Book Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Hey friends!

So recently YA author Courtney Summers started the hashtag #ToTheGirls. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so now. It was a HUGE movement and was even mentioned on the Today show! What it boiled down to was this: On April 14th people took to social media to tell girls across the world that they are seen, heard, and loved. They shared advice, offered encouragement, and told those who'd made a difference in their lives, thanks. It was AWESOME! 

Needless to say, I was inspired to read some of Courtney Summers' books. She writes dark, gritty YA stories that deal with topics such as rape, bullying, and grief. I headed to my local library and checked out SOME GIRLS ARE and FALL FOR ANYTHING. Her newest book ALL THE RAGE just came out and I can't wait to read it.

SOME GIRLS ARE is about a girl named Regina who is a part of the popular group at her small town high school. Regina's a follower, letting herself be led around and told what to do by the leader of her clique, Anna. And Anna is a bitch. She bullies people for no good reason other than that she can. 

Over the years, Regina and Anna and the others in their group have hurt and isolated several kids at their school, including the new boy Michael, the sweet girl, Liz, and the overweight girl, Kara. Kara is the girls who is always on the outside looking in, begging to be part of the in-crowd. She despises Regina more than anyone for always doing Anna's dirty work and never letting her hang out with them.

One night when Regina's boyfriend Josh throws one of his typical blowout parties, Regina is assigned to be designated driver. She spends the night taking care of Josh and wishing she too can be drunk so she can just get through another night of the same old shit. As it is, she already has a hard time eating because she hates herself so much for being too weak to stand up to Anna and too ashamed to apologize to the people she's wronged. 

When all her friends disappear for the night and Josh and Anna pass out, Anna's boyfriend, Donnie, forces himself onto Regina, trying to rape her. She manages to get away and ends up at Kara's house. Kara, who she doesn't like. Who doesn't like her back. But Kara is totally nice, offering kind words and hearing her out. Regina tells Kara what happened with Donnie and Kara convinces Regina to keep her mouth shut about it. It will just cause too many problems, Kara says. But then the next day at school, Regina learns that Kara told everyone she slept with Donnie. And just like that, Regina is out of the group and Kara is in. And the whole schools knows it. They revel in it--one of the mean girls finally getting exactly what she gave to everyone else. And Kara...well, she's finally gotten what she always wanted and she isn't about to let Regina off easy. And so the bullying begins.

Regina spends months being the brunt of everyone's joke, constantly humiliated and shoved around and harassed. The girls and guys will stop at nothing to make her pay for what Kara says she did--and all because Anna tells them to. 

No matter how she responds or what she says, Regina can't get them off her back. So she takes solace in hanging out with Michael, who doesn't like her because she bullied him on Anna's demands, but who miraculously takes pity on her and lets her sit with him at lunch. Meanwhile, Liz makes sure to let Regina know that this is how it feels to be on Anna's bad side. This is exactly what Anna and Regina did to Liz not so long ago, driving her to near suicide. And no apology Regina gives now will matter to Liz because it couldn't possibly be genuine. But Regina tries anyway.

As each day passes, the bullying gets worse and worse. Regina isn't the kind to just hunch her shoulders and let it happen though. She pushes back, serving up her own versions of revenge. But they're small hits compared to what her old friends serve up. 

And all the while, Regina and Michael get closer and start liking one another. It's tough because Michael is unsure of Regina and who she really is. Can he truly like someone who used to make his life hell? And Regina is doubtful that Michael could ever really like her if he knew how low she wanted to stoop to get her old friends back for what they've done. Things come to a startling head when the girls drive Regina to the outskirts of town and beat her up. Surprisingly, Liz comes to Regina's defense and threatens Anna with going to the principal and police for all that she's done. Anna gets scared and offers Regina a truce.

And that's where the story ends. Yeah, I kind of told you a lot of the details, but I couldn't help it. If you don't have time to read this book but you do have time to read my post, I want to get across to you how important the issue of bullying is and how so many people out there are doing really great things (whether that be to start a hashtag, write a book, or use their voices) to spread the word that bullying needs to be stopped. Bullying comes in so many forms and happens at younger and younger ages these days, especially now that we have phones and social media in the palms of our hands. They're just more tools to hurt each other with. 

I love how Summers isn't afraid to broach such tough topics. This plot constantly moves forward and her characters were very well drawn out. The details and dialogue were spot-on realistic. SOME GIRLS ARE does not have a nicely tied up, happy ending. Like what usually happens in real life, everything just sort of calms down. Also like in real life, the bad guys sometimes get away with being bad and the good guys don't always get justice. Maybe Regina wasn't the greatest girl (I mean we're all guilty of something bad at one time or another), but she didn't deserve what happened to her. 

I think it's time we ladies come together and stand united against being mean to each other. How can we expect equal and better treatment from men when we can't do the same for our fellow women? Let's keep in mind that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all deserve second chances and apologies. Being mean IS NOT cool! Talk to a grown up, girls. Tell them when you're being bullied. Use your voice to stand up for yourself and for others. Be friends with everyone, not just one small group. Apologize when you make a mistake. Encourage and lift up other girls up. When #GirlsUnite anything is possible :)

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment below.

Outlander!! (A sort of book review)

**Let me just preface this by saying that these books are not YA books and while I have been keeping this blog strictly YA, I decided to break that rule just this once with this post. These are adult books with adult content so if you are alright with that and want to hear me gush about how much I love these books, then by all means, read on!

