Author: Chelsea (Page 67 of 111)

BOOK REVIEW: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

December 17, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1)
by Jenny Han, Siobhan Vivian
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Postcard-perfect Jar Island is the kind of place where nobody locks their doors at night, where parents can sleep easy, knowing their daughters are tucked away safe and sound in their beds.

But bad things can happen, even to good girls . . . and sometimes, the only way to make things right is to do something wrong.

Lillia used to trust boys, but not anymore. Not after what happened this summer. And she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her little sister from the same fate.

Kat is over the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes made at her expense. It all goes back to one person--her ex-best friend. Someone needs to teach her a lesson, and, with Lillia and Mary behind her, Kat feels up to the task.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she’s not the same girl anymore. Now that she’s got friends who have her back, he's going to be in big trouble.

Three very different girls who come together to make things right. Will they go too far?

Welp. That wasn’t what I expected. In many ways I think I’ve been putting this one off because I knew it wasn’t going to be what I wanted. It’s not that it didn’t have it’s exceptional moments where I found some immense enjoyment out of the three girls’ bonding experiences or the revenge they were seeking on the individuals who treated them badly. But, at the risk of sounding hoity toity, it all just came across so….juvenile.

So many people liked this book and I have to think that maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it-but then I start to backtrack and wonder: would I have enjoyed the cliquey cliches even months ago, even when I was in the mood? Would I have enjoyed the somewhat childish conversations everyone seemed to have? And, most of all, would the fact that those people didn’t deserve to have even a little of their lives ruined bother me? And I have to believe that, even when I was excited about this book, it all still would have bothered me.

And that’s not even mentioning probably my biggest problem with the whole book: Every single scene or idea seemed like a contrived, watered down, wannabe version of other books and movies that, frankly, did it way better. I feel so bad saying that, but it doesn’t change the fact that every other page I kept seeing Janice from Mean Girls or Brittany Snow from John Tucker Must Die. Literally every single scene had me unintentionally thinking of other movies I have watched over and over again and loved in the past ten years of my life: Mean Girls, John Tucker Must Die, and I know there was one other that I just can’t remember at the moment. And then it also reminded me of a book that I LOATHED-*The Keatyn Chronicles*-though I must say Burn for Burn was written way better and had a little more class. That much I can say for it.

Which leads me here. People loved it. Hell, I even loved the idea of getting revenge on the bitches that I felt wronged me back in the day. Don’t we all have that secret little (if only a minuscule, tiny piece) place where we wish people that were cruel would get what’s coming to them? So yes, on that level I enjoyed it-that’s why I couldn’t one star this story. The writing was great. The IDEA of all of it was great. I just…something was missing. I rolled my eyes more often than not, the only character I really and truly connected with was Lillia (And Mary, sometimes-she could be a bit pathetic…I don’t know) and that’s only because I could see some humanity in her even as she hung out with the devil. Her love for her little sister was great and I could totally relate, remembering how protective (I still am) of my little sister I was when she started to stray from the path. But nothing could really ground me and connect me to this story. At the end of the day, all I could think of was how annoying Kat was (And I felt a tad trashy, for that matter), how I wished Mary could move on, and how Lillia was going to be heartbroken after all the acts they planned against her ‘friends.’

So, all in all, I don’t know if I’ll ever continue to the next book. It all seemed so petty, which of course it was supposed to be, and I felt bad for the people they targeted. Some of the things they had planned were vile, but then I felt some fell short. I don’t know HOW the plan at the end would truly scar Rennie-it seemed very small, really, compared to everyone else’s revenge. I just, AGH. I don’t know. I suppose I never will. It’s one of those books that is a super easy read, fast-paced, and fun if you are in the mood. In the end, I guess I just really, really, really was not in the mood. Maybe next time.

BOOK REVIEW: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

December 16, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)
by Darynda Jones
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice.
Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

I was a little worried Garrett would try to give me a boost again by grabbing my ass. Then a little disappointed when he didn’t. A girl had to get her thrills somehow.

