Review: Meridian (Arclight, #2) by Josin L. McQuien

Meridian by Josin L. McQuien

Series: Arclight, #2
Release Date: May 27^th 2014
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books
Format: eGalley
Pages: 458
Genre: Young Adult – Science Fiction, Dystopia
Source: Edelweiss
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Marina thought that she had solved all of the Arclight’s mysteries. She had found her own history—that she was one of the Fade, that she never should have been human. She knows that the Fade who surround the Arclight don’t want to be the humans' enemies at all. She knows that the leader of those inside the Arc, Honoria Whit, never told the whole truth. But there is so much more that Marina is just discovering. There are more survivors out there. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they'd never known about—can lead her people to them. But there are also darker dangers, things that even the Fade fear. And Marina slowly realizes she may never have been “cured,” after all. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and the way nothing is ever that black and white.

*This is a review of the second book and it may contain spoilers.*

This book starts off where the first one left off. When I started the book I thought I remembered most of the first one but I quickly figured out that wasn’t true. There was a bit of a recap in the beginning but this is the one time that I wish there would have been a little more. I would recommend reading this second book close to when you read the first one to avoid this problem.

The chapters are between Tobin and Marina. Tobin has been having awful nightmares he thinks are associated with his healing at the end of the first book. Something is definitely not right with him. Marina on the other hand has quit taking her inhaler and is going on the two month mark for that. She still bleeds, and acts like a human, but Cherish is making herself stronger as time goes on.

The village currently has a sort of peace going on with the Fade and has allowed those that were lost to come back, including Tobin’s father. Marina seems to be the person right in the middle of everything, considering she started it all anyway. They still do their nightly rounds and have fixed the lights for the most part but they are pretty much uneventful. One person that has not been seen since the end of the first book is Rue, which made me sad. I am definitely one that is rooting for Rue. I would so rather see a story with him and Cherish than with Tobin.

The first half of the book is actually sort of slow, boring, and nothing really seems to happen. The second half gets better, action wise, so I would recommend pushing through if you aren’t enjoying it at the start. Overall though, not a lot happens. One thing you do get is a lot of back story with the older group of people which was something I enjoyed reading.  I believe this is now going to be a trilogy, even though it started out as a stand-alone. If this is true then this book seems to fall prey to the “second book syndrome”. I’m not sure how I would like to see the trilogy end but I’m hoping it gets better. There is nothing worse than starting out with a great first book and then going straight downhill.

I do really like McQuein’s writing even though this book wasn’t the best. There were definitely a few times I found myself marking quotes, which I NEVER do. (I would quote one here if my rabbit didn’t chew up my tablet charger.)

Am I going to continue with the series? Yes. Only because I really enjoyed the first one and I would like to see how it ends (or if she randomly decides to go with Rue!)

My Rating:

3.5/5 Stars

*This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R. Paulson

Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R. Paulson 

Release Date: November 30th 2013
Publisher: Captiva Publishing
Format: eBook
Pages: 265
Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary 

Source: Author
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

I killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him. And then… I killed again. And again.

At seventeen, I’m killing four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could cover in a lifetime.

Saying I did this on my own would be selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.

But the worst part of it all? I love him.

This book follows around Cassie, a preacher’s daughter. She hasn’t really done anything wrong in her life and she follows the Ten Commandments that have been drilled in her head. This all changes on the day that a group of kids show up at Cassie’s little getaway spot with not so good intentions. Her life takes a drastic turn when one of the boys in the group, Bobby, decides that he is going to take Cassie’s virginity and Cassie is too scared to do anything. Then Deegan comes to the rescue. This is where Cassie’s sick obsession of killing rapists and pedophiles comes into play.

The book goes through a few years of Cassie’s life. Starting at her first murder when she is 13 and ending at 21. I like books that jump ahead like that. It usually keeps the book going a little quicker. There wasn’t a bunch of filler stuff just to make the book longer. The fact that Cassie’s dad is a preacher only comes into play a couple times during the book. This is more to play on the stereotype that preacher’s daughters do no wrong.

