Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Title: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Published: March 4th, 2014 by HaperCollins

Source: ARC (thanks to ALA!)

Format: Paperback

Genre: Contemporary

Age group: Young adult

Reviewer: Arianne

Grade rate: C

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Lauren Oliver specialises in using human emotion as the centrepiece of her work. She did it in Delirium, where love became a disease and joy a far-off dream. And she does it again in Panic, one of this year’s most highly anticipated new releases.  

With vision and finesse, Oliver has set her most epic concept yet against a stark backdrop of small-town claustrophobia. Capitalising on a tumult of teenage angst – from loneliness and despair to anger and resentment and back again – she paints a vivid if somewhat bleak picture of what life can be like in a world that’s constantly trying to tear you down.

One thing that goes without question is the fact that Lauren Oliver is simply an incredible writer.  She’s one of the few I know who could pull off third person present narration, but she doesn’t just settle for one narrator, she goes with two! Panic is more than just a string of sentences thrown together into roughly YA shape. Every word is carefully chosen. It’s soaked with style. It’s written with the title in mind, and the prose hurtles forward with the force of an oncoming train – yet at the same time, there is an element of the psychological thriller about it, and there are some scenes which just sizzle with the effects of slow-burning tension and secrets.

Heather and Dodge are hiding things from themselves as well as others. Dodge, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, has a fierce determination to win and an even more fierce determination to get revenge in the only way he knows how. I liked Dodge, but didn’t love him, though I admired his strength and story. Unfortunately, Heather really let me down. It’s in keeping with the stagnant atmosphere of Carp as a town, but she seemed lost without a guy by her side and she’s not very individual.

And with such problems in the cases of the main characters, it’s no surprise that the secondary characters fall flat as well. Natalie and Bishop never seemed real to me. I appreciated that Oliver was trying to tackle tough themes and issues she’d never broached before, but it just didn’t really work out in her favour. Harsh realities become gratuitous, dragging details and there’s no vibrancy to anchor yourself to as a reader. 

As a plot construct, the Panic game is remarkably simple, but in reality, it has huge risks and all too often, devastating consequences. Nobody knows who the judges are and it’s obviously played outside the realms of the law. Like the overcoming of fear in Veronica Roth’s Divergent, Panic too focuses on tackling the doubts and nightmares of the teenage players. I was willing to suspend my disbelief to begin with, but when I discovered that the adults of the town were still completely oblivious to the game despite it already having cost lives (and rewarding several winners with inordinate sums of money) even my interest in it began to wane. Also, when they started keeping tigers in captivity and players refused to take responsibility for the damage they were causing to others, physically, mentally and emotionally? Not cool. Everyone kept giving excuses and I was totally exasperated with them by the end.

In short: Panic pulses with dramatic intensity and social contrast. Fans of the author will recognise her style and epic depiction of the simplest human emotions, while new readers will be awed by the tension and action which define the harsh landscape of its plot. It’s not for everyone, however, as it requires huge suspension of disbelief on the reader’s part and there are some major faults which jump out from the page now and again. I don’t think it will become an enduring favourite for me, but I hope it’s not the last Lauren Oliver book I’ll read.

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Agelini (Starcrossed #1)

Title: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Release date: May 31st 2011 by HarperTeen 

Source: Purchased

Format: Paperback

Age group: Young adult

Genre: Contemporary/Mythology

Reviewer: Arianne

Grade rate: A

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.

Starcrossed is a story that I've loved for a long time. Not only is it the most intriguing and well-executed take on the defining romance of Greek mythology (that of Paris and Helen of Troy, and the Trojan War that followed) I've ever read, but it's also a hugely entertaining read that makes you smile long after you've finished reading.

