Rush by Eve Silver

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

My Review:

Had potential. But some things that I couldn't get over:

1. INSTALOVE. For some reason that isn't really explained, Miki immediately falls in love with Jackson. Like...literally the first time she sees him. Nope.

2. IT MAKES NO FREAKING SENSE. Besides the strange idea of being pulled into a video game that is actually real life, there were points in this book that drove my nuts (also the fact that this was never really explained...such as HOW?).
Ex.  Jackson wears sunglasses all the time. But somehow, Miki is able to read every expression he has. How can that be possible if he's hiding half his face?!

This book was just...I don't know. There was potential there, but this was just not good.

2/5 Stars

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Review:

WOW.

Killer aliens, a romance, kids fighting for their lives (but on their own!).  A vivid fantasy world was created in this book by Yancey, along with stellar characters.

I'm not even sure what to say about this book. It was amazing. Nothing I expected and better than I could have anticipated.  I really wish it hadn't taken me so long to pick this book up.  I had heard lots of hype but never took the time to see for myself.  And OMG now I understand why people are going nuts.

Right from the first page, I was hooked.  Yancey uses an interesting storytelling technique to describe the events of the previous waves.  We learn about them through other scenarios going on and memories and one of the main characters talks to us.

There were also multiple POVs in this book with different chapters.  I think this is what really tied the book together and made it what it was.  All the characters eventually have a connection and their stories all mix, giving us a complete picture of everything that went on in this post-apocalyptic world.  One of the main characters, Cassie, might be one of my favorite heroins.  She was strong, courageous, SMART, and also relate-able.  The other characters were also phenomenal and I seriously looked this book.

I need the second book STAT.

5/5 Stars

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same? 

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My Review:

Despite the rather lackluster cover, this is one of my new favorite dystopians book.  It had all the right element to really hold me interested.

I loved the idea of there being a test that participants must pass in order to "earn" their right to go to college.  Add to that the fact that the test is dangerous and people die, and you've good me hooked.

The characters were well-developed and surprisingly relate-able.  A nice romance developed without it overpowering the story or the action taking place.

If you like dystopians, you've got to at least give this book a shot!

5/5 Stars

Hot, Hot, Hot!

I'm practically dying waiting for The Young Elites to come out! This new book is supposedly a mix of X-Men, Assassin's Creed, and Game of Thrones...  Count me in!



The author, Maire Lu, has even done some illustrations of characters from the book and they look awesome!




I need this book NOW!!!  Read the awesome blurb below!

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.


Release date: October 7, 2014

BRB. Fangirling.

Cover of the Week!

This week's gorgeous cover goes to... Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins!



Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Looking for a good mystery, historical-fiction?  This is definitely for you!



His Fair Assassin #1

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

My Review:

First of all, I have to say I really enjoyed this book!  The concept of there being a school that teaches girls to become assassins and Masters of Death was super cool.  I loved the idea that they have to go through training on how to fight and make poisons.

The characters were very likable.  The heroine, Ismae, was not a dumb girl who constantly doubted herself and needed a man to care for her.  She was strong and courageous, which was good to see in a protagonist.  I was rooting for her and her eventual love interest, Duval, the whole time!  That romance and sexual tension was a nice addition to the book.

This was also something of a mystery shrouding the castle where Ismae works.  I figured out the traitor a little bit earlier than it was figured out in the book, but it was a good journey.

Overall, this was a good, fast paced, action-packed read!  The touch of romance and sexual tension made it all the more enjoyable.  Definitely will have to keep tabs on this series!

4/5 Stars  

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors and when I read the spoof for this book, I knew I had to read it! (Review below)



Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Review:

Panic. What is it?! That's what drove me to pick this book up.

I read it in one sitting in about 4 hours. But even though I flew through it, there were some things that irked me. The only truly exciting moments of the book were when events of Panic were taking place. The rest of the time, I found myself just reading to get through it. Sometimes, names would come up that I could not put a background to. I felt like there was no connection with even the main characters. Overall, it was wrapped nicely (a little too nicely!). If you're looking for a quick read with some action, this could be it.

The premise of the book had a lot of promise, but I feel like it just didn't really deliver.

3/5 Stars

Cover of the Week!

This week goes to... Teardrop by Lauren Kate!




Never, ever cry... Seventeen-year-old Eureka won't let anyone close enough to feel her pain. After her mother was killed in a freak accident, the things she used to love hold no meaning. She wants to escape, but one thing holds her back: Ander, the boy who is everywhere she goes, whose turquoise eyes are like the ocean. And then Eureka uncovers an ancient tale of romance and heartbreak, about a girl who cried an entire continent into the sea. Suddenly her mother's death and Ander's appearance seem connected, and her life takes on dark undercurrents that don't make sense. Can everything you love be washed away?


This one will have to be added to the To-Read list!

BITTERBLUE COVER!!!

OMG I can't believe it is finally happening! The beautiful cover for Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore has been released- along with the publication date: MAY 1, 2012!! I CAN'T WAIT!

Link to Cashore's blog where she talks about the release of Bitterblue: http://kristincashore.blogspot.com/2011/10/bitterblue-news-ive-been-promising.html

Cover of the Week!

Yay new Cover of the Week!  This week it is As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott.  This was released September 15.  Get it while it's hot!



Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.

Insurgent Cover!

Wow, not sure whne this happened but the cover for Insurgent (Divergent #2) is out!! And it looks awesome!