Deegan and Cassie have a sick relationship that starts on the day of her first murder. Deegan is two years old that Cassie and I believe that she being 13 and he 15 makes a big difference. If you are a feminist you might not like this book because he is continually there to save her. Every time she puts herself in a bad situation she says that she wishes he would come rescue her. I think it would have been a little more exciting if she would have done a few more murders by herself. She does however become a little bolder, and psycho, as the story progresses.

The more she kills, the more she feels that she has too. She would do it every year on the anniversary of the first one and she also wanted a prize so she could remember them. These are like the perfect examples of a serial killer. Deegan fuels this inside of her because he urges her to get the things to remember her victims and helps her get into shape. She falls for him very quickly even though he stays away from as much as he can.

The fact that this book has a lot of talk about rape, and obviously murder, I would say it is definitely for more mature audiences even though the age of the characters fit in perfectly for young adult. I also feel that this book falls victim to the synopsis that gives away too much. It is however different than anything I have read, it seems pretty original with the vigilante take, and it is definitely fast paced because of the length.

I recommend it if you are into these types of books! 

My Rating:

(close to a 3/5 star)

 *I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

GIVEAWAY!

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{About the Author}

There are people who know a lot about a little, we’ll call them experts. Then there are people, like Bonnie, who don’t specialize, but rather gather information like pebbles in their pockets and drop them like Hansel & Gretel in the stories they write.

The question is, do you want to follow them back?

Certified as a Radiologic Technologist, Bonnie prefers a touch of medical in her storylines. Don’t be surprised if romance somehow runs through a hospital or comes in contact with a paramedic. It’s just how she rolls. And you know there's nothing more romantic than an 18 gauge needle poking your vein!

She and her Hubs delight in dirt biking, snowboarding, fishing, cooking, eating, spending time together and more with their adorable children.

Review: Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

Poor Little Dead Girls by Lizzie Friend

Release Date: November 29th 2013
Publisher: Merit Press
Format: ebook

Pages: 285
Genre: Young Adult – Mystery/ Thriller
Source: NetGalley
Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads

Perfect people aren't just born. They're made.

The first time she is blindfolded and kidnapped, star-athlete and posh boarding school newbie Sadie is terrified. She wakes up in a dark room surrounded by hushed whispers, hooded strangers, and a mysterious voice whispering not-so-sweet nothings in her ear.

But once the robes come off, she realizes it’s just an elaborate prank designed to induct her into the group that’s been pulling the strings at Keating Hall for generations. The circle has it all--incredible connections; fabulous parties; and, of course, an in with the brother society’s gorgeous pledges.

The instant popularity is enough to make Sadie forget about the unexplained marks on her body, the creepy ceremonial rituals, and the incident that befell one of her teammates the year before. So the next time Sadie is kidnapped, she isn’t scared, but she should be. The worst of Keating Hall is yet to come.

I went into this book without reading the synopsis and that made a big different to me. Not knowing why she was being abducted made a more suspenseful story. Because of that I am not going to talk about that part of the story, just in case there are other people that do the same thing as me.

This story follows around Sadie. She has received a full ride Lacrosse scholarship to Keanting Hall, a prestigious, all female, boarding school for the rich. She is very worried that she won’t fit in, but she feels it is a good change. This also almost guarantees she will get scouted and land a scholarship to college. Her dad had apprehensions on her attending this school because it is across the country from her home in Portland, Oregon. She is an only child and her mother passed away from suicide after being committed to a mental hospital. Dealing with her mother has left her family in major debt.

The school is very set on its rules, although with enough money, who needs rules. At least that’s how it seems in this school. Sadie’s roommates are minor celebrities and they pretty much come and go as they please with no repercussions. This also seems to happen quite a bit with Sadie and some of her other classmates. With how strict the head lady was I really thought that we would see the girls getting into more trouble. That was pretty much nonexistent though.