If you haven't read the books or started watching the show on Starz, you are missing out! This wonderful story written by Diana Gabaldon is epic and adventurous and soooo good! I watched the first episode when it aired and was immediately hooked and when I learned it was based on a series of books I jumped in my car and went to my library and checked out the first one, OUTLANDER. Holy smokes! I couldn't put that thing down! I fell in love with the characters and the story and Scotland (the majority of the setting) and dove right in to the second book and the third book and the fourth book...

Let's just say I have spent the past month and a half immersed in the world Gabaldon created (getting little else accomplished in my life) and I have no regrets! These books are long and chocked full of one adventure after another and I love how you get to live in Claire and Jamie's and all the other characters' worlds for so long before one book ends and the next begins. I will be truly bereft when I get to the last book and have to wait for the next one to be published. If you like history, beautiful, rich settings, fully drawn out and unique characters and epic love and even more epic journeys, then these books are for you!

Go get them now! :)

Oh, and comment away. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Several months ago I was on Twitter reading through people's tweets and I found a tweet from Julie Plec (the mastermind behind The Vampire Diaries, among other things). She tweeted that she had just read We Were Liars and it was so awesome and everyone needed to read it. Well, if Julie Plec says so then that's enough for me! Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I see that my library has finally ordered this book. I quickly put a hold on it to be the first to check it out when it came in. Well, that day was yesterday and holy crap! it was as good as everyone (and sooooo many people on Twitter and elsewhere) said it was. I started it at 11pm and stayed up 'til 2am to finish. Yup. It was that good.

We Were Liars is told from the first person perspective of one of four "Liars," Cadence Sinclair Eastman. Cadence starts by telling us she is, first and foremost, a Sinclair. This means she has money and is expected to act the way a Sinclair would act. She then tells us how that is, and basically, it's how you would imagine a old-money, rich family on the East coast would be expected to act. 

Every summer Cadence and her mother go to the family's private island near Martha's Vineyard. Cadence's two aunts and cousins also go, as do her grandparents, the Heads of the Sinclair family. The aunts spend their time fighting over money and belongings and real estate and Grandfather eggs them on, picking favorites and pitting them against one another. The cousins are constantly thrown into these fights, forced to plead to Grandfather to give THEIR family more than the others. Each family has their own house on the island and every summer Cadence's cousin Johnny brings his best friend, Gat, along with him to the island. As you would expect, Cadence falls in love with Gat and at some point before their fifteenth summer, Cadence, her other cousin Mirren, Gat, and Johnny all become the Liars. They don't keep in touch during the school year but every summer the magic of the island brings them all together and they are the best of friends. 

Early on in the book we learn that at some point during their fifteenth summer, Cadence had an accident on the island. She was found half submerged on the beach and it was deduced that she had taken a late night swim and hit her head on the rocks. She suffered a brain injury and spent some time in the hospital. Cadence doesn't remember everything from that summer, like the days leading up to or immediately following the accident. She suffers severe and excruciating headaches and fails the following school year. For her sixteenth summer, her dad takes her on a trip through Europe rather than letting her go back to the island. 

All Cadence wants is just to remember what happened to her. So, come seventeenth summer, that is what she is determined to find out. None of the Liars have ever responded to her emails or letters or mailed gifts and so she begs her mom to let her go to the island for the summer. Her mom finally relents, hoping Cadence will remember things on her own and start to heal. By the books end, Cadence has remembered everything that happened to her and the Liars that fifteenth summer--and what she learns will break your heart.

**I so, so loved this book! Cadence is such a likeable and relatable character. She loves deeply and feels strongly about everything. Her story is at times happy but also incredibly tragic. The Sinclair family is THAT family; that one we imagine every East-coast-rich, beautiful, mysterious family to be. The setting of the story was almost a character in itself and Lockhart did a beautiful job making it so with minimal description. This book has that great summer feel to it when you read it. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below :)

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 Divergent Series: Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant

*dusts of blog*

Hey there readers! Today's book review is on a series I love (and it's also a NYT best selling series that's getting made into a movie!) 

I first started this series back in 2011 when book 1, DIVERGENT, was released. I can't remember if my sister suggested I read it or if I saw an early review of it on EW's Shelf Life but for whatever reason I decided to give it a go. I was hooked from the first sentence. Veronica Roth immediately takes readers into this dystopian world with her opening scene of our MC Beatrice looking into a mirror and getting her hair cut (something she's only allowed to do once a year). Right away I was interested. Why does Beatrice never get to look in a mirror? Why does she only get to do it once a year when she gets a hair cut? Those questions led me to keep reading and now, two years later, here I am having just finished ALLEGIANT and having SO MANY EMOTIONS! There's an indescribable feeling you get when you stick with a series and read each book as it's released. Two years is a long time to invest and when the payoff is as great as it is with the DIVERGENT series, it's well worth it. 

Beatrice is a remarkably relatable character whose arc over the three books is tremendous. She starts out as a regular girl who wants to please her parents but recognizes something in herself that wants more. In a very brave move for such a restricting world, she goes against what's expected of her and makes a decision that shapes the rest of her life. The world of DIVERGENT is expertly written and described with vivid imagery and realistic dialogue and relationships. Secondary character leave a lasting impact as well as drive the plot forward. The romantic relationship between Beatrice (Tris) and Tobias (Four) is one that feels real and sweet. It never tries to be more than it should and it always stays true to the type of romance that fits the world the characters live in as well as the situations they are put in. 

