Tag: Young Adult (Page 89 of 159)

BOOK REVIEW – The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

February 24, 2016 / Anna

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

♥ BR with the astounding Chelsea and Jen ♥

“This place is haunted by ghosts, and I am one of them.”

Told in a beautiful and evocative writing enhanced with sparks of humor, The Forbidden Wish surprised me in the best way possible : indeed albeit being quite romance-focused, it manages to avoid the tropes I hate the most in Fantasy/PNR YA :

☑ There’s neither instalove nor love triangle.(*)
☑ The female lead is always sympathetic toward other women and there’s no such thing as girl hate.
☑ Aladdin’s not perfect by any means (more about him later), but one thing is certain : he’s not a controlling, abusing jerk, and if anything his flaws made him endearing to me.

“Wishes have a way of twisting themselves, and there is nothing more dangerous than getting your heart’s desire. The question is, are you willing to gamble? How much are you willing to lose? What are you willing to risk everything for?”

Enchanting, The Forbidden Wish is not an action packed novel, but not a boring one either. As a retelling of Aladdin’s story, we find layers of the original but that does not mean that Jessica Khoury didn’t add her stamp, because she most definitely did. While original events are seen in a complete different way View Spoiler », the twists make the story even more engaging and captivating (and women friendly). If the plot isn’t the most complex I ever read (hardly), I was hooked from the beginning and I enjoyed my read immensely.

Moreover, contrary to what we find in many retellings, the author made her jinni female and let me tell you : it was FANTASTIC. Oh, and funny :

“You’re a- you’re a-
Say it, boy. Demon of fire. Monster of smoke. Devil of sand and ash. Servant of Nardukha, Daughter of Ambadya, the Nameless, the Faceless, the Limitless. Slave of the Lamp. Jinni.
“… a girl! he finishes.
For a second, I can only blink at him, but I recover quickly.”

Ha, Zahra. I loved her. Witty and self-sufficient, she never comes as pretentious and yet, she knows her worth – She’s a jinni, thank you very much, and she actually sounds like one, which is so rare! Brought to life by Aladdin after a looooong traversée du désert (pun intended), she’s ready to grant his wishes but doesn’t forget her own agenda (her freedom, no less!).

However, despite her hidden goal, Zahra has been eaten by guilt for so long that she has doubts, and who wouldn’t? Trust me, this is NOT a case of “his abs convinced me to die for him, because YUM, can I lick them?”. Nope. Her struggles and hesitations are well-founded, and not driven by Aladdin alone. See, I realize more and more that strong heroines, if they never fail, never doubt, never waver, annoy me as much as their manly counterparts. I want strong heroines in my books, but I want them complex and realistic. What’s strength, really? Is it never hesitating? I don’t think so, and honestly, I sure hope not. I could relate to Zahra, and she never annoyed me – she’s not a heartless cyborg, and I liked her all the more for it.

As for Aladdin… I may be biased, but his character made me smile so much that I couldn’t hold his flaws against him. Yes, he is reckless, charming, flirty, but so endearing, loyal, and more than a little adorable. His past haunts him, and there’s a need for revenge starving deep within him. Their personalities, so different as they are, make for the funniest interactions and I absolutely loved how their dynamics played throughout the book.

“What did Caspida want?”
“To talk about elephants and dead queens.”
“What? Really?”
“Oh, stop frowning. She asked about you too – what you’re like, what kind of person you are. Don’t worry.” I pat his hand conspiratorially and smile. “I lied.”

As I said earlier, although the romance owns an important part of the show, it never bothered me (on the contrary) because what we see isn’t a stupid and very tropey instalove but the slow and believable growth of a friendship which perhaps, perhaps, will morph into something more. And trust me, I rooted for them something fierce. So, yeah, I fought the urge to roll my eyes at some cheesy similes, but I never stopped smiling – it does change something!

