Review: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Date Released: May 1st, 2012
Pages: 525
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Review:
Oh. My. Goodness. Insurgent was just an amazing, mindblowing sequel to Divergent and I enjoyed every single bit of it! Everything in this book was just absolutely awesome. There was just the right amount of romance, intensity, action, and AWESOMENESS to keep me glued to the book from cover to cover.

Insurgent basically leaves off where Divergent leaves off, and then takes off from there, leading you through a roller coaster ride of a story full of intense action scenes and shocking revelations. Tris and Four go around everywhere in their isolated city of Chicago, from the Amity headquarter to the headquarters of the factionless, and they even end up in the Candor headquarter at one point, too! It was just exciting to see where they would end up next and what those places would bring them.

I will admit that Tris was a bit annoying in Insurgent, or at least I found her to be that way. I admire her headstrong personality and courage, but sometimes it was just too much that she would make pretty risky decisions, which is probably why she was placed in Dauntless... But still. You need to be rational sometimes (I could obviously NEVER be in Dauntless). I still loved Four though :) Oh, Four. You're just like the coolest bad boy protective boyfriend ever even though Tris doesn't want that protectiveness.

Roth is still able to keep that perfect balance of romance and action/suspense in Insurgent, with the romance not exactly overpowering the rest of the novel, but still making it somewhat important. It is, of course, the thing that really keeps me going in any book, but action and suspense still works, too :D 

From reading Insurgent, you discover so much more about Tris's world.  You learn more about the different factions and how they each have their own types of dessert, special serums, and whatnot.  There are also a whole bunch of secrets and surprises that come about in Insurgent that just keep you wanting to find out more! 

Overall, Insurgent is a fantastic follow up to Divergent. Everything was just absolutely incredible in the novel, despite Tris's slight flaw. Insurgent of course leaves off on a cliffhanger, so I will definitely be impatiently waiting for the next book! If you haven't read Divergent yet, I suggest that you go get it now! If you're a big fan of the dystopian genre in general, then you should definitely give this a try.

Cover Review:
While the covers for both Divergent and Insurgent don't exactly have that beauty that the covers for the Beautiful Creatures novels or the Wolves of Mercy Falls series posses, I still like it because of how much they just fit with the series and what it's about. This time, the cover for Insurgent displays the symbol for the Amity faction with a Chicago landscape gracing the bottom of the cover. I must say that the symbol is absolutely beautiful with the leaves just going around the tree. I really like the color scheme as well and how this cover and Divergent's cover are practically like fraternal twins. 

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

The 30 Day Divergent Challenge

To tell the truth, I don't have a Tumblr.  But, I do kind of stalk some of them that are book related.  Actually, mainly the ones that are The Hunger Games, Divergent, or The Mortal Instruments related... However, that's besides the point :)

Anyways, one day, I stumbled upon the 30 Day Divergent Challenge on youareholdingaloadedgun-youidiot.tumblr.com (apparently the Divergent Facebook page has already found it) and I was like, "YES! CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!" even though I don't have a Tumblr, so this will be a Blogger thing for me :D  I therefore dedicate July (even though there are 31 days) to the 30 Day Divergent Challenge, in which every single day starting July 1st I will post about each of the challenges!

Let's hope that I'll actually keep up with the challenge and get all the way from 1 to 30!!  

Are you up for the challenge?  Tell me below in the comments if you're going to join in on the Divergent Challenge or if you're already working your way through it!

Cleo :)

*Divergent&Insurgent covers from here.

**Challenge picture taken from youareholdingaloadedgun-youidiot.tumblr.com

Review: The Power of Six

Title: The Power of Six
Author: Pittacus Lore
Date Released: August 23rd, 2011
Pages: 406
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:
I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.

Review:
Holy guacamole. I'll probably regret saying that later, but really. The Power of Six was such a huge leap from I Am Number Four. Things got a lot more intense and there was a lot more action, making it a fun and adventurous sequel to read.

The Power of Six alternates between to characters, John (Four), and Marina (Seven). The two each have problems of their own. In the United States, John is being hunted down by the police, while in Spain, Marina struggles to get the attention of her Cepan, Adelina, must defend herself against bullies, and has the feeling that she's being watched by someone. To top it all off, the only thing they really have in common is their struggle to hide from the Mogadorians.

The one thing that I still find sort of awkward in the series so far is the dialogue. It just doesn't fit the people who are saying and it feels weird when I read them, especially when they swear.

