Let it go | Collection of books.

Patrick Ness- Release. 
RATING: 2/5.
Patrick Ness' books always make me feel stupid. It's like I'm not clever enough to truly grasp his intentions, because I can't figure out how the two stories combine. It felt like I was reading two books at the same time and they didn't mesh together in my head.

The first story is about Adam and how he deals with his homosexuality and his family, who are very religious and believe it is something he can be cured of. They try to avoid the topic, but whenever they can they make it clear they aren't willing to accept him. No matter what he does, it is always wrong. The moment his father tells him that is is hard to love him, but that the tries, my heart completely shattered for Adam. The fact that there are people in the world who think like that is just unbelievable to me. Love = love, no matter what, as long as it makes you happy.

Adam's romantic moments with his boyfriend made me melt and it was good to see he was so supported by him. The sex scenes were nicely done. Also his friendship with Angela! That was one amazing girl.

The other story is about a Queen and a Faun. She is possessed with the spirit of a girl that was strangled to death and she is now on the hunt to get justice. The Faun is hopping along to sort of protect her? The story was really poetic, but I struggled with it. I didn't understand what this story had to do with Adam.. and why it was there in the first place. I just don't see what it adds to the overall story.

So yeah. I'm starting to believe Ness' work is just not for me?

Review 287. Kat Zhang – Echoes of us.

Title: Echoes of us.
Author: Kat Zhang.
Pages: 638.
Expected publication: September 16th 2014 by HarperCollins.
Sort: (Conclusion) Hybrid Chronicles #3.
Review #1. What’s left of me.
Review #2. Once we were.
Source: ARC from HarperCollins international.

To change the world, I may lose everything
All Eva ever wanted was the chance to be herself. But in the Americas, to be hybrid—to share your body with a second soul—is not tolerated past childhood. Now Eva and Addie, her sister soul, are constantly on the move, hiding from the officials who seek to capture them. But the tide is changing. A revolution is brewing, and people are starting to question the hybrids' mistreatment. Then Marion, an ambitious reporter, offers Eva and Addie a daring proposal: If they go undercover and film the wretched conditions of a hybrid institution, she will not only rescue them, she'll find a way to free Jackson, the boy Addie loves. It's risky, and Eva will have to leave Ryan and her friends behind, but if she succeeds, it could also tip the scales forever and lead to hybrid freedom. As Eva and Addie walk into danger, they cling to each other and the hope of a better future. But the price they might pay is higher than they ever could have imagined.

Rating:

A good conclusion to a solid Dystopian series. It’s not the most memorable story ever, but if you want an interesting story that delivers constant quality, you might want to give this series a shot. There are no hard spoilers for any of the books.

Review 283. Amy Ewing – The Jewel.

Title: The Jewel.
Author: Amy Ewing.
Pages: 358.
Published: September 2nd 2014 by HarperTeen.
Sort: The lone city #1.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring. Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life. Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Rating:

*stab, stab, stab* was my initial reaction when I finished this book. I just wanted to break something out of frustration, because this book features one of those dreaded insta-loves – and it’s really, really bad. The other aspects of the book weren’t amazing either, but I could deal with those until I reached the ending. The story just fell apart after the introduction from the ‘romance’ and it’s just not okay to finish a book like that. The more I think about this book, the more I start to hate it. I initially gave it 2 stars on Goodreads, but after finishing my rant I have to give it 1 stars.

Let it go | Once we were, Stepsister's tale & Finnikin.

Today I feature three completely different different book. I start with Once we were, a sequel to What's left of me, by Kat Zhang. This is a dystopian book about a world where hybrids exist, but they are hunted down by the government. The second book is a failed attempt to a fairytale retelling with a refreshing POV and lastly, a very hyped fantasy book that just wasn't meant to be.

Review 265. Lisa Ann O’Kane – Essence.

Title: Essence.
Author: Lisa Ann O’Kane.
Pages: 243.
Published: June 3rd by Strange Chemistry.
Sort: Stand-alone, Dystopia.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Autumn escaped a cult, but now she realizes she's fallen into another. Growing up in San Francisco’s Centrist Movement, sixteen year-old Autumn Grace has always believed emotions—adrenaline, endorphins, even happiness—drain your Essence and lead to an early death. But her younger brother’s passing and a run-in with a group of Outsiders casts her faith into question. Ryder Stone, the sexy, rebellious leader of the Outsiders, claims Essence drain is nothing more than a Centrist scare tactic -- and he can prove it. Autumn follows Ryder to his Community of adrenaline junkies and free spirits in Yosemite National Park, and they introduce her to a life of adventure, romance, sex, drugs and freedom. But as she discovers dark secrets beneath the Community’s perfect exterior, she realizes the more she risks in search of the perfect rush, the further she has to fall.

Rating:

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book when I started, but I have good experiences with other books published by Strange Chemistry – so I decided to give it a try when I saw it on Netgalley. I only knew I wasn’t expecting such a horrible story with annoying characters and a boring plot line.