“We’re in together, aren’t we, Smoky?” He gives me a crooked, bemused smile.
“But… you’re the Lampholder. Whatever you say goes. I don’t have a choice.”
He laughs, and I frown at him in surprise. “You think it’s funny?” I ask.
“No! Sorry. I should probably say how awful it is you have to go wherever I want, but… When I look at you, I see a jinni who’s not afraid to disagree with me. If I make a wish, you could use it to crush me. You’ve done it before, haven’t you? Ruined your masters with their own wishes?”
I lift a shoulder in begrudging agreement.”

Last but not least, Jessica Khoury offers significant roles for other women. Now, this is so fucking rare : not only Zahra never shows any hateful spite against other women, but they play important roles in the story (and roles that aren’t defined by their relationships with men).

That ending, though? I have to admit that it did feel a little rushed and that I wish some parts had played out differently View Spoiler » but it was satisfying nonetheless.

(*) I am sure that some readers will state that there is a love triangle, but for me there’s really not. How many characters love each others? Two. No love triangle in my book.View Spoiler »

BOOK REVIEW – Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman

February 23, 2016 / Anna

Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Joss is a rebel, and a student of time travel at the prestigious Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. This year, for the first time, the Centre has an alien student: Mavkel, from the planet Choria. And Mavkel has chosen Joss, of all people, as his roommate and study partner. Then Mavkel gets sick. Joss quickly realizes that his will to live is draining away. The only way she can help Mavkel is by breaking the Centre’s strictest rules—and that means going back in time to change history.

► Aren’t you tired of YA scifi novels that breed gorgeous aliens as if their intergalactic lives depended on it?

“You,” she said, “are literally the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.” – The Alienated disaster

► Aren’t you tired of watching every one of these MCs morphing the book into some love-triangle-ish Human vs Alien ~~macho pissing contest~~ KissWar before your depressed eyes?

► Aren’t you tired of reading nonsensical and cheesy dialogues when you only asked for some novelty?

Then Singing the Dogstar Blues is the book you’re seeking out : well-written, no love-triangle, no whining about boys (or girls, for that matter), no instalove, but friendship and mystery blended in an intriguing concept.

However, this is not an action-packed novel. I warn you, some parts, if not boring, are pretty dull : indeed Singing the Dogstar Blues suffers from an uneven pacing (or, I have a short attention span, because all the reviews I read state how fast-paced it is – color me perplexed at myself). Yet again, I still really much enjoyed following Joss and Mav’s adventures.

Set in a futurist world where aliens – the Chorians – and humans are building an alliance, the Centre, a special school that teaches time-travel, finds itself under the spotlights when Mavkel becomes the first Chorian to attend it and is paired with Joss, a rebellious teenager who’s been trying to avoid being fired – again. All is good in the world? Ugh, no. Try secrets, rivalries and assassins lurking instead. Welcome to the Centre.

Throughout the novel, I grew attached to these characters : first Joss, an independent and strong-minded female-lead who managed to keep my annoyance away (WOOT!) and then Mav, who’s perhaps the cutest alien I ever read about… Never mind the flappy ears, the two mouths and four noses. He’s not cut out for Most Gorgeous Alien of the Year, and that’s what made him so incredibly appealing to me. Lonely after the death of his pair – when you’re used to share a mind with someone, I suppose that being alone covers an entire different feeling – he aims to be paired with Joss, who is, understandably, very much reluctant to fulfill his goals. Their growing friendship (yes, you read correctly, friendship it is) was very interesting to follow and I couldn’t get enough of them (100 more pages would have been perfect, in my opinion).

As for the sci-fi elements, I must say that I was confused in the beginning by the made-up words, but nothing insurmountable as I was hooked right away. The world building was intriguing and not too complex to grasp (this is the no-hard-scifi reader talking), yet there were several occurrences when I seriously wondered what the fuck they were talking about. This said, it didn’t make the plot confusing, because it was usually only a matter of knowing what object they were mentioning. I, for one, can live with that.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I would have loved for the story to be more developed. Although the premise was great and promising, the novel didn’t quite meet my expectations and the execution failed to take best advantage of it. Take the time-travel, for instance : it is barely explained. See, I am not the kind of reader who needs everything to be scientifically accurate or plausible (because come on, scifi novels ain’t textbooks), but I appreciate when the author makes some kind of effort to explain how the technology used works. If the way everything is showed rather than told is more than welcome (trust me, I cannot finish a scifi book relying on info-dumping), I still feel as if something was missing.

