December TBR!

With Christmas, work, and shopping for presents I'm hoping I can get through all 9 books! If not more :)

November Wrap Up!

Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

Edition: ebook 
Pages: 347
Publish Date: November 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion 
Goodreads Rating: 3.79 (4,607 ratings)

So if I'm honest this isn't my favourite dystopian book, the ranking system concept was good, but the whole royal family was insane! It all started for Kitty Doe, a newly ranked III, destined for sewage cleaning far away from her group home and boyfriend Benjy. But when the Prime Minister offers her a VII without explaining how only that she can stay alive and she won't have to move away from Benjy she accepts. Only to find out why when she wakes up to a different face in the mirror...Lila Hart, the Prime Ministers Niece. Lila was killed in a "freak accident" and Kitty is now her cover. Destined to marry Lila's fiance as well as either ending or continuing Lila's work in the rebellion against her own family.
That's just the bare basics....so many conspiracies, other masked family members, lies, and too many near death experiences.
Though I enjoyed this book, it really frustrated me! Kitty made so many stupid choices, and the other characters were just screwed in the head! And "Elsewhere!" That whole concept was so mind blowingly fucked up. Despite it's many flaws and stupidity I need to know what happens next!

Review: Of Neptune (The Syrena Legacy #3) by Anna Banks

Edition: ebook 
Pages: 336
Publish Date: May 1, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: The Syrena Legacy 
Goodreads Rating: 3.86 (4,235 ratings)

I'm sorry but I did not enjoy this one at all. It felt too political and unnecessary. It was great that Galen and Emma finally were "Mated" in the end but they should have just ended Of Triton that way because this book was honestly a huge disappointment to me.

Review: The Certainty of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence #5) by Jessica Sorensen

Edition: ebook 
Pages: 300
Publish Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Smashwords
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series: Yes/companion
Goodreads Rating: 4.13 (2,260 ratings)

So the Coincidence series is definitely one of my all time favourites and I am so happy to finally have the conclusion for both Callie and Kayden's story and now Violet and Luke. 

Jessica Sorensen always develops characters with alarmingly troubled pasts, in this case Violet, a foster kid who's family was murdered when she was five while she was in the house. The case went unsolved as she was jumping from foster home to foster home, finally landing in a bad spot living with a drug dealer who makes her deal for him, but hey she's going to college and has a roof over her head. That's when she meets Luke, and his life is anything but perfect, A troubled childhood with a drug addict mother, a runaway father, and sister who took her own life.
After they both find eachother it is an odd yet passionate love that neither one will admit to. 
But when secrets come out about how their pasts are intertwined is when things fall apart. 
But now in the last book, Violet and Luke are struggling to find normalcy while his mother, who was a part of violets family's murder is on the run, Preston, Violets foster parent who may have had a part in the murder as well is now stalking her with threatening texts. They are falling apart. The story of the love between a murderers son and the deceased family's daughter has taken wind with reporters and they're still together, trying to make their way though it all.
After Violet's panicked done of adrenaline nearly leads to her own death and Luke's Mother is finally brought in, Luke confesses his feelings for her. And that he won't leave her not just because he wants her to be safe but because he is madly in love with her and can't let her go. 
Violet smartens up after that, finding ways to talk out how she feels rather than getting hammered or doing something dangerous. But when it comes to how she feels for Luke, it takes a while, but she finally accepts it, in the midst of all the chaos around them and her fear of love and loss, she tells him that she loves him.

I was so thrilled with this conclusion, though it was obvious that Mira (Luke's mother) was a part of the murder, Preston's involvement was more surprising, since it was Preston's father who actually killed Violet's family, and shortly after he took his own life, Preston developed a sick obsession with Violet and planned to take out his revenge on her. It all finished with them both behind bars, many more happy moments between all the character throughout the Coincidence series, and finally the proposal, just the way Violet imagined it.

Review: In The Afterlight (The Darkest Minds #3) by Alexandra Bracken

Edition: Hardcover 
Pages: 535
Publish Date: October 28, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Dystopian
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.57 (2,822 ratings)

Let's just call it like it is. This is one of the best damn dystopian trilogies I have ever read. 3 books of pure awesome. So many life changing characters in a disturbingly fucked up society. All ending happily, reunited with families and finding the love of your life and the amazing family you chose by chance in the worst of circumstances. 

