Swords and Stilettos by Kristin D. Van Risseghem

I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.

Okay.

"Swords & Stilettos"

Where should I even begin?

Let's just start with Zoe.  Who - at least for me - was literally a cookie cutter version of a typical YA protagonist.  Complete with angles, insta-love and a love triangle.  Of course.

But don't take what I'm saying to be a jab at this book.  I enjoyed the characters, no matter how odd they were (YASSSS SHAY AND I LOVE STAR WARS) and I did enjoy the magic and action.  I just couldn't get behind Zoe herself.

Not that she was bad or annoying or anything.  It was just a bit too cliche for me.

So instead, I'm going to pretend that she wasn't and get right into things.

The opening of the story lied to me.  At least, that's how it felt.

She said she was shivering.

It's like summer outside.

And she's wearing a dress.

And I thought they were outside but they were at the coffee shop (???).

The descriptions needed to be more clear about what was going on and where they were.  Honestly, she gets this huge cut on her arm and I don't even remember that happening except that she fell and thinks she broke her arm.

Which threw me for a loop and I had to re-read the entire passage and discovered only the blister on the back of her foot.

Okayyyyyy

Weird.

But that was the pattern for the rest of the book.  I kept reading something and then would be automatically confused as to how that happened.

Then there was the insta-love.  The "zap" of electricity every time they touched.  It kind of made sense why but it didn't and I was left like ummmmmmm..... okay.

But the world was a bit more... odd than usual.

There were angels and demons and nephalim.  And fairies.

And werewolves.

And apparently witches are real too.

And there's this prophecy that she's the Redeemer.

But to be honest when I read the prophecy I was confused by it too.  Like, is she supposed to kill everything or just demons?  I mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't this confusing for the entire book.  Just like the first 100 pages or so.  So, like, half of it.

I definitely enjoyed the characters, though, even if they were filled with pretty much every cliche possible, and I did like the way the book ended (YOU WILL FIND almost NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!!) but I wanted her to have some sort of reaction to all of this.  Instead she kind of goes with the flow.

Like I'm sorry, if I just found out my BFF is an angel and never told me I would beat them up.  Or at least yell at them.  Extensively.

But nothing.  She's just like "Oh, okay, let me go home and eat dinner with my family but not really and then let the strange boy who give me fuzzy electric feelings into my room and then take me for a magic carpet (wing) ride"

Do you see where I'm going with that?

Because that's literally how it felt.

Overall, the story might have been cliche but it was super fun and easy to get into, pulling me along for the ride.  The writing wasn't bad at all, just the descriptions needed work.  The world needed more expanding but I understood where we were at all times.  I loved the characters but they were awkward for a large portion of the time or just bizarre.  Like, they were all friends with her because of the prophecy.  So none of them would've been her friends is that hadn't been the case.

As for originality?  I gave that a full star.  It was definitely... something.

(The full breakdown is below)

Well, I have to admit, that was an interesting way to start off my day.

I'm intrigued enough to want to know what happens next and whether Sam, the devil, (sorry, Supernatural ruined that and I couldn't stop laughing that the Devil's name is Sam) will win.  But probably not because it's a typical YA book.

I just would like to know what happens next.

Story: 1/2
Characters: 1/2
World: 1/2
Writing: 1/2
Originality: 1

So many books, so little time!

Today I'm doing something a bit different.  I have NOT been keeping up with these reviews, and that's because I haven't really read a book worth me reviewing.

And for that I apologize.

So instead, I've decided to tell you about the last 6 books that I've read since my last review (book 7 was for our book club and therefore we will be posting a video review of that this weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for it!).

In this way I feel like I can catch you up on some of these books and then actually review the next book that I do read!

Probably.

If it's like really good.

SO!

Let's get this started...

"Monstrous Beauty" by Elizabeth Fama is first on this list.

What should I say about this book?  I really liked it.  Like super liked it.  I gave it 4 stars.

The story is about a girl who realizes she is different.  And when I say different I mean like every woman in her family dies within a few days of giving birth.  For no medical reason.

Elizabeth Fama weaves this story of a girl struggling to figure out who she is and why this happens to her family.  Meanwhile, since the chapters typically stagger - although there is certainly less chapters from her point of view - there is also the story of the mermaid... from the 1800s.  So not only do we have a mermaid story, but in the present we are given a ghost story as well.  A ghostly mystery, if you will.

I enjoyed the story line way too much.  It kept me on my toes constantly, and I couldn't put this book down until it was over.  I Have to say, however, I had to take away half a star for the story as well, and that's because I thought the scene where she is taken into the depths isn't necessary.  I thought that that part of the book got ridiculous and it appeared to be way too easy to leave even though she's not known to let people go.

Like, come on.

But that was like my literal only complaint.  I loved the characters, I loved the writing, the world (both worlds and their parallels) and of course I loved the originality of it all.  The magic, the intrigue, and the fact that she's just so willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that things work out for not only her but the future generations of her family as well.

I loved it.

Okay, so maybe this could've been it's own review, but whatever.

Now, let's see what's behind door number two...

"Dorothy Must Die" by Danielle Paige

Let me start off by saying that, instead of just looking at this book by itself, I actually read all three books that are out in anticipation of the fourth and final book that will be released in March, I'm going to review the series as a whole.

So, why did I read "Dorothy Must Die," "The Wicked Will Rise," and "Yellow Brick War" just in time for the finale??

This series is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz, imagined if Dorothy became a psychopath and murderer.  So we have the story of Amy Gumm who is whisked away in a tornado from Kansas (of course, because, like, how else to you get there?) and is inducted into the Order of the Wicked, a group of Wicked Witches who want Dorothy gone in order to save Oz.

Because what's better than Glinda being a lunatic and totally evil?

And the Wicked being good?

Well, I read through all three books really quick, but there was something that bothered me in the third book.  Something that kind of seriously pissed me off.  And once I picked up on it, I began to notice other weird things about the books.  I gave the first two 4 stars, but the last only got 3.5 stars.

Okay, so in the first book, Amy looks into a picture on Dorothy's wall.  In it she can see whoever it is that she wants, and she chooses her mom.  Which is totally understandable.

However, in the picture, we see her holding a coin in what I assume is an AA meeting with the number "6" on it.  Now, I don't know about other places, but the only coin with the number "6" on it that you get is for six months.  Correct?

Okay.  So then why in the third book when - careful, spoiler!!! - she returns to Kansas has it only been a month?  Her mother was a pill-popping alcoholic right up until the day that she left, as far as we know, which makes that whole scene 100% inaccurate.

And it PISSES ME THE HECK OFF.

Like why?  You were doing SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO well.  And then that careless mistake had me so annoyed.  The other thing about the series is this: the characters kind of fall in love.  For no reason.  She literally doesn't even know a thing about him.  Except what happened in the past.  But that's it.  Like... they don't even spend that much time together except in training.  So then why does she love him?

Is it his hair?  His backstory?  Is it his magic or his fighting style?

Because he's a complete jerk at first and then all of a sudden they're in love.

Okay... but why?

Ugh.

Anyway, the other issues I have with these books is the lack of constant descriptions.  Like, for example, how am I supposed to believe that she's perfectly comfortable fighting in a tiny serving dress when she wasn't comfortable wearing it in general.  Not only that, but it goes unmentioned for the rest of the book and is only mentioned once again about four - five chapters into the second book.  Because she changes out of it.  Not because she's been fighting.  Not because she's been flying by flying monkey and apparently doesn't feel the cold.'