Ugghhhh I haaaaate when I’m in the minority. What’s worse, I was so so sure that I’d love this!! It’s one of those things where you can tell that the series will be great, but the first book was a bit much for you. That’s where I’m chillin’-on hope island.

While I normally weighed around 125…ish, for some unexplainable reason, between the hours of partially awake and fully awake, I weighed a solid 470.
After a brief, beached whale-like struggle, I gave up. The quart of Chunky Monkey I ate after getting my ass kicked had probably been a bad idea.

This male lead, right? This male lead was HOT. He was dark, mysterious, sexy and….dead? A ghost?? I think that’s where my largest frustration came in. Being the neurotic BBF collector I am, I kept waiting for more Reyes. He would appear, literally, he’d appear virtually out of nowhere, and then he’d disappear just as quickly. I ached for his presence because, I’ll be frank, the story itself didn’t hold my attention. I mean to say, this particular mystery didn’t appeal to me. I felt I was thrown into the middle of it too quickly-her jokes, her current predicament with Reyes, the mystery of the murdered lawyers…I just wanted something….different? Perhaps a physical Reyes instead of a ghost-like one?? Hmm maybe that’s my ONLY problem.

I sat blindsided, stunned into silence a full minute, absorbing what Kim told me, turning it over and analyzing it in my mind. It was painful even to contemplate, like the thought itself was a physical entity, a box covered in razor sharp shards of glass, slicing though my fingertips every time I tried to open it.

I remember reading a review by Kat Kennedy that said it perfectly-basically our lead is in lust with Reyes, but we really don’t get to see why she is so obsessed with him. There was this one instance where I texted my friend very excitedly because we actually got a flashback with him in it-I was ECSTATIC. It was the first real moment where we got to see more than a ghostly form feeling her up. He was real. He was tormented. He was scary. Ummm yum. I was SO invested at that point. I found his background to be so intriguing and it attached me to the novel in a way Charley couldn’t….but these moments with him were few and far between.

“That’s me,” I said with an inane giggle.
She didn’t smile back. Not even a little. I totally needed to read that book on how to win friends and influence people. But that would involve an innate desire to win friends and influence people. My desires were a tad more visceral at the moment.

I guess I’ll be more specific-the mystery with the lawyers? Didn’t interest me. The mystery of ‘what the fuck is Reyes?’ That hooked me. Near the end things begin to get revealed and again…while these revelations intrigued me….they also put me off a little. If it goes one direction, this will be a sinfully fun series. If it goes the way I’m thinking it will…not so much. There are big no-nos when I read my books and one direction would lead straight into the no-no forest. So I really really really hope and pray it stays on the road less taken, because the other shit? It’s tired. I’m tired. Keep it simple, will ya Jones??

Okay, I also want to say: Just because this wasn’t what I expected doesn’t mean it wasn’t a well-written or funny book. I laughed quite a few times, actually. And Charley is a really fun MC to follow. I just wanted more.

So without further rambling on my part, I bid you adieu. I don’t think I’d rec this to my friends without seeing where it goes from here. If I’m confused, I can’t imagine what my fickle (love you all-shhh, I’m saving you here) friends would think. It’s a toss up, really.

BOOK REVIEW: The Unbound (The Archived #2) by Victoria Schwab

December 15, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Unbound (The Archived #2)
by Victoria Schwab
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe.

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.

“Open your eyes,” he warns.

I drag them open and find his face inches from mine. “Why?” I growl. “So I can see the truth?”
His smile sharpens. “No,” he says. “So I can watch the life go out of them.”
And then he drives the knife forward into my chest.

Well, well, well…..color me surprised. You see, I received an ARC after finishing book one of this series, so immediately after I chose to read it…before this one. Bad mistake, my dears-Because what happened was that I became so enraptured and awed by that complex, barbaric ARC, that when I finally came back to this precious piece of work, I wasn’t as interested or as in tune as I had been before. But then, about 50% through, the author knocked me upside the head and screamed in my face ‘PAY ATTENTION,’ and Wesley immediately came into focus-brilliant, funny, loveable, and witty Wesley. And we all lived happily ever after.

