Review of The Legion: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Review of Kami Garcia's The Legion: Unbreakable

Release Date: October 1st, 2013

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.
I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

2013 BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE FOR SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT IN A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL.

I never believed in ghosts.

Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible--not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her.

Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove--a secret society formed to protect the world from a vengeful demon. A society left in the hands of a misfit group of teens with unique skills: Jared, combat trained, with a temper to match; Lukas, rogue hacker and code breaker; Alara, whose attitude is as powerful as her voodoo protections; and Priest, an engineer capable of making a weapon out of a soda can.

As the teens use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities, they earn their rightful places in the Legion--except for Kennedy, who is left wondering if she is truly one of them.

Can she stay alive long enough to find out--without losing her heart in the process?

Protect Yourself.

What you can't see CAN hurt you.

 

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Supernatural meets Demon Catchers of Milan in this debut solo novel by 1 half of the award winning duo who wrote the Beautiful Creatures series.

 

After the shocking death of her mother, Kennedy's life turns upside down in a suspenseful thrill ride that leads her into the arms of twin exorcists, Jared & Lukas, where she finds out her mother had been keeping more secrets from her than she could have ever imagined. Not only are ghosts real, but she has a demon hell-bent on her death.

 

She finds out that she is One of Five Kids Descended from a group called the Legion, who originally banded together to stop the Illuminati... only after a large mishap including a Demon, they have become exorcists... and she is one of them? The other 4 of kids grew up learning about this unbelievable world & how to survive in it, but it was all hidden from her.

 

Kennedy & the Legion will have to decipher hidden texts & search for missing pieces that will help to stop a demon from not only taking them out of the picture, but from destroying everything & everyone they love.

Review of If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Review of Gayle Forman's If I Stay

Release Date: April 6th, 2010

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

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This beautifully written book is told in flashbacks through the eyes of a girl having an out of body experience while dying in a hospital bed after a car accident kills her entire family. This heart wrenching story had me crying by the second chapter and I wouldn't set it down until I was finished reading the entire book.

I decided to read this book after I saw the preview for the movie (while inside the theater to see The Fault in Our Stars) that will be released in August. The movie preview alone had me tearing up, so when by the second chapter you know about the most dramatic moment in Mia's entire life, you can expect that I was balling like a baby.

Since the version of the book I purchased is of a more recent print, it has a lot of Q & A's for the classroom in the back as well as some other extras, which I did not know about until I was 100 or so pages from the end & the story ends. So my only complaint with the entire book is that I was expecting more story and when the journey ended abruptly & with finality, I was shocked... but I guess I will just have to read the sequel, Where She Went, to get the closure I need.

Review of The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Advance Review of Amy Ewing's The Jewel

Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

 

 

Synopsis as found on AmyEwingBooks.com:

 

The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale in this darkly riveting debut filled with twists and turns, where all that glitters may not be gold.

The Jewel means wealth, the Jewel means beauty—but for Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Born and raised in the Marsh, Violet finds herself living in the Jewel as a servant at the estate of the Duchess of the Lake. Addressed only by her number—#197—Violet is quickly thrown into the royal way of life. But behind its opulent and glittering facade, the Jewel hides its cruel and brutal truth, filled with violence, manipulation, and death.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her life . . . all while trying to stay alive. But before she can accept her fate, Violet meets a handsome boy who is also under the Duchess's control, and a forbidden love erupts. But their illicit affair has consequences, which will cost them both more than they bargained for. And toeing the line between being calculating and rebellious, Violet must decide what, and who, she is willing to risk for her own freedom.

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This is now 1 of my new favorite series of 2014. If I could suggest a book right now it would be this one. With feelings of The Selection, Crewel, & Bumped, this Dystopian masterpiece will be at the top of the Young Adult charts the minute it is released.

Violet is a Surrogate. At the age of 12, she is removed from her home and taken to a holding center where she is taught everything she needs to know on how to become the perfect surrogate to a Royal family, seeing as how no one in the Jewel (the center of a five sectioned bullseye, where only the wealthiest families reside) is able to give birth to healthy babies. After 4 years, she is sold at the Auction, as number 197 out of 200 girls... the last 10 being the most coveted spots. Ripped from her life from one of the poorest sections, she is not ready for the life of a Royal... but sadly she will not be Royal, only owned by one.

