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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Origin by Jenniger L. Armentrout

Title: Origin

Series: Lux Series #4

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Date Published: August 27, 2013

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

Pages: 400 (paperback)

Age Range: 13+



Summary


Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.
 

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive. 

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.  

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

Review


Aaaand we're back to cheesy book covers *fake applause* This is a book cover Daemon would make fun of. I can picture him cracking jokes about the guy being shirtless, and--ironically--Daemon is on the cover...shirtless! I poke fun at the covers for this series but I really do feel like they go with the series. The covers are very fitting, in a good way!

Now, let's get down to it.

Let's get all of the boring stuff out of the way first. The writing was amazing, as usual! I think this book was more intense than the others! It was action-packed from beginning to the end! Once I started, I could not put it down! I can't believe I ever put this series on my "paused" shelf, but I'm glad I'm finishing it now! 

The last book (Opal) left off with a major cliff-hanger where Katy is captured by Daedalus. Things are intense from the moment you pick up this book. Katy is scared, fierce, and unsure of how exactly things are going to play out. She fights back against the people that are holding her there and refuses to cooperate from day-one!

Meanwhile, Daemon is locked up as well. But that only lasts for a few pages because he's awesome and manages to break out of the place so he can go find Kat. He ends up giving himself over to Daedalus and makes a deal with the groups evil leader, Nancy, in order to see Kat. As soon as he gets there, Kat is happy and relieved, but, at the same time, totally horrified that he's turned himself over and is deciding to go through this with her.

Not long after their little reunion, Daedalus start their experiments. A lot of things are revealed that I wasn't expecting and there's a lot of terrible deaths involved.

This book was fun even when things were supposed to be series. I feel like Daemon's sense of humor helped ease some of Katy's tension while they were in Daedalus. I think there were only 2 things that kept Kat from breaking down sooner.
1. Daemon's presence and not wanting him to see her lose it. She wanted to stay strong for him.
2. She didn't want to give Daedalus's the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

I could feel that Katy got stronger in this book. Physically and mentally, she grew as a character. I also loved reading from Daemon's perspective. I really enjoyed reading from both their point-of-views!

We had a bunch of new characters introduced but my favorite has to be Archer. I find Archer very intriguing and I can't wait to see what else he brings to the table. I feel like he will be a big asset in the next book. Which, I'm downloading to my iPad right now. As I type this. And I'm going to start reading it right after I finish this review...It's done downloading so.....BYE

4.5 STARS

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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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Ashley's Favorite Books of 2015!!!

Here are my favorite reads of the year!!  

Well, 2015 has come and gone, and now 2016 is right around the corner! I've read so many good books this year! I've past my Goodreads goal this year! I've read so many different books; some good, some bad but I'm glad I read them regardless. I hope to read just as many good books next year!

Click on any of the titles below to read their reviews. There might be a few spoilers so watch out!

  1.  The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. I cannot praise this series enough! I really can't! There are no words to describe these books. They are just breathtaking.
 This series has everything you could possibly want in it! Romance, action, and wonderful characters. Cassandra Clare's books always seem to knock me breathless. I can never put down her books once I pick one up! I am always excited to read her books! I'm so glad I read this series and I always recommend these books to everyone I know!

TEAM JEM CARSTAIRS!! <3

  2.  If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin. This book was heartbreaking, and I loved it! This book actually made me cry, and if you know me, that doesn't happen often. The characters are wonderfully unique and special, but the two main characters are so frustrating! It bothered me whenever Finn and Autumn weren't together or talking. It made me so happy to see them finally get together...Then the ending crushed me.
 You know immediately from reading the Prologue, that Finn is going to die, so you set yourself up for the bad ending. But then there are 336 pages of you falling in love with Finn and Autumn. And then, the ending hits you like a brick wall and it's so sad.

  3.  Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken. Jude...I was sad for days after finishing this book. I was emotionally scarred. One second, Jude was there and everything was fine. They all got out, it's all good. But then! But then Ruby realizes that it isn't Jude. It's a guy that looks like him but it's not him and it was just so crushing to find out that one of my favorite characters was crushed...
 It was really, really good and exciting regardless of this tragedy! I couldn't put this book down! I hope they turn this series into a movie series. I would really like to see it on the big screen.

