Scarlet

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, 2)
by Marissa Meyer
Rating: 5 Bows!

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

It just keeps getting better! I haven't found a YA series that progressively gets better as the books go by since Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments. Marissa Meyer has an act for intertwining fairy tails with her novels without us even noticing because we are too wrapped up in the story...and I love that!

Scarlet starts right where Cinder left off and the action starts from there. 

In a way this was two different stories to me until I got close to the end. We meet Scarlet a red-headed farmer who is looking for her Kidnapped grandmother. She meets Wolf, a mysterious fellow who seems to know where her grandmother is. And so the journey begins for these two.

Then we have Cinder. Following the doctors orders, she escapes prison, but not alone. Captain Thorne is a prisoner as well and with his help, they manage to flee the prison. Cinder and Captain Thorne set off to find the woman who was responsible for bringing Cinder to Earth.

While everyone is off on their journey, Emperor Kai is dealing with the Lunar Queen and the fact that she has launched attacks on Earth. 

The new characters were perfect in this story, Wolf was powerful and secretive and that made him so sexy! Captain Thorne was handsome and down right hilarious! And Scarlet was so much like Cinder, strong when she needed to be while still being a teenager and falling for Wolf. 

Marissa Meyer I salute you! This was a fantastic sequel to Cinder and I can't wait for Cress. My only complaint is WHY WON'T IT COME OUT SOONER!!!!

Cinder

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, 1)
by Marissa Meyer
Rating: 5 Bows!

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I did it, I gave in to the hype that is Cinder and you know what? It was all it was cracked up to be!! It was a wonderful rendition of cyborg-Cinderella! Say what now? You heard me, our "Cinderella" is a cyborg...in a dystpoian era...how cool is that?

I've gotta give Marissa Meyer credit for creating such a unique character in Cinder. I absolutely loved Cinder. Cinder is not all human, she's a cyborg because of her metal leg and hand. But that's not all, she also has no tear ducts and she can't blush. I'm not sure if that's a bad thing, not being able to blush, I mean you wouldn't have to look like a tomato whenever you're swooning for a boy, right?! 
I loved that Cinder's personality was a mix of sarcasm and heroism. She truly has a warriors heart.

Prince Kai was just like any other male character but he was also different. The way he acted, sometimes unsure and shy about himself, mad him so much more swoon worthy! Oh Kai <3

Even the side characters were great. They provided a good balance to the hecticness that was going on in Cinder's life and brought laughter and tears to my eyes. 

The story had an easy flow to it and even though some parts were predictable, I hardly paid attention to that because I was too busy laughing and enjoying myself with Cinder's sarcastic comments!!
This book is a great read and everyone should pick up a copy, I promise it won't disappoint!!

Oh Mondays...

I just started reading Cinder so I have no reviews to post yet so I thought I would do something a little different today. When I was looking through Barnes and Noble online for other books to buy, I stumbled upon some series that I read and that I had completely forgot about!! Now I am one to finish a book, even if its terrible, because I'm OCD that way and I even continue to read the series because I just can't help it.

So I have decided to vent/express my thoughts and comments about a 2 series that I have been disappointed by and 1 that has brought me back to them! Ready? Here we go!

*Please keep in mind that these are my opinions and may be different than yours, please be kind :)*

1) House of Night Series by P.C Cast and Kristen Cast

I started this series when I was a sophomore in high school and the books were amazing! BUT, there's always a but, I stopped at the fourth book. Why?? Because I felt the authors were just dragging on the series and each book seemed to get even more ridiculous than the last. It got to the point where I was thinking, "Zoey, why are you such a slut?" and I knew then that it was over for me. It's been 6 years since I started this series and I can't bring myself to finish it; I still can't believe that there are 11 books to this series and a 12th one on its way, stop, please just stop!

2) The Immortals by Alyson Noel
I don't really have any negative things to say about this series except that it bore me. I did finish this series for the sake of finishing but it took me a while. I don't know what happened, I mean I liked the first novel, the second one was okay, and then it just started getting a little twilight-ish to me. I did feel like it dragged on and I just got confused about everything that was going on at one point... It was a different type of story however so I give it bonus points for that!