Review 264. Lindsay Cummings – The Murder complex.

Title: The murder complex.
Author: Lindsay Cummings.
Pages: 400.
Published: June 10th by Greenwillow books.
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher.
Sort: The murder complex #1.

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna. Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision. The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Rating:

I hate to say this, because I follow the author on Instagram and she seems sweet, but I disliked this book. The writing-style, romance, plot and characters didn’t work for me, at all.. The only reason this book has 2 stars is, because it was enjoyable. This book has that ‘I don’t like it, but I still can’t stop reading’ factor, so that does count for something. Plus, the blurb didn’t lie when it said action-packed and blood-soaked. It only forgot to include that the overall story is boring.

Review 260. Amy Tintera – Rebel.

Title: Rebel.
Author: Amy Tintera.
Pages: 352.
Expected publication: May 13th 2014 by HarperTeen
Sort: Reboot #2.
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher.

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake… he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

Rating:

Fantastic ending to a good duology. The story has been told and it has a satisfying conclusion. This is the reason some trilogies should be duologies. The romance between Wren and Callum was adorable, but not overwhelming. There is a lot of action. The only thing I wanted was a little more world-building, but it wasn’t necessarily to enjoy the story.

Review 259. Amy Plum – After the end.

Title: After the end.
Author: Amy Plum.
Pages: 352.
Published: May 6th 2014 by HarperTeen.
Sort: After the end #1.
Source: ARC from the publisher for an honest review.

She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future. World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there. At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life. When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie. Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Rating:

I am left frustrated and confused by this book. I liked the idea of a community in Alaska after World War III; the only thing is, Juneau finds out this never happened. I thought it would give some interesting situations, with Juneau trying to blend into the modern world and her mission to save her clan. Instead, I was bored and it seemed to take me a lot of time to finish it. The slow pacing doesn’t work here. I am familiar with her other series so I know she likes her cliff-hangers, but this ending felt too abrupt.

Review 242. Gabel & Klam – Elusion.

Title: Elusion.
Author: Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam.
Pages:  400.
Published: March 18th 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books.
Sort: I think Unnamed #1.
Source: I received an ARC copy from the publisher for an honest review.
Link: Goodreads.

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.
A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life. Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality. Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

Rating:

I think I enjoyed this book more because of the negative buzz. After seeing ratings varying from 1 to 2 stars, my expectations went down very quickly. I’m glad that I was able to enjoy it a little more. I was thinking about 2.5 flowers, but in the end I still settled down with 3 flowers despite the flaws.

Review 240. Dan Wells – Ruins.

Title: Ruins.
Author: Dan Wells.
Pages: 464.
Published: March 11th 2014 by Balzer + Bray
Sort: Partials sequence #3.
Part 1: Partials.
Part 2: Fragments.
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher.
Link: Goodreads.

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final instalment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand. There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.

Rating:

*Applauds* Well done, Dan Wells, you did it. This book makes up for the disappointing Fragments. The world-building is better, the characters more developed and the story is exciting. There aren't many books out there with such a solid biological aspect and that was by far my favorite part of this series.

”Love is when you find something so great, so.. necessary, that it becomes more important to you than your own goals, than your own life – not because your life has no meaning without it, but because it gives your life a meaning it never had before.”

Small spoilers if you haven't read the previous books and you don't want to know a thing. Otherwise, you're good to go, I don't tell many details.

Review 232. Rick Yancey – The 5th wave.

Title: The 5th wave.
Author: Rick Yancey.
Pages: 457.
Published: May 7th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Sort: Part one of ‘The fifth wave’

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Rating:

This book failed to impress me. Whether it were my high expectations, the hype surrounding it or just this story, I had a hard time reading it.  It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters, because I still think it’s an unique setting and promise. I like the story that is created, but the plot  could have used some interesting twists.

Review 219. Samantha Shannon – The bone season.

Title: The bone season.
Author: Samantha Shannon.
Pages: 452.
Published: August 20th 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Sort: Part one of ‘The bone season’

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing. But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army. Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Rating:

I’m going to be honest and say that I had some difficulty understanding this complex and rich world-building. I still have the idea I didn’t get half of it and this made it hard to connect with the story in the beginning. I felt overwhelmed by all the terms and information, but luckily, the characters made up for it.

Review 216. Aimee Carter – Pawn.

Title: Pawn.
Author: Aimee Carter.
Pages: 346.
Expected publication: November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Tee
Sort: Part one of ‘The Blackcoat rebellion’
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Rating:

Pretty cover? Check. Interesting blurb? Check. Unfortunately the story couldn’t live up to my expectations and that was disappointing. I do recommend that you look on Goodreads, because most of the reviews are positive. This could be a case of ‘it’s me, not you.’ There are some great aspects, but it didn't WOW me enough.

Review 203. Lauren Destefano – Fever.

