There Will Be Lies by Nick Lane

Title: There Will Be Lies
Author: Nick Lane
Length: 464 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Magical Realism
Release Date: January 6, 2014
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Bloomsbury!)
Read: December 2014-January 2015

In four hours, Shelby Jane Cooper will be struck by a car. Shortly after, she and her mother will leave the hospital and set out on a winding journey toward the Grand Canyon.All Shelby knows is that they’re running from dangers only her mother understands. And the further they travel, the more Shelby questions everything about her past—and her current reality. Forced to take advantage of the kindness of unsuspecting travelers, Shelby grapples with what’s real, what isn’t, and who she can trust . . . if anybody.Award-winning author Nick Lake proves his skills as a master storyteller in this heart-pounding new novel. This emotionally charged thrill ride leads to a shocking ending that will have readers flipping back to the beginning.

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

After getting hit by a car, Shelby Cooper's life changes drastically. After leaving the hospital, Shelby's mother takes her on a sudden trip. Shelby finds out that they are on the run, though she doesn't understand what or who they are running from.
Throughout the story readers are left wondering (along with Shelby) which parts of her reality are the truth and which are lies. She doesn't know who she can trust.

This book for me was okay. It was definitely different than I thought it would be.
I did not love the story, but I also did not hate it. There were parts that I liked but there were also things that frustrated me.

The thriller elements of the story really caught my attention and made me want to continue reading. The Dreaming is a very interesting concept and I really like the idea. But these parts of the story didn't grab my attention very well. As I read these parts, I kept wanting to be back to all the other things that were happening in the story.

There weren't really that many surprises that I didn't see coming, and I mostly continued to read the story to see if my guesses were correct and to see how everything would play out in the end. Though I do like that there were times while reading where I think I was just as confused by what was happening as Shelby.

There were some parts and bits of information that I think was repetitive. Which frustrated me a little bit.

I did find the characters to be pretty interesting.
And I really liked Shelby.
In fact, I think that was my favorite part of the story.
I really like the way that Shelby is written and her voice. I like that she questioned things that were happening and wanted to figure things out. And I was able to feel empathy for her and the craziness of the things happening.

I also like the way the author wrote the dialogue/conversations. I think it was very fitting to the story.

My Recommendation:

Overall, I found this story to be okay. There were parts and elements that I liked, but I also wasn't kept interested in everything that was going on.

Would I Buy/Pre-Order This Book? No. Sadly I didn't enjoy the book enough to want to buy it. I would check it out from the library if you are interested in reading it.

My Rating:

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

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Title: Suspicion

Author: Alexandra Monir

Length: 368 pages

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Release Date: December 9, 2014

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you so much Random House/Delacorte Press!)

Read: November 2014

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor. "There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor. Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess. All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into? Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

My Rating: 

I love the cover and the summary sounded awesome, so I decided that this was a book I wanted to read.
I have never read REBECCA, so I can't really comment on how much they are or are not alike.
The only expectation I had going into this book was hoping that I will enjoy the story.

Imogen lost both her parents as well as her uncle and aunt in a fire when she was ten years old. For the past seven years she has lived in New York with her guardians. And she hasn't been back to Rockford Manor since the tragic event that changed her life forever. Until she finds out that her grandfather and cousin have both passed away, leaving her as the sole survivor of Rockford Manor. Imogen then decides to move back to the place that she doesn't really want to be. Accepting to become the duchess of Rockford Manor. She then discovers dark secrets and tries to uncover the mystery surrounding Rockford Manor.

It was very easy for me to get swept up in the story. And I like the way the story was presented, seeing a glimpse of the present, then going back years and months to find out what had happened up to that point.

I think that the story is a mystery with paranormal elements and a bit of romance.

I was really fascinated with the mystery in this story. I kept second-guessing my thoughts regarding what was happening and who was involved. And I didn't really see the ending coming. It really surprised me and I think it was definitely a twist. The ending isn't exactly realistic, but I don't really mind because unrealistic things in books don't bother me (a large majority of the time).

