Book Review: The Merciless III

Rating: 4/5

Note to Readers: This review has spoilers for the first and second books, so if you have not read this series yet, you may do better to read my spoiler free review of book one or my spoiler free review of book two.  This review is spoiler free for The Merciless III but in order to review the book I do discuss some things from book one and book two. 

This novel was so much fun.  Just like the rest of this series, it perfectly combines high school antics with creepy, terrifying, and at times disgusting horror.  This novel is a prequel to the first two books and explores the character of Brooklyn and how she first came to be possessed by a demon.

Her story was so compelling and well plotted that I couldn't help but root for Brooklyn the whole time even though I knew what would eventually happen and what she was bound to become.  She did some really awful things, but this novel gives so much more depth to her character and gives the reasons why she became evil enough to let the demon into her body in the first place.  

Danielle Vega is the master of horror.  I've said it in my other reviews of her books, but it's really true.  I'm so impressed with this series.  It truly felt cinematic in the writing style -- something that made the book even more chilling than I could handle at times.  This series is the perfect YA answer to exorcism fiction, and was such a fun, fast-paced, and quick read.  I binge-read this entire series today and had so much fun with it.  I really recommend these books -- but not for the squeamish!

~ Charlotte

Book Review: The Merciless II

Rating: 4.5/5

Note to Readers: This review has spoilers for the first book, so if you have not read this series yet, you may do better to read my spoiler free review of book one.  This review is spoiler free for The Merciless II, but in order to review the book I do discuss some things from book one. 

Wow -- I loved the first book and this one was even better!  I was nervous that going into this book, it would follow many horror franchises in going downhill after the fantastic first one.  But this book not only expanded on the first book but surpassed it in it's own right.  Even as a standalone novel, this book would be considered incredible.

After the events of the first novel where Sofia witnessed her friends murdered brutally during an exorcism gone wrong, Sofia is experiencing serious panic attacks and paranoia.  When her mother dies, she is sent to a Catholic boarding school where things aren't as they seem.  This novel was creepy all the way through, and straight-up terrifying at times.  As with book one, there was gore and satanic rituals and catty girl drama.  It was great.

Danielle Vega is fast becoming my favorite YA horror author.  With her cinematic writing, tight plots, and exceedingly well developed characters, I am blown away by every book she writes.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: The Merciless

Rating: 4/5

Holy Cow this book was awesome!  Imagine if Mean Girls was a horror movie -- and this is what you'd end up with.  I'm a huge fan of traditional slasher films, and absolutely devoured this novel about a girl who gets caught up with the religious group at school who decide to exorcise a demon.  This novel is dark and twisted and gritty, and definitely not for the faint of heart.

The pacing of this novel was so excellent and exactly what is needed for a novel like this.  Horror has to be fast-paced and it has to keep you on edge.  This not only fulfilled those expectations -- it exceeded them.  I read this book in two short sittings today and immediately went for the sequel.  This story was so compelling in such a dark and twisted way that I couldn't pull myself away from it.  It was dark and twisted and gory and terrifying and everything I wanted it to be.

This novel is everything you would expect and want from a horror novel and more.  Danielle Vega is an extremely talented author and I intend to read everything she's written and writes in the future!

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Everything, Everything

Rating: 4.5/5

This book was so heart-wrenching and yet so heartwarming.  I absolutely adored this read and wholeheartedly think it lived up to the hype.  This novel follows Maddy -- a girl who was diagnosed with what is referred to the "Bubble Baby Disease."  It means she can't go outside without getting very sick and likely dying.  Maddy has lived her whole life since her brother and father died with just her mother and nurse, Carla.

Until one day a new family moves in next-door, and they have a boy Maddy's age.  The two of them become friends, and then become more than friends.  This novel has one of the sweetest and most lovely romances I've ever read before.  It was one of my favorite parts of the book.

I'd heard so much hype around this novel, especially when the movie came out.  I wanted to check it out for myself, but tried to go in not expecting too much because I'd been previously disappointed by hyped books (such as some of John Green's works).  But this book exceeded the hype and was deserving of the starred reviews and attention.  It's profound, it's moving, and it's beautiful.  I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend reading it.  If you were a fan of Jennifer Niven's works, I think you'd really enjoy this novel as Nicola Yoon has that same way of making a story that is so tragic so beautiful.

