Title: Red Queen
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Genre: YA Dystopia, Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Day: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: eARC received by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review


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Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.


I am always weary about big hyped up books because I always go in with too high expectations and then they always fall short. But I knew I had to read Red Queen because if I didn't I would be part of the amazing discussions going around twitter right now. And I am so glad that I did read Red Queen because this story was amazing from start to finish.

Title: In a Handful of Dust
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: Not a Drop to Drink #2
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 23rd 2014
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: eARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review

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The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.


In a Handful of Dust is a kind of sequel. And I think that is one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book so much, it had all the makings of a sequel, with us seeing some familiar faces but it was a completely different story and setting. This book also follows the same format as the first book in which characters travel distances in order to find shelter and gain some sense of a home.

This book follows Lucy who is forced to leave the only home she has ever really known and trek across country in order to find a place that is without any kind of infection and with water, something that is hard to come by in her world. But what i think made this book for me was who Lucy was traveling with...Lynn. If you don't remember, Lynn was the main character in Not a Drop to Drink and I had the biggest smile on my face when i read her name. It was great to see Lynn years after we left her and it was great to see that she was doing well. I loved getting to know Lucy throughout this book because she was so different from Lynn in general. Lucy loves being around people and is excited with the fact of getting to a place that is booming with life and culture, whereas Lynn is the exact opposite so seeing them interact was great and made for some great conflict.

The only issue I had with this book was the middle. I found that it lagged a bit when Lucy and Lynn were traveling across country because it was mostly the same thing over and over, with the occasional new character intersected here and there. I loved the new characters, they made the story that much more interesting at times but when it was just Lucy and Lynn I found that there was more description and not enough dialogue and it was a bit boring. I honestly hate saying that because I really enjoyed this book and I lobe Mindy, she is a such an amazing person, but I always tell myself that I have to be honest when it comes to reviewing and so I am sticking with that.

Overall In a Handful of Dust was a great companion novel to Not a Drop to Drink and i loved seeing Lynn in her new role as guardian of Lucy. I also really enjoyed getting to know Lucy and how she differs from Lynn and what we saw in IAHOD. If you love cross country trip reads, this book is for you, and obviously if you loved NADTD then this book is for you as well!

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Series: The Lone City #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 358 pages
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: eARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.


I was very hesitant because reading this book because many people were comparing it to The Selection, and even though i had ever read those books, I had not heard that many good things. But I decided to pick it up anyway and let my own opinions fly, and I am so glad i did because this book was a great read!

The characters in this book are extremely full of life and you cannot help full root for them and what they are fighting for. Most books like these focus on a love story and although it is forbidden (which made it all the better for me)I still loved that the author focused most of her attentions to friendships and what that meant for the characters. That was a breath of fresh air for me and I loved that aspect of the story.

There are some serious subjects disguised in this book, like human trafficking, slavery, and others that are hidden throughout the book. I loved the way that the author disguised them throughout the book and I seriously cannot wait for more books to see where the author takes them.  I really hope that when people read this book they don't just overlook these aspects of the story a fiction and realize that this happens i our society as well and what that means.

There is a magical element to this story and its characters and I rally thought it was interesting. I just wish that they had gone a little more in depth on the origin of these powers and what they mean for the characters. We see their effects on certain characters and how dangerous they are, but I am really looking forward to seeing more if it and seeing how it effects not only the characters but The Jewel world as well.

I am nor one for cliffhanger because I just hate that they make you want the next book right away and don't answer any questions. But in The Jewel I loved the end because it not only answered some of my questions but the end was a shocker. And I loved that. Was not expecting that reveal and I have to say it makes me really want to continue with this series! If you love great writing, masterful characters and a world that i so well done that you cannot question that it could happen here, then this book is for you!

Title: The Aftermath
Author: Jen Alexander
Series: Unknown Series
Genre: YA Science Fiction/Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Release Date: August 26th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Sometimes, I dream that I'm someone else.

A girl with dark hair who doesn't worry about hunger

or thirst or running from flesh-eaters.

In her world, those sorts of things don't exist.

Since the spring of 2036, when the world changed forever, Claudia and a small clan of survivors have roamed the streets of a very altered Nashville: polluted and desolate, except for the ever-present threat of cannibal Hoarders. Together they must undergo punishing tests of endurance and psychological challenge sometimes with devastating consequences all just to live another day.

