Audrey, Wait!, by Robin Benway

Do you ever hear a song on the radio and wonder who it was written about? When Audrey's ex-boyfriend's band comes out with a new hit single called "Audrey, Wait!" Audrey is thrust into the spotlight. Now the music-loving witty teenager is forced to deal with her 15 minutes of fame and all the good and bad that comes along with it while trying to live an ordinary life just hanging out with her best friend and crushing on her cute co-worker.

For the most part, this entire novel was very clever and witty. From the story to the one-liners to Audrey's thoughts, it was very entertaining but perhaps a bit too much so. Don't get me wrong I loved it and how smart it was, but sometimes I felt like it was so smart that it wasn't realistic.

The idea behind this book really was adorable and the characters were all very interesting and life-like (except for their extreme levels of wittiness). What I didn't get was why all of America cared so much about what Audrey was up to. I really enjoyed the book but if the tabloids were going crazy about the subject of a hit song then I would probably just ignore it all. It was nice that Audrey wasn't bitter, as were the heroines of the few other books like this that I've come across. Audrey was happy with who and where she was, she wasn't begging for attention and she wasn't desperate for a guy who wouldn't look at her twice.

4.7 stars
 
 California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

Erasing Time, by C.J. Hill

On a perfectly ordinary evening, twins Sheridan and Taylor get sucked through some sort of time portal and end up 400 years in the future with no way home. They find themselves in a domed city with no animals, a strange dialect of English, and psychedelic fashions that look kind of ridiculous to their 21st century eyes. Their only friends, or at least the only people they can converse with, are two linguists who have studied the 21st century dialect, a father and son duo who explain that the girls were brought into the future by accident when a group of scientists tried to bring a famed 21st century physicist instead. The girls are warned about the totalitarian government and a mafia-esque Dakine group who will surely be after them as soon as they find out about the girls from the past. Taylor and Sheridan know that they need to get out of the city as soon as they can, and must put their faith and trust in the mysterious Echo, the linguist's son who has his own reasons for trying to escape.

The time travel concept behind this book was a lot more unique than I expected, probably because there was almost no hope that the girls would go home. It was fascinating to have twins be the main characters, instead of what would have usually been a pair of best friends or a girl and a boy who would end up together at the end of the novel. Furthermore, having two points of views-one from the present past and one from the future present truly showed all sides of this new era that that book takes place in. From Sheridan's POV we saw the world as we would see it, and from Echo we saw it as those who were born in it do.

Before I get to the things that I love I'm going to get the things that I didn't love out of the way as fast as I can. The romance was a bit too fast for my taste. Sheridan and Echo were making out after knowing each other for how long? My other disappointment was not in the author, but in me as I couldn't really remember the names of half the characters (mostly villains). I was able to follow the story and I knew who most of the important people were but at some point I started putting all the government villains into a folder in my head labeled "all seem like the same person so don't waste brain cells on them".

Now for some particular things I loved about this novel. The jawdropping moments were just that-jawdropping. I actually got out of bed to go discuss it with my sister because of how shocked I was. I can usually predict these things in books so it was nice to be completely surprised and then look back to realize all the hints. The sisterly love between Sheridan and Taylor was also very sweet. They understood that they were all each other had left and stuck together through everything. Needless to say it was very heartwarming.

4.8 stars

 When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that's so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can't go back home.

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The same government has implanted tracking devices in the citizens, limiting and examining everything they do. Taylor and Sheridan have to find a way out of the city before the government discovers their secrets. To complicate matters, the moblike Dakine has interest in getting hold of them too. The only way for the girls to elude their pursuers is to put their trust in Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.

Messy, by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (Spoiled #2)

Brooke and Max were the best parts of Spoiled, and now they're the stars of their very own book. Brooke decides that to take her fame to the next level she needs a blog about her life, but since she doesn't have the time, patience, or wit for one, she hires Max to do it for her. This looks like a recipe for disaster and it is one as two totally different girls suffer a bit of an identity crisis and mix up their personalities, dreams, and the boys they like.

This was a great sequel, in that it wasn't much of a sequel and more like a novel taking place in the same world slightly after the events of and featuring the characters of Spoiled. I like my novels to have a beginning and end, and my favorite series and sequels are ones like this one that aren't so sequel-y.

I loved how different Brooke was in this book than in Spoiled. I thought her character had potential in Spoiled but her actions were so despicable that I just hated her and didn't even try not to. However, she became infinitely more likable in this novel and I was able to put the events of the previous one out of my head because it's a different book.

All in all, I liked Messy a lot more than I liked Spoiled for several reasons, including that it was organized a lot better and had more of an actual plot, and Brick was barely in it. Brick is the kind of character who is funny when he's only in a few scenes here and there but when he's a significant character, like in Spoiled, it can be a bit too much. My one major disappointment was the lack of Molly and Teddy love, but the rest of it was so good that I didn't mind.