And the characters?  I actually don't know what they look like.  Vague descriptions are given, and with those I have a general idea, but other than that I draw blanks when I imagine them.  They are never actually established.  And that annoys me as well.

Okay.

I think I went on a bit of a rant.

So let's bring this back with book 5...

"Mermaid" by Carolyn Turgeon

A book that pissed me off to no end.  And it pissed me off for several reasons.

1 - in a retelling, you tell the story with a different flare.  You add something new, change something, but no matter what there is something different and new that you bring to the table (i.e. Cinderella is a cyborg in "Cinder" and so on).

I didn't see anything different.

It was a Little Mermaid retelling, and I was soooo excited for it.  For one, I actually enjoy her books.  A few years back I read "Fairest of them All" by her and I fell in love with that story.  But on top of this, not many people tackle that fairy tale.

So I bought it.

And I waited and waited and waited.

And then I read it.

And I threw it across the apartment.

It was literally like Hans Christian Anderson sat there one day and was like "Oh, I'm thinking of rewriting this story, but making it into a love story with warring kingdoms - that really make no difference to the story except to add drama - and instead of her dying in the end (AGAIN, SPOILER) she will live.  But not with the guy who she loves.  Just, like, going back into the ocean."

Okay...

But the characters annoyed me, there was insta love all around, the story bored me to tears and the world seemed flatter than a crepe.  She actually tells us in a scene where Lenia is singing that if you didn't live in their world you couldn't imagine the types of sea creatures that show up.

Like what??

I don't have the exact quote here in front of me, but I was like wait, so you're taking the easy way out and just telling us that we couldn't even imagine it?  I don't know about you, but I have more imagination at my expense than I should and I can picture a hell of a lot.

Like, don't insult me.

The one truly redeeming quality of this book was the actual writing.  With the exception of that scene, the writing is beautiful and elegant and hypnotizing all at once.  I love her style of writing.  I do.

Which was way, unfortunately I had to give this book 2.5 stars.  My lowest rating in a very, very, VERY long time.

Finally, this is a book that I read yesterday, and before that.  A few years back, actually, before the series was picked up by Harper.

"Queen of Hearts" by Colleen Oakes

Okay.  I love this book.

I loved it the first time I read it, and I loved it the second time.  Which was better, actually, especially with the slight changes she made to it.

I enjoyed the story of Dinah, the Princess of Hearts, and her evil, nasty father.  I liked the fact that, even though she was in love with someone it didn't matter because it wasn't too relevant in the story.  I super enjoyed this twisted version of Wonderland with its Black Towers full of torture and the parallels to the original story (they do play croquet, but the balls are just balls, but they look like hedgehogs, and the mallets are wood carved into flamingos, for the bird of Wonderland).

The world was well written out, I just wish I had a map.

The reason this book doesn't get five stars - it's actually 4.5 stars - is because of the character of Dinah.  She is just soooo whiney.

Like shut up and stand up for yourself you blubbering girl.

You would think that after years and years of her father's abuse and the nasty whispered words behind her back that she'd have grown a backbone.

But nope.

And that pissed me off.

But luckily the book was fabulous besides that.

I mean, who wouldn't love pink snow?

Well, this was my quick, catch-up version of my reviews.

I hope to see you all next time!

Ta-ta for now!

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet.

A retelling of Robin Hood.

Sounds awesome right?

Hmmmm...

It wasn't bad, so I won't say that it was, but there were things that did annoy me.

Let's just skip my normal small summary and go straight into the spoilers for this, so if you don't any please please please go away and read that book and judge for yourself.

Okay.

So.

In general, I enjoyed the story of the book.  You follow a young girl named Scarlet who is the Will Scarlet of Robin Hood's merry men, and yes, she's a GIRL.

So she's in hiding.

Of course.

And there is a (slight) love triangle between her and John Little (AKA Little John) and Robin Hood himself.  Which made me soooooo angry because I'm like "no, I cannot accept that."

It's okay because the big secret of the book - which I figured out wayyyyyyyy before they dropped the ball on it - is that Scarlet is actually Marion in hiding.

However, the writing threw me off.  Her language is just so... meh.  Like, she talks in an uneducated way, and also thinks like that.  So it pissed me off.  I was ready to put the book down, and then they explained why and I was able to accept that reason.  So that fixed that problem.

But my major problem was in the interactions between John and Scarlet and Robin.  They were so frustrating.  "Be with him."  "Are you in love with him?"  "I ain't with anyone."  "Kiss me."  "No."  BLAH BLAH BLAH

But then the last third of the book was like BAM all in your face and dragging me in until I was finished with it.  And of course I want more.

Why?

It was actually really well thought out.  The world was well written, and in the department of originality, the idea that Scarlet was actually Marion was kind of awesome.  I treated this more as an origins story rather than a retelling, but I think that either way it would work.

Truly, this book was interesting.

I very rarely see Robin Hood retellings, and when I do it's usually the same old story except maybe Little John wasn't so little, or the Sheriff was something or this was that.  But NEVER had I seen Marion as a disguised thief.  That was clever and amazing and I couldn't help myself but feel drawn to her character.

She cussed almost as much as I used to when I was eighteen - which was how old she is in this book.  I loved it.

Unfortunately, I can only give this one a 3.5 star rating, but I was told the sequels get better and I can't wait for it to come in!

Well, this was short and to the point, but that's only because I honestly find myself drawn to the idea of watching one of my favorite Robin Hood movies now - "Robin Hood Men in Tights."  A classic, I know.

So please join me for my next read: "Monstrous Beauty" by Elizabeth Fama.

Until next time!

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

As a kid, "Alice in Wonderland" was one of my favorites.  The ides of diving down the rabbit hole and coming out the other side into a world of backwards rules and impossible imaginings was so great that I would dream of my own adventure.

So of course when I saw "Alice in Zombieland" I couldn't resist.

And I'm so happy that I didn't.

There was a rabbit hole, although it was more metaphorical than anything, and I dove down and into it.

For beginners, I'd like to start off with something spoiler-free: this book was one of the most hysterical horror-comedies I have ever read.  I couldn't stop laughing, actually spit out water and tea from bursting into hysterics (I had to stop myself reading whenever I wanted to drink something because I was afraid to spit it onto myself... again), and in the end I was trying to piece everything together alongside Ali (a.k.a. Alice Bell).

Altogether I gave this book 4.5 stars.

That's right.

And THAT surprised me, too.

Now we're heading into the spoiler section...

... which means you either have read it and are willingly following me down the rabbit hole (see what I did there?) or you haven't because you don't think it's worth it.  And that's fine.

You're wrong, but it's fine.

The story flowed very easily through this novel.  You have the protagonist go through something traumatizing and come out on the other side, you have her spiritual eye open - if you will - and have her life turned completely upside down as her whole family dies.  And then attacked by zombies.

But they aren't normal zombies.

This is why I have to give Gena Showalter credit: she took a classic monster and CHANGED IT COMPLETELY.  They are actually spirits infected by evil, feasting on a person's spirit (rather than flesh), and in order to fight them the slayer MUST be in the spirit realm as well.

So on top of the crazy spirit-eating zombies you have the slayers who are able to leave their bodies in order to fight them in the spiritual realm.  Which was SO FREAKING COOL.

