Category: YA Paranormal

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Liz Brooks

Written by: Liz Brooks

GoodReads Summary:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.

Review:

As with any Jennifer L. Armentrout book I read, and I’ve read almost all of her books, I loved every second of Wicked. I also loved the fact that the story takes place in New Orleans, so you get the mystery of the city- hauntings, great scenery descriptions, everything New Orleans is known for.

Ivy Morgan is an admirable character. She made me nostalgic for my college days- though I wasn’t trying to kick some faerie butt. She is fiercely independent which is what drew me to her. (Also her red hair is out of this world.) She just wants to be a normal college student but she can’t be. She belongs to a secret society called The Order, dedicated to taking out all faerie life because they basically eat humans and well… that isn’t good. And of course she has a tragic backstory which stunts her personal growth and relationships with other people.

That is until she meets Ren Owens.

Ren is mysterious and hot, hot, hot. And a bad-ass. The chemistry he has with Ivy is swoon worthy. It was definitely a lust at first sight relationship. Ren also has an intriguing backstory which compliments Ivy’s. Ren is sweet and patient. He really pushes Ivy and helps her overcome her past.

Tink is my favorite character. He is an Amazon addict. He eats too much sugar. And he says what’s on his mind.

I was able to predict the ending. This seems to happen a lot to me. Maybe I read too much into what the authors write or maybe I’ve read so much that foreshadowing just jumps out at me.

The next book in the Series is called Torn. No release date as of yet.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (Twilight #5) by Stephanie Meyer

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Celebrate the tenth anniversary of Twilight! This special double-feature book includes the classic novel, Twilight, and a bold and surprising reimagining, Life and Death, by Stephenie Meyer.

Packaged as an oversize, jacketed hardcover “flip book,” this edition features nearly 400 pages of new content as well as exquisite new back cover art. Readers will relish experiencing the deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful love story of Bella and Edward through fresh eyes.

Review:

You guys are probably thinking… Really Veronica? My answer is.. YES. I went there.

I remember the days when I was a senior in high school and I went crazy and was a huge Twilight fanatic. No one here knows that I even owned a Team Edward shirt I bought at Hot Topic. And I wore it often in public. Everyone at school knew I was a twilight fan. I re-read Twilight at least 3 times and the series as a while many times.

Anyways what I’m trying to point out with all of this is that even though my obsession might have not been heathy, Twilight opened up the podcast and blogging world to me. I didn’t know it was possible to have a blog and write reviews. I didn’t know readers had formed their own community online. I threw myself into this new world and I’ve never been the same since. I may not be a Twilight fanatic anymore, or own that Team Edward shirt (I threw it away a long time ago), but the series as a whole still holds a dear place in my life that I had to read the gender-swap reimagined story.

Reading this gender-swap version of Twilight made me see how CHEESY it really is. I cringed a lot at the beginning and noticed it got way too serious real fast. I also liked the ending to the reimagined story a lot more. It’s crazy how much sooner Twilight could have ended, but fan-service and telling other characters stories elongated it to four books. At the end of the day, I enjoyed Life and Death.

If you were once a Twilight fan or still are, I’m pretty sure you will like Life and Death. It made me nostalgic for the good old days, but I still kept in perspective the flaws the story has. Now… when are we getting Midnight Sun? Now that would be real fan service.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Review:

This book was perfect. PERFECTION. My feelings are still a bit crazy and I already slept on it. I knew I couldn’t write this review fresh of finishing it because my review would have started and ended at: ASDKJASRHGLKJHGKLAJGHAKDSJGH

You’re probably glad I slept on it as you should be. Okay, let’s start this. I promise I’ll try my best not to be super scatter-brained.

Silver Shadows was really hard for me to read. Especially at the beginning. Why? Because Adrian’s chapters in the beginning were killing me. They made me hurt. They pissed me off. I also saw some part of myself in him and I just couldn’t keep reading. It took me five months to start reading it again… and then I had to take another month-long break until I told myself one evening “YOU WILL FINISH THIS EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU.” I listened to myself and I am very glad at did because once I got past those initial heart-breaking chapters it was all action, action, and action. I wasn’t bored even once.