4.8 stars

When sixteen-year-old Brooke Berlin catches a taste of fame and her movie-star father's attention, she decides it's time to take her career to the next level--by launching a blog that will position her as a Hollywood "It Girl" who tells it like it is. But between schoolwork, shopping, and spray-tan appointments, she hardly has the time to write it herself...
Enter green-haired outsider Max McCormack, an aspiring author with a terrible after-school job pushing faux meat on the macrobiotic masses. Max loathes the celebrity scene almost as much as she dislikes Brooke, but wooed by an impressive salary, Max reluctantly agrees to play Brooke's ghost-blogger -- and the site takes off. How long will their lie last? Can the girls work together to stay on top, or will the truth come out and ruin everything they've built?
Along with an entourage of fame-hungry starlets, scruffy rocker wannabes, and sushi-scarfing socialites, the case of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's dazzling debut, Spoiled, are back for another adventure in Tinseltown.

The Time of My Life, by Cecelia Ahern

We get reminders from doctors and dentists about our next appointments, but Lucy got a reminder about not missing her appointment with life. Yes, life. After skipping her appointment several times, Lucy eventually comes face to face with her life in the form a run-down man. As Lucy continues trudging through her days, her life takes over and leads her in directions that she never would have dreamed of.

The concept of this book seems a bit confusing, especially because the man Lucy's Life (as in his name) but rather Lucy's life (as in the noun). When I first saw that life was a man I was convinced there would be a romance between him and Lucy but once I vaguely understood the concept of an appointment with life I realized how implausible that would be. My comprehension of the idea swayed back and forth between a logical explanation of that being Lucy's life was the man's job, but at some point in the novel I was forced to let go of logic and enter Ahern's slightly magical world.

My favorite thing about Cecelia Ahern's books is how though they may seem similar to many other novels, there is often either a mystical element or a unique way of writing that lifts her books above the norm and keeps them from being cliche. She manages to insert humor into topics that aren't the most cheerful and reading her books ignites all different sorts of emotions in the reader.

The reason why I gave this book 4 stars was because of the slow beginning. It took a while for it to really kick off and so when I was really tempted to stop I flipped to the ending and after determining that I liked it I resumed at my boring location near the beginning. My advice is to stick through the dull parts because once it gets good it gets great.

4.3 stars

Lucy Silchester has an appointment with her life – and she’s going to have to keep it.

Lying on Lucy Silchester’s carpet one day when she returns from work is a gold envelope. Inside is an invitation – to a meeting with Life. Her life. It turns out she's been ignoring itand it needs to meet with her face to face.

It sounds peculiar, but Lucy’s read about this in a magazine. Anyway, she can’t make the date: she’s much too busy despising her job, skipping out on her friends and avoiding her family.

But Lucy’s life isn’t what it seems. Some of the choices she’s made – and stories she’s told – aren’t what they seem either. From the moment she meets the man who introduces himself as her life, her stubborn half-truths are going to be revealed in all their glory – unless Lucy learns to tell the truth about what really matters to her.

Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder

Avry is a healer, which means that she can heal people with just a touch by taking their sicknesses or injuries into her own body. When a plague spreads throughout the land and there are too many sick people for the healers to save, they are blamed and persecuted. Avry has been on the run for two years and after risking her freedom to save a sick child, the child's parents give her in to the authorities who plan a public execution. The night before her planned death, Avry is rescued/kidnapped by a group of rogues who need her to use her talents to save their friend, the very prince who started the uproar against healers.

This book was absolutely incredible, but it did feel a little bit like I was reading Poison Study all over again. This isn't necessarily the worst thing ever though, because that book was really good. The similarities in the plots and characters were a little too much and even though I enjoyed it, I am hoping that the second book is not also a repeat. However, in this novel's defense, the storyline was amazingly intricate and so detailed that I felt like I was being transported to another world. The way everything can be (or will be) explained with either magic or science in this world is absolutely fascinating so despite the similarities to Poison Study, I was still extremely pleased with this book.

4.7 stars

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

The Unwritten Rule, by Elizabeth Scott

Brianna is the girl everyone wants to be or be with, and Sara is her best friend. Sara is perfectly fine with living in Brianna's shadow, even though Brianna's new boyfriend is Ryan, Sara's crush. Though Sara tries really hard not to like Ryan, everything gets way worse when they kiss one night after a party. Sara, who has never been anything but loyal to Brianna, is wracked with guilt for what she did and what she wants, but can't help herself from getting closer to Ryan. Yes, it's another one of these stories, but this one is pretty good.