The characters were definitely unique, in that Kat was insane and amazing, Ali was hysterical and sarcastic as hell, Cole was broody with a reason and then lovable, her grandparents were ridiculous, and so on and so on...

I'm not running through the entire character list.

BUT!

Between the unique cast and this incredible hidden world on top of ours, just in spiritual form, made this book a gem in and of itself.  I enjoyed the way that it was written, the way that the story flowed, and the originality was off the charts for me.  This was definitely a zombie story I will never forget, nor is it an "Alice in Wonderland" retelling that will be forgotten.

I had one major issue, but in the grand scheme of things it pales in comparison to how I felt about the book.  One characters - Reeve - dropped out of the book.  No explanations, no mention except about her father, just... gone.

Which didn't change the story, but I felt like it was something that should have been addressed.

Whatever.

It was awesome.

And Ali's snark was perfect and necessary for keeping it feeling like the Walking Dead (I mean come on, lighten up guys).  The humor kept me flipping the pages and never once did the story feel as if it were becoming stale.

It was fun, it was fresh, and I craved more.

And so I caved and bought the other three books.

I know.

I can't wait to read them.

This rabbit hole just keeps on going deeper.  I just know it.

So overall, I had to take a half star away for the lack of explanation as to what happened to Reeve.  I know it wasn't that big of a deal, but it was still an issue and therefore I cannot ignore it.

So... yeah.

That's about it.

The book deserves its 4.5 stars.

I LOVED it.

So I hope you'll join me with my next read - which will be "Scarlet" by A.C. Gaughen - a Robin Hood retelling.  It should be a fun read.

Until next time!

Stung by Bethany Wiggins

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

What can I say?  I LOVE retellings.  And this is (one of) the month(s) for them.

Although it was marketed as a Sleeping Beauty retelling, I believe this was more of a mash-up of Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast.

And I believe this for multiple reasons.

All of them will be explained.

However, this book was amazeballs for another reason: it was absolutely unique in the way that it was presented.

So yes, I ended up giving this book a high rating.

And yes, I just used the word "amazeballs."

Anyway...

Okay, so this is where I'm about to go into some spoilers and I suggest reading this, especially if you like sci-fi/dystopian novels with a level of truth to them.

Did you leave?

Are you coming back?

I don't know if you did but I'll trust you.

So let's get started!!

This is the story of Fiona.

And she's a very interesting character.

For one, she's a thirteen-year-old trapped in a seventeen-year-old body.

That's right.

The book starts out in this post-apocalyptic world in which the bees are extinct (which is an actual issue we're facing today).  With bees extinct there are no plants, no animals.  Nothing.  So she wakes up remembering her thirteenth birthday party, but now she's older with a new body.  Well, not NEW new, but like it's grown.

And she's like wth.

And I'm just like okay... what now?  She walks out of her room, noticing a tattoo on her hand with ten lines coming out of an oval, and then she heard someone coming up the stairs.  And it's her brother.

And he's turned into a creature.  Sort of.

So the story continues and we meet Dreyden Bowen, her neighbor from across the street during the time before, and we learn that a woman needs to pretend to be a boy in order to protect herself from the men in the world.

Because there are the militia, and then there are the raiders.  And they're both outside of the wall.

Oh yeah: the entire population of healthy, useful people are inside of the walls repopulating.

So he remembers her and off they go as he tries to protect her.  And they fall in love.  Oh joy.

But the parts that I found interesting wasn't just their interactions (she sometimes sounds like a kid because that's what she was when she went into a medically induced coma), but the back story for how things happened and how they revealed it.  Through flashbacks that Fiona has.

We learn that, apparently, the bees were dying out so the government stepped in and created genetically enhanced bees.  But their venom was toxic to humans.  And it spread the bee flu.  Now the bee flu would cause someone to go insane and then die after attacking like all of their systems.

So they created an antivenom.  But the antivenom started changing people.  It made them into super muscular, angry, feral people who no longer look like people because they're twisted with sinewy muscles and rage.  I wasn't sure if their faces looked wolfish or not, but I didn't need to know that.  Because let's be real, some feral dude with bulging muscles is coming at me I'm not looking at his face.  I'm running.

And so we learn that the countries elite (she was a child musical prodigy) was given the ten doses (hence the ten little lines on her tattoo) and now theyre going insane.  And so they begin putting people into medically induced comas.

She goes on this crazy adventure only to learn that she's been cured and that she is the first one to survive - because someone is killing the survivors.  And - surprise surprise - it's the governor who runs that walled city.  Because dude doesn't want to give up power.  ::insert dramatic eye-roll here::

So what was unique?  The world and how it came to be.  People have to pollinate their own crops to keep on living, (that's right, because in order to kill all the bees the government - once again useless - drops this pesticide to kill them.  but it also killed ALL other plants and animals and whatnot) and there are these weird wafers that are basically a full meal with tranquilizers in them and this weird bubble coagulant that will spread into the wound and stop the bleeding.

I enjoyed reading about the tech and the history of the world which was thoroughly explained.  But mostly, I LOVED the characters.  Each one is unique and brings something different to the table.  And I couldn't predict how they would act.  

At all.

Not only that, but the writing was beautiful.  I was hooked so badly to this book that I couldn't sleep last night because I wanted to just keep reading.

And rarely does a book make me do that.

So overall, it was perfect on paper - well, according to my ratings chart.  Which makes this a (rare) 5 stars.  I know, I couldn't believe it either!

SO.  This concludes my review of "Stung" by Bethany Wiggins.  I hope you'll join me in reading "Alice in Zombieland" by Gena Showalter.

Ta-ta for now!

Isle by Jes Dory

*** I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


Okay.  Whew!

I felt like it took me so long to read this, but in reality I just kept getting up to eat.

::Hides face in embarrassment while stuffing mouth with Mac n Cheese::

So.  Isle.  Where do I begin?

Ah.  How about THIS WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SIREN BOOK THAN ANY I'VE READ BEFORE. (AND HOW GORGEOUS THIS COVER IS!!)

Don't believe me?

Okay, normal traits in a YA Siren book: she (because let's face it, it generally is a "she") can turn into a mermaid, usually starts sprouting scales for no reason, finds a group of mermaids, has a crazy voice that lures people, can turn into a monstrous bird.  Sometimes.

Okay, traits in Isle: no mermaids at all but instead super powered part demonic creatures that have bird familiars, THE FREAKING LAMIA, did I mention freaky demons?  Oh, and we can't forget VENOMOUS DEMONIC CREATURES THAT HAVE SUPER HUMAN STRENGTH.  And shapeshifters.

Aren't hooked yet?

Here's where I'll get into some crazy spoilers, so go read it now and come back.

Or don't.

That's totally your loss.

But my overall rating is a solid 4 stars.

And here's why:

The story follows the typical YA structure of they need to do something to get the main character to the place and then the discovering of powers that she's had all her life and (surprise surprise) she's not really human.

Okay.

But!  As soon as they started going into the mythology of the world, (I was like "Oh no, another book about sirens" as soon as they said Sirena) I was hooked.  I do my research and write about creatures of myth, and one that I haven't heard of in a YA book yet was the Lamia.  So imagine my surprise when I read "Queen Lamia..." and I was like oh boy this is going to get great.

And it did.

My issues don't like with the story: I think it was definitely unique and interesting with a world that comes together and falls into place.

My issues was the main character.

I actually couldn't stand her.  Until the scene where Alexo is killed in front of her.  Because once Aston goes into hiding and her inner demon begins consuming her like a FREAKING POSSESSED person, literally, I was like oh man this is going to get crazy.  And it did.

