The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross Review

"In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her."

The Girl in the Steel Corset is a wonderful book, in summary.  

The plot is quite interesting, with nothing more to be said. The ending isn't too amazing or too surprising. She fights, she wins. The usual stuff in a 'Happy Ever After' book. No major cliffhanger or anything! However, the dialects are wonderful! I love how Kady Cross brings you back in time to experience the eighteen hundreds. You figuratively 'time travel' back to the past.

Finley, the main character. Naturally suspicious of everything, she's no match for the dashing, manipulative Griffin King, who can manipulate minds and feelings. (King manipulates Finley to trust him). Finley is caught up with a plot. Queen Victoria is going to be replaced by an automaton, Queen Victoria look-like. The mastermind behind the plot is watching every move Finley makes. How will she ever save Queen Victoria and her new friends, even if they don't trust her?

Griffin King, an orphaned duke, is handsome and quite attracted to Finley Jayne. He's busy trying to solve his internal battles and later external. With dreamy looks and his parent's death haunting his mind, he's the Batman of the eighteen hundreds. With the gadgets. Alas, no cape, no fancy suit, no mask, no secret identity. And the Machinist, the evil and nutty mastermind and the Joker of the age, is watching his every move. 

Jack Dandy, the bad boy of the block. He's the one who grandmothers and mothers tell you to stay far, far, far away from. With a charming personality and ladies man suave, Jack Dandy will have all the female readers swooning with delight. And the Machinist is watching his every move. (Gasp!)

The villain, Machinist, is clever. He is a true Joker and madman of the Victorian Era. He's a clever man who doesn't play by the rules. He's hidden and hidden well. He's mysterious. He's the Machinist.

Rating: Four out of five

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer Review

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

Nightshade, the first book in the series. In summary, Nightshade is a good book, with a lot of promise and hope for the second book in the series. It is spunky, funny, and wolffishly hilarious. It took awhile for me to read it, but it was worth the time. The cliffhanger was stunning and surprising. The plot was twisty and had a lot of turns that was entertaining.

The love triangle. Nightshade's love triangle between Calla, Ren, and Shay is awesome. It the only love triangle, other than the love triangle with Meghan, Puck, and Ash from the Iron King, I love and root for. It exciting to bet the ending of the love triangle. Ahhhh! I can't wait to see who will be alpha. And it is still a better love story than Twilight.

Nightshade is kind of like a vampire/werewolf story. Still a better story than Twilight.

Calla is the alpha of the wolf pack Nightshade. Her father, like his daughter, is the male alpha of the pack. Like a true alpha, she is a leader. It sometimes annoys me how she can be so intelligent yet so... ignorant. Calla is torn between two guys--Ren and Shay. She can't decide which one she really wants. Calla is a good character. She is strong and brave. She has good thoughts and good narrating skills. Calla isn't annoying to listen to. Instead she is rather addicting to listen to.

Shay. The Chosen One. (This book has turn Harry Potter!) He is clever and shy in a cute way. Good character. I don't see how is he exactly an alpha, though. Shay is an amazing character and is a huge part of Nightshade and Calla's kind-of betrayal.

Ren is a true ladies man. Every time Sabine wraps her dirty arm around him, I want to puke. (But poor Sabine, she sacrificed so much for the weak.) Ren loves Calla, sure. But Ren doesn't know how to communicate, probably the number one reason why couples like Ren and Calla don't get along so well. Ren is so twisted by his father and his secrets. I can't help but feel sad for him.

Rating: Four out of Five

Vigilante Nights by Erin Richards Reviews

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads. Thanks for the giveaway, Erin Richards!

"A "good boy" will do anything for vengeance when a gang rite kills his twin sister. Will Lucas win, or follow his sister Silver into the darkness?

After a hideous car wreck, Lucas wakes from a coma to find that his world is gutted. Not only is his beloved twin sister, Silver, gone forever, but Lucas is broken in body and spirit. He will never be a college athlete, and is robbed of what he now realizes was the most important bond of his life. Although they weren't identical twins, Lucas and Silver shared a bond so fierce it defied reason, and was nearly supernatural.

After her death, that bond seems to endure when Lucas sees Silver everywhere he turns. Either he's crazy, or Silver is trying to tell him something about the California gang initiation they stumbled into that cost Silver her life. Lucas is bent on revenge, turning on Raymond, Silver's former boyfriend; the one Lucas never wanted her to date. He forms a posse of vigilantes to take out the gangsters responsible for Silver's death, but he risks not only his own life, but the love of the new girl on his block, who knows more about Lucas and Silver than can be accounted for by mere chance."

I'll try not to reveal anything big. 

Okay, first of all, mental bond? Lucas and Silver are Fraternal Twins. If they were Identical Twins, the story would make much more sense, because identical twins share the same DNA and are practically the same. It sounds kind of illogical, but I'll let it go. I'll say its a brother-sister bond/shared-the-same-space(aka uterus)-before-birth bond.

Anyway, let's get to the book. Vigilante Nights is brilliant for a Young Adult book. It faces the pressure and craziness of teenages in horrible, poor areas. It's a mystery book with twists and turns at every path, fake or real. Vigilante Nights had me guessing who was the real person who cause the death of Luca's beloved sister, Silver. For all those romance book lovers out there, Vigilante Nights is a romance, too. And it is a story of revenge. (Now we are going all Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke) 

The plot of Vigilante Nights is fascinating. As I said before, twist and turns run Vigilante Nights. Just as you thought the book was over, BOOM! A major event happens. It was surprising while being dangerous for many of my favorite characters in Vigilante Nights.