I've read these stories before, and chances are if you're reading this review that you have too. There was no unique twist that made this one completely different from any other book like it, unless you count Sara's selflessness, which I don't since it wasn't important enough to make this book stand out from the other "I'm in love with my best friend's boyfriend" books. However, this book was written well and it really showed all sides of the story well. Somehow I didn't hate Sara, Brianna, or Ryan when I finished the book because Scott managed to show each character perfectly. Brianna was just mean enough that you cheer Sara and Ryan on, but just pitiable enough that you don't consider her a horrible person. I suppose Ryan would be the one to blame but I felt like he was a victim just as much as the other two were.

4.0 stars. Not out-of-this-world incredible, but definitely enjoyable.

 
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don’t like your best friend’s boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He’s easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he’s paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna’s boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah’s best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she’s thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It’s wonderful... and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can’t stop herself from wanting more...

Texas Gothic, by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Practical Amy Goodnight, together with her absent-minded scientist sister Phin Goodnight, has a new summer job taking care of her aunt Hyacinth's ranch. However, this isn't an ordinary farm as all the Goodnights have some sort of psychic or magical power, and when a malicious ghost starts haunting the ranch, as well as the ranch belonging to the cute but infuriating cowboy next door, everyone turns to Amy to vanquish the ghost and save them from his wrath.

I had this same complaint about The Splendor Falls, and I'll say it again here. This book had a very slow beginning. Different details pertaining to the plot were introduced but they didn't inspire any excitement until the very very end. It wasn't horrible in the slightest, as Clement-Moore's writing style is extremely entertaining, but I did have to trudge through to get to the good part. I am not a fan of ghost stories, but since Clement-Moore takes some of the somberness out of them and takes them to a place of perfect balance between dreary and hilarious, I am always willing to read one of hers.

This book was a semi-predictable whodunit, but I don't have any problems with the semi-predictable part because I think that was on purpose (or even if it wasn't, the action was good enough that the story was interesting anyway).

One thing I loved about the characters in this novel was how from the beginning, Amy portrayed herself as the normal one, and despite all her adorable quirks, she still seemed to be the sanest person around even when she clearly wasn't. It made the first-person point of view a lot more tangible and at times I almost felt as if I were Amy.

4.3 stars.

 Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn't as simple as it seems—she grew up surrounded by household spells and benevolent ghosts. But she also understands that "normal" doesn't mix with magic, and she's worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect any hope of ever having a normal life.

Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that. Good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren't alone. There's someone in the house with them—and it's not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.

It's a ghost, and it's more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.

This is the summer when the wall between Amy's worlds is going to come crashing down.

Keeping the Castle, by Patrice Kindl

In this Jane Austen-like tale written in the 21st century, our heroine, Althea, is on a mission to (pardon me) keep her castle. Althea, her mother, her brother, and her two wicked stepsisters live in a dilapidated castle in the English countryside, and if Althea doesn't marry rich soon, they will all be homeless. Luckily, Althea is very pretty, very smart, and very determined to find a rich husband. When the young handsome rich and title Lord Boring arrives, Althea decides he would be the perfect man for her to marry. However, there is one big obstacle in her way in the form of Mr. Fredericks, Boring's friend, cousin, and business manager who sees right through Althea's plan.

As a Jane Austen fan, I absolutely adored this book. It was a whimsical take on Jane Austen, including imitations of many of her characters, yet it somehow had a modern feel to it. Instead of the hints and innuendos in Austen's novels, Kindl said everything she wanted to say directly, to the point where she actually named a character Boring. Boring was a Bingley-type character, good-looking and well-intentioned, but he had an edge to him that made him less clean-cut than the Bingley of Pride and Prejudice. Althea greatly reminded me of Emma (from Emma) who tries to manipulate and control the lives of everyone else around her while digging herself a bigger and bigger hole, while Mr. Fredericks was obviously Kindl's take on Mr. Darcy. The stepsisters were utterly hysterical and added a Cinderella twist to the whole story.

5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Althea is the sole support of her entire family, and she must marry well. But there are few wealthy suitors--or suitors of any kind--in their small Yorkshire town of Lesser Hoo. Then, the young and attractive (and very rich) Lord Boring arrives, and Althea sets her plans in motion. There's only one problem; his friend and business manager Mr. Fredericks keeps getting in the way. And, as it turns out, Fredericks has his own set of plans . . . This witty take on the classic Regency--Patrice Kindl's first novel in a decade--is like literary champagne!

