The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee

Title: The Unquiet
Author: Jeannine Garsee
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: July 17, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury
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Summary: Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother. 

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists. 

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?Annaliese? Or herself? 

Review: The Unquiet is one creepy book. It's a lot different from books that I normally read but it turned out to be a fantastic one. 

Rinn is a likable girl, even though it might not seem like she is. It's hard to sense the Rinn is truly bipolar until she goes off her meds somewhere in the middle of the book. Garsee wrote those scenes very well and quite realistically, I believe. Rinn was a great sense of humor, and that's mainly why I liked her so much. She's always making funny comments no matter how crazy her life is. 

The romance in this one was wonderful. Nate is a good guy for Rinn. He keeps her anchored and is adorable in the way he cares about her. I loved every single scene where they were together because their chemistry is undeniable!

But the scary factor is what really hooked me. Garsee manages the plot expertly with twists and turns that had my head spinning. The ghost in this story is truly an evil one. There were a couple a times during The Unquiet that I got goosebumps because it was so dark and scary. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this because they think it'd be too scary. I'm easily scared so I tend to get freaked out by the little things. 

THAT ending. Wow. I never saw it coming. That's all I can saw without spoiling it. But it was really good.

The Unquiet is more then your typical scary book. It has characters that are lovable with have real problems and that combined with fantastic writing makes this one stellar book. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury
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Summary: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review: Throne of Glass is a read of epic proportions. It's a lengthy read but inside is something very awesome.

I loved the world of Throne of Glass. It's a messed up one complete with an evil ruler who happens to live in a glass castle. Of course this evil ruler has a devishly handsome son. We'll get to that later though. The world building isn't all that great due to the fact that the story mostly takes  place in a castle. I'm absolutely dying to know more about the world based on little tidbits we got to know during the book.

Celaena is a interesting character for lack of a better word. She isn't exactly likable with all her assassin traits. Sometimes it seemed like she was good at everything! Still, I managed to come to care about her towards the end of the book. 

Then we have the occurrence of the dreaded love triangle. Dorian and Chaol. Dorian is annoying and apparently really pretty. Chaol is sweet and the Captain of the Guard, making him pretty darn cute to me. He's also funny and a lot more complex then the prince.  I think you can guess where my loyalties lie. Celaena and Chaol's interactions was what really endeared this book to me. I'm hoping their friendship can turn into something more. Thankfully, romance wasn't a huge focus during the book. It was mainly on a fantastic mystery and fantasy elements. 

Throne of Glass is still an engaging read at 400 some pages. It capitured me because of the fact that this is a fantasy done right. Throne of Glass has its faults but it still succeed in being an addictive read that I enjoyed highly. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Speed Date with Samantha: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Hi! This feature is hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. Speed Dating is basically giving a shorter review of the book and it's ton of fun! Go check it out!

Title: Dark Kiss
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 29, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin!
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Summary: I don't do dangerous.  Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha-that's me. But I just couldn't pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me...something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It's like part of me is missing-and I don't know if I can get it back. 

Then there's Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he's keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he's what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me.... 


Review: Dark Kiss a different read for me. I loved that angels and demons had been sent to Earth to work together but something else entirely different was missing. And that, my friends, was emotion.

Yes, there is plenty of emotion that the characters felt but I really didn't care at all for the characters. Their action elicited no reaction or even a smile or frown for me.  Usually it doesn't take much to make me happy but I would have liked to see characters that were more fleshed out and real. Kraven, a demon, was the only character that I felt was very well written. The rest were so-so.

The plot and mythology was engaging, though. Dark Kiss is another quick read that goes by really fast. There's lots of interesting action scenes that definitely kept me satisfied with the book.

I might read the sequel to Dark Kiss but I just wish this one could have been better. 

Rating:

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: June 12, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Delacorte
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Summary: Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Review: Lies Beneath is a lot different from any other mermaid book I've read. Sure, I've read books about killer sirens but killer mermaids was a new one for me. Fortunately, it was pulled off very well, and I enjoyed that aspect of the book immensely.


The best part of this book was by far the mermaids. There wasn't nearly enough information about them to keep me satisfied. What Brown does give you is fantastic, but I kept getting a feeling there just had to be something more. I don't know about anyone else but I just love the idea of killer mermaids feeding off others emotions

Calder is interesting, to say the least. He's not exactly a very caring or nice guy. I know that I had a hard time connecting with him and I have a feeling other readers might too. He's was a bit two-dimensional and dull for my tastes but he did keep the book entertaining and light. And that is always a plus. I'm also sad to report the romance department is quite lacking in Lies Beneath. Calder and Lily seemed like they were off to a good start but then it just turned into an "I will do anything for you" fest.

