Literally Lenny: young adult

What's it about?:

"Gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she’s fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne.
When Amani finds herself thrust into the epicenter of the regime—the Sultan’s palace—she’s determined to bring the tyrant down. Desperate to uncover the Sultan’s secrets by spying on his court, she tries to forget that Jin disappeared just as she was getting closest to him, and that she’s a prisoner of the enemy. But the longer she remains, the more she questions whether the Sultan is really the villain she’s been told he is, and who’s the real traitor to her sun-bleached, magic-filled homeland.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Miraji, about the rebellion, about Djinn and Jin and the Blue-Eyed Bandit. In Traitor to the Throne, the only certainty is that everything will change." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

I wanted to love this book so much more than I did. I generally have a really hard time accepting sequels to books that I absolutely adored, and this definitely is one of them. I loved the adventure and unknown in the first novel, and this sequel just made it seem like every other fantasy novel, which really disappointed me. It was still a good book, don’t get me wrong! It definitely does not deserve anything less than a 3 star review, but I wish I could give it 5.

Storyline:

I wanted more Amani and Jin, plain and simple. But instead, I got Amani and the Sultan and Sam. While it did make for a more “dynamic” book, it wasn’t exactly the adventure I was hoping for. I wanted another adventure with Amani and Jin together, and instead we got just Amani. The two of them together make for a better story, in my opinion, so when I realized this was going to be centered around mainly Amani with a little bit of Jin, I was quickly disappointed.

Characters:

Amani: A badass with a gun. Basically. Even when the entire world was against her, she didn’t give up. She has a big heart and an incredible brain. There’s no one like her. However. I found her to become boring and monotonous after a while. I absolutely adored her in the first book because she defied all odds set against her. We got to know her and her story, which I enjoyed much more than being introduced to a whole slew of new characters and their own backstories.

Jin: My favorite character in the entire book, which is probably why I didn’t LOVE this book because he made very small appearances and I really just wanted to see him and Amani be the dynamic duo again.

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What's it about?

"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

This book is so insanely important to read, especially in this day in age. This book is relevant to everything that our society has been facing for the past couple years.

Storyline:

Absolute perfection. All you really hear when these tragedies happen are what the news outlets have to say about the story, but you never hear from the actual people it directly affected. I found that it was also important to see not only the short term effects it had on society, but also the long term effects. Many people forget about these tragedies because they were not involved, but what we don’t realize is that people continue to struggle day-to-day with the memories of what happened, and that’s important to acknowledge. Tragedies don’t just vaporize as if they never happened. They’re still there, having an everlasting effect on people’s lives that the rest of society likes to just ignore or forget about.

Characters:

I like that Angie Thomas was able to write about so many diverse characters in such a realistic way, without it seeming forced.

Starr: The girl who saw it all. Strongest and bravest girl to have ever fictionally existed. Probably one of my favorite fictional characters of all time as well. She was so REAL. Angie Thomas nailed the mindset of a teenage girl going through a tragedy.

Chris: The white boyfriend who saw no difference between black and white. An outlook that I think the entire world could benefit from. He was that typical preppy high school boy who had absolutely nothing wrong in his life, but that never stopped him from wanted to be 100% involved in Starr's life.

Khalil: The boy whose life ended too soon. The alleged “drug dealer” and “gang banger” who supposedly “deserved” what was coming to him.

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Disclaimer:

I was kindly sent an e-ARC of this book by MacMillan publishers. All opinions are my own.

What's it about?

Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine's life has completely fractured; all of her freedoms are gone. Since Judge Crevan declared her the number one threat to the public, she became a ghost on the run with Carrick, the only person she can trust. But Celestine has a secret; one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground. A secret that has already caused countless people to go missing. Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save just herself, or risk her life to save all Flawed people? And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human is to be Flawed? - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

First of all if you haven't already read my review for Flawed, read it first. If you've already read that, you'll know that Flawed was one of my top reads of 2016, and Perfect will likely be a favorite of 2017.

This book was phenomenal. I loved being back in Celestine’s world because Cecelia Ahern completely thrusts you into the world with very little introduction and very little backstory (which I love in a sequel). She gets right to the point!

Characters:

Celestine- Honestly, she really irked me in the first half of the first book because she only conformed to society instead of thinking for herself. But in Perfect, she made a complete 180° change. She finally became her own person, stopped caring about what society thought of her, and did what was morally right.

