Book Review: The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

So I've wanted to read this series for a while now because a long time ago I heard about how Amanda Hocking had self-published these books and how they had done really well and their success is (partly) what led to her getting her books in print. My library almost always has these books checked out but I was finally able to get the first two and read them over the past couple of weeks. They're very much what you would expect from a YA paranormal series--awkward girl finds out she isn't really human but a princess; leaves home to learn about her real people; finds out bad people are after her; must decide how best to save herself and those she loves. Even though parts of the story were cliche and sometimes the dialogue wasn't very authentic, I still found myself enjoying the plot and pleased with the main character and her voice. And as soon as I read the final installment, I will update to reflect.

Switched: When Wendy was a child, her father died and not long later, her mother tried to killed her. Her and her brother Matt were sent to live with their aunt and Wendy spent the rest of her years being a loner constantly getting into trouble. She always felt out of place with her picky appetite, unruly hair, short temper, and pension for going shoeless. It isn't until the strange and good-looking Finn shows up at her school and tells her that she isn't really human that things start to make sense. Wendy is a Trylle changeling--a troll that was switched at birth with the human baby born to the mom that tried to kill her. Trouble is, Wendy's "mom" wasn't really crazy. She recognized that Wendy wasn't her baby, or even human, and that was why she tried to kill her. After an attack on Wendy's life by a warring Trylle faction, the Vittra, Finn takes Wendy to the Trylle community where Wendy's real mom, the Queen Elora, rules. Slowly Wendy learns about the Trylle way of life as well as Trylle history. Wendy and Finn's attraction for each other grows but since Finn is considered lower class, he refuses to act on it. Then one day an attack on the Trylle occurs. Lives are lost and Wendy learns that the Vittra aren't going to give up until they get her. Frustrated with her real mother's lack of warmth and love and Finn's distance as well as wanting to keep the Trylle safe, Wendy decides to leave the Trylle community and return to her brother Matt and her aunt. What happens after that is more than she can handle.

Torn: Wendy arrives back home but she didn't come alone. She brought Rhys--the human boy she was switched with at birth. As a human in the Trylle community, Rhys has always been treated like the lowest of the low. Wendy wants Rhys to meet Matt, his older brother and Rhys is ready for a change so he agrees to go with her. Well, sort of. Wendy has a unique Trylle gift called Persuasion so she may have had to convince him some (: Wendy introduces the two boys and begins the process of trying to explain to Matt why she left and who she is. Not long later the Vittra show up and the next thing Wendy knows she's waking up in a dungeon with Matt and Rhys. The Vittra took them. There Wendy meets Loki, a Vittra royal who introduces her to his King--Wendy's dad! Wendy learns she's the heir to two thrones and she needs to decide which kingdom she wants to rule. While her mom's kingdom isn't the greatest, it is better than her dad's. So with some surprising help from Loki (who seems like a prisoner himself) Wendy and Matt and Rhys are able to escape the King's palace. They go back to the Queen where Wendy demands answers to all the questions her mother has avoided answering. Not long later, Loki shows back up. The Queen uses her power to keep him prisoner in the palace but it weakens her to a point close to death. Wendy seeks out Loki  for answers and the two get to know each other and even share a kiss. The Queen recovers some after Loki is exchanged for a peace agreement but the Queen tells Wendy that it won't be long before she will be dead and Wendy will be queen. She has even arranged for Wendy to marry a Trylle royal, Tove. Torn over who to love and where to rule, Wendy has some big decisions to make.

Well, hopefully I can get my hands on the last book today and update you on what I thought real soon. Thanks for stopping by and reading!!

Book Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

If you read my last book review you'll know that I LOVED the first book in this trilogy. Once again the cover and title didn't disappoint and when I started reading, I couldn't stop! Here's my summary:

Mara wakes up once again in the hospital. Unlike the first time this happened though, she remembers how she got there. Mara had gone to the police station to give a statement when she saw her ex-boyfriend--the one who is supposed to be dead--the one she's been seeing ever since she woke up in the last hospital. He touched her. He spoke to her. Apparently, Mara freaked out. That's how she ended up back in the psych ward. Mara does everything she can to tell her mom and brother and doctor she isn't crazy and isn't lying but no one believes her. Convinced they will lock her up for good, she decides to play their game and act normal and go along with what they are saying. It works. Mara is released. But she isn't giving up. She knows now that Jude is alive and stalking her and trying to make everyone believe she is guilty of his crimes as well as crazy. Mara's boyfriend Noah is the only one who believes her. Together the two search even harder from answers while Mara attends an outpatient program/school to get better. In the meantime, her and Noah discover that Mara's dead grandmother, who everyone also believed was crazy, and Noah's dead mother, actually knew each other. What's more is that Mara is starting to have memories that could only belong to her grandmother. Things get even more tense when Jude kidnaps Mara and displays some powers of his own. The next time Mara wakes up, she can't convince anyone she's sane. They send her to a last resort inpatient facility. Thankfully Noah manages to get in too. It's there she and Noah discover that Mara's doctor and the head of the facility isn't all she seems. When Jude shows up for one final attempt at revenge, Mara does the only thing she can think of that might finally get him out of their lives forever. Except this time the consequences are more than she imagined. 

