Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Review)

 

Genre:	YA, Dystopia
Publication Date:	April 2, 2012
Pages:	441
Published By:	Harper Collins
Series	Delirium #1
Review copy:	Purchased

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In an alternate United States, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the Cure. Living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Portland, Maine, Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. She watched love destroy her mother and isn't about to make the same mistake.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena meets enigmatic Alex, a boy from the Wilds who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

  The deadliest of all deadly things:  It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.

  And then i'm frightened.  That's how it starts.  Even if he is cured, even if he is safe   the fact is, I'm not safe, and this is how it starts.

  Gracie's life fell apart because of a single word: sympathizer.

  My world exploded because of a different word: suicide.

  Correction: That was the first time my world exploded.

  Take it from me: If you hear the past speaking to you, feel it tugging at your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do   the only thing   is run.

  Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge.  That's what it is: an edge; a razor.  It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two.  Before and after.  The rest of the world falls away on either side.

  What a beautifully and wholly original read.  I can't believe that it sat on my shelves as long as it has because I enjoyed every last moment.  This book is so much more than a pretty cover with an intriguing synopsis and I loved every minute of it.  I think in a way I enjoyed this more because of the length of time I waited to read it.  The hype had died down and I had nothing but my own thoughts and opinions going in, giving me a better chance not to consider any possibilities of being let down.  There was so much to enjoy that I'm not honestly sure how I'm going to pack it into one review, but I will try.

  I think a part of me had expected the plot to go roughly like it did, but there was also a few really good surprises along the way.  It's more about the twist and turns and the gradual development for me than anything when it comes to plot in dystopia reads.  There is always a general expectation from the synopsis when opening the pages, but it's how the author executes it that matters.  There was a great original development of Lena, her world and why she was the way she was.  There was something about the consistent pace in the way things were set up that slowed and yet carried pace throughout the rest of the read.  My attention never wavered and  the picture only became more vivid, more movie like as I read on.  I guess you could say that the pacing was damn near perfect.

  Lena wasn't the rebel right from the start.  She wasn't the girl that questioned how things were done, or really looked at anything beyond what she was told.  Heck, she did everything in her power to be the model citizen because her family had carved a name that made her constantly have to worry.  I think that I didn't form a connection in the start but I did find myself understanding her.  In a world with so little control actually allowed to you and such swift and potentially deadly measures taken against those that may have 'the disease', I could understand her.  No one wants to live life being judged by their family and their actions, but more so no one wants to risk the little choice they have being taken away by questioning.  Though I will admit that something wonderful happened when Lena made the choice to question things.  Made the leap into not having a few choices picked out for her but seeing that there is a choice beyond everything she has been taught to believe is true.  Honestly, I think I could go on and on about Lena and her development but to cut it short, she had spectacular and clear development.

  I think with the synopsis it was fairly obvious that there would be some sort of romance.  Alex was both what I had expected and not.  When thinking about it he really was just what Lena needed to snap out of the haze that she lived in.  When thinking about it to write this, I can't say if actually adored him but I loved what he did for Lena and that it wasn't rushed.  That is what made the romance for me in this.  It wasn't rushed, it was paced really well making it almost perfect.  Of course it wasn't perfect because they live in a world where love is a disease and that isn't a thought that disappears overnight.  No, it took time to figure out if what Lena felt was a disease, or if it was something that was worth any loss.  This isn't something that happens overnight and Alex had to jump through a lot of hoops to even get Lena to take a chance, take a look past what had always been drilled into her.

