thing way too many times, and after being “grounded for life” a handful of times, her father decides to ship her off to her Aunt Mona. Sera moves in with Mona in her Chicago home, and begins to attend Washington Square Academy, the same school her mother and aunt attended. Anything that could put Sera somewhat closer to the mother she never knew is a joy in her book, so she isn't too phased on leaving Miami for the Arctic. 

Once Sera begins school she finds out that she isn’t going crazy after all. For one, the boy she mysteriously received a photo of months before, pops up on campus. She also discovers that the women she figured was sent to kill her, is in fact a faculty member, and the world isn’t closing in on her: she was simply wandering without knowing. Wandering is what they call time traveling, and turns out her new school just so happens to specialize in time travel. Sera gets paired up with a Seer, and Protector and begins to learn the ropes of time travel.

Now, as awesome as this story was, it had amazing characters, witty lines, awesome time traveling magic, heated scenes action and romantical (yes I just made up that word), but it kinda fell flat on the actual plot. I know Sera was ultimately trying to go back in time to find her mother, but I don’t feel like that’s what the story was really centered around. It could’ve also been more a ‘finding herself’ plot, but at the same time I don’t feel like the story was meant to be that way. Sera does grow a lot as a character, she makes mistakes, and is humble to admit defeat. She stops her reckless behavior in attempts for her father to notice her, and becomes a really great character. However, I don’t believe the story’s plot was thick enough for it to be recognized.

On the bright side, you hardly notice the lack of plot because the story is just so darn good! It’s a really fun read, and everyone should pick it up. Wander Dust scores a 4 for me! I can’t wait to dive into Sera’s next adventure!

The Fault in Our Stars Review

Author: John Green
Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Published: 01/10/2012
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Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.


Review:
I finally jumped on the John Green bandwagon and picked up one of his books, which happened to be The Fault in Our Stars. I honestly had no idea what this book was about, all I knew was the reading her favorite book thing, and it’s supposed to be sad. Whatever I gathered from the random little things I’ve seen about it on the internet and what not. I usually don’t read too many reviews when the book is so popular like that, because unless it’s a blogger I follow or what not. Cause honestly, we all know it’s gonna be a bunch of 5 star reviews about how amazing and touching the book was. No one is gonna mention anything bad because it’s just their emotional reaction to write a paragraph long “review’’ on how this book has changed them. One of the things I hate in life but nothing to really do with The Fault in Our Stars besides the popularity of the story.

Now, I am not one for contemporary, but this year has like, been a year of it for me. I’ve read so much that it’s almost normal and I stopped expecting a magical being or what not to come out of nowhere and take the characters off to fairy land. The thing with The Fault in Our Stars is how much you expect from it, I’ve seen one John Green GIF and I knew he was a mad genius already, so I knew the story was gonna be super well written. I also saw the cancer thing and went “oh this is why the crying” but what I expected was a total sad cancer book, mixed in with the cliché love story. The sad dying girl gets her one long lost wish that she could find someone who truly loves her, and here comes this super-hot perfect guy and BOOM it’s magic. Happily ever after, and then she dies peacefully knowing she had as much as a life as her cancer allowed. Well this book is kinda like that, but then again it’s not.

The reasons why I like it so much is because it’s not a cancer book, but in a way it still is. I made the mistake of thinking the book is about Hazel Grace Lancaster, who’s the 16 year old narrating the story. She’s got some tumors in her lungs so they suck, her doctors bought her some time by putting her one a drug that prevents the growth of the tumors. Her current issues are lugging around her oxygen tank, and her parents constant push for her to get a life really, and you know the whole slowly dying. But then again, aren’t we all slowly dying? Some just slower than others. I was wrong, really really wrong, cause the story isn’t Hazel’s story, it’s Augustus’s story, his cancer book, so it is a cancer book, just with Hazel telling it so it isn’t.

