[Review] Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
[Throne of Glass #1]
YA, Fantasy, Romance
Published: May 2013 (Bloomsbury)
Format: digital
Pages: 404
Rating: ★★★★☆
 

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Warning: spoilers!

I have tried to start this book so many times and I regret it taking so long. I wasn't completely blown away, but I figure this is a pretty good start to a series. It set up well for future books that I can't wait to dive into!

First off, we have the characters, whom I really liked. They are all rather distinct, though could use some more fleshing out.

Celaena is a really sweet character and I like that she's feminine while still being strong willed and an individual. At times she can be very pretentious and arrogant, but I can see the reasoning. I like that she thinks of herself as beautiful because we need more people like that. The only problem I had was that, though she was stated as being the best assassin in the world, I have no clue how she got that status. The way she acts is not cautious enough for her title. She ate candy from a mystery person without a thought. She said she was a light sleeper and would wake up if someone approached her, but multiple times, that was not the case. I think if we had more backstory on her and her thoughts on her targets in the past, this wouldn't have bothered me as much. If the author showed me the person Celaena is said to be and not just told me about it, that would have been lovely.

Also, I hope that she can learn to like females more. At one point she said that she had learned to dislike them because of their actions. She has a variety of interactions with men and a few of them are not the best, so I don't understand why she wouldn't dislike men as well. She does a little bashing on other females and, outside of Nehemia, she doesn't interact with them often. I think she is judging them too quickly. The other females usually dislike her automatically because she is pretty and with the prince. I hate that trope.

Dorian is a bit on the cliche side of being a prince, but when we see his thoughts, he is more loveable. He is very flirty and charming, which I like as a foil to his father. He's easy to like, but I hope to see more uniqueness come from him. His relationship with his father is the best thing coming from him and I hope that the king can influence him in some interesting ways.

Chaol is more mysterious than Dorian and his thoughts are usually hidden. I like that he tries to keep his distance from Celaena and does his best to protect Dorian. I want to see more interactions between the two boys, to show off their relationship. I like what I've been given so far! Bonding between friends is one of my favorite things to read. I wish it happened more in YA books.

Nehemia is a really strong character and her voice came through really well even though we never read from her PoV. She is interesting and witty. I can't wait to read more about her.

There is a love triangle, which I thought was handled rather well. It wasn't sudden. There was a nice simmering of feelings, but even so, I still wish it hadn't happened. I liked it as I read it, but now that I'm finished, I wish it could have been put off for awhile. There are more books in the series and to focus so much on love already is disappointing. It is common, though, so I will overlook it, especially since I enjoyed the slow build.

The story itself was interesting. I didn't expect it to take a mystery turn, even though I didn't think it was that hard to figure out. I wished there was more focus on the Tests and that they were harder, but I get that the Champion-to-be was supposed to display their skills. The writing was very nice. It flowed easily and was pretty without being purple, which fit best for this sort of story. I also prefer 3rd person, so I always enjoy that. The world building was pretty good without being info dumpy, so that's a plus! I felt that most background information was relevant.

TL;DR

Good:
+ plot and mystery
+ variety of characters
+ world buiding
+ writing and detailing
+ subplot

Neutral:
/ love triangle (slow build)

Bad:
- Celaena's character needs revamping
- not enough focus on being an assassin

Final Rating:
★★★★☆

[Review] I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the Sun
Jandy Nelson
YA, Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Published: April 2015 (Walker Books)
Format: digital
Pages: 429
Rating: ★★★★☆
 

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

Warning: Spoilers!!
(Go to the TL;DR section for a spoiler free short review)

This story is one unlike I've ever read and maybe that stems from my low count of contemporary books, but one I ended up enjoying immensely. When I picked it up, I really wanted to do it for the high concentration of metaphors to make fun of the writing, but that plan slapped me in the face when I got involved in the story. Then I ended up liking it, dare I say loving it. Maybe I won't go that far yet. But guh!
(●´⌓`●)

I want to dive into the character of Noah first. He was such a different specimen. At first, I hated reading his point of view because of all the try-hard writing and his whining. It was so desperate to be different and purple, but after I thought about it for a long time, I decided this was the best way to go for his character. It really reflected the way he saw things, especially since he was an artist. I, myself, do not claim to be an artist; I feel that the crazy way he saw things and experienced them directly reflected the way his mind functioned. He was a prodigy and he wanted so much more than he had. He wanted to be the best he knew he had the capacity to be. I felt bad for judging him as dismissing him as arrogant and selfish. I had to remind myself of his age multiple times and how that factored in to the way he acted. In the end, I felt that all of him rolled up into a bundle was messy and imperfect and I loved him. I loved his relationship and cared about what happened to him.

