Book Review: Untamed by A.G. Howard

Title: Untamed (Splintered #3.5)
Author: A.G. Howard
Publication Date: December 15, 2015
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Pages: 288
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Reviews for book 1, book 2, and book 3

A post-Ensnared collection of three stories—available in both print and e-versions.

Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland.

In Six Impossible Things, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after Ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa’s mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and rescuing the man who would become her husband in The Boy in the Web. And Morpheus delves into Jeb’s memories of the events of Splintered in The Moth in the Mirror, available in print for the first time.

This collection expands upon Ensnared's epilogue, and includes some deleted scenes to provide a “director’s cut” glimpse into the past and futures of our favorite Splintered characters. 

The Splintered series has been one of my absolute FAVORITE series since I picked up book one way back in the day... Okay, so it wasn't that long ago. Still, if you ask me what my favorite series is, chances are I'll probably say "SPLINTERED AND OHMYGOD YOU NEED TO READ IT!"

When I saw that A.G. Howard was releasing a companion to the series, I didn't think I could possibly contain my excitement. The day the book was released I checked the mail no less than three times and ran home to open the box when it finally came! I blew through it in near-record time and was... underwhelmed.

Untamed is a collection of three novellas, two of which have been previously published. The Boy in the Web is essentially the story of Alyssa's parents. While it was entertaining, it wasn't my favorite. Let's be honest, you're either reading this for Jeb or Morpheus. Still, it was a nice look into the family of the fairy queen we've come to know and love.

The second story, The Moth in the Mirror, told Jeb's side of the story through some key Splintered events. Although Jeb is not my favorite person for a few reasons, I actually really enjoyed this story a lot. I felt like I was able to get to know Jeb a little better and could even sympathize with him a little bit more.

Six Impossible Things was the part of this collection I was most looking forward to! It begins with Alyssa as a very old woman getting ready to make her journey back to Wonderland and it was just a little bit odd for me. For one, Alyssa did not seem very much different from her much (much) younger self. I did get a little of the sense that she'd matured, but it felt like I was hearing from a 16 year old telling me about how old she was. It felt a little strange for her to suddenly be back in her "pure" 16 year old body again.

The memories that Alyssa recounted were nice, but they just weren't exactly what I'd hoped for. So much of Six Impossible Things was focused on the delivery of their child that I felt like the memories were almost overwhelmed by it. The memory I most enjoyed, surprisingly, was reading about Alyssa and Jeb's wedding. I thought it was cute and made me like Jeb even more! This book had a really strange effect on my #TeamMorpheus status...

Overall I thought this was a fun companion to the Splintered series! The cover is absolutely the MOST gorgeous of the entire series, which is saying a lot because have you even seen Unhinged??Untamed did have some issues that I didn't expect to encounter, a little too much focus (for me, personally) on the children/grandchildren/etc. when I really just wanted to read about Alyssa and Jeb/Morpheus as couples. Still, this was an enjoyable collection of stories that I'd recommend to any fan of the Splintered series!

Book Review: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Title: Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: December 1, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 432
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Reviews for book 1 & book 2

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

Over the last year I have been amazed by the epicness of the Starbound series. I started with These Broken Stars at the beginning of the year and was just blown away. I laughed, I cried, and I didn't think any other book in the series could live up to it. I was kind of right. Book two, while also amazing, wasn't quite -as- good as the first. Still, I really loved the story and characters. Now it's on to book three and I was really hopeful for an amazing ending to an amazing series!

Their Fractured Light was kind of a unique book in the series. While both of the first two books were mostly focused on one couple, this one was very evenly split between a new romance and the two old ones. While this does appear to be Sofia and Gideon's story on the surface, it wasn't quite. Sofia and Gideon are the primary focus of about the first half of Their Fractured Light. Sofia is a con artist and Gideon is a hacker and they are honestly adorable together. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with them on the same level as I did Lilac and Tarver, or even Jubilee and Flynn.

I think my primary issue with Sofia and Gideon is that they didn't have nearly as much time to grow to love each other. It seemed that they went very quickly from completely distrusting each other and never planning to see each other again to being in love. It just wasn't quite believable enough for me. That being said, they both had very interesting backstories and were very sympathetic characters. I also enjoyed how their stories connected to the other books in the series.

The final installment of the Starbound series nicely wraps up the mystery of the whispers. I really enjoyed reliving certain aspects of the first two books in the series from the whispers' perspective. I hadn't anticipated coming to care very much about the whispers as characters, but that's exactly what ended up happening.

Obviously all four characters from the earlier books were present in the last half of this book and I loved ever second of having them back! My biggest disappointment after reading These Broken Stars was not having Tarver and Lilac in the books, but they were a huge part of this one, and it was amazing! Lilac's relationship to the whispers is a major plot point in this one and it was super interesting to see how that all played out.

This book is action start to finish (so basically like the other two). There were a few lags that really slowed down the reading for me, but the abundance of action made up for those. The mission to destroy LaRoux Industries and the man at the helm was a big part of the story and the main point that brings Sofia and Gideon together. LaRoux has been such a villain from the beginning of the series, so it was obviously great to see someone go after him with a vengeance!

One of the things I really liked was getting to explore the amazing city on the planet of Corinth. I honestly can't quite picture it in my head, but it sounds incredible! There's an upper city and a lower city and it kind of reminds me of The Fifth Element, but I wish I had a picture! Fan art, anyone?

Overall, I thought this was a great end to the series and it wrapped everything up in such an amazing, interconnected way! My main complain is the way the relationship between Sofia and Gideon was sped up to the point of not being believable. Although neither of the subsequent books lived up to These Broken Stars, this was a completely amazing, incredibly unique series! I'm not normally a huge fan of sci-fi, but these books made me a believer! The Starbound trilogy is definitely a must-read and I recommend it to basically every reader I know!

