All I Ever Wanted by Kristan Higgins

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Mira

Pages: 318pgs

The Story

For Callie Grey, turning thirty means coming to grips with the fact that her boss — and five-week fling — is way overdue with his marriage proposal. And way off track — because Mark has surprisingly announced his engagement to the company's new ‘Miss Perfect'. If that isn't bad enough, her mum decides to throw her a three-oh birthday bash in the family's funeral home.

Bad goes to worse when Callie stirs up a crazy relationship with the town's not-so-warm and fuzzy veterinarian, Ian McFarland. So Ian is more comfortable with animals — he's also formal, orderly and just a bit tense… The ever-friendly, fun-loving and spontaneous Callie decides it's time for Ian to get a personality makeover. But darn, if he doesn't shock the heck out of her, she might actually fall for the town's unlikeliest eligible bachelor . . .

The Review

Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for contemporary adult fiction and sometimes I don't like reading mass-market romances at all because they are just too cliche or simply not interesting. But when a story is absolutely hilarious, has you in laughing stitches and offers a great range of things on a very comedic and romantic scale, that's when it hooks me straightaway and that's exactly what I got from this book. It was totally a real hoot for me!

First of all, I really loved the main character, Callie Grey, in this book. Whether there are moments were she is a bit dense with certain things (especially in the romance department) or is just saying something completely awkward but hilarous in her own head, I still managed to love her either way because she was a warm sort of character and hilarious in everything she does, say or do, so pretty much anyone with a great and awkward sense of humor gets total big points from me. And clearly Callie got many from me. While some of the other supporting characters were just okay for me - including that awful Mark who Callie loved, but everything was worth reading when you met and crossed paths with Ian McFarland, the new veterinarian in town and who Callie is particularly interested in all of a sudden. Oh Ian was what made this book so perfect, real and honest. Think another Mr. Darcy ladies but a veterinarian one instead of another rich dude! Trust me, Ian maybe a very shy guy and may have no clue what to do, at least as far as relationships go, but I fell for him hard. We just need more guys like Ian in our books . . . he was just an honest guy and I loved that about him even when he's moody from time to time. I just loved him to bits. Hehe.

Overall, ALL I EVER WANTED is such an awesome read and I've never read something so bloody hilarious before, especially in an adult novel, so in that aspect I totally fell for it and for Kristan Higgins's great humor dialogue. So if you want a good old laugh and some pretty awkward situations, this book would be absolutely perfect for you!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Release Date: Out Now!

Publisher: Greenwillow

Pages: 423pgs

The Story

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn't die young.

Most of the chosen do.

The Review

I know, I know you guys! This book has been out for so long (like two years now) and so has its sequel too. It's just sometimes the books that are right up my alley get all forgotten about for some reason and I admit I'm a bit of a slacker when it comes to that, which is very naughty of me indeed. But thankfully my local library had a copy of the first book in the series and I'm really glad I read it now because it was actually pretty good! It wasn't a perfect book per se but I really enjoyed it nonetheless as THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS is about a young girl's journey of self-discovery, war, love and of a hidden power within her own being. It can't get better than that!

Elisa, I find, was such a great narrator! She wasn't the easiest character to love as she had her many faults but her strengths is what balanced out everything about her character. So while I didn't necessarily like her complaining and always scrutinizing herself and of her own body weight (it was like c'mon you're perfect and stop it already!), but there was a lot of growth on her part, especially as the book progresses and dives deeper into the cultured world Rae Carson has created. It was almost like she was someone else entirely by the time I finished the book because Elisa was so unlike the Elisa we knew from the beginning. And I like seeing and reading about these certain character changes! She was great!

The secondary characters were great also. Some played more significant roles than others, but I thought they  all had great importance to the storyline and helped shape Elisa into a very strong, fiery, matured character. But I have to say, Alejandro, Elisa's new husband, was someone I didn't like at all. He did have his caring and tender moments here and there, but he never particularly loved her in the way I thought he would nor did he see her worth in being a faithful wife. He was a bit of downer for me in the book since I had so many expectations of him too . . . oh well. His loss. But in terms of another two potential love interests, Hector (who I was really rooting for from the start even though some readers may not think of him as a love interest) and Humberto (who was so sweet mind you and so adorable with everything in-between), I thought the two of them were the most enjoyable parts in the book. Well, apart from the well-plotted and greatly detailed world of course!

Overall, THE GIRLS OF FIRE AND THORNS wasn't an epic book but it was most definitely a wonderful start to a trilogy and I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of the sequel very soon! With powerful magics, transforming characters, almost breath-taking setting backdrops, and intriguing political and religious propaganda, I think many people will enjoy this series and judging by the reviews I've read it definitely seems to be that way!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 298pgs

The Story

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only piques Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of Life. Elizabeth, Henry, and Victor immediately set out to find assistance in a man who was once known for his alchemical works to help create the formula.

Determination and the unthinkable outcome of losing his brother spur Victor on in the quest for the three ingredients that will save Konrad's life. After scaling the highest trees in the Strumwald, diving into the deepest lake caves, and sacrificing one’s own body part, the three fearless friends risk their lives to save another.

The Review

If you are familiar with Mary Shelley's masterpiece of Frankenstein, then you'll know this series and the events that follow it will lead to some sort of tragedy. So when I found out about this series and the fact that it followed a young Victor Frankenstein in his teenage years, I've been dying to read it not to mention been meaning to start the series a few years ago since I love Frankenstein, but in the end I just never got around to it. Until now that is. But now after reading the book, I can see what all the fuss is about and I became so addicted to it all!

