The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites #1
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Summary: Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale,  and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. 

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

Review: This book reminded me a little of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken with the whole blood fever, children emerging with new gifts sort of thing. But that's about where all the similarities end.
This is my first experience with Lu's work and let me tell you, I am now going to read all of her other works. This novel was fascinating, unsettling, and awesome!! I really enjoyed Adelina's character. She was incredibly dark, and although she has the potential to be incredibly beautiful, after the blood fever hit she was left physically marred and missing her left eye. I really enjoyed this concept and the fact that she isn't 'perfect' and that she does have these crazy eerie thoughts and imaginings going on inside her head. Really upped the creep factor for this book.

I'm one that enjoys a love story (sometimes love triangle) along with all the adventure and mystery. With The Young Elites I was a little dismayed with the romance in this book. Mostly the fact that there was very little, and the romance the book did contain was . . . like . . . weird.

The novel was above average, but not mind-blowing good. I will most likely be reading the second book, The Rose Society, mainly because of the horrendous act that took place towards the end. Overall, a unique, and intriguing piece of work.

One of the Guys

Author: Lisa Aldin

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: February 10, 2015

Summary: Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. She'll take horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a lady while the guys move on without her. Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service. But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends--the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.

Review:

WARNING!! This review contains spoilers! Keep reading at your own risk!

DISCLAIMER: Although throughout the entire review I may refer multiple times to Miss Congeniality (especially through gifs), this novel is still unique and amazing in it's own way.

This debut-novel was incredible! Kasie West (one of my favorite authors) states my feelings perfectly when she said, "Fast-paced, funny, and adorably romantic. I want to hang out with this book." I found this book because it came up it the 'recommend you buy' section on Amazon. After reading the summary, I placed my order. When it came, I was surprised with how small it was. (approximately 275 pages). Although, I was not let down.

If someone were to ask me to describe this book, I'd say it's basically like Miss Congeniality (yes, the movie with Sandra Bullock in it) set in high school. You want to read it now, don't you?

Tonya (aka Toni) is really, one of the guys. She hates anything girlie  and can burp louder than anyone. I like to think she looks sometime similar to this (accept it's Mountain Dew she's chugging):

After pulling off an incredible prank the summer before her senior year, she gets put into the Winston Academy for Girls (thanks to her new step-dad, Brian). No longer able to have the easy senior year she had always planned, she's thrust into this brand new world of hairspray, nail-polish, and all things girlie. 

She then meets, Emma Elizabeth Swanson (EES) (woah, that's a mouthful),

and begins to rent out her platonic guy friends so that they can all make some extra cash on the side. Also, thanks to EES, Toni begins to slightly embrace her feminine side. At one point, EES also ends up turning Toni's totally horrid cow costume into a sexy cow costume for Ollie's Halloween party. In my mind, it went something like this:

I loved reading about Toni and her beginning to connect with her fellow Winston Girls as well as her inner femininity. The relationship between her and EES was totally spot on. It was way cool of EES to ask Toni if she could date Loch, even it nothing ended up happening with that.

I adored the relationship between Toni and Loch. It was especially awesome because he has seen her at her best, and her worst. And he was there for her when her dad died. I enjoyed that they had been friends for such a long time; such a complete 180 from most of the contemporary YA novels lately. Seeing her also realize she has feelings for him created the cutest romance ever. And when they went up to the ski lodge, and her and Loch were skiing down the slope and she looks over and he is completely terrified . . . that made me totally lol!

And finally, after much anticipation, the ending went a little something like this:

*sigh*



This was such an adorable book that didn't take me long to read at all. If you're in a reading slump (like I was) or simply looking for a sweet, clean romantic comedy, I suggest you give One of the Guys a try.

Cruel Beauty

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Re-telling, Romance

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Summary: Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love. 

Review: I first read Cruel Beauty shortly after it was released and just recently picked it up and re-read it and let me tell you, this book was just as mind-blowing the second time as it was the first. Beauty and the Beast is also one of my favorite fairy-tales and if you don't like it, well . . . I feel bad for you. Also:

Okay, so the previous gif doesn't really make any sense, but I really wanted to use it . . . and it has the  Beast in it so at least it is a little relevant! 

ANYWAY! Don't let the summary and other reviews fool you, this is not your traditional Beauty and the Beast re-telling. Cruel Beauty is darker than many of the books I've read recently. Hodge weaved together an incredible world that is utterly beautiful and fascinating yet one I'm glad I do not live in.
Nyx is an amazing main character; strong, smart, and at times, evil. I enjoyed the relationship between her and Ignifex. Reading about Nyx and how she evolves from a girl who's soul purpose was to destroy a man she had never met to caring for him and wanting to free him from a curse that has plagued him for over nine-hundred years = quite an amazing read!!

The beginning of the book started out a little slow for me but picked up after she arrived at her new home (approximately Chapter 4). Throughout the book I sometimes felt that more details would have been helpful which is saying something because I'm usually fine without them. I just couldn't get enough! The last 50 or so pages in the book had me confused for a while (especially the first time I read it). I won't spoil it, but I will say that I was definitely re-reading often to try and really grasp what was happening.
Definitely one to consider reading if you're a fan or re-tellings.

