"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi

"Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. "-goodreads

I read “Shatter Me” in about 2 & ½ hours when I probably should’ve been doing schoolwork. I thought I’d start the book and read a chapter during a break in math homework and go back to what I was doing. That didn’t work out so well… I started Shatter Me and was immediately enraptured with the thoughtful, possibly crazy, progressively awesome heroine, Juliette, as well as the deceptively dark (or not as much as it seems? You‘ll see. Read it!) dystopian world she resides in. It was absolutely psychological, considering being locked up in a cell in contact with no other people for so long in desolate conditions, all while stewing over the fact that you do awful things to people by simply touching them-- whether she wants to or not.

The writing was another thing entirely. It was amazing. It kept me right inside the story until the end. It was also just really pretty. Then, there was the whole thing with Juliette’s thoughts and her confusion of a contradicting thought process with the whole words crossed out thing in thoughts…

I’ve seen Shatter Me referred to as a dystopian, a thriller, a paranormal, a romance combined with any of those things, and I’ll just say it’s all of those. Dystopian, for the world-- though I wouldn’t say that’s quite the main focus like in some other novels, there’s other things! Paranormal, because she can hurt people with only a touch ‘for no reason’. Romance, because there is another incredibly complex main character, Adam, and I think you can just guess that there’s going to be something between them (and their relationship, the lack there-of, and the general tension? Stunning.). Thriller, because I kept turning pages and found that I was literally gripping the edge of my seat at the climax and some other parts. Psychological, because inside Juliette’s head is a scary, twisted, traumatic place to be in a psychologically fascinating kind of way. And really? The other genre I’d put it in, and as number one: genre Awesome. Awesome in a real sense of the world. In an awe-inspiring writing, complex and likeable character filled, complicated and deceptive plot, dark and controlled world, sort-of-way.

Needless to say, (but I’ll say them anyway) two things: I cannot wait for the sequel, Tahereh Mafi is awesome. On that note, I’ll end this with the surprise third thing: the cover is epic sparkly.

"Ashes" by Ilsa J. Bick

"It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP. For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human."-goodreads

Ashes is one of the best zombie books I’ve read, up there with The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Zombie Survival Guide, as well as one of the best post-apocalyptic books I’ve read (and probably one of the more ’realistic’ as well). But Ashes is so much more than that. As I was reading it I thought of it as one of those dolls that opens up and there’s another doll and another doll and another doll and another doll. Every page, there were more complicated (but awesome) things going on. Incredibly fast-paced, sometimes things happened so fast that I didn’t understand them right away-- but I don’t think Alex the protagonist did either, so that just enhanced it. Ashes bled fear, anxiety, tension, action, gruesomeness, creepy, scary, psychological stuff, and shock throughout the whole book. It was incredible! Also, it’s perfect for reading any time but I think I picked a fabulous time to read it, right around Halloween.

Alex is an epic heroine for the story. She’s a strong female character that doesn’t let herself totally give up for any reason, even when falling for a guy. She took charge and survived after the EMP, and helped others along the way. Granted, she also received help from several people, including Tom, the mysterious guy they meet along the way, however it wasn’t a *total* damsel-in-distress moment. Alex showed raw emotion throughout the book without being wimpy or anything like that. Tom was pretty cool too, when we got to meet him, and Ellie as well. Characters in this book (and a lot of similar books to these) are integral to me, I think, because you don’t typically see as many characters as often while they’re fighting their way through the EMP ravaged world.

An original thing that I liked about Ashes is that, while some post-apocalyptic (or dystopian) books avoid the actual disaster, experiencing it or explaining it, it started out from the beginning right before and the reader gets to see the whole thing unfold. I think a lot of the time it’s avoided because sometimes it’s hard to convince the reader and have them be like, ‘yeah, this could actually happen. The world really could end this way.’ and even I’m like that sometimes but Ashes convinced me. I’ll be thinking about the horrifyingly realistic (and horrifying in general) world from the book for a long time.
The bottom line: if you’re looking for an epic book, especially a scary post-apocalyptic zombie novel, Ashes is for you. I can’t wait for the next one! 

