The Wondrous and The Wicked by Page Morgan (Review)

Genre:	YA, Paranormal
Publication Date:	April 14, 2015
Pages:	352
Published By:	Doubleday Canada
Series:	The Dispossessed #3
Review copy:	From Random House Canada for honest review

Buy it:
Amazon ~ Chapters ~ B&N 

Since the Waverlys arrived in Paris, the streets have grown more fearsome by the day. As Ingrid learns to master her lectrux gift, she must watch Axia's power grow strong enough to extend beyond her Underneath hive. By all indications, the fallen angel's Harvest is near-and the timing couldn't be worse.

Targeted by vengeful gargoyles, Gabby has been exiled to London for her own protection. Meanwhile, the gargoyle castes are in disarray, divided between those who want Luc to lead them and those who resent him and his fondness for humans. The Alliance is crumbling from the inside as well, its members turning against one another, and possibly against the Waverlys, too.

Axia has promised that the world will burn. And now, unable to trust the Alliance, separated from Luc, Gabby, and her twin, Grayson, Ingrid is left to face the demon uprising alone.

  A swell of nausea and exhaustion, chased by more pain, brought Ingrid's head back to the dirt floor.  She couldn't move.  And if she couldn't move, she certainly couldn't fight.  It was too late anyway.  It was over.  Axia had won.

  "I'm a criminal," Grayson said, his heart gaining speed and his body growing warm from the way Chelle was looking at him.  "I took a life, just as brutally as any rogue gargoyle.  Why trust me?"

  "I love you, Gabby."
  Air.  There wasn't enough of it.  Nolan stood a moment while Gabby stared up at him, stunned speechless, just as she'd been the first time he'd said the words to her.

  It is so hard for me to finish a series.  Unless it is a stand alone, I seriously put off reading that last book.  This is a serious problem I have only recently begun to recognize and correct.  Though Morgan's series isn't the first I have decided to finish this year, it has proven to be one of the many reasons why I have problems doing so.  Finishing the Dispossessed trilogy left me both happy and torn.  

  What always sweeps me away when starting these books, is the strikingly beautiful writing.  Morgan has a perfectly flowing and intriguing way of telling a story, pulling you deeper in with each chapter, each page.  There was a lot of build up leading to this epic conclusion, and a lot that I wanted to happen and I couldn't figure out how it could all happen in 352 pages.  Needless to say I got basically everything I had hoped for and a whole lot that I hadn't seen coming.  The best part of this was quite possibly the fact that all of this was wonderfully paced from start to finish.  Yes, there are times that the action is amped and you fly through the pages a little quicker, but honestly the entire book was page turning.  Merge this with the fact that the characters basically all rose to their full potential, and you have a stunning final read.

  Ingrid has grown leaps and bounds since the starting of this trilogy.  She may still be a society woman but she is also so much more than that, and knows that she no longer fits where she once did in England.  Paris has pushed her to her limit and has made her stronger for it.  Though there were times that I wanted her to step past the romance she worried about so often with Luc, I also grew to understand the love that she had developed.  There were times that I think that love made her a little bit stronger, if not for the simple reason that it gave her a deeper understanding of the world she had by plunged into.  In her final battle there were so many times she could have given in, given up, but she pushed through.  With this there was victory but there was also loss, and my heart went to her for both.  From start to finish Ingrid proved not to be perfect, but she was the type of heroine that I thoroughly enjoy. 

  Though Ingrid is undoubtedly the star of the books, I have to point out that both Gabby and Greyson shine in their own way.  Admittedly I completely adore Gabby and love reading her.  She is the quirky and strong character that is almost always underestimated, and even that is an understatement with her.  Gabby has basically gotten the shortest end of the stick at every turn, and yet there was no point in which she backed down.  This is a character that I would adore a spin off with her at the centre of it, because I believe that she has so much more to offer.  With Gabby's secondary voice, there was also Greyson's point of view and this was something that I greatly enjoyed as he had not been as prominent in the previous novels.  I enjoyed him because I liked that he was not painted as the strong and heroic brother.  Though he did love and care for his sisters, he was not as confident in his blood and his ability to accept what he truly was.  Although this may not seem like the type of person you would be riveted by, I enjoyed it every single time he graced the pages.