  I embraced this story.  Each page, every word, every turn became more real and pulled me in that much more.  It's hard to say what exactly drew me in to start but I know by the end that between character development, and perfect pacing that I would be hooked.  This is one of those books that you sit and simply find yourself lost withing the pages, routing for characters to figure out a better way.  I know many people feel that dystopia novels have a pattern an expectation, and I guess all of the little things are there that are expected but there are some wonderfully original points throughout the read.  I know I am late to the punch in reading these books but I can say after reading just this one that I regret not picking them up sooner.  If you enjoy a good dystopia read I can recommend this one without a single hesitation.  Lauren Oliver has created an addiction for me with this one.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (Review)

 

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	May 3, 2016
Pages:	624
Published By:	Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Series	A Court of Thorns and Roses #2
Review copy:	Purchased

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Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

  It was all I could do to keep from screaming, to keep from shattering into ten thousand pieces as I sank onto the marble floor, bowing over my knees, and wrapped my arms around myself.
  He'd trapped me; he'd trapped me; he'd trapped me   
  I had to get out, because I'd barely escaped from another prison once before, and this time, this time   

  And I realized I was in a free fall with no end.  I had been for awhile.  From the moment I'd stabbed that Fae youth in the heart.
  I didn't look up at him again as i devoured the food.

  "So I'm your huntress and thief?"
  His hands slid down to cup the backs of my knees as he said with a roguish grin, "You are my salvation, Feyre,"

   Okay so I am at no point going to promise that this review will be spoiler free.  I have told anyone that will listen that upon finishing this book my life is ruined.  Maybe ruined is a little much but my soul is screaming for an undefined number of reasons.  This is the kind of book that you pick up and when you put it down everything has changed.

  For some reason I was under this impression that I could pick this book and the story would continue on its merry little way.  Why?  Why did I expect this?  I'm starting to think it was because I'm a blind fool.  Nothing ever stays the same long and obviously with a new book comes a new conflict, but this was indescribably so far from what was anticipated.  However, with all the change and the progression of the plot there was never a dull moment and ample amount of emotions.  There was not a single moment where I was not reeling from one thing or another.

   Feyre was and still isn't a weak character, but something in her has changed.  Well, she believes something about her has changed and I guess you can't go through what she went through without carrying some baggage.  Thing is I am not really sure what I expected of her beyond what I got because she was still as bad ass as always.  Regardless, for awhile I was feeling let down and wanted something more or less of what I was getting.  Turns out that something more was only brought on by the wanting and being trapped.  Then when things started to change with her I kind of rebelled.  I couldn't help but think she had once again become unrecognisable and yet something was the same.  Feyre is kind of like a phoenix, reborn from her own ashes and though she is the same she is completely different.  I don't know maybe I am failing at nailing what I want to portray but I was honestly floored in both good and bad ways by her in this book.  Honestly, she is so very much of everything that I want in a character, the very few things that irk me are forgivable.  Heck maybe they make her a better character... Ya they probably make her a better character.

  Here we go with the potential spoiler...  The romance.  For the love of all things why?!  Okay I admit that something wasn't right with the entire Tamlin thing but WHY?!  Okay, I mean ya Rhysand is awesome and you know he is like a damn onion with his layers but WHY?!   No, I do not mind a triangle or a potential one, but the damn romance here had me reeling and rebelling like a freaking toddler in a temper tantrum half the time.  THIS ROMANCE RUINED ME!!!  And maybe it shouldn't have.  Maybe I should have been like the mass of people that anticipated this, or wanted it... but I wasn't. I wasn't... I was conflicted and irritated and then I settled into this acceptance that was like a calm/happy.  Then what happens you may ask.  Then... Well, then Maas blew everything apart like a grenade in a paper factory (no one is injured in the factory of course but the paper isn't doing well).  I was legit torn.  I was torn and raging on the inside and couldn't believe after that entire ride and reluctant acceptance, I was thrown right back into the place in where I want to scream about this happening.  Of course there is some happy thrown in there but I don't even know what to tell you.

  Maas surely crafted this book and its changes to everything to rip us readers apart and leave us to put the pieces together in whatever fashion we can.  I have not had a hangover like this from a book in awhile and I don't even know what to do about it.  This is either going to be a book that people absolutely adore or want to scream about.  Maybe the responses will be one in the same because it's all kinds of amazing and I don't see anyone not loving it no matter their feelings throughout it.  If you are fan of Maas you seriously need this book in your life, or if you haven't tried...  YOU NEED TO!  These books are an obsession that you don't want to miss out on.