To me there wasn't as much romance as I thought there would be. And the bit of romance that was in the story didn't have much of a build up. I didn't feel like it was insta-love or anything, but I was hoping for more development in their relationship and romance.
I didn't really connect with Imogen's relationship, and I think it was mostly due to wanting there to be a bit more. Even though I wanted a little bit more, this didn't keep me from enjoying what I was reading.  And I do like that the romance isn't the majority of the story.

I like Imogen. I felt so bad for everything that she had been through. I found the paranormal elements to be very intriguing and was anxious to learn more about them and how it related to Imogen.

I was interested in the other characters and how they all fit into the story.

I feel like the ending had resolutions and some answers, but I was left wondering what else would happen and wanting to know more about certain things.

My Recommendation:
This book interested me and I enjoyed reading it. But I didn't fall in love with it. If you enjoy reading books that have mystery and some paranormal elements, then you might enjoy reading this book. There isn't as much romance as I thought there would be as I read. And the ending was a bit crazy, but overall, I found the book interesting.
I'd check it out at the library.

One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn

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Title: One Wish Away

Author: Kelley Lynn

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Science Fiction

Release Date: November 24, 2014

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Bloomsbury Spark!)

Read: November 2014

Be careful what you wish for…Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the mother who abandoned her family years ago. She's too busy planning to follow in her father's footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space Exploration and Discovery.When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to crumble.Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

My Rating:

This book has a very interesting and unique story idea.

Lyra is very smart and loves space and stars. Both her father and her aunt work at Space Exploration and Discovery and she wants to be like them and work there too. One day she discovers that a star has gone missing and she is determined to find out what caused it to happen. And this leads her to discover a lot more than just a missing star.

I really liked the story concept. I found all the information about stars and the constellations to be fascinating.
And the story was easy for me to read.

But other than finding the story idea interesting and liking the information about stars, I didn't really connect much with anything else.

I don't need stories (Especially Science Fiction and Fantasy) to be realistic. But I had a hard time with how easily things happened for Lyra. And how easily she was able to tell things to her best friend, Darren. I was frustrated a lot with her character.

I didn't really connect with the characters at all. I really wanted to connect with Lyra, she is smart and determined. But overall, she just frustrated me. And I wasn't really into the romance part of the story either.
The family dynamics did catch my attention and I was interested to see what would happen with their family situation after the events that happened. But it wasn't enough to make me really enjoy the story.

And the ending.

It felt really abrupt to me. There wasn't really any closure. And a mystery character was sort-of revealed. And I was expecting more to happen, then when I turned the page, I discovered that was the end. I am not really mad that I didn't get closure, but it did feel sudden.

This book just wasn't for me.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

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Title: The Walled City
Author: Ryan Graudin
Length: 432 pages
Publisher: Little Brown
Classification: Young Adult, Thriller
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: October 2014

730. That's how many days I've been trapped.18. That's how many days I have left to find a way out. DAI, trying to escape a haunting past, traffics drugs for the most ruthless kingpin in the Walled City. But in order to find the key to his freedom, he needs help from someone with the power to be invisible.... JIN hides under the radar, afraid the wild street gangs will discover her biggest secret: Jin passes as a boy to stay safe. Still, every chance she gets, she searches for her lost sister.... MEI YEE has been trapped in a brothel for the past two years, dreaming of getting out while watching the girls who try fail one by one. She's about to give up, when one day she sees an unexpected face at her window..... In this innovative and adrenaline-fueled novel, they all come together in a desperate attempt to escape a lawless labyrinth before the clock runs out. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*** 

My Rating:

This book is unlike any that I have read before. I think the story is interesting and unique. And it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. (But in a good way!)

The Walled City is a terrible, horrible place. There are drug lords, street gangs, brothels (with sex slaves) and a lot of poverty. Kids are living on the streets trying to survive. And young girls are getting sold into prostitution.

