Book Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Title: The Young Elites

Author: Marie Lu

Series/Standalone: The Young Elites Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, 

Pages: 355

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook (Own Hardcover)

"Adeline Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina's black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only one jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family's good name and standing in the way of their future. But some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars- they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it's Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they've never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. but of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn't belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her."

My Rating: 3.75/5

This was an entertaining fantasy. I know that others are willing to say this is dystopian but until I see full reflection of our world, I'm not so quick to jump there. If you know me you know I love a villain arc. This delivers! The audiobook was a wonderful way to consume this story and the narration lends perfectly to the plot. It is a product of when it is published so it reminds me a lot of some books I read at the time it was published. Overall, fun, exciting and entertaining. I do plan on picking up the next audiobook as soon as possible. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Series/Standalone: The 5th Wave Series

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Pages: 457

Publisher: GP Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Year Published: 2013

Format: Audiobook (Own Paperback Copy)

"After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother- or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I put this book off for so long because I heard from multiple booktubers that the series goes downhill, but now that it's been out for almost 10 years, so I picked this up for nostalgia purposes mainly. It is such a throwback to the 2010s dystopian stories. This one was good. I think that if I had picked it up when it came out I would have been impatiently waiting for the next one, but because I waited for the hype to die down (and then some) I will just be binge-reading these for fun.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

 Title: Her Royal Highness

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Royals Series (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, LGBT

Pages: 274

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Son Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Millie Quint is devastated when she discovers her sort-of-best friend/sort-of-girlfriend has been kissing someone else. And because Millie cannot stand the thought of confronting her ex every day, she decides to apply for scholarships to boarding schools... the farther from Houston the better.

Millie can't believe her luck when she's accepted into one of the world's most exclusive schools, located in the rolling highlands of Scotland. Everything about Scotland is different: the country is misty and green; the school is gorgeous, and the students think Americans are cute.

The only problem: Millie's roommate Flora is a total princess.

She's also an actual princess. Of Scotland.

At first, the girls can barely stand each other-- Flora is both high-class and high-key-- but before Millie knows it, she has another sort-of-best-friend/sort-of-girlfriend. Even though Princess Flora could be a new chapter in her love life, Millie knows the chances of happily ever afters are slim... after all, real life isn't a fairy tale... or is it?"

My Rating: 2/5

So I read the first book in this series and I was so excited to learn more about Flora, and I feel like we did, but I just didn't like it. I was really hoping that this book would be from Flora's P.O.V but it wasn't, and that really took away from my overall enjoyment. I also just didn't care for the characters we saw throughout this novel. While there was a romance aspect, it wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I just didn't feel the spark between our two characters. I would read more from Rachel Hawkins and I would love to hear about other people's romances within the royal/aristocrat families. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Royals by Rachel Hawkins

 Title: Royals

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Royals Series

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult

Pages: 296

Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons for Young Readers

Year Published: 2018

Format: Audiobook

"Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part-time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown-- and the intriguing Miles- might be trying to make Daisy into a lady... but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself."

My Rating: 3/5

I would like to start this review by saying this book has been re-released with a totally different cover (far better) and title (Prince Charming). So as much as this looks like it was released in 2009, it did come out in 2018 and the cover is far better. Now for the story itself. I absolutely love the characters in this. They are so sweet and bubbly, exactly what I needed from characters in this style of the book. While they have issues and problems, nothing is too deep (there are issues but no one is about to die). The atmosphere was a little lacklustre. While things are described, the way that time passes throughout the story is faster then I imagine it passing. We basically catch up with our main character during interesting aspects there isn't any idle time really. I loved how light and fun this story was, and the cute romances throughout. I plan on continuing the series asap (have the next one on hold at my local library). 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Ends of the World by Maggie Hall

Title: The Ends of the World
Author: Maggie Hall
Series/Standalone: The Conspiracy of Us Series (Book #3) 
Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Science Fiction
Pages: 309
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2017
Format: Audiobook

"The Circle is hers. But Avery West has lost everything: her mother, the family she'd just found and the one boy she trusted. In their place are unfathomable power, a staged relationship that makes her question every real feeling she's ever had, and a mission to find the cure to the virus that's made her own blood a weapon.

Then disaster strikes, turning Avery, Stellan, Jack and Elodie into the most wanted people in the world. To clear their names and the growing rift between the families of the Circle before the world dissolves into World War Three, they'll have to make a desperate, dangerous final race for Alexander the Great's tomb. What they will find inside will mean the world's salvation- or destruction.

Avery will have to decide how much she's willing to sacrifice- for the world, for family and for love-in this conclusion to the Conspiracy of Us series."

