Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Title: Nightshade

Author: Andrea Cremer

Pages: 452

Release: October 19^th, 2010

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads) Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything - including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

My Thoughts:

Nightshade is my first werewolf book! Can you believe it? All these years of reading and I have never actually read a werewolf book before. However, while I am pleased to say the genre was something that caught my interest, this book was a little rough in places and had a few things that I didn’t care for.

I think my favorite part about Nightshade is the concept of these werewolves. They are basically super hardcore teenagers who are so powerful, they can even overrun the school. It’s awesome on the surface, but then there is this terrible other side where the wolves are like property of the “Keepers” and they are mated and treated like animals. No free will. I loved this concept and was fascinated to see how they would handle everything that came their way. It was very unique and I loved that.

I did not care for the male character, Shay. I thought he acted very idiotic at times and unfortunately he never grew on me, which is unfortunate because he’s a major male interest. I also found the ending to be terribly confusing. So much was crammed into that last chapter that it was hard to visualize and became jumbled. So, while this book was an awesome concept, I wasn’t completely thrilled with it’s execution. I can still say though, that it is a good read and worth a shot.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Check Out

Would I read it again?: No

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Until Dark

Author: Charlaine Harris

Pages: 292

Release: May 1^st, 2001

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out.... Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

My Thoughts:

I don’t know how familiar any of you guys are with the HBO show, True Blood, but it is a television show based off of these books, The Sookie Stackhouse series. Well, I absolutely adore the television show so with it’s popularity rising, the mass market paperbacks were in walmart and pretty cheap, so I figured, why not? The first book was just as great as the show and I look forward to reading more in the series.

The most challenging part about writing a review for a book that’s story I am already familiar with is that it’s very difficult to judge the quality without a comparison happening. So, I will get this out of the way by saying that the book was very similar to the first season of the show. Not indentical, but similar in numerous ways which I am sure impressed many of the long-time book fans. The differences I noticed were there was no Tara (whose a main character in the show) and Lafayette wasn’t nearly fabulous enough.

Now speaking strictly about the book, I really loved Sookie and getting to hear things in her head. I also was surprised to find that I didn’t really like Sam’s character. The plot was still so intense that even knowing what to expect, I was flipping pages like crazy and holding my breath without paying attention. Fans of the tv show like myself, should definitely check out these awesome paranormal mystery books.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Pages: 305

Release: November 29^th, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

My Thoughts:

I picked up Legend because I was very busy and it looked small-ish and I had heard such fantastic things about this dystopian re-telling of Les Miserables. This was a read that I loved and couldn’t put down the entire way through.

On top of Legend being a really good book, it was also aesthetically pleasing. The cover has a really cool look to it and even the inside has a unique appearance. The chapters in Day’s POV are printed in a gold color! June’s are in black. How nifty is that? In other books I have read where POV changes from chapter to chapter, I find that some authors seem to have trouble establishing two distinctly unique personalities for the alternating characters. I wondered early on if this color coding was done to help keep the characters straight, but was really pleased to find that Day and June are very original and that was not an issue at all.

The only thing I can say negatively about this book was especially in the beginning, I really disliked June’s character. I would want to read through her chapters as quickly as possible in order to get to Day’s perspective again. Fortunately, by the end of the book I really liked her and am thinking maybe she was supposed to be unlikable at first glance? Legend was a fast-paced story with realistic characters and lots of twists and turns.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Title: Timepiece

Author: Myra McEntire

Pages: 336

Release: June 12^th, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads) A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.
Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

My Thoughts:

After reading Hourglass and loving it, I knew any other books in the series would be a definite buy for me. Unfortunately, while Timepiece has a lovely cover and a synopsis that promises another thrilling adventure in this unique time travel series, I found that Timepiece is really just an average read.

