Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Genre: Sci-fi, Apocalypse
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 480
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Blurb: I will never trust another human being again.

Review: Ho. Ly. Crow. This book blew my mind! And I hadn't realized it until I read it that there has been a distinct lack of aliens in the YA world (when compared to other paranormal creatures). NOT ANYMORE! The 5th Wave fills that hole and THEN some!

This was the kind of book that kept me up until 1 or 2 in the morning because I just kept saying "one more chapter. Okay. One more." Hence it's "Squeaky Book" designation. I found the characters compelling, the story absolutely engrossing, and the morality wonderfully complex.

I was especially pleased that Yancey did a wonderful job switching points of view and still keeping me engaged in EVERY story. Oftentimes switching PoV just frustrates me because there's only one story I care about. Not so with this book. Every time it switched viewpoints I thought, "Yay! They're back!"

If there's one thing that I have to say against this book (and the reason it got 4.5 flowers instead of 5) is that it does have quite a bit of profanity. Actually, it doesn't have all that much, but what it does have is extreme. The reason why that didn't totally throw me off is because my big problem is with pointless profanity. Now, I don't like profanity ever, but I can at least understand/tolerate it when the characters are under duress. And these characters were under a lot of duress.

All in all a FAAAABULOUS book. Yancey doesn't disappoint!

Other Reviews:

• Xpresso Reads (Loved it!)
• Speculating on SpecFic (It was okay)
• A Girl, a Boy and a Blog (REALLY Didn't Like It)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance, Action
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 352
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

Review: I LOVED this book's unique take on what it means to come back after death. At first I thought they would be zombies. NOPE! Turns out they're SUPER HEROES! Unfortunately, they're super heroes controlled by an evil militarized government. Bummer.

I really enjoyed the relationship that grew between the two main characters. It's progress seemed genuine, and I really believed that they cared for each other.

HOWEVER, I'm not sure WHY I believed that. Because the main character is always talking about how she is emotionless, and yet she's always talking about the emotions she feels. The book briefly addresses this by suggesting that she might just be ignorant of her own emotions, but... this seemed like a bit of a plot hole. I think it was only because I was able to overlook it that I liked the book so much.

What I most liked about this book, though, is that I felt like I really got a good look at the world and the characters, but it was also really fast paced. There was never a dull moment, but also never any moments of "one thing led to another" and skipping ahead.

There's one thing that I can't decide if it's a downside or not. The ending left me totally satisfied. I put it down and thought "that's a good story, what should I read next?" as opposed to "that's a good story, I NEED THE NEXT ONE RIGHT NOW!!" Usually when I get the "what should I read next" feeling, I often forget about the book before the sequel comes out. But at the same time... I feel satisfied, and so I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. It's quite the conundrum. Take from it what you will.

Other Reviews:

• Ageless Pages (Loved it!)
• Realm of Fiction (It was okay)
• Book Brats (Didn't Like It)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived… and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection with her father and sister, Darcy, leaving their friends and family without so much as a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children, but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. But just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

I hope y'all don't mind, but I'm going to ease myself back into reviewing with this shorter-ish review (not that my reviews are ever very long...)

Review: Wow. I was NOT expecting to like this book this much. I mean, I love serial killers and all, but it seemed like a pretty contemporary read. And to be honest, it was. The majority of this book reads like a standard contemporary novel, but that 20% that ISN'T contemporary... woah. That blew me away.

That's all I can really say without giving major spoilers. This book really messes with your head. It was SOOOOO good. However, it would have been 100 times better if the last line of the novel wasn't included. I don't like that the author doesn't think I'm smart enough to realize what's going on. (DO NOT READ THE LAST LINE BEFORE READING THE BOOK. IT WILL GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY!) And I wish this was a stand-alone.

Other than that, though. AH-MAZING!

Other Reviews:

• Emily's Reading Room (Loved it!)
• (It was okay) I couldn't really find people who thought it was just okay. They either loved it or hated it. If YOU thought it was "just okay," leave a link to your review!
• Wendy Darling (Didn't Like It)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 28th, 2009
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 410
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Fire and Thorns #2 (Review of #1)
Summary (Spoilers, highlight to view):

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds.

Blurb: A second book that isn't terrible?! WHAT?!

Review: I LOVED this book. Did I love it as much as the first? No. But that's okay, 'cause I still loved it.

