Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer Review

"You're an alpha, a leader. That's what we need. It's what we've always needed. When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack and the boy she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure."

Wolfsbane is the second book of this series. The book after Nightshade. 

After reading Nightshade, Wolfsbane has higher expectations. Did Wolfsbane meet its expectations? 

Obviously, the answer isn't that simple. Yes, there are some parts that reach the expectation. No, other parts were not quite... brilliant.

Good:

The writing of Andrea Cremer is always amazing. It didn't really exceed expectations nor fail it. I wasn't really wowed by it. The plot was faired much better than the writing. Full of twist and turns, it will delight readers like you and me. 

Calla is a strong and leading character. She isn't as ignorant as she used to be, but still frustrating and annoying. Focus on your pack's safety, not your love triangle! I like how Calla grieves for her lost teammates, but she doesn't clutch hold to the past. Instead, she lets go of it, refusing to stay behind like some other main characters. Calla is a little too obsessed into her little own world and the situation between Ren and Shay, and needs to focus on other people. Be like Tris from Divergent. 

Shay is the awesome love interest of Calla. I like how protective he was of her throughout the series so far. He's the lone wolf, but is truly an alpha inside. I want more of Ren and Shay moments!

Bad:

The ending was terrible. The cliffhanger left off at on a off-pitch tune. If I write a book, I would have pick a much better ending.

Too many people died. It's like half of the Searchers died. Too much like an Harry Potter death scene. Save the blood for the last battle.

Shay has a hidden weapon. Why don't you search for it right away? Don't wait for your pack. Search for those three pieces.

Rating: Three out of five.

Velvet by Mary Hooper Review

"Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry's work is back-breaking and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet's very life is in danger ...A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much loved historical writer for teens."

Ugh! To tell you the truth, Velvet was fair. Not so good, but not so bad. Yes, there were some good parts. Yes, there were some bad parts. It's so-so. Okay.  

The cover of Velvet is nice. I love the background. 

Velvet isn't on my recommended list. The synopsis and cover were screaming 'Read this book. Read me. Please read me.' Velvet didn't reach my standards. However I did learn some things about 'psychics'. The secrets of psychics revealed by Velvet and some other characters were fascinating and amazing. Those secrets are quite clever and sad. It's sad how false psychics can play some cheap trips and get a lot of money from their rich clients. It's so sad.

Velvet was a short read. Velvet should only be read if one is really bored out of their minds. It took me about two hours to finish Velvet.

The good part...

The writing. Velvet was easily understood. I found it interesting that the author, Mary Hooper, used some seventeen/eighteen century terms. Those old fashion words mad Velvet seem more alive. It made Velvet real. I am there with Velvet in every part of her story. It was a strong element of Velvet.

Deception. The deception of the villains in Velvet was beautiful. It was surprising and shocking. I had to reread that entire chapter because I was so stunned by the deception and hidden traps. 

Charlie and George. Two brilliant characters, even though Charlie doesn't appear that often. George, crazier and more money hungry than Charlie. 

The private meetings of Madame's clients. The side subplots of the story. It's so interesting to read about the deception in it. 

The bad part...

The plot. It's not exactly anywhere near The Hunger Games or Grave Mercy, but it was still good. I felt that there wasn't enough twists and turns. The plot was sometimes slow and annoying. I felt that some of the events were a little too slow. I mean, the plot was just a little bit behind.

Velvet, the character. I was so disappointed in her. Velvet or Kitty was a bit slow. I typically wouldn't say blonde, but she is close to being called a dumb blonde. (She's not blonde though). Everything, the cheap tricks and the fake feelings, were obvious. She is so blind to not see it. I felt that Velvet mostly relied on luck and chance. It was by chance that she was born into the world of Velvet.

Rating: Three out of Five

Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse Review

"Legacy Kore is an average seventeen year old with your basic insane crush on the hottest guy in school... rather Adin Shepard was the hottest guy in school before he graduated a couple of weeks ago. Now it’s summer vacation and she’s not sure when she’ll get to see him again. Until he shows up at her surprise seventeenth birthday party. Cue saliva glands--it’s time to drool.

But her giddiness is cut short when her guardian delivers an emotional blow, telling Legacy her mother hadn’t died when she was baby, but that she’d left for Legacy’s protection all those years ago. After the initial shock, she expects some story about how her mother was in the Witness Protection Program or something else just as crazy, but when she’s told that her mother is a Greek Goddess and that Legacy is changing into one too, she thinks her guardian needs a trip to a mental hospital. Legacy a goddess? Um, yeah. Right. And her BFF is the Easter Bunny.