So, unfortunately, I had to take a half star away because the main character was SO WHINEY in the beginning.  And, up until that scene where she's going bananas in her own head, her random outbursts of emotion made no sense to me.  I don't think it was emphasized enough that she had been told not to show emotions her whole like.  Like it was mentioned as an afterthought.

My other issues goes hand-in-hand with that one, which is the writing for the dialogue from Eben.  I feel like his dialogue was forced and I couldn't stand it when he was there.  I was like ew dude, that's your cousin.  Stop oggling her and calling her "girlie."  However, he did come in the clutch in the end so I can't say he was useless.  I just have to deduct a star because his dialogue felt a bit forced.

Placing those two issues to the side, my favorite characters were Aston, the love interest, and Yael.  Aston was like this trickster romantic, if that makes any sense, and I thought he was the best written character in the book.

Yael just makes me want to hold her and tell her everything will be okay.

She's just so freaking precious.

I love her.

And the Elder?  They made me so angry I started praying that Nora would kill them.  I hope she does in the sequel.  Which I will TOTALLY buy.

My biggest like for this book was the way the water played such an important role for them.  Between the islands, the seals, the salt water as a cure, I thought it was a clever distraction.  It kept me thinking that she might sprout a tail.

But no.  SHE TURNS INTO A FREAKING WOLF.  A BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOLF WHO NEEDS HUGS AND LOVES AND UGHHHHHH.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this read.  However, because of my dislike of Nora in the beginning it was hard for me to want to continue.  The only thing in the first half of the book that kept me reading was the world (and Aston and Yael).

But I totally do recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a fresh take on a myth that seems over done toady.

4 stars to this gem.

My 2017 Reading Challenge

Hey everyone, Laura here.

So, most of you might not know this but I need to get surgery on the ligaments in my right ankle either in January or super early February.  ::Cries hysterically off to side.  Sniffling and wiping face::

However, the good news about this is MY READING CHALLENGE!!!

Okay, so not only is the surgery happening, but I also graduated this semester and have absolutely nothing to do until this whole nonsense is over with and I can look for a job without hobbling everywhere.

So I have nothing to do.

At all.

I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse, but I DO know that I will be taking advantage of it.

Now that that's over with, let me talk to you about my reading challenge.

My goal, which is not only huge and (sort of) realistic, but is also the largest goal I've ever set for myself is this: I will read 200 books in the year of 2017.

I know.  Crazy huh?

And of COURSE I'll review all of them.  Even if you don't want me to.  Because I want to.  And your opinion goes unheard of and unanswered because you don't even talk to me.  You could always suggest a book for me to read and review next but, again, no comments, no changes.

Yeah.

That's all on you, buddy.

But so far my challenge is this: fairy tale/classic literature/mythology retellings are going to be my main focus from January until April.  Which means I'll probably be both sick of them and super critical by the end of it.  And it'll be absolutely wonderful!  (I've already decided my first book but you'll have to wait until the review to know!)

Of course, with the retellings ending in April, May is going to be MONSTER GIRLS.  Yup that's right!  Any female in a book that is either a monster that can change shape, a creepy vampire, even an evil spirit is going to be looked at during this month.

Monster girls will be awesome, but June is my birthday month.  So naturally this month's theme is Werewolves (and shape shifters, but not like the monsterous girls from last month).  I'm super psyched for werewolves, if I may say so.

But even more so is my July theme which is Djinn and Dragons.  Now, unfortunately there aren't too many books about these two categories (that I own and can think of off the top of my head) and so the other half of this month involves me going back and reading any books I missed from the month's lists before this.  So that's super exciting.

August is officially the month for Sci-Fi.  AMAZINGGGGGGGG.  I can't wait for some of these reads (including a re-read of my favorite sci-fi YA series which will only be revealed when I review it!).

Now, September is super close to Halloween, and so the theme will be ghosts and witches.  Which is totally insane.  And considering that the (wonderful and amazing) boyfried picked me up a copy of "How to Hang a Witch" by Adriana Mather for Christmas, I'll actually get the chance to read it then!

October is one of my favorite months because of Halloween, my second favorite holiday.  So the theme is, of course, the Paranormal.  This is going to be super fun and cliche, which makes it even better.
**If anyone has awesome creeptastic YA or NA novels to suggest then please do so!**

November is the last month with an official list and theme, which is series.  Any series that I may have started but never finished will get re-read and read throughout the month.  So I have several series that I haven't finished yet.  WHATEVER SHALL I DO?
I will read the entire series.
In one month.
So there will be multiple series that I will get the chance to finally finish.

Huzzah!

December, much like the second half of July, is going to be a chance for me to catch up on books that I haven't gotten the chance to read yet over the last few months, including books that are coming out in 2017 (which, trust me, I've got my list of those!).

Either way, this is going to be a super fun year of reading.  I can't wait to get through these books and share with you my thoughts.

I hope everyone had an amazing time during the holidays and got a chance to spend time with their loved ones.

Now it's back to business and stopping slacking off.  On my part.

You don't have to.

Or you may.

I don't know, maybe I motivate you to sit your butt down and read.  Or maybe you hate me and I motivate you to stop spending time on your computer.  Either way, I look forward to my reading challenge and I hope to hear if some of you decide to do it with me!

My first book for January is....

::insert drum roll and party poppers and confetti::

"Stung" by Bethany Wiggins!

::Crazy screaming from around the world as I hold up the book like Simba::

Well, I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

I will see you guys in the next day or so!!

Ta-ta for now!

It's our top 10 books of 2016!

Heyy guys!!! Today we have something a little different... we have our TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2016!!!

So yes, it's not just me today, but... Kasey of the K&L Book Club will join us for this!!

Okay.

Now the fun can begin!

And yes, these are in a particular order... so.  Our top ten starts with a tie for both of us...


1/1• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 

Kasey:  I rarely give books a full five star rating, but ACOMAF definitely deserved it. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! It made me laugh and cry. It made me mad, frustrated, and happy. EMOTIONS, OKAY! I just felt so many emotions with this book.

When I started reading it, I thought I knew what I was getting into. And I was so wrong! I was so blind with the first book. Since the ACOTAR was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with a mix of the Scottish fairies folktales, SJM mentioned that ACOMAF book was somewhat of a Persephone and Hades retelling. I love a great retelling. And it worked so well. SJM’s fantasy worlds are just perfect and I want to live in them. Exploring new parts of Prythian was great. The Night Court! I want to live there! The clothes. The magic. The fae. Every detail of everything imaginable that SJM put into this book was excellent. I fell in love with all of the new characters, especially Cassian (my fae bae bastard!). Seeing Rhys reveal who he truly was, to see that he wasn’t what we thought he was, to see him open up to Feyre… Ugh! He’s a perfect little cinnamon roll and needs to be protected.

There is so much I have to say about this book that I can’t properly convey what I want to say because of my immense love for it. Sometimes stories of faeries can become cliché and corny, but with SJM’s writing it is anything but that. I started reading and devouring all her books this year, and I was completely hooked. Her writing has a way of just easily pulling you into the story. This book has become so popular and loved. I’m surprised that there would be anyone who hasn’t read it. Not only is this book a must read, but all of SJM’s books are.

Laura:  Okay, so let me just say that THIS IS A MUST READDDDDD.

Yes.

