Review: Unleashed (Uninvited #2) by Sophie Jordan

Book Title: Unleashed
Author: Sophie Jordan
Published Date: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Series: Book 2 in Uninvited duology
Book Link: Goodreads
Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads
Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson’s Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she’ll be ruled by the kill gene or if she’ll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn’t even know if she can trust herself.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from a fellow blogger.

Review
I really loved the first book in this duology, Uninvited. It was unique and captivating and I enjoyed all of the characters. So I was excited to see where book 2 would go.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in the end of a series. Even Allegiant by Veronica Roth didn’t bug me this badly. It felt like I was starting a whole new series or even like it was a trilogy and I had skipped book 2.

I liked Davy and Sean a lot, so when we pick up the book and they are already emotionally distant from each other, I was confused. I wondered what the heck was going on. It was weird. Like I said, it felt like a whole different series.

I liked seeing Sabine and Gil again and that was one of the reasons, I was annoyed when I kept reading and they were barely in the rest of the book. It was infuriating. I really wanted more of them and it was annoying realizing that it was probably not going to happen. These people were there for her when she was feeling so much like an outcast. They were supposed to be her “family” and yet, she ditched them.

The majority of the book was all about her falling in love with Caden. Snooze-fast. That was a major case of insta-love and I never really warmed up to Caden. She pretty much forgot about Sean, Gil and Sabine because of Caden. God, I hate that story arc. I also hate what that says to young girls. It basically says that they should forget all about their friends because a hot, mysterious boy showed them attention.

I hated the ending of the book. I was hoping for something different, a better resolution. Something that would change me from feeling indifferent to feeling excited and happy about the book. But that didn’t happen. I was hoping for some kind of reunion with her whole family. This series duology was near perfect with only one book. It should have stayed a standalone. I am giving it 2 stars. It was really disappointing to me and I had to force myself to keep reading it.

Review: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman

Book Title: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke

Author: Anne Blankman

Published Date: April 21st, 2015

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Genre: YA Historical

Series: Book Two in Prisoner of Night and Fog series

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:
I was worried that this book wouldn’t deliver as amazingly as the first one did. I had loved the first book so much and I think I had Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke up on a pedestal. While Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke wasn’t as amazing as its predecessor, I still enjoyed it a lot. Blankman has this ability to weave a tale with gorgeous writing and filled with characters that people will love.

Gretchen and Daniel have been able to live a different life for the past seventeen months. Gretchen has been living with the Whitestone family, and she’s found love, acceptance and kindness with them. They know her story, they know Daniel’s story and they support their relationship.

Everything changes when Daniel is accused of murder. Suddenly Gretchen and Daniel’s quiet life is turned upside down. Now they must find out who actually killed Fraulein Junger and why they framed Daniel for it. Gretchen suspects Hitler and his cronies, but finding out the truth will test her and Daniel’s relationship in ways that neither of them ever expected.

The first half of the book was a bit difficult for me to get into, despite the storytelling and the lush descriptions being so fabulous. I was happy to be back in this fascinating world, but for some reason it took me awhile to fall back in love with this story. By the time the second half of the book began, I was falling back in love with it. The second half seemed much stronger than the first half, and I think it’s because more stuff was going on.

I still absolutely adore Gretchen and Daniel. They were my favorite bookish couple in 2014 and as of right now they are in contention for my favorite bookish couple of 2015 as well. Their strength as a couple improved as did their individual stories. We actually got more of Daniel’s story in this book, which really excited me. In Prisoner of Night and Fog, we didn’t get as much of Daniel’s story as much as I wanted.

I did enjoy this book a lot, but I didn’t love it as much as I loved the first book. I do recommend this boo to anyone who is fascinated by the Hitler era like I am. I am giving this book 4 stars, and I will read anything Blankman writes. She’s got a flair for vivid storytelling and complicated and interesting characters.

Review: The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1) by Jodi Meadows

Book Title: The Orphan Queen

Author: Jodi Meadows

Published Date: March 10th, 2015

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book One in The Orphan Queen duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.

She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.