The Locket, by Stacey Jay

On the worst night of her life, after her boyfriend finds out that she cheated on him and leaves her on the side of the road in the pouring rain, Katie wishes she had never kissed her best friend Mitch. When she opens her eyes, the locket she borrowed from her grandmother has transported her to an alternate universe, one where she has the chance to redo that fateful moment of betrayal. However, the magical world of redo isn't exactly like the world that Katie came from. There are some subtle and some not-so-subtle differences in this redone world, as well as consequences that Katie never counted on. At some point Katie has to ask herself, is it really worth turning back the clock?

The concept of turning back the clock and going to an alternate universe is not a new one for Stacey Jay, and kind of seemed like a book-long version of the end of Juliet Immortal. However, I did think that unlike Juliet Immortal, it was done incredibly well here, with all the tiny details lining up (or rather, not lining up) and the complicated topic not being squished into ten pages. I especially liked how she made the plot develop, with the events of the alternate universes getting progressively worse and worse. It kept the story moving, and was sufficient background for Katie to determine which boy she loved, as she was put into odder and odder situations with them.

I have only one complaint about this book. Katie got the locket from her grandmother, and based on the pictures in the locket it is assumed that Katie's grandmother used the locket to make everything turn out as they did in the universe Katie originated in. I just want to know what happened. I think that would make an amazing prequel, and it would provide a lot more insight into the mysterious titular villain of The Locket.

4.5 stars.

On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him - with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less - he dumps her, leaving her devastated.

And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present.

Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything - and everyone - she loves?

The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey #1)

When Meghan's little brother is kidnapped and replaced with an evil fairy child thingy, Meghan sets off to fairyland, called NeverNever, to rescue him. Upon arrival Meghan discovers that she is the long lost child of one of the rulers, and that finding her brother will be a lot more complicated than she expected. With the help of the mischievous Puck and the handsome prince Ash, Meghan faces an enemy unlike one that anyone in NeverNever had ever heard of before.

For some reason, I don't find YA fantasy about fairies nearly as satisfying as any about other sorts of fantastical creatures. This book didn't defy that expectation, but it was one of the better fairy books that I've read. It did have all the same annoying markings-a half mortal/half fairy main character, dark brooding handsome prince love interest, her long-lost father is king, rescuing a mortal loved one-but it didn't feel as overdone as most other fairy novels. Perhaps because in this book the fairy world had rules that made sense and were easy to follow, as opposed to the ones where random things happen and are explained afterwards.

Was it just me, or did the Ash romance happen too fast? One second they're mortal enemies, and the next they're true love. It happened so quickly that my initial thought was that he was pranking her or part of some elaborate scheme on his mother's part. He may very well might be though, because there are still more books left to the series.

4.0 stars

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Sweet Peril, by Wendy Higgins (Sweet Evil #2)

After the tragic events of the Summit at the end of Sweet Evil, Anna Whitt knows that the Dukes mean business, and she also knows that they must be stopped once and for all. Together with her father, Belial, the duke of substance abuse (I know, it's a little far-fetched, but just go with it), who is not quite as evil as his fellow dukey counterparts, Anna is trying to recruit other Nephilim to her cause. Throughout Anna's junior and senior years of high school, Belial is doing research on which Neph are likely to betray their fathers, and sending Anna and Kopano, son of the duke of wrath (a lot more typical, thank goodness), to go fetch potential allies to their cause. As Anna and Kope start getting closer, Anna can't stop thinking about Kaiden (stupid name, but again, just go with it), son of the duke of lust, but Kaiden has been impossible to reach since the Summit in New York. Anna has to decide whether to settle with the good guy or hold out for the bad guy with the potential to make her heart explode. Gee, I wonder who she chooses.

Sweet Evil sucked me in with the idea of a good girl stuck on the bad side, but in Sweet Peril that idea seemed kind of old. I found it a lot more cliche and emotional than Sweet Evil, with a little too much complaining about Kaiden, but still very good. I got so annoyed with her pining for Kaiden that at some point I was transferred to Team Kope. Despite my complaints about Anna's lovesickness, the way that all the Neph's emotions were being toyed with and how they all twisted up into a giant spiderweb was very cool. A little overdone, but cool nonetheless. It made certain parts that would have been a lot more boring intriguing.

My last note will seem sort of odd, but I still think it's valid. The dukes are just too nasty. I know they are supposed to be demons/devils/really really bad fallen angels, but the nastiness of the evil ones is so extreme that it takes away any character from them and makes them simply bad things. The supreme level of evilness that they have risen to has taken away any semblance of personality they may have had and makes them characters who can solidly be relied on to be cruel and bad. I would have loved to see a soft side to several of the dukes who have been declared as purely evil, but I doubt that will happen.

4.2 stars

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

The Elite, by Kiera Cass (The Selection #2)

 America is faced with a choice. She can accept her prince's proposal and end the Selection, becoming princess of the realm, or she can run off with her first love Aspen and live the rest of her life away from all the political drama. As America is pulled in both directions, the Selection continues and Prince Maxon starts getting close to another one of his chosen few. When rebels attack repeatedly, America must look inside herself and determine what she really wants-why is she still here, and what is her destiny?