And I have to just say, Nicola and David Yoon did such a wonderful job with this novel.  Nicola's husband David did the illustrations in this book (the ones that Maddy was supposed to have done) and it added so much depth.  There were so many journaling charts that just made this book so endearing and so fun.  I really, really enjoyed that element of this book.  Plus, Nicola has one of the most lovely writing styles I've ever read, and it so poetic and beautiful that I will be saving a lot of these quotes in my journal for sure.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: P.S. I Like You

Rating: 4.5/5

This book was absolutely adorable and sweet.  My boyfriend picked this one out for me after I read him the back of a few books and asked him to choose.  And boy did he pick well!  This book is about a wannabe songwriter in Arizona named Lily who when her notebook is taken away during chemistry class, she starts writing song lyrics.  But when she gets to class the next day, she finds someone has written her back.  They continue this anonymous correspondence and soon Lily starts to develop a crush on her pen pal.

This book was so well written and so well plotted.  The pacing was great and the characters were so adorable.  Just like most Kasie West books, not only is there an adorable romance, but there is also a great female friendship.  I absolutely adored the friendship between Lily and Isabel.

Lily is such a fun character.  With her creative handmade, upcycled clothes and her quirky and unapologetic personality, she's super easy to like.  Her love interest is also super well developed and super swoony.  I absolutely love all of Kasie's characters -- in all of her books.  She writes compelling and adorable teenagers like nobody else, and I can't put down a book by her without a serious case of the warm fuzzies.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: One of Us Is Lying

Rating: 3/5

This book was really compelling and written by a debut author I intend to keep a close eye on because she has some serious potential.  I was completely sucked into this story because of her compelling writing style, and couldn't put it down.

It had a bit of a slow start, but once the drama and intrigue started coming in and some of the lies were revealed, the book picked up a lot.  I finished the second half much quicker than the first and found myself really getting invested in the story.  However, I think the ending came just a bit too abruptly and I would have liked a little more build up to it.  It seemed almost jarring that after all the foreshadowing for something else, there was a twist that really didn't seem to make sense to the story.

Even though I had some problems with the plot of the story, I thought the author did a great job developing the characters.  By the time the book was finished, there wasn't a single character of the main four I wasn't fully invested in and rooting for.  Her pacing was also really good, especially by the second half, and she knows how to write a bad boy romance...whoo that was good!

I really, really enjoyed the overall experience of reading this book, but expected just a bit more from it.  I think that Karen is an author to watch though because she obviously has a LOT of talent and I will definitely be reading her sophomore book when it is released!

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Tash Hearts Tolstoy

Rating: 4.5/5

As someone who was a HUGE fan of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, when I heard about this book, I knew I had to have it.  This novel is about a girl named Tash and her best friend Jack who produce, write, and direct a web series about Anna Karenina.  This novel is amazing.  It's filled with lovely and real friendships, great representation, and a really endearing and fun story.

I absolutely loved the way Kathryn Ormsbee dealt with the way Tash made her adaptation of Anna Karenina.  Not only was Tash a die hard Tolstoy fangirl, but she also had a bit of a crush on him as well.  I loved reading every single scene about filming and thought they were so well written.  Kathryn Ormsbee definitely did her research about what goes on behind the scenes!

The subplot about Tash's Romantic Asexuality was also handled incredibly well.  She struggled with telling her friends, but ultimately found acceptance and love, which made me exceedingly happy.  It was handled really well in my opinion and I feel like this book might be a good resource for people who are learning about their own asexuality or are curious as to what it might be like to be asexual.

Before this review is over, I definitely want to mention that I would watch the heck out of Teatime with Tash and read the heck out of a sequel or companion novel.  This book was fantastic, sweet, and fun all at once and I highly recommend it!

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Lucky in Love

Rating: 5/5

Wow this book was so adorable!  Squee!  This adorable novel about a girl who wins the lottery and the $30,000,000 that come with it made me smile, laugh out loud, and feel all the feels.

Madeleine (pronounced the French way like Lynn) is not the most popular girl in school by any means.  But she's happy studying with her friends and hanging out at work with Zoo Seth -- the cute and adorable guy she has befriended.  But everything changes when on her eighteenth birthday Maddie buys a lottery ticket and wins.  This book explores all the ups and downs of acquiring that much money, and does so in the cutest and most honest way possible.

Maddie was such a likable character, and even though she was thrown into circumstances I could never imagine -- she was incredibly relatable.  Maddie is one of Kasie West's best characters to date.  She's the most flawed, yet most lovable character she's created yet.  I absolutely loved watching her grow and develop as a person and learn to hold her own.

