Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Puffin

Pages: 352pgs

The Story

This is not the fairytale you remember.

But it’s one you won’t forget.

Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.

Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.

As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

The Review

I'm no going to lie: I did 'sort of' freak out when I heard there would be new characters introduced in SCARLET and telling (or rather continuing) the storyline of Cinder in the Lunar Chronicles sequel, but even though this sequel may not have been a very strong one at that compared to Cinder in terms of the progression of the storyline, but that still doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this book on a whole because I really, really did!

Initially I was so attached to the hip with Cinder, Kai and pretty much every other character from the previous book, and I just couldn't see any more characters coming in to replace my love for them. And yet, even to my own surprise, I actually appreciated the new characters in SCARLET - in fact I loved them - even more than the original characters. I even found Cinder and Kai's perspectives that are still in this book to be nothing but boring. I mean, I just wanted more of the 'other' character. I mean, I know, right? I'm such a little traitor here when it comes to Cinder and Kai. But quite honestly Scarlet, for one, our new main leading heroine, may have been completely different to Cinder, but she was SO awesome, completely kick-ass, and was every bit interesting throughout this one book alone. I just loved her character and personality more than Cinder because Scarlet was pretty much capable of anything. She had all these unknown possibilities. Now if only the next book was in her perspective . . . like all the time in her perspective! I can only wish because I can't get enough of her character!

But the boys! Oh my gosh those boys! Sure, I may have come to the sad conclusion of Kai being a completely douche in this sequel and a stupid idiot for his own - yet again - stupid actions, but I totally fell hard for Wolf and Thorne. For Thorne's character, I was completely, completely sold by him immediately. He is such a vibrant character to have behind this awesome backdrop and his humor is to die for! He was pretty hilarious in this book. But Wolf. Oh my god . . . WOLF! I knew Wolf was going to be this all mysterious and brooding guy, but don't get me started on him. I mean, where has he been all my life?! Him and Scarlet are just utter perfection, and honestly where has Marissa Meyer been hiding these highly-intense and chemistry-filled characters! Gosh. *fangal attack*

Overall, SCARLET was a great continuation of the Lunar Chronicles series and I'm looking forward to seeing how the next book plays out!

The Rating

4/5 stars

The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Ace

Pages: 304pgs

The Story

McKenzie Lewis has a gift. 

It allows her access to a world few have seen, 

and even fewer can comprehend. It’s her secret. 

And it exists in the shadows . . .

McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war between the fae.

With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.

The Review

After defeating the King and his Fae in the first book, The Shadow Reader, McKenzie still can't seem to catch a break from pretty much . . . well . . . anything paranormal. Since switching sides with the Rebels in a war between them and those of the Fae, McKenzie is not only falling in love with the Rebel leader, Aren, and also having complicated and contradicting feelings for her past love, Kyol, but she is also attempting to fight off Remnants coming after her and her rebel followers, the type of Fae who are still very loyal to their dead king and would rather kill his replacement. But with many other matters on higher stakes, with a possible Rebel traitor among them all and with McKenzie's human best friend, Paige, abducted by those deadly Remnants . . . McKenzie must do everything within her power to hold the Fae kingdom together before everything is destroyed in the end.

I really enjoyed Sandy William's debut, The Shadow Reader. It was a very fun and addictive urban fantasy read, and I thought its sequel THE SHATTERED DARK was clearly no exception as well. I loved it! It may not have been as strong as the first book in terms of some uninteresting sections of the book, but regardless of that I still loved the main plot and how it mostly focused on the rebel faes which I wanted to know more about so I was all for it really. And, as for the romance side of things, while it did - at times - fall into the pitfalls of love triangles (even if it's not really a love triangle per se but just some resolved feelings for another person), however I'm really glad one of the  love interests was straightforward in his affections rather than hiding them for the main character and really . . . I love having high tension in anything romance-wise so I was pretty happy about that in this book!

