Tag: Young Adult (Page 91 of 159)

BOOK REVIEW – Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi

February 3, 2016 / Jen / 0 Comments

Riders (Riders #1)
by Veronica Rossi
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

Review:

Riders was enthralling, addicting and I fell madly in love with this story. A story where death created a journey that was filled with new-found powers and struggles at every turn. I couldn’t help falling for the main male character and his fellow horsemen. I also adored a girl who seemed to hold all of the answers to their questions. All of these elements together created a fabulous book that landed right on my favorites shelf! Riders is definitely a must read!

What are you looking at, Gideon?
You. I’m looking at you.
How am I looking?
***Perfect*, I should’ve said. But I didn’t.**

I loved how the story of Riders unfolded. It was brilliant! We started in the present, where Gideon Blake, who was just bound and gagged, was being interrogated by the people who rescued him. And he had to recount the last six weeks of his life, from when he died and woke up with a cuff on his arm, to what lead him to this point in time now. The present gave us clues to people and situations that Gidion faced and how he felt about them, and the past filled in his fascinating journey to join with the three other horsemen. I happily transitioned from the past to the present with ease. In truth, I became obsessed with both time frames!

“Special Agent Daryn Martin. Come in please, Ms. Martin. This is War. Over.”
Over the drone of the engines, I couldn’t hear my message register on her radio, but she did. I saw her digging around in her bag. A few seconds later, her voice came through my radio.
“Yes, Gideon?”
I pressed the talk button. “You will?”
“I will what?”
“I just asked you to come over here and you said yes.”
“You didn’t ask that.”
“But you answered anyway. Come here.”
“No.”
“You’re messing up the balance of the plane. We’re going to fly in circles unless you come here.”
“Your ego’s weighing that side down just fine.”
I laughed. “Is that another no?”
“Affirmative.”

Not only did I love the story that was told, but the characters too. We got to meet each of the characters, one by one, which made me become attached to each of them. Even ones I didn’t expect to at first. But for the horsemen, I loved how they were their own person, unique from each other. They included a friendly boy next door whose speech was hilarious and made me laugh so many times, a quiet bad-ass who I secretly crushed on because I like the challenging and difficult ones, and a good guy who came from a privileged life whose memory was astounding. Each of them helped round out their group. But my favorite by far was Blake. He could be a hothead than practical, or sarcastic one moment and heartfelt the next, ohhhh or swoon worthy and then an ass. And those swoon worthy moments filled my stomach with butterflies! Blake was the boy who I desperately wanted to help fix, especially getting to hear some of the thoughts in his head. But alas we also got to meet a very secretive girl who I really can’t say that much about, other than I adored her! Especially seeing her through Blake’s eyes!

She smiled. With the desert glowing gold and amber all around, so much like her, it was a perfect smile. No secrets. No hesitation. Like she’d laid the full measure of herself on me.
It leveled me.
I reached for her hand, which was surprising to both of us. What was I doing? But I was already committed so I wove my fingers through hers, keeping it smooth. Under control.

I feel as though there is so much that I can’t say, but I have to mention that lead up to the ending. Those perilous situations continued on longer than I thought was possible, and I loved every heart stopping moment of it! Riders was a rich, imaginative story that I highly recommend! And while it’s part of a dualogy, and I’m desperately waiting for that 2nd book to be released already, I am in a good holding pattern where it ended. Well, kind of not really haha! What I mean is that enough answers are revealed so I found some relief, but that last page has me dying to read the final book. I can’t wait to see how Gideon’s journey ends!

*ARC kindly provided by Veronica Rossi via a Twitter Giveaway in exchange for an honest review*

PS I have to say that I am ecstatic that this story had scenes in places that are near my heart! Some scenes were in Half Moon Bay, California which I use to visit in my teenage years and another part took place on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo, CA where I went to college! While I loved all of the locations in this book, I definitely loved those the most! ♥

BOOK REVIEW: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes & Michelle Rowen

February 3, 2016 / Chelsea / 1 Comment

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1)
by Michelle Rowan, Morgan Rhodes
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....