Plus -- her relationship with Seth Nguyen (slowburning -- my favorite kind!!!!) was absolutely swoonworthy and I couldn't stop reading.

This is Kasie West's best book yet in my opinion, and I absolutely loved every page!

~ Charlotte

Waiting on Wednesday #5

"Waiting On"Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

So Wednesday is here again.  Which means It's time to talk about my most anticipated reads!  So sorry for missing the last one or two as I was in Montana having an awesome time on vacation!

But here's an awesome book!  Kasie West's Love, Life, and The List

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

This is the first in a set of three standalone books with crossover characters. 

DOESN'T THAT SOUND AWESOME????

I'm so excited for this release!  Can't wait to read it!  If you're interested in reading it, give it a preorder!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

~ Charlotte

Booktube-A-Thon Day 3

So I wasn't going to participate in Booktube-A-Thon.

For one, I'm not a booktuber

Reason number two, this summer has already been committed to spending preparing for my sophomore viola recital at college -- which has to be my first priority and eats up quite a bit of time.

And lastly, because I'm scared of failure and seven books in seven days is quite a bit.

But then my boyfriend got wind of the fact that Booktube-A-Thon was a thing while we watched Katytastic today and this happened...

Boyfriend: That looks fun.  Are you doing it?  You should do it.
Me: But...of course I'm doing it.  I'm cool.  Just like Kat.

So I'm doing Booktube-A-Thon and starting a few days late.  But luckily without knowing it I'd already completed some of the challenges and now am on track.  I've already read two books and am more than halfway through with a third I'll finish tonight.  So that's a good thing.  Plus, reading more books is always a good thing, so you can all expect more reviews and updates this week!  Better late than never!

Book Review: I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Rating: 5/5

Wow -- What a book!  This novel about a girl who uses the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope and persona to win back her boyfriend from a Zooey Deschanel wannabe named Toile was so much fun and so witty and smart.

Beatrice Giovaninni is one of the most likable and interesting characters ever.  She loves math and wants more than anything to get into MIT with a scholarship to study informational theory.  She creates a formula for the scholarship that not only will help her reach her goal, but will also help her and her friends hopefully stop getting picked on for being nerds.  Using this formula, they reinvent themselves, and mayhem and hilarity ensues.

In the background, Beatrice is not only dealing with all of this, but also is dealing with her cheating father and mother who wants nothing more than to find her second husband.  This subplot added so much to Bea's character in the mature way that she handled this really grown-up topic.

I absolutely loved this book and the romance in it was so cute and slowburning, which I absolutely love.  Queen McNeil did it again!  She proved she can not only write fantastic horror, but also the cutest and whip-smartest of contemporaries.

Book Haul!

Yowza this is a large book haul!  I'm obsessed with all the books I got and so I'd better just dive on into it!

The Merciless III: I'm so excited to marathon this whole trilogy about teens who try to exorcise a demon.  This series is like Supernatural meets Mean Girls and is terrifying and fun all at once

The Steep and Thorny Way: I'm a Cat Winters fangirl all the way, and so I had to pick up this awesome retelling of Hamlet because Shakespeare and ghosts????  Yes please!

Yesternight: See above as to why I bought this, also psychologists and ghosts???  Yes please!

Crimson Bound: I found this book used and it's a sequel to a novel I've wanted to read for a while and now am able to marathon the duology!  Yay!

The Dragons of Nova: Pre-ordered this one.  Much like most of these books, this is so I can marathon the series!  Yay for marathons!

I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Gretchen is a fantastic author and I've read everything she's done now except this one -- so I had to pick it up because it plays on tropes and I love books that take jabs at tropes.  Plus Gretchen McNeil.  Queen.

Heartless: I found this for half price in an airport bookstore and so I snatched this up without a second thought.  Absolutely no regrets nor shame here, cuz I love Marissa Meyer's writing and I was missing this book in my collection.  It made my carry-on super heavy though.  Which is a good sign cuz I love big books and I cannot lie.

So because I'm weak there will probably be another one of these hauls up soon.  This is not the last you'll hear from me on the book hauling front!

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Once and For All

Rating: 4.5/5

I absolutely loved this adorable novel about the daughter of a wedding planner.  Louna Barrett is the daughter of a hippie turned wedding planner, and with her mom and friend William, the three of them run weddings constantly.  This is Louna's last summer before college and she's spending it babysitting the son of a client -- Ambrose Little, who gets into trouble and gets into romantic entanglements constantly.  But even though Louna is in the business of love, she personally has trouble getting into relationships after the tragedy of her last relationship.

