Unteachable by Leah Raeder What a hot and steamy read!
When I first started this book, I didn’t know what to expect. The forbidden love scenario has been so overplayed lately that it’s becoming difficult to decipher one title from the next-but Unteachable had something that made it glow fluorescent among all these other dim works: Passion and raw, gritty writing. There are many times when an author will take a risk and write with an unusual style, thus either making the story stand out or fall flat on it’s face. In Unteachable, it immediately draws your attention on the first page, piquing your curiosity, encouraging you to read more…even if you don’t know how you feel about it. Soon you’re waist deep in the story and so far gone without even realizing it. You don’t know where all the time has gone, but you just don’t care. That’s the mark of a good author.
Maise is a straight shooter. She says what she feels and isn’t ashamed to do so. Brought up in the most unfortunate of circumstances, Maise has always had to fend for herself and was forced to grow up at an early age. Who wouldn’t be cynical when one older man after the other made passes at you after screwing around with drugs and your mother-in no particular order. Life hasn’t been fair, so why should she?
When the opportunity for a real chance at something…special presents itself, Maise panics and runs the other way. Little does she know that she is running from fate, a moment where two people who are irreparably broken find each other in an attempt to face their fears. Funny, they are both running from their fears, but by meeting each other and participating in a secret love affair, they are staring their fears right in the face. They just don’t know it yet.
I loved Evan. Mr. Wilke. Whatever you want to call him. He was so sweet, kind, vulnerable, and caring. He’s not perfect-far from it, but he has embraced his imperfections and molded himself into a beautiful, nerdy man worthy of love. The entire book he treats Maise with nothing but respect, and I loved him for it. Everything he said was worth highlighting. Even his naughty whispered nothings in her ear lol.
I think what I enjoyed most about this book was the deep meaning hidden throughout. Sure, there was grit rubbed into each and every page, but between the grime, there was almost always something beautiful hidden between the lines. I stopped to think on this last quote, because I feel that way every day-what if I hadn’t done this? Would I even be here right now? What would I be doing? So, to say I enjoyed the dialogue would be an understatement.
Without further ado, I will explain my rating. I couldn’t plausibly give this book a 5, because in reality, while I enjoyed this story immensely, I did get a little depressed for a good portion in the middle. I felt heavy from the outside circumstances suffocating Maise and Evan’s little world, and I felt like I wanted to run to the fridge and grab a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough and stuff my feelings into a hole until the ache went away. There was a lot of good in the story: like Evan’s sweetness, Maise’s brutality in this harsh world, Wesley in general-he was a friend that Maise needed desperately. There was also a lot of bad: her mother, the betrayal that was sure to come from someone, the heaviness of a hidden love affair…secrets can swallow you whole. But none of the dreariness in this story should deter someone from reading it-it’s the negativity in the story that pushes for something beautiful to unfold, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with rising from the ashes.
So, overall, such a fun, unexpected read. I would recommend it to everyone around me. Suit up for rude and crude-but the absolute best kind.
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)*2.5 I’m being generous because the writing was decent stars*
Okay. 2.5 stars. I know-harsh. That is such a harsh rating from someone who tries to see the good in literally every story and rates most books 4 stars. But, ultimately, there are multiple reasons why I couldn’t give this book more than 2.5 stars.
I have seen this book off and on for years at bookstores, always catching my eye and urging me to take a closer look. I have a process when it comes to this book- A) pick it up B) read the blurb on the back C) Put it back down while sighing and dubbing it ‘meh’. Now, why this book hadn’t piqued my full interest before now is beyond me-it clearly has a strong following and people tend to love it. Hell. I think I would have loved it had I read it 6 months ago. But something has happened in this last six months that has changed me as a reader. I have found some truly astonishing, truly gripping novels that have tattooed my soul and haven’t let me think clearly for months. Sure, I’ve read some great books in that time. However, after reading these excellent novels, I know what a true 5 star read really is, and it has altered my mind indefinitely on the rating system I used to know as simple. It is so much more difficult now.