Nah, I’m screwin’ with ya. But the fact remains, about halfway through the book I started to wake up again and see why I fell in love with this world in the first place. That’s not to say that there weren’t reasons I had issues at the beginning, Ie unnecessary flashbacking (okay, I’m TOTES making that into a word, shut up) and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, high school attendance. See, I actually always love when the main characters go to school in a YA novel. It’s where all the flirting and jealousies and petty fights commence-GUILTY….I’m a YA drama whore-but in this book, I felt it took away from the beauty and magic that we felt in book one. At the beginning of it all, Wes and Mac met during the summer…so I would have liked for it to end during the summer. You know, all that free time to hunt histories and ghosties together? Alas, this was not meant to be, so at some point, I had to push my whiney shit aside and play the hand that was dealt to me. And guess what? When I did that, the story blew wide open.

“It’s all new to me, too, remember?” he says a few minutes later. “I’d never met another Keeper before you. And having you in my life is terrifying and addictive, and I’m not going to lie and tell you it doesn’t make my heart race. It does.” I wonder if he can feel my own pounding pulse through my noise as he tangles his fingers through mine. “But I’m here. No matter what happens with us, I’m here.”

I loved how much Wes showed he cared for Mac in this one. He always has, but there’s something adorable about him being out in the open about it and not caring that she’s trying to keep him at arm’s length. I know people got annoyed by Mac’s secrets and her not just letting Wesley in, but that is the agreement, life, and oath a Keeper takes on when they are welcomed into the Archive. In book one, we saw Mac hide everything from Wes, her family, etc, but that came with the territory, and I totally understood it. But in this one, she only kept secrets when necessary from Wes-she swore, after the life-altering events of book one, that she would never keep Wes in the dark, no matter how painful. And we see her struggle through the entirety of the novel with the burden of keeping him safe, keeping him away from the evil enveloping her, and what to include and not include of her sordid nightmares and illusions that blur between reality and dysfunction.

Music fills my head, strong and steady, and I look down to see Wesley’s hand wrapped around mine, his eyes bleary but open. He must misread the shock and fear in my eyes for the echoes of a nightmare-how I wish this were still a bad dream-because he doesn’t ask what’s wrong. Instead he climbs onto the bed beside me and rolls me in against him, his arms wrapped around my waist.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he whispers sleepily into my hair.

The best part about our darling, Wesley? No matter how odd, how crazy, how off-the-wall weird Mac is acting or her situation is, he still stands by her side and believes everything she says. He is kind, understanding, and doesn’t let anyone walk all over Mackenzie-not even her parents. He would sacrifice himself and his time in a heartbeat…just to spend more time with her or to save her.

Wes hits the table. “You broke into a crime scene without me?”
“Be glad, Wes, or we both would have been caught.”
“We’re a team, Mac. You don’t go committing a crime without your partner in crime. Besides, if I’d been with you, we probably wouldn’t have been caught. I could have stood at the door and made wild bird sounds or something when the cops came back. And if we did get caught, our mug shots would look fabulous.”

Probably one of my other favorite things about this series is the action and…hmm…what’s the word…violence? No, for real, though, I think the correct term is bloody reality? I have no clue, ugh. My point is, this author doesn’t shy away from bashing someone’s head in or slicing and dicing and bringing the pain. I love that…if you don’t know me lol.

He’s not real, whispers another voice in my head. You’ve just lost it.
Cracked little head, echoes Sako.
Broken, whispers Owen.
Weak, adds Agatha.

So, you know, despite the disconnection, for me, in the beginning and the flashbacks (I HATE flashbacks), this book was stellar. Oh yeah, bringing that word back, too. I think my biggest problem with the flashbacks was the fact that they were cute Wes and Mac moments that I would have liked to have lived, myself. Why couldn’t we have just seen that firsthand? That’s all, really. Hardly a big deal-just a personal preference that I’ve always been wonky about. So, I really think this series is great for everyone, with fun characters, a new and original plot, and a love interest that will make you smile from ear to ear. But, don’t let me tell ya, pick it up for yourself…enjoy!

