Opal (Lux, #3)

Reviewer: Kristen 
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Pages: 382
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 9 out of 10

SPOILER ALERT. THIS IS THE THIRD OF A SERIES. OBSIDIAN (LIUX 1) and ONYX (LUX 2) reviews! P.S I suggest not even reading the summary if you've not read the other two. 

Summary (thanks GR): No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.
My Thoughts: Well, there's not much for me to say other than I love this book. Anything else would be spoileresque. I love how the characters develop. I also really like that I don't hate Katy. Anyone notice that most heroines are annoying as hell. Sure, Katy has her moments but it just makes her feel real. Daemon and her relationship is definitely amped up in this one. LASTLY THAT ENDING. OH MY GOD. THAT ENDING.

Final Thoughts: August 27th cannot come fast enough. (P.S Who's excited for the next one to be in both Daemon and Katy's POV?!) 

Code (Virals #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Rating: 8 out of 10

** Spoiler Alert: Read Virals OR Seizure (no review, summary on Virals review page. If you are wondering, I liked it) before reading Code**

Summary (via Goodreads): The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach—if the Virals are up to the challenge.

But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box—a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there—a real one—and the clock is ticking.

What I Think: I need to start by saying that I'm a very big fan of Kathy Reichs so I may be bias. I think that she is a great writer and I always enjoy reading her novels especially her young adult novels because they still require thought but are at a level that are easy to understand and easy to read. They make you feel like you are getting the science of a more hardcore novel but are still able to enjoy the drama of teenage life. It mixes two of my favourite things. I was however very dissapointed with the cover change. Now my set doesn't match. OCD FTW? I think this one should match, how hard is that?

Anyway, I digress! I love the setting of this series. The authors paint a beautiful picture of the area and allow me to visualize what the characters are seeing. That helps to get me into the story. It's a great place for these stories to take place too. I couldn't imagine how different it would be if it took place elsewhere. I'm happy that it doesn't.

The characters are great. They are each unique. Kit is as far away and still close as ever. He is more aware then is let on until the end. I feel like he gets ignored too often. He's a great guy. Whitney...urg! I'd kill her if I were Tory. God bless Tory for not killing her. Tory is a great leader. I like that she tests limits but also realizes the need to be safe. She is also compassionate and worries about hurting the feelings of other people. It's the perfect mix of what people feel. Everything is tossed inside but at different levels. She has the depth of a true person. However, she should have figured out what was what between Ben and Jason. 

I love the snappy writing and the small, quick jokes. I am sarcastic and relate to that well. This book gives a few good laughs while keeping itself honest and true to the characters and story line. Tension is released at the best moments and built when it needs to be. Emotions ran to fit the story; I got into it. I was upset at the end just as Tory was and I felt betrayed and hurt and happy like she did. Mostly, I felt bad that she had to put up with so much creepy. The biggest creep (in this story) being for a stupid reason in the end. Though, to level with you, I figured out what was going on before I got to the end. I also figured out quite a few of the puzzles which made me angry because if I could figure it out, why couldn't they? I should have been proud but I was just disappointed. The feeling didn't last though.

In Conclusion:I could see myself reading this novel again in the future. As I said before, I am a big fan of Kathy Reichs. I have all her novels and, of them, this series is definitely the easiest to follow. I enjoyed the quick wit, quick read, and small bites of science. If you like crime, puzzles, and mystery you might like this novel. However, it's not all true science since they are Virals. Science-fiction gets thrown into the mix so if you don't enjoy that beware. Me? I'm waiting for the next book.

Onyx (Lux, #2)

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout 
Pages: 366
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 9 out of 10

*** Spoiler warning! This is the second to the LUX series. Click for a review of Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout (Lux, 1) ***


Summary (thanks Goodreads): Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

My Thoughts: There's not much that I can say without spoiling the last two books. I read these back to back, and they blend together because they pick up immediately after each other. I can tell you though, without spoilers, that I love this serious. I love the side of Daemon Black we begin to see in this story. I love the heartbreak, and I love that Jennifer L Armentrout moves unflinchingly through the novel, and stays true to the story and the characters. I get so angry at some of them - including Katy this time around,  really girl, really?! - but I still can't help but love them. We see more of Daemon and Katy grow together. What I really appreciated was the fact that despite having a connection aka being in a kinda sorta relationship  the characters remain true to who we first met in Obsidian. I loved it, and dare I say, I loved it more than the first. 

Final Thoughts: Get yourself to the bookstore ladies and gents, you're gonna want to get your hands on this. 

Skin Deep

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Jerome Preisler
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Thank goodness for Goodreads): A retired judge has been found brutally murdered on the outskirts of Las Vegas, complete with a macabre yet masterfully intricate tattoo on his face . . . the third seemingly random victim of the mysterious kidnapper dubbed by law enforcement as the "Tattoo Man." The judge wasn't the first person to have been abducted, drugged, and permanently altered with tattoos and body modification . . . but he was the first to wind up dead. At the same time, several other deceased are turning up all over Sin City with their body art mercilessly removed--and the timing would seem to suggest to those in authority that all of these crimes are somehow related. But Las Vegas's top crime scene investigators--Catherine Willows, Ray Langston, Nick Stokes, Sara Sidle, and Greg Sanders--aren't jumping to any conclusions, as they attempt to connect the dots by entering the secretive and tight-knit body art community--one that is intensely wary of outsiders. 