  4.  Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover. This story was very original! This is the first Colleen Hoover book I really loved. I genuinely enjoyed this book! The characters are unique and the story is very original to me. I took American Sign Language as my foreign language in high school and I've been searching for a YA contemporary with a deafy since I started learning ASL. It was amazing to find one and I was totally excited! I was not disappointed! I loved this book and finished it in no time!

  5.  In The After Light by Alexandra Bracken. I loved the characters in this series and I was sad to see it end. It was so frustrating to watch Liam and Ruby be so mean to each other, and it was hilarious to see Chubs and Vida get together! I saw a few deaths I didn't see coming, and there was a death I wish had happened. Regardless, I was pretty okay with the ending to this series, aside from it ending.
 I did feel like we didn't get a enough time to process Liam's brother's death. It made me sad. I wanted to grieve even though I was happy it wasn't Liam who was murdered! 

 6. Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley. This book was so exciting! I really enjoyed reading Clio's story. This story was very unique and gripping, despite its rather slow beginning. I found myself rooting for Clio throughout the whole book. And I am obsessed with Riece! If the mixture of Clio's innocence and Riece's steamy/hotness doesn't get you fired up then nothing will!

  7. Forsworn by Emily Wibberley. I love this series setting, the characters and almost everything about it! I especially like Riece and Clio and I'm just dying for them to get together in the third installment of The Last Oracle series! I think the first two books were about equally good. I can't decide which is my favorite.

  8.  Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Lux series doesn't have the best writing but the characters are lovable! The story is quirky and different, and the book also reminds me of Twilight a lot. The characters keep me hooked throughout this series! Daemon is so snarky, cute, funny, and tough! Totally drool-worthy!

  9.  Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The Lux series doesn't have the best writing but the characters are lovable! The story is quirky and different, and the book also reminds me of Twilight a lot. The characters keep me hooked throughout this series! Daemon is so snarky, cute, funny, and tough! Totally drool-worthy!

  10.  Life and Death by Stephenie Meyer. I had quite a few problems with this book but I enjoyed visiting the world of Twilight again. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone. If you're a true Twiheart, you will pick up this book but you will most likely be disappointed. Stephenie Meyer should have done the smart thing and released Midnight Sun.

What was your favorite book of the year? Comment below!

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Forsown by Emily Wibberley

Title: Forsworn

Series: The Last Oracle #2

Author: Emily Wibberley

Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing

Date Published: June 27, 2015

Genre: YA fiction, romance, action, thriller, fantasy, paranormal, suspense, mythology

Pages: 410 (paperback)

Age Range: 12+



Summary


Clio can see the future, but what she doesn't know about her past could destroy her.

It's been a year since Clio made her sacrifice to the Deities and embraced her destiny as the Oracle to save her people.

The only family she has left is a brother who wants her dead.
The prince, her oldest friend, is a king with his own agenda.
And the man who once loved her, now hates her.

All she can do is try to forget about Riece, the enemy commander whose heart she broke to save his life, as she serves the Deities. Her days are filled with Visions and bloodshed in a never-ending war against the Untouched. To add to her problems, she must pose as King Derik's mistress to conceal her forbidden powers from the Emperor's spies.

When Riece unexpectedly returns to Sheehan with a new and beautiful ally, Clio knows she must put him out of her mind once and for all, but first, they are thrust together into battle against a mysterious Untouched warrior with otherworldly power.

To reclaim her city, she must team up with the man she hurt, the man she still loves but can never be with, and finally confront the questions about her origin-questions with answers that Clio may not be prepared to face.


Review


This cover looks better in person than it does online! I think it's one of the coolest book covers on my shelf!

I bought the book without reading the summary because I was just too excited about getting it. I read the summary when it came in and was shocked to find that the book is set a year after ending of the first book (Sacrificed). I immediately started panicking because that meant that Clio hadn't seen Riece in a year and that was not okay for me.