"The Shattering" by Karen Healey

"Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers.
As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most.
As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?"-goodreads

This book was weird. I don't mean that in a bad way-- I consider myself weird (hopefully in a good way), I think my friends are weird (definitely in a good way), and basically the rest of the world weird (in its own special way). It was really suspenseful, too. I think the multiple perspectives were smart, they made each of the characters shine just a little bit more and kept up the suspense. Why did multiple characters/perspectives keep up the suspense? Not each of the characters knew what the other one knew so it was a lot of back and forth. It was a mystery, a true mystery book, keeping me flipping pages for the 'who did it??!?" conclusion until the end. The ending shocked me. Let me rephrase that-- parts of the ending were how I *thought* it would end but other parts I didn't think would happen or hadn't even considered. That's always good, a shocking ending when it makes sense and if it's really a knock-you-off-your-feet kind of thing that's even better.

This book was a lot to think about; a lot to consider. I questioned how I would react, and if I would go about solving the mystery the same way. I love books that do that! I also appreciate when a book keeps you thinking about it or its ending and it sticks with you for a while, which it already has ('what?' you ask. 'You just posted the review, how would you know that!?' Actually I read it over a week ago, maybe two weeks, but I've been having trouble *actually* gathering my thoughts about it. And I've been busy.. ANYWAY...), and it will probably continue. It's also a stand-alone. I like when I can get the ACTUAL WHOLE STORY and it EVEN has the nerve to pack a punch. Not that I hate series, it's clear that I don't, but once in a while, seriously: STANDALONE BOOKS. 

I'd recommend "The Shattering" to someone looking for a dark, stand-alone, mystery book packed with suspense with an ending that will shock you.
Thank you Little Brown for the opportunity to review this book. As usual, that didn't alter my opinion!

"Tighter" by Adele Griffin

“When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.” -goodreads

I picked up Tighter right before going to bed. I continued reading Tighter until it was over. I couldn’t put it down! I had to see how the story would conclude. It’s also only 216 pages, so I wasn’t up all night finishing it or anything (although I probably would have been, had it been longer), but it was 216 pages of brain-twisting, mind-numbing, mystery and suspense. I had to know what Jamie was actually seeing, and what was real, what wasn’t.

Jamie is not (or at least doesn't start out) a likable main character. She’s depressed, she stole pills from her parents, and she doesn’t generally seem very smart at all in the beginning. As the story goes on, especially toward the end, she’s a bit more likable. But she’s not the ONLY character. While Isa (the troubled girl Jamie is an au pair for) was withdrawn in her own world, in her imagination where she could hide, I found her really likable. Everything she said I felt she said in earnest. Part murder mystery, part thriller, and many other elements, Tighter had variety.

I loved the writing, it was poetic and nice, with some really raw emotion displayed through it. The conclusion was shocking and a burst of action at the end, I did NOT expect what Jamie ended up doing. I’ve never read any others of Adele Griffin’s many novels, but I’ll be sure to look them up now!
Extra note: The cover. I love it. Sets the creepy level for the book!

"Hunger" (Gone, #2) by Michael Grant

(The summary for this book is spoiler-y for the first book in the series, "Gone". If you'd like to view it anyway and find out more information about the book, here's the goodreads page for it. As usual with sequel reviews, though I try to keep them spoiler free, it's possible there will be minor spoilers for the first book. YOU ARE WARNED.)

With the same gripping plot style and breakneck fast pace as "Gone", "Hunger" is a really great sequel. It met my expectations, which "Gone" set very high. A lot of the best aspects of the first book were continued in the second, besides the incredible plot and pacing. However, I didn't enjoy Hunger QUITE as much as its predecessor. For example, Sam's humility left me feeling conflicted. While I was glad that he was humble, he was feeling pressures, and he wasn't perfect, like I felt in the first book, too much is well... too much. His tendency throughout the book for self pity got kind of annoying after a while. Then, at the same time, it made sense-- he was grasping for solutions to really difficult problems and searching for answers where there seemed to be none, and that was frustrating for him. Then all these kids have adopted him as their leader and when he starts not being able to fix everything, obviously he felt a little lost. Another thing that left me feeling that way is that a lot of questions were asked, more sub-plots started, which is all fine but then nothing seemed to be getting answered and at times that was just really frustrating to deal with. HOWEVER, these two problems did not really damage my overall impression of the book.