My biggest issue, though? All the “big” reveals were painfully obvious and I saw them coming miles away, resulting in a rather anticlimactic and rushed ending that left me a little disappointed.

► All in all, is it worth reading? Honestly, YA novels which don’t rely on romance are so fucking rare that for this reason alone, I’d say yes. Not to mention that Singing the Dogstar Blues may not be perfect, but it stays thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing.

BOOK REVIEW: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

February 18, 2016 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)
by Victoria Aveyard
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

When I remember all I’ve done, and what has been done to me. The ice sits where my heart should be, threatening to split me open. My arms curl around my chest, trying to stop the pain. It works a little, letting warmth back into me. But where the ice melts, it leaves only emptiness. An abyss. And I don’t know how to fill it back up.

There are certain series that just ooze greatness and emit an allure that makes them almost impossible to hate. Well, I’m here to assure you…this series isn’t it. I know, right?? How big of an ass am I?? I said the same thing for book one, yet gave it a 4.5. Now, here I am again giving this a 5-a perfect score-and bashing it right out of the gate. Let me make it simple for you: I am a very easy person to please. No, scratch that, I’ve become picky as shit. But in doing so, I’ve narrowed down what works for me-All the way down to the writing, the female lead, the genre, the cheesiness, and, of course, the boys. Most books are one way or another-Good or bad. Epic or lame. Beautiful or meh. Yeah, well….this one is all those things. It’s both good and bad. It is absolutely fucking epic…but has some lame things I wish I could burn away with Cal’s fire (eh, eh????). And while it has some beautifully heart-wrenching, soul-crushing, and butterfly inducing moments….there are many, many moments where I want to stab the main character.

When Cal’s warmth wraps around me, his arms around my shoulders, his head tucked against my neck, I lean into him. I let him protect me, though we swore we wouldn’t do this back in the cells of Tuck. We are nothing more than distractions for each other, and distractions get you killed. But my hands close over his, our fingers lacing, until our bones are woven together. The fire is dying, flames reduced to embers. But Cal is still here. He will never leave me.

THERE!! I FUCKING SAID IT. I have a large issue with the main character, OKAYYYY??? Sue me-I might only have ONE large flaw with this series, and that, my friends, is the lightening girl….aka, a pompous little piece of shit. Okay, hear me out before you get all judgey- I have NEVER hated this girl. Hell, I don’t even hate her now!! But in book one…I was a tad skeptical of her. I mean, I liked her, she was cool and all. But, I saw signs in her that made me wonder what was to come. Like, oh, I don’t know, trusting that conniving little monster who almost-he certainly attempted (something I will NEVER forgive him for, please note)-killed his own brother. Sick bastard. Just…okay, I digress. In this book, she didn’t even start off in middle territory-from page one on, she was a self-righteous little bitch.

Even the faces that haunt me, the faces of the dead, have disappeared. Funny, now that I’m dying, my ghosts decide to leave.
I wish they would come back .
I wish I didn’t have to die alone.
-And no, she doesn’t really die. Chill.

Yeah, sorry not sorry. ANYWAY, I’ll get back to her later-I’d like to actually start off on a nicer note (First I’m sour, then I’m sweet!! Hehe). I was one of the few who found book one to be almost flawless. It had it’s problems, it really, truly did, but I never have been one to rate based on hard facts and originality-If an author can take something that has been done before and make me a die hard fan, then I don’t see the problem. In fact, I ended that book and was so happy…but was like okay, moving on. But as the release for this novel got closer and closer and the ARCs were being given out and I saw that fucking gorgeous cover…I may have began to, oh, I don’t know, long for it’s impending release?? This absolutely shocked me, if I’m being honest. Yeah, I enjoyed it. So, what? I enjoyed a ton of books in 2015. But what made this one so special, ya know??