My first issue with this book is that it’s in Kaleb’s perspective. I find the cover to be very misleading because to be honest, Emerson isn’t a huge figure in this sequel, but she’s still on the cover. I also had a lot of trouble remembering this was Kaleb’s perspective because I felt like his dialogue and thoughts seemed almost identical to Emerson’s from the first book. It got very confusing at times and actually made me miss being in Emerson’s head. I also had a problem with Lily, Emerson’s best friend. While she isn’t a huge character in Hourglass, in this book she’s more prominent and I found that I kind of detest her character. She doesn’t know what she wants, is very whiney, and half of the book is spent with everyone else trying to persuade her to help the Hourglass out. It got repetitious and very tiring.

The book had some really good things though, like a very strong beginning that really caught my attention when it jumped right into some pretty heavy plot. I felt connected early on. It also has a very strong close at the ending that promises a lot for the next book and was wrapped up nicely. I will not give up on this series and I believe that the next book could really have great potential. However, I would say that this book was simply okay. Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.

In Short:

Rating: 3/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: No

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Pages: 485

Release: April 24^th, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Thoughts:

The Immortal Rules was kind of a given for me. I really liked The Iron King and Julie Kagawa’s world building talent plus dystopian vampires, well that equals brilliance. I am so happy to say that I am even more impressed with this book than I could have imagined.

What was so cool about this book was how everything came together so perfectly. You’ve got your vampires, some zombie-like creatures(called Rabids in this series), dystopian society, a little romance, and a great backstory. The characters all had very distinct personalities and I was drawn to a couple that I wouldn’t have expected to like so much.

I was less than impressed with Harlequin’s creative decision to use a Caucasian model for the cover art, rather than an Asian. The main character Allison is definitely Asian and I am disappointed they didn’t reflect that on the cover. I was also not particularly attached to the male love interest, Ezekiel, but am hoping he will grow on me in later books.

It really was a fantastic book with lots of action and adventure. This one ends us on a cliffhanger, but at the same time was concluded very nicely. I will be anxiously awaiting the next books in this series.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Lost Souls

Author: Cassandra Clare

Pages: 534

Release: May 8^th, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees. No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own? Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

My Thoughts:

I have been a fan of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instrument series for a few years now and I think it’s a safe bet to say that it is my favorite book series. However, the last book, City of Fallen Angels, kind of fell flat for me and I was starting to worry that maybe this series had lost focus. I am happy to say that City of Lost Souls brought me back to why I love the Shadowhunter world and left me itching for more!

I think that one of my initial fears going into this book was that with Jace missing, a lot of the witty banter that makes these books so fun would be gone, but Jace is in most of the book and his personality does not suffer. Also, I found myself falling more in love with the relationships in this book. Simon and Isabelle, Jordan and Maia, Alec and Magnus, even Clary and Jace, all showed so much development throughout this book and I was appreciative to see how it unfolded.

As always, Cassandra Clare does an excellent job at having multiple storylines going on at once. Her ability to never make her books become boring or have a lull in action is something that I love. City of Lost Souls is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat for it’s entirety. Trust me, my fingernails are all bitten off and I held my breath so much, I feel like I just ran a marathon! This is one you do not want to miss.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Pages: 549

Release: April 3^rd, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

My Thoughts:

Grave Mercy has been one of my most anticipated books of 2012. When I first saw the cover, I instantly knew it would be a book that I would be interested in. While this book wasn’t exactly a favorite of mine, the story of Ismae, a trained assassin, was a very detailed, entertaining book that I did enjoy.

I don’t know what exactly I was expecting going into Grave Mercy, but I can say that my expectations were far exceeded in many ways. I loved the idea of this convent that pretty much bred lady killers. I am all about girl power and Ismae was fantastic at embodying that type of character I love. I also was so impressed by the detail the author put into every aspect of this book. The mix of history and her own fantasy blended together beautifully.

I will say, there were a couple things that bothered me. For one, from the synopsis I concluded there would be some romance in this book. Well, the romance isn’t really all that I had hoped, and it isn’t even introduced until you’re 3/4^th’s into the book. Another thing is the lull of action; I expected this book to be all about the fights and violence, but actually there isn’t a lot of action through much of the book, it’s more schemes than anything.