Supernatural is a natural part of Vigilante Nights. Silver, like in "The Ghost and The Goth" by Stacey Kade, is following Lucas Alexander around. Not exactly like Alona though. Silver is nicer and sweeter than Alona, who is simply to say a blond mean bitch. 

The ending was amazing. It was beautiful, although I won't tell you why. Let just say it involves with peace.

The changes in relationship between characters were amazing. An accident can change so much, just like life. An accident can change so little, just like life. The influence affects everyone, little or big. It's like a wave or an earthquake causing a tsunami. 

Characters:

Lucas Alexander: The twin brother of Silver Alexander. An ex-quarterback, injured. Intelligent. Sherlock Holmes, in Vigilante Nights. Ruined by a car accident. The same car accident which took the life of his beloved sister. Like a good brother, he was adorably protective of Silver. He has this anger inside of him. With the support and love from Tara, he semi-heals, but the ghost of Silver still haunted him. Lucas went through this huge character change, affected by the very same car accident/gang rivalry war. From a bad boy, in the beginning, to the protector of the weak, in the end. It was a spectacular change to see.

Silver Alexander: The twin sister of Lucas Alexander. An interesting character, in my opinion. 

Rating: Four out of Five

Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times by H.W. Brands Review

"National Bestseller 

In this, the first major single-volume biography of Andrew Jackson in decades, H.W. Brands reshapes our understanding of this fascinating man, and of the Age of Democracy that he ushered in.

An orphan at a young age and without formal education or the family lineage of the Founding Fathers, Jackson showed that the Presidency was not the exclusive province of the wealthy and the well-born but could truly be held by a man of the people. On a majestic, sweeping scale Brands re-creates Jackson’s rise from his hardscrabble roots to his days as frontier lawyer, then on to his heroic victory in the Battle of New Orleans, and finally to the White House. Capturing Jackson’s outsized life and deep impact on American history, Brands also explores his controversial actions, from his unapologetic expansionism to the disgraceful Trail of Tears. This is a thrilling portrait, in full, of the president who defined American democracy."

Ahhh! Old Hickory! Despite my knowledge before reading this book, I found some events quite interesting and insightful. 

Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times is not usual cup of tea. I thought it would be boring and endless by its amount of pages. I prefer biographies around four hundred pages. Not six or seven hundred. Or somewhere around there. Long biographies usually 'talk' too much for my liking.

Unlike my thoughts, Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times was entertaining and amusing while also being very serious, which makes the events of Andrew Jackson's life very amusing. (It goes around and around and around. A boomerang.) Andrew Jackson will not bored readers to death despite society's common beliefs.

Andrew Jackson: He's a fighter. A warrior. A patriot. One who will live, fight, and die for his country. He can never resist a call to help the US. He is whatever the US needs him to be. He is wherever the US needs him to be. He fought the Revolutionary War on the Rebel's side. He fought the War against Indians on the American's side. Wherever Andrew Jackson is, he is always on the American's side. He is a true patriot at heart. He puts duty and country first, above all. Above everything. Even his beloved wife, Rachel.

It's amazing how Andrew Jackson has two sides. The softer side and the harsher (Patriot) side. Anyway, why am I talking about Old Hickory? I should be talking about the writing of H.W. Brands, the author.

The writing was clear and smooth. It was easy to understand. I believe that a well educated fourth grader can read it with the help of a dictionary. I like the slight tone in the writing. Slight. You can barely feel it, but it's there.

Andrew Jackson is lost in the history of presidency. He's not lost in this history of money, however. (He's on the bill, hello?) It is nice to see someone talking about Andrew Jackson. These days all you hear about is Honest Abe and The Founding Father. 

Talking about Honest Abe, I love the little paragraph at the end of the book about him. I found it fascinating and interesting. Poor Abe. 

"With great power comes with great responsibility."- Uncle Ben, my favorite and only comic uncle

Rating: Four out of Five

(I know that this is unusual for me to write a review on biography, but I wrote one. KittiKat may also be including biographies' reviews.)

Fragments by Dan Wells Review

"Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival."

The sequel to Partials, the first book of the Partials Sequence. Fragments is the second book in the Partials Sequence. 

As revealed by the first book, Kira is a Partial. She's not human, she's a Partial. In this book, her main job is to find the truth behind Paragen. She has been to some of the buildings of Paragen, but could not find the building with Paragen's top secret information behind the Partials and RM. 

With rotating POV between the many characters -- Kira Walker and Marcus, who are the main characters in Fragments -- Fragments tells an entertaining story between the two sides. Partial and Human. The switching POVs were useful and a major tool of storytelling of Fragments.

Mr. Well's writing certainly has improved from the last book. It seemed to be much smoother and easier to understand than the last book, Partials.

The ending was ironic. But in a setting of uncertainty and life and death and darkness and light and right and wrong, good guys can become bad guys and bad guys can become good guys. Right becomes Wrong. Wrong becomes Right. Enemy becomes friend. And friend becomes enemy. Deception is everywhere in the future of Long Island and North America. Can you see beyond the deception?

Before Reading: My friend let me borrowed Fragments. It was nice of her to do that. I had only read Partials and was quite eager to read Fragments despite the fact I was already reading a book. I usually don't read two books at a time. My rule of reading: Article 1. Read One and ONLY One book at a time. Oops.