  Teeming with action, romance and character growth, The Wondrous and The Wicked was a wonderfully though out conclusion to this trilogy.  I enjoyed how everything ended, even if at the same time my heart bled a little.  Morgan is an author that I will be keeping my eye on, and I hope to read more from her in the future.  I highly recommend that the previous two books be read before this one, and if you already have those two started or read this is not a book to put off.  Recommend for people that enjoy paranormal reads, or are looking for a trilogy that will keep her captivated from start to finish.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Review)

Genre:	YA, Paranormal
Publication Date:	September 18, 2012
Pages:	409
Published By:	Scholastic Press
Series	The Raven Boys #1
Review copy:	Purchased/Hard Cover

Buy it:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Chapters

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure any more.

 "There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve, Blue.  Either you're his true love," Neeve said, "or you killed him."

  Ronan and Declan were undeniably brothers, with the same dark brown hair and sharp nose, but Declan was solid where Ronan was brittle.  Declan's wide jaw and smile said, Vote for me while Ronan's buzzed head and thin mouth warned that this species was poisonous.

  Blue had two rules: Stay away from boys, because they're trouble, and stay away from raven boys, because they were bastards.

  Ronan was right.  Things felt bigger.  He may not have found the line, or the heart of the line, but something was happening, something was starting.

He had to confess to himself that until now he probably had never really believed Gansey's supernatural explanation for the ley line, not in a way that he'd really internalized.  Now, it was real.  Magic existed, and Adam didn't know how much that changed the world.

  Holy macaroni and cheese Batman!! This book was basically everything that I could have wanted.  I know that I held off and to many my excitement will be old news, but knowing my love for this author and having issues waiting for the next book to release, I feel I made the right decision.  My love for this series has begun, and yet I know it is going to get so much more complicated before all is said and done.

  What I love about Stiefvater's writing is that I can expect solid awesome.  I know that is a primitive way of saying it, but it is completely true.  When you pick up one of her books it's a given that the writing is going to be fluid, with a solid plot, gripping pacing and complex characters.  This is not something that I really need to go into much detail with, if you have ever picked up one of Maggie's books.  If not, well basically you have no problem becoming a part of the book, and with the pacing you never want to stop and step back into reality.  This book becomes your reality as you read it.  You see the characters, feel so much of what they do and become a part of something that you never thought possible.

  Blue:  Let's talk about Blue.  She has grown up with the paranormal as a normal... Got that?  Basically, her world is filled with different variations of psychics.  Though she doesn't have any "power" herself to see someone's future, her uncanny ability to enhance the power of those around her is really something else.  I really enjoyed the depth of Blue's character, and the fact that she was able to be on the outside of everything and yet somehow not.  Explaining why I loved blue isn't really a simple thing.  It's basically her originality, her snark, her honesty and the fact that she was typical and yet not typical in every way possible.  I hate that her future holds something for her that makes her have to hold back, but at the same time I hope that it gives her something to fight and prove wrong.  Blue, as a character, gives me nothing to complain about and only more to look forward to in future reads.

  When it comes to the boys, I'm not sure we really have enough time to get down to the nitty gritty of each.  They really are all completely different.  I would like to say opposites but with the four of them, that's even harder to explain.  Gansey is basically the glue that holds them together, being the one that sought each out knowing that they would just fit.  It was different reading about each or from different points of view, when it came to the guys.  However, Gansey is also currently the main man.  He is the reason everyone's paths cross, even if he doesn't know that it is him tying everyone's fates up together in a horribly messy knot.  I think in him, I really enjoyed that despite the fact that he is meant to be perfect, he is honestly worried about not belittling anyone or offending them by accident.  Each boy really has his own charm (kind of), but they built a seriously original cast when stuffed together.