Weak things were so very easy to break.

(Yes, I used all Dylan O’ Brien Teen Wolf Gifs. Because…pretty)

There are times (well, most of the time, actually) when I know exactly what I want to read, when I’m going to read it, and in what order. This is when I have my [book] shit together. And, in all honestly, this really is a very common occurrence. But then there are times, like right now, where life is kicking me in the balls, the familiar sounds wonderful (ie, new books in my series I love), but I’m in a situation where I’m on the cusp of all my eagerly awaited releases almost being out, but not just quite, and I have a week and one day from tonight when they will be released, one after the other in a beautiful march of wonderful words. So-here I am.

With all this being said, it implies that I am in a slump…which is incorrect. In fact, there are so many books I want to read at this moment that it physically pains me that I can’t read them all at once. But…there comes a time when your mood is so dour that you don’t want to ruin your absolute favorites that you’ve been saving for the best possible moments. And, with this mood, you don’t want to ruin your streak with a wonderful new genre you’ve discovered and became obsessed with, lest you start to dislike it inadvertently because you read it at a bad time or moment in your life. SO. Sosososososoooooo…these zany thoughts led me here: What can you read that you know you won’t judge harshly, that you know you won’t hold a loss against, that you know is excellent but never feel like putting it above your current favorite genres? Well, Folks, that would be YA Fantasy.

All his life he’d endured so much pain and developed only a thin mask to cover his true feelings. But masks could easily be removed and smashed with only a few words.

I know I love it. I know it’s super addicting….but it also requires a certain amount of attention and devotion…And a certain mood. As it just so happens??? I want to be out of this world, out of reality, out of everyday inane activities-And fantasy is the genre to do just that. Well, at least until February 9, when my first release(s) comes out. Tee hee. And luckily my wonderful friend, Rachel, recc’d this to me last week and strongly influenced this decision. A savior, this one.

Oh, and let me preface this review with a little tidbit: I might or might not be drinking some margs while writing this review. Hm. Well. Whatever. Carpe diem and C’est la vie and all that nonsense. 😛

I’ll also cut to the chase fairly early so as to not make this any longer than need be, seeing as I had many base emotions while reading this: My absolute favorite thing about this book was not the action, nor the deception, lies, or magic. No, my favorite thing was not a plot, but a single person: Magnus. My dear dear tortured, dark, and brooding Magnus, the Prince of Blood. Yes *sighs* I am indeed in love with an incestuous little fuck. But…..I don’t know. He wasn’t…disgusting. I can’t even begin to explain away why he feels so strongly for his sister, but I can make it quite simple: He cares so deeply, so strongly for this forbidden desire that it keeps his heart from turning to stone.

Then his heart, now broken into a thousand pieces, slowly began to turn to ice.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had some margs and it’s making it increasingly difficult to find the correct words to describe what made Magnus so special for me, when normally the obsessive words slide off my tongue with the littlest effort. So, I’ll end it here, even if it kills me: He was perfect in every little tortured, evil, and wounded way, fighting the inherited source of evil that is expected to surface at every moment. He was vulnerable and trusted only one, his sister, who had the means to destroy his mind and fracture his very soul. Yes, he had a major flaw….but I don’t think so many people would love him if he was disgusting, hmmmm??????

Swearing under his breath, he pushed the tears away, vowing that they would be the last he ever shed. Strength, not weakness, was what he needed from this day forward.

One of my least favorite things ever is multiple, MULTIPLE alternating POVs, but in this case, it didn’t bother me. At least, not after meeting them all as their stories began to intertwine the farther the story progressed. I started this book because I needed an escape from reality, but I stayed because it ensnared me. I gave this a four because I just needed a little more-I mean, Magnus can’t do everything, you know?? I did adore more characters than just him, some even gaining more respect as the story came to a close, but something was just missing to make this perfect. Maybe some more peril?? I do love me some peril…. Where have we heard that before?