She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.

She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others

Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.

Disclaimer: I borrowed this book from a fellow blogger.

Review:

My number one goal this year is to read more YA Fantasy novels. I’ve read a few already this year, and was excited to read this one as well. This was to be my first Jodi Meadows book, and I fell in love with the cover, long before I cracked open the book. I was nervous because so many people loved it. I really didn’t want to be the black sheep.

It started off on the slow side, and I was nervous once again. I was so afraid that it wouldn’t pick up. I knew I had to allow for the story to be set up before I totally ruled against this book. Normally, I’m not patient, but for this book, I was curious enough to keep reading despite the slow pace in the beginning.

I liked Wil immediately. She was a total badass and I loved seeing that. I loved seeing her commitment to her people, I was quite jealous of her fighting talents. It would be totally awesome to have that kind of talent.

I never trusted Melanie. She always seemed to be hiding something, and she didn’t seem all that loyal to Wil, which pissed me off. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends? I constantly questioned her actions, especially towards the end of the book. To me, it was clear where her loyalty lay and that drove me insane. I was irrationally furious with Melanie by the time the book finished.

Oh Black Knife. SWOON! I seem to have a thing for the “darker” characters in fantasy novels. It’s definitely strange, but Black Knife was mysterious, sexy and captivating. He was actually quite a surprise as I didn’t expect to fall for him quite as hard as I actually did. Well played Jodi, well played. I cannot wait to see more of him in the next book.

The world building just got better and better as the book went on. In fantasy novels, the world building can make or break a book, and in this case, it definitely positively enhanced the book. I kept wanting to know more and more about this world that Wil, Melanie, Black Knife and the others were in, and that right there, is awesome.

There’s a freaking cliffhanger that will probably kill you like it almost killed me.

I’m so glad I got to read this book. It was so good, and I’m thrilled that I pre-ordered it last month. So I’ll have a shiny finished copy on my shelves this week. I am giving it 4.5 stars. I wish I could give it the full five stars, but the slow start moved it down a half star. Aside from the slow start, I’m telling you all to go read it ASAP.

Review: The Cellar (The Cellar #1) by Natasha Preston

Book Title: The Cellar 

Author: Natasha Preston

Published Date: March 1st, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA Contemporary

Series: Book One in The Cellar duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nothing ever happens in the town of Long Thorpe – that is, until sixteen-year-old Summer Robinson disappears without a trace. No family or police investigation can track her down. Spending months inside the cellar of her kidnapper with several other girls, Summer learns of Colin’s abusive past, and his thoughts of his victims being his family…his perfect, pure flowers. But flowers can’t survive long cut off from the sun, and time is running out….

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

I was sure I’d love this book. It looked like it was straight out of a script from Law and Order: SVU. I looove crime shows, always have.  So I was excited about this book from the start. Plus the cover was perfect.

Unfortunately this book bored the heck out of me. I couldn’t get into it. I normally love the creepy books, but this psychopath was anything but exciting and interesting. In fact his supposed reasons for murder, rape & kidnapping were so overdone, I was bored. He did all this crappy stuff to protect women from the dangers of the real world. He wanted to keep girls pure, and that’s why he kept girls in his cellar, and named them after flowers.

His mom had been cheated on, and so Clover/Colin, whatever the hell he was called, felt the need to murder the “other women” His mother loved flowers so that was another reason why he named them Lily, Violet, Rose & Poppy. He considered them “his family” His perfect, pure and whole family. It didn’t matter to him that Summer/Lily came from a loving family. What mattered was that she was “allowed” to walk alone in the dark at night.

Summer herself was exasperating. I could not understand why she thought it was a good idea to walk alone in the dark. I was pissed at her boyfriend for not insisting that he come with her. Of course I’m not blaming her for what happened to her, and I’m also not blaming Lewis, her boyfriend. 

The pacing was very jerky. Sometimes it would be intense and mildly fascinating, and other times it was boring and uninteresting. I wasn’t excited about picking it up, and in fact I got really excited when I got to put it down. The editing was pretty crappy, and if I had to see one more exclamation point, I was going to scream. The author used an abundance of them, usually when it was completely pointless.