Helen's always known she's different, but when she sees the scorchingly hot Lucas Delos for the first time and immediately tries to kill him in front of the whole school, she suddenly realizes there's more to it than just feeling like the odd one out: she's destined to restart an aeons-old conflict that will not only tear apart the gods, but her family and the meaning of her life as she knows it, too. The war almost destroyed the gods and their mortal heroes the first time around, but the Furies love patterns; they're the ancient Greek version of catty cheerleaders and they've scented blood.

Thrust into a dangerous world of Scions, demigods, curses and treachery, Helen faces a decision she always thought she'd know the answer to - but choosing between the love of her life and the survival of the human race may not be entirely hers after all. Everything she does seems to bring the threat of war closer, and no matter how hard she tries to resist loving Lucas, there's a part of her that just can't let him go.

This book may be slow to start, but it's definitely worth the wait. The writing style takes getting used to - it's intense, tightly packed and overwhelms the content from time to time - but if you can get through the first quarter, you'll be totally hooked. Starcrossed is all about story and its plot pulls no punches. There are twists and turns everywhere you look!

The importance of family is a theme that plays a huge role in Starcrossed. From the tight-knit but sometimes lonely existence lived by Helen and her father to the chaotic, clamouring warmth of the extended Delos family, there's a sense that although this book focuses on mythology, if you took that element away, there would still be great characters and dynamic relationships to build the story around. Lucas was my favourite character, but Ariadne comes in at a close second - and not just because we share a similar name! She's the feistiest character and stands out from the crowd. There was no shortage of action and danger in Starcrossed, but sometimes I found myself wishing for even more big family scenes. Josephine Angelini really understands what it means to belong, illustrating beautifully the strength and bonds within the Delos tribe. 

If I had to find one fault with the book, it would be that the minor characters are somewhat underdeveloped. Helen's hgih school companions just don't have the depth they need, and they don't hold the readers attention. I really liked Claire, Helen's best friend, but it is true that she probably doesn't have the complexity or realism she deserves.

In short: Starcrossed is a well-written, well-researched story that brilliantly reinvents Greek mythology for a modern young adult audience. It sets a high standard for the contemporary-mythological genre of YA. A book that's been close to my heart since the day I first read it.

Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski (The Winner’s Trilogy)

Title: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Published: March 4^th, 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

Source: ARC (thanks Macmillan

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fantasy | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: A

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Review

The Winner’s Curse is the first book I read by Marie Rutkiski and it will certainly not be the last.  In this book I found a real gem, reminiscent, at least to me, of Maas’ Throne of Glass and Carson’s Girl of Fire and Thorns.   

World building is really important when writing fantasy and it was expertly done in Winner’s Curse. The differences between the Herrani and the Valorian’s culture are marked, even if at their core they are more similar that they believe possible.  The plot is intricate and scattered with the political unrest that only conquest can bring and also with military strategy.  Rutkoski’s writing is exquisite, it’s full of imaginary, and it’s lyrical and poetic. 

The characterization is remarkable.  The story is told from the third point of view, from Kestrel and Arin’s perspectives. Kestrel is from the Valorian nobility and she lives in the conquered land or Herrani.  All that society expects of her is to make a choice between marriage and the military career.  Either option relinquishes her independence and her music, two of the things that she holds dear, and she wants to rebel against it.  Kestrel tries to be fair to the person behind the titles, to grant love to who deserves it, regardless of where they came from.  She is a brilliant strategist and loyal to her father (her only family) and her country, even when her heart dictates otherwise.

Arin is harder to know, at least on the first part of the book. However, he shines on the second part of the book and tries his hardest to make Kastrel happy and secure, regardless of her new circumstances.  He is also brilliant and has a big responsibility over his shoulders at a very young age.  I’m eager to know (given the ending) how this couple will survive what’s to come.  From my end, it looks like a hopeless relationship, but I hope it turns out to be an epic love story.

The ending of The Winner’s Curse was torturous.  It is a subtle cliffhanger, just enough to make me sit at the edge of my seat for the many months that will take to its sequel to be published. An outstanding book, with awesome characters and an even more amazing writing, The Winner’s Curse is a clear winner (pun intended.)