While trying to make sense out of something that was impossible to believe, Adin asks Legacy out on a date. She is thrilled that her fantasy might become a reality, but when she meets the new guy in town, River, she discovers everything isn’t always as it seems, and the legacy she wants just might not be the legacy she is destined to have."

Let me guess. You didn't read the synopsis. Wait a minute, I'm slightly incorrect. You don't know what is the synopsis. (It's the paragraph above.) Most people are too lazy to read a very short paragraph about this size (This paragraph size).

My thoughts before reading: "Oooo! A book to read before the next book in the Percy Jackson Timeline comes out!" and "Greek Gods and Goddess? Sign me up!" and "I love Greek mythology. I'm definitely reading this book."

My thoughts during reading: "What? That is weird." and "Huh? I'm confused" and "What the freak? Myths said way different things."

The plot was good. I felt that everything was quick and easily understood. There isn't much of a love triangle, thankfully, but there is a slight chance that there may be one. (Oh, boy. Trouble is brewing by M.W. Muse. Let's hope the next book isn't going to be a love triangle.)

The writing needs to be edited a little more. There is a lot of grammar errors.

Characters:

Legacy. She's basically trying to find the villain. She's playing cat and mouse with a certain evil person who happens to be someone's mom.

Adin... Odd. Adin will have readers guessing who he really is. Hint: He's supposed to be matched with Aphrodite. She's the goddess of love and beauty. It will be a tough one for Legacy to defeat. How can she fight against love and beauty?

River... Who is he? Hint: He is a minor character in the myths. The myth involves Poseidon, Athena, and Perseus.

Rating: Three out of five

The Kill Order By James Dashner Review

"The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.

Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.

Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.

Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive."

After reading The Maze Runner series over a year ago, it's an understatement to say that I completely and totally understand The Kill Order. Truthfully, I didn't understand many parts until a dim light bulb goes on in my head.

The Kill Order was much more interesting than The Maze Runner. It was not as good however. The reason I like The Kill Order is because we finally find out what was truly behind the Flare. The background book. The prequel. It has the same amount of pages as The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, and The Death Cure.

It is also sad and strong. Most of the characters in the Kill Order are dead before The Maze Runner, assuming the survivor survived. (Want a hint? Go to the Spoiler Section of this review. Think before you look.)

The prologue was amazing. Teresa's POV freaked me out. I can't believe that she is so into WICKED. Wow. She wasn't kidding when she said, "WICKED is good." Teresa's POV was entertaining and straightforward. It's perhaps the most straightforward part of The Kill Order. It was easy to understand. Teresa is wicked. (Thomas was there.)

The main plot was told from Mark's POV. It tells of a story of a young boy forced to undergo a journey full of unknown. (Not as unknown as Thomas's journey in the Scorch Trials or The Death Cure). He finds courage and truth as the plot unfolds. He fights for his life and other lives. He believes full heartedly in the cure that will be found. He seeks the cure and then realized the truth behind the Flare and the Cranks. He finds the hidden. 

The epilogue was amazing. We get to see Thomas's removal from his mother. We see how his name was created. We see the beginning of Thomas's journey. This is why this book is only the prequel.

Characters:

Teresa... Only in the beginning. I really like her. I felt she was like Talia al Ghul. Except the part that Ra's al Ghul is WICKED.
Mark... He's desperate for survival. He fell hard when he found out he had the Flare. He loves Trina and for most of the book, he searches for traces of her. He wants to find the cure. (Duh.) Mark was a sweet boy in the beginning. As the events unfold, we see Mark become more and more Cranky. (Ha ha). In the end, we see a huge character change. He becomes a cold killer and a good murderer. He's an expert at survival in the end. 

Trina... She doesn't do really much in The Kill Order. It's evident that Mark loves Trina. Trina loves Mark as revealed in the flashbacks. She's more of an object the main character wants or is more of the goal the main character needs to pass. 

Alec... An ex-soldier. He's intelligent. Smart (I know I'm repeating this stuff). Wise. A sage. Athletic. And gun smart. He is like a mentor to Mark. Obviously, he dies in the end. He had the Flare like Mark and Trina, unfortunately. 

Deedee... A minor character who affects the path of the main character. She's around five years old. That's all I am going to say about Deedee. 


SPOILERS


1) Everybody dies except for Thomas and Deedee. Again, assuming Deedee didn't die. 

2) Most of the characters have the Flare.


