Review: Come Back to Me by Mila Grey

Come Back to Me
(Come Back to Me #1)
by Mila Gray
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Publication Date: December 8th 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9781481439657
Genre: New Adult Fiction
Source: Edelweiss

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In this heart-wrenching tale of love and loss, a young Marine and his best friend’s sister plunge into a forbidden love affair while he’s home on leave.

When a Marine Chaplain knocks on her door, Jessa’s heart breaks—someone she loves is dead. Killed in action, but is it Riley or Kit? Her brother or her boyfriend…

Three months earlier, Marine Kit Ryan finds himself back home on leave and dangerously drawn to his best friend Riley’s sister, Jessa—the one girl he can’t have. Exhausted from fighting his feelings, Kit finally gives in, and Jessa isn’t strong enough to resist diving headfirst into a passionate relationship.

But what was just supposed to be a summer romance develops into something far greater than either of them expected. Jessa’s finally found the man of her dreams and Kit’s finally discovered there’s someone he’d sacrifice everything for.

When it’s time for Kit to redeploy, neither one is ready to say goodbye. Jessa vows to wait for him and Kit promises to come home to her. No matter what.

But as Jessa stands waiting for the Marine Chaplain to break her heart, she can’t help but feel that Kit has broken his promise…

Riley or Kit? Kit or Riley? Her brother or her boyfriend? Who’s coming home to her? (Goodreads)

When I first discovered Come Back to Me by Mila Grey, (Sarah Alderson), I knew I would have to read the book. Not only because I've really enjoyed the New Adult genre lately, but also because it's a book from Sarah Alderson, whose book The Sound really won me over when I read it last year. I was super excited to read something new by her, and I ended up absolutely adoring Come Back to Me.

Jessa and Kit have known each other for years, with Kit being Jessa's brothers best friend, they naturally because close friends as well. But as the years have gone by, their simple friendship has turned into secret crushes, which explodes into passionate and intense summer romance that blossoms into something so much more than either Kit nor Jess expected. And when leave is over, and Kit is again on deployment, tragedy strikes, and it's epic and threatens to tear their newly found relationship completely apart.

Seriously, this book gave me ALL THE FEELS. As I mentioned above, the relationship between Kit and Jessa, once discovered, was extremely intense and passionate. This book definitely did not lack in the sexy-times department, and boy were there a lot of them. But along with the romantic feels, this book brought up so many other feelings as well. I laughed and giggled along with Kit and Jessa and some of the situations they went through. I cringed when I thought their secret affair was about to be exposed. My heart broke in two when tragedy strikes and leaves everyone completely shell-shocked. I totally mean it when I say the book gave me all the feels. It totally did, and I LOVE books that do this. Also, the storyline for the book was completely engrossing and I totally adored a lot of the secondary characters in the story as well.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed Come Back to Me. I absolutely need the second book in this series, This Is One Moment, which is Jessa's friend Didi's story, in my life as soon as humanly possible, because I just know that it's going to be great as well!

Happy Reading!

Audiobook Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Audiobook)

Just Listen
by Sarah Dessen
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Publication Date: June 2012 (Reissue)
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 371
ISBN: 9780142410974
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Realistic Fiction
Source: Own

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Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.

This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.

Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends. (Goodreads)

I've had Just Listen on my to-read list for a really long time now, and when I decided to read ALL of the Sarah Dessen books I own this year, this was the one I absolutely couldn't wait to start. The book had been sitting on my shelves, just waiting for me to read it, and I finally did, although I ended up listening to the audiobook instead of actually reading my finished copy. Regardless, I loved this book so much!

There are so many characters in this story that I absolutely love. The main character, Annabel, was such an awesome young lady, and has a really great family as well. Their lives were far from perfect, but they worked so well together to help each other through the problems, and I love, love, love this so much. Her parents were great, as were her sisters. Of course, each of them were quirky in their own way, but I loved them all even more for it.

One of my most loved characters in the book for me, I'd had to say, was Owen Armstrong. I've read quite a few Sarah Dessen books, and I almost always fall in love with the hero of the story, but Owen is different, and I really think that he's my most favorite of Dessen's main men up to this point.

It's not only the characters that I love in the story, however, but I loved the storyline as well. While the book was a really great read, it also has a really great message as well, one that I hope young girls will read and remember. I've already given my girls a copy of this book to read, and I can wait until they do so that we can discuss the book together!