Other than that, everything else in the book is just plain awesome! The description of the intense fighting scenes were just so vivid. I also loved the characters even more, despite John's sort of annoying longing for Sarah... Which is understandable, but still annoying. I loved Marina's determination and belief in her Lorien legacy. It was really awesome getting to know more about Six and her past, too.

Overall, The Power of Six was an amazing sequel. It was full of the right amount of intensity and adventure that this type of sci-fi book needs in order to make it awesome. There were definitely a ton of twists and turns, and one that will definitely surprise you if you decide to pick it up. I'm really looking forward to the final book in the trilogy, The Rise of Nine!

Cover Review:
I like how this cover fits with the other two books in the series. It's also fits the science-fiction genre with the cool water ripple design. Cool cover!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from library.

Waiting on Wednesday (43): The Lost Prince

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

October 23rd, 2012

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. 

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he's dare to fall for. 

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten. 

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

Wahhh!!  It's a continuation of all thing's fairy in the Nevernever!  And it's all about Ethan.  And he's all grown up.  And that cover... Dude.  Look at that cover.  Oh, Ethan... How things have changed since we last read about you.  I definitely can't wait for it to come out in October!  If you haven't read The Iron Fey series, then please do!

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Burn for Burn

Title: Burn for Burn
Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Pages: 368
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:
BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Review:
You could probably imagine my excitement when I received this ARC in the mail... I was jumping up and down like I won a billion dollars. And I think my reaction was worth it because this book was just AH-MAZING. Think about it. Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (Sidenote: I've actually never read a book by Ms. Vivian, but I'm sure that they're really great!)? Yeah, they're like a dynamic duo.  I'll try to make this review as spoiler-free as possible!  Basically, Burn for Burn follows Lillia, Kat, and Mary, and alternates with their points of view. They each have their own issues on their little island off of New York, are all completely different people, and they each find a way to get revenge on the people who have hurt them, whether it be in the past or the present.

Lillia, Kat, and Mary were all amazing characters. I think my favorite might be Lillia because while she's wealthy and popular, she still likes to do down to earth things unlike her snobby, but poor, BFF Rennie. Mary was a likable character, too. She was the sweet, quiet, and a bit insecure one who just came back to Jar Island after leaving several years before because of a traumatic incident. Kat was the total opposite of both Lillia and Mary. She was kind of like the bad girl of the group, but also had the creativity, the guts, and the brains to go through with the revengeful acts.

The way the whole story was set up was really cool, too. It started off as sort of an introduction, introducing us to Lillia, Kat, and Mary, along with the problems that they face. The beginning then leads into the plotting and the action which kept me captivated and held my attention all the way through to the end of the book.

One thing that I was a bit disappointed in was the lack of romance :( Romance really gets me hooked to a book and because Jenny Han wrote the Summer trilogy, I guess I kind of expected some sort of a romantic relationship to develop somewhere along the progress of the story. But then, in a way it put the focus on the three girls and their revenge on the three unsuspecting victims. And since I loved Burn for Burn without the intense romance, it just proves how great it is.

Overall, I fell in love with Burn for Burn. Even though it didn't have that romance aspect that Jenny Han brought in her Summer trilogy, it was still highly entertaining and addicting to read about what was going to happen next. Look out for it when it hits shelves September 18th! Mark your calenders! Pre-order it! Do whatever you need to do to remind yourself to get it! I'm sure that it will not disappoint.

Cover Review:
Love, love, LOVE the cover! It has that contemporary look and feel and has these light colors, but also maintains this mysteriousness. I'm definitely in love with the font for the title and author's names as well. Ahhh it's a way too cool cover!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy received from Simon & Schuster (most likely through a giveaway... it was a very unexpected surprise)

Waiting on Wednesday (42): The Rise of Nine

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

August 21st, 2012

It all began with nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorians—who scattered on Earth and went into hiding. They look like ordinary teenagers, but they have extraordinary skills. The Mogadorians killed Number One, Number Two, and Number Three. They tried to kill Number Four ... and failed. 

Number Four (aka John Smith) has now teamed up with Number Nine, while Six has gone off to find the others. With the Mogadorians hot on their trail and time running out, they must find a way to come together, before it's too late. Power in numbers will save them all.

I recently finished reading The Power of Six and it was a major improvement from I Am Number Four and got me hooked on the series and impatiently waiting for The Rise of Nine! It left on such a huge cliffhanger that I can't wait until its release. If you haven't read I Am Number Four yet, then definitely give it a try and then read The Power of Six, which will definitely leaving you wanting more!