Overall, THE SHATTERED DARK was a great continuation of The Shadow Reader series and with so much happening in the book - not to mention a great cliffhanger of sorts - I think many readers will enjoy this sequel just as much as the first book.

The Rating

4/5 stars

Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 448pgs

The Story

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

The Review

Look I'll admit here, I absolutely loved the first book but I was pretty disappointed with its sequel for obvious (Tucker) reasons, and yet I found this third and final installment to the Unearthly series, BOUNDLESS, to be such a perfect conclusion to this much beloved angel series! The book not only strengthen each one of the characters and tested them on many, many dangerous levels, but it also placed back my faith and love for this book series - a feeling which I really, really missed!

Regarding the book itself, the plot, for one, was fantastic! Simple as that. Fantastic. While the beginning of the book was a little slow for me and a little hard to get into for moment or two, but with so much happening and with so many shocking events going on throughout the book - some more surprising than others - it just became one of those reads where you cannot literally put the book down. You just need to find out more and more. And I love those rare moments I get in a book where you're so invested in a storyline and its characters, and I guess it's just part of the fun in reading them!

As for the characters, it was a great to be re-introduced to them once more and see the growth they have achieved throughout the course of this series. They've really grown up and matured into great characters and I love them to bits. Clara, our main protagonist, for one, was someone who broke my heart in the sequel, Hallowed, as she broke up with her boyfriend Tucker and left to be with Christian - or so it would seem. Damn Clara and her feelings. But in this third installment, I finally gained more respect for her character and I understood why she did what she did and her reasons for it, so I'm glad she shone in this book this time round as we all finally get to see her kick-ass side ways. I appreciated those moments I got from her. Christian, on the other hand, was someone I haven't always liked but he too shone in this book as surprising as it is. I actually could see why Clara liked him more than just a friend way and yet I still couldn't see them as a romantic "couple" but I guess that's because I can't seem to get past someone else we all left behind in the sequel. That being our country boy Tucker.

The one thing that hasn't changed in the series - at least for me personally - was my love for Tucker. Cowboy-hat-tight-jeans-wearing and handsome boy Tucker was just always someone I loved and he just couldn't be compared to Christian, even though Christian does get some love for me in this book too. It's just not possible to compare Tucker to Christian because Tucker is his own entity, you know? And, despite what team you're on, I've always been a Tucker girl. Readers who've read my reviews will know of this already because I confess it constantly! Anyway, while we don't necessarily get many scenes with Tucker in BOUNDLESS (I know, how cruel of the author to do that to us!) but it was still satisfying to me and I'm so happy Clara got to see Tucker now and again too. You can just FEEL the intensity between the two of them . . . it's just meant to be you know? Boy, I love Tucker!

In regards to the ending, it was utter perfection. I couldn't have asked for a better ending myself. Not only did it close off in a way that makes you giggle, smile, and laugh in a cutesy school girl sort of way, but it also gave off this sense of relief to a reader as well . . . like everything worked out for the best. Yeah, the ending gets absolutely no complaints from me! Consider me a happy fangal now!

Overall, while it's sad to see this series end but I'm so ecstatic too as BOUNDLESS delivered more than I ever expected from it. Filled with emotionally-driven characters, heart-pounding action and solid-written storytelling, I'm sure many readers will be overjoyed with this third and final conclusion, depending on which guy team you're on of course! Hehe.

The Rating

5/5 stars

Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 112pgs

The Story

For this elite group of teenagers, New York is all about parties, fashion . . . AND BLOOD.

Schuyler Van Alen is a loner, and happy that way. But when she turns fifteen, her life dramatically changes. A mosaic of blue veins appears on her arms, and she begins to have memories of another time and place. When a classmate is found dead at a night club, the mystery deepens. Most surprising of all, Jack Force, the hottest boy in school, starts showing a sudden interest in her.

Schuyler wants answers, but is she prepared to learn the truth . . . especially when she discovers her part in it?

