Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Words cannot express how much I’ve been anticipating this books’ release. Divergent was one of my top favorite books of 2011. When people ask me what I think about these books, I tell them they are some of the few books I rank up there with the Hunger Games. I’ve met the author, and she is so cool too! And there was probably nothing cooler than listening to Veronica Roth read from the beginning on this one at the RT Booklovers Convention. It seriously made my anticipation that much greater.

And I was not disappointed. It took me a little longer than expected to finish this one. Though this was partly due to my crazy schedule this week. It’s also due to the fact that it’s one of those books I needed to savor. I didn’t want it to be over too soon. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. And even now, after finishing it a day ago (I’m a little behind in my posts this week), I’m still thinking about it.

If anyone thought loyalties were questioned in the first one, wait till you read this one! It begins right after the first one ends.  Tris, Tobias, and company escaped the Duantless traitors and Eurdite soldiers to look for safety with Amity (the peaceful faction). While Amity is all about peace, they make clear right away that there will be strict guidelines for all those staying with them.

At Amity, Tris learns from Tobias’ awful father that there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. For starters, what was the information the Eurdite were willing to kill a whole faction over? And why were her parents so involved? What did her parents die trying to protect? Unfortunately for Tris, every time she tries to figure this stuff out, Tobias pushes these questions aside. He’s more interested in siding with his mother and the factionless.

Tobias works hard to become a new Dauntless leader and once he does, he works to gain peace with the factionless. His goal is to eradicate Erudite, and punish them for all their wrongdoings. His mother, leader of the factionless, wants to create a new society with no factions. Tris and Tobias’s friends mostly want to punish the Erudite for all the deaths they caused.  And Tris refuses to let go of the information and truth she wants to find out.

There are lots of traitors in this book. There’s also lots of death. It’s hard for the characters to get what they want because they never really seem to stay anywhere too long. Between all the captures, the secret meetings, the running for your life escape moments, constantly being beat up, shot at, argued over, the character never have anything easy.

There’s a lot of arguments between Tobias and Tris. Tobias isn’t too forthcoming about stuff with his mother. And Tris is reluctant to talk about her killing one of her best friends (who was under the mind controlling simulation in book 1). Tris has a lot of problems in this book. She’s dealing with killing a best friend, the loss of both her parents, and then some serious complications with her brother. And her gut keeps telling her to learn what this critical information Eurdite wants to keep hush hush is, something the selfless abnegation wants the world to know.

Tris has become a lot more reckless and Dauntless, throwing herself into dangerous missions without too much thought for her own life. And this causes more problems in the Tobias department. And there is the question of how far each person is willing to go to get what they want.

There’s more simulations, more crazy fight scenes, more divergent mystery, and definitely some more juicy romance! They start rounding up the divergent like cattle a little bit, and the more stuff that happened there, the more I needed to know. Thankfully, a lot gets answers at the end. There is one major cliffhanger of all cliffhangers, but it comes after some serious reveals, so it’s okay.

There were two small things that bothered me. 1) I had no memory of some of the characters. I’m rather good at remembering books despite the quantity that I read each year. And I definitely remember books I love as much as Divergent, but certain characters would die and Tris would be so effected, but I wouldn’t really care because I don’t think they were that important or at least around much since the beginning of book 1. I really think Tris and Tobias are two of my all time favorite YA characters, but there were a lot of characters here who I felt needed a little more development or maybe even just a sentence of a recap/explanation. 2) It did feel like that classic Book 2 filler book. I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing. I just wish a little more was discovered and or handled a little earlier. I feel like the major stuff all happens at the end, and a lot of the rest was kind of filler.

I do love though that I got to see the other factions. The kids went to Amity, Abegnation, Eurdite, and back to Dauntless and I loved being able to see how the other societies lived. My guess is that this will be important for book 3. And I loved getting to know some of the other leaders of the factions. I found them fascinating. I loved hating the bad guy (Jeanine). And I loved how much the people in this book were forced to learn and understand about each other. It had that book 2 filler feel, yet I do see how this will matter later on.

