Waiting on Wednesday (60)

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 Reborn by C.C. Hunter (4/14/14):

Description from Goodreads:

Stay tuned for an all-new series about Shadow Falls' favourite vampire, Della Tsang!

Why I’m wating:

Um…What a seriously lame description. They can’t tell us anything more?? Also, I’m not the biggest fan of the cover. It kind of reminds me of the Vampire Diaries covers, and why couldn’t they come up with something just a tad bit more unique? On the plus side, there’s going to be a new series about Della (probably one of my all time favorite YA vampires). And no matter what the description or cover, I’d definitely pick up any YA by Hunter. I absolutely loved her other series, and was so sad to see it end. And now I get more. It’s kind of like when a really yummy dinner ends, but then you’re surprised with dessert.  I can’t wait for this treat!

What are you waiting on this week?

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Summary (from Goodreads):

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Review:
There will be spoilers from book 1!

At first, I wasn’t quite expecting to like this one. I almost liked book 1 as is, as a stand alone. I was even postponing reading this, dreading a cliché/blasé book 2. How could anything compare to the awesomeness that was the first book? But, I eventually gave in because I loved Aria, Perry, and Roar too much!

And I’m so glad I gave in. Because I got so much more Aria, Perry, and Roar! Though, I think out of everyone, Roar is my favorite. I love Perry and Aria, I really do. It’s just sometimes I get a little tired of the storyline of two soul mates who have everyone and everything going against them. And this couple literally has no one on their side in this sequel.

Aria is gossiped about, made fun of, not trusted, and then eventually poisoned (almost to death) by Perry’s tribe, and that is with the whole tribe under the impression that Aria is just an ally and not actually Perry’s soul mate. So of course, Aria leaves Perry’s tribe. Technically, she has a mission to accomplish. At the end of book 1, she made a deal with her prior leader that she would find out where the mysterious Still Blue was in trade for Perry’s nephew, Talon. She also wanted to find the Still Blue so her people (who weren’t exactly her people any more) could have safe place to go to.

Aria ends up leaving with Roar (whose received some new information about Liv) and the two friends don’t even say goodbye to Perry who has a new tribe to worry about and take care of from an onslaught of new attacks, tribesman abandoning camp and his leadership, and terrifying storms that are getting worse and worse.  The book goes back and forth between Perry’s hardships and Aria’s. The two characters are constantly thinking of each other.

And it all comes down to a rush for time against evil leaders, against apocalyptic storms, against the utter collapse of both Aria’s and Perry’s societies, and the ability to save as many lives as humanly possible. This book had all the harshness of book 1. But, it also had a lot more sadness. There’s a lot more death. There’s more battling for survival. There’s more hunger and more explosions. It ends with some smart thinking, a clever deal, a narrow escape, and a small smidgen of hope. I almost gave away the epic ending, but I stopped myself just in time.

I loved the mission that Aria and Roar went on! They have such a wonderful and entertaining friendship! And I love that there was never any awkward love triangle things to worry about. For once, there was just a boy and a girl in a YA book that were actually just best friends! Thank you, Rossi for doing this!

I also loved getting to see Perry as a leader. He has grown so much in this book. Every time he dove in to save someone, I was biting my nails, hoping his heroic actions would turn out okay. And Aria is stronger now too! She takes needles in her arm like a pro. She jumps off cliffs and fights for her friends. And really, I guess she and Perry are very much alike.  I loved the action in this one. I loved the suspense and the rush for time, and I really didn’t feel like this was too much of a blasé book 2 because of this storyline.

The only slightly not awesome element of this book was the heightened cliché “all things are against us” romance. And normally, I’m a sucker for romance. Seriously, I love the stuff. I just kind of felt like Perry’s and Aria’s relationship in book 1 was a little more real, a little less Romeo and Juliet, and a lot more interesting. I’m interested in seeing though where things go for them in book 3. And I’m definitely interesting in seeing the Still Blue, and actually learning if it’s all it’s cracked up to be. I give this one a 9/10.

Seven Minutes in Heaven by Sara Shepard

Summary (from Goodreads):

My sister wants the truth.

But sometimes the truth hurts.