I was hoping for a creepy, bone chilling, thrilling ride. What I got was a predictable story with unlikeable characters and a jerky plot. I’ll be giving this book 2 stars, and I will not be reading the next book. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Review: Welcome to the Dark House (Welcome to the Dark House #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Title: Welcome to the Dark House

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Published Date: July 22nd, 2014

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: YA Horror

Series: Book One in Welcome to the Dark House duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Disney Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Now this is how you do a horror book. 

I probably enjoyed it even more than I would have originally, because I read it in the dead of night. It was so creepy and I couldn’t put it down. I was up until nearly 4am because I had to know what happened and I had to know how it ended. After finishing it, I found out that it was book one of a duology, so YAY. I cannot wait to go back into this story next year. It’s gonna be a long wait.

It started off normally enough, with us meeting Ivy, Parker, Shayla, Natalie, Garth, Frankie, and there’s a 7th contestant, Taylor, who we don’t see much of in this book. I am definitely hoping we see more of her in book 2 because I think she has a lot to add to the story. The book is split up into six different POV’s and I was worried that I would have difficulty following the individual stories, and I did at first, but it wore off quickly.

Things start getting creepy that night and it only continues into the next day as they arrive at an abandoned amusement park. A whole lot of stuff goes down, and it’s truly scary stuff, I mean I had nightmares after I finished the book because of the stuff that happens in the amusement park.

Oh let’s not forget Nightmare Elf, hands down the scariest part of the book for me. It made me think of what would happen if you mixed The Elf on the Shelf with Chucky, and that was enough to give me massive goosebumps while I read this book. The Nightmare Elf visited me in my nightmares after I finished the book.

I have to admit, I love being scared in books, so I was really glad I read this book. I am seriously excited for book 2, and it’s definitely going to be a long wait, especially given the cliffhanger that this book ended in. It was a near perfect read for me, and I’m giving it 4.5 stars. If you like the Horror genre, I would definitely recommend this book. If you are easily scared, I’d avoid this book.

Review: If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman

Book Title: If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

Author: Gayle Forman

Published Date: April 2nd, 2009

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Genre: YA Contemporary

Series: Book 1 in If I Stay duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

Oh boy, this book has been so hyped up recently due to the movie that is coming out very soon. I’ve watched the movie trailer about half a bazillion times and I knew I wanted to read the book first to decide if I really want to see the movie. I liked the book overall, but I didn’t love it the way I wanted to.

Normally I don’t like the lyrical writing style, but in this book it was effectively used and I found myself really liking the writing style. It was beautifully written throughout the entire book, which really made me happy. Beautiful writing both excites me and scares me because sometimes the writing is beautiful in order to cover up a book that is not very interesting overall. Yet it can also be a tool used to draw the reader right into the world of the book that’s being read.

I craved just a little more character development. It was decent but it wasn’t amazing like I was hoping it would be. Mia’s character development overall was stronger than Adam’s which bummed me out. I wanted to know more about Adam, but I really didn’t get what I wanted. With Mia, we knew what made her tick, who she spent most of her time with and what her passions were. We got some of that with Adam, but not as much.

I gotta say that I didn’t cry as much as I was expecting to. I got teary eyed a couple of times, but the time that really broke me is when Mia’s grandpa was sitting with her and telling her it was okay if she wanted to go. Full. On. Sobs. That absolutely broke my heart and I wanted to reach through the book and hug her grandpa.

I did enjoy the book and I’ll most likely be going to see the movie at some point. It was a quick read, but it was not at all, an easy read. If you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should. I’ll be giving this book 4 stars.

Review: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han

Book Title: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #1)

Author: Jenny Han

Publish Date:  April 15th, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 

Genre: YA Contemporary

Series: Book 1 in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Disclaimer: library book.

Review:

This BOOK! I am going to be gushing about it all the way through this review so it may be a really short review or it could be really long. It was perfection all the way through. The writing was beautiful, the characters were well developed and gahhhh, this book was everything I want every other book to be. It was my first Jenny Han book which really makes me realize I need to read all of her books. Especially if they are this fabulous.