My Rating: 1/5


I rarely hate a book series. But here it is the series that I kept thinking must get better, but it just didn't. There was one plot point that I thought could have been interesting in the very end of the book, one character I was intrigued by and guess what, they got killed off. I didn't think that this was logically or atmospheric, it was corny and straight-up stupid to me. I don't think I will bother reading anything else by the author. Maybe it was the plot or the writing but this whole series was just not for me! I don't understand the praise that it's gained from some of the booktubers I follow. I just literally don't get it. First 1 star of the year!

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Reader by Traci Chee

Title: The Reader
Author: Traci Chee
Series/Standalone: Sea of Ink and Gold Series (Book #1)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 442
Publisher: Putnam
Year Published: 2016
Format: Hardcover Physical Book (Own It)
First Line: "Once there was, and one day there will be."

"Once there was, and one day there will be. This is the beginning of every story.

Sefia lives her life on the run. After her father is viciously murdered, she flees to the forest with her aunt Nin, the only person left she can trust. They survive in the wilderness together, hunting and stealing what they need, forever looking over their shoulders for new threats. But when Nin is kidnapped, Sefia is suddenly on her own, with no way to know who's taken Nin or where she is. Her only clue is a strange rectangular object that once belonged to her father, something she comes to realize is a book.
Though reading is unheard of in Sefia's world, she slowly learns, unearthing the book's closely guarded secrets, which may be the key to Nin's disappearance and discovering what really happened the day her father was killed. With no time to lose, and the unexpected help of swashbuckling pirates and enigmatic stranger, Sefia sets out on a dangerous journey to rescue her aunt, using the book as her guide. In the end, she discovers what the book hd been trying to tell her all along: Nothing is as it seems, and the end of her story is only the beginning."

My Rating: 4.5/5

I'm trying very hard to get back to reading guys. At least one book a week if not more. So here's the first one that I felt like I kinda had to push through. I think that this book really reminded me why I personally chose not to DNF books. I started this a week ago and had a bit of trouble getting into it. I started reading on Sunday and made it about 80 pages pushing myself to get through them. I then proceeded to read it here and there, one or two pages every night. So when I picked it up this morning I was so confused about what was happening. If you feel this way if you're picking this up, please push through because around the 150 page mark it picks up the pace. I think that the part that was the most frustrating in the book was the pacing and timeline in the start of the book. There are many characters who don't seem related and it's hard to distinguish what is happening to who and when. Another aspect of this book I found frustrating was the use of words by the page numbers. I couldn't keep track of both the storyline and the story that was completely different on the bottom of the page. I appreciated the detail but it was a little too much for me.
While writing this review I looked up when the next book in this series comes out and it's sadly not until November of this year so until then I'll just be looking at the goodreads page anticipating following up with the characters.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Reader by Traci Chee

So this book was a really good pick up from the reading that I've had lately. I feel like I've read alot of books that I thought were just ok and this one was really good. So let's start with why this book wasn't a 5/5 for me personally. I debated over what rating to give this book for some time, but I found the start of the book to be so incredibly slow, it just wasn't a 5/5 for me personally. I was happy that I didn't chose to DNF this book after 80 pages though because I began to really enjoy it around the 150 page mark (this is an estimate). I think something the author struggled with was pacing in this book. I couldn't tell how much time had passed and where we were going. I also found it difficult to relate the main character at the beginning of her reading journey (it seemed to come a little to easily). It just felt strange to read about someone learning to read. I did enjoy the aspect that a book could be magical and teach you the future, present and past. I also enjoyed the assortment of point of views after I got used to it. At first it seems like there is too much going on at once but after you get used to it, it become enjoyable to see what you're characters are up too. 

Characters:
Sefia:I think she was an interesting chosen one character. She made it clear from the start her intentions but when faced with the reality of having to kill someone she wasn't so sure. Which I feel is extremely realistic. I also thought that she was a bit naive to trust some of those around her or to leave notes behind her. That made it a little to easy. I wonder what she will do now that she's on the run from The Guard. Will she stop and join them or count on the crew to help her. I can't wait to read the sequel in... November... 

Archer: I think that he was another interesting main character. Mute and tortured he made for someone who was interesting to see in the world. Having been caught and forced to do so many horrible things that he forgot his past. It makes me wonder what he will have to do now that he has his voice and memories back. Clearly he and Sefia are a badass duo, so I strongly hope that that continues.

Nin: I wonder about her connection with the Guard and Sefia's parents.

Lon: He got a little big for his shoes I think at some points in the library but he was a powerful character. I wonder how he knew Tanin and why it came to his death in the end. Obviously they weren't that good of friends.. I'm just saying.

Captain Reed: Loved this character he was charming and bad in all the right ways. I think that he served an interesting role in the story and it should be interesting to see him in the sequel. His crew is definitely a unique one and he seems like one of the more just pirates I've read about.