Let me tell you a little bit about that world and those situations... 

Where Tris lives is in a city that is divided into five factions: dauntless, candor, abnegation, amity, and erudite. Each faction represents a specific virtue--bravery, honesty, selflessness, peacefulness, and intelligence. Each child is raised in their parent's faction (you marry within a faction) but on their sixteenth birthday, the child takes a test that determines which faction best suites them. The child can either choose that faction or stick with the one they were raised in. Tris and her brother both leave their parent's faction with Tris choosing dauntless and Caleb choosing erudite. But Tris quickly learns a secret about herself--she's divergent, meaning she actually falls into more than one faction. The system considers divergents dangerous and has been killing them for years. Tris's discovery of this sets the stage for everything that follows in each book. Since divergents are somewhat easy to spot, Tris has to try extra hard to not only survive being a dauntless but also to hide her secret. Meanwhile, the leaders of the society are doing all they can to keep the faction system running smoothly while flushing out the divergents, something that causes tension and fear in a world where so many people won't stand up to authority. Tris and Four get caught up rebellion after rebellion where they loose people they love, are betrayed by people they thought they could trust, and are tested by those they are supposed to follow. In the end, Tris and Four learn why their society is the way it is and how it came to exist. And just when they think they are finally free of all the things and people that have tried to destroy them, one final decision made by Tris will change everything.  

**I can't recommend this series enough! Add these books to you to-read list immediately and get prepared for the first movie to arrive in theaters next year. I, for one, can't wait!1

Thanks for stopping by! 

Book Review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

I had this book on my to-read list for a while so when I finished my WIP a few weeks ago (a YA novel about a girl who was kidnapped), I thought maybe I should give this book a read and see if my novel could measure up to another YA novel with a similar topic. It was a quick read, only taking me about 3 hours. Our books didn't have much in common but I really enjoyed GIRL, STOLEN. Here's my review:

Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of her stepmom's SUV when something terrible happens--the car gets stolen. Legally blind and sick with pneumonia, Cheyenne begs the thief to just let her go. But Griffin can't do that. He needs to get a way quick and he can't risk letting this girl tell the cops anything that might identify him. Griffin takes Cheyenne to his house where his dad runs a chop shop with two other thugs. All Griffin wanted to do was impress his dad but now he's done the opposite. That is until they turn on the TV and see just who Cheyenne is. Her dad is the president of Nike. Now Griffin's dad wants to ransom her for a million dollars. As Griffin keeps Cheyenne safe and slowly gets to know her, he decides he wants to help her get away. But Cheyenne doesn't need his help--she manages to escape on her own. But can she get to safety before Griffin's dad and the other two thugs find her? And what will happen to Griffin? Will these two unlikely allies ever be able to have a normal life again?

**I love a good, short read that's high on emotion and pace. From the start of this story, that's exactly what I got. Cheyenne's voice was authentic and her fear was real. The drama kept me turning the pages and I really felt bad for the position both Griffin and Cheyenne were in. I liked how Cheyenne stayed strong and always looked out for herself first. Her blindness and sickness were well described and added an intensity to the story without taking anything away. The ending was hopeful which matched well with the overall tone. GIRL, STOLEN is a quick, intense read I fully recommend.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to comment below.

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: Across the Universe trilogy: Across the Universe, A Million Suns, and Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

When I first heard about these books I wasn't sure if I should give them a try. I hadn't read any science fiction before and I wasn't sure if it was a genre I would like. The premise sounded great though so I thought, what the heck? I ended up loving these books! Here's my summary and review of each book in the trilogy:

In a distant future, Earth is in need of help. Natural resources are depleted and the technology is finally available for humans to travel through space and find other planets that can support life. Seventeen-year-old Amy's parents work for the government and are boarding a spaceship to go to one of those recently discovered planets. They give Amy a choice...stay on Earth with her boyfriend and relatives or come aboard the ship, get cryogenically frozen, and start a new life on a new planet many years in the future? Amy loves her parents and decides to go with them. The next thing she knows she's being woken up...early. Mesmerized by her beauty, a boy named Elder unplugs her machine. Elder had no idea all these people were frozen on his ship. He's grown up there and is being groomed to become the next Eldest, the leader. While Amy starts to adjust to her new reality, one in which she is a shunned outsider, someone starts unplugging and killing off the frozens one-by-one. Amy and Elder race to figure out what's going on and who's responsible. What they discover is shocking and life changing. Their spaceship/home has more secrets and problems than they ever thought possible.

It's been three months since Amy woke up on Godspeed. Her and Elder have uncovered many of the ships' secrets but many more questions still plague them. People have died and chaos has erupted. Elder has assumed control of the ship but it isn't going well. The more he and Amy fall in love, he more control over his people he loses. As more shocking discoveries are made, Amy comes to realize that not only will she never fit in with Elder and his people, but she will be older than her parents when they finally land. If they ever land. That's looking more and more like a possibility every second.

They've landed. A lot of lives were lost and a lot of people decided to stay behind but Elder and Amy and about 1000 members of Godspeed have taken the shuttle and landed on the new Earth. But this planet isn't at all what they thought it would be. Something big and scary is outside the shuttle trying to kill them. The frozens are woken up and assume control. It doesn't go well. Amy and Elder do whatever they can to bridge the gap and keep the peace between Elder's people and those that were frozen but nothing they do seems to help. As they all try to make a new life on this strange and amazing new planet, more threats come at them. They can't go back to Godspeed and those on Godspeed can't help them and they can't get a hold of anyone on the original Earth so what do they do? And more importantly, will they survive?