As I mentioned above, I listened to the audio book for Just Listen, and I absolutely loved the narrator. Jennifer Ikeda did a wonderful job with the narrating and voices in this story, and I was pleased to discover that she also narrated audio books like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, the All Souls series by Deborah Harkness, The Ring and the Crown by Melissa De La Cruz, and many, many more! I'm really looking forward to listening to more by her in the near future; she was great!

Overall; I think Just Listen has become one of my most favorite Dessen books EVER, and that's saying a lot because I really love ALL of Sarah's books. But this one really made an impact with me, and I'm now going to force everyone I know to read it. Now I only have four more books to read by Dessen and I will have read her whole collection! These books are great, check them out sometime!!

Review: Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Dangerous Lies
by Becca Fitzpatrick
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Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781481424912
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery/Thriller
Source: Edelweiss

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A teen is forced to make a fresh start after witnessing a violent crime—but love and danger find her anyway in this novel from Becca Fitzpatrick, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hush, Hush saga.

Stella Gordon is not her real name. Thunder Basin, Nebraska, is not her real home. This is not her real life.

After witnessing a lethal crime, Stella Gordon is sent to the middle of nowhere for her own safety before she testifies against the man she saw kill her mother’s drug dealer.

But Stella was about to start her senior year with the boyfriend she loves. How can she be pulled away from the only life she knows and expected to start a new one in Nebraska? Stella chafes at her protection and is rude to everyone she meets. She’s not planning on staying long, so why be friendly? Then she meets Chet Falconer and it becomes harder to keep her guard up, even as her guilt about having to lie to him grows.

As Stella starts to feel safer, the real threat to her life increases—because her enemies are actually closer than she thinks… (Goodreads)

I was super curious about Dangerous Lies the moment it passed my radar. I have been a fan of Becca Fitzpatrick's books since I first started reading young adult books. Her Hush Hush series is one of the first YA series I read way back when, and I'm always interested in reading something new by the authors initially made me fall in love with the genre.

After witnessing the murder of her mother's drug dealer, Stella Gordon is forced into the Witness Protection Program to ensure her safety, in exchange for her testimony. Being thrown into a small town, given a new name, and starting her life completely over is not how Stella had planned to spend her senior year of high school, and she has no plans to stay in Thunder Basin, Nebraska any longer than she absolutely has to. Then she meets Chet, a local boy who's hard to resist, and everything changes.

To be honest, Stella wasn't the easiest character to like in the beginning of the book. Given her situation and all that she had been through, it was understandable, but it drove me crazy that she was willing to risk her life and safety for what she left behind. Luckily, she did change throughout the story, and she definitely grew on me over time. There were some secondary characters in the book that I really enjoyed, two being Carmina, Stella's guardian, and Chet, the local boy who also had a troubling past, but was also pretty swoon-worthy.  And with the good characters come the bad, and there were more than enough bad people in the book that you're really going to dislike.

The storyline for the book was very mysterious and thrilling. I read the bulk of the book in just a day, and I was pretty engrossed in the story as it went along; the pages just seemed to fly by. I was kind of worried that I wouldn't like the book when I first started reading it, as I had some issues with Fitzpatrick's previous book, Black Ice, but I did enjoy the story, and now I want to read more from her ASAP!

Overall; I really enjoyed Dangerous Lies more than I expected to. The mysterious storyline kept me guessing and had me on the edge of my seat at times, and I was really engrossed in the story! I can't wait to read more by Fitzpatrick in the future!

Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian
by Andy Weir
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Publication Date: February 11th 2014
Publisher: Crown
Pages: 369
ISBN: 9780804139021
Genre: Adult Fiction | Sci-Fi
Source: Library

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Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? (Goodreads)

To be honest, when I first picked up The Martian by Andy Weir, I didn't really think I would be interested in the book at all. But, the husband wanted to see the movie, and I just can't see a movie without reading the book first, in most cases. So, I picked up The Martian at the library, and a little begrudgingly started the book. However, the more I turned the pages, the more I became completely obsessed with this book!

Mark Watney not only had a brilliant mind, but he was funny as hell too. I loved how he came up with solutions for all the different problems he faced throughout the story, and while some didn't exactly work the way he expected them to, he always found a way to make things work.  Also, he had the absolute best sense of humor; he was just an all around fun guy, and it was impossible not to love him. I was rooting for him the whole time!

