American Girls on Saturn Review

Title: American Girl on Saturn
Author: Nikki Godwin
Genre: YA Contemporary
Series: Saturn #1
Rating: Owl

THE PREMISE

The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

MY THOUGHTS

Before I picked up this book I was feeling kind of desperate. I needed something light and quick and really fun to take my mind off Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. (I mean really that book gives me the creeps!) 

So I scrolled through my kindle shelf and was thinking about all the possibilities. And then the cover caught my eye.

I remembered signing up for the tour because of all the good things people were saying about it.... I was a little bit nervous, but by the end of the first page I was in love. 

I mean come on they were judging the direness of a situation based purely upon the kind of ice cream their dad wanted! That's my kind of family! 

But my love for this book only grew as I read along. 

You see I'm no the kind of person who laughs. I'll smile sure, maybe even let out a little snort, but full out laughter over a book? So not me.

But with this book it was a constant laughter. It was just that funny. 

The characters were great! 

Chloe was the kind of character, that yeah, she was flawed, but she was so amazing to read about! I think her struggles as a teenager are some that many could relate to.... But they may have been a little more extreme then they are in real life.

Milo and Chloe had a really sweet relationship and watching them grow was fantastic!!

Emery was so cute and adorable and just plain old fun! 

I loved reading about the band members too!!!

Overall this is a book that I would recommend to everyone!! 

It was so cute and sweet. And really light!!

I can safely say that so far it is one of my favorite contemporaries of the year!!! 

Purchase links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.

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Disconnect: Review and Giveaway

Title: Disconnect
Author: Imran Siddiq
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Series: Divided Worlds #1
Rating: Bison

THE PREMISE
Zachary, a 16-year old Underworlder digs in waste to find anything worth bartering. That is the rule of scavenging.
When he discovers footage of an Overworld girl, Rosa, he’s intrigued by her sorrow and breaks the rule.

That decision changes his life, and he will suffer for it.

Zachary must overcome worthlessness, prejudice, and not let a twisted lie devour the new reason that he survives; Rosa.

In space, love had boundaries.
MY THOUGHTS
Me and this book....

Well we got off to a rocky start. 

I began to question why I had even picked it up after the first couple of pages....

I mean I always have a hard time connecting to the guy main characters...

Because well I'm not a guy and I really don't understand them....

At all. 

And the narration for the first couple pages bothered me. 

I felt like the author was trying to tell me way to much! 

Like how the main character scratched his nose or rubbed his eyes. 

I don't like so many details. I like to imagine. 

But once I got pas that and got used to the writers style I began to truly enjoy this book! 

Not only was Zachary and Rosa's relationship sweet (because it was!!) They author also showed the gap between rich and poor which was really well written.

And then on top of all this the novel was set in space!! On Jupiter and Europa to be exact. 

For those of you who don't know I am obsessed with space! And more importantly I love Jupiter's moon Europa! (I even had a hamster named Europa!!) 

I don't claim to be an expert on any of these topics, but from what I could tell the author seems to have done his research! (I could be wrong but there were no glaring mistakes.) 

Wait back to the POV for a sec! Surprisingly tough this book was written in third person (which I tend to hate) I really liked the way it was written!! 

I found this to be an extremely enjoyable book! Not only were the characters fun and interesting but there were also many unique elements! In all I'd say this was definitely a fun read!
Purchase:

BISON=FOUR STARS

Amazon

B&N

AUTHOR BIO

Imran Siddiq is a Law Graduate employed as a Senior Manager in the NHS. After an operation to remove a brain tumour, he decided to make his dreams real. Now, he sacrifices time to write and serve his two cats.

He’s a veteran of writing festivals, a constant on Twitter, and gobbles up all forms of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Living in Leicester, he is passionate about creating images in digital art.

Young Adult Science Fiction is his preferred genre, and he will throw a droid into every novel – literally throw.

Author Links:
Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Open internationally

Prizes:

10 x e-copies of the complete trilogy
Paperback copy of the three books

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Life, Love, & Lemons Book Blitz and Giveaway

Title: Life, Love & Lemons
Author: Magan Vernon
Genre: YA, Contemporary
When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail.

Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off. 

Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life.

Amazon

 “Are you okay?”

I sat on the cold tile floor of the break room with my head between my grease stained knees. The last person I expected to come back and check on me was Kai.

