Review; Wild by Alex Mallory

Synopsis; In this action-packed and timely "Tarzan for the digital age," Cade, a teen raised in the wilderness, is brought into modern civilization.

The forest is full of secrets, and no one understands that better than Cade. Foraging, hunting, surviving-that's all he knows. Alone for years, Cade believes he's the sole survivor. At least, until he catches a glimpse of a beautiful stranger...

Dara expected to find natural wonders when she set off for a spring break camping trip. Instead, she discovers a primitive boy-he's stealthy and handsome and he might be following her. Intrigued, Dara seeks him out and sets a catastrophe in motion.

Thrust into society, Cade struggles with the realization that the life he knew was a lie. But he's not the only one. Trying to explain life in a normal town leaves Dara questioning it.

As the media swarm and the police close in, Dara and Cade risk everything to get closer. But will the truth about Cade's past tear them apart? 

My Thoughts;  

Wild is a retelling of Tarzan which of course immediately intrigued me as soon as I heard about it! I absolutely adore retellings and since I've never read a Tarzan one, I knew I had to get my hands on this one. 

I really loved the focus on Cade's life and seeing his reaction to so many new things. I loved that it was realistic, that when he was being introduced to the world he thought it was scary and unknown, he didn't like it. It was very realistic that being introduced to something so new and so vastly different to everything he knows that he'd be scared of it, especially the way people treated him in this town and the media. I really felt for him! His story really tore at my heart. 

The pacing in this book is pretty slow, it's not super action packed but pretty character driven. I really loved learning about Cade's past and seeing Dara introduce him to civilization. The plot does have a little romance, but it's very much in the background! I loved that the romance didn't overpower the main plot and that the romance felt really natural, Cade and Dara had great chemistry! 

Overall, Wild was a great modern retelling of Tarzan! If you love retellings and a good contemporary, I'd recommend you give this a try! 

Review; Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

Synopsis: Time is slipping away.... 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

My Thoughts; 

I enjoyed this book a hell of a lot more than I thought I would! It definitely took me by surprise! I'm still not entirely sure what this book is classified as in genre... it's kind of sci-fi I would say. Regardless, it was fast-paced and had my attention hooked the entire the time!

Talla Holloway was an awesome main character. She was very headstrong and also witty and I loved the humour she and some of the other side characters added to the book! When she was given the opportunity to enter the Brimstone Bleed and possibly win a Cure of any illness for her sick brother, she immediately jumps at the chance to save him. I loved how even when Talla got to the Brimstone Bleed and realizes she has no idea what exactly she signed up for, she stills is determined to win the Cure for her brother. 

I don't want to say too much more about Fire & Flood because I feel like you shouldn't go into this knowing too much. You definitely want to be surprised at some of the things that happen and I don't want to give too much away!

Overall, I really really enjoyed this book, it took me completely by surprise! It was fast-paced, had my attention hooked the entire time, seriously I stayed up until 3am reading this and still woke up wanting to read more. I would definitely recommend to fans of The Hunger Games, but keep in mind while it's the same basic idea as THG, it is pretty different! It's got great characters, an intriguing plotline and tons of surprises with a hint of swoony romance! I loved!

Rating; 4.5/5

Review; Broken Skies by Theresa Kay

Summary; Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived.
Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed.
One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.
Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back.

In seventeen-year-old Jax Mitchell's world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them… but now they have taken Jax’s brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E’rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it’s not that simple.

Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that she’s drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales on his back. And he’s equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn’t know the alien’s true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.

With the aliens and the humans at odds, the connection forming between the two teens has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.

My Thoughts; 

Broken Skies is about a girl named Jax, a fiery red-head who lives with her twin brother Jace at a camp after an event that killed 90% of the worlds population. Girls are shipped off to breeding camps since after this event it's been hard for women to conceive, and aliens have dropped down to visit. And try to take over the world. And also steal Jax's twin, Jace.  