END SPOILERS


Rating of The Kill Order: Three out of Five.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum Review

"Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed."

Wow... What an interesting read. Not the best one, but an interesting one. I found Insignia much more entertaining.

Revolution 19... The robots call it Revolution 19. Revolution 18 and Revolution 19 are the two revolutions that happen in the book along with an unknown revolution. Every "rebellion" of the humans/freeman are given a name. Revolution 19 is Kevin, Nick, and Cass along with several other important characters from the robot City.

I was a little unpleased that the rebellion didn't really start until halfway through the book. Good authors should have good sense to start the hot stuff before the halfway line of the book. Unfortunately, many authors are not like that.

The plot was rather interesting. There was enough twist and turns to interest readers. It's easy to get bored though. Mr. Rosenblum's writing was clear, but if he had describe the robots in more details, Revolution 19 would have been a bit better.

The Ending: It has to end like this! Don't read this book until the second book comes out!

Characters:

Nick... Out of the three major characters, Nick is the smartest one. He was smart enough and brave enough to venture into the Lion's Den to find his parents and friends, but mostly his parents. His reactions were quite understandable. Nick was slightly reckless, but he know his limits quite well unlike a certain other character, who is also his younger brother. Nick is blind on his left side. His eye was later healed by the robots when they gave him a new eye to replace the old one. (So that is most likely Nick on the cover. Either that or some robot, which I highly doubt). Nick is a character who is easily understandable.

Cass... The second smartest of the trio and Nick's adoptive sister. She's fourteen and was only a baby in the prologue and when her parents sadly died because of robots. She's adopted by Nick's parents and rarely mentions her birth parents. Cass is very athletic and intelligent. She, in my opinion, is a better character than Nick.

Kevin...The dumbest of the three and Nick's younger brother. Kevin is quite foolish and young. So he has a good excuse to be dumb and foolish. Every time he does something outrageous, I shake my head and click my tongue.

Lexi... Seriously!?! Are really that bored!?! Someone needs to talk some sense into this girl! You did all this because you are bored!

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

The Daughters Join the Party by Joanna Philbin

"They didn't ask for fame. They were born with it.In the third Daughters novel, The Daughters Take the Stage, Hudson found her own place in "the family business," aka: show business. Now, for the first time, readers will meet Emma Conway, daughter of a powerful New York State Senator. 

Emma has never fit into the sweater-set-wearing world of her political family, opting for purple hair and Chuck Taylors to keep herself out of countless photo ops, but when she accidentally lets her father's presidential plans slip on national television, Emma finds herself thrown into the spotlight. Facing pressure to be the perfect First Daughter-in-training, Emma must learn to speak up for herself and for what she believes in. Thankfully, she has her new friends and fellow daughters - Lizzie, Carina, and Hudson - to help her along the way."

This book was a huge disappointment and a success. Why?

Issue #1: I felt that Joanna Philbin was simply recycling old plots. This book just felt similar to The Daughters.

Issue #2: I don't get it. The ending. So...Is there going to be another book or what? I hate books like these.

Issue #3: Really? A fourteen/fifteen years old drinking? I don't think that is a good example for our young audience.

Issue #4: The characters...For the first book, the characters were exciting. People you just want to explore and dig. The second book was fascinating. It goes in more detail. The third book was like "We got that figure out so yeah go on." Now this book, The Daughters Join the Party, is just annoying.

Issue #5: Recycled Personality. I really want to see different characters not characters with different names.

The good parts were the:

Positive Side: Humor. I love the humor in this book. This book makes you laugh in different places. It really gets readers to be more emotional.

Positive Side #2: The speeches. WOW! I love Emma's speech. They are so beautiful. They come from the heart and readers can really see that. She is so open and like a free spirit. Unfortunately other characters don't like that.

Positive Side #3: Emma's character, the exception to Issue #4. I really love Emma. Out of the four girls, I love Emma the most. She is badass. She doesn't listen to adults. She doesn't pay attention to the rules. She speaks her mind (even though that causes a lot of problems.) She is kind, thoughtful (sometimes), and intelligent. Readers everywhere will love Emma.

Positive Side #4: The love interest. I love how the author describes him. It just makes him and Emma even more adorable.

Positive Side #5: The conflicts at home. Emma's brother has a lot of problems. He's stressed out. He is pushed by peer pressure. It was taking a toll on Emma's life. I like how the author uses that as a variable in the book.

This book's rating is a three out of five. Not bad. I wish I didn't read the few books before this one.