Book Review- Hunger

I just finished reading Hunger (Gone #2) by Michael Grant.

From Goodreads:

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as
the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

I find this series so disturbing.  It almost haunts me.  I'm not sure why.  I mean, clearly its fiction.  But maybe it's because it has to do with this society that has to thrive without adults.  And all these kids are running around doing adult things while still being kids.  Or the monster that's really freaking creepy and I can't quite figure out.

I still can't say I love it.  The characters are still kinda distant to me.  And it takes me such a long time to get through a book.  But man, I'm hooked.  I want to know what's going to happen next, while hiding my eyes at the same time.  

Bring on the next book, Lies!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- The Shadow Queen

I just finished reading The Shadow Queen by C. J.  Redwine for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

I know I've said it many times, but I love retelling of Fairy Tales.  So when I read that this was a retelling of Snow White I knew I had to read it.  It had many of the same aspects of the fairy tale such as the princess who had to run from the stepmother/queen, apples, dark hair with red lips and snow white skin, and a huntsman (but what about the dwarfs?)  But other than those aspects, the story was completely different.

I definitely enjoyed it, but it took me a while to get through.  I found that I couldn't really fly through it like I can some books.  I liked Lorelai and Kol.  They were both brave and fierce and loyal.  And I loved their connection of speaking through their minds.

It looks like this is the first book in a series, but from what I've read, the books are each going to be retelling of a fairy tale.  And each book will stand alone.  Fun!  I can't wait to see which one is next!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

The Shadow Queen will be released on February 16, 2016.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

In My Mailbox- November 30, 2015

In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox during the last 11 weeks (yup...I've been neglecting it!):

Whispers at Moonrise (Shadow Falls #4)- C.C. Hunter--received from friend

Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls #5)- C.C. Hunter--received from friend

The Heir (The Selection #4)- Kiera Cass--received from friend

What’s Broken Between Us- Alexis Bass--received from friend

Who Do You Love- Jennifer Weiner--received from friend

The Revenge Playbook- Rachael Allen--received from friend

Red Girl, Blue Boy (If Only #5)- Lauren Baratz-Logsted--received from friend

Shadow Falls: The Next Chapter (Taken at Dusk and Whispers at Moonrise)- C. C. Hunter--PaperbackSwap

Shallow Graves- Kali Wallace--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2)- Sara Raasch--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die #2)- Danielle Paige--received from a friend

The White Rose (The Lone City #2)- Amy Ewing--received from a friend

After the Woods- Kim Savage--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

Hotel Ruby-Suzanne Young--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

In Real Life- Jessica Love--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

Red Queen- Victoria Aveyard--PaperbackSwap

The Memory of Light- Francisco X. Stork--from publisher for review

Reign Fall (Demon Princess #3)- Michelle Rowen--PaperbackSwap

The Shadow Queen (Ravenspire #1)- C.J. Redwine--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

Book Review-- Gone

I finished Gone by Michael Grant tonight.

From Goodreads:

The first in New York Times bestselling author Michael Grant's breathtaking dystopian, sci-fi saga, Gone is a page-turning thriller that invokes the classic The Lord of the Flies along with the horror of Stephen King.

In the blink of an eye, everyone disappears. Gone. Except for the young.

There are teens, but not one single adult. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

Michael Grant's Gone as been praised for its compelling storytelling, multidimensional characters, and multiple points of view.

This book was weird for me.  At times I didn't really care for it, but I found that I didn't want to put it down.  The writing seemed immature.  Maybe because its a male author or has a male main character, both which I seem to have a hard time getting absorbed in.  Or it could be simply that only the young survived so it's meant to be that way.

  But the whole world was strange too.  The whole thing with the kids having powers.  And then the coyotes that can now talk.  And the Darkness.  It was all weird.  

I did like Sam and Astrid.  But there was too much action for me to really love it.  There needed to be more character story.  That being said, the main plot of everyone over the age of 15 disappearing intrigued me.  We find out why but even then I want to know what happened to those people.  

So while I sit here and say that I only liked the book okay, I'm also saying that I'm really intrigued in reading the next book in the series.  Weird.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- Starry Night

I finished reading Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney on Thursday.

From Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Julien is a romantic—he loves spending his free time at the museum poring over the great works of the Impressionists. But one night, a peach falls out of a Cezanne, Degas ballerinas dance across the floor, and Julien is not hallucinating.

The art is reacting to a curse that trapped a beautiful girl, Clio, in a painting forever. Julien has a chance to free Clio and he can't help but fall in love with her. But love is a curse in its own right. And soon paintings begin to bleed and disappear. Together Julien and Clio must save the world's greatest art . . . at the expense of the greatest love they've ever known.

Like a master painter herself, Daisy Whitney brings inordinate talent and ingenuity to this romantic, suspenseful, and sophisticated new novel. A beautifully decorated package makes it a must-own in print.