Fight back…

…with everything you have…

…to the very end.

BOOK REVIEW: Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) by Pierce Brown

December 8, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) (Red Rising Trilogy #2)
by Pierce Brown
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

They say a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. They made no mention of the heart.

Wow. This author. This author, guys. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been punched in the gut?? Yeah, well, me either-but, I’d like to think that this is what it feels like. It’s like the rug is being ripped out from underneath your feet, but instead of just falling down to your knees, underneath that rug was absolutely nothing, so you’re left flailing and grasping at air and are free-falling through space and time and nothing seems to matter. You feel weightless and your stomach dropped out the minute you were blind-sided, so you don’t know what to do or how to act and there’s zero you can do but embrace the clouds as your crazy descent lengthens and continues…all until the third book is released. In short? Pierce Brown….You are a genius.

Too late, you sons of bitches.
Too bloodydamn late.
I can’t think. I’m screaming inside. Laughing like the flames of a wildfire. Laughing because I know it is my madness that these logical warriors cannot fight.

What kind of wicked, wicked man ends a story like that? Seriously. It has been a long, long, long time since I have been shocked by an ending. More than that, it has been even longersince I was disturbed by an ending. What gets me most, though, is that I knew it was coming.

I bloodydamn knew Darrow and his crew were in for some wicked shit and then it’s just like…BAM. I simply thought I knew, but this??? This madness?? Cruel. Depraved. Heart-breaking. I had no idea the lengths to which this horrible…thing…would go, and I think that’s where this story really hit me upside the head. No matter how much Brown warns, no matter how much Brown foreshadows, no matter how many gruesome, grisly deaths he throws at us, I seem to always be at a loss for words in the end.

Were I still the man Eo knew, I would have stood frozen in horror. But that man is gone. I mourn his passing every day. Forgetting more and more of who I was, what dreams I held, what things I loved. The sadness now is numb. And I carry on despite the shadow it casts over me.

Brown is a master manipulator of story-telling-He twists and winds and twirls words on the page into an enigmatic puzzle that leaves you both breathless and disturbed…but it’s beautiful-if there ever was such a thing. It just…doesn’t seem like it should spring off the page like it does. It’s potent and raw and reeks of havoc and destruction-but it works. And, as sad as it is to say, I think this series is probably the most challenging series I’ve ever read. Let me explain: I don’t read (many) war books. I don’t read historicals (much) and I generally stick to YA. That’s not to say YA isn’t expertly written or without it’s more difficult works, but I like my light reading. The Golden Son is, believe it or not, YA. But much like Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy, this series is advanced. It is barbaric in it’s ways and it holds nothing back. It’s nothing for a best friend to have their neck cracked right beside our main character even as war wages on. So, to say this is advanced, to me, is an understatement. And not only is it the actions of our characters that makes this series stand out, it’s the manner of speak. It’s the words, phrasing, it’s the way they live. I love it, but more than once I found myself squinting at the page or scratching my head trying to figure out just what was going on. Whoops.

“Mother bid me to tell you: a pauper can never be a prince. Every time you look in the mirror, remember what we did to you. Remember you breathe because we let you. Remember your heart will one day be on our table. Rise so high, in mud you lie.”

And Darrow. Oh, how I love this flawed, rash character. I know a lot of people don’t necessarily care for Darrow, but, for me, he has always been such a fun character to follow. In book one, he lost his wife in an act of rebellion and was thrust into the deceptive world of the Golds (he was a lowly Red). He schemed, he fought, he won. But victory doesn’t come without a price. He made enemies. He watched as friends were butchered right in front of his face. He had to eliminate people he didn’t want to kill. But to pursue and embrace his wife’s hope for a better world, he had to make some tough decisions. Now he has infiltrated into a high-ranking Gold’s home and is a part of their society. With the support of his Gold house, he is protected from those who wish him harm. But, there is a heavy price on his head…and those who would soon rather rip out his heart than bear having him rule in any world. What would his wife think of him now?