Anyways, Hazel is telling Augustus’s story and it took me a bit to get the end, but here’s how the rest goes. Like I said Hazel is 16 living with cancer, her mom forces her to go to these Support Group meetings and one day she happens upon Mr. Augustus Waters, who’s clearly not unattractive and actually shows some real interest in her. One Natalie Portman reference leads to that magical cliché romance. Although I like this romance because it isn’t that typical cliché blah romance cause Augustus is pretty far from perfect, and his imperfections compliment Hazel’s in a way that’s just simply lovely. So in the end it ends because one of the other character dies, and it ends with their last words, so it’s a cancer book, it just isn’t Hazel's. Usually I’d be heartbroken and dying to find out about the other characters, but for some reason this ending made sense in a way that doesn’t make sense. It was extraordinary.

The Fault in Our Stars scores a 5 for me. Might be awhile before I have the courage to grab another Green book though. 

Dear Life, You Suck Review

Author: Scott Blagden
Title: Dear Life, You Suck
Published: 03/26/2013
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“The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain’t playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring. Missing marbles.” 

Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a Catholic boys’ home in Maine—and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of “criminal rapscallinity.” In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can’t help but wonder if his best option is one final cliff dive into the great unknown. But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn’t totally suck.

Review:

I don’t know what to think about this book. I guess it was okay. And I can’t find the right words to describe it, so I’ll just say what happens. So the book is told from Cricket’s POV, he’s our main character that went through some struggles in life and is currently trying to find his way. Cricket lives in a Catholic home for boys, and since he’s about to turn 18 and graduate he needs to figure out his next step. Dear Life, You Suck is supposed to be one of those heartwarming stories about a lost and broken soul finding their way in life. But honestly, all I can remember is the lame romance and funny yet seriously inappropriate jokes, which were mainly uncalled for. To me a lot of the crude humor was just a space filler to keep things from looking too empty, but they sorta were. I came into this book totally open minded and I think the biggest turn off for people is the language that Cricket narrates the story in. To me it didn’t add or take away from the story, it distracted from what was actually happening or lack of.

This is a really short and totally lame review, but I like, took forever to write it and completely forgot everything that happened which is my own fault. I just wanted to write something down, so whoever plans on reading Dear Life, You Suck can be a little more prepared, I guess. I could just make a bunch of jokes about how his life turned into choosing the lesser evil, which one he could handle, although that would be me doing the same space filler thing. The bottom line is that this book is a weird collaboration of a romance, (but too rushed to be emotional), inspirational (sorta maybe) and struggle. My favorite thing about the book and the most I could remember was how seriously Cricket took being a role model to the younger kids. Sure, he wasn’t perfect, and even far from it, but he always watched out for the little ones and their feelings. Which I thought was adorable.

Overall, Dear Life, You Suck kinda meant nothing to me; it wasn’t as empowering as I think it was written to be. Slightly enjoyable, and scores a 2.5 on my charts!

Infinityglass Review

Author: Myra McEntire
Title: Infinityglass (Hourglass Trilogy)
Published: 08/06/2013
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The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

Review:

Okay so this book was a disappointment, at least to me. I didn’t read anything for like a month or more and then I picked up Infinityglass and expected it to blow me away like Hourglass, and Timepiece did. But it didn’t, it was lameish and that makes me really sad cause it’s the end, no more Hourglass novels, and all we get for closure is this stereotypical love story. Trust me, it hurts to just think the words, let alone write them out.  So if you haven’t read the first two Hourglass books do so, cause they’re a heck of a lot better and then read the review.

Dreamless Review

Author: Josephine Angelini
Title: Dreamless (Starcrossed Trilogy)
Published: 05/29/2012
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StarHearts, as fans of Josephine Angelini call themselves, will stay up all night reading Dreamless, the second book in the bestselling Starcrossed series. The saga mixes mythology, romance, action, and intrigue in a completely original way.

Dreamless continues the story of Helen Hamilton, a shy girl living on Nantucket Island whose desire for an ordinary life was thwarted when she discovered she is a Scion, a descendant of a Greek god and a mortal. Each Scion has a power, and Helen’s is the ability to travel to Hades.