With more mystery & intrigue than I was expecting & more action than I thought was possible to fit into 1 book... I was happily kept on the edge of my seat wondering who is the bad guy in all of this. Who is friend & who is foe? With a ending that left me begging for the next book... must I wait a whole year to find out what happens next???



Review of The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Advance Review of Ryan Graudin's The Walled City

Release Date: November 4th, 2014

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run.

Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there traffic drugs or work in brothels--or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.

 

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Read in the views of three different characters, The Walled City, is many things... and one of them is not forgettable. This is a realistic story set in the very real Walled City that was destroyed in Hong Kong in the 1990's, where each of the characters has their own reason for being inside a city of murderers, thieves, drug dealers, and the like. Jin Ling is looking for the sister that was sold into slavery by their alcoholic father. Mei Yee is looking for a way out of the brothel she was brought to after being kidnapped from her home in the middle of the night. Dai is searching for something that will help get back home that he can only find by becoming a drug runner for the Brotherhood.

 

This is not a typical book that I would read & had I fully understood the concept from just reading the synopsis, I may not have read it. Although at times, I felt the story dragged a bit, I was pretty happy with it overall by the ending. It is rife with drugs, street gangs, and human trafficking & is perfect for people who like to watch or read any kind of detective shows like Law & Order (with a very underground Asian backdrop).

Review of The Halcyon Bird by Kat Beyer

Advance Review for Kat Beyer's The Halcyon Bird

Release Date: November 11th, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

For fans of Lauren Kate and Cassandra Clare, a romance with a paranormal streak.

Mia has settled into her life with the Della Torres -- Milan's premier demon-catching family, accompanying them to exorcisms and even learning some way to be useful in the family trade. Then Bernardo comes into her life, handsome, well-mannered, someone who makes her forget her impossible crush on Emilio, her cousin. But always lurking in the background is the demon who possessed Mia once before, and who has not given up on possessing her again--this time for good.

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In this sequel to Kat Beyer's The Demon Catchers of Milan, we pick up almost immediately after the first book ends, with Mia assisting in another exorcism with many members of the family. Mia is still looking for clues into who her demon stalker is, but in this book, she will finally get a love interest (that is not related to her). I found myself captivated by the descriptions of the masculine Italian contractor who catches her eye & opens her heart.

I find that a lot of times, I look for only the good in a book & over look the bad, because I know that for a lot of authors, this is their life's work. Any negative review could be heart wrenching... and I do not want to be THAT person. I will say that I did love this book, maybe not as much as the first book, and I am very excited to see what Kat Beyer has to come. The only negative I have in reading this and her first book is that even though this is set in modern Milan, Italy, I find myself put off by what Mia calls her family's casual racism. Other than those few sentences found throughout both books, I have deeply enjoyed reading about this Milanese Demon Catching Family & am excited for the 3rd installment.

Review of City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

Review of Miriam Forster's City of a Thousand Dolls

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

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Left as a small child at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls, Nisha grows up learning from multiple different Masters to be someday sold, as all of the girls who live in the isolated city are. Being trained at one of the 5 houses is an honor that Nisha was never given, seeing as how she was abandoned much older than most of the other girls. She is lucky to become the personal assistant to the Matron of the whole estate and become a courier to all of the houses (Beauty, Pleasure, Music, Jade, & Combat), as well as the Matron's ears, in case there are any girls who are discontent in the life they lead. She is given special permission to practice & learn from the House Masters in Music & Combat, because she has a passion for both... something no other girl is allowed to do.

When mysterious unexplained deaths begin to happen, it is up to Nisha to help solve them. With the help of a clan of lucky spotted cats who live on the property & look out for her (as well as communicate with her through telepathy), Nisha must stop a murderer before one of her friend's are killed next.

With some new & old Asian folklore, Miriam Forster weaves a new and exciting fantasy tale, like one I have never read. This story is packed with action & intrigue all the way through... with a killer that will keep you guessing "whodunit" until the very end.