Jude, I feel, was an okay character. I didn't dislike her or like her, really. I didn't enjoy her love story at all. I felt it entirely unnecessary. It was too sudden and chalked up to reasons that didn't make sense to me. I did like that she consoled herself with the idea of her grandmother. She was always seeing her and talking to her and I suspect this is a coping method. It seems plausible to me. I didn't understand how her mother was the one breaking anything and making Jude's life difficult. That seemed a bit silly to me, but overlookable. Jude as a character in her own skin was interesting. She was fearless and I loved to see that Jude reemerge. I dislike how her character seemed wasted on some lame love story with some lame guy, she had so much more potential. Her art skills were the most interesting part for me. It seemed to be a passion that she didn't feel comfortable pursuing, and at some point one she wouldn't let herself indulge in.

The writing! Woah! If you noticed up there, I complained about all the flowery prose and metaphors. Well, I am going to eat my words and say that was something that made me stick with the story. If you know me, you know that I love overdone writing. Usually I don't go for metaphors, though, I go for details. This probably was part of my problem to begin with. Some quotes were hard hitting to me and I really related. I even jotted a few down for safe keeping to look at when I want a brief admittance to the characters (Noah) again. I found that the writing depicted the mood extremely well and made you really feel what the character was feeling.

The pacing and flow was really nice. Every time the PoV would change, I'd find myself disappointed because I wanted more. The reveling of important details was never too early or late. The only time I find myself complaining is the ending of the book. It felt too rushed. I feel more pages would have sufficed. The ending also seemed too perfect and this really bummed me out. I like bittersweet endings with openings for thought to fill in.

Overall, I would recommend this book to all the disbelievers. I was one myself and now look at me. ٩(๑❛ワ❛๑)و

TL;DR

Good:
+ writing, dear lord! the writing!
+ compelling characters
+ feels, so many feels
+ progression
+ art is a big deal
+ words depict mood well

Bad:
- ending parts
- Jude's love interest (no offense)

Final Rating: ★★★★☆

[Review] Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Laini Taylor
[Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1]
YA, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Published: September 2011 ( Little, Brown Books for Young Readers )
Format: digital
Pages: 418
Rating: 4 of 5
 

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The world building in this was fantastic! Like, I cannot stress enough how well done it was. There was lore shoved in there and things I didn't know I wanted, but I got them. The myths of how the angles and chimera came to be were interesting and I like how each race had their own view of it. The settings were a nice change from the typical American, as well.

The characters were fun to read. What's not to love about a girl with blue hair? Karou was interesting. Being her friend would be an adventure every single day. Her knowledge of languages and her drawing abilities is just the surface. She was always trying to protect, but her curiosity would often get the better of her. I love her relationship with her best friend, Zuzana. They had a nice thing going, which is another reason why what I'm going to mention later disappoints me.

Then there is Akiva, an angel that was compelled to follow the girl with the blue hair. Honestly, I hate using the word angel to describe his race of people. It is merely a placeholder of a word. It implies that he works for a god, but in reality the idea of "angels" as we know them are completely different in this book. It's really interesting and I prefer this to what my mind conjures up when thinking the word. His role was to seal off the doors to Brimstone's (Karou's mentor and friend) shop, which plays a very large bit in the ending of the book. Akiva was ridden with inner anguish that is explained and justified. I really liked this. In books that I've been reading lately, all the main male characters seem to want to be a hero. They always want what's best for the MC right away with no hesitation. But Akiva expresses doubts and reservations about telling Karou about things she should know to make it easier on himself.

The problem I had between this pairing is that it was instantaneous love. It really hampered me from fully enjoying the story because it felt like it was such a cheat. I understand the reasoning behind it, in the case of Karou and Akiva. (spoiler!!!) But in the past, the love between Akiva and Madrigal seemed to pop up out of nowhere and then they even had intimate relations. I understand infatuation, falling prey to it myself on the occasion, but I cannot excuse these spur of the moment love declarations. Getting over this, the relationship between them was alright. Very full of butterfly moments, which gets a bit tedious to read after a while.

