Review: Charade by Nyrae Dawn

Charade by Nyrae Dawn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book 5 stars for a number of reasons.

It's real and touching in many ways. There are in fact girls that I know that would do like Cheyenne and hire someone to pretend to be their boyfriend for revenge, although not likely with the same heartbreaking results. Also, the simple fact that love is love and we all yearn for it and these characters show it so freakin' well. Their losses and pasts lead not to weak characters but to rather strong ones, who grow and develop nicely through the book, although at times they act a little phsycik(?).

All of that adds up to making it a four star book, because certainly there are the drawbacks that make it down a bit, like how, even out of desperate situations, there was nothing that really brought the characters together. And personally, I don't rate so much on the romance itself, as to how well it was portrayed.

That final star is gained by two parts of the book at the beginning and end. The first is a quote, the first paragraph of the second chapter where Colt talks about being with his dying mother.

Dying people have a distinct smell to them. Even people who have months to go. It's an almost old smell that clings to their skin. Which is gross as hell, but when it's someone you love, you don't think about how disgusting it is, but how much it fucking sucks.

I have read plenty of books where a character of importance (in some way at least) is dying from some disease slowly and painfully, even though you only often get the last portion of their life, the worst one. And the way these are portrayed very in how well they are. I used to think myself that it was a fact that death sucked so every story that made that true was a good one. That is not fact. There are small things that make the slowly dying characters realistic. Like how the people around them try to keep them going and give up their own wishes for that single person, or how they all ask for something to go with them. Those and many other things are shown very well in this story...

I am a cryer, when I read well written emotional books/scenes. If a book can make me cry for at least 3 pages or I have to stop for a second because there are too many tears to see through, that makes the book an automatic 5 star.

OH THE FEELS!!!!!

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Review: Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford

Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finding great romance books that aren't practically porn is becoming more and more difficult. It was during my search for good new romance books to read that I came across Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford, a book I read in one sitting.

The story follow Chase Walker, a 17 year old boy who, after his fathers death, becomes mixed up in alchol and such, going from a star athlete to a party boy in a matter of days. When his mother Tori finally became sick of it and moved them to live with his grandparents he met Nikki, someone who saw through his guise to the broken boy underneath... And someone who refused to date football players because the star quarterback messed up.

It's at this point your probably think that this is the typical boy-meets-girl-girl-plays-hard-to-get-and-they-live-happily-ever-after type story, but you'd be wrong!

Sure, Nikki plays hard to get because Chase was a jerk to her at first, but like all good romance's he wore her down until she went on a date with him. Sure, everything was hunky dory for a while. It doesn't mean that in real life it'll stay that way forever though and so it didn't. Even as both Nikki and Chase helped each other overcome their pasts and move on, there was still that dark shadow in the back that whispered it would return to wreak havoc again in their lives.

That was part 1 of the book in a nutshell, and even though it was the biggest part of the book, taking up about two thirds of it, it still held nothing on the second part.

Part 2 of Chasing Nikki is where the worst, most heartwrenching moments of the story come to play. At first it might seem that, of course they'll live happily ever after, they always do. There's one big diffence with this story though. It takes the most predictable plotline ever, the one that you want to see come through, and twists it so fast that you have worse whiplash than Nikki and although the need to quit reading may be strong, the need to see them to the end is stronger.

Told in a way that keeps you reading till the very last moment with eager anticipation, Chasing Nikki is a book that will warm your heart and crush your soul. You will laugh and cry in the best and worst ways possible. A definite must read.

