Pushing the Limits (A quick review)

Title: Pushing the Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Series: Pushing the Limits #1 (Companion novels)
Content: Swearing, Drugs, Alcohol
Rating: Bison

This is not my kind of book...at all. I don't like anything that's depressing. Too real worldish. I like to fall into a world that is not real. But I had heard so much about this book. There are so many people who loved it, so many people who were willing to recommend it. And surprisingly, I really liked this book! It was a fun, quick, compelling read!

THE PREMISE
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
(Summary from GoodReads)

MY THOUGHTS
I really liked Echo and Noah's relationship. They were very cute and cared so much for each other. The situations throughout the book are definitely realistic. As a high school student I know how cruel your peers can be. I think that Katie McGarry  understands high school perfectly. I loved the characters and I enjoyed the situations they were put through. The reason I am choosing to give it four stars is because it really isn't my kind of book. I personally wouldn't have read it if it hadn't been so highly reviewed. I didn't love it. I really liked it and enjoyed it. The book shows that every character has flaws that need to be overcome. The writing was excellent! In all it was a fun read. 
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: Maybe
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: To those who like this topic or are curious about what the hype is about.'
WILL I READ THE COMPANION NOVEL: Maybe
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR PERHAPS

BISON=FOUR STARS

Prophecy

Title: Prophecy
Author: Ellen Oh
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure, Magic, Demons
Series: The Dragon King Chronicles #1
Recommended for 12 maybe 13 and up
Rating: Butterfly
Received from Christina at A Reader of Fictions via the Cuddlebuggery, Little Blogger, Big Ambitions program.


You know the book where you're all excited for it? It sounds awesome, it has a great cover and it reminds you of a book that you absolutely love? Well Prophecy has intrigued me from when I first heard about it. I read a few reviews and I began to worry, BUT I was still pretty excited. And when I got it from the Little Blogger, Big Ambitions program I was psyched! But from there it was a downhill ride.

THE PREMISE
The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.
(Summary via Goodreads)
THE PROS
1.) It takes place in Korea. That right there is very cool! So many books seem to take place in the U.S. and that's cool and all, but I love getting a glimpse into another world and its culture!
2.) All of the legends and myths were really interesting and well thought out.
3.) I really liked the idea of demons who inhabit a body and can only be killed when their heads are cut off. It was very cool!
4.) Jindo!!! Oh how I love my animal sidekicks!! He was loyal to a fault and just an awesome dog. I felt like there should have been chapters devoted to his awesomeness. He saved so many lives, far more than Kira did. He was my favorite character in the whole book. Not only was he the most loyal dog ever, (besides my dog, that is) he was sweet and caring and just refused to die. At one point the evil little Taejo called Jindo a coward...I have never had such a strong urge to punch a twelve year old in the face. NO ONE should ever insult a dog....EVER!!! 
5.) The cover. It is super pretty! Is it not? 
6.) Kira's realization that maybe she wasn't always going to be viewed as ugly and evil. Character development is essential in a book and Kira did develop. That's always good!! 
7.) The concept was very interesting....
THE CONS
1.) In the first three pages, my first thought was, This sounds almost exactly like Graceling. And I expected that. The summary implied it was similar, but it felt so similar it threw me off. In the first chapter you have Kira who has weird eyes, is a great warrior and protector of her cousin the prince. Her Uncle, the King, hates her. She is betrothed to this guy who is wanted by every woman in the court, but she can't stand him. If you haven't read Graceling, then that is exactly how Graceling was. And this book was not a total copycat. It was unique, BUT when a book is similar I can't help but compare them. And Graceling was phenomenal, what other High Fantasy book can live up to its rep? (FYI, it did not live up to Graceling.) 
2.) It was a bit....slow. I never really got into it. I made it about halfway through and then decided I should be studying. I mean, seriously, I HATE STUDYING, and yet I chose to study history instead of reading. It wasn't awful but if I had been really into it, studying would not have been on my mind.
3.) The characters were....how do I put this, flat, BLAH, boring. Taejo was either a whiny kid or someone way older. He went from crying about Kira doing something that he was supposed to do and then to telling her that she was strong and blah, blah, blah. And Kira was just there. She reminded me so much of Katsa, except she was no wheres near as awesome. The others were just there. 
4.) It feels like it should be a middle grade book. I think if I were nine or ten I would have LOVED it!! Instead it just felt juvenile. And it really would be a good MG book, except for a couple parts where it's like, ummmm, not really ten year old appropriate.
5.) Kira seemed emotionless. I mean I would be having a mental breakdown (maybe not in public, but at least in private!) She seemed indifferent.
6.) Kyoung. He was mentioned in the first bit and then for the whole rest of the book Kira doesn't even think about him. All she worries about is her mom and dad and Taejo. Then it was like the author all of a sudden went, oh yeah....I remember that character  I shall provide my characters with some resolution and randomly have him appear at the end....okkkkaaaayyyyy....
7.) Jaewon and Seung...After meeting them and knowing them for a VERY short amount of time Kira feels compelled to tell them who they really are (I feel like they already should have known along with every other person because Kira was known as the prince's protector, so shouldn't they assume that the random kid was in reality the prince?) I also felt like I could have really liked Seung, but he was never really...I don't know how to say this used? mentioned? At one point they split up and left Kwan, Jaewon, and Seung behind. I didn't even realize he was missing...
OVERALL
I know from all of the things I listed as negative, it would make sense to rate it lower than 2.5 stars. But for all that there wasn't a lot I liked there was nothing that made me want to rip the book to shreds. I think that the author needs to work on her writing style and also how she is going to tell the story. Although the first book was no good, I think I might stick with the series and see what happens next. With any luck there will be improvement.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: PROBABLY NOT
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: I think that if there are amazing reviews for the second book I would buy this book. But otherwise no.
WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE: MAYBE, If just to satisfy my curiosity.
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: Unless I hear that her writing style (The way she writes her characters, the scenes, ect...) then no.

