Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

From Goodreads: "One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?

What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?

What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love."

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent, #3 

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance, Post Apocalyptic

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

So that's it? That's how the series concludes? Well, that's disappointing. No, it didn't pull me in as much as the first two books did. In fact, I find a lot of what happens here boring and uninteresting. Sure, it answers questions and explains a lot but I just couldn't bring myself to care, let alone keep up with the plot. I never truly felt immersed in the story. I kept waiting for something, anything to happen, but nothing really pulled me out of my stupor. I was looking for explosions, I guess, but all I got was a pop. Well, I was probably hoping for something altogether different, so I will not be too harsh with my rating. I did love Divergent and Insurgent after all. It just bums me out that I never, at any point, felt as invested to the characters as I was in the previous books. I thought the plot line is weak, and the characters, no matter how major, flat. Even that thing in the end felt uneventful and routine to me. I never expected for it to end the way that it did though. Up to the last page, I was hoping that there's more to it than that but 1) unless this is a vampire novel, which obviously, it isn't, then yep, that is pretty much it and 2) silly me for wanting a happy ending.

Book Review: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

From Goodreads: "Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will. 

Nobody fights the Epics. Nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart — the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning — and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. 

He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge."

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Series: Reckoners, #1 

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Superheroes, Post Apocalyptic

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I haven't read that many superhero novels but I must say, if Steelheart is the standard upon which every superhero novel is based, then I ought to read more. This book is amazing! It's a fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat, action-packed read and I truly enjoyed every moment of it. The plot starts off strong and closes out with a solid ending that wraps up book 1 nicely. It doesn't give much away, just a bit of a cliffhanger to keep readers both satisfied and eagerly anticipating the next installment. If they make this into a movie, I bet it will be EPIC! I have nothing but praise for Brandon Sanderson who I have never read before but now holds a permanent spot on my favorite books shelf. Looking forward to reading Firefight!

Book Review: Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma

From Goodreads: "Why? is the burning question on everyone’s lips. Why would a guy like Mathéo Walsh want to die? At seventeen, he is Britain’s most promising diving champion. He is a heartthrob, a straight A student and lives in one of the wealthiest areas of London. He has great mates and is the envy of everyone around him. And most importantly of all, he is deeply in love with his girlfriend, Lola. He has always been a stable, well-adjusted guy.

Until one weekend. A weekend he cannot seem to remember. All he knows is that he has come back a changed person. One who no longer knows how to have fun, no longer wants to spend time with his friends, no longer enjoys diving. Something terrible happened that weekend – something violent and bloody and twisted. He no longer knows who he is. He no longer trusts himself around people: he only wants to hurt, wound and destroy. Slowly, he begins to piece back the buried, fragmented memories, and finds himself staring at the reflection of a monster.  

Tormented, Mathéo suddenly finds himself faced with the most devastating choice of his life. Keep his secret, and put those closest to him in terrible danger. Or confess, and lose Lola forever."

Book Review: Hurt by Tabitha Suzuma

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Tabitha Suzuma tends to gravitate toward taboo and sensitive subject matter. Often heart-breaking and hauntingly sad, her stories aren't always the easiest to take in. When I finished reading Forbidden, I remember crying myself to sleep and then feeling down and empty for the next several days. I felt that way with Hurt too, however I have to agree with the growing consensus that Forbidden is the better novel. That said, I think Hurt is beautifully written. Lots of pretty words it's like reading a painting. It's intense and poignant. It felt realistic - the characters, relatable and likable enough; the plot and setting, very detailed, so detailed in fact that I caught myself tuning out a few times. While I appreciate the imagery, it's too wordy for my liking. It's probably just me though, I get bored rather quickly. Thus the author holding back information up till the last possible second also drove me nuts. So when the truth finally came tumbling out, I was just mostly relieved and a bit annoyed that it took this long to confirm what we all probably have already guessed. It was unspeakable but it wasn't really Mattie's secret but rather what happened after the big reveal I found truly shocking and painful. Hurt, notwithstanding its over descriptiveness, I think is tragic, depressing and beautiful at the same time.

Book Review: The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

Disclosure: A free copy of the book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

From Goodreads: "A sarcastic storyteller traps three characters in his web in order to get hold of a special book. 

