Category: Reviews

Reviews, YA Sci Fi

Book Review: Unraveling (Unraveling #1) by Elizabeth Norris

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle’s mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.

And that was before she died…and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth’s destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.

What I Like:

I started reading this book assuming it was more contemporary or murder mystery. I didn’t understand why it was in the adventure/fatansy/sci fi section at Barnes and Nobles until things started getting freaky. It is because of the vague assumptions I made about the content inside this book that made it ten times better for me. I loved the roller-coaster feeling I had the whole time I was reading it. It got nerdy, it got very science fiction on me, and I loved it. The first thirty pages were amazing. It set the tone for the rest of the book. Elizabeth Norris is a talented writer.

I really liked the main character Janelle because she took the attention of herself. The first half of the book we really got to understand and know the secondary characters and even though the story is being told through Janelle, like I said before, she took the attention of herself and it really helped with the character development. I know that may sound weird, but trust me on this.

I liked the plot and the world Ms. Norris created. The story freaked me out a little bit because it is set in today’s world and the things that happened could very well happen today. Ms. Norris knows how to mess with your mind.

What I Dislike:

I have zero negative comments about this book.

Overall:

I loved Unraveling. The characters, the world, the plot, I loved it all. I highly recommend this to anyone.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Elite (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

What I Like:

I read this book in one sitting. ONE SITTING. I absolutely loved it. Prince Maxon was such a sweetheart, except for this one time where I was really mad at him. Hormones, Ugh. I really liked Maxon’s mother, the Queen. She brought stability and hope. I really think the Queen is a symbol of what the kingdom would be like if given the opportunity, or more better said, the right to have the ability to rise, to better themselves. Your caste number does not define you, it is the type of person you are that ultimately defines you. We can see this with Celeste. She may be of the second highest caste, but inside, she is a horrible human being. On the other hand, America, who does have her fair share of imperfections and moments of horrible judgement of character, is a better person overall and cares for others. She is always trying to help others, even at the cost of it affecting her in a negative way.

What I Dislike:

I was annoyed with America many times in the book. Like I said earlier, she can be a horrible judge of character. I also really disliked Aspen and the way he was trying to weasel into America’s heart by making Prince Maxon look bad at all costs. I do feel like the selection is dragging a little long. I hope we get to see more of the rebels in The One.

Overall:

In conclusion, the good of the book overpowers the bad. The “bad” parts of the book are not poor writing, or a boring plot, the “bad” parts of the book are the decisions the characters make and the consequences that they have to face for making said decisions. Kiera’s writing is so easy and effortless to read and very, very enjoyable that one only notices how long the book is until one is done. In my opinion, the books are not long enough.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Veronica Porras (TTB)

9593911Goodreads Summary:

I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

What I Liked:

I wasn’t that big of a fan of the first book in the series, Delirium. It was hard for me to get into, but there were some parts that I did enjoy. Pandemonium though, pleasantly surprised me. I loved the character development Lena went through in this book, and the alternating time chapters really worked out well and enhanced the importance of everything we read. The addition of Julian to the story was something I welcomed with open arms. It gave Lena an opportunity to get out of her numb shell and feel again. It showed her that someone can love more than one person.

Something else I liked was how Lauren Oliver portrayed The Resistance and its leaders in this book. The leader I’m thinking of is Raven. The Resistance is supposed to represent the good side of the dystopian society, but even they make mistakes and hurt others for their cause. Raven knew what was going to happen to Lena, but she still put Lena in the life or death circumstances even though there was a good chance Lena would end up dead.

What I Disliked:

A few times the description of the places slightly contradicted itself and it confused me, but apart from that I have nothing negative to say.

Overall:

I enjoyed Pandemonium immensely. It is important that we never stop to love because without love, society cannot survive.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Short Book Review: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Review:

I started reading this book without knowing much except that Juliette has this power that is lethal. I didn’t know where it was going and boy was I happy not to have this book spoiled. I absolutely loved Shatter Me. The beginning of the book, the unique writing, was what kept  me reading. It was new, it was different. I really loved how Juliette’s narration style changed throughout the course of the novel.

and… Adam, that boy! He is the perfect love interest in my opinion. Warner is a great villain. Villains aren’t written like that anymore. Villains need character development as well and most of the time, they are flat. I was gladly surprised Warner was not one dimensional.

