Review: Thrall by Jennifer Quintenz

Little side note. i read tis book past summer and thought I had already posted the review - now i realized, i haven't. I'm so, so sorry for that - especially because I received the e-copy from the author herself :/

Goodreads synopsis:
Braedyn is a normal girl just trying to survive high school with her two devoted friends, Royal and Cassie. Together they’re doing a pretty good job of shrugging off the slings and arrows cast their way by the popular crowd when a new boy, Lucas, moves into the house next door. Suddenly Braedyn finds herself falling in love for the first time.

But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu - and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas. 
As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act. Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes.


REVIEW:

No fan of Paranormal Romance? Totally fed up with insta-love, whiny femtale characters who seem to die over the fact that loving some weird paranormal creature might end with their early deaths, even though they really, really can't even breathe without said creature?
Well, Thrall is the book for you. And thankfully also, the book for everyone who loves to read what I described above.

I normally try to tiptoe my way around Paranormal Romance. I didn't love Twilight, Hush Hush, Evernight - you name it. I decided to read Thrall because the premise sounded so fantastically good and I was curious about the kind of paranormal being we have to deal with: the Lilitu.

I liked Thrall from the beginning. It started at a school dance and we see Breadyn as a totally normal high school girl, but a few pages, in the first weird incident happens and from pretty much then on I was constantly wondering how things would go on and why this and that happened.

Its fast pace is one of the best elements of Thrall. Honestly, you can't put it down and take a breath, because there were happening dangerous things all the time! And the author managed to set up a cliffhanger at the end of almost every chapter.

Thrall also scored big on the romance part. True, Lucas (did you notice how many love interests are named Lucas lately???) and Braedyn could have taken it a bit slower especially because they weren't even allowed to be together, but the book is rather short, so I can forgive how fast their romance developed. Anyway, the point is, even though they started falling for each other life didn't stop there. Oh no, the action went on, even picked up on pace and Anna was never once the whiny helpless accessory of the oh-so-strong love interest. I loved how they were both capable to save their own lives (most of the time).

Okay, before this review gets too long I need to add one or two things I didn't like as much:
Especially in the beginning I found that the author rushed the dialogue and the emotions of everyone a bit. I think Anna accepted what she was too fast and her dad suddenly held a whole monologue on how she was still the same person she was a day ago and then Lucas gets way emotional, too and everything is dealt with so fast. What I want to say is, the dialogue sometimes felt stiff and set up. The other thing: I hate long epilogues. And the epilogue in Thrall was very long and very much like an enumeration of how things continued in the book. I didn't like that.

All in all, Thrall was a great book - which is particularly awesome because normally I don't like Paranormal Romance at all!!

MINI Review: Hide and Seek by Sara Shepard

MINI REVIEW:

The forth installment of the The Lying Game Series was just as creepy as the first three books, although I have to say that at some points I got a bit fed up with all the random suspicions that made Emma freak just until she noticed the person she thought killed her sister - ooops - couldn't have done it. The major plot twist at the end made up for it, though, as I absolutely didn't see THAT one coming and am now on the edge of my seat again.

The romance in the book was a tiny little bit annoying, too. That constant back and forth between Thayer and Ethan made me skim a few passages here and there because it got boring, but the girly aspect (aka detailed description of outfit, designer, brand, perfume everyone was wearing) and the way the girls supported each other as friends made it up for me.

All in all, Hide and Seek is a guílty pleasure novel for me - not exactly brilliant, but fun!

Have you ever read a Lying Game novel? Or Pretty Little Liars? Are you as addicted as I am? Or do you think they get repetitive?

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Goodreads Summary:
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.
In her most emotionally wrenching, lyrically written book since the multiple-award-winning Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

Release Date: March 19th, 2009
Series?no
Pages: 278
Publisher: Viking Juvenile


LONG STORY SHORT:

This is a book on a very difficult topic which makes it very difficult for me to write a review for it. I have to say I didn't love Wintergirls. Of course, it's not possible to enjoy a book like that but I also didn't love the way the topic was presented. I would say you can read it and you will probably be satisfied and many people liked it quite a lot, but I hope to find a book that tackles the topic of anorexia a bit better than this one did.

REVIEW:

I won this book in a Giveaway, but I could  choose which one I wanted to receive and I decided it should be Wintergirls because I've heard so much praise for Laurie Halse Anderson and especially this book that I wanted to check it out.

I have to say I was disappointed. I mean I raced through Wintergirls in one setting but that was more because I wanted to know how everything would turn out. You know, like you stay in the hospital to find out if your friend is recovering. I didn't read it in one sitting because of the writing style or the plot or the characters or anything, really.

As far as the characters go - yes, they are realistic. That's what I'm always looking for in characters - usually. But I just didn't warm up to Lia - not one bit. She was a stranger to me until the end. The fact that we got to know about her past in flashbacks did not change that. I mean, it showed me how the eating disorder evolved, how she got into the mess she found herself in. But I didn't know Lia as a person. She always seemed to be driving around with her car, without any reason.