And, speaking of Riece, let's focus on him for a second.
He's brave, strong, and muscular yet he's very loving and soft. When I started reading the book, I was a little pout-y because all I wanted was for Riece to show up again. I wanted things to be okay between him and Clio again. But Clio clearly didn't want that. As soon as he showed up and she laid eyes on him, Clio's emotions came back in a wave. It was wonderful! The sight of him made her feel faint and breathless and shaky. It was a good way to bring Riece back into the story.

But then! SPOILER AHEAD! But then you find out that Riece is traveling with someone else. A woman. And she is engaged to Riece. I immediately wanted her dead lol. I was not okay with that. Not okay at all. SPOILER END.

There were a few new characters as well. Clio took on Vessels to help her protect Sheehan.

The parts between Derik and Clio and Riece were hilarious to read about! I loved it every time they were in a room together because, even when they weren't saying anything, you could feel the tension! It was so...ugh! You could feel that Clio wanted to open up to him but wouldn't let herself because of what she Saw. But also Derik knew that Clio wanted to be with Riece but knew the reasons why she couldn't. And then Riece has no idea that Clio still loves him and doesn't know that the reason she really left him is because she Saw that he was going to die, so he hates her because he thinks she used him! It was so frustrating and exciting at the same time!  

The only downfall I saw in this book was that Riece and Clio didn't have enough romantic scenes. I know why; I understand. They are both stubborn and Riece has a fiance now but I mean...C'mon! I waited very patiently and I didn't get much in return! I mean, there were a bunch of parts of them talking/fighting and then, later, kissing and sharing moments but it wasn't enough.
 There better be some steamy scenes in the third book, Emily Wibberley, because this book was a tease. 

QUICK SPOILER; BEWARE
OH! When Derik finally showed up toward the end of the book, I almost screamed because I knew that he had been marked by Daizon! I was on the edge of my seat during the ending, when they were battling at Sheehan! So thrilling and so exciting! OKAY; NO MORE SPOILER.

Emily Wibberley certainly takes you on an action-packed story that has many twists and turns that you don't see coming. I'm never sure about what's going to happen next! I'm not sure what has me so drawn in, whether it's the characters, the story, or the setting, or all of it! I'm just not sure but I love it and I can't wait for the third book!

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Sacrificed by Emily Wibberley

Title: Sacrificed

Series: The Last Oracle #1

Author: Emily Wibberley

Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing

Date Published: January 5, 2015

Genre: YA fiction, romance, action, thriller, fantasy, paranormal, suspense, mythology

Pages: 350 (paperback)




Summary


Knowing the future can save her city - but not her heart.

Born to serve the merciless Oracle, Clio wants nothing more than to break free. But when her entire family is murdered by Mannix, the king's adviser, Clio inherits the Oracle's power, a power she never wanted and doesn't understand.

Hunted by Mannix, Clio is forced to flee her home in Sheehan and seek refuge in a foreign city where oracles are forbidden. If she's found out, she will be sacrificed atop its great pyramid.

Clio has no choice but to win the trust of Riece, an enemy warrior. Despite the undeniable attraction between them, Clio knows that if he finds out who she really is, he won't hesitate to execute her.
Clio tries to hide her budding powers, but the Visions she keeps having of Mannix and his barbarian army slaughtering her people torture her conscience. She alone has the strength and foresight to stop him, but only if she can embrace her destiny and sacrifice everything.


Review


This book caught my interest from the very beginning! The summary sounded good so I decided to give it a try, and ended up loving the book just as much as its synopsis! The cool book cover also caught my interest.

The writing was good, not amazing but pretty great. The characters were...genius! Riece is sexy and enticing and mysterious; yet open. Clio is tough, smart, and daring. And Mannix is evil beyond a doubt.

Derik is pretty nice too but he wasn't in the book very much so there wasn't much time to get a feel for who he was. I actually thought he was secretly siding with Mannix for a while, and was intending to betray Clio. That did not happen, thank goodness! Because now book two will have a very interesting love triangle (that, at the same time, isn't really a love triangle because Clio considers Derik as family).

I really liked how Clio grew up so dramatically. It's always refreshing to read about a character that evolves so strongly. I felt really sad for her in the beginning even though I knew what was going to happen to her family. I felt like the author captured Clio's pain pretty well considering that she didn't have a strong bond with her family. Clio cared about her family and grieved for them but it wasn't overdone.