**The Across the Universe trilogy is science fiction at its best. Revis does an amazing job dealing with themes of hope, belonging, and what it means to be human. I loved the relationship between Amy and Elder and how despite all odds they do whatever they can to try to save the people onboard the ship and the mission itself. Elder's character arc is much more obvious and interesting than Amy's but her hardships onboard the ship as well as the feelings she has to deal with when adjusting to her new life will bring tears to your eyes. The final book had me tearing through the pages to see how it all ended and I couldn't have been more surprised and more pleased with how it all played out. I highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys philosophical questions, space drama, and thrilling mysteries.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below.

Book Review: Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Well it's been waaaaaay too long since my last post! Where is this summer going!? Good thing the wonderful PulseIt has been providing me with some free reading material! I just read Two Way Street, part of PulseIt's "Best Road Trip Books," and I thought it was pretty good. Here's my summary:

Courtney and Jordan were an unlikely couple in high school but that didn't seem to matter. They worked. Things were going great until Jordan out of the blue breaks up with Courtney for some girl he met online. Courtney is devastated but high school is over so she doesn't have to see Jordan anymore, right? Wrong. The two of them are going to the same college and are supposed to be driving there together. And Courtney's parents are still making her go! The trip doesn't go according to plan at all. Courtney does her best to hide her feelings for Jordan but Jordan is doing the same thing! Slowly Courtney learns exactly what happened to make Jordan break up with her and it's much worse (or maybe not so bad?) than she thought.

**Two Way Street is a very typical contemporary YA novel. It's an easy read with believable teenage dialogue. Barnholdt does a good job getting inside these two teens heads. She tells their story from alternating viewpoints of Courtney and Jordan before and during the road trip. I liked seeing how and why this couple ended up where they were. I thought the plot and pacing was well done and I looked forward to when all the secrets would finally be revealed. Overall a cute, quick read.

Thanks for stopping by! See you back here soon!

Book Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

I picked this book up at my library a couple of weeks ago because I wanted to have a vacation read that was a stand alone novel--something I could enjoy temporarily and not get too swept away in while spending time with my family. I ended up barely having time to read while we were away so I didn't start this until I got back. And wow! It was good! Here's my summary:

Jenna Lord's life hasn't been easy. When she was a child, she almost died in a fire. Now as a sixteen-year-old she's almost died for a second time. Jenna tells the story of how she got to this point into a tape recorder for a detective. It goes a little something like this: Ever since Jenna's grandma killed herself and her grandpa was put in a home, her mom has been a drunk, stressing out over her failing business. Her dad is a doctor who's never home and always sleeping around. Her brother shipped off to Iraq just to get away from all the crazy. So it's no wonder Jenna cuts herself to feel better. She's spent some time in an institution and now her dad feels it's time for her to make a fresh start at a new school. That's where Jenna meets Mr. Anderson. He's a great teacher, dedicated track coach, and...a married man. He takes an instant liking to Jenna, wanting to help her and make her feel OK about who she is and her past. But things quickly go further than either of them planned. They fall in love. But then one of the girls at Jenna's school goes missing and when Jenna pieces together things she's seen and heard, she starts to suspect Mr. Anderson isn't all he says he is. What happens when she confronts him has devastating consequences for them both.

**I love reading a good, dark YA story. This was one of those. Bick tackles several important issues like death, molestation, cutting, alcoholism, and adultery in a well-done, sensitive, and realistic way. Jenna was an easy character to relate to and her arc was different from any other I've read in a while. Her growth and healing came in the most unexpected way. I like how the author let us see that no one is perfect and it's often hard to tell who is good and who is bad, who is guilty and who is innocent. Things are never black and white--life is full of gray.

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Book Review: The Chemical Garden Trilogy: Fever, Wither and Sever by Lauren DeStefano

I started reading this series right from the get-go. My library ordered the first book, Wither, not long after it was published and I got my name on the hold list right away. I'm pretty sure I tore through it in like 2 days! And as soon as Fever and Sever came out, I tore through those too! Here's my summary of the three:

16-year-old Rhine and her twin brother Rowan live in a world where orphans are the norm, young girls are sold to polygamous husbands, and poverty and crime are at an all time high. Why? Because years ago scientists tried to create a perfect human race and instead doomed the world with a deadly virus that kills females at the age of 20 and males at the age of 25. When Rhine answers an ad thinking it will bring her and her brother some much needed money, she has no idea she's walking into a trap. Before she knows it, she's been Gathered. She and two other girls are picked by a wealthy doctor's son. They're taken to a beautiful estate where their every need is catered to and the crumbling world around them fades away. Rhine becomes and bride to Linden and a sister-wife to Jenna and Cecily while Linden's first love, Rose slowly fades away from the virus. But nothing is as perfect as it seems in Rhine's new world. Linden's father hoards corpses to study and encourages the girls to get pregnant--all so he can find a cure to the virus. Rhine wants nothing more than to escape her beautiful prison and get back to her twin brother. When she meets a servant, Gabriel, who also dreams of freedom, the two hatch a plan to do just that. The question isn't whether or not they make it but what awaits them in the world when they do.