That made the plot a fail for me, too. It was already very slow, not much happening, many thoughts. But then there were the flashbacks thrown in too and while I found some of those very important - some also were completely pointless.

When she started seeing Cassie it was too much for me. I felt like there were too many issues Lia had to face to put into one book and some things were clearly missing for me.

And then there was that guy. One word: weird.

All in all, I think this book was okay but I was hoping for a lot more. I thought I'd cry or maybe at least be so involved in the story, feel sorry for Lia, but  Wintergirls just didn't affect me the way I expected it would.

Review: Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Goodreads synopsis:

Everyone has something, someone, somewhere else that they’d rather be. For four high-school seniors, their goals of perfection are just as different as the paths they take to get there. Cara’s parents’ unrealistic expectations have already sent her twin brother Conner spiraling toward suicide. For her, perfect means rejecting their ideals to take a chance on a new kind of love. Kendra covets the perfect face and body—no matter what surgeries and drugs she needs to get there. To score his perfect home run—on the field and off—Sean will sacrifice more than he can ever win back. And Andre realizes that to follow his heart and achieve his perfect performance, he’ll be living a life his ancestors would never have understood.
Everyone wants to be perfect, but when perfection loses its meaning, how far will you go? What would you give up to be perfect? A riveting and startling companion to the bestselling Impulse, Ellen Hopkins's Perfect exposes the harsh truths about what it takes to grow up and grow into our own skins, our own selves


Release Date: September 13, 2011
Pages: 622 (Hardcover)
Series? #2
Publisher: Margeret K. Mc Elderry Books

REVIEW:

Perfect is the sequel or companion to Impulse. What surprised me and what I really liked was how it was set at the same time as Impulse, featuring other characters. Among others, Conner's sister Cara and their family and his ex-girlfriend Kendra and her family.

Perfect was in many ways different from Impulse. For one, it didn't take place in a mental facility, but in a small town where the four characters lived.
With that came the aspect of what I'd call a bit more "normal" than Impulse. Although the four characters all struggle with something, most of the time the pressure of being perfect, the majority of them does not have to look back on a truly disturbing childhood.

Which then again, doesn't mean that they are a bunch of happy kids. Kendra has to deal with anorexia in this book, Cara finds herself in a family where noone really cares about anything concerning her - apart from her academical success maybe. Andre has trouble deciding if he should follow his parents' expectations or decide for himself what he wants to do with his life and Sean chooses the wrong way to get where he wants to be.

All these problems, though, felt a bit more identifiable to me, because I think the light versions are what every teen has to go through.
Another reason I could identify with the stories was, of course, again Hopkin's amazing writing style that transports you directly into the characters' skin and lets you become a part of the story.

All in all I think Perfect was another great, deep Ellen Hopkins novel. I'd recommend reading Impulse first, although if you think the stories in Impulse are more than you could handle, it might be a good decision to read Perfect first, because as I said I find it to be a little bit easier to read.

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Goodreads synopsis:

Sometimes you don't wake up. But if you happen to, you know things will never be the same. Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide. Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade. Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills. And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself. In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each other's help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

Release Date: January 23, 2007
Pages: 688 (Hardcover)
Series? #1
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderrry Books

LONG STORY SHORT:

Impulse didn't surprise me as I was told how brilliant it is so many times before. Nevertheless, I surely couldn't put it down and have to say I admire the author for writing such a deep, sad, disturbing story and creating three very realistic, likeable characters.

 REVIEW:

I was told so many times how Ellen Hopkins was brilliant and a genius and other awesome things so I thought it was about time for me to try her books. I must say, it overwhelmed me. In every way possible.

First of all, it was brilliant. I had to get used to the verse writing, but it didn't take me that long and after a couple of pages it wasn't a problem at all. What makes Hopkins so brilliant, I believe, is her ability to form those incredible three-dimensional characters. They seem so real and the further you read the more you get the feeling that you know them like you'd know real friends.

Also, some authors have a talent of displaying nothing but true life on their pages - and  that's what Hopkins does, too. Sometimes, good things happen. Another time, bad things happen - and you can never predict it because that's just how life goes.

I noticed before I read Impulse that none of Hopkin's books featured light and easy subjects and Impulse doesn't, either. It's set in Aspen Springs, a clinic for teens who struggle with all kinds of mental diseases or drug abuse or other really bad issues. The good thing is that the three characters we take a closer look on in Impulse all seemed weird to me at first and I was a bit frightened to know how they got themselves in the situation they were in - but then their stories were so unique and suddenly made me understand them in a way I never thought I would. Hopkins did a wonderful job here on creating troubled teenagers AND showing the reader what they are like on the inside.