During Reading: I was a little confused by the events and had to reread many of the sentences/paragraphs over and over again.

After Reading: The First few paragraphs of this review and after the synopsis.

Characters:

Kira Walker: She is a good character. Her internal conflict? To choose/support humans or to choose/support Partials. She leaning more the the former, because of her upbringings and beliefs. As the plot unfolds, Kira is split between the decisions  It rips her into pieces and and leaves her crying. With pressure from her companions, she is forced into an unbearable position that leaves her confused and sobbing. 


Samm: Yes! He finally has the nerve to reveal his feelings. Some of his feelings were sweetly revealed in a minor character's POV. Samm is still awesome in Fragments, yet slightly distant, unfortunately. 

Marcus: Wow! War and battle and blood and death has changed the personality of Marcus. He's figuratively on fire in Fragments. Marcus is Kira's boyfriend. With Samm in the way, will Marcus soon be boyfriend with ex in front of it?

Rating: Four out of Five

The Limit by Kristen Landon Review

"An eighth grade girl was taken today . . . With this first sentence, readers are immediately thrust into a fast-paced thriller that doesn't let up for a moment. 

In a world not too far removed from our own, kids are being taken away to special workhouses if their families exceed the monthly debt limit imposed by the government. Thirteen-year-old Matt briefly wonders if he might be next, but quickly dismisses the thought. After all, his parents are financially responsible, unlike the parents of those other kids. As long as his parents remain within their limit, the government will be satisfied and leave them alone. But all it takes is one fatal visit to the store to push Matt’s family over their limit—and to change his reality forever. 

Kristen Landon's The Limit brings the popular dystopian thriller genre to a middle grade audience."

At first I was cautious toward The Limit. It doesn't seem to be very promising. Right? The synopsis kind of tips readers off. The government will take children away from their parents if the parents went over their limit. I think it would be more logical if they take away the parents. After all, it's the parent's fault, not the children's.

The plot was good. Every theory of the characters were somewhat involved with the plot. The plot was mostly about the search for the truth of the 'Honey Lady.' Some other parts are just smaller parts of the plot. Interestingly enough, the smaller parts, to me, are the more interesting parts.

The Limit is recommended to the Young Adult audience. Readers should be at least an elementary student and around nine or ten years old.

The writing of Kristen Landon was amazing. Usually middle grade authors are good at writing (with the exception of Twilight and Harry Potter). She was good. Descriptive. Clear. Each sentences flows well with the sentences before and after it.

(I hope there is a book after The Limit, but, unfortunately, there wasn't one. I checked. Ahh... It was a good wish).

The Limit's spotlight:

Matt... The main character. (Other than Matt, I don't remember anyone from The Limit. So I'm doing Matt's and only Matt's.) Matt is this brilliant character who is spectacular at hacking computers. He is smart, but he is not exactly knowledgeable. The Limit is majorly about Matt's journey and heist to steal knowledge from the knowing. (And that is where the hacking computers come in.)

Matt is excellent at math. He is sometimes reckless and doesn't have the "killer instinct." He's not really a person who was just do. (The Dark Knight, remember? The Joker) Instead he has this plan. And there are some people who are trying to take his little plan and wreak it. (More Joker moments. Such as good villain in  The Dark Knight. Even better than Two Face.) He doesn't chase cars. Instead he is human, and thinks it through before he chase the car. (And more Joker moments).

Anyway, in summary, The Limit was a good, refreshing read. Four out of Five. 

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey Review

"The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

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."

This book has been just sitting on my bookshelf for a long time while I was debating whether or not to read it. The synopsis was intriguing. The synopsis was killer especially this part: "To give up or to get up." The cover of the 5th Wave is clever, matched with the setting, perfectly colored, and beautiful.

The 5th Wave was a whopping five hundredish pages book. It's actually four hundred forty-seven. Still a lot of pages, though. Many people wouldn't bother reading this book because of the thickness of the 5th Wave. The author could have cut a hundred pages from the book. A little more editing and cutting please. And cutting shouldn't involve a lot a trees.

The 5th Wave in general was entertaining and delightful and perfectly paced. The switching POVs made the 5th Wave even more exciting. The 5th Wave's genres are Young Adult, Romance, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Extraterrestrial, and Supernatural. (That's a lot of genres). The 5th Wave was easy to understand yet also difficult for an outsider.

1st Wave: an electromagnetic pulse
2nd Wave: a giant metal slab that hit the earth
3rd Wave: bird flu
4th Wave: Silencers
5th Wave: unknown

The 5th Wave has many theories of what it is. It may be soldiers. It may be something else.

The plot was confusing at first. It gets easier to understand over time. Hopefully the second book in The 5th Wave will not be like the first book. I felt the need to flip back to the beginning to understand the plot. A little recap between events may be helpful. Or a little hint that can link the memory to mind.

The writing. Easy to understand and flows well. Not the worse I have seen before. It is certainly not the best of all the books I have read. Rick Riordan could have done a better job.

The POVs. You have to name the POVs. Whose is whose. Readers can become very confused by all that unnamed POVs. I rarely become confused with POVs. In the 5th Wave, it was a new story. I was confused every time the POVs swap. Every character's beginning felt the same to me. It was hard to hear their individual voices.