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

NOTE: I'm sorry if you came from the link I posted on Breaking the Spine!  I got the link from my phone and I didn't think that it would be different.  Sorry if it looks strange!

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Wanderlove

Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Date Released: March 13th, 2012
Pages: 352
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
It all begins with a stupid question:
Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

Review:
I totally fell in love with Wanderlove and liked it a lot more than Kirsten Hubbard's debut novel, Like Mandarin. I guess you could say it was full of life; Bria is basically going on an adventure in Central America. She goes backpacking with a complete stranger from Guatemala to an island off of Belize and along the way she finds herself and even finds love.

Wanderlove has got to be one of the coolest novels ever. I fell in love with the whole traveling part of the novel. Reading about the rainforests that and beautiful lakes that Kirsten Hubbard wrote about and that Bria went to made me want to go to Central America to visit these amazing places, despite all the mosquitoes and creepy, crawly bugs/insects. The descriptions were beautiful and made the whole book seems so relaxing, despite some minor tensions within Bria.

As the story advanced, I got to like Bria a lot more. Sometimes, I didn't like how she would lie in order to reinvent herself as a rebel, but the other times, she was really cool, and super talented (sketches of various things were scattered throughout the book). Rowan was super cool and his background story was pretty sad. His sister, Starling, was way too awesome as well. Basically, all of the characters were really cool because none of them could be stuck up since they're all backpackers living in a foreign country continent.

The whole story line really kept me intrigued, too. Bria and Rowan's adventure throughout Central America to get to Rowan's destination seemed pretty fun. Learning about Bria's past in little snapshots also kept the story going and gave a little background as to why Bria was on this trip in the first place. There was something always going on in Wanderlove that just made the whole novel fascinating to read.

I absolutely loved Wanderlove. It was filled with just the right amount of adventure and romance to keep me glued to the book. It also really got me into the mood for summer a couple weeks before I even got out of school. I would definitely recommend Wanderlove if you're looking for a great summer read!

Cover Review:
I really love the cover for Wanderlove. It's purple (!!) and just feels so free spirited and relaxing that you can't help but pick up the book.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from my local library.

2012 Summer Reading List

Woo hoo!!  It's finally summer time!  The day that I (and other student book bloggers, too, most likely) have been waiting for probably since school started back in fall.  With all the extra time on my hands, I thought, why not just create a list of books that I'll most DEFINITELY read this summer?  Forget about all the required summer reading for my AP English class next year, and all the other assignments that I have to do, why not just skip to the good part and make my own required summer reading list?  Just kidding, I really have to take it seriously this summer, but that doesn't mean that I can't read all that I want :)

So without further ado, here are the books that I will have to get through this summer until I start school on August 21st, and what you might want to put onto your summer reading list, too!

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore & Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson & Fever by Lauren DeStefano

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa & Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen & Lost in Time by Melissa de La Cruz

Rapture by Lauren Kate & Endlessly by Kiersten White

Until I Die by Amy Plum & Endure by Carrie Jones

Let's hope that I'll be able to get through these!  Most of these have been on my wishlist forever and ever, but for some reason I just haven't been able to find myself to by or borrow these. I keep buying other books, except for these which is pretty much driving me insane because I only have 4 books crossed off of my priority "books to buy" list :(

So, what's on your summer reading list?

I hope that all you guys have an awesome summer full of wonderful reading!

Cleo :)

Waiting on Wednesday (41): Dualed

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

February 26th, 2013

Would you live through the ultimate test of survival? 

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life. 

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Even though the release is practically a year away, Dualed totally sounds like one that's worth waiting for!  I love any dystopian novel, no matter how similar or different they may be, and this one definitely sounds different from the other ones that I've read :D

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: The Disenchantments

Title: The Disenchantments

Author: Nina LaCour

Date Released: February 16th, 2012

Pages: 307

Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Review:

Colby and Bev have been best friends for a long time.  And as what every pair of best friends do, they made a plan- to go and travel Europe for a year after they graduated from high school and Bev does her tour with her band, The Disenchantments.  However, things don't go as planned when Bev decides to ditch their plan to backpack through Europe, leaving Colby with an open ended future.