Then again, that's also what I struggled with. After I finished Impulse I did need a little reading break just to get my mind off of the problems and issues the teens faced. Now, I  think that it's important to read about heavy stuff like this from time to time. I can say for myself that it gave me the impulse to look at things from another angle - or to look at things at all, really, but everyone should decide for themselves if they feel ready to read about these kind of things or not.

All in all, Impulse was a fantastic novel all around and I would recommend it to everyone who thinks he or she can handle issues like abuse, violence or cutting.

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh

Goodreads synopsis:

In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots. 
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone. 
The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes. 
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race. 
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what. And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.



Release Date: July 24, 2012
Pages: 388 (Paperback)
Series ? #1
Publisher: Create Space

LONG STORY SHORT:

Whispers in Autumn sounded good from the premise, the cover is plain beautiful and the beginning of the book convinced me that it must be epic. Well, a little bid closer to the middle I wasn't so sure anymore. I certainly liked the world building and the overall story idea, but it lacked uniqueness, suspense and plot for me.

REVIEW:

Whispers in Autumn totally had me in after I read the synopsis. The whole idea of including seasons and the elements and season-travelling into a dystopian novel sounded so original to me that I had to read it!

I was a bit disappointed, though.
I liked this book in the beginning, when the reader was introduced to the story, this whole new dystopian world. The concept of who ruled the world was very different from everything I've ever read before, but then the how was very ... unoriginal.

Whispers in Autumn reminded me a lot of Matched with the daily routine everyone has to follow and the food that's served in just the right amount and the exercise everyone has to get and how the government chooses your job for you and how Althea had to pretend she was like everyone else while she was clearly not.
The elements that could've been original - as I said the story of how the US became what it is in Whispers in Autumn or who the government really was - ended up being a blur to me. Nothing was really, clearly explained, everything came in bits and pieces that somehow made sense and somehow didn't.
What I was missing, as well, was really fast action. I mean there were a lot of incidences that increased the suspense, very crazy things happened to people and in general, but throughout the whole book there was never that moment when my hands begin to shake and I can't put the book down because there is a very bad fight or a life-saving escape or something.
The story just goes on, the situation gets kinda dangerous, the government is sorta suspicious and the time is somewhat running out for the kids.
And then the book ends and leaves us guessing what will happen next and I'm not sure yet if I want to find out.

Don't get me wrong, though. In retrospect Whispers in Autumn lacked a lot of things for me, but in general I enjoyed reading the book and it was pretty short, so that I would recommend it to people who really liked Matched and who don't need a lot of action in their dystopias.

Review: Marked by Kristin Cast and P.C Cast

Goodreads synopsis:
The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire -- that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends


Release Date: May 1, 2007
Pages: 306 (Paperback)
Series? #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

LONG STORY SHORT:
Despite all the hype I haven't read any House of Night book yet and I wasn't even planning to do it, because
a) I usually don't care that much for vampyres
b) the whole thing seemed very fake to me
It was. Kind of fake, I mean. But in a good, enjoyable way.
So if you're able to ignore certain elements that may not be as unique in this book and are up to a light, entertaining story, I'd recommend you pick up Marked!

REVIEW:
I've heard a lot of things about the House of Night Series,but given my relatively short time of blogging, only about the latest installments and it all went pretty much like "It' s my guilty pleasure series" or "I only read it because I want to know what happens next".
But I mean there had to be reason why the series sky-rocketed in the first place so I needed to start reading it and the first book just had me in me after a few pages.

The protagonist is pretty hilarious. And by pretty I mean, very snarky and sarcastic - it's just a bit too much sometimes, there were passages I didn't find very teenager-authentic. However, the narrator is actually a plus because the book just never gets boring.

The set-up kind of feeling - sadly - joined me throughout the whole book. Zoey's situation at home and at school was cliche most of the time, the setting - especially the House of Night setting seemed just too perfect for me to be true.

Leaving all of this behind let's focus on why I am addicted to this series now:
First of all - boarding school. I'm a sucker for boarding schools, always have been! And as soon as you forget that the House of Night is way too stereotypical and unrealistic it becomes the best school you could think of! I wanna have Zoey's classes and her room and the cafeteria and their mini kitchen and all that stuff!! Also, her group of friends is way cool and not even as cliche as you would think they were.

And then, there is of course the suspense. That feeling that you just don't know who to trust. It drives me crazy and is the main reason why I need to have the second book! And the third! And all the others.

So, overall Marked is not a brilliant high-fantasy novel. But it sure comes with a ton of magical boarding school fun!

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Goodreads synopsis:

A novel set mostly in Afghanistan. The introverted and insecure afghan narrator, Amir, grows up in Afghanistan in the closing years of the monarchy and the first years of the short-lived republic. His best and most faithful friend, Hassan, is the son of a servant. Amir feels he betrays Hassan by not coming to his aid when Hassan is set on by bullies and furthermore forces Hassan and his father Ali to leave his father´s service. Amir´s relatively privileged life in Kabul comes to an end when the communist regime comes to power and his extrovert father, Baba emigrates with him to the U.S. There Amir meets his future afghan wife and marries her. Amir´s father dies in the U.S. and Amir receives a letter from his father´s most trusted business partner and, for a time, Amir´s surrogate father, which makes Amir return, alone, to a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan in search of the truth about himself and his family, and finally, a sort of redemption.