It is a very dark and gritty and violent (at times) story.

I think that the author did an amazing job with world building. I really felt like I could picture the Walled City. And I felt like I could picture the characters and the people that were living there.

I had no idea when reading this story that it is based off a real place. Kowloon Walled City which was in Hong Kong. While reading the story I kept thinking about how scary it would be for this to happen and how much I thought like it could happen. Then I got to the author's note at the end and read about Kowloon Walled City. The Walled City is not historical fiction, but after finding out a little bit more about Kowloon Walled City, I think that the author did a good job writing a piece of fiction of what could happen in a Walled City.

This story is told from three different points of view. Dai is haunted by his past. He is stuck in the Walled City running drugs for the drug lord. He is searching for what he needs to be able to escape the Walled City alive. Jin is living on the streets dressed as a boy to try and stay safe. She is doing alright, but she is on her own mission. She is searching for her sister that was taken away from her years ago. And the third point of view is Mei Yee. She is stuck in a brothel, wishing for a chance to escape and see the outside world again.
These are three very different people all stuck in the Walled City for one reason or another. And all three of the characters are each hiding their own secrets.

This book had a lot of action and there were several parts of the story that really grabbed me and made me worry about the characters. There were some interesting plot twists too that I did not see coming. Yes, there were a few things that I figured would happen, but they were small and didn't take away from me being captivated by the story.

I really like the characters. I think that they are well written.
Though I think I connected with Jin more than the other two. She is such a strong character. She has been through so much, yet she is determined to find her sister. She won't stop until she does. And her loyalty and strength gave me hope.
Dai is also a strong character, but he has a lot haunting him from his past. And I think I found his character to be the most mysterious.
I think Mei Yee is also strong in her own way. She wants to protect and help the other girls in the brothel. And she longs to get out.
And I really found it interesting how all three of their stories intertwine.

My Recommendation:
I found this to be a very interesting, action-packed story. It grabbed and held my attention from the beginning. I think that it is a dark and realistic story. And I really liked reading it. If you are looking for an gritty, fascinating story with diverse characters and good world building, then I highly recommend giving this book a read!

Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger

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Title: Waistcoats & Weaponry
(Finishing School #3)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thanks Little Brown!)
Read: November 2014

Class is back in session...Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style--with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland. No one suspected what--or who--they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.  Gather your poison, steel tipped quill, and the rest of your school supplies and join Mademoiselle Geraldine's proper young killing machines in the third rousing installment in the New York Times bestselling Finishing School Series by steampunk author, Gail Carriger. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

***This is part of a series. There will be spoilers of things that happened in the other book(s) so if you haven't read it and don't want to know things that happened, please stop reading now.*** 

My Rating:

Wow! For me, the books in the Finishing School series just keep getting better and better! This book pulled me in quickly and I devoured it. I started it late one night and easily finished it the next day.

There is a lot of action packed into this book. There were some moments where I was extremely anxious to see how the scene was going to play out. There were a lot of things revealed in this story and some of my questions have been answered. The author has done an amazing job creating a story that leaves me with new questions due to the interesting turn of events in this installment. 

Waistcoats & Weaponry takes back up a little bit after the ending events in book two. Sophronia and her friends are all back at their schools. The girls are back in classes learning fun new skills like fighting with a fan and the art of seduction. And the boys are back at Bunson's. Sidheag receives some troubling news which makes her want to get back to Scotland quickly. Which makes Sophronia, Dimity, Soap, and Lord Mersey accompany Sidheag on an adventure to get her home.

I was a little sad that some of the characters that have had bigger parts in the other two books were not in this story very much. Pillover has a fun small part in the story. Though I did find those scenes to be entertaining. And Vieve is just mentioned a few times. But even though these characters had minor parts, the story was still captivating and unique. 

We learn more and more about our favorite characters in this book. 