Characters:

Cassie for Cassiopeia... Not for Cassandra. Cassiopeia, the legend. The upside down queen on the night sky. Punished by a certain god for her (Cassiopeia) flaws/mistakes. Cassie carries a M16 gun and is Katniss Everdeen in a worn down, bleak, uncertain future. She's looking for her brother Sammy. She made a promise and she wants to fulfill it. Cassie is an interesting character who is has defiance in her eyes. She refuse to believe that anything is impossible. Her determination and bravery and strength will lead her to where she is at the end of the 5th Wave.

Evan Walker... A Silencer. One of the 4th Wave. He's been targeting Cassie for a while. Interestingly enough, Evan didn't shoot Cassie. He's one of those aliens. Evan Walker is a rebel to his people. He doesn't do what he is suppose to do. He helps Cassie find her brother. He helps Cassie get better and protects her too.

Ben... A soldier. He is another fellow rebel, although Evan and Ben never met till the end of the book. He is a major character in The 5th Wave.

Sam... Cassie's brother. I love how innocent and charming he was at the beginning of the book. Let's hope that The 5th Wave wouldn't go Hunger Games. After all, in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Katniss Everdeen's sister dies.

Rating of the 5th Wave: four out of five. Should be three, but I feel good today. 

Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons Review

"The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?"

The second book in the series. I felt that a recap in the beginning would have been useful. For many parts of the book I was clueless until I remember the events that happened in the first book. It was about halfway when I just decided to pull out Wikipedia and just search for Article 5, the first book in the series.

Ember Miller and several other people have a Code One on their heads. Code One says that any person that is suspicious of being Ember Miller or the other four persons can be fired at by citizens or soldiers on suspicion alone. Harsh, huh?

Ember Miller... badass in this book. Suspected as the sniper. Young. Beautiful. Active. Intelligent. Semi-athletic. And kind. I love Ember. When she made her choice whether or not to take the sniper's mantle, I cheered for her all the way. I love her strong and weak moments. The weak moments I love more because it reminds me that humans at one point are weak. It makes Ember seem a little more human.

Chase... He's still hot in this book. His sugarness and toughness are two sweet features of his character that make him so hot. (CHASE, TELL THE WORLD IF YOU BREAK UP WITH EMBER!) A little more of his past is revealed in Breaking Point. Every piece makes him seem more vulnerable and easier to love. Chase is like Jace from The Mortal Instruments. Not as hot as Jace, but still noticeable. Chase is very protective of Ember Miller yet also a little shattered inside. He wants to be safe. However Ember's mind will usually fight against him.

Tucker... He's an annoying character. He's also helpful, but I always remind myself of the fact that Tucker killed Lori Whitman, Ember Miller's lawbreaking mother. If Ember hated him really badly, she should just shoot him. Not keep him around begging for more.

The flashbacks... Oooo! My favorite parts! The flashbacks of Ember's past are the most enjoyable parts of the Breaking Point. Each flashback brings a whole new meaning of Breaking Point. Flashbacks are the strongest weapons of Breaking Point. They are moments of peace. Of what little joy Ember had in her life. Of harmony. Of the sense of normal.

The plot... I like the plot. It's even better than Article 5.

The writing really flow. It was easy to understand.

The action... Lots of action. Most of the actions were cool and easy to understand like the writing and the plot. Ember's POV wasn't enough, though. We need Chase's too.

The ending... You have to leave us like that, Ms. Simmons? That is not cool. You can't give us a cliffhanger like that. So not cool.

The rating of this book is four out of five.

So Close to You by Rachel Carter

"Lydia Bentley has heard stories about the Montauk Project all her life: stories about the strange things that took place at the abandoned military base near her home and the people who've disappeared over the years. Stories about people like her own great-grandfather.

When Lydia stumbles into a portal that transports her to a dangerous and strange new reality, she discovers that all the stories she's ever heard about the Montauk Project are true, and that she's in the middle of one of the most dangerous experiments in history.

Alongside a darkly mysterious boy she is wary to trust, Lydia begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Project. But the truths behind these secrets force her to question all her choices—and if Lydia chooses wrong, she might not save her family but destroy them... and herself."

Lydia's great grandfather went missing during WWII. Her grandfather never gave up on trying to find his beloved father. He went crazy, or so she and everyone thought.

Not a bad book. I felt that the author, Rachel Carter, could have describe the events in So Close To You in greater detail. Cassandra Clare did a well job of that in City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Angel, and Clockwork Princess. (Or Cassandra Clare did a well job of that in every book she has wrote, for those who don't read Cassandra Clare and has no idea what the hell am I talking about).

The mysterious boy... I like how the author talks about him. However, I felt that, like the events, he could have been describe in much greater detail. Then he would be unbelievably hot. The girls would never take their hands of So Close To You, like City of Bones and City of Fallen Angels and City of Lost Souls. (Not kidding, one girl I knew wouldn't let go of her copy of City of Lost Souls because of how obsessed she was).

The mysterious boy... I wished he had more of an appearance in So Close To You. He appears only when he feels like it. If he appeared a little more, then he will have a greater impact on the readers. Anyway, the mysterious boy is a child time traveler. (He's only seventeen.) He is knowledgeable about the enemy of Lydia. He is in fact once upon a time one of them. (So this book is turning these two into starcrossed lovers. Wonderful.)