Free to Fall

Author: Lauren Miller

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance

Release Date: May 13, 2014

Summary: Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

Review: First reaction after reading the summary for the first time = DANG!! Why has nobody invented this app yet?! Beyond intrigued about what this novel could possibly contain, I checked it out from the library. Being an incredibly busy college student and constantly finding other books I ended up putting off reading it for quite some time. After finishing basically every other book and all of my homework assignments I decided to finally pick this one up. Let me just say that the first 40-50 pages were . . . rough. It is mostly Rory's back-story/how she wound up at Theden Academy. But trust me when I tell you to just keep going, it is worth it!
The book is set around 2030 and was fascinating! Miller did an amazing job of creating a realistic, dystopian world. Out of every dystopian book I've read over the past year or so, this is one I could actually see happening. Especially with how dependent a majority of society is on our cell phones now days. Miller's world gradually sucked me in and by the end, I had a hard time climbing back out. I actually finished this book in 2 sittings over the course of 2 days . . . so fairly fast.

Okay! Enough about that! Let's switch to one of my favorite topics. . . can you guess? That's right! The main love interests! North aka Norvin aka freaking adorable! He was brilliant, handsome, edgy, basically the complete opposite of Rory which was one of the reasons why I felt they complimented each other! Both Rory and North were very well written characters. Their relationship develops slow and steady throughout and even though it was, at times, painstakingly slow, I ended up really loving how their relationship blossomed.

I really enjoyed all of the technology and that North still uses an actual computer. It really made me wonder where the world will be in 15 years. Another bonus with Free to Fall is that it's a 'stand alone'. It was nice to have the story wrap up and be over rather than prolonging it over the course of three books, mainly because I don't think there is enough material to go off of to lengthen it into three book.

This was a fascinating read with an ending that packs a punch! I'd definitely recommend it if you're still into dystopian novels.

Don't Look Back

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mystery

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Summary: Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend. Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash. But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review: **NOTE: Don't Look Back does contain some minor sexually explicit scenes. May not be appropriate for younger YA readers.

HOLY SMOKES!!! Okay, so I was a tad bit reluctant to pick up this book. It's no secret that I basically adore every YA novel/series Armentrout has written. The only problem, is that since I have always been thoroughly pleased with her work, my expectations keep raising themselves. After reading the synopsis I was wary because it didn't sound anything like her other novels. To say that I'm a total dummy for not picking this up sooner would be an understatement! 

This novel tells the story of Sam, who has been missing for four days and happens to be found by the police with absolutely no recollection of anything. Plot twist! Sam's so-called best friend, Cassie, is  also nowhere to be found. As the novel continues, Sam slowly regains her memories (even though everyone thinks she is faking her amnesia), and rediscovers herself in the process. 

I really enjoyed Sam's character; it was cool to read about her past and to see how far she has come and how much better of a person she has become. I also love her brother! He is so awesome and is always there for Sam to help her when she needs it most.

Carson, Carson, Carson.... Let me just say that I wish I had a Carson in my life!! He was dreamy, but realistic! Loved his character and the relationship he had with Sam, before and after the accident! 

The only thing I really despised when it came to this book was Sam's mom. Gosh, she was just pure evil! I couldn't believe some of the things she was telling Sam to do and how to live her life. No wonder Sam was who she was before the accident. And sure, her mom tries to play it off as good intentions but we all know that she just didn't want her image ruined! *rant over*

Finally, let me clarify that I felt oh so smart because I was piecing everything together before it actually happened (which does not happen very often) and so I was feeling all high and mighty and on top of the world . . . UNTIL . . . well, you'll just have to read it and find out. 

Definitely one of my new favorites! 

Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: August 7, 2012

Summary: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review: First, let me start off by saying that I finished this book in ONE DAY!! If that isn't an indication of how much I loved it, I don't really know what is. Throne of Glass starts off with an attention grabber and continually blows the roof off for the remainder of the book. After finishing the first chapter I knew I was going to be in very capable hands. Even when there was nothing extremely crucial to the plot happening, I was still totally engrossed in everything and anything that deals with Celaena's world. Throne of Glass was unique in its own way (and I'm extremely impressed that Maas wrote the first draft when she was only 16 years old!), but also could see some similarities between Touch of Power and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. I loved both of those books though so I didn't really mind!

The overall mystery hidden within this book was excellent! Maas has woven in plot twists and foreshadowing like nobody's business so when everything started to finally click I looked somewhat like so:

Celaena's character was by far my favorite. Her sarcastic, witty banter with everyone she comes in contact with was refreshing. She was a strong main character and one that I enjoyed reading about. I didn't love Prince Dorian, but I didn't hate him either. It bothered me that Celaena was so drawn to him . . . I mean . . . what about Mr. Hottie Captain of the Guard Chaol?! (.......insert cricket noises....) I often felt that Chaol was overlooked and under-appreciated, but I guess I can understand why; he doesn't have a butt load of money to his name or the power to free Celaena. The ending left me breathless and completely ready for Crown at Midnight. 

If you have yet to read this book, definitely give it a try. This was an amazing read and one I plan on reading again and again.

The 4th book in this series (Queen of Shadows) is set to release September 1, 2015.