At first I was angry that Richelle had split SS into two point of views because SHE DIDNT DO THIS WITH VAMPIRE ACADEMY, and also because if a series or book doesn’t start of with me knowing this will be dual pov, I tend to hate the guy’s pov for some reason. All that explanation to say at first I kind of hated Adrian’s point of view. I was mad at Richelle Mead because how dare she do this to me, and I was mad at Adrian as well because he better not disappoint me or he would fall pretty fast from being my #1 fictional boyfriend to the bottom of my list. It was pretty tense for about 100 pages and then everything turned out to be alright. I adjusted and now I NEED Adrian’s point of view in my life.

I really don’t want to spoil much if you haven’t read it yet, but I do want to discuss Eddie Castile. He has gotten the short end of the stick not only in VA but BL as well. ITS NOT FAIR. Eddie Castile felt so guilty even though he knew Sydney purposely tricked him to keep him safe. Eddie’s life job is to protect others(moroi mostly), those who cannot protect themselves, and Sydney being taken from him and Eddie realizing too late that Sydney had tricked him hurt him badly. I was so happy to see that Jill used her princess authority (which she never has before) and ordered him to help Adrian get Sydney back, and that’s exactly what he needed. And if you read Silver Shadows then you know how things turn out. A happy Eddie is what we get,

I shall be cutting my review short and just say that Richelle Mead can do no wrong, and I can’t wait for the final installment of one of my favorite series in the entire world! I NEED THE RUBY CIRCLE IN MY LIFE NOW.

ADRIAN AND SYDNEY FOR LIFE.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Reviews, ya contemporary, YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal

Mini Book Reviews #1

Veronica Porras (TTB)

I’m starting a new series on here which I’m calling Mini-Reviews. Clever name right? Yeah, I know. I’m a genius. (The sarcasm is so strong.) The reason I’m starting this new series is because there are some books that I’ve read that I have things to say about them, but not enough to dedicate an entire post on them. Each Mini Review post will have 3 mini reviews. Here we go!

Mini Book Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

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Kayla over at The Thousand Lives almost threw the book at me and said READ IT! I, like the good best friend that I am (see what I did there) did, and let me tell you I’m glad she said I had to read this book. I fell in love with summer again. The last time I was in love with summer was the year 2012. I truly cannot believe this is Emery Lord’s debut novel. The writing is impeccable and wonderful. I loved the main characters voice and the sass, oh my, I freaking loved the sass. Also, Matthew is the perfect boyfriend. Can he be real, please? If you are looking for a heart-clenching [in a good way] summer contemporary, then this is the book for you. 100% recommend this book to anyone.

Rating: 5/5

Mini Book Review: Coldest Girl in ColdTown by Holly Black

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Vampires + Holly Black = perfection. What amazes me about this book is that it is a stand alone. I had never read a book that can build a new world, has all of the background information, action, plot twists, and just everything that we crave that is normally given to us in trilogies and series, in ONE book. Yes, you read that correctly. Holly Black does it all with one book. The ending satisfied me. This book does vampires justice and makes me sigh happily. These vampires can beat the crap out of any sparkly vampire’s butt.

Rating: 5/5

Mini Book Review: Altered by Jennifer Rush

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I saw polandbananasbooks book talk of Altered a long time ago and have been wanting to read it since. I went over to Kayla’s one day and saw that she had it in her possession. I of course begged her to let me take it home with me and she did. This book was not what I was expecting, and boy it was wonderful. I screamed, I jumped, and it stressed the heck out of me. The twists, the action, the science fiction nerdy-ness of it, I loved it all!

Rating: 4/5

Reviews, YA Paranormal

Book Review: The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

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Goodreads Summary:

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment. The Shadowhunters of the Victorian Age delve into all of these—in addition to darkness and danger—in the Infernal Devices trilogy.

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them….

My Initial Thoughts:

I had just finished reading The Mortal Instruments when I learned of this trilogy’s existence. I was a bit timid about getting to it because I fell in love with the shadowhunter world in the TMI series and I was worried that a historical prequel would ruin it. I was really nervous about it, but I did hear great things about the Infernal Devices so I thought, “What harm can reading the first book do?”

Review:

WOW! Where do I begin?! Clockwork Angel hooked me in and brought me all the way to Clockwork Princess and became my favorite trilogy of all time. I honestly loved this trilogy so much more than Clare’s Mortal Instrument series. The time period and setting was way more interesting. Even though there were less books, I felt that the characterization was more significant.