This is exactly why I build my reputation as a killer, to leverage in situations like these. If they knew my heart, they’d kill my friends one by one. This is a gamble.

Darrow made mistakes. Again. He made even more enemies and was betrayed time and again…but I loved his inner monologue. He is so kind beneath his quest for vengeance. He wants so strongly to be able to trust his friends. To save them. To shelter them. He wants a better world for his Reds, but he has found home with many Golds. I adore his inner struggle and the need to do right by everyone, even when he can’t. Even when his back is against the wall. He declares war, but when it comes down to it, Darrow truly seeks peace. And this is the heart of the novel, to me: His inner struggle to do what is expected of him while fighting for what is right. He has become a monster, he is lost, but Mustang grounds him and she makes him a better man…and I am obsessed with watching it all unfold.

Part of me wishes I would only remember Eo. That my mind belonged to her, so I could be like one of those knights of legend. A man so in love with one lost that he closes his heart to all others. But I am not that legend. In so many ways, I’m still a boy, lost and afraid, seeking warmth and love. When I feel dirt, I honor Eo. And when I see fire, I remember the warmth and flicker of the flames across Mustang’s skin as we lay in our chamber of ice and snow.

Lies and betrayal, death and destruction, war and politics….the violence in this novel was astounding. It was grisly and cringe-worthy (though, hiding in a horse carcass in book one probably made me cringe more than anything in this one did…I still cringed, but…yack.) and not for everyone. When I read book one, I liked to imagine that many of my friends might have been able to expand their horizons and get on board with RR. But with GS, I know this isn’t for all my friends. It’s a distinct type of story that makes you think and ponder and merely hope for something good to happen. And, most of all, the romance is scarce. I personally loved the amount of romance in GS. I loved seeing how much Darrow truly cares for Mustang and how he has matured enough to know that while he loved Eo, she wasn’t perfect and she could be rash. And while he will always love her, always, he can seek love again. It has been three years and he still mourns her loss, but he can’t help falling for Mustang, the Gold who nursed him back to health at the Institute and the girl that stands by his side in the face of war. Two girls on different sides of the same token, he loves fiercely and with all his heart. I loved seeing his vulnerability unfold before my eyes.

Eo said people would always look to me. She believed I had some quality, some essence that gave hope. I rarely feel it in myself. There is none in me now. Just dread. Inside I feel such a boy-angry, petulant,selfish, guilty, sad, alone-and yet they look to me. I almost break underneath their gaze, almost wither away and ask someone else to take the reins. I can’t do it. I’m small. I’m just a liar in a carved body. But that dream must not be extinguished.
So I act and they watch.

I don’t lie. My stars may be fuzzy sometimes because I rate based on my love of the story and how it made me feel, but my reviews aren’t. They are clear and precise about what I like and I’ll spit the truth even if someone disagrees with it. Sticking with that statement, this series fluctuates as I read. It’s crazy!! Pierce Brown plays with my heartstrings up until the very last page and he doesn’t let me catch my breath for more than a tiny chapter or two. But no matter what, he always gets me on the last 40%!! No matter how wordy or political or calculating the beginning may be, the end is something to behold. The action is off the wall crazy. The peril is off the charts amazing. The angst could choke you with just a few words. I am a sucker for a few good fight scenes, and these were spectacular. No matter where the book went the whole time, it always circles back perfectly. All the lies, betrayals, deceptions, and death lead somewhere utterly pulse-pounding and you can see it coming a mile away and STILL be flummoxed. I have grown to love the guts and gore and power plays, and this author hands them to me on a beautiful silver platter. I need not pout because there wasn’t enough of whatever…because those last pages? They’ll take your breath away.