It was a very nice read, that I loved for it’s intricacies and lovely world building. I also, definitely appreciate how well it was wrapped up at the end because far too often books leave off on cliffhangers with too many unanswered questions. I also believe the second book in this series follows another assassin girl, Sybella. So, I really like that rather than continuing to follow Ismae, the author is going to tell a different story.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Pages: 394

Release: June 14^th, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Hourglass. It was a really cool cover and the synopsis sounded great, but I hadn’t heard a lot about it. I am pleased to say that this book blew me out of the water and I am so glad I read this!

One thing I can tell you I didn’t expect, was for this to be an action packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of book. Oh, but it was, it truly was! There were so many moments where the book took a turn I didn’t expect that I stayed up until two in the morning without even realizing it. I became completely engrossed in the story, the characters, and the time travel!

I can’t remember the last time I liked a character as much as I like Emerson. She has been through so much in her past, but she was strong and easy to relate to. I also can’t forget to mention the sexy Michael who was a total heartthrob. It was a truly beautifully written book with great descriptions and it gave good in-depth details about all the characters. I love when an author makes a point to give us all those little facts. I adored this book and am looking forward to the upcoming sequel, Timepiece.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Author: Aimee Carter

Pages: 304

Release: March 27^th, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet. Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Thoughts:

My initial feelings before reading Goddess Interrupted were excitement and anticipation. I not only loved The Goddess Test, but I claimed it to be one of my favorite books of all time. I love greek mythology and Aimee Carter’s take on the myth of Hades and Persephone. Unfortunately, I feel that the sequel, Goddess Interrupted fell flat for me.

One of the reasons I loved The Goddess Test so much was the main character, Kate. She is a strong and is taking care of her dying mother but she doesn’t seem like a robot. She has her humanity, real emotions as well. This time around, I felt like a completely different character greeted me, one who was needy and weak. She doubts herself and her love with Henry.

I also wasn’t impressed by the story. In the months of waiting for this book to come out I was very excited to see how Kate would do as queen and to get more into the whole world of the underworld. I feel like Kate was hardly even the main character in this story. It was all about Calliope and how the main Gods would stop her; Kate was just kind of following along the whole time whining and worrying. It got stale and tiresome.

I will say the good thing about this book is that the rest of the Gods are fantastic and it was great to have them back, as well as being introduced to Persephone who I was eager to meet. Toward the end, the story did improve and I couldn’t help but to think how I hope the next book gives me more to look forward to. I guess for this one my expectations were set too high. If you liked the first one, you might want to give this a shot.

In Short:

Rating: 2/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Check Out

Would I read it again?: No

Positive Reviews:

PARAFANTASY

A Cupcake and A Latte

When She Reads

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Pages: 435

Release: January 4^th, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My Thoughts:

Unearthly was a book that I had never seen in stores but noticed it was only .99 in the Nook store. I had heard things about the series and I am a sucker for a fallen angel story, so it was a done deal. Unearthly is an exciting, fast-paced book that keeps you turning pages the whole way through.

While I really enjoyed the novel, the beginning lacked originality. It was in many ways, cut from the same cloth as Twilight. There is a girl, Clara, who is forced to move from a warm, populated area to a cold, small town. There is a love triangle with the daring, hot boy and the good-natured, friendly one and there is even a scene where Clara and her friends go out of town to shop for Prom dresses. It was a little too déjà vu for me at that point. But, luckily it becomes more it’s own by the middle to the end.

While it was a very familiar storyline at times, I loved the angels that Cynthia Hand created and I found myself eager for more information throughout the book. I also absolutely adored the fact that Clara is the hero in this book. She’s the powerful girl who’s doing the rescuing, and I am all about girl power in YA books!

I really enjoyed reading Unearthly and think it is a great book, worth reading. I enjoyed the characters, the mystery, and am looking forward to reading more from this series.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Pages: 358

Release: March 22^nd, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

My Thoughts:

I saw Wither in stores for several months and I read the synopsis and stared at the cover but I wasn’t ever quite convinced it was something I would like. I heard so many great things through Goodreads and other blogs that I finally decided to try it. I must say, it is possibly one of the greatest books I have read this year.