Now that Rhine and Gabriel have escaped, they try desperately to get to Rowan and start a new life. But instead they end up captured by the leader of a cruel brothel. Madame wants them for herself--to be the stars of her awful carnival and she doesn't plan to let them go. Amid slave children and the haze of drugs slipped to them unknowingly, Rhine and Gabriel lose precious months of their lives performing shows and being trapped by yet another crazy captor. But Rhine won't give up her dream of getting home so easily. With a little help from some kind carnival friends, Rhine manages to get her and Gabriel out. But she isn't as free as she thought. She's sick and the only explanation for why is one that comes to her when she's about to die--it's her father-in-law, Housemaster Vaughn's fault. The next thing she knows, Rhine is back at the estate and in the basement--the place where Vaughn does his corpse studying--the place where those who enter never come back from. And Rhine would know, she's seen it happen.

With Linden and Cecily's help, Rhine manages to get away from Housemaster Vaughn. She still needs to find her brother and now Gabriel too. Linden gets her to his uncle's house and the two finally come to terms with all that has happened to Rhine and who Vaughn really is. But Vaughn isn't ready to give up on his son and daughter's-in-law just yet. When Rhine learns how to get to her brother, who is now an extremist against finding the cure, she jumps at the chance. But in the process she learns just how far Vaughn's web of deceit and betrayal and control spans. There's more to Rhine and Rowan than Rhine ever knew and it all goes back to their geneticist parents and their Chemical Garden project. So does Rhine ever get the life of freedom she wants? Does she find Gabriel? The question of who will survive and who won't  and whether or not a cure can ever be found is all answered in this breathtaking final installment.

**All in all, I really loved these books. Rhine was such an easy character to listen to and get to know. I enjoyed all the sister-wives and Linden and found that every character, no matter how minor, was well drawn and interesting. DeStefano's writing was wonderful and really drew me in and kept me reading. At times I'd find myself re-reading lines and smiling at how profound they were. While some parts dragged out more than others in books two and three, overall the plot was well-done. My only complaint is small--I would've liked to know more about the science of Rhine and Rowan's parent's work and what exactly made the twins so special. But I don't really think that was important to the overall story that DeStefano was trying to tell. She wanted to tell a story of love against all odds and how we can love different people in different ways. She wanted to paint a picture of hope amidst a world falling apart. And she wanted us to question what evil really was--those who played God and caused death? Those who killed in order to cure? Or those who enslaved to get back what they lost?

Thanks for reading! I'll have another review for you soon. Feel free to comment below.

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This was a book that for whatever reason I kept checking out at my library and turning back in unread. I knew it would be a good book and my sister confirmed this when she read it but I hadn't been in the mood for a fantasy in a while and I had been so busy writing and querying and running my family that I just never got around to reading it. Well, that all changed the other day. I checked it out and immediately started reading. And of course, like my sister, EVERYONE on Twitter and even EW.com, I thought it was AMAZING! Here's my summary:

Alina is a war orphan in her country. Her and her best friend Mal are raised at the Duke's estate and sent out into the army when they are of age. The army fights border countries and with the help of the Grisha (those born with a magical talent) try to cross Unsea, or shadow fold, that lies in the middle of the country and separates them from their True Sea and other west provinces. The shadow fold is just what it sounds like, a dark stretch of land filled with monsters where most anyone who crosses dies. Alina and her unit are crossing the fold one day when they are attacked by those monsters. In a desperate attempt to save Mal, Alina does something incredible--she displays a highly sought after and world changing magical talent. She can summon the sun. Immediately she is whisked away to the king's palace and sent to train like other Grisha. The Darkling, the leader of the Grisha, believes Alina is the people's savior. He wants her to help him destroy the shadow fold. All Alina wants is to be back with Mal and have her normal life back. She may not have had much in the way of money or family or friends but at least she knew who she was. This girl they've turned her into isn't someone she recognizes and for the life of her, Alina can't seem to summon the sun without provocation. But as much as she misses Mal and her old life, she wants to make a difference more. And when the Darkling starts taking a special interest in her Alina finds his charms hard to resist. But when a secret ally lets Alina in on the Darkling's true intentions, Alina has no choice but to escape. She finds Mal and together the two search for a way to make Alina more powerful than the Darkling. Powerful enough that she will never be anyone's slave or weapon. But will they manage this or will the Darkling find them first? Will Alina be able to save her people or will she help to slaughter them? And will she be with Mal or will she lose him forever?

**When I think of high fantasy books that I love (see my favorites list to the right) it's hard to imagine anything can compare to those books. I wasn't expecting to like Shadow and Bone as much as I did but it blew me away. I got swept up in Alina's Russian-like world of magic and war and political power. I loved Alina's character and everything she struggled with, most especially her feelings for her best friend Mal. But I was really surprised to find myself kind of liking the Darkling and her relationship with him too. Who doesn't like the bad boy with immense power that looks at you like you're everything he wants? The ending left me wanting more but not in a cliffhanger sort of way. I can't wait to read the next book in the GRISHA trilogy, Siege and Storm. It just came out and it has been getting awesome reviews!

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment below!