So onto why I rated this book thusly. Probably the ultimate reason I could not immerse myself into this story, is the characters. I have read many, many dramatized YA stories with characters that you want to strangle, yes. But, Rose….Rose was…a special case. At one point I wanted to stab her. She is a prime example of the character development in VA. She was vapid, shallow-a character that merely scraped the surface of her being. How many times can one character alone ask a guy if he ‘wants to see her naked’ or explain how ‘hot’ they are? I had a very hard time connecting to her as a person. Many of the characters had interesting lives they led, but how would we know? The author, who
can
write beautifully, didn’t let us in, fully. Instead of playing out a whole scene or letting us get deep into the character’s persona, we got the ‘explain all’ method. I would be excited for a scene to transpire, and then halfway through, she would end it with “and then we drove home. Hours later we…” and so on. I am not a fan of this writing style. I like to see scenes played out to their full potential-not shortened and summarized. She wrote as if we, the readers, knew what was going on-telling us instead of showing us. Again, this is not a knock on the author-she wrote flawlessly. She just didn’t execute scenarios as I would have thought they were meant to be.
I feel as though I was disconnected from the story the entire time, because half a day would go by in a single page. I am the type of person who, if I feel I am not being told everything, starts to lose interest or care less about the characterization in question. At certain points I was so disconnected I felt like I wasn’t even reading, I would start to fade out and think of other things without even realizing it-like what I wanted to eat kind of things. Which is no stretch-I LOVE to eat. I just don’t want to think about that whilst in the middle of a supposedly important scene. Half of the story was lost because I would find myself skimming to get through a part that dragged onward with no ending in sight. I would peruse along looking for key phrases to ‘trigger’ my interest, and I STILL felt like I got the whole story that everyone else read-just by skimming.
Keep in mind that it was never my intention to make this sound so negative. My friends I BR with were intrigued enough to continue on and still encourage me to do so. And I will. I trust that I can get into the next installments-I just won’t put other awesome books on the backburner to continue. I gave this book a 2.5/3 solid star rating because…I rate books with horrid writing at 2, and I can’t with good conscience rate this a 2 solid star. Like I’ve said, my opinions towards books/book ratings have changed dramatically, and I wish that was different. But it can’t be. A climactic scene that doesn’t get my heart racing or make me beg for more? Not a good sign, seeing as how that’s my favorite part of a book. So I will continue this series someday, maybe sooner than I think, but it is not a favorite of mine and I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed. For those of you reading this review, my advice would be to READ IT. GIVE IT A CHANCE. Just because the character development didn’t do it for me, doesn’t mean you all won’t love it. I love books, and I am one to encourage others to give books a chance, and this is no exception-it just wasn’t for me. 🙂
Champion (Legend #3)*5 Emotionally Charged Stars*
Wow. Just wow. I must admit I was skeptical about this final installment. I had enjoyed the first two books and had planned on continuing the series after that bomb that Lu dropped on us at the end of book two, but as days and months passed, I grew less and less interested. There are so many new releases in the month of November that I had on my list to read, so the idea of putting other books on hold to finish this series started to sound less appealing than I had earlier imagined. But as November fifth came and went, I decided to pick up Champion and give this series one last chance to blow my mind….and boy was I impressed.
I don’t even know where to begin. Every character has had such an impact on the story, and yet they are all equally marked for death. Every single second is a ticking clock for Day, and June is none the wiser. Having gone their seperate ways at the end of book two, among other things, June is finishing her training and Day is leading people in a totally different area than she, until one day when fate brings them back together because of a virus outbreak that the Republic can’t control…and Day holds the missing piece.
One aspect of these stories I have never touched on is the alternating POVs. A method Lu has implemented since book one, we have grown accustom to the necessary switch that has always let us know what’s going on for each extreme-the poor sectors and the rebellious side that Day leads, and the Republic government and military side where June has always resided. What I loved most about the alternating POVs, aside from what I mentioned above, is the seamless way that Lu transitioned from character to character, building up the suspense with each switch of views. Every new chapter had a purpose, a reason we were in one or the other’s head, making for the most emotionally advantageous scenario. It wasn’t always a dramatic switch, but that made it all the more alarming when something shock-worthy happened and the chapter faded out to the other character, leaving us hanging and wondering what happened.