The writing was lovely. The sentences were woven together in a way that most YA books don't bother to take a hand at. There were a lot (a lot is an exaggeration) of random words I didn't know, which would interrupt my reading pace a bit, but I suppose expanding my vocabulary is a good thing. I also really like the way this was written, with the flashbacks unfolding the story. I like when movies jump around like that and the same with books. It could be confusing to read if you put it down, though, so there's that.

The plot is hard for me to describe because at one point there is a certain point where the story is going, then it changes. At least that's how it seemed to me. I could be wrong.

I think I've mentioned everything without giving too much away. I would recommend this book if only because of the way Taylor writes. It is so nice to read. Seriously.

TL;DR

Good:
+ writing!!
+ interesting and quirky characters, including side characters
+ strong female relationship
+ lore and legends
+ world building

Bad:
- insta-love
- special snowflake syndrome

Final Rating:
4 of 5

[Review] Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall
Susan Ee
[Penryn & the End of Days #1]
YA Paranormal Urban Fantasy
Published: August 2012 (Skyscape)
Source: Recieved from publisher
Format: paperback
Pages: 284
Rating: 4 of 5
 

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain.

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

Warning: Spoilers

Disclaimer: I recieved this book from the publisher for review, but this in no way affects my thoughts and opinions.

Going into this, I wasn't sure what to expect. I have never read an angel book before and, to make matters worse, paranormal books aren't exactly my forte. Although, I have to imagine that the image that the word "angel" brings up isn't exactly what happens to be in Angelfall.

The character of Penryn (whose name I love, btw) is a sharp and snarky girl whose sole thought is the survival of herself and her family, which consists of her crazy mother and her disabled sister, Paige. The fact that her sister is in a worse off state, since she can't walk, weighs heavily on Penryn's mind. She constantly thinks of her sister and what is best for her. When her sister is stolen away by an angel, she vows she will do anything to get her back. This is where Raffe is entered into the mess. A fallen angel whose wings were ripped straight off his back, he has bigger things to worry about than this human girl pestering him about a sister that's probably dead. This noncommittal behavior from Raffe makes it interesting to read. It seems he could leave at any moment. Also, the banter between Penryn and Raffe was fun to read. The love spark between them doesn't happen until pretty late in the book, but I personally could have went without it. It was light, but unnecessary. I am sorry, but I am biased. Some people will love it, but I am not one of those people.

As for Paige, she had a kind of innocent thing going on with her. She didn't have very long to fit in the character building, although I have to say that she survived the angel's experiments at all shows she is much stronger than Penryn seems to give her credit for.

One thing I really liked about this world was that it seemed very open world, I suppose. If you have ever played Fallout: New Vegas, this is what I mean. The going ons of characters are not directly related to what Penryn is doing. She isn't a part of the resistance that wants to save the world, all she wants is her family. The actions of the other characters do not stop simply because the main character isn't around. The world building was well enough. I felt it was a supple amount and that it can be filled in more in the other books. The plot is quick paced and survival is always a key feature at the back of Penryn's mind. I appreciated this consistence.

The writing is where I have to say the book was lacking for me. It was easy to read, but there was nothing that stood out to be as amazing and unique. I am very picky about that sort of thing, so it's not really the author's fault that I do not like her personal style. Also, there were some moments that had me rolling my eyes. Like,when they go to the angel party and Raffe calls Penryn beautiful. I did enjoy the moments of suspense, though. The emotions of the characters are conveyed very clearly (or not so clearly, if you know what I mean) and they are fluid with the personalities they have.

TL;DR

Good:
+ Characters are great, with awesome side characters
+ Interesting and unique take on angels
+ Very mood heavy
+ Open world
+ Light on the love

Bad:
- Writing is lacking
- Some moments are silly to read

Final Rating: 4 of 5

[Review] An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes
Sabaa Tahir
YA Fantasy
Published: April 2015 (Razorbill)
Format: Ebook
Pages: 464
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 of 5
 

Laia, 17, is a coward and so far, it’s kept her alive. As a Scholar living under the brutal rule of the Martial Empire, Laia knows that courage will only get her killed. Then the Martials imprison Laia’s brother for treason. To save him from execution, Laia must step out of the shadows and embark on a quest that will take her from the haunted catacombs of her city to the halls of Blackcliff Academy, where the Empire trains its most feared soldiers. She must find the courage to defy everything the Martials stand for in a place where defiance has one outcome: death.