For months, my long-lost twin, Emma, has been living my life and trying to solve my murder. She's unearthed dark secrets about my friends, my family, and my tangled past. But when it comes to finding my killer, she keeps running into dead ends.

Until my body shows up in Sabino Canyon. Suddenly everyone knows there are two girls who look like Sutton Mercer—and that one of them is dead. At first the police assume the body is Emma's. But as questions and accusations start flying, it's harder than ever for Emma to keep playing me. The truth is bound to come out eventually. And when it does, Emma will be suspect number one in my murder investigation. If she can't find my killer before time runs out, she'll end up behind bars . . . or worse.

Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, finally reveals the shocking truth about Sutton's murder in this riveting novel about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Review:

Hands down, this last book was my favorite in the whole series.  Things have gone way beyond notes left on windshields, creepy Youtube videos, and teen girl pranks in this last book. For starters, a good friend dies in the book previous. And this book begins with a sad funeral, but it also begins with the knowledge of the girl dying because of something Emma did. Sutton’s murderer is telling Emma that all bets are off; anything can happen to someone who knows too much.

The stakes are so much higher in this one. Secrets are let out. And just when Emma could seriously use the help of her new, beloved family, they kick her out (they literally change the locks) because they assume (with the rest of the planet) that she killed Sutton! This book literally had me crying for a few pages. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I took myself out to dinner, and mostly ignored my dinner…I was the crazy girl glued to her book, in the middle of a popular Japanese restaurant on a Saturday night (but hey, I have a good lunch for today!).

Granted, while I was at dinner, Emma had discovered who the killer was and she was trapped in an abandoned house with him/her (I can’t tell you who or even what gender the killer is; I just can’t spoil this). And it does not end right when she discovers who it is! There is a lot of outsmarting, running away, and fighting back. There’s also a lot more supernatural moments with Sutton’s ghost.

This book seriously has it all. It’s one of the largest books I’ve seen by Shepard, and I’m okay with this. I rather it be large and get it all, than small and feel rushed. There were trials, attacks, funerals (2!), breaking and entering, revenge, pranks, parties, love triangles, family secrets revealed, and everything (literally everything) was out of the bag!

You can probably tell I loved it.  I kind of wish the killer was someone else because I totally guessed this in the beginning. However, I feel like I’m really good at picking up clues in these kinds of books (lots of experience reading them, and also lots of experience watching cop shows). And maybe not the whole world will guess who it is…but probably they will. But, on the other hand, this made so much sense. And it all fit together nicely.

I kind of wish that the middle books in the series read more like this last one. I feel like there were some definite filler books (where not much happens), and I would prefer to have a couple of good long books that cover everything I need, than have a whole series of books that don’t really need to happen. Each book before this one was about clearing the names of someone or other in Sutton’s life. And while it’s great that Emma can truly trust her new family, I feel like it was all kind of unnecessary. It was a little too much about trusting her family and not quite enough about the murderer that was after her.

This book was a great ending to an okay series. The suspense made it un-put-down-able.  The mystery was great. The drama hit the roof. And I actually felt really bad for Emma, a character I never actually had too much empathy for (despite her rocky upbringing). I wish the whole series read more like this last book. This book gets a 10/10 from me. Rarely, am I this okay with a series end. (But, I’d give the series as a whole an 8/10).

Cross my Heart and Hope to Die by Sara Shepard

Summary (from Goodreads):

When I died two months ago, my killer told my twin sister to become me—or else. Now Emma has it down to a T. She tosses her hair with the signature Sutton Mercer flip and can lead a Lying Game prank with the best of them. She’s even repairing my relationship with my adoptive family. The only thing she hasn’t done is solve my murder.

Then our birth mother, the woman who abandoned us, showed up in Tucson. Emma hasn’t seen Becky in twelve years, but Becky recognizes Emma immediately—as Emma. Is it a mother’s intuition . . . or does Becky know I’m already gone?

Review:

So, I know I keep saying that I’m done with this series…But, I have learned recently the book after this one is the last one. And I really want to know who the killer is! I’m starting the last book today (I got them both from my library). These books have been both compelling and interesting, and also repetitive and annoying. I sort of have a love/hate relationship with this series.