Sophronia continues to be a good friend. She always helps her friends and also not stand in the way of their decisions and desires at the same time. To me it does seem that Sophronia makes up her mind about where her allegiance lies. 

We also learn and see a bit of a different side of Soap in this book. We see more of Soap as well. At least that is how it felt to me. And I am dying to know more about Soap in the next book!

Felix also has an interesting role in this story. Though I feel like things are still a bit mysterious with him. I am not sure what to think really. I am anxious to see what happens next with this character.

I found the parts with Dimity in this book to be a bit humorous. Sidheag has a lot of challenges that she is facing in this story.

This story made me love the characters more and also made me have a lot of different feelings. I felt happy, frustrated, angry, sad, and a little heartbroken at various points of the plot. And more than anything I hooked on this unique book series and can't wait to find out what happens next!

My Recommendation:

If you have read the first two books, DEFINITELY pick up this one. I found it to be a great addition to this unique storyline. I think that this book is fun, entertaining and serious all at the same time. We find out a lot of different things in this story, but are left wanting to know what else will happen to our group of characters!

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

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Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies 
(Finishing School #2)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 310 pages
Publisher: Little Brown
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Steampunk
Release Date: November 2013
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: October/November 2014

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests? Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners. Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card. In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season. (From NetGalley)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*** 

***This book is part is part of a series, and so this review may include spoilers from previous books***

My Rating:

A fun and entertaining continuation to Etiquette & Espionage! I really enjoyed reading this book. In fact I liked it more than the first book in the series.

I think that Curtsies & Conspiracies picks up not long after the end of the first book. Sophronia is now in her second year of Finishing School. She is back on the airship school with her group of friends, Dimity, Sidheag, Agatha, Vieve and Soap. The girls are tested for the skills that they have been learning. And friendships are tested as well. Sophronia continues to do quite well at the school and quickly learns new skills and techniques.

This book (at least for me) had a bit more action and espionage. Which made the book really fun and entertaining to read. I was quickly drawn into the plot of the story. And found the addition of some of the boys from Bunson's to be very interesting. It was fun for the girls to practice their skills on the boys. As well as, learning more about the characters like Pillover and Felix.

I loved that there is a bit of mystery to the story and there were some surprising plot twists that kept me longing to know what would happen next. I like that the story doesn't really have much of a cliffhanger at the end, but I am still left wanting to read more so I can find out what else is in store for these characters.

I already liked the characters going into the second book, but I feel like I became a bit more attached to them while reading this sequel.

Sophronia is still a very likable character. She is quite smart and very entertaining. And I like that I am not sure where her loyalties lie. And I think she doesn't know for sure either. I love that she gathers information and likes to make her own decisions. Sophronia has some tough decisions to make during the events of this book and it is interesting to find out what happens. I really love the friendships that she has with the other characters. Their interactions are some of my favorite parts of the story.

I really liked that I learned a bit more about Dimity and Pillover and their family in this book. I really like both of these characters to it was awesome to feel like I knew them a little better. I still find Dimity to be Sophronia's opposite. But I think that is why I love their friendship so much. They really fit together well and help each other out.

I also enjoyed the parts with Sidheag and Agatha. They are fun characters that made excellent additions to the group of friends. I really like how well Sidheag and Sophronia get along. They have similar interests.

Felix is a new character. I love how he is a bit of a mystery to me. I am really curious to see what happens next for this character. I love the interactions with Sophronia.

My Recommendation:

If you have read the first book of this series and enjoyed reading it, I highly recommend reading this sequel. I found it to be just as unique as the first story, with a little more action and spying. I was very entertained and can't wait to find out what happens in the next installment!

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

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Title: Etiquette & Espionage
(Finishing School #1)
Author: Gail Carriger
Length: 307 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Steampunk, Paranormal, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: October 2014

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
My Rating:

(Between 3.5 & 4. I've rounded up to 4 because I did enjoy the story and was left wondering what will happen in the next book.)