The characters continue to be great for the most part. The setting is so developed, so clear I can imagine the whole FAYZ, and I love that about these books. The continuing developments and the worsening of the situation in the FAYZ were both fascinating and horrifying. Then the problem of 'Freaks' vs. 'Normals', as they started to conflict was obviously intense but also interesting because of the psychology of it all, for me.

Overall, a good sequel! Continued awesome pace, plot, and characters; even if a few elements left me feeling a tad conflicted at times.

"Gone" by Michael Grant

"In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else..."-goodreads

There are some books that just suck you into the pages, make you want to find the whole story, figure it out NOW, but at the same time, never have it end. They keep you turning the pages and the suspense can become almost unbearable. If you had a day where you didn't have to do anything else those are the type of books that you'd want to just tear through and not WANT to do anything else. "Gone" is most definitely one of those. I mean, just read the description. CAN YOU FLIPPING IMAGINE THAT? Everyone 15&over suddenly disappearing. *Something* cutting you off completely from the outside world?! Kids and teenagers running the town, trying to prevent chaos as all kinds of it presses in on them? (Has anyone read Lord of the Flies? Hello!? Yeah, I think we all know the whole situation is going to turn to heck eventually.) And each of the characters are still battling their own problems, too. Sometimes in post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction, it seems like the characters are all perfectly content people living in their perfect little world until disaster strikes, but in "Gone", much more realistically, the characters were never living perfect lives and they deal with that as well.

Michael Grant's storytelling is amazing. There was never a dull moment and constantly questions were raised, and surprises thrown in. It's filled with action and suspense, and I could see everything vividly in my mind. The characters were great too, a grand cast of them ranging from likable, and hatred like the type everyone has toward Voldemort. I really liked Sam. While still seeming like how a teenager (albeit a natural born leader type of person) would deal with a crisis, he was complex, thoughtful, and dealt with the situation admirably. Astrid was very cool too, the brains of the situation, but not overly so. All of the characters were realistic in that none of them were able to stay strong ALL the time. They all had their emotional moments that they needed to make them seem human, and not magically immune to their surroundings and conditions.

An awesome book all-together. I see there are four more out in the series and a sixth due next year. I must say, these books are kind of long and I'm not quite sure how the story to span six books, but I could be wrong about that, it is pretty complicated. Looking forward to seeing how the story continues!

"Angelfire" by Courtney Allison Moulton

"When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.
While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember."-goodreads

Angelfire was action packed! There were crazy awesome fight scenes. But those aren't the only elements that made Angelfire such a great book. An interesting cast of characters and a rather unique plot contributed to the awesome as well. I liked Ellie and Will individually and then, awww. I also liked Ellie's mom, which is random, but it's actually kind of significant because so often in YA we find the mom that we hate or just feel indifferent about and there usually aren't likeable moms or dads (granted, the dad wasn't likable. At all. But I won't rant about that.). The characters were each quirky in their own ways, from Ellie naming her car Marshmallow to Will's thing for root beer floats. I appreciated how the monsters and the reality of their presence actually complicating Ellie's life and her social life. Sometimes, in the paranormal books, the character is fighting monsters at night and in the day everything is perfectly normal, no changes, which isn't realistic... The reincarnation aspect was interesting, and I'm curious to find out more about that and Ellie's memories in the sequel. The sequel, Wings of the Wicked, comes out in February 2012. (Which is almost forever from now *exaggeration* but I'm excited for it!)

"Unwind" by Neal Shusterman

"The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and survive."-goodreads


A while ago, I read "Full Tilt" by Neal Shusterman. Less long ago, I read his Skinjacker's Trilogy ("Everlost", "Everwild", and "Everfound"). In all of those books, Mr. Shusterman created a chilling and suspenseful tale that tended to highlight choices, the lack thereof, and terrifying worlds that you could never imagine being reality. Unwind is those things as more.


