This book was an absolute joy to read. If you like your banter with a side of deadly stakes, make sure you put this at the top of your TBR pile. This This book was an absolute joy to read. If you like your banter with a side of deadly stakes, make sure you put this at the top of your TBR pile. This book made me chuckle more times than I can count (a reaction I usually only have when reading romantic comedies), but this book also made me tear up and hold my breath because it is SO intense!! It's the type of book you'll read in one sitting and then shove at all your friends the next day so you'll have someone to talk to about it. ...more
Wow. This book sucked me and then spit me out and left me thinking about it for days. Lia's an amazing main character--her struggle with grief and PTSWow. This book sucked me and then spit me out and left me thinking about it for days. Lia's an amazing main character--her struggle with grief and PTSD was so real that I got choked up several times while reading. AND THE ENDING!!!! I won't spoil anything, but it was incredibly satisfying, and I could not put it down. ...more
Wow. This book was a ride. It kept me guessing until the very end. I'm convinced Kara Thomas writes the best endings. I'm always surprised, creeped ouWow. This book was a ride. It kept me guessing until the very end. I'm convinced Kara Thomas writes the best endings. I'm always surprised, creeped out, and satisfied. She's definitely my favorite writer of YA thrillers. ...more
Legendary is like eating sugared peaches in a thunderstorm. The imagery is lush and decadent and winds itself around the dark and dangerous parts of tLegendary is like eating sugared peaches in a thunderstorm. The imagery is lush and decadent and winds itself around the dark and dangerous parts of this story until you can't decide whether to laugh or cry. I loved it.
Tella is bold and now she's my favorite of the sisters--I did not anticipate that, so if you're sad Scarlett is not the lead in this one, don't be. We also get a new villain and they might be my favorite character in the series. ...more
I read this book really quickly when I probably should have been doing other things (like working), so that alone is a testament to how good it was. II read this book really quickly when I probably should have been doing other things (like working), so that alone is a testament to how good it was. It sucked me in with the opening battle scene, which was brutal and worthy of a Viking fantasy. However, my favorite part about this book was the family relationships that continually drove and complicated character's actions. The MC's father was perhaps my favorite character even though he only gets a little time on the page. Highly recommend. ...more
Deliciously disturbing. I couldn't put it down. The end left me reeling--I can't say more than that!Deliciously disturbing. I couldn't put it down. The end left me reeling--I can't say more than that!...more
This is going down as one of my favorite fantasy series. It's packed with action, romance, witty lines, and characters I felt for. The final book did This is going down as one of my favorite fantasy series. It's packed with action, romance, witty lines, and characters I felt for. The final book did not disappoint. Really, it was my favorite book in the series. ...more
Gauri is my new favorite heroine in any novel. She's tough and vulnerable, stern and funny, violent and compassionate. She's just an incredible characGauri is my new favorite heroine in any novel. She's tough and vulnerable, stern and funny, violent and compassionate. She's just an incredible character. Vikram is nice too. :) He's certainly a hero to swoon over, but Gauri stole the show for me.
If that's not reason enough read this, Chokshi's sentences are spun from sugar. Her descriptions are so rich and vibrant that you can smell, touch, and taste everything with the characters. It took me forever to read this book just because I kept going back to a sentence and reading it several times before I could move on.
