Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Summary (from Goodreads):

Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along.

This stunning conclusion picks up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.

Review:

I’ve had so much fun reading this series. This book was a little hard to read because I knew it was the last one, and I kind of kept postponing finishing it –just because I wasn’t ready for it to be over. On the plus side, this book is a lot thicker than the other two (447 pages!). I just love all the sarcasm. I love the characters (particularly the sassy best friend and the comedic gargoyle). And it’s hard saying goodbye to of it.

Book 2 ended with a bit of tears for the main character. And I wish I could say everything gets cleared up with Gideon right away, but I can’t. Gwen has a lot of tough stuff to get through in regards to him, but she becomes so much stronger because of it. The way she knows that there are more important things in life than boys is just so wonderful. And for every moment she had to see him, and think he’d only been using her was just so, so spot on for teen relationships. Nothing is worse than dating someone and then having to see them all the time post break up…Not that I’m saying things don’t work out…I’m just saying the scenes that were hard for Gwen were just so spot-on.

Add this to now having a very “illegal” object in her possession, a bigger mystery brought on by her grandfather, and an even crazier relationship with her cousin Charlotte, and Gwen just doesn’t seem to have much going easy for her. She has to hide something really important from her family. And she soon learns some crazy family secrets that were hidden from her. We finally learn the real reason Gwen’s mom lied about Gwen and her birthday. We also learn why Lucy and Paul did what they did.

The kids all figure out what the prophecies were talking about (with much digging on her friend’s end). And apparently the secret time traveling society believes that when everyone’s blood is added to their machine, they will discover something that can help solve all of the world’s illness and disease. But what they don’t realize, that Gwen soon learns, is that all of their combined blood will cure illness in just one person and not the world. Also, for that one person to be granted eternal life, another time traveler has to be killed (and guess who it is!).

Also, a couple of characters go through some seriously insane (superhero-type) changes. There’s gun wounds, poison, high school parties gone wrong, training, heartbreak, family drama, family dinners, and romance. We finally get to see the ball that Gwen visited briefly in book 1 (to see her future self kissing Gideon passionately). Gwen gets her chance to help her ghost friend, but learns that’s it’s a lot harder to do than she thought. And we also got to see why Gideon was mad at Gwen for knocking him unconscious in book 2.

There’s a lot of answers in this one. There’s also just so much hilarity. I absolutely love Gwen’s crazy family, and there was definitely more moments with them that I was grateful for. I wasn’t expecting certain things to happen the way they did. I did predict a few things, but I was pleasantly surprised by others. I loved the race for time. I loved how close the kids bonded. I loved seeing Charlotte in a different (comical) light. I loved how strongly Gwen’s family believed in her and how willing they were to hide things from Charlotte for her. And I loved Gideon more in this one than in any of the others (for various reasons). And I love watching Gideon and Gwen argue and learn from each other.

The one thing that nagged me a bit, were the time jumps and skipped scenes. Sometimes the story would lead up to something (like a particular time traveling moment), and then with no warning you were back in Gwen’s school in current time, and you’re like, “ I don’t get to see this scene?” The author did sometimes summarize these scenes she skipped. But a summary is almost worse than skipping it completely. And sometimes I found myself re-reading scenes and thinking I skipped pages because scenes didn’t always transition smoothly. This was a little confusing considering stuff would jump around in different time periods.

All in all though, I thought this was a great conclusion to a remarkable series. The characters were wonderful. This book was about family (of all kinds), about the best of friendships, about love, and about growing up. The history, the wardrobe changes, the balls, and the mystery kept my focus for all three books. While the writing did skip around a bit, particularly at the end, I did think things ended surprisingly smoothly. I give this a 9/10. If you like time travel books, books with strong/sassy main characters, books with two bickering love interests that you just want to work, and books with a good amount of family, you’d love this.

Waiting on Wednesday (65)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The One by Kiera Cass (5/6/14):

Summary from Goodreads:

The Selection changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. And now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.

America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

From the very first page of The Selection, this #1 New York Times bestselling series has captured readers' hearts and swept them away on a captivating journey... Now, in The One, Kiera Cass delivers a satisfying and unforgettable conclusion that will keep readers sighing over this electrifying fairy-tale long after the final page is turned.