Pages: 371 (Paperback)
Release Date: April 27, 2004
Series? No
Publisher: Riverhead Books

LONG STORY SHORT:

This was a truly outstanding novel. The writing style was pure, true, honest. The plot felt real, as sad and as happy and lucky as real life. The characters were well-rounded and most of the time likeable. Even the really evil ones had a history that explained why they acted the way they did. You can't really break it up like that, though. The Kite Runner is simply amazing.

REVIEW:
I got this book for my birthday from my aunt who is truly obsessed with it - and now I am, too. I pretty much expected to develop that weird forced-to-read-and-like it feeling I always get whenever I'm supposed to read an adult book or a classic or any kind of school reading assignment.

I can't even say what I loved most about this book. The round-up characters or the plot that was just so realistic. I could never guess how things turned out because - like in real life - things always went their own way and the characters just had to deal with it. Whenever I was sure the author would lead them a certain way, the story took a totally different turn, because of something that happened in politics or because of someone's personality - it was so unpredictable! I felt like I was told a true story.

I said it before, but the characters were very real, as well. Like the plot, it seemed like they were real people living their life as I was reading about them. Although I liked how the characters - especially the main character - weren't flawless sometimes I found that fact was pointed out by him a bit much, but that's really not relevant in comparison to the awesomeness that was this book.

All in all, I'd recommend this book to everyone. There's just one thing I'd like to mention: Usually I only review YA books and this is not YA. I am seventeen and I found this book quite heavy sometimes. There is violence in it and if you're younger you should definitely talk about this book with your parents or librarian or someone else who can decide if this book is for you.

Summer Reading Review: Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Goodreads Summary:

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.









Pages: 290
Series? No
Release Date: June 1, 2009

LONG STORY SHORT:

Twenty Boy Summer had me in on the first page! Characters who could not only be the boy or girl next door, but whom I'd also love to have as my best friends had to deal with the death of a very important person - but even more - with growing up and saving a friendship from the effects of that process - wonderful story, the perfect feel - good novel!


REVIEW:

I'm sorry, Sarah Dessen. I was convinced there would never be something or someone to rob you the number one spot in my reading heart. I'm sorry, I was wrong...
Well, not quite. I still love Sarah Dessen's writing, but I would say Sarah Ockler is the first contemporary writer that I adore just as much. Their ways of telling a story are rather different, I guess, but both amazing.

I was very worried to start Twenty Boy Summer because I luckily have never lost someone close to me and my problem with grief books is that I usually don't get them, I can't identify with them.
I didn't have to worry, though. Twenty Boy Summer brought a smile on my face on the very first page and that smile revisited throughout the whole book.
Anna, the main character, had a great personality but also found herself in the middle of growing into her own person and making her own decisions.
As was Frankie, Anna's best friend. She just tried to find herself in a totally different way. That growing-of age part of the novel especially appealed to me because both characters were described so realistically. I think most teens could identify with either the rather quiet, thoughtful Anna or the rebellious and wild Frankie.

Realistic is also what I'd call the conflict the two girls had to work out. I mean, not all of us have to deal with overcoming the death of a brother and best friend, but the tension between the childhood friends, Anna's worries about keeping something from her best friend for the first time in her life and how her secret will affect the rest of their lives and their friendship - I think most girls go through that phase sooner or later.

The boys in this book...came rather random, I think. They were more of an accessory, necessary for the story, but they kept appearing and disappearing whenever they were needed without really playing an important role.
Much more important were the parents - especially Frankie's and that's also where I have to criticize a bit. I really would have liked to see if and how Frankie can solve the problems with her parents.

All in all, though, Twenty Boy Summer is a really great coming-of age story with excellent funny, emotional writing written by an author who - I would assume - definitely knows how teens feel :)

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: The Eyes of the Desert Sand by Edwin Wolfe

Goodreads Summary:

How many parents would believe their thirteen year old son who told them that two vampires and a hooded stranger had tried to abduct him? Strange thing is, young Ethan Fox is convinced his parents, George and Betsy do believe him. Could it have something to do with the mysterious poem he wrote in his sleep? Or maybe it has something to do with his past, the past he cannot remember before his eighth birthday. Something strange is afoot, and it is about to turn Ethan’s world upside down.While vacationing with his parents, to get away from the crazy events of the previous two weeks, Ethan encounters a young girl named Haley Hunt who he is strongly drawn to… and the feeling is mutual. Together, Ethan and Haley are lured to The Residence, home of the Caretakers, an organization of intelligent beings sent to earth to nurture the human race and protect them from un-earthly influences.Armed with special abilities, including the power to evolve any earthly creature, the Caretakers take in their unexpected guests. They have been watching young Ethan Fox, and are curious as to why the Grimleavers, their mortal enemy on earth, would want to abduct a young human child. Together, Ethan and Haley journey to magical worlds, make new friends, and help the Caretakers unravel the stories greatest mysteries. Along the way, they learn that the Caretakers have been here since the beginning of human history and have played a key role in shaping human lore. In their world, vampires, werewolves, trolls, and even Medusa herself really do exist but have been kept hidden from the human world around them. Ethan is the key as they ultimately discover the Grimleavers true intentions, to unlock the four portals to the elemental worlds of the Chrysalis.