Staying true to the original source of science, love, betrayal and the darkness that comes with all forbidden and out-of-this-world alchemical creations, THIS DARK ENDEAVOR writes itself up to become this fantastic Gothic tale by retelling a classic and telling a new one with the whole search Victor, his friend Henry and Victor's distant cousin Elizabeth go on for the Elixir of life in order to save Victor's twin brother from death. Just let me tell you this book was just so . . . fascinating and I certainly enjoyed every bittersweet moment of it.

I think out of everything what I loved about this book was Victor. I guess that comes from loving him already from Mary Shelley's classic book. So despite this Victor being not the easiest character to like or even love, but I still loved his angsty personality and seeing him as this part-innocent and part-dark teenager, and how it all began for him before the actual events of Frankenstein. In the book, I found, you can definitely see why and how he came to be this God-like scientist who takes risks despite their dangerous consequences. You could see how obsessed he had become which I secretly loved (because they were pretty dark obsessions)! I also came to love the other characters too - including Victor's friend, Henry, who was very charming and funny, and Victor's distant cousin, Elizabeth, who is quite a force to be reckoned with and I can understand why Victor was seeing something special about her.

Overall, THIS DARK ENDEAVOR was quite a surprising little read and any fan of Frankenstein or pretty much any fan of any other Gothic-like tale will be damned to miss out on this book right here! It was such an awesome read and I hope there are more books to come. Loved it!

The Rating

4 1/2 / 5 stars

The Spider Goddess by Tara Moss

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 348pgs

The Story

It's been two months since Pandora English left her small hometown to live with her mysterious great-aunt in a haunted mansion in Spektor – the fog-wreathed suburb of Manhattan that doesn't appear on any map. With the help of her great-aunt and the beautiful – but dead – Lieutenant Luke, Pandora is beginning to understand the significance of the Lucasta family heritage her late mother kept secret from her. Pandora is heir to a great gift. And with that comes frightening responsibility . . .

Meanwhile, she seems doomed to be forever underestimated in the mortal world. Her fashion editor boss doesn't seem to know she exists. But New York needs Pandora's special gifts. There is a new designer in town, and her ambitions extend far beyond taking over the fashion world one knit at a time . . .

The Review

Having enjoyed the first book, The Blood Countess, I was really looking forward to seeing where the sequel would take us to next to. For the next book, THE SPIDER GODDESS, Tara Moss's second installment of her paranormal Pandora English series, it most certainly does not disappoint its readers. Highly engrossing, super fun, creepy and perfect for any paranormal fan out there, I think a lot of readers should consider reading this series because it's pretty awesome to put in one way!

I won't get into too much detail since I don't want to spoil the events that occurred in the first book, but the one thing that made me crawl was the spiders in this book . . . just like it was mentioned in the book title alone. Trust me, the descriptions of the spiders and how they were crawling on everybody in this book just had really freaked me out even though it's all fictional. I just hate spiders so it's a good job the main character, Pandora, is not afraid of them because I was. She's definitely braver than I am. But what I did love in this sequel this time round (apart from all those damn spiders) was how we learned much more about our main character and her family, it certainly does answer a few questions that I had from the first book.

Overall, THE SPIDER GODDESS was another great follow-up to the paranormal series of Tara Moss's and even though it is only part of a series I think this book can really stand alone just as well. Plotted with very strong female characters, interesting story turn-points, and some pretty cool mythology in the works, I'm sure many readers will enjoy this sequel as much as they enjoyed the first book in the series and I would definitely recommend it!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Soul Beach by Kate Harrison

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 256pgs

The Story

When Alice Forster receives an email from her dead sister she assumes it must be a sick practical joke. Then an invitation arrives to the virtual world of Soul Beach, an idyllic online paradise of sun, sea and sand where Alice can finally talk to her sister again - and discover a new world of friends, secrets and maybe even love . . .

But why is Soul Beach only inhabited by the young, the beautiful and the dead? Who really murdered Megan Forster? And could Alice be next? The first book in an intriguing and compelling trilogy centred around the mystery of Megan Forster's death.

The Review

SOUL BEACH is the first book of a trilogy and the honest truth is . . . I didn't know what to expect from a book such as this one. Having won this book from the publisher and with the book having a strange and yet a very interesting concept (what with the main heroine receiving creepy emails from a dead sister and then this dead sister appears in this somewhat 'virtual reality' online social network who then invites her sister to this website in question), I thought the premise wasn't going to win me over so easily. However, despite my first thoughts and after reading this book in one sitting, I have to say it certainly did surprise because I actually did like it after all since it was odd but a very good odd-ish kind of book!

The book may have had its problems here and there, but I found SOUL BEACH had everything a young adult and thriller book needed, so I guess that's why I was so entertained and surprised by it in that case. After all, the book was original, relatable (at least in most circumstances) and it also managed to weave the teenage cyber world with a supernatural twist to it as well which was a really cool idea if I do say so myself. Now I won't giveaway a terrible lot about the plot but every single bit of it was engaging and fast-paced, and the characters were just as entertaining and interesting as the plot itself.