My breath rasps. My heart rattles against my sternum. I drink in my body’s terror and smile. They said this was suicide at the Academy when I wanted to launch myself. Maybe they were right.
But this is why I was made. To dive into hell.

So…obviously I loved it. And I loved it simply for this: Darrow is a good man in a world corrupt by power and deceit. He struggles with the truth throughout the entirety of the novel and wants nothing more than to trust and embrace his friends…will he pay a price for trusting the very people he grew up despising? Or will he pay a bigger price for not confiding in the pit vipers he has chosen to alliance himself with? Crude, brutal, and nothing held back, Pierce Brown knocked it out of the park with this one-crazy lingo and all.

*****************************************************************

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG GUYS. GUYS SERIOUSLY. I never get approved for anything. Ever. Like….ever. PERIOD. And then THIS. I get approved for a book that I had no inkling or hope of ever getting approved for. ME. I got approved for the second RED RISING! ME.

EEEEP!! What is this life?!!!

See-not lying-I LOVED THE FIRST! –

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…

BOOK REVIEW: The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab

December 5, 2014 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Archived (The Archived #1)
by Victoria Schwab
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Knowledge is power, but ignorance can be a blessing.

This book…this book took me by surprise. If not for how much the idea of a place where the dead are cataloged and their memories forever embedded in their very being (I think that’s the best way to describe it), then for how much I loved and adored these abilities.

A death is traumatic. Vivid enough to mark any surface, to burn in like light on photo paper.

Imagine a place where the dead sit behind shelves. Where they aren’t really gone. A place where, if word got out, the masses would storm to get only a glimpse of their loved ones shelf-only to make it out to be a shrine of something it really isn’t. The bodies are preserved. They look just as they did before they died-same clothes, same face-peaceful. But what you see isn’t what you get. Say one of these ‘histories’ wakes up. They break out of their shelves, they are disoriented, scared, unsure. And as they begin to slip….they become unpredictable. They lose their shit. They’re frantic. Their pupils begin to slowly seep into their irises until nothing is there but a black orb…and that person is no longer that loved one you once thought they were. They are a walking, talking, violent shell of soul and they aren’t where they are supposed to be-in their shelf. And that’s where the keepers come in.

We leave memories on objects we love and cherish, things we use and wear down.

Ya know, I got creeped out quite a few times. I make it a habit to stay away from books with people that have black eyes or where there are spirits or ghosts-I’ve learned my lesson and I know my limits. But, as I was reading this beautiful story and I began to realize what I had unintentionally gotten myself into, I couldn’t make myself put it down. It was so expertly written, with a soft finesse that leads you from one scenario to the next. Each scene unraveled in a way that made you so eager to continue that you couldn’t help but to become gluttonous with your limited reading time, couldn’t help but to curse when your time wound down and you had to give way to sleep lest you become a ‘history’ yourself the next day-all tired and disoriented and disgruntled. Ultimately, this author knew how to pull me along on a string and paced this so wonderfully that it never became too much-info, action, or otherwise. It was a mystery through and through, and I had so much fun trying to figure out who was letting histories out of their boxes and who was wreaking havoc in the library. I am not ashamed to say that I went in circles on who I thought the villainous traitor was. Because only a trusted someone could have been the possible culprit for wreaking the havoc that rained down on the archive library….right?

“What happened to the humanitarian approach?”
I shrug. “Sometimes it’s just not enough.”
“You are crazy,” he says. “You are a crazy, amazing girl. And you scare the hell out of me.”

The characters. I loooooooved the characters. Schwab painted such a vivid canvas that I could actually see their facial expressions and guess their next move. Mackenzie was such a great main character to follow. She was strong, fierce, determined to do what was right and just for the archive and those who inhabited it. She started to fall for a boy….but didn’t ever let it get in the way of her judgement (Ha, well maybe a little, in a weird way, you’ll see (maybe, if you ever read it, lol)). And then there’s Wes. I just…I really liked this guy. He was sweet, funny, witty, kind, caring, and, most of all, vulnerable. They’ve been through so much so when they finally meet and start to talk and realize things….it was like finding a mirror of their own soul, in a way. And, while he wasn’t in it an overwhelming amount, he actually made me smile so big. He was just so cute and so sweet to Mac! In a way, and this is very very minuscule, he really really reminded me of Augustus Waters-only in his wit, loyalty, and charm. He had THAT type of thing going on. I dunno. I was immediately drawn to his quirky personality in just the same way as I was with Gus. So…for me…there was that.