Lydia... I can't tell you whether she is reckless and insane or stupid and confident. Neither of those options look good on her profile. Lydia, despite all those warnings, messes with people's business. She tries to change everything, but ended up making it much worse. 

Project Montauk is real. The project is a time traveling machine. The mysterious boy is part of the project. He's one of the few time traveler. Only children under eighteen can travel in the time traveling machine. Any older persons will be severely injured and mentally insane. It's a very pleasant journey for the older people right? *Shakes head*

The plot... I love the ending, the most. Despite all the hardships and horrible events, Lydia makes the killing choice. People she loves get hurt really badly and she still made that choice. She had two choices, stopping her younger self from going into the machine or letting her younger self go into the machine and travel to the past. Guess what choice she made.

The ending... It killed me too. I slam the book close and was tempted to throw it because of the ending. UGH!!! I hate the ending. 

SPOILERS!

1. The mysterious boy is shot and assumed dead.
2. Lydia lets her former self go into the machine and change time because of her love for the mysterious boy. 
3. Her great-grandfather was missing. When Lydia came back to the present, her grandfather was missing instead of her great-grandfather. 
4. Her father adopted the behavior of her grandfather after Lydia changed time.

END SPOILER!! 

This book's rating is a four out of five. 

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman Review

"Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy. His best friend, Alex, is trying to score vicariously through him; his brother is a giant pain; and his father keeps bugging him to get motivated. There is just one thing that really sets him apart for other kids?his father happens to be the head of a powerful crime organization. Needless to say, while Vince's family's connections can be handy for certain things-like when teachers are afraid to give him a bad grade as they can put a serious crimp in his dating life. How is he supposed to explain to a girl what his father does for a living? But when Vince finally meets one who seems to be worth the trouble, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all. Because her father is an FBI agent-the one who wants to put his father away for good."

This book is recommended to readers who love Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. Son of the Mob and Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief are both humorous and have crazy, rich daddys. In Son of the Mob, Vince Luca's father is the head of the mob in New York. In Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson's father is the god of the seas, Poseidon. See the similarity? They both love their sons, Percy Jackson and Vince Luca. They are both powerful figures in the world. They are both leaders of something. They are both ruthless. And there are a lot more similarities between Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and The Son of the Mob.

Ahhh! The humor. Every page has something to laugh about. I loved it. Vince Luca's POV just gets me chuckling and laughing like a donkey. I love the humor. It's so light and beautiful. The humor makes the book seem more alive and not as dark as it can be.

Vince Luca...Is smart, is intelligent, is maybe or maybe not good-looking, is obviously powerful, has a crazy family, and has an exceptional crazy father. Vince's POV is a pot of gold. Full of delight and open curiously. He is seems to be younger than what he really is (seventeen). Vince Luca is very intelligent and has a heart of kindness. He couldn't resist helping the little people (and it's not in the way you think). Vince Luca wants a girlfriend, but he doesn't really admit it and let his actions tell readers that.

His girlfriend... (Um...What's her name? It's been awhile since I read this book and unfortunately I am horrible with names). She is the daughter of a FBI agent, making this book kind-of-like Romeo and Juliet. She is intelligent, can piece together information, is a great singer, and is beautiful according to Vince Luca. She has partially inherited her dad's FBI DNA. She can be sometimes suspicious, and careful, and worried, and curious. (And I still don't remember her name.)

Alex... I don't think guys like these exist. Total nerd and totally clueless when it comes to girls.

Vince Luca's father... Wow, this guy is epic. He is amazing like Poseidon. His father is looser than Poseidon and shadier than him.

(I finally remember her name. Kendra).

A fast and quick book to read. For fast readers, it would be around an hour. For slow readers... Depends on how slow they are. Son of the Mob is recommended to children at least eleven. Any younger and they might not understand Son of the Mob. This book is more like children's book/young adult. Some suggestions/words that toward inappropriate actions/behavior.

This book's rating is a four out of five. Highly recommended.

Phoenix By Elizabeth Richards Review

I won an advance copy from Goodreads giveaway.

I love the cover. It fits perfectly with the title. The cover reminds me of Catching Fire because of the fire on the feather. Amazing cover.

Phoenix is recommended to readers who like The Hunger Games. Phoenix has some similarities with The Hunger Games Trilogy, especially with Catching Fire.

This review does not have a spoiler section.

Synopsis:

"Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion."

Before Reading: I was debating whether or not to read this book. After all, Phoenix is the second book in this series. I decided to go for it, because there is a bigger chance for me to not read the first book. I did the same thing with Liar's Moon (no review of this book, unfortunately).

While Reading: "Phoenix sounds a lot like Hunger Games." "Interesting." "Whoo! Go Ash! Nice thinking there!" "What!?! Are you seriously that stupid? Ohhh..."

After Reading:

I have issues with this book. Maybe because I haven't read the first book. Or with the actions of the characters. Mostly the first, few latter.

Phoenix is an outstanding book with beautiful characters that explore betrayal, love, danger, threats, risk, and unrequited love. If you like Hunger Games, then this is the book for you. If you like paranormal books, then this is the book for you. Anyone who likes dystopian? Yep, this is the book for you.

A recap of the first book would had been useful. For many parts of the book, I was left utterly clueless. That was when I realized that I really need to read the first book. Unfortunately, my local libraries (public library, school library, classroom library) doesn't carry the first book. Oh well.

