Review: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

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siege and storm
Pages: 448
Released: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: ARC lent to me by Kelly!

Summary from Goodreads:
Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

My Thoughts

This book is the second in a trilogy. If you haven’t read Shadow and Bone yet, I would suggest reading that first.

Siege and Storm takes place where the last book left off, with Alina and Mal living in a tiny village trying to keep themselves hidden from the Darkling and his crew. Sadly, this doesn’t last long and Alina and Mal are once again captured by the Darkling. They’re taken hostage aboard a ship and taken on a search for a second amplifier. The ship belongs to Sturmhond, a privateer who has a great sense of humor, and, as we later find out, not on the Darkling’s side. The whole search for the amplifier goes rather quickly and suddenly Sturmhond and his men launch an attack against the Darkling. They sail away with Alina and Mal back to Ravka, the place they were trying to escape. Sturmhond knows of Alina’s power and wants her to use it to lead an army to fight against the Darkling and save Ravka. At first, Alina is really hesitant, especially because Mal is not a fan of the idea, but as time goes on, the idea starts to grow on her.

Though I used to read a lot of fantasy when I was younger, it is not something I generally read these days. The only reason I started this series was because I was urged to by some friends and ended up loving the first book. Siege and Storm is no exception. Bardugo writes fantasy in a way that’s different from most. A lot of times I find fantasy stories to be predictable, but that was not the case with this story. Not once did I know what was going to happen next, and it was because of this that I read almost the entire book in one day. Siege and Storm is a heart pounding adventure that will leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I was swept away into the world of the Grisha, totally immersed in the fight for power between the Darkling and his enemies.

Many of the characters in this book are the same, but we are also introduced to some new ones. Sturmhond is probably the most prominent character. He’s funny, a little bit lost, and a great asset to Alina. Though it’s difficult to tell his loyalties from time to time, he always pulls through in the end. Throughout much of the story he’s afraid to show his true self, but underneath his joking exterior is a deeply caring man. We are also introduced to Tolya and Tamar, Grisha that work for Sturmhond. They’re part of Alina’s guard and are incredibly talented for Grisha that haven’t received traditional training at the Little Palace. They’re probably two of my favorite secondary characters in any book.

Alina continues to grow in her power, especially now that she’s in possession of two amplifiers. She alternates between wanting a normal life with Mal and being drunk on power. The more she summons the light, the more power-hungry she becomes, and it becomes increasingly difficult for her to discern between her heart and her power. She struggles throughout the story to figure out what she truly wants for herself, whether she wants to be a saint to Ravka as the Sun Summoner or just be Alina. This power struggle takes a huge toll on her relationship with Mal. If you’re looking for the swoons in this story, they’re few and far between. Mal just wants to be able to be with Alina, yet Alina is caught up in her “duty” to save Ravka and it’s kind of one big mess. I was pretty sad about their relationship throughout the story, but there’s definitely still hope for the two of them.

Though I felt like the story dragged from time to time, the last third of the book makes up for everything. I can’t say anything, but there were MANY times that I was literally yelling because I couldn’t believe what was happening. I even teared up a few times. Bardugo makes some really tough decisions with her characters and story, and I think it was the best thing she could have done. She doesn’t shy away from the difficult and because of this wrote a story that completely blew me away.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

 

Pitch Dark Days Tour + a Giveaway!

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I had the pleasure of being able to attend one of the Pitch Dark Days tour stops last week featuring Aprilynne Pike, Elizabeth Norris, Amy Tintera, and Kiera Cass! This was probably one of the bigger authors events I’ve been to because not many bookish events go on around where I live. Also, some of my pictures are blurry. I was too busy fangirling to pay attention to the quality.

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First all four ladies answered some questions from the moderator, the amazing Alison Lisnow, who has my dream career which meant I could not stop talking to her during the event. I learned a lot of fun and neat things from the authors both about themselves and their books. Then the audience asked a few questions. Sadly, I don’t actually remember a lot of what was said, but I swear it was interesting! A lot of the authors considered themselves really shy when they were in high school, which I would have never guessed. Also, Aprilynne Pike is HILARIOUS. I laughed at almost everything she said. And Kiera Cass is really bubbly and cute. Oh, and Amy Tintera studied journalism in college. I died a little when I heard that because that’s what I’m studying and it’s always neat to meet someone who’s interested in the same things as I am. After the Q&A came the signing!

I was basically the biggest fangirl every during this part because I was so excited to meet the authors, especially Amy Tintera and Kiera Cass. I felt like I scared Amy with all of the attention I gave her, but whatever. I was in heaven.