Mini Book Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication Date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 220
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Reviews for book 1, book 2, book 3, & book 4

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. 

Although I purchased Fairest way back when it was first released, I put off reading it because I just wasn't in a Lunar Chronicles mood. After finishing Winter, however, I was in dire need of more of this world! And although I hated Levana with a passion, I was really curious to discover what made her so very evil. I'd heard around from several people that I might come to sympathize with Levana. I'm not sure I feel sympathy for her, but it's definitely complicated.

Having read Winter before Fairest, I already knew some of Levana's backstory, but getting the full story was a much more emotional experience. I did feel for her, my heart breaking a tiny bit while reading about her need and constant search for love. At the same time, I found myself extremely uncomfortable on multiple occasions, which I suspect is what Marissa Meyer was going for with this story. The romance between Levana and one of the palace guards was downright creepy.

I mean, okay. I haven't seen this in any other review for Fairest and I'm wondering if no one else really put it together or it's just that no one wants to say it. Levana was essentially raping Evret, her one true love. She was forcing him to be intimate with her against his will. I felt pretty gross just reading about it. I understand that Levana had some insane desire to feel loved to the point where she forced a marriage with a recently widowed man, but ugh. *shudder*

The conflicting emotions that I felt for Levana are similar to what I experienced with Winter's character. Meyer definitely has a lot of skill when it comes to developing complex characters.

I loved getting to dive back into the world of The Lunar Chronicles for a couple hundred more pages, although I'm really sad it's really (almost) over this time. I also really enjoyed the little tidbits about Cress, Jacin, and their families. In this regard, I feel like reading Winter first actually helped me because I was able to pick up on adorable clues that I might not have noticed otherwise. It was interesting to read about all of the truly terrible women in Cinder's family. How lucky that she ended up on earth...

Levana is a difficult character to read about, but I definitely recommend Fairest for every single fan of this series! I think it goes a long way toward explaining her often disturbing actions.

Book Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Title: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication Date: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 827
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Reviews for book 1, book 2, book 3, & book 3.5

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Winter, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

Seriously though, this series. It's amazing. Every time I read one of these books, it starts out slow, I have a brief moment of uncertainty, and then it takes off and I'm sucked in and I'm awake until 3am. It's a problem.

Winter picks up right where Cress left off, with Winter and Scarlet becoming sort of friends, and Cinder and crew working on a plot to overthrow the evil queen. While this is the final chapter in a four book series and does a fantastically amazing job of wrapping things up over 800+ pages, it is also the story of Winter, the princess of Luna, and Jacin, a castle guard. I don't know why, but no matter how many times Jacin was described as pale and blonde, I couldn't help but picture him as a huge tall, dark, and handsome guy. My brain is still working this one out. Despite my inability to picture Jacin as Marissa Meyer intended, I completely adored their love story. In fact, I think that they might be my favorite couple out of the entire series. Maybe. I don't know.

I honestly spent most of the book trying to decide how I felt about Winter as a character. I constantly went back and forth by almost being repulsed by her complete insanity and the actions that came with that, to admiring her for refusing to use her Lunar gift to the point where she WAS insane. To be honest, I kind of agree with the others who said there had to be a way she could've used her gift enough to -not- be insane, while also not hurting people I mean, I can't believe every person on Luna is evil because they use their gift. Cinder isn't!

Speaking of Cinder... What a total badass. I mean, wow. She surpasses my expectations in every single book I read. I love her spirit and her humility and her, um, her Kai. Can I say that? Is that allowed? While he did feature from the beginning of this series, I feel like I got to know Kai so much better in this final book. I loved seeing him as the emperor and making necessary sacrifices while also putting so much faith in Cinder. It's just... swoony.

Honestly, the most impressive thing about Winter is how it brings together every single character from the first three books and isn't overwhelming. Cress, Iko, Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Thorne, Cress, Winter, and Jacin, all play major roles and I never found myself confused as to who was who or what was going on. Scarlet and Wolf's story was a little uncomfortable at times, but it had a satisfying conclusion. The same can be said for Cress and Thorne. These two... their cluelessness is something that might have irked me a little in another book, but here it was adorable and I loved every second of it! Levana is terrifying and insane as always and I don't think I have ever rooted against a villain so hard in my life. I truly don't have time to talk about all of the characters, so I'll just leave it there. Suffice it to say, I loved all of them. A lot. And I'm going to be sad to see them go.

The plot of Winter is just amazing. While I was terribly daunted by picking up a book that came in at 827 pages (not the kind of thing I usually spring for), I can definitely see why every single page was needed. The beginning was a little slow for me, but I honestly feel like all of the detail included was necessary for the big picture. The slow takeover of Luna, the final, heart-stopping battle, and the way everything came together was more perfect than I could have imagined! It's full of action and romance. I laughed, I gasped, I (almost) cried. Winter is the book you've been waiting for!

And of course, we FINALLY get to see Luna in all of it's glory. I feel like the series has slowly been building up to some kind of big reveal of Luna in its entirety and the waiting was all worth it because Luna is breathtaking! I loved the descriptions of each sector, the tunnels, even the caves! The amount of thought that went into making this fantasy world is really pretty impressive.

I could really go on and on (and on and on) about my feelings for Winter and The Lunar Chronicles in general, but I'll stop. I love this series and I'm kind of devastated that it's at an end. I binged Fairest in a day after finishing this one and I'll be pre-ordering Stars Above in the very, very near future. If you haven't started this series yet, I really hope you'll give it a chance!

Book Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

Title: Black Ice
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 392
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Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late.

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally?

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

I will readily admit that I'm not a regular reader of contemporary fiction - it just isn't my genre. That being said, I completely adore survival stories, regardless of the setting. Black Ice promised to be a riveting survival story set in the mountains during a snowstorm with some romance thrown in for good measure (okay, it promises a lot of romance). I had high hopes for this one. I've rarely met a survival story I haven't loved!