There were lots of similarities to Hunger Games (No review), Twilight (No review and I wouldn't dare to), and The Fault In Our Stars (review available). For example, Purian Rose sounds so similar to President Snow of The Hunger Games. "Rose" as in Purian Rose's last name may be related to President Snow's rose perfume. Purian Rose and President Snow have a noticeable amount of similar characteristic traits. (No, I will not list them). (I am happy about this, because I get to read doppelganger [in personality] President Snow die).

Ash, one of the main characters, is similar to Edward Cullen from Twilight. (soft groan) Ash is to Phoenix as Katniss Everdeen is to Catching Fire. Ash is, according to the ladies, hot and handsome. Unfortunately for them, he is engaged. *Evil laughter* And the symbol of the rebellion. (That is a huge bell to Katniss Everdeen, don't you think?) Ash is brave, smart, and hungry (you won't get it till you read the book). Ash is an amazing character. He has conflicts, both internal and external. The choices he makes will affect the world of Phoenix. I enjoyed reading his POV. He may not notice things easily, but he is adept at jumping to conclusions and piecing little information by little information. Ash is the character that readers would admire and love.

Natalie...I admire her courage, but she wasn't as impressive as Ash. I felt that Natalie was just a secondary character despite her importance. Her POV and character traits were not as interesting as Ash. Ash is gold. Natalie should be gold, too, but she is more like silver. Not that bad. Not that good. Just...somewhere in the middle. Natalie has doubts. She's often worried about herself and her love ones. I felt that Natalie was less confident than Ash. (Probably the reason why Ash is the Phoenix, not Natalie).

The weapon...is disappointing. It didn't even make an appearance. I was intrigued by the talk about the weapon, but was really disappointed when Ora didn't appear at all. Mentioned, several times in fact. But never seen or used by the rebels. See? Disappointing.

Elijah seemed to be a promising character. There were many ups and downs in the relationship between Natalie and Ash. However, I felt that Elijah was just there to make things interesting. I was exceptionally surprise by the actions of Elijah. It was surprising and so unpredictable. I liked it. It was a clever twist by the author. Elijah is a fascinating character who has a lot of depth and very well hidden secrets. He was open yet also hidden. 

The rebels...I felt that there were many similarities between the rebels of The Elite (there's a review) and rebels of The Hunger Games (no review) and the rebels of The Girl Of Fire and Thorns (no review). Every  group of rebels have a powerful purpose and a willing mind. They have a strong determination. The rebels of Phoenix are slightly different. They aren't as strong, but they have the same determination as the rest of them.

Again, Ms. Richards, a recap of the first book would be helpful. Really helpful for readers like me, who didn't read the first book.

The book's rating is a four out of five. 

Darker Still By Leanna Renee Hieber Review

"I was obsessed.

It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked--bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. Unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still."

Darker Still is a charming little book. It will captives readers everywhere with its crazy yet also logical sense of darkness and magic.

Natalie Stewart is a mute girl. She's a young girl full of hope and dreams. She wants to speak again but she can't because of the death of her mother. She's smart, quiet (obviously, she's mute, hello), and aware of her surroundings. She's a girl not to be underestimated. She's brave and wants to help people. She wants to save the innocent. (The girls are the innocent people in this book, Darker Still). Natalie is a wonderful character and narrator who will delight the young audience of Darker Still. And she is indeed obsessed with the painting of Lord Denbury. 

Jonathan... is awesome. I love how the author describes him. The author seriously has describe him in great detail. Almost to the tiny flaws. Jonathan is the strongest male character in Darker Still. He is fighting a battle with the devil. He's pretty strong according to Natalie's POV. He gets weaker throughout the book because the devil is doing horrible things with his body. Jonathan, by the way, is trapped inside a portrait. He has been split from his body. And the body has been hacked by the demon. 

The dialects are amazing. The way the character speak felt old in the eighteen hundreds way. I wish the author would put a little more efforts into the dialects. The dialects have to be there since this book is a historical fiction and young adult and paranormal fiction and supernatural. I love books with dialects because it makes the book seem a little more alive.

The writing is smooth. I love having Natalie Stewart as a narrator. She is an awesome narrator. Readers will love her. She is a wonderful character that will delight readers endlessly. I just wish that the book wasn't Natalie's diary. It would be much more interesting if it was just Natalie's view. Not just what she puts in her diary. Although, her voice in a diary is much more impressive. It's an interesting change compared to how other books narrative their story. It's similar to Meg Cabot's series, The Princess Diaries. The difference between The Princess Diaries and Darker Still is that The Princess Diaries has a lot more humor than Darker Still. Darker Still is more romantic and exciting than The Princess Diaries.

I like the ending of Darker Still. The author included some pages of police reports on the disappearance of Natalie Stewart. It was interesting to read what the police had thought of her and her mysterious disappearance. I found it rather entertaining and downright hilarious. Especially when the writer of the report includes his thoughts and feelings about the situation. 

The demon... I like what the author did to make readers like me hate the demon more and more. First of all, he robbed Jonathan's body. (That's is a big reason to hate the demon). Second of all, the demon is hurting the innocent. (The same people Natalie is protecting, yes). Third, the demon did something so foul to Natalie which makes readers hate him even more. (I think the demon likes being hated). 

Darker Still is an eyeopener to the world of the eighteen hundreds in New York City, New York. The author has done a good job in plugging in the variables of the characters. Example: Natalie's disability to talk, gender, and money. 