The sexy and secretive world of the Blue Bloods comes to life in this stunning graphic novel adaptation of Book One in Melissa de la Cruz's internationally best-selling series.

The Review

With the final book in the Blue Bloods series, Gates of Paradise, being released earlier this year, it's just really nice to have to have a graphic novel adaptation to bring back the love I have for this series and have me looking forward to yet another great addition to Melissa de la Cruz's much beloved vampire world. So when it comes to this new graphic novel it sure doesn't disappoint its readers and certainly NOT me because this new graphic novel reminded me of all the good times I had with this series and where this love of mine had all started from . . . it was really a great treat indeed especially for a super fan like me!

While some sections of the first book - which this graphic novel is adapted from - were cut out for obvious reasons as a graphic novel can't fit in every single scene, but I still enjoyed this graphic novel on a whole. Not only was the original character dialogue (well most of it) kept for this graphic novel rather than the narration part, but it also contained much of the original storyline too, featuring some really memorable scenes and some of my favourite characters too, which was great . . . even for a graphic novel of a much smaller form.

But what I loved most of all and where all of my high praises go straight towards is the artwork alone. Even with characters having similarities to Bratz dolls but I didn't care . . . it was beautifully drawn regardless and so were the backgrounds and the character emotions. Beautiful. Crazy beautiful. Now for some readers of the original series, the characters may not be the ones inside of your head (we can all argue here because we all see our characters differently), but for me most of the characters - especially the main ones - were EXACTLY how I imagined them as weird as it is, so I was very pleased on that part. So yay for that!

Overall, this was a fantastic graphic novel and really lived up to my high expectations. While I loved this book but I firmly believe this graphic novel will only appeal to those fans and readers of the Blue Bloods series or perhaps, if you're looking for something really beautiful, new and interesting to read, may help push new readers to start reading this wonderful vampire series!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Pride and Pleasure by Sylvia Day

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 282pgs

The Story

A tale of ambition, love and lust.

Pursued by fortune hunters, heiress Eliza Martin is the victim of diabolical scheming to get her to the altar. She won't be bullied, however, and she will get to the bottom of this plot. She needs a man to infiltrate her suitors and find the villain.

Thief-taker Jasper Bond is entirely too devilish and too dangerous - who'd believe Eliza would be seduced by a man like him? But client satisfaction is a point of pride with Jasper and it's his pleasure to prove he's just the man - for all her needs.

The Review

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

Having loved Sylvia Day's Crossfire series (honestly that series is so, SO addictive), I have come across many reviews where readers suggested and recommended others books of Day's, and since I loved her writing already I thought I would love those other books as well. Unfortunately, while I don't mind reading a historical romance now and then, this book was a bit of a letdown for me.

Though the plot was well-written, had decent characters, many unexpected plot twists, and little surprising secrets spread across the entire storyline (ones of which I did enjoy), but on a whole I just couldn't find the storyline compelling enough to urge me in reading more pages of the book. Not to mention the paragraphs and the character dialogue was just . . . how should I put this . . . a little too long-winded for my own taste and I guess I was waiting for something big to happen when really . . . there was really nothing big there to begin with. At least not until the very end of the book.

Overall, PRIDE AND PLEASURE just wasn't the book for me and I would only recommend it to very selective readers. But be sure to check out Sylvia Day's Crossfire series anyway, because I absolutely love that series and couldn't recommend it enough!

The Rating

1/5 stars

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 320pgs

The Story

For as long as Ebony can remember, she’s been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It’s as if she’s being hidden.

But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can’t be concealed. She’s growing more beautiful by the day, she’s freakishly strong, and then there’s the fact that she’s glowing.

On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she’s intensely drawn to him. It’s as if something explodes inside of her—something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she’s a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

The Review

A big thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book!

HIDDEN tells the story of Ebony, the violet-eyed girl, with a very strange past. One she doesn't know too much about. So with her parents being over-protective one night when she tries to sneak out of her own home to attend a party, not only does her parents become really frantic and refuse to answer the question of when and where she was born, you know straightaway that there's something strange going on in Ebony's life, with her so-called 'parents', and you can't help but want and demand for more answers!