Title: Fever.
Author: Lauren DeStefano.
Pages: 341.
Published: February 21st 2012 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. 
Sort: Part two ‘Chemical Garden’
Review part 1: Wither.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ring mistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

Rating: 

It was not hard to like this book. Yes, there are definitely some flaws, but it was tense and fast-paced. I think it’s a great sequel to Wither and I’m looking forward to the next and last book.

Review 202. Lauren Oliver – Requiem.

Title: Requiem.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Pages: 391.
Published: March 5th 2013 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Sort: Conclusion of ‘Delirium.’
Part 1: Delirium.
Part 2: Pandemonium.

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past. But we are still here. And there are more of us every day. Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings. Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it. But we have chosen a different road. And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose. We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Rating:

This book is so unsatisfying it makes me want to rip my hair out. It’s Rise all over again. What is up with all these horrible open endings? The first thing I thought, and I wrote this down on Goodreads: wait? What? Where the hell is the ending? :| Crap. That is still the best way to describe this book. Keep in mind that there are spoilers if you haven’t read the other two books.

Review 200. Lauren Oliver –Pandemonium.

Title: Pandemonium.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Pages: 375.
Published:  February 28th 2012 by HarperTeen (first published 2012)
Sort: Part 2 of ‘Delirium’.
Part 1: Delirium.

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.

Rating: 

This book was frustrating. I feel like an outsider with this series, because honestly, I don’t get the whole hype. Delirium was disappointing and this book was better, but still not mind-blowing. I guess this is just a case of ‘it’s me, not you.’ If you want to read this series and haven’t read Delirium, I suggest you skip the review.

Review 181. Marie Lu – Prodigy.

Title: Prodigy.
Author: Marie Lu.
Pages: 371.
Published: January 29th 2013 Putnam Juvenile
Sort: Part two of ‘Legend’
Review part 1: Legend.

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

Rating:

I enjoyed this book, but it’s a bad sign that I seem to forget about many details already.. That doesn’t happen a lot to me and I have to say, this book didn’t impress me so much as Legend. I loved the world-building though. It was interesting to finally find out how this all started and in this aspect, it outshines Legend. The character development and the overall plot were less engaging for me, but it’s not a bad sequel at all.

The biggest problem I had was one of my favorite aspects in the first book. I wasn’t such a fan of June and Day now. They both lost some of their charm from the beginning. I missed the chemistry between them and I didn’t like their interactions. I was happy that June stayed true to herself, but Day’s easy mistrust was annoying.

The pacing is okay, but the middle part was a bit boring. Nothing seems to happen and I expected more excitement. The fact that June is about to help in a plot to murder the new Elector promises me much action, but it was hardly there. It’s more about June’s doubt and Day’s struggle to believe in her. It was also more about the lies from the rebels. This book was more about the psychological aspect instead of fighting and that wasn’t what I expected.

I liked the ending though. This book could easily be the ending of this series. I always like it when books in a series almost work as stand-alones. Despite my disappointing, I'm looking forward to Champion.

Review 173. Anna Carey – Rise.

Title: Rise.
Author: Anna Carey.
Pages: 310.
Published: April 2nd 2013 by HarperCollins
Sort: Conclusion for ‘Eve.’
Part 1: Eve.
Part 2: Once.

How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?
When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started. Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

Rating:

This book.. I don’t even know where to get started. There are two types of reviews I find hard to write: books I absolutely love and books I find so terrible I hate them with a fierce passion. This book falls in the last category. It’s almost unworthy of the 1.5-rating, but despite the truly horrible ending, the middle part isn’t that bad – hence the 1.5 flowers. This book is the perfect example of: How to destroy a complete series? I will never recommend this series because of this ending.

Review 169. Amy Tintera – Reboot.

Title: Reboot.
Author: Amy Tintera.
Pages: 365.
Published: May 7th 2013.
Publisher: HarperTeen.
Sort: Part one of ‘Reboot’
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation). Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum. The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

Rating: 

I didn’t requested this book when I emailed Sarah from HarperCollins, but she was kind enough to provide a review copy from Reboot with the other books. And I’m happy she did, because it was exactly what I was looking for. A virus, action, kick ass characters and some romance: that’s how I like it!

It has been a great year when it comes to Dystopian books, so far. I’ve had some disappointing books (Mila  2.0 and Fragments) but Reboot can claim a spot among What’s left of me, Partials and Legend.

Review 165. Julie Kagawa – The eternity cure.

Title: The eternity cure.
Author: Julie Kagawa.
Pages: 446.
Published: April 30th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen.
Sort: Part two of ‘Blood of Eden.’
Review part 1: The immortal rules.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Rating:

Finally! I was so happy when the publisher accepted my request on Netgalley. I’ve been dying to read this book after my love for The immortal rules – and this book definitely didn’t disappoint me. If there is one author who knows how to write an engaging story, it’s Kagawa.