I really can’t wait to read Destroy Me and Unravel Me.

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, YA Mystery

ARC Book Review: Prep School Confidential (PSC #1) by Kara Taylor

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Prep School Confidential_cover

I was provided with a ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Prep School Confidential (PSC #1)

Author: Kara Taylor

Expected Publication: July 30th, 2013

Publishing House: St. Martin’s Griffin

Goodreads Summary:

Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn’t care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.

When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Review:

Amazing!

This book blew my expectations out of the water! When I was halfway through the book, I googled the author and noticed that this is her debut novel. Yes, her debut novel. I couldn’t believe it because the book is so well written and the plot is so good that I am left speechless.

Prep School Confidential is a page turner. The twists that are thrown at you leave you breathless as if you have been running a 5k marathon. The character development, the mystery, the writing, I loved everything in this book.

Since I am posting this review three weeks before the book comes out all I can say is that if you like mystery, if you like boarding school stories, or if you want a good murder story, this is the book for you.

I think even readers that are a fan of fantasy/paranormal/dystopian books will greatly enjoy this book.

Yes, its that amazing.

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, ya romance

Short Book Review: Suite Dreams by Rachel Hawthorne

Veronica Porras (TTB)

9780061688065Goodreads Summary:

Hello, mate!
(Practicing my Australian.* How am I doing?)

I’m so glad the timing worked out for this couch exchange. I’ll be crashing on yours by the time you get to mine.** If you run into any problems, just find Alyssa. She’ll help you out with whatever you need.***

Your couch-swapping mate,
Rick

*That’s cute. Go have fun in Australia and leave ME—your girlfriend for an entire semester—to waste away on campus, alone.

**Um, think again. Your couch is already taken.

***Great. Now I’ve got to find a place for the (unbelievably hot, it turns out) Aussie to crash. But there’s only one couch available: the one in my dorm room. . .

Review:

This book was so fluffy and cute that it made me want to move to Vermont and find this couch swapping business so I can have a Aussie stay at my couch too… Just Kidding! [Kind of… 😉 ]

Suite Dreams is the ORIGINAL NEW ADULT genre. Why do I say that? Because it has older characters that are in college. That seems to be the formula of a lot of New Adult books nowadays. I prefer books like Suite Dreams than the New Adult Books that are hitting the bookshelf’s today.

Suite Dreams is wholesome PG rated romance which I love. It’s cute, it’s well written, it may be a little far-fetched at times, but who said I wanted reality when I’m reading a book. Especially a fluffy romance.

I recommend this book to someone who wants a fun short read or anyone trying to get out of a reading slump. It will lift your spirits and make everything look dandy.

Rating: 4/5

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

What I liked:

First of all, I loved that this book had alternating POV’s. It gave the book a well-rounded feel as we saw the story through the lens of the two main characters. The changing POV’s had a nice rhythm to them, never feeling choppy or as if something was out of place.

Second, I loved both of the main characters. We were able to get to know each of them very well, and each had a distinct voice. When I was reading Vane’s point of view, I felt like I was reading a real guy’s point of view. I applaud Shannon for this accomplishment.

Third, I loved the plot and story. It is not like anything I’ve read in the YA Fantasy/Adventure genre. I also loved that a love triangle did not exist. The love aspect of the story is closer to real life than all those darn love triangles that have become a signature of most YA books.

What I disliked: 

The beginning was a little slow. I felt like the ‘spark’ that was presented in the first part of the book wasn’t that much of a spark. It felt too hyped. I wish I could have seen a little more interaction with them (Vane and Audra) in the “real” world and not in their own little bubble.