Britt and Korbie are best friends (apparently) and Britt has recently had her heart broken by Calvin, Korbie's brother. Normal enough so far, right? Well, that's where the normalcy kind of ends. Calvin dumped Britt via text EIGHT months ago, but she isn't over him even a little bit. While all of their friends are going off to Hawaii for Spring Break, Britt decides to drag her BFF on a 40 mile hiking trip in the off chance they'll run into her ex. Because that's a normal thing that people do.

As you can see from the blurb, she never quite makes it, instead finding herself stranded. That's where the REALLY stupid part begins. These girls are utterly clueless about life in general. Britt goes on and on and on throughout the book about how she has depended on the men around her to save her for her entire life, and I didn't doubt her for a second. When they're snowed into their car, they decide to leave it. They leave the car. The car with a heater and blankets and supplies and food. They.Leave.The.Car. And it gets better! They stomp around in a blizzard until they find a couple strange men and just hop on into their cabin. Because that's a normal thing people do.

Totally surprisingly, they're taken hostage. Korbie runs her mouth a lot and almost gets herself killed because she's a genius and thinks the entire world revolves around her. Thankfully, Korbie isn't a huge part of the story and instead we get to focus on the romance. Oh, joy. I'm going to be honest, the romance made me a little uncomfortable. It's total Stockholm Syndrome (but maybe not because he was nice that one time). Britt does her darndest to convince herself that it isn't, but it is. And it's annoying to watch her bounce back and forth between Calvin and Mason through the entire book.

The story itself is... interesting. There were some really good thrilling moments where I truly had to hold my breath. The setting is pretty great. I actually felt cold at times and had to bring myself back to the present! There was even a pretty good twist near the end that I kind of but not really saw coming. But ultimately the big reveal and all the convenient explanations fell flat for me. I didn't sympathize with Britt at all. She was helpless and stupid and constantly made excuses for everyone. I didn't think Mason was all that intelligent, despite being hit over the head with what a genius he was on every other page.

Black Ice was just not what I'd hoped for at all. I've read some really amazing YA and NA survival stories that included romance and this one just didn't work. Sometimes Stockholm Syndrome works (hey, I love Beauty and the Beast!) but in this case it was just uncomfortable. I hated almost every single character, with the exception of Mason, who I only mildly disliked. Still, it did have a few good moments and some pretty amazing world building to have been set in the middle of the woods. All in all I don't think I could recommend it unless you love totally unrealistic and cheesy Stockholm Syndrome romance novels.

TV Series Review: Outlander, Season 1

Title: Outlander, Season 1
Author: Diana Gabaldon 
Creator: Ronald D. Moore
Actors: Caitriona Balfe & Sam Heughan
Release Date: August 9, 2014, & April 4, 2015
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Follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

You probably know that TV series reviews really aren't my thing and you might be wondering what the heck is going on! Well, I had never intended to become invested in the Outlander series. The books are all way more massive than anything I'd commit to. Instead, I decided to watch the show. It looked pretty good and I thought it would be a good substitution for the book series. I actually attempted to watch Outlander last year when it was still fairly new. But halfway through the first episode I was so bored I thought I might fall asleep! I toughed out episode one and didn't go back for episode two. I know this doesn't sound good for the series, but please bear with me!

A few weeks ago I found myself with nothing to watch. I had caught up with all my regular shows and had resorted to watching Ink Master on Hulu. (Don't judge me). It was only then that I remembered I had season one of Outlander waiting on me... I started with episode two because, honestly, I have to hold to the opinion that episode one was terribly boring. It definitely got better moving forward though, which caused me to binge it over a couple weeks!

To start with I thought that a time travel story would be downright ridiculous. I expected Outlander to be a shameless soap opera with a ton of gratuitous sex. I was somewhat right about the sex, to be sure, but I didn't expect that the rest of the story would be as in depth and heart wrenching as it was. Outlander is a beautiful show in a lot of ways. The music is enchanting and the landscapes of the Scottish Highlands (I'm assuming it was actually filmed there) are breathtakingly beautiful! The characters are (mostly) easy to love and sympathize with and I'm not out to fool anyone - Sam Heughan is definitely not difficult to look at. Honestly, I fell completely in love with Claire, Jamie, and their story. Captain Jack Randall is probably the most despicable villain I have ever had the displeasure of encountering in any medium, which I suppose is a job well done.

Despite all the things I loved about this show, I do feel that I should give fair warning about its content. Outlander has its fair share of sex, nudity, rape, and murder, and general violence, but it's pretty mild on language (there's a reason it's been called the feminist GoT). Not much bothers me in the TV/movie world, but there were a couple scenes of violence in this show that made me feel a bit queasy and I'm guessing that some people might find themselves having to divert their gaze. Still, all of these things lend an air of authenticity to a show depicting a 20th century woman thrown into 18th century Scotland during a time of unrest and I wouldn't let these a little sex and violence keep you from experiencing such an amazing story!

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I fell completely in love with Outlander. Season one is a complete adaptation of the first book and I have now had to start book two in the series. I had no choice, really, since season two of the show isn't scheduled for release until sometime next Spring. Because I'm picking up the series with book two and will not be reviewing book one, I thought a season one review was in order! So there you have it. Outlander is completely amazing and I totally love it, despite my attempts not to. This is a show that is definitely worth your time!

Audiobook Review: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Title: Rogue (Talon #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Narrator: Caitlin Davies, MacLeod Andrews, Chris Patton
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
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Reviews for book 1 and book 3

From the limitless imagination of bestselling author Julie Kagawa comes the next fantastic adventure in the Talon Saga.

Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can’t forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he’d signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order’s headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember’s own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

I read Talon back in August after seeing Rogue's beautiful self lining the shelves basically everywhere. While I did enjoy Talon a lot, I had kind of a hard time with the contemporary setting. I usually like to keep my fantasy firmly in Fantasyland. I think that's the reason that I enjoyed Rogue even more. While the second book is still set firmly in the 21st century, it has a much more fantastic feel.