Considering this book is a quick read, I have to say the characters were a very colourful bunch and were quite well-developed. Take for example the main character Alice. I mean despite her inner thoughts being constantly overshadowed by the death of her sister, even before her death, she soon grew out of the rivalry for her sister, which only goes to show how well she developed as a main character because she finally got to stand on her own two feet without second-guessing her every action and thought. Now while I wasn't a huge fan of Alice's sister, but the character I did happen to love more than Alice was the character named Danny! I won't say too much about Danny but he was such a swell guy, and I'm looking forward to seeing how his character will turn out in the sequel because he was a really, really interesting guy to get to know in this first installment of a trilogy.

Overall, SOUL BEACH is something really different and its something I haven't really read before. So fans of the Beautiful Dead series or anything related to death being brought back to life in one shape or form, you will love this book also!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Orion

Pages: 963pgs

The Story

First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

The Review

THE PASSAGE was one of the most hyped up books of 2010 and I've been meaning to read it for a long, long while, especially after reading so many raving reviews on it. But, like with most good old books that we are dying to read, I've never quite got the chance to explore this awesome-sounding book . . . until now that is. So as of today, it is really simple to say that I'm kicking myself here because I wished I had picked up this book sooner than I did. Not only is this book cryptic, engaging, and even more terrifying than any other post-apocalyptic book I have ever read, but it's also one of the most epic books I have read in my entire life and let's just consider my own mind blown. Completely.

 

From a world-building perspective, while some elements of the book closely follow the post-apocalyptic worlds including titles such as The Road, I Am Legend and Dawn of the Dead, but what made THE PASSAGE so much different and stand on its own two feet (assuming books even have feet) is the way that it was written and the story that clearly channels all of the right elements to entertain readers, while also showing readers just what an awesome writer Justin Cronin IS. Honestly I think this book deserves every bit of praise it has been receiving over the past few years since its release because I have no words at all - and for once I'm actually speechless here, and there are no words that could possibly do this book justice anymore than what I am saying now.

 

The same instances go along with the characters as well. Both large and varied right from the beginning of the book, THE PASSAGE contains a large set of characters that are both human and infected alike, and not once did I get distracted by the many voices that we are soon introduced to: from the tragic young woman Jeanette Bellafonte, to the wondrous and completely faithful Sister Lacey, to the hardened FBI agent Wolgast and to the mesmerizing and unearthly young girl named Amy. They were ALL so in-your-face-amazing, especially this girl character named Amy who was such an addictive character when it came to reading from her perspective and she was my favourite character in the entire book since she was uber-amazing in every way! And, even for such a large book, I have to say that the author did such a splendid job in crafting his peculiar, odd world while still keeping each one of his own characters as engaging as the next one you will meet along the way. That is quite a talent I must say and boy I was a total sucker for it . . . I hanged off every word, every chapter and every page to be honest with you!

Overall, THE PASSAGE, the first book of an adult trilogy (yes two more books are in the works so let's hi-five each other in the glory of it all), is without a doubt the best book I've read this year and this review doesn't even begin to describe my many feels for this book alone. So if you're eager for a tale about a world that is already crumbling to the masses of ruin and utter devastation, and one that is erasing what's left of the human population along with it, then I would highly highly recommend this book to you all. It's just one of those books where you MUST READ before own our world meets the apocalypse (hopefully not too soon!).

The Rating

5/5 stars

Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Egmont

Pages: 357pgs

The Story

There can only be one alpha.

Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack - or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you're a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he's a Were, and Bryn's protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn't part of Bryn's pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha's Were. With threats - old and new - looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she's going to have to do it alone.

Bryn faces both the costs, and the rewards, of love and loyalty, in this thrilling sequel to Raised by Wolves.

The Review

TRIAL BY FIRE is the second installment of the Raised by Wolves series. Already being a big fan of the first book, the same name of the series title, I was so eager to start reading its sequel as I expected it to be full of non-stop action - my absolute favourite element in Barnes's writing. While the book was enjoyable and flowed very easily for me to read and slowly savor, however it's a completely different book with a completely different feeling to it compared to the first book, and whether it was because the direction of the book was heading towards (which may not have been how I wanted it to all go) or it was because nothing was really connecting with me this time round, but, like I mentioned before, it was still immensely enjoyable for me to read.

TRIAL BY FIRE begins a few months after the first book, Raised by Wolves, had ended and even though I was slightly confused by a few things that were happening - mostly because I haven't read the first book in a long, long time - however readers will receive enough information of the back-story to get your bearings straight and understand what's going on. In the sequel Bryn is now an Alpha leader and like all new alphas she's trying to get that balance of adjusting to her new pack as well as trying to control and keep her pack members happy and together. But when a threat arises, putting her life and her own pack in danger, it's up to Bryn alone to put her Alpha skills to good use and determine who their new enemy is and how to stop them before it's too late.

The author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, continues to write a very compelling voice and in saying that I was really glad to see that Bryn's character had grown far more in this second installment. Bryn, as seen in the first book, was a young girl fighting in a dog-eat-dog world, but now, after having more control over her own pack and figuring out who she is as a leader while putting her new experience to the ultimate test, she was not only able to be the Alpha leader that she was born to be but she was also able to push herself against those dangerous boundaries between her human side and that fine line of her animalistic side as well, which was really pleasant to read about and it was probably my favourite part of the book. Her growth and her strength.