Carrick- I didn't know what to think of Carrick in the first book because to me, he seemed quite unimportant. But in this book, you saw way more of him, thus allowing his character to truly develop in front of you. You're able to understand more about him and what makes him so mysterious.

Crevan- I feel like we did not see nearly as much Crevan in Perfect as we did in Flawed and I'm content with that. While he did add more conflict to the storyline, he is just downright obnoxious! He is the perfect villain in all the wrong ways. Because quite honestly, he reminded me a lot of politicians in our own society. This made the book all the more believable because while the dystopian society may not exist, Crevan's personality definitely does.

Storyline:

I don't know how Cecelia does it, but this is one of the very few books that is captivating throughout its entirety. There's absolutely NO lulls in the storyline. There's constant conflict, always something going on, and the book is nearly impossible to put down. Even from the very beginning, she just launches into the story. There's nothing worse than having a writer slowly get into the plot, especially in a sequel (when you already know about the characters AND the last book left you on a major cliffhanger).

Connection to Nazi Germany:

What made this book so eerily realistic was its similarity to Nazi Germany. Flawed wore armbands that announced their status everywhere they went. They were branded "Flawed" with a permanent mark as a reminder of their inferiority. Crevan was a dictator who solely seeked complete power. He used propaganda to scare people into “behaving” as the perfect human race. The Flawed were seen as disgusting human beings who had curfews, limitations, and less rights.

All of this is exactly what Nazi Germany was, and despite this book being fiction, this dystopian society is far from fiction. Something like Nazi Germany can happen again. There will always be other attempts to “Make the World Perfect Again.” I believe what Ahern was getting at is that although this may unfortunately happen again, it is by no means necessary for it to come to war as it previously has. It can be done peacefully and within the society. We are not that different; we are all human, and we are all flawed. Together we can overcome anything that plagues our society as long we unite as one.

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What's the series about?

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

My Thoughts:

DISCLAIMER:I've decided to do a combined review on these two books because I literally read them back to back (because I was obsessed and needed more) so they might as well be one giant book in my head.

This series is my favorite series of all time. Honestly and truly. If you love historical fiction, I highly highly recommend that you pick up this series because you will not regret it. This isn’t your typical historical fiction novel: it goes back to the 1800s during the Gold Rush where the best mode of transportation was by horse and women were owned by the family male heir.

Characters:

If there’s one character in any novel that I would love to be, it would be Leah. If you ever need a perfect example of women empowerment and strength, look no further. She does not rely on anyone, she takes matters into her own hands, and is the most selfless character in the entire series. Yes, she has her flaws, but so does everyone else in the world.

The supporting characters and their stories were all very realistic with very realistic problems. There was a part-Native American boy who dealt with criticism from others because of his race, a war hero who struggled with his pride, a woman who was oppressed by her husband, and a "villain" who's main vice was greed.

Storyline:

These books and their storylines never get dull. There’s always something going wrong or some badass rescue being made. There’s something for everyone to love in this series. From romance to cowboys, what’s not to love?

Overall, the flow of the storyline is great. There’s no lull in the storyline, there’s no filler. It’s action packed with wonderful writing and wonderful imagery.

I mean, this series is historical fiction, but when reading it, it feels more like just pure history. Minus the magical powers, I would not know any better than to call this series historical. This says to me that Rae Carson did a very in depth research on this time period not only for the historical events, but also on women rights during that time, personal experiences, as well as criticism against Native Americans. It's historical fiction with a little bit of magic, and it's nothing short of amazing.

What's Next?

The next book and FINAL book, Into the Bright Unknown, is set to come out October 10th, 2017 and oh my goodness I cannot WAIT. Look at this beautiful cover.

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What's it about?

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

My thoughts:

This book was strange...strange in the way that I’m not really sure exactly how I feel about it. The beginning was gripping, but as soon as they went off to Caraval, it kind of lost me. I had a lot of hope for this book, as the description reminded me a lot of The Night Circus, one of my favorite reads. But needless to say, I shouldn’t have done that because I finished the book disappointed and wanting a lot more.

Characters:

The characters...I found Scarlett to be obnoxious and prude and Tella to be wild and selfish. The only character I truly enjoyed was Julian which is unfortunate considering that there were so many diverse characters, but they all fell short of what I was hoping for.

Storyline:

The storyline was confusing and strange. It started out really strong, honestly it did. But then it fell off when they got to Caraval...perhaps because there was too much going on and not enough description.

