Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Opposition

Series: Lux #5

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen Publishing

Date Published: August 5, 2014

Genre: YA fiction, sci-fi, supernatural, action

Pages: 306 (ebook - not the Special Collectors Edition)

Age Range: 13+



Summary


Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can’t believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.


 Review


I think this cover is the least cheesy out of the series! My favorite cover is still from the first one (Obsidian) but this one is nice too. 

So many things happened in the last 50 pages of this book and it was...intense. Like, wow. Was not expecting some of them to happen and others were just flat out shocking and horrible. But, before I talk about the ending, let me start with the beginning and middle. There will be spoilers here and there.

We see a lot more Archer in this book and it's awesome! I love him as a character and I wish there was more of him! I want more Archer! He's a very reserved character that has a fantastic sense of humor. He shows up in the first few pages and pokes fun at Katy. He really strengthens as a character in this book and even ends up with one of the most important characters in the book!

Speaking of Archer ending up with one of the most important characters... Even though I knew Dee would be back to her normal-self before the book was over, I was really nervous about her. I was worried everything that happened would affect her badly. I think having a connection with Archer kept her grounded.

Again, I really liked being able to read from not only Katy's perspective but also Daemon's. It gave us a lot of insight for what was going on and to get an understanding for what both of them were feeling and thinking throughout the book.

Okay! So the ending.

I feel like we should have gotten more closure with Nancy. Her death was too said-and-done. I wanted more. After everything she did, I wanted more of a show-down or more of an actual death-scene.

DAEMON WAS SHOT! HE WAS SHOT AND KATY AND DAEMON AREN'T CONNECTED. KATY WOULD HAVE GONE ON IF HE HAD DIED AND THAT'S TERRIBLE!

I wasn't too worried but I was not expecting Daemon to get hurt. He doesn't really get hurt in the series so it was rather shocking when that happened. I was pretty sure he wouldn't die but I was worried that there would be some sort of harmful outcome other than death. 

What happened to Katy's mom was something I was not expecting. I really thought that she was okay. I thought there would be some sort of huge reunion, but as soon as everyone got out of the car and they sensed that there was a Luxen near by, I immediately knew that something was up. Although, I was not expecting what was actually waiting for Katy...

The ending to this series was nice! I was happy that Beth and Dawson finally got their "happy ending"--that they could relax and finally be together without struggle. I loved Katy's reference to Twilight. She was holding Dawson and Beth's little girl and said that she was tempted to call her Nessie. Aaaaahh! This series has been a lot like Twilight (in a good way. I felt that a lot of things were better) but to have Katy actually mention something from Twilight saga's Breaking Dawn was funny!

Very nice ending...BUT I WISH THERE WERE MORE!!

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Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Oblivion

Series: Lux series #1.5

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Date Published: December 1, 2015

Genre: YA fiction, romance, sci-fi, action, supernatural

Pages: 352 (paperback)

Age Range: 13+


Summary

Experience the epic love story of OBSIDIAN as told by its hero, Daemon Black…
 
I knew the moment Katy Swartz moved in next door, there was going to be trouble. Lots of it.
And trouble’s the last thing I need, since I’m not exactly from around here. My people arrived on Earth from Lux, a planet thirteen billion light years away. Plus, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that humans can’t be trusted. We scare them. We can do things they only dream about, and honestly, we make them look weak as hell. ‘Cuz they are.

But Kat is getting to me in ways no one else has, and I can't stop myself from wanting her—or wanting to use my powers to protect her. She makes me weak, and I’m the strongest of our kind, tasked with protecting us all. So this one simple girl…she can mean the end for us. Because the Luxen have an even bigger enemy—the Arum, and I need to stay on my game.

Falling for Katy—a human—won't just place her in danger. It could get us all killed, and that’s one thing I’ll never let happen...


Review


This series is keeping to the cheesy/fun book cover theme and like it! The cover actually reminds me of one of the book covers Daemon was teasing Kat about.