Quotes (from the ARC):

“The pointy-chinned woman snickered. “Looks like someone’s suffering the Winner’s Curse. The Winner’s Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price.”

”His eyes met hers. They were the color of the winter sea-the water far below Kestrel’s feet when she had looked down and imagined what it would be like to drown.”

“Arin smiled. It was a true smile, which let her know that all the others he had given her were not. ”Thank you,” he said. 

Kestrel felt herself blush. She focused on the keys and played something, anything. A simple pattern to distract herself from the fact that she wasn’t someone who easily blushed, particularly for no clear reason.”

About the cover: This is one of the most stunning covers I have ever seen.  The grace of the captured movement, the delicacy of her hand holding the ‘R’, the beautiful font and colors.  Gorgeous. 

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Device #1)

Title: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Published: August 31^st, 2010 by Simon & Schuster

Source: Purchased for Audible

Format: Audiobook narrated by Jennifer Ehle

Genre: Steampunk | Paranormal | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: A

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series. The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Review

Let me start by explaining why I took so long to start this series.  I was mad. There, I said it.  Why was I mad?  Well, I loved Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments, that is until she turned it from a trilogy to a series of six books.  I was happy with the ending of City of Glass and so disappointed when I realized that it was not the ending of the series.  Anyway, I decided to read (listen) to Clockwork Angel, and I Ioved it!

I think in many ways I enjoyed Clockwork Angel even better than the Mortal Instruments.  I love steampunk and this book has plenty of it, from angels to robots and nice doohickeys. 

I think what made the book for me were the characters.  Tessa, is a mystery for sure.  She doesn’t know what she is, but she has a really neat power.  Tessa is very pragmatic and tries to take this new world and her new circumstances in stride.  She is loyal, smart, and not afraid to voice her opinion.  Will and Jem are Shadowhunters, blood brothers and best friends; and yet so different.  Will is very handsome, strong, stubborn, loyal, intelligent, and devious and tries very hard to push everyone away.  Jem is so sweet, calm, composed, resigned, yet strong, loyal and the default peace maker. Can you smell the love triangle coming?  I can from a mile away!

There is no shortage of amazing supporting characters: strong Charlotte, scatter minded Henry, bitter Jessamine, lovely Sophie, the always grand Magnus, and much more.  Our evil figure here (well, the main one at least) is The Magister and we really don’t know too much about his throughout the story.

Cassandra Claire is a genius in many levels.  Her writing is so good, it takes serious talent to invent a world full of new and old beings, of mythology, stories, culture and make you not only understand what it all means, but learn to love it.  The plot of the Clockwork Angel is very intricate, full of mystery and betrayal.  It is one of the things that makes the story so interesting and addictive. 

I already had the chance to listen to Clockwork Prince and it is, if at all possible, even better.  I can’t wait to read the last book in the series, and I will.  Soon.

About the audiobook: I really like the narrator of the book, the pace and voices.

About the cover:  The cover of the Clockwork Angel is beautiful.  We can see Will in all his handsomeness and with light coming out of his runes.  In the background we see clockwork and the city of London.  On the forefront is Tessa’s angel.  As I said, beautiful.

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Rithmatist #1)

Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

Published: Mary 14^th, 2013 by Tor Teen

Source: Finished copy from BEA

Format: Hardcover

Genre: Steampunk

Age group: Young adult

Reviewer: ‘B’

Grade rate: A++

 More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles. As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever. Bestselling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense—the first of a series. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that that readers who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.

Review

The Rithmatist was sheer bad-assery because it’s everything an artist would love, their art coming to life.