  When you hold off reading a book because you know waiting for each book might just rip your soul out, it's hard.  Building the anticipation isn't always a good thing, but in this case, it couldn't have worked out any better.  If you have ever picked up a novel but this spectacular author, you know that it isn't hard to drive right through any of her books.  For those out there that have yet to fall in love... Well, it is not a question of if, so much as when.  Lovers of paranormal/fantasy, brace yourself for this one if you have yet to read it.  There is not a doubt in my mind that this series will blow everyone away, book by book.

The Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	March 4, 2014
Pages:	355
Published By:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Series:	The Winner's Trilogy #1
Review copy:	Purchased

Buy it:
Amazon ~ Chapters ~ B&N 

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love... 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

  "If a woman can fight and die for the empire, why can't a woman walk alone?
  "That's the point.  A woman soldier has proved her strength, and so doesn't need protection."
  "Neither do I."

  Arin's heart seemed to be punching its way out of his chest, he was so angry.  But he knew that Cheat was right, and his mood wasn't the auctioneer's fault.  It was his own.  Or hers.

  His speed was terrifying.  Kestrel hit the ground, her cheek scraping dirt, then shoved herself up before Irex could catch her in so vulnerable a position.  As she stood, she saw something gleam on the ground: the very end of her braid, sheared off by the knife.

  This book has sat on my shelf for way too long.  It was an excellent example of: "Why the hell did I not start this sooner?!"  Rutkoski masterfully crafted and executed a fantasy novel with an intriguing plot and unique characters, that have no problem standing out.  I would also like to point out my mistake in thinking that this was some sort of dystopia... It wasn't.  It was probably one of my favourite fantasy novels EVER!!! I'm sure you already got that but I just don't think that I can say it enough.

  So, this is a super hard thing for me to explain without ruining it or making it sound like less than it is.  However, I have to say that there was not a single moment that I wanted to put this book down.  With crystal clarity the characters were developed, without any information dumps or lags in the pace.  That being said, Rutkoski paced out this novel with perfection and in my eyes with no taboos.  There wasn't a dreaded triangle or the damsel in distress, and not even the girl that discovers her power later.  No, The Winners Curse stood out with its strong plot and defined characters.

 Kestrel may not be an anomaly among strong female leads, but she was different in the sense that she knew her strengths and her weaknesses.  She may have had a weakness when it came to a certain boy, but she also had a lot more kindness in a world where only winning matters.  Kestrel had no problems fitting in on the surface, keeping those around her believing that she was all she was supposed to be, but beneath she was so much more.  This is a girl that has a lot to give and some people can appreciate that she is different, but different is also dangerous.  I'm not sure if I related to her or not but I know that I enjoyed every moment I read her.

  Arin and Kestrel's relationship was super complicated, and yet it was kind of the relationship you would expect.  This is not exactly a bad thing, but it was a budding feeling between people that were on opposite ends of a silent war.  They just worked and the chemistry between them is what helped it be enjoyable to watch develop. Kestrel's unexpected draw to Arin, and Arin's inability to not notice that Kestrel herself is different was actually fun to read.  It's like, I knew that they were going to form something and yet I still invested myself from start to finish. This is probably also due to Rutkoski's aptitude for crafting a riveting read.  

  Honestly, I know many people have already sung this books praises and I am quite behind but I loved it!  Between the non stop pace, to the stunning writing, The Winners Curse was a pure pleasure read from start to finish.  I have no doubt that I will devour the next two books without any regret.  Fans of fantasy will love this read, and I actually wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of dystopia's either.

Review: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose "everything."