I loved how we are introduced to a bunch of new characters, while still getting to meet some old ones. Rae is a brilliant character creator, and I loved each and everyone of them, even the bad guys.

I also though she did a great job of portraying Elisa as queen. Once again, Rae doesn't stand for the typical YA novel. Oh no. Because what's really interesting is that Elisa is not a very good queen. The people are rioting up around her, and for good reason! But what makes this book truly magnificent is Elisa's journey to self-discovery and finding out how to be a good queen.

I wasn't a huge fan of the romance in the book. Yes, it was better than most romance books, but there was something that really bothered me... HUGE SPOILER! Do not read unless you have read this book already!  Why did it take so long for Elisa to decide to marry Hector? Why did she spend the whole book saying things like "I can't marry him." And him saying things like "We can never be together because I'm your subordinate." And then at the end Elisa says "The only way to fix things is to Marry Hector!" WHY did it take you so long to reach that conclusion?!!?

But overall, this was a great follow-up to a great book, and I cannot WAIT to get my hands on the third!

Other Reviews (most contain The Girl of Fire and Thorns spoilers!):

• Reading Teen (Loved it!)
• The YA Kitten (It was okay/Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: October 30th, 2012 (US) August 2nd, 2012 (UK)
Genre: Post-Apocolypse
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 432
Rating: ()
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Dustlands #2 (Review of #1)
Summary: (Spoilers, highlight to view)

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants?

Note: I was provided a UK edition of this book for review. I have not been informed of any differences between this edition and the US edition.

Blurb: Wonderful follow-up to the amazing Blood Red Road. Not your typical 2nd-book!

Review: Once again, Moira Young has created an amazing story with AMAZING characters. I still totally love Saba. I love her because she's an idiot, and she knows it. She's still got her "I'm going alone!" attitude, but she's much quicker to acknowledge that she needs people. I loved seeing the effect of what the first book had done to her. In too many books a character is subjected to TERRIBLE things, and then they just go on to their next adventure. Not Saba. The things she does truly have an impact on her.

The relationships between all the characters were great as well. Moira perfectly captures what it's like to grow up and away from family members as you get older and gain your own experiences. It was heartbreaking, but also authentic. I imagine, though, that many people won't like this book because they'll say the characters are "too whiny" or something like that. And maybe they are, but they are REAL. Put yourselves in their shoes and tell me you wouldn't whine. You can't. Can you?

But, oh. How this book breaks your heart. In so many ways. First of all, Jack and Saba go through some HARD CORE sequel-phase. To be honest, I could have done without this. It made me super-sad. BUT, the story is still great. This book didn't read like the 2nd in a series to me. 2nd books are usually bridges: full of boring talk and setting up for adventures that will happen LATER. Not this one. There are loads of adventures in this book. We also get introduced to some new characters, reunited with some old friends, and some old enemies.

To be honest, this book was heading straight for 5 stars. No question. And then... I hit the last 100 pages. And they have made me waffle between 4 and 4.5 stars (hence that parenthetical half-star).

Those last 100 pages... they have stymied me. Clearly, they weren't BAD (I mean, I'm still giving it 4/4.5 stars), but... they were perplexing. I feel very conflicted. On the one hand, I can understand why Saba/Jack does what she/he does. On the other... I don't want them to do it. While the first 300 pages seem to go fairly slow (though action packed) the last 100 pages are BAM BAM BAM BAM of crazy decisions, people dying, and relationships destroyed. It's just left me a little... shaken. Whereas when BRR ended I felt an awesome rush but I also felt a sense of closure. There is very little closure in this book. And that distresses me, because the third book isn't even anywhere on the horizon.

As for content, there is some profanity (though it's strange phonetically-written profanity. And mild), and some sexual content (nothing graphic. I believe the two people are described as "bare as they day they was born).

So that's the gist of it. I LOVED this book, but the ending left me so bumpuzzled that I just can't give it 5 stars

Other Reviews:

• TBA (Loved it!)
• Realm Of Fiction (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 3rd, 2012
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 359
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows

Blurb: Horrifying, disturbing, and absolutely un-put-downable! After reading this I think I may be a serial killer!

Review: Holy. Cow. It's been a while since I read a thriller that I loved this much. But BOY did I love this book!

