Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine where bloggers share what book they can't wait to get their hands on this week!

This week I'm waiting on Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons (Article 5 #2)

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

Release Date: February 5th, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where bloggers list their top then. This week's Top Ten is Top Ten Favorite Kick-Ass Heroines.

1. Katsa (Graceling) - Katsa one of my favorite main characters ever! She kicks butt and stays true to herself no matter what. In my opinion she's a great role model for girls everywhere!

2. Rose (Vampire Academy) - Oh Rose, I have a bit of a girl crush on her. She's so awesome and hilarious and tough! Rose wins more fights in one book than many heroines win in an entire series! She's a total badass.

3. Tris ( Divergent) - Tris is a badass for everything she ISN'T. She isn't tall or muscular or pretty but she doesn't let any of that stop her, she still manages to fight her way to the top of the pack and screw up a plot to overthrow the regime!

4. Izzy ( Mortal Instruments Series) - Izzy is completely amazing. She kills demons (with a WHIP, how kick-ass is that?!), breaks hearts, and manages to deliver sass to every conversation. Plus she has a soft side too! Step aside Clary, Izzy is on the way to being my favorite female character in this series.

5. Arya (Inheritance Cycle) - Arya is the reason I wanted to be an elf in Middle School. She withstands torture to save the last dragon egg, wields a sword like nobodys buisness and fights off Eragon's affections. Oh yeah, she's a princess too.

6. Hermione (Harry Potter series) - Who doesn't love Hermione? On the outside she appears to be just your typical bookworm but make her angry and BAM you get punched in the face (take that Malfoy)! She holds her own against two teenage boys, and helps to bring down Voldemort, because let's be honest there's no way Harry could have gotten the Horcruxes without her.

7. Fire - Yes, another Kristin Cashore novel, but she writes the BEST kick-ass characters. Fire is one of the most badass but saddest characters I've ever read about. She saves a kingdom but sacrifices a lot in the process, she's strong both emotionally and physically. With a name like Fire how could you not kick-ass?

8. Annabeth (Percy Jackson series) - Annabeth is the daughter of a goddess, and not just any goddess, the goddess of war and knowledge! She's been killing monsters since she was 8 years old, and she's one of the smartest girls at Camp Half-Blood. Plus she LITERALLY held the weight of the world on her shoulders once, sound's like a pretty awesome heroine to me.

9. Raisa ( the seven realms series) - Princess Raisa does nothing but kick butt in this series. She manuevers her way through the court politically and physically and puts her kingdom before anything. The only thing she can't do is follow here heart *cue sappy tears*.

10. Katniss (The Hunger Games) - Katniss started a rebellion, won the Hunger Games, and made every adolescent girl want to learn archery. Plus she brings down President Snow like nobodys buisness.

Review: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy; a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest. But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why; especially since I should have been the one who died...

I wasn't really expecting much when I picked up this book, I bought it because it was only $2.99 for the Kindle and I was bored. So I was excited when I started reading it and it was about one of my favorite YA themes, mythology!

This book is a really fast read, it has a nice pace and an interesting storyline that I found suprisingly unpredictable. When I first began reading I thought that I had the mystery figured out, but I definitely didn't see the twist coming and I LOVED it! I also enjoyed how Estep used God's from almost every country, not just Greece or Rome. It really made it stand out from other YA books that incorporate mythology. It also made the Mythos Academy students more interesting to me, because they were different then any godly descendants I had read about before.

The main character Gwen is an outsider at Mythos Academy because she's not rich or gifted like everyone else, so of course we end up finding out that she just might be more gifted than any of them. At times Gwen was rather frustrating, it seemed like she just wanted to see the worst in everyone. However as the story went on I began to like her more, mostly because of her sass. As for Logan, well he's just the perfect bad boy isn't he? I loved Logan and I loved the tension between him and Gwen, it was my favorite part of the book. I did however find his reputation a little scandalous though, maybe it's just me but wouldn't you be a LITTLE alarmed if the boy you liked had supposedly slept with half of the school? Then again I suppose it could make him even more desirable...

Overall I though Touch of Frost had an interesting plot that I haven't read a million times before, enjoyable characters that seemed very human, and a great boarding school setting! Who doesn't love that?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine where readers share a book they are eagerly waiting on this week!