I loved watching Tris grow. She’s had a lot of pain and death to get over, but she does get over it, in her own way. She has really become such a hero, someone willing to die in order for many to live. The decisions she makes in this book are tough. There’s one point where she pretty much has to decide which of her friends she should save, while at least one will have to die. And I feel for Tris so much for having to make such a hard decisions.

I still give this one a 10/10. I was incredibly impressed. Like I said, I savored it. I didn’t want it to end. And I can’t wait for book 3!

The Golden Lily Richelle Mead

This was definitely the coolest ARC I picked up at the RT Booklovers Convention! It comes out June 12^th, so there isn’t too long a wait for this one. I just absolutely love Richelle Mead. And apparently a ton of other people do too because she was one of the few authors requiring wristbands and numbers at the convention. One of the other wristband required authors was Anne Rice.

I bought another copy of Vampire Academy to get her autograph. And she was so nice! I love meeting authors who are so nice because then I feel even more justified in my extra book purchases…Any way, to the book. It’s a sequel to Bloodlines, which itself is a spinoff of the Vampire Academy books. If you haven’t read these books, by all means, go do so. They are in my opinion, the best YA vampire books out there. And I would know because I have read a crazy amount of vampire books.

It starts shortly after the first one finished. Sydney gets called out of town for alchemist business that ends up being all about Keith, the jerk face from book 1 that finally seemed to be punished for his wrongdoings. Apparently, Sydney’s opinion of Keith needs to be taken into light before sending the kid back to a re-education center. And while Sydney hates the boy, she tries to prevent him from being further re-educated because she sees how messed up he is now. So, re-education = brainwashing torture, it seems. Too bad for Keith, her opinion isn’t enough. And a very important lesson is learned. If there is any possible hint that an alchemist has gotten too close to vampires, re-education is necessary.

This becomes more and more of a problem for Sydney, who continues to grow closer with Jill, Adrian, Eddy, Sonya, and Dimitri. The Strigoi blood research is so interesting! There’s a lot of blood experiments. There’s also a lot of dating experiments in this one. Jill has a boyfriend. And Sydney starts dating someone as well. There’s modeling, school dances, gorgeous Halloween costumes, first dates, self defense classes, new characters, and old characters, and even a little bit about witches and their magic (something not in the other series at all)!

Sydney and Sonya get attacked by vampire hunters, who refuse to see that Sonya is not a Stigoi any more. There’s fighting arenas, rescue scenes, awesome cars, magic spells, and oh so much romantic tension with Adrian! I love Sydney’s and Adrian’s friendship. And I loved seeing Adrian fall further and further for her. And while a part of me was on the edge of my seat just waiting for something to happen, another part of me was dreading it because I know what Sydney has grown up believing about vampires. And I know what she would be giving up if she were to do anything with Adrian. Does anything happen with them? You’ll have to read the book to see! I refuse to spoil this.

Can you tell that I loved this one? The only thing I really felt that Bloodlines was missing was romance. And this one was definitely not missing it. There’s plenty of high school romance drama, and that’s on top of all the other action! Also, Sydney has gotten so much tougher and stronger, and I love her so much more! She’s learning to fight iself-defense classes. She’s beginning to trust her instinct and own sense of morality and justice over what everyone tells her should be her sense of morality/justice. And she is just so intelligent!

I love how socially awkward she continues to be. I kept making slight comparisons between her and Brennan in the show Bones –both insanely bright women lacking in social skills. A few new possible storylines were brought to light involving Sydney’s blood. And I hope this gets addressed further in the next one! And then of course there was the humongous cliffhanger at the very end of the book, one that follows a very juicy romance scene!

I don’t really have anything negative to say except that it ended too soon. I could have kept reading this story for a few more hundred pages. I’m hoping to maybe reunite with some more old friends in book 3. I give this one a 10/10. And look forward to any future books by this author!