This novel was adorable and sweet.  I absolutely loved it.  The wedding planning backdrop was so fun and the romance was adorable and slow-burning with a lot of chemistry between the two main characters.  There's also a great Lady-friendship in here that I really loved, as I'm a huge fan of female friendship.

This is my favorite of Sarah Dessen's novels, and I drew out reading it as long as I could because I didn't want it to end.  I highly recommend this novel!

~ Charlotte

5 Books to Read Tonight During GOT Commercial Breaks!

Hi Guys...This is happening tonight.



So obviously you'll need something to read during those commercial breaks.  Well I've got some recommendations for you!

This was one of my favorite books in high school.  It's a sweeping Russian fantasy (which I love) and totally recommend!

Currently reading the sequel to this one.  It's super fun and the characters are really likable and Jodi's writing style is GORGEOUS.

One of my favorite reads of 2017 so far is this Beauty and the Beast and The Firebird Mashup.  Best fantasy novel...ever.

This was a recent read for me but I LOVED it and highly recommend it!

 And of course, one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time!  5/5 Read for me!  If you love GOT and haven't read TOG...um, get on that.

~ Charlotte

Waiting on Wednesday #4

"Waiting On"Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

This week I'm spotlighting one of my absolute most anticipated reads which is Warcross by Marie Lu!

From Goodreads: For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

In this sci-fi thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu conjures an immersive, exhilarating world where choosing who to trust may be the biggest gamble of all.

As an avid player of Hearthstone, a novel about MMORPGs gone wrong seems awesome to me and couldn't come at a better time.  Plus anything Marie Lu writes is absolute gold and I need it.  This book doesn't come out until September!  But I definitely am preordering it and you should too!  

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Review: The Orphan Queen

Rating: 4/5

Jodi Meadows does it again!  This fantastic story follows a princess trying to reclaim her kingdom, a spy infiltration mission in a palace, a magic system that involves monsters that are created from the use of magic, and of course -- adorable and compelling romance and action.

It is a Jodi Meadows novel after all ;)

I absolutely adored the Incarnate trilogy by Jodi, and was super excited to read this book, her follow up duology that features a main character with an amazing talent for forgery and a motivation to reclaim her kingdom and rescue her people.

This book would have been five stars for me (and I suspect it's sequel, which I immediately started reading because this one left off on a massive cliffhanger, will be a five star read), but similar to Jodi's first series, this book contained a lot of world building and the first half of it was a little bit slow paced.  Which I personally don't mind reading, but can take a bit away from the enjoyment of the overall experience.  But since the magic system is so complex, it takes a little while to build into it.  So I encourage readers, if you find the first half slow in pacing and have trouble getting into it -- KEEP READING because it gets so compelling and fast paced that you won't be able to put it down.

I absolutely loved this book, and am loving the sequel so far.  I am a huge fan of Jodi Meadows as an author and as a person, and her writing style and talent for building magic systems is incredible.  She always crafts really interesting and compelling worlds and her skill for world building is unrivaled.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Kill the Boy Band

Rating: 4/5

Part thriller, part fandom, part Shakespearesque dark comedy, this book was a hilarious examination of bandom went wrong.  This novel follows four girls whose love for a band called The Ruperts, which is vaguely like One Direction, goes wrong when they kidnap one of them.  While for a while it's funny...it soon gets to be dark and not at all what they were expecting.  Scandal, intrigue, fights, and mayhem ensue.

Fans of the movie Heathers will especially love this book.  In fact, fans of eighties movies in general will love this book because there are constant eighties movie references.  The pacing of this book is also very fast, which a friend of mine (a theater major) compared to that of a stage play, almost like a Shakespeare comedy in the way it was paced and the mayhem that ensues.  If Shakespeare wrote about boy bands that is!

I absolutely adored this novel.  It was a super fun quick read, and though I was never a crazy band fangirl, I knew quite a few friends growing up who were, and so this book made me laugh a lot because it felt relatable.  Well...except for the kidnapping, murder, and crazy hijinks.

One of the coolest things about this book, that I didn't even realize until late into it is that the main character's name isn't mentioned.  Whenever asked, she gives a fake name, so the novel can almost be interpreted as a self-insert-fanfiction that is so often referred to within the novel.  I absolutely adored this aspect and thought it was extremely clever.

This novel is a great, quick, and fun read.  Super witty and very original -- I highly recommend!