This week I'm waitng on Boundless by Cynthia Hand!

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013

I love love love this series and I can't wait to see how it ends! Will Clara complete her purpose? Who will she choose, Tucker or Christian?? So much anticipation!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This weeks Top Ten is Top Ten books to get in the Halloween Spirit!

 
1. Bliss by Lauren Myracle

This book scared the crap out of me. I picked it up because I really enjoyed Myracle's Internet Girls series and the two could not be anymore different! This is a great horror mystery with a retro storyline that will leave you terrified.

2. The First Horror (99 Fear Street, The House of Evil)

When I was in middle school I went through an R.L. Stine faze, which resulted in me reading every single book from his Fear Street series. While they all terrified me The First Horror was definitely the most scarring. These books are great quick but scary stories that STILL haunt me to this day!

3. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars is a GREAT show, but it's an EVEN BETTER book series! The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat and it has enough suspense to leave you breathless. Whenever I feel like I'm being watched my mind immediately jumps to A. This is a great one for people who like scary stories with plenty of drama!

4. Dead Rules by Randy Russell

The girl dies and ends up in a Zombie High School, how creepy is that! Also I found the ending very freaky, definitely a twist I didn't see coming. This ones not too scary but it still satisifies the Halloween appetite.

5. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I love this book, and I loved how creepy it was and some points! The southern setting and magical elements, combined with the flashbacks from the past make this a great one to pick up anytime you need a dose of Halloween.

6. Monster High by Lisi Harrison

This book is more Middle Grade than Young Adult, but it's still a fun read! It's full of monsters and crazy shenanigans, perfect for a more light-hearted Halloween night!

7. Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

This is a great fast-paced read with a funny heroine and a sexy (possibly)  vampire love interest. Raven is a great gothic main character that keeps the readers laughing, while diving into a mystery that readers can enjoy (even if you can predict the outcome).

8. Jekel loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

I loved this book, it was a great romantic read with a fabulous element of horror. Fantaskey does a great job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end! Definitely a spooky one!

9. Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

A great read filled with teen angst and ZOMBIES! Waters does a great job of making these zombies seem human, even if they don't have a beating heart. One of my favorite YA series.

10. You are so Undead to me by Stacy Jay

A fun read about a teenage girl who is destined to kill zombies, even though she doesn't want too. This book has a good balance of creepy and hilarious, thank's to the spunky main character and her less-than-perfect job.

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Let me start by saying that Dystopian novels are one of my favorite genres in YA literature, however I think that they are difficult to get right. They can easily beome too confusing or too similar to other Dystopian novels (one of my favorite things about Dystopian novels is how different they can be).  So I was excited, yet nervous, to read Under the Never Sky.

For the first 50 pages I was wary, I found the plot slightly confusing and I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters, but as I read on I began to fall in love with everything. I really liked the fact the story was told in dual perspectives by Aria and Perry, it allowed the reader to see the world through the eyes of someone who has lived in the Outside their whole life (Perry) and someone who has just been introduced to it (Aria). If this book had been told solely from Aria's perspective I think it would have been much less enjoyable and much more confusing.

As for the characters, they really grew on me. In the first half of the book I really didn't like Aria, I thought she was very selfish and immature and I thought her reactions to Perry were just rude. Fortunately though she matured as the book went on and I began to really enjoy reading about her character. I found Perry fascinating, I loved reading his sections of the book, especially his reactions to the things Aria said to him and the inner-conflict you saw him deal with throughout. I also enjoyed how well developed the more minor characters were (especially Roar, he was my favorite), Rossi did a great job of keeping them from falling flat.

Overall I thought that Under the Never Sky was a great dystopian novel with an original premise, and enjoyably dynamic characters. I'll be waiting impatiently to read the sequel, Through the Ever Night!

Back and better than ever! (hopefully)

Hello blog readers! As you've probably noticed I have not been updating this blog for over year, it was a very busy year for me and while I was still reading, I was no longer reviewing. However I have decided to once again join the world of book bloggers and I couldn't be more excited! Thank you for allowing me to share my love of books with you!

Your fellow reader,
Morgan