Helen is determined to use her talent to stop a war amongst the gods and change her destiny, which is to live a life patterned after that of the tragic Helen of Troy. But her quest may cost her Lucas Delios, the boy she loves.

Review:

Alrighy, so I mentioned before that for me, the Achilles heel of trilogies are the sequels. I mean, they’re that in-between that’s like almost there but just no. Dreamless was certainly no exception, Starcrossed got off really rough, but it did eventually get better, once I picked up Dreamless everything I loved in Starcrossed went bad. I was annoyed with all the characters, it’s a pretty long book, and I hate the gazillion and a half plot twist that were thrown in there. Every time Helen got two steps forward the stupidest thing would pull her three steps back. On the plus side, I love that Dreamless literally picks right up after Starcrossed, and being that I read the entire trilogy over the weekend it was awesome feeling like I read one big book.

A Million Suns Review

Author: Beth Revis
Title: A Million Suns (Across the Universe Trilogy)
Published: 01/10/2012
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Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. 

It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceshipGodspeed.

But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision—no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success—or failure—will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship

Review:

You know, reviewing books isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Especially if you’re like me and have a knack for breaking your keyboard, apparently when I type I’m “bashing” my keys, instead of gently hitting them. So now my space bar is broken, that’s a first though, usually it’s the ‘s’ key that flies off. Now that space bar is broken I have to push extra hard on it, which breaks it even more. So typing anything is a pain, good thing I’m getting a new laptop before school starts! Woohoo! But seriously, reviewing is less fun when you aren’t in love with the book. You don’t really want to even think about it anymore let alone write about it, and it’s not like you have some emotions you need to hash out. The only reason I even read this book was because Ashton insisted. And it’s not awful, no A Million Sun isn’t the worst I’ve read (sadly) but it isn’t good either. A Million Suns is a sequel therefore this review may contains spoilers from the previous book Across the Universe.  

Goddess Review

Author: Josephine Angelini
Title: Goddess (Starcrossed Trilogy)
Published: 05/28/2013
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After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Review:

Surprisingly, Goddess is my favorite the Starcrossed Trilogy. The first book wasn’t all that I imagined it could be, the second came crashing down on all my expectations, and finally Goddess was the refreshing read I was hoping it would be. I’m kinda at war with myself, because I equally loved and hated the Trojan War theme, plot, whatever. Basically the characters from the start of the Starcrossed Trilogy are trapped within the Fate’s cruel joke of rewriting history. Every generation there’s a series of characters (or “faces”) that are spread out within a group of Scions. Helen of Troy, Paris, Hector, the whole team that are mentioned in The Iliad, as the Fates wait and wait for the day the Scions overthrow the Gods. Just as the Gods overthrew the Titans and so on and so forth, and it just so happens that the Tyrant (a.k.a Godoverthrower) has arrived and is ready to hash out some Godly timeouts. Now here’s the low down on what happens, blah blah this review contains spoilers of the first two books, don’t clicky clicky if you haven’t read-y read-y.

Star Cursed Review

Author: Jessica Spotswood

Title: Star Cursed (The Cahill Witch Chronicles)

Published: 06/18/2013

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With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

Review:

Sooooooooooo, I didn’t like this book. When I first read Born Wicked I loved the cover, I loved the name, I loved the plot it was all so interesting. It did take me a bit to really fall for the characters and get into the story, but in the end I was just so amazed I went on my own witch hunt. Searching for the best witch stories that could come close to compare, but I didn’t find it, and I’m sad to say that Star Cursed was a major let down. Keeping in mind that it took a bit for me to love Born Wicked I tried time and time, chapter after chapter for Star Cursed to sweep me off my feet. Although that never happened, and actually if Star Cursed was a first book instead of a sequel I would never pick up that series again.

In my totally personal opinion, I feel like the sequels are always the worst books, mostly in trilogies. Because you’re stuck in the middle where most of the time it’s calm and setting up the hype for the final installment. You already know who you’re favorite characters are, you already know what to expect from them, in the second book you want to see them grow as a character and watch how they improve and move forward. So usually the second isn’t as amazing and captivating as the first book, and it isn’t as emotional and tear inducing as the last book. But no matter how hard I try I did not like Star Cursed at all. Let me try to explain what it was that held me back from loving this book as much as I wanted to, without spoiling it for everyone.