With food and water in dwindling supply, and with danger lurking around every corner, no one can be trusted. And as her world starts to make less and less sense, Claudia begins to realize something terrifying: she is just a pawn in some sort of game, and all of her actions are being controlled from afar by a mysterious gamer. So when she meets a maddening and fascinating outsider named Declan, who claims to be a game moderator, she must decide whether to join him in exchange for protection and access to the border.

If they play the game right, they are each other's best hope for survival and a life beyond the only world Claudia's ever known: the terrifying live-action game known as The Aftermath.


Usually when I read YA books I need to be grabbed from the very beginning because I have so many books to read and if you don't grab me from the beginning then I will usually just out the book back down. So when I picked up The Aftermath I was surprised that the beginning was as slow as it was. I loved the concept of the book going in and I have to be honest and say that in the beginning I was extremely confused as to what was going on. This does happen sometimes but I have to say that this books beginning threw me a bit and i had to make myself keep reading. But I will say that I am happy I did finish this book because the second half of this book was great!

Once our main character, Claudia, met Declan, then everything started to make sense for me and flow a bit better. I really liked their relationship because it felt real. It was not love at first sight, but once they spent some more time together then things started to change. I also really loved the dual perspectives between Claudia and Olivia and how it was done. Both perspectives were from Claudias head so that was very interested to me, and figuring out what was going on with Claudia was a great way for me to get into the book.

I will say that pacing was a huge problem for me in this book. There were times when I was so invested that I could not stop reading, but then there were times were I was bored and would just start skimming to get to another scene. I really wish that there was more dialogue in this book because when I was reading it I learned more about the characters than from the authors descriptions.

The end. The end of this book was my favorite part. I usually do not like cliffhangers but seriously this one was a great one. It reveal something that I was not expecting and it made me really want the next book! I also loved that we got SOME answers but not enough so it makes you really want the next book.

Title: The Young World
Author: Chris Weitz
Series:  The Young World Trilogy #!
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: July 29th 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: eARC received by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population, the young survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. Jefferson, the reluctant leader of the Washington Square tribe, and Donna, the girl he's secretly in love with, have carved out a precarious existence among the chaos. But when another tribe member discovers a clue that may hold the cure to the Sickness, five teens set out on a life-altering road trip to save humankind.

The tribe exchanges gunfire with enemy gangs, escapes cults and militias, braves the wilds of the subway and Central Park...and discovers truths they could never have imagined.



I always try to be diplomatic when I write reviews. I do not like to rant about a book because I feel sympathy for the time and effort that went into the making of a book. But sometimes you read a book that elicits so much negative emotion from you that you have no choice but to make the whole review negative. And I am sad to say that The Young World was one of worst books I have read in a very long time.

I will start with the characters. There were 2 POVs in this book, one was Donna and the other was Jefferson. I will start with Donna first. She was written the way a grown man THINKS a young teenage girl would talk. I have never heard the words like and um written that many times while one person is talking. I got so frustrated with her character and the way she was written and that I usually skimmed her parts because I was so annoyed. Jefferson was not much better. Although he sounded like a normal human being with brain cells when he talked, he still was one of the most boring character I have ever read. I didn't feel much emotion from him while reading. We know that he was in love with Donna for most of the book, yet we never really felt it from him. He just told us, which was not the best reading experience. Another aspect of Jefferson's character that I felt was wrong was the fact that although he loved Donna and said he would wait for her, he went and slept with another girl just for the hell of it. I felt like this was so out of character for him.

The story. I felt like it was done many many times over, and honestly done way better. All the adults disappeared and the kids are in charge? yup been there done that. The world was not very well done and I honestly skimmed the last 50% of the book because I was either bored or couldn't care less about the characters and what they were going through. Also, there was a big reveal at the end, and although that was my motivation for reading until the end, I felt gypped. I got no real answers and I left with more questions than what I started.

The Young World was high on my TBR list because I thought it would bring something new and exciting to a genre that's been done over and over again, But sadly it was lackluster at best and I was not a fan.

Title: Drowned
Author: Nichola Reilly
Series: Drowned #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
Release Date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.


I love books that take a genre and flip its on its head, but ultimately it has to be done right for me to enjoy the story. So when I read the synopsis of Drowned I knew I wanted to read it because it took the Dystopian genre and seems to make it so different from everything else out there. But sadly the longer I read this book, the more I didn't like it.