While I'm impressed with Bryn's development, however I just couldn't feel that strong connection I'd gotten from the Raised by Wolves book and most of the other character interactions weren't hooking me like I wanted them to. It's a shame, really. I mean there's still originality presented in this sequel, with the characters and the gritty relationships the character's share with each other, but I got that rare feeling where there was something missing from the storyline . . . 'the edge' mostly. Sure there was some plot-twists that were pretty surprising to me in certain scenes and I was certainly entertained by them, but I wasn't necessary blown away by them in the least but that's okay, I hope the third installment brings that edge back to the series once more.

Overall, TRIAL BY FIRE is a worthy sequel for the Raised by Wolves series and if you're looking for an action-packed, fast-paced, and an original werewolf young adult series, then I would highly recommend this series to you all because it's a must read for paranormal lovers!

The Rating

3/5 stars

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion Books

Pages: 517pgs

The Story

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana'Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he's concerned, the princess's family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it - he's saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive - and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

The Review

Honestly where do I start with this book review? Okay so I'm going to admit here I'm a huge fangal when it comes to the Seven Realm series and it's by far one of my favourite fantasy series EVER! It might have actually beaten my love for the Game of Thrones series which only goes to show what a brilliant author Cinda Williams Chima actually is! I mean seriously, with each and every installment getting better and better as the series goes along, and with so much story progression happening not to mention fantastic character development waiting in tow, what more could you possibly want from a book series such as this one? Right . . . nothing more because this series is beyond awesomeness . . . it's absolute perfection.

THE GRAY WOLF THRONE, the third installment of the Seven Realm series, continues the stories of daring wizards, political intrigue, family feuds, forbidden romances and strong male heroes and their unpredictable female heroine leads. With Princess Raisa ana'Marianna forced to flee her home in the Fells in order to escape a forced marriage by none other than a son from the Bayar wizard bloodline, from ultimate betrayals to unforeseeable trickery, Raisa has managed to survive as long as possible along with Amon, her friend and main protector. But just when she finds herself safe in Oden's Ford, flaunting and hiding behind the facade of a servant girl and tutor named Rebecca Morley, she's soon discovered by the Bayar's and makes a deadly bargain of continuing - as planned - to marry Micah Bayar (the boy she fled from the Fells) to keep herself and many others safe from harm. So as she travels with Micah, there is a sudden attack and it leaves Raisa to make her quick escape only to be left fatally wounded in the end. But with another wizard and a former friend of 'Rebecca Morley', Han "Cuffs" Allister, someone who is hot on Raisa's trail (only he doesn't know of her real identity) and whom is eager to find her, when he eventually finds Raisa/Rebecca he not only saves her life using magic and nearly killing himself in the process, but he discovers who Raisa/Rebecca actually is which leaves him feeling utterly betrayed and angry . . . even though he can't help but stay to protect Raisa - whether she's a princess or not.

Out of all the installments I've read, THE GRAY WOLF THRONE is by far my favourite book in the entire series. At least right now, considering we have one more book to go! Raising the stakes higher then ever before, we not only have more scenes shared between Han and Raisa (I know finally!) but we also have far more action scenes than we've seen previously in the books, which only causes me to jump up and down in excitement because it was ALL so AWESOME from beginning to end! So freaking  awesome indeed. I mean there's so much love I have for Chima's beautiful writing and the world she has somehow created effortlessly . . . I'm beyond speechless right now with just how magnificent this book series really is! Like I said before: There's so much love here between me and this book!

But it's not only the storyline that keeps getting better and better, it's also the characters too. Oh boy oh boy, how I love these characters as well! With readers suggesting they like Han more than Raisa or liking Raisa more than Han, it's fair to say I adore them both equally as our main characters for many reasons. The thing is, they're both very different characters - personality-wise at least - to one another and whether you love or hate them, or whether you agree or come to disagree with their gut instincts and some actions in decision-making, they are just two very complexed characters that bring many sides to the story and I'm proud of the author herself in the way she continues to make them grow and be at their best and at their worse as well, which increases my love for them in every step of their journey.

For Raisa in particular, she's not exactly a favorable character from what I've read in past reviews, but to me I adore her completely. She's not perfect but who can blame her? After all, she's still a young girl trying to figure out her life and her future, in which this book she finally comes to grips with so I'm glad for that. Faced with many impossible routes, in terms of ruling as a future queen and loving those she cannot love as it's forbidden (my poor Raisa and Amon - how I love those two together), Raisa has such a strong role to play and I think in this book she has grown up and it's amazing seeing a character I've loved for a short while become someone so fierce and so powerful at the same time too. For the most part I just love her more for her own strengths and her courage.

As for Han Allister, he's a character that is a force to be reckoned with and he's one main character whom continues to blow me away in every book! Much like in Raisa's situation, Han has many difficult choices to make but he remains strong throughout the entire book, even when he's always feeling angry and betrayed by Raisa's dark 'hidden identity  secret. But here's the thing I love most about our dear "Cuffs": He maybe tough on the inside and out, but he's always playing everything as a game, one where each and every step he makes . . . he's always watching what's going on around him and he's always on the lookout to who maybe watching. But that's not all I love about him. I love how he's with Raisa. He has always knew her as Rebecca Morley - someone he could possibly share a life with - but since she's a princess and her secret is out now . . . he's still trying to keep his distance. But when they're together, no matter the awkwardness and betrayal lying between them, there's this spark that no one can deny between them and boy . . . my heart is swooning right now. Gah! They're just so cute together and yet so wrong for each other which only makes them even more perfect for one another if you get my meaning. Yes, I heart them so much if you can't tell already!