Look for the sequel, Empire of Shadows in stores November of 2014.

Review of Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Review of Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki's Branded

Release Date: June 11th, 2013

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

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In a future where a totalitarian regime has taken over America, run by the Commander, people are accused of sinning & branded with a color representing one of the 7 deadly sins.

Lust - Blue
Gluttony - Orange
Greed - Yellow
Sloth - Black
Wrath - Red
Envy - Green
Pride - Purple

Sinners are then thrown into a fortress called the Hole, with no laws or rules, working as nothing more than slaves for food and their lives.

When Lexi is wrongly accused of Lust, she is branded with a Blue tattoo around her neck and finds herself with a 1 way trip into the Hole, where the only way out is if you are dead. A Guard named Cole is assigned to make sure she makes it to her new job on time every day... and to make sure she stays alive.

Relationships are strictly forbidden between Guards & Sinners, but Lexi finds herself drawn to the man who keeps saving her life. With only the knowledge of who her accuser is and the memories of her life before, she has to make her way through this new world. She must fight to survive and find the answers to the questions that are burning her mind: Who is the Commander? Why was she wrongly accused?

Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki have written a beautiful story in a dystopian world like I have never seen before. Check out the first installment in the Sinners series, Branded!

Review of The Demon Catchers of Milan by Kat Beyer

Review of Kat Beyer's The Demon Catchers of Milan

Release Date: August 28th, 2012

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Mia's ordinary life is disrupted in the most horrifying way possible when she is possessed by a hungry and powerful demon--and only saved by the arrival of relatives from Italy, the country her grandfather fled many decades ago. Now her cousins Emilio and Giuliano say the only way to keep her safe is for her to come back with them to Milan, to live, to learn Italian, to fall in and out of love, and to master the family trade: fighting all demons with the lore of bell, book, and candle. Milan is not what Mia expected, but it will change her forever, in this stunningly well-written novel about an American girl who, fleeing an ancient evil, finds her only salvation in her ancestral home.

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I finally got around to reading this book... and my first reaction after reading it is: What took me so long? Granted, I do have hundreds of books in my to be read piles as well as new advance copies coming in all the time. I decided to read this book now (after waiting over a year since I received it for Christmas 2012 from a friend of mine at work) in preparation for the sequel, which I just received in Advance to the release.

Mia finds herself whisked into a world she didn't know existed when she is possessed by a powerful demon. After the church refuses to exorcise it, her long lost Italian family shows up to do it themselves. Little did she know, that  this is what she was born to do. She never knew she came from a family who used to rule Milan, Italy, before the Christian Church showed up. She never knew what happened to make her deceased Grandfather suddenly run away... and she doesn't know why this demon will not leave her alone. She is haunted by the possibility of never having freedom from it.

In the first book to her Demon Catchers of Milan series, Beyer has woven a tale of an underappreciated family who risk themselves to save their community at the loss of self and family. My only wish is that the first book had been longer, because I was so enraptured with the story that I just didn't want it to end.

Look for the sequel, The Halcyon Bird, on shelves in your local bookstore or online in the Fall of 2014.

Review of Wings by Elizabeth Richards

Advance Review of Elizabeth Richards' Wings

Release Date: June 12th, 2014

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.

Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.

A pulse-racing end to an exciting series

 

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When I picked up this book, I knew it was the final in the Black City series. I am sorry it is over, but so happy with how it ended. Richards gives us the thrills that we are used to, the twists & turns we were wishing for, and the ending we were hoping for... well, for the most part.

 

In the final book to her Black City series, Richards finally gives us the back story of Purian Rose, the evil dictator who once was just a sad boy looking for love in the wrong places. She also gives us so much action & death, I had to read it to believe it. Will Ash & Natalie be alive & together in the ending? Will Purian Rose's ultimate plan come to fruition? Will your favorite character be alive to see a beautiful new future? Read it & find out!

Review of The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Advance Review for Kiki Sullivan's The Dolls

Release Date: September 2nd, 2014

Synopsis as found on GoodReads.com:

Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.