Books to Mark Your Calendar for: What the Rest of 2012 Brings for YA

So, it’s May already. I have Veronica Roth’s, Cassandra Clare’s, and Kristin Cashore’s newest books coming to me (pre-ordered). I’m reading the ARC for Richelle Mead’s latest YA. Frankly, I don’t think I can be much happier in my reading. However, there’s always so much more to look forward to! And of course while I’m anxiously waiting for some books to come, I can’t help but anxiously await even more books to come.

These are some of the books I’m most excited for that will come out by the end of the year.

 
1) The Diviners by Libba Bray. Publication date: 9/18/12. Description from Goodreads:

“Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.”

How awesome does this sound? Plus, I have so much respect and love for all that Libba Bray writes, and I cannot wait to read this.

2) Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure by James Patterson. Publication date: 8/6/12. Description from Goodreads:

“One last chance...
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.

Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming.”

So, there hasn’t been a new one in this series since I started my blog just over a year ago. And I’ve reading these books since they started in 2005! Granted, Mr. Patterson writes about a million books a year and has fans for all of his series, but still, this one has been a long time coming. And I am so ready for one crazy, awesome, final showdown! 

 
3) Unwholly (Unwind Trilogy # 2) by Neal Shusterman. Publication date: 8/28/12. Description on Goodreads:

“In a society where unwanted and troublesome teens are salvaged for their body parts, Connor, Risa and Lev continue to fight against the system that would 'unwind' them. Thanks to their high-profile revolt at the Happy Jack Harvest Camp, people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of so-called troublesome teens might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question and a new law passed. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests, not to mention the illegal 'Parts Pirates', that want to see it not only continue, but expand.

Connor, Risa and Lev each struggle to rescue as many AWOL teens as possible and offer them sanctuary. But life at the Graveyard is hard, rivalries bubble under the surface and the cracks are beginning to show.

And then there is Cam, a teen who does not exist. Made entirely out of parts from one hundred other 'unwinds', Cam is a 21st century Frankenstein, a rewound, struggling to find a true identity and meaning, and a place in society. But when a sadistic bounty hunter who takes "trophies" from all the 'unwinds' he captures starts to pursue Connor, Lev and Risa, Cam finds his own fate inextricably bound with theirs…”

So…I had no idea that Unwind, one of the best YA dystopias ever written was going to become a part one in a trilogy until rather recently! I wonder if the author, himself, knew. Book 1 had a good, defined, ending, but I don’t care. If Neal Shusterman wants to continue this awesome story, I am so willing to keep reading!

 
4) Reached by Ally Condie. Publication date: 11/13/12. Description on Goodreads:

“Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.”

I absolutely love these books. I love this new cover. And I am so excited to see how this all comes to an end. 

5) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor. Publication date: 11/6/12. Description on Goodreads:

“In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was declared a "must read" by Entertainment Weekly, was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, and The New York Times called it "a breath-catching romantic fantasy."

I was beyond impressed with this first book. It was one of my top favorite books of 2011, and I have a feeling this one might be a top book of 2012. Everything about Karou’s story is just so creative and fascinating. I can’t wait for this!

 
6) For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund. Publication date: 6/12/12. Description on Goodreads:

“Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.”

I love this author. I loved her killer unicorns books. I loved the work she put into Zombies VS. Unicorns. I love Jane Austen. I love Persuasion, which does not have a ton of retellings. What about this book does not sound completely awesome?

 
7) Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier. Publication date: 9/11/12. Description on Goodreads:

“Its name is spoken only in whispers, if the people of Alban dare to speak it at all: Shadowfell. The training ground for rebels seeking to free their land from the grip of the tyrannical king is so shrouded in mystery that most believe it to be a myth.

But for Neryn, Shadowfell's existence is her only hope. She is penniless, orphaned, and utterly alone - and concealing a treacherous magical power that will warrant her immediate enslavement should it be revealed. She finds hope of allies in the Good Folk, fey beings whom she must pretend she cannot see and who taunt her with chatter of prophecies and tests, and in a striking, mysterious stranger, who saves her from certain death but whose motives remain unclear. She knows she should not trust anyone with her plans, but something within her longs to confide in him.