Daniel, Cassidy and Igor are three unique individuals, considered outcasts for different reasons. They are about to meet and stick together, as coincidences and forced situations lead them to a journey all around Europe. 

As everyone is after the Book of the Forsaken, the coming Game is about to take place on the dark side of the moon. But there is a cost to that knowledge. Let alone to the wish to partake."

The Book of the Forsaken got the gold medal on authonomy.com's HarperCollins UK hosted competition on Feb 1. 2012.

The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

Series: The Game, #1 

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Action, Adventure

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The mini-dossiers at the start of the story that sort of introduced us to the characters hooked me up and made me want to read more. I like that the plot is fast-paced, there are elements of action and suspense I found very interesting, and that there's a somewhat cozy mystery feel to the narrative. Keeping up with the narrator as he jumps from one character to the next was a bit of a challenge for me though. That said, I think using a "storyteller" instead of just writing in a 3rd person omniscient POV is very creative albeit confusing at times. And yes, I also thought the footnotes were a bit distracting. Even so, I really think the concept upon which the novel was based is brilliant. I had fun weaving through the many twists and turns and I can't wait to read the next book.

Book Review: Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

From Goodreads: "What if all you knew about fairy tales was wrong?

Sixteen year old Loki Blackstar is no Prince Charming. His mother is a ghost. His only friend is a red Cadillac that sings to him through the radio. He looks like an Angel but acts like jerk. No wonder he has been banned from Heaven, which is the least of his troubles. Loki needs a job to pay for school and support himself.

Still, Loki has a rare gift: He is a Dreamhunter. One of the few in the world who can hunt and kill immortal demons in their dreams so they never wake up again.

When Loki is sent to kill a sixteen-year-old vampire girl the locals call Snow White Sorrow, he is pulled into a magical but dangerous world. The locals believe the monster to be Snow White.

The real Snow White... living in the ruins of an ancient castle in a small town. She is described as horribly beautiful, terrifyingly enchanting, and wickedly lovely.

What he finds instead is a beautiful monster girl filled with rage and hurt, who has an epic untold story to tell of things such like why the Brothers Grimm altered the fairy tale, who the Evil Queen really is, where the mirror came from, and who possessed it.

Snow White has killed every person who has dared come near the castle where she once lived with the queen. Mysteriously, she lets Loki live, and whispers two words in his ears; two words that will change his life forever."

Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

Series: The Grimm Diaries, #1 

Genres: Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It does sound like Anna Dressed in Blood but except for the blurb, they're nothing alike. Snow White Sorrow is an interesting take on the classic fairy tale, Snow White. I love everything about the magical world Cameron Jace has spun. It's whimsical, goofy and romantic. I love the characters, even the small ones. Georgie Porgie, Skeliman the Ferryman (sometimes the Libraryman), that vampire in Forks who was killed by Loki but was resurrected and "appears in the twilights", they cracked me up. Love the food - Sticky Sweet Bones, Tragic Beans, Coffinmuffins, Poisoned Apples, Cinderella Mozerella, and Reluctant Jelly; and the name of places - Bedtime Stoories, Candy House, Sorrow, Snoring, Belly and Beast. The story is captivating, it's impossible not to get pulled in. Perhaps my only complaint is the dialogue, especially Loki's. I thought it's very cheesy and clichéd. I cringe every time anyone speaks. Frankly, I'd rather they didn't have lines at all, but oh well.

Book Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

From Goodreads: "In what seems like an instant, Amy Harris's life is changed forever. They arrive and quickly begin killing off humanity one by one. No one knows how they got here—and even worse, no one knows how to stop Them.

Marooned in a high-security house, Amy manages to stay alive—and even rescues "Baby," a toddler she finds in an abandoned supermarket. For years they escape death, forging a bond as strong as sisters, until they are finally rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living on a former government research compound.

On the surface, New Hope is the happy ending Amy was looking for. She's even started falling for Rice, a handsome researcher she's become close with at the facility. But then she makes a shocking discovery. And staying in New Hope could mean losing her freedom . . . or her life.

With pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate, In the After is an action-packed dystopian page-turner that will keep fans guessing until each secret is revealed and every lie is uncovered."