Why I’m Waiting:

Hello, gorgeous cover. The publishers here really got the whole pretty dress cover thing down. I’m like still looking at it. Any way, this series has been amazing. I’m really anxious to see how this all goes down in this amazing sounding conclusion. I’m really not 100% sure on how the ending is going to go. And this is both frightening and exhilarating. I’m beyond ready for this book. And I’m so excited for May because of it. May is way too far away though…So far away. Also what happened to the tv show they were talking about doing, based off this one? Did it not go anywhere? Also, the white dress looks very wedding-dress-ish to me…

What are you waiting on this week?

The Pirate's Coin by Marianne Malone

Summary (from Goodreads):

Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love the third The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure—a perfect next step for kids who love the Magic Tree House series, and just right for readers who love Chasing Vermeer, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Wonderstruck. Sixth Graders Ruthie and Jack return to the Art Institute of Chicago's magical Thorne Rooms. During a school presentation, Ruthie and Jack discover that their classmate Kendra is descended from Phoebe Monroe, the young slave they befriended when they traveled to 19th-century South Carolina. Kendra tells them that long ago her family lost their good name and their business selling herbal remedies when mobsters accused them of stealing the recipes! Only Ruthie and Jack know the truth--because only they know about the secret ledger that Phoebe wrote the recipes in long ago! Ruthie and Jack's mission to clear Kendra's name takes them back to the Thorne Rooms, where a mysterious old coin leads them to 1753 Cape Cod and to Jack's own ancestor . . . the pirate Jack Norfleet! But playing with history can be dangerous! Suddenly, Jack's very existence is in jeopardy! Can Ruthie and Jack find the proof they need to help Kendra? And can they fix the past and save Jack's future . . . before it's too late?

Review:

I just love these books! I know a big part of my overall love is the connection I feel to Ruthie and Jack. They both love the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute in Chicago, and well I love the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute. I used to go there all the time (growing up), and I would imagine being able to walk inside them. I’m so unbelievably jealous of these two fictional characters for being able to do something I always dreamed of doing. On top of that these books are just plain adorable and so much fun!

I think the books actually get better as the series goes along. The initial magic of the first one was fun, but I like the magic better as the two main characters actually learn more about it. Plus, the characters are getting smarter, braver, and just plain more interesting as the story continues. Less time is spent on the logistics of shrinking and growing and climbing, and more time is spent on bravely taking leaps, running through dark passageways, and taking adventures when they see them.

Things also get a little more serious and complicated with the whole time-traveling business. The two learn the consequences of changing the past –something that was never quite addressed before. It’s also learned too (though not really highlighted), that Ruthie and Jack actually are going back in time, and not just into some magical Thorne Room time loop. Something the two do back in the time of Jack’s pirate ancestor (!) almost erases Jack from history.

There’s more adventures, more history, more mysteries, and more magic. What about that mixture sounds bad? This one was a little more suspenseful than the others were too because Ruthie was racing for time to try to fix Jack from disappearing while simultaneously also forgetting him…And the other story involving slavery and the mob was also rather fascinating. And I have also come to love the series’ formulaic plotlines that always end in helping people. Ruthie and Jack aren’t just about going on adventures or keeping things to themselves. They actually genuinely care about people and want to help as many people as they can with the special knowledge they now have.

This is probably one of my favorite middle grade series out there and the books just keep getting better. The two main characters are believable and so brave. The histories and room stories only get more and more interesting. The way Ruthie and Jack keep using the advantages they have to help others is actually rather inspiring. And I can’t wait to see where else these two sixth graders will go, and who else they will help. I give this one a 10/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (64)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (3/18/14):

Description from Goodreads:

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

Why I’m Waiting:

So, I know I have said that I’m so tired of books about kids/teens in the hospital. (No one can write it like John Green can write it though…) However, this one sounds so different. I love that part of the story is revenge. Sometimes books/stories like these can be a little too tear inducing/do-good-y, but by adding the whole getting-back-at-her-ex thing, I have lots of hope that the main character will be believable and interesting. I love the way the romance with the best friend character sounds. I love that the main character will most likely have to deal with the consequences of all that she thought she wouldn’t have to. It just sounds like such a wonderful idea for a YA book. Also, I find the cover adorable.

