Double Mini-Reviews: Rule by Ellen Goodlett & Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Hardcover. 376 pages.

About Rule:

"Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown. 

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos. 

Or rather, three unexpected options. 

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone. 

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom. 

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done. 

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny... to rule. 

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut."

LIKES: Ren, Zofi, and Akeylah were all wonderfully strong in their own unique way that stood out so much. Each girl was very different from the others, but they come together so well and learn to use their weakness as strengths, as well allowing their minds to be opened and consider new ideas. I think she did that beautifully. There was unnecessary hatred among them at first, but Goodlett did a wonderful job of having the girls mature and realize that hating each other was not going to solve anything. I also loved the handling of systemic racism and prejudice, discrimination, and other social issues, all of which I think were thoughtfully considered and also rather thought-provoking. I enjoyed the overall mystery and getting to know each of the girls through both their positive and negative decisions in life, as it really helped them become well-rounded figures.

DISLIKES: Honestly, I'm not sure why this has so many negative reviews. One reason could be because the magic system requires an individual to essentially cut into their arm/leg/etc., which could be found triggering for self-harm. That's totally valid and if that is something that would bother you, then do keep that in mind before reading this book. That being said, I thought it worked well as a magic system because by cutting into oneself for blood, it shows an immediate consequence of using your power and how it is limited. I would have liked more detailed world-building, as it did feel fairly limited at times and left me wondering. My main dislike is the cliffhanger ending. Look, I don't mind a bit of a cliffhanger--it keeps us excited!--but when it's literally akin to someone hanging off a cliff, it's almost cheap and feels like I'm being taken advantage of as a reader. Maybe I overreact, but it still bothers me.

Overall, I've decided to give Rule four stars!

*I received an ARC of Rule courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd 
HMH Books for Young Readers
Hardcover. 376 pages.

About Grim Lovelies:

"Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime. 

Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for. 

From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd, Grim Lovelies is an epic and glittering YA fantasy. Prepare to be spellbound by the world of Grim Lovelies, where secrets have been long buried, friends can become enemies, and everything—especially humanity—comes at a price."

LIKES: I loved Shepherd's The Madman's Daughter, so I was pretty excited to check this book out and see what else she could do.  I thought that the general concept of the beasties, the witches, and how the magic system worked was pretty interesting. There is a time limit placed on the events of this book, which lent to a quick pace that kept the story moving at all times. This book also went darker than I expected at times, though the darker aspects were more told as a past event rather than something currently happening, though there is still some violence in this book. I was also rather shocked and impressed by the last quarter or so of the book, including the ending--it definitely wasn't how I expected Shepherd to end this tale. I also love the Goblin characters and their carefree, tricky nature, and I can't wait to see more of them in the sequel.

DISLIKES: As much as I enjoyed the beasties and the magic system, I would have liked a little more explanation of various histories related to it. Everything is fully explained, but it still felt rushed and I had to digest it all very quickly. In addition, the entire story felt a bit rushed. I'm not sure we spent quite enough time at the original house and with the characters before the big life-changing event occurs, and I think it would have helped with the development of the characters. I feel like we got to know the characters decently well, but they needed more depth to their personalities. The romance was also something I could have done without.

Overall, I ended up realizing I had a fun time reading this book and the plot was an interesting one, so I've given Grim Lovelies four stars! I would say a younger YA reader might be more drawn to this one, though it was a certainly an entertaining read no matter what one's age.

Buy the book:  Amazon | Book Depository

And as I won't be posting tomorrow for the holiday, I just want to wish everyone a very happy holiday! I  hope you all have a wonderful time with whatever your plans are! 

Windsworn by Derek Siddoway

Windsworn by Derek Alan Siddoway 

Self-Published. 2017.

Ebook. 225 pages.

Windsworn is a charming young adult fantasy adventure that features a dynamic female lead and plenty of gryphons! I managed to blow right this book in just two days because of how fast-paced and entertaining it was.

Windsworn tells the story of Eva, a young girl living with her adoptive father, who one day stumbles upon a thief in possession of an unhatched gryphon egg. Once it hatches, she ends up becoming attached to it and learns she must now train and join ranks known as the Windsworn. The Windsworn train in battle tactics to become warriors who go into battle with their gryphons. While training, Eva uncovers a large plot that threatens the Windsworn and much

This was a really engaging, fun read. Siddoway has created an imaginative and entertaining world that really made me want to be  part of it. His world-building is strong and I appreciate that he put such time and effort into creating a fully-fleshed world with a variety of unique elements. A lot of interesting details were added to the story to make it authentic, and I particularly loved the addition of a Golem in this book.