My Thoughts: This is, clearly, a CSI novel so if you don't enjoy that show then you may not like this novel either. This novel, not unlike the other CSI novels, involve a very interesting killer. These characters, always with depth, remind me of the serial killers from Criminal Minds. It might as well be a Criminal Minds novel, other than the characters. This novel doesn't involve a crime of passion with a quick cover up. It has a very elaborate back-story. This novel requires a great deal of thinking and keeping up. You must be able to follow the story and keep up with the csi's as they solve the crime lest you get left behind which if a very big possibility with this novel. You must keep track of the regular characters as well as the ones related only to this particular novel. It was a lot of work. It required focus and time that, in the beginning, I wasn't willing to give it. I had to restart the novel (I started reading this novel once before but gave up. Finishing it the second time was also a struggle but not because it was boring. I just don't enjoy thinking too much.). 

Obviously, this book involves science and big words which allows you to learn something while you read. I like that. I like knowing random fun facts about how things work and random big words that I can throw into my sentences to make me seem smarter than I actually am; it's a fault, I know. It also gave me a new view of tattoo artists and people with tattoos, not that I judged them before, you simply got an inside look.


One thing I must warn is that it is, though not the most graphic novel I've ever read, disturbing. The reader gets to see the world through the eyes of the criminal multiple times, as well as, through the eyes of the victim. This puts the reader in a position to understand motives and to, sometimes and not necessarily in this case, understand why the killer is doing what they are doing. It can help or hurt the book. In this case, it did neither really. It just spooked me out. It's worse seeing through the victim's eyes because I don't enjoy thinking about death never mind my own. 

In Conclusion: Having read other CSI novels in the past, I can say that this is not my favourite. I finished it and enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was but I find I'd rather watch my CSI on TV because it's easier to figure out the "whodunnit?" I like that aspect which is lost on me in the books. I won't be reading this novel again. I would recommend the CSI: Miami novels over regular CSI novels. If you are upset by crime novels or the description of dead bodies or crimes then this isn't for you. At times I did find it gross and upsetting and I watch all the crime shows on TV and have a strong stomach. You know what you like. 

Thanks for reading!

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1)

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Susan Ee
Pages: 283
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 10 out of 10


Summary (thanks Goodreads): It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
My Thoughts: Oh. My. God. OH MY GOD. ASDAKJSFASJF. I don't even know how to begin to describe my love for this book. In my latest romance obsession, I have completely forgotten about my good old dystopian love. But fear not! Angelfall re-introduced me to how much I love and missed dystopian literature. This book jumps right into the story. You don't know who you're supposed to love, you don't know who you're supposed to be rooting for, but eventually it just happens. I love with when you have characters you can't pinpoint the moment you fell in love with them, it just happened. I love Raffe. Oh sweet baby J, I love Raffe. How cool is the idea of an agnostic Angel?! Plus, I love how in depth and how intriguing and different all the characters truly are. Tell me the last time you had a heroine with a schizophrenic mother. And, Paige. My heart, poor little Paige. I love Paige, I love Penryn. It's basically impossible to not love this book. You need to get your hands on this now. Seriously. Need to. If you're a scratchin for a good amazing awesome perfect  dystopian novel, this is for you!

Final Thoughts: Get this. Now. Right now. Right this second. Hazard notice: This series is looking to have 5 novels?!? and this is the first and only out! 

Hopeless

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 327
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 8½ out 10


Summary (I live you, Goodreads): Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.


Thoughts: Although I've been reading (and ordering books - sorry bank account) like it's going out of style, I've been seriously lacking in my reviews. So, for that reason, my next few reviews may be a bit shorter than normal. 

Um, holy crap?! Here I thought I was just in for a feel good, romance, summery read. Holy plot twist. Holy plot twists! This book was amazing. I didn't want to put it down, and I didn't for a couple of hours. I loved Sky. The characters were so thought out and complex that it took my breath away. I seriously wish that I had known how amazing Colleen Hoover actually is. I promise you that this won't be my last book by her genius. Seriously, there were characters you loved, and then were like Oh s#!% maybe I shouldn't love them, and then you were like Oh but I do! It was one emotional roller coaster that I really didn't expect. 

P.S cute boys with dark hair and tattoos are the main cause of like 98% of my problems. 

Final Thoughts: If you're looking for an amazing read, this is for you. Get this now. You'll just regret waiting.

P.S Whose excited as anything for the next, Losing Hope?!

Obsidian (Lux, #1)

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 361
Format: Paperback
My Rating: 8 out of 10

Summary (I don't even like you, Goodreads): Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is


My Thoughts: To begin, I feel as though I need to clarify why I have some apparent beef with Goodreads. I actually don't. I've decided to mix things up, I would kind of incorporate something from each book I'm reading into the Goodreads shout out. Okay, I'm done being awkward. 