After Sadie is kidnapped, drugged, and interrogated for hours, she is thrown into a world that she never could have imagined. She also starts to learn things about her own life and mother. With the help of her friends that she has acquired at Keating and a special boy from the boy’s equivalent of Keating, she has to save herself.

Without giving too much of a spoiler. I feel that a lot more could have been done with her boyfriend, Jeremy. This could have made the story much more suspenseful. This book is categorized as a thriller but I’m not sure if it quite falls into that. There is definitely some mystery though and I enjoyed those parts. There seemed to be quite a bit of research done to make this story more believable. I enjoy the writing and the story was successful in holding my interest. I would recommend this for older teens because there is drinking and some sexual references made.

The ending was good but it was sort of anti-climactic. I wasn’t too worried about what was going to happen. It was a quick read though and I finished it in one day. So I would still recommend it if you are into boarding schools and interrogations from hooded figures.

My Rating:

closer to a 3.5/5 star

*I received this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Mini Review: An Ice Princess Heart by Alivia Anders

An Ice Princess Heart by Alivia Anders

Series: Shardof Ice Novellas, #1
Release Date: October 28th 2013
Publisher: Red Alice Press
Format: ebook
Pages: 44
Source: Publisher
Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

When a string of men vanish without a trace along the coast of France, Lilix Morgan seeks to uncover the source of the mysterious deaths. Aided by four other immortal Originals, they comb the coast, only to find out the horrible dark truth; one of them is the culprit.

This is another one of those extremely short novella’s that somehow still ends up drawing you in. It was definitely a good tease for what is coming in A Shard of Ice and I am now eagerly awaiting it and the rest of the novellas.

This novella comes from the point of view of Lilix, the ice princess. She was created by The Composer along with her four other sisters, Pris, Katie, Rea, and Arabella. All having different powers of their own. They have lived a very long time and each must fine their one true love, which they call their True. They live among mortals although they are not mortals. So they must fine the one person that suits them. As men start dying, including one of the girls Trues, Lilix must find out which one of them is doing this and she must stop them. All the while she is dealing with very dark visions of her own.

Of course with this novella being so short you do not get any back ground information so that is a big reason of why I am wanting to keep reading. I would like to know why the girls were created in the first place and why they were giving these powers. I would also really like to know more about The Composer.

My Rating:

(3.5 stars)

 

*I received this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman
Taken, #1

Hardcover, 360 pages

Published April 16th 2013 by HarperTeen

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

My Review:

I want to say right off the bat that this book is going to be hard to review. There are lots of conspiracy theories and secrets in this book that aren’t revealed until later in the book. So talking about them would spoil the beginning. So I am going to leave a lot of that out for people who haven’t read the book yet.

I was mostly interested in this book because it sounded like a different twist on the standard dystopian novel. I really wanted to see what the “Heist” was all about. When in reality it is a very small part of the book. They only talk about it a couple times throughout the book.

The big twist comes pretty early in the book and then it goes on to all the secrets and stories between different sides. From then on it turns into a more common dystopian. There is a head leader that controls everything in the city. Water is rationed to the citizens and anyone who steals or commits a crime is usually shot on the spot. It becomes clearer throughout the book who is telling the truth and who isn’t. After that the book became a little less surprising but still managed to hold my interest.

The world building in this book is pretty much nonexistent at first. This however is how it is supposed to be. The main character and everyone else in Claysoot doesn’t know how their world became. They only know what they have been told, which is pretty much all a lie. As the main character Gray learns, so do we. I liked being able to learn as he did and decide what to believe and what not to.

This book managed to capture my attention during the action scenes but then would lose me in between. I think actually liked the first part of the book the best.

Ok, now let’s discuss the characters.

The main character is a boy name Gray Weathersby, named so because of his Gray eyes. He is a wild kid who does whatever comes to his mind and doesn’t really think of others in the process. This is why he beats up a girl right off the bat. I wasn’t a big fan of that but it did give us a good look at his personality. This is also one of the only times this girl is actually mentioned. I thought she would be around a lot more but I was apparently wrong.