I really liked The Disenchantments because it was about friendship, betrayal, road tripping, and trying to figure out your future, which is what I'm trying to do right now.  So, it's a pretty relatable book when you're going from that transition from high school to the real world (although, I still have a year to go, but still).

Reading about the random gigs that The Disenchantments had was really fun.  Each place had its own special memory with new people, places, or things.

I didn't like Bev that much, but I guess that's how she was supposed to come across since she kind of ditches Colby and sort of becomes distant from him.  However, I loved to other two members of the band, Meg and Alexa, who are adopted sisters, so they're not biologically related, but still look out for each other nonetheless.  Colby was a likable character.  He was kind of just a down to earth kid who was a little gullible (Example: Believing that the backpacking trip through Europe would really come through), but still really cool.

The Disenchantments takes place over the course of a week, and boy was this one week completely full of surprises and adventures.  Everything that took place was super exciting to read about that you almost forget that those millions of things happened in one week, or even in just one day.  Learning about where the relationship between Colby and Bev would go next really kept me intrigued, too.

Overall, The Disenchantments was a super fun book that would have made a great summer read.  The whole feeling of the book was carefree because of the premise of the road trip through the Pacific Northwest.  It also had that hint of seriousness because of the confusing relationship between Colby and Bev.  Either way, I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope that I'll get to read another book by Nina LaCour soon!

Cover Review:
Love the cover!  It just screams summer with the light colors, gigantic sunglasses, and rainbow t-shirt.  I also love how the title is just sort of placed on the cover.  Overall, it's a really cool and summery cover!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from my local library.

Cover Release: Days of Blood and Starlight!

The cover for Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor was released today!

Days of Blood & Starlight

November 6th, 2012

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

Aaaah!!  It's amazing!  I love how it's pretty much similar in concept with the previous cover for Daughter of Smoke & Bone, and still has that slight creepiness to it.  Definitely can't wait for its arrival!

What do you think of the cover?

Cleo

Summer Reads

from weheartit.com

Summer is ALMOST here!  So, for those of us in school, that means that school is almost out :D  Summer also means that we can catch up on our reading!

So, I've compiled a list of "summery" books (with some commentary) that will hopefully get you into the spirit of summer!

The Summer I Turned Pretty Series by Jenny Han - Man o man... What is there to say about this series?  Well, it's absolutely fantastic, full of romance and the beach, and, well... SUMMER.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - for Amy & Roger, it is a road trip set in the SUMMER and nothing screams SUMMER more than a road trip!  I haven't read Second Chance Summer yet, although I have it, but I'm saving it for SUMMER because it seems like a great summery read.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson - this one involves tons of travelling across Europe during the course of a SUMMER!  It's really exciting and sure to keep you on your toes.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard - I haven't read this one either, but I've heard that it sounds good, and it involves a lot of travelling, so it should get you into the travelling spirit too :D

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour - ROAD TRIP!  It doesn't exactly have that "summery" feel, but it takes place over the course of the first few weeks of summer and involves just being free and visiting places, so this one should get you into the mood, too!

Aren't you super excited for summer now?!  I know I am!  I definitely have my summer reading list set and ready to go :)

Cleo :)

*Covers from goodreads.com

Review: Born Wicked

Title: Born Wicked
Author: Jessica Spotswood
Date Released: February 7th, 2012
Pages: 330
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.


Review:
Born Wicked was such a cool book set in a an alternate late 1800s, where the Brotherhood rules the world and women are either to marry or go into the Sisterhood.  Cate Cahill is in that dilemma - should she marry Paul (or even Finn?) or join the Sisterhood?  But, the problem is that she and her sisters are a witches and have been keeping this a secret every since their mother died.  Cate has all of these problems resting on her shoulders and on top of all this, she finds out that she and her sisters might be at the center of a prophecy.

I really liked almost everything about Born Wicked.  It was cute, yet serious; funny, romantic, and everything that a novel needs to be perfect.  Sometimes, Cate fell a little flat or the plot moved a tad bit slow for my taste, but other than that, it was awesome.

Cate was awesome.  Sometimes, she could get a little too caught up with all of the things that were going on in her life, but all of these things made her a strong character.  I loved, loved, loved both Finn and Paul... I think I might like Paul a bit more just because he seemed more like the more outgoing person and really, really liked Cate.  Finn obviously really liked Cate, too, but he was a little more "nerdy"... Not that there's anything wrong with nerds.  I like nerds, but I just didn't feel the same about him as with Paul.