When writing in the Dystopian genre I find that you need to have a clear picture of the world and how it was created and make the reader understand what is going on around them. This was my biggest problem with Drowned, it didn't make sense. The author tried to explain how this world came to be and what it was like for the characters, but for me it was so confusing. I could not wrap my head around the world and what it meant for the characters. I knew that the tide came in, and everyone had to stand in a line and there were people that disappeared into the tide every once in a while but beyond that I did not grasp what was happening.

Main characters are supposed to grab the reader and make then invested in them and the story. In Drowned I felt none of this because I could not connect with Coe, our narrator. There are A LOT of characters in this book, and for me, it seemed like there were too many, and their names would always get jumbled in my mind. I could not differentiate between all of them and what they meant to Coe. The writing style of this book lead to more heartache for me. At times the writing was beautiful and full of life, but most of the time the writing felt forced, like the author was trying to write higher than the book was meant to be written in. I felt like most of the time the style of writing was distracting me from the story itself. And that ultimately lead to me not enjoying the book as much as I wanted to.

The more I read, the more I kept saying WTF? And that accumulated at the end with a bit WTF because what happened at the end made absolutely NO SENSE whatsoever. I think I put the book down and said, nope not reading this anymore because I did not get what just happened and how it would fit in this world. Drowned was not the book for me, and honestly I hate saying this but I do not think I would ever recommend it to anyone because the storyline just did not make sense and the end was way too much of a WTF moment for me.

Title: In The End
Author: Demitria Lunetta
Series: In The After #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 448 pages
Release Date: June 24th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: eARC received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures.

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival.

One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After.


Sequels can be tricky creature because sometimes they suffer from what we bloggers call "The Second Book Syndrome" which pretty much means the book becomes a bridge book between the first and last. And usually this includes either a love triangle, lack of action or the inclusion of a new enemy. But the In After series is a Duology, so it my books that means all bets are off. And since I loved In The After I knew it would hard to top it, but serious, this book is better than the first. No joke.

In The End leaves off pretty much exactly where In The After ends, give or take 3 months, and Amy is on the run, by herself, with no real purpose other than surviving. Then she gets a message that Baby, her adopted sister, is in real trouble and she needs to find a guy named Ken because he will be able to help her save her. Well now Amy is off to find Ken, and oh the trouble she gets into!

I loved this book because it was so different from the first book, and yet oddly familiar. Amy finds herself in a converted prison where inmates and survivors lives together (weird I know right?) and she meets a cute boy, Jacks who is amazing, and there is a Doctor who seems very suspicious from the very beginning. So although the plot itself was very similar to the first book, which I liked, there were many different factors that were different. Like new characters, who I have to say made this book that much better. There was Jacks of course, as the new love interest and although I liked Amy's love interest in the first book, I thought Jacks fit her better and just fit with the story more. There was also new villains, like Tank who I HATED but also loved the tension he created in the story. He was such a great aspect to the story, even though he was horrible person to everyone around him.

I really cant go into specifics about the book because there are a lot of aspects of the story that are revealed and I will say that we get answers to burning questions and the end is quite satisfying for a reader. I will say that I loved that it wasn't tied up in a pretty little bow, and the romantic in me wanted a little bit more at the end, but I liked the end. It made sense for the overall story and it was a great way to end the series. I cannot wait to see what Demetria writes next, but if this series in any indication, I am sure it is going to be amazing!

Title: The Murder Complex
Author: Lindsay Cummings
Series: The Murder Complex #1
Genre: YA Dystopian Adventure
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: June 10th 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: eARC received from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?


I have to admit that I have been getting tired the Dystopian genre as of late, and had a few reservations about reading The Murder Complex because I was worried that it would be just like any other dystopian book out there. And at the beginning I thought I was right because i saw remnants of Divergent all over, but honestly once I got to the middle I was hooked and man did it get good!

I really can't say much about this book because it will give it away, and I seriously do not want to do that so I will just talk about certain characters and vague events, cause I like to tease like that!

Meadow and Zephyr are our two narrators and I will say that I did not get why we had two narrators ta the beginning, but honestly as the book went on I really liked the two perspectives, especially Zephyr. He became such an interesting character as the novel progressed. It was extremely interesting how he grew from one type of character to another in the span of 100 or so pages. Meadow herself was a great character from the very beginning because she was everything I love in a Heroine. She was fierce, strong and independent and was not afraid to fend for herself. She was kind of like a mixture of Tris and Katniss and I loved it.

