Review: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Title: Golden Son
Author: Pierce Brown
Series: Book Two in the Red Rising Trilogy
Published By: Del Rey (January 6, 2015)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy
My Rating: 5 Stars!


Book Description:
With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

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You know those books that completely blow you away and you weren't even expecting to like them let alone love them, and yet after reading them, they quickly became one of your most favorite reads of the year? That was Red Rising for me last year and because of it the sequel, Golden Son, has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2015. 

And even though I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of it, right before I opened it those nasty little doubts started creeping in. What if it doesn't live up to Red Rising? What if it suffers from middle book syndrome? What if I hate it and it ruins the whole series for me? What if, what if, what if.

So yeah, I went into this excited but just a tad bit nervous as well. 

Silly me, I had no reason to be nervous and I should have known that after the greatness of Red Rising, which, let me tell you, was nothing, NOTHING compared to mind blowing fantstic-ness of Golden Son. 

To once again sink effortlessly into the dark world that Brown has created. One filled with nonstop action, betrayals, conspiracies, war, and the fight for survival in a world full of colors.

This book. This freaking book! Oh how I love Pierce Brown and all his creative genius. 

Oh how I love this crazy messed up world of ranking colors. Reds, Golds, Blues, Grays, Silvers, Obsidian, Pinks...and how, most of all, I love Darrow. His goodness, his insecurities, his bravery, his kindness, his fierceness and his struggles with who is was, who is he, and who he knows he must become. 

His story, his struggles aren't easy ones, but then again, do any of the great heroes of their time every have it easy? Are any of the great stories every simple to read? Their journeys are not smooth and their battles are long.

As much as I love Darrow, I love Servo, Mustang, and few new names as well that completely surprised me. 

Brown truly took all the wonderful harshness, battles, vengeance, blood, gore, and glimmers of love, kindness and hope that made Red Rising such a huge success and expanding on them. 

This truly is one of the best sequels I think I have ever read. So much emotion and turmoil and greatness. So much hope, sadness, victory, death, and the whatifs of what is to come. 

The definition of a book hangover is this: 

When you've finished a book and you suddenly return to the real world, but the real world feels incomplete or surreal because you're still living in the world of the book. 

And a book hangover is definitely what I still have, days later after finishing this. It is going to be such a long wait for book three but I can't wait for it to get here. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Title: The Law of Moses
Author: Amy Harmon
Series: Stand Alone
Published: November 27, 2014
Source: Borrowed
Genre: YA/NA Paranormal/Contemporary
My Rating: 4 Stars!


Book Description:
If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

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This is one of those rare books where the review is so darn hard to write. Not because you didn't love the book but because you did and you know nothing you can articulate into words will even come close to doing it justice.

No matter what I write down, it still won't come across the page like the emotions this book brought on by reading it. I am just not that talented of a writer.

This book will steal your attention and your focus until there is nothing else left to do but to give in and give it your undivided attention and time. You won't be able to stop thinking about it until you do and even then, it doesn't quite release you from its clutches. You will think about the story, the characters, and the tragedy long after the pages have been turned and the book set aside.

It is rare when an author can surprise me with twists I don't see coming. With turns that make my stomach drop and my mouth hang open because I quite simply didn't see them coming and by the time I was there, in the middle of the chaos and stomach dropping turns, it was too late to go back and I had no choice but to continue on hoping the ride wouldn't get any more treacherous. 

What started out as a love story ended up being so much more and I won't even go into detail because this isn't a book you should read every review of before you start it. You should go into it blind and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Moses and Georgia are two people you need to meet and experience for yourself. Their story, their struggles are ones you won't soon forget and you will be happy you took with them. 

Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Title: All The Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Knopf (January 6, 2015)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 5 Stars!


Book Description:
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

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This is a book that sticks with you, forever in your thoughts and one that will forever be in your heart.

The characters felt real, alive, raw. They very essence was capture within the pages and breathed life into them.