Horrifying. That is a predominant word I would use to describe Unwind. The (what one would consider dystopian) world that Unwind is that way. There are situations that the characters get into that are just gut-wrenching. It's bad. There's also a scene involving a character that you thought you hated, and up until that moment, you did-- but it's just the most emotional thing and it's scary, and the confused way it's written just amplifies that. Also, the story is written mostly from Connor, Lev, Risa, and Ci-Fy (love that name, by the way) point of view; but there are lots of others mixed in sometimes for a few parts and sometimes for only one. Each of them seem to see each other, their situation, and the whole world very differently and that was impressive and very useful to widen your opinion of each other characters. 


Apparently, there's a sequel to Unwind coming out called Unwholly (about 5 years later! It's scheduled for September 2012) and I look forward to more of this chilling story. Also, thank you KT for forcing me suggesting that I read this book; it WAS very good, you were right (and so were all the schools/associations that gave the book all the awards and such). :P

"Blood Red Road" by Moira Young

"In a lawless future land, where life is cheap and survival is hard, Saba has been brought up in isolated Silverlake. She never sees the dangers of the destructive society outside. When her twin brother is snatched by mysterious black-robed riders, she sets outon an epic quest to rescue him. "-goodreads

If nothing else, Blood Red Road is incredibly unique and unlike anything that I can think of reading before. Fortunately, there's more to it. But, gosh, it's DIFFERENT. The inside of the jacket flap calls Moira Young's writing style 'poetic... minimal'. I whole-hearted-ly agree. It's poetic. It's unglorious in that it's simple, and very glorious in the way it flows. Which is like water. In a really smooth pipe? Wow. That was lame. Anyway, the point is, the pace is crazy fast and at times I wanted it to slow a bit so that I could soak it in and try to register what just happened-- but at the same time I was hungry for more and I didn't want it to slow down I just wanted to read it until it was over. At first, the writing style is startling. It's hard to get used to. There's no quotation words for talking, all of the speech and descriptions are crazy informal, it's improper, Sabba talks weird... but then all of a sudden that all falls away and you can see the story play out vividly and the writing begins to feel down home and informal but in the way that it's as if Sabba is sitting with you, recounting the story-- laying emphasize on parts that she felt important and glossing over some of the details, recounting like, 'and then he says', you know. That kind of feeling. 


Beyond the voice of the book, it was brilliant as well. It's post-apocalyptic. While most post-apocalyptic line up well with dystopias because the fact that it's post-apocalypse creates a world that IS a dystopia, I'd struggle to call Blood Red Road a dystopia, and if I did call it a dystopia, I'd envision all of the normal dystopias that seem like they're dystopias sitting in a room looking normal and Blood Red Road wearing striped pajamas and singing or doing something else to stand out. Anyway, the world that Moira Young creates is very interesting. It's clearly sometime in the future, the characters often point out things that are 'post-wrecker' and from what they describe we're left to assume they're talking about the current world, now. Yet, the world seems old. The horses, the lack of electronics, the deserts, and the wildnerness; they all yield the impression that you're reading something about the ancient times.


The characters were complex. I didn't like Sabba at first and for her, Blood Red Road is rather a coming of age novel, she grows so much. The other characters were very interesting as well, although we don't see much of most of them and sometimes I wished I could get to know them all more. 


So, overall, Moira Young is a creative genius. If you want a post-apocalyptic novel that wears striped pajamas and sings when it hangs out with the dystopian crowd; with complex characters, a brilliantly weaved world, and writing like nothing you've read, pick up Blood Red Road.
Thank you S&S for giving me the opportunity to review this book. Readers: As always, I promise receiving books for review in no way alters my opinion, and my reviews are honest (sometimes brutally). :)

"Red Glove" (Curseworkers, #2) by Holly Black

**I will not be including a summary with this review. The official one, as well as any I can think to make up are very SPOILER-Y for those who have not read “White Cat”. This review will also be slightly spoiler-y as many sequel reviews are at least tiny bit, and one of the main characters existing is a spoiler to White Cat. If you haven’t read White Cat read that review and I suggest you skip this one! You‘ve been WARNED.**

I was very excited to finally read Red Glove after enjoying White Cat so much. Part of me thought that White Cat couldn’t possibly have a sequel that came close to its awesomeness, but I was wrong. I did prefer White Cat, actually, but not because there is anything wrong with Red Glove-- it was great.