Read it.

The story takes you on this roller coaster that just leaves you depleted by the end, much like her other books, but this one?  Oh no.  This one just blew my mind by far, only because of how complex it was.  The characters were fabulous, completely flawed, but I NEED TO HOLD THEM.

Except Tamlin.

The tool.

No one likes him.

NO ONE.

But on a serious note: the world in this is just absolutely stunning and completely original.  She weaves this tapestry that just ends up being wonderful and snags you by the first page.  I loved this book and it deserved all 5 stars that I have given it.

2• Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

Laura: I know, I just finished it yesterday, but it NEEDED to be on this list because of how crazpy epic it was!!!  As the fifth and second to last book in the series, I feel like it did every character justice as they try and race the coming war.  When you have these amazing characters in this amazing world, it becomes hard to put down that book, and this was no different.  I was hooked, my heart and emotions were tormented until the last word, and, honestly, I couldn't get enough.  I waited so long to read this, and it was worth the wait.

So yes, I still stick with my rating of 5 stars, and this is a short post because, as I said above, my (quick but longer) review is up already.

2/3• And I Darken by Kiersten White

Kasey:  Gender-swapped Vlad the Impaler! I bought this book, because it was a signed copy and I just couldn’t leave on the shelf. I didn’t expect to love it so much. And I didn’t know that I needed this book in my life. I love the main character, Lada (who would obviously be Vlad). I love her determination of proving that’s she can do what any man can do, and do it better. She has been added to my list of favorite female characters. This book started off slow. It started with Lada’s birth and childhood, which I didn’t really like. But it was needed. And then the rest of the book is the start of her teenage years. It’s basically how Vlad became the impaler. The religion and history in this book! You could just tell that the author did the research to make sure it was accurate as possible. At first glance, I thought this book was fantasy. I was wrong. It’s even better. The genre of And I Darken is a perfect mix of YA, Historical Fiction, and LBGTQ. I can’t stress how great this book is. I gave this book four-star rating.

Laura:  Okay, so although this is actually third on my list, I'll keep this here.  Know why?  BECAUSE IT WAS WONDERFUL.  Like, imagine an origin story for a female Dracula.  But not the vampire.  Like the original: Vlad the Impaler.  That's right.  Sounds awesome right?

Well it was.  And when you dive into this world it was like being taken on an epic ride.  There were things I didn't like, like the fact that I felt like it was a bit slow, and the fact that certain characters REALLY pissed me off, so unfortunately I could only give this book a 4 star rating, but it was worth it to read.

3• Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Kasey:  I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare’s books. I waited what felt like forever to read Lady Midnight. When I finally read it, I thought I had the ending figured out. Oh boy. I was wrong again about this one too. It’s definitely lengthy, but that ending. Ugh! This book was definitely not disappointing. It was everything I thought it’s be, which is AMAZING! One thing I loved about this book was the titles of each chapter. THEY WERE LINES FROM EDGAR ALLEN POE’S ANNABEL LEE! And it worked into the story perfectly. If you’re a fan of the Shadowhunters Novels, than I don’t have to go into what the world is like, and Cassie’s writing. And with the movie and TV show, well yeah. But let’s address Emma and Julian for second. I shipped them. Shipped. I was all like “they’re in love! Let them love each other! So what if they’re parabatai!” Oh boy! When I found out the reason why, I stopped shipping. Even if they find a way, I don’t want them together. Let me just say, I have a theory regarding Emma’s sword! I will not say what it is because I don’t like to be wrong (but I think I’m right. Haha!). Lady Midnight is worth the read, but you can’t read it without reading all of Cassandra’s other books. Because spoilers. Four stars for this book. I can’t wait for the sequel.

4• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Kasey:  Oh god! Where do I start with this amazing, fantastic, beautiful, and magnificent book? Four stars! The characters are everything! The story is great. The best thing about the book, besides the characters, is the humor. The comic relief is perfect considering that the characters are in a high-risk mission that might cost them their lives. If you follow our YouTube channel, and have seen the review for Six of Crows, then you know that Nina Zenik and Kaz Brekker are my favorites. A goddess and a demon. Nina is a beautiful, perfect, and witty creature, and Kaz is my deadly and intelligent baby. And they both should rule the world. The world is interesting. I did not read Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, so I wasn’t familiar with the world. If you’re like me and are going into this book blind, don’t worry. It’s not that hard to figure out. Bardugo does a good job with giving enough info about the previous books in Six of Crows. This book made me laugh and cry. It is a must read!

4• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Laura:  Imagine a fantasy world, crippled like the one from the Hunger Games, but instead of teenagers pitted against one another there is a war.  With the poor being led by a group called Silvers - the elites of society.  Who are basically cooler X-Men.

"But Laura, there's no such thing..."

Yes.  Yes there is.  And it's all wrapped up in a beautiful book that is just this masterpiece.  With strong characters who have PLENTY of faults, this book takes you on a ride that you won't want to get off of.  Trust me.  I read both books back to back and have been waiting FOREVER for 2017 to get my hands on book 3.  But.

But.

There are still some flaws, however, I don't think that they were so bad that I couldn't keep reading.  I gave this book a 4.5 Star rating, and only because I wish the world was expanded in this book.  Luckily the sequel did its job in explaining the gaps and made up for it.  But it is definitely an awesome read.

5• Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Kasey:  I think by this point it is no secret that I love SJM’s books. I gave HoF four out of five stars. It has become my favorite Throne of Glass book, because of the introduction of so many new characters, a change in settings, the character growth, and because it made me cry my eyes out. ROWAN! Ugh! He was such an asshole, but he was such a likeable asshole. The connection that builds between him and Aelin was frustrating, amusing, and beautiful. He easily became a new favorite character of mine. I ended up loving everything about him. I choked up a lot while reading this book, but Chapters 33 and 34 are the reason for the enormous amount of tears and why this book is in my top five reads for 2016. That’s all I have to say. If you’ve read the book, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, then go pick up all the Throne of Glass books. NOW! You won’t regret reading this amazing fantasy series.

5• This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Laura:  This was definitely a super fun read.  It was like reading Sin City if it was meshed with demons.  Which I see as weird vampires.  Not the I'll-drink-your-blood kind but the I'll-steal-your-soul kind.  And it made for such an amazing book.

However, like the majority of books, it has its flaws.  The characters were fine, but I wanted to know more.  More about the world, more about what these things are, how they came to be.  I'm pretty sure it says it in the book vaguely, but that's just it: it was vague and briefly mentioned and I can't even remember it.  So it does get 4 Stars.  But I'm praying that the sequel is just as good if not better, because this was such a fun and different read for me.



Well, that's our top ten (five each) books of 2016!!

Some honorable mentions are, of course:
- "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
- "Revenge and the Wild" by Michelle Modesto
- "The Young Elites" by Marie Lu
- "Madly" by Amy Alward.

We look forward to our top ten of 2017, but until then: HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

"Empire of Storms" by Sarah J Maas

Okay, so I may have fibbed a bit at the end of my last post.  I apologize and swear that the next time I veer off course and read/review another I will prominently tell all of you first.

Now that that's out of the way, I did start "Scythe" and I enjoyed what I've read of it so far.  Not enough to give you the whole rundown, but enough to tell you all that I will get to it.  Soon.  Just not the next book.  Or the one after that.  But soon.

Scout's honor.

However, I finally got the chance to read "Empire of Storms" which is the fifth book in the "Throne of Glass" series.

