NEW BLOG!

Hey guys!

I know it's been a super long time but I have exciting news: I opened up a new blog and will be reviewing books over there now.

I will still be reviewing young adult books with the occasional adult book or opinion piece but I really wanted a fresh start. I am an entirely different person then I was when I blogged here.

So please check it out and follow! My first review was Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater and there will be many more to come!

Click Here for the New Blog! 

Taking a Break. . . .

So I think it's time to make it official, though this will not come as a shock. I am going to be taking a break from blogging. It is a large time commitment, time that I just don't have with school and everything else. I do hope to come back to it, probably in the summer. In the mean time, check out all my A+ books and subscribe by email, so you know when/if I come back. Thank you to all my wonderful readers and I hope to see you all in a few months.

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The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Sixteen year old Nalia has only known her life as Thorvaldor’s Princess. But when her parents give her chilling news her whole life is shattered. She is not the real Princess but a simple commoner who has posed as her while the real one has grown up in a convent to keep herself safe from a prophecy that said she would be killed before her sixteenth birthday. So Nalia, now called Sinda, must live with a long lost aunt who thought she was dead with little more than a few gold pieces to her name. Now she must deal with an aunt who hates her, whispered rumors, and a lack of friends along with a brimming magic that had been held dormant for the past sixteen years. And when Sinda discovers a secret that threatens the crown she must go on a adventure to save her country and the very girl who stole her life.


The Good: False Princess was a very enjoyable, fun read that is perfect if you’re looking for a short fantasy read with action, romance, and a bit of magic. This one has plenty of suspense that will keep you reading. The romance is also very good but is not the focus of the book. It adds that little extra umph that keeps things interesting. The characters are all very developed and interesting. I really liked Philantha, Sinda’s magic mentor and employer. She had such an intuitive outlook on life and an unpredictability that was refreshing. She always made me smile. I also have to comment on the fantasy aspect of this one. Fantasy is probably my favorite genre, if I had to pick. I love stories of kings and princess and knights and wizards. It’s all so enchanting. False Princess lived up all my favorites of the genre and was overall a good read.


The Bad: False Princess was overall very average. Nothing was noteworthy or very exciting. Nothing to set it apart from other books. So while I recommend it, this book isn’t one your going to be thinking about for weeks to come. It’s not one that will have everyone talking.


The Ugly Updates: The False Princess comes out January 25th. O'Neal is a debut novelest, though she has written several short stories. You can check out her site here, her blog here, and her twitter here. 


Rating: B-


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ONE MORE STEP UP: The Host by Stephanie Meyer

ONE MORE STEP UP:  is a feature, exculisive to my blog that features books in the Adult genre that would be appropriate for YA readers.  This is my first but look for more in the upcoming months. 

This feature was named by Cathie.

Earth has been taken over by aliens. Aliens who go into human bodies and live exactly as they lived. They have won; human resistance is practically obsolete. Melanie was part of this resistance, but now she has been captured and soon an alien will be put inside her, an alien who will lead the Seekers to the rest of her still-human family. Only Wanderer, the alien soul put inside Melanie, can access any information. Melanie has built up walls to hide this information. As Wanderer grows more and more frusterated with her weakness she must make a decision whether or not to give up Melanie’s body to a seeker, one who will force the information out of her. Melanie, who is still very present in her head, an anomaly for this species, is desperate to stay out of the Seekers hands and will do anything to stop Wanderer, including making her fall in love with Melanie’s mate and younger brother. So together the two set out to find the men their heart aches for.

The Good: This is my absolute favorite book of all time. I have read this one countless times (probably close to 15). I LOVE it. There is something so compelling about the way Meyer writes and how this story unfolds. There is a steady stream of action that will keep you very interested. I personally think this book is so much better than the Twilight Series. And I’m going to ask you to please not be prejudice if you are a Twilight hater. The Host is completely different and I hope you will at least give it a chance. I really love the weird connection between Wanderer and Melanie. With two girls living inside one body, it makes a really strange dynamic. But Meyer perfectly explains the conflicting feelings between the two of them. She makes this story completely believable, which is both and really good thing and kind of disturbing. I mean I don’t want to lose myself to a soul-sucking alien :)

The Bad: I am pre-warning you, the beginning of this book is slow and confusing. It takes a little bit to finally understand what in the world is going on with these aliens and their strangely-human-but-also-alien actions. But I promise if you just get past the first 100 pages it will be so worth it! Just please bare with the back-story and set-up for the rest of the story, and then sit back and enjoy this incredible book. 

The Ugly Updates:  Of course as everyone knows, Meyer has written the Twilight series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. There is a rumor of a Host sequel but nothing concrete. So keep your fingers crossed. Check out Meyer's site for everything Twilight and Host.

Rating: A++

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The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Ever since her mother’s disappearance 10 years ago, Julia has been able to sense people’s emotions. She can tell when her best friend is sad when she has to skip their movie night and when the boy down the hall wants to ask her to homecoming. When she runs out of gas one night and must travel through the woods alone, she is saved by a mysterious good looking guy, who just happened to be at the right place and the time, from what he called a bobcat though Julia is skeptical. There is an irrational connection between the two and when he leaves her later that night, she can’t help but feel pain from his absence. She is secretly counting down the minutes till she can see him again. Only he doesn’t show. And now kids are mysteriously going missing and Julia can’t help but feel that this strange man may have something to do with it.

The Good: The Emerald Talisman had a pretty good story line. It kept you intrigued through most of the first half of the book. The mystery really built up well at the beginning. And when the secrets were revealed they were actually somewhat surprising. There wasn’t too much foreshadowing or hinting that made everything obvious and predictable. It was a good story but just lacked in execution.

The Bad: This book lacked pizazz and overall excitement. I was quite bored at times. When the climax came, it was very anti-climatic and not very long. I found Pandos writing style to be sort of awkward. That’s the best I can describe it. The sentences were structured oddly and words were used in places where I thought better words could have been used. I found it distracting and the editor inside me wanted to reword all these sentences. The main character, Julia, was not easy relatable. I found her somewhat annoying and petty. Finally, the conclusion drug out way too long. And there was really no purpose for it because there is a sequel to the book. The things that did need wrapped up could have been said out more quickly. Overall, The Emerald Talisman was boring and had an awkward writing style that lacked flow. 

The Ugly Updates: The sequel, The Sapphire Talisman, is out December 15th, only 9 more days. Look out for a review for that one soon. This is Pandos' debut novel. View a trailer and find more info on the books on the book site. And let me just say, I love this site. It is very professional and efficient. Also check out Pandos' blog, facebook, and twitter.

Rating: C

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