Diving back into the seamlessly built word where ‘curseworking’ is the ultimate crime and having bare hands (as in not wearing gloves) is basically equivalent to running around naked, is an epic experience. I love the world that Holly Black has created. It’s magic in a very modern setting, where it’s crime and not whimsy. I loved that in White Cat and it’s just as epic in Red Glove. That being said, world-building is my favorite part of this series so far.

The crime families continue to get more complicated; the death of a patriarch included and the rising of Lila upon her return. Cassel continues to get himself into more problems than he can take bets on. The character development is still quite good and the story still almost seems real. The twists and turns come with every fast-paced page just like in White Cat, with no slow times. Cassel and Lila both make choices regarding their futures that you probably didn’t see coming-- I know I didn’t. Characters are not who they say they are and plans that were working are quick to crumble. It’s one of those books that you don’t want to put down. If you liked White Cat I definitely recommend you continue the series, I highly doubt you’ll be let down.

"Scorpia Rising" (Alex Rider, #9) by Anthony Horowitz

"Scorpia has dogged Alex Rider for most of his life. They killed his parents, they did their best to con Alex into turning traitor, and they just keep coming back with more power. Now the world's most dangerous terrorist organization is playing with fire in the world's most combustible land: the Middle East. No one knows Scorpia like Alex. And no one knows how best to get to Alex like Scorpia. Until now. 
The chases have never been more intense, the fights more treacherous, or the risks so perilous to mankind. And this time, Alex won't get away."-goodreads

I have practically grown up reading the Alex Rider series. I read the first book, Stormbreaker, the first time when I was 8. I love this series. I'm going to admit that I was NOT a fan of Crocodile Tears, the last book in the series. Actually, I was very disappointed with it, for a multitude of reasons. I was hoping that for the last book in the series, Mr. Horowitz would redeem himself. He totally did! Alex Rider is back, for the thrilling end to this amazing series.


This whole series has been fast paced, exciting, surprising, and jam-packed with action in vivid writing that reads almost like a movie (not in the bad way, where it seems like a script or something). The conclusion was no exception. I liked that the writing I liked without the obvious moves and product placement (did anyone else see that every 5 seconds in CT?) had returned. Scorpia was my favorite of the series, so that organization being back was cool.


There is a major character death. It is very sad, but it was kind of necessary, I think. A little bit. I also want to say that the ending wrapped everything up nicely, there's pretty much no way that there will be another one-- I really don't like it when the series ends and it's left open enough that something can happen and there would be another book. I just like the end being the end. 


I really can't say much more, I don't want to spoil stuff from the rest of the books or this one. If you haven't read the Alex Rider series, I do recommend it. If you just haven't read this one-- you definitely should!

"White Cat" (Curseworkers, #1) by Holly Black

"Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen."-goodreads

I know that Holly Black has come out with a bunch of YA stuff other than the Curseworkers series, but White Cat is the first I've read. I didn't even realize she was coming out with any YA stuff for quite a while. I'm very glad I did find out. I love Holly Black's writing, and I've loved it ever since I was 7 or 8 and picked up her "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series, which I adored. Ate it up. I read all of them, over and over, in VERY short periods of time. I figured, after loving those so much, I'd have to adore her newer stuff. I did!

The crime family of 'workers' situation, a little bit like that of Heist Society by Ally Carter was very cool. The theme of complicated family situations throughout the book was great. The universe where everyone's a worker, or they're not, and that it's wrong, but it's not against the law-- that whole concept was really great. It was so out of the ordinary, yet Mrs. Black managed to make it feel like real life. The whole book felt really real, so real that it's probably an account of something actually happening. That's how real her writing is.


