The Revenants Trilogy Combined Review

Author: Amy Plum

Series: The Revenants

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: May 10, 2011

Summary: When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent. Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

Review: 

 !!THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME MAJOR SPOILERS!!!

Where to begin? I've been meaning to pick up this series for some time and kept on putting it off (per usual). Finally, I just sat down and forced myself to read the first page. I was hooked!! 

I first came across Plum while reading her newer series, After the End. I really enjoyed that novel and decided to give her other stuff a try. I was not disappointed! . . . with the first installment anyway. The pacing throughout the first book was spot on! There was enough to keep me reading late into the night, but not enough to make me want to tear my hair out.

However, the farther I got in this series, the more I started disliking where the plot was headed. I knew from page one that something was going to be up with Kate. She wasn't going to be just some "ordinary" girl. So when I got to the 3rd book (If I Should Die) and found out that she is the Champion . . . well, it was kind of like a 'duh' moment for me. I was waiting to this huge reveal and was not as impressed as I had previously hoped. A half-hearted applause for that one.

I really did enjoy the relationship between Kate and Vincent though. It wasn't very realistic, but I was definitely swooning whenever Vincent came on stage (in a sense). I mean, come on, he is totally DREAMY!!

Overall, the series as a whole ended up being a solid 3 stars for me. It started out with a incredible amount of potential, but kind of burned out throughout the series. It'll probably be while before I come back to it. 

Saint Anything

Author: Sarah Dessen

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: May 5. 2015

Summary: Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. When everyone else is so worried about Peyton, is she the only one concerned about the victim of the accident? Enter the Chathams, a warm, chaotic family who run a pizza parlor, play bluegrass on weekends, and pitch in to care for their mother, who has multiple sclerosis. Here Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance. And here she meets Mac, gentle, watchful, and protective, who makes Sydney feel seen, really seen, for the first time.
Review: I have been beating myself up constantly for not starting this book sooner. Back in May (when it was released) I managed to get my greedy little hands on a signed copy. Unfortunately, as soon as I had said copy, I stuck it on my bookshelf and forgot about it shortly after. Thankfully, whilst sorting my bookshelves, I came upon this beauty once again and immediately put it on the top of my 'to-read' pile. Now here we are, two days later!

It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen. I fell in love with her many years ago after my sister encouraged me to read The Truth About Forever. *click here for my review*  The voice she gives to her characters is incredible and makes them very relatable to teens. After finishing Saint Anything I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Although it hits on some pretty heavy topics, I really enjoyed it overall. Two thumbs way up!

Sarah manages to turn the boring, everyday conversations, into works of art. It's crazy how so many of those everyday conversations turned into such a heartfelt, emotional piece of work. I'm always impressed with the feelings Dessen can conjure out of me. Not to mention the fact that she can make the love interest(s) seem extremely appealing even though they aren't doing anything miraculous or overly-charming.

The friendship between Sydney and Layla was so on point! In the book Sydney describes it by saying that she and Layla weren't friends one day, and then the next they were. Isn't that how it always is?! The relationship was so fun, sweet, and felt completely down to earth and real.

Let me be honest, I'm a major sucker when it comes to romance. Especially when dealing with YA. With Dessen, she makes it so that the romance isn't the main focus. She explores the many different elements that make up her characters while somehow weaving the romance in there very subtly. My craving was satisfied, but not in the way I thought it would be.

My favorite line was definitely the last one in the book. It totally sealed the deal for me! Watching Sydney grow into a new person slowly throughout the novel and then reading that last line, *sigh* it just made me smile! The compassion and attachment I grew towards these characters was crazy! Dessen definitely worked her magic with this one. She ended the story very strongly, but also in a way that left readers the option to either continue/imagine what might come next, or just be content with that perfect last line.

Although The Truth About Forever will always be my #1 by her, Saint Anything  has definitely claimed my #2 spot! If you're into YA contemporary romance, look no further! This is most likely the book for you!

An Ember in the Ashes

Author: Sabaa Tahir

Series: An Ember in the Ashes #1

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Summary: Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do. But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Review: The first couple of chapters were a little on the slow side (due mainly to story development) but the pace picked up shortly after. It didn't take me long at all to fall in love with the characters, setting, and story. After reading for multiple hours straight, I had to FORCE myself to put An Ember in the Ashes down in order to avoid being late for work.

The novel is written in two alternating POVs, Elias and Laia. Elias's chapters were very fast-paced due to the fact that he was at Blackcliff and a soldier in training. On the other hand, Laia's chapters were more mellow starting out. Having these alternating POVs really helped the overall pacing of the book and character development.

If there was one complaint I had dealing with this book, it'd be that the romance developed extremely slowly! It was easy for me to guess/assume that Elias and Laia would, at some point in time, develop feelings for each other. Little did I know, this would be an incredibly slow burning fire. But since I loved this novel so much . . .

I really enjoyed how much Tahir kept me on my toes while reading her novel. I was in suspense for a majority of the novel and even when I thought I knew what was going to happen, Tahir would pull the rug out from under me and I was left in the dark once again, greedily eating up the pages!

*the popcorn symbolizing me eating up the pages . . . obvs*

Let's not forget that ending though! I honestly need the next book . . . like NOW! Goodreads says that it'll be published in April of 2016 . . . WAIT . . . APRIL . . . of 2016?! *starts sobbing dramatically* I can't wait that long!

If An Ember in the Ashes isn't on your 'to-read' list yet, you'd better go and put it on there right now . . . 

Lastly, one of my favorite quotes from the book:

"There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged, but it's there. Don't let them take it from you, Elias."



The Revenge Playbook

Author: Rachael Allen

Series: Stand Alone

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Summary: Don’t get mad, get even! In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.

Review: The idea that 5 girls, who really have nothing in common, decide to band together to show the football team that they don't rule the town/school as much as they thought they did. Sound familiar doesn't it? Right from the get go, this novel reminded me of the movie, John Tucker Must Die. Since I enjoyed the movie, I figured 'Why not?'

I really enjoyed the idea of these girls banding together and feeling empowered by each other. Reading about each of their individual stories/reasons as to why they wanted to take down the football team was great and made the characters more relate-able. I also really enjoyed reading the chapters involving them actually doing the scavenger hunt. Those parts were so cute and funny! I also liked the way that Allen included the multiple POVs and flipped from the past (the girls history) and the present (doing the scavenger hunt). It really helped in the overall development of the story and pacing.

On the offhand, there were a few things I didn't particularly like. As previously mentioned, this book reminded me a great deal of John Tucker Must Die. Although I enjoyed that movie, it ended up making this book predicable and less original. Also, I felt that throughout the novel, the girls' virginity was a constant topic. I definitely felt that it held more weight throughout the entire novel more than it should have and actually ended up taking away from the story more than I had anticipated. I can understand (with this being a contemporary novel) how that could make the book more "realistic", but for me, personally, it just took away from the novel.

Overall, this was a fairly fun novel, but not one of my favorites. I can't see myself reading this again . . . but hey! you never know!