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Release Date: January 11, 2012
Series? The Chrysalis Chronicles #1

LONG STORY  SHORT:

This book is just absolutely cute and sweet. Then again, it also is a very well thought - out fantasy story. I'd recommend you read it if you're up to something a bit different, funny and if you don't mind younger characters in YA all that much.

REVIEW:

I didn't know what to expect with The Eyes of the Desert Sand. Just by cover and synopsis I guessed it would be targeted towards a slightly younger audience, maybe thirteen year olds and I think I was right with that. This might have to do with the main character's age as well.

What I didn't expect was that this book would make me smile on almost every page. And it wasn't even particularly funny in dialogue or anything. It's just that the author did a wonderful job with world building. All the different creatures and settings and devices she invented were so easy but at the same time fantastical and magical and just very, very sweet.
The story itself was slightly predictable but somehow still original.
The writing, I suppose, could've been a bit more fluent and the dialogue was a bit stiff at times, but that was not a big matter to me.
But it's really not about the details with The Eyes of the Desert Sand - it's about the world you enter, those tiny little details that are so weird. It definitely reminded me of the fairytales I loved when I was younger.

All in all, I guess I'd recommend this book to a younger audience or to older people who don't mind reading a book that is a bit simpler, a bit lighter and just ... innocent :)

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads Summary:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined

Release Date: August 7, 2012
Series? Yes! #1
Pages: 416 (Hardcover)



LONG STORY SHORT:

If this was school and I was the teacher and had to grade Throne of Glass it would get an A- from me and I'd smile, pat the book on the shoulder and say "Very well done." Or - to sound a bit less freakish - I'd tell the author that. Because Throne of Glass is just that: very well done. Realistic, developed and developing characters, well figured-out plot, interesting relationships, one or two fabulous twists and a showdown ending. The only thing that's missing is the blow that throws me off my feet.

REVIEW:

Throne of Glass is a great fantasy story that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. Although the main character, Celeana was a bit strange to me at first I liked her more and more the further the story went, the more I got to know the character and her history and the more of her personality was revealed. Celeana is incredibly strong, has her own opinion on things but on the other hand shows this girly side that makes her love puppies and everything that has to do with fancy dresses and balls and all that good stuff.

I know that many people were let down a bit by the love interests in this book and their lack of personality and development and I must say, thinking back now I get what they mean. The guys really just appeared, had their scene and left it and didn't really show any flaws or edges or anything. They were a bit flat, I'll admit that, but the thing is I didn't even notice because I fell in love with one of them (okay, Dorian) immediately and was concerned about nothing but their happy ending throughout the rest of the book.

Anyway, if there is a happy ending you have to find out yourself and I highly recommend you do, because Throne of Glass is the kind of book that you might not keep thinking of days after you finished it, but you definitely are sad to leave the characters and move on to another story.

All in all, if all this hasn't got you convinced just yet, let me tell you the finale is the bomb as I couldn't put the book out of my hands until I knew how it ended. Oh, and the plot twists that totally caught me by surprise? One more reason to read Throne of Glass.

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Summer Reading Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Goodreads Summary:

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.
Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.
Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.



LONG STORY SHORT:
If you find yourself kneeling in front of a bookshelf in your favorite bookstore on the hottest day of summer trying to find just one, single book that fits the weather and your exhausted - because boiling - brain cells you should pick this book up. And I promise you will devour it, forget the energy your brain needs to come up with to read and even let the pool wait for hours :) If - for any reason - you don't find yourself in the midst of summer right now you might not be able to enjoy it as much, but nonetheless Kody Keplinger wrote a fantastic novel here!

REVIEW:

This review is going to suck. I know it. Because from the very first pages of A Midsummer's Nightmare I had one sentence in my mind that this review should be based on. I read on and added thought after thought to this one sentence...I wanted to say how much I loved Whitley's dad's new family and their house and how welcoming they were and how Bailey's first steps in her teenager-shoes were described and how the dialogue was just so realistic and how everything could've happened just the way it did and - and this is the point! - I wanted to tell you guys that all these things would've made the novel perfect if it weren't for the main character and the fact that I could absolutely not stand her - and not relate to her at all.