~ Charlotte

Book Haul!

Hi Everyone!

Yes...I know.  ANOTHER book haul.  This is starting to get crazy.  But you guys seem to love these posts and I CERTAINLY love them since it means adding more books to my shelves, so here we go again!

Kill the Boy Band, by Goldy Moldavsky: This book is super funny and fast paced and kind of dark!  I absolutely love dark humor and this is definitely that!  I'm currently reading this book about boy band fandom gone wrong and will be posting a review soon!

Taken, by Erin Bowman: This book is a re-buy for me as I loaned it out and never got it back (urrrghhh) but I LOVE it so much I couldn't bear to not have it.  Now my trilogy is complete!

The Beast is an Animal, by Peternelle van Arsdale: This is an ARC from my local library that a lovely, AMAZING librarian with the most fabulous pink hair I've ever seen gave me as we talked about her experience at ALA.  Whoever you are amazing librarian lady, you will always be the library fairy to me <3

The Bloodless Crown, by Nikki Allegretti:  Nikki reached out to me via by bookstagram account (@bookiecrumbs) and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing her debut novel.  My answer was DUH OF COURSE so she sent it to me!  It's signed!  It's fantasy!  I'M EXCITED

One of Us Is Lying, by Karen M. McManus: This novel is pitched as The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars and has been at the top of the bestselling lists!  I got it as an ARC through my library's summer reading program and am so excited to read it!

Once and For All, by Sarah Dessen:  All I know is it's a Sarah Dessen novel about a wedding planner, but that's all I need to know because that sounds amazing.  Disappointed though that my copy from Amazon came so dinged up!

Lucky in Love, by Kasie West: So I hit the goldmine with this preorder because it came TODAY and doesn't officially come out until the 11th!  Four days early guys!  Thanks Amazon, I forgive you for scratching up my Sarah Dessen book for this one ;)

Fear Pop Funko, Found this little guy at a bookstore and thought it was about time I hopped on this Funko trend.  It looks so cute on my bookshelf!

Well that's my book haul -- hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did!

~ Charlotte

Friendship Friday #4

Hi Guys!  I'm starting a new book review blog meme!  I'm so excited to announce Friendship Friday -- a review meme to highlight friendships in books!  I am a huge fan of friendship in books, even though I'm a huge romance nut, and friendship rarely gets as much attention.  Please feel free to participate in Friendship Friday and please link to my blog so I can come see your Friendship Friday post!

This week, I'm highlighting the friendship between Reagan and Cath in Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell

This pair is so hilarious.  Reagan takes on the role of big sister to Cath, who in this situation is really in need of one since her twin has kind of abandoned her to pursue her own future separate from Cath.   Reagan is Cath's roommate and the two have the best Ladymance.  Reagan is protective of Cath, but also encourages her to go out and explore her options and helps her to become more self sufficient and mature.  I love these two so much! 

Top 5 Wednesday: Books Without Romance

This week's Top 5 Wednesday Topic is Books Without Romance!  This was a hard one for me because I personally LOVE romance books and mostly read books with at least some romance in them.  Most of these actually are middle grade novels or adult novels as I couldn't find too many YA without romance that I loved.  

This novel wasn't focused on the romance even though the main character was married.  It was more marriage relationship dynamics rather than romance, and since this list was hard enough, I'm including it.  Also, this novel is fantastic and I highly recommend it.  It doesn't get anywhere near enough hype.

This adorable novel by Neil Gaiman is for the little ones and so I would be pretty horrified if there was any major romantic subplot in there.  This book is super cute!

While there are definitely romantic subplots in the later HP books, this first one lacks them altogether which is why I'm including it.  Plus, Harry Potter is always good to have on a list :)

The main characters in this novel are too busy torturing and exorcizing demons to worry about boys so this novel is pretty much romance free!  Also, I absolutely love this book and am planning on re-binging it along with books 2 and 3 when the third comes out!

Lastly, I'm including one of my favorite novels growing up, about a princess who literally runs away to live with dragons rather than have anything to do with romance.  It was one of my favorites growing up and remains so to this day.  Patricia C. Wrede is one of the best fantasy writers of our time!  I definitely will be sharing this one with my own kids someday and look forward to reliving this story again!

~ Charlotte

Waiting on Wednesday #3

"Waiting On"Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases.

This week I'm spotlighting one of my absolute most anticipated reads which is Before She Ignites, by Jodi Meadows!