Book Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

Series: In the After, #1 

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Zombies, Aliens

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Love it! Based on reviews, you either love it or you don't and I happen to love it. I will not go into any more details about what happened in the book as there have been quite a number of reviews already out there that will clue you in. I will however base this short review on other reviews, a comparison of sorts of what I think to what other people say about this book. So, here goes.

1. The first half is better than the second.

I didn't think so. For me, the last half is just as engrossing as the first, if not even more so. Here, you find answers to questions, you get a glimpse of what happens next. How can it be any less gripping?

2. Some parts are dragging.

Well, yes, there might have been some parts where my heart didn't skip a beat. But overall, I think the story is nicely paced and plot-driven.

3. Second half is confusing.

I didn't think it was hard to follow but I do get it why some people find the flashbacks and flashforwards a little disorienting.

4. Predictable.

I don't know, it might just be me, but I honestly didn't see the twist coming.

5. Similar to Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave.

I wasn't too crazy about The 5th Wave. It was way overhyped but in my opinion, failed to deliver. Aliens, kick-ass heroine, and survivalist theme, those are about as far as the similarities go I think.

All in all, for a debut novel, I think it's great.

Book Review: A Triumph For Sakura by Jason Ridler

Disclosure: A free copy of the book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

From Goodreads: "Famed fight coach Ned Bangs was down and out, until he saw Sakura fight four deadbloods like a champ. The catch? Unlike Ned, she was human. 

Under Ned’s guidance, Sakura fights from the street to the big time, gather fame and enemies as they reach the arena of Cascadia. Can they both survive when her courage fans the flames of a human revolution against their vampire overlords? 

What cost will they both pay for a Triumph for Sakura."

A Triumph For Sakura by Jason S. Ridler 

Genres: Dystopia, Vampires, Action, Fighting

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I'm no stranger to dystopian, vampire, survival, or fight themed books. But A Triumph for Sakura, I would say is kind of new to me. It's interesting in that it's a mix of genres from the opposite ends of the spectrum that at first, I wondered how could anyone use vampires and boxing in the same sentence, let alone in a novel. I wasn't sure if I'm going to like it, honestly I'm not a fan of Kung Fu or wrestling or boxing so I doubted a novel, or anything really, could change that. But I did love the characters as well as the creepy, violent world Jason Ridler has created. A Triumph for Sakura is very action-packed, incredibly written, and will keep you turning the pages. Nancy Kilpatrick compared it to the Hunger Games, Fight Club and True Blood. Although not a young-adult novel, it's very reminiscent of a lot of young-adult books I have read. If I have to pick what it reminded me of the most, I would say Melissa Marr's Carnival of Souls, Julie Kagawa's The Eternity Cure, and Moira Young's Blood Red Road. If you're a fan of action and fighting, the imagery is vivid enough to keep you entertained through the last page. It's an intense read.

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

From Goodreads: "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."

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey 

Series: The Fifth Wave, #1

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I can understand the hype, why people say it's the next Hunger Games. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is, only that I get it. The 5th Wave is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic survival novel with a touch of romance. It's a fun read really, some parts dragged a little bit but other parts kept me at the edge of my seat. I thought Rick Yancey did a good job finding the right voices for his characters. Some did say that Cassie's POV doesn't match that of a typical teen girl's but I didn't really notice until it was pointed out. The romance for me is just OK, not nauseatingly cheesy but just a small amount of cringe. I was rooting for Cassie and Evan but almost lost it when Cassie came face to face with Zombie. What I loved the most is that though right in the middle of an alien invasion, people still seem to care about their own personal hygiene. I have yet to read a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel that involves characters brushing their teeth, showering and taking a bath. And that's a plus for me because call me crazy but I always obsess about the quality of the characters' breaths, especially when kissing, so thank you Rick Yancey, for being very detailed about that. I just wish he's detailed about other things as well. Because behind the heart-stopping action and suspense is a plot that doesn't make sense to me and if reviews on Goodreads are any indication, then to a lot of people too. But disregarding all those little plot holes, the 5th Wave is rather entertaining.

Book Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: "Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike."