This story wasn't really what I was expecting, but I am glad that I read it. It is a fun story with a fascinating world and entertaining characters.

Sophronia is not your typical girl. She doesn't care much for fashion. She cares more about climbing around and snooping. She likes to see how things work. Which is not proper etiquette. Her mother agrees that finishing school seems to be the right fit for Sophronia to learn more about proper etiquette and manners.

I think that this is a promising start to an interesting trilogy. This is a very imaginative world full of inventions and fun characters. There are vampires, werewolves, mechanicals, and flywaymen.

At first some of the vocabulary was surprising. I haven't really read many books that have the same words. But I really enjoyed the way that the characters spoke and the language used. I feel like it really fit in well with the story. The names were also different than I am used to. Some of them I am not sure I pronounce them the correct way, but I love how the names add to the story.

This book has some action, but not as much as I thought there would be. There were some times while I was reading, where I felt like the story dragged a little slowly for me. I was interested to find out what would happen next.

I like that the story focuses more on friendship than romance. Yes, there are male characters in the story. And yes, there are boys that the girls will mention are handsome. But there wasn't really any romance in the story.

I really like the characters.

Sophronia is a fun and entertaining main character. There were several times where I was anxious to find out what she would do next. She really likes to explore and find things. I really like that she is smart. She figures things out for herself.
I especially love the friendships that she develops through the story.
Dimity is a great character. She reminds me of myself because I also hate the sight of blood. I like that in some ways she is the opposite of Sophronia. I also love how well they get along. Dimity is a wonderful friend and she really is there for Sophronia.
Soap is another fun character. His friendship with Sophronia is also very enjoyable. I like that he also is there for Sophronia and helps her.
Vieve is one of my favorite characters. So smart and clever! I also love the inventions. And this friendship with Sophronia is also loyal and heartwarming.
There are several other supporting characters that I really enjoyed reading about and like their interactions with the main characters.
I also like the little feud between Sophronia and Monique. I had no problem picturing Monique in my head. And I was very interested in the interactions between these two characters.

My Recommendation:
I think this is a fascinating world. I enjoyed reading the story and I am looking forward to reading book two and finding out more about these fun characters and what is going to come next!

Unmarked by Kami Garcia

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Title: Unmarked
(The Legion Book 2)

Author: Kami Garcia

Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)

Read: October 2014

The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia. He is here... and he could be anyone. Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free. Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked? (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

**This book is a sequel, so there will be spoilers for what happened in book one!**

My Rating:

I liked this book more than book one, UNBREAKABLE.  I think that it is a great continuation of a story that I already liked! 
The story really grabbed my attention and  really flew by quickly. 

The story picks up where book one left off. Andras has been released and the group needs to find a way to stop him. 

I love the action in the story. It really made me engage more with the book and kept the story entertaining and exciting. There were a few plot twists that I saw coming, but overall I think there were more that I was not expecting, which kept the story very engaging. 

I do think that the characters were further developed in this book, which I really liked. 
And there are a few more character additions. 

Kennedy's best friend, Elle, (we had some scenes with her in book one UNBREAKABLE) is a more prominent character in this book. I really enjoy their friendship. And I love their friendly banter. I also like her interactions with the members of The Legion. I feel like she adds some lightness to the story and a little bit of humor. 

I absolutely love the further relationship development between Kennedy and Jared and am glad that it seems like the love triangle is done. 

Kennedy, to me, seems more determined in this story. Her character grows from being full of self-doubt to needing answers and being able to fix what has happened. She won't stop until she completes that task. Yes, there are times where she is concerned about why she hasn't received her mark yet, but that is understandable and she doesn't only concentrate on it. I love that we find out more about Kennedy's past and she discovers things that she never knew about.

I really enjoyed finding out more about the other members of The Legion: Jared, Lukas, Priest, and Alara.  We find out more about their pasts and lives. 

I don't want to go in depth about the other new character additions because I don't want to give anything away. But I will say that I think they are interesting characters and really add some mystery to the story. 