Jax, our main character, I really enjoyed reading from her point of view. She was sarcastic, fiery but also vulnerable and caring. I loved the relationship she had with her twin, and I loved that Theresa would add in special moments of Jax and Jace, so even though Jace wasn't physically there, you still felt that connection to their relationship. Lir, the love interest and also alien who helps Jax get into his city where they're holding her twin, I also loved. I had my moments with him, where I thought he was being a total idiot, but overall I loved him and he was sometimes just so sweet. The relationship between Lir and Jax was so entertaining and fun, I really enjoyed it! 

The plot was very fast paced, which I enjoyed! The book in general was fast paced, and so entertaining I read it in no time! I just kept wanting to know more, read more about Lir and Jax! I love alien books and this one is no different!

I would recommend this to fans of Twilight and The Lux series! It was entertaining, funny, fast paced and had a great romance! I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Fractured Suns!

Review: The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

Summary; Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

My Thoughts; 

I'm still not completely sure how I feel about this book. At times, I felt like I was really enjoying it and really getting into it but then other times I would feel like I'm not liking at all where the story is going. 

This is a fantasy, set in the world of the Indigo Kingdom. It felt like a fantasy world with a twist of superhero/vigilante type vibe going on. It was very interesting and very different, definitely a surprise! In the Indigo Kingdom magic is banned and illegal because it creates a wraith and is quickly destroying all the kingdoms. 

Black Knife was a very interesting character, very mysterious and I loved the vigilante part from him. Unfortunately I figured out the plot twist of who he was pretty early on. I liked Wilhelmina's character as well, although I didn't connect to her very much. I liked that she was brave and determined to do whatever she could to get her kingdom and people back. I wasn't a huge fan of many of the secondary characters; Patrick had seemed sketchy and pushy from the beginning and Melanie, Wil's best friend, also seemed sketchy and very suspicious. 

Overall, I'd say if you're a fan of fantasy and strong female characters, I think you'd enjoy this! The pacing isn't fast but it's got a very compelling plot and a mysterious superhero/vigilante! 

Review; An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Summary; Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
 
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
 
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
 
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
 
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. 

My Thoughts;

This book was pretty badass. Also, that cover? Totally gorgeous! So in love with it! There was a ton of hype surrounding this book before it had even been released, just from people who had received ARC copies so I was so stoked when I won a giveaway for an ARC copy, thank you Chapters Indigo for the giveaway!

Like I said, this book was pretty badass! It's told in a world inspired by ancient Rome called the Empire. The world is pretty brutal and harsh. Laia as a slave, she was subjected to so many harsh and cruel things, I really felt for her but I loved that it didn't break her, it only made her stronger and more determined to find her brother and get him out of wherever the hell he is. 

This book is told in dual perspectives, so we get to see the story told through both Laia and Elias! I really loved that we got to see this world from two sides, Elias as a solider to the Empire and Laia, a slave to the Empire, but both against it. I can't even say whose POV I enjoyed more because I really liked reading both! 

I absolutely loved Sabaa Tahir's writing. It was very beautiful and captivating. I wouldn't say this book was very fast paced, but the writing is just so beautiful it makes you want to read slower so you can fully immerse yourself into it and take it all in. The world she created was so fascinating and her writing just made it all the more real to me. 

One of the issues I had with this book was the complicated romance. I wasn't a huge fan of this love-square. I really don't like how many YA novels have love-triangles and the fact that this book had a love-square was slightly disappointing. I probably would have even been able to get past it if the romance hadn't been so overpowering. Plus, the kind of love-triangle in here is one of my absolute least favourites and it was the most overpowering so I really couldn't get past it and be fine with it. 

Overall Rating; 4.5/5

Review: Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

Goodreads Synopsis; When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge - but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father's rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother's love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for...

My Review

Loved it even more than the first! Another fantastic historical fantasy read! Sybella's story was just as awesome as Ismae's!

Sybella was definitely a much more complex main character than Isame. She's also had a very hard life and things have definitely not gone easy for her. Understandably, she doesn't trust people easily, but she does start to trust Beast once he's entered the picture. I absolutely loved Beast. I loved him in Grave Mercy and loved him even more in Dark Triumph. He's just as loveable. The romance between them was so sweet and I was rooting for them to have a happy end so bad! 