Mannix. Everything about him was amazing! He was such a good villain! There was one thing about him that I hadn't seen coming though 
(SPOILER AHEAD)...that he was Clio's sister!! I was totally caught off guard with that one! I figured he was an Untouched but I wasn't sure how since he still had his tongue. This detail was very believable for this book.

SPOILER FREE ZONE

The last 50 pages or so were so action-packed!! The whole book is pretty action-packed but the last pages had me on the edge of my seat! I could not put it down!
I am pretty excited about reading the sequel soon because I really want to know what will happen between Riece and Clio, Clio and Derik, and Mannix and Clio. I need answers!!! Where did Mannix go? What is he going to plan next? Will Clio go back for Riece? Will Riece take Clio after everything she said to him to drive him away? Will Derik make a move for Clio now that Riece is sort of out of the picture?
So many questions!! And I really need answers! 

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Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined by Stephenie Meyer

Title: Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined
and also Twilight Special Tenth Anniversary edition

Series: Twilight saga #5

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Date Published: October 6, 2015

Pages: 752 (hardback)




Summary


Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.


Review


I bought this book for 2 reasons. The first is because I wanted to feel the same things I felt while reading Twilight for the first time. The second was because it was a gender-swap and I thought it would be hilarious.

What ended up happening was that since this book has 2 novels wrapped into one, I ended up reading both Twilight and Life and Death at the same time to compare. I got more emotion out of re-reading Twilight for the possibly-fourth time than I got out of reading Life and Death.

Now, I was completely wrapped up in Twilight when I first read it, up until the movie for Breaking Dawn Part 1. I was pretty done at that point. Twilight was out of my system because I had read dozens of better YA books since then. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy Twilight for many reasons--and I might name them at the end of this review--but there are many problems with it.

Life and Death just left me disappointed. The book started out exactly the same up until about chapter 8 or 9. I got bored because of the short sentences, Beau's ridiculous thought-process and because I was basically re-reading a dumber Twilight. I know, I said it was exactly the same as Twilight as it started out and it was, but with very short sentences. It was too choppy and boring.

In the beginning, Beau's thoughts were too much like Bella's, but as the book progressed, they started to progress and differ from Bella's. 
I was also having slight difficulty in puzzling together who all the characters originally were in Twilight--because there were too many names that started with "E"--but it became less confusing throughout the novel.

I found this book just as, if not more sexist than the original Twilight. I can understand why Stephenie Meyer felt the need to change some things, but she could have left others alone! Boy or girl, some of the original plot could have stayed! But I suppose Meyer thought we all didn't want to get bored and complain about how it wasn't any different from Twilight.

I feel like Stephenie took this book much too seriously when she should have written it as a joke kind of thing. Instead, she decided to shove this down our throats.

Now here are some spoilery/fun things:

When Edythe and Beau were about to leave the meadow: when Edythe wanted Beau to ride piggyback on her but he refused because she was tiny, I was laughing because it was ridiculous how she sped off to yank a boulder out of the ground to bring it back to Beau. I thought it was a funny, girl-power moment! 

I noticed something while I was reading. When Beau took the phone and Joss started talking to her, how could not hear her? Joss was telling Beau to follow her instructions while Archie was standing in the same room, and vampires are, evidently, supposed to have super hearing so how does this make sense? Same thing with the original Twilight. How could Alice not have heard it too??
There were several other plot holes but this was the one that hit me the most.

My favorite line in probably the whole book was when Joss and Beau were at the ballet studio. Joss was explaining how she'd manipulated him while Beau was wondering why she was bragging about outsmarting a "weak human." And then I busted out laughing at the next line: "Where was the glory in beating some weak human? I didn't feel the need to rub it in to every cheeseburger I conquered."

I liked how Stephenie Meyer did this big "what if Bella had left 5 minutes sooner" ordeal. It was very interesting in the beginning, then the ending became more scrambled than scrambled eggs. It was like all the Twilight books were wrapped up into one and it was just too much. Some of the information didn't even need to be there. If I was someone who hadn't read the original Twilight saga before this Twilight Reimagined, I would have been confused by all the new, overbearing information that was almost randomly thrown in there.