It was great reading--basically--Obsidian from Daemon's perspective. It answered a lot of questions I had while reading Obsidian. Now I know he's not such a jerk. He did what he had to do, even though he had crazy mood swings. He really did like Kat from the start and tried to do right by her by trying to keep her away. He went about it the wrong way (by being a total jerk face half the time) but he felt like he needed to drive her away so I can understand to an extent. Yet he couldn't keep from being pulled toward her.

Reading from Daemon's POV was very steamy...and shocking a few times. I wasn't expecting a few things to happen but...it was good otherwise lol. I was reading from a guy's POV so I guess such things should be expected (totally kidding lol).

I still love Daemon and Katy's banter. It's cute and, now that I've read from Daemon's point-of-view, I know they both really did genuinely care about each other during the first book. It wasn't one-sided on Kat's side, and it almost happened immediately. Daemon was drawn to Katy just like Katy was drawn to Daemon.

Daemon's arrogance might aggravate you a few times (or possibly more than a few) and the way he reacts to Katy sometimes is upsetting because he's reacting the wrong way for the right reasons. 

This is a rather short review but it's because I've already reviewed Obsidian so I don't feel the need to talk about the characters. The writing was good, naturally. Armentrout always writes spunky-fun and steamy books and writes them beautifully. Daemon and Katy always make me laugh. If you're a fan of the Lux series, I would recommend picking up this book. It will answer any questions that you had while reading the first book from Katy's perspective and it was very enjoyable and fast read.

Though, I will admit that I was hoping for a little more action and insight to Daemon's life and the Luxen. Didn't really get much outside of what we originally read in Obsidian. 

So, I haven't finished the rest of the books in the Lux series BUT I'M GOING TO NOW. I have 2 books left to read but now I'm back into it and excited to get my hands on them!

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New Allegiant Trailer

New Allegiant trailer has been released!!

From what I've heard, the Allegiant book wasn't that good but that won't stop me from checking this movie out. I haven't read the book because I've heard it's bad but I want to finish watching the movies to know what happens.

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Every Day by David Levithan

 Title: Every Day

 Author: David Levithan

 Series: Everyday #1

 Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

 Date Published: August 28, 2012

 Genre: Contemporary, Fantasy?

 Pages: 338 (Hardcover)

Age Range: 12+




                                                                     Summary:

     Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
     There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

     It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

                                                                       Review:

     From the flap, I was really interested in reading this book. That personal hype started around two years ago, and since then, it hasn't abated much. So, I read this book, aware of all the hype surrounding it, expecting (for once) to fall in love with this bit of hype, and get some amazing message to walk away with, and cherish in my heart forever. Instead, I was left with a bit of a sour taste, and a ton of lovey-dovey fluff that I didn't want anywhere near this story. I know the flap practically screams I'm a Romeo and Juliet kind of scenario but I was praying for something a bit more unique. What did I get? A Romeo and Juliet scenario.

     A's predicament was fascinating. Sure, it was never fully explained, it was kind of half thought out, and it had a plethora of rules that were just too convenient, but I liked it. I thought it was kind of original, and I wasn't that bothered by how convenient the rules were- well, I wasn't bothered at first. Then, I realized that we were never going to get a full background of this... traveling thing. And since I couldn't have that, I wanted everything to stop being so darned easy for A. Like, just because he finally meets someone he wants after about four hours of instalove does not mean that he can suddenly start screwing with rules that were set in stone before, just so he can stay near the object of his desires. All of that said, I did like A, and- dare I say it?- I actually felt pretty bad for him.

     Rhiannon, on the other hand... not so much. I'm just going to come straight out and say that I didn't feel as if she's good enough for A. A is actually a really good guy stuck in an unfavorable set of Life's Cards, and Rhiannon is a girl who sticks around her crummy boyfriend because she can. Honestly, we don't get a lot of character development for this girl, and what we do, is pretty negative. Her boyfriend isn't the best, but he also doesn't hurt her or anything, and sometimes he can actually be really great, and she's kind of an outcast because of her gloominess. Maybe I missed something with her, but I just din't feel like she was good enough for A.

