AKA Review ALL THE THINGS!

I want to get back into reviewing, but I'm SO far behind on reviews that it seems daunting. Whenever this happens it's time to cue the mini-reviews! Just some simple one-paragraph reviews of the books I've read in the last couple months. That way I don't feel like I'm buried in unwritten reviews and can get back to writing them!

This time I'm going to feature all of the books I've read since February that are sequels. Whether book two, end of a trilogy, etc. The rating for each book is in (parenthesis) next to the title and author name.

Prodigy & Champion, Marie Lu (4.5 flowers)

This series surprised me! I loved that it went in directions that you wouldn't expect, especially when it game to bad guys. Are the bad guys really bad? Are the good guys good? I still don't know! And that's how I like it. Also, I want to live in Antarctica now.

Perfect Lies, Kiersten White (4.5 flowers)

This book is like an episode of Law and Order before bed. Now... if you're me, that sounds like the perfect nighttime plan. Seriously. I love Law and Order before bed. And this book fit that bill perfectly. Full of mystery, a little bit of romance, some tense moments, but nothing that would scar me or even get my blood pumping very hard. A simple, easy, fun read.

Infinite, Jodi Meadows (5 flowers)

Holy crap. What can I say about this book except that IT IS AMAZING. I have adored this whole series, but this one really took the cake. There were certain things revealed that just... whoa. Blew my mind. I'm STILL processing them. And that ending! GAH! That ending gave me so many mixed emotions that my brain still feels backwards. If you haven't read this series, DO IT.


Split Second, Kasie West (5 flowers)

I have no idea why I like this series. I shouldn't. It's primarily a contemporary romance, which as you know I am NOT a fan of. And yet, I love this series. I guess that little paranormal flare is just enough to make it amazing. Or maybe I do like CR and just don't know it... regardless, even though there were moments in this book where I thought things like "Well that's convenient" it was immediately coupled with "But I don't care, because I LOVE IT!" This is another series that I see as primarily fluffy, but not without depth and intrigue. Plus I love the characters!

Dreams of Gods and Monsters, Laini Taylor (4 flowers)

Just finished this one yesterday. Honestly, I found this book pretty slow. Felt like not a lot happened. But also honestly, I didn't really care. The writing is beautiful. The characters are beautiful. The story is beautiful. So a little slowness couldn't hurt.

At first I was like "You're going to end there!? THERE?! Are there going to be four books in this 'trilogy'?!"

But then I was like "Oh. Okay. Actually. This is a super fantastical awesome ending. I am happy. And so is my imagination."

Even though I haven't been posting, I HAVE been reading. It's made for a pretty big backlog of reviews. Here's a few books that I read a a while ago and I don't remember a whole lot of details. Hence, mini-reviews! These are a great way to smoosh down that "waiting to be reviewed" list, too! The rating for each book is in (parenthesis) next to the title and author name.

Siege and Storm, Leigh Bardgo (4 flowers)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

This is the sequel to Shadow and Bone and this is definitely a bridge book. I liked the story, but didn't feel like anything really happened a lot was just set up. Yes, there were battles and romance (and oi-vey was there sequel phase), but nothing that made my jaw drop (like the first one did). However, it built the story up enough that I can tell the third book is going to blow my mind.

Of Triton, Anna Banks (4 flowers)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

This is the sequel to Of Poseidon. These books are the epitome of a great summer read for me. Really. They're light and fluffy, but still manage to strum my heartstrings. This one actually made me cry! And (correct me if I'm wrong) but I believe this is the final book in the series. Everything certainly wrapped up nicely. Gotta love duos!

Mind Games, Kiersten White (4 flowers)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

This book was really good! But if most books can be equated to movies, then this book is more like a TV episode. Everything happened so fast and so short. It would be really hard for me to justify buying this little book (only 237 pages) in a $18 hardcover. Paperback, perchance, but not hardcover. I really wish this one had been longer, or that the second book and the first had been put together into one big book. If you get the chance, I would DEFINITELY check this one out from the library or some such.

The Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker (2 flowers)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

This book is the cause of what will forever be known as "The Book Slump of Summer 2013." After reading this one I didn't even crack open another book for a MONTH. I have no idea what the point of this book was. Great premise. Terrible execution. And WAY too much foreshadowing/foreboding. It got so old! And don't even get me started on how many things the author got "wrong."

Falling Kingdoms, Morgan Rhodes (3 flowers)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I thought this book was... fine. (have you noticed that it's been a while since I read anything that really wow-ed me?) The multiple perspectives sometimes through me off, not because I got confused, but because I had no idea who to root for. Because the jumping around preventing me from connecting with any of the characters, I didn't really care about any of them. And there was some weird insta-love stuff going on (followed quickly by insta-death). I definitely don't regret reading it, but I'll probably forget about it long before the sequel comes out.

Here's a few books that I read a few weeks ago and I don't remember a whole lot of details. Hence, mini-reviews! These are a great way to smoosh down that "waiting to be reviewed" list, too! The rating for each book is in (parenthesis) next to the title and author name.

Crewel, Gennifer Albin (2.5)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I think that the premise for this book is AMAZING. However, the author thinks I'm a little smarter than I really am. Never was the system of magic explained, or what kind of world they lived in that let this work, etc. etc. The world-building just wasn't there. I had no sense for scope or culture or... anything. Sure, these things were MENTIONED, but never explained. It was like the author thought that I already knew everything there was to know. Sometimes I wondered if this was actually a sequel that I had accidentally picked up.

The ending of the book was REALLY cool, and I'm interested to see where the story goes. But I wouldn't say that I'm "eager" to get my hands on the next book because I'm still really, really confused.

Monstrous Beauty, Elizabeth Fama (4)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Woah. This book was kind of amazing. Beth has an unnatural ability to weave together horror, history, and fantasy. I loved every minute of this book! The main character got on my nerves, but she's supposed to so it didn't take away from the story.Only took it down 1-star because of a few uses of very harsh (and unnecessary) profanity. But if that kind of stuff doesn't bother you, 5-stars.

Sweet Shadows, Tera Lynn Childs (3.5)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I didn't love this book as much as I did the first. It didn't offer me enough new stuff. I felt like the plot of this book was REALLY interesting, but moving in slow motion. Not a lot happened for a 300 page book. But I totally understand what the purpose of this book is: it "humanized" the "bad guys" and let us see into their world. Although I wasn't super impressed with this book by itself, I think it's done a great job setting us up for a great climax in book 3!

For Darkness Shows the Stars, Diana Peterfreund (5)
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Um... what can I say about this book? Its awesomeness surpasses all words. Seriously. I love how Diana managed to use Persuasion as inspiration, but I didn't feel like I already knew what was going to happen. My ONLY complaint is that I wish I could have seen more of the world. I wanted to spend a day in the lives of the reduced. I wanted to experience the plague! I wanted to see what caused humanity to wipe itself out. Or in other words: I want a prequel! I really really want one. Or more than one. If you like Jane Austen storylines, and you like sci-fi and steampunk, you will be head over heels for this book.

Here's a few books that I read a few weeks ago and I don't remember a whole lot of details. Hence, mini-reviews! These are a great way to smoosh down that "waiting to be reviewed" list, too!

Insurgent, Veronica Roth
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I thought this was a great follow-up to Divergent. It was interesting, allowed us to see all new parts of Tris' world, and had only minimal amounts of sequel-phase. I also thought Veronica did a great job of portraying Tris as an imperfect character, who knows she is imperfect but is always striving to do better. The ending of this one was crazy! I had to read it 4-5 times and I still don't know what happened!