Minor insta-love in one POV (though it didn’t bother me because…reasons…READ IT YOURSELF), some dumb reasonings for everything behind another (though, to be fair, this might be the booze doin’ the talkin’), and some side characters I could easily see myself slicing the throat of, it wasn’t without it’s flaws. But then there were those constant moments where I didn’t want to put the book down, where I imagined immediately beginning book two right after I finished this installment, where I had a smile on my face and fierce butterflies in my heart even as my mood soured more and more. And frankly?? That means everything. When a book can make you feel as if you are happy even when you aren’t, then it’s more than just a filler-it’s a winner. And for that…I am extremely grateful. Thank you, lovely Rachel, you just partially salvaged my horrid weekend. *Muah*

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

An absolute shock and just what I needed to reset my system.

And I will admit….Magnus stole my heart with his dark, little tortured self. Even if some things were weird…

RTC.

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BOOK REVIEW – Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

February 1, 2016 / Anna

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)
by Leigh Bardugo
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

*Buddy-read with my fellow fantasy lover, Kat*

One word before I start : ~~I don’t~~ I’m not sure I trust you, Leigh Bardugo. You let me down before, and ice isn’t forgiving. You taught me that. This said, you wrote a hell of a great book here. Here I am, caring for all these characters, and I’m not gonna lie : I’m scared to death now. Well done.

*bows*

What Six of Crows offered me is a plot that kept me guessing, in a Locke Lamora fashion (By the way, Kaz does remind me a lot of Locke, but as I absolutely adore Locke, I won’t hold these reminiscences against him. More for me. Yum). If the beginning was slow-ish, with a writing, albeit good, that didn’t hold my interest for long spans of time – I needed to pause every few pages – from 25% I was fully invested : once the team was constituted, the characters dynamics just exploded and damn. I enjoyed the hell out of this.

Fantasy readers won’t be surprised by the alternative POV and the big cast of characters and – surprise, surprise – it is really well done, the transitions between the different characters being ones of the best I ever read. That is to say,
✘ No rehearsing of everything but a plot that flows smoothly.
✘ No multiple retelling of the same event over and over again.
✘ No confusion and “who the fuck is talking right now” syndrome : I’ll come to the characters later, but I can safely state that they all have their own voice, thank you very much.

This being said, the success of Six of Crows definitely lies in its complex and interesting characters. Frankly, I feel like everything has already been told about them, so I’ll only put my highlights here :

➊ I say YES to the banter and wary trust between Kaz and Inej (Inej chapters being my favorites). The development of their relationship was fantastic and I couldn’t get enough of them together. SHIP SHIP SHIP.

➋ Inej is a female lead I could adore. She wants everything, and she doesn’t settle for less. YOU GO GIRL.

➌ Kaz is relentless in his scheming and planning, and just at the moment you think that you finally get his personality, he takes a decision so ruthless that you stand there, wide eyed. Of course he’s my favorite character, what do you think. PSYCHOPATHS FOR THE WIN.

➍ Jesper’s tendency to have the last word was hilarious. Also, as my adorable buddy-reader pointed it, he spreads J.C.’s vibes (Legion) that I couldn’t ignore. Bahahaha. Guns. TELL ME I CAN SHIP HIM WITH WYLAN. PLEASE.

➎ Matthias and Nina made me feel instantly – these two have a well rounded love/hate thingy going on and it was a pleasure to follow their fights (because I’m a masochistic like this XD).

➏ GIRL FRIENDSHIP! To see Nina and Inej making fun of the silly men was the BEST. Finally female characters that have something else to do that slutshame and hate each others. THANK YOU.

➐ I truly enjoyed Matthias…. lag between his “morals” and the team’s lack of them. It made for the funniest thoughts and interactions.