The setting was definitely really cool.  It was set in a small New England town in the late 1800s, where carriages and fluffy dresses were still around and class was everything.  I loved the descriptions of Cate's house with the garden where she and her sisters total opposite sisters, Maura and Tess, would practice their magic in secret.

The plot was what really drew me in.  There were some less intense parts, but Cate was constantly learning more about what her future could possibly hold and was always thinking about what she has to do that would be right for her family.  Born Wicked reached a climax that was really surprising, and the ending left on such a cliffhanger... Argh.  Cliffhangers, you kill me every time.

Born Wicked was a great read.  I loved the characters, the plot, and the setting.  Sometimes the pacing was a little slow, but things would quickly pick up.  Definitely give this book a try if you're looking for a book on witches living in a super conservative society!  I'll definitely be looking forward to the release of the second one next year, Star Cursed.

Cover Review:
I honestly fell in love with this cover the minute I saw this.  I love the contrasting colors between the foliage and the girl herself.  The rose on her head absolutely pops out too with its bright red color.  Overall, the cover has this vintage-y feel with the font, the colors, and the outfit that she's wearing.  I love it!

Also, I absolutely LOVED the trailer, and is one of the very few that I have actually fully watched... So, I've decided to share it with you if you haven't seen it yet :D



Cleo :)

*Review copy bought.
**Description and cover from goodreads.com

Starstruck: Summer Lovin' Tour

I just wanted to start off by saying that I'm sorry that I haven't been active lately.  It's that time of year when teachers start packing on the homework because school is almost over.  Oh summer, how I can't wait for you to arrive...

Anyways, on a more positive note, on Monday night, May 7th, I had the awesome opportunity to visit the Summer Lovin' Tour at the Once Upon a Time Bookstore in Montrose, California!  It was really fun and the authors were absolutely hilarious.  Jenny Han was there for the paperback release of We'll Always Have Summer, Morgan Matson for Second Chance Summer, and Jessi Kirby for In Honor.

I was debating over whether or not I should go, because I had my first AP test on Friday, which I had not studied for at all because I had no time, but I'm glad that I decided to because all of the authors were super funny, especially Jenny Han.  When they were doing a Q& A hotseat type thing with each other, she asked the other two who they would marry, date, or kill: Voldemort, Nagini, or Dobby.  After the other two authors answered, she answered the question herself and said that she would marry Voldemort because she would change his ways.  That was the highlight of my night :)

After they had their discussion, they had a normal Q&A with the audience and Morgan Matson would throw a Skittle packet at anyone who answered a picture and wanted one.  Then there was the signing and I got a picture with all of the authors (and a cupcake!)!

Did I mention that there was some pretty spectacular swag?  When you purchased a book, they gave you Summer Lovin' headphones and a Burn for Burn sunscreen (creative, huh?).  SO. COOL!

Overall, I'm totally glad that I skipped studying for the AP test for this... I mean, it was pretty awesome and funny and was THE highlight of my week :D  Don't get me wrong, I take my tests very seriously... But Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Jessi Kirby?  Yes please!  I'll definitely see them again if they happen to be in town :)

Have you been to any awesome signings lately?

Cleo :)

P.S. If I were a billionaire, I would have bought all of the books there... Including Jessi Kirby's because when she read her excerpt of In Honor what immediately came to my mind was "Darn... I wish I could have bought that book..." And my mom agreed with me too which is surprising because she never agrees with me on these things.

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Date Released: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 432
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Review:
I thought that Daughter of Smoke & Bone was absolutely unique and full of awesomeness.  It definitely had a really cool twist on the story of angels and demons.

In Karou's world, the demons are made up of different parts of animals. They could have a lion's head, a human's arms, a turtle's body, or a flamingo's legs.  The angels are a different story.  They are beautiful creatures, more like humans actually, with wings and gorgeous bodies, like Akiva (BTW, isn't Akiva such a cool name?).  I loved this unique aspect of the demon and angel world.  It still has the same concept that they're at war, but how they were described just seemed so vivid and amazing.