The story is told from a third person POV, which I like because it allowed me to learn how diverse the characters were.  The main characters are Joel, Melody and Professor Fitch.  Joel is very studious and has very few friends.  He wanted to be a Rithmatist, but couldn’t because he missed his inception ceremony. He is very caring towards the people he loves.  Melody had a tragic life (which by the way is her favorite word.)  She doesn’t want to be a Rithmatist since there are four in her family already.  She very open and strong headed and she doesn’t care what others think about her. Professor Fitch is very closed and cautions and worries about keeping everyone safe.

The story is very interesting and it’s a major page turner.  The plot is fantastic and full of mystery.  World building is very well done, this is my first steampunk and it will not be the last. The writing is very descriptive and it explains everything really well.  I love all the clockwork things, especially the horse.

Overall, I loved the Rithmatist and I can’t wait for the next book, even if I still have to wait a whole year. (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)

Some quotes for you:

“... everyone knows that ice cream is worth the trouble of being cold. Like all things virtuous, you have to suffer to gain the reward.”

“Well, that’s because they’re wrong and I’m right. No more reading for you. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

“I don’t know if the kitchen has any,” Joel said. “It’s hard to get in the summers, and—”

“Not from the kitchen, stupid,” Melody said, rolling her eyes. “From the parlor out on Knight Street.”

“Oh. I’ve … never been there.”

“What! That’s a tragedy.”

“Melody, everything is a tragedy to you.”

“Not having ice cream,” she proclaimed, “is the culmination of all disasters! That’s it. No more discussion. We’re going. Follow.”

'B' is my almost 14 y/o son

Leave B some comment love!

Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: That One Summer by C.J. Duggan (Summer #3)

Hi there and welcome to Reading with ABC's stop of the blog tour of C.J. Duggan's That One Summer, book three of the Summer series.  I LOVE this series and I couldn't wait to read Chris's story as he is one of my favorite of the Onslow's boys.  You can find the rest of the Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tour here.

Title: That One Summer by F.J. Duggan
Release date: 12/17/13

Loving Chris Henderson would be wrong. Diabolically disastrous. I mean, what is there about him to love? He’s moody, bossy, brooding, a control freak, and that’s on a good day … but there was one achingly obvious fact that haunted my every thought, every minute of every day...

He sure could kiss.
As the countdown to the new millennium begins, there is one thing everyone agrees on: no one wants to be in Onslow for New Year’s Eve.
So that can only mean one thing: road trip!
No longer the mousey, invisible, shy girl from years ago, Tammy Maskala is finally making up for all those lost summers. A new year with new friends, which astoundingly includes the bossy boy behind the bar, Chris Henderson.
She likes her new friends (at least most of them), so why does she secretly feel so out of place?
After chickening out on the trip, a last-minute change of heart sees Tammy racing to the Onslow Hotel, fearing she’s missed her chance for a ride. The last thing she expected to meet was a less-than-happy Onslow Boy leaning against his black panel van.
Now the countdown begins to reach the others at Point Shank before the party is over and the new year has begun. Alone in a car with only the infuriating Chris Henderson, Tammy can’t help but feel this is a disastrous start to what could have been a great adventure. But when the awkward road trip takes an unexpected turn, Tammy soon discovers that the way her traitorous heart feels about Chris is the biggest disaster of all.
Fogged up windows, moonlight swimming, bad karaoke and unearthed secrets; after this one summer nothing will ever be the same again.

Find it here: Goodreads | Buy Links 

Review

I LOVE Duggan’s Summer series!  It’s one of the best YA series around, you can find the reviews for the first two books here:  The Boys of Summer  and An Endless Summer .  That One Summer is Chris and Tammy’s story and it was awesome!

I think this is my favorite book in the series because I can easily identify with Tammy the best.  Tammy is shy, a bit OCD, a worrier, a loyal friend and she gets migraines (just like me!).  She reconnected with Amy on the previous book and is now a regular at the Onslow Hotel, even if she doesn’t feel like she fits in yet.  Now, Chris is always scowling and broody, but I have a soft spot for him.  He is so strong, has a quiet self-assurance, he is a great friend to have on your corner and very considerate.  I just love him, even if before That One Summer, he was a big mystery. Who would know that he would turned out to be such a romantic?