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One of my favorite parts of the night was probably talking to Elizabeth Norris after everything was done. I hadn’t really heard of her before the night, but she’s so sweet and friendly. I’m definitely going to read Unraveling after having the chance to talk with her. There was also a point in the night where all the authors were giving me advice for living in New York this summer. The most important thing? Don’t read-walk. You might get mugged.

Overall, I had a really great time getting to know the authors a bit more and hanging out with some of my blogger friends. I even brought back some goodies for you guys! I’m giving away a signed ARC of Reboot by Amy Tintera, a signed ARC of The Elite by Kiera Cass, and a signed booklet of Unbreakable extra content by Elizabeth Norris! The giveaway is open to US residents.

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Nantucket Blue Blog Tour – Guest Post by Leila Howland!

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Nantucket blue
Book description:
For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. 

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on–most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits–that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

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If y’all haven’t picked up your copy of Nantucket Blue yet, I would highly recommend you go do so. Nantucket Blue is THE perfect summer book. I am honored to be a part of the blog tour for this book. Today, author Leila Howland will be sharing her favorite summer reads! Thanks to Jamie from Hyperion and Leila for making this post possible!

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I love to read on the beach.  My best friend and I used to go to the beach with our towels, lemonade, and highlighters so we could mark our favorite passages as we turned the pages.  Here are some of my old favorites, some new favorites, and one that I’m really looking forward to:

1. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.  This isn’t a book that was written for fun in the sun, but the lighthearted tone and ensuing giggles definitely make a perfect toes-in-the-sand kind of read.

2. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.  Belly is such a sweet protagonist and this is a classic summer-at-the-beach-house story with cute boys and growing pains.

3. Riptide by Lindsay Scheibe.  This is a brand new book about a surfer girl wrestling with some tough issues as she prepares for a major competition. I loved all the lingo and felt like I was totally a part of the SoCal surfing world.

4. The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston.  This is another brand new book I just finished.  It’s a thrilling mystery about a girl in the witness protection program.  While it isn’t set in the summer, it has that absorbing page turning quality that make it a perfect beach companion.

5. Golden by Jessi Kirby.  Some of my favorite bloggers have been raving about this one.  I saw it in the store and the cover had me drooling. I had to buy it. It looks like it has some mystery, some self-discovery, and a swoon-worthy crush. Now I just need the perfect beach day to start it.  I’m tempted to save it for my next trip to Nantucket, but I don’t know if I can wait a whole month!

 

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

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unearthly
Pages: 435 
Released: January 4, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Library copy

Summary from Goodreads:
In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My Thoughts

I have refused to read this book for a very, VERY long time because it was about angels. I thought the concept sounded like the dumbest thing in the world. I mean, really, angels? There is nothing cool about a human with wings IMO. So imagine how sheepish I felt when about 30 pages in I fell in love with the angel world and Unearthly. I admittedly haven’t read my angel books, but I would consider this one the best I’ve read.

Hand brings the angel world to life in a believable, yet informative way. As Clara learns more about her purpose and who she truly is, so does the reader. For once in my life, I wasn’t confused about what was going on, which is common for me when reading anything not based in reality. The world building was so subtle that it felt natural, that as Clara became more knowledgeable, so did I. You guys don’t know how much I appreciate that. Basically, if you’re a paranormal noob like I am, I think you’ll feel pretty comfortable reading this one.

So, Clara and her family move to Wyoming because of Clara’s purpose and she’s the new girl in school and it’s not very awesome for her. The kids make fun of her and spread rumors and awful stuff like that. But thankfully, she does make friends with some really great girls, Wendy and Angela. Wendy’s a normal girl and Angela is an angel (see what she did there?). I’m pretty sure something is up with Angela cause girl is so into learning about the Black Wings (bad angels basically) and other angel related things. My suspicion radar is on red alert when it comes to her. But anyways, besides being an angel, Clara’s a pretty normal girl. She hangs out with her friends, does homework, slams doors, your usual teenager stuff.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, the overarching storyline of Unearthly is focused on Clara’s purpose. Though she has visions, she doesn’t know exactly what’s going to happen or when, but as time passes she gains more and more clues and has a slight inkling as to what she has to do, which is saving Christian. OH CHRISTIAN. I love him. I don’t care what anybody says about him being boring or too perfect or whatever. I would get in bed with that man in an instant. He’s hot, sweet, gentle, caring, need I say more? He is the total package. But he goes away for the summer, and in comes Tucker.

Tucker is your rugged sweet cowboy kind of guy. A lot of girls, including Clara, are totally into him. He and Clara spend the summer together and pretty much fall in love and it’s beautiful. Even though I’m not into Tucker at all, I can see the appeal. I will admit that there are a few moments between Clara and Tucker that made my heart swell. Their love for each other is really special. Most of the story surrounds Clara preparing for her purpose and spending time with Tucker.