Overall, THE GRAY WOLF THRONE was one of the most critical points within the series and it's by far the perfect book to help me gear up in excitement and utter despair for the final book coming out this month, The Crimson Crown! With many struggles of political power, assassination attempts on princesses and forbidden love to tear your own heart apart, this book sets up a wonderful fantasy series and it won't be the last I read of Chima's . . . she is such a sublime author who needs more praises than others are willing to give her! Just love her writing so, so much!

The Rating

5/5 stars

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperVoyager

Pages: 864pgs

The Story

The first volume in the hugely popular and highly acclaimed epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. There is passion here, and misery and charm, grandeur and squalor, tragedy, nobility and courage. Now a major Sky Atlantic TV series from HBO, starring Sean Bean.

The Review

After watching HBO's adaptation of the first book in this planned seven book series, I've been so obsessed with it ever since. I'm in love people . . . in LOVE! I'm in love not only because I love the high fantasy genre and all the little vivid details in the setting, but mostly it was because the TV show was so freakin' EPIC and I just knew - just knew - I had to read this book series to fully comprehend and be captivated by this wonderful world of George R.R. Martin's! And in saying that, the A GAME OF THRONES book was equally incredible as the TV show itself and it's one of my favourite books of all time too!

I won't get into the plot of this book because if I explain it in greater detail I know many of you will probably go, "I don't speak your language" and for the most part, I'll probably fangal forever about this world so I'm just going to get down to the basics about what I loved about this book, so I can - hopefully - convince you to read this great piece of literature to find out for yourself just how awesome it really is. Because that's exactly what it is . . . awesome!

Okay, so one of the things I loved most about George R.R. Martin's work was his prose. He was able to pull off his writing with such confidence and never - if rarely - overloaded you with meaningless expressions just to add detail for the sake of it, you know? So it was finally great to find an author like Martin who knew what he was doing in this fantasy genre of his and knew what his readers wanted from his books, which was obviously more from him! In some ways, Martin has this amazing ability in giving you smaller pieces of the puzzle (some long and complicated ones) but he also manages to hold back on part of the mystery of A GAME OF THRONES which I love. I honestly think he does it on purpose to drive us fans crazy in figuring out what people are really up to in the story and to drive me nuts in the end. Yup, this man is a genius for doing that to me!

But the main thing I loved about this book, other than its pure brilliance in writing and even in the TV show, was all of the perspectives we get to witness from Martin's characters and all the ones we soon get to meet along the way. I mean literally every single character - young, old and some aged inbetween - have their own story to tell and somehow and in some way every one of those character stories has a crucial part to play in this mystery of the Game of Thrones world, and the fact that these characters are neither depicted as black or white (neither entirely good or entirely evil) only adds another unique element to the book series and is something many readers will come to appreciate overtime. But there's so much more to these characters than meets the eye and every one of them are my favourites - especially when it comes to Ayra, Tyrion and Jon Snow (I have a mega crush on Kit Harington who plays Jon in the TV show okay, so it was no real surprise that I loved book-Jon as well. He's one fine babe if I do say so myself. Oh and Robb Stark of course. Can't forget him!).

Overall, A GAME OF THRONES was EPIC and if not better than the TV show itself because we get so much more backstory and history from the characters than what you get in the actual show, so I really enjoyed that part of the book. And, on the plus side for the show's fans, the TV show stayed very true to the book and for the time that they have for the show . . . I think they had successfully gathered the most important stuff from the original book and put it into the show to get the gist of what's happening . . . so I'm really, really pleased about that too. So to everyone reading this review, please, PLEASE go buy this book ASAP because I already have book 2 waiting for me to read and I'm sure it's just going to get better and better if it continues down this wonderful path!

Also on a side note, for all those people who are thinking of reading the book before watching the TV show, I highly recommend that you watch the TV show first. Usually I'm the type of girl to read the fictional work before I actually watch the adaptation of that particular book, but there's a lot to take in when it comes to this series and I think, as a reader, you will truly benefit in watching the show before the books so you can understand who's who (trust me there's a lot of characters from a lot of different families and so on) and to also help understand the world of Game of Thrones and how everything works in general, so I'm truly thankful that I got to watch the show beforehand because I really appreciated this book far more as I knew the characters and what was going on.

The Rating

5/5 stars

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Pages: 314pgs

The Story

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. LOVE WILL LEAD HER HOME.

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She's witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will's travel journal. It's the place he felt closest to God, and she's hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming is latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She's the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she's been looking for has been with her all along?

The Review

A big thanks to the publisher on netGalley for accepting my request in reading this book early!

With a beautiful setting that I have always been obsessed with and some very amusing and clever situations the characters seem to find themselves in, I can definitely guarantee that many young adult readers with fall in love with this book. While I may not be a religious person - like not at all - but there is quite a lot of spiritual and religious entities displayed throughout the book, but despite that small factor, I still really enjoyed this book.

THERE YOU'LL FIND ME is all about forgiveness, dealing with grief and discovering for yourself who you truly are as a person. So, for an eighteen-year-old girl named Finley, she's still a broken mess after her brother had died about a year ago. But when she has hopes to experience the presence of God in the same way her brother had done when he studied abroad, she soon decides to go to Ireland in order to put her life back together - for good this time. But on her plane ride over to Ireland she is seated next to the one and only Beckett Rush, who is not only a Hollywood teen movie star but he's also known for being a playboy, a player and the complete charmer. Unlike most of Beckett Rush's fangals, Finley refuses to be charmed by him but before she even knows it . . . this one journey together brings them closer and closer, and Finley will end up truly finding out whether God was always with her all along.