Starcrossed Review

Author: Josephine Angelini
Title: Starcrossed (Starcrossed Trilogy)
Published: 05/31/2011
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How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review:

Sooo, the beginning of this book sucked. It was so awful, I was expecting the whole thing to be a flop. I mean, I can’t even find the words to explain how horrible the beginning was. But if you put aside the first let’s say hundred pages, and the writing style I couldn’t get myself to fall for, the rest of Starcrossed was pretty nice. For one, the characters were all so likable, I couldn’t even pick a favorite because I was warming up to them all. I love love love all things mythology especially Greek since I know the most about it, and Starcrossed really lived up to the demigod level. Now here’s what happens:

Helen is you everyday average teenager, besides the fact that her mom left when she was a baby, nothing in her life has ever stood out. She lives on the quite island of Nantucket, works in her dad’s News Store, and tries to get passing grades. When a new family moves onto the island things get pretty freaky. One things leads to another and before she knows it Helen is learning how to use a sword, fly, and a bunch of other coolio things that only she could do. Of course things can’t be always good and nice, so bad things begin. She’s falling for a guy she can’t ever have and no one is willing to explain why, her friends think she’s lying to them, or going crazy. Her mom kidnaps her, things get flipped upside down again and again.

I’d have to say aside from the awful beginning, the rest of the book is pretty awesome. Like I mentioned before the characters are all amazing you wouldn’t be able to pick a favorite, all the plot twists fit in pretty well I’d say. Starcrossed is an exciting adventurous read that I think lots of people would enjoy. I don’t really fell like the name suits it, only because the whole “starcrossed lovers” theme isn’t that strong in the book. Like it’s there, and to the characters is a super huge deal, but reading it, I feel like it was one of the many minor details.

Overall Starcrossed was a good book, and I picked up Dreamless the sequel right after. And being that I finished Dreamless two seconds ago, I like Starcrossed a whole lot more. Starcrossed scores a 3.5 for me! I wish the beginning was better!!

Spies and Prejudice Review

Author: Talia Vance
Title: Spies and Prejudice
Published: 06/11/2013
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Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either. 

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death. 

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.

Review:

So I’m not really sure how I feel about Spies and Prejudice for one I don’t get the name or the cover. Nothing to really do with the actual story, and I don’t see how it’s a play off Pride and Prejudice yeah, nothing to with that. The cover is nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything to the story, and then there were a few elements that I wasn’t so sure about.  There were far too many plot twists, things were random and predictable, and some of the things way to out there to even go along with the story. It’ll make more sense after I explain, and for the record, I really did enjoy reading Spies and Prejudice, it was a fun read.

Strawberry Fields, or Berry as her friends call her, isn’t your typical 16 year old. Sure she spends time with her friends, attends school functions, and gets good grades. But she also works for her father’s detective agency, spending most of her afternoons and nights stalking two timing husbands, lying workers and the likes of them. She’s fallen into a normalcy juggling her dog Lulu, work, and school; when things take a turn for the worse. In one day she gets hit on (ambushed more like it) by Tanner Haltson the egomaniac new kid, finds out her best friend Mary Chris’s dad is hiding information about her dead mother, and things keep getting worse.

Berry makes it her top priority to figure out what Mr. Moss has to do with her mother that, according to the police report, committed suicide eight years ago. Which means going against her father, and best friend’s back, enlisting the help of the other not as new kid Drew. Not to mention dodging Tanner's unlikely interest being that she overheard him decide she was “nothing special” the very first day. Things become way too coincidental and Berry finds herself in the middle of something way bigger than a simple work agreement.