The characters were really awesome!  I loved Karou and her whimsicalness.  If she were a real person, I think she'd make a really cool friend to hang out with, although she has a tendency to lie, but still.  She's pretty amazing.  Her friend, Zusana, was SO cute!  She's described as this little, short 17(ish?) year old and full of cuteness, although she probably wouldn't want to be described as cute... But still!  Ohhh, and Akiva!  He's the gorgeous soldier of the book and Karou's love interest.  Ahhh, I think that basically sums Akiva up :)

The plot was really interesting in that it started with Karou and eventually snowballed into Karou finding out who she really is and why she and Akiva have this almost sort of instant chemistry between them.  It's definitely a starcrossed lover sort of story with both of them not meant for each other because of what they are, which makes their love for each other really sweet.  I loved how Taylor went back and forth in the second-halfish of the novel between Karou in the past and Karou in the present because it added so much more intrigue to the overall story.

Taylor's overall writing was absolutely beautiful.  With vivid descriptions of everything around Karou and the insight into her thoughts, it just really sucked me in.  Everything just flowed so well that it's almost hard to explain it.

A very whimsical book full of mystery, Daughter of Smoke & Bone was just absolutely perfect, blending the war between demons and angels with a modern-day setting of Prague and beautiful writing, giving it this cool vibe.  I'm totally going to read Taylor's other book, Lips Touch Three Times, and I'll definitely be on the look out for the second book, Days of Blood & Starlight!

Cover Review:
I LOVE this cover!  The light blue feathered mask in contrast with the white and black really makes it pop out.  I'm totally in love with the font for the title as well.  Can't wait to see what they'll do for the second book!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from the library.

Starstruck: LA Times Festival of Books!

On Saturday, I got the chance to go to the LA Times Festival of Books!!  Yeah!!  I was so excited in the morning (even though I was kind of sleep deprived).  But overall, I'm glad that I got to go because there were some fantastic authors out there on Saturday and I got to get 6 of my books signed :)

First, I went to the "YA Stage" for a panel called "To Be Continued..." which was basically about the authors and their series.  DJ MacHale was there (he's the author of the Pendragon series and Morpheous Road), as well as Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia of the Beautiful Creatures series.  Lauren Kate, who wrote the Fallen series was also there as well.  So, I got a ton of books signed (which really means I only got four books signed).  I would have brought my whole entire Pendragon series if I could, but that's a total of 10 books. 10 BOOKS!

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl posing with my copy of
Beautiful Chaos :D

*sigh* Me smiling awkwardly with Lauren Kate :)

Next, I got to see Stephanie Perkins, who wrote Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, which are absolutely amazing books.  I was so excited to meet her and she was super duper nice.  I'm kind of socially awkward when it comes to meeting new people, especially authors, I tend to freeze up and just say, "Hi!" and "Thank you!" because I really never know what to say, but she was able to get a couple more words out of me :)  Gayle Forman and Nina LaCour were also there with her, but I already had If I Stay and Where She Went signed at last year's Festival of Books, so instead I got a "Team Adam" pin and a couple posters for The Disenchantments :)  Ahhh, I'm such a happy child right now :D

Stephanie Perkins (signing another person's book;
my mom took the picture ahead of me in line)

The posters.  Aren't they awesome??

My last signing was the John Green signing.  That one was kind of hectic in a way.  And definitely confusing.  At the booth, I guess if you wanted the "priority pass" you had to buy one of his books from their booth, but I had already read all of his books and didn't really want to buy them, so I was stuck in the "non priority line."  But, my friend Victoria, a Nerdfighter who came with her "Keep Calm and DFTBA" shirt and FTL (French the Llama) poster, came with me to that signing and we talked about what her reaction would be because she was nervous but definitely excited to get to meet John Green.

John Green! Signing another person's books (again).

Overall, it was SO fun, even though a majority of it was spent in lines and walking through hoards of people.  I've always enjoyed it and have been going to them since 2010, when I got back from China.  I never really go on both days because of homework and stuff, but it's always fun if you can go for at least one day.

The book festival definitely made up for missing Lauren Oliver and & Tahereh Mafi when they visited a bookstore literally like 5 miles away from my house.  

Ahhh!  Next year will be my last year unless I decide to stay in the LA area for college.  I'll definitely have to go next year and make it an all day event!  I'm already excited for next year.  I don't even know why.  

Cleo :)

Waiting on Wednesday (40): We Don't Die

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

We Don't Die by Emmy Laybourne

June 5th, 2012

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.  

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart. 

I'm not sure if this is called We Don't Die, or Monument 14, but this definitely sounds like it's right up my ally. I love stories like this, like the Gone series. Full of intensity and set in such an interesting environment, this totally seems like the book for me. I can't wait for it!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Like Mandarin

Title: Like Mandarin
Author: Kristen Hubbard
Date Released: March 8th, 2011
Pages: 320
Rating: 3 out of 5

Description:
It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin. 