Queen by Aimee Carter (Review)

Genre:	YA, Dystopia
Publication Date:	November 24,, 2015
Pages:	282
Published By:	Harlequin Teen
Series	Blackcoat Rebellion #3
Review copy:	Purchased Hardcover

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PAWN...CAPTIVE...QUEEN?

  Kitty Doe is a Blackcoat rebel and a former captive with a deadly connection to the most powerful and dangerous man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. Forced to masquerade as Daxton's niece, Lila Hart, Kitty has helped the Blackcoats take back the prison known as Elsewhere. But Daxton has no intention of ceding his position of privilege—or letting Kitty expose his own masquerade. Not in these United States, where each person's rank means the difference between luxury and poverty, freedom and fear...and ultimately, between life and death.

  To defeat the corrupt government, Kitty must expose Daxton's secret. Securing evidence will put others in jeopardy, including the boy she's loved forever and an ally she barely trusts. For months, Kitty's survival has hinged on playing a part. Now she must discover who she truly wants to be, and whether the new world she and the rebels are striving to create has a place in it for her after all.

  But I wasn't a Hart, either, and I was barely a member of the Blackcoats as it was.  I didn't belong down here, but I also didn't belong in the manor.  And that was far scarier than anything Daxton could throw at me   the realization that no matter what rank I'd earned or whose face I wore, I had no idea where I really belonged.

It was up to us now.  All we had to do was find a way to kill the most powerful man in the country, and we would win this war for good.

  But while my mind whirled with the desire to kill, my body didn't want to die.  My feet remained frozen to the floor, my hands glued to my sides, and though everything inside me screamed to do something, to stop this before Benjy paid the price I should have   and would have   paid a thousand times over for him, I couldn't move.  I couldn't speak.

For her, death was freedom.  And a pardon from the life she would have had to live if she'd survived.

   I have really enjoyed this series.  The Black Coat Rebellion was an interesting and fun trilogy to read, filled with twists and turns in every chapter.  I had really invested myself in this trilogy and had put off reading the finally because I worried it wouldn't hold up to expectations.  Though it was still packed with the creative writing I have come to enjoy from Carter, I found myself let down when turning the last page.

  There was so much build up to this book, I was disappointed to find that Queen itself had very little to offer in independence from the previous two novels.  Though there was action and everything I wanted, it was often predictable and offered very little intrigue until about the last quarter or so of the book.  This also may be part of the pacing.  Pacing is something that I personally as a reader rely heavily on, and found myself drifting away more often than I would have liked.  However, when I reached that last stretch I really found myself pushing through and wanting to see the best possible outcome.

  I had always somewhat admired Kitty.  She has been a victim since day one, and tries to fight her fate in one way or another.  Along side this, she can be selfless and kind, often putting others before herself.  I think I expected her to really step up in this book, become the strong leader that was obviously begging to be let out.  However, despite a few revelations I was sad she never stepped up to become the girl I had hopes she would become.  She did however have some growth and gained some maturity, showing that she had learned with everything she went through.  Though a really well panned out character from start to finish, I just don't feel like she ever really made that last leap into independence.

  The romance and the friendships in this on may be what really drove me over the edge.  I found myself often groaning or wanting to scream.  I have always been able to appreciate and even respect a well done love triangle.  After finishing Queen I'm not even sure what I think.  Was it really a triangle?  Was it ever?  Did I miss something?  This could 100% be a me thing.  I was so sure that there wasn't one but everything changed with this one book.  I think that the possible switch up was done well, but left me stumbling because I just didn't expect it.

  I honestly don't know how to say what I want to say about this book and the conclusion to this trilogy.  There has been so many ups and downs, but Carter and her phenomenal way of weaving a tale kept bringing me back for more.  Though I found myself let down with this book, I do not regret this series and have them lined up with pride on a shelf.  I think that my feelings on this book will be an anomaly, and many people will find themselves enjoying it.  Though I felt a little empty after finishing this book, I recommend the trilogy as a whole and will as always purchase anything Aimee Carter puts out.