White Cat took a lot of complicated, surprising, sometimes very confusing twists and turns. I really enjoyed all of them as they were almost all VERY surprising, but they confused me at times. Big changes happened in very little time with little explanation sometimes. At first, I didn't like this at all but THEN I really liked it, because it felt very real, and felt very much like I was seeing everything the way Cassel was. He was confused. He didn't expect these things. He wasn't a worker. He didn't know what his family was doing... all of it just illustrated how he didn't know what he was doing, it just all lead back to a gritty real-ness of the whole book. 

Going along with the theme of real-ness, the characters were really complex and believable as well. I really liked Cassel and Lila and pretty much everyone. Barron was a tragic and interesting case. The cat was an interesting character, but I kind of already said that... didn't I? If you read the book you know what I'm talking about. If not, you'll find out.


I loved that it was complicated crime families. I loved that it was modern magic-- no faeries, no wands, no bunnies flying out of hats. A very believable fantasy, where magic is cursing and it effects people-- whether the person doing it knows it- or not. I really enjoyed White Cat and if you enjoyed Black's earlier books or Heist Society and anything else along those lines you'll like it too.

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth

May 3rd, 2011
"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her." -goodreads


Divergent was epic! Another thrilling dystopia (you must think I'm getting out of hand with this, but I promise, no more dystopia reviews for... a week or so!). It was exciting, surprising, suspenseful, filled with action and adventure and even romantic. Sounds cool, right? Not only was the story itself cool (and told EXTREMELY WELL), the characters were great. Triss (Beatrice) was awesome, a strong heroine to lead the story, kind of like Katniss in The Hunger Games (except I found Triss a lot more likable) or Max in Maximum Ride. Four was great too, quite the complex character. Divergent ended with a rather good cliffhanger. 


The part of the story I found most fascinating was probably the factions. Not only were they rather unique and thus interesting, they were also really cool because I kept wondering to myself, which one would I choose? I think that question comes up with most readers though. And then the whole Divergent thing... That was the best. This book was filled with twists and turns that will make you want to do nothing but read it until it ends. If you want an exciting YA read that helps you cope with your Hunger Games deficiency and get more great dystopias, Divergent is a must-read! Yay Divergent!


If you'd like to learn more about Divergent, check out author Veronica Roth's blog.


Note: Thank you HarperCollins/Katherine Tegan Books for sending me a copy to review. 
Reader's Notice: This does not in any way effect my review, it is unbiased! (As always!)

"Those That Wake" by Jesse Karp

March 21st, 2011
"New York City’s spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They’ve never met. Seemingly, they never will. But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts." -goodreads

This book was another interesting dystopia (can you tell that Dystopias are definitely the next vampire craze? and also that I kind of love them?). This one, rather then being directly dictated what to do by a force like The Capitol in The Hunger Games or the society in Matched, the residents of New York are kind of letting themselves be controlled by their technology. That concept was a bit frightening, probably because people really can be like that- absorbed by their smartphones or the television when the people and interactions you should be involved with are right in front of you. I've experienced people doing things like that, just as I probably have before. So some of the elements in Those That Wake really weren't that far off.

What else? The book is rather dark and grim, the tone especially, all the way through (almost gothic!). I've read reviews from people that didn't like this and thought it took away from the book and while I agree that it was a bit of a tedious tone, the entire time, I also realize that's how the story was. It wasn't happy and exciting, it was suspenseful and grim. I liked the main characters (Mal and Laura). I enjoyed the story over all. 

ARC through program at my awesome library. Thank you!

"The Dead-Tossed Waves" by Carrie Ryan

"Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She’s content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry’s mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves." -goodreads

When I was first reading this book I was a little bit upset because I wanted more of Mary's story, which I didn't realize she wasn't supposed to be the main character. Then of course we found out what Gabry had to do with Mary and their relationship and everything, and as the story unfolded we did learn more about what happened to Mary, so then that was a lot better. That aside, The Dead-Tossed Waves was just as good as The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which I loved, because sometimes sequels/companions really don't live up to the first book in the series. I liked Gabry as the main character a lot more then I liked Mary. I also thought the story might've been more interesting as it just seemed to go more places, there wasn't a lot of lingering. I loved the whole mystery of who Gabry was, and her discovering that and Elias and everything. I also enjoyed getting to figure out more about the Unconsecrated/Mudo/Infected (Breakers, Immunes) especially because that wasn't really elaborated on in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Anyway, I don't want to say much else because I don't want to spoil things for people that haven't yet read The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I highly recommend this series! I can't wait for "The Dark and Hollow Places" to come out later this month.