If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.

So, ANYWAY, seriously, I have GOT to get on track, February got closer and closer…and I got more and more excited. There are about 5 releases this month, most of them ends of series that are absolute favorites that I adore, and I didn’t really have this one ranked-in fact, it was maybe even last on my list. And then…and then. I began thinking about Cal. I began reminiscing and reliving all the best moments where I fell head over heels for him and all his loyalty. I began to mention him to friends. I began to talk…and talk…and talk…and obsess about how he’d do literally anything for Mare, even put himself in the most danger possible, just to keep her safe, even after everything….. and all of a sudden it became my most anticipated release. Any book that can do that to me, even after I had it pegged differently in my mind…is a winner in my eyes.

I fear being alone more than anything else. So why do I do this? Why do I push away the people I love? What is so very wrong with me?
I don’t know.
And I don’t know how to make it stop.

So, again, what’s so special about this book besides my main man, Cal?? Well, aside from him, because he really is my biggest obsession with this series, there is actually a lot that attracts me to these books. For one, there is always action. Two, they are always running for their lives. Three, the battles are actually super hardcore and the author doesn’t shy away from terrible things happening, even torture, even to main characters. And, ya know, I just can’t not be attracted to that stupid love triangle that plays with my very soul even after I’ve long since fallen asleep. And probably my favorite thing of all, besides Cal (Didn’t we COVER this??), is the absolute unabashed way the author writes cliffhangers at the end of these books.

But then, my life has changed more in the last two months than ever before. And only two people were with me through it. The first is imprisoned and the second wears a crown of blood.

Do you guys even understand how hard it is for cliffhangers to make me cackle in glee?? I remember the good old days (‘Wish we could turn back time, to the good old daaa-aaaaaays’) when every little cliffhanger shocked and excited me. Now, when I see people say, THAT ENDING THOUGH, I roll my eyes and say, yeah, okay. Well…thus are the perils of being a peril whore-Eventually, you run out of shocking and mind-blowing moments of ultimate destruction, devastation, and general mayhem. And hey, they don’t always have to be huge explosions or screaming declarations of last minute pleas to the ones our characters never admitted they loved. Sometimes subtlety is much more satisfying, consuming…and bone chilling.

The girl I see is both familiar and foreign, Mare, Mareena, the lightening girl, the Red Queen, and no one at all. She does not look afraid. She looks carved of stone, with severe features, hair braided tight to her head, and a tangle of scars on her neck. She is not seventeen, but ageless, Silver but not, Red but not, human-but not. A banner of View Spoiler »the Red Guard « Hide Spoiler, a face on a wanted poster, a prince’s downfall, a thief…a killer. A doll who can take any from but her own.

I’d love to say this subtle little dagger to the heart is only because of something between Cal and Mare, oh boy oh boy wouldn’t I….but I can’t say. Well, Chelsea, why even bring it up, then?? I’ll tell you why: This ending was so good, so subtlety satisfying and all consuming (hahahah see, just like I said above), that I would be angry at myself if I didn’t bring it up. I can’t even begin to explain how perfect it was. It was so damn good that it didn’t have to go out with a bang…a whimper sufficed. And my whole point in all this??? Not since my Golden Son ARC in December 2014 has there been a cliffhanger that effected me at all…until now. Glass Sword’s ending made me so happy that I can’t even recognize myself….I’m an annoying old turd.

But like my brother, I too have a crutch. Mine is not metal. It is flesh and fire and bronze eyes. If only I could cast him away. If only I was strong enough to let the prince go and do what he would with his vengeance. To die or live as he saw fit. But I need him. And I can’t find the strength to let him go.