2.5 STARS


I would have been much happier if Stephenie Meyer had released Midnight Sun. And she had enough time to finish writing it; I don't care what she claims. She knew that the 10th anniversary of Twilight's release was coming up, and if she had enough time to think about and write Life and Death, she had enough time to finish Midnight Sun. I'm sure we all would have been happier. I'm not sure how much happier, but I'm sure it would have been better than what she ended up releasing.

Reasons why Twilight will always be kinda special to me: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight opened the door for YA fiction. The young adult genre is the most popular book genre now because Twilight blew up.
And Twilight was the first book I read and liked, and it encouraged me to read more. If it weren't for this book, I don't know if I would have gotten into reading, which would have led to me never trying out writing and falling in love with it.

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In the After Light by Alexandra Bracken

Title: In the After Light

Series: The Darkest Minds #3

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Date published: October 28, 2014

Genre: YA fiction, romance, action, thriller, suspense, adventure, sci-fi

Pages: 544 (hardback)

Age Range: 13+




Summary


Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. Only Ruby can keep their highly dangerous prisoner in check. But with Clancy Gray, there's no guarantee you're fully in control, and everything comes with a price.

When the Children's League disbands, Ruby rises up as a leader and forms an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole, who has a volatile secret of his own. There are still thousands of other Psi kids suffering in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Freeing them--revealing the governments unspeakable abuses in the process--is the mission Ruby has claimed since her own escape from Thurmond, the worst camp in the country.

But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole craft to free the camps. As tensions rise, competing ideals threaten the mission to uncover the cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others with powers the government will kill to keep contained. With the fate of a generation in their hands, there is no room for error. One wrong move could be the spark that sets the world on fire.


Review


I was up until 1am finishing this book. I was a little upset about how things ended, but I was also happy. I'm about to explain why but let me get through the characters first! This review is going to be full of spoilers so if you haven't read the book, go away. Shew!

The writing was just as amazing as always. The characters were fantastic! Even though Jude was no longer with us. I was really, really sad throughout the book because of this. I could really feel Vida and Ruby's pain as they struggled to come to terms with his death. I loved how they leaned on each other--they really bonded in this book.

KINDA SPOILERY

I was really surprised but not surprised by Chub's and Vida's relationship. We could kind of see how they were glued to each other throughout Never Fade and In the After Light, but I wasn't sure what sort of relationship was developing between them because they were always bickering and snapping at each other, or punching each other.

Liam and Ruby. What can I say? I don't know what to say because they're just...*sigh* amazing. I love them together, so I was worried when their relationship was rocky. Ruby was being protective of herself and Liam's feelings, I get that. She was putting a wall between them because she couldn't tell him a lot of things, I get it, but why did Alexandra have to play with their, and my, feelings?

When Ruby found the note Liam wrote, I was torn. Torn, I tell you! I was devastated that he wrote something like that, but I understood. I thought that Cole was going to make him leave too, but I didn't think that Ruby would take his memories again--not after everything that happened. I was so upset when Ruby found it because she was completely broken up about it. I wanted her to mention it to him! But of course she didn't so that put an even bigger strain on their relationship!

Okay, I think I need to talk about something else now. This is still kind of spoilery. Zu! Let's talk about Suzume a little bit. We didn't really so a whole lot of her in Never Fade, or in this book really even though she's back with the gang.

I was really hoping that Zu was going to start talking again, but I started having my doubts when I was more than half-way through the book because I thought that there was going to be a big show-down at Thurmond. I was so relieved when she finally spoke during the interview. Vida finally warmed up to her and was cheering her on. I was really happy about Team Reality's reactions! The moment was truly heart warming.

THE ENDING: OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE GOING TO BE MAJOR SPOILERS

The Thurmond Op. Okay, so I was expecting a little more of a battle scene, like I wanted a serious show-down. I wanted to see Liam and Ruby fighting side by side, Ruby protecting Liam from harm, Vida having Ruby's back. I wanted all of that.