3) Dark-Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
I have been dedicated to this series for years...but again, I stopped reading the books after the 14th or so book. It wasn't because they were getting terrible or because the story dragged on, it was more because in every book we were introduced to characters and those characters each got, or are getting, their own book but the characters that have been there from the beginning, that clearly have a major impact in the series, have yet to have a book of their own! At the very least I would like some more background information on who they really are, but no, we haven't gotten that and it's been 12 years...
HOWEVER, I did read a statement Sherillyn Kenyon released on her Facebook page addressing the exact same issues I was upset about, and I shouted "AMEN" so I'm feeling a little hopeful and I plan to get back into this series ASAP!

Well that's all for now, Happy Monday everyone!!!

Under The Never Sky

Under The Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
Rating: 4 Bows!

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINIES BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Can I just say how beautiful and captivating the cover is? I must admit that the covers of books sometimes determine whether I get the book or not, I try really hard not to do that though but it just happens! Well the cover of this book definitely drew my attention. Again, I'm not very big on the whole "earth is destroyed and there's different worlds" types of books so I never really wanted to read this. There was however so much hype about this book that I gave in and read it.

However I was a little disappointed, there was so much hype that I expected this grand story and it just fell a little flat to me. There were some things that I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around and some things that I thought needed a little more explanation. I ended the book with questions (which is not a happy thing for me) like "What happened to Cinder?" "What exactly is Aether" but it is a series so I'm assuming explanations will be given later.

On a good note, I did like Aria. She behaved like any normal person would if they were in her situation. She was scared and confused being left in an unknown place and it took her time to gradually trust in Perry and have courage in herself. This is a big thing for me because it makes the character more believable and relatable. 

Perry was just as great. Being a "savage" he pretty much acted like one through out the story until he came to accept Aria and trust in her. I loved all his mad skills and the concept of his abilities. What I really liked about Perry was that he didn't automatically fall in love with Aria, it took time and it progressed through out the book. 

The side characters play big roles in the story and they brought humor and suspense to Aria and Perry's quest. I gotta say though, I hope we see more of Roar in the next book, he cracks me up!

For being a novel with a theme that I stay away from, it was good. I wouldn't say it was up there with the hype it was given, but that's just me. I think everyone should give this book a chance and it may turn out to be your cup of tea and you'll really love it. I'll definitely be picking up the second novel "Through The Ever Night"!

Shattered Promises

Shattered Promises (Shattered Promises, 1)
by Jessica Sorenen
Rating: 3 Bows!

For twenty-one year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. She knows nothing about her past and has been haunted by the same monsters in her nightmares for the last few months. Unemotional and numb to life, she feels disconnected from everyone. Until the very first day she cries. After that, nothing in her life is the same. Her emotions slowly surface and she starts experiencing love, happiness, and anger, feelings she never knew existed. But they leave her confused and she doesn’t know whether to embrace them or run away from them. Her life only gets more complicated when she meets Alex. Sexy, arrogant, and secretive, Alex can get under Gemma’s skin like no one can. Yet she’s drawn to him by an invisible connection she has no control over. She’s also seen him before. In her nightmares. Every part of Gemma’s mind is screaming at her to stay away from Alex, but every other part of her is begging to get close to him. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes Alex knows more about her than he originally let on. As secrets about her past unravel, Gemma’s life becomes threatened. She needs to figure out what’s going on, before she winds up dead. But the only person she can turn to for answers is the one person she isn’t sure she can trust.

Shattered Promises is a re-imagined version of Jessica Sorensen's YA series Fallen Star. When I read this book I had no idea that it was a different version of the YA series so I had no idea what this book was about. When I read the synopsis however, I was very intrigued. The story was original, different from everything I have read so it immediately peeked my interest. 

Sadly, it did not turn out the way I had hoped. Don't get me wrong, the book itself was good and it has potential, but the story was rushed so I didn't get to know the characters at all which made it hard to connect with them.