Tanin: Who the hell are you? And why do you think that bringing a raging war to those everyone will end in eventual peace? Will it be a forced peace? That's kind of what it sounds like to me. I'm glad she's dead but what will happen without her as the director. 

Harison: What a sweet boy? The stories about his past broke my heart a million times over.

Mareah: To have to give up who you were, are and a future is horrible. But to kill those you love to show you're loyalty to a cause? That's cruel. It makes me think hard about the Guard and what they believe. 

The mate: Creepy but in the best way. I want to know more about his life and how he came to understand the ship. Can we please have a novella for this guy? Please?


Moments To Remember:
Pg. 323
"'You got a chioce, Sef. Control your future, or let your future control you.'"

Final Line: "'Anywhere but here,' she said."


Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Rose and The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Rose and The Dagger
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series/Novel: The Wrath and The Dawn Series (#2)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 406
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Year Published: 2016
First Line: "The girl was eleven and three quarters."

"In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse- one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refused to be a pawn and decides a plan.
While her father, Jahndar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love."

My Rating: 4/5

This second and final instalment in The Wrath and The Dawn duology follows many characters from the previous novel. Some we grew to know quite well in the first book and others at first a bit of a mystery. This second book wraps up the love of a boy-king, a calipha and a childhood love with a bow on top. Not to mention the diversity, use of fantasy aspects and approach to the story that were all in all incredible.  I think that this book did pale a bit when compared to the first one, but this could be because of the busy time schedule I read it in as well. I found that it was hard to want to keep up with the book in the beginning as it started at a slow pace, but by the mid way point I was once again wrapped up in the different setting, interesting characters and fantastic use of plot. The twists and turns are surprising but exciting to endure and not over the top.
Overall this was a good way to end a series and I look forward to see what other books Renee Ahdieh brings to the table over time and where she'll take her career next. 

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Rose and The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

As mentioned in the review, this book was read during a pretty busy period of life, please excuse the scatter brain thoughts below.

So this is one of the only books I think I've read that is a part of duology. Now if you're like me, you're sitting there wondering who came up with this fantastic system to help describe a series, and I have no answers for you. But what I can say, is that it definitely worked for the story of The Wrath and The Dawn series. The two books fit together perfectly and although I am a fan of the first book, and believe the second to have taken a slight slump, I see them completed as a whole. They are told beautifully from many perspectives and in a unique setting. The descriptions were complex and beautiful, introducing uncommon aspects and describing them to readers who are willing to imagine.
These books had a great set of characters, although I found the second book to be hard to follow with the bouncing between characters. This being said, it was exactly what held the book together.

The story all in all wraps up with a great epilogue about the future and give the readers the perfect amount of answers, in my opinion.

The Characters:
Shazi: So Shazi became quite the powerhouse. Although her quick wit and stubbornness are what helped me enjoy her character. She would give all for those she loves and her character proves this time and time again. This being said, I found that Shazi in this book was a little less of a kick ass person in the first half. Having to live in a camp with your husbands enemies can do that to a girl. I do enjoy the ending of this story and how smart she is about her time in the dungeon. She is a wise character and while her temper is something else, I think that she was written perfectly. And the use of power with all this. Lovely!

Tariq: I'm the worst for saying this but Tariq needed to let Shazi go so badly. He was clearly hurting himself and Shazi, by acting as though he could change how she felt. Although he is stubborn he is not stubborn enough to change the feelings of another. But at the end it sounds like he was able to find someone to occupy his time, so that's good.

Khalid: He changed the first time we saw him. Back to the weary character he was in the first half of the story, but as time progresses we see his love for Shazi grow. We also know that he would do anything for his people, and those close to him. I enjoyed seeing him go to work to rebuild the city. That was a side of him I had never seen and I was intrigued by how people reacted to him. Also that army strategy though. Way to kick so a**.

Despina: I may have closed my book when we are reintroduced to Despina as a different person.  I was shocked and yet not so much that I was surprised. Although her acting skills are something else. She was able to find a way to save Shazi which I was excited to hear, but I'm curious about how she came to live in the castle with her not so husband husband.

Rahim: Hitting me right in the heart. What a great man, filled with honour and love for those around him. The loyalty though.

Irsa: I was glad that she was more of a part of this novel, because anyone with a sister knows that they are never far when you need them, but also when you don't. It was only a matter of time for her to appear. I enjoyed the description of how quiet and easy going she was and seeing the growth of her character being able to speak what she wanted. 

Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "'Then we begin with the first tale... 'Haroun and the Magic Carpet.'"

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny

Book Review: The Wrath and The Dawn

Title: The Wrath and The Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series/Novel: The Wrath and The Dawn (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Pages: 395
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "It would not be a welcome dawn."