Now this book is just about as cool as it sounds, it’s got some hi-tech(ish) gadgets, lots of wit and humor, family and friend drama, three uber cuties, AND a Saint Bernard!! The only thing I didn’t fall for was how intense things were supposed to be, it was like all the characters we so sure they might die at any second but nothing happened. It didn’t really have that intensity level so I pretty much felt like the characters were over reacting the whole time. Other than that Spies and Prejudice is a great read for a boring day, and scores a 4 for me.

Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend Review

Author: Louise Rozett
Title: Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend (Confessions Series)
Published: 06/25/2013
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Rose Zarelli has big plans for sophomore year—everything is going to be different. This year, she’s going to be the talented singer with the killer voice, the fabulous girl with the fashionista best friend, the brainiac who refuses to let Jamie Forta jerk her around...

...but if she’s not careful, she’s also going to be the sister who misses the signals, the daughter who can only think about her own pain, the “good girl” who finds herself in mid-scandal again (because no good deed goes unpunished) and possibly worst of all...the almost-girlfriend.

When all else fails, stop looking for love and go find yourself.

Review:

Current thoughts on Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend “hmph, well, that should be longer”. I don’t like the end, I mean it ended on a good note, but I wasn’t emotionally ready for it to end. So how it ended didn’t exactly help me, and now I have a book hangover. Ugh. I think I like this book better than the first one. Maybe because this time around I knew what to expect rather than the first, and I didn’t set such high expectations. The Confessions books aren’t the type to blow you out the water, but Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend was a rather enjoyable read. It’s so much drama but at the same time it comes off like a totally typical day no biggy what so ever. I don't really think I spoiled anything for those of you who haven't read/finished the first, but you know, just in case..click at your own risk.

Of Triton Review

Author: Anna Banks
Title: Of Triton (Of Poseidon Trilogy)
Published: 05/28/13
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In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

Review:

Baaaaaah. Okay so everyone trashed Of Triton and the fact that Banks is continuing the uh, whatever the word is into a trilogy. Which is kinda stupid because if you hate it don’t freaking read it. Go read Twilight or whatever crap you like. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but don’t go trash something just so you can get attention, good or bad. Of Neptune the last of the three books hasn’t even been released yet and the bad press for it is over the edge. Which is ridiculous because you have no grounds no matter who you are to judge a book that you haven’t read, or know anything about. Moving on to Of Triton everyone was saying really awful things so when I actually did read it, I was actually surprised.  This trilogy so far is to me, a very predictable cliché type story; the characters are predictable in an unpredictable way. Like no one would expect them to go against everything they used to stand for, but knowing these characters yeah they will. If that makes sense, the beginning of the book I did not see coming. It’s kinda funny because while I was reading the book I was looking for what people hate so much about it. And I can’t really say I found anything. Also, there are spoilers from the first book, so unless you read it, don't clicky clicky.

Of Poseidon Review

Author: Anna Banks
Title: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon)
Published: 05/22/2012
Good Reads-
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Review:

I really wanna finish (start) this review and get it out of the way so I can read Of Triton the sequel to Of Poseidon and being that I’m reading the sequel right after I finished the first tells you I had to like it right? Yeah sure whatever move on. I need to hash out this review because Of Poseidon was a good book, not mind blowing OMG NO YOU DIDN’T AMAZE but it was a nice sweet love story type book. I mean, I’m not a nice sweet love story type gal, I didn’t fall head over heels for Of Poseidon, but I mean, mermaids. Do I even have to say anything else? Just Mermaids. Merfreakingmaids.

So here’s the dealio, Emma is your typical Jersey girl, focused on school and being that she almost drowned once, then had to witness her best friend being attacked and killed by a shark, not the biggest fan of water. But before Chloe (said best friend) died, she and Emma were at the Gulfarium in Florida, where someone just so happen to notice her ease with the fish, and her violet eyes. One things leads to another and boom Galen, prince of the Syrena and human ambassador is on her case. Being that it is a crime for Syrena to live as human Galen is ready to arrest Emma and move on, but things are never that easy.