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Eveny believes her life is never going to be the same, when her aunt decides to move back to her small hometown of Carrefour, Louisiana from the place where she grew up, New York City... and she's right, but not in the way she thinks. She never knew she came from money, because she had always lived in a small apartment, struggling to live off only what her aunt could make from her low paying job. When she pulls up to the mansion that she now owns (thanks to her mother who died when Eveny was only a child), she realizes that nothing she knows from her past is true.

She is quickly thrown into a world of Zandara, a lesser known version of Voodoo that centers around the divine properties of herbs & plants. She learns that she is descended from one of the 3 great Zandara Queens of Carrefour. Given a Black Obsidian Stone Necklace that gives her the power to have anything she wishes for, as long as it is taken from somewhere else. She must not only weave her way into the lives of many new people, including the children of the other 2 Queens, but she must also figure out who killed one of her coven members. Rife with Mystery & Magic, this story will keep you guessing until the very last chapter.

If you had the power to have anything you wanted, would you take from the less fortunate to line your own pockets, or make yourself beautiful. Like Eveny, decide for yourself if you would use the powers in Vain or to help bring back a struggling town.

Review of Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Advance Review for Emily Lloyd-Jones' Illusive

Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Synopsis as found on Amazon.com:

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against he government that could cost them their lives.

 

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Forced to run or be captured for recruitment into an elite department of the FBI, Ciere Giba finds herself living the life of thievery on the streets when she is found & taken in my Kit. She lives a life of crime, vowing never to work for the same people who killed her mother. This book is different than most superhero stories, because it is from the view of "the bad guy". Through her eyes you see that not everyone is as bad as they first seem.

 

I found myself captivated by the intricacies of Ciere's personality. It is chock full of action & adventure that kept me rooting for the criminals & hoping for their happy endings. It's a little hard knowing I have to wait so long to find out what happens next... I am excited to see what Lloyd-Jones has in store for us in the sequel.

Review for Unforgotten by Jessica Brody

Review of Jessica Brody's Unforgotten

Released February 25, 2014

Synopsis found on GoodReads.com

After a daring escape from the scientists at Diotech who created her, Seraphina believes she is finally safe from the horrors of her past. But new threats await Sera and her boyfriend, Zen, at every turn as Zen falls prey to a mysterious illness and Sera’s extraordinary abilities make it more and more difficult to stay hidden. Meanwhile, Diotech has developed a dangerous new weapon designed to apprehend her. A weapon that even Sera will be powerless to stop. Her only hope of saving Zen’s life and defeating the company that made her is a secret buried deep within her mind. A secret that Diotech will kill to protect. And it won’t stay forgotten for long.

Packed with mystery, suspense, and romance, this riveting second installment of Jessica Brody’s Unremembered trilogy delivers more heart-pounding action as loyalties are tested, love becomes a weapon, and no one’s memories are safe.

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S + Z = 1609

The inscription on the locket was the only clue to who she was before the plane crash in Unremembered. Now, Book 2 begins with Sera & Zen in 1609. When Zen comes down with a mysterious illness & Sera gets accused of witchcraft, the only thing she can do is wait for Diotech to find her or burn at the stake. Jessica Brody weaves a new take on Time Traveling into a story of remembering who you are, falling in love, & what you would do to save that love at all cost.

Review of Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Review of Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl's Dangerous Creatures

Released May 20th, 2014

Synopsis found on GoodReads.com:

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.
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After the final book in the Beautiful Creatures, when Garcia/Stohl broke my heart by offing one of my favorite characters, I though I was through with the Caster World. Maybe that is just what I told myself to assuage the knowledge that Amma was gone. But finding out this series will center around one of my other favorite characters, Ridley, really made me excited to delve back into the masterful world that these authors created.

Picking up where Beautiful Redemption left off, we see the characters moving on from their lives in Gatlin. With Ethan & Lena going to college and Liv & John going to the UK, we follow Link & Ridley to NYC, where Ridley cashes in her debts & Link joins a Caster band. Introducing a new character for a love triangle & seeing a semi-different side to Ridley, this book opens up a new & exciting series with some old faces peeking in... only to leave you wishing for the next book with an ending you won't expect... and a to be continued.