Born Wicked - Jessica Spotswood

Title: Born Wicked

Author: Jessica Spotswood

Release Date: February 7th, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

 

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

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Born Wicked was definitely not what I was expecting. I wish there would have been more spells and witchcraft involved. While there is some, I just wish there was more and a more backstory of the witches history. I am hoping that it is told more in the second book. The main character Cate was a lot of fun to read from, but I felt she was too boring and uptight. I understand that she was trying to help her sisters but I wish she would have been more fun. There is a small love triangle in this book but a lot of the romance is surrounded by Finn, who is their gardener. I, of course, was hoping for the other guy but that doesn't look like it is going to happen. For some reason that always happen to me. I tend to like the guy who doesn't have a chance.

The government is something I also couldn't understand. The book starts right out talking about the Brotherhood. Am I the only one who is very confused about this? What even is the Brotherhood? I know that it this group of men who fight against witches and taking them to asylums. I just wish there would have been more of a backstory on that also. I also have some problems with the Sisterhood, but I am more intrigued if anything. I can't wait for the next book to read more about them. It should be interesting!

There is a plot twist in this book that revolves around the three sisters and I just couldn't be happier about it! I really enjoyed that. I can't wait to see how it will play out in the next book. This was a good first start to the series, but I can tell as the series progresses with more books it will start to become better and more world building. I hope we find out more about her mother and her godmother. There is a big mystery revolving around them and I hope it we find out more information about it.

Overall, this book left me wanting more as you can tell. I enjoy the characters and the storylines but want more of a backstory told on the characters. I also hope there is more of a love triangle and have it not all focused on Finn. Maybe I will grow to like him the next book, but I honestly couldn't see the appeal. I'm just weird like that I guess.

 

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

Sweet Evil - Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil

Author: Wendy Higgins

Release Date: May 1st, 2012, Paperback

Publisher: HarperTeen

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

 

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

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Thank goodness I read Sweet Evil when I did. I was in a really bad reading slump at the time and didn't feel like reading at all since a lot of books that I have been reading hadn't amazed me. Then I decided to pick up Sweet Evil since it was on my 2012 debut author challenge. I had seen this book before but I hadn't heard a lot of buzzed around it. This book is so under hyped. I don't understand why this book isn't insanely popular. This isn't your typical young adult book about angels. Wendy Higgins creates this unique and interesting spin on the topic that I just couldn't stop reading about. Yes, this story is about angels but it is done in such a way that it doesn't seem like you have ever read about them before.

It has been a long time since I have loved a couple as much as I love Anna and Kaidan. They have so much chemistry with each other that it can be frustrating at times, but it's the good type of frustrating. The thing that makes this whole relationship crazy is that Kaidan is the son of the Duke of Lust which means that Kaidan's job is to take girls virginity. Anna is the daughter of the Duke of Addiction which also means that she has a pull towards drugs. They are completely unpredictable when they are together, which is one of the things that I loved so much about them. You had no idea what was going to happen and whether something huge was about to take place.

Anna is such a likable character to read from. That is the most important thing for me in a story, I have to like the main character or else I am just not going to like the book. Anna is half angel and half demon. It is like a good vs. evil going on right inside of you. I really hope that we get to learn more about her mother in the future books. Her father does seem like a good guy, but there is just something about him that I don't trust. I don't know if anybody else felt that way about him, but I feel like he isn't being completely honest. Anna goes through a lot of changes and self-discovery but she never forgets who she is and that was one of the things I liked about her so much.

Hopefully I gave this book a decent review and made you want to pick it up. I recommend it so much. Just be prepared to have your heart break with the relationship of Anna and Kiadan and one of the biggest cliff-hanger endings ever.

 

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★★★

Writing:★★★★★

Ending: ★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

Unraveling - Elizabeth Norris

Title: Unraveling

Author: Elizabeth Norris

Release Date: April 24th, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★

 

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed--as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows--with every fiber of her being--that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something--but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened--the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life--points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets--and keep from falling in love with him in the process.
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I don't really know where to start with this review. I had a lot of problems while reading this. I can tell you right now that this book just wasn't for me. I don't know if it was the writing that the author used or just the way the characters developed or what. However the only thing that I loved about the book was the plot. I am being really lenient with a three star rating. I should probably give it two stars, but I thought that the book had a really interesting plot so I bumped it up to three.