Not to mention that the interactions between them were fully enjoyable, sometimes hilarious, sometimes meaningful but never lacking depth.

As I loved the characters, the flashbacks, bringing slices of their previous life, interested me a lot. In my opinion they gave a most needed background and above that, LAYERS to the characters and helped me to understand their reactions. This is the purpose of flashbacks, and not to drown the reader under useless details like some books do.

The language may have been stripped out of Dutch but frankly? I don’t care. I read too much REALISTIC and HISTORICAL books massacring French culture to feel really annoyed by this in FANTASY. I mean, what’s the big deal? Is she saying that it’s Dutch? Nope. So yeah she took words and altered them and blablabla, here’s the sound of the fucks I give

ZzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzz

So what? She didn’t create a whole new language? I don’t need another Tolkien. Please not another Tolkien.

This said, I can see how it can be annoying for Dutch speakers. No, really. I read books that did it in French and it WAS annoying. Like a private joke that isn’t remotely funny. I’m sorry for you guys :/. It remains that for me, as soon as she’s not selling some colonialist and white woman saving crap like Tiger’s Curse did, I don’t find it offensive or insulting. But you’re definitely free to disagree with me on this^^

Also, I find the need to point out that I usually read more adult fantasy and that YA fantasy hardly comes closed to it (in my eyes) but I genuinely thought that she did a great job at her world building. Before people complain about the fact she took Dutch settings – In my eyes, world building isn’t only about settings and words. World building is also about magical systems and gang organizations and power and traditions. I need to feel invested and believe in a world. I did. End of story. (or, there are Grisha in Amsterdam and I need to plan a vacations there ASAP. JUST TELL ME)

Oh, about the names. Many readers pointed how ridiculous they sounded and I won’t deny that fantasy books usually offer us better names for their characters. Like Kettriken, from my beloved Robin Hobb. Or is it Rheyn? Oh, and do not forget Froi, Finnikin and Evangeline from Melina Marchetta. Kelsier and Elend from Brandon Sanderson. Not to mention my favorite little cutter, Jorg. And don’t get me started about Jezal, Logen, and Glokta from Joe Abercrombie‘s First Law trilogy.

Oops. It seems that I do deny it. Really, fantasy names never fail to make me roll my eyes. As Francesca would say,

“I’d read fantasy if they had simple names like Jane and Bob from Wagga,” I said. “Why does it have to be Tehrana and Bihaad from the World of Sceehina?” – Saving Francesca

(The girl is definitely onto something.) Truth is, I don’t care, I just roll with it. It certainly won’t spoil my enjoyment.

*shrugs*

► All in all, Six of Crows managed to do something I didn’t think was possible after Ruin and Rising‘s disaster (for me, again) : making me invested in the Grisha world again. Well done.

BOOK REVIEW: Split by Swati Avasthi

January 29, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Split by Swati Avasthi
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A riveting portrait of life after abuse from an award-winning novelist.

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. Award-winning novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

I wonder if I’m a broken kid. Was Christian ever broken? My mother would say, No, too strong, and would sneak a satisfied smile at her folded hands.

What about me, Mom? I would ask.
And the smile would leave her.
She would be right.

Once again I find myself bursting with so many emotions that I can barely contain them…yet at a loss on how I can explain how wonderful, deep, and thought-provoking this book is without tarnishing it’s beautiful simplicity. It’s not often a book speaks to you on such a fast-paced, addicting level, yet keeps a slow, steady pace that manages to portray the overall message without becoming boring. This book wasn’t explosions and romantic rendezvous’ and extreme acts of heroism-It was so much more than that.

Sometimes I wonder why words can’t actually make us bleed.

It was heartbreaking struggle and broken relationships. It was wishful dreaming and regrets of mistakes from the past. It was aching for forgiveness and finding who you are, fighting to be better than you appear to be, even when you can feel the darkness creeping in through the edges of your peripheral vision. This book fought to show what it means to walk away even when it’s hardest…the story not often told: After. What. Happens. After? This was Jace’s story.