REVIEW

  I have sat on this book for awhile.  Not because I didn't like it but more that I wasn't sure of

all of my feelings on this book.  I am so excited that the book ended the way I wanted it to

and being honest I am not sure how anyone could be unhappy with the end.  My problem

was in the start when I couldn't quite understand at all times what was going on or why.  This

was probably my own fault as I finished the other books almost a year ago! Regardless once I snapped out of my silly ways and got the swing of it honestly I didn't want to stop reading

this book and loved the way the story went.  Never quite predictable!!

  As always Aislynn was her wonderful and strong stubborn self and I continue to love her for that! I

could never call her boring.  She stands up for what she wants and holds her ground.  becoming

a queen has only made her stronger and more stubborn.  Her relationships remain complicated

but will be resolved(if that makes you feel better).

  Our leading men are also back!! Seth is torn between two worlds and Keenan is his usual indecisive self.  You can't help but want to shake them at times but love them at others.  At times I felt that Seth was not as strong willed and willing to fight for Aislynn as he used to but then he would show a little of the fight again.  Keenan had his ups and downs for me in this book and I found myself feeling a little more affection towards him.  It just seemed that you got to see things a little more from his side to start and everything became a little more clear.

I really will miss all the characters and the world that Melissa created.  Every time you opened one of these novels you fell in love with the people and lived where they were. I truly believe that in order to have a good book that you enjoy the characters must stand out and be well developed and this book was no exception to the series.  The emotions and battles that everyone has to go through will make you feel so many different things and have you wanting to be right there with whoever you may be reading about at that point and time.

  Please do not hesitate to read this book!! I do recommend that you read the series before this one so that you have a good enough understanding of who everyone is and what is going on.  That is the biggest thing about this book it will tie up all the loose ends that you have from the other novels and not have you worried about what happens next.  Of course we will all picture how things go for each character past the books but you wont have to stretch your imagination too far!!  Overall if you love fey and tales about them you will enjoy this book!!  The entire series for me is one that should not be over looked!

4/5

Review: POSSESION by: Elana Johnson

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even "think" about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them....starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Hardcover, 416 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Simon Pulse

 
 
   As long as you plug in your fine. You can be a Goodie but what happens when you stop. Vi may know the rules but that doesn't mean that she likes them or follows them and living in a world where the thinkers control it all and control is power, is not easy. This is double true for Vi who wants to believe she is good but tends to do bad things. The question is, is there only black and white, good and bad or is there an area inbetween that she belongs to? 
  
  I really enjoyed this book. Dystopian is something I only recently learned about and have really come to love. Elana did an amazing job with writing this new world. Every step of the book the picture is so clear you believe you are there.  You will be really captivated with the story and all its characters.  This is also a very technalogically advanced future that will appeal to people that science fiction.  It's not the main part of the book but plays a very large part.

  Violet (aka Vi) is really a strong and emotional charater.  Elana does a wonderful job at helping you feel what she is.  Though it doesn't always make sense right at the moment she will work right through the feeling.  At times I am a little bothered by the amount she talks to herself and about the same thing almost every time but I also think that is part of who she is.  I think the time she is at her best is when she is with Jag.  Stubborn and hard headed as they can both be, they work.  Both of them can see that, not right away but they can.  I guess I should also mention Zenn who has been Vi's best friend forever and was hand picked to be her partner.  Now I guess you could call this a love triangle but I don't really see it that way.  To me Elana created more of a dilemma with the two boys.  Like a choice between the easy and familar and the hard and exciting.  I personally was rooting for Jag but I know that there are Zenn fans out there somewhere.  The end of the book wasn't what I expected but maybe that's because it was not what I wanted and had high hopes that something big was going to happen.
  I would recomend this book to anyone that has a love for dystopian books and can handle a little science fiction being thrown into it.  This book will pull you from start to finish and leave you wanting more.  I think that if you loved the books Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi you will really enjoy this book!!

4/5

Review: Sophie and Carter by Chelsea Fine

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something more?