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa 

Series: Blood of Eden, #2

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic

My rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I loved The Immortal Rules. I thought it was a refreshing spin on the modern vampire tale. Allison Sekemoto has easily joined the ranks as one of my favorite heroines. I devoured it in one sitting. Well not exactly, it was more like four days but you know what I mean, unputdownable. That it took me almost a month to finish the second book bums me out. I thought there was an awful lot of rehashing from the first book. That was well and good for those who have not read the previous book but I read it just a couple of months ago so Allison's frequent trip down memory lane bored me silly. I also felt like time, as I have very precious little, could have been better spent in character development. I would have loved to have seen more how certain characters got from point A, where we left them off in the first book, to point B, where we pick them up in the second book, instead of them appearing seemingly out of nowhere. And finally, unless Sarren dies prematurely in the next book, facing the same enemy over again, after everything they've been through, just sounds exhausting to me. I didn't understand "Mr Stephen", I don't get his motivations or has he always just been such an ass? Zeke and Allison romance - I didn't buy it. Kanin was mostly absent. And Allie? I really loved her in the first novel but here, she was too busy with her inner monologues to notice I was losing interest. Call me crazy but the only character I did like was Jackal. I know a lot of you guys loved this book but I must've missed something or Julie Kagawa may just be paving the way for a spectacular book three, I don't know,  I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Book Review: Still Alice by Lisa Genova

From Goodreads: "Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty years old, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a world-renowned expert in linguistics with a successful husband and three grown children. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and world - forever."

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Psychology
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I had a great aunt who suffered from  Alzheimer's. She taught Social Studies in school. I remember because when I was little, she used to make me watch state of the nation addresses on TV with her. I didn't know much about the disease then, let alone that it was an actual disease. I chalked up her descent into dementia to the aging process. Frighteningly progressive for her age, but natural. I picked up Still Alice because of the questions that after all these years, I didn't think to ask - What is Alzheimer's Disease? What causes it? Am I at risk? Told in Alice's point of view, it presents a clear, unforgiving account of what having Alzheimer’s disease is like. Imagine getting lost in your own home, losing your grasp of language, and forgetting everything you have known and learned. It's an insightful, heartbreaking narrative that depicts a three-dimensionality that may be lacking from similar-themed stories but written from the caregiver's perspective. Gripping though as it is, I find Lisa Genova's writing style clinical that my mind wandered a bit during the jargon-heavy moments. Of course, I'm not discounting the fact that the dialogue could already be at its simplest and there's just no way to effectively explain in layman's terms without sacrificing the accuracy of the subject matter. I get that. Far be it from me to fuss but I could have been a lot happier with a little dumbing down. Sorry, really smart people!

Book Review: My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

From Goodreads: "Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of. And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family? Now her life is completely different... every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left."

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

As a semi-hypochondriac, I try to steer clear of books where any form of illness is the central theme. I already worry incessantly about other stuff so fretting for what I may or may not have on top of that is overkill. Anyway, I was browsing through the new releases when this book caught my eye. I loved the dress! I thought if the blurb sounds as good as that dress looks, then I'm sold. It didn't say much though so I had to check the reviews for clues as to what Lucy did that changed her life. My Life After Now is the first HIV/AIDS-themed novel I have ever read. And though it's not one I would normally pick out, I'm glad I did. I was curious not just about the disease but as to how a 16-year-old would handle contracting the virus and living with it for the rest of her life too. With a realistic plot and relatable characters, Jessica Verdi has written a powerful, heart-wrenching story that just as much entertains as it enlightens and perhaps even moreso.

Book Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

From Goodreads: "The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner."

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles, #2
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Steampunk, Retellings, Fantasy
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Patience has never really been one of my virtues. Just last week, I resolved to keep Scarlet on my TBR shelf for as long as I could. If Cinder was any indication, I had a pretty good idea that Scarlet would have a cliffhanger ending too and waiting for Cress's 2014 release is just inconceivable. So I tried to not think about Scarlet too much and the fact that it's just there right in front of me and just one tap away. But who was I kidding? I really wanted to know what happens to Cinder and Kai and I thought what's the harm in peeking? So I read a few pages and figured I'd stop once I know more. The first chapters however are about Scarlet and Wolf so I kept on reading and before I know it, I'm nearing the dreaded ending. I was just a little disappointed because there were things I was waiting to happen that didn't. But apart from that, I thought the book was great. It still has this quaint fairy tale feel to it though I'd say it's a bit different from Cinder in that it's more action-packed and it has more laugh-out-loud moments. Iko and the captain really cracked me up and I really hope they feature prominently in the next book. I also thought Scarlet and Wolf were fantastic addition to the story, if that makes sense seeing as the book is called Scarlet and it's Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Overall, it was wrapped up quite nicely and I look forward to Rapunzel's story next year.