I read Lies Beneath in one quick setting. It's a fairly short read but it was still engrossing. There are a couple of odd parts in the book that I didn't particularly care for but it still managed to be a nice afternoon read.

Lies Beneath manages to be a quick and entertaining read with a new brand of mermaids. It definitely had its downs but it's still a worthwhile read if you're looking for something different and new.


Rating:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Henry Holt
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Summary: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review: Shadow and Bone was not what I expected. I didn't expect a fantasy that would absolutely blow my mind with its characters, setting, or writing. Shadow and Bone is just plain wonderful.

Alina starts as a mapmaker and not even a very good one. But she won my heart over immediately. It was impossible for me to not become attached to Alina. I loved seeing her comfortable with her new powers and being, well, powerful and awesome with them. Alina is still the same girl she was at the beginning of the book but she was a lot stronger. And I think anyone can admire her for that.

But what to think of the Darling or childhood friend Mal? (Don't worry this isn't really a love triangle in truth.) The Darkling was just as promised. He's mysterious, a bit mean and dark. (Now there's a dark reference to the Darkling!) Let's just say it was very easy for me to be captured by his spell. Mal is just the opposite. And frankly he's a lot easier to care about. I might be a tad bit in love with Mal.

I'm always telling myself that fantasy really isn't my thing. But Shadow and Bone proves that it kind of is. The world is so vivid and just so fantastically described. I'd almost want to go live there if it wasn't so dangerous!

Shadow and Bone is truly something special. To me it was more then just a fantasy; it was so much more. I absolutely loved it. 

Rating:

Speed Date with Maggie: One Moment by Kristina McBride

Hi! This feature is hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. Speed Dating is basically giving a shorter review of the book and it's ton of fun! Go check it out!

Title: One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride
Publisher: Egmont USA
Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Egmont
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Summary: This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.


Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?


As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?


The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.


Review: One Moment is a sad, heart-breaking tale of a girl forced to deal with her friends and her boyfriend's actions after he dies.

The friend dynamic in this was absolutely spectacular. Each of the six friends were both unique and memorable. But the main character, Maggie, had to be the best of all of them. Maggie has to deal with pain and memory loss after her boyfriend, Joey, dies and that is exactly what makes this book so good. It's so easy to immerse yourself in this book, so much that you can feel all of Maggie's heartbreak and pain. But Maggie is also insanely determined to figure out her boyfriend's secret. It's a bit predictable but if you look at it from Maggie's stand point it becomes more realistic.

One Moment has a gorgeous writing style. It's one of the main reasons you can relate with Maggie.

One Moment is a special book that's able to worm its way into your heart and really mean something to you, the reader. 

Rating:

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Title: Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury
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Summary: When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.


Review: Something Like Normal is a fantastic book. It has the ability to make you smile, hurt, but most of all it has the power to make you care something fierce about the characters. 


I automatically liked Travis. He's more than a bit sarcastic, funny, and he's been through more things that I can even begin to imagine. Sometimes male points of views come off wrong and fake sounding. This never happened once in Something Like Normal. Travis had the most realistic voice of a guy that I've read in a long, long time. I also loved watching Travis grow throughout the book. It's amazing how much character development was packed into such a quick read. 


The romance in this one is downright adorable. I doubt Travis or Harper would appreciate me saying that but it's just so true! Ever minute they spent together was sweet and just so unexpected. I was hoping Something Like Normal would have a good romance but it's even better then that. 


Something Like Normal does a great job with showing what life is like with post-traumatic stress disorder is like and what it's like overseas. It doesn't sugarcoat things it just shows the way things really are, and I loved that aspect.


Something Like Normal is a book that can change your mood from elated to sad in a moment. It has gorgeous writing but an even better main character in Travis. If you're into contemporary I think you'd really be missing out if you didn't read this one. 

Rating:

Speed Date with Dani: All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Hi! This feature is hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. Speed Dating is basically giving a shorter review of the book and it's ton of fun! Go check it out!

Title: All These Lives
Author: Sarah Wylie
Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux  
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and  Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
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Summary: Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky.  She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal.  And Jena is wasting away.  To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives.  Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one.  Someone like Jena.  But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization.  Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all.  Maybe she really only ever had one. 


Review: The main thing that I liked most in All These Lives was Dani's voice. Dani might not be the best or the nicest person but her voice is amazing. It's truly unique and I literally felt like I was in Dani's head. I initially thought Dani was a little crazy. Most people don't think they have nine lives if they survive many near-death experiences but Dani certainly does. I felt like this just added to her character. I caught myself almost believing this whole "nine lives" thing, which was more than a little scary.