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

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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

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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.

Charisma by Jeanne Ryan (Review)

Genre:	YA, Thriller, Science Fiction
Publication Date:	March 3, 2015
Pages:	384
Published By:	Dial Books
Series	Standalone
Review copy:	Won

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A chance at the ultimate makeover means deadly consequences in this Sarah Dessen-meets-Robin Cook thriller

Aislyn suffers from crippling shyness—that is, until she’s offered a dose of Charisma, an underground gene therapy drug guaranteed to make her shine. The effects are instant. She’s charming, vivacious, and popular. But strangely, so are some other kids she knows. The media goes into a frenzy when the disease turns contagious, and then deadly, and the doctor who gave it to them disappears. Aislyn must find a way to stop it, before it's too late.

  I drive, wishing I could deal with my own damn shyness.  I should be able to stuff some nurture down nature's throat and get beyond my DNA.  People change.  And they write books about it.  Why can't I?

I could swear I feel the contents of the syringe flow up my arm.  Even though I can hardly wait not to be shy, a tight panic fills my chest.  Oh, wow, I've really done this.

"Wow, you really have changed."
  For some reason, his words rankle.  "Only my behaviours, not what I'm really about," I say.
  He bites his lip.  "What exactly is the difference?"

  I was totally psyched last year for this read.  I loved the cover, the premise sounded interesting and then I got lucky and won myself a copy.  Then, as the sad story goes others came alone and Charisma got put on the back burner.  Admittedly it drew my attention many times, and I longed to read it and hold its pretty cover and then finally it happened.  It was a beautiful and glorious moment when I finally managed to crack the cover.

  It's hard to say if it was the anticipation or what it was but I really found myself hooked.  Ryan wasted no time getting things in gear, quickly setting out Aislyn's character.  It was beyond easy to get a feel for why the risk was worth it for her, and to understand her faith in gene therapy.  This also made every single page more addicting than the next.  There were a few points that I thought that the book had reached its climax, and worried that there was going to be a wicked plateau.  Thing is that it never came.  No matter how fast the plot moved there was always one more twist waiting to keep the ball rolling.  A few things I found a little predictable, but I think that sometimes that isn't always a bad thing and it worked for Charisma.  It was almost like there was multiple elements swirling together but realistically there wasn't, and it was just excellently written.

  So often we see a main character that wants nothing more than to be something a little different.  Prettier, smarter, sit higher on the social circle and so many other things.  I guess what made Aislyn a memorable character for me, was that she had the potential to be all of these things and more.  She simply wasn't because she had a crippling social disability.  This on its own may not seem like anything special but it made her actions entirely more believable.  There was a acceptance that settled over me when it came to her choice to do something that may have otherwise been out of character.  Though the results were undeniable, there was as always consequences to her actions, and despite her believing it would only effect her but there was so much more at stake.  However, I guess sometimes the risk has to be taken.

  There was a beauty in the way all of the secondary characters were woven into Charisma.  Everyone from Aislyn's mom, to her best (kind of only) friend, to all of the other people she knew at Nova Genetics hold their own in this story.  You would think with so many of the "little people" always in play you would lose some of the clarity in those characters, but you don't.  Ryan managed to give each person no mater how small of a part they play their own voice, their own face.   Each person playing their own part in Aislyn's life before and after her risk.  I particularly loved Sammy her brother and Shane, the douche-bag turned something more.

  Charisma did't let me down.  Admittedly I was worried that I wouldn't get that into it, but that worry washed away so quickly.   The plot was expertly woven and paced out better than I could have ever imagined or wished for.  In my personal opinion there was never a dull moment and I believe readers that are like me will have a hard time putting it down.  If you are looking for a thriller with an almost sci-fi twist look no further than Charisma, it has the magnetism to pull you from the first pages.