In my frenzied cry I somehow managed to blurt out that I female problems and that got Jason to find someone else to do the sweeping. No guy ever wants to fight that one and Jason’s face turned red when I mentioned it.

“I’m fine." I sniffled, hoping that Kai would just go away. I wanted to be alone. How could my friends have done this to me? It was bad enough that I already lost my house, my school, and now some of my best friends since grade school. To top it all off I had some kid with hot pink shoes acting like I was the one with issues.

“Well obviously you’re not." He reached his hand out toward me.

I crossed my arms firmly over my chest. “I don’t need your help." It came out whinier than I intended.

Instead of walking away, he just plopped down beside me and spread his long legs out next to mine.

“You can only try and make lemons into lemonade for so long before you just have to say, screw the lemons, and bail." He stretched his arms out over his head.

I couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t think anyone but me actually used that expression.”

“Well looks like you were wrong." He slowly stood up and turned to face me. “Now c’mon and let me show you what else you’re wrong about.”

As I looked at him, I didn’t know what came over me. Maybe it was just my girl emotions working overtime or maybe it was his pleading puppy dog eyes, but for some reason I took his hand and followed him out the back door.

“So where are we going?" I questioned, letting go of his hand as soon as we got outside. I was really glad we exited out the back so no one saw us. I really didn’t want people getting the wrong idea. Kai was a nice guy and everything, but I knew the other co-workers would have a field day if they saw us together. Luckily it was just my little red mini and a giant orange car in the parking lot.

“Just get in and you’ll find out," He said conspiratorially and opened the passenger door of the giant orange thing.

“What is that?" I pointed at the car, tilting my head.

“This would be my car, a Ford Falcon." He motioned again for me to get into the car.

Slowly I approached the car and got in as he slid over the hood of the car to the driver’s side.

“Isn’t that like something out of Star Wars?" I asked as he got in and started the car.

“No, that would be the Millennium Falcon, and that would be Star Trek." He smiled and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Sorry, I’m not up on my geekery." I laughed and I held out my palms toward him.

“It’s okay I didn’t really expect you to be." He slid his long fingers over toward me. I thought he was going to reach for my hand but instead he turned on the stereo, letting a loud screaming guy’s voice blast over the speakers.

“Ugh!" I put my hands over my ears and screeched, “What is that?”

Kai sighed and turned down the music. “It’s the Circle Jerks, you know Punk Rock.”

I shook my head. “Never heard of them, maybe you have something else that I might like." I reached up into the CD visor and browsed through his CD’s. Bad Religion, The Misfits, Dead Kennedys —All these bands I had never heard of and sounded really depressing.

“How about we just turn on the radio?”

“You’re kind of demanding you know that?" Kai looked at me out of the corner of his eye and leaned back in his seat.

“Gee, you’re such a charmer," I mocked. “But seriously, where are we going anyway?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said mischievously, smiling as he turned down State Street.

“Okay," I said and pulled my uniform top over my head.

“JESUS, what are you doing?" Kai swerved the car and almost hit the curb in the process, causing me to almost bounce my head off the dashboard.

“Ugh!" I folded the shirt in my lap and then ran my fingers across the straps of my white tank top that I had on underneath. “I just didn’t want to show up to wherever we were going in my uniform; what did you think I was doing? Trying to strip down in the Star Trek car?”

“I don’t know." He shrugged. “I thought the Falcon had some magical powers or something.”

The author is giving away 1 (one) ebook copy of this book!!! 

- ONE entry per person

-it's international

-A comment is appreciated, but not required

-The giveaway ends September 14th 

-The winner's prize will be sent out after September 16th!

GOOD LUCK

Spies and Prejudice

Title: Spies and Prejudice

Author: Talia Vance

Genre: YA, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance, Retelling

Series: I think it's a stand alone, but I wish there was another!!!

Rating: Owl

Received in a giveaway from Reflections of a Book Addict!!!!

THE PREMISE

Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.

Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either. 

So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death. 

But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?

With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide

(Summary via Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS

So the truth is I have never read Pride and Prejudice. Is this one of my major faults??? I prefer to think not. And looking at several other reviews for this book on goodreads it seems that those who were comparing it to P&P that they were extremely disappointed. Thankfully I enjoyed this book.... A LOT.

So let me get the negative out of the way.