The action and plot was unusual and interesting enough to keep me reading. The main problem was the interactions between Gemma and Alex. When Gemma meets Alex she feels an "electricity" towards him whenever he's around. Of course, this would make her feel attracted to him, even if he's a jerk, and I can understand that. What I can't understand is after all the lies Alex has told and all the secrets he's kept, Gemma still falls into bed with him. Really? In my opinion, I would think you would need a little something more than feeling "electricity" to sleep with someone. This is where my issues with the characters really hits home. If we were given more time to learn about the characters and let their connections grow, I wouldn't have a hard time believing their actions. 

This book was "meh" in my opinion because in the end, the plot was good and kept me interested. I'm hoping that in the next book we're given more time and information to get to know the characters and understand their relationships. 

Hemlock (Hemlock, 1)

Hemlock (Hemlock, 1)
by Kathleen Peacock
Rating: 4 Bows!

Mackenzie Dobson's life has been turned upside down since she vowed to hunt her best friend Amy's killer: a white werewolf. Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country, and bloodlust is not easy to control. But it soon becomes clear that dangerous secrets are lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, Mac's hometown—and she is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her in grave danger.

I started this book at 9pm and finished it at 2am because it was that good! The synopsis gives little details about the story so I was a little hesitant reading the story but from the first page you're thrust into the action and it doesn't let up until the very end!

There was plenty of action and suspense but overall I would categorize this book as a mystery. So we have Mac, whose best friend Amy was murdered by a werewolf and is determined to find her killer. Mac's best quality, in my opinion, is her loyalty to her friends Jason and Kyle, the fact that she is determined to help them get over Amy's death and not hit rock bottom. 

There is a bit of romance but wait for it...it's a love triangle! Normally I steer clear of these but in this case I felt like it wasn't really a love triangle. We have Jason and Kyle who are best friends but completely different in personalities and some other stuff... Jason is broken and on the verge of being an alcoholic due to Amy's death. He's on a path to destruction because of his rage but he's also sweet and protective towards Mac. Kyle, has issues of his own but he's sweet and protective and the Mac can always rely on him.

The good thing about this "love Triangle" is that Mac makes her choice, I won't say who 'cuz you have to read the book, but I can't say I'm too happy with her choice. However, from reading the story it's pretty clear that Mac isn't too sure about who she loves and I really hope that Mac will end up with the other person in the upcoming books!! 

Hemlock was a good book filled with mystery and action and it's a great start to the trilogy. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of ThornHill and I can't wait to see where Kathleen Peacock takes this series!

Altered (Altered, 1)

Altered (Altered, 1)
by Jennifer Rush
Rating: 5 Bows!

When you can't trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Before I start my review, can I just say how gorgeous the cover of this book is?! The guy looks pretty hot, the dark and eerie feel to it is intriguing, and the branch tattoo is awesome! I love it!

Okay, by a first glance you may think that this book is dytopian themed but it's actually a thriller. I haven't read many, if any at all, books in this theme but after reading Altered, I think I just might.

I really liked the protagonist Anna. She wasn't whiny or ditzy, she was smart and level-headed and every thing she did I found reasonable, in my opinion, and that's what I loved the most about her.

The boys all had distinct personalities: Nick is stand-ofish and at times mean, Trev is always calm and reasonable, Cas is a joker and kept the tension at bay, and Sam is the smartest of the group and the leader. The boys work together exceptionally well and the way they handle situations is pretty darn cool. I liked watching Anna's interactions with each of the boys because they all were so different from each other. 

This is a thriller so that's really the main focus of the novel but we are given a little romance..YAY!! Although there isn't much, from what we are given Sam and Anna make a pretty good pair. Their both loyal to the group and you can see that the feelings they have towards one another is something that could possibly grow into something bigger.

I am so in love with this book and I would recommend it to everyone! There's action, suspense, and little bit of romance thrown in there to keep everyone on their toes! Jennifer Rush, I applaud you, you have made a new fan and I look forward to Erased (Altered, 2)!