I thought for sure the romance would be my favorite part of the book but it wasn’t. My favorite parts all had to do with Lara Jean and her sisters and their dad. Very rarely are single dads portrayed in YA books and especially single dads with only daughters. Throw in the fact that the sisters are half Korean and you’ve really got a wonderfully unique book that will definitely appeal to all sorts of readers.

I loved Lara Jean. She was flawed, which is one thing I really love in books. She’s human, she makes mistakes. She fell for her older sister, Margot’s boyfriend for goodness sake. She’s not great in the kitchen, but she’s working on it. 

I didn’t feel like I really got to know Margot as well as  I wanted to, but I think that was mostly because she wasn’t in the book a whole heck of a lot. But I do feel like I got to know her through Lara Jean and Kitty and even through Josh, her ex boyfriend. 

Kitty was an awesome kid and it took me back to remembering how badly I wanted a sister growing up. Kitty was vastly different from her older sisters. She was more outgoing and less reserved than both Margot & Lara Jean were.

Now with the boys, I found myself loving one of them at the beginning and hating the other one. By the time the book ended, my feelings had completely reversed. Talk about confused. I totally understood how Lara Jean could feel confused and conflicted. It made sense to me given all she knew about both boys.

There was definitely more than met the eye with this book. I LOVED this book. I loved that so much focus was on family and despite what the synopsis said, this book didn’t focus as much on the boys as I was expecting. I mean, the boys were there but Lara Jean’s family played such major roles in this book which was what really made me fall in love with it. 5 stars to this book. It’s definitely something you should pick up if you haven’t already.

In The End (In The After #2) by Demitria Lunetta

Book Title: In The End (In The After #2)

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Publish Date: June 24th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/ SciFi

Series: Book 2 in In The After duology. My review of Book 1 is here.

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The thrilling conclusion to In the After, the survival story of Amy and Baby, set in a near future where Earth has been overrun by vicious, predatory creatures. 

It’s been three months since Amy escaped New Hope, and she’s been surviving on her own, like she did in the After. Until one day, her former fellow Guardian’s voice rings out in her earpiece. And in a desperate tone, Kay utters the four words Amy had hoped she would never hear: Dr. Reynolds has Baby.

Now it’s a race against time, for Baby is in imminent danger, her life threatened by the malevolent doctor who had helped start the end of the world. In order to save Baby, Amy must make her way to Fort Black, a prison-turned-survivor-colony, where she will need to find Ken, Kay’s brother. He alone holds the key to Baby’s survival.

One small slip-up on this quest could spark a downward spiral that would not only cost Baby and Amy their lives, but threaten the very survival of the people in the After.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

There’s one thing that is so rare in YA books, and, particularly, YA Dystopian books and that’s the absence of romance. I think I mentioned it in my review of In The After, but it bears repeating here. YA needs strong ladies who do what needs to be done without the complication of romance. There is so much more to girls and women than romance and Lunetta definitely makes sure we remember that in this duology.

Amy has one goal, to return to New Hope and get Baby. Baby is really the only one she feels any sense of loyalty to anymore. She has to go to Fort Black in order to save Baby. She tries to avoid it, but when her friend Kay radioes her, everything changes. Dr. Reynolds has Baby. From that point on, Amy knows she must go to Fort Black and she must find Ken. 

The world building was fabulous. Oh my goodness, the creep factor for Fort Black was definitely there. The Warden & Doc were both creepy and I didn’t trust them one iota. But Jacks, I could tell he wasn’t anything like the Warden or Doc. I could tell Jacks had some secrets of his own. I could also tell that he was interested in Amy. Amy is conflicted for a little time, but her resolve to save Baby was much more important than any man. 

That’s another thing that so many YA heroines seem to forget. Family is and always should be more important than any man. Amy’s willing to do whatever she needs to do to save Baby. She finds help in another girl, Brenna. Brenna was willing to help Amy do anything she needed to do. She was another Kay, but they were in Fort Black.