One of the things that drew me to this book was the emphasis on and inclusion of gryphons, since they are a fantasy creature that tends to be overlooked more than others. I thought that Siddoway's description of them was vivid and he brought them to life extremely well; every gryphon comes out just a bit different in every author's unique vision, and I loved what resulted from Siddoway's imagination. My only disappointment was that there wasn't quite as much about them as I would have liked, as I felt that a book that so heavily focuses on gryphons should have included more about them.

The characters all felt very well-developed and each seemed to add an important element to the story. Eva in particular has a lot of important growth throughout the novel that I really liked following along with. She undergoes many momentous events and experiences and, as expected, she changes with them and learns a lot as a person, all of which molded her into a really well-formed character. Her father, Soot, is also a fantastic character that I personally really liked. He is a good man that adds a lot to the personality and formation of Eva's own personality. I was a bit skeptical at first when a romantic interest was introduced, but I felt a bit relieved when I saw how well Siddoway handled it. It didn't overwhelm the story as most romantic subplots tend to do, which I was very thankful for.

The pacing of this book was a bit off and on at times. The beginning and end of this book felt like there was good, even pacing, but there were a few parts throughout the middle that did feel rushed. The training in particular felt rushed, and I would have liked there to be more time spent in some of these areas. I also had mixed feelings about many of the plot elements and the path this story takes. At times, I felt it was rather predictable and a bit trope-heavy, but at the same time I felt that Siddoway did a good job of making things unique and fresh, so it wasn't entirely consistent one way or the other.

Overall, I've given Windsworn four stars. This wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever read, but I really enjoyed it all the same and would absolutely recommend it. I look forward to book two!

*I received a copy of Windsworn in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

Buy the book: Amazon 

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Sky In the Deep by Adrienne Young

*Sky in the Deep will be published, Tuesday, April 24th!*

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young. Wednesday Books, 2018. Hardcover. 352 pages.

Sky in the Deep was a decent book overall, but personally it was mostly a huge disappointment as well. I was highly anticipating this Viking book with an awesome female lead and plot that made me curious, so when I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley I was beyond thrilled. But then I started reading it and I felt myself becoming more and more disappointed as each page went by.

It really pains me to have a write this review because of how disappointed I was. The biggest problems I had with this book were that, for me, it was dry, boring, and fairly predictable. The plot itself just felt very flat and really lacked anything deep enough to captivate me. There really was only one major plot line happening and a few minor others, but none of them held much weight for me and I found it slightly cliche'd. I wanted a lot more depth regarding the world and the clans and the people within them. I think part of the problem is that we spend so little time with Eelyn in her blood Aska clan in the beginning and almost immediately jump to her being with the enemy Riki clan. Because of this, we're left with very little feelings or loyalty towards the Aska, so I didn't really feel the same hatred or frustrations as she did being towards the Riki while she was in their clan. There just wasn't enough given to the reader in the way of varying perspectives to fully understand just how dramatic and difficult this entire plot and situation was for Eelyn and the Riki clan members.

The  main character, Eelyn, came across a cardboard character to me with very little personality. I had zero connection to her and I felt like I didn't know her at all, which also left me not really caring about her. She was also incredibly close-minded to pretty much everything and it drove me crazy how judgmental she was and how she refused to even think about deeper reasons for why certain events might happen; if it wasn't something she thought was right, she shut her mind and stuck to her stubborn ways. It was beyond frustrating listening to her thoughts throughout the entire story. Spoiler:

Then, when she finally decides to overcome the hatred between the two clans, she becomes upset with her father and friend for not immediately understanding it as well! It was beyond hypocritical.

Many of the other characters, such as her brother, Iri, were also not all that captivating and didn't do much for me to care about them, but there were a few that stood out. Inge and Myra, for example, were two characters that I liked so much more than Eelyn. I think a story about Myra would be fascinating, or even a story about Inge's backstory and how she is who she is today. I found them to have much more well-rounded and developed personalities than Eelyn, and I would have liked to know more about people like them.