I didn't like how the book just kind of abruptly ended. We don't really know what happens during the camp hit because Ruby was being interrogated, and then kicking some PSF ass. I wanted to see more fighting, though I thought it was really awesome how Ruby wouldn't let Liam kill anyone as they made their escape, and how Ruby refused to be carried out of Thurmond. She wanted to walk out of there even though she was severely injured and couldn't walk on her own.

We also don't know what happens to the kids in the end. Like, what happened to Sam for example? I want to know what happened to her and we didn't see her after Ruby yelled at her in the mess hall.
Also, at a conference, Senator Cruz was giving a speech about the new laws that would be placed and talked about the cure that has recently been developed. Kids 18 and older had the opportinuty to choose whether to keep their abilities, or not, and the children who chose to keep their abilities had to live in a "community" where other Psi kids would live.

Chubs complained and it was agreed that things would be reconsidered, but what if they didn't change their minds? What if things got bad again? I don't think they did but there's a chance, and we won't know because this is how the book ended.

I really wanted to get a glimpse of what Liam and Ruby's lives would be like after all this. They mentioned it a little but I want more! I want details, a short story, anything! Gimme!

And, back to the Sam-thing: I'm pretty sure Alexandra is releasing a book that has 3 different short stories. Its called Through the Dark and it comes out in October. It consists of In Time, Sparks Rise, and a new, unpublished short story called, Beyond the Night. I need this book! I need to know what happened to Sam!

Anyway, the last thing I want to talk about is...Clancy. Yes, Clancy Gray! I really wanted Ruby to kill him, or for Clancy to accidentally get shot or something! I just wanted him dead. He was one of those characters that you just hate. He's so evil! After what he made Ruby do, and after Cole...if I were Ruby, I woulda shot him! Yes yes I know why she didn't: she didn't want to stoop to his level blah blah blah, but couldn't someone have killed him? I didn't want to see him walk away, not after what he did to Cole.

Okay, I think I'm done with my rant. This is a long review but I'm not sorry. I was up late last night so I could finish the book and I woke up and things just started popping into my head. I feel like this series is unfinished and I don't think Alexandra Bracken is going to write a fourth book so I'm very upset because I want to read about Ruby and Liam's lives, and find out what happens to the rest of Team Reality.

"The Darkest Minds Never Fade In the After Light"

I've been buying young adult books left and right, but now that school has started back up, I have a lot of books I have to read for school so I'm going to be gone for a while. Sorry, I love writing reviews but I don't think anyone is interested in reading a review on a Jane Austin book.
I'll be back soon though with more reviews!

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Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade

Series: The Darkest Minds series #2

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Date Published: September 30, 2014

Genre: YA fiction, romance, action, thriller, fantasy, adventure, sci-fi

Pages: 544 (paperback)

Age Range: 13+




Summary


Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children's League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children's League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America's children-and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts-has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future-and who now wouldn't recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam-and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart-she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?


Review


In the beginning, I couldn't really get into it. Because I was looking for Liam. All I wanted was to find Liam! I didn't care about anything else. But then I started to get to know the new characters. 

I love the new characters! Vida is so badass and snarky that I really liked her, even though everyone kinda hates her (just a little) because of how annoying and obnoxious she is. I thought it was great. I want her blue hair! 

Nico wasn't really in the story so I don't have much to say about him, except, "Why didn't he keep up with Jude at the end of the book??"

Jude was my absolute favorite character in this book! I liked how he wasn't as brave, or sure of himself as we've seen with the other characters. He's not naive and is serious when struck with a serious situation, like when he saved Ruby and all the others from Michael and his gang. I thought he was really, really sweet...*sob*

I'm sorry but there are going to be spoilers because I just can't keep this bottled up (it's unhealthy).

WARNING: SPOILERS! AND TEARS

JUUUUUUUUUUDE WHYYYYYYY!!? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE JUDE?? SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE SAVED JUDE! WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE!?

When the place blew up and everyone assumed Clancy would die down there, I was like "Okay, at least something good came out of the League building collapsing and killing my favorite character...kinda"
10 pages later. "WHAT?"

SPOILER SECTION OVER

Okay...sorry, I just--I just couldn't keep it inside any longer....Whyyyyyyy????