This book's rating is a four out of five. The next book is already out, I believe. 

Wings By E.D. Baker Review

"Theres always been something a little unusual about Tamisin. Her freckles look more like sparkles, and the full moon makes her want to dance. 

But nothing could have prepared her for the day when real, working fairy wings sprout from her back. At school theres a new guy named Jak, who seems to know something she doesn't. As her world get stranger by the minute, Tamisin finds out more about herself and the fairy world."

This book was recommended to me by a friend. By the looks of the cover, I wasn't really enthusiastic about reading Wings. By the description of the book, I wasn't very excited about it. The cover didn't really match the synopsis. Not a very good start.

The first chapter wasn't really impressive. I thought that it was slightly slow. The only thing that was interesting was the bumped into scene. However, the interesting line quickly falls back to slow and dry and simply boring. I was about to give up on the book.

I'm surprised by the reactions of secondary characters. They don't really seemed to be fazed by all that usually traits of Tamisin. I thought that there will be more of a reaction. I felt that E.D. Baker was too soft in some parts of the book. For example: when Tamisin revealed the wings to her parents, her parents just said (implied) that was normal for her and calmly told her that she was adopted. For humans, Tamisin would be locked up and in a lab where scientists take her every movement into record and poke her with needles and sticks. And cut off her wings.

Jak... I love his POV. I love how he sees the human world. It's so interesting. I love his ability to cope with his situations. He's so intelligent and according to the female characters, hot. I love the fact that his is highly underestimated. Jak is a true born leader, capable of leading troops into battle even though his family doubt that. 

The goblins make me laugh so much. They tease each other, even though they aren't that smart. Goblins have so much humor. And are quite selfish, but funny. Lots of humorous scenes with goblins in this book. Goblins are so cute and childish in a good way. Readers will laugh and chuckle merrily at these strange little creatures called goblins. They have a huge sense of 'we are the best, we are the smartest, blah, blah, blah.' Any parts of the book that mentions those senses are funny.

E. D. Baker has done a wonderful job describing the goblins. I can see them clearly as if I have the ability to see them myself. The writing really flows in the middle of the book. It was written very well in the end although some parts may be questioning.

I love those switching POVs. It's so useful in a book like this. Jak's POV totally helped me understand the fairy/goblin world much better.

Issue#1: Tamisin. How can she forget her parents that fast? For a girl who loves her parents very much, I would expect her to mention them at least once every chapter. Not never mention them at all. Need a little more logic here!

Issue#2: Tatiana. According to Shakespeare's poem, Tatiana is much more bitchy. Here she's so sweet and everything. All honey and sugar. I expected Tatiana to be more proud and 'I'm higher than all of you. I'm your queen, so shut up and pay attention to only me.' Instead she is portrayed as a queen with a good heart and little bitchy attitude. Definitely not her. 

Issue#3: Slow beginning.

This book's rating is a four out of five. Highly recommended to the Young Adult audience. 

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade Review

"After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea. 

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth."

Queen of the Dead is just wow. Not as good as If You Find Me, but better than most of the recent books I had been reading. 

Alona and Will are back in town! I'll keep this review short, so I'll do this numbers and words.

Positive:

1)Hilarious moments. Lots of them. It helps keeping the mood of the story light not dar.

2)Alona's feelings. So much LOL on her feelings. 

3)Will's feelings. I'm begging for them to just get together. But no... It can't be that way...yet. There is a book after Queen of the Dead.

4)Alona's personality. I love how the author manages to keep Alona's personality slightly the same. I love the  bitchiness of Alona. She's like the queen of the dead. Alona is much lighter...She's not as dark as before. But she is still as horrible. And much nicer than the first book, The Ghost and the Goth.

5)The plot. How the author wrote the plot was amazing. I love how these characters react to each other. And there's a sort of happy ending. Sort of.

6)Will's conflicts. Stacey Kade did a great job on Will. Will is trying to find answers. About the Order. About his dad. About his ability. Plus, he has that little, ahem, problem with Alona and her parents and her personality and her treasures. 

Negative:

1) The chemistry between Alona and Will. They need to get the move on. 

And that is about it. Really short review. Short and simple.

This book's rating is a four out of five.

The Daughters Take the Stage by Joanna Philbin

"The daughter of chart-topping pop star Holla Jones, stylish and sensitive Hudson Jones is on the brink of her own musical debut. Hudson has inherited her mother's talent, but she hasn't yet embraced Holla's love of the megawatt spotlight. Can Hudson find a way to perform that reflects her own low-key style? Or will Holla see to it that her only daughter becomes a pop music sensation?"

Side Note: The cover is amazing. I love the style of it. Markers and then realistic when close to the three girls. It's beautiful. I want to draw like that!

Okay... This book picks up where the last book, The Daughters Break the Rules (read my review), left off. 

Out of the three good girls in this book, I think I like Carina the most. Hudson is tied with Lizzie. 

As suspected, Hudson Jones has some issues with her mother. Her mother wants Hudson's career to be like her career. Holla Jones is demanding her daughter to change this, do that, love that, and sing that. Blah, blah, blah. A little similar to Lizzie's supermodel mother. 

Hudson wants to be free from her mother. She wants to do the things her way. Not her mother's way. But her mother is very aggressive and demanding. Her mother is controlling and a freak in many reader's eyes. Holla Jones is perhaps the most controlling mother I had ever read about.

This series seems to be following one major theme. DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. DON'T LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE.