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

From Goodreads: "Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles, #1

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Steampunk, Retellings, Fantasy

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

With a string of hot jerks and helpless heroines with possible masochistic tendencies, I'm just about to lose hope and re-assess my taste in fiction. But Cinder is a breath of fresh air. I love, love this book! I put off reading it because I thought like aliens, cyborgs are something that would not interest me. Boy was I wrong! Now all I can think of is why I hadn't read it sooner. I did figure out the twist early on. This book being a Cinderella retelling, I guess predictability is inevitable. So I didn't really mind and regardless, I still had goosebumps and my heart still raced a lot. I haven't read many fairy tale retellings but Cinder, I could tell, is one of the best. All the elements of the original tale - wicked stepmother, spoiled stepsisters (albeit one more than the other), the prince, the ball, the "pumpkin carriage", a godmother of sorts who I keep picturing as NCIS's David McCallum, and of course, the "glass slipper" are set in a futuristic world where hover cars and androids are just about as much a daily fixture as say a wardrobe that does not open to a magical world or portraits where subjects don't speak or move. It's just incredible! Scarlet has been sitting on my ereader for over a week now. I'm holding off, again, only this time for a totally different reason - Cress, which won't be out til next year!

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

From Goodreads: "Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

My rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I didn't like this book. Not one bit. I finished it in 2 hours, actually reading the first few chapters and then skimming the rest. I couldn't make myself care for the characters at all. I find them all to be unbelievably irritating. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEM. Words cannot describe how much I hated the protagonist, Hazel, such a condescending know-it-all. She's beyond annoying. "I need an ambulance. The great love of my life has a malfunctioning G-tube." Seriously? Who talks to people like that, let alone a 911 operator? Had I been reading a paperback, I would at least have had the satisfaction of hurling it across the room or burning it. Barbaric, I know. I don't go around destroying books, mind you. I love books! But just this once, I was willing to make an exception. The plot, meh, nothing I haven't seen before. The dialogue, what teenagers speak like that? Use hamartia in a sentence: I could just say tragic flaw but hamartia makes me sound so much smarter than you. And don't even get me started on the stupid cigarette metaphor. Just horrible. I'm sorry. I'm not a bad person but I really hated everything about this book.

Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From Goodreads: "When seventeen-year-old Katy Swartz moved to West Virginia right before her senior year, she'd pretty much resigned herself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring, but then she spotted her hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up...until he opened his mouth. Daemon Black is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. It's hate at first sight, but when a stranger attacks her and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot guy next door? Well, he's an alien. Turns out that Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities and Katy is caught in the crosshairs. Daemon's touch has lit her up like the Vegas Strip and the only way she's getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until her alien mojo fades. That is if she doesn't kill him first."

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux, #1

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Paranormal 

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Vampires, werewolves, zombies, fairies. These, I'm  familiar with. Aliens, not so much. I was  hesitant to read this because alien books,  I know, aren't really something I would  enjoy. This book though has such high  rating on Goodreads that I thought, well,  it can't be that bad, can it? Well, I didn't like it, I'm sorry to say. The plot is well-paced, intriguing and  suspenseful enough. I finished the book in 2 days, which for me is really fast. I liked the characters enough, except Ash, the other twin, the teacher, and Daemon, who, the whole time, I called demon. My gosh, so they're very protective of their kind,  I get it, but did they have to be total jerks all the time? I realize that's about half of the characters, so maybe I didn't like the characters after all. The protagonist, Katy, reminded me a bit of Bella Swan. Awkward, self-deprecating girl who try as she might, couldn't help but fall for the oh-so-gorgeous schmuck who takes up bullying as a hobby. After all the pain and humiliation he put her through, Katy's permissiveness was nothing short of disgusting. But she did have a few redeeming moments, so the book wasn't entirely painful to read. Will I read book 2? If I have time and I've read everything on my TBR shelf and there's nothing good on TV, then I will. 3 stars for effort!