DRAGONS?  A fantasy novel dealing with Mental Illness?  Jodi Meadows?  DRAGONS??????

Those are so many things that excited me about books that I absolutely need this book.  Plus, I'll read anything Jodi Meadows writes -- she is one of my absolute favorite authors. 

From Goodreads: Before

Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.

I'm so excited for this book!  It looks incredible and I can't wait for it!

If you thought this book sounded as awesome as I did, then follow one of the links below and preorder!

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Book Review: Hunted

Rating: 5/5

Oh my goodness -- this was probably one of my favorite retellings of all time and definitely one of my favorite standalone novels!  I absolutely adored this mashup retelling of Beauty and the Beast and The Firebird.

This novel follows Yeva -- or Beauty, and her quest to avenge her father and care for her sisters.  She is captured by a beast who locks her in a dungeon, yet needs her for her hunting abilities learned from her father to break him from his curse.

It becomes apparent fairly early on that the beast was cursed by The Firebird, and I thought that was the most unique retelling of this story I'd ever heard.  I absolutely adore Russian fairy tales, and the Firebird is my favorite.  This retelling was so unique, and so beautifully written I flew through it in two days.  I would have finished in one sitting but I couldn't stand the thought of it ending.

Meagan Spooner has the most gorgeous and compelling writing style ever.  It is rare to find an author who can blend fast paced and cinematic with gorgeous writing and incredibly quotable lines, and Meagan Spooner is one of those rare gems.  I've read her Starbound series she wrote with Amie Kaufman, and loved it, and this book was no different.  I can't wait to read anything and everything Meagan writes from now on.  I'd probably read her grocery lists if I could get my hands on them because she's that amazing of a writer.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: Fireworks

Rating: 4/5

This book was adorable!  I'm a huge fan of Katie Cotugno's other novels and had to pick this one up!

This story follows Dana and Olivia, two best friends, as they join a pop group called Daisy Chain in 1990's Orlando Florida.  While Olivia has trained to sing and act her whole life, Dana is thrown into it and only goes to escape her small town life where she and her mother live in the slums.  While in Orlando, Dana meets a guy from the group Hurricane Slums, their male counterpart, who she forms an instant connection with.  Unfortunately, he is also Olivia's crush.

This book felt amazingly real and honest.  Katie Cotugno is such a master at writing contemporary novels that don't feel "too" candy-coated and are firmly real.  Even though her characters are in a setting that seems like it could be a stretch of the imagination, the way Katie wrote Olivia and Dana felt like a real friend relationship.

What I really liked about this book was that everything did not end up perfectly.  The ending to this book was unflinchingly raw and honest, and felt like what would have happened in real life.  I think Katie's writing style was perfect for a book like this because she created a contemporary world that she painted vividly, and made it feel real even though the plot was far-fetched.  It was such a beautiful love song to 90s girl bands, and even though I don't have as much experience with this topic, Katie's obvious love for the bands really shone through her writing and made it such an enjoyable read.

~ Charlotte

Book Review: The Midnight Star

Rating: 5/5

Note to Readers: This review has spoilers for the first and second books, so if you have not read this series yet, you may do better to read my spoiler free review of book one or my spoiler free review of book two.  This review is spoiler free for The Midnight Star but in order to review the book I do discuss some things from book one and book two. 

This book was so good!  Adelina's descent into madness and evil is complete.  She is Queen of Kenettra and has spent her time as Queen conquering other countries, all of them ones that Violetta was rumored to have been in.  Her powers though are turning against her, and her visions and nightmares are so frequent she can't tell them from reality.  Raffaele has warned the Daggers about their powers, and in order to stop their powers from destroying the world, the Daggers and Roses must put aside their differences and work together to save humanity.

I loved seeing this series unfold.  Adelina's story is so interesting and good to follow.  She becomes more and more evil as her voices in her head take over and becomes the Mad Queen of Kenettra.  Yet Marie Lu is still masterful in her character development as Adelina's motivations are still understandable and sympathetic.  She has outlawed even the word Malfetto and has spent her time trying to treat them as they should have been treated all along.  She also is trying to find her sister and mend the wrong she has done.  Both of these motivations are sympathetic, but the way Marie Lu has written this character, her madness has twisted these motivations and made them evil.  

This series is one of my favorite Fantasy series of all time.  It is written so incredibly well and the characters and their motivations are fascinating.  Marie's writing style is incredibly cinematic and kept me turning the pages.  I highly recommend this entire series!

~ Charlotte