Wither captivated me right off with the world it was set in. The mansion, where most of the book takes place is like a beautiful wonderland in itself. I got lost in imagining the rich landscapes, the endless blue pool, and the interiors that Rhine fell captive to. Although the main character was forced to stay there; I am embarrassed to say I found it enchanting in a creepy, mysterious way.

Another thing I loved about the book was the characters. I related so much to the protagonist, Rhine. I was so easily able to understand her feelings and relate to her. Then there is her sister wives: Jenna and Cecily. Jenna was a great character, but I really enjoyed Cecily. She annoyed me at times, but I also really felt for her because she was so young and naïve; she never stood a chance of having a normal childhood. As for the guys, I know I shouldn’t like the husband, Linden, but I really felt him pulling on my heartstrings at times and often I felt like he didn’t know any better. Oh, and finally the servant Gabriel was a very sweet character, but oddly enough, not the most memorable for me. I really can’t remember the last time I was so in love with this many characters in one book.

It was exactly the kind of book that I can get excited about and I loved the way there was tension building through the entire thing and it paid off so well in the end. Now I just need to run to the store and buy Fever!

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: YES!

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Title: Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons

Pages: 364

Release: January 31^st, 2012

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

My Thoughts:

Article 5 is a book that I probably would not have picked up on my own. I was not a big fan of the cover, but one day I turned on my nook to find it was in the library. Only to find out later that my dad thought it looked good and bought it.(Yeah, my Dad reads YA books! He’s just that awesome!) It turned out that my dad had the better judgement this time around because Article 5 was great!

Article 5 is a dystopian set in several different states in the US. One thing I immediately loved was that the main character Ember was from Louisville, KY, so she’s from the same state as me. I don’t know why but I always feel very proud when books are set in my state because we are generally not a popular setting for a book. Speaking of Ember, she is a really interesting character. Half of the time I really love her but most of the time I am saying “EMBER! Y U NO LISTEN?!?!” because she NEVER listens and makes very impulsive decisions. That also makes her character very realistic in my opinion. There’s also Chase who I won’t say much about cause I feel like he’s one of the best aspects of the book, but he is the kind of character that breaks your heart and then re-mends it several times throughout the book.

I was a little slow to warm up to Article 5 but once I got past the first 50 pages I was hooked. It’s a great story that kept me wanting more and was very hard to put down. It also appears that it will be a series, although it could totally be a standalone book and is summed up in the end very nicely.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 487

Release: May 3^rd, 2011

Synopsis:(from Goodreads)In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

My Thoughts:

I am currently slamming my head into a wall repeatedly for putting off reading this book for so long. The most important thing I could say in this review is that if you were like me and put off reading this for various, unimportant reasons you need to read it, like now!

A lot of the time when I read books set in big cities, I have trouble understanding the locations and visualizing where they are and the scenery around them. Not this time though! Chicago is one of my favorite places I have ever been so I was very excited to read a book set in a dystopian version of Chicago. It was fun imagining Navy Pier in ruins and Millennium Park being part of Erudite territory.

The characters were amazing. The connection I felt to Tris was instant and I got so swept up in the story that there were a couple times I actually shuddered for her or was grinning from ear to ear. Let me just say, that does not happen to me very often! I also loved the surprises in this book! A new surprise was revealed every couple of chapters and I was never expecting it.

The only thing about Divergent that I could say anything less that one hundred percent positive is that there was a LOT of information crammed in at the last hundred pages or so. It was really intense right at the end and a lot happened that didn’t necessarily get all of the explanation and detail it deserved.

So, needless to say, it was a great book. I opted out of doing homework, eating at a decent time, and showering(TMI!) in order to read it in one sitting. I am looking forward to reading Insurgent in a month. Hope everyone is enjoying the Choosing Ceremony events happening in the blogosphere today and just for the record…I am a CANDOR!

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: YES!