Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

My Rating - 5 out of 5 stars



Oh my goodness! I am so in love with this book! It was such a cute, sweet, innocent yet mature read! For some reason I was a little skeptical about it but as soon as I started reading I was hooked! Marianne and Philip are just adorable and so like able! Ahhhhh, I think I am going to sit down tonight and read it again!

This magnificent book is set in England in 1816 and is a beautiful romance novel. Marianne Daventry was sent to her grandmothers shortly after her mother died. Now over a year later she is still waiting for her father to come home, is hearing all about the wonderful life her twin sister leads in London, and is bored stiff! Now she is off to Edenbrooke to meet her sister. On this journey she falls in love with the Edenbrooke, encounters a few life-threatening situations, and meets a charming stranger who she just can't seem to get out of her mind.

Please, please, please give this book a try. It is just that good!

Insurgent

 Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars



Oh I just love Tris and Tobias! I just think they are perfect for each other. Granted they had a lot of arguments in this book but they stick together so I am okay with it.

I just adore this series. I think i am kind of obsessed with it because I was so sad when I finished this book. Now I have to wait all the way to Fall 2013 for the next book to come out. Noooooooooooooooooo! Ugh, I hate waiting!

Insurgent starts up right where Divergent left off. Tris is grieving all the lives that were just lost, including her parents and Will (who was her friend yet she killed him). Now Tris and Four are trying to figure out whose side they are on. There are so many groups forming their own plans and opinions while this war is starting and Tris needs to take in every one's opinion and see who she thinks are the good guys. The problem with this is that Tobias and her brother Caleb seem to be joining the wrong sides.

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie

 Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

My Rating - 5 out of 5 Stars

What a good book! I really enjoyed this. I loved how it was in Stephens point of view. I feel like too many books about seriously ill children are in the point of view of the parents or the sick child. I found it refreshing to be from the thirteen year old big brother who obviously gets annoyed by his little brother. Plus I just really liked Stephen.

Stephen is a thirteen year old boy who has a somewhat normal life for a young teenager. He is an amazing and talented drummer, he has a crush on a girl who doesn't even know he exists, and he has a annoying younger brother who gets most of his parents attention. But one day he finds out his younger brother has Leukemia. Not Stephen doesn't know how to deal with all this and his parents are being much help.

Endlessly

 Endlessly (Paranormalcy #3) by Kiersten White

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars

What a cute series! I really liked these books and I enjoyed this last book in the series. Evie is such a cute narrator and so funny. I just love how she is quirky and not afraid to be afraid. And Lend is just so dreamy! I even found myself liking Reth in this book too.

Evie is still seeking that "normal" life she has always wanted. She is madly in love with her boyfriend Lend. She is planning the winter formal, and has made some really good friends. But of course, all this "normalcy" doesn't last long. There are some really weird creatures lurking around her, and IPCA is undergoing some not so good changes. Soon Evie learns that she holds all the paranormals future in her hands and she quickly needs to pick what side she truly is on.

The Golden Lily

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars



Sydney's life isn't getting any less dramatic.  Sydney is still in Palm Springs helping Jill (the Moroi queen's sister) stay in hiding.  Sydney takes her job as alchemist extremely seriously but it is starting to get a little complicated. Alchemist do not like vampires!  They tolerate Moroi and work with them to keep their existence hidden from humans.  They take their work seriously and drill into all Alchemist's how unnatural any vampire is.  Sydney's values however are getting a little muddled.  She is finding herself actually liking the Moroi and Dhampirs that she is working with right now.  And what is even more troubling is that she particularly likes Adrian. What does this mean about her values, her job, and what if fellow Alchemist find out?

I really enjoy this series!  I was pleased to see that Dimitri was in this book more but still want to see what Rose is up to.  I miss the Vampire Academy series but am glad that Richelle is doing this sister series. Now I have to wait till February for the next book to come out...

If I Stay Series

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars

Wow! I just can't stop thinking about this book. Even though this is not a true story (as far as I know), I just feel so bad for Mia. I can't even imagine. This is like my worst nightmare. My whole family gone in one moment. Or worse, my kids left parent-less. Ahhhh, so horrible!

Anyways, If I Stay follows Mia on a average winter day. It is set in Oregon so when they had a snow storm (a pretty small one I must stay), the schools close and Mia, her younger brother, and her parents decide to hang out and go see Mia's grandparents. Unfortunately they never make it. They are in a horrible car accident. Mia is caught between life and death and is able to witness everything that is going on around her. Now she has to decide whether she can fight enough to stay or if she is just too tired.....

I can't wait to read the next book in this series Where She Went, and I already put it on hold at the library so hopefully I will get it soon! 

Happy Reading!