The story progresses a bit slowly in the beginning but they goes to hyper drive in the middle. I loved how much happened once a secret was revealed and how much I needed to keep reading when I got to once specific part. I seriously could not stop reading, and I especially loved that the chapters got very short as the book got more and more intense which was great for me because I LOVE short chapters and i think it added to the intensity of the story.

The end. Now I was not really a fan of what went down and a certain character and the way they acted. But i thought it added an extra umph to the next book. I really want to know what happens and the reveal that happens at the end was a shocker to me and I loved how it made this whole series a little more complicated. I seriously cannot wait for the next book!

Title: End Times
Author: Anna Schumacher
Series: Seems to be a series, no name yet
Genre: Pre-Apocolypic YA
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: May 20th 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: ARC received by publisher in exchange for an honest review

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Carbon County, Wyoming is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s the sound of trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.
              
Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe.
 

End Times was a very interesting book for many reasons, but I will let you know that this book will not be for everyone. It is a little quirky, and a little strange at times, and I will admit that I raised my eyebrows at times wondering what the author was up to because the characters were just that strange and the circumstances were just that weird. But overall End Times is a book like none other, it combines realistic fiction with that of a dystopian, and it does it with ease.

The mystery surrounding the small town of Carbon County, Wyoming was the large part of why I kept reading this book. I wanted to know what was going on in this town and what was ultimately going to happen. First a young girl arrives (Daphne) and everything begins to change. Strange things begin to happen and they all revolved around her. Then she meets Owen, who seems to be the only person who understand her and what she is feeling. I really liked Owen, he was a great character to read, I thought he was very different then a lot of the other character that we met, especially since he is an outsider like Daphne to this small town.

This book has many different POVs and although I usually criticize a book for having many characters speaking about the same things, this book was different. It seemed to work really well for the story and I found myself wanting to see different point of view because I wanted a full understanding of the town and the different perspectives of that town and what was happening. But I will admit that some of the characters made me grind my teeth because they just seemed useless to me. Like Daphne's cousin. Although we figure out what he purpose t at the end of the book, her character was infuriating because she was so stupid! I wanted to scream at her all the times because it was like she didn't care about her own life, she just wanted everyone else to think it was perfect when really it was far from it. It was scenarios like that that caused me to lower my rating because I did not like all of the characters and disliking some of them dampened my enjoyment of the book.

I also thought that the story itself was a little far fetched. All of the events were very conveniently placed and based on the bible and plagues etc. I am not a religious person in the least and when a book shoves a religion in my face I tend to not like it as much, and I feel like that happened here a bit. I felt overwhelmed by religion because it was on every page. And I understand that it was what the story was based on and kept it going but for me, it was very overwhelming.

Overall End Times was a very interesting book and I did enjoy reading it overall. I disliked some of the characters and some of the religious aspects of the book, but the mystery of what was happening in the town and how Daphne was involved was very intriguing. A good read for those that are looking for something along the lines of a Dystopian but with a twist.

Title: After the End
Author: Amy Plum
Series: After the End #1
Genre: YA Dystopian, Magic elements
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: eARC provided from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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"I have no idea what is truth and what is fiction. I'm all I've got now. I can't trust anyone."

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.


I will be honest here and say that I had no idea what this book was about before I started reading. I wanted to read this book for the sole purpose to read something else by Amy Plum because I loved her Revenants series so much. So when I started to read I loved that I actually had no idea what was happening, but sadly I did not enjoy this book as much as I have her others.

I loved the world that Amy created for these characters. If you read any of her other books you know that she is a superstar when it comes to creating different worlds from our own. But the think I loved most about this world was that it wasn't exactly real. Juneau has lived with her Clan all her life, she has been secluded and lived in the wilderness and told that World War 3 occurred and destroyed everything. But the thing is, World War 3 never actually happened. Juneau was lied to and it is only when she meets Miles does she understand that the world around her is not what she was taught.

I loved that this book had 2 POVs because Juneau and Miles were so different and lived i different worlds therefore we got two very different views on the same thing. We watch Juneau learn the ways of the world and try to come to terms with the lie she was told, and we watch Miles try and determine who this weird girl is and what her story was. And during the book we are trying to figure out where Juneau's Clan was because they were abducted and taken somewhere, and it was that mystery that I liked the most. There was also a sprinkling of paranormal in this book that I a felt was a little out of place. I thought it was intriguing at the beginning but honestly as the book wore on, I started to question its validity.

