My Revew: GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

My Review:

How in the world did it take me so long to read this one!!! I ordered all three books in the series just before BITTERBLUE was about to be released, in hopes of having something good once I finished INSURGENT. And let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed!

I flew through GRACELING and would've read it much faster, had there not been so many pages that I had to re-read, then read again, because I loved the interaction between Katsa and Po! It's been a loooooong time since I've done that.

The world building that Kristin Cashore invites us into, I thought was brilliant. Reminiscent of Narnia, everything about the seven kingdoms unfolds around you - begging you to smell the dirt and the trees, feel the cold and the snowflakes, or get sick on the high seas with Bitterblue.

And then there's Katsa.

Katsa is exactly the heroine I've been waiting for. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love Katniss - and Tris is right up there for me, too...but there's something about how raw and explosive Katsa is, that I completely relate to. She's strong and determined, yet stubborn and short-fused. Everything about her made the perfect lead character, and her flaws made her that much stronger.

And Po. Oh, Po. I loved this character from the very first page he showed up - and I just knew he was going to turn Katsa's world upside down. Not only was he laid-back and observant, but he was also incredibly humble...something which helped to ground Katsa, whether she wanted it or not.

All of the other characters in the book were well-written, focused, and rounded out the story completely: Bitterblue who offered her youth with charm and charisma, Raffin, with his fierce loyalty, Randa - Katsa's last blood relative - who deserved more punishment than he got, for how he used her...and of course, King Leck. This character was written so well, I wanted to kill him myself - and his cruelty to animals and children alone, made him the ultimate villain.

If I had to come up with any criticism for GRACELING, I'd say maybe it was a little slow at the beginning, but that's stretching to come up with something. I really enjoyed this book and the journey it took me on - and I'm very much looking forward to what comes next, with FIRE and BITTERBLUE. Stay tuned for my reviews!

View all my reviews

My Review: BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...

My Review:

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to not only participate in a playful interview with Sarah Ockler (which is posted below), but was also given the chance to read the ARC of her latest release, BITTERSWEET.

Granted, I'm not sure how much (if anything) changed from the ARC to the actual published book, but I'll base my review off what I read with the ARC.

I've been a huge fan of Sarah's - and absolutely loved TWENTY BOY SUMMER. I also thoroughly enjoyed FIXING DELILAH...

But Sarah's third book BITTERSWEET, overall, was just okay for me.

In typical Sarah fashion, she has yet again managed to build a very realistic world around strong characters, dealing with tough subject matters. In BITTERSWEET, our main character Hudson, has her fair share of trials to overcome - this time, dealing with the infidelity of her father and how that, along with his departure for the "other" woman, affects she and her family. Not an easy subject to write about - and I do think Sarah did a great job tackling it.

Throw in cute hockey boys and drool-worthy cupcakes that adorn the beginning of each chapter, the story flowed easily. I loved the relationship between Hudson and her little brother, affectionately named "Bug" - hated how realistic her sometimes overbearing mom could be (which only means she was written well!), and also enjoyed her interaction between the two main boys, Josh and Will. Not to mention, Hudson's friendship with her best friend Dani, had all the layers a teenage friendship should have and was spot on.

All of that said, I'm not exactly sure where BITTERSWEET fell short for me, other than it just didn't have the same impact that TWENTY BOY SUMMER did (see my review here). I still adore Sarah's writing and amazing world building - and I'll always read what she writes. It's just this one, wasn't my favorite.

Net/net, I thought BITTERSWEET was good and worth the read - but if you haven't read TWENTY BOY SUMMER, I'd highly suggest you start there.

View all my reviews

My Review: THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

My Review:

At first, I wasn't sure if I was completely on board with this series. Dystopian and zombies, I've been there before.

But after reading the first book in the series, THE MAZE RUNNER, and then starting the second - THE SCORCH TRIALS - I became totally hooked. Unlike other dystopian / zombie books, this series is the WHY behind the way things are. You're not left to wonder how the Earth fell to shambles. Or how the human race suddenly has a strong desire to eat one another. You read how it all happened, how the characters are trying to find a cure, and how ultimately, they triggered it all to begin with.

I thought the third and final book was fantastic. It isn't always the case that the final book in a series wraps up every loose end and ties everything off with a nice and tidy bow, making the reader feel a sense of a finality when they turned the last page. Sure it was a little tough to get used to some of the new language in the very beginning - but halfway through the first book, it completely made sense.

And now that the series is over? I will say I was 100% entertained. Loved every twist and turn - some predictable, but only there, to completely throw the reader off guard for the next one, that would then make me ask - what the hell just happened? No way. And I really enjoyed that it was almost puzzle-like, leaving me to piece together the bread crumbs along the way, only to come to the end and see if I was right. I love books like that.

Very well written, great cast of characters, and a purely unique setting the entire way through all three books. It only leaves me to wonder, what will James Dashner comes up with next? I can't wait to find out.

View all my reviews

My Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My Review:

Okay, so I'll admit it: I actually had zero interest in reading this book simply because it had vampires (so over them), werewolves (really?), shape-shifters (blah), faeries (...), and mermaids (I know they're all the rage; I just can't get into them). But thanks to a Friday Fives blog post on great first lines by my lovely writerly friend Alicia Gregoire, I was totally hooked. The opening line is ha-larious! I mean, come on:

"Wait--did you--you just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides.

That right there told me this book was going to be something different. Kiersten White put a very humorous spin on a variety of characters that have seen their time in the spotlight (at least until they become popular again, twenty years from now).

On more than one occasion, I went into silent laugh mode - especially when the main character Evie would censor herself by saying, "oh, bleep." or when I pictured the funny way she'd say goodbye to her friend Lish (she's the mermaid) by blowing up her cheeks on the glass of her tank. I loved the interaction between she and Lend (the shape-shifter), but wish there had been more between she and Reth (the Faerie); but I'm sure that's coming in the next book...at least I hope so!

Just an overall super fun read and wasn't at all what I was expecting - okay, maybe just a little bit. But still, I really, really enjoyed this one! And to make it all better? I won an autographed copy of the sequel, SUPERNATURALLY (thanks to the wonderful Jessica Kim!), which I just received - and so can't wait to read.

Fun read - definitely recommend.

View all my reviews

My Review: Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.
She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

My Review:

I loved Sarah's first novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER – and immediately dove into FIXING DELILAH, as soon as I'd finished the last page.

The hard-hitting topic this time? Family.

We've all been there before (okay, maybe some of us more than others, but still), dealing with the chaos of related loved ones. This book particularly resonated with me, primarily because it dealt with the relationship between Delilah and her mom, and her mom and her grandmother. On more than one occasion, I felt the sharp pang of familiarity with what was happening between them all - especially when the topic strayed towards her grandmother's depression. A very private and often times alienated subject, depression impacts the lives of so many, yet is often swept under the rug with the hopes it will just go away.

Sarah Ockler definitely has a way with words, along with the ability to weave intense subject matters into an otherwise common story line - and all while not speaking down to the intended audience: the teen reader.

FIXING DELILAH was beautifully written, although I will say TWENTY BOY SUMMER is still my favorite Sarah Ockler read.

View all my reviews