Paperback, 128 pages

Published June 20th 2011 by Acacia Publishing, Inc.

 

 

  This was a beautifully written and at times heart wrenching story!  It was not what I expected when I picked it up at all!!  Seeing the book around I thought I would pick it up and to be honest I didn't even read the description or any reviews, just ratings.  Horrible I know but when I started reading it I don't regret my decision. 

 

  Sophie has been through a lot in her 18 years.  Yet she comes off as the sweet, optimist and you love her guts (you will get that if you read the book).  She cares for her younger siblings and has no normal teenage life but she doesn't resent them for that and it breaks your heart to know what she not only is going through but what she would do for them.   There is no words to describe the inner strength that she has.  It is made very clear the feelings she has for Carter but she doesn't say anything.  She is content just to have him.

 

  Carter has been through hell and back.  He cares for his mother before and after school.  He doesn't get to be a regular teenage boy because he loves his mom more than anything and doesn't want her to get taken away.  I LOVE Carter.  In some ways he may be a little broken but with what has dealt with can you blame him.  His light at the end of the tunnel is Sophie but he wont tell her.  He tries to help her but he has a lot of his own things to deal with.

 

  You will be drawn into this book from the first chapter!  It is a short 128 pages and trust me there is so much emotion and heart ache in those pages you wont even notice that you have read them.  This is overall an amazing read and you will be holding tears back happy or sad at many spots in the book. If you are looking for a quick but emotion packed read this is your book!!!

 

4/5

Review: Significance by Shelly Crane

SIGNIFICANCE: SHELLY CRANE

 

Goodreads Description:                                                                      Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. She was smart and on track but then her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football scholarship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has. Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally. They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive. Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him. Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?

 

 

My take on things:

   Maggie hasn't had an easy year and I felt for her I really did. However when I first started reading about her I thought that I was going to have to spend an entire novel reading about a whiney and withdrawn character.  I am so glad I kept reading because even though she seems that way to start, she doesn't finish that way.  Her and Caleb (<---*SWOON*) make a great match and I am happy that Shelly created such an unusual bond and NO love triangle.  Being as young as they both are they have a very strong and quick development of their "abilities".  Their devotion to each other is something that in a way we all hope to find at some time in our lives but in another sense it is just overwhelming. 

 

  The Underwhelming:

 Once Maggie and Caleb are imprinted that is it!  There is no one else for either of them and although it is endearing, it can be fustrating as well.  I did expect her to accept what was going on with grace.  They ARE imprinted but I also kinda expected her to be a little more demanding for details when she found out what was happening. Then as all great books go with great love comes great problems!!!  The withdrawl is probably the hardest of those problems but enemy clans are as well.  Before I knew what was happening I felt like the book was set on repeat... Love, release, danger/withdrawl, safety and love... It just went on like that for a bit and I really was starting to feel the need to move forward.  Then I thought here we go again and was surprised to be thrust forward into something bigger.

 

The Gratifying:

  The love that their relationship brings out is something that I really appreciated.  Maggie's bad year was for many reasons, one being her Dads zombie ways. Once Caleb walks into falls onto Maggie's life it's like everything snaps into attention.  His family treats her as their own and her own father snaps to attention.  There is so much love you can't help but feel a part of it all.  Their abilities are amazing and something I wish I had at times :)

  Caleb is not only swoon worthy but close to full out drool worthy!!  Personally just  thinking about the boy makes me drift off into swoon world.  Rather than not being you typical 19 year old boy he is all you could want and more.  Maggie is a very lucky girl!

 

The Final say:

  I have to hand it to her, Shelly Crane really knows how to create a world and bring it to life!  There was not a single character that I couldn't invision. Did not matter if they played a large/small role, were good or bad or you just met them on one page.  They were all clear as day!  I would pick up any of her books just for that reason.  A book with clear characters makes all the difference and rather than what I felt was one rutt this book is wonderful! I give it a solid 4 stars :)