Elias, 20, is Blackcliff’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Sickened by the prospect of hunting and killing Scholars who oppose the Empire, Elias decides to desert the military. But before he can run, he’s ordered to participate in the Trials, a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor. Elias must wage war in the Trials with skill and ferocity while struggling with a deep inner ambivalence. For while losing the Trials might cost him his life, winning them could cost him his soul.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at Blackcliff, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the Empire itself.

Warning: Spoilers, probably. You have been warned.

I don't like doing synopsis type things, so let's get on with the review. =p

This book was one I went into expecting to despise. Which, in itself, is easy to overcome. When I went through a few people's reviews I started to worry that the hype was just hype and the book was passable. But I decided to read it anyway and I'm glad I did. I really am.

The action scenes are lovely! The author seemed to know what she was doing when she wrote them. They are fluid and a good length. And the world in which the characters find themselves is very appealing to read about. The details and lore of it aren't thrown at you right in the beginning, but gradually pieced together as the book progresses. And yet, I still have a complaint. While the people around them are given in detail, I don't like the lack of detail about their surroundings. I have no clue what the place looks like other than that it is a desert. I have to guess it is Roman-esque just based off of the way the lore defines the Martials, but I feel as though I was never actually told in a good description what the school looks like. Maybe I read it and just forgot and if so, I'm sorry. Please correct my mistake. I hate to be so picky, but it's just in a fantasy book I need to be told these sorts of things to build the idea of the world in my mind. I need to be able to envision where the characters are. Also, I know that the world is supposed to be a harsh place to live, but the constant use of rape as a conflict kinda bothered me. I understand that it happens and that it's scary, but reusing it over and over makes people uncomfortable (not me, really, but people). I don't think it should have been used to emphasis how pretty Laia was, for another thing.

The characters are interesting to me. Elias is a compassionate thing, having to hide his feelings behind a (heh) mask when the world in which he is raised expects him to have no regrets. Loyalty through and through to the Empire. He dislikes that even his best friends seem to have no feelings towards the Scholars, who they are taught to look down upon. He doesn't understand how people can be so cruel and he doesn't want to be the type of person he is basically forced to be. I also like that it is shown that he has this thing called hormones because it is just human to me. His feelings toward Helene, his best friend, were not clear sighted. I do wish that he had more of an idea of his own thoughts, but his fickleness makes him human. His desire to not interrupt his comfortable relationship with her bothered me, but I understand. Taking a leap is a hard thing to do when you have a previous friendship. If you don't work out, you lose so much more than if you had just stayed as friends. I think it's ironic, though, that in the long run Elias is selfish. He constantly thought about his own happiness and freedom. When it boils down to it, he was going to kill Helene.

The other MC, Laia, was a bit more on the dull side for me. Even so, I enjoyed reading her parts (surprising) and once she started to overcome her fear, it became easier to deal with. I honestly appreciated the fact that it took Laia so long to be able to get on with her spying. She was afraid for her life: a coward, and it showed. She was trying to become someone stronger and the road to strength doesn't come in a day. She sort of used other people as a crutch and her reliance on her brother shows this, but her resilience to become stronger pays off in the end. It just makes sense to me. When she realized that her shortcomings were harming the Resistance, she decided to try harder and put herself in more danger to get results. Being surrounded by the people that bare scars of their experiences in the same position as you, I'd think you'd be afraid of acting out. I don't like that people discredit the differences between people. Not everyone is as emotionally strong as others may be. What takes someone days to master, it could take someone else years.

Another important character was Helene. I really liked the way she was written, even if I didn't personally care for her. She was strong and adhered to the rules, in a way that kept from her potential by her loyalty to the Empire. Her love for Elias was subtle, for the most part, but definitely important. The best part I saw from her was when she told Elias that it was hard to love him. It hurts me that her love for him can't be pure and unhindered, that it has to be dampened by their situation and the fact that Elias doesn't love her back. I don't expect Elias to be forced into loving her, although his attraction to her is evident. It's just a shame, really. Her reluctance to defy the rules is shown all through out her character. They matter to her more than anything. So when she ignores them for Elias, it says a lot about her.