Well, I guess that I should admit that it was a love-hate kind of thing. The story and characters were fabulous, but it is a very horrifying book. You get to "watch" more than one person die. And they die in terrible, terrible ways. So... it's hard for me to say that I "loved" it without adding some kind of disclaimer. It is horrific. But also wonderful.

I think my favorite part of the whole book is listening to the way Jazz thinks, and what he thinks about how he thinks (confused?). Sometimes the questions he would ask himself, and the things he would wonder would have me thinking that I might have serial-killer tendencies! Every time this kid doesn't like somebody, or looks at a knife, he has to wonder "is this a normal thought, or am I a sociopath?" Gah! It was crazy!

And I also loved his relationships with those around him. In general, people in his town just kind of treat him like a pariah. He's widely ignored except by his best friend, girlfriend, and police chief (who, THANK YOU, is a NICE GUY!). But there was one line that I absolutely loved near the beginning. It's not too spoilery, so I hope you don't mind me sharing it:

Jazz was afraid of two things in the world, and two things only. One of them was that people thought that his upbringing meant that he was cursed by nature, nurture, and predestination to be a serial killer like his father.

The second thing... was that they were right.

That line kind of sums up the whole book. It messes with your brain, people!

In terms of content: there's quite a bit of violence (hello, it's about serial killers), some language (moderate), and some sexual thoughts (Jazz is "afraid" of sex and a virgin, but he's still a teenage boy and has some... thoughts).

I'm going to be thinking about this book for a looooong time. Especially in my nightmares. Squeal!

Oh, and warning: it's a series! So the ending leaves some things resolved, but a whole lot more UNresolved. ARGH!

Other Reviews:

• Wicked Awesome Books (Loved it!)
• The Hungry Readers (It was okay)
• Gunneos (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk

Blurb: Not your typical insta-love!

Review: There was one line of this summary that made me nervous. Can you guess which one it is? You probably can, but I'll tell you anyway. "their connection is immediate and powerful." Uh-oh. Insta-love warning! And you know what, there was insta-love, but what made this book so unique was that the characters fought it, and I don't mean like they ran away from each other (thought that happened a little at first). I mean they tried not to be stupid and fall in love without knowing each other. They allowed themselves to be just friends and their relationship blossomed into something real. That was so refreshing! And it made a romance that I actually liked. Yes. You heard me. I actually liked the romance in this book.

Another awesome thing about this book, it begins with a BANG! Within the first few pages something EXTREMELY dramatic happens that sucked me in from the get-go. Granted, it doesn't keep up this racing pace for long. Most of the book is very calm and leisurely, and is more character driven than plot driven. But that doesn't make it bad, because the characters were great!

We had the sassy sister, the goofy friend, and a motley assortment of human-helpers. I loved every single one. Seriously. There wasn't a character I didn't like. That's so rare in a book!

HOWEVER, you may have noticed that I only gave it 4.5 stars. Again, that half-a star eludes me! Why? The "twist" was SO easy to guess. I guessed within the first 100 pages, was positive by 200, and it was confirmed by 300. It was still a good twist, and I'm really curious to see where it goes from here, but I like to feel a little more surprised by things while I'm reading.

But still, that's only a deficit of .5 stars. That's nothing. This book is still GREAT addition to the paranormal romance category because it stands out. It's not like all those others floating out there (and the two love interests are actually similar enough in terms of species to MAKE SENSE).

End of story? I thought it was fab.

Remember that I'm giving away a copy! Click here to enter!

Other Reviews:

• Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me (Loved it!)
• Book Brats (It was okay)
• The Bookosaur (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Genre: Apocalyptic
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 304
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Blurb: This book had me on the edge of my seat! ...and running to check my food storage every couple of minutes.

Review: I'll admit that when I first read the summary of this book... I wasn't wowed. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have been in any hurry to read it if the author wasn't coming to my area next month.

HOLY COW. I'M SO GLAD I READ THIS BOOK.

For real, guys. This book grabs you by page one. Before you even know the name of the main character people are dying, things are exploding, and you're wow-ed out of your mind! And when they finally were safe inside the Greenway (Which is essentially a Wal-Mart) I thought to myself "Surely it must slow down now." Oh no. That same high-energy is maintained throughout the book, with just enough low-energy moments to stop you from pulling out all your hair from the stress.