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not a religious person but I respected the main character's beliefs. And the thing is, I really liked Finley as a main character and she seemed like a pretty simple and a realistic character as well. She has a strong personality which I admired and she always loved to speak her mind, and one way or another I truly believe most readers of this book can find something about her to relate to. In saying that, Beckett was the real charmer of this book (this surprised me by the way) and I can see why Finley was a bit hesistant about him at first . . . though in the end he was a completely genuine, nice and a super-sweet, down-to-earth kind of guy. Finley make have taken her time in trusting herself with Beckett but she finally came around to him so way a go Finley for that!

Without revealing too much of the book, I thought THERE YOU'LL FIND ME was a quick, fun read that had a very thought-provoking element about it. While the religious parts may put some readers off the idea of reading the actual book, but since I'm not religious person and since I still managed to really enjoy it despite that factor, I would still highly recommend that you give this book a go as well! It might even surprise you!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Pages: 350pgs

The Story

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy - a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why, especially since I should have been the one who died . . .

The Review

Jennifer Estep writes books with such an unique voice and I've been a big fan of hers with her adult, urban fantasy Elemental Assassin series for quite some time now. With her new young adult series I was pretty intrigued by it and I've been meaning to pick this book up sooner than I did, but I finally got around to it and I really enjoyed it!

Gwen Frost is a new student at Mythos Academy and often feels like the odd one out because she is the only Gypsy attending the school. With other students being known for their bloodlines of Valkyries, Amazons, Vikings and all sorts of amazing ancient myths that you can possibly think of . . . Gwen believes her own abilities and strength can never really measure up to these students. For you see Gwen's power . . . she can read objects and tell which person they had belonged to originally - like a mini history lesson going through her mind - and she can even touch people and forsee what they're thinking or feeling, and what events had occured during their whole lives. While this ability can come in handy for dangerous situations however for Gwen it leaves her outside the social circle, and most of this is because no one wants her to know their deep and dark hidden secrets.

While the overall storyline was a little sidetracked for me and perhaps there were a lot of things happening all at once that confused me a wee bit, but I really loved Gwen Frost as a main character as she offered up a lot to the storyline which made it stronger and beyond hilarious at certain times in the book. She wasn't the best of heroines but she was the only character I really felt any connection to and in addition to that, she was someone with a badassery side to her which she had eventually grown into . . . so I'm very happy about that factor! But with that being said, while I loved the mythology parts weaved into the storyline and even how the book had that Percy Jackson feel to it, but the only thing I was really disappointed in was the romance.

For the romance section of the book, while it wasn't heavily focussed on - which for me doesn't happen very often in YA books since too much romance can sometimes take away your attention to the actual storyline and blah blah blah - but for this kind of book and the way it was heading towards, I was kind of hoping for a solid romance to be apart of this book and give me a team to start rooting for! But for me the romance fell flat and eventually it fell apart with these two main characters of ours, Gwen and the hot-but-the-also-dangerous Logan Quinn or what as I like to call him 'The Spartan Dude'. For my romantic love interests I want some 'sizzle' and some 'bang' between my characters, but for Gwen and Logan in particular, I just couldn't see the attraction lying between the characters, especially between Gwen and this Spartan Dude. Just couldn't see what drove them together in the first place. I mean, I love Gwen but Logan was the boy I wanted to love but ended up hating him for being so . . . well, being too bad at being Mr. Hottie Mysterious. Not my greatest quotation in reviews but that's how I felt.

On a whole I thought TOUCH OF FROST was a great start for a young adult series and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing what the author writes up next for her main characters, especially since the ending at the end of the book was a bit harsh but it was also probably necessary . . . at least for the time being! While I admit that I prefer Estep's adult series over her new YA series, but I would still highly recommend giving this book a go!

The Rating

3 1/2 / 5 stars

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 472pgs

The Story

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father's grief. What they don't understand - although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in - is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

The Review

Azalea is the oldest of eleven sisters and she has everything she could possibly ask for - she lives in a magical castle, she has many male suitors, she gets to wear gorgeous gowns and she can dance to her heart's content at beautiful and extravagant balls. But with her mother suddenly dying from giving birth to her twelfth child, Azalea and her sisters are left in the hands of their cold, distant father whom barely acknowledges them. With the king, the sister's father, locking down the kingdom to grieve and mourn for their loss, the princesses barely have the chance to be happy and dance again. But once the king sets off to war, the sisters secretly enter another realm where they can dance the night away which then leads them to meet a young man named 'Keeper' and he is the one person who is about to change the world they know . . . forever.

I mostly picked up this book because it was based on the Brothers Grimm's The Twelve Dancing Princess fairytale which happens to be a dear favourite of mine as a child, but it's very rare to come by it - being retold - in a young adult book, so ENTWINED definitely had peaked my interest since its release. While fairytale adaptations in books can be a hit or miss for some readers, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the author, Heather Dixon, tackled this fairytale and I thought she did a fantastic job of it, adding not only her own take on the tale but also offering up a dark-creepy-twist which was a highlight.