It is happiness. It is sadness, it is anger, and it is almost everything else in between. 

This is the kind of book that is a complete challenge to review because you don't know exactly what to say because instead of talking about it, you are left still  feeling it. 

So many emotions and so many thoughts, words really don't compare, they don't live up to what you want to say and they don't come easy. For once I am at a loss as how to review a story. A story so heartfelt and strong, so stirring and emotional, that I have too much to say and not nearly enough to express them all.  

I smiled. I cried. I laughed and then I cried some more and just when I thought I couldn't cry anymore, just when I thought I was all done, I would start crying all over again. 

Is it possible to be both happy and sad at the same time? Is it possible to love the ending and to hate it as well?

Is it possible to reach through the very pages that moved me so much and snatch the characters out of them and hold them tight? To protect them from everything, including themselves? Because I want to, oh how I want to.

I felt and connected with Finch like I haven't to a character in a really long time. He was so darn good and pure but so very confused and sad and broken that his story, just about broke me. 

Violet was extraordinary in her own right, but Finch stole the show and consequently my heart along with it.

This is beautifully written and exceptionally heartwarming and achingly heartbreaking. It will build you up and then tear you down only to build you up again and leave you breathless in every way imaginable.

A tale of loss, love and living life to the fullest, however long that life may be and finding beauty in all the small things as well as the great. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone is having an amazing Christmas. That you are spending it well with your closest family and friends. That you are filled with joy, lots of fun, and lots of good food and of course that you got a present or two that you were hoping for.

I plan on spending as much time with family as I can today and the rest of the week so I wanted to stop in real quick and wish everyone a joyous day and holiday season, may it truly be merry and bright.

Thank you so much for making this holiday season a wonderful time of year and really,  this while year just as wonderful with sharing great books with one another and getting to know new people and friends. It is so nice to be able to share our passion for reading with those that truly understand and get it.

I truly feel so blessed to be a part of this community and to know all of you, visit your blogs and get to comment and talk with you each and every day.

May the rest of your week be fabulous, filled with good books, lots of time to read them, lots of time to spend with family and friends, eating way too may yummy treats, and staying warm and safe!

(thank you to freeallimages and addcovers for the beautiful images!)

WoW Pick of the Week

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share those new releases were are super anxious to get our hands on and read.


Happy Christmas Eve!!

I hope everyone is doing well, getting excited for tomorrow, spending time with family and of course have a good book close by.

This weeks WoW Pick goes to none other than A.C. Gaughen's last book in her Scarlet Trilogy, Lion Heart. 

I adore this YA historic retelling with a twist,  series. It is absolutely fabulous and I will be super sad to see it end but I am also super anxious to see how it all comes together.

For those of you that haven't tried this series yet, what the heck are you waiting for? Even if you don't like retellings or anything historic, you are going to love this series, it is genius. 

Release Date: May 19, 2015

Book Description:
The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.


Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

Review: The Donor by Nikki Rae

Title: The Donor
Author: Nikki Rae
Series: Stand Alone (although earlier this was released as a serial novel in 3 parts)
Published: October 30, 2014
Source: Copy Provided by the Author (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Book Description:
Casey Williams and her family are poor. Her parents work non-stop and so does she, just so they can keep the trailer roof from leaking.
They’re getting by fine enough when the headaches start. Then there’s the nosebleeds. And the inevitable doctor’s bills.
Fortunately for Casey, there’s MyTrueMatch.com: an exclusive, quick, and almost easy way to pay it all back before her parents even have to know.
All she has to do is give a man she’s never met whatever he wants from her body.
Inside or out. 

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I love a good paranormal read as much as the next girl and getting something different from the norm is even better. And this was different, very different.

A whole new fresh approach to...well, actually I am not going to tell you since it is never actually spoken out loud, although it is implied and is very much obvious what beings we are dealing with early on, I will leave the discovering up to you. And while this was a whole new fresh approach to, well, supernaturals, I am not sure I was in love with it and before you get mad at me, let me explain why.