For everyone who hasn't read them yet let me just say this: you are missing out on one of the greatest pieces of fantasy literature of our time.  GO AND READ IT.

Like I know I say that about a bunch of books, but this one is not one that you can just dismiss.  It needs to be read.  And I'll summarize why: the character grows, she makes mistakes, she falls into and out of love throughout the series, and she is very, very human.  It needs to be read by all.

Whew.

That's done.

I feel like a messenger.

However, I cannot divulge into the book without some serious spoilers, and so instead I will make this a very, extremely quick review in which absolutely NO SPOILERS will be revealed.

That's right.

Because it is that worth it.

Story: Sarah J Maas has yet to disappoint me with an intriguing, mystery puzzle box of a story that just keeps unfolding until the very last word.  I have never been more impressed by writing, especially with the plot being as layered as it is.  I loved it.  Every.  Single.  Second.  And then I cried for chapters and scenes throughout the entire book.

Which I read in about two days.

I couldn't put it down.  Literally.

Characters: Her characters are certainly fleshed out, flawed and utterly human, with distinct traits that she never forgets to add to make sure each and every one of them have their own flair.  I didn't even mind the switching of perspectives because they all felt so utterly unique.

World: Perfection incarnate.  I was easily able to follow the course of this story, and I never felt lost.  Except when they did in one of the scenes.  Which I totally understand.

I love this world so much I'd die to live in it.  With the exception of certain characters.  Let's just say that.

(For all who know, yes, I mean that horrible nasty vile creature of a... oh.  Hang on.  Need to find my center.)

Originality: Her stories captivated me because  of their originality.  I love how she weaves this tapestry on a story into a masterpiece that has no equal in our time.

(I will gladly take on the Game of Thrones fans who are seething right now.  Come at me.  And we can discuss this like civilized people.  Sort of.)

Everything is wonderful.  Everything is (eventually) explained.  Everything.

And it was all her.

All of it.

She's perfection.

And honestly I might die after reading the next and final book.  Just saying.

Writing: Again, it was beautiful.  Absolutely wonderfully written from beginning to finish.  I was hooked from the first line until the tear-stained final pages.  I literally devoured this book.

All in all this book DESERVES its 5 Stars that I am giving it.  It is unworthy of anything less than that.

For a book to grab my heart and force me to scream on behalf of a character... let's just say that it rarely happens.

I loved it.

100000000000000000%

Now, onto the next order of business.

The next book I am reading is actually going to be "Isle" by Jes Dory.  I will keep you all posted.



PS - I would like to take a moment to say that this week has been rough.  I couldn't read for several days after I had heard the news, and am lucky enough to have received her book.  Which I will read as soon as I receive my second copy - I refuse to open the one I have because I was given it minutes before it had happened (not by her, obviously).

May the force be with Carrie Fisher, her mother who has also passed on, and her family as they make it through these hard times.  Rest in peace, you two beautiful women.  And know that the world will forever be dimmed without your light.

"The Young Elites" by Marie Lu

"I didn't mean it," I whispered, unsure whom I was talking to.  My gaze darted up to the windows, terrified that people would be watching from every building, but no one was there.  The storm drowned me out.  I dragged myself away from my father's body.  This is all wrong.

But that was a lie.  I knew it, even then.  Do you see how I take after my father?  I had enjoyed every moment.

OH.  MY.  GOD.

Is there any way for me to talk about this book without sounding a bit biased?  OF COURSE THERE IS!!! Although to be honest I was expecting this to be TOTALLY AWESOME after reading her other series starting with "Legend."

So yeah.

You see how dark it is?  You see how twisted and warped the M.C. is?  Because I'm pretty sure Adelina is my long lost evil twin.

Oh yeah, we're talking about super dark.

Okay, so before I go all spoilery on you, let me just say this:

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK YET, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

Although yes, I only gave it 4 stars, it's still worth every second.  I just feel like it was missing something.  And from what I hear, the sequel is even BETTER than the first.

We have Adelina Amouteru, a sixteen year-old girl who survived the blood plague and came out marked.  She's a malfetto, one considered tainted by demons because she is a survivor.  She is just so badass that I can't really figure out a way to sell her withou saying a spoiler... oh, wait, I got it!  She's the dark Katniss, but like wayyyy darker.   And with magic.  

So go.  Read.  And then rejoin me for a spoiler filled review.  It'll be totally awesome.  The read.  And maybe the review.  You know what, everything is awesome. 

 

OK.  SPOILER ALERT!!!

If you don't like them, then WHY ARE YOU SCROLLING DOWN STILL!!

___________________________________________________________________________

OKAY!

WHERE SHOULD I START OH MY GOD THIS WAS TOTALLY AMAZING IN NEARLY EVERY WAY AND MAYBE I SHOULD GIVE IT THE FULL FIVE STARS BUT I CAN'T AND IT'S LITERALLY KILLLLLLLING ME!!!!

Whew!  That's over with.

Okay, so I guess we should start with story.

Story: Amazing.  Hah! LOL.  That's all folks!  Oh God, I couldn't do that.  Ok, so the story follows a sixteen year old Adelina Amouteru, and her markings consist of her shimmering silver hair that changes colors in the light, and a missing left eye that was removed by heated tongs.  ouch.  She runs away from home, accidentally murdering her father, and it leads to her arrest and subsequently her execution.  By burning at the stake.  By Inquisitors.  Damn.  But she's saved by the Young Elites, a group of kids with abilities formed into the Dagger Society.  

And the best part?  She's got powers too.  She aligns with fear and fury, and her gift for illusion is affected by how afraid she is at first, but then she can begin to feed off of other's emotions to fuel her hate and her powers.  It's quite awesome and terrifying all at the same time.

This book kept me 100% interested, 100% wanting more.  I enjoyed reading the multiple perspectives (a few characters get a chapter here and there but it's mostly first person perspective from Adelina).  This was worth the read, and so I give this section it's full star.

*** I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE NEW SCORING IS IN EFFECT!!! Each section gets a star.  A full star if it was perfect, half if it wasn't, and none if it doesn't deserve it.  That was it adds up to five stars!! ***

Characters:

We have Adelina who is amazing.  She is delightfully dark and spirals slowly into becoming a villain by the end of this book (and from what I have heard she goes full out villain next book.  HUZZAH!)  

Something inside me screams that this is going too far - I can feel the darkness taking over my senses.  My father - Dante - gasps.  His scream cuts off as his face freezes into a trembling picture of shock.  Harder.  I try in vain to shove it away, to regain control.  I can't.  A real trickle of blood runs from his lips.  My heart trembles at the sight.  This isn't supposed to happen.  I am a conjurer of illusions.  Can even the illusion of pain eventualy trigger something real?  Again, I reach out to stop myself.  But my father's ghost only laughs, mingling with the gleeful whispers in my head.

Whew.  Did you read that?  That's some dark stuff.  I can't even think of any other way for me to love her any more than I already do.  By the end of the novel things don't bode too well for her, and that's ok.  It's her darkness that makes her more insanely awesome than anything.

Then there's Enzo.  The prince.  The Reaper.  He's pretty bad ass, if I do say so myself.  He's awesome and brooding and severe.  And he dies.  Like WHAT?!  Hang on a sec, the coolest guy in the book DIES?!  Then again, they did foreshadow the idea that another Elite, somewhere in the world, can bring back the dead.  Does this mean we have hope?  WE BETTER HAVE HOPE OR I'LL RIOT.