What can I say about the Onslow Boys?  They are all amazing, handsome, caring, loyal, (*keep inserting here all the good adjectives you can imagine*)… This group of friends, now with the addition of the girls, is one that I would love to have been a part of as a teenager.  I long to see what would happen next.

The story is so funny!  Tammy gets in such amazingly hilarious situations.  She’s athletic, but sarcastically she’s also a klutz.  The plot is simple, but not boring at all; I always love a good road trip.   I also enjoy Duggan’s writing, it’s easy to read, even when it’s filled by Australian regionalisms.

Overall, That One Summer is my favorite book of the series so far.  I can’t wait to read Ringer’s story next.  

Pre-order Ringer here
Pre-order Forever Summer here

Trailer for the Series

About the Author

C.J Duggan is a Number One Best Selling Australian Author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia. When she isn’t writing books about swoony boys and 90’s pop culture you will find her renovating her hundred-year-old Victorian homestead or annoying her local travel agent for a quote to escape the chaos.

The Boys of Summer is Book One in her highly successful Mature Young Adult Romance Series.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | C.J.'s Street Team

Giveaway

1 winner will get ebooks of Book 1-3 of the Summer series (INT)

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of YA Bound Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by YA Bound Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Review: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (Cruel Beauty Universe)

Title: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Published: January 28^th, 2014 by Balzer and Bray

Source: ARC from ALA

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fantasy | Paranormal | Romance

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: C+

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Liza’s Review

Well, that was not what I expected.  Cruel Beauty was pitched at a Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast and that it was not. Instead, the book is a mix of a Greek mythology fantasy, romance, and magic. 

I love Beauty and the Beast and retellings based on the story and thus I was eager to read this book.  Cruel Beauty was confusing, which is not something I like to feel when reading.  At first, the world that was introduced to is very strange.  It is based on Hermetic principles – four elements that create or destroy everything – that are studied by the people of the island of Arcadia.  It is believed that the island has been isolated from the rest of the world by magic created by the Gentle Lord.  Nyx, our protagonist, was raised to destroy the Gentle Lord upon marriage (more about that later), and trained on Hermetic principles and other useful things, since birth.  Are you with me so far? 

Let me try to explain something really quickly: the book can be divided in two parts that I will call Before and After. When Nyx marries the Gentle Lord, which is called Ignifex, is when my confusion starts.  What ensues next is a series of encounters with the very handsome demon and his shadow.  Nyx spends a lot of time searching the castle for clues and trying to steal keys to said rooms from Ignifex.  At the end the ‘Before’ part Nyx does the unthinkable, bound by a promise that she made to her sister.  I didn’t like this ending at all.  I think it was precipitous and disjointed. 

Also, I didn’t particularly liked Nyx.  Before she was cruel, hateful, and insecure.  She did have some redeeming qualities though, she was smart, fearless, and learned to love.  On the other hand, Ignifex was more straightforward.  He didn’t remember how he ended up the way he did, but he was unapologetically good and bad at the same time and more importantly, he was happy that way.  I like them both better when they were together. 

After the ‘first ending’ (confused yet?), we get to meet the same characters, but they are different.  Not only is the world itself altered, but the story takes a different turn.  This second part (the After) is much shorter, the last three chapters, and that might be why I was taken aback.  This Nyx is easier to like and much braver.  Ignifex is weaker and we don’t get to spend any time with him to even get to know him. 

Astraia is Nyx’s twin sister and it seems like the only purpose for her being in the story is for Nyx to have someone to hate.  Nyx’s father and aunt were horrible as well (at least Before) and expected Nyx to figure out how to defeat the Gentle Lord and fix everything, even though it was an impossible task. These are very minor characters because

The setting is weird.  Most of the story takes place while Nyx is inside the castle.  True to the B&B story, it is enchanted and changes all the time.  Another similarity is the mirror that Nyx uses to look to the outside. The world building is good and heavily based on Green mythology. The writing is straightforward and easy to read.