All These Lives is a very short book. I was able to polish it off in a single morning because not only is it short but it's engrossing. I might not have liked Dani but I was definitely invested in her story.

The ending of All These Lives was more than a little abrupt but I didn't feel like anything else needed to be said. All These Lives is perfect is you're looking for a short book with a unique main character. 

Rating:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Source: Library
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Summary: Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 
Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page. 


Review: I knew that this would be a hard book to review the moment I started reading it. I finished this over a week ago and trying to write a review that shows just how great this book is will be hard. So I'm just going to say it. Code Name Verity is a fantastic book. It'll made you cry but it'll also make you so hopeful that maybe something good could come out of something so tragic.


I feel that if I mention one minuscule detail from the plot of Code Name Verity that it'll ruin the entire book. Because in this book it's the details that matter. It is the details that take this book to a whole new different level. 


I loved the characters in Code Name Verity. They were all so real. It was easy for me to forget that I was just reading a book that was fiction and not reading about real people. The characters in Code Name Verity popped off the page making me read even when it was hard to read. 


Code Name Verity is actually very slow in the beginning. I personally thought that the slow parts were interesting. Like I said, there's a lot of details but it's so fascinating. I'm always drawn to learning new information, especially in historical books. Code Name Verity gets a lot more exciting and even more emotionally draining in part 2. 


Code Name Verity is an amazing book. There's hardly a day where I don't go without thinking about the characters or just how real this book felt. I think Code Name Verity has the power to stay with readers and maybe even change how they think about this time period. 


Rating:

Speed Date with Mia: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Hi! This feature is hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. Speed Dating is basically giving a shorter review of the book and it's ton of fun! Go check it out!

Title: Struck
Author: Jennifer Bosworth
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR 
Publication Date: May 8, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR
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Summary: Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.


Review: Struck is an entertaining book. There was a never a dull moment and most of those moments were filled with exciting revelations and even more action.

I don't particularly like Mia Price, the main character, but I understood her. She's stubborn and brave but I just could never connect to her. She was a little distant, even in her narration. A character I really liked was Parker: he was willing to take care of people no matter what. Mia's love interest,  Jeremy,was all over the place. He hardly stayed in the book long enough for me to see if I liked him!

The whole concept of the Church of Light and the Seekers was awesome. I, of course, loved learning more and more about these two and their battle against each other.

Struck didn't quite do it for me but I did love the action and plotline!

Of Poseidon by Ann Banks

Title: Of Poseidon
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends 
Publication Date: May 22, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends
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Summary: Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk. 


Review: I hadn't read the best reviews on Of Poseidon but I knew that I was definitely willing to give it a try. And I'm so glad I did. Of Poseidon may lack in some aspects but it always made me smile while I was reading it! 


This may sound a little silly but I found Of Poseidon to be a book that I could totally emerse myself in and forget everything else. Of Poseidon was super addicting for me. I wanted to keep reading and reading. I think this is mainly because of Emma's narration. It was just SO dang funny. She wasn't always the smartest but she kept be smirking and laughing throughout the entire book. I'm not quite sure what I feel about Emma as a character, I really didn't connect with her but I still liked her.


Emma's love interest is Galen has his own chapters in 3rd person narration. I hate to say this but I disliked Galen's chapters so much. I like Galen as a character and as a love interest but his chapters? They were the only thing that could make this book not addictive. Luckily for Galen he's a sweetheart and, well, he seems pretty hot. Of course, Galen and Emma have a little case of insta-love but these days I find myself overlooking this and not really caring. Slow romances will always be my favorite but for some books it just works well to have a little case of insta-love. 


In Of Poseidon the mermaids and mermen are all called Syrena. I loved learning all the little facts about them. I really hope we get to know more about their history once the second book comes out. Of Poseidon does end in a cliffhanger but I think most readers will be able to see it coming. It makes the blow of having a cliffhanger a bit less.


Of Poseidon definitely has its iffy moments but it still manged to wow me with the Syrena mythology and Emma's silly but lovable narration.


Rating: 3.5 stars

Speed Date with Chloe: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Hi everyone, toady I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm participating in a thing called Speed Dating-with reviews. It's hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. The purpose is to tell your thoughts about the book in about 150 words. I think it's a fantastic idea! Go check out her blog to participate.

Title: Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe
Author: Shelley Coriell
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Amulet
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Summary: Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home. 


Review: Have you ever read a book that you initially thought you'd hate? This was exactly how I felt about this book. The first 100 or so pages of Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe were just short of boring and tortuous. I almost debated giving up on this book.