All of the characters continue to be pretty awesome in this book and, most importantly, there's a lot more of Cobat. This book, as its name might suggest, focuses heavily on Cobalt and his backstory. We learn about his time in Talon, how he became a rogue dragon, and how he came to be teamed up with Wes. I tend to get a little irritated with excessive flashbacks and I'll admit that did happen here a time or two as I got more invested in the present-day story. Still, I did enjoy getting to know more about Cobalt!

The love triangle is going strong in Rogue and it honestly irritated me a bit at times. While I understand that Ember is a dragon and has different ways and emotions than a normal human would, I couldn't quite get on board with her constant back and forth between Garret and Cobalt. Her actions were, frankly, confusing at times. Maybe that was intentional though, since Ember was going through some confusing things.

One of the things I really enjoyed about Rogue vs. Talon was that this book had a lot less shopping trips and a lot more action. From start to finish, the group is on the run from both Talon AND St. George and they can never be quite sure who to trust. There are tons of miscommunications and half-truths that add to the already dramatic plot. Ember really shows her Viper skills a few times and basically proves that she's a total badass who can probably take care of her self (and those around her) just fine. Still, she isn't afraid to let the men in her life step in when she needs help, which is something I can definitely respect.

The Talon series is really my first dragon series and I am in love with the uniqueness of this story! I am dying to read part three and see what comes of this (sometimes ridiculous) love triangle! As I've already pointed out, this book was a lot less teeny-bopper and a lot more all action all the time. I highly recommend this series, at least based on what I've read so far.

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°o°  Notes on the Audiobook  °o°

When I listened to Talon, I didn't realize that there were multiple male narrators. Knowing to listen for it, the different guys definitely stood out. Overall, I really enjoyed the voice acting! The one thing that got under my skin was the way Caitlin Davies says "room." She pronounces it like "rum" and she says it about 683 times. But... you know. That's just me. 

Book Review: Darkthaw by Kate A. Boorman

Title: Darkthaw (Winterkill #2)
Author: Kate A. Boorman
Publication Date: October 13, 2015 
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 336
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Review for book 1


//I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review//

For as long as Emmeline can remember, she’s longed to leave the isolated world of the settlement and explore the wilderness that calls to her in her dreams. And now that the Council has fallen, she will finally, finally get that chance. With First Peoples guide Matisa at her side, Emmeline rallies a brave group to join her on her quest into the unknown, including her beloved Kane and his two younger brothers.

But the journey soon proves far more dangerous than Emmeline anticipated—with warring clans, slavers, colonists, disease, and natural disasters seemingly at every turn. After putting so many lives in danger, she starts to doubt everything she once knew. Did she make the right choice to leave the settlement—and can her relationship with Kane survive the ordeal? Matisa insists that to set things right and to fight the evil that is bringing all this danger and turmoil to the forest, Emmeline must journey to Matisa’s people—even if that means leaving Kane behind.

Winterkill, the first in this series, was one of my favorite books of 2014! I loved the "Village" vibes it gave off and even enjoyed the uncertainty of the setting. Darkthaw picks up right where Winterkill left off, with Em and Kane planning their future and being generally confused about most things. This was a sequel I have really been looking forward to and I hoped to feel the same about book two as I did about book one. Unfortunately, this one didn't quite do it for me.

I'm not sure what changed before books one and two, but I felt like I had a hard time connecting to Emmeline this time around. I know that people are probably inherently selfish, but she made some decisions in the first half of the book that I had a hard time accepting. I did really enjoy Matisa, however! She was a fantastic character who honestly didn't seem to have a flaw whatsoever. Kane remained one of my favorite characters also and I really felt for him as he tried to find his path in life.

I did really enjoy the new world that opened up in this installment. Emmeline and Kane decide to leave their settlement when they learn that there's much more out there than they'd originally known. The introduction of other settlers really upped the tension and mystery and continued this series as extremely unique. I feel like I was able to place the location a little better this go round - I'm guessing somewhere in Eastern Canada.

My main issue with this book was the writing. The author has used a really strange dialect which, on the one hand, makes it unique, but also makes it really laborious to get through at times. The story was also quite slow, which is why this book took me sooooo much longer to get through than the first. I feel like book one had a very quick series of events that progressed easily, while this one was a lot of traveling, horseback riding, and talking.

Darkthaw definitely had its ups and downs. I really appreciated the original story and the new characters, but the writing and unsympathetic main character made it less great than Winterkill. I'd recommend this to someone looking for a very unique dystopian who's read everything else!

Book Review: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys Anthology

Title: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys
Author: Multiple
Publication Date: August 18, 2015
Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 385
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A host of the sharpest young adult authors come together in this collection of terrifying tales and psychological thrillers. Each story draws from a mix of literature, film, television, or even music to offer something new and fresh and unsettling. Even better? After you’ve teased out each tale’s references, satisfy your curiosity at the end, where the inspiration is revealed. There are no superficial scares here. These are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror, to the supernatural, to unnerving, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for anyone looking for an absolute thrill.

Not only did this book promise to be a terrifying collection of horror and thrillers, but it also had stories by some of my all-time favorite authors! It should be a surprise that I HAD to have Slasher Girls and Monster Boys as soon as it was released. Oddly, I didn't blow through this anthology like I'd expected to. I had to take it one story at a time over several weeks. I have to say, although some of the stories included were interesting, they did not live up to the promise of the synopsis or the terrifying cover (honestly, I had to take the cover off so I didn't have to look at it).