Book Review: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

I first picked up this book after I finished Lauren Kate's first book in her FALLEN series, Fallen. I liked her writing style and wanted to check out what else she had available. I saw The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, read the synopsis which said it was a new take on Macbeth (!), and said, Ok, sure! Here's my summary:

Natalie Hargrove is the most popular girl in school. She and her boyfriend (the cutest, most popular guy of course) are running for prom King and Queen of the senior class. In Natalie's town, it's a HUGE honor to win this coveted title. But while Natalie might be pretty and popular, she isn't necessarily well-liked. Her ex-boyfriend is among those who would love to see Natalie fall--and he starts to do whatever he can to make that happen. But Natalie will let no one get in her way. She convinces her boyfriend to help her pull a prank on her ex. Things don't go exactly as planned, though. With her life and lies and boyfriend completely out of control, Natalie would give anything to just make everything right again. What happens in the end to accomplish this will shock everyone--including Natalie.

**This book was such a fun read! I kept thinking it would be great as a Lifetime movie and totally wanted to shoot an email to the network to suggest it! Natalie was not at all a likeable main character and that was the first of many reasons why I enjoyed her story. She was that girl in high school that everyone hates (but pretends to like) and fears not being friends with. We all want to see these girls get what they deserve and while what Natalie does to her ex has the potential to destroy her, she manages to scrape by without too much of a fall and almost makes you want to root for her! I definitely questioned what I felt for her while reading! The main reason I liked this book though was it's surprise ending--I didn't see it coming at all! If you're looking for a quick and easy read that will make you remember all the highs and lows of high school, this book is for you! 

Thanks for hanging out! Let me know what you think!!

Book Review: Liar by Justine Larbalestier

A few days ago I posted my "list" of favorite books. Over the next few days I'm going to try to review some of the books on that list that I haven't already reviewed to give you a little bit of an idea of what they are about and why I liked them. Liar was on the honorable mention section of my list. Here's a summary:

Micah is a liar. She lies about everything. And as the narrator of this story, she admits this to us right up front. She tells us how she's lied to everyone in her life from parents, to friends, teachers, random strangers. Most of her lies are harmless, meant for good fun and some laughs. Some of her lies have gotten her into big trouble and branded her the very thing she is. So when Micah's boyfriend is found dead under brutal circumstances and Micah is the last person to have been with him, no one believes her when she says that she wasn't the one who did it. She sets off to tell us, the reader, some very difficult truths. For the first time ever she's ready to finally be honest. But can a chronic liar ever really be truthful?

**I completely loved this book but for reasons so different than why I love other books on my list. For one, I loved having a dishonest narrator. It wasn't until I was about halfway through though the book though that I really got this. Like any other avid reader, I trusted who was telling me the story. Micah seemed so genuine and relatable that I chucked out everything she'd told me about her--the most important of which was that SHE LIES!! Even though she'd clearly tell you "this is the truth," I found myself never knowing if what I had just been told was actually THE TRUTH. The story telling style in Liar was great with plenty of flashbacks that were relevant to each current section of the story. Larbalestier takes you on a whirlwind mystery of who-dunnit and truth vs. lie that will leave you frustrated but in a head-shaking, smiling kind of way. I have never been more surprised by a story before which is why Liar made the honorable mention section of my list of favorite books.

Thanks for reading! See you back here soon.

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

I've been wanting to read this book for a while now. I kept hoping my library would order it because let's face it, if I bought every book I wanted to read I would need 2 jobs to pay for them! Finally I just requested it to be ordered. My library is so amazing and every time I ask for a book, they always get it for me. It took some time but it came in the other day. And I read it that same day! Obviously, I loved it! Here's my summary:

America Singer is a #5. In this country (Illea-a future version of the U.S.) that means she's one of the lower castes. (There are 8 castes) Her and her family are all different types of artists and they struggle to make ends meet. America is in love with Aspen, a #6, and this is not a good thing. It would mean an even greater hardship for her if they were to ever get married. When America's family receives news of the Selection in the mail they are overjoyed. But America isn't. The Selection is a contest where 35 girls are chosen to compete for Prince Maxon's hand in marriage. America doesn't want to be a princess or live in the castle and she certainly doesn't want to be married to Prince Maxon. She doesn't care about anything except for being with Aspen. But Aspen wants a good life for America and insists she at least sign up. America finally agrees. At least this way she can say to him and her family that she tried. But then suddenly Aspen ends things with America and the worst happens--America is chosen as one of the 35! Overnight her world changes. She has to leave everything behind for a life of fancy gowns and yummy food and being waited on hand and foot in the castle. But at least her family gets paid handsomely for it. America expects to hate Prince Maxon--after all, it's his fault she's trapped there. But instead she finds he's not so bad. They become friends and when Maxon learns America's heart is elsewhere, he agrees to keep her on to help her family and prolong her return home where Aspen has already moved on. But life at the castle isn't all it's cracked up to be. Rebels threaten everyone's lives and some of the girls will stop at nothing to be the next princess. America must learn who to trust, how to stay alive, and more importantly, who it is she wants to be with.

**Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. I love Cinderella-esque stories and The Selection did not disappoint. The description of the United States America lives in and the life she has as well as the life she gets thrown into is well done and interesting. America's family is relatable--her mom the typical lives-vicariously-through-her-daughter type and her dad the pushover. I felt like the love between America and Aspen was real and very much that of an overwhelming first-love. And Prince Maxon was more than I at first thought. He turned out to be a real charmer and viable love interest for America. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book, The Elite. (I am about to fill out the card for my library to order it right now!)

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to comment below. I love hearing from you!