Sky in the Deep had extremely odd pacing as well. There were bursts of action and violence in the beginning, a few briefs moments in the middle, and one more brief burst at the end. And in between the violence was... not much else. I don't mind books where there's nothing really going on, but there has to be good character development or at least something going on in the meantime, and that just didn't happen in this case. The other issue I had was with the romance between our main character and another character. It was just unnecessary. I know it was meant to show how Eelyn's character develops, but it just wasn't a great way to do that. I actually wish the romance had been between two other characters if it was necessary to have some romance, but I don't want to go into detail on my opinions there due to potential spoiler issues.

Despite the negative aspects, I did find the battle scenes really well written and I could actually follow them pretty easily, which was a nice surprise. And although Young's writing style wasn't overly gripping for me, I did appreciate her strong attention to detail throughout the book.

Overall, I've given Sky in the Deep 2.75 stars., rounded up to three. I really liked the Viking setting and that aspect, but I just wish it had been executed better. This story was lacking so much depth, and I'm really pretty disappointed by that. I realize that I'm in the minority on this one.

Buy the book:

*I received a copy of Sky in the Deep courtesy of NetGalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*

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Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. Harlequin Teen, 2018. Hardcover. 416 pages.

I ended up liking Ace of Shades a lot more than I expected to. I read Amanda Foody's debut, Daughter of the Burning City, and I was incredibly underwhelmed, which was really disappointing because I had such high hopes for it. Despite this, I still found myself really intrigued by the synopsis of Ace of Shades, so I thought I would give a shot anyway, and in my opinion it was a definite improvement from her previous book!

This story takes place in the New Reynes, more commonly known as the City of Sin. Within this city is a large divide between the North Side and the South Side, with the North being the more downtrodden area that is run by various crown gangs and the South side being the more 'reputable' area. Foody really seems to have taken her time in creating her world and giving it an extremely solid foundation. I would have liked slightly more detail regarding the larger aspect of the world, as well as how regular citizens lived, but overall I really enjoyed her worldbuilding.

One area that confused me about Foody's world, however, was exactly what time period this book was meant to take place in. I couldn't tell if it was just a made-up fantasy world with its own sort of time-period, or if it was meant to be a real-world time? There were modern elements such as cars, electricity, and other modern items, but the way that the clothing, mannerisms, and societal norms were described made it feel more early nineteenth/late eighteenth century. This doesn't really affect the story itself, but it was something that I kept questioning in the back of my mind and did leave me feeling somewhat uncertain throughout the book.

The main characters that we follow are Enne Salta and Levi Glaisyer. The supporting characters in this book were also very interesting, but didn't play quite as big roles as I would have liked, so I won't say all too much about them here. Enne travels to New Reynes in order to track down her missing mother, Lourdes Alfero, and is shocked by the loose morals that seem to be so prevalent. Enne herself is rather snobbish, pretentious, and has extremely strong manners, so it was entertaining to watch the culture shock that she experienced in this new, more uninhibited city. Once in New Reynes, she slowly uncovers more and more secrets about herself and her mother, and by the end of the book she must come to terms with who she really is. I found Enne's character development to be really well-done and well-paced. There was a very obvious transition as Enne goes from someone who refuses to do thing that aren't 'appropriate' to someone who realizes the world isn't quite as black and white as she thinks.

Levi is from New Reynes itself and lives on the North Side where he is the Iron Lord of the Irons crime gang. His gang is currently struggling with money and pressures are coming in on all sides demanding money, putting Levi in some dangerous situations. Enne stumbles into the company of Levi and he becomes her guide, and well... without spoiling anything, we'll just say that things start to take off at that point. Levi is tough, as a crime lord must be, but he knows how to wield his power in an effective manner that earns him respect. I really liked Levi's character, but I will say that it seemed as if Foody sort of talked up his danger and intimidation level. Levi certainly seemed like a guy I wouldn't want to mess with, but he hardly seemed as scary as everyone made him sound. I would call him a softer edition of Kaz Brekker. Despite this, I still really loved his character and the bisexual representation and the diverse representation.

I was really pleased with the pacing of this book. The story isn't overly fast-paced, but it isn't slow either. There seemed to be a wonderful balance of action and events that pushed the plot forward in addition to plenty of character development and focus on the more thematic elements of the story.