Whew! This was one roller coaster of an emotional book ride! Mara's journey was emotional and relatable once again. She dealt with many of the same teenage problems other kids her age deal with as well as the added problem of overwhelming emotional issues. I tore through this book loving the mounting threat of Jude and enjoying the sweet romance that continued to develop between Noah and Mara. I liked the little clues that were dropped along the way that kept me wondering what was going on with these two kids as well as many of the other kids Mara had met. Why were they different? Was Mara's grandmother like them? How is Jude still alive? The question of Mara's mental stability and reliability as a narrator was always on the forefront of my mind. Was she crazy and just had me fooled for two books? The answer at the end of Evolultion was a nice set up for book three and a shocking revelation that left more questions than answers. What's more is that where Mara is left and the consequences of what she did left me with my mouth open and my eyes wide with shock. Book three, The Retribution of Mara Dyer, releases in June 2014.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below!

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Let me start by saying that what first drew me to this book was the title and cover. Gorgeous, right? I read the inside flap and thought, 'Ok, cool. I'll give it a try.' There are only two books I have ever read that completely surprised me with where they went. Liar by Justine Larbalestier is one and this is the other. I was expecting one thing and got blown away with the twist at the end! (probably because I thought it was a contemporary YA and not paranormal) Here's my summary:

Mara Dyer wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. She's told right away that she was in an accident with her boyfriend, best friend, and boyfriend's sister and they are all dead. Miraculously, Mara survived. Mara's parents decide to move the family out of state so Mara can have a fresh start. It's at her new school that Mara meets Noah. The two have an immediate connection. Mara and Noah start trying to piece together just what happened to Mara in an effort to help Mara get her memories back. But when Mara starts hallucinating her dead boyfriend, the boundary between what's real and not, what's true and not, and if she is crazy or not, begins to blur. Can she figure out everything she needs to about the accident before she completely loses it? Is there more to Mara than meets the eye?

**This is one of my favorite books. I should probably go and add it right now to my "List" because of how much I love it. I have always been fascinated with the brain and why we do and don't remember some things (another reason I decided to read this was to find out why she didn't remember). Mara waking up and learning that all these people she loved are dead and then having to move to another state is heart-wrenching and beautifully written. In fact, this whole book is beautifully written. The characters are well-developed and unique. Mara's voice and relationship with her brother and especially Noah is fun and different. I was completely not expecting the twist that was taken at the end. If you haven't already, you MUST pick up this book and its sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER. I just finished it and I can't wait to post all about it for you! Now, if only it were next summer already so I could get my hands on the last book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER...

Let me know what you think! Comment below.  

Book Review: Crash (Visions #1) by Lisa McMann

Let me just start by saying how much I am loving PulseIt, the website where you can download and read YA books for free. This time I got to read a new book by an author I've enjoyed in the past. Lisa McMann has written many novels and I've read most of them. Her stories are pretty action packed with great underdog main characters experiencing something paranormal. Here's my review of Crash (Visions #1):

Jules lives with her brother, sister, eternally optimistic mother, and depressed, hoarder father above their family's Italian restaurant. She's been in love with Sawyer, the son of the rival Italian restaurant family, ever since they were kids. Jules has been seeing something strange lately. Like a movie trailer, everywhere she looks--from billboards to computers to tv screens, she sees the same scene: a crash, an explosion, and nine body bags. One of those body bags is open and in it is Sawyer. What does it mean? Is Jules going crazy? After ignoring it for days, Jules finally slows the images down and looks for details. Maybe this is a vision and she's supposed to do something to prevent it. All Jules knows is that she can't let Sawyer die. She tries to warn him but of course he thinks she's crazy. Finally, Jules figures out the day the crash is going to happen. What she does will completely change the outcome and what happens afterwards will shock those left standing.

**Lisa McMann is a great writer of stories with realistic settings and characters experiencing strange, paranormal occurences. I loved our MC Jules and her very realistic crush-from-afar on Sawyer. Who among us hasn't had one of those crushes? And even better, who didn't crush on someone their parents didn't approve of? The rivalry between Jules and Sawyer's families was interesting and very Romeo and Juliet-esque. I wanted to know why these two families hated each other and when it was finally revealed, I was pleasantly surprised. There were times while reading though, that I felt like the story dragged. Jules's wondering what was happening to her and what she should do about it slowed the story down and made me impatient to get to the inevitable crash. All in all this was a fast, short read that had a cliffhanger ending that will leave readers wondering what happens next. 

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below.