I love that it’s from the point of view of the twin that’s already dead. I love that there almost appears to be nothing supernatural at all whatsoever in any of the story except the dead twin’s ghost following her live sister around. And just the idea that this is the one fantastical thing in a book of normal, really makes this stand out. This is no ghost story or witch story. It’s more about family and contemporary YA issues. And I like this slight mixture of the two genres.

I don’t love the repetitive Scooby Doo type mystery solving. Each book is about Emma (and the ghost of Sutton) suspecting someone new and then clearing their names by the end. Does everyone really have to be cleared? I kind of think I’d like it better if there were a few people Emma was unsure about for longer than one book.

 And while I love the tv shows for Shepard’s books, sometimes there feels like something is actually missing in the text. Like it just makes so much more sense for Emma not to confide in more people in the show (thought she does), but in the book, I’m constantly asking myself, “Why can’t you just explain things???” And it gets so frustrating. Emma, in the books, just isn’t as confident as Emma in the show.

Any way, this book is about Emma/Sutton suspecting their birth mother, Becky. She returns to town in style –going almost immediately to the psych ward at the local hospital. There’s a new girl at school who gets the ultimate Lying Game treatment from Emma and Sutton’s best friends. There’s a party. And there’s actually a lot of violence from the male characters. There are at least two fights between Emma’s boyfriend, and Sutton’s boyfriend (who doesn’t know that Emma isn’t actually Sutton).

It’s always interesting to see the memories Sutton receives in small doses at random moments. And it’s becoming easier and easier for Emma to take Sutton’s place. But we all know this can only go so far. What happens when people realize that Emma isn’t Sutton? Who killed Sutton? And why is Sutton’s ghost attached to Emma so deeply?

Shepard is so good at laying the hints down thick, and I have my suspicions about a certain character, but I’m really hoping to be surprised in the last book. I have a feeling a lot is about to go down. And I’m so excited for this conclusion, and hopefully some answers. I give this one an 8/10.

Hereafter by Kate Brian

Summary (From Goodreads):

Rory Miller thought her life was over when a serial killer set his sights on her and forced her into witness protection. But a fresh start on Juniper Landing Island was exactly what she and her family needed. For the first time in years she and her sister hang out at the beach, gossip about boys, and party together. She's also made friends with a local clique--including a magnetic and mysterious boy named Tristan.

But Rory's world is about to change again. Picturesque Juniper Landing isn't what it seems. The truth about the swirling fog that rolls in each morning, the bridge that leads to nowhere, and those beautiful locals who seem to watch Rory's every move is more terrifying than being hunted by Steven Nell. And all Rory ever wanted was the truth. Even if it means learning that she can never go home again. From the best-selling author of the Private and Privilege series comes the second novel in a heart-stopping trilogy about a girl who must pick up the pieces after the only life she's ever known ends.

Review
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS OF BOOK 1:

So, Book 1 had one of those, “What??!!” type of endings. It wasn’t my favorite book in the world, but I was so thankful for the ARC of book 2 that I acquired (signed) at BEA because before even writing my review for book 1, I had gotten through most of book 2. I seriously put down the first book, and then went and found the second.

Please stop reading if you have not read book 1. It’s just two hard to review book 2 without talking about book 1. This book is all about Rory learning what it’s like to be a “lifer” on the island. She learns about the other lifers (and their various years of existence). She learns about her job helping people pass over. There’s a process that involves coins, connections, and seeing images of people’s past lives.

Too bad for Rory, the two people she first receives coins for are: her best friend on the island and then her father. Not to mention that there is a lot of weird, creepy stuff happening to add to the already weird, creepy island. For starters, things are changing. People are getting sick, there’s bugs, there’s dying plants, there’s a lot more people going to the shadowlands (“hell”) then ever before. When Rory sends her best friend on the island to the shadowlands, she knows something is seriously wrong. He’s the sweetest guy ever. It just doesn’t make sense.

It soon becomes clear that there is no way Rory will help her dad cross over because she is taking no chances in him going to the wrong place. She also can’t tell anyone in her family about where they are and what she does, etc. because that would give them a quick, one-way pass to the shadowlands as well.