Hurry up May 28!

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Iron Fey Series #2

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Review:

I'm falling in love with this series!  It took a few pages for me to get back into the story and remember everything that happened perviously.  Luckily, Ms. Kagawa got right on that and had brief little catch up sessions.  Anyhoo, the book was full of adventure!  And hints of romance and jealousy (my favorite ;) ) between Puck, Ash, and Meghan.  We dive deeper into the rules of fairies and their sparkly glamours.  There is really something that is so... gosh, I don't know how to explain Kagawa's writing.  Light, maybe?  It's so fast and fun to read, but her characters are so intense.  I feel like I really know them!  She writes so beautifully.  I really, really, really love her books.  I'm reading The Iron Queen now so I can read Summer's Crossing from PUCK'S POINT OF VIEW!! AHHHH!

5/5 Stars

Cover of the Week!

Alright this week my favorite cover is Entwined by Heather Dixon!  Besides the cover, I also love the main character's name- Azalea.  Don't get a lot of those!



Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

Mortal Instruments Movie

Woooo Mortal Instruments move update!!  The beloved Clary will be played by Lily Collins!  She has acted in The Blind Side, Priest, and soon to be released Abduction (with Taylor Lautner!).  And Jace will be played by... (DUN DUN DUN) Jamie Campbell Bower! Now, I don't know this particular actor but I'm really hoping he's good because I love Jace and don't want to see his part ruined!  Jamie has acted in Sweeney Todd, New Moon, Breaking Dawn, and freaking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!! (Ok, I did not know that last one and I must admit, I am impressed.  Harry Potter is my absolute favorite!  Apparently, he plays the part of Gellert Grindelwald- which kinda makes me wonder how old he is... K just checked, 23 I think?  Anyway, this role impresses me!) But again, I really hope Lily and Jamie can pull off the role of these characters because I do not want this book/movie to be ruined like another popular YA book *cough* Twilight *cough.*  The movie is set to be released sometime in 2012!  Dang that's gonna be a big year!

              

Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

My Review:

O.M.G.
Woo what a ride! I nearly forgot how it felt to be obsessed with a book so much that I would carry it around with me literally everywhere I went. I love dystopians books more than anything, so this book was spot on for me. There was exciting adventure, a strong heroine, a sexy love interest, and an original dystopian plot. The main character Tris falls for Four about halfway-ish through the book and I couldn't stop yelling at her in my head, "KISS HIM ALREADY YOU FOOL!" Haha! I really liked the whole faction idea, and having to choose which one you wanted be in FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. And then, it wasn't even guarenteed you got in! You could be left "factionless!" Yikes! And OMG I was seriously so shocked at one of the deaths I didn't know what to do! I kept expecting the character to pop up later on in the books and be like "Haha! You thought a bullet could kill ME?!" But sadly, no. Anyway, I absolutely loved loved loved this book! I can't wait for book numero 2!!!!!!

5/5 Stars

Cover of the Week!

This week's awesome cover is Possession by Elana Johnson! It's so simple, yet... creepy.  And that catchphrase: control or be controlled.  Sure makes for an intriguing story!



Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.
My Review:

I love a good fairy book, and that's exactly what this was. I think fairy books are among the most interesting and varying of all the "monster" types of books. All the fairy books give fairies different origins and powers. This book went right along with that. This was a fresh, intersting take on them. The main character is Laurel, who is slowly finding out who she truly is. She makes friends with a beautiful fairy named Tamani. Okay, let me just say I loved Tamani. Honestly, I don't know why Laurel won't just tell David to leave her alone. I mean, come on! Tamani is a fairy! And he's gorgeous! I suppose I'll have to read the next book to make sure she doesn't get too enthralled with David. But anyway, good book. Fun twist on fairies. Refreshing. Exciting. Read it.

4/5 Stars

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

My Review:
Wither (Chemical Garden #1)

Want an awesome dystopian read? Then this book is for you.
Wither is takes place in a beautiful mansion in a crazed world. All females die at the age of 20, and males at the age of 25. This is the work of the disease, with no known cure. Rhine is 16 years old when she is kidnapped and forced to marry a man named Linden. While living in his house, her and her sister wives realize just how dangerous, in fact deadly, the world has come to be.
I LOOOVED this book! And the cover!! I have been waiting for this book for sooo long and I was ecstatic to read it! And let me tell you, I was not dissappointed. The three main sister wives are so incredibly REAL. While reading this book, I felt like I was watching a movie. Everything is so picturesque. Of course, this book has a dark side. There are creepy "villians," blood and death galore. But it's so exciting! This book will have you turning pages at a fantastic rate! I can' wait until the next in the series comes out!

5/5 Stars

Cover of the Week!

This week's cover of the week award goes to Luminous by Dawn Metcalf!  This cover is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  Not to mention the interesting story line!



As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.
When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

Hunger Games Movie Updates!

Woo so much exciting news!  Shooting is planned to begin on MONDAY at the set's location in Hildebran, NC!!  This picture has also been released - I think it is Katniss's house!



Here is a cute picture of Jennifer Lawrence (AKA KATNISS) posing before her interview on the David Letterman show.



Portia and Octavia have also been cast!  These were the loud and excited stylers for Peeta and Katniss.  Latarsha Rose will play Portia and Brooke Bundy will play Octavia, a member of Katniss's team of stylers.  Still to be cast is Cinna- who I adore!  This is a huge role to fill and I can't wait to see who they get!