Unraveling tells the story of a high school girl named Janelle. Her father is in the FBI, her mother has a really bad case of bipolar, and she has a little brother Jared. One night Janelle gets hit by a pick-up truck and she dies but when she opens her eyes she sees the school's stoner Ben leaning over her.

After reading this book I have come to the realization what the most important element of a story is for me: the characters. If a story doesn't have likable or relatable characters then I probably won't like the book that much. That was my problem with Unraveling. I just couldn't stand Janelle at all. She was rude, stereotypical, and just so cliché at times. She was so stereotypical about Ben and Elijah. She assumes that since these boys dress in all black and keep to themselves than they are supposedly stoners. I got sick and tired of hearing that. I don't know about other people, but at my high school it wasn't like that ever. I remember this girl who would wear Hollister or Victoria Secret and she would smoke pot every day.

Janelle would also be really rude and just mean to people. I really don't know how her best friend, Alex, would put up with her. Alex has an overbearing mother in the book and she won't let him do certain things. Of course Alex is embarrassed by it but Janelle just laughs and makes fun of it and his mother. Is that really anyway to treat your best friend? There is another scene I remember where they are at this party and she tells Alex that the reason why she brought him is because she couldn't let him graduate high school without going to at least one party. Janelle would probably throw a pity party for me because I didn't attend one popular party while I was in high school. I was mostly by myself and didn't have too many friends. I would have interest that nobody else liked; for example reading.

She was also so cliché with her boyfriend Nick. When they break up she tells him that she isn't like most girls. You want to know the type of girls that usually say that? Most girls. I just couldn't get over by how much I disliked Janelle. I don't mean to go on a rant about her but I never disliked such a main character in all my life. Although she did start to become likable towards the end. I tend to like her when she was around Ben, but I did feel like they just fell in love with each other out of nowhere.

I also wasn't a big fan of Elizabeth Norris writing style. It seemed like whenever a huge event would happen, the next chapter would be some sort of flashback that turned out to irrelevant. I guess she did that to let us know Janelle more but I just found it annoying after it happened for the third time. I also didn't really feel any emotion with the characters. There is a big catastrophe that Janelle experiences with her Dad and I just didn't feel anything at all. I felt like I didn't even know her Dad to be sad about it. There needed to be something else done to make us feel sad about her Dad. There was one thing that I did like about the story and that was the plot. There is a countdown to the end of the world and disasters start happening to the earth like hurricanes and earthquakes. The last hundred pages of the book were great! Why couldn't the whole story be like that?

Overall I liked how this book turned out to be science fiction but I just had so many problems with it that I just feel frustrated whenever I think of this book. Honestly, this book was a major disappointment. It was really not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. I feel like I am the only one who hasn't liked it. I just wouldn't recommend it. I still haven't made up my mind if I am going to read the next book or not.

 

Plot: ★★★

Characters: ★

Writing:★★

Ending: ★★

Cover: ★★★

Article 5 - Kristen Simmons

Title: Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons

Release Date: January 31st, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Tor Teen

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

 

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

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I really liked Article 5! However it didn't live up to my expectations. Anymore I just have such high standards for dystopian books that they just aren't possible anymore. I blame Hunger Games, Legend, and Shatter Me. Those books are just so good that I can't help but have expectations for other dystopian books. Don't get me wrong, Article 5 is a really good dystopian book and I probably would have given it five stars if it wasn't for a little problem I had with it. I felt like it was forced. The writing and characters felt forced.

Article 5 tells the story of Ember Miller. She lives in the ruins of Louisville, Kentucky. There is a new government and rules that the people must live by. When Article 5 gets changed, to where any child under the age of eighteen was born out of wedlock than the mother gets arrested and the child becomes owned by the government basically, her mother gets arrested and she gets taken away. Ember is also in loved with a boy who was drafted into the Military and she hasn't seen him since he left, until he shows up with the Military to arrest her mother and take her away.