*Sly look* And would you like to know whyyyyyy I am being so colorfully annoying? I can tellllll you in one. Simple. Word. It starts with C…and ends with al. What does that spell? CAL CAL CAL CAL CAL CAL CALLLLLLL!!! That’s right, my lovelies. Hundreds and hundreds of pages of Cal moments, looks, and caresses. Protectiveness, loyalty, and longing for the lightening girl he used to know are abundant and seeped onto every single page, and I couldn’t be happier. This guy, this beautiful beautiful boy that stole my heart last summer was the same as he always was…er….or not-He was even better.

What began as Cal’s breakdown has become mine. One dark night I spilled my secrets to him, on a road thick with summer heat. I was the girl who tried to steal his money then. Now, winter looms, and I’m the girl who stole his life.

DARK. TORTURED. LONELY. HELL BENT ON VENGEANCE. And most of all…broken and sad. My poor boy went through hell in the last story. He never had his mother-she was murdered long ago, but he lost two of the most important people in his life in the blink of an eye-His father and his brother.

My fingers find his lips, stopping him from saying the words. They cause him so much pain. In that instant, I glimpse a man with no drive but vengeance, and no heart but the one I broke for him. Another monster, waiting to take true form.

One to death, the other to an evil hidden under the perfect disguise. And where did it all start??? It started the moment he met Mare and invited her into the castle. I mean…I can’t even. Why does this little tidbit excite me so?? She, the girl he (loves??) has fallen for, is the reason for his misery. And yet, this whole story, we see how much he is willing to do for her, how he is still willing to risk it all, willing to stand beside her….even as she begins (*Scoffs* When wasn’t she?) to turn into a monster right before his eyes. It kills him to see her this way, to see her falling apart and ripping at the seams in the face of danger and losing more and more friends and family. My soldier, my beautiful broken boy….he’s falling apart. But he never stops relying on his military skills, intelligence, and heart to keep him afloat, even as the darkness begins creeping in at the edges. Oh….and his loyalty….did I mention it never falters??

And we share an alliance-an uneasy one forged in blood and betrayal. We are connected, we are united-against Maven, against all who deceived us, against the world about to tear itself apart.

Even with all this beautiful win, that’s not to say I didn’t get annoyed. Mare’s constant back and forth and longing for the old Maven (WAH, cry me a fucking river) and her smacking Cal, my dear soldier, repeatedly in the face was enough to make anybody crazy. I grew tired of her constant use of lightening girl to refer to herself, her misplaced sense of self-worth, and, like I said, how she treated Cal. She thought she was the most important thing on the planet, and eventually that began to grate. Even with all of this being said and my constant repeat of the word ‘even’ and ‘constant’ (did you notice how many times I used these??), I do still like her. I don’t believe for a second that three boys would be into her, the nasty little skank, but I don’t hate her-Far from it. She has her issues…but she is the reason this story exists-and her and Cal together? They please me…they make me very, very happy. I can deal with some idiosyncrasies (like self-importance and NOT ADMITTING TO CAL THAT SHE HAS ALWAYS LOVED HIM) if she learns from her mistakes and grows as a person…and that ending…the one right before the end end?? Ahhh. I might die happy.

But still, somehow, I feel a pull to him. I remember the burdened boy who gave me a silver coin when I was nothing. With that one gesture he changed my future, and destroyed his own.

So, you know, there is so much more I could ramble on about (I bet I helped so much with your decision to read the book, yeah?? ALL DEM FACTS!), but I grow tired now that the fangirl has been extracted from every one of my pores. It’s clear I fell hard for this story, and it’s clear as to why. I even wanted to throw in that Kilorn, a character I wanted to kill in the last book (haha), became someone I really liked. Filled with angst and broken hearts and action-packed sequences, there is much more to love in this book than even the first. I did really love the first, and it might even be my favorite, even if my ratings don’t reflect it, but there was just something special about this book that took my breath away. I don’t know. I’m a sucker for a forbidden and tortured romance…but what does everyone else think??? I need to hear what people are thinking! I NEED TO GUSH! Argh!

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

The door swings inward as the first soldier rounds the corner, but my thoughts are only of Cal.
It seems princes make be blind.

Me too, bitch. Me too.

CAL!!!!!! I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU!!!! AGH! EPIC EPIC EPIC. Can I keep him??? Please???