It takes Emma, Galen, Rachel, Dr. Milligan, Toraf, and Rayna a crew of both Syrena and human, to figure out what Emma actually is. The story floats in and out of two main themes, a, finding out what Emma is and how she came to be, and two, a romance brewing between Emma and Galen. Although it’s a long shot in Galen’s eyes, because unlike Emma he knows the rules of his people and he can see that even though he has feelings for Emma, it won’t end well. At all.

Like I said, I like this book, it’s a sweet little romance that everyone can fantasize about. A super hot merman showing up and demanding to spend time with you? Why the heck not? The characters are nice enough, a few things don’t really add up well together and I feel as if the romance part fogs up all the confusing tidbits the readers would stumble upon. I didn’t like that, the fact that some things weren’t explained and just brushed off to the side like that, it made the story feel rushed to me. Aside from a slower pace, I would’ve loved for the story to go deeper into detail on the other characters. It’s mostly about their here and now, they seem a bit shallow, they’re more translucent than transparent.

Overall Of Poseidon was a cute read, it was nice and happy. A great book to pick up during the summer days, it scores a 4 for me. I mean, I don’t love it enough to miss an episode of Dance Moms to read it, but it’s still nice.

The Lucy Variations Review

Author: Sara Zarr
Title: The Lucy Variations
Published: 05/07/2013
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Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.
That was all before she turned fourteen.
Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?
National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. To find joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

Review:

I really don’t feel like writing this review right now but oh well gotta get it over with eventually right? I just like, The Lucy Variations didn’t feel like a novel to me. It felt like I picked up a diary some random kid wrote and I managed to get my hands on in the lost and found. It wasn’t very novely at all. I think the actual story is what makes it feel so average, boring, typical, feasible. It’s like that song ‘Friday’ by Rebecca Black, it’s so plausible it’s lame. It’s a story that could happen to anyone, actually Lucy is going through something a lot of other characters underwent in the book as well. And there isn’t some inspirational theme, or even saucy romance to keep the readers interested. In my opinion at least.

The Lucy Variations is a story about Lucy Beck-Moreau, a has-been pianist at the age of the 16. Her life used to be consumed by the piano; an instrument and her grandfather ruling over everything she did. But when the piano took her away from one of the most significant things in her life, she decided it was time to hit the brakes, hard. So she quit, walked off the stage of a competition she could’ve easily won, and refused to ever touch those gleaming tempting keys again. Because the piano wasn’t just an instrument anymore, it was a symbol; it represented all her grandfather gave her, and all that he took away. Playing the piano again would be the equivalent to waltzing right up to her grandfather and tell him that she regretted it all.

So Lucy’s life starts to take a few turns as anyone’s would in her situation, it isn’t till her little brother’s new piano teacher asks her the question no one else has. If she wants to play again, once that first domino hits the ground, all the rest come tumbling down. Faster than she would’ve ever expected Lucy is thrown back into the world of piano, trying to manage school, friendships, her family, and finding the key to her happiness all at once.

Now the reason I didn’t really feel this book was because A, Lucy is a bit spoiled and as nice as a character as she was, I didn’t really connect with her. 2, it’s all weird like. You think something is going to be a big contributing factor in the storyline but it actually isn’t. Although no one mentioned it to the characters because it’s all the talk about, when it has nothing to do with the actual story. If that makes sense, and lastly because it seemed real. Too real, like not the “OMG I can’t believe other people feel this way!!” real, it’s more like the “wow she went to have dinner with her family and what did they do at the dinner? They ate” no shocker there.

In the end, The Lucy Variations was kind of a flop for me, didn’t love it didn’t hate it. It’s mediocre and scores a 3 for me, flying right under the radar.

Ashes & Ice Review

Author: Rochelle Maya Callen
Title: Ashes & Ice
Published: 02/04/2013
Good Reads-
She is desperate to remember.
He is aching to forget.
Together, they are not broken.
But together, one may not survive.

​Jade wakes up with no memory of her past and blood on her hands. 

Plagued by wicked thoughts, she searches for answers. Instead, she finds a boy who doesn't offer her answers, but hope. But sometimes, when nightmares turn into reality and death follows you everywhere, hope is not enough. 