They learn even more about the Floraes and the vaccines and the research and we, as the reader did as well. That was a great treat as I was a bit worried that Lunetta wouldn’t go for it and delve into more of the politics. But she did and I was thrilled.

I very much enjoyed this book, though I wanted the conclusion to be a bit longer. It seemed to wrap up a little abruptly and it left some strings hanging. I’ll be giving the book 4.5 stars. I definitely think everyone should read this duology.

Review: In The After (In The After #1) by Demitria Lunetta

Book Title: In The After (In The After #1)

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Published Date: June 25th, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/SciFi

Series: Book 1 of In The After duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you’ve ever seen.
And They won’t stop chasing you…until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

Disclaimer: This was a personal purchase.

Review:

This book was mindblowingly epic. Oh my goodness, it was fantastic, fabulous and all other positive words you could think of. I am so very picky about my Sci Fi, but this one blew me away completely.

Amy and Baby were a dynamic duo, one that was quite unique to me. They were essentially sisters by circumstance and they looked out for each other, they protected each other. Despite her age, Baby seemed to be quite mature and resourceful for her age. I think that was due to circumstance as well. She was mute, never spoke a word as long as Amy had known her. A mute toddler adds another layer to this fantastic book.

Amy and Baby live in silence, communicating only through modified sign language, which again, was awesome. They think they’re the only ones still alive…but they’re not…

When they are rescued by New Hope, everything seems like it’s a dream. There’s enough food, water and all other supplies necessary and they learn that they aren’t alone and that other survivors exist. But things at New Hope aren’t what they seem and Amy begins to realize that she can’t be there and that the safety is a facade. She is scared for Baby though as Baby has secrets that only she knows and if anyone finds out, Baby will be in grave danger.

I really liked that it focused so much on the science fiction stuff and there was only a small sprinkling of romance. I think that made the book much stronger. The book didn’t drag at all which is one thing I really loved. Often, when a book is over 400 pages, there are lulls in it, but not with this one. It was action packed throughout the entire thing. If you like science fiction, I think you’ll like this book a LOT. I am giving it 5 stars and I am excited to dive into the conclusion of the duology.

Review: Split Second (Pivot Point #2) by Kasie West

Book Title: Split Second (Pivot Point #2)

Author: Kasie West

Release Date: February 11th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Series: Book 2 in Pivot Point duology (My review of Pivot Point is here)

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble,Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

Disclaimer: This book was a personal purchase.

Review:

Oh Split Second, how I loved you. Let me count the ways…

Just kidding, I am absolutely not that poetic, but holy crap this was an awesome book, from beginning to end. There were twists and turns frequently which I loved. Addie and Laila are still one of my all time favorite friendships. The friendship is beautiful, reciprocated and well balanced which I love. 

Unlike in Pivot Point, I loved Trevor. He was sweet and kind and so supportive of Addie. This time around, I bought their relationship and not only that, I rooted for them as a couple. Generally a Norm and someone with abilities do not mix well together, but with Trevor and Addie it just works and it works really well.

Connor and Laila were my favorite relationship in this book. Connor was the quintessential bad boy and Laila was the only girl to be seemingly immune to his charms. Yet, again, they work somehow. Maybe it’s the opposites attract thing, I don’t know. Laila needs Connor’s help though and it’s at that point, that you realize that Connor’s bad boy image is just a facade.

My favorite subplot was Laila’s brother Elliot. He hasn’t Presented yet and he’s scared that he won’t Present. I was scared that he wouldn’t Present and that he would be kicked out and made to live in the Norm world. Watching Laila try to help him was beautiful and at times, heartbreaking. I can never say enough about how much I love brother-sister dynamics in books.

I’m obsessed with the ending. It was quick paced and action filled to the point where I didn’t want to put it down for anything, nope not even a bathroom break. Even the ending kept me guessing, which I absolutely loved. I am so sad that my journey into this world is now over and that I will never see these characters again. 5 stars to this book. I think everyone should read this duology.