I'm so thankful that I stayed with this one. It turned out to be a very awesome book. I'm not quite sure what made me change my mind exactly. Chloe started to grow on me, as did the radio station aspect.

The radio part of this one just was awesome. I loved the moments at the "station." When they were over I always wanted more! Chloe's show and the friends that she made there were fantastically rewritten!

When Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe ended I actually wanted more. This just goes to show that a book that doesn't start off awesome can turn into something you never want to end. Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe totally redeemed itself!

Rating:

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

Title: Unbreak My Heart
Author: Melissa Walker
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 22, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Bloomsbury
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Summary: Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to. 


Review: Unbreak My Heart is a fantastic contemporary romance book.  But this book isn't all about romance. It has a much deeper meaning and I loved every minute that I spent reading this book. 


The fact that Unbreak My Heart involves sailing gives it a million points in my book. I'm not a sailor myself but for some odd reason I love reading about ships, sailing, anything nautical and I'm in. I thought Walker did an absolutely fantastic job with sailing aspect of the book. It was realistic and it gave Unbreak My Heart an extra bang that a lot of books don't have. 


The characters are truly what got me in this book. Clem is so fantastic. The pain she went through literally jumped off the page. I grew to care so much about Clem during the book that it was almost a joy to see her grow and change through the course of Unbreak My Heart. Clem wasn't the only character that was multi-dimensional or just plain wonderful, many of the supporting characters were just as great. Clem's sister, Olive, was such a cutie! I felt like I got to know her and many other characters through Walker's unbelievabley good writing.

Of course there's romance, the title suggests that much. The romance in Unbreak My Heart was just what I needed. It was cute, real and it wasn't fast and rushed. James' and Clem's romance was sweet and slow moving. It makes me smile just thinking about it! I don't think romance in books can get much better then the one in this book.

All in all, Unbreak My Heart is a fantastic book that will makes you feel many awesome, heart-warming emotions. Unbreak My Heart has the added nautical aspect but it's so much more special than just that with its awesome characters and romance.


Rating:

Speed Date with Em: The Summer my Life Began

Hi everyone, toady I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm participating in a thing called Speed Dating-with reviews. It's hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. The purpose is to tell your thoughts about the book in about 150 words. I think it's a fantastic idea! Go check out her blog to participate.

Title: The Summer My Life Began
Author: Shannon Greenland
Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: May 10, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Speak!
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Summary: Elizabeth Margaret—better known as Em—has always known what life would contain: an internship at her father’s firm, a degree from Harvard and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is that it’s not what she wants. When she gets the opportunity to get away from it all and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em pursues her secret dream of being a chef, and she also learns that her family has kept some significant secrets from her, too. And then there’s Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can’t resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels she is living on her own terms for the first time. 


Review: The Summer My Life Began is a cute, very fun-hearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It could be a little cheesy at times and predictable, though.

Em was, like the book, very cute. She didn't have much dimension nor did I connect with her. But she was a fun girl to read about. Her escapades on the island and in the kitchen were fantastic to read about. Now that I loved.

The Summer My Life Began features an adorable romance. I didn't want to think much while reading this book and the romance was perfect for that! I loved the dates that Em and Cade, her love interest, went on.

The overall plot of this one is predictable but one time I was pleasantly surprised. Greenland's writing style is sweet and simple. It was absolutely perfect for this book!

Overall, The Summer My Life Began is the perfect read for a lazy summer day. It has everything from cooking to a sweet romance and a awesome beach setting!

Rating:

Speed Date with Laura: Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

Hi everyone, toady I'm doing something a little bit different. I'm participating in a thing called Speed Dating-with reviews. It's hosted by Mary over at The Book Swarm. The purpose is to tell your thoughts about the book in about 150 words. I think it's a fantastic idea! Go check out her blog to participate. Note: internet is not up. I tired to get everything right using the app but certain things aren't bolded and pictures may not show! Thanks for your patience!

Title: Cross My Heart
Author: Sasha Gould
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: March 13, 2012

Summary: When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.

Review: Cross my Heart is a unique historical romance set in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice.

Cross My Heart isn't a fantastic read or an awful. It falls somewhere in between the two, but it does lean more toward the good side.

Cross My Heart is a very short read that doesn't allow for much development in the plot or the characters. While I liked Laura as a main character, she wasn't what I was expecting. The romance was definitely cute but not the best I'd seen.

One of the things I did like was the Segreta or the Society of Secrets. They were some scary old ladies but I liked how they dealt in secrets. The historical Venice setting was fantastic as well!

Cross My Heart isn't the best in terms of characters or plot but ideas weren't half bad and neither was the writing. I'd recommend it especially if you like simpler books with a great historical setting.