This book only took me 2 hours to read. I don't know if it was an easy read, or if I was so desperate to know what will happen next that I half-skimmed it, but I was done in 2 hours. I enjoyed learning the history of how the castes were formed and why they still exist because it gave the series more depth and explained some things I'd been wondering about, namely why there are castes at all. I have just realized the obvious redundancy in the previous sentence, but I refuse to change it, so I am very sorry if it bothers you.


SPOILERS AHEAD

I am 100% Team Maxon, and I was thrilled when America made her choice. I figured she would choose Maxon in the end, just because she didn't run off with Aspen as soon as he asked her to, but it was still nice to have confirmation. Not only do we know now who America will end up with (because there's going to be a happy ending after the third book, no doubt about it), we also know who the real villains are, which is a relief. The first book was wishy-washy about the rebels and who they are and what they want, but finally the truth has been revealed, that the antagonist of the novels are not the rebels, but the king himself. I should have predicted it, but his lack of presence in the first book just made me think that he would be killed off soon. Oh, well. I was wrong. Now we can move on to the third book with all the facts laid out-we know who America will end up with, and who they will have to defeat.
  
Also, I compared this book to The Hunger Games, and like Katniss, America chose her Peeta.

4.8 stars.

 
Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Etiquette and Espionage, by Gail Carriger (Finishing School #1)

Years before Alexia Tarabotti started getting in the middle of supernatural disasters, 14-year-old Sophronia Temminick broke a dumbwaiter. Sophronia is not quite the young lady her mother wishes she was. Sophronia spends her days taking things apart, putting them back together, and breaking dumbwaiters. Sophronia is a fun name to type and is apparently a real name because it isn't being underlined, so I shall be repeating it as many times as I can without sounding like an idiot. Anyway, when Madame Geraldine, from Madame Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, offers to whisk Sophronia away, Mrs. Temminick couldn't be more relieved. What Mrs. Temminick doesn't know, is that the finishing taught here is not restricted to dance, dress, etiquette and the like, but also includes the fine arts of death, espionage, and being a lady in the most...interesting...of situations.

Set 25 years prior to the Parasol Protectorate, Etiquette and Espionage is the teen version of Gail Carriger's wonderful approach to steampunk, werewolves and vampires. This book was absolutely adorable, and I definitely recommend it to any fans of the adult series. This book is a fantastic start to the parallel series, and was connected perfectly so that it doesn't matter which series was started first. While there were several overlapping supporting characters, the main characters were completely separate from The Parasol Protectorate, so though I knew the fates of the overlaps, I did not know how the series would end.

Of all the things I could have taken away from this book, the one thing I chose to focus on upon completion was how young Sidheag must be in Parasol Protectorate. From her description I was convinced she was in her 50's or 60's, but if this book is only 25 years prior then she can be under 40! Of course, it is entirely possible that I missed one very important word revealing her age in The PP series, in which case I apologize for this rant.

One last thing: I love Madame Lefoux. She was awesome, even as a kid.

4.8 stars.

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.

The Rising, by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising #3)

Links to my reviews of books 1 and 2 in the Darkness Rising trilogy:

The Gathering

The Calling

After running, getting caught, escaping and going on the run again, all while meeting up with various different friends, Maya is about to do that for another book. This time though, she has the company of her long-lost twin, who isn't quite as brotherly as Maya had hoped for. Maya and her friends want to go back to having a normal life with their parents, but will have to determine who the real enemy is before they make any final decisions. Along the way they meet up with some fellow teens on the run, but do the two groups have the same goals or are they willing to turn each other in for a quiet life?

There are books about almost every type of supernatural and books combining different types of supernaturals in every conceivable and inconceivable combinations. Yet despite this, or maybe because of this, I liked how these supernaturals were ones that I'd never heard of. Now that I think about it, I probably liked that because it didn't contradict any known legends about the supernaturals, but invented its own legends.

The ending was perfect. Don't worry-I won't give any spoilers here, but I will say that I had no idea how all the issues would be solved to give out happy ever afters. I was nervous there would be some totally improbable ending but instead it was one that made sense and made me content. It was a way of solving the problems without really solving them.

4.6 stars.

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.




All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy.