This story ends with a bit of a cliffhanger (at least in my opinion). And now I can't wait to find out what happens next!

My Recommendation:
If you read the first book and enjoyed it, then I really think that you will enjoy this continuation. There are some mysterious reveals, plot twists, and action that make the story very entertaining. Characters become more developed and easier to care about and become attached to. 

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

(source)

Title: Unbreakable 
(The Legion Book 1)

Author: Kami Garcia

Length:305 pages

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you Little Brown!)

Read: October 2014

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me. When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night. Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way. Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels. (From GoodReads)

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***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***


My Rating:

Overall, I enjoyed reading this story.

There are A LOT of similarities to the TV Show Supernatural. (Which is a show that I really like!)
I didn't really mind how similar they are. In fact, I think it is part of what made me interested in reading the book. And even though there are a lot of things in common, I do feel like Unbreakable had enough action and some plot twists that made this an entertaining story to read.

I read this book really quickly and it held my attention throughout the entire story. 
The writing and story kept me interested and engaged. There were some spooky scenes as well as a couple that scared me a little bit. But overall, not too scary for me (I don't handle scary very well.)

I like the characters, but I didn't really feel that connected to any of them. 

Kennedy is the main character. She is almost killed by the same spirit that killed her mother. But luckily for her, twins Jared and Lukas, save her and explain to her what is happening. I like that she is skeptical about the things they are telling her. She also has a lot of denial regarding what she is told about her and her mother. But after so long, it starts to get a little frustrating. She will start to believe and decide to help, then she second guesses herself and everything all over again. Throughout the story. She has a lot of self-doubt. I am looking forward to more character growth and development in the next book. 

Then there is the love-triangle. My biggest dislike of the story. I usually don't really mind love-triangles. But I don't like when the love-triangle involves siblings (brothers/sisters) or best friends. These ones usually just frustrate me, make me angry, or break my heart.
So I dislike this one because it involves the brothers both liking Kennedy. I feel like overall, Kennedy knows which of the brothers she likes and which one she views more like a friend. But there are several times where maybe she doesn't know or thinks about the other one because it would just be easier. But it does seem like the love-triangle is over by the end of the book. (That is my hope). 

Jared and Lukas are okay characters. Though most of the time they almost feel like the same person. Maybe it is because they are twins and brothers can share a lot of the same qualities. They do feel very similar. With the exception of one of the brothers being the "bad boy" type character and the other one being really nice. For me, I feel that Jared was a little bit more developed than Lukas. I am also hoping for more character growth and development for these characters in the next book.

The two other characters in the group are Priest and Alara. I really like both of these characters. Priest is fun. He loves music and is very good at creating things. I found him to be really interesting. I also like that he is smart. He might be a little younger than the others, but I like that he stands up for himself and wants to help out the others. And Alara is just awesome! She is very confident and bold. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She comes off as mean and closed off, but deep down she cares a lot about others. 

I think that it is a pretty good first book to a series. And I am interested to read the next book to find out what happens next. The ending definitely made me curious to find out what happens next!

My Recommendation:

If you like shows like Supernatural (and don't mind the similarities) or if you like scary stories that involve demons and ghosts than you might like this book. 

My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

(source)

Title: My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

Authors: Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt De La Pena, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor and Kiersten White

Length: 320 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Classification: Young Adult, Short Stories, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic, Christmas

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thanks St. Martin's Press!)

Read: October 2014

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Books-a-Million

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. (From GoodReads)

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

My Rating:

I really have not read that many books that are short story collections, so I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy this book. But there were several authors that I either like or have heard of (out of the twelve authors, I have only read books by four of them, but I had heard of five of the other authors) and I enjoy the holidays, so I thought it would be a good book to read. 

And I am really glad that I decided to give it a read. This book is full of cute, heartwarming, lovely holiday stories. I really like that these twelve stories have diversity. There are different ethnicities, holiday traditions/beliefs/celebrations, and different kinds of relationships. 