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Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While reading this review, keep in mind that I wrote it for a Journalism class, so it had to be written and formatted in a certain way.
     When new books comes to the stores many people flock to them, often forgetting about the slightly older books that may be better stories. One of the best of these is The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.
     The story follows a girl named Meghan Chase who, in a desperate attempt to save her younger brother who’d been replaced with a changeling, enters the realm of Faerie (the Nevernever) only to find more than she intended. The poisonous iron fey, bred from the technological imaginations of humans and bent on taking over Faerie.
     With the new take on faeries, Kagawa created a story unlike any other using Shakespeare’s King Oberon and Robin “Puck” Goodfellow as well as newer fey such as the half-faerie Meghan Chase. The often used dry humor and romance broke down the book from being merely a story about a girl trying to rescue her brother against hostile fey into a story with great heart and amazing characters.
     Meghan Chase, the half faerie, half human protagonist is first seen in the story as her father just disappeared into a pond, never to be seen again. That initial set up for the mystery aspect of the story gives background to Meghan and pulls the reader in right away.
     Though Meghan may not have the most depth of any character in the series, having one of the shortest lives to develop, but is still very easy to connect with as she acts with care for those around her.
     Ash, the prince of the Unseelie court, with his dark demeanor and cold attitude is possibly the best character of all of them. His part in the story is crafted in such a manner that, after only a couple of brief encounters with him to start off the book, you fall in love with him just as fast as Meghan.
     No good story can go without comic relief in some form, and the form of this comic relief comes in Puck, the right hand of Oberon and the mischief maker, and Grimalkin, the faerie cat. Puck’s snarky banter between the other characters combined with the obvious care he feels for Meghan, having watched over her most of her life, creates a character made to be remembered.
     All to be said on the matter of Grimalkin is that his dry wit and concern mostly for himself or what he wants as he leads Meghan, Ash, and Puck through the Nevernever set a nice change in pace from the deeper goings on of the others.
     All in all, when combining the original plotline with originality of the beautifully written characters, The Iron King comes out to be a great 4.5 star read worth mentioning to other readers.
     The Iron King was published by Harlequin Teen and totals at 363 pages.


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Review: Jailbirds by Samantha Steele

Format: ebook (.pdf)
Pages: 180
A few months ago, Zac committed his second murder to save a girl he thinks he loves. His mother refuses to bail him out, so he spends the months before his trial locked in a prison cell. At first, the guards feel sorry for him, but after a fight with his cellmate, Zac is put in solitary confinement. 

Enter Blaise, the Soul Searcher. Introduce The War, the Ghost Boy, the Signs, and most notably the Corrupted.

And Zac finds his calling.

Samantha will die.

If only the human justice system would get out of his way.
Summary from Goodreads


   This is what I'm talking about!
   Continuing the story from Teenagers this book takes us through Zac's life well incarcerated. Although the characters may be the same the take on them from Zac's point of view changes how they seem a little bit. It makes their personalities seem slightly different and make's Zac himself seem a little more... deep? I guess that'd be the word for him. You're able to see why he's a little shy. He himself is a well written character though the other's are a little less so leaving you to wonder a bit about them (though there is a whole section of the story where it's from all of his friends points of view).
   Though I like this book, to be honest, the trials seemed to drag a little bit and switching between perspectives so much gave me mental whiplash. There is a point in almost every book/ series that just has that kind of boring moment in it where it's dominantly description. Avoiding that in a book that mainly takes place in prison, well, that's practically impossible. I like how this Jailbirds seemed to show the other half of the story that your wondering about in Teenagers. This one definitely had more supernatural in it but if you don't pay attention to a few of the little details some things might not make very much sense. Personally, I love everything the paranormal or supernatural in it and this book has a slight mention of how all of the gods from different beliefs and religions live together as the "Divine" with those who appose them as the "Corrupted", or evil. I liked the story itself quite a bit (though I highly doubt that Jesus [Christian] and Pagans would be on the same side do to the conflicting beliefs). The story was great for the most part with just a few little things that seemed to take ways from it.
    Not only was this well written (for the most part) but it was a great story itself. With the occasional hiccup here and there in the book (Zac's overly fast change in personality and the equally abrupt ending), this is a story I would recommend to someone who like's paranormal YA books and who doesn't mind a little swearing here and there.

Review: Teenagers by Samantha Steele

All her life, Samantha has felt a little awkward, like she belonged somewhere else - certainly not the cold blue mountains of Alaska. Her feelings are confirmed when a Ghost tells her a little story about her past and who she really is: a Sign.

But the Palace is in danger, and its leader must know the story that Samantha has forgotten. The story about Zac and the high school Samantha attended. This is that story; this is the beginning.


Review from Goodreads

The Characters:
The protagonist of the book, Samantha "Sam", wasn't fairly well written in the sense that you could tell her what emotions were and, most the time, why she felt the way she did... most the time. Her personality on the other hand made her seem shallow though not conceited and there were some parts in the story that had me confused about her personality. Jacob, the main protagonist of the story, had a very visible personality, he was either bipolar or a psychopath, and I go for the latter option. Though his point of view occurred only a handful of times they provided great insight into his mind making it easier to understand his actions. The love interest Zac was okay but not that great. Same goes for all the friends with the exception of the secondary love interest Mitchell, who I absolutely adored and was by far the best written character. Overall the characters were okay but not amazing.

The Setting:
I kept forgetting it was Alaska. What does that say? If it wasn't for the title and a brief mention here and there I would have totally spaced it out because it wasn't really described, or if it was I missed it because it was probably in the middle of a lag in the book. The setting wasn't really that great in description but was okay for the story.