Well...that was a silly thought for me to want to begin a review with. Because, you know what? Characters can grow. And Kody Keplinger not only knows how to make her characters grow and develop - she has the ability to make them grow on you!
For me that meant that throughout a huge part of the book I tried to ignore Whitley and her mean commemts and her stubborn attitude because I was convinced I hated her and that everything else in A Midsummer's Nightmare was totally awesome.
Until - all of a sudden - I couldn't deny it anymore. I liked Whitley. Or rather I liked the girl behind the facade, the girl that we got to see as soon as some people came into her life and ripped her mask off. Beneath I saw the great personality that she has and the good friend she can be.

To cut this short I must say: Even if Whitley and the voice with which she tells her story turn you off at first as they did turn me off - give her a chance and don't start hating her by page 3. Then again, you probably won't be able to put the book down anyway because the story just flows in front of you, never comes to a boring hold and especially during the second part I learned quite a lot of things about my life and the way I deal with  people and how a real parent should behave - AND I even found one thing - or rather a person - I really, honestly do not like. Whitley's dad. Even at the end (which - of course I won't spoil) I still hated him and probably wouldn't speak to him any more than necessary for the rest of my life.

All in all, I would suggest you buy this book as long as summer is still with us - I think this just screams hot weather and a pool or beach and it wouldn't be the same if you read it in winter :)

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Review: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Goodreads summary:

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.


LONG STORY SHORT:

This was a very good book. I read some reviews that suggested otherwise and I wouldn't put this on the same level with Divergent or Delirium, but it certainly was very enjoyable, suspenseful, gripping, interesting and sometimes even funny. And it made me think. Sometimes I found that there was a bit too much twisting and turning but the ending made up for that with its awesomeness.

REVIEW:

Glitch was one of the first NetGalley books that I got and I requested it back when I thought dystopia could be my new favorite genre. Well... I'm not so sure about that anymore which made me hesitate to finally read Glitch but now I'm really glad I did.

What I liked most about Glitch was probably the ending because I'm still thinking about it and I want to know how things turn out for Zoe and everyone else sooo badly. Glitch didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger - well it did, but the book itself had a satisfying ending so that's fine.

Other elements of Glitch that I loved? The beginning,because it raised my interest for Zoe's world immediately - I got through the first fifty pages like nothing. The plot itself was very cleverly done, I would say. Just when I felt like I was settling into the book there was the first big event that I needed to know the ending of. Then, when I thought things would quiet down for a while, there were new characters to get to know, romance to figure out - you get the gist.
Glitch is a book that won't let those slow, boring moments happen to you.

Apart from that, I liked that there was only a handful of characters that really mattered and that we got to know better. That made the story easy to understand. The author also did a fantastic job creating the main character, Zoe, and describing her first experiences with emotions and free thinking. The boys in this book? Woah, in the end I didn't know what or whom to believe anymore! Right now, though, I have a clear favorite!

On the downside, sometimes the plot was a bit too twisted for me. You know that point when you are like "I can't believe this just happened!!!" - I think it's very close to the moment when you think "Okay, this is completely unrealistic". Very close to the end I think the author crossed that line. I just started to find it annoying, though, when that epic ending came and here I am now desperately waiting for the sequel of a book that has just come out today :)

Summer Reading Review: Someone like you

Hey guys! Just a quick side note before you get your review: Some of you might have noticed that I post this Summer Reading on Wednesday instead of Monday. The simple reason is : I've got too many posts right now and I had to reorganize things a bit. Just to not confuse you: the rest of the Summer Reading is going to go up on Wednesdays now. 

Goodreads Summary:

Halley has always followed in the wake of her best friend, Scarlett. But when Scarlett learns that her boyfriend has been killed in a motorcycle accident, and that she's carrying his baby, she's devastated. For the first time ever, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it'll never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever.

LONG STORY SHORT:

Out of all the Sarah Dessen novels this is the funniest, most entertaining, roller - coaster like one I've read so far. If you need the feel - good novel with super likeable characters and a fast paced plot that ends with a wonderful message you have to go out there and buy this book right this second.

REVIEW:

I was very hesitant to start Someone Like You because the premise just didn't appeal to me at all. It seemed like this was so not where I am or ever was in my life - how am I supposed to identify with any of these characters???

How wrong was I? Someone like you was an awesome novel that I enjoyed from beginning to end. I can't even decide what I loved most...it was definitely fun! The main character was given a great voice but I think the unique side characters contributed to the fun factor as well. Halley's dad was awesome, his reluctance to come between the two women in his house is so realistic and somehow very cute. Apart from that, I really liked Halleys mom, too. She seems nice and caring and even though Halley just finds herself at a point where she stops seeing her mom like that - I still found Mrs. Cooke very sympathetic.