One thing I did notice while reading these stories, is that it felt (at least to me) that most of the stories have broken family homes. Single parents, stepparents, adoptive parents, dead parents. It felt like there were very few families where the parents were still together. It doesn't really bother me, I don't feel like it took away from me enjoying the stories, it is just something that I did take note of while reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed the stories in this collection. There are some stories that I enjoyed A LOT more than others. But I think that on some level, I was able to entertainment in each of the stories. 

1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
I LOVE this story. Very much. It was just so cute and adorable. I love the flashbacks to the other New Year's Eves. I love that it takes place during New Year's Eve. And even though it is a short story, I was able to connect to these characters instantly. I love them. And I really wished that their story did not have to end. I was left wanting more, but also satisfied with the story. I adore Rainbow Rowell's writing and this holiday story did not disappoint me at all. 

2. The Lady And The Fox by Kelly Link
This story I did not like as much as the others. I found it to be a little weird. But there were parts of it that kept me wanting to know more. I was intrigued by the guy that Miranda sees and wondered why he was so mysterious. But the ending left me confused. 

3. Angels In The Snow by Matt De La Pena
Overall, I found this story to be cute. A young man is cat and apartment sitting when he encounters the girl upstairs. I like the dialogue between the two characters and was very interested in the conversations and encounters that they would have. I also like that it is told from the male point of view. 

4. Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han
I enjoyed this story. I love Jenny Han's writing and enjoyed the fantasy element of the story. The main character is a human girl that lives in the North Pole with Santa and the elves. I liked the characters and was interested in Natty and her story. But I feel like the ending was open-ended. I wanted more and wanted to know what was going to happen next.

5. It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
I LOVE this story too! Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job creating characters that I care about instantly. This story is full of cuteness and heart. I loved getting to know the characters and watching them get to know each other. And I absolutely loved the chemistry and banter between them. So adorable. Definitely one of my favorites of all the stories!

6. Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
This story felt really short to me. I really found what the main character does for his boyfriend's family to be really sweet. This story is full of love and is thoughtful. It brought a smile to my face.

7. Krampuslauf  by Holly Black
This story was different. I enjoyed reading the story, but I didn't fall in love with it. I didn't really feel a connection with the characters or what they were doing. I was more interested in the fantasy aspect of the story and the traditions. The story did grab my attention more at the end.

8. What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
I liked this story. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. Overall, I think that it is a sweet story. And I really like that it felt realistic. Especially when it comes to Sophie and her "What the hell have you done" moments. I felt like I was able to relate with this.

9. Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
This story was alright. I was entertained by what was happening and the decisions that the main character made. I like that it is also told from a male point of view. And I liked that this story showed some hope and redemption. It was entertaining and I like the characters.

10. Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
I love this story. I really enjoyed these characters. Maria is just living her life waiting for the day that she can leave where she is living. She works in a diner that her mother manages after school. And she seems pretty unhappy. Then things change close to Christmas time. The diner gets a new young cook named Ben. I really love the banter between Maria and Ben. And watching their relationship develop was a lot of fun. I also really like that we get to see relationship development between Maria and her mother. I found this story to be really cute and sweet. With characters that I came to love.

11. Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
This was a fun story to read. I feel like the story kept me on my toes. I kept trying to guess about what the main character was running away from and her secret. I really love the family element of this story. And the small glimpses of a different holiday culture.

12. The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I found this story to be really interesting. It is set in a different place and time. I found the storyline to be fascinating and different (in a good way). I was not expecting the ending. But I was left happy and with a smile on my face at the end of this story.

My Recommendation:
If you enjoy reading short stories and love books to get you in the holiday spirit, then I definitely recommend reading this book of holiday short stories. There were a few stories that I absolutely love and several others that I really enjoyed reading. These short stories are diverse and full of love and cuteness. I do not regret reading them and will probably re-read some of them during the holidays.