Over the course of this series, I have had difficulty 100% connecting with June and even sometimes Day, but in Champion, June became one of the coolest, most memorable female leads I have come across in a while. Such a strong, remarkable, and significant character, June fights for her country and grapples with what is right and wrong and ultimately what she would do in each person’s situation. I loved her strong personality and inspiring method of deducing every scene, proving to be intelligent beyond her years and able to put her feelings into perspective…and when faced with a difficult decision, will she be able to make the right choice, even at the cost of her own happiness?
And then there is Day-fierce, the people’s champion. Compassionate, loyal, caring, and humble, but most of all, he will fight until the bitter end for the people he loves. Once coined the name ‘Day’ because he walks in the sun and is grateful for each new day that he lives, I think that nickname is perfect for this final installment where every battle might mean that it is his final day, both on the battlefield and with his own personal medical issues.
A beautiful ending that both stumped me and took my breath away, I found myself crying happy, sad, and hopeful tears that left me speechless for this stunning conclusion-an ending that was in the stars and completely unexpected. While I walked into this story with no hope of a happy ending whatsoever, I am thrilled to say that it was always supposed to end this way and I couldn’t be happier. I finally fell in love with Day AND June, and finally felt invested in the fight for their lives in a world where none of them were safe. I can’t say I loved every single book in this trilogy, but I loved Champion, and this will be the book I look back on and remember in the future with fond memories.
Sins and Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1)How can you possibly write a coherent review when you’re speechless? Sure, I’ve read most of Karina Hall’s EIT series, and I love it so much. But there is always a little feeling I get in the back of my mind when I start a new series by an author I love for a totally different series: Doubt. Skepticism. It’s a number of things. I’ve realized something, though-Karina Halle? This badass writer cannot create a hero I don’t love. Seriously. Even the oh-so-flawed Declan of the EIT series is unforgettable. But THIS. THIS new hunk of a man? He’s a whole other beast, and I Can. Not. Stop. Thinking. About. Him.
Yes Camden, yes I do love men in glasses. The saddest part of the whole story is, Ellie may have been a real BITCH in high school, but it’s clear from the minute she runs into him again, he is at least still highly attracted to her, and when he looks at her, it’s as if he’s seeing into her soul. I better veer off from this topic for a minute, lest I start to fangirl. Can’t have that can we?
Ellie is a special character, because she grew up in less than desirable circumstances. The daughter of two con artists and labeled a loser at school, Ellie felt like as much of an outsider as a person possibly can. But she had Cam: Albeit a super odd, gothy, lipstick wearing Cam, but still Cam. The guy who would do anything for her, even after she broke his heart-In front of the WHOLE SCHOOL.
A child can only be expected to follow in their parents’ footsteps…but when does what she’s doing start feeling wrong? That’s why Ellie is a gray area character for me. She doesn’t know any better, but doesn’t she really? She feels remorse, and she hates being on the run. So why not try and make an honest living? Her final scam was going to be Camden, but when things go wrong, we fall into an action packed adventure where identities can’t be the same and you can never go back.
Peril, deception, lies, insurmountable love, and action throughout, I couldn’t find a moment where I felt good about putting this book down for a break. I never knew what was going to happen or where the story was going to go, and it was such an interesting read. Not everything in this story is as it appears, and you learn that sooner rather than later.
I loved this story so much. Each character had something that made them so fun to learn about, which made the experience so much more exciting. For anyone who has read anything else by her, I can say that you will most likely love this book just as much. The characters are extremely likeable and you can’t help but fall in love with the beautiful, flawed, sinfully evil, devoted Camden. And if you haven’t read anything else by her, I have to encourage you to give this one a try. It’s fun, fast-paced, and easy to get lost in. You would definitely be missing something special if you passed this one up. So go give it a try-immediately. You won’t regret it.
| Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #) |
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 Sins & Needles #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea |  Shooting Scars #2 Reviews: Jen Chelsea |  Bold Tricks #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea |
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Chelsea |
Arielle |
Cassie |
| Jen |
Chelsea |
| Arielle |
Cassie |
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