This book maintains all the creepy suspense of book 1. There’s no serial killer after Rory any more, but there is all the weird stuff happening on the island. And instead of all the awesome, random interspersed chapters from the serial killer’s point of view, we have random interspersed chapters from the point of view of the person who’s responsible for tearing up the island. And it’s so fun and mysterious to not know whose thinking the horrible things here. The other book was clearly about the killer. You don’t know who’s messing stuff up here (who is the evil character) until the end. And it’s so much fun making guesses.

I loved all the teen drama in this book. The big issue between the two sisters is actually addressed. There’s all the fun parties, bar scenes, and crushes that book 1 had. But there’s also more couples, more sisters-getting-along-moments, and more questions answered. I was so intrigued by the society of lifers and all their crazy traditions. I want to know more about the mayor.

And again, I loved the ending! This time, I guessed the big twist so it wasn’t as much of a shock. However, book 3 is looking to be more and more a rescue story and a story of revenge. And man, do I love those stories! All in all, this book had an interesting storyline that I have not really seen before (at least in this context), believable characters, a lot of drama, and just the right amount of suspense. Brian seriously gets props for keeping the suspense thing going for so long (even after the serial killer is gone). I liked it more than the first book, and I have a feeling I’ll like the third book the most. Some of the boy stuff/romance/love triangle things seemed a little forced, and a little cliché. And neither book was quite as romance heavy as I thought they would be, which is a good thing. I just feel like the romance that is in them could use a bit of work. This gets a 8/10.

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye.

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

Review:

So, I kind of felt like this book started awesome, and ended awesome, but had a lot going on in the middle that just wasn’t that awesome. The first chapter is about the main character being chased down in the woods by a serial killer, and then escaping. Like seriously, how awesome is that beginning. I was actually sitting on the beach with this book and my friend was sitting next to me starting a different book. She told me that not much had happened in her first 50 pages. I said in like the first 10 of mine, a girl was attacked by a serial killer.

I just kind of had a hard time getting to know the main character after the attack. And then I kind of had a hard time believing all the things that followed. The main character’s family gets put into witness protection real fast. And they were given little to no direction. And then they were given no way to contact the FBI. It all just felt a little too rushed to be believable. Wouldn’t the FBI give more rules/direction/explanation? And why was it so hard for them to track down this guy, but it was so easy to know that the guy who attacked Rory was the same one responsible for so many other girls’ murders. Also, no attention was put on the high school who hired him…Can we say stricter hiring policies?

And then I hated Rory’s family.  Can anything be worse for a girl who was attacked then to have a family of people doubting her every sentence? Seriously, I underetand the elephant in the room with Rory and her sister, Darcy. But, the dad just never came off as a decent human being. And neither of them ever listened to Rory or took her seriously. And then the animosity between the sisters dwindles down, without them ever really dealing with the issue at hand. Add their issue to the dad’s issues, and the whole plot just seemed kind of rushed. Then in enters the new boys. And it kind of seemed like both sisters went on to new crushes really fast, considering how much drama was spent already on a different boy.

What the middle of the book did have going for it though was the mystery. I thought I had solved the mystery 3 different times with different ideas for the conclusion, and I was always wrong. While the character development was a little non-existant and the plot had some loopholes, there was this ever-present suspenseful mystery.  And you have no idea how happy I was to be surprised at the end for how it all concluded. I literally yelled out loud, “What???” And then I of course had to go back over certain scenes and make sure everything worked out, which it did.

Seriously, this was one of my favorite YA suspenseful endings! It’s the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers, and I know I’ve said that before, but this time I seriously mean it. I loved this ending!

So, in all in all, I loved the beginning and I loved the end. I loved the general suspense; I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I thought the characters were a little two-dimensional and that there were some seriously rushed pieces of the plot. I did have fun with the mystery, and I literally finished the book in a few hours.  The end was also so good that I started the sequel immediately after finishing. I give it a 7/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (59)

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 Offering by Kimberly Derting (1/7/14):

Description on Goodreads:

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy.
Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks.

When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom.

But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

Why I’m Waiting:

So, I’m a huge Kimberly Derting fan. I’ve been loving this dystopian series by her since the first one came out. And I was so happy to finally see a cover for this third installment. And it’s a cover that isn’t all dark and gloomy like the others! I just love how Derting writes suspense and romance. And I know I won’t be disappointed in this one. What are you waiting on this week?