Despite all of the wonderful things about this book, I did have a few issues. One of my biggest frustrations was Foody's in-world word choices. For starters, 'missy' was used far too often in relation describe Enne. I'm not sure if it's just an in-world thing to call a woman a 'missy' or if this is actually done in some places, but this drove me crazy. Some examples that confused me:
 "I found this missy asking about the whiteboots and Pup"
"There's a missy here to see you"
"The missy in question sat on the couch, her back straight as a billiard rod, her legs resting to the side with one ankle tucked.."
"Terribly sorry, missy."
At first I thought a 'missy' meant a young girl, but then it was used in different ways and I was really unsure. I did a count on my Kindle and found fifty-one usages of missy, which is about fifty too many.

Also, Foody's made-up curse words were... not good. I am all for some good in-universe curse words that fantasy likes to do, but it has to be done really well, and this just wasn't. This might not be a big deal to many people, but it just really annoyed me. 'Muck' is one of the most common ones used, but it sounded so horrible because it really just sounds like a censored version of f*ck, which made it sound dumb. It drove me crazy. It was used in the same way as f*ck in most places, but there were a few where it sounded more like the word muck itself: "And walking straight into some muck." So how is this word supposed to be used? It confused me about as much as 'missy' confused me. I know this is just a minor gripe, but it was something that bothered me and sort of pulled me out of the story.

Overall, I still really enjoyed Ace of Shades and ended up giving it four stars! This is a fun, entertaining book with solid characters and an interesting storyline.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of Ace of Shades in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

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First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday: Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcet

First Chapter Tuesday is hosted every Tuesday by Diane over at Bibiophile by the Sea. This is meme in which bloggers share the first chapter of a book that they are currently reading or thinking about reading soon. Join the fun by making your own post and linking up over at Diane's blog, or simple check it out to find more new books to read!

I've had Even the Darkest Stars on my TBR for way too long now, so I am really hoping to get my hands on a copy and read it soon! All I'm hearing about this one are mountains, adventures, and an wonderfully unique premise. You can also find a synopsis over at Goodreads if this excerpt intrigues you! 

Even the Darkest Stars by  Heather Fawcett

Chapter One:

"I STRETCHED MY hands over the dragon eggs, focusing all my concentration on their indigo shells, and murmured the incantation. The air rippled and shimmered. 

I can do this. The thought was born of desperation rather than confidence. My fingers were frozen, my stomach growled, and my legs ached from hours sitting cross-legged. Behind me, the sheer slopes of Mount Azmiri, draped with cobweb clouds, rose to greet the gray sky. Beyond the narrow ledge I crouched on, the mountainside fell away as if hewn by an ax. The forest far below was hidden under waves of mist, with only a few treetops floating above the surface like skeletal ships. The wind stirred my hair and slid its long fingers down the collar of my chuba. I shivered. The faint light gathering over the eggs flickered and died." 

What do you think? Would you keep reading this? (And feel free to join in and make your own post!) 

If you're enticed by this chapter, be sure to check out the full synopsis on Goodreads!

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*Excerpt taken from the novel itself; I do not claim to own any part of the excerpt.

The Waking Land by Callie Bates

**The Waking Land by Callie Bates is available Tuesday, June 27th!**

The Waking Land by Callie Bates. Del Rey Books, 2017. Hardcover. 400 pages.

*I received a physical copy of The Waking Land courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

This is another hard one to review. I was already looking forward to this one, and then I saw Robin Hobb's (author of The Farseer trilogy) five-star review and my excitement shot up even more. After reading it, however, I'm left feeling very unsure. 

On the whole, this is a solid, entertaining fantasy that I really enjoyed. But despite that... it was still a rather average book. I don't mean that in a distinctly negative sense, but more in the sense that  I had certain expectations of this book that weren't met -- it is still a good book overall, just not what I thought. Parts of this book really stood out and seemed unique, but there were just as many overly predictable plot points as well. This book was brimming with potential and an overabundance of fantastic magical ideas, but there were so many places that just fell flat and left me wishing for more, which disappointed me. 

The characters were really a mixed bag. I loved some of them, like Alistair and Jahan, but others were just... meh. Elanna was also hit and miss. She  had many moments of seeming rather annoying and repetitive, but I did also really appreciate her moments of strength and forcefulness when she would realize that she just needed to buck up and make a decision or follow her gut, even if it didn't seem right. I was also a bit annoyed by how wishy-washy she seemed regarding her loyalties, but then I considered her position of having to choose between the place where was raised and is loyal to and a place where she is actually from and where her biological family is, and I actually understood what a difficult position that would be. So props to Elanna for struggling through such a weird situation.