There is a lot of action and traveling that takes place throughout this story. Ember and Chase end up all over the eastern side of the USA it seems like. While there are some flaws with Article 5; I still couldn't put it down. I kept reading until my eyes hurt and got a headache from not eating. That tends to happen to me when I'm hungry for some reason. Anyways, I just couldn't take the suspense and just knew something awful was going to happen to Ember and Chase by the end of the book.

Earlier I mentioned that I felt like the writing and characters were being forced. What I meant by that is Ember has some strange characteristics. She would go on and on about Chase. "I love him. I hate him. Why does he not talk to me? I don't want him to talk me. What has happened to him? He is a monster. No he isn't monster." Just OMG, make up your mind Ember! That inner babbling about it got annoying after a while. Also Chase just didn't feel real at first. He was so mean and tough that I started to roll my eyes. I'm sorry but I just don't find that attractive at all. I guess he was trying to be protective, but he should have just been up front with Ember to begin with. Instead of this wild goose chase he was sending her on. I know why he didn't tell Ember about her mother, but couldn't he discuss his feelings and what has happened to him instead of having to listen to Ember guess about two thousands time until the end of the book? I don't know. Ember and Chase just frustrated me to know end, but at the same time I loved them! Funny how that works out I guess.

I also feel like I don't have clear image of this new America that they are living in. I get that the Bill of Rights is gone and that the major cities have been abandoned. So is the new country like have a communist government? Who is the leader? All we ever hear about is the Military soldiers. Who is the leader over them? When did this new America start? I hope that these answers get answered in the next book.

Overall, I really liked Article 5! I know it sounds like I didn't like it, but it was just easier for me to list things I didn't like instead of things I did like with this book. I recommend it! Especially since this is a 2012 debut author! The writing is so good for this being Kristen Simmons first novel! I can't wait for Breaking Point! I just hope that Ember and Chase won't be as frustrating and distressing.

 

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

Title: Incarnate

Author: Jodi Meadows

Release Date: January 31st, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

New soul.
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul.
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart.
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

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I have never ever read anything like this in my entire life. It was so different and not what I was expecting and I mean that in the best way possible. I was sure in for surprises and taken by this unique world that was so interesting that I didn't want to leave. Jodi Meadows has such a beautiful writing style! I am impatiently waiting for Asunder! The main character is Ana. She is a New Soul. She has never been reincarnated before and has no previous lives. While her father abandoned her and she...moreI have never ever read anything like this in my entire life. It was so different and not what I was expecting and I mean that in the best way possible. I was sure in for surprises and taken by this unique world that was so interesting that I didn't want to leave. Jodi Meadows has such a beautiful writing style! I am impatiently waiting for Asunder! The main character is Ana. She is a New Soul. She has never been reincarnated before and has no previous lives. While her father abandoned her and she was abused by her mother; Ana sets out to the City of Heart to learn why she is a New Soul and what her purpose is. She feels like she doesn't belong since everybody has known everyone for thousands of years and she doesn't know anyone. When she starts traveling to City of Heart; Ana meets a boy named Sam and that is when the story starts. I know that this can be somewhat confusing! So I would start reading this with knowing as little as possible. I knew absolutely nothing when I started this. I tried to read the summary, but it just confused me. I don't know if it is that way for other people as well? There are a couple things that I don't like about this though. This reincarnated stuff can be quite nasty at times. For example, if you had a lover or spouse they could become your parent in the next lifetime. That is the only problem I have with this reincarnated thing. There are so many great characters in this book! I feel like this story is more character driven than story telling. While the story telling is poetically done, I felt like the plot was very slow moving. I thought for sure that we figure out something about the New Souls before the last fifty pages which is when there was a lot of revelations revealed for the plot. That was for sure surprising. I wasn't expecting that to happen at all! The romance between Ana and Sam is just so awesome! I know that sounds really fangirly of me, but I don't know what else to say! They are both such strong characters that each have their own personality and bring out the best in each other which is what each relationship should be like. I just can't wait to see how it will start in the next book. There is also a big shock about Sam that I wasn't expecting towards the beginning! Loved it! Overall, I highly recommend this. I could not put it down. I was reading for hours straight and still didn't want to get up and eat or sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about this world or the characters. I can't wait to see what Jodi Meadows has in store for the next installment. I will be buying it as soon as it hits shelves!   Plot: ★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Writing:★★★★★ Ending: ★★★★ Cover: ★★★★★