I'm not a huge fan of science-fiction books, but I do read some every now and then, and always find them entertaining. Same goes for The Martian. While a lot of the scientific stuff throughout the story went completely over my head, I still managed to keep up with the storyline, and was completely engrossed throughout. Now I'm even more excited to see the movie with the hubby, hopefully before it is out of the theater!

Overall; I totally did not expect to like The Martian as much as I did. The reviews don't lie, it really is a good read.  I'm so glad I worked it into my reading schedule, and I've added Andy Weir to my list of authors to keep my eye out for! I'd love to read something by him again in the near future.

Review: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Hotel Ruby
by Suzanne Young
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Publication Date: November 3rd 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781481423007
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery/Thriller
Source: Edelweiss

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Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby. (Goodreads)

Hotel Ruby is the first book I've read by author Suzanne Young, although I've had a few of her other books on my to-be-read list for a while now. I was super excited to finally read something by her! I'm not going to lie, the first thing that drew me to the book was the absolutely gorgeous cover, and then I read the summary and I was even more intrigued about Hotel Ruby.

After the death of her mother, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are being sent to live with their grandmother for the summer by their grief-stricken father. Along the way, they stop at the Hotel Ruby, a beautiful yet mysterious hotel that's full of beautiful guest and luxurious accommodations. But something about the place just isn't right, and the more Audrey starts to wonder, the more she realizes that things aren't exactly what they seem at Hotel Ruby.

The characters in the story were very interesting, and each for different reasons. You couldn't help but sympathize with Audrey for her loss, of not only her mother, but of the life as she knew it as well. It was her curiosity, as well as her rebelliousness, that really made her stand out in the story. There were a lot of secondary characters in the story as well who were interesting, one in particular being Elias, who was definitely a bit swoon-worthy.

The storyline for the book was very mysterious, and while I guessed some of what was happening pretty early on in the story, there were still a lot of twists and turns throughout that really surprised me. Especially at the end! Also this book was a very quick read. At only 288 pages, I read this in just a few hours time!

Overall, Hotel Ruby was a quick, mysterious read that kept me guessing as I turned the pages. I enjoyed reading the book, and now I'm even more excited to read more by Mrs. Young in the future!

Review: Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Ten Thousand Skies Above You
(Firebird #2)
by Claudia Gray
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Publication Date: November 3rd 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062278999
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi
Source: Edelweiss

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Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book. (Goodreads)

Ten Thousand Skies Above You is the second book in the Firebird series by the amazing Claudia Gray. The moment I finished A Thousand Pieces of You, I knew Ten Thousand Skies Above You would be one of my most anticipated reads for 2015. I absolutely couldn't wait to get started on this book and get back into this awesome world that Gray created. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect once I started reading the book, and I worried that it wouldn't compare to the first book that I loved so very much. Thankfully, I worried for nothing. This book was great!!

In Ten Thousand Skies Above You, we follow Marguerite as she jumps through the multiverse trying to save Paul, whose soul has been 'splintered' and scattered throughout multiple dimensions. Marguerite is willing to do anything to save Paul, even when it means being forced to do things that she really doesn't want to do for the enemy that she hates. And with every jump into a new dimension, Marguerite starts to question everything she thought was right in her world.

I love so many characters in this series. Marguerite is such a very strong character, willing to take all the risks and do whatever she needs to do for the ones she loves. Paul, who I have loved since the first book, is almost perfection, and it was interesting to see him so differently, yet so much the same, in all the different dimensions that Marguerite visited. We also get to see different versions of Marguerite's parents, sister, and Theo, all of who I loved in the first book. It was interesting to see how completely different they were, yet still so much the same as well, in each dimension.

Can I just take a moment here to say how completely perfect Marguerite and Paul are together? Seriously, they are definitely one of my most favorite couples of all time, and I'm so totally in love with Paul. Just had to get that out there, in case you couldn't tell from my random gushing. Wink.

The storyline for the book follows along nicely with its predecessor, and kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation throughout most of the story. I loved the setting for the story, with all of the different alternate dimensions and how completely different they were from each other. I also enjoyed reading the flashback parts that were included in the story as well, especially when one character I love the most was sadly absent throughout most of the story. This allowed him to still be included in the story, and I loved that. The book ends with a pretty big cliffhanger ending, one that has me in much anticipation for the third book in the series to see what in the world is going to happen next!!

Overall; Ten Thousand Skies Above you was definitely worth the wait, and now that I've read the book, it's definitely one of my favorites of 2015! I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book and final book in the series, which currently has no release date, but will hopefully be next year! I must know what will happen next for Marguerite. If you've not yet checked out this series, PLEASE DO SO!