RTC.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown

February 17, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Morning Star (Red Rising Trilogy #3)
by Pierce Brown
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society's mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied - and too glorious to surrender.

So let him do his worst.

I know how to suffer.
I know the darkness.
This is not how it ends.

You know those books where, even though you know it will be cemented into your favorites list until the end of time (the whole series, for that matter), words just don’t describe how you feel?? Like, no matter what you say, everything will seem like useless drivel that couldn’t possibly compare to what you felt while reading that novel?? Well…this is one of those books-One of those books where you have intense emotions throughout; One of those books where you don’t know what to think or say or do the entire time; One of those books where you put it down at the end and go…Holy fucking shit. Well, that was me. I finished. I put the book down. I crossed my hands. I sat there. And I thought….what did I just read?? And I just now have a word that might just capture the essence of this series without selling it short. I may be off, I may be wrong…but this book?? It was magnificent.

And I wonder, in my last moments, if the planet does not mind that we wound her surface or pillage her bounty, because she knows we silly warm things are not even a breath in her cosmic life. We have grown and spread, and will rage and die. And when all that remains of us is our steel monuments and plastic idols, her winds will whisper, her sands will shift, and she will spin on and on, forgetting about the bold, hairless apes who thought they deserved immortality.

There wasn’t one moment throughout the entirety of this story where I felt like I could comfortably put it down and be able to breathe. How does an author do that? How can they make a story so intense, so compelling, so bloodydamn addicting, that you feel like you can’t breathe without it? I’m telling you, guys, and you can ask any one of my best friends on here-I read this book through thick and thin, night and day, at the cost of sleep, and with a perpetual migraine that I STILL don’t think has disappeared. This book, this series, this author…are absolutely unforgettable.

“You and I keep looking for light in the darkness, expecting it to appear. But it already has.” I touch his shoulder. “We’re it, boyo. Broken and cracked and stupid as we are, we’re the light, and we’re spreading.”

I laughed. I cried. I gasped. I cried again. I lost any sense of a coherent thought. I became a walking, talking, barely breathing zombie (wait, do zombies breathe?? How the hell does that work??). Very few series keep my attention from beginning to end. Very few series are good enough for me to say, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing’. But this is probably one of the first and only series where I said just that-I didn’t like it sometimes, and my heart was torn to shreds time and again…but I wouldn’t. I really wouldn’t. I can’t imagine a single thing being different.

Fear is not real.
If you’re watching, Eo, it’s time to close your eyes.
The reaper has come. And he’s brought hell with him.

Pierce Brown isn’t a stranger to killing off your favorite characters. You know in your heart of hearts that if you get attached to yet another person, it’s just another gamble that your heart might find itself broken. Yet, with each new installment, each new page, each new paragraph, you find another person to love, another person to admire, another person to respect, and another person you can’t imagine this story being without. And you know, as I stated above, that you have no way of knowing what will happen in the end. You have no fucking clue, to be honest. But, as you weigh out your level of awe and love and undying obsession of the series, you realize something that makes you want to punch yourself in the face: You damn well don’t care and you are willing to risk it all, going along for the ride and hoping for the best even though you know not everyone will make it out alive.

What an inevitable waste it seems. Death begets death begets death.

And death?? What is death, really, when you’ve been betraying your friends, posing as the color they despise? What is death, honestly, when it would almost be better than the knives repeatedly rammed into your back? What is death….when you can’t even trust your best and kindest friends? Darrow has made a list of enemies so long that I can’t even begin to name them (Even if it wouldn’t cause an uproar because of spoilers). Everyone wants a piece of the Reaper; everyone wants his head on a stake. But this series is one that I can honestly say, and this doesn’t happen often, I never could predict. I didn’t know who to trust, who would stand by Darrow’s side in the end, and who would redeem themselves-if anyone. I longed for broken friendships and love lost. I longed for happiness among a group of friends that never had a chance. I longed for Darrow to finally find his peace…even if it meant losing his life.