Princess of the Silver Woods, by Jessica Day George (Princess #3)

In the final book about the Twelve Dancing Princesses, the main character is the youngest sister, Petunia. Petunia is on her way to visit an old duchess from Russaka (Russia's equivalent in the alternate universe) when her carriage is overtaken by the Wolves of the Westfalin Woods (or something alliterative like that). When Petunia turns out not to be as docile as expected, Oliver, the leader of the wolves, unintentionally kidnaps her. Feeling bad for what he's done, Oliver brings Petunia to her destination, and while there, he discovers that Petunia is in danger. The new King Under Stone is determined to have his twelve brides, and will do anything to get them in his clutches once and for all. Will the sisters' fight against the evil king finally end, almost fifteen years after it started?

The first book in this series, Princess of the Midnight Ball, was about Rose, the oldest of the 12 sisters. The second book, Princess of Glass, was about Poppy, one of the many middle sisters. This is the last book, and it is about Petunia, the youngest of them all. I liked how there was time between the 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd of the novels because it shows more development in the characters. The 2nd book didn't take place in the Westfalin castle so there was barely any interaction between the sisters, but I liked how in the 3rd book I could compare the sisters as they are now to how they were almost ten years earlier in the 1st book. It was also fun to see a continuation of all the little nuances in each of the sister's characters. Each one had a distinct character trait in the first book (there are too many sisters for each one to have a fully developed character) and they still had in this book, just all grown up. I just realized that what I wrote is a long chain of babbling. I hope it makes sense.

This book got a lot darker than I expected it too, but the ending was adorable. The dark and twisty parts didn't stray too much from the overall cuteness, but it did give the story more validity.

One last thing before I go: I realized while reading this book that the only other books with the names Pansy and Petunia in them are the Harry Potter books. And they weren't exactly pleasant characters there either. Just something to think about :)

4.6 stars.
Before reading the publisher's summary, I want to warn any prospective readers that it contains some information that may be classified as spoilers. (I consider any information not discovered until halfway or through or not blatantly obvious to be a spoiler.)

 
When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

Rites of Spring (Break), by Diana Peterfreund (Secret Society Girl #3)

Links to my reviews of the previous Secret Society Girl books:
Secret Society Girl
Under the Rose

Life is never quite for a Digger, especially Amy Haskel. Amy, or Bugaboo, as her brothers call her is up to her usually antics, getting in trouble with guys and being the new target for the pranks of a rival secret society. When spring break comes around, Amy is ecstatic to escape from Eli campus and go to a private island off the coast of Florida occupied only by fellow Diggers and their families. However, life does not calm down in the slightest when she arrives on Cavador Key. Instead it gets more excited as unaccidental accidents keep happening and once again, Amy is the target. Put this together with what may be a new romance with a guy Amy had always hated until she didn't (though I totally predicted it-just look at my review of Under the Rose) and this vacation is bound to be Amy's most exciting adventure yet.

This book was INCREDIBLE!!!! You know a series is good when the middle books are just as good as the first and last books (like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson) and strangely enough, Secret Society Girl is like that too. I loved this book so much that I ordered Tap and Gown a second after I finished it because my library doesn't have it. Just thinking about this book is getting my thoughts to give little girlish squeaks.

Spoilers Ahead- skip to the italics on bottom for the publisher's summary



I was very surprised that Darren was the one causing all the trouble. If there's one thing I've learned from the SSG books it's that you never know what will happen and when Darren started getting all violent then I was shocked. It made sense afterwards, and because he's just a kid the author was able to get him out without being labeled a psycho, but it still caught me off guard.

I thought the whole Brandon thing at the beginning was unnecessary. Yes, it helped with plot, but it also split the book into two stories-before spring break and after spring break. It also seemed pointless to me because once they were on the boat for Cavador Key Amy only thought about him when people mentioned that she was going through a hard time. If no one mentioned it she was perfectly fine. Only when the topic of guys came up did she feel bad about what had happened. Her romance with Poe could have happened without the Brandon prelude.

Because there is only one book left in the series, I am going to make a few predictions before I read book 4 to see if they will come true:
1. George + Clarissa are totally going to happen. I don't know why I think that but I did sense something there.
2. Malcolm should get a society boyfriend. There has to be someone around who's secretly gay, and whoever he is will end up with Malcolm.
3. The Diggers are going to do something so great that everyone will take them seriously again. This isn't so much a prediction as much as a hope, but I put it on this list anyway.

4.8 stars.

A week of R&R on her Rose & Grave’s private island should be all fun in the sun—and an escape from an on-campus feud with a rival society that’s turned disturbingly personal. But Amy is bringing a suitcase full of issues to Florida. Graduation from Eli University looms, not to mention unfinished business with a former flame and the confusing transformation of a mysterious Rose & Grave patriarch from sheer evil to dead sexy.

Just when Amy thinks Spring Break can’t get any less relaxing, a distressing accident puts everyone on edge. And that’s only the beginning. It seems that someone has infiltrated the island. There are major Rose & Grave secrets at stake—secrets which could take down one of America’s most loathsome figureheads—but this party crasher is serious about one thing: making sure Amy doesn’t get back to Eli alive.