Understand that I'm rating these stories mostly as horror. If this was just a random YA anthology, I feel like I would be rating differently. However, I went into this expecting to be terrified and not one of these did that. Sure, a couple creeped me out a little here and there, but I was never scared by any of the stories included. Here's my rating breakdown:

The Birds of Azalea Street by Nova Ren Suma - 2.5 stars
In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carie Ryan - 5 stars
Emmeline by Cat Winters - 3 stars
Verse Chorus Verse by Leigh Bardugo - 3.5 stars
Hide-and-Seek by Megan Shepherd - 3 stars 
The Dark, Scary Parts and All by Danielle Paige - 3 stars
The Flicker, The Fingers, The Beat, The Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke - 4 stars 
Fat Girl With a Knife by Jonathan Mayberry - 3 stars
Sleepless by Jay Kristoff - 4.5 stars 
M by Stefan Bachman - 3 stars 
The Girl Without A Face by Marie Lu - 4 stars
A Girl Who Dreamed of Snow by McCormick Templeman - 3.5 stars
Stitches by A.G. Howard - 3.5 stars
On the I-5 by Kendare Blake - 2 stars

One thing I hadn't realized was that these stories are all retellings of old horror movies or books. This was actually a really cool idea! Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for a few of them. The connections were either weak or made the stories predictable. And a lot, a LOT, of these stories have to do with abuse, as if that were the same as horror.

Of all of the stories included, In the Forest Dark and Deep by Carrie Ryan was my absolute favorite, but certainly not because it was scary. In fact, it was kind of the opposite... While the Hare might have been a little unnerving, the story actually gave me the warm fuzzies and I was dying to read more! Other favorites were Sleepless by Jay Kristoff and The Flicker, The Fingers, The Beat, The Sigh by April Genevieve Tucholke. Neither of them was especially terrifying, but the former did creep me out and kept me guessing, while the latter was written in the lyrical prose I've come to love from this author.

While none of the stories included were terrible, none of them were terrifying either. Most of the selections for this anthology were pretty good, just not as horror, and that's what I was hoping to find in a horror anthology with a terrifying creature on the cover.

ARC Review: The Rig by Joe Ducie

Title: The Rig (The Rig #1)
Author: Joe Ducie
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers 
Pages: 320
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//I received this book through Goodreads First Reads  in exchange for an honest review//

Fifteen-year-old Will Drake has made a career of breaking out from high-security prisons. His talents have landed him at The Rig, a specialist juvenile holding facility in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. No one can escape from The Rig. No one except for Drake...

After making some escape plans and meeting the first real friends of his life, Drake quickly realises that all is not as it seems on The Rig. The Warden is obsessed with the mysterious Crystal-X - a blue, glowing substance that appears to give superpowers to the teens exposed to it. Drake, Tristan and Irene are banking on a bid for freedom - but can they survive long enough to make it?

Drake is an action hero to rival Jason Bourne and the CHERUB team in this debut author's fantastically imagined sci‐fi nightmare. 

The Rig caught my attention right away based on its title and the cover. I'm married to a Merchant Marine, so I have a little familiarity with oil rigs. Then I read the description and was totally sold! I love stories about survival and escape. The idea of being stuck on an oil rig in the Arctic Ocean totally freaks me out. Not to mention the bit about things not being as they seem. All that to say I was really excited to read this book!

Right away, this book pulled me in with its descriptions of the rig and its inner workings as a prison. Joe Ducie has done a fantastic job of creating an amazing setting out of a structure that could certainly have come across as boring. I also did a lot of fact-checking with my husband and overall the setting seems to hold up. I definitely felt like I could see each level and platform of the rig! It seems like an urban explorer's dream!

The characters were mostly enjoyable. This story is about Will Drake, a guy who just happened to find himself in a bad situation that landed him in jail. But Will is great at escaping, it seems. I wish a little more had been revealed at exactly -why- Will was so skilled at escapes. His backstory didn't make him seem like anything special, so I had kind of a hard time accepting him as a character worthy of comparison to Jason Bourne. The bad guys of The Rig were probably a little more believable than Will, in my opinion, although I did have a lot of questions about their motives once the book had ended.

My major problem with The Rig was the magic element. I somehow overlooked this part of the synopsis, so it caught me off guard. That isn't the issue, though. The magical substance, Crystal-X, is mysterious from the beginning of the book until it ends. Not much is ever explained about it. The book never goes into the why's and how's of this magical mineral and it's not clear why it affects different people in different ways. I'm okay with some questions being left over at the end of a book, but I feel like nothing at all was answered in this one. More than that, though, is that I don't even feel like the magic was necessary. The Rig was shaping up to be an awesome survival/escape story before Crystal-X was introduced.

Overall, I The Rig was just okay. I loved the world and the set up of the plot. I just wish it had strayed into weird, magic territory.

Audiobook Review: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Title: Lost Stars
Author: Claudia Gray
Narrator: Pierce Cravens
Publication Date: September 4, 2015
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
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Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet in this epic YA novel that follows two best friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the war between the Empire and the Rebellion.

This thrilling YA novel gives readers a macro view of some of the most important events in the Star Wars universe: from the purge of the Jedi in Episode III, to the beginnings of the rebellion in Star Wars Rebels, and through the fall of the Empire in Episodes IV-IV. Readers will experience these major moments through the eyes of two best friends who grow up in these troubling times, and find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

As with other Journey to Episode VII titles, hints about the upcoming film will be included in the narrative, as well a original, post-Episode VI content that sets up the new film.

DUAL NARRATIVE: Chapters alternate perspectives between our two protagonists – one a Rebel pilot, the other an Imperial officer. By exploring these two different worlds, readers will experience many of the major moments in the original Star Wars trilogy – from the destruction of the Death Star to the battle of Hoth – through these two characters' eyes.

Despite my love of the Star Wars films, Lost Stars is actually my first adventure into this literary galaxy. There were quite a few books I could've chosen from. Obviously, there's the original trilogy and literally hundreds of canon and "Legends" books that have been released over the years. Lucasfilm has also begun releasing children and adult books in their Journey to "The Force Awakens" series. But when I saw a YA Star Wars book written by an author I knew, I jumped at the chance to read it!