With magical visuals being awesome and fantastically displayed throughout the novel, but personally for me the best part of the storyline were the characters. Each one of the sisters had their own distinctive personalities and they offered up great entertainment in all of the actions they had done. But the shining star was of course our leading and strong-willed heroine, Azalea, whom was the bravest, the most compassionate and the most selfless of all the girls, and since she was the oldest it was her responsibility to take charge and be the motherly figure for her family which I loved her for. While I loved the romantic love interests set-up for Azalea's character and how sweet the romantic scenes were, but the reason why I'm not giving this book a higher star rating was due to the lack of romance presented in the book. Whether it was depth-wise or the lack of romantic scenes, I still hoped there would be more development for the romances but it was still so innocent and sweet. And the guy Azalea ends up falling for . . . I totally approve!

Overall, Heather Dixon's ENTWINED was a great book that contained plenty of action and twists to keep its readers engaged from the beginning to end. Like me, if you love a good old classic fairytale retelling in your young adult books, then I would highly recommend you giving this book a go because I'm sure you're going to love it just as much as I did!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 262pgs

The Story

Welcome to the Apocalypse

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups - Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear - to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stpo her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling her the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using knives with feral grace.

The Review

Many readers I know have been raving non-stop about this book for quite some time now and I never really gave it a second thought until now. Once I started this book, reading chapter upon chapter, I was literally captivated by this storyline and it's no wonder why so many readers had such high praises for this author and her new post-apocalyptic world because it was bloody fantastic!

Deuce is a young huntress in an underground Enclave, where she chooses to live and fight for her freedom in a place where the plague has destroyed most of civilisation and where the world has changed for the . . . worse. Spending her entire life labelled as a 'brat' and not being able to read nor write, she has had no choice but to hunt and protect her people from the beings whom are called 'freaks' - flesh-eating zombie-like monsters - whom exist and prey upon people within the Tunnels. They might be your ordinary zombies but they are far from dumb. They have intelligence on their side and are far more evolved compared to your typical slow-walking zombies, which is why Deuce must hunt them down before they get to her first. But when she is paired up with a handsome young boy named Fade, not only will Deuce be left questioning her job as a huntress but she will also be questioning her entire world and what the future may holds for her alone.

With other readers comparing the main heroine to Katniss from The Hunger Games books, I can easily see the comparsion between the two of them, Deuce and Katniss. Deuce was such a badass young girl and she was exactly what I needed in a dystopian novel like this one. Never once did she falter in her actions nor in her strength, mostly because she's the kind of gal who knew what she wanted and just completely went for it no matter the cost! As a product of her own terrifying society, Deuce may not be the most intelligent character within the book but she merely surives on her gut instinct and survival skills . . . which made me love her even more for her and her authenticity in her character. Then of course, there's Deuce's hunting partner, Fade, whom was equally as brilliant as the main heroine was. Like Deuce, Fade was a boy that was very distant from others in his society but when you finally came around to actually getting to know him, you just couldn't help but love and care for him! While the aspect of romance wasn't heavily focused on and neither did it take over the book, but for Deuce and Fade I'm assuming there might be a romance on the horizon for the two of them, so for the sequel I really, really hope there is some more development with this certain 'romance' because I love these two and how they interact with each other.

Overall, ENCLAVE is one of the best dystopian books out there in young adult fiction at the moment and I highly applaud the author on how beautifully written this book was! Honestly . . . there's so much love for this book folks! With lot's of well-written and fast-paced action sequences, brilliant and vivid world-building, and entertaining and highly intense dialogue being offered up to its readers, you will literally need someone to pry this book out of your hands because you're going to be hooked on ENCLAVE, and be left wanting more and MORE of it!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delany

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 303pgs

The Story

Locked away at Pecan Place, Jessie finds her situation to be even more dangeorus than she feared. While she struggles to maintain her sanity and discover answers about the group that seems less and less like an legitimate government agency, Pietr fights to keep their relationship alive. But very aware that his mother's time is running out, Pietr makes a deal he doesn't dare tell Jessie about. Because the deal Pietr's made could mean the death of far more than his tenuous relationship with the girl he loves.

The Review

After reading the first two books in the 13 to Life series, I'm going to admit to you all here that I wasn't a huge fan from the very beginning. The first book was an okay read for me but offered nothing really special nor unique to the paranormal YA genre (again what doesn't lately), and as far as the sequel goes . . . things just got worse for me as I trudged through this complicated journey of Shannon Delany's. But since I like to stick with a book series just to stay, wait and hope for better things for the storyline's sake - you know give the book the benefit of the doubt, I decided to go against my thoughts (since I actually refused to read this book but I then changed my mind) and give this third book another try to understand what other readers were seeing and praising about. And judging by the majority of the reviews on goodreads, it was either an 'okay read' for them or an 'absolutely brilliant read', however for me I just couldn't see what they saw unfortunately.

BARGAINS AND BETRAYALS, the third installment of the 13 to Life series, wasn't the worst book in the series - as it certainly got better in certain parts of the book - but it started off with a bad beginning which isn't a good thing obviously. Same goes with the entire book. The story was slowly-paced, there was nothing really exciting happening, there was far too little of life in the main characters let alone with the supporting cast, and there was a dual perspective told between the main character and another supporting character which I found had a greater effect on my low star rating than the storyline itself. Not only was this supporting character's perspective - unfortunately - boring but it just didn't make sense having that certain character's view on the world and it was quite a shame considering I usually like dual perspectives.