Tuesdays at the Castle, Jessica Day George
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I just plum don't like middle grade. I tried to like this book, really. But the whole time I was reading it I knew everything would work out nice in the end, and coincidences would lead the good guys to victory. And the narrator never felt authentic to me. She was too... smart. It was like someone gave an 11-year-old a thesaurus.

Article 5, Kristen Simmons
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I was really hesitant to pick this one up (mostly because I have an irrational disliking toward that cover!) but I was glad I did! This was a very engaging novel that made you think about current politics, without making you feel like you were being beaten over the head with it. I wasn't sure I agreed with all the ideas in the book, but that didn't take away from me liking it. Be warned, most people are treated pretty horribly in this book.

Struck, Jennifer Bosworth
(Goodreads | Amazon)

In the spirit of full disclosure: this book offended me. It vilified religion in ways that were just not okay. I don't like any book that does that. After meeting Jenn, I know that she says that wasn't her intention, but it's certainly how I felt. If you'd like more details, feel free to e-mail me.

Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I've been a huge fan of Jackson Pearce's YouTube channel for a long time. She's the one who taught me how to french braid my hair, which is now the only thing I can do to my hair since I cut it. And Sisters Red was enjoyable enough. I was really liking it (except for a couple out-of-the-blue F-bombs) until I realized that I had totally predicted the "twist." Some books I'm okay with that, but usually if I guess the "twist" it ruins the whole book. So when I finished this one I just sighed. It was good for a light read, but not quite the awesomeness I expected. I'm still definitely going to hunt down Sweetly and Fathomless though.

*sigh* I've done it again. Here are a couple books that I waited too long to write a review and I've forgotten too much to be able to write a full review. And I feel EXTRA bad because they're both from authors I LOVE! So I'll do some mini-style that will hopefully still show you how awesome both books are.

Drink, Slay, Love, Sarah Beth Durst
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I have deduced that Sarah has the ability to take any topic and make it awesome. Pearl, our vampire-turned-daywalker main character, has one of the freshest voices I've had the pleasure of reading. The story is gripping, the humor is legit, and the characters are likeable and hateable. What more could you ask from a book?

Frost, Wendy Delsol
(Goodreads | Amazon)

I love this series. The first one was spectacular, and this one was good, but not quite as good. The only thing I didn't like was the MAJOR sequel-phase happening between Kat and Jack. But I did LOVE how much lore was brought into this story. Wendy has a true gift for making a book feel like both contemporary fiction, and fantasy. And the lore that she uses is so unique and fun! There was also plenty of mystery to go along with the action and romance. All around great.

The Dark and Hollow Places, Carrie Ryan
(Goodreads | Amazon)


Ashes, Ashes, Jo Treggiari
(Goodreads | Amazon)



The Roar, Emma Clayton
(Goodreads | Amazon)


Bottom Line: Wierd! Maybe good for pre-teens who like action and don't mind jumpy plot-lines.


Don't Breathe a Word, Holly Cupala
(Goodreads | Amazon)

Oh boy. Contemporary fiction. Always SO hard for me to review. Let me start this mini-review by saying I SKIMMED PARTS OF THIS BOOK. If that destroys my credibility, then fine. I will then say that this book is much grittier than Holly’s debut Tell me a Secret.

I was LOVING the story until the main plot really kicked in and there was A LOT of profanity. Usually I drop a book when it has as much profanity as this one, but the story was SO INTERESTING that I just had to find out what was going to happen, hence the skimming. This story was heartbreaking, heartwarming, and definitely had a strong message at the end. I felt it was extremely eye-opening to someone as [happily] sheltered as I am, and enjoyed the story immensely, even if I had to skim some parts (I'm just not a gritty person, at all).

If you like contemporary fiction, and swearing/sexual content doesn’t bother you, then READ THIS BOOK. Holly is a master storyteller.

Bottom Line: Not my kind of book (too gritty), but a masterfully crafted story. If you like contemporary fiction, you'll LOVE this book. It's beautiful.
 
So? What do we think of mini-reviews? I feel rather efficient myself. *wink*