Scarlett is the best friend you'd wish for. She is another part of this novel that I really liked. She seems very ahead for her age anyway, but she still goes through a lot of character development. As does Halley. Again, we're talking about a rather short Sarah Dessen novel, but it features quite a long period of time. You might think those two wouldn't go together that well, but this way of building up the story lets the writer put emphasis on those important moments in life. I at least didn't miss those moments when a character just sits on the couch at night, having a glass of milk, thinking things through.

It's interesting how you see Halley make her experiences and comparing her personality at the beginning and the ending of the book.
Also, if you're like me and the premise made you think "Oh noooo, not a troubled teen novel with a bunch of endless, pointless discussions and unnecessary crying AGAIN", you're absolutely wrong! Someone like you is nothing like that!

All in all I'd say if other Dessen books were too slow for you or you found them boring you should definitely try Someone like you. I find that it's a lot more entertaining and a very quick read that I will probably pick up again not too far from right now.



Cover Comparison:

Okay, so I actually don't own any of these covers (purchased the British version again), but If I had to choose I'd go for the new one (on the left). I mean, it's not like any of these two covers had something to do with the story (at least I can't see it) but the new one looks way more modern and girly and all. And - let's be honest here - I'm a bit tired of almost every Sarah Dessen cover featuring a beach. Oh, well...not every one, but....you know....

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

 

Goodreads summary:


"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.


Pages: 384 (Hardcover
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Series? No


LONG STORY SHORT:

You will love this book. Trust me. You are going to want to be Echo's best friend, you are going to want to marry Noah or at least want Noah to marry Echo. The plot might seem a bit slow to you at first and you might feel guarded because this is another story about troubled teens, but trust me this book is so heart wrenching, the story so beautiful that you won't forget it in a long time.

REVIEW:

I requested Pushing The Limits from Netgalley because the story sounded interesting to me and because after all that Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy and Dystopia that I've read in spring, I needed a break, something different.

Oh my, how I got that break. Pushing The Limits caught me totally off guard - I didn't expect a story so difficult, I didn't think my heart would be in it as much as it was eventually. I fell in love with not one or two but all the characters, they felt so real!  It was hard for me - after I had finished the book - to just put it down and move on.

It's been a long time since I've felt the need to write fanfiction to a certain book or movie or anything but Pushing the Limits almost brought me to do it as I could not stop thinking about how Echo and Noah's story might go on.

Their relationship was so pure and developed in exactly the right pace. No rushed insta love, but the author didn't let the reader wait too long or brought in too many predictable hurdles along the way.

Noah and Echo alternate while telling the story which is a method that doesn't work with every book but with PTL it totally did! You could see both sides of the story, both their emotions towards things and - a big plus as well - Noah and Echo had their own very specific voices.

At last, I need to give some credit to MrsCollins - a very important side character that totally rocks and a shrink I'd love to have at my school, too. Together with her comes my last praise for this book: the humor that came through  from time to time - we actually had characters who didn't forget to laugh even in the darkest moments of life!

There's nothing more to say. Read this book, guys!

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties

Summer Reading Review What happened to Goodbye

Who is the real McLean? 
Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out. 
Combining Sarah Dessen's trademark graceful writing, great characters, and compelling storytelling, What Happened to Goodbye is irresistible reading.







LONG STORY SHORT:

What happened to Goodbye is one of those Sarah Dessen novels that I really like because of the identifying - element. I found the main character so relatable, I didn't have any problems understanding her emotions and why she acted the way she did. Also, I really enjoyed the setting in the story and the weird family constellations. This is a very cute read that I'd recommend for those who want a lighter Dessen - read, a bit different from books like Just Listen or Lock and Key.

REVIEW:

What Happened to Goodbye was my second Dessen - book after Lock and Key and I read it way before I started this blog. I think it was almost a year ago. What made me buy it was the synopsis, a girl that wakes up every few months, pretending to be a completely new person? That's what I've tried and failed to do for years and years!

Usually, in Sarah Dessen books I don't care for the guys that much. Especially in the ones I read more recently. I hated Dexter from This Lullaby, I couldn't really understand Sumner from That Summer...but for some reason I loved Dave. He was so cute and weird and awesome and so real - I couldn't stop smiling whenever he entered a scene.

Also, the friendships McLean makes during her last stay are so great. The people she meets - all so different and unique with great character traits and huge flaws! They're funny and nice and you want them to be your friends, too.

As for her family - it's difficult, no questions asked. She barely talks to her mom and there are some things she hasn't figured out with her dad, yet, but again the issues aren't that heavy. Of course, it's hard when your parents divorce after so many years and it might even be normal how McLean treats her mom after that but that's all problems that can be figured out, you know what I mean? She wasn't abandoned by her mom and noone in this book is dealing with depression or eating disorders which makes this book a bit more beach read for me.

I could go on and on about how much I loved What Happened To goodbye. I think it's even more so in retrospect because I remember all the fun characters and want to enjoy the story all over again.

At last I need to mention Dave's parents. They are hilarious.