Overall, I enjoyed Cruel Beauty, but unfortunately I didn’t love it.  I’ll still read the next book settled in this universe and hope that they improve with time. 

Some quotes for you:

“If you start wondering how this house works, you'll likely go mad. That could be amusing, I suppose. Especially if it's the kind of madness that causes you to run naked through the hallways. Do feel free to indulge in that anytime.”

“You deserve all that and more. It made me happy to see you suffer. I would do it all over again if I could." I realized I was shaking as the words tumbled out of me. "I would do it again and again. Every night I would torment you and laugh. Do you understand? You are never safe with me." I drew a shuddering breath, trying to will away the sting of tears.

He opened his eyes and stared up at me as if I were the door out of Arcadia and back to the true sky. "That's what makes you my favorite." He reached up and wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb. "Every wicked bit of you.”

“Why is he scared of the dark?"

I meant the words for a joke, but Shade nodded seriously. "Like all monsters. Because it reminds him of what he truly is".”

About the cover:  It’s gorgeous, and one of the things that had me reading the book in the first place. The roses have a very deep meaning in the Beauty and the Beast story, but not so here.  Also, the spiral stairs emphasize the confusion of the ever-changing castle. 

Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott (Fire & Flood #1)

Title: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Publisher: Scholastic

Release date: February 25^th, 2014

Source: ARC

Format: Paperback

Genre: ?

Age group: Young adult

Grade rate: A

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own.
Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

My Review

Wow, that was a wild ride! It is not secret that I love Scott’s Collector’s series (*waves at Dante*) and this new series is just as amazing, but in a very different way.  I loved Fire & Flood!

Let me first start by telling you that this book can be best described as a mix between “The Hunger Games” (the ‘game’ part) and Pokemon.  You’re probably shaking your head in confusion right about now, but have no fear, ‘cause I would never lead you astray.  Let me explain a little bit more:  There is a game being played with the ultimate prize, The Cure, and the Contenders can only be helped by their engineered animal companions.  The plot, as you can see, it’s incredibly good.  It is full of action, mystery, trilling adventure, and even romance.  That’s why I couldn’t figure out what genre did it fall under (you might have noticed the question mark above.)

On to the characters.  Tella is awesome!  She’s completely ignorant (as most of the Contenders are) about what the heck is going on.  Even though she is uncertain and afraid, she has compassion, loyalty, empathy and not only a desire to live, but to see his brother well.  Her family tried to keep this from happening, but it seems there’s like a pact of silence going on. Being on Tella’s mind is a trip!  She is snarky, cynical, and very girly; even if she can be that way during the Bleed.

Guy (appropriate name, right?), is good at survival and many other things, except talking that is. Gosh! It felt like talking to Guy was like talking to my oldest son, like forcing the words out with a spoon. BUT, when he does talk, you better listen.  He became the default leader of an unlikely group of allies. Guy knows a lot more than anyone else, and thankfully he is sharing that knowledge with Tella. I can’t wait to see how Tella and Guy’s relationship develops next.

I won’t go over all the characters because it will take a while and you will know them soon enough, because I assume that this glorious recommendation will have you running to the store to buy the book.  I will, however, tell you that there are a lot of them, good, and bad; crazy and sane; amazing and horrible.  The bullies are atrocious, cruel and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of them.

The animals (called Pandoras), are so different. They intend to protect, defend and help their Contenders.  The trick is that the Contenders don’t know what they can do or what they are capable off. You would think that would be it more fun, but indeed, it’s quite frustrating.  Madox, I’m a big fan of yours!  We have quite a diversity of animals and things they can do.  Scott has a BIG imagination.