The two characters which are included in the love triangle are Emma and Bree. I really can’t think of any book I have read with a male and two girls in the triangle. I actually liked that but I did feel bad for the girls, probably because I can relate more to their feelings.  Bree is the main girl in the story as she is involved in the movement of the story a lot more than Emma is. Emma is pretty much not mentioned through half of the book. I would have expected a lot more thoughts from Gray on her but they never really happened. I actually found myself thinking at one point why he hadn’t said anything about her.

The last character that is close to Gray would be his brother Blaine. I actually really liked his brother because he was the opposite of Gray. He was very level headed and would always think things through or take on the fatherly figure with Gray. Which he was since all the men disappear at 18 the boys grew up without a father.

Do I Recommend this Book/Series?

If you are really into dystopian then I say yes go ahead and pick it up. If you are one of the people that is sort of over the dystopian phase then I say you could probably skip it.

Will I Read the Next Book?

Yes I think I will just because it ended on a part that I actually wanted to learn more about. If it would have ended differently then I’m not sure that I would.

My Rating:

(more like a 3.5)

*This book was provided by Edelweiss & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Paperback, Reprint Edition, 406 pages
Published May 3rd 2011 by Simon Pulse (first published January 1st 2005)
Goodreads|Amazon

The Uglies series has more than 3 million books in print, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and spent more than fifty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now all four books feature fresh new covers and will reach an even wider audience.

Tally’s adventures begin in Uglies, where she learns the truth about what life as a Pretty really means. She rebels against the surgery that will make her a Pretty, but ultimately succumbs. In Pretties, Tally has forgotten all about her Ugly life, and when she’s reminded, she has a hard time listening. And what little’s left of the old Tally is further compromised inSpecials, because Tally has been transformed into a fierce fighting machine. But when she’s offered a chance to forever improve civilization, will she be able to overcome her brainwashing? The answer is evident years later in Extras, after the Pretty regime has ended. Boundless human creativity, new technologies, and old dangers have been unleashed upon the world. But fame and popularity can be just as dangerous as extreme beauty…

I find it really hard to write a review for this book for some reason. When I closed the book I just found myself thinking; “well OK that wasn't bad.” I wasn't over excited that I finished it. I’m not scrambling to go read the second one (which I have waiting on my shelf along with the 3^rd and 4^th book). I will definitely read it though. I would like to see where Scott Westerfeld takes the book.

I thought the ending was good. That was when I started to actually have some feelings for the book.

I really can’t say there was anything that I didn't like about this book. However, there isn’t anything I absolutely loved either. I liked it and I don’t feel like I wasted my time by reading it. I think maybe my expectations were too high for it but then again I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting. I knew about the book before I started reading it but I didn't really know any details.

None of the characters really stood out to me either.

As I said, this book really didn’t do anything big for me. I will be reading the next one and I do recommend this book if you like these types of dystopian books. If you have read other books by Scott Westerfeld then you may like this book also, though I have not read anything else by him.

Oh and I love these covers way more than the originals. 

My Rating:
 

(really a 3.5/5 Stars)

Let me know your thoughts on this book!

Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Hardcover, 183 pages
Published May 23rd 2006 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Goodreads|Amazon

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

This was an ok book. A very quick read and it flowed nicely. The only thing I knew when I started reading was the little blurb on the back of the book. I really think the rating was a 3.5/5 star but I rounded up.

The chapters alternate views between Nick and Norah, which I liked. This is definitely a PG-13 book! They cuss A LOT. I don’t think I’ve read the “F” word in a book that many times before. I cuss but that was even a bit much for me. If you are not big into cussing I probably wouldn’t recommend this book.

There was a bit more religion than I was expecting. I can’t really say I was expecting any though, it kind of came out of nowhere. The whole gay aspect I wasn’t expecting that much either. I am of drinking age and I only know a couple gay bars in my area so I was kind of leery on the fact that they could just bar hop no problem and there were gay bars everywhere it seemed.