7/1 - Just finished Where She Went, the sequel to If I Stay.  It is pretty good but not as good as the first one.  This book was in Adam's voice (Mia's boyfriend) so that was interesting.  Adam is clearly extremely depressed which just made the tone of the book kind of a downer but it was still pretty good.  

City of Lost Souls

 City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars

Finally! The 5th book in the Mortal Instrument's series is out. I read this book in about 2 days, but that is how it is with this series. Super fast and easy reads that are definitely entertaining.

I really liked this book. It had a little bit of a different feel to it than the rest of the series which was a nice change. I liked how you got a glimpse into the other character's lives this time. Of course the main story was with Clary and Jace. Is anyone else getting sick of the fact that there is always something standing between them? When are they ever going to be able to be together? Anyways.... we also get to understand Isabelle a little more. Lovable Simon again has a main part. And we also get to see Alec and Magnus's relationship any Maia and Jordan's relationship. I feel like I understand these character's a little more and really enjoyed reading more about them. Clary and Jace's relationship is as complicated as ever. And of course, there is evil Sebastian.

Definitely a great read but a little bummed that the next and last one won't be out till 2014. But did you know that there is going to be a sequel series called the Dark Artifices Trilogy? Unfortunately the first one won't be out till 2015 so who knows if I will still be interested then. At least the third Infernal Devices book (the prequel series) will be out in March!

Divergent

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

My Rating - 4.5 out of 5

This book was so good! I am somewhat obsessed with young adult but I was afraid that I have read too many dystopian type books to really enjoy this one. But I was wrong. I read this book in one day! (My kids luckily took a really long nap and than as soon as they went to sleep I picked it back up and couldn't put it down.)

Divergent is set in a run down, hollowed out Chicago. Throughout Chicago their a five factions, each with their own ideas of morals and what is important. Beatrice is in Abnegation who value selflessness. She turned sixteen a few months ago so along with all her fellow sixteen year old's she is about to undergo a test to see what faction best fits her. Even with the test results, everyone can make their own decision of which faction they want to live in. Most teenager's stay in the faction they grew up in but some decide to switch and try something new. Beatrice's results are a little different. They are inconclusive which means she is Divergent. She isn't given much information about this except that it is dangerous and she should not tell anyone. With no help from the test Beatrice decides to go with her gut and switch factions. She chooses Dauntless, who value bravery. The initiation into Dauntless is competitive and ruthless. Throughout the initiation she starts to understand who she really is, she begins to have a crush on one of her instructors and she starts to see that other factions, and possibly hers, might be in danger.

This is the first book in the series and lucky for me the second one, Insurgent, is already out. The third however won't be out till next year. Oh, there is a super short story in Four's perspective that is really good! It is called Free Four and it is free! You can read it here. I would suggest you read this after you have read Divergent though.

Happy Reading!

the truth about forever

the truth about forever by Sarah Dessen

My Rating - 4 out of 5 stars

Sixteen year old Macy is getting ready for a long, uneventful summer. She is starting a job at the library (which she is not looking forward to), her boyfriend is leaving for the summer, she doesn't really have any friends since pretty much her whole identity belongs with her boyfriend, and she is still grieving over her father's death a year and a half ago. Macy thinks that in order to cope and move on, she needs to be in control and perfect. But throughout the summer she discovers that being perfect is not the same thing as being happy.

Macy happens to meet the full of life employees of Wish Catering. She finds herself wanting to be like them and on a whim decides to take them up on a job offer. As she is getting to know each of the employees, including Wes, she starts to get to know herself. Does she really want to be perfect like her boyfriend? Is her relationship with her mom all that it could be? And will she finally confront her feelings about losing her dad?

Such a good book! I loved the message, and I loved Macy and Wes!

Hush Hush

 Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

My rating - 3 out of 5 stars

Okay, not the best book ever, but I have to say it feels good to be back in the young adult genre. I took a little break away and even though I read some really good books, I just really love young adult books. They are easy reads and usually pretty entertaining. With that said, this book was only moderately entertaining. I have to say I was kind of bored during the first half. The main character, Nora, kind of annoyed me but Patch was definitely a nice addition!

In Hush, Hush we follow Nora, a typical sixteen year old who a year ago lost her father. Now she is paired up with a new partner in biology. Patch is mysterious, dark, sexy and kind of scary. Does he like her or is he out to get her. While she is trying to figure Patch out, more mysterious events start to unfold around her. Who wants to harm her? Patch? But even though he is scary, he doesn't seem like he wants to harm her.

This is a typical young adult read. Not my favorite but honestly I will probably continue reading the series. I am such a sucker!

Happy Reading!

Beastly

 
 Beastly by Alex Finn
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

This was okay. I liked the idea of a Beauty and the Beast spin off type thing, but I just found this book to be a little boring. Maybe it is the fact that I already have seen the movie, although it was awhile ago. Anyways....