The names Strawberry Fields, Mary Chris Moss, (do you get it? It took me a minute.) the cheerleaders who all had presidential names (did their moms get together and plan it out?) and there were some others, but off the top of my head I can't think of them. I have a big thing about names. I don't like it when they are kind of childish and cutesy because let's face it, how many people do you know in real life actually have those names. I mean you have celebrities who have those crazy names but normal people? Nope.

Also the cover.... Not a big fan of it.... At all.... It just just capture the mysterious intrigue that the book is full of.

Now onto the the total and complete amazingness of this book.

Berry.

I absolutely loved her! She's so funny. I loved her sense of humor and her determination. Sure, she made some mistakes along the way and personally I can't blame her for making the choices she did. Watching her attempt to figure out the mystery behind her mom's death was great. The determination she felt towards finding out the truth was something that I could easily sympathize with.  Yes, at points she did make some decisions that could be questioned as being a bad friend, but I still loved her for it.

Mary Chris Moss who from this point forward will be called only Mare. Mare was such a great friend to Berry. She stayed with her through thick and thin. Her friendship was something that helped Berry along the way. Although they went through some rocky times, at the end of the book their friendship was still as strong as ever. I thought it was great that she also got a great relationship with a guy instead of just Berry. I mean I know that's what happened in P&P, but so many times in YA books only the main character (in this case Berry) gets there happily ever after. With this book Mare got her ending far before Berry did!

Tanner. He was a great character and a very sweet love interest to Berry. I loved the two of them together and I loved the added mystery that Tanner presented. I thought that the twist with him was so well written and super good!!

The actual mystery was amazing. I had already had a good idea of what would really happen and who were the bad and good guys, but I loved being able to see everything unfold through Berry's eyes! The mystery was so interesting that it just kept me reading.

The ending was epic. Seriously epic. There was action and there was heartbreak, but there was also the sweet hope that Berry felt. It was sooo sweet and I just adored it!!

I am curious as whether or not there will be a sequel. There were definitely some loose ends that I would love to be tied up, but I don't think a sequel is necessary! This is more of just me being greedy.

This review was so hard to write and make sure it remained spoiler free. There are so many things that I just want to shout from the rooftops in order to better appreciate this book, but I can't because them I would spoiler everything and that would just suck if you ever decided to read this book!
I think that as far as P&P retellings go this is definitely my favorite. (I know it's weird I've read other retellings but not the actual thing... I'm fun like that.) Instead of following the original to the dot there are fun twists and turns that kept me on my toes. This was more of a fun "nod" to Jane Austen rather than something that followed the book more.

So on that note I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of spy novels and fun, light reads! This book was a ton of fun and something that I will definitely reread!!

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK" YES!!!!!!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: YUP!!!!
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: OF COURSE
WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE: IF there is another...I WANT IT!!!
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: PLANNING ON IT!!!

OWL=FIVE STARS

Ruby's Fire: Blog tour review and author giveaway!

(To view the tour schedule please click on the tour banner!)

Title: Ruby's Fire 
Author: Catherine Stine 

Series: Fireseed, #2 (however, can be read as a stand-alone)

Publication date:  June 26, 2013
Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Synopsis:

If everything about you changes, what remains?

Seventeen year-old Ruby, long-pledged to the much older Stiles from the Fireseed desert cult, escapes with only a change of clothes, a pouch of Oblivion Powder and her mute little brother, Thorn. Arriving at The Greening, a boarding school for orphaned teens, she can finally stop running. Or can she? The Greening is not what it seems. Students are rampaging out of control and as she cares for the secret Fireseed crop, she experiences frightening physical changes. She’s ashamed of her attraction to burly, hard-talking Blane, the resident bodyguard, and wonders why she can’t be happy with the gentler Armonk. She’s long considered her great beauty a liability, a thing she’s misused in order to survive. And how is she to stop her dependence on Oblivion to find a real beauty within, using her talent as a maker of salves, when she has nightmares of Stiles without it?

When George Axiom, wealthy mogul of Vegas-by-the-Sea offers a huge cash prize for the winner of a student contest, Ruby is hopeful she might collect the prize to rescue her family and friends from what she now knows is a dangerous cult. But when Stiles comes to reclaim her, and Thorn sickens after creating the most astonishing contest project of all, the world Ruby knows is changed forever. This romantic fantasy set in 2099 on earth has a crafty heroine in Ruby, and a swoonworthy cast, which will surely appeal to the YA and new adult audience.