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What's it About?:

"WELCOME TO MANHATTAN, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. Everyone there wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

LEDA COLE’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

ERIS DODD-RADSON’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

RYLIN MYERS’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will this new life cost Rylin her old one?

WATT BAKRADI is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy for an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.
And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is AVERY FULLER, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you're this high up, there's nowhere to go but down...." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

I cannot possibly tell you how much I adored this book. The Thousandth Floor is easily, easily, my favorite book of 2016. I have never been so immersed in a book before.

The story is set in the future where hover boards are the norm, and thousand floor buildings are architecturally possible. I have heard a lot of people say that it is a futuristic version of Gossip Girl, and even though I was never a fan of Gossip Girl, I know exactly what those people were getting at. Regardless of the futuristic setting, Katharine McGee made this story incredibly realistic for people who are living 102 years in the past. She included the simple topics such as love and betrayal, as well as talking about the serious parts of everyday life. McGee brought the intense side to the story by talking about computer hacking, drug addictions, and family affairs. Each character was so different from the next, it's hard not to relate with at least ONE of them.

I loved it, and I will read it again and again until the sequel is released next Summer.

I highly recommend you give this a read, because you will NOT be disappointed.

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What's it about?

Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

My Thoughts:

An excellent sequel to an excellent debut. It's difficult for me to say which book I liked more because they both brought completely different things to the table. The first was full of so much information and an introduction to their world. The sequel dives so much more into each character's life, allowing us to relate with many of the characters, resulting in MANY MANY more feels. So many feels, you guys.

But...how was the return of the main characters? Well. To be honest, some I loved, and some just did not impress.

Elias:

Elias became more complicated and complex when you were able to see the things he found worth fighting for. Without giving away spoilers, Elias proves to us just how strong and loyal he is after we see him being violently tossed around in his own mind. Overall though, his character hadn't changed much from the first book. He was still the badass Elias who's mother was out to get him after she had thrown him to the curb. (But. That's okay. No bitter feelings, clearly...)

Laia:

Laia did not impress me much in this sequel. She was a major badass in the first dealing with everything that was thrown her way from the death of her family to becoming a slave for the most ruthless woman of the empire. But in the second, it was almost as if her character became weak. I wasn't impressed by anything she "courageously conquered". Her character became very dull in the sequel, making me almost think that she was a completely different character.

Helene:

We finally got to peak into Helene's mind as well, which was probably my favorite part. She is just a conflicted character, working for the empire when the empire has taken everything you love away from you. The strength and power she shows is remarkable and I cannot wait to learn more about how she takes on the Empire.

The ending leaves you wanting so much more. A decision is made by many but you have no idea how anything is going to work out or if it will work at all. It leaves you confused and scared, but overall, just really freaking happy that a writer like Sabaa Tahir exists. Cause trust me, she's wicked badass; just like her books.

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What's it about?

"On a foggy summer night, eleven people—ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter—depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs—the painter—and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.

With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members—including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot—the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. As the passengers' intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage." - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

This book had SOOOOO MUCH POTENTIAL! ...and then it didn't. I don't even understand how this went so poorly. I loved the beginning and the entire plot but somewhere in between everything it just got so boring. WAY too much fluff. WAY too much backstory. I understand it's titled "BEFORE the fall" but quite honestly, I was more intrigued by Scott and his backstory and future rather than some other corrupt billionaires who have been cheating on their wives since day 2 of their marriage. NO thanks.

So. The reason i'm not giving this book only one star is because of Scott. Scott is what saved this book (even remotely) for me. I lived for the interactions between Scott and JJ and even Scott and Eleanor. But once we got to YET ANOTHER backstory of a billionaire, I lost interest immediately.

I think that if this book cut out every other character's backstory, this book would've been SO GOOD. But because I had to struggle through those other stories, I just did not like this book. There was too much filler and quite honestly, this book was taken in the wrong direction. The author focused on all the wrong things for far too long.

If this was less "Before the Fall" and more "After the Fall" I think it would've been much more enjoyable.

So. Unfortunately, I have to give this book 2 lonely stars.

11:11 AM No comments

What's it about?

"Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world" - Goodreads Synopsis

My thoughts:

I was very worried I wasn't going to enjoy this as much as I did. I gave Heir of Fire only 3 stars because I found it quite boring. However, this book did redeem itself. I think I was able to enjoy this because all original characters were back together again. Not to mention, I finally understood the purpose of Manon and her story. Because forever I just did not see her purpose. Not even remotely.