If this is the end, I will rage toward it.

Darrow’s journey was one forged from the bowels of hell, beginning as a lowly Red helldiver who wished only to love his wife, Eo, and stay on his knees so they could live their lives to the fullest with children and a family surrounding them. But, even then, before the spark of revolution and war, Eo pushed for Darrow to live for more, to break the chains, to make a difference in a world forged by hatred and color superiority. It cost her life, and it broke Darrow beyond repair….or so we (or I) thought.

“A man thinks he can fly, but he is afraid to jump. A poor friend pushes him from behind.” He looks up at me. “A good friend jumps with.”

Darrow’s mind became something absolutely wonderful to behold in this installment. I have always loved Darrow, I made no secret about that, even when people labeled him things I never agreed with. But I really feel that he became someone that every person could love. He was strong-minded, but pig-headed. He used his strength, but didn’t force. He thought with his mind and not only his heart. He developed a sense of empathy he once thought extinguished, wistful in ways he dare not utter to another soul. He loved his Gold friends-almost all of them-and the loss of some of them over the years has killed him inside-he is hurt. He is wounded. And he can finally see-He knows what must be done to lead his Howler’s to victory and a better world…but it pains him to know the lengths he must go to.

Obsidian will seek me, led by masters who promised them Pinks in exchange for my head. They will hunt my friends. They will say Sevro’s name, and Mustang’s, and Ragnar’s View Spoiler » They will hunt the Telemanuses and Victra, Orion, and my Howlers. But they cannot have them.
Today I take.

He knows, more than anyone, the lives that will be lost, the enemies-once old friends-he will have to eliminate. And before, when he was only the Reaper hell bent on vengeance, he only saw rage and justice and what had been done to him before. He didn’t use his wisdom or experience-he wished only to force his hand and to win by brute strength. He has grown, and he wants to do things as honorably as one possibly can during war. And, most shockingly of all, he finally saw Eo in a whole new light.

Death begets death begets death…

He will never forget the girl who began everything, the girl who’s death was a symbol for life and voice, but he now sees her for what she was: a foolish girl who couldn’t possibly know what was to come. And it shocked me. She no longer was the perfect martyr who could do no wrong in his eyes. She was no longer the only reason for breathing, for fighting and gaining something more. He knows he loved her, but he knows they were young and knew nothing of the world…and it’s something he touches on quite a bit. I don’t know why I loved this aspect so much-you know me, true love conquers all and all that shit, but maybe this is something I grasp more than I ever wanted to. I’ve grown as well-And no it’s not the same, PUH-LEASE. But….I feel that this was a strong bout of character growth. No matter how insignificant to others, it touched me deeply. It was sad, and it was raw, and it was real. I was a child, too, in high school. I loved my boyfriend to a point it was almost sickening….and I would tell you, even a year ago, that I still felt I was in the right in feeling all the bad and good and weird things I felt back then. And now, ten years later (yes, it’s been that long, SHUT UP) and in this moment in life…I think, what an effing idealized fool I was. We are married now, and we have our differences-boy do I ever know it-but life is so different than I ever imagined. And it makes me sick to admit that, because I just knew what I needed to do and how to be and how he would be. But life…it’s not as you plan it. It’s what you do to make it. And, again, this has nothing to do with a futuristic, mars-based, dystopian world…but it touched me deeply, all the same. Whatever. Go figure.

I’m in a dream. Unable to change the forces that move around me. To stop the sand from slipping though my fingers. I set this into motion but didn’t have the heart or strength or cunning or whatever the hell I needed to stop it.

The character growth in this book was just…it was the best. The good face decisions that make them evil, the evil stay evil, some evil are given chances for redemption…and only some are to be saved….whereas others are beyond saving. There are twists and lies and betrayals and death. There are secrets and battles and friendships tested. And, believe it or not, there’s love. Lots and lots of love. Love in the marches of loyal followers. Love between friends. Love from those saved and those lost. And lovers who should never had a chance.