As much as readers love Jessie and Pietr, the main characters of the book, but my interest in them only dwindled far more in this book. Just when I thought these two characters were in a solid relationship and were going to support one another through these rough times in the book, there was just more and more of poor decision making made from them, and they rarely listened to logic which frustrated me a lot. Jessie for example was a strong girl in the first book, 13 to Life, and she may be your average teenage girl, but in this book I was very disappointed in her actions and thoughts. She was love sick and while it's good to be in love and all that shiz, but really? What's with all the melodrama? Where's the dangerous twists and lies that I was expecting? I miss the old Jess.

When it comes to another important and central character of the storyline, again nothing improves either with Pietr's character, Jessie's one and only love interest. Oh Pietr . . . you give me the creeps even though I admire you - even just a little - in the previous installments. But my main problem in Pietr's case was that his thoughts were constantly all over the place, and all he thought about was his downstairs department rather than using his head on the most dangerous and the most twisted of all situations. Yes, you know what I mean there readers and don't take it lightly. I mean, Pietr was too pressuring and dominating when it came to Jessie and I didn't like that one bit. And really, Jessie shouldn't have to give in so quickly to Pietr's frustrations because that boy needs a leash . . . seriously. So when combining a complicated girl with a very frustrating-bossy-but-also-complicated boy things just . . . don't work out for them. On the plus side though, while I did enjoy having some questions answered in this book and enjoyed some dialogues exchanged between the supporting characters, but the story shouldn't be about them . . . it should focus more on the main characters and loving them more and more than the supporting ones featured in this book. After all, the main characters's roles are to drive the novel in the right direction and make us readers care about them. But I guess it just wasn't the right read for me and whether or not I decide to will myself in reading the fourth book . . . I guess I'll just let fate decide for me when the time comes around.

Overall, readers should not feel discouraged about my review nor my book rating because clearly there are plenty of other readers out there whom loved this book and even the characters inside of it. The storyline in BARGAINS AND BETRAYALS maybe insane and leave you saying, "Oh no they didn't! Really?" but if you love some decent melodrama, some crazy scenes that come out of the ordinary, or if you have the love of the 13 to Life book series, then this book right here will be perfect for you!

The Rating

2/5 stars

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 288pgs

The Story

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach? It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Counsins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started - at Cousins Beach.

The Review

There's no doubt in my mind when I say that I've fallen in love with this series and with the characters Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah. Right from the very beginning. From the start of summer til the end of it. Not only does this series have every bit of element I love in my books - the summers, the romance, the heartbreak, the conflicts - but it only goes to show how much this one author, Jenny Han, rocks my world and yet again she delivers a fantastic novel to add to her name.

Belly had thought things were perfect after what happened during the most incredible and heart-changing summer . . . but she couldn't have been more wrong. Everything has changed now and not even her summers will ever be the same again. When one of her childhood best friends, Jeremiah, calls to ask for her help in finding his older brother, Conrad, as you can imagine, Belly is still very conflicted with her emotions regarding Conrad, especially how things ended with him from the first book, The Summer I Turned Pretty. But when you hold such strong feelings for someone, you cannot simply refuse them and in Belly's case Conrad will forever be in heart, and she will always be there for him even if it means being only a friend to him. But there's a question that still remains: Can Belly finally get some closure with her lost-love and childhood crush or will seeing Conrad again stir up those old feelings of hers and complicate matters even further than she first anticipated?

I won't go into greater detail about the plot, but it was equally as fantastic as the first installment. Han's writing alone comes alive instantly through what seems like endless of pages and flows so easily too, with each and every shining word you read. The thing I love about this author, Jenny Han, is her ability to know how to reach out to her readers on a personal level and knowing that teenagers will always do stupid things or make the wrong decisions at the wrong times, and I guess that's why I love this author so much because of the realism she adds to her storylines. Even her male characters have a touch of realism to them and aren't presented as these perfect and untouchable beings. She is instead presenting these males with some screwed-up flaws that can easily become one of their strengths. Yes, this book is perfect no matter the cracks on the surface.

Regarding the wonderful set of characters, Belly remains one of my favourite gals. She's stronger than ever before, she has a weakness for love (which we love most about her) but knows how to contain it, and she's still the same old girl who is always there for everyone else when they are in need. And while Belly has discovered many things about herself and about the boys she loves, and even about her own family and friends, but in this sequel I found that she still has a long way to go in learning about what it truly means to let go of the past and move forward with life. Same goes with the love interests of the story - Conrad and Jeremiah. Both boys have their own complications and feelings towards many different things including their feelings for Belly, but no matter the drama and no matter what comes out of their frustrating-but-sexy mouths, they will forever hook me. I admit Conrad was a bit harder in personality than previously seen in the first book and even Jeremiah has changed too, but the thing about these two boys right here, is that they come together as a team through the hardest times of life and honestly there's not one bad thing I've got to say about them. Flaws and all . . . they're perfect just the way they are and are just as perfect as this perfect book of Jenny Han's!

Overall, IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU was a shining star for me and was a hundred times better than the first book in the series. It was far more intense for me and because of that I cried, I laughed, I was a damn right mess and I always felt frustrated . . . but clearly this book was way, way too good for its own good if you get my meaning! If you love YA realism, beautiful romances and down-to-earth friendships and all of the little teenage drama inbetween, then this book should have a permanent place on your bookshelf because I loved every single moment of it!

The Rating

5/5 stars