So. For why I love this book: I love how Sarah J Maas wrote Aelin's character. I love how freaking MORE badass she is now, not to mention how brilliant she is. Major girl power. She 100% is always on top of her game and coming up with the next best plan. I loved the mind games she played with people to get what she wanted. If anyone wants a symbol of girl empowerment, look no further. This woman is seriously bad. ass.

Ok. Here comes the explanation for only 4 stars.

The name change. I will never STOP being confused about this. She will always be Celaena to me. I just wish Sarah J Maas had done without a permanent name change because boy does it screw me up. I get so lost trying to keep up with character's names throughout the MASSIVE story, and changing the main character's name did not help me keep everything straight in my head. Yes, I understand why it happened and why it was significant, but I could just not wrap my head around it.

But honestly, that's such a minor negative to this book that it really does deserve 5 stars. But I'd be lying if I said the permanent name change didn't irk me a bit.

Overall, I give Queen of Shadows 4 fiery stars.

Next stop: EMPIRE OF STORMS!

11:38 AM No comments

What's it about?

"After growing up on a farm in Virginia, Walthingham Hall in England seems like another world to sixteen-year-old Katherine Randolph. Her new life, filled with the splendor of upper-class England in the 1820s, is shattered when her brother mysteriously drowns. Katherine is expected to observe the mourning customs and get on with her life, but she can't accept that her brother's death was an accident.

A bitter poacher prowls the estate, and strange visitors threaten the occupants of the house. There's a rumor, too, that a wild animal stalks the woods of Walthingham. Can Katherine retain her sanity long enough to find out the truth? Or will her brother's killer claim her life, too?" - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

The Gilded Cage was essentially a cross between Pride and Prejudice and the Princess Diaries circa 1800s with a side of murder mystery. If this sounds even remotely interesting, you should definitely give this book a read. It's a wicked quick read and very gripping.

I really liked George and Katherine because of their relaxed country manners. They didn't go into lordship for the money. They did it because they were the heirs. I don't know. I guess I just liked how humble they were. Not to mention the opening scene is Katherine on the farm doing target practice. Major badass.

The romance seemed very forced...not to mention quite random. Like yes, it was essentially the hate turned love relationship that Liz and Darcy had, but it was almost as if it was trying too hard to be Liz and Darcy rather than their own.

I will say, the murders were a complete plot twist because given that I had not read the synopsis before starting this, I was thrown completely off guard. I love when that happens because I feel as if it's really difficult to catch me off guard when reading a book. I find most books to be even somewhat predictable.

The reason I would rate it what I do is just because it wasn't anything significant. Nothing super special or mind blowing. Just another quick read that was fun to read when you get home from a long day of work.

Overall, I give The Gilded Cage 3 stars.

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What's it about?

"This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart. " - Goodreads Synopsis

My Thoughts:

I've been meaning to read this book for over a year now, and i'm slightly punching myself for not having started this sooner. I think I was afraid of it being awful, despite the amazing reviews. I read that it's literally a cross between The Selection and The Hunger Games...which...although I loved both of those, I wasn't too crazy about them being molded together. So I steered clear for a while.

But let me tell you. While Red Queen is exactly that, it's also nothing like it. Yes, there's the fact that she is poor and 100% supports her family (Hunger Games). And then theres the fact that they're separated into different 'districts' and are being oppressed by the government (Hunger Games). And THEN she suddenly becomes a princess (The Selection) who falls in love with the prince who is "no good for her" (The Selection). And then has to fight against the government by herself pretty much and save the whole freaking world. Basically. (Hunger Games AND The Selection).

So. There's that. But. Just hear me out. While there are all these similarities, there's so much that just holds it completely separate from the others. It's fantastic because it takes everything that we love about the YA genre, and turned it into one single book. It brought princesses together with badass butt-kicking oppressed teenagers.

It was hard to follow at some points, i'm not going to lie. There was too much going on in the end for me to really get who exactly was the bad person. But hey, who doesn't like a good plot twist?

I think the one thing that really bothered me though, is that something dramatic happens in the beginning, and I could literally predict the outcome of that event from 300 pages away. It was too predictable and kinda annoyed me that the author thought we would even buy into that. And that the main character just took it as it was without wanting proof. But. It is what it is. Small minor problem.

But. Just to prove to you how much I enjoyed this book, as soon as I finished it I started the second book Glass Sword. And when I read series, I can never marathon them because I need something different. But with Red Queen...I couldn't just stop. I wanted so much more.

Overall, I gave the book 4 very red stars.

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