In this book, The Daughters Take the Stage, readers will be captivated by the humor, the plot, and the writing. Readers will see how Hudson Jones deals with her mother. (How is quite interesting).

The Characters:

Lizzie: still doing modeling and a little trouble in paradise

Carina: much better relationship with the Jurg and Alex

Hudson: Up

Hillary: the stalker, yeah. Hillary has a good heart despite all that stalking. Lizzie and Carina call it stalking, I call it admiration that went a little over the top. Hillary is an excellent life coach, BTW.

Ben: the love interest. They don't get together in this book, unfortunately. (I was egging them on. But they never did).

Todd: Dad's in trouble.

Alex: Not so much about him.

Logan: possible love interest, but was eliminated. (Because he was a jerk. And a little creep. And a player. And a little too twisty.)

Aunt Jenny: WOW! I wish I could be like Jenny. A free agent. I wish I could be like that and I don't care about the negatives of being a free agent. 

The Good Parts...

The plot. The plot of The Daughters Take The Stage was amazing. I love the little twists and turns. They sometime surprise me. Other times I go "I knew it!"

The characters. Most of the characters were lovable. Especially Hudson and Ben.

The rule breakings. I love it when characters break the rules. I find it amusing to see the reactions of the authorities. Ex: Harry Potter in Hagrid's Hut after the curfew. Professor McGonagall was going all "Fifty Points" this and "Fifty Points" that. 

The Bad Parts...

The ending. I can't believe it has to end this way. Just wow.

This book is recommended to Young Adult readers. This book's rating is a four out of five. 

The Daughters Break the Rules by Joanna Philbin Review

Synopsis:

"Daughters Rule Number Six: Never talk to the press about your parents. 

After leaking a story about the family business, impetuous high school freshman Carina Jurgensen is cut off by her billionaire father. Always resourceful, she fibs her way into a job as a party planner for New York's annual Silver Snowflake Ball. But when Carina finds out that the party committee expects favors and freebies from her dad's A-list connections, a choice must be made: Does she get real about her downgraded status, or pretend she's still the ultimate heiress?

Best friends and fellow daughters of celebrities Lizzie Summers, Carina Jurgensen and Hudson Jones are back in Joanna Philbin's second stylish and heartfelt Daughters novel."

Yep, these spoiled kids are back. Even though I hate to say it, these girls, Carina and Lizzie and Hudson, are really spoiled. Rich parents. Flashy credit cards. Fourteen years old. Not a care in the world other than high school. And their controlling and demanding parents.

Despite all of that, I still love them. They are unbelievable. Funny, clever in some situations, stubborn, and smart.

Carina... She is a smart kid. However, I felt that the author rushed a little in this book. Carina can't break her bad habit of shopping for clothes that quickly. A bad habit like that is much harder to break. Carina is an amazing character. I love how she grows and matures. She is a complete one eighty degrees of what she was like. She used to figuratively burn money and clean out stores. Now she carefully spends money only on things that are necessary. This is a best character change of all of the four books of The Daughters series. Carina and her dad's relationship changed dramatically too. I love how the relationship becomes closer and closer as more secrets and stories are revealed. The actions of Carina can sometimes be a little reckless. I wonder if she ever thought of the consequences before she acts on her actions.

Alex... The way the author describes him is making him look better than Todd. (Todd from the previous book, The Daughters). He seems so much more mature than Todd. And wiser. And smarter than Todd. To me, he seems much more appealing than Todd. (Sorry, Todd). I love the little moments between Alex and Carina. They are so adorable together. During some moments of the book, I will be egging them on, but they don't. (Oh how disappointing). When they finally get together, the book ends suddenly. (Which brings to the first issue of this book).

The Jurg... I have to admit, the Jurg kind of reminds me of the father from 52 Reasons To Hate My Father by Jessica Brody. It's nice to see a similar character to my favorite character in 52 Reasons To Hate My Father. They both teach their daughters a life lesson. They both withhold money. They both indirectly/directly suggest their daughters to go to work. Anyway, the Jurg is a complex character who has a lot of depth and not quite shallow at first.

Lizzie... Thank Goodness! A little more about Lizzie. Ever since the surprising cutoff of the first book, The Daughters (check out my review), I have been wondering what will happen to them. (Todd and Lizzie will appear). More info on Lizzie: Lizzie and Carina have a BFF spat in this book. Yeah... A nasty one too. It was exciting to see how their relationship heal and not fall apart like a lot of BFF relationships. (Real like BFFs usually break off after two or three years.)

Hudson... Not much on her. Although I am curious on what will happen to her and her album.

The writing was full of humor. It flows very well like the first book. Books like these will appeal to the Young Adult Audience and Children Fiction. The words are not complicated. They are quite easy to understand; however, I wished Joanna Philbin used a little more vocabulary. It would be appreciated dearly. Many of us readers truly do need to expand our fancy vocabulary.

Issue #1: The sudden ending. I was shocked by how the author ends the book. Now she expects us to read the next one? WOW. I wished she gave us a warning.

Issue #2: A little more chemistry between Alex and Carina. The first time they met was NOT love at true sight. It could have been an opportunity to wow us with the physical traits of Alex.

Issue #3: Lizzie and Carina's relationship. Seriously. They fought because of that?

Issue #4: Carter. That is all.

This book's rating is a four out of five. (Next book is The Daughters Take The Stage)