The Story:
Now I get to both the best and worst part. Yes, the story was really nice. No, I couldn't keep track of where it was at times. By that I mean that at the start it seemed like a paranormal fantasy, by the middle it was a romance, and toward the end it was a mesh of murder, mystery, drama, and a little bit paranormal fantasy making me wonder which is it supposed to be. I liked the story line though even if it was a little hard to follow. The book is written primarily as a flashback through... someone's mind via paranormal/ Harry Potter like ways, but veers from that a little since "flashback" stories are usually written from one point of view.


Overall, this book was "nice" and "okay" because the story, characters, and setting fit together nicely although they weren't that great themselves. It doesn't make it to my top favorite's list but isn't the worst book I've ever read.

Review: Sacred by Farrah Naseem

Sacred by Farrah Naseem
Pages: n/a
Format: ebook

When Sasha Stryker meets Ariston Kavanagh, she is entranced by his good looks but mystified by his odd behavior. After all, he keeps asking her how she sees him while standing right in front of her. Yet, she can't deny the strange and powerful attraction she feels for him.

Then she discovers a terrifying, heartbreaking truth about him when she is attacked by a lioness one night! To her utter bewilderment, her savior is a white tiger that morphs into the last person she wants to be indebted to. This encounter shatters her notion of the world as she knows it and her love affair comes to a crashing halt when all the facts come to light.

Just as she is trying to cope with her new reality, nocturnal creatures called Friaries try to kidnap her for their own nefarious purpose.

Summary from Amazon

Sacred. What more is there to say when the title says it all?

The characters.
Sasha was a very well written character who I could easily connect with and understand. Actually, she's a lot like me with being a "Potterhead" and over all geek. Since the whole book is from her point of view it's very good that she relatable. Ariston, the love interest was almost as well written save a few small things, like how it's practically instant love for him which doesn't fit with the fact that he is very obviously a complex/ complicated character. Other than that though (and maybe something else but it was so small I forget it now) he was by far my favorite character, cause, what hot, sensible, kind character can't be though. Although most of them were very well written I felt that Connor just... wasn't. He was a little hard to connect to because you don't necessarily understand why he feels the way he does for Sasha. He was likable and heroic but wasn't necessarily that amazing because it seems as though he does what he does only for Sasha's sake and, though romantic, it makes him seem a little self concerned. You also don't find out who the true antagonist is until practically the end of the book and I don't plan on spoiling who.
Overall the characters are nice, fairly well described, and relatable.

The Story.
I was very lost at the beginning of Sacred because it started with a flashback, a very long-before-the-story-began type flashback. Which isn't bad at all because it raised questions I wanted, needed, answered which was a big boost to keep me reading. The synopsis only covered the very beginning of the book (the first chapter) and the very end with a big blank in the middle, which annoyed me slightly but did not effect the book in any way whatsoever. The story line was very easy to follow even though it wasn't immediately evident. The story itself was intriguing, exciting, and had the perfect blend of romance, action, and suspense, the three things I mainly look for in a Young Adult book. They must be put together correctly like ingredients in a cookie and like the cookie, if mixed/ combined wrong, it could possibly ruin the whole thing.
Overall, the story was magnificent

The Writing.
Though descriptive, a few parts of the story tended to jump around a bit. For example, in chapter one it jumps from how Sasha looks to why she is such a "geek". As I said to start with the writing is very descriptive which makes up for the the jumpiness of the writing a little and enhances how much you yourself can imagine/ visualize of the story in your mind. Typo's and misspellings were few and far apart as were grammatical errors, both of which are the two things that irk me the most in books, and sentences were fluidly written.
There were a few things in how it was written that knocked points off the story but overall it was written nicely and in style.

All three combined makes for a great story that had fewer problems than quite a few of the books I'v read recently.

Review: ARC Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Wings of the Wicked by: Courtney Allison Moulton
Pages: 384
Format: ARC Paperback
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined. Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven's warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell's strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night. She's been warned. Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information of Bastian's new plan to destroy Ellie's soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of them, the revelations of those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything - including herself. She'll be betrayed. Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be Hell to pay.
Summary from Amazon