The book follows Kyle Kingsbury, a rich, good looking, perfect, spoiled teenager. His mother is not in the picture and his father has taught him that good looking people are worth everything, and ugly people are worth nothing. Kyle and his group of friends are ruthless at school to anyone who is less then perfect. But one day all of that catches up with him. A witch cast a spell on him and turned him into a beast. He is now as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside. The only way to break the spell is to kiss a girl who has fallen in love with him.

This was a cute, easy read. Not the best, but it was okay. The movie is entertaining but predictable also.

The Lying Game

The Lying Game (The Lying Game #1)  by Sara Shepard

 

 

 My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I don't really have much to say about this one. I didn't really care for it. Mostly because the whole book seems like just a prequel to the rest of the series. Which is fine except that you learn nothing in this book. It all just sets up for the rest the next book (I assume)which is really frustrating to me. Especially because I did not like it enough to continue on with the series. Anyways,....

The Lying Game is about long lost twin sisters Emma and Sutton. Emma's mother deserted her when she was 6 and ever since she has been bouncing around the foster care system. Sutton was adopted and was lucky enough to live a privileged life. Now Emma has suddenly discovered she has a sister. But when she goes to track Sutton down, Sutton has disappeared from her life. Seamlessly Emma falls into Sutton's life, even Sutton's family believes Emma to be Sutton. What happened to Sutton? Was Sutton and her friends as nasty as they are coming across? What is this Lying Game all about? Is there really someone out there wanting Sutton and Emma dead? These are just a few of the questions Emma is trying to figure out.

Happy Reading!!!

Uglies

Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfeld

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Uglies is set in a world where everyone over the age of 16 turns "pretty".  You are known as an "ugly" until you have the procedure to turn you into a typical "pretty".  You are made to be an average weight, symmetrical face, eyes at the right level, a nose that is just the right size, and so on and so on.  But is that all the procedure does?  Does it just change your physical appearance, or is there more to it?<br><br>We follow Tally who is the last of her friends to turn sixteen.  which really means that she is the last ugly to turn pretty. Tally has become extremely lonely as she is waiting for her birthday.  Then one day she meets Shay.  Shay coincidentally has the same birth day as her, but she doesn't appear to be as excited about turning "pretty" as Tally is.  When Shay runs away, the authorities, called the Special Circumstances, step in.  Basically they give Tally a choice: if she wants to turn pretty, she needs to find Shay.  As Tally starts in on this adventure, she has no idea what she is about to learn or how her world is going to be turned upside down.


Happy Reading!

Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoy Lauren Oliver's books!  And I absolutely love the world she has thought up in this Delirium series.  Although there is, should I say a few, other distopian type series out there, this one is definitely up there as one of my favorites.

The book picks up right where Delirium had left off.  Lena has just crossed the fence, badly injured and alone.  She keeps flashing back to her last image of Alex.  Lena is absolutely heartbroken and all she can do is keep running.  Right when her body is about to give up she is found by a group of invalids who take her in and care for her.  The novel switches back and forth between being taken care of by the invalids (then) to being back in a city and helping with the resistance (now).  Lena knows she is part of the resistance, but she doesn't exactly know what the resistance has planned for her.  For most of the book Lena is stuck with a boy named Julian, as they were kidnapped and then escape together. It doesn't take long to see a romance is budding but I have mixed feelings.  I really like Julian, but I really liked Alex.  But he is dead, right?  And poor Lena is trying to hold on to Alex so tightly, but Julian is right there in front of her.  Oh man, I just can't wait for the third and final book in this series.  Unfortunately I will have to wait until February of next year.  Bummer!!!

Happy Reading!!!

Between

Between by Jessica Warman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Liz had the perfect life. She was part of the "cool crowd", she was stick skinny, extremely beautiful and very popular. But was that all really true? Liz is faced with trying to figure out what her life was all about when she tragically dies on her eighteenth birthday. Once Liz is dead she has a hard time remembering certain things about her life. It is all a big mystery. So she begins trying to piece everything together and by the end she has figured out two huge secrets.



This book was pretty good. I really did not care for the main character, Liz. She is extremely superficial and just plain stuck up. I could not stand her at first. Sure her life wasn't all that perfect and she was just trying to cope and everything, but still. She is very bratty! But then I found it kind of refreshing. Usually we see the "brat" character as a secondary character who is trying to get at the main character. So I guess I could say it was a nice little change.

Happy Reading!



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Wherever You Go

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Wherever You Go follows three characters main characters. Throughout the book you switch between each character and get the chance to see the world through their eyes. The first character is Holly. A senior in high school who is dealing with a lot more than what a "normal" teenager should. Her boyfriend just died in a car crash (and she was also in the car) almost a year ago. Also, she is left to take care of her grandfather who has Alzheimer's and her nine year old sister while her mother is working two jobs to make ends meet. As Holly is dealing with all of this we see her try to greive, to move on and to just be.