What are you waiting on this week?

Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

Summary (from Goodreads):

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Review:

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this one. On the one hand, I love Melissa De La Cruz and the Blue Bloods series. On the other hand, I’ve read some really terrible reviews for this book. I have this one signed. It’s another ARC I picked up at BEA. I was going to put it for a while and see if any positive reviews came in, but something speeded it up to the top of my TBR pile (maybe a little chaos of moving and not having books organized as they should be?).

Any way, I can see what people didn’t like about this book. I really can. There were a number of things that kind of bothered me. But, as a whole, I found the story to be lots of fun. Mix Las Vegas, a frozen planet earth devoid of almost all resources, a main character marked and in hiding because of some unknown super power, and the ultimate quest to find a world that’s not destroyed by ice, vast amounts of garbage, and really terrible people.

There is a lot going on. There’s kind of a smorgasbord of supernatural creatures. There’s elves, dwarves, people with super powers, and zombies. Add that to the world’s problems, and there is even more going on. Most of the world is frozen. People who are marked are collected for experiments and really terrible missions by the government. The government seems mostly to be about keeping people in their place (with lots of weapons). There’s orphans everywhere, random bombs going off all the time, killer arctic polar bears, mass piles of garbage littering everything, and slavery popping up everywhere you go.

There were a few moments where I had to backtrack, and be like “She’s adding more?” The only thing missing from this world were vampires. Maybe she’s waiting for book 2? There were moments when all of these things were great and made the story super entertaining, and then there were other moments where it did kind of seem like the author were just throwing more in because they could.

Overall, I loved the supernatural party and the crazy dystopia mix-match of all terrible things.  I would have loved them a lot more if they were all detailed a little further. I guess my problem is not in all of the stuff, but in all the stuff that is left out. I feel like if you’re going to throw in so much, you have to explain things a little more.

Like why exactly is it that elves can do? And why exactly were so many supernatural characters dying? And if kisses can work as defense spells, why weren’t more characters kissing? There were just so many questions I had because so many elements of the story and the world’s background were rushed through. Also, if you need a license to have a one night stand, why were so many random characters seeming to hook up without one? Also, what???

I super loved the quest. There were things going wrong at every turn, and much of the book read like a pirate adventure story (on top of all the other things!). It was interesting to see the all the mixings of a classic fantasy quest story with the inevitable failures of a dystopia. Some of the book was also a little terrifying. There’s a scene where everyone I grew to love was entrapped in metal cages, frozen in the brutal elements and being shipped off as slaves, and hearing all the brutal stories of what happens to slaves and what happens to the people bought by priests or even to the people bought for meat, was just pure horrifying.

Overall, I loved the story. I loved the characters. I loved the adventure, the quest, and all the problems that happened along the way. I found the main character a little weak in moments, but so unbelievably fantastic by the end. I loved Wes and all of his principles and his inability to leave helpless people stranded. There were some loopholes in the plot that possibly could have been avoided with a little more description and world-building (all fantasy needs good world-building!) There seemed to be a few moments where the authors were just throwing stuff in because they could and not because it actually added to the overall story. But, it was also kind neat to see these supernatural characters/elements mixed in with such a futuristic backdrop. I give it an 8/10.

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Summaryt (from Goodreads):

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

Review:

So, I need to mention that my copy of the book looks so different from the final copy. I have an ARC and apparently this ARC’s cover does not exist on Goodreads…Weird, right? Not that you’re missing much because the cover is weird and makes no sense. But still. The finished cover looks so boring and done before. Oh well.

Any way, I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I got it at BEA, after listening to various publishers super hype their favorite books of the upcoming season. Needless to say the publisher did not do this book justice. She actually kind of made me not want to read it, and I almost didn’t even take a copy. I thought it was going to be all about this classic romance story that crosses ages.

I was so so, thankfully wrong. This book was loaded with political assassinations, shootings, torture, escape, prison, and hope. There was literally never a dull moment. The suspense and the mystery are good enough to keep anyone up till 4am reading. Seriously, I had to know who the Doctor was. I had to know why Em had to kill him. And I absolutely needed to know if all 14 attempts to save the world would actually amount to something.