The writing was great, the storyline was even great, but the ending lacked something. Something that sadly was needed to make this truly a wonderful story for me. Maybe I am too use to my happily ever afters to appreciate when I don't exactly get the one I was expecting. I don't know, but however you want to label it, the ending left me feeling sad and almost angry at the whole story, no matter how well it was presented or written. 

But then I took a step back and some time to really think about the story as a whole and I have to say, once I started comparing the metaphors of the octopus and seahorses (trust me, you will get this once you read it) and the lives of the characters, something clicked and I got it. I still wasn't happy about the ending because I DO like my HEAs but I was okay with it, or at least more okay with it than I had been.

Truly this was so well written and done and completely not the norm that if nothing else, I have to love it for those reasons alone. And okay, I don't love the ending but I did really like the story and I did really appreciate the beautiful writing so even though it pains me to give this three and a half stars, it definitely deserves it. I mean, I can't rate it lower because I wanted things to be better. I can't fault a book for bringing out emotions in me right? 

So there you have it. A short read filled with a whole lot of emotion and not all of it good emotion but all of it beautiful. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: Gone Too Far by Natalie D. Richards

Title: Gone Too Far
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Sourcefire Books (January 6, 2015)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller
My Rating: 4 Stars!

Book Description:
Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can't wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She's sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone's sure it's suicide, but Piper remembers Stella's name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn't want to keep, Piper's fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished...

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I am always up for a good mystery and when you throw in a mystery, with a genre I already love (YA) you have quite the winning combination.

Having enjoyed Richard's debut novel Six Months I was eager to read another one of her books and see if it would be every bit as fun as her first.

I am happy to report that it was and that I read this in a single sitting. And why I didn't have everything completely figured out, I did have a lot figured out before the big reveal, but it was okay because the book was so entertaining that I kept wanting to read more and it didn't matter if I had it all figured out or not, the story was just that engaging and fun.

Piper was an interesting character, it took me quite a while before I could decide if I actually liked her or not. She could be unfair and judgmental but she did change, she did grow and because of that growth, I found myself liking her more and more as the story progressed.

Nick on the other hand, I loved from the very beginning. There is something to be said about a boy who is sweet and just good. Someone as far away from a bad boy as you can get and every bit better because of it.

This was another good solid mystery for Richard's and I will continue to pick up her books and read them because of it, it was relatable, engaging and had characters that were realistic and situations we could have all found ourselves in at one time or another. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: Marked by Sarah Fine

Title: Marked
Author: Sarah Fine
Series: Book One in the Servants of Fate Series
Published By: 47North (January 1, 2015)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Fantasy w/Dystopian Elements
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Book Description:
In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse, Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying the dead to the Afterlife. Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal bliss or unending fire and pain.
Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious ex-Ranger with a haunted past. But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate, only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own. Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?

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Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, let me count the ways I love thee....

I fell in love with Sarah's writing after reading her Guards of the Shadowland series and that love has been fueled and grown with each new book she writes. 

Time and time again she proves just how well she can write, in any genre she chooses next.

Her latest release Marked, is no different.

I loved this book. This story. And all the characters so very much, and even though I was expecting greatness from this read, I was still blown away by it. 

The twist between dystopian, mythology, and an almost sci fi feel was a heedy combination and one that had me eagerly turning the pages wanting more. 

Sarah has always had the ability to write a well thought out, swoon worthy male leading role but she truly made a stand out hero in Eli. He was everything I like in a male lead, heck, everything I like in a man period. Hard working, loyal, loving, protective, sweet, romantic...really should I go on because I probably could be here all day. 

Truly I loved every single minute of this story, the sexual tension, the family relationships, and of course the dark desolate world that Sarah created, not to mention the mythology behind it all.

Book two can not get here fast enough!