Will Neryn be forced to make the dangerous journey alone? She must reach Shadowfell, not only to avenge her family and salvage her own life, but to rescue Alban itself.”

This author has yet to write anything I have not loved. I loved her adult books! I loved all her YA books. And I’m so excited for a new epic-sounding fantasy from her!

 
8) Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young. Publication date: 10/30/12. Description on Goodreads:

“The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued. The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together. Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well. But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba. And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands. Then a messenger shows up. With news of Jack.”

Blood Red Road was another favorite of mine from 2011, and I am so excited about this sequel! The description is so short, and kind of vague, but that’s okay because nothing is ruined. Really, Saba is just such an amazing main character. I know this has to be good!

 
9) Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter. Publication date: 10/2/12. Description on Goodreads:

“At a camp filled with vampires, werewolves, and fairies, Kylie Galen has always struggled to figure out what she is. Now she finally knows the truth—but she's left with more questions than answers. She doesn’t have a clue what her heritage means or how to harness her newfound powers. All she knows is that she needs to sort out her feelings for Derek, the sexy half-Fae who just confessed his love, and Lucas, her werewolf boyfriend who seems more committed to his pack than to their relationship. All the while, Kylie's dealing with a group of underground rogues who want her dead and a mysterious grandfather who makes it clear he doesn’t trust the FRU . . . or Shadow Falls. Soon Kylie will have to choose: Will she stay with the new family she’s formed at Shadow Falls, or will she leave with her grandfather and embrace her destiny?”

I just reviewed the latest one in this series. And this author is writing them so fast. No complaints from me. Especially considering that it finally seems as though we will be getting some answers in this next installment!

 
10) Outpost  by Ann Aguirre. Publication date: 9/4/12. Description on Goodreads:

“Deuce’s whole world has changed. Now living topside in a community called Salvation, she has a whole new set of problems. Down below, she was considered an adult, and she contributed to the whole. Now, topside, the people of Salvation think she’s a brat in need of training. She hates school, and she doesn’t fit in with the other girls. They’ve spent their lives learning to cook and sew–suitable woman’s work. Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, Fade keeps her at a distance, and the band of four has broken into fragments.

Stalker presses for a closer relationship, but Deuce sees him as a training partner, and she’s busy trying to find her place in Salvation. She refuses to accept that she’s wrong for being who she is, but tensions rise as she struggles against the status quo. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Once she’s free from school for the year, Deuce pursues a chance to serve in the summer patrols–those responsible for making sure the growers and planters can work the fields without danger of Freak attack. It should have been routine, little fighting, but things have been changing on surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks are smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it will take a girl like Deuce to turn the tide.”

How good does this sound? I loved the first book in this series. And I can’t wait to see more of Deuce kicking some serious zombie butt!

Revived by Cat Patrick

So, people always kind of laugh when I make a comment about spending my bookstore paychecks at my bookstore…But, I’m not kidding. I really have a book-buying problem. However, I do sometimes get really cool ARC’s for free, and this was one of them. Thank you Little, Brown And Company!

This was one of the books you almost can’t not read in one sitting. The idea is just too good. I almost can’t believe that no one’s ever thought of this. It’s about Daisy, a girl who died in a bus accident as a little kid. It’s not one of those YA books told from the point of view of the dead main character, or not really any way. Daisy was brought back to life after the accident with a top-secret drug called Revive. She, along with some other kids from the crash, have inadvertently become the drug’s test subjects.

And you soon learn that Daisy kind of has a problem with staying alive. She’s actually died five times, and each time she gets revived with the drug. Each time she dies, her “family” has to relocate and change last names. Her family is made up of two agents who do a lot of tests, science-type things in a basement lab (that I kept thinking would look like Dexter’s in the cartoon) and work ridiculously hard at keeping everything secret. There would be all kinds of detrimental consequences if news of Revive leaked to the public, before all the tests and things are finished.