“Looks like you’ve lost a couple fights of your own,” I say, running my fingers through the air near his hand, not daring to touch. “How did you get that?”
“A stint as a spy.”
A crooked line runs down the back of his hand. “And that?”
“Scuff with a lion.”
Watching Wesley lie is fascinating.
“And that?”
“Caught a piranha bare-handed.”
No matter how absurd the tale, he says it steady and simple, with the ease of truth. A scratch runs along his forearm. “And that?”
“Knife fight in a Paris alley.”
I search his skin for marks, our bodies drawing closer without touching.
“Dove through a window.”
“Icicle.”
“Wolf.”

(Oh, forgot-keepers can’t actually tell anyone that they are, indeed, keepers-no one knows of the archive. Also, when Kenzie, being a keeper, touches something, if there is a memory attached to it, she can see it. It’s so fascinating and I wanted to get it in my review somewhere. Imagine being able to see history through an inanimate objects’ perspective-a wall, a floor with blood on it, a teddy bear a child held…it could SOLVE MANY MYSTERIES…unless someone erased the memory or altered them…. see the dilemma?)

I may fangirl and obsess and flail about on my reviews when I love a guy or a story, but it’s rare you see me actually, out in the open, smiling as I read. Like, Wes and Kenzie just made me smile. In the midst of pandemonium, they brought something real and palpable to the book that made the words jump off the page for me. They still did their jobs. They still had other things going on. But when they were together, it just completed the story in a circumvent way that touched me deeply.

“Don’t look at me like that with those big brown eyes.”
“They’re not just brown,” he says. “They’re hazel. Can’t you see the flecks of gold?”
“Good God, how much time do you spend looking at yourself in the mirror each day?”
“Not enough, Mac. Not enough.” But the laughter is gone from his voice. “You’re clever, trying to distract me with my own good looks, but it won’t work. What’s going on?”

A side character that I also adored? Roland. He trusted. He sacrificed. He taught. He mentored. And he was her friend and savior. I loved him. He really brought the story to another level. He was so sweet, kind, and giving. And, most of all, he was so funny. If you read this and saw the scenarios she walked in on-him reading Lifestyle magazines in a library full of dead people, feet propped up on the desk, wearing red chucks despite being on duty-I loved him. So, it was very fun to read and learn more about him, as well.

What if echoes through my head as I hunt.
What if haunts me through the Narrows.
What if follows me home.

That’s all. Honestly. If you pick it up, the story speaks for itself. The characters speak for themselves. The way it all unwinds….you get the picture. It’s an impressive novel with intricate layers that you should pull back delicately…but you should pull them back, all the same. It is expertly woven with a funny flair for the dramatic concerning certain characters, and I don’t believe anyone would feel they are wasting their time. I certainly cannot wait to read the second. I only hope it’s as compelling as the first.

BOOK REVIEW: Burn for Burn (Burn for Burn #1) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Synopsis:

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

Synopsis:

I was a little worried Garrett would try to give me a boost again by grabbing my ass. Then a little disappointed when he didn’t. A girl had to get her thrills somehow.

While I normally weighed around 125…ish, for some unexplainable reason, between the hours of partially awake and fully awake, I weighed a solid 470. After a brief, beached whale-like struggle, I gave up. The quart of Chunky Monkey I ate after getting my ass kicked had probably been a bad idea.