The characters weren’t that believable. If I was underage and went home stumbling drunk I would have been grounded (at least) for a week. Not laughed at. Overall, it was just kind of a weird book.

I gave this book a good rating because it was a decent book but I felt I couldn’t really put myself in those situations because they weren’t that believable for being a contemporary book.

I will be renting the movie and watching it tonight. I have heard that it is really good. I love the actor that plays Nick.

My Rating:

Review: Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman

Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman
Goodreads|Amazon
Paperback, 204
Published July 24, 2012 by Harlequin Teen

THE BIGGEST STORY OF MY LIFE COULD BE HOW IT ENDS It's my turn to run a "Campus News" crew, and I've put together a team that can break stories wide open. And Washington Irving High has a truly great one to cover, if only we can find a lead.

A secret society has formed in our school. It announced its presence with pranks: underwear on the flagpole, a toilet in the hallway, cryptic notes. A circle of silence keeps the society a mystery. No one knows its members, agenda or initiation secrets-until a student lands in the hospital under "strange" circumstances.

I "will" blow this story wide open and stop others from being hurt...or worse. And while my ex, Jagger, might want to help, I don't trust him yet. (And, no, not because of our past together. That is "not" important to this story.)

But whether you find me, Valerie Gaines, reporting in front of the camera or a victim in the top story of the newscast...be sure to watch "Campus News" at 9:00 a.m. this Friday.

This was a ok story overall. I didn’t realize this was the second in a series but I was never confused. I believe this book follows a different set of characters. They referred to something once but they actually explained it.

I was sadly disappointed in the “villains” or whatever you want to call them. I figured it out rather quickly. Then when it was revealed at the end I was a little disappointed in the way the author did it. There was no grand “OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE HE/SHE DID IT!”

The ending of the book was really the better part of the book. Nothing about this book really made me want to not put the book down. It was only at the end that I actually wanted to keep reading and find out what happened next.

As for the characters Hailey and Bethany were both b!tches. I rather liked Jagger and Raul though.

I really don’t know how to explain this book because it just sort of makes me feel.. blah.. If you are looking for an easy read or you have read the first in the series then I recommend you pick it up.

Read on: Kindle
Rating:

Review: Zombie Kid Diaries: Grossery Games by Fred Perry

Zombie Kid Diaries: Grossery Games (Zombie Diaries #2)
by Fred Perry, David Hutchison
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: Antarctic Press

Not willing to let being a zombie spoil his dreams of pro-gamer stardom, Bill Stokes is all fired up to win against a visiting game champ.

But he's got a trio of troubles threatening to ruin his chances: The class has a Thanksgiving trip to Camp Woodchunk that same weekend. He's got to take care of Froufou, the yappy (but yummy-smelling) poodle from next door. And his personal bully, Steve, has a whole new way to humiliate him: a one-man, live-recorded "game show" called Gross-eries!

When Steve gets to run his little game during the whole class trip, Bill gets to be his unwilling star, and it's just about all his zombified nerves can stand!

I have to say that this was definitely better than the first one. I will admit that I wasn't incredibly excited to read this one but I went ahead anyway just so I would know what happened next. This time I would actually like to know what's going to happen in the next book. I have a theory on the bullies and I would really like to know if I am correct.

I felt the story in this one was a little better than the first one and it felt like it was really going somewhere. However... The other did the same ripping off the names by barely changing them. ie: Mal-Mart, ePhone, and the worst one.. Thin Tim. As in "Slim Jim" he even had a sketching that looked like same packing and he used their catch phrase but with his name. "Snap into a Thin Tim" I'm pretty sure my jaw really hit the desk when I saw that one.

That was really the only thing that bothered me. Besides the fact that I'm really confused about whether this is the same book that has already been released last year but with a different title (Diary of a Zombie Kid).

Read on: Computer

Rating:

*This book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review*