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

If I were to make a list of my favorite books, (which I think I might actually do one day soon) these would definitely be at the top. By far they are my favorite fantasy books of all time--hands down, no questions asked. Laini Taylor has a way with words like no one else. Just read this excerpt from the back of Days of Blood and Starlight: "She had loved the enemy and saved him. She had set him free. And he had done this. Bitter, bitter, this desolation of angels." Um, yeah, Laini Taylor is awesome! Here's my summary of each book:

Karou is an art student in Prague. She spends her days hanging out with her friend Zuzana and sketching monsters in her art book  She's always disappearing on errands and can speak several languages. What people don't know is that not all of those languages are human and the monsters in her art book are real. Karou has no family except for a few chimaera--part animal part human creatures. She works for Brimstone, running his errands and collecting teeth. With those teeth and a little donated pain, Brimstone performs magic. He resurrects dead chimaera brought over from another world, a world where chimaera and seraphim (angels) have been at war for centuries. The chimaera would be long gone if not for Brimstone's magic. When the portals between the worlds slowly start closing by an unknown enemy, Karou doesn't know what to do. She knows Brimstone isn't telling her something about who she is and her past. Then Karou meets Akiva. He's familiar and beautiful and instantly has her heart. But there's more to him than meets the eye. When things start to spiral out of control and Karou's chimaera friends disappear, Akiva tells Karou what she needs to do. Break the wishbone Brimstone gave her, the one she wears as a necklace. Akiva knows exactly what's going to happen when Karou does because he knows the truth about who she really is. And he knows that the second the wishbone snaps, he'll lose her forever.

Karou has been gone for quite some time. Her human friends Zuzana and Mik don't know if she's alive or dead or better, with Akiva. But Akiva thinks Karou is dead. Broken and just trying to survive each day, he helps his angel siblings kill the remaining chimaera and with them, dreams of a better world. A world without war and hate and death. But that may never happen because someone is killing the angels now. Easily and horrifically and leaving behind taunts--that they have "arisen." This could only mean one thing: someone is still resurrecting the chimaera. When Akiva saves a chimaera and follows him through an unknown portal, he gets a surprise and a wish come true--Karou is alive. And she is the resurrectionist. And worse, she absolutely hates him. With the help of the evil leader of the chimaera, Karou is raising her dead and continuing the war she never wanted part of. But like Akiva, Karou wants to put an end to all these horrors. What she does on her end and what Akiva does on his has the power to change their world. But what they don't know is that it's not only their world they have to worry about anymore. The angel army has discovered the human world and the human weapons and the human worship of angels. Now with a common enemy, Akiva and his rebel angels and Karou and her chimaera may have to put aside their differences and do the right thing. But will it work? And can Karou and Akiva ever find their way back to each other?

**As soon as you are done reading this post you have to go to your bookstore/library and get these books! The world Taylor has created will blow you away while simultaneously drawing you in. The characters are beautiful and magical and the love story is heart-wrenching and breathtaking. The war between the races will make you stop and think and the love each side has for their people will make you smile. Sometimes I would read a sentence and stop and go back and read it again and say "Wow! That was amazing!" The example above is just one of hundreds that fill Taylor's two books. I can't wait for the final installment of the trilogy, Dreams of Gods and Monsters, to hit shelves in April of next year.

Thanks for stopping by! Now go get these books!

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns and The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

I love fantasy novels. When a writer can successfully build an entirely different world that I instantly get swept away in, that is talent! Rae Carson's GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS trilogy has blown me away with its greatness. I saw the first book in my library not long after I had read Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire. I was in the mood for more fantasy and decided to give The Girl of Fire and Thorns a try. I am so glad I did! Here's my summary:

Elisa is a princess. Her older sister, also a princess, is thin and beautiful and smart and will take over their father's kingdom one day. Elisa has never done anything remarkable. She's plain and plump and awkward. But she's also a chosen one. Once in a century one person is chosen to bear the godstone--a jewel in their navel. In order to bring peace and gain power, Elisa's father marries her off to a handsome king from another kingdom. But before Elisa can even make a difference, she is kidnapped by those seeking the power of her godstone. Elisa slowly learns that these people who've taken her aren't really her enemy--they're just people who need her help. Then there's one of her captors, Humberto. He looks at her in a way no man ever has before. The two fall in love but their happiness is short lived for there are even more enemies out there that want Elisa as well. And they will kill her to get her godstone so they can harness its power. Will Elisa be able to stay alive and bring together a country ravaged by war and death? Will her godstone give her the power she so desperately needs to make a difference?

Elisa is a hero. She's saved her people, started making a difference, and has taken control of her destiny. She thinks all of the drama with her godstone is long gone. After all, she fulfilled her destiny, didn't she? If so, then why are there still people after her? Who wants Elisa dead and why? Elisa must figure this out if she has a chance of bringing the kingdoms together and making the changes needed. With a ragtag group of friends, Elisa sets off on a journey to discover her real destiny and how exactly her godstone can help her. Along the way she manages to fall in love again. This time though, it's with the head of her guard. Hector is a friend and he is also royalty. He could be a powerful ally but an even better husband. If Elisa makes it back alive she has some tough decisions to make. One of which is keep Hector close or let him go. What she chooses will surprise you.