Review: Soundless by Richelle Mead

Soundless
by Richelle Mead
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Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781595147639
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: First To Read

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From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever... (Goodreads)

As soon as I heard about Richelle Mead's Soundless, I knew I would have to check the book out. I've read all of Mead's Vampire Academy series, as well as the first book in the Bloodlines series, and really enjoyed those books. I was really looking forward to reading something new by her, especially when I discovered that it was about Chinese folklore. I was definitely intrigued!

Fei was a very, very interesting main character. She came from a village where everyone was deaf, and where most people were rapidly losing their vision. Due to the precarious conditions of the mountain around her village, it was only reachable via zipline, and supplies were limited and were spread thin throughout. When Fei is awoken one night with the ability to hear, she knew things in her life were about to change, and not for the better. With the help of her newly acquired hearing, and an unlikely partner, she sets out on a journey to get her village the help it so desperately needs, but soon discovers that things are not at all what she expected.

I really, really enjoyed the storyline for the book. I had never  before heard of the folklore that it was based on, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I also really enjoyed the writing style for the book. Since everyone in Fei's village was deaf, they all communicated through sign language, and Mead did a great job of reflecting that in the writing in the story. It was really interesting to read it this way, and even though I thought I would, I didn't have a hard time keeping up with who was speaking throughout the story. It was really interesting.

Overall; I found Soundless to be a very quick, enjoyable read. It was nice to read something by Mead that wasn't vampire related, even though I really enjoyed those books as well. I'm super excited for Mead's next series, The Glittering Court, that was just announced last week and due to release in 2016!! It sounds awesome, so add it, and Soundless, to your to-be-read list today!!

Review: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Ice Like Fire
(Snow Like Ashes #2)
by Sara Raasch
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Publication Date: October 13th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 479
ISBN: 9780062286956
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss/Own

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It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world. (Goodreads)

I read Snow Like Ashes last year, and really, really enjoyed the uniqueness of the story. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Ice Like Fire, even though I worried that the sequel would not be nearly as good as the first book. Well, it totally was!! I enjoyed this book just as much as, if not more than, Snow Like Ashes!! It definitely did not disappoint!

All the familiar characters that we knew from the first book are back in this sequel, along with a lot of new, interesting characters as well. I still imagine Meira as a young Xena: Warrior Princess, with her chakram and her fierceness, but there's also a new side of her in the book, the side that must act like the queen that she is. It was interesting to see this different side to Meira, as she was so fierce in the first book, but, I'm thrilled to say that she's a really awesome queen as well.

There are so many secondary characters that I love in this series. There are really too many to mention, but my list has grown as we are introduced to some new characters as the story goes along. It's hard not to totally love some of these characters.  But, there are also some character that you will really, really dislike, but who are also very well written.

Like the previous book, it really felt like there wasn't a dull moment when reading this story. There was so much action and suspense in the storyline, it really kept me on my toes wondering what would happen next. And again, the setting for the book was so unique; Raasch did a wonderful job with her descriptions. I could visualize the world she created perfectly in my mind, and they were so awesome!!

Overall; I really did not expect to enjoy Ice Like Fire more than Snow Like Ashes, but I totally did! I loved being back in world Raasch created, with its unique setting and awesome characters. I absolutely can't wait to get my hands on the third book in the series, which is set to be published in 2016!! If you've not yet check out this series, I definitely suggest that you add them to your reading list!

Review: First & Then by Emma Mills

First & Then
by Emma Mills
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Publication Date: October 13th 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781627792356
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: For Review

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Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself. (Goodreads)

As soon as I discovered First & Then by Emma Mills, I knew I had to read this book. It is described as Pride & Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights, which happens to be two of my most favorite things. I have to admit, my curiosity was piqued, as I really love Jane Austen, and football, so I knew this book would make for an excellent read. AND IT DID!!

There were so many characters that I loved in the story, and all for different reasons. I found the main character, Devon, to be very likable, and I love how much she loved football, even if it was just to watch her best friend/crush play under the Friday night lights. Foster, Devon's cousin, is one of those characters that you just can't help but love, because he grows on you more and more throughout the story. And then there's Ezra, who is the strong and silent, yet somewhat awkward type, who is so much like Mr. Darcy, I instantly fell in love with him. These three characters really are the highlight of the book, and it made me love it so much more.