Overall:

I really loved this book and I want more. The cliffhanger at the end was not as bad as most cliffhangers in a lot of books nowadays, but it still gave me that sense of anticipation and want for the next book. The plot and the twists that were in this book were done really well. I could keep writing about how awesome I think this book is, but I want to keep this short. Bottom line, Let The Sky Fall has become one of my favorite books of 2013.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hate it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I like it /A fun read.

4/5: I really like it, but something is missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Special Review, YA Paranormal

ARC/Special Review: Severed Stone (Souls of the Stone #0.5) by Kelly Walker

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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I want to thank Net Galley and Kelly Walker for giving me an ARC of the Severed Stone. I greatly appreciate your generosity. I was given this ARC in mind that I would give a honest review of the book. 

Goodreads Summary:

Their story should have been a fairytale, but someone is playing a dangerous game that can only end in heartbreak.

When Ciorstan awakes alone in a field, far from home and more than a little confused, it won’t be the strangest thing to happen that day. Ignoring both her intuition and a mysterious but handsome stranger’s warning, she allows a dashing prince to take her home to his palace. Agreeing to marry the prince was her second mistake. Her next one will rip an entire kingdom apart. Sometimes, true love can be a tragedy with devastating consequences.

SEVERED STONE is a prequel novella, 155 pages in length and can be read at any point during the Souls of the Stones series. (But because it is designed to answer questions posed in Cornerstone and Second Stone, it may be more gratifying after reading those titles first.)

Review:

I want to start of by saying that I have not read Cornerstone or Second Stone. I decided it would be safe to read this novella since it is a prequel, and can be read at any point while reading the series. I do feel as if I was missing something as I was reading it though. I believe I was expecting more on the lines of The Infernal Devices since that is also a prequel, but I do have to keep in mind that TID is a trilogy. 

The writing in the Severed Stone was good, but I wasn’t blown away. I felt like everything happened really quickly. The first third of the book I was enjoying, but then once Fidwen got involved, it was all just chaos. It was one thing after another and I was left with so many things in my head at once. I like where the story went but, I just feel like it could have been executed a little bit better. I am being very nit-picky at the moment just FYI. The chaos I felt within the novella could have been solved by adding a few more pages about the brothers and the queen and less about her in the gowns and the rainbow of girls that were to help Ciorstan out with her transition into the royal life.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t a great one either. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. Some parts were cute and Cirostan’s creepy mother added to the haunting feel of the novella, which I loved. I think this book would have worked better as a novel than a novella.

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Short Book Review: Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California – and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Review:

I’m going to start off by talking about the epilogue. What the heck was that?! I even slept on it, hoping that in the morning my dislike of the epilogue would die down, but it has only intensified. People say that the epilogue of Clockwork Princess was bad, this was worse. Much worse.

This book had so many twists that once you start it, you will not be able to put it down. It had been a while since a series had done that to me. Boundless along with the rest of the Unearthly Trilogy sucked me in and I was gone. I had to keep reading. I neglected all of the other books I had been reading.

Clara and Christian came a long way, and Tucker broke my heart. So did Christian. I was surprised by how much I ended up loving Jeffrey. I think I can say that I almost love all of the characters equally. Cynthia Hand did a good job with making the reader become attached to every character. This book left me sad, with a pain in my chest, and it is not a story I will easily forget.

The Unearthly Trilogy is one of the best series I have ever read. 

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hate it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I like it /A fun read.

4/5: I really like it, but something is missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Short Book Review: Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn’t prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Review:

All aboard the Cynthia Hand train!

I absolutely loved Hallowed. The writing was better. The plot got juicer. The love triangle became even more intense. Ladies and Gentlemen, the sequel to Unearthly was not just better, it was phenomenal. I seriously hope that Boundless, the last book in the Unearthly trilogy, does not falls short when put next to this book.

I don’t know exactly how I feel about Angela yet. Something about her seems to be off. I am also warming up to Christian, a lot. I would be a fool to say I am not starting to root for Christian. The twists that were in this novel regarding Clara’s father, Jeffrey and other characters were done great and I never saw them coming. It kept me on my toes. You know a book is good when it turns your mind into mush. 🙂

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hate it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I like it /A fun read.

4/5: I really like it.

5/5: I love it!