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

Review: Love & Other Theories by Alexis Bass

Title: Love & Other Theories
Author: Alexis Bass
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Harper Teen (December 31, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Contemporary
My Rating: 4 Stars

Book Description:
If you want more, you have to give less.

That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

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Love and Other Theories was one of my most anticipated YA contemporary reads for December and because of that I feel I need to be completely honest with this review.

While I enjoyed this read, it left me feeling sad and a little bit angry. Sad for girls who feel they need to play games and have a misconstrued idea about what love means and sad for those boys that give them those ideas and thoughts.

To be honest, I am still not exactly sure if I loved Aubrey and her friends but I do know that I loved Nathan and my heart broke for him numerous times throughout the story.

I don't think I quite have all my thoughts and feelings together over whether I liked this story or hated it.

Like I said earlier, there were parts that made me angry and parts that made me sad and very little left me smiling.

The writing was fabulous but the messages weren't always great and the girl's attitude and ideas (their theories) about dating, boys, and falling in love were worse. I wanted to shake some of them and help open their eyes to the boys that weren't worth the time and especially, to the boys that were. 

I didn't like that Brey went along with things that she shouldn't have. That she should have followed her heart so many times and didn't and because of it, hurt a lot of others along the way. 

I didn't like that this didn't end on an upbeat and happy note and...well. I really don't even now how to express how much it is possible to love a book and hate it at the same time, but there you have it. I loved this and I hated it but because of that, I still have no idea how to rate it.

How do you rate something that you both loved because of the wonderful writing and because Brey did grow up and she did change, but hated because it was so awful seeing what these girls were doing to themselves and others around them?

I honestly still don't know but I will say this, the writing was fabulous and the messages while sometimes sad, weren't all bad, they were and are a very realistic part of what it is like growing up,  a huge part of how you find out what you want, what you need,  in life, so for that this deserves four stars. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

WoW Pick of the Week

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It is a chance to share those new releases were are super anxious to get our hands on and read.

Like Sarah J. Maas is in my top 5 for YA Fantasy, Kasie West is in my top 5 for, well, anything YA. I just love ALL of her writing and I am super excited about her next book that comes out in, *gasp* 6 months!

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Book Description:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: Book Three in the Infernal Devices Trilogy
Published By: Walker Books (September 5, 2013)
Source: Purchased
Genre: YA Fantasy
My Rating: 5 Stars!

Book Description:
Tessa Gray should be happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. 

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Being brutally honest I didn't expect to get swept away and into this series as much as I ended up being. 

I didn't love Will in book one and barely tolerated him by the ending. It wasn't until book two that things really started to grow and change and I finally saw what all the hype was about. I didn't doubt Clare's writing ability or even her talent but rather just how involved I would get in a love triangle that I never expected to be torn in part about. 

Once upon a time I liked a good love triangle, it kept things interested and even fun, until that is, they were so overly used and expected that they stopped being fun and I dreaded reading about them. It seemed very rarely did anyone win and more often than not I wanted to smack the girl caught up in the middle of it. 

I didn't feel that way about Tessa though, not once and Will and Jem, while both with faults (okay maybe Jem is perfect and had no fault), they were both equally lovable and worthy of her and I could truly see how she loved them both and was torn between them. She was never wish washy though, she was strong in her choices and that made it all believable and most of all, bearable. 

Add in the mystery of Tessa's origin, a mad man on the loose, and the appeal that is the world of Shadowhunters, all set in the late 1800's London, and you seriously have one heck of a read that constantly kept me on my toes. 

Even though numerous times my heart was torn in two over the love triangle and the betrayals, I loved every single minute of this series.

The ending, while convenient, did hold true to the rest of the series and it was, in short, wonderful and very realistic to the characters, their love, their sacrifice, and their friendship. 

This was so beautiful written. I think I loved it even more than I did the original series and that is saying something and something I never thought would happen. 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*