What She Left Behind - Tracy Bilen

Title: What She Left Behind

Author: Tracy Bilen

Release Date: May 1st, 2012, Hardcover

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

 

“Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered. “Guaranteed.”

 

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.

With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late… for them both.

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I really liked this! I wasn't too sure what this book was about, since I hadn't heard much about it so far. I wanted to read this since the first time I saw it. The cover was so creepy and the summary made it sound so intense. I can say that this book didn't disappoint me at all!

What She Left Behind tells the story of Sara and her relationship with her abusive father. One day her mother tell Sara that they are leaving and that she will pick her up during her lunch break at school. But when her mother doesn't show up, Sara starts to wonder what actually happened to her mother. Her father then begins to become abusive towards Sara as she tries to figure out what happened to her mother and why she disappeared.

This is a very quick read. I just couldn't put it down. It was so easy to get into the story and feel for Sara with all the things she had to deal with. There is one element to the story that really made it more sad and that was her brother. He committed suicide a couple months ago before the story starts and Sara often has these flashbacks with him and talks about him a lot.

There is also some romance in this story which I wasn't expecting. However, I really liked it. Alex was sweet and charming. There were a lot of funny scenes that take place with him in it. The last sixty pages are so intense and so scary that I was freaking out and worried about what would happen to Sara and her mom.

Overall, this is a great debut for 2012. Tracy Bilen has a good writing style that doesn't take long to like and follow the characters. I can't wait to see what she will come up with in the future!

Plot: ★★★★

Characters: ★★★★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★

Reunited - Hilary Weisman Graham

Title: Reunited

Author: Hilary Weisman Graham

Release Date: June 12th, 2010, Hardcover

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Group: Young Adult Literature

Rating:★★★★

 

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.

Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3. But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.

Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show. Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van known as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.

But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

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I loved this book! I have been wanting to read this since the first time that I saw it. It just looked like it would be so much fun to read. I have also heard many good reviews over it, so my expectations were pretty high and I can say that this didn't disappoint!

Reunited tells the story of three ex-best friends; Summer, Alice, and Tiernan. Their friendship ended in middle school over a big misunderstanding and when their favorite band, Level3, broke up. When Level3 announces a one-time reunion show, Alice buys three tickets and asks the girls go on a road trip with her to see the band.

The characters are the best thing about this story. I loved all the girls so much. They each had their own unique personality and back story to tell. Summer is very popular, but has her own problems with her boyfriend and family. Tiernan is the complete opposite of Summer, with blue hair and black combat boots. She is sarcastic and funny, but feels guilty that they all aren't friends anymore. Alice is lighthearted and sometimes completely clueless when it comes to boys. There is at least one characteristic that I could relate to with all the girls. I liked them all for different reasons.

The adventures that the girls get into are so crazy. The guys the meet in West Virginia were hilarious, but scary at the same time. The Pea Pod was always so great. The author described it so clearly that I could picture it in my head. I also liked learning all the different lyrics to Level3's songs before each chapter. That was really cool. There is also a lot of character development between the girls and you learn the story of why they aren't friends anymore. While, the girls were sometimes immature and had bad attitude; I still liked them.

Overall, this was a great summer read. It was quick and didn't take that long to get into. The ending is very surprising. I really liked this story and could relate to some aspects of it. I can't wait to read more books by Hilary Weisman Graham. I really enjoyed her writing style!

Plot: ★★★★★

Characters: ★★★★★

Writing:★★★★

Ending: ★★★★

Cover: ★★★★★