As much as I enjoyed this book, I still felt Ebony's character was quite bland. Even though I may have admired her spunky and courageous side that is often shown in the book, but there was still something missing in her character to make me actually love her as a main heroine. Mostly it was hard to like her when she would always - and unnervingly - believe some really unnatural things . . . like way too quickly. I just didn't find it realistic at all, I'm afraid. Jordan, on the other hand, another character who tells another side of the story, was the one character that actually made me keep going in reading this book. Being a fairly leveled kid, I thought he brought something very interesting to the book itself and I enjoyed his perspective much more than Ebony's needless to say.

Overall, without spoiling the book, I thought HIDDEN was a pretty good read. It wasn't necessarily my favourite book of Marianne Curley's, but it does mark a great comeback for her and it'll be interesting where the next book of this new series takes us to next!

The Rating

3/5 stars

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Pages: 389pgs

The Story

Vanessa doesn't believe that her sister is a runaway. She wouldn't leave her family behind without saying a word. The only way Vanessa can discover the truth behind her mysterious disappearance is to follow in Margaret’s footsteps, but to do so she risks her sanity and maybe even her life . . .

Vanessa Adler is one of the talented few to get a place at the acclaimed New York Ballet Academy. Between backbreaking rehearsals for the school’s production of The Firebird she desperately tries to find out what happened to her sister before she vanished. There are rumors that the pressure of performing the lead role, the same role Vanessa is now rehearsing for, drove her mad. Other girls have gone missing too. Can the role be cursed? Vanessa’s new relationship with leading-man Zep only seems to complicate things further. What is he hiding from her and can she really trust him?

The Review

A big thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a review copy of this book!

You know what? I actually liked this book. No, really I did. While I admit that it does go outside the usual YA paranormal read for me - what with the whole ballet thing - and it can sometimes get a little weird on me as things get literally weirder in this story, but regardless, since the book had this small and very delightful essence of the film Black Swan, I found this book had really great potential for a new YA series and I'm looking forward to reading more from this debut author.

Right from the beginning it's quite obvious something 'strange' is going on in the book - what with its first scene being of a girl bursting into flames and then into ashes, followed by tutors saying many young girls drop out from the New York City Ballet Academy. Clearly this should be ringing alarm bells for the characters but then there enters our main heroine, Vanessa, who attends the Ballet Academy in question, one where her sister, the one who'd disappeared three years ago, used to attend and while studying there and socializing with a variety of people, things start to become . . . haunted. Literally. And it all has to do with the academy, the tutors, the strange boys, and with Vanessa, only she doesn't know it quite yet. *cues spooky music*

On a whole, I thought the characters were decent enough. While I still think Vanessa's new friends could have been developed a little bit more as they did fade into the background for me, but Vanessa's character in particular was a great heroine to have behind this elegant Ballet scene and I enjoyed reading about her world of dance and learning more and more about the disappearance of her sister, and how it exactly connects to herself now. Vanessa, in some sense, just had this great appeal about her. I can't really explain it. But as for the two main boys, Zep and Justin, I had a lot of doubts about them as I liked one boy more than the other boy (Zep I'm talking about you here). I may not have felt this 'sizzling' romance going on between Vanessa and the two boys because there was nothing sizzling about it, but Zep, I found, had something interesting going on with his character, something that I really liked from him, whereas Justin is just . . . well . . . cute and nice in a golden boy sort of way, so he didn't exactly have much . . . what's the word . . . connection with me.

Overall, DANCE OF SHADOWS was surprisingly a great read and I felt offered something a little bit different compared to most paranormal YA books out there. So if you love something crossed between Black Swan, Deadly Little Secret and Center Stage, then you're definitely going to love this book despite its faults as its very mysterious and very beautifully written!

The Rating

4/5 stars