The first thing I will say about Lost Stars is that this.book.is.long. It's really, really long. Okay, so it's only a little over 500 pages (or 12 hours of reading). I think it's actually the content that made it seem to go on forever. I feel like a normal YA book spans maybe a few years. Maybe. But this one spans 20 years! We see Ciena and Thane as small children when the Empire is brand new, as students, as officers fresh out of the academy, all the way up to the rise of the New Republic. And perhaps because of that it seems to drag in a lot of places. On the flip side, this also gave me a chance to really get to know the characters, which may or may not have been a good thing.

I had a really hard time identifying with Ciena and understanding her motives. I feel like Claudia Gray tried really hard to explain Ciena's backstory and the customs on her home world, but I found myself being really over her constant talk of honor fairly quickly. I love some Darth Vader, so I can understand a little devotion to the Empire, but her choices just did not make sense at all. Thane, on the other hand, seemed to have a solid head on his shoulders. His motives made total sense and I think he was the far more sympathetic character. If I had been Thayne, I would have given up on Ciena long, long ago.

One thing I really enjoyed was getting to experience all of the classic battles and characters from a new angle. I appreciated the fact that this wasn't a strict retelling and the main characters of this story weren't overshadowed by more well-known faces. I did love Thayne's snide comments about Luke Skywalker (I was never his biggest fan)!

I really did enjoy this book a lot, just because it allowed me to explore the Star Wars universe in a new way! I think I would probably be easily bored with the "adult" Star Wars books, so this was a great fit for me. There were some downfalls, but overall it was a good read. I'd definitely recommend this to any fan who wants to get a little extra reading in before Episode 7!

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°o°  Notes on the Audiobook  °o°

There are a few things to be said for this audiobook because it was totally unlike any other I've listened to. It was full of the Star Wars soundtrack and there were some really amazing sound effects! This was like listening to a movie instead of just a narrator. That being said, Pierce Cravens was not the best choice for this book, in my opinion. I had a hard time reminding myself that this was a YA romance novel. He sounded very young and... too excited? I don't know, but it didn't quite fit. I feel like he would have been better as the narrator of the Percy Jackson series or something similar. 

ARC Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 608
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Reviews for book 2 & book 3

//I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review//

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

I love that Jay Kristoff calls Illuminae "a YA Sci-Fi... thing," because that's exactly what it was. This book has been on my radar ever since I saw who the other author was. Even though I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, Amie Kaufman's Starbound series is absolutely amazing and I will read anything she ever writes. Ever. I didn't know what to expect from this one, though. The synopsis sounds awesome, but it really doesn't reveal much. All I knew was that it would be really long, really weird, and really awesome. And I was really right. I feel like I can't say too much because this is a really easy book to spoil, but I'll do what I can!

This book starts off weird. It's a little jarring to be thrown directly into documents and emails and interviews. At first I didn't know if I'd be able to adjust - it was just way different than what I normally read. The writing style did make the reading go by insanely fast. I think I finished this book in two days in between a trip to Disney and 18 hours of driving. Once I started, it was really hard to stop!

Kady and Ezra are the two main characters throughout this reading experience (because it really is an experience). They are recently broken up and trapped on two different ships with only intermittent (and probably illegal) email and IM communications between them. It's really incredible that a relationship and a romance was able to exist in this kind of book, but my heart was totally invested in theirs. I loved what these two built amidst such dire circumstances.

Illuminae has it all - action, adventure, thrills, and romance. There was so much suspense building up to the ending... Artificial Intelligence is an area that both excites and terrifies me, and this book really plays on those fears. The AI is really frightening but is also sentient enough to have a distinct personality. Somehow the AI became a main character in Illuminae - one I actually found myself feeling for. And you know Amie Kaufman had to throw in one of her heart-stopping, tear-jerking moments that she is quickly becoming famous for (at least in my mind).

Amie Kaufman has struck once again and solidified my devotion to her beautiful books. I say again: I will read anything this woman writes. I've never read anything else by Jay Kristoff, but I certainly will be keeping an eye out for him in the future! Definitely check this one out no matter what your feelings are on Sci-Fi! I really doubt you'll be disappointed!

Book Review: The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 360
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You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch. 

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea caught my eye initially with its breathtaking cover and a promise of gothic horror, which I have generally found to be beautiful. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into, but I went into it with an open mind and most definitely found myself satisfied at the end.

Violet and her brother live on a cliff overlooking the sea. And they live there alone. Their parents are off in France doing artsy things (they probably should not have had children). Meanwhile, the bills are stacking up and something has to be done. To keep themselves afloat without their parents to help them, Violet decides to rent out the guest house, which is where River comes in. From the very beginning, I really liked River. There was something a little off about him and I found myself often annoyed with his constant question evasions. Still, there was something incredibly romantic about him and I could totally sympathize with Violet's complete inability not to fall in love with him.

The mystery surrounding River really made this book's horror elements unique and amazing. The atmosphere of the small town the events took place in felt so realistically creepy... it was most definitely one of the better worlds I've read in a semi-contemporary setting. I was on edge from the very first chapter while also feeling wrapped up in the romance. Tucholke's writing plays no small part in the mood of this book! I found myself completely immersed in this world and had a hard time putting the book down. Something about her writing style just sucked me in!

And then that story... I had no clue what I was getting into with this one and I was totally blown away by the unique plot of The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. This is one of those books that doesn't leave me much room in the review to tell you -why- it's so good without giving too much away and ruining it (which might be why I had no idea what to expect). Just trust me on this one - you want to read it!

I love it when I have no expectations and find myself in the middle of a really unexpectedly awesome book! I won't say it's perfect, but I did really enjoy it and am definitely planning to pick up the sequel. If you're a fan of gothic horror that isn't too terribly scary and includes a little romance, definitely give this one a try!

