Review: Under The Never Sky

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: January 3,2012
Page Count: 374
Challenges: 2012 Debut Author Challenge




                             Synopsis:
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive. 

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky. 



                             My Thoughts:


I was really excited to read this book because I have read/heard so many rave reviews about it. Under The Never Sky is told from the alternating viewpoints of Aria and Peregrine(Perry). Aria is a "dweller" who lives in the enclosed city of Reverie, she spends her time with friends in the Realms( virtual environments that she accesses through an eyepiece called a  Smarteye). Peregrine(Perry) lives with his tribe out in the real world, he is trying to survive hunger, cold, and the Aether storms that are a constant threat.
 I think my favorite thing about this book was the world building, it was descriptive enough to were you could easily imagine life inside of Reverie and life on the Outside but not so descriptive to were you get bored by all of the details that are being presented to you. I did struggle a little bit during the first hundred or so pages with some of the unique terminology that Veronica Rossi created but I quickly got use to it and it didn't feel so foreign to me.
 I also loved the character development.I loved watching Aria develop into a tough, competent heroine who could survive on the outside. No matter how hard things got she didn't complain and she kept pushing forward. Perry kind of goes in the opposite direction as Aria, he starts off seeming like the savage that Aria has been warned about her entire life but it turns out that underneath that tough exterior he is actually a really caring character. I also enjoyed the secondary characters Roar and Cinder, I really hope we get to see more of them in Through the Ever Night.
 I liked the fact that this book didn't fall into the trap of insta-love that is found in most YA novels, in fact it seems like they both started off with a really strong prejudice of each other. I want to say that the romance didn't really become too noticeable to me until about page 300 or so.
 Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4/5 stars. I gave it 4 stars because in my opinion it started off a little too slow.


For those of you that have read 'Under the Never Sky' what did you think of it? Leave your opinions in the comments below.




Happy Reading!!

Review: Cinder

 
Cinder by Marissa Meyer(Goodreads)
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: January 3,2012
Page Count: 387
Challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge

                                         Synopsis:
Humans and Androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl.
 Cinder a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets from her past in order to protect her world's future.

                                      My Thoughts:

I was skeptical about reading this book at first since it's a retelling of Cinderella as a cyborg but I'm so glad that I gave it a chance because it's AWESOME! I really enjoyed all of the characters but my favorites were Cinder( she's kind of a bad@$$) and Iko( I loved her personality and personally thought she was adorable). Marissa Meyer did a great job developing all of her characters.
 I really enjoyed how Marissa Meyer took a classic like Cinderella and turned it into a really great dystopian/science fiction novel. The only thing I wished was different is that she would have been a little bit more descriptive with the setting of New Beijing but that is such a small con IMO when it comes to this book.
 I also loved the romance between Cinder and Prince Kai because it wasn't the usual insta-love that you normally see in YA literature. It was gradual and made me so excited for them when they both finally realized that they loved each other. 
 I will admit that even though I gave this book 5 stars on goodreads that I really didn't like the way this book ended. I feel that a little bit more should have been resolved before the conclusion of the book book. Despite the ending of Cinder I'm really looking forward to the 2013 release of Scarlet which will feature both Cinder and Red Riding Hood =)

Review: Want To Go Private?

Want To Go Private?by Sarah Darer Littman(Goodreads)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published:August 1,2011
Page Count:336
Genre: YA Contemporary 


Synopsis:
Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.Abby is starting high school--it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke--he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.


                         My Thoughts:

If I could choose only one book to put into the hands of every single teen and parent-THIS WOULD BE IT! This book was an emotional roller coaster that I could not put down. It's like seeing a horrible accident and not being able to turn your eyes away from it( best comparison I can give).

 Abby is a typical high school freshmen. She is nervous about starting high school and just wishes that everything could stay the same. Her best friend Faith starts making new friends, her sister is a brat, and less than 24 hours after starting high school Abby's dad is already telling her to think about extracurricular activities and college. To say the least Abby is stressed to the max and just wants people to accept her for who she is. Abby finally finds acceptance and love in the form of Luke( BlueSkyBoi) on Chezteen.com. Luke understands Abby and how special she is but Luke isn't who he says he is.

 This book gets you to think about how Abby clearly had heard the talks at school and home about internet safety and still fell victim to Luke and his "grooming". It makes you wonder how does a young girl(or boy) go from knowing all the information that we have available to getting into a strangers car. This book is seriously well researched and Sarah Darer Littman actually answers the question of how this ends up happening. I actually read this book about a month ago and I'm still having a hard time formulating my thoughts because it has stuck with me in a way that I can't even describe. This book is so scary because of it's realness and the fact this could seriously happen to ANY teenager who has access to the internet.

 I also really liked the cover, not because of the design but because of the words. Although plain it's the perfect cover for this book IMO.

 WARNING: This book is sexually explicit both in language and deed between Abby and Luke.

 Thank you for checking out my review and I would like to say Happy Reading!