And finally, because let's face I won't do every character, just the three major players, there's Teren.  The little sh!t.  I hate him.  And yet I love him.  If you've read "Shatter Me," like the whole series, then you'd know that when I say he reminds me of Warner (NOT AARON) then you'll understand why I want to smack that little guy out of here... and I'm hoping he gets better.  Not like that @ss Maven from "Glass Sword" who gets SO MUCH WORSE as the books continue.

"If you pledge yourself to the Inquisition, to me, and swear to use your powers and your knowledge to send malfettos back to the Underworld, I will give you everything you've ever wanted.  I can grant you your every desire.  Money?  Power?  Respect?  Done."  He smiles.  "You can redeem yourself, change from an abomination in the gods' eyes to a savior.  You can help me fix this world.  Wouldn't it be nice, not having to run anymore?"  He pauses, and for a moment, a note of real, painful tragedy enters his voice.  "We are not supposed to exist, Adelina.  We were never meant to be."

He is so tragic that I want to hug him.  Even though he is the lead Inquisitor.  Even though afterwards I'll just punch him in the face and kick him off of a roof.  And then kick him some more.

Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how old the characters were.  I felt like their ages kept shifting around, and so it was hard to follow.  Like at one point I was sure Enzo was nineteen, but then it says that he is a year younger then Teren.  And Teren is fifteen.  Which makes Enzo fourteen.  And he's getting it on with sixteen-year-old Adelina?  It was confusing and I wasn't a fan of the fact that I couldn't figure it out without having to go back and carefully reread the beginning chapters.  So unfortunately characters only gets half a star.

World:

Holy cannoli, there's flying sting rays!!!  The world was awesome and interesting, but I NEEDED MORE.

There just wasn't enough of the world building for me to completely love it, so I have to take out half a star for that.  However, there was enough for me to follow along throughout this book.

I'm hoping for more of it in the second book.

Writing and Originality:

EXCELLENT

Her descriptions blew me away, especially when she talks about the energy and the illusions.  The threads and the ribbons.  It was so beautiful and original in the sense that this realm where magic exists because of a plague is believable considering that there are FLYING STING RAYS.  Like, again, that was TOTALLY AMAZING.

So to be honest, the language was so beautiful that I was moved every time something good happened because of the way it was written.  I didn't cry while reading this book for a change.  But that's because I wasn't looking for another really happy/sad type of book.  This was pure darkness.  Although some of the characters did in fact win over my heart, they were still slightly evil if not slightly jerkish.

They all were evil and yet not.  It's definitely not a world of black and white.  There's so much gray that I can't even decide who's the bad guy.  (Clearly it's the Inquisition, but then again there's so many layers to the characters that you can't just label them hero and villain.)

So these categories get their full stars.

Which brings me to the end.  WAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I won't cry.

I won't cry.

I'M IN TEARS AND MY HEART IS SLIGHTLY SHATTERED AND I WANT AND NEED ADELINA TO DESTROY EVERYTHING SHE COMES NEAR.

YES.  EMBRACE THE DARKNESS MY DEAR.

This book definitely was one of my favorites, I just wish there was a little more.  Just that little bit that would raise this to a complete 5, but instead we have a 4 star book.  I can't wait to read the next one.  

My next read will be "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman.  I look forward until then.

"The King Slayer" by Virginia Boecker

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves.

This is the sequel to "The Witch Hunter," so if you haven't read that one, I suggest not reading this review.  SPOILERS WILL BE ABOUND!!  Like seriously.  Go and read the first book.  

In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting this lovely woman FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE RELEASE OF THE FIRST BOOK at the wonderful Books of Wonder (18 West 18th Street in NYC for those who want to know... like go and support them.  They are absolutely fabulous) and you know what she did?  She released it FOUR DAYS EARLY TO SIGN IT FOR US.  It was magical.

And I devoured the first book.  The second book...?

Well.

Although I did devour it, I feel like it wasn't as good as the first.

I feel that way about a lot of things actually.

But this is a bit different.  Because it had nothing to do with story line and EVERYTHING to do with character.

(Honestly this will be a short review, considering that it is a sequel and everything I had to say about this series is in my review of the first book, which I'm sure is up on Goodreads somewhere.  Actually it is not.  I guess I didn't have much to say about it.)

This book is a low 4 Stars.

There.

That's all you get.

The reason why?

There's not much I can say without spoiling ANYTHING.

So read the blurb above and know my rating and then, after reading it and thinking about it yourself, you can come back and read the rest of this review.

______________________________________________________________________

Okay.  The reason this review is short is because, like I stated above, there isn't much for me to gripe about except for character development.

Yup.

That's about it.

So what was it about the characters that I didn't like?

1 - Elizabeth was just SO WHINY.  That's right, I said it.  The strong witch hunter of the first book just goes bleh.  Like one minute she's beating people up, she loses her stigma and then BAM.  All of her badass qualities go along with it.  Even the final battle at the end is kind of flat because I had expected her to act that way since the beginning.  Like come on already!

Ugh.

2 - John REALLY pissed me off.  Like SUPER pissed me off.  Like jump-off-a-bridge-and-kill-yourself pissed me off.  (Don't do that though, because we need you.)  I was so annoyed with him by the end that even HE didn't redeem himself.

3 - Fifer and Schulyer were so much more assertive in the first book and they kind of fell flat in this one.  They ended up being wall characters, where they are there but not important.  Schulyer had ONE MAJOR SCENE.  THAT WAS IT.  Like WTH?!  And Fifer I felt like wasn't important at all!

That's my only problem, honestly.

I enjoyed the plot, because, well, Blackwell NEEDED to just go away already.  I hated that dude.  And I guess I felt bad for Malcolm.  A little.

The writing was gorgeous like it was in the first book, with a world that was definitely unique.  Although I still don't understand how magic works in this book and who's got it, it's okay because I accepted it.  It worked for the people who actually had it.

I also thought that the way it progressed made sense, although I REALLY  wanted to slap Elizabeth across the face to wake her up from her pining and self-pity.

Throughout the entire book.

But whatever.

I enjoyed this ending to this series, a duology.  I want another book, just to see what happens next, but it's okay.  I enjoyed where it ended.

BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO CHIME???  That little witch.  Maybe she fell into the river and went away.  Hopefully.

Anyway, that's about it.

Told you it would be short.

I just can't think of anything else to say.

Like I said, a low four stars for this book.  I can't exactly rate it like I would other books properly, because if this was a stand-alone it would've gotten three and a half stars, but since the first book was worth the five stars I gave it, I have to bring this down a star.

My next read is "The Young Elites" by Marie Lu.  I loved her other series that had begun with "Legend" and can't wait to read this one.  I can't wait to see you then for that review!!

"Undertow" By Michael Buckley

Okay, let's do this a little differently this time because, even though I'm freaking out about this book I think I should at least let you know what it's about before I give my short review.  And then the spoiler filled one that I suggest NOT reading until you've read this book.

Like seriously.

MERMAIDS.

That is all.

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

Does that not intrigue you??

It should.  But to be honest I wasn't the one who bought this book... I had gone to a book signing for a few authors at my most favorite place to go to: Books of Wonder.  They are literally THE BEST place to go to meet a bunch of authors, especially if you need suggestions on what to read next.