In Chicago, I knew everything. I could look at the sky and know how warmly to dress; I knew where every street led, and where every fight would end. I could look at my father and know when to keep my mouth shut, when to piss him off so I could take the hits for my mother, and when only his wife-punching bag would do. I understood when a fight was coming, how fast It was going, where it was going, everything. Fights have a rhythm; they do. I swear it. And they don’t end up like that. Not where I’m from.

I guess I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this story up. The blurb was clear that our dear Jace was abused, but I didn’t really know just what the story would be about. I mean, yeah-He’s abused by his father, as was his whole family. Years ago, when Jace was 10 or 11 (I forget which), his brother finally had enough of it; Enough of seeing his mother beaten to a bloody pulp; Enough of standing in the line of fire so his mother could avoid another crippling fight; Enough of almost dying. Jace, at the time, was a child-he still idolized his father even though he saw things that made him cringe and retreat to hide frequently. He didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening and what it meant for his family…even as they were fracturing into pieces right before his eyes.

Fightology Lesson #8: Relax when hits are coming because it hurts less.

When Christian, his brother, left, he thought that Jace would be fine-After all, he was his father’s favorite. But the one thing he didn’t take into account was just how much his brother loved, adored, and looked up to him. He didn’t look past the last rib-breaking blow to see that he was his little brother’s role model….And that when he left, Jace would just step into his place.

Right hook. Let him explain away a shiner. Like I’ve had to. Soccer, I’ve said, Fight, I’ve said, Hockey, basketball, croquet.

Fast forward a few years later: At sixteen, Jace did the one thing that neither his brother nor his mother had ever thought to do: He fought back. Thus leading to the start of the story when Jace shows up on his estranged brother’s doorstep bloody, beaten, wired on Mountain Dew from a 19 hour drive, and barely able to stand on his own two feet. What?? I didn’t say he won, he just tried.

My stomach is starting to flutter because I know what I want to do, and I have stage fright. Fist into his face. Another in his gut. After all, I’ve had a day. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Hit something, hit someone. The moment our fists make contact, we feel better, right, Dad? Let it out. Punish her so she won’t do it again. Right, Dad? Isn’t that the way?

This story, you guys, was just so special to me. It didn’t need loud storytelling or colorful sex scenes to touch my heart. It seemed, from page one, I was a slave to it’s meaningful message and heartfelt words. I can’t even begin to explain the intense feels and capture of each waking thought that this story provoked. Each scene where Jace and his brother would open up a little more to one another-past the pain, the hurt, the secrets-becoming closer through simple acts and small gestures, my heart would squeeze and seize up, forcing me to choke out silent tears for how hard their lives were and how they were slowly, but surely, finding each other again.

It’s weird when someone gets you, understands what you would never say, not even to yourself. It’s so weird that it makes my throat tighten up again. When I speak, my voice comes out small.

For once…I wasn’t rooting for the romance (though there was a very small one that made my heart shine with happiness at each and every turn) to take precedent: I wanted Jace to find his inner strength and peace, his freedom of body and soul and, more than even that, I longed for his loneliness to cease as he and his brother worked to make themselves whole again-One puzzle piece at a time.

“You’re the incentive.”

The writing was so simplistic, yet poetic (at least, to me), out-of-this-world amazing, and spoke to me on so many levels. I can’t always explain why certain styles of writing speak to me, but sometimes it’s just a matter of: Because. And sometimes, that just has to be enough. Each chapter, layered with vivid, imaginative, and candid storytelling, ensnared me in ways I can’t even begin to express. It’s a story not often told, at least not correctly, and I think it’s an important book for people to read. I am on a huge realistic fiction kick, of that I am certain everyone is aware, but none have spoken to me on such a deep emotional level like this one did. Perhaps it was the story itself, or maybe the family bonds that are tested with each dwindling email from his mother, or it might just be the broken down, tortured young man that only wants to begin a new life with his brother…either way, this is my first REAL absolute favorite this year and it somehow feels, I don’t know…it makes me feel as light as air. I’m not sure why-perhaps I am just enlightened…or maybe I just read a truly exceptional story that blew my expectations out of the water.