When Daisy moves to Omaha, stuff changes. For starters, she actually makes friends. And she falls in love with Matt. She comes to think of her new town as her home, and works her hardest to stay alive and not have to move again. Though, that’s sort of actually rather hard for Daisy because her personality is very carefree. She does stupid things like leave behind her epiPen when she has a severe allergy to bee stings, or walk on really high surfaces, with no support. She knows she will always be taken care of.

And she begins to learn just how messed up that is when she finds out that her new best friend, Audrey, is dying from cancer. Revive doesn’t work on people with diseases. It only works at bringing back people who were otherwise healthy right before they die. It doesn’t help matters that Audrey is Matt’s sister. And the more time Daisy spends with them, and grows to love them, the guiltier she feels. Why is she allowed to come back, but not Audrey?

Eventually, Daisy learns something about Revive that changes everything. And soon, Daisy is not only desperate for a way to save her best friend, but also desperate for some answers about the drug her whole life has revolved around. There’s romance, secret codes, death, illness, mystery, and a lot of quick thinking.

I loved Daisy. I thought she was realistically carefree for someone who’d been brought back to life so many times. I loved her best friend from the crash, Megan. She and Megan work on a blog together, and I’m pretty sure some of the best parts of the book were in the conversations between them. I also loved the relationship Daisy had with the agents and the fake family/real family moments that happened. I loved all the religious metaphors and how the leader of the government organization was nicknamed God.

I was never too surprised in the storyline. I knew Audrey was sick almost immediately upon meeting her. It took Daisy a very long time to get that. Maybe I know how to pick up clues after reading John Green’s latest book, or maybe Daisy just never met anyone sick before.

I also kind of guessed all the things that happened with Revive and the government way before Daisy had her light bulb turning on realizations. And that’s okay. It can be hard to surprise me with YA books sometimes. The only thing that kind of bothered me about it was that I wish the twist moments happened a lot sooner. Actually, I think Daisy should have questioned something on page one. Maybe she wouldn’t have thought about it again till stuff with her new friends progressed more, but I feel like the major action and questions happened too late in the game. I loved the book, and read it super fast, but I can see how that might be a problem for younger readers who rightly expect books like this to start immediately with action or at least some kind of doubt or question.

I also keep thinking about how Daisy got mad at one character for not ever wanting to talk about the crash. But, then I never really got to hear about the crash either. It’s mentioned that death is painful and that Daisy doesn’t want to tell Matt how awful it is because that would make him even more worried about his sister. But still, one of the coolest things about this book is that Daisy is the ultimate survivor. She’s died several times. Why leave out details about the one thing that completely has her stand out from all other YA main characters? I wanted more info about the crash and what it felt like to die. Like where does she go when she dies? Does she feel time pass before the medicine kicks in?

I feel like there needs to be a sequel. I want more answers. I’d love to see/hear what the other kids of the crash are like. Have they all died more than once? And why did God seem so interested in Daisy specifically? What’s so unique about her? I give this one a 8/10. I thought it was such a good idea. And I loved all the characters. I would definitely read a sequel.

the Calling by Kelley Armstrong

This was definitely one of the books I’ve been most excited for! I love Kelley Armstrong. This is book two in the Darkness Rising Trilogy. He first trilogy for YA was the Darkest Powers trilogy.  And so far, while both series deal with teens having some extraordinary abilities, they have been pretty much separate. Different characters, different location, different abilities, etc. I have a feeling though that book 3 in this series will be involving my favorite characters from the first trilogy. And that’s all I will say about the ending of this one; it hints at some major series mingling to come. And I am so ready for this!

This first book ended with all the teens escaping the forest fire, and being taken away by helicopter to possible safety. I remember writing in my blog post about it that the characters all felt they were being rescued, but I knew there was a possibility for disaster, and I was right! It turns out  that a not-so-good, mayor-drugging person was driving the plane. Too bad for him though, that the kids he wants to kidnap are not really all aware of their abilities. Like Daniel has no idea how he manages to knock out the pilot so quickly. And before you know it, someone (actually, I’ll tell you: Rafe) is falling out of the plane at a very high altitude, and the plane is crashing.