Down with the Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn (Review)

Genre:	YA, Fantasy
Publication Date:	April 26, 2016
Pages:	355
Published By:	Harper Teen
Series	Standalone
Review copy:	ebook from Edelweiss for honest review

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There's a reason they say "be careful what you wish for." Just ask the girl who wished to be thinner and ended up smaller than Thumbelina, or the boy who asked for "balls of steel" and got them-literally. And never wish for your party to go on forever. Not unless you want your guests to be struck down by debilitating pain if they try to leave.

These are things Lennie only learns when it's too late-after she brings some of her uncles' moonshine to a party and toasts to dozens of wishes, including a big wish of her own: to bring back her best friend, Dylan, who was abducted and murdered six months ago.

Lennie didn't mean to cause so much chaos. She always thought her uncles' moonshine toast was just a tradition. And when they talked about carrying on their "important family legacy," she thought they meant good old-fashioned bootlegging.

As it turns out, they meant granting wishes. And Lennie has just granted more in one night than her uncles would grant in a year.

Now she has to find a way to undo the damage. But once granted, a wish can't be unmade...

  To put it simply: I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more.  So yeah, I'm going to fulfil a a dead girl's wish.  But that's not all of it.  I'm also going to that party to FUCKING OWN IT.

  Grinning, I bring the jar up and take my second swallow.  And this time    the crowd cheers.  It is perhaps the best moment of my life.  I am at the biggest party of the year and I am owning it.  Bow down, bitches.

  "We, Grant. Wishes.  Make a wish isn't a way of saying, 'Down the hatch.' It's our way of saying, 'What do you wish for?' That's it.  Right there.  We grant wishes.  Do you think you maybe got that now?"

  I'd be jealous except, lets face it, some people are meant to rule the world and some are meant to ruin it.  And at this point I don't think there's any doubt which category I fall into. 

  So here's the deal.  I had no clue that this was the same author that wrote Another Little Piece.  It was a book on my must have list in 2014, and though I have it I never got the chance to read it.  I have looked at it longingly many times but it remains on my shelf.  Well, Down with the Shine has made regret never making the time to read ALP.

  The book starts off with a bang.  Well, not literally but seeing Lennie's best friend dies, it's hard to explain the intensity that leads this book into its start.  Having not read the synopsis since originally deciding that I needed this book, the start also took me by surprise.  I was sure that I was in for some sort of contemporary/mystery, but that was quickly remedied.  This book hooked me in with its quick pace and honest characters.  Quinn crafted a twisted and intriguing tale, that was more original than I could have expected, and so addictive I only put it down to sleep... Because I had to.  I can't say that once I understood that Lennie could grant wishes that I knew where everything was going.  In fact despite the fact that you have an idea of the chaos once the wishes are granted, there is always some twist of fate that comes to take out any preconceived ideas you may have.

  I would like to say as far as Lennie goes, that her character was extraordinary but she wasn't really.  Lennie was an outsider because of her notorious father, and kind of isolated herself because she felt judged.  Hell, maybe she was judged, but she had no idea the power that she held either.  She had lost the only friend she felt she had, and only learned her inner power, when she decided not to take life laying down any more.  When I said she wasn't extraordinary, what I meant was she didn't seem that way because despite what she thinks she is anything but ordinary.  I think that Lennie is the type of character that everyone can get behind.  Beyond the fact that she can grant wishes, she is just the girl that wants what she feels is beyond her reach.  Basically, Lennie is the girl next door... Well, she is isn't quite the girl next door because people see her as from the wrong side of the tracks, but on the inside she is the girl next door.

  The entire book is based around Lennie and her 'mistakes', but there is a little wiggle room love and friendship.  When I say love and friendship, I don't just mean Lennie but everyone around her.  It's hard not to see the wishes many made as not just a curse but also a blessing.  Lennie wanted nothing more than her friend back, and Smith wants Lennie to get what she has coming to her.  Problem was that in the process they created a bond that they didn't expect.  Same could be said for so many people that Lennie granted for.  The wishes made a mess of everything, but in the long run as they say "everything happens for a reason,"  and many of the characters became developed in their own way because of this.