The characters were also really interesting. Emmy created quite the hodge-podge of people in this book. No two characters are alike, although they might seem like it at first glance. Another interesting thing was that the narrator is male! There's nothing from the cover, summary, or anything that warns you of this. I read the first few pages thinking it was a female narrator, and it was very jarring to find out he was a guy. So... go in knowing that. But after I got over that shock, he was a very nice narrator. I love how he struggles with being himself, being "good," and being liked. Was a big fan of Dean by the end.

But, the reason why it's only a 4.5 stars instead of a perfect 5 is because there was quite a bit of sexual innuendo, as well as some substance abuse and swearing. Granted, some of the swearing was redacted (it looked like "f--------"), and some of the sexual content certainly added to the plot, but I can't absolutely adore a book with so much teen sex. It just makes me a little creepy crawly.

Along those same lines, though, this is a great crossover for those who only read contemporary or only read non-realistic fiction speculative fiction (like me). I think it's got enough contemporary elements to satisfy a contemporary reader, and enough apocalyptic elements to satisfy a non-realistic speculative reader (is there a word for that? Thank you, Q, for introducing me to the correct usage of "speculative")

All in all, an awesome debut. The book doesn't quite end in a "cliffhanger" per say, but it definitely leaves you begging for more. I literally begged Emmy for more. I HAVE to know what's going to happen next! Can't wait for Monument 15! (Just kidding. That's not actually what it's called)


Other Reviews:

• Books with Bite (Loved it!)
• Great Imaginations (It was okay)
• Book Labyrith (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Genre:  Sci-fi, Romance, Dystopia
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 352
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .(

Blurb: Fast paced and unique, Starters is a great addition to the genre!

Review: Decided to jump Starters to the top of my TBR pile last month when I saw that the author was coming to my area! I'm so glad I did. Starters reminds me a lot of the TV show Dollhouse (which I loved and was cancelled WAY too soon!). It's fast paced, engaging, and relatively unique in this blossoming genre.

I wouldn't call it deep. I didn't get absorbed into the world, or even really believe it for a second (I have a hard time believing books that make people act so terribly that I can't imagine them every being that bad), but I had fun reading!

My only complaint (aside from the cover**) is that it all wrapped up WAY too quickly. Here we have this kick-butt heroine who isn't afraid to take her fate into her own hands, and the last 70-ish pages are her handing over all responsibility to others. She just kind of goes with the flow, and flow it does. It was essentially A leads to B leads to C leads to resolution, rapid-fire. I wish Lissa had taken a deep breath, and slowed down a little. She probably could have added another 100 pages and that would have been okay with me.

Something interesting in this book, it's part of a duet. We don't get those a lot anymore. The second (and final, in case you aren't sure what a duet is) book comes out later this year. It's called Enders. I'll definitely be picking it up!

Other Reviews:

• Once a Reader, Always a Reader (Loved it!)
• Book Strings (Liked it)
• Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

**This cover weirds me out. Is it supposed to be the main character? She's described as being beautiful, not an alien. In real life the cover has some cool foil effects, but that model is just too strange. The way her hair covers her eye makes her look reptilian.

Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Genre:  Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 423
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Companion to Austenland
Summary:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

Blurb: Shannon is as hilarious as ever, but Midnight in Austenland lives up to its name in that it's certainly darker than its predecessor.

Review: This book had everything I love about Shannon's books. It was witty, hilariously funny, and the personal growth that Charlotte experiences was even more wonderful than Jane's in the first Austenland. Seriously, at the end I think I loved Charlotte 10 million times more than Jane, and I love Jane to pieces!

I especially loved how this book had so much meat! If you're a big Shan-fan like me, then you know that Austenland is (quite-lovingly) described as froth. Well this book is the big dense whipped-cream froth on top of hot chocolate with cinnamon! Austenland is primarily a romance, but this book is most certainly a mystery first and foremost which adds fabulous spice to the romance. How cool is that?!  I didn't go in expecting a mystery, so it was fun to really get sucked into it. It was a cool mystery too. I loved who the villain ended up being, and who Charlotte ended up being with. What an AWESOME twist!

However, this is the first time I haven't given a Shannon book 5 flowers, that's because this was the first time that I've felt like I couldn't fully appreciate one of Shannon's adult books. With Austenland it was easy to forget how old Jane was because she was still single and dating, and I'm still single and dating. With The Actor and the Housewife the characters were literally IN MY WORLD (or state at least), and it was easy to relate to Becky and everything that happened around her because they were things I was familiar with.