Well, it suffices to say that I don't even remember the last time I read a book about aliens. Oh, wait maybe I do. That's right. Never. I honestly don't think I've ever read a book about aliens, because, as shallow as this is, whenever I think "alien" I think green, weird headed things. Well, well, well. If all aliens could look like Daemon Black, avoiding alien books would be a whole lot harder. I mean seriously. LOOK AT THAT COVER. LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS SPECIMEN. Freak out over. I think. No promises. 

Okay, onto the actual book. I loved Katy. Seriously. I see myself in her, ya know, she's a book blogger (which I totally, totally loved), she's sassy, she's some what of an introvert. I hated Daemon. At first, I hated him at first. I didn't understand why he was so anti-Katy. But then I did, and even though he still frustrated me, it's pretty damn hard to not fall in love with him. Actually though, I added him to my fantasy boy list. He's unintentionally hilarious, and Katy and his relationship is so unforgivingly real, you forget that this is a novel. You honestly begin to think that they really are just a couple of normal (normal being relative, as Daemon is an alien after all). The plot was well-paced, and I seriously didn't see anything coming (though maybe I should have, who knows). 

The book was so well written, and the book has definitely drawn me in. I've ordered the next two, (wtf?! seriously... waiting for the next two seems awful) and I can't wait to get my paws on them. I will definitely be re-reading this series, multiple times!

Final Thoughts: I want me a sexy alien. 

Dance the Moon Down

Reviewer: Kristen
Author: R L Bartram
Pages: 300
Format: eBook
My Rating: 8 out of 10

------------- This book was sent to me by the author for a fair and honest review. ------------

Summary (thanks Goodreads): In 1910, no one believed there would ever be a war with Germany. Safe in her affluent middle-class life, the rumours held no significance for Victoria either. It was her father's decision to enroll her at university that began to change all that. There she befriendes the rebellious and outspoken Beryl Whittaker, an emergent suffragette, but it is her love for Gerald Avery, a talented young poet from a neighbouring university that sets the seal on her future. After a clandestine romance, they marry in January 1914, but with the outbreak of the First World War, Gerald volunteeres but within months has gone missing in France. Convinced that he is still alive, Victoria's initial attempts to discover what has become of him, implicate her in a murderous assault on Lord Kitchener resulting in her being interrogated as a spy, and later tempted to adultery. Now virtually destitute, Victoria is reduced to finding work as a common labourer on a run down farm, where she discovers a world of unimaginable ignorance and poverty. It is only her conviction that Gerald will some day return that sustaines her through the dark days of hardship and privation as her life becomes a battle of faith against adversity.

My Thoughts: Wow. Can I just take a second to say how much I was truly craving a really really good historical fiction? Dance The Moon Down seriously couldn't have come at a better time. I have a strange fascination with all things World War. I love hearing stories from the soldiers point of view, and when I first looked at this, I thought that's what it would be. Rare do you find a historical fiction, about World War I, no less, written in a woman's point of view. I seriously loved reading about the woman's struggle, and the woman's heartbreak that came with the War. There was enough about the war to keep my interest peaked, but the story focused on the people that were the most affected by the war, and what happens after the war occurs. I loved the characters, and I love how we saw them grow and change and how changed they really were by everything. The characters were incredibly realistic, and incredibly charming at the same time. Even though she was good at making me crazy, and good at making me want to pull my hair out - I loved Victoria, I'm pretty sure it'd be impossible not to.  I loved Gerald. There was just something about him that made me love him. The novel was extremely well written, and it was easy to get lost in the time line and plot of the story. I definitely, beyond a shadow of any doubt, recommend this to any and all who enjoy historical fiction. Even if it isn't your cup of tea (hahaha, get it? Because it happens in England), pick it up, because it is worth every second of your time. I promise. 

Final Thoughts: This book is has re-kindled my love for historical fiction. I seriously forgot how much I truly loved it. 

Thank you, Robert Bartram, for sending me a copy of your novel! 

The Catcher in the Rye

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: J.D. Salinger
Format: Paperback
Pages: 277
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (Goodreads): The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.

My Quick Thoughts: I can't really review this because, well, it's a super popular classic but I do have some thoughts. When I was in school people always mentioned this book so when my class didn't read it, I thought I was missing out but I wasn't missing out as much as I thought. Yes, it is a classic and if you read many of those you should read this one. However, it didn't really rock my world. I made it to the end and it was an easy enough read it being so short but it definitely won't be my new favourite but I could see maybe reading it again. It seemed to be one of those novels that you have to break down and think about while you read so that you can get everything out of it and I just wasn't up to analyzing it. 

There was a lot of swearing and the ending came suddenly without much of a wrap up.

If you liked Perks of Being a Wallflower than this book is similar so you might like it too.

Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewer: Kristen 
My Rating: 9 out of 10

My Thoughts: I basically disagree with everything Kelsey said, as this is seriously one of my favourite novels. I think the reason I didn't like The Perks of Being a Wallflower as much as everyone else seems to is because I feel loyal to this book (Weird wording, can't do any better). This is one of my favourites, and will always be one of my favourites. J D Salinger is brilliant.