LUST. LOVE. LOSS. Sometimes, all that is left are Ashes and Ice.

Review:

This book is weird!! I haven't written the review because I don't know what to say it's just weird weird weird. I hated it so much, it was boring and confusing and I totally don't even remember anything about the characters. I mean it's a really original story line but it was presented so weridly!! And nothing made sense and it was supposed to be all emotional and intense but it wasn't and it just felt halfway to me. I feel like the pacing is too slow, the way the story is portrayed doesn't work well with the plot. It's a really confusing read and I still don't understand it. 

I don't think I can actually explain the story without spoiling it. Basically Jade is trying to find her past, she knows she's forgetting something and that is obviously really bad and wrong. She just can't figure it out, what it is, who's part of it, the whole nine yards. Then on the other hand we have Conor, who's just a typical kid trying to get over his dad's recent death. Nerdy boy meets depression and for some reason him and Jade become quick friends. 

The story is pretty much Jade finding her past, but it's told in a sucky way. Like there's so much potential and it just went down the drain. I don't even understand, I'm running out of words. This was just lame I guess. The way the story is set up it's building up to the sequel, but after the flop that was the first book was, I wouldn't be interested in reading it. And everything you'd expect to happens happens, but in a weird lame way. Like you can picture this entire giant emotional breakthrough where everything starts to fall into place. But it doesn't happen like that it's more like, "oh you're you? that's cool I'm gonna go do stuff" Even the action scenes weren't interesting. 

Overall Ashes & Ice is one weird, confusing, bland story. It really wasn't my cup of tea and scores a two on my charts. 

Golden Review

Author: Jessi Kirby
Title: Golden
Published: 05/14/2013
Good Reads-
Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

Review:

Okay the cover has absolutely nothing to do with this book what so ever and I kinda hate it. Yep I hate this cover because this is the type of book that could have the most amazing cover to go alongside the story and everything would make so much sense and it would just be so beautiful but it’s not and here we have this cover. I think a better cover would’ve made this more popular, just saying. Now before I go into a frenzy about all my feelings on this book let me sum up what happens.

Parker is a senior who’s got her whole life planned out for her. She’s spent her whole life getting perfect grades and going the extra mile so she can get a scholarship get into the college of her dreams, and work towards Med school. She’s done everything she’s supposed to, and never even thought to question what life would be like if she was more like her best friend Kat who was always taking chances. So during her senior year she decides to take a chance, she finds and steals a journal that belonged to the town’s golden girl ten years ago, Juliana Farnetti. Everyone knows that Juliana along with her perfect boyfriend Shane Cruz died in a car crash a late winter night ten years ago, but when Parker reads the journal from when Juliana was 17, things take an unexpected twist.

Now what’s more creepy than reading a dead girls journal when you should be writing a speech for scholarship named after said girl? Well, finding out all her dirty secrets would be creepy, and connecting them to the very much living people in her town. And if you’re from a small town, you can totally understand Parker’s position, everyone knows who you are one way or another, and no matter what you do, your parents are going to find out in the end.  So Parker runs with what she’s got and makes a rash decision that has her questioning everything she thought her life was.

I liked this book, I liked it a lot. I wasn’t sure about it, and it took me a bit to get into, I barely stopped while I was reading it. But something about it I didn’t like, and I can’t quite put my finger on what it is I didn’t like about it. I think, besides the unknown thing, I didn’t like how this book played out. In the beginning it’s a lot about the things that lead up to what makes Parker do something bold, and then when she’s actually doing it, and the after effects are sorta rushed. I would’ve like to read more about what happened after she did what she did, rather than her building up to doing it. If that makes any sense.  I also would’ve loved for it to have been more a mystery, things kinda all connected in the end and it was like “BOOM!” magic. No sleuthing involved, everything was always there, she just needed to put it together.

Overall I really liked this book, and I hate the cover it doesn’t do it justice. I think a lot of people will love Golden if they give it a chance. So on the rating scale it scores a 4.5 for me!