Alistair, whom I mentioned above, isn't necessarily a 'main' character, but is someone I considered a main secondary character, and he really helped bring life to every scene he was in. I loved his loyalty, his strength, and down-to-earth nature that made him such a fascinating person to follow. Jahan, the love interest of Elanna, was also someone that I really enjoyed reading. Was some of his personality a little bit cliche'd? Yes. Was the romance a little odd and unnecessary? Yes. I can't deny either of those things, but despite them, I still really loved every scene he was in - he shined and brought so much life to the story.

The main thing that I really loved about this book was the magic system. I love magic that is tied to the earth, and this was an amazing take on that notion. I loved how Elanna could control the land around her and make things grow and whatnot, but I wanted so much more! Her process from not really knowing how to use her powers to using them to save her land was far too quick for my liking and understanding. I wanted to know more about how she actually used her power and learned to master it, and I feel like we just didn't quite get enough. 

Now, the romance: I liked it in general, but it was too fast. I completely understand that lust you get when you first meet someone that is so strong and it feels like you're in love - but you're not! You might fall in love one day, but it's not immediate -- it takes a while, so don't rush ahead and make things weird. If there had been just a little bit more time between the characters, it would have been just fine. 

The writing is nothing spectacular, but it is certainly well-done and enjoyable. The world-building was also okay. I felt a little confused about locations, but in the end it worked. The history in this world is a bit confusing at times, and many things are thrown around.

Overall, I am giving The Waking Land 3.75 stars! I had to get into the nitty-gritty here because it didn't quite reach four stars but it was absolutely above three. Hence, 3.75. I recommend this to anyone who loves an entertaining fantasy with some entertaining dialogue, complex political issues, and a great magic system.

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Blog Tour: First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy - Author Guest Post + Giveaway!

Hello everyone! I am happy to welcome you to today's stop on the First We Were IV blog tour, hosted by Brittany's Book Rambles! First We Were IV is an incredibly new YA thriller by Alexandra Sirowy that will be published July 25th. This book was such a pleasure to read, and I hope you all have a chance to check it out!  For my stop, I am pleased to share with you a guest post from Alexandra Sirowy herself, which you can find below the book and author information, as well as a tour-wide giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Huge thanks go out to Brittany from Brittany's Book Rambles, Alexandra Sirowy, and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful tour!

First We Were IV by Alexandra Sirowy

Publication Date: July 25th, 2017

Publisher:Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/2lx6UyI

Synopsis:

A group of friends start a secret society in this out-of-control thriller from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.

Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.



Buy Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository 

Author Bio:

Alexandra Sirowy is the author of the young adult thrillers THE CREEPING, the Bram Stoker Award® Nominated THE TELLING, and the upcoming FIRST WE WERE IV. Alexandra attended a women's college as an undergrad and received her graduate degree in International Studies. When she isn't writing, she loves to travel, read, eat, and get into mischief. She lives with her husband in Northern California.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

Disclaimer: All content directly from First We Were IV (such as quotes and excerpts) is taken directly from an advanced reader's copy of the book. Therefore, it is not to be separately quoted from due to the fact that it is not in its final publication form. 

What we do for friendship…

The impulse for First We Were IV came from me wanting to write a thriller about friendship, a topic that I’ve been obsessed with for almost my whole life.

Way back when I was a plucky seven-year-old who got her first diary, I used to write short ghost stories, though not of the spooky variety. My stories always featured a live child and a ghost child meeting, becoming friends, and going on adventures. I was obsessed with friendship. I was also a lonely kid since we moved around a lot and I didn’t have siblings yet.

We finally settled in one place and I made friends in middle school who I’m still friends with today. The road was not smooth, though. I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve when it comes to friends and that has led me into some embarrassing situations. Like, in the seventh grade, one of my best friends decided she was going to put on a Nutcracker Ballet, have it performed in her attic, and charge for tickets. I jumped up and down when she said she wanted to include me and cast me as the Snow Queen. Just one problem, I wasn’t a ballerina. I hadn’t danced since I got kicked out of ballet class at six-years-old for asking the teacher if class was almost over. What’s more awkward than a pudgy, uncoordinated twelve-year-old girl dancing in a white leotard? Said twelve-year-old girl in a leotard tripping and falling on one of the dancing snowflakes on opening night, all in the name of not letting her friend down.