  There is no denying that this book was an absolute addiction.  The kind of book that people start and don't put down until the end.  With quirky characters, wonderful pacing and throughout, Down with the Shine is one of my favourite reads this year!  Hats off to Kate Karyus Quinn for creating a fun and unique read that fantasy and paranormal lovers alike will surely devour!

Wandering Wild by Jessica Taylor (Review)

Genre:	YA, Contemporary
Publication Date:	May 3, 2016
Pages:	304
Published By:	Sky Pony Press
Series	Standalone
Review copy:	e-ARC from publisher

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Raised by Wanderers, sixteen-year-old Tal travels the roads of the southern wild in her Chevy by day and camps in her tent trailer at night. Hustling, conning, and grifting her way into just enough cash to save her fifteen-year-old brother, Wen, from bare-knuckle fighting was once enough to keep her dreams of traveling the whole world at bay. Everything changes when the Wanderers set up camp in a little town called Cedar Falls.

There, Spencer Sway, a boy Tal tried to hustle at a game of billiards, keeps popping up into her life—and worst of all—into her scams. Buttoned-up, starched-and-ironed Spencer talks of places where Tal’s truck can’t take her. His promises of traveling across oceans are almost enough to shatter her love of the Wanderer life.

When a boy shows up at camp, ready to make good on a nearly-forgotten arranged marriage to Tal, Tal and Wen make a pact: No matter the cost, they will use their limitless skills of grift to earn the bride price and buy back her future—even if Spencer Sway gets used along the way.

It could have been two years or two days after; I couldn't say.  Maybe childhood memories are that way for everyone   markies and Wanders the same.  But for Wanderers, I suppose, those memories are even more vague.  When nothing is the same from day to day, there's no anchor, only ambiguous, timeless, placeless years that flow together.

The superstitions, the lore, the magic, they're all as common to us as trees.  But the camp's explanation was wrong, and so was their belief in me. 

As the shape of his back moves away from me, I realize something horrible's happened  I let the momentum of Spencer and me build to a dangerous speed.

And we just crashed.

  Picking up a book that comes with something different and unusual, is always enjoyable.  Maybe it's just me but I get especially excited when the book features someones inside view of gypsies, wanderers, a cult, or just some less appreciated culture in general.  I think they are a chance to glance into a world that is not our own, view a life that we may never even get the chance to experience.  Maybe that is that way of all books, but I like the truth and the strength that follows with the characters in these contemporary novels that features a different way of life.  Taylor's Wandering Wild was a beautiful and exceptional example of this.  

  I have read very few books on Wanderers or Gypsies, and honestly I do not know much of their way of life beyond what I have read/heard.  This being said, I really enjoyed getting to see their world through Tal's eyes.  Taylor painted a vivid character that did not resent the situation she was in (in fact she could never imagine being tethered to one place), and she coloured a world that carries its own beliefs and traditions.  I enjoyed the flowing pace and the consistent plot, that headed towards something different.  Wandering Wild carried the kind of pace I desire with the character and world to walk along with it.

  I loved Tal and Wen.  They were a great example of two sides of the same coin.  Tal loved the movement and freedom that being a Wanderer brought her, but she questioned her peoples beliefs.  Wen didn't have a problem with their belief system, but he did wonder what it would be like to stay in one place, become what they targeted: a markie.  Though Talia was the main character, Wen was her brother, her other half.  I think he was what mostly gave her the ability to see beyond, or maybe she had always been looking and I just didn't see that.  Tal was strong, full of ideas and undeniably clever because she had to be.  What I think I quite possibly loved the most was that she was not perfect, she was not completely selfless.  Yes, she loved her brother but she wasn't willing to give in to everything because it might make things easier for him.  Loving him did not mean that she compromised what she wanted.  To some this may be a downfall, but I feel in the end it was what really set her apart.