And so I went.  And there he sat, Michael Buckley, and after listening to what he had to say I turned my face towards my father with puppy dog eyes as wide as saucers... and he rolled his eyes and bought me my own copy.  So it's been sitting here.  For quite some times now.  And so I read it.

And loved it.

You've got Lyric Walker who is the most bad-ass girl I've read about - I should specify, she WAS a bad-ass girl before the arrival of the Alpha.  She's still smart, and a "wild thing," but she's more timid, more hide-in-the-crowd now.  SECRETSSSSSSS

Also you've got the Alpha who are like a bunch of sea creatures with legs.  I'm totally serious.  Like one looks like a jellyfish, one looks like coral, one's got barnacles growing on them, another with suction cups on their chest.   Like seriously.  It's awesome.

And then there's this war between them and humanity... sort of.  Not really.  But you'l find out!

SO.  Go and read this please!!!  My overall rating is 4 Stars.

_____________________________________________________________

Below this line my review is FILLED with spoilers.  So please, go and read, come back, and then see what you agree with.  What you disagree with.  If you loved it tell me.  If you hated it tell me.  BUT GO AND READ THIS.  It's worth the read.

OK!  Whew, not that that's over I'm done.  I have nothing left to say.

Except, well, EVERYTHING.

Story - It kept me interested, to say the least.  You've got this girl who suffers from awful migraines (I feel your pain, Lyric) and she's got her mom and dad and a bestie named Bex, and they live in Coney Island.  Inside the Zone.  Because they can't leave.

That sucks.

And the reason they can't leave?  Three years ago the Alpha walked out of the sea and onto the beach.  And they haven't left.  And they refer to themselves as the First Men.  Why?  I don't know.  They're more like fish than man, but whatever.  They're awesome and powerful and fight like non-stop.  All the time.  Because they're warriors.  

Insert eye roll here.  

Anyways, Her BFF Bex comes from an abusive home, theirs a gang called the CI9 - the Coney Island Niners (named after nine soldiers who died in their first contact with the Alpha) - and they are a hate group.  There's no way around it.  They are a hate group filled with thugs.  And they begin recruiting children in the school.  Why?  Because the Alpha are being allowed to attend.

And then there's Governor Bachman.  That Witch.  (Subtract the W add the B, if you know what I mean.)  And she's all like "We need to keep them out!" and "They're filthy animals.  We don't educate our dogs."

Some really messed up stuff.

And of COURSE Lyric is chosen for a secret project: Help the Alpha prince, Fathom, to become more HUMAN.  That's right, because what's wrong with being their people?  Nothing except everything.  They might have a society and culture and language and religion, but they don't want to adapt our culture?  THE HORROR!!!!!

Anyways... to make this a bit short, let's sum this up:  Everything is going ok and then a shooter comes into the school, shutting it down, and then Bex gets with their other BFF Shadow, and Lyric helps the Prince still until they get jumped, and then Shadow gets jumped by Bex's cray CI9 step dad who beats her and dies, and so they go back to school and her and Fathom have a hot and steamy make out sess (YESSSSSS) and then the Niners are allowed back in school (because they've been getting arrested but Bachman - witch - brings them back which results in one of the Alpha kids getting beat up.  So she kills the human child, as is their way of life (Like I said, ALWAYS FIGHTING) and then goes missing.  And then the Governor releases a news story about Lyric.  Because her mother is Alpha, Sirena to be exact, and that makes her a half-breed.

And so they get jumped, and they run, but the father gets injured in a car accident.  So they go to the Alpha for protection but - not surprising - Lyric's mom is a traitor to her people and needs to prove her innocence.  Which apparently she doesn't.  So she ends up having to fight to the death against the Prime.  But Fathom fights for him.  And so Lyric fights on behalf of her mom and they slip this awesome gold glove on her hand and she can CONTROL THE WATER.  LIKE WTH BECAUSE THAT IS AWESOMEEEEEEE.

And so you find out the the true enemy are these weird creatures that were the lower class of the Alpha world: the Rusalka.  They're like toads with legs and claws.  And you also learn that the Prime is stark-raving-mad.  Like total psycho.  And then they invade but Lyric and a few of them escape to go find the Alpha (and the half-humans children) that have been taken captive.  

And that's it.

My issue was that there were some events that were mentioned, and then never spoken of again.  I'm sorry, if a shooter came into my school with GRENADES I would still be talking about it.  Same with a few other events.  So I have to take a half star away from the total because of it.  Which makes me super sad because I REALLY liked this book.

4/5

Characters:  I NEEDED the physical descriptions of the characters.  And I'm sad to say that, if there was one, I don't remember it.  It was never addressed again.  Like the author never said Bex brushed her brown hair back, or gold hair, or anything to remind us of what they looked like.  No eye color, nothing.

Otherwise you have another "pants" situation.  For those who don't know, a couple of years ago this Blog (I can't remember the name of it at the moment but will add it when I find it) posted a review of Twilight, and compared Bella to a pair of pants because her lack of physical description allows the reader to just slip on those pants and pretend it's them.  I need to take away a half star for this because I feel like it's so important.  But otherwise the characters were flushed out enough for their personalities to shine through.

Like she ISN'T Bella because she actually has a spine.  And a mouth.  And she's not okay with a 117 year-old stalker who watches her sleep.  But I digress.

4/5

World: It was perfect.  I could picture this world, especially since I just went to Coney Island recently and realized where everything was.  So that was awesome.  And I could totally picture the Alpha on the beach, living in a ghetto of sand and scrap, junk.  

And the FEAR is palpable in this book, running the show from the get-go.  It was intense and yet I BELIEVED it.  I wanted to punch people.  I cried for others.  (SHADOW!!!!! ::wails in the distance::)

5/5

I'm actually going to combine Writing and Originality in this one because they worked hand in hand to create a unique story with beautiful language.

"I am not without fear, but my curiosity gets the best of me every time.  I leap from my bed, pull up the blackout blinds, press my face against the windowpane, and squint hard before they melt back into shadows.  Like most nights, I am too late.  They're here and then they're gone, like lightning bolts stabbing at the flesh of night.  The only evidence they were here at all is the ragged wound in the peace and quiet. 
"But there's still plenty to see.  From not far behind comes a mob of men and boys armed with bats and booze, our neighborhood's self-appointed guard dogs.  They bark threats and give chase.  And then, to close the show, here come the police with their lights and squealing squad-car tires.  An amplified voice demands that everyone clear the streets, while a helicopter hovers overhead, poking into backyards and abondoned lots with its frantic spotlight.  I hear a gunshot.  Pop! Then more.  Pop! Pop!  
"It's after curfew in Coney Island."

Beautiful imagery brings this book to life, and the way it's executed is delightful.

5/5

Overall I have to grudgingly give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.  I wanted to give it more, but I can't.  But yeah, this is my review of "Undertow."  Yes, I already bought the sequel.  Of COURSE I did.

Did you expect anything less?

I feel like I keep reading great books one after another.

It's amazing.

My next read is actually a sequel to a book I read when it had first come out:  "the King Slayer" by Virginia Boecker.   I had read "the Witch Hunter" in June of last year shortly after meeting the author, and I'm so excited for part two!!!!!

So for now I have to say goodbye.

Until next time.

And I swear, I won't be as tired as I am now.

(I had dreams of fish people that had me tossing and turning.  DAMN YOU MICHAEL BUCKLEY FOR WRITING A BOOK WITH FANTASTIC DESCRIPTIONS!!!

But, like, don't stop writing.)