I had a few issues with this book as well. The characters themselves were great to read but my only issue was that I did not really connect with either of them. I felt very disconnected and I think that had something to do with the chapter length, the chapters were quite short especially Miles' part, and I think if we were given more times to get to know him in his own voice I might have connected more. This connection proved difficult when the love story started to take shape. I am sucker for a good love story but for me, this one felt forced at times and really did not make any sense. I think it would have made a bigger impact if the romance was slow building and maybe did not emerge until book 2.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I read it quite fast and the writing style was just as great as her other series. But I think I needed more time to get to know the character and to connect with them. I wanted more chemistry between Mile and Juneau because I felt like their connection would have made the book even better.

Title: Ignite Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #3
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Source: Bought

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The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end.


I hate writing reviews for final books in a series because its impossible. There are so many emotions going on that I most likely cannot put a coherent argument together and honestly I just want to stay in denial that the series is ending. And that is exactly how I feel about Ignite Me. This book was probably the most anticipated book EVER and honestly I feel for Tahereh because there were a lot of expectations to meet and it would be impossible for her to meet all of them. But I am hear to say she did an amazing job.

[I will warn that this review will contain epic spoilers. so beware!]

Tahereh was extremely brave in this book. She did things that not many YA authors have the guts to do. Go against her fans wishes. I will admit that going into the later part of this series I was on Team Adam, he was my favourite and I did not want that to change, but then Unravel Me happened and things started to change. No longer was the choice black and white but a very confusing shade of grey. And I loved it. It takes a very talented writer to make me question on choice of book boyfriend, and Unravel Me did just that. But it was not until Ignite Me that I completely changed teams. Not only did she makes me fall head over heals for Warner but she made me hate Adam. Adam became a different person in this book and it was hard to read. He was mean and ugly and someone that I would not want anywhere near Juliette.

Now, during this entire series people keep asking what team are you on, and I know they mean either Warner or Adam but the more I think about it I wonder why there has to be an answer to that question at all? Why can't we just applaud the fact that Juliette grew so much as a character over these three books that she knew exactly what she wanted and took without apology. I know many will not be happy with her choice but who cares? As a character Juliette is a very different person than she was in Shatter Me. She became a very confident, independent and a girl who is sure of her abilities and how to use them. And honestly I think that is because of both Adam AND Warner. Both is these boys were instrumental in making Juliette into the girl she was at the end of Ignite Me, and as a reader I am thrilled that I got to share in that growth and watch her story unfold over the past four years.

The only critical thing I will say about this book was the end. I thought that fight to take over from Adam and Warner's father was way too easy and short. I honestly wanted more a struggle. Everything seemed to happen without incident and the more I read it the more I wondered why they didn't do this earlier if it was that easy? But other than that this book was perfect. I cannot wait to see if we see more of this world, and if I had it my way I would want a book dedicated to Kenji because seriously? he is the best!

Title: Landry Park
Author: Bethany Hagen
Series: Landry Park #1
Genre:  YA Dysopian/Sci-Fi
Format: Hardcover, 374 pages
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Dial
Source: ARC received by Publisher in exchange for an honest review

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In a fragmented future United States ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.


When I saw the cover for Landry Park I knew I wanted to read it. It is gorgeous and simplistic in a way that most covers are not. And I think that is why I loved it so much. Landry Park as described as The Selection meets the Downton Abbey, and although I have never seen or read either of those things, I was intrigued.

In Landry Park we follow Madeline Landry who is the daughter of the most powerful men in the world and her story is not one if ease. Because of her fathers status, she is forced into a life of seclusion and tradition. Something she wants nothing to do with. It is only when she meets David that her world begins to change and she discovers that there is a whole other world outside of her own, and it is not pretty.

What I think I loved the most about this book was the world itself, because even though it seems extremely far fetched for us, it still seemed so real and something that could actually happen. David and Madeline's relationship is a complicated one because it not only involves them, but also Madeline's friend Cara because she is as much a part of this book as the others. And I will say that she not a character that you like. She is the kind of character that gets under your skin and makes you dislike her more than you thought possible. I don't really want to give anything away, but there is sort of love triangle, and before you hate on it, let me tell you that it makes so much sense for the story. And it honestly made me like the characters more because you saw a different side of them.

I absolutely loved this book, the world building was phenomenal and the writing was amazing to read. It grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until the very last page is turned.