I loved The Star-Touched Queen. This was even better. ...more
I love pirates and had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint! Alosa is spunky and fun. There's a slow burn romance with lots of sexy banI love pirates and had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint! Alosa is spunky and fun. There's a slow burn romance with lots of sexy banter. To me it was one of the highlights of the book. I could see some of the plot twists coming, but ultimately it didn't lessen my enjoyment. I'm looking forward to book two!...more
If this book doesn't make you cry, you probably need to check your pulse. Perhaps you're a zombie. There are no zombies in this book though--just a boIf this book doesn't make you cry, you probably need to check your pulse. Perhaps you're a zombie. There are no zombies in this book though--just a boy and his guilt that eats him alive every day even as there are tiny glimmering moments of happiness. It's the kind of book that makes you hate and love the world all in one breathe. I highly recommend picking it up!...more
Wow. I loved the story, the complicated friendship between the main characters, and the romances, but what really left me in awe was the prose. Lemon Wow. I loved the story, the complicated friendship between the main characters, and the romances, but what really left me in awe was the prose. Lemon is the kind of lyrical writer you just don't see that often. I often found myself reading the same sentence over and over again, not because it was difficult to understand, but because it was just so damn beautiful. Lemon is a writer that will be on my automatic read list from here on out. ...more
If you're in the mood for a raw, contemporary novel that will break your heart and stitch it back together again, then this is for you. Beautifully wrIf you're in the mood for a raw, contemporary novel that will break your heart and stitch it back together again, then this is for you. Beautifully written with a unique voice, and a character you can get invested in, even as you're yelling at her to not do what she's about to do. Definitely worth your time. ...more
If you've ever wondered what people mean when they talk about having a unique voice in fiction, pick up this book. It's seldom that I pick up a book aIf you've ever wondered what people mean when they talk about having a unique voice in fiction, pick up this book. It's seldom that I pick up a book and think: this voice sounds like nothing else I've ever read, but this is the one that did just that.
I loved it. Hawthorne sucked me in on page one and not because she's a likable character. At times you kind of want to smack her because she's a little self-centered and can be a jerk, but that's what makes her believable! She's also a compassionate dreamer at the same time. The way she sees the world is what makes this so interesting.
Wow. This is one of my new favorite fantasy series. YA fantasy has a lot of great books out right now and this one is still hitting the top of my listWow. This is one of my new favorite fantasy series. YA fantasy has a lot of great books out right now and this one is still hitting the top of my list. ASBAB is a bit like Harry Potter meets Jane Eyre--it sounds like and odd combo but it works so well!
It's set in Victorian London--yes! It has a strong female character with realistic flaws that get in her way-yes! The secondary characters are equally intriguing--yes! The characters in this story change and grow in ways that don't make their flaws magically disappear at the end. I can't wait to see how they develop in book 2.
On another note, this book had a lot of subtle romance in it that kept me intrigued as to what will happen next, but I would say the main relationship explored was the father/daughter bond between Henrietta and her mentor. I loved this. Other relationships too often take a backseat to the romance.
I love a beautiful sentence and Emma Cline delivers in this book. Rarely does a book get me to reread a sentence because of its unexpected use of langI love a beautiful sentence and Emma Cline delivers in this book. Rarely does a book get me to reread a sentence because of its unexpected use of language, but this book took me forever to read because I was doing just that. The beauty of the prose continues even during the most graphic and disturbing scenes. It left me uncomfortable that a violent act could be described to beautifully--but I believe that was the intention and it left me feeling creeped out in a good way.
Cline also does an excellent job capturing what it must feel like to have the insecurities of 14 year old girl during this moment in time. I was totally engrossed in the character despite the fact that I wanted to shake her by the shoulders at different moments.
This is one worth reading, but it is not for the feint of heart. ...more
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good, creepy book and this certainly delivered. It's not creepy in the sense that monstersI received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love a good, creepy book and this certainly delivered. It's not creepy in the sense that monsters are hiding behind the trees. It's creepy in the sense that it explores how easy it is to warp the human mind into something deranged, especially when religion comes into play. However, I never felt like the book set out to bash religious individuals, only look at an extreme situation where something good has been twisted into evil. In fact, the main character repeats several times that God and Father (the cult leader) are not the same thing.
Several reviews have mentioned the inconsistency of the characters, but I did not see that. If anything, they were consistent in their inconsistency. The siblings are trapped between the outside world and their father's world, so it makes sense that they waver back and forth in their actions. Each one felt unique and yet the same, because of the way their father raised them. Wass pulled it off well.
I will say that I wish the father had a little more development. It seemed like some of his motivations would be revealed at the end, but the book ended before we got there. Perhaps it wasn't necessary to the story, but I wanted the characters to get some sort of closure and understanding.
I highly recommend this. It broke away from the usual YA plot lines centered on romance (not that I don't love a good romance), which I found refreshing!...more
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