We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret.

Jace’s story isn’t a happy one, but he is on the road to recovery. He doesn’t always do what’s right and he isn’t what you would call ‘morally sound.’ He holds a secret that not only defines him, but weighs so heavily on his heart that he’s like a walking, talking, ticking time bomb.

Fightology Lesson #5: Anger comes in all forms: a slow burn; relentless, constant flames; or a hot flash, popping here and there. It can lie in wait, and you think you’ve forgiven, you think you’ve doused it with trust, but give it a sudden burst of oxygen and-backdraft.

Pinned down and held back by his secretive past, he feels he can’t truly move on with his life, date the girl he’s falling for, and altogether become who he wants and strives to be. Grasping on and desperately holding to the abysmal hope that his mother will finally break away and join he and Christian (And Mirriam, Christian’s girlfriend whom I ADORED but ran out of time to talk about-their relationship (she and Jace’s) tore me to shreds…I can’t even) in their new private life, miles and miles away from the abusive man they know as their father.

Isn’t it too convenient just to forgive yourself, let yourself off the hook?

Not everyone’s story is a HEA, and I think that’s the harshest reality this book brings to light. We don’t all get to live in a fairy tale and wake up with the perfect man in the perfect life with the perfect family. Everyone has flaws; Some minute, others destructive and abusive and depraved. But that’s the point: Don’t let who you used to be define who you are. Pave your own path and make your own way. Never look back. Never blame others for your mistakes. But most importantly: Family is everything. Don’t let past hurts and mistakes obliterate what could be the most valuable and endearing moments in your life. Jace’s story, whether a happy ending or not (I can’t say, you have to read it to find out), is over: Yet, there are so many untold stories being written as we speak-Decisions being made, excuses spewing left and right, and women (even some men) and children fighting for their lives…Take the time to hear them.

Second chances. Who deserves one of those, anyway?

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

Without a doubt one of my favorite realistic fictions…ever. A strong, poignant, and dark voice, this book tells the story of a boy left behind to fend for himself and his mother as they were beaten to within an inch of their life by his father. This is the story of when he finally says enough is enough. It’s not sugar-coated or contrived, but beautifully written and told in a way that makes it impossible to put this masterpiece down….I still am having trouble NOT thinking about it.

I am beyond excited to try and express how much I adored Jace’s journey of finding himself and reconnecting with the brother that left it all behind. Jesus, I am tearing up just sitting here typing this.

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS FUCKING STORY. AMAZING-from beginning to end.

Review to come-Most definitely. ♥

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BOOK REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

January 28, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Running my mouth has hurt enough people already-the least I can do is shut up. Why can’t everyone see I’m doing the world a favor?

There are so many books that I admire and adore, especially when it comes to YA realistic fiction. And while I can’t say they all make lasting marks on my heart, they do get under my skin. I’m starting to read so many in this genre that I am beginning to get pickier, look deeper, see what I crave-It’s not simply, oh, this is realistic fiction, now. It’s-Oh, well, this worked for me here, so let’s find something even better. And that’s exactly where this book landed, for me: I found a niche last year that gripped deep into my soul, and I’ve yet to find many wins for it. My absolute favorite book last year was Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, and literally nothing has compared since. And while this was a super close second…it just didn’t hold a candle to my wonderfully depraved, over-the-top, and beautiful boy holding favorite of 2015.

I can’t believe this is my life now. Spending lunch in the library. Doing homework. Ahead of time. Homework I cannot even understand. Oh, parabolas, why must your formulas elude me so?