Audiobook Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Title: The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Narrator: Claire Danes
Publication Date: January 1, 1985
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
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Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

I have heard about this book for years, but never actually felt compelled to read it. When I found an audiobook and discovered that it was narrated by Claire Danes, I decided it was finally time to take the plunge! I had no real idea of what to expect, only that it was supposed to be pretty shocking. I came away extremely confused.

This is probably the hardest book ever to review and rate because it seems like everyone loves it. I didn't. Maybe because it's 2015 and it takes a lot to shock me? I don't know. This book was just a big confusing mess that was honestly kind of painful to get through. There were times when I had no idea what was going on, when the narrator would jump back and forth in time or go off on some random tangent. It was difficult to keep up and, honestly, really hard to believe. I know this is fiction and I know there has to be a level of suspension of disbelief, but this book asked for more than I could give.

Since everything that could possibly be said about this book is already out there, I'm just going to focus on a couple things. My biggest issue with The Handmaid's Tale is the idea that this society even exists. I think the biggest strike against this book is that Margaret Atwood set it in a recognizable time and place. If this had been a dystopian novel set in the distant future, it would have been a lot easier to accept. But asking me to believe that Offred lived in both "normal" America and in this completely insane dystopian society? I just can't.

Could something like this ever happen? I really doubt it. But IF it did, it would not happen in a matter of five years or so. People would never accept it. Husbands would not just roll over and allow their wives to be taken and used. And even more obviously, women would NOT allow themselves to be used in this way. I've read other dystopian fiction where children were raised in a cult-like setting and grew to accept completely insane lifestyles. But society as a whole could not be taken from modern America and thrown into this. The Handmaid's Tale doesn't do nearly enough to justify these circumstances. The fact is, society is not nearly as terrible as the author seems to imply. We are actually living in the most peaceful times in history. Certainly, we will not end up like this, at least in the very near future.

I wanted to love this book so much! Most of you probably know that I'm a huge fan of dystopian fiction. But The Handmaid's Tale was just ridiculous. Maybe in the 80s people were shocked by this. And if Margaret Atwood was aiming solely for shock value, perhaps she hit her mark. But as a cautionary tale, this really fell short for me. I'm not down with books that only exist to scare people, and I feel like that was this one's main goal.

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°o°  Notes on the Audiobook  °o°

It's Claire Danes. Does anything else really need to be said? Claire Danes is a fantastic actor and she's a great voice actor as well! I'd love to listen to anything else that she narrates!

Audiobook Review: Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Title: Daughter of Deep Silence
Author: Carrie Ryan
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Publication Date: May 26, 2015
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers 
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I’m the daughter of murdered parents.
I’m the friend of a dead girl.
I’m the lover of my enemy.
And I will have my revenge.

In the wake of the devastating destruction of the luxury yacht Persephone, just three souls remain to tell its story—and two of them are lying. Only Frances Mace knows the terrifying truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to avenge the murders of everyone she held dear. Even if it means taking down the boy she loves and possibly losing herself in the process.

Sharp and incisive, Daughter of Deep Silence by bestselling author Carrie Ryan is a deliciously smart revenge thriller that examines perceptions of identity, love, and the lengths to which one girl is willing to go when she thinks she has nothing to lose.

There's a certain connection I think I have with authors I've loved previously that makes me assume I'll love them forever and always and everything they write will be gold. Because of this I've found myself more than a little disappointed with a few books this year alone. Some examples that come immediately to mind are The Cage by Megan Shepherd and Mortal Danger by Ann Aguirre. Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth was one of the first YA books I read when I really started getting into the genre. I was blown away by the entire series and fell in love with her as a writer. So when I saw this book for the first time I had no doubt that I would love it just as much. But it wasn't meant to be.

Immediately I was sold on the synopsis for this book. I can definitely get on board with a good revenge plot, even in a contemporary setting. Frances sounded like a total badass and I was really excited to get to know her! Maybe my expectations were just too high for this book. I expected Emily Thorne but I got a whiney 18 year old with a crush.

Let me tell you about Frances (a.k.a. Libby) and why I didn't buy her character. From the very beginning of this book all she tells us is that she's angry and wants revenge and has this big, amazing plan laid out to make everyone PAY. But that's all she does. She tells us. In reality, she forgets all of her "plans" from the moment she sees Gray, the guy who she (apparently) fell in love with four years ago, when she was 14 and knew him for a couple days on a cruise. Maybe I was just way behind all the other 14 year olds, but I never fell in love. I literally saved gum wrappers from when my crush gave me some gum at church. I wish I was kidding. But I wasn't falling in love and I surely was not making it to whatever base Frances and Gray got to in their make out sessions. What I'm trying to say is, the romance is totally unbelievable.

In case you haven't caught on, this is a romance novel, not a revenge novel. Every single thing that happens in Frances' "revenge plot" is totally by chance. Literally the wrong person showing up at the right time. I also didn't understand how she intended to pull off this supposed plot. On the one hand, Emily Thorne spent YEARS of her life training with a revenge -master- to avenge her father. On the other hand, Frances spent four years in boarding school and is supposed to be some kind of master of deception. Yeah, okay.

There were just SO many things in this story that I just couldn't buy. I understand that there's a level of suspension of disbelief that has to happen when reading fiction, but this just went above and beyond.

Frances is not a badass and she has no skills. She's 18. She's a rich, spoiled, boarding school kid who is in love with her sworn enemy (or so she says). Sure, Emily Thorne pretends to be in love with Daniel Grayson (is it a coincidence that the love interest in this novel is named Gray?), but it's just pretend and it's all part of her plan.