View Spoiler »

Because I’m a sucker for a fucking wonderful quote

I dunno..I feel like this is a girly review for a brutish book, but I can’t change what I see and who I am. I see the best in everything, if at all possible, and I love a perilistic, death-tastic book. I am a walking, talking contradiction…..and I guess that’s why I will always love these magnificent, well-written, out of this world books. From the moment I pick these stories up, I am a slave to the writing. Beautiful, gritty, raw words sewn onto pages of dirty, rotten, deceitful fights for survival seep into my pores, causing me to always-IMMEDIATELY-take a picture of the first page (highlighted in a rainbow of color, by the way) and send it to all my non-participating friends, almost as if to say: ‘Na na na na boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo….look what you’re missing out on-brilliance.’ Pierce Brown is just…he’s beyond words. The grit and hard work that was put into every single page of this series astounds me even now, even after finishing days ago. Authors like these are few and far between, just waiting to be found. I thank GR for pushing this on the side of their site as I searched for other books so that the red wing emblazoning the first cover seared into my brain, making it something I just HAD to read, even if this was completely out of my comfort zone. I’ve been with this book from the first year, from the first page, from the beginning. I walked alone, with no friends who really latched onto this series like I did (by the way, it is NOT for the feint of heart). I don’t quite know where he came from and where he might be going, but I do know this: I’d follow him anywhere. Congrats, Pierce-You’ve created a forever fan.

Oh, and Mustang…I will ALWAYS love you. No matter what. That is all. End of story.

I leave you with this. ♥

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AGHHHHHH!!!! Buddy read with Kat 😀 😀

It’s FINALLY HEEEEERRREEE!!!!

Now let’s just hope I don’t have a heart attack from all the epic feels lol

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW – We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

February 16, 2016 / Anna

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.

Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button.

But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.

The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

This is, my friends – without any doubt – the most unexpected and remarkable book I’ve read this year (and the year before, if I’m being honest), soothing and yet poignant at the same time. I feel as if I should wait and write a better review because let’s face it, my midnight thoughts hardly come close to what this book deserves but I can’t. I’m ecstatic and barely thinking straight as huge is its impact on me, and honestly? I need to vent.

As far as 5 stars ratings are concerned, mines are often of two kinds : the flashy, mind-blowing, usually crazy ones (what? I love my evil cutters), and the quietly unforgettable others. We Are the Ants is part of the latter : I can’t, for the life of me, think about something I didn’t like in this strange and beautiful story.

Closing this novel, I feel like a walking-talking-contradiction : speechless, and yet so many words are fighting fiercely into my mind for the honor of – perhaps – convincing you to give it the chance I strongly think it deserves.

► Must I mention the splendid characterization that gives life to these flawed, multi-layered and endearing human beings, whose relationships are pictured in such honest and real way? Speaking of which, do you know why I think that Shaun David Hutchinson shows so much talent when creating his characters? Because albeit begrudgingly, I can’t hate any member of Henry’s family – they’re messed-up sometimes, but oh, how they ring true! Their struggles, their reluctances, their mistakes – none of them can hide the profound love they feel for each others, even if they don’t always know how to show that yes, they do care. Also, Diego. Gah. I won’t say much and let you discover this hopeful wonder of a boy by yourself but trust me, he won’t let you indifferent.

► Can I gush about the fact that everything is beautifully crafted, every event way more complicated than it first appears? Forget the blurb and your – well-deserved – doubts : although Henry’s journey is freaking weird, it works wonderfully.

► Should I talk about the heartbreaking yet so realistic confusion between what the characters believe about themselves and the reality? How the fog they’re walking in can be both their end and their relief? How Henry’s narration, hovering between lucidity and delusion, never loses its hilarious and off-beat spikes, especially when he describes the world we’re living in? Gosh, I’m still recovering from the SnowFlake Page. So fucking true.

☞ I could go on and on and on for hours, it wouldn’t do it more justice than this little sentence can : We Are the Ants is brilliant, and like nothing I read before. Oh, who am I kidding? It just entered my all-times favorites. Highly recommended.