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan

"In Mary's world, there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
   But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness.
   Now she must choose between her village and her future, between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?" -the inside flap of the book

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth" is definitely one of my new favorite books, and one of the best books I've read so far in 2011! It's packed full of interesting and what I consider well formed characters, action, excitement, intensity, suspense, romance, danger, darkness, and scary elements all over. It's not just a book about zombies, by any means. It's not just a post-apocalypse novel. It's a post zombie apocalypse adventure filled engrossing novel filled with darkness, emotion, romance, and suspense (that should be stamped across the front of the book so that everyone knows). Mary's world is a terrifying, but realistic seeming take on the small world that might still exist after a zombie apocalypse occurred.  This is not one of those zombie books that's just packed with action, or guts, or gore; those elements are present in the book, but in the most beneficial way that it's perfect for the story. The way the Unconsecrated behave, the way they infect, their relentlessness.. it's just incredible. The Sisterhood and their mysteriousness, their usage of religion and threats of a divine power, God, to control the people in the village (though they don't really know it) were brilliant is well.... I could go on and on about how awesome this book is, but I'd spoil everything and you'd probably get bored, so I'll stop here and just say that I definitely rate The Forest of Hands and Teeth 5 stars, and say that I'm so looking forward to reading The Dead Tossed Waves (which was released last year) and The Dark and Hollow Places which comes out this month!

If you'd like to learn more about "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" go to Carrie Ryan's website.

"The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff

"In the story, Emma's four years old. She gets out of bed and pads across the floor in her footie pajamas. When she reaches her hand between the bars, the thing in the crib moves closer. It tries to bite her and she takes her hand out again but doesn't back away. They spend all night looking at each other in the dark. In the morning, the thing is still crouched on the lamb-and-duckling mattress pad, staring at her.
It isn't her brother.
IT'S ME." -the back of "The Replacement"

I got interested in this book because it's part of Penguin's "Breathless Reads" campaign, which I came across because of my love for "Matched" by Ally Condie (which is also, obviously, part of the campaign). I saw it on the list, so I looked it up and added it to my TBR list, and got it from the library a couple of days ago. I'm glad I did get interested in this book, because it I did like the story! It was very interesting, the whole 'creature' being swapped for a baby every 7 years in the town of Gentry. It was a really creepy spooky story.  The problems I had with it, is the story was really kind of complicated to the point of being quite confusing sometimes. Other then that it was enjoyable (in a really really creepy kinda way). I also enjoyed reading of Mackie's rather dysfunctional family (not in a humorous kind of dysfunctional, just that), and thought his mother's relationship with the replacements and his father's seeming ignorance towards Mackie, then there's Emma, who was cool. I give it 4 stars. Also, the cover is pretty cool, and if I'd seen it without knowing anything else about the book, that probably would've intrigued me enough to pick it up and read it- I love awesome covers.

"Cryer's Cross" by Lisa McMann

"The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn't that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing-someone close to Kendall's heart- the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall's not sure she can hold it together. When she she starts hearing voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she's losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school-messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there-Kendall decides that crazy or not, she'd never forgive herself if she didn't act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer's Cross-and Kendall's about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried." -The back of the ARC

This book was so creepy and suspenseful. Very intense stuff here. It was really good though. I especially liked Kendall, and I thought it was really interesting getting this kind of story from the perspective of a character who suffers from OCD. The book is also written in present tense, which I don't always enjoy, but I think it really worked for this book. I also find that sometimes when things are written in present tense, especially character's thoughts, I find it to seem kind of confusing. At times, I thought that about this book, but I thought it worked, because it seemed to further indicate the state of Kendall's mind, especially dealing with the disappearances. I also really liked the setting, the small town, all that. This was a really awesome scary book. If you're into scary books, with intensity and major suspense, with a brilliant conclusion; then "Cryer's Cross" is for you! I give it four and half stars!