Purchase:

Amazon illustrated paperback:
Amazon Kindle 

MY THOUGHTS
So what first caught my eye about the book, the cover! It looks so cool! But there was so much more to the book than the awesome cover!! (Obviously!)

To get this out of the  way: I read this book as a stand alone. (Because let's face it this book sounds really good...) BUT in retrospect I think that I should have read the first book before I read this one. Simply because there was so much information and the book referred to the main characters of the first book often without giving much background information.  

And now that I have read this companion novel I'm not sure I would want to go back and read the first purely because I hate going into a book knowing how it will end. 

Moving past that this was a really good book. Within the first few pages I knew I was going to like Ruby. I didn't really like how she went on about how her beauty was terrible and how she didn't know how to act around people without acting like a flirt. That part bothered me, but beyond that I loved her character. She dealt with so much and was till so strong. She was great. 

I also really liked her little brother Thorn. He was such an interesting and mysterious character and I wanted to know more about him. My one thing about Thorn that bugged me was Ruby's lack of concern about him. I mean I know she cared and tried to always make sure she was there for him. But a lot of times he was wandering around getting into trouble and she had no idea. As an older sister I would definitely want to keep a close eye on my brother especially if we were surrounded by people who might potentially try to kill us or at least try to hurt us....

I was a little lost at first about Ruby's love life. I thought for sure there was going to be this huge love triangle that was totally stab worthy. BUT thankfully that was so not the case. I would be hesitant to call it a love triangle. I think that she thought she liked two guys but in reality she didn't understand her feelings. I also at first hated the main love interest and I was not happy about their relationship. Shockingly though he grew on me. (Which is a good thing! I can be extremely picky about my love interests!!) 

And then there was Bea. Once again I was under the false impression that I would hate her.... I really need to reserve judgment because once again I was proven wrong. Bea was a great character and friend!!! :) 

On that note the illustrations were great!! Even on my small little screen on my kindle they were beautifully done and I am a sucker for great pictures! They made me really want to buy the actual physical copy!!!

I have to say that the ending felt rushed but at the same time really exciting. Still I would have liked a bit more foreclosure. 

I have to say that this book was really enjoyable!!! I happily give it a solid FOUR STARS!!! I can't wait to read more by this author!!! =D And with any luck she'll write even more about the Fireseed world!!

WOUKD I READ THIS BOOK: YES!!!

WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: YES! Definitely considering a physical copy!

WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: YES! Ruby's world was so fun to read about this and so unique!!

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: YES!!!

WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK: if there's another I'll definitely check it out!!  

Catherine Stine writes YA, New Adult and middle grade fiction. Her YA futuristic thriller, Fireseed One, illustrated by the author won finalist spots in both YA and Science Fiction in the 2013 USA Book News International Book Awards. It was also granted a 2013 Bronze Wishing Shelf Book Award and a 2013 Indie Reader Approved notable stamp. Her YA Refugees, earned a New York Public Library Best Book. Middle grade novels include A Girl’s Best Friend.

Fireseed One sequel, Ruby’s Fire is earning advance praise from reviewers and authors:
“Ruby's Fire, returns to the sun-scorched earth of Fireseed One. In this long-awaited sequel, Stine delivers a thrilling adventure led by a new and exciting cast of characters. Ruby, Armonk, Thorn and Blane are memorable, and the romance is really well handled. Favorite quote: " It feels wrong to lean on Armonk right now with Blane staring at me, a hungry, lonely look in his eye. It’s as if he’s never been hugged, never been fed, never been loved..." ”  -YAs the Word

More and more, Catherine enjoys writing speculative tales where her imagination has wild and free reign. She has taught creative writing workshops at the Philadelphia Writing Conference, Missouri University Summer Abroad, The New School and in her own ongoing NYC writing workshop. She loves her readers, and enjoys blogging.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

The author is hosting a huge giveaway, so go enter to win some awesome stuff!!!
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Unspoken

Title: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Magic

Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1

Rating: Butterfly

THE PREMISE

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

(Summary via goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS

I just don't know how I should feel about this book. On one hand it was a good exciting mystery but at the same time I found it incredibly slow paced and boring..... I found the writing to be..... How do I say this.... Jerky, funny sounding, something totally wrong with it. I can't describe it but I really disliked the writing style.
Reading this book I've learned a lot about myself. The biggest thing being is that I really don't like third person nearly as much as first person. It took me practically the whole book to get used to the third person. A sits not like I haven't read and love books with third person in them, but I just found it so out of place in this book.
Another problem I had with the writing style was the contractions.... Or rather the lack of them. It felt formal and unlike something that I, as a teen, would ever talk like.