These little embarrassments have made me think a lot about what friends do for one another. The four best friends in First We Were IV – Izzie, Viv, Graham, and Harry – have known each other since they were little kids. They’re the perfect storm of friendship. Izzie is spirited and funny, Viv is stylish and dramatic, Graham is brainy and sarcastic, and Harry is sincere and thoughtful. They’re on the periphery of everyone else’s social scene, and they couldn’t care less. Their entire universe revolves around their headquarters in Viv’s barn. So as their senior year of high school begins, they’re worried about what’s to come. Will they text every day in college? What if they’re replaced by newer, shinier friends. What if without living in the same town, they drift apart?

Izzie proposes a solution. The four should invent a secret society so that they’ll always have something tying them together. And the secret society won’t be for nothing, it will have meaning, vigilante-pranks it plays to improve things. What ensues is a story of friendship, love, revenge, murder, and secrets.

While writing First We Were IV, I couldn’t help feeling that I was writing the friends I needed as a high school student. The kind of friends who make a universe and who you risk everything to protect. 

Giveaway

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Tour Schedule: 

Week 1

March 27: Brittany's Book Rambles - Intro Post + Excerpt
March 28: YA and Wine - Most Mischievous YA Characters
March 29: Rattle the Pages - Nail Art
March 30: Book Nerd Addict - Inventing A Secret Society
March 31: Fables Library - YA Books with Secret Societies

Week 2

April 3: Emily Reads Everything - Fancast
April 4: The Eater of Books - History of Secret Societies
April 5: It Starts At Midnight - Author Guest Post: FIRST WE WERE IV vs. Alexandra's Previous Books
April 6: BookCatPin - Mystery YA List
April 7: A Book and a Cup of Coffee - Moodboard

Week 3

April 10: The Book Buzz - YA Thrillers You Need to Know About
April 11: The Candid Cover - Bookworm Initiation Quiz
April 12: Girl in the Pages - Book Recs for First We Were IV Characters
April 13: Stories and Sweeties - Author Guest Post - Story Behind the Title
April 14: Little Lillie Reads - Playlist

Week 4

April 17: Literary Legionnaire - Favorite Quotes
April 18: Chapter by Chapter - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Initiation Rituals
April 19: Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Secret Societies You Never Knew Existed
April 20: YA Book Central - Author Guest Post:  3 Favorite Books About Secret Societies
April 21: The Bookish Feels - Author's March Favorites

Week 5

April 24: Waiting For Wentworth - Author Guest Post: Secret Society Rules
April 25: The Reader and the Chef - Book Inspired-Recipe
April 26: Forever Lost in Literature - Author Guest Post: What We Do For Friendship
April 27: Flying Through Fiction - Favorite YA Friendships
April 28: One Way or an Author - Phone Wallpapers

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And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. Hardcover. 352 pages.

I read this book back in December, but since I never got around to posting my review then, I'm posting it now!

And the Trees Crept In was definitely creepy and I liked it a lot. I'm not very much into the horror genre, but I had such a great time reading this book it makes me want to read so many more books like this!

What I loved most about this book was the overall tone and attitude. I was increasingly drawn to the vivid descriptions of Silla and her sister, Nori, as they wasted away inside the house. It was done in an extremely realistic manner, which made it that much more haunting. The beginning of the book was a little difficult to get into, but I decided to plow through and eventually things started to fall into place.

I would easily describe Silla as an unreliable narrator, and I think that adds to the creepy nature of this book in major ways. Her narration is presented in the form of various journal entries, so the entire experience is very personal. As a reader, we're never fully sure what is actually happening or what is real and what is not. Kurtagich clearly knows how to write intense plot lines and settings, and I could slowly feel the hysteria begin to set in as the story progressed and Silla began to fall into her own madness.

There were a lot of themes related to consumption, such as starvation, finding food, having no appetite, and being unable to eat because of digestion issues as a result of starvation, all of which added an element of authenticity to the story. For much of the story, the girls struggle to find food, and this notion seems to drive so much of the story - their hair becomes weak and falls out, her teeth grow bad, her stomach rejects food, she begins to lose her mind. A line seems to be drawn between whether or not all of these things are being caused by the lack of nutrition or supernatural things occurring.

The ending was really kind of disappointing, but quite frankly I"m not sure how else it would end. Personally, I felt that the overall concept of the ending was somewhat predictable, but it fit the story. I have a lot of thoughts on this ending that I would love to go into more detail to discuss, but I would like to avoid any spoilers in this review, so I'm going to refrain from doing so.