All in all, I really liked What Happened to Goodbye and can only recommend it. It's based on a great idea and features awesome characters and of course - Sarah Dessen once again is able to display exactly what I believe most teens feel sometimes :)

As this book hasn't gotten a new cover (at least, that's what I think) I decided to compare the US cover with the UK cover (which I accidently bought).



Although I always try to buy the American covers (because...you know...I'm weird like that) this time I must say I'm glad I didn't pay more attention when I ordered the book. I feel like every Dessen book has a girl with an accessory on the cover so it's refreshing to have that British cover with all the colorful junk in the suitcase :)

RATING: 3 out of 3 Smarties!

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads summary:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

LONG STORY SHORT:
This book totally lived up to my expectations and everyone's raving reviews. The story was very unique - a dystopian fantasy kind of world with completely new "never seen before" story elements and creatures. The plot was gripping, fast paced. I couldn't put the book down. Very important for me: no over-the-top romance, but a few sparks flying in the sub-plots. I liked the main character Alina, too, who was very real and never your stereotypical heroine.

 REVIEW:
I don't think I have to explain why I wanted to read Shadow and Bone. Basically it was because everyone has been raving about it for months before it was even released...

...and they turned out to be right. I can honestly say that I haven't read such a good book in a while. The world Leigh Bardugo created was just so epic, detailed , so different from many other dystopian or fantasy worlds.
  
Shadow and Bone was fast - paced and although it involved a lot of traveling - which I actually don't like in books - it was never confusing or boring. I as a reader was able to feel the main character Alina's emotions, so that I felt more like a part of the story than like I was just reading it.

The characters. Oh my, the characters. They drove me insane at times because I never knew who had which intentions. It was a roller coaster! At some point I rooted for that person, then for that person. Just like Alina, I didn't know who to trust. In addition to that sometimes I felt like I wanted to trust someone just because they were so nice and caring although I knew better. 

The process of Alina's power revealing was very well done. I still find myself thinking about it. It was on the one hand explained with fantasy - elements and on the other hand it felt like a process we all have to go through at some point. Alina had to grow a bit as a person in order to go through that change and I love when dystopian or fantasy novels do not neglect the challenges every teen faces  - even if they're busy saving the world :)

All in all? Go read that novel. Now. Everyone.

Florence by Ciye Cho

Goodreads summary:
Seventeen-year-old Florence Waverley is out of her depth. Literally. Kidnapped and taken below the waves to the mer world of Niemela, she is the ultimate gift for merman Prince Kiren: a human familiar tied to his side. But nothing is what it seems amid the beauty and danger of a dark ocean.
Every Niemelan has a role to play, from the mermaids who weave towers out of kelp to the warriors who fight sea monsters. But in trying to survive, Florence will end up in the middle of a war between the mer and the Darkness. A conflict that will push her between two brothers: Kiren, the charmer inexplicably drawn to both her and the monsters; and Rolan, the loner who has been pushing her away since the day they met. But in order to take a stand--and find out where she belongs--Florence will have to risk it all: her life, her heart... and her very soul


Release Date: July 1st 2012
Pages: 336 (ebook format)
Series? No


LONG STORY SHORT:


If you should read the book depends on the question of what kinds of books you like to read and how much endurance you have. The world building and the descriptions in Florence were very well done and that certainly is important for a novel that is set almost exclusively under water. Then again, it also pretty much filled the first hundred pages and that was a big flaw to me. The ending of the book was suspenseful, but overall I was not too content with the story.

REVIEW:

I received Florence for review from the author and put it on top of my  TBR - pile because I'd never read a mermaid book and was really excited about this one. Also, I'd read an excerpt and found the writing style very enjoyable.

The writing really did not disappoint - I loved the detailed descriptions of Niemela and the thoughtful construction of the world and all the animals and how great I could picture the merfolk. No really, if it was just for the world building and also the setting descriptions I would've given the book a whole carton of smarties.

Unfortunately, though, there were quite a few aspects of this novel that I wasn't so excited about. One surprisingly - is the detailed descriptions. It was just too much. I felt like the first one hundred pages of two hundred were nothing but a big picture of Niemela - and while it was beautifully done - it bored me after some time because I had no idea if there was still a story to come or not.

When the story did come it was too late for me. By the time things got suspenseful I was at that point when you just want to be done with the book. Also, due to the amount of words that were spend on setting descriptions in the first part of the book I felt like the reader didn't get to know the main character, Florence, as good. She seemed very "pale" and a bit flat to me.

As I said, the speed picked up in the last fifty pages or so and the plot really went into an interesting direction. Eventually, there was a nice message and a cute little love story that rounded the book and made it a nice, but not breathtaking read for me.

All in all, I'd recommend this book for anyone who doesn't mind a low paced start when there's a well done ending. It's not a must-read but if you're looking for a mermaid book this is a nice one.

RATING: 2 out of 3 Smarties