*WARNING SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW*

   When I finished the Wings of the Wicked ARC about a month and a half ago and it was my favorite book of all time and it still is now. Having read over 15 books since then, that is a great thing to accomplish... especially since I usually have no specific favorite book. WoW had everything- romance, laughter, and moments where you are bawling your eyes out and want tear the book in half for doing "that" to you but you can't cause then you wouldn't know the end.
   WoW starts off with a battle between Ellie and Will and some Demonic Reapers setting the perfect scene to introduce two of the new characters, Ava, who at first seems just to be a *ahem* bitch at first, and Marcus, who is easy to love and a comic relief throughout the book. I really liked Marcus's character but Ava just didn't appeal to me that much, even though she was very well written (I guess it's really a matter of opinion and what you find appealing in a character). The story-line of WoW is easy to see with major twists and turns every so often just to keep it interesting, but never enough to really confuse you which is great.
   The ending is really something to shock someone and leaves a definite cliff hanger, which is a great lead in for the next book. I am waiting on the edge of my seat (bed) for the next book to come out. Over all WoW was a magnificent read and very well written. Perfect for anyone who loves a Young Adult novel that has lots of action and romance weaved beautifully/ artfully throughout it.

NOTE: I started writing this a while ago (ie the end of Janruary) but some family troubles came up. I apologize for not having had had it up in time.

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Remembrance by Michelle Madow
Pages: 314
Format: eBook
Inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video ...

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

Summary from Amazon

NOTE: Before you continue, if you have returned to my blog hoping to see a review of Matched, Halo, COB or VA... this isn't it and I apologize for not yet having those up yet. ALSO THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS (depending on your view)!

   Now, I've been hearing of this for a couple months and just bought it yesterday to read for fun... but where is the fun in not reviewing it. I mean honestly, when there's a good book like this it must be reviewed. I thought this wouldn't actually be all that great but I loved being proved wrong. 

   One thing that is always important to have in a great book is an amazing hook. From the first sentence in the Preface I was hooked to this book. "It was at the Halloween dance that I got my first glimpse of my past life." That sentence alone says so much about Remembrance. If the first page of a book sucks it's likely the reader will not be happy or in the feel of the book, if you understand what I'm saying. There were some parts in this book that I just wanted to close it, or really just leave my computer, but right after those parts there was something to keep me reading. I don't normally like ANYTHING that is even linked to history, even in the smallest bit, but this shows some of the upside... even though there isn't any actual history in it, the brief glimpses of the past have their appeal.
   Lizzie at times appears to be a strong character but sometimes I wondered if there was anything to her really. I can tell she is not a very shy character but she's not exactly... I don't know, open. But I do look forward to reading Vengeance when I'm able to, to see if any characters have developed more.

Brittany B.

Review: Breathe by Abbi Glines

Breathe by Abbi Glines

Pages: 219
Format: eBook

   Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

   When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.   Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationship's never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.

Summary for Abbi Glines blog

   So this was my favorite book in 2 months for about 2 weeks I think. And that is saying something because I usually read 3-5 books a week and they don't stay my favorite in their period of time for very long. Even now parts of it are stuck in my head. I think their stuck with super glue actually.
   From the beginning I was trapped in these pixilated pages. Abbi Glines style of writing seems... unique to me. Though the writing was very formal (which sorta tried to kill my love for this book but came nowhere near succeeding) I loved Abbi's choice in words for almost everything. There definitely were some cheesy parts in this but I am a total cheesy moment fanatic so it was not as much of a bother to me as it might be to som- most people. The songs that were included were great, if still including a little cheesiness. 
   As Sadie starts working at the huge mansion on private island... well it sorta says what's going to happen in itself. 

Girl + Hot Famous and/or Rich Guy = Lovely, Cheesy Romance

That's pretty much it when it comes to her intro into the book. The rest is pretty predictable but that does not mean I don't love it. I mean, it's rare you get to read a book like this, in a good way, very often because they are just... usually not published. From what I here the print edition has some of the "cheesier parts" taken out and/or changed so I am definitely looking forward to that.

   So back to the review of this edition/format. As Sadie's love story unravels, you get experience the dream romance every girl has at least once in her life. Everything in Breathe is written how quite a few, more stubborn, girls might think. I say stubborn because that is the only word that can describe how Sadie is to me... that or humble I guess. 

   Have you read Breathe? What's your take on this quirky little story? Maybe little is not the word for it to some people but it fits for me. Tell me in the comments... or not. You know, do what you please. :P

Brittany B.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Pages: 293
Format: Paperback


It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

Summary from Goodreads


   The Goddess Test. I have totally been wanting to read this for, like, two months. It sounded like it would be amazing, and you know what? It totally was! 
   Kate's six month journey took me three days (not my personal best by far) to follow and enjoy. Though to me some things were a little predictable Aimee Carter knew exactly how to keep me and all the other readers on the edge of our seats. Or in my case bed. Knowing that this has the Greek gods in it was what made some things a little predictable but, hey, even I was slightly... okay, very confused at the end. Not for bad reasons it's just when Kate was being told about how she did on the test, I got a little confuddled. Now onto the official review.
   Very well written, The Goddess Test is the best book I have read in the past two weeks (which is more books than one might think). Though some things are a little predictable to me, to most people this book will keep you guessing. There is not one thing I would ever suggest changing in The Goddess Test.  Everything in this book screamed "DONT STOP READING!!!" love, love, love it.