My next major problem was with Kami's best friend Angela. The main and one of the only things I know about her is how much she likes to sleep, nap, or just lay there.  Half the book is spent talking about how much she likes to sleep. Jokes are wven cracked a out it.

"Even you could not nap on this floor," Kami told Angela.
"I don't know, a dust mattress might be very comfortable," saidAngela. "And possible orthopedic."

OR

"Oh Rusty, why did you let her in?" Angela said. "We could have just lain down on the floor until she went away. We could've had a nice floor nap."

She was one of the weirdest and boringest characters I've ever read. She also hated all people. Something of which I can totally sympathize with.... Yet she hated LITERALLY all people.... *sigh* I get hating a lot of people but seriously ONE friend you don't hate.... That is an extreme. Overall Angela's character was just not one that I found extremely enjoyable. She was a character that annoyed me to no end.

Then of course I have to touch upon Angela's brother, Rusty. Rusty was also a very lazy person. In fact he was the masculine version of his sister as stated in the book.

"At first glance Rusty was a masculine version of his sister- tall, dark, and incurably lazy. He had the same athletic frame, which he draped on walls and furniture as if simply to week to support himself."

Yes he drapes himself on furniture.... I don't even know.....
And I was also curious as to where Angela and Rusty's parents were. They were mentioned by Rusty, but where were they? Did I miss this part? (More likely did I forget this part?)

So then there is the fact that Kami has a gazillion ex-besties who all know the ex-best friend nod. Is there seriously an ex best friend nod? I need to learn it now!!! Why has no one mentioned this before? But seriously Kami has a lot of ex best friends. Every time a random girl approached her, she would be like hey that's my ex best friend from third grade! *insert awkward ex best friend nod* we are no longer friends because they think I'm weird... Is Kami really that unlikable?

"Mum had known Kami since Kami was born, so she just sighed at this brilliant logic."
And I laughed at this brilliant logic. I mean come on. Of course Kami's mom had known her since birth for the simple reason that SHE GAVE BIRTH TO HER!!!! Is this an attempt to clarify that Kami was not adopted. It felt so out of place and so funny!!

"I'm ignoring that," Ms. Dollard said. "And I'm shutting everything up at five sharp. Do me a favor and go out and perform one of the activities I hear the youth enjoy this Friday, like defacing public property."

Don't even get me started. I hate reading about teachers who are evil, because really how many evil teachers are out there? Surprise me and write about a sweet innocent nice one! Also, the youth enjoys defacing public property? I take extreme offense to that.

There were also several random POV switched. Like normally you're in Kami's head but suddenly you're in Jared's or even briefly in Tomo's. (Kami's brother...) this wasn't clear and then it would go back to Kami and I was like, huh?

"How's it going?" Kami asked.
"Fine," said (the person who's name I'm taking out). She had the same coloring as Ash. Kami wondered how ugh more likely it was to be a sorcerer if you had a few drops of Lynburn blood in you. "How are you?"
Why was (blank) turning Kami's questions back on her? Kami thought wildly. Then she told herself to get a grip. "Also fine!" She answered. "Thank you for asking!"

At one point Kami was going around and suspecting everyone of being a bad guy so she goes up to one of her suspects and asks how they are. The suspect says fine and then asks how Kami is doing.... Kami proceeds to freak out because the suspect was doing something considered a common courtesy by many.... I get that Kami is feeling paranoid and trapped. But to suspect someone based on them asking if you were alright? I just don't understand it!

And then there is the mystery. I liked it...but I didn't find it hard to guess who was doing it. I had a good idea and I was pretty close. But I still enjoyed Kami trying to find out who it was. Definitely one of the better parts of the book.

And then there is perhaps the most important relationship in the book. Kami and Jared's.....