**Loved, loved, loved these books! The world Carson has created is magical and interesting and not hard to understand. Her characters are well drawn with fascinating personalities and character arcs that rival Elisa's. The political intrigue and constant threats on Elisa's life will keep you turning the pages. And the romance between her and Hector will have you swooning and rooting for them to GET TOGETHER ALREADY! The ending was so wonderfully surprising that I can't wait for the final installment, The Bitter Kingdom, to come out this August! In the meantime, Carson has two e-novellas set in Elisa's world to tide you over.

Thanks for reading! See you back soon (:

Book Review: Tempest and Vortex by Julie Cross

I bet you can easily guess where I got the desire to read these books. If you said "EW's Shelf Life" you'd be right! It must have been months before Tempest was due to be released when they did an interview with Julie Cross about her first book in the TEMPEST trilogy. When I read the premise I was excited...a time travel love story with government agents and life or death stakes! Sold! Here's my summary of Tempest and Vortex:

19-year-old Jackson Meyer can travel backwards in time. It just sort of happened one day and so now he and his best friend Adam play around with how it works. They discover his "jumps" have no effect on the future and aren't sure why Jackson is the way he is. Jackson and his dad aren't close so he can't ask him and Jackson's mom is dead..as is his sister. He has a girlfriend, Holly, who he is completely in love with but she doesn't know what Jackson can do. One day while in her dorm room, two men rush into the room and shoot Holly. Terrified, Jackson accidentally travels back in time. Further than ever before. And he can't seem to get back. Stuck in 2007, Jackson has no choice but to figure out what is going on with his abilities. He meets Holly all over again and the two fall in love all over again. Jackson slowly starts to learn more about who he is and more importantly, who his father is. In the end he has to make a decision: stay in 2007 or go back to the future and fight these enemies--save Holly or rewrite history?

**Let me just start by saying I love time travel stories. The science of it is baffling but when a writer or show gets it right, I get swept away. I love the idea of being able to change our past or relive our lives. Jackson was such a fun character to get to know. I don't usually read YA books from a boy's POV but I loved reading this one. Jackson was a good kid in love and having fun when suddenly his life was turned upside down and inside out. He wants to do the right thing but first has to figure out what that is. I loved the choices he was faced with and how beautifully written his story and character arc was. 

Vortex picks up a few months after Tempest left off. Jackson has made his decisions about his life and future with Holly and joined forces with a team of experts who are helping him with his abilities as well as training him to fight those who came after him and shot Holly. Jackson spends a good portion of the novel doing said training and making new friends. We don't get to know too much about what's going on with Adam and Holly until the last half of the book. And as much as Jackson doesn't want to use his abilities, he ends up having to when his enemies catch up with him. Then there is the little girl who looks like his dead sister that keeps popping up and warning Jackson about a possible apocalyptic future. Jackson has to figure out who to trust, how to prevent the destruction of the planet, and how to save those he loves. What happens in the end will leave you stunned!

**Vortex started out a little frustrating for me. Cross tried to explain through Jackson exactly how his time travel and "jumps" worked. It totally confused me. But once I got passed that, I really enjoyed what Jackson was now doing with is life. I liked the tough choices he'd made and I really felt how hard it was on him. I felt his sadness and loneliness and determination to fix everything and fight the bad guys. The action was great and the suspense kept me turning the pages. When Adam and Holly came back in, I was blown away. They had definitely changed! The ending tore me up and made me cry. What is going to happen now!? I can't wait to find out!

The title of the final installment of the TEMPEST trilogy hasn't been released but probably comes out early next year. 

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to comment below.

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

If you haven't heard the talk and praise surrounding this book yet, let me tell you what you're missing. The 5th Wave debuted at #2 on the NYT best seller list and Tobey Maguire (yes the actor!) has bought the film rights. Pretty dang good start for a new series. Yancey isn't new to writing by any means, but this is his first YA book told from primarily a girl's perspective. And he did it well. Here's my summary:

Earth is under attack. A mothership of aliens has approached the planet and wave after wave, have decimated the human population. In the 1st wave they cut the power, in the 2nd they rose the oceans, the 3rd they sent the plague, the 4th they sent their sentries to kill anyone they found alive. Now what few have survived hunker down and wait for the 5th wave. Cassie lives by her #1 rule--don't trust anyone. Why? Because the "others" look just like us. She let them fool her once. She sent her brother away with what she thought were soldiers so he would be safe. Then watched as those soldiers massacred everyone around her. Now with everyone she loves dead, Cassie is trying to make her way to where she thinks they took her brother and the other children. But first she meets Evan. He saves her when a sentry shoots her. Something is off about him though and Cassie can't figure out what. Should she trust him? Meanwhile, her brother Sammy is back at an army base with other kids and a slew of soldiers. The soldiers are training them to fight the aliens. Sammy makes a friend in someone completely unexpected. Someone who like Cassie knows the truth about what's going on. Who plans to save Sammy just like Cassie does. So do they manage? Will the aliens win? But more importantly, what makes us human? When we give up fighting and trying to save one another haven't they already won?

**Not many books inspire me to open up a new (or old) word doc and start writing. This one did. It was well written with tons of suspense and horror and Cassie's voice was right on with what I thought a teenage girl's voice going through all that would be. I literally couldn't put this book down! Kids complained about needing things like food, clean clothes, my attention, and while they got those things, they got them fast because I needed to get back to reading! If you haven't already picked up this book, I highly recommended it! I already can't wait for the sequel (sadly it doesn't come out til next May).

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think in the comments below.