Rating: 3 stars

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Title: The Book of Blood and Shadow
Author: Robin Wasserman
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: April 10, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Random House!
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Summary: It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark. 


But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.


Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.


Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow is almost indescribable. It's full of ancient history, books, blood and so many things that you wouldn't think could ever make sense. But when everything finally comes together, it's incredible.


Other then the history, the thing I loved best about The Book of Blood and Shadow was the scavenger hunt aspect. Most of the book is spent trying to find things and deciphering different codes. I LOVED this. When scavenger hunts are done well in books they're great. But this-this was brilliant. What Wasserman did in this book was pure genius!


I won't touch too much on the history, other to say that it was fantastic. Isn't it awesome when you can absorb and learn new things by reading a great book? That's exactly what happened in The Book of Blood and Shadow.


Nora. If anyone everyone ever mentions the name Nora to me, I'm sure I'll think of this Nora. Nora is smart, witty and underneath she's just struggling to survive after so many awful and unthinkable things have happened to her. The girl even knows Latin for goodness sakes! How could you not love her?


The supporting cast of characters left a mark on me as well. Every single one of them from The Hoff to Chris to Eli and back to Elizabeth wormed their way inside my head and didn't let go while I was reading. I just loved them all so much. They're written in such a way that you just get to know them so well and you can't help but love (or hate) them to pieces.


The Book of Blood and Shadow is intriguing, suspenseful and incorporates history effortlessly. It has all that plus amazing, well-developed characters. Basically, I love this book.


Rating:

Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

Title: Allegiance
Author: Cayla Kluver
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Harlequin Teen!
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Summary: He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.
An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return…Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica—until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn…. 


Review: Like Legacy, the first book in this series Allegiance is filled with political intrigue, drama, and most of all: action. But unlike Legacy, all of Allegiance is filled to the brim with secrets and a whole lot of suspense. There's no boring parts in this one which makes it a fantastic sequel. 


Alera is such a strong character. She's one of the heroines you will always root for because of her desire to be more than just a women or just a queen. That's probably one of Alera's most admirable aspects but she also has wit on her side. But she definitely has her vulnerable side, which I always liked seeing because it made her more real to me.


There's a ton of supporting characters to keep track of in Allegiance. Not all of them are memorable, but the ones that are memorable touch your heart. My favorite(s) are The King of Hytanica, Steldor. Steldor has some serious problems but I got so attached to him. He's such a sweetheart. Sometimes. There's also a really special father figure in this series, Cannan, who I felt so much love for. He's literally the kindest man I have ever read about. 


There's over 500 pages in Allegiance making it a very long read. Sometimes long books drag on and on but I didn't feel that with this one. There was just enough action and intrigue to keep me hooked as a reader. And boy do things happen!


Overall, Allegiance is a stunning sequel. I'll definitely be reading the next one because this series has me hooked!


Rating:

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Title: Breaking Beautiful
Author: Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Publisher: Walker
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Walker!
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Summary: Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
 
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Review: Breaking Beautiful is a simply stunning book. I was drawn in my Wolf's fantastic writing but, overall I just eneded up loving the characters.


Allie's grief in so evident through most of the book. Wolf writes in such a way that you literally feel Allie's pain. It was almost like I was going through the ordeal of being the only one to survive a car crash, instead of Allie. Allie is a very powerful character, in my opinion. She's beginning to try and rise out of her depression but it isn't easy for Allie in a down where she's looked down upon. I've said this about a lot of characters, but there was just something so special about Allie. She soars as a character, mainly because she's a well developed character that has many sides.

Another character I'm especially partial to is Blake, Allie's long time friend. He is such a sweetheart. He's a little misunderstood by the people in their town but at heart he's just a artist. A fantastic one. at that. Blake, like Allie, pulled on my heartstrings and I never wanted to leave them.

Breaking Beautiful also has an element of mystery and suspense. It's not so much of a typical mystery where the characters are looking for the bad guys, but a mystery of what happened the night Allie's boyfriend Trip died. In Breaking Beautiful you get to see all of Allie's awful, and painful memories. It hurts a little to see each little layer peeled back until you finally get to see what exactly happened on that night. I was a bit more than surprised.

Breaking Beautiful is a debut that touches on beauty, grief and the promises of what a new friendship or romance will do to a person. And it isn't always for the better. Frankly, this book touches your heart and it doesn't really ever let go.

Cover Note: I love this cover! It's a little grimy like the book. The red heels also have so such significance in the book. Beauty and what it means is a big theme in this book and the title adds even more to that concept.


Rating: 4.5 stars