The writing, like always is easy to read, intense, funny and snarky. In summary: Fire & Flood is a trilling book full of awesomeness. I cannot wait for the second book and conclusion to this duology!

Some quotes for you:

“I lean my head back and reinspect my reflection, try to see things in a new light. With curls trimmed close to my head and a roguish green-and-blue feather dangling over my right shoulder, I decide I just might seem like someone who would enter a daring race – and win.”

“…It gets cooler at night, and for some reason, my skin is doing something funky that worsens in the evening…It freaks me out to no end, but I can’t tell what the issue is.  I think maybe I’m allergic to walking this much.”

“Okay, I’m going to ask it”, Ransom says. “How much friggin’ farther do you think base camp is from here?”

“Forever,” Levi answers, one hand on his ram’s curled horn. “It’s forever from here. That’s what it feels like anyway.”

About the cover: I guess the title, Fire & Flood, mean the first two environments (desert and rain forest) in the race.  The feather might be the one Tella wears on her hair, but is not the right color. The cover though, does little for me. 

Review: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Release date: October 9th 2012 by Hyperion

Source: Purchased

Format: Paperback

Age group: Young adult

Genre: Contemporary

Reviewer: Arianne

Grade rate: A-

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility. As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

I absolutely adored the premise of Time Between Us the second I heard it. Okay, so it is a little bit The Time Traveller’s Girlfriend, but it’s a confident and assured debut that promises more great things from its author in the future.

The year is 1995 and sixteen-year-old Anna just wants to see what lies beyond the confines of snowy Chicago. She wants to get out and see the world, but foreign travel is expensive, and unlike most of her private school friends, she doesn’t have that kind of money.

While Anna dreams of exploring new frontiers, Bennett is struggling just to stay in one place. He’s a time traveller and he should never even have crossed paths with Anna in the first place – but he’s stuck on the wrong timeline, searching desperately for something he’s lost.

Time Between Us is fabulously people-centric. The characters bring the story to life as if they’re the trunk of a tree, with the plot and setting merely notches in the bark and leaves on the branches around them. These are characters who are here to stay. They’re built from the ground up, most evidently in the case of our time-travelling hero Bennett. He instantly brought to mind Graham Larkin from This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith – whole-hearted, noble and just a little bit angry. 

Anna’s long-time friend Justin is cut from similar cloth, but his distinct personality and love for music ensure we remember him far beyond the few scenes in which he gets a starring role. Anna’s dad is a surprisingly memorable and welcome addition to the cast, adding the kind of funny, comfortable, realistic parental presence some YA stories lack.

It’s unfortunate that the female leads of Time Between Us take longer to warm to. It’s rare to see a clear difference in the quality of characters running along the gender divide, but this is one occasion where the guys are definitely written better than the girls. Anna has all the makings of a great narrator – a desire to be independent, a lifelong dream, a passion that takes hard work and dedication, a strong sense of identity. I loved all those things about her, but she lacked the resonance that should have helped her cross the narrator-reader barrier. She felt very real to me, but she never inhabits the reader’s consciousness in the way that all the best young adult protagonists do. She changes her mind a lot, reacts to plot events in odd ways and at some points becomes very demanding, manipulating those around her, especially Bennett - for example, forcing him to time-travel and change past events with her, even though taking such a risk would come at great personal cost to the boy she’s supposed to be in love with. 

Emma is even worse. I love best friend characters in books, but Emma’s so entirely false I just couldn’t bring myself to like her. She’s brash and catty, often hateful as well as hurtful, and I just didn’t see what she brought to the book, besides a shiny car to ferry Anna to and from their high school in. Among some of the other school-based characters, too, there was a lack of true friendship – I found myself wishing Anna and Justin could hang out more to his full, true best friend potential.