I liked watching Ruby's powers grow, even though it got out of hand. I hated Knox. He made me really mad, so I was happy when he was out of the picture. Bye bye Knox. Bye bye Rob.

I was upset and panicking when they finally found Liam, but I was super, super happy to have him back! The only problem...His memories. He doesn't remember Ruby and, after seeing what she'd done to her parents and Sam, I was worried it would be hard for him to get his memories back, or that he wouldn't at all.

WARNING: SPOILERS AGAIN
 
When Liam got his memories back...I was so so so happy. It was such an intimate moment. It felt like I could really feel his panic and confusion. He was distraught that Ruby had done this to him. He'd trusted her! He never thought she would use her powers against him in order to send him away.


SPOILER SECTION OVER
 
The writing was good, but it was hard to follow sometimes. It was like the characters didn't really know what was going on sometimes when they should have. Also, I felt that there were a few unnecessary parts in this book. And these are the only reasons why I'm rating it 4 stars instead of 5. Plus, I'm mad about Jude so take the 4 stars and leave me with my grief!

Sorry for all the spoiler sections lol.

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Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Date Published: September 10, 2013 (normal edition)

Genre: YA fiction, realistic fiction, funny, contemporary, romance

Pages: 464 (hardback) - (exclusive collector's edition)

Age Range: 13+





Summary


Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life--and she's really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.
Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?


Review
 

This book had it's up and downs but I turned out loving it in the end. The book started rather slow, but around chapter ten or eleven, things started to pick up a little. Then it got slow again, only to pick up speed later. This book was like a roller-coaster.

I thought the book would pick up and get really exiting. Like, something exciting or outraging would happen. But nothing really did. I know it's a contemporary novel and there isn't much you can do plot-wise that would be original--I just thought that since the story was original, something more would have happened. Some parts did surprised me, like when Nick kinda stole the story he worked on with Cather. It was slow in a lot of places and there were a lot of things I (personally) would have taken out. I kept reading and eventually things picked up until I couldn't put it down towards the end.

Let's talked about the fanfiction.
I really felt that it was unnecessary. What was the point? I mean, sure Cather wrote fanfiction but did we need to read it and parts from the Simon Snow series? No. I felt it was irrelevant to the plot of the book. It would have been okay to add the fanfiction when she read it to Levi. But I found the fanfiction useless otherwise.

Speaking of Levi! The relationship between Levi and Cahter is so sweet and awkward. I thought they were perfect together. I am a Levi & Cather shipper!! I totally ship them!

It was a great coming-of-age novel!! It's a wonderfully amusing read. It expressed what teens think when they first start college, though doesn't go into too much detail about college life.

Cather did a lot of things in the beginning that I saw myself doing. I'm shy and really awkward around people I've just met (just like Cather). So the first few chapters kind of reminded me of myself because I could see myself doing the same things as Cather. 

It had some really funny parts! And the last couple-hundred pages made it impossible for me to put it down. The night I finished it, it was kinda late and I had about 70 pages left. I was tired so I decided I would just read some and finish it the next day. Once I started, I could not stop. I stayed up and finished the book.

I was going to rate this book 3.5 stars but the book was just too good towards the end, so 4 it is!

If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Title: If He Had Been With Me

Author: Laura Nowlin

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Date Published: April 2, 2013

Genre: YA fiction, romance, contemporary, realistic fiction

Pages: 336 (paperback)

Age Range: 14+






Summary


A heartrending tale of missed chances and what might have been 

"If he had been with me, everything would be different." For one thing, Finn wouldn't have been in that car, on that road, on that night. As children, Finn and Autumn were inseparable, but an incident in middle school puts them on separate paths going into high school. Yet no matter how distant they become, or who they're dating, Autumn continues to be haunted by the past and what might have been. While their paths continue to cross, and opportunities continue to be missed, little do they know that a terrible car accident looms in the future and might separate them forever.


Review


This book was quirky and jumpy and fun. I really liked how jumpy the story-line was. How one thing would happen in one chapter, and then it could be days, or weeks, or months later when the next chapter begins.

This book was very stereotypical; yet not really at the same time. It fit the book perfectly because of the characters. The characters were fun and different and quirky. Their personalities shined whenever the group was together because they would play off of each other. They were good, close friends that you'd never think would grow apart.