Spoilery problems I have with the plot of this book:

1. The reason behind the attack on the Persephone is ridiculous. I'm supposed to believe that an entire cruise ship of people was slaughtered to kill off a few people in an environmentalist group? Give me a break. 
2. If Tom wanted Frances dead, she would have been dead. He literally had her throat against a stair cutting off her air. He could have snapped her neck without any effort. He could have choked her to death with no effort. He was a trained assassin. She was literally defenseless. The fact that she didn't die is deus ex machina at its finest. 
3. The cop. Oh my god, the cop. First of all, if Frances was going to spill every single thing that happened, why the heck didn't she do it from the beginning?? And even more importantly, NO cop in the world (or at least no good one, which we're supposed to believe this one is) would go along with letting a guy go to jail for a crime he didn't commit, even if he was a scumbag. 
4. Gray. Frances supposedly pulls off her master plan and escapes to her new life with no strings attached. WHY would she then sabotage the whole thing by sending Gray tons of evidence against her along with her address? I mean, really?? 

This book is Revenge for young adults, but where Revenge is amazing in almost every way, Daughter of Deep Silence falls apart. Perhaps this is where the fact that I am -not- a young adult really comes through? I am a YA junkie, but I think that maybe someone younger would be able to forgive all these faults or overlook them altogether. I enjoyed the survival aspects of the book, and some of the minor characters were really well-done. There was also enough mystery to keep me coming back. It just wasn't enough. I wanted to love this so freaking much, but I just can't get past the ridiculousness of the plot and the main character.

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°o°  Notes on the Audiobook  °o°

Karissa Vacker was a fantastic narrator and probably the reason I stuck through to the ending of this one! She did a great job of distinguishing between the different characters and making their emotions believable. I'd definitely pick up another book by her! 

Book Review: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Title: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall
Author: Katie Alender
Publication Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Point
Pages: 336
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In this asylum, your mind plays tricks on you all the time…

Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females—an insane asylum nicknamed “Hysteria Hall.” However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep “troubled” girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia gets trapped.

And that’s when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the halls in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia finds that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, as well, harbors shocking truths within its walls—truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

But she’ll need to act quickly, before the house’s power overtakes everything she loves.

From master of suspense Katie Alender comes a riveting tale of twisted memories and betrayals, and the meaning of madness.

As you may know, I am always on the hunt for my next favorite horror novel - I'm a horror junkie, after all. I'll admit I was a little bit skeptical of The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, just because I didn't know quite what to expect from the description. Still, ghosts and asylums... yes, please! Know this: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall is not really horror. At least, it isn't scary. It's a little creepy, yes, but I never found myself actually scared. That isn't to say it wasn't a good story, because it totally was!

The heroine of this story is Delia, the proud new owner of an insane asylum. She's pretty much your average teenager with her own little bit of angst, which is to be expected in a YA novel. I liked her character a lot because she seemed real. She wasn't one of those annoying protagonists who isn't afraid of anything and walks into danger just because she's such a total badass. Instead, Delia spends a lot of the book totally confused and occasionally terrified (as she should be). I also really enjoyed several of the other ghost girls! They each had distinct traits and were able to reveal information without being info dumpy.

One thing I feel is slightly misleading about the description is the inclusion of Theo. From the synopsis on the cover, I got the impression that there would be a romantic aspect to this story, but there really isn't. Theo is still an interesting character who adds another level of mystery, but he's certainly not the romantic interest I was anticipating.

The story itself was pretty interesting. Honesty, it's more mystery than horror. I liked the unique elements that Katie Alender added to the classic ghost descriptions. For example, the way time moves is different for the ghosts of Hysteria Hall. Ultimately, I felt like I was left with some unanswered questions and there were a few contradictions throughout the course of the book that I had a hard time overlooking.

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall is a good, mysterious ghost story with some twists and turns that I didn't see coming. While I had a few problems with it, they weren't enough to detract from the fact that I did enjoy this book. I'd definitely recommend this one to those who are looking for a lighter horror novel!

Audiobook Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
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Review for book 1

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Throne of Glass was a book that I was really encouraged (read: forced) to read and finally gave into a couple months ago. I did enjoy it, but it didn't completely blow me away. Crown of Midnight was most definitely the better book of the two, but I still came away with a lot of questions.

This one picks up shortly after book one left off, with Celaena as the king's champion, going about "killing" all of his enemies. But is she really? In this book we see Celaena with a heart, which is a little confusing, to be honest, after book one went to such lengths to establish her as a badass assassin. Still, she continued to be an enjoyable character.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the romance with Chaol! The love triangle is GONE (thank goodness) and she can focus her attentions on the man she actually cares about. Dorian is still there, of course, but they remain (very awkward) friends, growing closer as more and more of the plot is revealed.

Nehemia is one character I actually didn't care for, and that may be going against the grain. She was pushy and downright rude at times, but I suppose she served her purpose. A few new, mysterious characters are also introduced and added a fantastic new element to the story!

While the world building was also really well done (again) I think my absolute favorite aspect of Crown of Midnight is the plot! The first book started to really bore me with the whole competition aspect that seemed to drag on and on. This one really picks up with the fantasy and mystery and it was really great! I loved each new piece of the puzzle that was introduced. There were still parts that I was left confused about.

It's revealed in this book that Celaena is Fae... and a queen. What? How were these things completely left out of the first book and until the very end of the second? Wouldn't we have learned this somehow through exposition. I feel like this is something Celaena would have thought about over the months. It almost feels like Maas had to add something in quickly to make the story longer. Didn't I read somewhere that this was never supposed to be a series? I like the direction that the story is taking now, but it seems a little thrown together, to be honest.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than Throne of Glass. The writing is terrific and kept me interested, the story is better, the characters are better... the whole thing is better! I can't wait to read book three!

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°o°  Notes on the Audiobook  °o°

I really enjoyed Elizabeth Evans as a voice actor! She really brought the book to life and was never annoying or whiney (as some female narrators tend to be...). Her voice for each character was distinct and not too cheesy. I'd definitely listen to more books by her!