I am becoming a big fan of retellings of my favorite books lately, as I love seeing a book I loved retold in a different light, with a different persons perspective. And honestly, there just aren't enough Jane Austen retellings in my life. I adore Jane Austen, and Pride & Prejudice just happens to be my favorite read of hers. I really love how much influence Austen has in this book. I was hooked, and I read this book in just a few hours time.

Overall; I really love contemporary novels, and when you pair them with Jane Austen, you just can’t lose! First & Then was such a fun read! I loved the characters and the setting, and pretty much everything else about this book. I will definitely be checking out more books by Emma Mills in the future!!

Review & Giveaway: A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond

A Song for Ella Grey
by David Almond
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Publication Date: October 13th 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9780553533590
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Retelling
Source: For Review

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"I'm the one who's left behind. I'm the one to tell the tale. I knew them both...knew how they lived and how they died."

Claire is Ella Grey's best friend. She's there when the whirlwind arrives on the scene: catapulted into a North East landscape of gutted shipyards; of high arched bridges and ancient collapsed mines. She witnesses a love so dramatic it is as if her best friend has been captured and taken from her. But the loss of her friend to the arms of Orpheus is nothing compared to the loss she feels when Ella is taken from the world. This is her story - as she bears witness to a love so complete; so sure, that not even death can prove final. (Goodreads)

I have to admit, I was very intrigued when I was first invited to read A Song for Ella Grey. I've never read the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, though I'd seen it referenced in a few books before, and I've always been curious. As far as I know, there aren't many retellings of the myth out in the YA genre, so  I was even more excited to check this out!

The narrator of this story is Claire, Ella Grey's best friend. While we are reading the words from Claire's point of view, she feels more like a secondary character than a main character. Ella Grey and Orpheus are the stars in this book, and Claire is their storyteller. Getting to know these characters was a very interesting experience, they were all so captivating and mysterious.

I really enjoyed the writing style for the novel. It has a lovely lyrical feel to it, and I found the writing to be very beautiful. While I don't know much about the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, I was able to follow along with the retelling very well, and now I'm even more curious to check out the myth as well.

Overall; I can't say I've read many books like A Song for Ella Grey, but I really enjoyed reading the story David Almond created. I'm definitely going to check out the original myth now, as soon as I possibly can. I'm super excited to check it out as well!

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Review & Giveaway: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Hey guys!!

Today I'm participating in the blog tour for
Illuminae
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff!!

Scroll down to check out my review for this awesome book,
and then enter the giveaway to win a copy for yourself!!

And stop by Jay's Website and check out the of the rest of the stops on this tour!!

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Illuminae
(The Illuminae Files #1)
by Amie Kaufman (Website | Twitter | Facebook)
& Jay Kristoff (Website | Twitter | Facebook)

Publication Date: October 20th 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 608
ISBN: 9780553499117
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Dystopia
Source: Publisher

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This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. (Goodreads)

When I first discovered Illuminae, I knew I'd have to read the book as soon as possible. Not only did  the summary sound pretty awesome, but the book is co-written by Amie Kaufman, whose Starbound series I really adore, and I was super excited to read something new by her. I'm new to Jay Kristoff's writing, so I didn't know what to expect from putting these two authors together in this book, but the story I got was completely captivating and totally engrossing. I really enjoyed it!

I have to say I really, really loved the characters in this story. Kady was such a great main character; I loved how snarky and sarcastic she was, and I found her very relatable. The girl did what she had to do to survive, and you can't fault her for that at all. She got the job done. Ezra is pretty awesome as well, and I loved the interactions between him and Kady throughout the story. There are also some great secondary characters in the story as well.

I really enjoyed the storyline for the book. It reminded me a lot of The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey, and I think fans of that series will really enjoy this one as well! While the book starts off with a bang, it gets a little slow towards the middle as we start to learn more information and back-story. The last half of the book, however, is full of action and tons of suspense. I was definitely sitting on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what was going to happen next!

I also really liked that instead of the story being told from a characters point of view, it is told through different formats; emails, instant messages, interviews, etc. I thought it was really interesting to read the book this way, as SO much more information was included than we'd normally get from just one character's POV.

Overall; I really enjoyed reading Illuminae!! I'm super curious for the next two books in the series, as I'm pretty excited to see what's going to happen next as the series goes along. If you're a fan of sci-fi, or just a fan of awesome stories in general, I highly recommend you check out Illuminae!!

Happy Reading!