Mad Love, by Suzanne Selfors

Alice is in trouble. Her mother, a romance author crowned the Queen of Romance, is in a psychiatric facility getting treatment for bipolar disorder, and if she doesn't write another book in the next few weeks then they are going to be utterly and completely broke. The only solution Alice can think of is to write the book herself under her mother's name-but what should she write about? Enter Eros, the crazy guy who thinks he's Cupid. Eros keeps bothering Alice and begging her to write his story, about his tragic love with Psyche. Alice has only a few weeks to put together her novel while taking care of her mother and trying not to alienate the cute guy who she's been crushing on for months who she finally met. Can she do it?

This book is a lot more serious than I expected, which is why I included more in my summary than the publishers did in theirs. From the summary I expected a happy-go-lucky love story about a girl biting off more than she can chew, but instead this book was rife with sicknesses of the body and the mind, serious financial problems, and personal blackmail. It was sort of like taking a bite of what you think is cotton candy and getting a bite of chicken instead. You still enjoy the chicken, but you're confused as to what happened to the cotton candy. (I just realized how stupid that sounds, but if you read the book you'd understand what I was talking about.) This also prepared me for the cheesiness of the romance because even though the book was a lot grittier than I thought it would be, Alice and Tony's romance was just as bubbly and superficial as I had predicted. However, this didn't annoy me nearly as much as it usually would, just because I knew it would be like that.

I thought it was really cool to read about bipolar disorder because I had just learned about it in my abnormal psychology class before reading the book. When Alice described her mother's symptoms and actions I was able to reference my notes in my head and see how they matched up, which they did perfectly.

The main reason why I would recommend this book to anyone is because of how original it is. There are many takes on the Cupid and Psyche romance, but this one was different than the others because the main character was not Cupid or Psyche but someone else totally. 

4.7 stars

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

Sweet Shadows, by Tera Lynn Childs (Medusa Girls #2)

Gretchen, Grace, and Greer are finally united and determined to fight the monsters heading their way while they attempt to face their destiny. This requires finding out what their destiny is, as all they know is that they are the Key Generation. The people who do know, Eurydale and Sthenno, have been kidnapped and taken to either the Abyss or the dungeons of Olympus, two equally dangerous places. The girls need to rescue their mentors while dealing with their own increasingly messy lives. Greer is trying to keep up with her rich, high-society peers and plan some elaborate tea while keeping her monster-killing hobby a secret. Grace is excited because her crush, Milo, likes her back, but how can she start a relationship when she's got a secret life she's keeping from her family? Grace is also getting increasingly worried about her (adopted) brother Thane who ran away from home without explanation. Meanwhile, Gretchen, the only sister who isn't leading a double life, has her own troubles in the form of Nick, the cute guy who called her in the last moments of Sweet Venom and saved the sisters' life by warning them about the house blowing up. Gretchen knows Nick is hiding something, but can she let her guard down a little and let him in?

This was a fantastic sequel. I said in my review of Sweet Venom that it felt more like an prologue to a novel than an actual novel, and Sweet Shadows was good enough that it made the first book worth the time, if only to get to book 2. Again, I was not a fan of the Greek stuff and I think the novel would have worked just fine without being based on mythology, but it was so far off from the Greek mythology usually incorporated into teen novels that it was easy to forget the connection at times. The story moved pretty fast, which was good because if it hadn't then I would have given up pretty fast. My patience was worn through after completing Sweet Venom, and if Sweet Shadows had continued at the same slow pace then that would have been it for me.

I don't remember if I wrote this in Sweet Venom's review, but the characters, especially the triplets, all seemed flat and one-sided. Each of the girls had a stereotype, and each stuck to her stereotype throughout. Although one could argue that Gretchen softened a bit, which went against who she was supposed to be, I think the whole point of having a character so tough and closed-off is to later open her up. She let everyone in too quickly, much quicker than a real person with that personality would, which made her seem even more one-sided in my opinion. My favorite character was Greer, because she even when she does feel gooey and emotional, she puts on a stoic face and says sarcastic things. Greer is the most real, despite her cliche rich girl attitude.

 
I remember having a conversation with some friends a few years ago about seeing full faces of characters on the covers of books. Seeing their faces had always helped my imagination along, but my friends claimed that seeing the entire face ruined the possibilities of who the heroine could be and what she could look like. I never really agreed with that opinion until now. When I look at the cover, I know that the girl represents either one or all of the girls, but since they all dress so differently, it makes me wonder which sister it is, or whether she is supposed to represent all of them. Any ideas?
 