I saw that a lot of people were complaining about the love square thing that was going on, and while I see where they are coming from, I don't exactly agree. I thought that the love spark between Elias and Laia was unnecessary, yes; it needs to be explored and expanded upon to be believable. But the other interests (Keenan and Helene) were validated. Elias was trying his best to not destroy his relationship with Helene, but the interest was still there. He, like always, was masking ('dat pun again) his feelings. Laia, on the other hand, was trying to latch onto someone that felt safe. And Keenan was the closest thing she was getting to comfort. I do hope that the relationship between Laia and Keenan dissolves, though. There is room for so much more than we are getting and I hate for all the character to be wasted on shallow love interests.

The ending had a lot of unresolved questions and there is no way this book is a stand alone, even if it was advertised as such to me.

Overall, I'd say the book is good. It could use improvement, but I am fine without it. The characters are all very different and I liked the way the plot advanced into what it did. I expect good things from the sequel, if it gets picked up by the publisher.

TL;DR

Good:
+ Characters/Character Growth
+ World
+ Action

Bad:
- Lack of detail
- Use of conflict (aka rape)
- Love mess

Final Rating: 4 of 5

[Review] Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
YA Contemporary Romance
Published: February 2012 (Simon & Schuster)
Format: Ebook
Pages: 368
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 of 5
 

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Like, for sure.

To start off, I need to get it out in the open that I seriously loved the way this book was written. The dialogue took over a lot of the characters interactions, leaving some room for personal interpretation during scenes. I can understand how this could be unlikable to some, but my personal preferences make it a good point.

The characters: Ari is a very fleshed out character. In some ways he reminds me of Holden from Catcher in the Rye. (please don't hate me) His uncertainty is powerful to read, the changing ways he views his parents, and the way he obsesses over certain things. Dante, on the other hand, is a ball of energy. Always the one that branches out and explores. At first I thought that his character was more 2D than Ari's, but after I rethought it I realized that he had his own struggles. His discomfort at being what he is, he doesn't really accept himself. He is an emotional creature and I can empathize with this.

I love that the characters actually have a relationship with their parental figures. In too many books, the parents are skipped over and the importance of the internal functions between parent and child are lost. Not only that, but the parents all had their own personalities and pasts and problems. They felt real.

The plot: I understand that there isn't one, in a traditional sense. This I don't mind. In fact, I encourage it because I am that kind of person. I don't really read to get somewhere, I read to enjoy the characters. I want to feel them and their emotions. I could read a whole book dedicated to the details of someone's home so long as you can feel the attachment and stories.

The writing: Beautiful! Simple, but sometimes it would hit me hard. I loved that small hints would be included where Ari would feel something more towards Dante. Subtle, but necessary and not overly obvious. The lack of romance in general is pleasing to me. I mean, I love fluff and all, but it's so refreshing to feel the characters beyond just "I love this person." More raw emotion with proof of their uncertainty and wavering thoughts, that's what I want. And this book did it.

The downfalls:
• The cliche of the conflict. When Dante is beaten up for kissing a boy. I understand, I really do. But it also feels like a cop out and I feel cheated.
• I felt that Ari accepted very quickly that he is in love with Dante after his parents told him that. I mean, yes it was obvious that he was, but I also thought he would have a harder time taking that in. It was all this build up to it and maybe I would have preferred not to have a definite love relationship. Either that or show more of his confusion towards his feelings for Dante. I don't know, maybe I'm asking for too much.

Overall: I really enjoyed this book. A hard 4 on the scale. This coming to terms sort of thing is something I really enjoy, a delving into the life of the character. It's a whimsical sort of thing and one that I enjoy immensely. It was a quick read and one I'd suggest to most people.

Final Rating: 4 of 5

View all my reviews

[Review] Spotlight: Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos [Giveaway]

Out of Reach
Carrie Arcos
YA Contemporary
Format: Hardcover
Source: Received for review
Rating: 4 of 5

Published: October 16th 2012 (Simon Pulse)

How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found? A girl searches for her missing addict brother while confronting her own secrets in this darkly lyrical novel.

Rachel has always idolized her older brother Micah. He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he’s in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn’t come home.

Rachel’s terrified—and she can’t help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.

With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah’s best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler…and the possibility that Micah may never come home.

Don't you just love the cover of this book? It's so simple and clean. Though I don't usually read contemp, I had to once I saw this cover.

Out of Reach tells the story of Rachael Stevens and her older brother, Micah. Micah is an addicted to meth. Carrie Acros paints the tale through the view of Rachael as she is trying to cope with his addiction. One day Micah, and she goes after him.