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Review: This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

This Monstrous Thing
by Mackenzi Lee
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Publication Date: September 22nd 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062382771
Genre: Young Adult | Retelling | Sci-Fi
Source: Edelweiss

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In 1818 Geneva, men built with clockwork parts live hidden away from society, cared for only by illegal mechanics called Shadow Boys. Two years ago, Shadow Boy Alasdair Finch’s life shattered to bits.

His brother, Oliver—dead.

His sweetheart, Mary—gone.

His chance to break free of Geneva—lost.

Heart-broken and desperate, Alasdair does the unthinkable: He brings Oliver back from the dead.

But putting back together a broken life is more difficult than mending bones and adding clockwork pieces. Oliver returns more monster than man, and Alasdair’s horror further damages the already troubled relationship.

Then comes the publication of Frankenstein and the city intensifies its search for Shadow Boys, aiming to discover the real life doctor and his monster. Alasdair finds refuge with his idol, the brilliant Dr. Geisler, who may offer him a way to escape the dangerous present and his guilt-ridden past, but at a horrible price only Oliver can pay… (Goodreads)

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee is a fantastically unique retelling of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I can't say that I've read many Frankenstein retelling's up to this point, if any, so I was very excited going into this book. I was definitely not disappointed by the book, and it was a great book to read this month, with Halloween right around the corner!

The main character in the story is Alasdair, a boy who seems to have lost everything, and in his grief proves that he is so much smarter than he seems. Oh, this poor boy. So many things happen to Alasdair throughout the course of this book. I just wanted to jump in the book and give him a great big hug. But, even when everything seemed to go wrong for him, he still proved to be a really strong character, and he was so well written; it was impossible not to like him.

Alasdair was not the only well written character in the story, as there were others that I found myself liking as well, like his brother, Oliver, as well as another girl we meet in the story, Clémence. But while there are some characters you're really going to like, there are a few you're really going to dislike as well. I'm not going to spill the beans on who, so go meet them for yourself!

While the storyline for the book is set around Frankenstein and the time period within, the book also manages to have a complete unique story all on its own as well. The author did a really great job with researching the book beforehand, and I appreciated that so much information not only about Frankenstein, but also about Mary Shelley, was included in the story. It definitely made the book an interesting read.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed This Monstrous Thing so much. It really made for such a great book to read with Halloween coming up, but it's also a great book to read any time of the year! Mackenzi Lee is definitely on my radar now, and I can't wait to read more from her soon!

Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet
by Mindy McGinnis
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Publication Date: October 6th 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062320865
Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Mystery-Thriller
Source: Edelweiss

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Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us. (Goodreads)

A Madness So Discreet is the very first book I've read by the super talented Mindy McGinnis, although I've had her previous books, Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust on my to-be-read list for quite a while now. Not only did the story sound awesome, but the cover is just absolutely stunning. I was super excited to finally read something by McGinnis, as I'd heard nothing but good things about her books. I definitely was not disappointed with this book!

The main character in the story is Grace, a young girl who holds too many secrets, and one in particular that lands her in an insane asylum. But Grace is not insane; not even close. Instead she is super smart, is given the opportunity to prove so when she is discovered by a doctor who is visiting the asylum. I found Grace to be a very interesting and unique character. You couldn't help but love her for all the things that she has been through in her young life, and the more these secrets come out as the story goes along, the more you will grow to love her.

Not only is Grace a great character, but there are so many other wonderful characters in the story that you will grow attached to. Of course, there will be some that you will absolutely hate with a passion, but the ones that you will love will completely overwhelm you with how awesome they are.  There are almost too many to mention, so go read the book and meet them for yourself!

The storyline for the book was quite addictive and completely engrossing. I didn't really know what to expect when I first started the book, and I found myself surprised by the direction the book takes. At first, the storyline had one sort of feel to it, then it took a turn and had a completely different feel to it. I enjoyed that McGinnis kept me guessing as I turned the pages.

I really loved the historical parts of the book, although some things were completely terrifying. Like the face that it only took a male family member and a judge to determine that a woman was 'insane', and therefore could be locked away for the rest of her life. So. Not. Cool. And then there are the asylums that were mentioned in the stories, one in which was absolutely horrible. I can't even imagine a place like that existing, although, sadly, I'm sure it did during this time period.

Overall; A Madness So Discreet has it all; a great storyline, wonderful characters, and a stunningly gorgeous cover. I'm so glad I added this book to my collection, and now I'm pretty excited to read more by McGinnis as soon as possible!!