When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their Badlands town. 

Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal.

Review:
Like Mandarin is a sort of coming of age story where main character Grace Carpenter tries to find herself, but sort of in the wrong place.  She tries to find herself in Mandarin Ramney, the complete opposite of quiet and intelligent Grace.

Grace was a pageant child, you know, like Toddlers & Tiaras, except she was smart enough to quit, even though it cost her a close win, and a close relationship with her mother.   Now she's sort of like the outcast-- she basically has no friends, and seems to have this obsession with Mandarin that she keeps to herself.  When they're put together for a school project, they become close, and Grace tries changing into Mandarin, while it's slowly discovered that Mandarin isn't who she seems to be on the outside.

Like Mandarin was definitely about Grace trying to find herself.  It was a coming of age story where Grace tries to see where she fits in.  I think that because she was so lonely, she saw herself as being "like Mandarin" who was the complete opposite in personality and lifestyle.

I liked Like Mandarin and everything that was going on, from the ruined relationships to the unpredictable personality of Mandarin and making their plans to get out of boring Washokey.  I just couldn't feel the connection with the characters though.  Grace and Mandarin just seemed really far off to me, probably due to Grace being a bit too attached Mandarin and wanting to be exactly how she was.  I think that the one character that I liked was Grace's little sister, Taffeta (weird name, but still, she's adorable).

Plot wise, I liked seeing the development of the relationship between Grace and Mandarin.  It went from sweet and nice to a bit scary.  I was becoming a little terrified after a while at how unpredictable Mandarin could be.  Sometimes it could be a little slow, but the relationship developments between Grace and Mandarin, and even her mom as well, were what made Like Mandarin.

Overall, Like Mandarin was a good book.  I wasn't completely in love with it because I don't think that it was completely for me since I tend to like a bit of romance in my books and this one doesn't have any romance.  So, sometimes I felt that it dragged on a bit, but the whole novel overall was really intriguing with getting to explore the relationships that Grace has with others around her.  I'm definitely going to pick up Kristen Hubbard's next book, Wanderlove, though to give that a try since I've only heard great things about it.

Cover Review:
I think that the cover is an okay cover.  I like the orange and green colors along with the picture on the bottom half.  It doesn't really jump out at you though or convey anything significant, although I do love the attitude that the model is expressing.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from my local library.

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Date Released: January 2nd, 2012
Pages: 256
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Phew! That's a long title (I'm shortening it to THSPLFS)) is one of the cutest stories, right up there with Anna and the French Kiss. Why is it right up there with Anna and the French Kiss? Well, for starters, the male love interest is British. And then the book is set in England. Everything was just so darn cute!

Obviously, the book is pretty predictable (you can kind of tell by the cover), but it's everything in the middle that makes it so intriguing. The middle isn't just about Hadley realizing that she's in love with Oliver, but she also tries to come to terms with the fact that her father is remarrying... In a completely different country. There's also the longing that Hadley goes through of needing to see Oliver again. Her little adventure to go find him was really fun, too, since she was kind of exploring London at the same time, although in a bit of a rushed mode.

Oliver was SO cute. He makes me wish that I could meet a British gentleman (yes, he was very much a gentlemen) in an airport on the way to England. He was just incredibly kind to Hadley and super duper funny. I really liked Hadley, too. I guess in a way she could be stubborn and a bit of a brat with not wanting to meet her stepmother and all, but she was still cool. She had this sort of fragileness that made her fit with Oliver.

I totally wish that THSPLFS could have been a bit longer though. It's such a short book! I guess it's understandable as to why it's so short; it's about love at first sight after all. But still, I wanted to be stuck in this world of love at first sight for at least more than two days (the amount of days it took me to read it).

Overall, THSPLFS was an incredibly cute book. It was really sweet and adorable, and just the whole setting and the characters in general really sucked me into the novel. Definitely give it a shot if you're looking for a novel similar to Anna and the French Kiss, because it pretty much has that foreign country, English boy theme.  It doesn't quite beat Anna, but it's close ;)

Cover Review:
The cover is almost just as adorable as the book. I love the couple with the heart around them and how they're in a somewhat crowded airport sort of ignoring every thing around them. The font for the title absolutely adds to the cuteness factor of the cover. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the people in the background because it makes the cover seem sort of creepy in a way. Other than that, it's a cute cover :)

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.