Brittany B.

Review: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 619
Format: Paperback


Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human. 

Summary from Barnes&Noble

   Wow. All I can say is wow. I had first picked up this book because I loved the Twilight Saga so, after reading those 4 times each, I wanted something new by Stephenie Meyer. Long behold this book came up in my google search.
   With some determination this was the longest book I had finished in a two day period. Yes, two days. The book starts off from one of the invading "parasite's" (aka aliens) point of view. It seems like a wierd way to start the book but it was great because it showed, however little, how the "souls" think. After that the book switched to Wanderer's point of view after she was placed into Melanie Strider's body. Melanie has to fight to stay alive with the Wanderer sharing her mind too and having complete control over Melanie's body. When they set off to find Melanie's little brother and her boyfriend off in the Arizona desert. That is really where the book picks up ('bout 4 chapter's into the book I think) and where their hardships really begin too. 
   I really loved how The Host was written. This book is nothing like twilight for many reasons.


1) There was no love triangle, because technically it was two  people sharing one body liking to separate guys (is that's confusing, well, I don't really know how to explain it better). Okay, maybe a slight love triangle. :P
2) The main character, or was it characters, I guess, is strong physically and mentally. And
3) this book takes place in sunny, hot Arizona whereas Twilight is in rainy Forks, Washington.


It was really refreshing.
   I am not a person who likes books that can be classified as Science Fiction. Actually, I hate Science Fiction, and will only read it if it's really, really good and my family (e.g. my brother, who also doesn't prefer it) says that that book is a great read. Also, I'll read it if it's can barely be classified as Sci-Fi as was the case with this book. This review really can't be doing The Host any justice but, hey, this is the best I can give it. 
   Very well written and beautifully told I would recommend this book to even the most stubborn Sci-Fi reader or someone who hates the Twilight Saga even.


Read the review on Goodreads

Brittany B.

Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Pages: 464
Format: Hard Cover

First there are nightmares.

Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Summary from Barnes&Noble

   When I first saw Angelfire I didn't actually pick it up because the title had screamed at me. No,I picked it up because I saw an awesome sword but, hey, after I read the summary I realized that I had gotten a great read. The first page had me entranced. I mean, the first page was really nothing special but to me, being able to get into the teenage mind with such ease is an accomplishment that kept me going.
   Angelfire may start off a little slow... oh wait, she spots Will right after she leaves school in the 1st chapter. After that the story really begins with Ellie learning from Will (after giving up on avoiding him) that she is the Preliator, destined to destroy the Reapers who kill humans and send their souls to Hell. As Ellie comes to accept this, Courty Allison Moulton writes out the rest Angelfire amazingly making a beautifully written first book in the Angelfire Trilogy. Amazing!

Read the Review on Goodreads.

Brittany B.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Pages: 487
Format: Hard Cover


In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
Summary From barnesandnoble.com


     When I first heard about this book I was immediately intrigued. After reading the first 100 pages online I went to buy it and was hooked after I begun to officially read it. After six hours I finished Divergent (which it was approximately three am when I finished).
     In Divergent 16 year old Beatrice "Tris" Prior lives in a futuristic Chicago where the city is divided into 5 factions, Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Dauntless (the brave). When Tris leaves her family for the faction of the Dauntless she is thrust into a world where bravery has been twisted from something helpful and good, into something harsh and brutal. During initiation Tris learns that there is more at stake than people learning that she is a Divergent. Erudite is secretly planning war on Abnegation and are planning than use the Dauntless to do it.
     With Dystopian books becoming a growing trend among teens, like me, Divergent is an amazing example of the theme. I love this book and, though it was written a little formally, it was very well written. In the first chapter the book starts off a little slow but picks up quite quickly and has a strong and well written story line. On the edge of "seat" from the time Tris enters the Dauntless faction to the very and of the book and I loved every second of it. With the romance between Tris and Four (and the obvious lack of a love triangle, which I love) not being the main part of the book it made the action seem a whole lot better. This is definitely a must read for young adults and fans of The Hunger Games.


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Brittany B.