Overall, I have decided to give And the Trees Crept In four stars!

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Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. Jimmy Patterson, 2016. Hardcover. 326 pages.

Even though I had heard numerous positive things about this book, I will admit that I was ever so slightly skeptical of this book because of it being from James Pattersons' new imprint, Jimmy Patterson. I know that's probably wrong of me, but I'm really not a big fan of James Patterson as a person, so I wasn't sure if this would be quite what I was hoping. My preconceptions, however, were fortunately proven wrong, and I enjoyed this book a lot.

Stalking Jack the Ripper is horribly disturbing and gory, so if gruesome crime scenes and vivid descriptions of autopsies and the like are not up your alley, I would recommend you maybe pass this by. If you are okay with that, or you want to give it a try, then Stalking Jack the Ripper is perfect.

Audrey Rose is the female narrator that we have all been waiting for. She is extraordinary witty, bold, and absolutely willing to call men out on their sexist, idiotic behaviours toward women and the ways in which they believe women should be treated. She is not about to let men treat her as if she is inferior or weaker than them, and I loved her attitude. However, I was also somewhat annoyed by her naivete - you know, like wandering around at night when there have been horrific murders, assuming you'll be safe. Really?  And sometimes the feminism seem a little too 'hit-you-over-the-head-with-it,' but I guess I can't particularly complain about a strong female character.

I also really grew to love Thomas. At first, I wasn't a huge fan, as I felt like he was similar to every other young adult boy in his snarky manner, but I eventually discovered that actually was different and had quite a bit more to offer. Him and Audrey Rose make a great team, and I thought they worked together throughout the book really well.

I felt that the character development of each individual character was written exceptionally well, and I enjoyed watched Audrey Rose develop as the story progressed. The plot pacing, however, did seem to slow here and there throughout the middle of the story, but fortunately Maniscalsco is entertaining enough to keep me entertained, even through the dry spells. I also found the ending slightly predictable, which was a bit disappointing, but that doesn't detract from the telling of this story.

Something that stood out to me in a somewhat negative way was the dialogue. In the beginning of the story, at least, I felt as if the dialogue was a bit too... modern. The characters seemed to talk as teenagers talk today, which really unsettled me and made it difficult for me to adapt to the book and its time period. However, I think that as the book went on, this problem seemed to go away, so either I got used to the dialogue, or there were legitimate shifts.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had its moments that seemed overly dramatics or contrived, but in the end, I can't help but say I loved every second of this book.

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The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
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Freeks by Amanda Hocking

**Freeks by Amanda Hocking will be released Tuesday, January 3rd!**

Freeks by Amanda Hocking. St. Martin's Griffin, 2017. Paperback. 400 pages.

*I received an ARC of Freeks by Amanda Hocking in exchange for an honest review.*

I love a good circus/carnival story, so when I discovered an ARC for Freeks had arrived in the mail, I was pretty excited. I hadn't read (or heard of) any of Amanda Hocking's other work, so I don't really know how this stands in comparison to any of those, but this book certainly held its own, despite a somewhat amateur-feeling that seemed to to be present throughout the writing.

There were a lot of characters in this book, and while I do enjoy a nice variety, it sometimes felt like there were just a few too many. Back stories and information were given about each character, and I was somewhat overwhelmed by them all as I wondered whether I would need to remember this information or not. The characters were also somewhat stereotypical in a lot of their roles, but I enjoyed it all the same. You need the emotional and unpredictable fortune teller figure and the risk-taking, adventure-loving performers.

Mara was a really well-written character, and I found her relationship with her mom, the other carnival members, and Gabe to be done in a genuine manner. I thought that Mara (and most of the characters) were developed really well, though they all could have used a little more character development throughout the book. Mara was extremely realistic, and I loved that. She was a bit stubborn and frustrating at times, but nothing was over the top or exceedingly annoying, and that is something that is hard to find in a lot of books like this. I also didn't feel too strongly about the supposed 'insta-love' between Gabe and Mara. Yes, it was a strong reaction for recently meeting each other, but I actually understood it and felt like Hocking walked us through each of their feelings really well, and Mara even knew the entire time that she shouldn't get too attached.

What didn't sit well with me regarding characters was how downplayed many of the reactions were. When certain characters were injured or attacked, it seemed as if, overall, the rest of the characters didn't really seem to react all that much. Things were rather subdued, and no one was ever extremely upset. Maybe a life as a carnie inures you to crazy stuff, but it just seemed odd.