“That’s me,” I said with an inane giggle. She didn’t smile back. Not even a little. I totally needed to read that book on how to win friends and influence people. But that would involve an innate desire to win friends and influence people. My desires were a tad more visceral at the moment.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: The Unbound (The Archived #2) by Victoria Schwab

Synopsis:

“Open your eyes,” he warns.

I drag them open and find his face inches from mine. “Why?” I growl. “So I can see the truth?” His smile sharpens. “No,” he says. “So I can watch the life go out of them.” And then he drives the knife forward into my chest.

He’s not real, whispers another voice in my head. You’ve just lost it. Cracked little head, echoes Sako. Broken, whispers Owen. Weak, adds Agatha.

Fight back…

…with everything you have…

…to the very end.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) by Pierce Brown

Synopsis:

They say a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. They made no mention of the heart.

Too late, you sons of bitches. Too bloodydamn late. I can’t think. I’m screaming inside. Laughing like the flames of a wildfire. Laughing because I know it is my madness that these logical warriors cannot fight.

Were I still the man Eo knew, I would have stood frozen in horror. But that man is gone. I mourn his passing every day. Forgetting more and more of who I was, what dreams I held, what things I loved. The sadness now is numb. And I carry on despite the shadow it casts over me.

“Mother bid me to tell you: a pauper can never be a prince. Every time you look in the mirror, remember what we did to you. Remember you breathe because we let you. Remember your heart will one day be on our table. Rise so high, in mud you lie.”

This is exactly why I build my reputation as a killer, to leverage in situations like these. If they knew my heart, they’d kill my friends one by one. This is a gamble.

My breath rasps. My heart rattles against my sternum. I drink in my body’s terror and smile. They said this was suicide at the Academy when I wanted to launch myself. Maybe they were right. But this is why I was made. To dive into hell.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: The Archived (The Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab

Synopsis:

Knowledge is power, but ignorance can be a blessing.

A death is traumatic. Vivid enough to mark any surface, to burn in like light on photo paper.

We leave memories on objects we love and cherish, things we use and wear down.

“What happened to the humanitarian approach?” I shrug. “Sometimes it’s just not enough.” “You are crazy,” he says. “You are a crazy, amazing girl. And you scare the hell out of me.”

What if echoes through my head as I hunt. What if haunts me through the Narrows. What if follows me home.

Share this:

Follow Us

Enter Email to Subscribe to Posts

Recent Reviews

Fun Lists About Books

Recommendations

Jen’s Currently Reading

Archives

Follow Us:

Search:

Archives

Recent Reviews

Fun Lists About Books

Recommendations

While I normally weighed around 125…ish, for some unexplainable reason, between the hours of partially awake and fully awake, I weighed a solid 470.
After a brief, beached whale-like struggle, I gave up. The quart of Chunky Monkey I ate after getting my ass kicked had probably been a bad idea.

“That’s me,” I said with an inane giggle.
She didn’t smile back. Not even a little. I totally needed to read that book on how to win friends and influence people. But that would involve an innate desire to win friends and influence people. My desires were a tad more visceral at the moment.

I drag them open and find his face inches from mine. “Why?” I growl. “So I can see the truth?”
His smile sharpens. “No,” he says. “So I can watch the life go out of them.”
And then he drives the knife forward into my chest.

He’s not real, whispers another voice in my head. You’ve just lost it.
Cracked little head, echoes Sako.
Broken, whispers Owen.
Weak, adds Agatha.

Too late, you sons of bitches.
Too bloodydamn late.
I can’t think. I’m screaming inside. Laughing like the flames of a wildfire. Laughing because I know it is my madness that these logical warriors cannot fight.

My breath rasps. My heart rattles against my sternum. I drink in my body’s terror and smile. They said this was suicide at the Academy when I wanted to launch myself. Maybe they were right.
But this is why I was made. To dive into hell.

“What happened to the humanitarian approach?”
I shrug. “Sometimes it’s just not enough.”
“You are crazy,” he says. “You are a crazy, amazing girl. And you scare the hell out of me.”

What if echoes through my head as I hunt.
What if haunts me through the Narrows.
What if follows me home.