"One life to one dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliphs reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone.She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and The Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end."

My Rating: 5/5

So I just finished this book before leaving the city and it's beautifully large library. This book was incredible and perfect. I understand now what all the buzz was about when it first came out and it's a perfect day to have finished it as the second instalment has just been published and is available. Don't worry I already called the book store and had one put on hold for me. This is such a diverse novel and the way it's inspired by A Thousand and One Nights makes it even more interesting to read. I found that the setting at first was hard to imagine but after it being described in such detail I found no trouble picturing the palace, desert and the city. It seemed to fill my imagination. Everything from the food, the sights and the clothing were interesting and different to me. This is something that can really pull a reader in, and I was certainly interested! The characters are surprising but not not to the point where their actions seem out of character. Rather they are unique and filled with depth. I could tell that the author had thought hard about how to portray each of the characters. The only thing I struggled with for the first few pages was the amount of names that started with the same letter, but after really getting into the book, it was no longer a problem. Rereading that last sentence, I sound like a child. I may be the only one who has the problem.
The book left off in such a great place and I plan to start the second one tonight, The Rose and The Dagger and complete it by the end of the week. 

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renne Ahdieh

Let's start this off by saying that I had heard ALOT of hype about this book. It's been nominated for many awards and has gathered the attention of many readers/bloggers. The diverse story has really captured an interesting story and has alot of people pushing for more diverse stories, which is something I think we could all use.
This book really switched up the playing field of retellings and stories that are inspired by others. I really enjoyed the different setting of this first book. It was something I never really had read about before. The descriptions at first were confusing to me but throughout the book, I was able to really picture what was happening in the plot. Everything connected throughout the setting the descriptions of the city, desert, clothing and food really helped to connect the dots on an  area of the world I'm not familiar with. It was exciting to explore different perspectives throughout the Khorasan's adventure.
The characters were deep and were not predictable, which I always appreciate. The perspective of the book was from an outside view which gave the book further depth as you could understand what each characters thought and how they felt thoughout the volume.

Characters:
Shahrzad: This character is a strong female, which is something to be appreciated. She willingly sacrificed her life to take revenge for her friend. Although we never meet Shiva, we know that she must have been special and her death effected many around her. As the story continues we see that Shazi, as she's commonly called start to fall for her once enemy. Seeing her struggle internally to push away her feelings is hard to watch. And as much as you hate Khalid for killing so many women, you want Shazi to show her true feelings. (At least I did). As the story goes on Khalid opens up to Shazi, but when Tariq appears to rescue her she is forced to make a choice about where to stay. After she has made a choice, her choice is revoked and she is forced to leave the city. I look forward to see how she reacts to being taken.

Khalid: At first, I hated this character, as is to be expected. Stringing people up by their throats isn't really an action that makes people fond of a character. As you find out more about him you begin to wonder what is plaguing him and how his childhood made him the man he was today. At first I assumed that the death of his mother left him unstable with a female, but as you read on the magic comes to life and you realize that he is really trying to be the Caliph that the people of Khorasan deserve. Even if it involves the death of many

Jalal: He's slick this one, but quickly takes Shazi's side, something to be appreciated. I do hope that he found Despina and took care of her. They should obviously be together! Duh. 

Despina: A pain at first, a nuisance, but she grew on me quickly. Her quips and friendly manner remind me of those of my own friend. This being said, being a self proclaimed spy didn't make me trust her, which is obvious. I do hope she made it out of the fires because the heartbreak for Jalal may overcome him.

Tariq: He's clearly in love with Shazi, but the idea of stealing her away interested me. She clearly has grown at least a fascination with the Caliph. She stands by his side and sticks up for him as well as herself, and she has started to make contact without a hesitation. Tariq appears unable to let go and move on which is unfortunate, but makes for a great story! And a possible revolution.

Yasmine: This girl is trouble and I expect to be seeing more of her throughout the coming sequel. She is not afraid to use her wit to get what she wants and appears to want to do anything to get to the Caliph


Moments to remember:
Pg. 166-167
"'If I'm a plague, then you should keep your distance, unless you plan on being destroyed.' The weapons still in her grasp, she shoved against his chest. 
'No.' His hands dropped to her waist. 'Destroy me.'
The bow and arrow clattered to the ground as he brought his mouth to hers."

Pg. 209
"'I am not a fool.'
'No you're not. Not yet.' Despina grinned. 'But it's inevitable. When you meet the one who makes you smile as you've never smiled before, cry as you've never cried before... there is nothing to do but fall.'"

Pg. 316
"'It's a fitting punishment for a monster. To want something so much to hold it in your arms and know beyond a doubt you will never deserve it.'"

Final Line: "Into a glorious dawn."

Thanks for reading,
Sidny