In this book... I don't know. Maybe a teen of divorced parents might relate to it better? I've always counted myself lucky to have almost NO experience with divorce. And Charlotte's back stories just made me sad, unlike Jane's which just made me laugh. So even though I LOVED it, there were times where I thought the real meat of the story was going over my head. I really felt like it's meant for adults or those with some experience with divorce. Not single 20-somethings living in a happy bubble. Perhaps I shall try it again when I'm an adult. What's that? 20-somethings are technically adults? Pish posh.

Oh! Disclaimer! When I say "meant for adults" I don't mean there's any "graphic" content. There's very minimal profanity, and it never goes beyond kissing. A teen definitely could read this.

But I must admit. I think my favorite line was (some profanity, highlight to view) "I will go mama bear on your ass." I don't like profanity, but this made me do a breakfast club fist-pump into the air. Go Charlotte! I truly loved her, even if I couldn't relate to her.

P.S. If you'd like a review from someone who wasn't bothered by this un-relate-ability thing, you should check out Emily's review here. I especially love (and totally agree) with this part of her review:

If you are a fan of the first novel, you'll really enjoy this one. However, I doubt that this companion will persuade any non-believers. Nor do I think it is meant to. ... Charlotte's story begins sadly, but in a very honest way that I think many women will relate with. And though there is fun and frivolity, I was also pleased that Charlotte grew very significantly as a character throughout the book.

~From Emily's review of Midnight In Austenland on Emily's Reading Room

Man. This is one of those moments where I get super-jealous of other reviewers and their ability to articulate things far better than me. Because GAH! this review was hard to write. I hope I made it clear that my issues with the book are because of PERSONAL things, not because of the book itself. I still believe that Shannon can do no wrong. This book just showed me that she isn't just writing books for me (I know, shocker, right?).



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 5th, 2011
Genre:  Sci-fi, Horror, Dystopia
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Pages: 497
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Gone #4 (Review of #1, #2, #3)
Summary: (Spoilers, highlight to view) 

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.


They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.


But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Blurb: Horrific and gripping, fans of the series won't be disappointed.

Review: I'll keep this review short since only those of you familiar with the series will care.

This is definitely the most gruesome of the books. I would certainly call it horror. Nevertheless, it was still just as gripping as the other three. More action than Lies, but not quite as good as Gone or Hunger. I've devoted over 2,000 pages to this series, and I could easily devote another 2,000. These books fly by. I read them in about the same amount of time it would take me to read a book half as long.

Great series, but don't start it unless you plan to finish it. Because once you start, you won't have a choice.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: June 14th, 2011
Genre:  Horror, Zombies
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 496
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Companion to The Enemy
Summary:

THE DEAD begins one year before the action in THE ENEMY, just after the Disaster. A terrible disease has struck everyone over the age of sixteen, leaving them either dead or a decomposing, flesh-eating creature. The action starts in a boarding school just outside London where all the teachers have turned into zombies. Together they begin a terrifying journey to find safety, and home.

Review: This was exactly the book I needed to both break me into summer-reading, and break me OUT of my paranormal romance bind. Little to no romance in this book, but a lot of action.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again since this is a zombie book. I have very little tolerance for sex and profanity in books. Can't stand it. But I don't have a problem with violence or gore. Why? The answer is simply because I have a very dull imagination. When I read a book the images aren't very vivid for me. It's like I'm watching a TV through several dozen layers of wax paper. And since I don't read what most people would consider "edgy" books, these horror books are my guilty pleasure.

With that said, The Dead has lots of violence and gore. So if that stuff bothers you, feel free to check this off your list right now. For me it was awesome. The action held my attention, and my eyes skimmed lightly over the particularly gross bits. What's really nice about The Dead is that you don't need to have read The Enemy in order to enjoy it. It's a completely new group of people, in a completely different time and place. You will have certain "aha!" moments if you've read The Enemy, but it isn't necessary.

If you're looking for a high-action book that doesn't have any romance, sex, and only mild profanity, then The Dead is for you. I enjoyed it significantly more than The Enemy, which had far too much talking for my taste.

TEAM ZOMBIE!



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.