These two....
They drove me nuts and on multiple occasions I wanted to slap them.... And the truth is I don't even know why. Kami was constantly thinking that she didn't trust him..... Kami you can read his thoughts. You have known him since birth. If you can't trust him then there is no one in the world you can trust.

It was kind of a love triangle between Ash and Jared. But when I say kind if I really mean it. There was little interaction between Ash and Kami for most of the book. And when there was he was asking her out or kissing her or just blabbing on about life. Jared was constantly in Kami's head and get refused to touch her. So I liked Jared over Ash but feel that the world could be better without either of them.

But the biggest let down of the entire book was the ending. I don't know if you've heard but the ending is supposed to be killer. I mean tear inducing rip your heart out awful. I fully expected massive character death and major tears. And perhaps I would have gotten that if I was more connected to the characters.... But I wasn't. I was indifferent to the ending. I mean it was good but it was something I've read before. Something that will most likely be proven untrue in the next book. So for me I felt it was kind of blah.....

So it's not like this book was awful because it wasn't. But it just wasn't my thing. I am and always will be the reader who can ignore the flaws of book IF I love it. And I am sad to say that I just wasn't feeling it with this book. Not only did I find the characters boring but the execution of the entire story as well. I had heard a lot about this book. I had read the summary and immediately wanted to read this book. But it did not stand up to the high expectations I had. So on that note this is a book that I think many will love and enjoy, but it just wasn't for me.

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: NO
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: NO
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: NO
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: PROBABLY NOT
WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK: DOUBTFUL

BUTTERFLY=2.5 STARS

A Tale of Two Centuries

Title: A Tale of Two Centuries

Author: Rachel Harris

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Time Travel,Romance, Historical Fiction

Series: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #2 (You don't have to read the first book to enjoy the second.)

Rating: Bison

I received this e-ARC from the publisher which in no way shape or form effected my review!!!!

THE PREMISE

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

(Summary via Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS

I have to say that I was not expecting that much from this book. I mean it sounded so good, but how could the author pull it off and make it sound so humorous at the same time. The good news is she pulled it off so well that it leads me to the bad news. I want more!!!

So first things first: the writing style.
This is perhaps on of the most important things to me when reading. And I love Rachel Harris' style.  She writes everything so clearly and it really does have such a great flow. It easily captivated me and kept me reading until the end.

Now for the second most important thing. The characters. The characters were so well written and hilarious. I loved Alessandra! She was so much fun to read about. She was so clueless about everything but I loved watching her character grow and change as the story progressed. At first I was unsure of whether or not I would like her. She didn't seem very strong or even fun to read about, but her character growth was phenomenal and I quickly grew to adore her!

Cat was such a great character. She still cared so much for Less and truly wanted her to be happy. I loved how she was getting her happy ending at the same time as Less. It was also so sweet that she always was trying to take care of Less as though she was still little and watching her grow out of that tendency was fun!

Austin was a great character as he taught Less to live a little on the wild side. I loved all the different things that he encouraged her to do in order to have a little fun. They made such a sweet pair and I loved their relationship!

And then of course there is the ending! Which was obviously fantastic!! It was such a great end to the book!

So now the question is will there be another book? With any luck there will be.....

I truly enjoyed this book! It was such a fun read! And the characters were fantastic!!! I can't wait to read more!!!!

WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: YES!!!!
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: YUP!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: TO those looking for a quick, light, but at the same time amazingly sweet and funny read!

WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: OF COURSE
WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK IN THIS SERIES: If there is another, I'll be the first in line!!

BISON=FOUR STARS

The Hunt

Title: The Hunt 

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Genre: YA, vampires, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Romance

Series: The Hunt #1

Rating: Whale

THE PREMISE

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

(Summary via Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS

The following review is based solely upon vampire books that are full blown blood sucking vampire books. Not books where the vampires are side characters. Like Harry Potter or Hex Hall. Do you get what I'm trying to say?

Vampires 

Vampires 

Vampires. 

Fact: I hate vampires. 

Fact: I never read Twilight because there were vampires in it.

Fact: The only vampire I've ever loved is Jenna from Hex Hall. 

Fact: Jenna is awesome. 

Fact: I'm not sure why I bought this book. 

Fact: I'm out of facts.....

Opinion: This book was one of he more surprising books I've read. 

Opinion: I was definitely surprised by it. 

Opinion: vampires are gross. 