Once you move past the stereotypical high school environment, however, the other locations are fantastic. From rock-climbing in a nearby state to the beaches of La Paz and the remote villages of Italy, Time Between Us is an incredibly visual story, easily lending itself to scenes of adventure as well as romance.  

And with a romance like this, of course, comes the ever-present issue of insta-love. It’s more forgivable here as it comes hand in hand with the rather exclusive problem of one or both parties of the relationship knowing each other from a different time, place or life path, giving the author double the plot fiends to deal with. I would have liked to have seen a more  incisive style of romance between Anna and Bennett. I wanted them to have more in common, more fun, more passion, more wisecracking – just more, really. What they had was great, and I loved seeing them together, but they didn’t have that edge, that fire of compatibility that makes a YA couple totally unforgettable.

The plot of Time Between Us is very solid – there’s only one piece of backstory that lets it down. Bennett’s description of his time-travel experience was, well, not very believable. Trying to will himself somewhere like a pint-sized superhero and it spontaneously, ridiculously, actually working?! It’s a sketchy story at best and at worst, throws up a whole host of unhappy questions (including "So if he’d never thought to shut his eyes and magically teleport himself somewhere else, would he never have discovered his affinity for time travel?!") This lack of plausibility – never thought I’d use that word in a review of a book about time travel, but if the shoe fits – particularly when it came to the perplexingly abrupt end of the Brooke storyline, disappointed me a little. 

Thankfully, Anna’s decisive and inspirational choices in the late stages of the book redeemed the negatives of the novel for me. It’s a rare occurrence, but an appropriate reminder that sometimes, sticking with a book even if you have your doubts can be wonderfully worthwhile. It’s such a warm and heartfelt story; it’s comforting and friendly, perfect for a stress-free evening of reading. 

In short: Time Between Us was one of the first books I read in 2014, and I couldn’t have picked a better YA read to start the new year with. From the second I turned the first page, it felt warm and familiar, reassuring and solid – like an old friend I never knew I had. It’s downsides are still worth noticing, but the book as a whole is still worth reading, too.

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Published: December 31^st, 2013 by Viking

Source: Purchased

Format: eBook

Genre: Romance

Group age: Adult

Grade rate: A-

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane. Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that. What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

My Review

Oh my goodness!  This book should come with a warning or at least a book of tissues!  Now I need to tell you why I think this book was full of pure awesomeness.

I read this book during my winter vacation, while I was in Puerto Rico, and thus my whole family got to see me with red, swollen after I finished it.  This, my dear readers, is a sure sign that this was a great story.  What’s so great, you ask?  Everything!

I loved these characters, most specially Lou.  It is always so good to see so much character growth within the pages of a story.  Lou has settled for everything in life, her job, her love life, family dynamics, and her beliefs.  That all changes (eventually) when she meets Will.  Even though Will can barely move physically, he manages to induce joy, awareness, and much needed change in Lou.  It is so nice to see the interactions and the banter between the two of them.

Poor Will.  Prior to the accident, he was so active and he had such a fulfilling and amazing life that he just couldn’t adjust to life after the accident.  Nevertheless, it brought him a clearer understanding of what means to fully live life. I think that’s why he saw Lou’s potential and it bothers him to see how even though she’s whole, she wastes her life by conforming to what others think of her and limiting her potential.  The overall character development is really good.

The plot is so good and unexpected.  I have to say that while I was reading, I kept wishing for a miracle, for that magic pill or at least for Will’s attitude towards life to change.  I truly understand his decision, but it doesn’t make it any easier to accept.  The writing is easy to read, funny, quirky and so insightful and heart felt.  Me Before You is the first book I’ve read by Moyes and it will not be the last. It is a true gem.

To recap, Me Before You, is a story of finding inner strength, finding a purpose and not settling in life.  It’s a story of reaching out to the sky and grabbing what you want.  It’s a story of knowing when to let go.

About the cover:  This cover really doesn’t to a lot for me, it’s probably the reason why it took me so long to read the book in the first place.