Again, like Grave Mercy the plot was a bit slow in this one because it's a very political time period, there's not a whole lot of action (but there is some!). There's a lot going on in the book, so if you try to read it took quickly, you could miss something important to the plot. My only disappointment of this book was the ending was pretty abrupt. It ended too soon in my opinion but it just makes me even more eager to read the 3rd book! 

Overall, Dark Triumph was a great companion sequel! I totally loved the characters, the romance, the setting, the plot! If you liked Grave Mercy, definitely give this one a shot!

Rating: 4.5/5

Sentinel (Covenant #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.





My Thoughts: *Might contain spoilers from previous books in this series*


Sentinel was epically fantastic! What a perfect, beautiful, amazing ending to a fantastic series! I honestly couldn't have asked for a more perfect conclusion to this series. It was so beautiful and I cried so hard at the end. 

This book completely blew me away. I love how much Alex has grown through each book and how much it showed in this final one. She has gone through so much and matured so much yet she still remains positive and down-to-earth and I find her to be a greatly admirable character. I love her so much and I loved seeing her mature and overcome everything. 

In the previous books I was not a huge fan of Seth, like at all. I really didn't like him and I didn't like the decisions he made, and I wondered how he could do the things he did, but in this final book I feel like he did get some redemption. We really delve into what happened from Seth's side and how everything affected him and oh god, it broke my heart! I can't wait for The Return to come out and continue reading Seth's story! 

So much happened in this book! There were so many thing resolved, so many plot twists! It was really fast paced and something was always happening, it was never boring and I just couldn't stop reading! I had to wait until I was home to read this book because I was getting so many emotions from reading it!

Sentinel ended perfectly, in my opinion. I feel like Alex and Aiden both got the perfect ending that they deserved and I  am so happy with it! I finished this book at around 1 in the morning and literally cried for the last 60 pages, not out of sadness really, but just because I was overwhelmed with feels! This book was so amazing and it was everything that I could have asked for in a conclusion to this series. I'm so sad that this series is over, but I will definitely be re-reading it probably more than 5 times and I know that this series and its characters will live on with me for a long time. 

Rating: 5+ Stars!

Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fate isn’t something to mess with… and now, neither is Alex.

Alex has always feared two things: losing herself in the Awakening and being placed on the Elixir. But love has always been stronger than Fate, and Aiden St. Delphi is willing to make war on the gods—and Alex herself—to bring her back.

The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed” theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer… or she might become the God Killer herself.


My Thoughts: *Might contain spoilers from previous books in this series*


Holy crap. This series honestly just keeps getting better and better with every book I read! This book was so amazing, I could not stop reading it! My love for this series has grown so much and it's now one of my all time favorites.

Somehow, Alex got even more awesome in this book. I seriously love Alex, she's one of my favorite characters. She's so kick-ass, strong and just awesome! She's so snarky and hilarious. I love reading her story. In this book we also get a lot more Aiden and Alex scenes, which I loved. Alex and Aiden are one of my favorite book couples, I love them together.

This book had a lot of kick-ass moments. We got to see Alex fighting for her life and for the life of all Pures and Half-Bloods. She's got the gods and pures both trying to kill her and her friends. It was amazing to see how much growth Alex has gone through and how much she's changed as a character. She's really grown and matured, but she's still snarky and kickass at the same time. 

I can't say much without spoilers, but overall this book was f'n awesome! I loved every single second of it and have loved every single second of this series! I recommend this to anyone who loves YA books with an awesome plot, kick ass character and hilarious dialogue! 

Rating: 5/5 Stars!

Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away..






My Thoughts:


This book took me by complete surprise. I didn't expect to love it even half as much as I did. I'm not a huge lover of fantasy because honestly, I've only ever read a few fantasy books, so I was a little skeptical about this book but I loved it. I enjoyed far more than I was expecting to!