That's why it made me upset that everyone kind of went their separate ways after graduation. I mean, sure it happens, but I didn't want this group of friends to grow apart. Though, Autumn had a good reason not to want to hang out with the whole gang anymore.

Kinda SPOILER-Y

I knew Jamie was going to end it with Autumn at the end of the book, but I think the way he did it was cruel. He didn't have to say those things to her. Why would he tell her that he's tired of caring for her and giving her attention? That's what relationships are and if you can't last with Autumn, you probably won't last with Sasha either, bud.

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS

I also knew that Finny was going to get into some-sort of car accident right after him and Autumn officially got together and die. Who wouldn't see that coming after reading the very first chapter of the book, right?

Well, he does get in a car accident. But he didn't die.

Instead, the author shocks me (ha, pun intended) and electrocutes Finny....

That's right, folks, electrocuted. He gets in a car crash with Sy--who gets shot out the front window-- and when he goes to help her, he doesn't see that she's in a puddle and that there's a wire in the puddle by her head so when he reaches for her....ZAP!

What a mean way to kill off a character, though original and shocking.

I have to admit that I laughed. But then I cried a few tears when Autumn found out that he was dead and tried to kill herself.

NO MORE SPOILERS. YOU'RE SAFE.

Anyway, this was a fun read. I really enjoyed the characters, and it was a nice, quick read. I'd definitely recommend this. (Thank you, Nadia for recommending it to me). Though this book wasn't as sad as if i stay by Gayle Forman, it was still sad and almost as good a read (sorry, if i stay is one of my FAVS lol). Add this book to your summer to-read list! You won't regret it :)

That's right guys, I'm back on reviews!

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Title: The Diary of a Young Girl

Author: Anne Frank

Date Published: 1952 (Original date when published in English)

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Genre: Classic, non-fiction, autobiography, memoir

Pages: 283 (hardback)








Summary

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

The journal of a Jewish girl in her early teens describes both the joys and torments of daily life, as well as typical adolescent thoughts, throughout two years spent in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of Holland.

Review


The Diary of a Young Girl isn't just about World War II. It's about Anne Frank's feelings and experiences and personal thoughts and opinions; these are the reasons why she kept diaries. Anne needed someone to talk to; to pour her heart out to during this difficult time in her life. So, she started writing to a fictional being, which she named Kitty.

There's not much I can say about this book, because I can't put my thoughts and emotions into words. I can't begin to describe to you how I felt about this book. While reading it, I felt many different things. Mostly sadness, because I knew this book's ending, since it is one of the most talked about non-fiction books in the world.

Very powerful story of survival and hope and love and strength. Anne was a beautiful and brilliant girl that got what she wanted--to be remembered. Her diary has been shared round-the-world. This would come to any other girl's horror. To have your diary out there for anyone and everyone to read, that's every girl's nightmare.

But I don't believe Anne would see this as a catastrophe. I believe she is happy with the outcome of her story. Yes, it started out as a private thing, and maybe she would be a little upset, but in the long run I believe she would be happy about how much good it has done. There was so much strength and maturity in this young girl.

I don't have much else to say...I don't really want to give a review because I feel that it wouldn't do it justice to "rate" or "review" it. I will say what I have to say but no more.

Very sad, very moving, very powerful. I cannot say that this book was enjoyable for reasons, but, for others, I can say that it is. You'll have to read this classic to understand how it is and isn't. In some parts while reading this book, you'll forget it's tragic ending and allow yourself to smile at some witty line that Anne wrote. But the smile quickly disappears.

I knew what happened to the Franks, Van Daans and Mr. Dussel, but not in great detail. And reading it was very different than hearing it. The last pages in the "Afterwards" section were painful to read. I could see Anne, could imagine how she looked, at the brink of her death. I could only imagine the physical and emotional pain she was going through; only imagine how hungry and lost she must have felt. Reading about her death, and the death of the others was different from hearing it, but we'll never know the true pain these people went through because we weren't there.


Sorry I haven't posted a review in so long, but I've been reading books, short stories and poetry for school. I'm back though and will have a review up soon!