What really got me hooked was William Herondale! He is now and probably forever will be my favorite male character. He has so much depth within him and when he was first introduced with all his snarky attitude, glory, and sarcasm, I knew he had me. His back story was very heartfelt and explains his every action. Will wasn’t the only one who captured my heart. His parabatai, Jem Carstairs, did as well. I don’t love him as much as Will, but he is also a great character with his own heartbreaking story. What surprised me more was my love for the lead female character, Tessa Gray. I am usually frustrated with female leads because sometimes they make horrible decisions, but it was different with Tessa. I found that I could somewhat relate to Tessa. While I detested some of the characters from TMI, I absolutely loved all the characters in TID (and yes, that means the secondary characters as well. Those Lightworms). Of course, I’m not including the villains and cohorts.

This trilogy is definitely worth reading and if you weren’t too attached to Clockwork Angel, keep pressing on because the trilogy only gets better. Clockwork Princess was the most heartbreaking book I probably have ever read. I read it all in one sitting, and I went through a roller coaster of emotions and cried for about an hour after finishing. It was beautifully tragic and I felt that it did justice to the series. It was an amazing solid ending to the series.

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, YA Paranormal

ARC Book Review: Waterfell by Amalie Howard

Veronica Porras (TTB)

1113-9780373211050-bigwI was kind of to receive a copy from Harlequin Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date:

October 29,2013

Goodreads Summary:

THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright—the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon—until her father’s betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa’s upcoming birthday—the day she comes of age.

Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa’s mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

My Initial Thoughts:

I requested Waterfell on NetGalley because I thought it was about mermaids. Mermaid books and I don’t get along, but I wanted to give them one more chance. To my surprise this ended up not being about mermaids…

Review:

I have very mixed feelings about the book. I like it and at the same time I am not satisfied with it. Let me explain. I think the concept is good, the plot is good, I just have a few issues with some of the main characters. Let’s start with Nerissa. She seems very selfish and while she has her good moments, she seems to me like the royal brat she was raised as. Jenna and Sawyer were my favorite characters to be honest and they aren’t even the main characters. Lo was too cocky and a bit of  a jerk. Some of that may make characters lovable, but it was a little over the top when it came to Lo.

I did like that a lot of the book was very fast paced and that it was full of action. The only downfall is that I was being bombarded with information every few pages that it was hard to keep up with it some of the time. Another thing is that I cannot picture how Nerissa’s species looks. In my head they are just gigantic colorful snakes…

Overall, I like Waterfell and it intrigued me enough to want to read the next book in the series which comes out in 2014. I want to see the growth that Lo and Nerissa go through as they have to adapt to their new life and what happens now that Nerissa is queen.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special Review, YA Dystopian, YA Paranormal

Blog Book Review Tour: Sanctuary by Pauline Creeden

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Blurb

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18684843-sanctuary?ac=1

http://www.amazon.com/Sanctuary-Pauline-Creeden/dp/1491072067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385951078&sr=8-1&keywords=Sanctuary+creeden

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

Armored Hearts, her joint effort with author Melissa Turner Lee, has been a #1 Bestseller in Christian Fantasy and been awarded the Crowned Heart for Excellence by InDtale Magazine. Her debut novel, Sanctuary is scheduled for release September 30, 2013, and has already been nominated for two awards in YA Science Fiction.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group.

https://twitter.com/P_Creeden

https://www.facebook.com/PaulineCreeden

http://paulinecreeden.com

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5284782.Pauline_Creeden

Review

First of all, if you like scary books about alien invasions, this is your type of book! I was so scared when I was reading it that I opted to read it in the morning and not at night. It took me a while to sleep the first night I read a few chapters. I kept imagining the aliens described in the book and trust me my imagination did a wonderful job at creating them.

Sanctuary is written in several POV’s which helps the reader understand what is going on through different parts of the country. It also helps us see how all the characters came together and were able to find temporary safety. At first I thought Jennie was cowardly, but as I read on the story, I noticed how brave she really was and coming out strong after everything that she experienced is awe-inspiring. I also enjoyed Hugh’s POV.

The attacks of the aliens, the science behind the alien animals, and the bible passages made it real in the sense that as you’re reading the story, you feel as if you’re in that world experiencing the attack, fearing for your own life. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of alien invasions and The Walking Dead. This is one sic fi thrill you won’t want to miss.

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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!