Next there is Rob. Holly's dead boyfriend who is for some reason stuck and not able to move on. He finds himself following Holly, his family and his friends around and all he wants to is to be seen. He is so lonely. We try to figure out why Rob is "stuck" here and what really happened the night of the car crash.



And finally we meet Jason, Rob's best friend. Jason has always had a thing for Holly and so finally he has decided to go for it. They both are still grieving over Rob's death and both need some support, so why not lean on each other.



I found this book pretty good. Not my favorite, but a good, clean young adult read.

Happy Reading!



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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I seriously can not get this book out of my head. The story is really good, but mostly it is just really well written! I became instantly absorbed and obsessed! John Green makes you fall in love with the characters and feel like you are living right there with them.



The story follows Hazel, a seventeen year old who is terminally ill with cancer. She is currently part of a new drug study that has miraculously stopped her tumor from growing. Hazel has become depressed and has started to pull away from the "normal" teenage happenings. She is part of a cancer support group and at one of them she meets Augustus, a fellow seventeen year old who lost his leg to cancer. Hazel and Augustus start spending a lot of time together and both become obsessed with the lack of ending to one of their favorite books. These two characters are utterly adorable together. Their relationship is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.



I highly recommend this book, it is depressing yet you come away feeling thankful for the life and relationships you have. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:



"My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations."



"....it would be my pleasure to have my heart broken by you"



"As Augustus read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once."




Happy Reading!



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Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


It feels so good to be back in this world! I absolutely LOVED the Vampire Academy series and although I miss those characters (Dimitri and Rose), I think I am going to enjoy this series as well. It might not fully live up to the Vampire Academy, but I am okay with that.



In this series we follow Sydney who is a alchemist, a human who follow the vampire world to protect human and keep the two species separate. We last saw her in the last few books of Vampire Academy as she was helping Rose in many of her adventures. Now Sydney is trying to make up for indiscretion (running off and aiding vampires). She finds herself shipped off to Palm Springs to keep tabs of and help protect Jill, Lisa (the Moroi Queen)'s sister. Sydney is posing as a student at a boarding school all while she is "babysitting" Jill and a couple of her friends. All of Sydney's life she has been taught that vampires and the vampire world is immoral and unnatural. Now she is caught between the human and vampire world's and she is spending more and more time with these "unnatural" people. Are they really that bad? Who really is the enemy? These kids, or her fellow alchemists?



For some reason I find this world a lot more relatable than other young adult paranormal books. Don't get me wrong, I love all of those books too but this book and the Vampire Academy series just seem more "real" to me. I just really enjoy the world that Richelle Mead has dreamed up and I am glad to be back in it. I am hoping that this series just keeps getting better and I can't wait till the summer when the next book comes out!


Happy Reading!



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Okay for Now

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Oh my goodness, this is such a good book! I absolutely loved Doug and all the character's that he encounters. This book brings up so many emotions and the best part that even though it is somewhat depressing a lot of the time, I came away with such a good, warm feeling! I love it when books leave me feeling content and happy!



The story is about Doug and his family and their move to a small town in New York. You quickly learn that Doug does not have the happy, carefree childhood that most kids do. His dad is a bit rough, he doesn't have much of a relationship with his brother's, and he seems to always have his gaurd up. Then he meets Lil. He follows her into the public library and becomes enchanted by some beautiful art of birds. You follow Doug throughout that first year in this new town and meet all kinds of characters. It didn't take long at all for me to start rooting for Doug and I even found myself rooting for all the characters, even his brothers and gym coach who at the surface are just mean.



What a cute read! And the writing is just fantastic! I love how the narrator is talking to the reader and asks you questions like "do you know what that feels like?" and how he tells us he isn't going to tell us something because he promised he would keep the secret. Haha, he is so cute! Definitely give this book a try!

Happy Reading!



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Vanish

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is the second book in the series and it is pretty good. A quick, light, typical young adult read.



We continue following Jacinda and pick up right where the last book left off. Jacinda had just revealed her pride's biggest secret to hunters. Now her and her family are trying to run for it with the help of Cassian, the soon to be leader of the pride. Jacinda is heart broken that she has to leave Will. Is she ever going to see him again? Will he remember his promise to her? Jacinda tries to get back into her regular life back with her pride, but that is easier said than done. No one is particularly happy by the fact that her and her family ran away. Jacinda's sister is undergoing an unexpected change. And Cassian is putting the pressure on to bond with Jacinda. But what about Will? Jacinda just can't get him out of her head.



This is a pretty fun story. Jacinda can get a little annoying and whiny at times, but that seems to be the case in a lot of the main females in young adult books.

Happy Reading!



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