I really enjoyed Katsa as a character. At first when she comes in she's kind of cold and doesn't have very many feelings because she's her uncles hitman, basically. Then she meets Po. Gosh, I love Po! He's warm, hilarious and just so adorable. I loved him so much! Him and Katsa were great together, they make an awesome team. I also enjoyed a lot of the side characters. I liked how strong and defiant Bitterblue was even though she was 10 and I loved Raffin!

I was just immediately sucked into this world and loved it so much. I read this book in one day and stayed up late to finish it. There were lots of plot twists and so many things happened, this book really was never a dull moment!

Overall, I loved Graceling so much! It really makes me want to read more fantasy and I've already picked up the sequel, Fire which doesn't follow Katsa and Po but I still can't wait to read it! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or is looking to start getting more into it!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Burn for Burn by Siobhan Vivian & Jenny Han

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds. 

But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong. 

Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate. 

Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.

Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?


My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would! I've heard a lot of really good things about this book, but honestly didn't have high expectations because it didn't really sound like my kind of book, but I actually really enjoyed it! It reminded me a little of Carrie, except three girls instead of just one. 

This story was very unique and I enjoyed reading about the girls getting back at the people who had wronged them. It was filled with a ton of teen drama which I'm not a huge fan of, one of the reasons I didn't think I'd like this book, and although the drama was super cheesy at some points I didn't get super annoyed. There were some parts that were just too cheesy for me, though. 

I liked how each girl was distinguished enough that when the POV's switched it wasn't a problem. I liked how all the girls were connected with each other and the people they were trying to get revenge on. I wasn't a huge fan of any of the girls really, I didn't connect with any of them but I still liked them mostly. 

Overall, I did really enjoy Burn for Burn. It was unique, fast-paced and kept me interested. I will definitely be picking up the sequel, Fire with Fire!

Rating: 4/5 stars

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 



My Thoughts:

This is a spin-off from the Hex Hall series, which I loved, so I was super excited to read this! I love Rachel Hawkins fun, hilarious writing style. There are many laugh out loud moments in this book, also with a few swoon-worthy moments thrown in. 

Izzy was a great heroine, she was totally kick-ass, funny and she knows so little about the real world and what goes on with normal teenagers who don't hunt ghosts and vampires. It was a little hard to connect with her as a character, but I still enjoyed her.

Dex was my favorite character of all. He's Izzy's main love interest in this book, althought there wasn't too much romance in it, just a smidge. He's adorable and dorky, the total opposite of those arrogant bad boys we're so used to in YA and it was a nice change. The banter between Izzy and him was adorable and cute! He was unique, quirky and just totally adorable, I'm so rooting for him and Izzy to be together. 

I'm not too sure I liked the ending though. It definitely didn't end the way that I wanted it to, but in the same way I can understand the ending because it's a great opening for the sequel. This book was published 2013 but we still have no news of the sequel? Hmm. I'm really excited for it, so hopefully the title and cover will be revealed soon!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.


My Thoughts:

I loved this book so much that I stayed up until 2am to finish reading it. That rarely every happens anymore because I never stay up late nowadays, but this book just got me so hooked and so in love, I couldn't put it down! 

I fell in love with the characters in this book. Cara did annoy me sometimes, but most of the time I really loved her and her loyalty to Aelyx. She just grew on me and I loved her as a heroine. She was always trying to make Aelyx comfortable and trying to help him adjust to living on Earth. Aelyx also grew on me, I didn't know how I felt about him at the beginning because he was robotic, distant and seemed kind of standoffish, but eventually he started to become less robotic and show more feelings. 

This book was a little predictable. There were some things I was able to predict right from the second page. There weren't really any surprises for me, nothing that happened was a huge surprise for me.  Aside from the predictability, I did really enjoy this book and the characters! 

Overall, I fell for this book and it's characters. I'm loving Sci-Fi at the moment and this book was perfect for me! I hope you'll read this and fall for it as much as I did!


Rating: 5/5 Stars