I really enjoyed the late 80s setting, and I though Hocking did a great job of transporting her readers to that time period. Nothing felt forced or cliche'd, and any and all references were done extremely well. I'm not sure how one exactly goes about doing research for a book such as this, but Hocking certainly did it. The carnival felt authentic and not overdone, as many books tend to do. I only wish there had been a bit more development regarding the carnival life and the plot itself. As much as I enjoyed reading this book, I always wanted just a little bit more.

The biggest issue I had with Freeks had to do with occasional awkward sentences and dialogue. For the most part, the writing was fairly average and worked well with the story, but ever once in a while there would be random moments that completely broke up the flow and were entirely awkward. It really made me fall out of the story for a second before moving past it. Despite this, I remained hooked throughout most of the book, and the positive moments really outweighed the negative.

This was just a really enjoyable read that provided me the perfect break to sit back, relax, and enjoy. Overall, I have to give Freeks three-and-a-half stars!

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The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler
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Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. Hardcover. 433 pages.

Oh man, this book. I don't even know where to start talking about the crazy, incredible content of this book. If, like me, you have been hearing amazing things about Scythe, then I just want you to know that every word of praise is absolutely deserved. Neal Shusterman is truly a genius and I am always immensely impressed with his books. The ideas that he plays with and the moral quandaries that are debated in this book are insane and wonderful. I can easily say that this is one of the most thought-provoking books that I have read this year.

The most prominent theme and subject that Scythe deals with is, of course, death. But this isn't done in an overly morbid way. Don't get me wrong, the subject itself is inherently morbid and dark, but this book doesn't treat is as such - necessarily. It's more along the lines of questioning what death means, and also what immortality means, endless aging. Would you want to live forever, or is there a point in which you wouldn't want to keep living, even if you could continuously reset your body to younger ages? Would you want to live in a world knowing that you or anyone around you could be randomly chosen and gleaned (aka: killed) at any time? But then, how is that any different from random deaths from accidents and disease that occur around us everyday, anyway? Or would you want to become a scythe in order to ensure you and your family's immunity from death, when you would then have to be the bringers of death to millions. There are honestly just too many questions to ponder, and the way in which Shusterman brings these topics into the story are incredibly fluid and momentous.

One aspect of the world created in Scythe was the  notion that society had reached an area where every urge and necessity is met. If we are guaranteed food, shelter, the basic necessities of life, will we have any motivation to continue doing things and making advancements. Are there any advancements to work towards? Or is it more likely that life will become routine and monotonous with such a lack of motivation? I mean, death itself is even eradicated. People can be revived after be rendered 'deadish' (essentially, one dies, but not permanently because they can just be taken to a 'revival center' and be brought back to life, good as new in a few days), so where is the motivation in this world? I think all of these observations and topics are timely considering the many advancement we have made, and it is interesting to take a look through Shusterman's world that displays both the numerous benefits and consequences that arise.

There is also no "good" and "bad" in this book. Even the 'villainous' characters have legitimate arguments and thought processes. This book makes you question everything. It makes you realize that even institutions and advancements created with the most good-willed, positive intentions are susceptible to horrible corruption.

Moving away from the bigger themes of this book, I want to briefly discuss the two main characters, Citra and Rowan. I really enjoyed getting to know both of these characters and experiencing the many changes and feelings that they both experienced. As much as I would like to go into more detail regarding their character development, I am going  to refrain from doing so, solely because it will give away some important plot elements that I really do not want to spoil. All I can say is that Shusterman really took some time in crafting his characters and determining how they would react to various environments, which made this an even more fascinating read in regards to the psychology of being taught to kill.

Shusterman has an incredibly accessible writing style that is both mature and simple at the same time. It is easy to follow along with his writing, and I can imagine a wide variety of people enjoying his style. The premise of Scythe may be heavy, but Shusterman incorporates humor in a meaningful way that adds so much enjoyment to the story. Most of his characters are full of wit and sass, so if you are drawn to that, then you will definitely like these characters.

I want so much more from this world, but I'm also fearful of what could happen in this world. Where does the corruption end, or will it? It's not really fathomable to imagine that corruption can be permanently ended. It will always sneak its way back in, and I think that that is the beauty of this book. Where do things end, if not even death can bring an end to things?

Overall, I am giving Scythe five stars - and I'll be adding it to my favorites!

Buy the book!

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