I think the main thing I love about this book is a successful and happy ending. Both in the rebellion winning over the government and the happily ever after for our main characters Ruby and Liam (as well as Chubs and Vita). 
I swear every time I start a new dystopian I am in constant fear of the Allegiant (Divergent book #3) ending. So if you want a kick ass trilogy that actually has full success in not killing the most important characters then I strongly suggest picking up this trilogy!

Thanks for reading!

Review: Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2) by Alexandra Bracken

Edition: Hardcover 
Pages: 512
Publish Date: October 15, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Dystopian
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.44 (17,665 ratings)

Holy crap. Six months later and our main character turns into some total bad ass. This book was flippin amazing, every character was so important, and every bread crumb the readers got throughout the story led to this finale. I cannot wait for the next book (literally I'm ordering it right after I finish this) with that mind blowing ending and cliffhanger, and the damn synopsis for In The After Light I just can't even.
This book follows Ruby in her investigation into the League (which she is now a part of) as she knows Rob one of the leaders has done many questionably things. And after a rescue mission nearly kills Ruby in her attempts to free prisoner 27 (who happens to be Liams brother Cole) Ruby questions who is to blame for the explosion that nearly killed her and Vida. And after another mission takes the life of a young Green who should never had been on the mission in the first place Ruby and her team find a video from the Greens chatter that shows Rob and another leader shooting the kid. 

The escape plan is put into action, along with the intentions of finding Liam to retrieve a memory card in the jacket he took from Cole, on the drive is evidence to help Ruby's plan to free the camps. As she keeps telling herself that the whole Ops end game is to free the camps, she can't fight that he motives are also personal.

A lot happens, and if you want to know you need to read the book, but some characters return, others, both good and bad die, and to answer the one big question, YES, they find both Chubs and Liam, and double YES Liam gets his memory back.

I know I only gave the first book 4 stars but tbh it was all the build up that took away from the awesomeness of this story. So this second book, without all the frufru to introduce you to the whole concept gets a perfect 5+ stars. now excuse me I have to go order the next book.

Thanks for reading!

Review: Mind Games by Teri Terry

Edition: Paperback Proof
Pages: 433
Publish Date: March 5, 2015
Publisher: Orchard Books
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Goodreads Rating: 4.56 (9 ratings)

After reading the Slated trilogy I was thrilled to hear of her next book which comes out in March of next year. I thought the wait would kill me but with some amazing luck I won an ARC copy from Teri Terry herself. 
I always find that when I read new books from authors who's other books I've loved, that I automatically compare them. And despite how much I loved this entire concept and story, I still love Slated more.

I won't do a spoiler review since it will be months before it is released, but I will say that it was amazing, mainly the whole idea of living in virtual worlds and the government controlling and monitoring the whole thing. Sound familiar? though this is a whole lot scarier than the internet, it still opens your mind to the whole thing and how much of a role technology plays in everyones lives. 

Review: The Darkest Minds (#1) by Alexandra Bracken

Edition: Hardcover 
Pages: 488
Publish Date: December 18, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Dystopian
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.32 (39,331 ratings)

“Don’t be scared. Don’t let them see.” 

― Alexandra Bracken, The Darkest Minds

Oh kay. So I will start by saying that it took me so long to get through this book. The beginning is filled with a lot of build up and unknown answers to important questions. But by the middle of it when you're introduced to some influential characters then the story gets real interesting. This is my second fantasy book involving powers and magic and I truly enjoyed it. I used to avoid books like this because I was more into realistic fiction but the creativity behind books like this are outstanding. Though it was so slow at first which I will deduct one star for it is really worth the read and right when I finished I went and ordered Never Fade and I'm sure I will order In The After Light ASAP. 
I hope others enjoy Ruby as a person and as a life changing powerful rebel in this messed up world Alexandra Bracken has built. I look forward to her future and hopefully her return to Liam.

thanks for reading! xx

Review: Inked Armor (Clipped Wings #2) by Helena Hunting

Edition: Paperback
Pages: 368
Publish Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.32 (1,343 ratings)