The mayor, the pilot, and Rafe are all assumed dead. Though, not to spoil too much, but if you know anything about YA love triangles, one part of the triangle definitely can’t die in book 2. The rest of the kids have to survive some serious Canadian wilderness with no food or water. They also quickly learn to not wait for a rescue because one of their own is shot by potential rescuers and then taken…

Oh, and Maya’s dad (actual biological dad who she’s never met) is one of the people chasing after these kids. And Maya is the only one to start who really is aware of her growing power, which she knows will eventually shift her into a wildcat. Everyone else’s abilities are a bit of a shock for the characters, and their dangerous elements can either help the kids survive or hinder their ability to do so.

And the kids are almost caught so many times. Actually, two of them are. They’re constantly being shot at and yelled at. There’s traps, bargains, and some serious moments of underestimating what Maya and her friends can do. And each character has their own reason for doing things. Maya clearly can’t give up on Rafe. And Rafe can’t give up on finding his sister. Daniel falls deeper and deeper for Maya in this one and his friendship with her really reminds me of the friendship that grew to be a lot more in Kimberly Derting’s The Body Finder .

Though, this book did not have much on the romance side of things. It was more about survival. And I was okay with this, as long as the romantic stuff eventually gets resolved. I was too focused on the action. I loved the action. I loved the leadership roles Maya and Daniel took on. I loved really getting to know some of the other characters/teens. I loved how the stuff with Maya’s best fried’s death is so not over and new suspicions arise. I loved watching Maya transform! And Daniel’s abilities are so cool too! There are some serious mythology elements that will come to pass soon as well.

And everyone knows how I feel about plain crashing/surviving stories! I mean Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens was my number one book of 2011. And the forest in this book really acted as such an amazing place for these kids to really learn about each other and themselves.

My only qualm about it is that I really felt like Maya could have been a little bit smarter. Not all main characters need to be super intelligent. And I get that Maya has some other qualities about her that make her a strong leader, but really how many times can she just blindly trust what others tell her? Most YA heroines learn not do this by the first pages of book 1. We’re on our way to book 3, and I really don’t feel as though as Maya has learned too much at all about trust or love, for that matter. Why does she have to be so blind to Daniel? And okay, her ability to trust and her lack of knowledge about those who are in love with her, definitely give her a naïve yet incredibly kind and good-souled type personality, but still. I’m a little tired of the kindness.

Regardless, I loved this book to pieces. And read it super fast. I give it a 9/10. And at this point, will read anything with Kelley Armstrong’s name on it. She has won my appreciation completely. And meeting her at the RT Booklovers Convention was one of the coolest things I got to do!

100 Followers Giveaway!

To celebrate getting 100 followers recently, I thought I’d give away a good book. Also, this is my 125^th posting, and I thought it was kind of cool that it would also mark when I got 100 followers. Do I sound like a crazy number person? I actually kind of hate numbers and prefer words, but still this is such a big deal. And I wanted to thank everyone who has followed my blog. Thank you. (This giveaway is open to US followers only because that is all I can afford right now, though hopefully I will offer something international soon).

There’s been a lot of amazing books so far this year. So, I thought I’d give the winner the choice of one of my favorite new books of 2012.  The winner will get to pick one of the following:

The Selection by Keira Cass
A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
The Fault in our Stars by John Green
Slide by Jill Hathaway
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Starters by Lissa Price

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you! And good luck!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I picked this one up early at the RT Booklover’s Convention on Teen Day. I met Keira Cass there and she seemed liked one the world’s nicest sweethearts. I know these authors were at this convention for a long time and a lot of them seemed like they could really use a fancy cup of coffee, but Keira, every time I saw her, spoke to her, or even walked past somewhere she was, was just so happy and full of spirit! And this just made me want to read the book that much quicker. That, and the gorgeous cover kept drawing my attention.