Review: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Pages: 318


                              Synopsis :

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

                                    My Thoughts:
This is a very difficult review for me to write for the simple reason that I loved this book so much that no review I write will possibly do it justice. This is an absolutely touching novel that actually made me cry( this rarely happens). I found myself cheering for all of the characters because they were all trying to overcome something and were easy to relate to, even if some of the characters weren't all that likable at times.
 This book was very emotional and made me laugh and cry. It was the type of book that has you hoping that everything will be okay, even though you know it will most likely end badly for some of the characters.
 The only problem in my opinion was that the book had no ending( seriously it just ended) but  I think it might be because of a book that Hazel and Augustus read in the book ( of course this is my opinion and might not even be the case).
 Even with the ending The Fault In Our Stars received a rating of 5 stars from me on Goodreads. Also this was my first time reading a John Green novel and I can honestly say that it has made me a fan and I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.


Happy Reading!!!

                                          

Review: dancergirl

dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman
Series: WiHi #1
Genre: YA Contemporary 
Age Group: Young Adult( Warning: Contains Underage Drinking and Drug Use)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: November 15th, 2011
Pages: 248


                                Synopsis                                                  :
Ever feel like someone's watching you?
Me, Too.
But lately it's been happening in my room.
When I'm Alone.


A friend posted a video of me online, and now I'm no longer Alicia Ruffino. I'm dancergirl. And suddenly it's like me against the world-everyone's got opinions.
My admirers want more, the haters hate, my best friend Jacy-even he's acting weird. And some stalker isn't content to just watch anymore.
Ali. dancergirl. Whatever you know me as, however you've seen me online, I've trained my whole life to be the best dancer I can be. But if someone watching has their way, I could lose more than just my love of dancing. I could lose my life.


                      My Review:
From the moment I picked up this book I was hooked. It's a bit of a Who done it mixed with cautionary tale. dancergirl is a chilling story because of the realness of the plot and the story, it's very easy to imagine something like this happening because things like this really do happen.  Basically it starts with Ali being videotaped dancing at a concert which is innocent enough but then someone who views it on Zube ( think fictional YouTube) likes it a little bit too much and makes a video of her dancing alone in her bedroom.
 I really liked the development of the main characters Ali and Jacy. However, I wish we would have learned a little bit more about her friends because they were in some of the scenes( especially towards the end) quite a bit. I also loved the fact that the book was fast paced and obviously well researched( turns out Ms. Tanzman was a dancer) and it seems like she did some research into different type of stalkers and what may happen in that type of situation( I don't know that for a fact but the book seemed really realistic).
  I loved the tension in the writing. As you are reading this you can almost feel Ali's paranoia and fear. I also enjoyed the fact that halfway through the book I hadn't guessed who the stalker was and all I can say is OH BOY! about when you find out who the stalker actually is. 

 I thought this book was fantastic and even though it would have made a terrific stand alone it turns out that it's the first in a new series( WiHi). I'm honestly curious about how this is going to work as a series and look forward to the next installment, Circle of Silence which is due to be released August 2012.


Gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

                         The Iron Fey Series
                           By Julie Kagawa

• The Iron King(Book 1)
• The Iron Daughter(Book 2)
• The Iron Queen(Book 3)

                        Synopses:
The Iron King:
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: YA Fantasy


Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.


When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.


But she could never have guessed the truth-that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young price who might rather see her dead than to let her touch his icy heart.




The Iron Daughter:
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: YA Fantasy


Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter Prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey-ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.


Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.



The Iron Queen:
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: YA Fantasy


My name is Meghan Chase.


I thought it was over now. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.


THIS TIME.
THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.




                 MY REVIEW:


Can I start this review by saying this is one of the best YA series that I have ever read!!!  The fact that I read all three books back-to-back says a lot because usually I have to take a break between each book so I don't get tired of them. Oh but not the Iron Fey Series.
This series has it all: action, adventure, romance, and humor. Meghan as a protagonist was the type of heroine that I wish were seen more often in YA literature. She was strong, funny, and did what had to be done to save her brother, Faery, etc.( depending on which book in the series you're reading).


The Pros of this series are:

• Character development ( Meghan, Ash, and Puck matured and became more likable with each book with one minor exception which I will mention is the CONS section)
• Simply and beautiful written. This was a story world that you want to get lost in. Julie Kagawa did a wonderful job sticking to the story and not going off  into tangents that took away from the story.
• Great Pace( These books hook you in from the beginning, very hard to put down for long periods of time without wondering what is going to happen next)

The Cons of this series:


The Iron Fey Series had in my opinion two very tiny CONS that aren't really a big deal but I feel that I should mention them because one of them kind of annoyed me and the other one I'm curious about.

• Meghan at the beginning of book two( The Iron Daughter). Meghan went from being really fierce at the end of The Iron King doing whatever was necessary to keep her family safe to being a whiny brat for a couple of chapters. I'm glad it passed because I was starting to worry whether I would like the book if that kept up.
• Why is Grimalkin's explanation for everything, " I am Cat". It's something I am curious about and wish had been answered.

Links to buy these books:

The Iron King

The Iron Daughter

The Iron Queen

Thank you for taking the time to read my first review and Happy Reading!!!