  As for the love side of things, I would like to say that it didn't matter but it did.  Wen and his love for books and something that didn't belong in his world, and Tal and her romance with Spencer... Who most definitely did not fit in her world.  The thing was though, that he wanted something that intrigued Tal, he wanted to travel.  To Tal she couldn't imagine being in one place for her entire life, but being in one place wouldn't be so bad if she got to see everything that she wanted.  Spencer seemed to live in a world that was unimaginable to Tal but, they both learn not everything is at it seems.  It's when their worlds begin to collide more than either anticipated that they find the connection they didn't expect.  I enjoyed the chemistry and the growth this relationship made as the book progressed.  In fact I would say I enjoyed these two more than I have any other relationship in awhile.

  Wandering Wild is a spectacular debut, that captivated me with its colourful world and developed characters.  I finished this book in less than a day, and I don't even question for a moment that others will do the same.  If you are a fan of contemporary and love to watch worlds collide in a spectacular way, don't hesitate to pick up Wandering Wild.

Dorthy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Review)

Genre:	YA, Retelling, Twisted Tale
Publication Date:	April 1, 2014
Pages:	452
Published By:	Harper Collins
Series	Dorthy Must Die #1
Review copy:	Bought

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I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.

  I had been dropped here by a tornado, and now I was standing on something that looked remarkably like a road of yellow bricks.
  This had to be some big mix-up.  Maybe Kansas had finally cashed in on the whole Dorthy thing with a theme park and the tornado had just happened to drop me here.

  This Tin Woodman was not the Tin Woodman I remembered.  By now I shouldn't have expected anything different   nothing was the way it was supposed to be in Dorthy's remade Oz.

  Or was I someone more extreme, someone  I never imagined   a killer.  A warrior.  A girl who could stab someone in the face and know that she was doing the right thing?  A girl who had strength she never even knew about?

 What a fun and unique take on what happened after the classic finished.  So often we are tied up in the before it happened or what we would have preferred to happen, to stop and think about the after.  The aftermath is quite often more interesting than we would expect.  Dorthy Must Die nailed the post Dorthy leaving Oz, and created a masterful story with the power of 'what if'.  

  There is so much to be said about the way this was written, and the way that everything pieced itself together.  There was no one moment where as a reader I paused and couldn't accept the turns that this story took.  No, this was written in such a way that as things changed and people were introduced that it was easy to accept that this was the way things had become.  Basically despite the horror that the beautiful land had become, it was easy to visualise.  This is not saying that there were some questions left hanging in the air because for me there was.  However, there is no good book in which all of the secrets are dished out in the start and it's these little things that keep us turning the pages wanting more... Right?

  Amy herself to start came off as nothing special, and not horribly notable as a character but as this book proves, things change.  Though Oz is not the one she thought she knew, or the Oz that she had hoped she landed in, it proves to be a character builder for her.  Though things were not always what they seemed with her either.  For me Amy's wanting something more became something she wanted less of, and a path to see that things can be what you want if you are willing to go for it.  This being said, she was very much a pawn in multiple games, and all in which no one really knows who the 'good guys' are.  Though I never really connected with Amy I did enjoy her.  She was smart enough to ask questions, quick enough to pick up up on things not to do but impulsive enough to be enjoyable to read.

  There was definitely a lot going on in this book, and many characters that were mentioned.  What is good about this is that Paige does not kill the book with over detailing each one, but does give enough detail to each to allow you to see them the way you need to.  With this comes some new and some old.  I loved the way that the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Lion were twisted into something spectacularly horrible.  Maybe it is Dorthy's presence that causes this, but either way they are not the friendly characters we came to love in the original.  This is accented by some small surprises from other characters that kind of have always in some way been a wild card and a few new ones that add their own kick to the mix.  Nox was one of the characters that kind of stirred up the mix, but he also caused some mixed feelings that may need to be discussed in future reviews.

  Dorthy Must Die was a fast paced, well thought through twist on the post Dorthy Oz.  Can it be called post Dorthy if she found her way back?  Either way there was almost never a dull moment, and I can't wait to start The Wicked Will Rise (the only benefit of not having picked up this book before now).  Fans of Oz, twisted tales and new takes in general will surely enjoy this read!!