The book is a dystopia! It takes place many years after world war three, when America has become Illea. Basically Illea is set up as a caste society, where each person is born into a number (1-8), where 1 is royalty and wealth and 8 is the poorest of the poor. When it’s time for the royal family to marry off their princes, a princess is chosen via a “Bachelor” type media frenzy. Girls that fit the right age group are all permitted to send in applications (no matter their caste), and the prince (aka: Maxon) will get his pick of the final 35 girls. The final 35 move into the palace and are televised and photographed through the whole process. And they also get bumped up in castes, get large salaries sent home to their families, and hence forward, no matter how far they get, will have a sort of celebrity status.

America is of the right age to apply and get out of her level five status. Fives are artists and America’s job is music. Her mother really pushes her to apply, even though she could care less about marrying a prince; she’s already in love with a boy from the caste below her, and has been having a secret romantic relationship with him for two years! She loves him. However, after Aspen (secret boyfriend), persuades her to sign up for the Selection, he breaks up with her. He realizes that what he wants is selfish and he can’t make her marry below her already low number; he doesn’t ever want her to hurt, suffer, or starve like he is sometimes forced to do. And if he were to be drafted, he’d be making America wait a long time for him.

When America is actually picked to be one of the 35, she’s so heartbroken that she will do anything to get away from where Aspen is. Before any of the other girls even get to meet Prince Maxon, America is rescued by him. She has sort of a caged in, homesick nervous breakdown her first night, and runs out of her room, needing fresh air, but she’s not allowed to leave the palace and a guard catches her and prevents her from leaving. Maxon has the guard release her and then follows her outside. And from that moment on, the two forge a wonderful friendship, in which they both become incredibly honest with each other.

It’s clear that this book is more of a romance than a dystopia, and I’m fine with that. Because the romance is sooooo good! A clear triangle comes to pass. I love a good triangle! As more girls leave the palace, the friendship grows between America and Maxon. Aspen is never out of her thoughts, but then again neither is Maxon. And neither is her family. America’s family has had its share of financial worries, and she wants to stay as long as she can to help support them.

I loved how the romantic relationships seemed so real! They took time to build and friendships happened first. And I love how healthy that is. I also loved the relationships between the girls. That felt more like the relationship of the girls in Libba Bray’s Beauty Queens or the movie Ms. Congeniality than the girls in The Bachelor. They were all there for different reasons: for a husband, for an advance in society, for the money, for the title of future queen, etc. And it was hard to hate America’s competition because they each (except for maybe one girl) had something redeeming about them.

I loved watching America teach Maxon how to behave around girls. And I loved watching America learn to behave as a princess (there were some Meg Cabot type Princess Diary moments, and I loved every second of that). While there are definitely qualities in America that would make her an excellent royal, she is also so outspoken and never afraid to say what’s on her mind. And while this can lead to trouble, it just made me like her so much more; she wasn’t the perfect cadidate and this made her seem more authentic. I love how much she cares about her sister, about her maids, about the people of her country without even really seeing that she does. She’s loyal, brave, loud, and talented but never seems to see herself that way, which also made me like her more –she could have been so vain, but wasn’t.

I also loved Maxon. I feel like Maxon is to Peeta, as Aspen is to Gale. Gale and Aspen are first loves, but Maxon and Peeta are the boys that help the girls survive through their toughest trials. That’s kind of where my Hunger Games analogy ends; it’s really nothing like those books. But, I just can’t help comparing the romantic leads…

I thought the numbered society was fascinating. I easily could have read a hundred more pages about it. And yeah, I would have loved to see some of the eights and how they survived. And even see more of that dystopia world, but I get why the author chose not to do so; this overall is a love story, and it’s from one middle caste girl’s perspective. Also, the danger the palace was always in sort of worked as a constant reminder for me, telling me that yes this is sort of a fairy tale reality show, but also people want to kill the royals at all times.  The scenes where the girls and the royal family are in hiding from the violence, and attacks were so intense and terrifying. And I loved how you really got to know the girls by how they acted in such hard circumstances.

There was such a cliffhanger. And I know it’s a trilogy. But still! I need more of this right now! I absolutely loved this one. It’s probably one of my favorites of 2012 so far. I give it a 10/10. And I look forward to reading more by this author.