And so the story continues. As much as I wanted to read those many other books on my TBR I just couldn't get the cliffhanger from Clipped Wings out of my head, so I just had to buy it, an read it, and I loved it!
It continues With Tenley in Arden Hills as she is still being pursued by Trey her brother-in-law-ish as he continues to try and take her portion of her deceased fiance's will and he part of the family estate. Despite the pain she's feeling she knows that she needs to be done with this past to be able to move forward with Hayden. And answering one of his thousands of phone calls will break her and she'd immediately go running back to Chicago. Which is exactly what happens. After three weeks and turning the house over to Connor's cousin destroys all Trey's plans to control her life and her sell the family property. 
Finally answering a call in the middle of the night from Hayden she realizes the state she left him in. 
Barely eating, avoiding his friends, not sleeping, and if he does his head is filled with nightmares about his parents death, and twisted dreams of Tenley dying. This leads him to call her in the middle of the night, not expecting her to answer but atleast wanting to hear her voice on the answering machine. Surprizingly she answers. 
Tenley spends the next few hours organizing the last of what needs to be done and drives home to Hayden.
It's a difficult return. Both Hayden and Tenley are on edge with their unknown relationship status, and Tenley is struggling with how much she's hurt him.
As Tenley needed to come face to face with her past and put it all behind her, so does Hayden. Which is what brings him to reopen his parents case, that and the nightmares that are hinting at something he's not sure is real or not. 
The clues slowly piece together as all the villains in these books are finally revealed as murderers. 
Damen, the drug dealer who started Hayden down the wrong path provided the entrance and a stupid junkie to do the job. The stupid junkie being the dick head cop's (who intentionally sabotaged the case and interrogated Hayden to the point of a mental break) step brother. 
All involved are behind bars, and the case is finally closed. Leaving both Tenley and Hayden free of their pasts and able to move forward with their future, together.

Review: Clipped Wings (#1) by Helena Hunting

Edition: eBook 
Pages: 400
Publish Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: New adult Romance
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.23 (2,162 ratings)

With all these YA books I've been reading I've forgotten how amazing New Adult books are. This was definitely a winner. I got this book solely because of the stunning cover but man was the story ever incredible as well. The characters as well as supporting characters were spectacular. 
The story follows Tenley and Hayden, both alone in the world with terrible pasts that they've been running from.
Tenley, 1 year ago was supposed to be married to a man who was stable and comfortable, and who she truly cared about. The destination wedding brought all of her family, his family, and their closest friends onto the same place that never made it to their destination. The crash killed most, but Tenley and a few others. Her Fiance left mostly everything to her, which included what he received from his parents dying. A new house, plenty of money, but a brother-in-law intent on taking it all away as it was "rightfully his". Slipping down the slope towards a potential overdose on the prescriptions given to her after the accident, Tenley is accepted into the masters program she applied to before the crash, this was her chance for an escape.
Hayden, always the rebel, lost his parents when he was 18, murdered. He was in a dark place before and especially after their deaths. Drugs, alcohol and sex were his fix. After not only the trauma of their death but the psychological damage of being accused of their murder by a certain police officer who overlooked all evidence as well as incorrectly categorizing it, making it inadmissible for future convictions. Hayden fell apart, only to pick himself up a year before Tenley arrived.
It all started with an instant spark and desire for an over the top tattoo. As a tattoo artist Hayden was in the perfect position to do that for her. But with such a dark design, Hayden was intent on finding out the story behind it, and everything else about Tenley. 
Their need for eachother was captivating, and even with all the bumps and effects of their past they made it through almost all of it. Until Tenley's Brother-in-law shows up to subpoena her so he can claim all that was left to her in his brothers will. It was the final piece to the Tenley puzzle, the original story he got was that it was a friends wedding she was going to, not her own. The betrayal hurt, but her leaving to go back home wasn't going to happen. He's not letting the only woman he's ever loved get away.
I had plans to read another book after this, a different one, but I don't think I can. I need to know how Tenley and Hayden get through this! With all the tragedy they deserve a happily ever after.

Review: The Young Elites (#1) by Marie Lu

Edition: eBook 
Pages: 336
Publish Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Books
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Series: Yes
Goodreads Rating: 4.01 (5,227 ratings)

So I really don't know what to say. I could not put this book down, and when I had to I truly wanted to cry. Until I reached the end where I wanted to rip the book to shreds while crying. 
Of course now after reading it I realize that the second instalment won't be out for quite some time. Which will leave me in extreme suffering until I can continue reading.

In all honestly though, aside from the Allegiant-like ending this book was spectacular. I haven't read any fantasy really before but I will now. The whole story was constantly thrilling and intense, with a short love story and some amazing sisterly love. I am so happy I read this book, though waiting for the next one may kill me, it was incredible and fully deserving of the Best YA Fantasy for 2014 award on goodreads. 
This is an absolute must read. Thank you to Kitty (http://mylittlecornerforbooks.blogspot.com/) for the recommendation, and I now recommend this to every single person who reads this! 

Thanks for reading! xx