Spoilers Ahead*******************************

My favorite scene in the novel was the one in the Abyss where Gretchen discovers that not only monsters live there, and that not all monsters are evil. It was especially cool because it messed with Gretchen's head and made her rethink everything she's done for the past four years. It also complicated the girls' non-plan, because it made them realize that there is no way to save the good guys without saving the bad guys, and no way to kill the bad guys without killing the good guys.

Is it just me, or was there something between Greer and Thane at the end? Not quite love at first sight, but definitely something at first sight. Which is really nauseating when you realize that Greer looks exactly like Grace, who is Thane's little sister. Thane was definitely shocked to see Greer because of her resemblance to Grace, but Greer definitely has a bit of a crush on her sister's brother. The incestuousness here is a tad uncomfortable, but since they technically aren't related, I guess it's okay? I think the only element of this that makes it disturbing is how Greer and Grace look alike, so if Greer and Thane were to get together, he'd be dating a girl who is the spitting image of his sister. Another reason for not wanting Thane and Greer to hook up is that as of now, Greer is the only single sister. The point of a novel such as this is that the author wants you to believe that this is happening in your universe, or in an alternate one, but in no universe does every person end up with a great boyfriend at the end. For Greer and Thane to end up together, one of the other couples would have to break up/die, which strangely doesn't bother me and I find myself inclined to wish Milo or Nick dead. What's happening to me? Where's the sweet girl who wants happy endings??????

4.1 stars.
 

Gretchen may have known she was a descendant of Medusa long before her sisters--after all, she's spent her life fighting the monsters that escape the abyss--but that doesn't mean it will be easy to teach the other girls the ropes. Can she rely on Grace and Greer, or even trust herself to keep them safe?Greer has pressing social commitments on her plate and precious little time to train in her newfound powers. But that wretched second sight won't leave her alone, and her fabled heritage seems to be creeping into her fashionable life.

Grace has worries closer to home--like why her brother, Thane, has disappeared. He's hiding something. Could it possibly be related to the secret heritage the triplets share?

With the warring factions among the gods of Olympus coming for them, the creatures of the abyss pushing into their world, and the boys in their lives keeping secrets at every turn, the three girls must figure out where their fate will take them and how to embrace the shadows of their legacy.

Trial by Fire, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Raised by Wolves #2)

If you haven't read my review of Raised by Wolves, click here.

Trial by Fire finds human Bryn settling into her role as alpha of a pack mostly made up of little girls. She sees the actions of other alphas and is determined to treat her pack well, but she is forced to make an uncomfortable decision when a wolf from a rival pack shows up on dying on her doorstep. Lucas tells Bryn that he was tortured by his alpha, Shay, and that he wants to join Bryn's pack. Bryn has to uncover the truth about Lucas's origins before Shay comes to claim him and takes some of Bryn's girls or an even more dangerous unknown enemy gets to her first.

For someone involved in such a cutthroat world, Bryn is way too nice. When she had the choice to give Lucas back or potentially start a war which would end with all her girls taken captive, I thought that a good leader would send Lucas back to save her pack. I know it sounds horrible to say something like that, but Bryn had never met Lucas before and for all she knew, the torture he experienced could have been punishment from his alpha for a crime which Bryn herself wouldn't have forgiven. It was incredibly naive and shortsighted of her to accept Lucas right away and I think it only proved even more so how inexperienced and unfit she was to lead her pack.

On a brighter note, this book did have a really fascinating ending, and is definitely a good read for younger readers. And as far as sequels go, this one is pretty good.

4.6 stars

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were.  With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2), by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet's grandmother has been missing for over two weeks and she is willing to do anything to bring her back alive. After her alcoholic father gives her a clue to her grandmother's kidnappers that leads to a street fighter named Wolf, Scarlet sets off on a journey to Paris with Wolf as her guide. Scarlet knows Wolf is hiding things from her, and as his secrets start to unfold Scarlet learns that she and her grandmother are in a lot more danger than they ever would have imagined. Meanwhile, in Asia, Cinder is planning her escape from prison and has found a partner in crime who happens to have a ship. Cinder wants to find out what happened to her during the missing years before her adoption and how she got her magnificently wired brain. Her journey takes her to France, where she and Scarlet cross paths on quests with seemingly different yet similar goals.

As is the case with many second books (I think I've used that line before) this book did not live up to the first one. With that said, I will remind you, if you've read my review of Cinder, that the only reason Cinder got a five-star rating was because the plot shone through the mediocre prose. Unfortunately for Scarlet, the plot took a long time to get good and even once it did it was only for a few short pages before the story returned to the unexciting once more. However, I will admit that despite my dislike for Scarlet's point of view, the connection to the first book was very good and it continued the story well while still retaining its independence as its own book and not merely a continuation of the first one.

4.2 stars.

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.