     The plot was something that could have been shortened drastically, and had something of major relevance happen. Besides a weird outside threat, and a "will they, or won't they" kind of drama, nothing really happens besides some super cool body changing from A. I think something else that made this book drag its little feet is the writing. I actually thought the writing was very pretty, but a little too flowery in many parts. I feel like a bit more an action-packed writing style would've worked better.

    I don't even know what book two is about, so I don't know if I want to read it. I think I do, but if it's from Rhiannon's POV, or mainly about her, I'm passing. I want a lot more A in book two, and I want more background from his childhood.

                                                 

Nadia's Favorite Books of 2015!!!

     Yet another year has come to a close, and I have read over 150 books this year- my Goodreads goal. (Yes, I'm on Goodreads, go check it out). Anyway, as I already mentioned, I've read over 150 books this year. Some of them were fantastic, others...not so much. But this list is dedicated to my favorite books that I read in 2015. The list is in no real order because I loved a lot of this books in different ways, and this list isn't a Top Ten or Top Five because who knows how many books will end up here.

1: Stolen by Lucy Christopher: This book kind of came out of nowhere. I've been wanting to read it for awhile, but I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of it because the plot really freaked me out. All of that being said, I LOVED this book. I fell in love with the characters, the plot, and the writing. My only complaint is that the story felt unfinished, and left me wanting a bigger sense of closure.

                                                         



2: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers: This book was earning SO much hype earlier this year, that I had to read it to find out what the big deal was, and I totally got it. This book was not over-hyped, and although the rest of the series left something to be desired, this book can exist entirely by itself, and I love this installment.

                                                               



3: Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli: Stargirl is one of my favorite books, and when I saw that there was a sequel, it was a very happy day for me. This book made me cry, but it also made feel happy in some twisted way. This isn't really a feel-good book, but I walked away feeling satisfied with how things turned out.

                                                                 



4: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin: I was not okay after reading this book. It was one of the saddest books that I have ever read, and I even found it sadder than if I Stay by sad book extraordinaire Gayle Forman. The characters in this book made me feel things I wasn't ready to feel, and I was very upset by the ending of this book. Yes, I know it had to end that way, but that doesn't mean that I'm happy with it.

                                                                  



5: Panic by Lauren Oliver: I have tried to make myself read her Delirium series to no avail, so I decided to give this little standalone a shot. It was everything that I had been expecting and so much more. I got to read the writing style that I so loved without any of the other things that I didn't  love so much. I could relate to some of the characters, and I grew very attached.

                                                                   



6: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid: Take a super cute contemporary female, and mash her with some superhero and that is what this book's protagonist is like. She's super sweet and kind, but she also has some hidden depths that I wasn't expecting. This book deserves a lot more popularity than it has gotten in the past, in my opinion.

                                                                   



7: My Heart and Other Blackholes by Jasmine Warga: Again, I had been expecting the hype machine to take this one way out of its ballpark, but this book deserved every second of fame that it got and so much more. The way that it handled some of the heavy issues that it did was stellar, and I could relate to the characters in some painful ways.

                                                                  



8: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Another excellent product of the hype machine, and a real, raw look at mental health issues and all their ups and downs. Be prepared to sob grossly because this book stomps on your heart.

                                                                     



9: The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp: A real, painful look at alcoholism and the effects of when things spiral out of control. Include a lot of relatable characters, and some truly sad moments. Yes, I cried.

                                                                     



10: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir: An amazing dystopian, creepy kind of book with gorgeous writing, painful moments, and truly major plot twists.

                                                                     

11: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: This book needs no explanation. This is one of my favorite series, and it's getting kind of close to wrapping up. Basically, think kick butt assassin and truly amazing writing. There is no flaw with the entire series, but this is book four.

                                                          




     This year was a great year for books, and 2016 already has a stellar line-up. I can't wait to see what next year has in store for everyone.

     Happy New Year's everyone!!!