The writing in Out of Reach is simple and easy to understand. I quite liked it. It is also written in past tense, which is my favorite tense to read.

Rachael is a fairly likeable girl. She is smart and relatable. She has her fair share of boy trouble, as well. When she asked Tyler, Micah's friend, to go with her to find Micah, I knew from there what was going to happen. ;) The romance was never too fast, but paced accordingly.

I loved all the additional insights into Rachael's character through the use of flashbacks. It really put depth into her personality.

Religious material makes me feel uncomfortable, so when Out of Reach began to focus more on the spiritual side of things, it was surprising. There was nothing too bothersome though, just little things. I ignored them and, in the end, thoroughly enjoyed the book. Do not let this little tidbit sway you to not buy the book. I found that it was not overbearing. but just something that helped Rachael cope.

Overall, I loved Out of Reach! I even recommended it to people as I was reading it. They would see the cover and wonder what wondrous book I was reading now! How could I not rec them such a great story?

Final Rating:
4 of 5

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About the Author:

Carrie Arcos lives in Los Angeles with her family. She writes young adult literature and is an adjunct professor. You can find more about her at carriearcos.com

Links to Author:
website | facebook | twitter | goodreads
Buy the Book:

    

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[Review] Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Black City
Elizabeth Richards
[Black City #1]
YA Paranormal Dystopian
Published: November 13th 2012 (G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR)
Format: Hardback
Pages: 384
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 of 5

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

There are numerous reasons as to why I read this book, the main one being that I envied all the people that had read it and raved about it. I had to get my hands on it! So after the first failed attempt at Sam's due to a pre-shelving incident, I got it a few days after the release date. My sister was even nice enough to buy it for me.

Black City is a mesmerizing story about Natalie Buchanan and Ash Fisher. There meeting was an unlikely one, yet for them it was the beginning of something to be desired.
Natalie's family had once lived in Black City, during a time when her father was still alive. After his death they moved to a richer city. Due to her mother's job they return to Black City. In those first few days back, Natalie has a chance encounter with Ash. They meet for the first time under a bridge as he is dealing Haze, a potent drug that comes from the venom of Darklings. It was here, under that bridge that their story began.

Natalie and Ash are both very interesting characters. I was not at all surprised that Natalie was not a stuck up character, even with her rich status. She is actually easy to relate to, as well. She reacts to situations normally.
Ash is a half-blood, or a human-Darkling offspring. For this reason, he is often ridiculed and looked down upon. It is almost too easy to sympathize with him. In a way, it reflects the way of society today and how race carves out people's opinions of others. Due to the alternating points of views, both Natalie and Ash are well shaped characters. The style casts a better look into each characters thoughts and values.

Beetle and Day are what I consider major-minor characters. They are the best friends of Ash and Natalie respectively. Beetle is addicted to Haze and is part of an organization called Humans for Unity, which fights to eliminate the segregation of humans and Darklings. To me, Beetle was just kinda there. You know Ash and Beetle are best friends, but you didn't get the interactions. The opposite can be said about Natalie and Day. The relationship building between is there and it makes sense. Day is a smart girl, but she is on the poorer side, meaning she will have to work incredibly hard to get anywhere on intelligence alone. She is also very opinionated. She feels strongly and expresses her feelings fairly clear. On criticism I have is that sometimes her actions don't seem to match up with her character. For example, Day would tease Natalie about liking Ash, but then when they got together, she was personally offended. It made no sense at all. I like that she felt betrayed, as it fits her personality, but I hate that she was a hypocrite about it.

The plot takes you on a nice ride that keeps you turning the pages. I think I only got bored once during the whole course of the story, but it wasn't long lasting and the next chapter staved it off. K enjoyed the interactions and the twists. I have very few problems with the book, but the ones that I do have can be a major make or break.

For one, the love between Natalie and Ash struck me as fast paced. It was going good at first, then it was like someone stepped on the gas pedal at a caution light. That deserves a warning! They seemed to be weary of each other to begin with, then Ash has a sudden revelation and decides that he wants her. Natalie had little qualms to that little tidbit. After that, the love takes an even faster pace. At times, it seemed as though Ash forgot about Natalie when they weren't together, then other times he wouldn't stop thinking about her. Confusing, really. Also, there is this part about Blood Mates that seems like an excuse to me. The funniest part about that once Ash explains it to Natalie, she know the rituals and seems to understand what's going on. Personally, I don't think she does know.