Which isn’t this book’s fault-It was a delightful take on one of my now favorite type of stories ever. But, for me, when the last page turned….I was fine. I didn’t need more, I didn’t wonder what happened next, it was just over for me. And that’s probably due to the fact that this wasn’t as dark as I’d have hoped. And yes, I was told this was lighter on the bullying front, but I do tend to like a little more vigor behind the former-best-friends trope. And all I really got was a mild confrontation or two where feelings were hurt…and not much else.

Maybe some bridges are better left burned.

I expected the girls to be vicious, cruel, unrelenting…and they were, to an extent. But when I was bearing down, expecting dirt and grit and something extra it just…leveled. And that’s the main reason I can’t give this more than four. While the story and boy stole my heart…the depth just wasn’t there for me.

I am trying so hard not to be that person anymore. I am trying to be the kind of person who deserves to be looked at the way Sam is looking at me now, like I’m someone worth caring about, someone worth knowing. I want to prove that the risk he’s taken in reaching out to me isn’t for nothing, but I don’t know how to do that.

Which leads me to Sam-kind, loyal, smart, endearing, and fiercely protective, he, of course, wormed his way into my heart. In the beginning, he wasn’t a huge fan of our MC (I refuse to say Chelsea, it’s odd almost talking in third person without it being funny lol), but he never treated her with anything other than respect. And this is a favorite of mine-When the male doesn’t like the MC because of some past misdeed done to them or someone they love (COUGH SOME GIRLS ARE COUGH MY HEART). He begins to see she’s a good person, she has a good heart…she just can’t shut her mouth to save her life when it comes to gossip.

You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.

And that’s my other favorite part about this story-He fell for her mind, her actions, her smile…not her mouth, not pretty words, and not her declarations of how she did no wrong. I feel this put a nice, new twist on something that has been done before, and it made it all the more sweeter when the popular-but nerdy-Sam finally fell for the gossiper trying to set things right after hurting someone.

He faces me, my Nelly dog in his hands. Oh, God. That’s embarrassing.
“I met your friend,” he says. He cups the back of Nelly’s neck and bobs her droopy head up and down. “Arf, arf.”
“I think she likes you.”
“Well, we’ve been bonding.”
I let out a fake gasp. “Uh-oh. Does this mean I have some competition?”
“She’s cute, but I don’t think so. There’s only one girl for me,” he says. His smile is like floodlights, lighting up everything.

^^See, this is why I might have given a five (he’s so cute-it’s always a boy for me, lol) if it wasn’t for the lack of grit!!!^^

So, yeah. Other people did the evil ex-best friends work and there wasn’t as much..hmm..darkness as I’d have liked, but this was a great story that really satisfied my inner worry that I’d never find another book like my beloved SGA from 2015-and it was funny! I loved her voice, she really cracked me up. And while I wish I was a little more satisfied, I was content in the fact that it was fun, sweet, and I met yet another wonderful loyal boy. I’m starting to find all these sweet ‘loyal’ guys lately…and I’m really loving it. It’s fresh, it’s not done correctly very often and I’m going to savor this win streak of sweet boys as long as I can find it. ♥ ♥ ♥

Maybe when it comes down to it, what we’re interested in doesn’t mean so much-it’s who you are that ties people together.

(Inadvertent) Christmas gift from the lovely Jen!! love ya lots! ♥ ♥ ♥

******

Another realistic fiction win. While there was quite a bit left to be to desired (One of my absolute favorite books last year was Some Girls Are, so this had a lot to be compared to), I still found that it was exactly the type of book I love to read. It’s so rare that you find an excellent book centered around the new outcast of a once social queen-At least for me it is-and I ate this shit up. The friends turning against her, the school…it just hit all the right places.

And then, of course, Sam!!! Her knight in shining armor. Seriously. I am in SUCH a win streak. Still waiting on my first realistic fiction five star of the year, though.

Review to come!

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