If you're into Art then this mystery is probably right up your alley.  Unfortunately, I don't like art so this one had a hard time keeping my attention.  I will say that reading this book right now after all the events in Paris felt a little weird.

The art coming alive was unique and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked the paintings that were mentioned.  And the romance was weird.  Too sudden and all consuming.  I mean, for half of the time, she was stuck in a painting.  It just didn't work for me.

Overall, it was just okay.  It wasn't horrible but it wasn't one I'll remember.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- In Real Life

I finished reading In Real Life by Jessica Love on Friday for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.

Hannah's romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and meets Nick's girlfriend, whom he failed to mention. And it turns out his relationship status isn't the only thing he's been lying to her about. Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has one night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

Contemporary novels are hit and miss with me.  Sometimes they seem to juvenile.  But when a friend told me I had to read it, I said okay.  And I was glad I did!

In so many ways, I could identify with Hannah.  I was the straight-A student who had her life planned and followed all the rules.  And I would love have to loved to have seen my younger self do something spontaneous like Hannah did.

I felt so conflicted about Nick.  I liked him but for a while I didn't like him--I didn't get the whole lying about the girlfriend thing.  He seemed to really love Hannah but then he also seemed completely into his girlfriend.  And the go-by-the-rules part of me squirmed at some parts of the story since it veered too much into the cheating world for me.  But.  But--it ended how it should have, even if it all wrapped up a little too  nicely.

Not that I didn't enjoy it, because I did.  There was lots of drama to fall into and antics in Las Vegas.  And several mentions of Disney things (yes!!)  So if you're looking for a contemporary YA novel to dig in to, this could be right up your alley.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

In Real Life will be released on March 1, 2016.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- The Heir

I finished reading The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass last week.

From Goodreads:

Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

Yup--once again this show reminds me of one of my favorite reality TV shows, except this time it's the Bachelorette since it's told from the lady's point of view.  So of course I dug in.  And loved every bit of it!

I was a little thrown off that Prince Maxon's child was a teenager at first.  But I absolutely loved Eadlyn.  She was spunky and independent and knew her faults.  But she also wasn't afraid to admit when she was wrong.  I loved the family dynamics between her and her parents along with her twin brother and two younger brothers.

And it was fun to read about how a bunch of guys trying to win her heart would act.  I fell in love with several of them.  And I definitely have my 2 favorites.  I'm going with Kile, who she grew up with, and Erik, the translator.

My one complaint--we don't find out who she chooses!  I have to wait until the next book to find out! And I don't want to!  This was one of my favorite books of the year!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.  

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

Book Review- The Favorite

I also finished reading The Favorite (The Selection #2.6) by Kiera Cass last week.

From Goodreads:

While America Singer's heart was torn between Aspen and Prince Maxon, her friend Marlee knew exactly what she wanted—and paid the price.

Revisit the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series in this digital original novella. Told from Marlee's point of view, this all-new 64-page story returns to the fateful Halloween when Marlee and Carter were discovered, and reveals how that night—and Prince Maxon—changed their lives forever.

This was a short story that veered away from the main characters of the Selection and focused on another couple that paired up. 

This story made me love Maxon even more than I did after I read what he did for Marlee and Carter.  This novella was super short but it was nice to get a little peek into the lives of some secondary characters.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

Book Review- The Queen

I read The Queen (The Selection Stories #0.4) by Kiera Cass last week.

From Goodreads:

Before America Singer's story began, another girl came to the palace to compete for the hand of a
different prince….
Don't miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series. This prequel story takes place before the events of The Selection and is told from the point of view of Prince Maxon's mother, Amberly. Discover a whole new Selection with this inside look at how Maxon's parents met—and how an ordinary girl named Amberly became a beloved queen.

I series just adore this series.  I loved reading more about Amberly's side of her Selection.  My only complaint--I want to read more.  I totally think that this could be a whole spinoff series.  I'd gobble it up!

I didn't remember reading about Amberly being so sickly so this was interesting to read.  And I didn't realize Prince Maxon's dad was so sweet either.  Yup, just love it!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book..

Book Review- Hotel Ruby

I just finished reading Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

This one was a super fast read.  At the beginning, I remember thinking that things didn't really line up right and something was off, but I don't remember what.  And then I got sucked in.

So I spent the whole time I was reading the book trying to figure out just what was going on in Hotel Ruby.  I knew it had to be something suspicious.  But I didn't even come close to figuring it out.  And I should have!

It was both a horror story (man, two in a row--good thing it's Halloween weekend) and a tender, sad one combined.  I really liked Audrey.  I felt so bad for her and her loss. And I loved her big brother Daniel.  He was everything an older brother is supposed to be.  And then there was Elias.  I loved his old-school gentlemanness (so not a word) and the way he treated those he cared about.  

The only thing I didn't really like, or get, what the ending with Kenneth.  I won't say more than that but how it happened confused me.  Overall though, this was a great book if you're looking for something a little creepy but with a little heart too.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Hotel Ruby will be released on November 3, 2015.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.