I can’t talk too much about the plot without giving some fun twists away. Just know that Em and Finn are beyond awesome for two main characters/heroes. They go through so much in order to hopefully prevent the worst from happening. And I love how strong they are, and how smartly they put together the pieces that their past/future selves couldn’t accomplish. I know that sounds weird, but I just can’t explain it further. I really can’t spoil this because the twists are so much fun to get through.

I also ended up really loving and believing in the doomed romance in this one. It was something that built up over time. It wasn’t forced. Yes, it was doomed from the beginning, but it was just so well put together. It was so much better than what the publisher was able to put to words at the conference.

However, there were a couple of things I didn’t love. For starters, there was no world building. One storyline focuses on the world much as it is now. But Em’s and Finn’s story in the future was never aptly detailed. I get that the world falls apart. The invention of the time machine apparently triggers really terrible things. But besides from one quick, summed up conversation in a bathroom, I never really know how messed up it is.

So much detail went into the characters and the suspense. But nothing was given to the world. I did get to know the main character’s cell that she was trapped in for months. But, I never truly got to know the long-term negative effects of time travel. And because of this, I wasn’t as obsessed with the two main characters succeeding as I should have been. Also, there’s one character that basically had no development at all. How on earth did the doctor become so bad? I needed to see more gradual change. I need to see something. Clearly, he once was good. Why is there no explanation? I’m wrong. There is some explanation, but it comes nowhere close to cutting it for me –just like one hurried conversation in a bathroom didn’t come close to covering the state of the ruined world for me either.

All in all, I did read this in one sitting. I loved Finn and I loved Em. What they kept working for was just so honorable it was hard to not love them. The suspense and mystery were insane –I was really impressed by how the author kept me on my toes. However, the setting needed some work. And one character really needed some further explanation as well. I just couldn’t really believe the doctor’s motivations without more detail into his change. I’m still going to rate this super high because I did really love it. It gets a 9/10.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Summary (from Goodreads):

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.

Review:

So, I absolutely loved McGarry’s debut: Pushing the Limits. It was one of my favorite books of 2012. I saved this one for the week my parents were up visiting me. I figured it would make a good vacation/beach read. And it did.

I didn’t think it was quite as good as the first one. There wasn’t as much mystery surrounding Beth as there was Echo. Not everything about Beth was revealed right away either. But, it’s pretty easy to tell what her backstory is. And it’s pretty easy to tell what her mother is into. But, it’s not even really the lack of a suspenseful mystery that made it not quite as good. I guess it’s more the believability factor. What are the chances that everyone in this motley crew is going to find their soul mate in high school?

This motley crew has foster kids, kids abused physically by their parents, kids who have been victimized, subjugated, and violated. And they all find each other. And they all find love? It’s just a little hard for me to believe. I kind of love when authors do companion novels and old friends make cameos. But, I feel like this actually would have been stronger without that aspect. It would have at least been a little more believable.

It’s also rather formulaic. But what romances aren’t? I kind of need these stories sometimes. The stories you know will have a happy ending –where the characters who have suffered and been through it all, finally get some inkling of hope. And I particularly love romances between two unlikely candidates. Beth and Ryan are so not what I thought they would be. And never in a million years would I have thought that they would work well together, but they do.

I love that McGarry is able to write romance between two such opposing characters.  And I love that the romance is defined by so much more than a love-at-first-sight moment. The characters’ messed up lives influence each action they take so immensely. Beth would do anything for her friends and family. And Ryan just needs to get away from his family. Neither of them have it easy (no matter what appearances make it seem like), and I loved that they could confide their problems with each other.

I super enjoyed this one. I read it very fast. I loved the two main characters (who were both a little hard to love at first). I loved the baseball elements. I loved the slow-building, realistic romance. It was missing a little of the suspense of McGarry’s first novel. It was also just a little too hard for me to believe that every kid from a messed up background in this town can find their soul mate in high school. I give it a 8/10. And I definitely am looking forward to Isaiah’s story, even though I think I might have a very similar reaction to it.