If you would like to find out more about "Cryer's Cross", then go to the website on Simon&Schuster, and Lisa McMann's website.

Thank you to Simon Pulse, Simon & Schuster publishing for the ARC/review copy, and giving me the chance to review this book. 
Note to readers: Review copies provided by the publisher/author do not influence my reviews whatsoever, these are my REAL OPINIONS! 

"Memento Nora" by Angie Smibert

Release Date: April 1st, 2011

"On an otherwise glossy day, a blast goes off and a body thuds to the ground at Nora's feet. There are terrorist attacks in the city all the time, but Nora can't forget. So Nora goes with her mother to the TFC-a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic. There, she can describe her horrible memory and take the pill that will erase it. But at TFC, a chance encounter with a mysterious guy changes Nora's life. She doesn't take that pill. And when Nora learns the memory her mother has chosen to forget, she realizes that someone needs to REMEMBER.

With newfound friends Micah and Winter, Nora makes a comic book of their memories called Memento. Memento is an instant hit, but it sets off a dangerous chain of events. Will Nora, Micah, and Winter be forced to take the Big Pill that will erase their memories forever?" -the back of "Memento Nora" 

Readers: You've probably all figured out that I immensely enjoy the new Dystopia stuff that has been coming out. Everyone else seems to like it too -I think it's probably the new vampire. That being said, this is another great one!! I think anyone that liked "Matched" or "The Hunger Games" will adore this. "Memento Nora" is a fast-paced, thrilling novel by debut author Angie Smibert. The book is only 184 (ARC) pages long, which at first kind of surprised/worried me, because I was worried that a story in a book that short simply couldn't be that well developed. I WAS SO WRONG. The characters were pretty well-developed to me, and so was the setting and the story itself. The comic strip was brilliant. Not taking the pill. A rebellion. Using Memento, latin for "remember", and the whole Memento Mori, remember you'll die... AHHH. This book was exciting. The storyline and characters were memorable. I also really liked the original language kind of like that of "Uglies", like the word "glossy".  FOUR AND A HALF STARS!!!

This book was even a bit SCARY. In the way that, alright, the Hunger Games and the capitol seem so far away. Living in Cassia's world (Matched) (by the way, the red pill!!!!), seems lightyears away. The TFC, and the situations that follow, that seems pretty realistic. In a sad, scary, kind of way.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL. This is one I really recommend you go out an get when it is released APRIL 1ST! If you want to find out more about "Memento Nora" go to Angie Smibert's website (where you can read the 1st chapter) and the official website for "Memento Nora".

Thank you very much Marshall Cavendish publishing company for sending me an ARC of "Memento Nora", and giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book. 
readers: I can't stress enough that receiving a review copy in NO WAY alters my review or opinion! 

"I am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore (aka James Frey and Jobie Hughs)

"In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

The Nine had to separate and go into hiding. The Mogadorian caught Number One in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. All of them were killed. John Smith, of Paradise, Ohio, is Number Four. He knows that he is next. " -from GoodReads because their summary is better then the one I was going to post.


First things first, I liked "I am Number Four". I liked the characters, liked the storyline, and I thought it was exciting and action-packed. That being said, I give it four stars. The only problem that I have is, while I liked the story, it's not one of those  books that you can't stop thinking about after you read them. I know not all books are like that, but a lot are, and I think usually those are my favorites. After I put the book down, I didn't go, "wow, I can't wait for the sequel" or "can't wait to re-read that" I did like it though. I think I figured out my thoughts on it though- I want to see the movie. The way the book was written, and the way it read for me, I think it will make a good movie, that could actually portray the storyline better then the book. This isn't the first book I've read that I've felt that way about, and really, I still liked it. :) 4STARS. ****


If you'd like to find out more about "I am Number Four" you should visit the official website for the movie and the official website for the book (where you can also read an excerpt of the book).