Overall, I liked the book. To me, the flaws can be overlooked. I figured, seeing as this is a review, I still needed to call them to attention. Even so, I plan on reading the second book and encourage everyone to give this one a try.

Final Rating:
4 of 5

[Review] The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King
Julie Kagawa
[Iron Fey #1]
YA Fantasy
Published: February 1st 2010 (Harlequin Teen)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 363
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 of 5

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

 
The cover of the book is what drew me in. I didn't know what it was about, but I didn't care. Only when I began to read it did I realize that it was about Fey, or a being having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality (FreeDictionary.com). I don't know what I was thinking, but it wasn't that. I had never read a book about Fey before, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to. Yet, I still ventured on.

The Iron King is about a girl named Meghan Chase, and she is in for some real surprises in the book. When she was young, her father suddenly disappeared without a trace. One day he was there, then "poof!" he was gone. In light of that, her mother decided that it was time to move. She got remarried to a man named Luke and they had a son, Ethan, together.
For some reason, people are always forgetting about Meghan. Everyone, except for Robbie, her best friend. On her birthday, her younger brother is stolen from their house, and after a few secrets are revealed, Meghan decides to venture into the Nevernever (the Fey world) and rescue him. With the help of Robbie, of course.

To start out, I thought Meghan was an "okay" main character. I felt that she didn't do much, though this is redeemed by the fact that she didn't know how to. After getting Puck to take her into the Nevernever, and going on a wild chase, she meets up with a cat named Grimalkin.
I'd like to criticize one thing. Puck is named for a character from A Midsummer's Dream. I wish this were explained further, as I have never read it before. I hate when books make big references, then don't explain them. Subtle ones I don't mind, but ones where it is explained as being a reference, I hate.

Puck was an interesting character, and the kind of boy that I like: he is goofy with a bit of seriousness that doesn't always show. It reminds me of Naruto and I love Naruto! Actually, Puck, Meghan, and Ash all reminded me of Naruto characters. Which can be a bad thing in some retrospect, but I liked it. It was kinda like reading a fanfiction.

Grimalkin was a character that I loved and he was such a cat! Literally! But, I think that the cat attitude was down pact. He did things that benefited or amused him. I was starting to think that he wasn't, but in the end, it seemed like he still was. In a way, I'm glad to see one character not change themselves too much because of the main character.

The last character to mention is Ash. He is son of Mab, the Winter Queen, and reflects that himself. He is cold and as deadly as the icy land he lives in. I don't want to give too much away, but just know that he has a warm streak.

As the plot progressed, I found that Meghan was still not doing anything particularly useful, except making goo-goo eyes at Ash. She made the wrong decisions and got others around her hurt. I was tired of everyone sacrificing themselves for her sake. It got old fast. The romance is another thing I can't decide about. I don't know if I like it or not. Everything about it was slow and minuet, which is good, up until something actually happened with it, then it seemed to go too fast. Then again, maybe I'm reading it wrong.

Even so, I had no problems getting to the end of the book. It was a fast read and an enjoyable one. I'm planning on getting the second book, actually. I would probably even read it again. I definitely recommend it to anyone that likes magical creatures.

Final Rating:
4 of 5

[Review] Deliruim by Lauren Oliver

Delirium
Lauren Oliver
[Delirium #1]
YA Dystopian
Published February 1st 2011 (HarperTeen)
Pages: 480
Source: Library
Rating: 4 of 5

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

 I picked up this book not really knowing what to think. The back of the book didn't help. All of the swirly letters and lovey-dovey stuff made me worry that the book would be cheesy. Yet, with all the hype and the dsytopian thing going for it, I couldn't resist.

The plot was fun. I liked how it slowly built up from slow to fast. Lena's conflicting emotions are spot on. The one thing I didn't like was how she seemed too excepting to Alex, but I guess that it would be difficult not be curious about something you've never known.
Then, there is Alex. Alex is a perfect guy. Maybe too perfect. I think that he could have used a flaw or two.
Lauren Oliver has a way of balancing her descriptions of the world with story. I like that. I hate reading a book that has little detail. Details are important.

Overall, I loved Delirium! It left something to ponder. I would definitely recommend this book, but not to everyone.

Final Rating:
4 of 5