Opinion: this book was no exception. 

So if you can't tell I'm not a big fan of vampires. They've always reminded me of giant leeches. And to me that is more gross than scary. So I have absolutely no clue as to why I chose to read this book. Part of it probably was because it was the kindle daily deal and I really like cheap books. The other part was the sample I had read. 

Fact: The sample was extremely compelling. 

I think what drew me in was the author's writing style. It was blunt and to the point and yet at the same time I found it to be haunting and mysterious. Throughout the book that was what kept me going. 

So one of my biggest problems with the book is that it was not what I was expecting. I was expecting Gene (whose name I didn't even know until over half way through the book) and his vampire buddies (they will always leeches in my mind) to go off hunting humans. I thought they were going to be out there and that Gene was going to keep doing things to protect them. 

I was soooo wrong. 

For most of the book the wandered around muttering about how that wanted to eat the "hepers" there word for human. And also that Gene was one smelly boy. Can you say yuck? So for me that was a let down. 

Also it felt so Hungergamish.... Just with vampires...... Seriously whole book I felt like it was so similar to hunger games. Like whoever eats the most humans wins, and then how they wanted to form strong alliances. They were the stars of their world and EVERYONE wanted a piece of them. Sound similar? I'm not saying it was a rip off because it was totally original.... It just made me wonder.  

So next complaint. 

Gene was so full o self loathing. He kept going on about how shameful it felt being a human. Blah blah blah. I take offends to this! 

I mean sure sometimes people may doubt me. They may think that I'm from mars. (Which I have claimed that is where I originated from) but no matter where I'm from I am human at heart and I take offense. Several times I was so close to yelling at my kindle: Gene, humans are good! I love my species. Screw you if you want to be a vampire. 

Thankfully I did restrain myself. But really Gene's, it sucks to be human! It's so hard. Blah blah blah... 

I get that in Gene's world being human is hard. But seriously there is no need to go into self loathing and state you hate humanity. 

The other thing was that Gene assumed that the humans in the dome were stupid and couldn't even communicate. Why? Where did he get these assumptions. As the reader I have no clue. Thinking logically perhaps he thought that no one had bothered to teach them, but still.....

Lets talk about love. 

I wasn't feeling it. At all. 

This is hard to write without putting in spoilers but he whole book I kept thinking, dude she is going to get you. She is going to kill you.  You might end up crying. And Ben all of a sudden they were like I LOVE YOU!! You are the only thing in this world worth living for. 

Yeah, okay, sure. 

Fact: Gene knew where to find apples. 

Fact: I personally think apples are a far better reason to live. 

Fact: Gene=Not quite thinking. 

Do you see what I'm saying? It was insta-love. Some may argue this and tell me. No there relationship developed over time. Then they fell in love. 

Fact: They knew each other at school and had the vampire equivalent of a kiss. They enjoyed watching each other. Then the next day they admit their love for each other. 

Fact: My brain does not compute....

Then there is the whole thing where the lovely humans that were being help captive by the vampire had no idea they were going to be hunted. And Gene being he nice kind considerate person he is did not even try to help save them..... Thankfully I don't know this boy as he would most likely betray me.... 

So for the whole book I really thought it was okay, I was going to give it a solid three stars. 

But then there was the ending... And wow. It was action packed fun and surprising. 

I seriously feel clueless. I mean how did I not see that last sentence coming. I always see the twists and the turns. They are normally fairly obvious. But I was totally clueless when it came to that ending. I was wowed. Making me give the book an extra half star because yes, I was that impressed! 

OVERALL

Did I love this book? No. Did I hate it? No. Was I basically just indifferent? Yes. I think that this book has helped me to establish that me and vampire books just don't click. I also think that there were several flaws in the book that hindered my enjoyment. 

FACT: I MIGHT BUY THIS BOOK.... IF IT IS SEMI CHEAP. 

FACT:I PROBABLY WOULD NOT CHOSE TO PICK UP THIS BOOK AGAIN. 

FACT: I PROBABLY WOULD NOT  RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO MANY. UNLESS THEY LOVE VAMPIRES.. A LOT. 

FACT: I DON'T THINK I WILL BE PICKIG UP THE NEXT BOOK. 

FACT: BECAUSE I LOVED THE AUTHORS WRITING STYLE, I WILL READ MORE FROM HIM.