Category: YA Mystery

Reviews, YA Mystery

Short Book Review: United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

Veronica Porras (TTB)

GG6-final

Edition: US Barnes & Nobles Exclusive Edition 2013

Goodreads Summary:

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

Review:

I reread the first 4 books in the series and skimmed the fifth one in order to get ready for the final book in the Gallagher Girls series. It was a very wise decision on my part because I had forgotten a lot of key details of the series (I read the first book in 2008).

United We Spy is exactly what I wanted in the last book of this amazing series. I was blown away by how well everything was tied together so neatly. We were able to see all of our favorite characters and we even found out information that we didn’t know we wanted until the moment Ally Carter put that little seed of information in our head. I’m trying really hard not to spoil the novel for those who have not read the Gallagher Girls series, but know that I was blown away by this book.

I devoured United We Spy in one sitting. The book felt too short for my liking and the ending left me with so many questions, but any other ending would have not done Cammie justice. We got a lot of Zach & Cammie moments, and we blessed with the presence of some characters we hadn’t seen in a few books.

I am absolutely happy with how the series ended, but at the same time I am bummed out that I will not be waiting another year for the next Gallagher Girls book as I have been doing since 2008.

What HP is to other people, Gallagher Girls is to me.

I was a Gallagher Girl through High School, College, and now as a Post-Graduate trying to tackle the world. Even though this series has ended, I will always be a Gallagher Girl.

gallagher_girl

Rating: 5/5

Reviews, YA Mystery

Short Book Review: I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (GG #1) by Ally Carter

Veronica Porras (TTB)

idtellyouiloveGoodreads Summary:

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school, that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE, the latest in chemical warfare in science; and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes computer class. So in truth, Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but its really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is a second generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she’s already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti.) But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn’t prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without his ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, shes beginning her most dangerous mission; she’s falling in love.

Review:

The last time I read this book was about 5 years ago. Reading it again after such a long time, it was almost like reading it for the first time. I had completely forgotten how the whole Josh thing went down. The first time I read it, I was confused with the whole Josh thing and how things worked (writing style-wise), but reading it now, my experience was crisp clean reading.

I liked the pacing of the novel and I fell for Joe Solomon. I wasn’t a big fan of Joe Solomon until the third book, but now, a totally different experience. Re-reading it again made me love the Gallagher Girls even more. If you haven’t read the Gallagher Girls series, I suggest you do. The first book may seem like it is for a 13 year old girl, but as the series progresses, so do the books. The series matured along with its audience. Oh and this book is the nicest and fluffiest book you are going to get. The rest is heartbreak town. Good Luck!

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 Mystery

Short Book Review: Perfect Cover (The Squad #1)

Veronica Porras (TTB)

pcdropGoodreads Summary: 

Bayport High operates like any other high school–jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom, and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer hacker who doesn’t play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an attitude problem. She’s the last person you’d expect to be invited to join the varsity cheerleading squad.
But things are different at Bayport.
Bayport’s varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they’re unmatchable, though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they’re exceptional–but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you’ll completely forget that. Socially, they’re gifted, so they can command and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.
Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely recruit, but she’s never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can handle the makeover, Bayport Hight may just have found its newest cheerleader.

Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous–meet THE SQUAD.

Review:

The first time I tried to read this book I was like, “NO… NO… Why did I buy this book again?!” I put it down for about 2-3 weeks and decided to give it a second chance a few days ago. Boy was I happy I did because it just became one of my favorite books of 2013. It is fun to read, it is witty, it has great, strong female characters, and it is action packed. It made me look at a cheerleader in a whole new way.  Even though I had a lot of work to do, I still managed to finish this book in one day. Talk about accomplishment right there.

I recommend this book to anyone that is stressed out. Get past the first two chapters and you’re going to thank me I told you to read it. Go on now.. GO BUY IT!

If you want to know more about the book and discuss it with me, leave a comment below! I’m all for talking about it!

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

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

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

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

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

Reviews, YA Mystery

Book Review: Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) by Ally Carter

Veronica Porras (TTB)

perfect-scoundrels-by-ally-carter

Goodreads Summary:

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

What I liked:

I absolutely loved this book! I believe it to be the best yet in the Heist Society Series. We were finally able to learn more about Hale’s family and his background. There were many moments where I literally screamed at Hale or Kat (and that is something I don’t do often because I don’t want to look like a crazy person). Something that I really liked that Ally Carter did was that she completely surprised me with the last twenty pages of the book. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone so I won’t say anything but this was the first book in the Heist Society Series that I was not able to guess the ending. Ally Carter was just bumped up to VIP status in my list of best authors out there.

What I disliked:

Honestly, it took me a little while to get into it. I don’t know if it was because I just so busy I couldn’t enjoy reading a book or because it was slow at the beginning but after the first 100 pages there was no stopping me.

Overall:

Perfect Scoundrels was a really fun book to read and I truly enjoyed. I can always count on Ally Carter to give me a book that is fun to read and tackles issues that many teenagers are facing today in their everyday lives. She knows how to make heavy subjects like death and insecurity more approachable and easier to tackle. Basically, she makes life easier. 🙂

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

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

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

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

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

Reviews, YA Mystery

Review: The Lies That Bind (Liar Society #2)

Veronica Porras (TTB)
The Lies That Bind (Liar Society #2)
The Lies That Bind (Liar Society #2)

Just finished reading The Lies that Bind and I must say I loved it!

It took me longer to finish this book than I anticipated because I would constantly get mad at the main character or the supporting characters! LIKE COME ON NOW! Apart from that though, the twists in this story kept me completely engrossed. These writing sisters know how to make a good book! I did not expected the ending at all!

I must now wait for the third book to come out who knows when…but I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5. It doesn’t get a complete 5 because there was one chapter in the book that made me go, “Come one now! Get on with it!” but apart from that, I cannot complain! I loved it and I’m sure you will too. This is some good YA here. I suggest you read it if you haven’t! Don’t forget to read the first book 1st! It’s called The Liar Society.

And with this amateur review of the book I sign off!

Happy New Year Everyone!