BUTTERFLY=2.5 STARS

MY APRIL RECAP

In the year 2013, a book blog was born.....

I just don't know what to say. THIS IS MY FIRST EVER MONTHLY RECAP!! Shocking isn't it? It feels like only yesterday it was Easter break and I was bored out of my mind, and then all of a sudden I got this idea. To create this lovely blog. I feel so impressed I made it this far!!! 

This is what I've done so far:

Exciting Events:

I created this blog. (Wait, this was actually in March....Oh well it can be recapped in this!)

Reviews:

1.) Blood Red Road by Moira Young---I loved this book! Definitely recommending it to fans of Dystopian

2.) This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith---Smith does it again. Not only did I love her book Statistical, this book made me fall in love with her easy way of story telling all over agian!

3.) Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram--Although I had read this book a while ago, I chose to write a review gushing over it. Because, well this book ROCKS!!

4.) Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear--DO NOT RUIN STEAMPUNK!! The next book had better be better....*Grumbling to self about unfairness of this book*

5.) Mind Games by Kiersten White--I did not expect to like this book as much as I did!

6.) The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab--Action packed adventure!

7.) Storm by Brigid Kemmerer---Why did I not LOVE this like so many other people...*SIGH* I always feel like I'm missing out when everyone is gushing about a book, but I don't feel the same...

8.) Shards and Ashes---There were some amazing stories in here, but there were also some stories that bored me...

9.) Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld---I went into full out hush mode when writing this review!!!

10.) Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger---This was good steampunk!!!

Top Ten Tuesdays:

1.) Top ten Fictional characters I would crush on...

2.) Top ten books I read before I was a BLOGGER...

3.) Top ten Series I haven't finished...

4.) Top ten books I thought I would like more/less than I did...

5.) Ten Topics/Words that make me buy a book...

Teaser Tuesday: 

1.) Mind Games

2.) If We Survive

3.) Etiquette & Espionage

Waiting on Wednesdays:

1.) #1

2.)  #2

3.) #3

4.) #4

My to Reads:  (Just a few that I have lined up) 

1.) Prophecy by Ellen Oh

2.) Touched by Corrine Jackson

3.) Spark by Brigid Kemmerer

4.) Unraveling  by Elizabeth Norris

5.) Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

6.) Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

I can't say for sure I'll read all of them because I have other books, too. But that's what I'm hoping to get to!

    

SOME EXCITING NEW RELEASES:

The Avery Shaw Experiment  by Kelly Oram  COMES OUT: MAY 2nd

The Fifth Wave  by Rick Yancey COMES OUT: MAY 7th 

Reboot by Amy Tintera  COMES OUT: MAY 7th

Icons by Margaret Stohl COMES OUT: MAY 7th

The Originals by Cat Patrick  COMES OUT: MAY 7th

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins COMES OUT: MAY 14th

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston COMES OUT: MAY 14th

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross COMES OUT: MAY 28th

AND that is only a few of the books coming out in May.....

Anyhow, my posting for May is going to be pretty erratic. I have a big exam coming up..On my birthday...and I haven't had as much reading time! :'(  So with any luck after that, things will slow down and there will be more reviews!!! =D

My favorite book(s) of the month: 

Etiquette & Espionage

Title: Etiquette & Espionage
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: YA, Steampunk, Paranormal, Historical Fiction
Series: Finishing School #1
Recommended for 10 and up
Rating: Zebra

This is one of those books that proves my theory that there is no such thing as bad steampunk! This book....GAHHH!! I loved it!! This book had it all! So here's my book breakdown:

THE PREMISE
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners—and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage—in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate, this YA series debut is filled with all the saucy adventure and droll humor Gail Carriger's legions of fans have come to adore.
(Summary from GoodReads)
THE PROS
1.) The beginning. For me the beginning was a glimpse into the wonderful world of steampunk. Instead of wondering whether  the book I was reading was steampunk, this book immediatly came out with the fact, with an opening scene full of crashing dumbwaiters and flying trifle.
2.) The opening scene gave insight on Sophronia's character. You can quickly learn that she is going to be adventuresome, fearless, and extremely creative narrator!!
3.) I recently mentioned I absolutely adore animal sidekicks and while Sophronia's pet was slightly unconventional, who doesn't love a mechanical dog?
4.) Oh, how I loved the names! Mrs. Barnaclegoose, Frowbritcher, Lady Linette, among others. Normally I might choose to make fun of such strange names, but for this book they fit. The names seemed to add humor in a situation that otherwise would have been quite humorless.
5.) Sophronia's thoughts. Every now and again in italics Sophronia's thoughts would appear. She was so real and adventuresome. Her thoughts fit those that an adventuresome fourteen year old would have. She provided even more humor within the story for how real she acted. She was definitely a refreshing narrator!
6.) The mix of steampunk and paranormal. It is so hard to get the perfect combination of steampunk and another element. Just look at Innocent Darkness. It had such an interesting premise, but the execution was no good! Here the paranormal aspects of werewolves and vampires were perfectly mixed with the machines!
7.) The dialogue. Gail Carriger is an expert at writing. Her writing style fit perfectly with Sophronia's voice AND also was so interesting. Here's one of my favorite quotes; "It's irrelevant. Or do I mean irreverent."  At first I almost didn't catch that, but it fit so perfectly with the scene! 
8.) Vieve, Dimity, Pillover, and Soap. At first I thought there was no way I was going to like Dimity. In Sophronia's words "She seemed to be a bit of a prattler." But she just grew on me! She was so much more than the girl you first meet! Vieve, I love this character, I really do! If I was in this book I would want to act like Vieve! Soap, okay, HOW COULD YOU NOT LIKE SOAP??? He just....I LOVED HIM!!! And finally Pillover! Wanna-be evil genius.....EXECUTED TO PERFECTION.  There were so many parts with him where I just laughed! =D 
THE CONS
1.) I felt like Sophronia's name was too long. It's not that I didn't love her name, it's that it was so long and formal....I wish there had been a nickname!!
2.) I'm still confused to the exact nature of a Pickleman.
3.) Captain Niall, where did you go??? He was such an interesting character, but he just faded out! :'(
OVERALL
I enjoyed this book! It was action packed with a great mystery and amazing characters!! The premise and execution were fantastic! This was a great enjoyable read and I will be anxiously awaiting the next one!!!
WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: YES!!!!!!!
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: IT IS WORTH THE MONEY
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: TO ANY AND ALL STEAMPUNK FANS!
WILL I READ THE NEXT ONE: YEAH!!!!!
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: Yes, she has an adult series, which is supposed to be good...HMMMMM....

Fav quotes:
 "Mummy and Daddy want him to be an evil genius, but he has his heart set on Latin verse. Don't you, Pill?"

 "But I have advanced eyelash fluttering to practice, and a mathematics problem concerning how to order strychnine and a lamb dinner on a limited budget, and three chapters on court etiquette to read, and my handkerchief to starch, and the quadrille to memorize!"

"I should never have thought there would be a time when I would envy another girl's eyelash manipulation."

ZEBRA=4.5 STARS

Feature and Follow Friday #2

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

So this post is really late! Anyhow this weeks question is:

Q: Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.

How to answer, how to answer, hmmmmm. Well I have just started reading Prophecy by Ellen Oh. And when I say just started I really mean I'm on like the second page! I have been super busy!! My thoughts so far is that it reminds me a lot of Graceling. The main character reminds me so much of Katsa. I am really hoping that I will be able to see around it as I get further into the story. Well, thanks for stopping by. (And sorry this post sucks!!)

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy

Oh, If you want to follow me, I would love if you followed through Bloglovin' or Linky followers! Thanks!!

Waiting on Wednesday #5

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is a weekly post that shows what book YOU are waiting for!!

THIS WEEK I'M WAITING FOR:





The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram
RELEASES: MAY 2013

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

I am waiting for this because I LOVE KELLY ORAM. Her book Being Jamie Baker....One of my favorite books EVER!! (FYI I really can't wait for the second book in that series, More than Jamie Baker)

and here is the cover for More then Jamie Baker, too! Which doesn't come out until January 2014!! :'(


---Jamie Baker, the only girl in the world with superpowers, has now accepted who she is and learned to control her power. Not to mention she has the best boyfriend on the planet. Life is finally looking good. But the day she witnesses an accident and decides not to save the guy out of fear of being exposed, she realizes that simply being Jamie Baker isn't enough.
After seeing Jamie so wrecked with guilt, the ever-helpful Ryan Miller decides it's time to make all of his fantasies about turning his girlfriend into an honest-to-goodness superhero become a reality.

Of course, coming up with a decent Super Name and fending off all of Ryan's attempts to get her into spandex aren't the only problems Jamie faces. The more her alter ego starts to make headlines, the harder it becomes for Jamie to hide her extracurricular activities from her best friend, the government, radical scientists, and the mysterious new guy who is determined to steal her from her boyfriend.---



That is what I'm waiting for, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????