Then this really big thing happens with EVIL and glory and Clara and her mother being totally bad ass. AND there’s this big reveal that I was totally not expecting and ending up texting a friend, “OMG I CAN’T EVEN” because I was so shocked.

So basically if you haven’t read Unearthly you should really get on it. I’m definitely into giving paranormal a chance after reading this one.

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish. After last week’s topic, I’ve been eagerly waiting to write up this list. I read A LOT of books dealing with tougher subjects because those are the ones I relate to the most. They evoke the most emotion out of  me as well, which is important to my reading experience. This list is mainly made up with titles dealing with mental illness because I read those types of books more than any others. It’s difficult to come up with just ten, but these are my top favorites, the ones that blew me away more than any other books. And actually, the list is only nine because it bothers me when things don’t line up all nice haha.

perfect Clean wintergirls

1. Perfect by Ellen Hopkins: Perfection. This is probably my favorite novel by Hopkins. She explores perfection and just how far people are willing to go to be their vision of perfect.
2. Clean by Amy Reed: Five teens dealing with various addictions. I LOVED this book.
3. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson: Eating Disorders. This book is INTENSE, but very realistic. It’s a heartbreaking story about two girls suffering from eating disorders and shows how devastating an eating disorder can be to one’s life. 

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4. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho: Suicide. Veronika tries to kill herself and ends up in a mental hospital. There, she learns the true worth of her life and what it takes to be alive again.
5. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry: There’s a lot going on in this book. I would recommend checking out the goodreads page (linked) because I can’t sum it up in a sentence. Just know that this was one of my favorite reads last year.
6. Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith: Mania. The MC is dealing with the grief after her sister’s death and she becomes manic. This book follows her descent into mania and how hard it is for her to cope by herself.

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7. Crazy by Amy Reed: Bipolar Disorder. This is one of my favorites. I don’t know how to describe it in a sentence or two, but basically it’s about the relationship between two teens and what happens when one slowly spirals out of control.
8. Cut by Patricia McCormick: Self-harm. I know self-harm is a topic that’s a bit taboo in today’s world, but cutting is something a lot of people struggle with and this book takes a look at how one teen uses cutting to cope with life.
9. Identical by Ellen Hopkins: Abuse. This one really threw me for a loop because I did not see the ending coming at all. Hopkins write amazing stories in verse, and this one is no exception.
 

 

Review: Reboot by Amy Tintera

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reboot
Pages: 352
Released: May 7, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:
Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

My Thoughts

I have been waiting to read this book for FOREVER. I was convinced I was going to love it, though I now have no idea where that thought came from. I must be psychic or something because I loved this book!

Since Wren Rebooted, she has always done what she’s told. She’s the strongest Reboot and therefore the least human, meaning she doesn’t experience emotion like the other Reboots do. She’s dead inside, or so she thinks. She always train the highest numbered newbies, but then along comes Callum, who changes everything. Wren decides to train Callum as a challenge, to see if she can make him as strong as the other newbies she’s trained. She expects it to be difficult, but what she doesn’t expect is that Callum will teach Wren a thing or two about herself.

At the beginning, I thought Callum was going to be dead pretty quick. He’s too emotional, asks too many questions to the point of being annoying, and is quite naive. But this is what makes Callum such a great character. He doesn’t believe he’s dead like the other Reboots. He questions HARC and everything they do, which is not acceptable behavior from a Reboot. He’s the one ray of light in darkness that is Wren’s life. Callum challenges Wren to feel, to forget what she’s always been told and listen to herself, and this opens up a whole new world for her. It’s a slow process, but seeing Wren experience human emotion from time to time was beautiful. She was always told she had no emotion, but was that really true? Apparently not. Then, Callum is forced to kill or be killed, and his refusal turns Wren’s world upside down.

Reading Reboot was an adventure. I never knew what was going to happen next and was excited to see what would happen to Wren and Callum as their lives became more and more intertwined. Wren’s growth was especially interesting because at the beginning we see the world through the eyes of someone who is essentially dead inside, but who slowly learns to feel. I also found HARC to be extremely interesting because they give the message that they’re helping the world by ridding the Republic of Texas of criminals and people who can spread the KDH virus. It’s almost believable until we learn that they’re manipulating Reboots and turning them into actual monsters and aren’t actually doing much to help the people of Texas.

My favorite character in the book was Ever, Wren’s roommate. She’s not in the story very long, but she plays a pivotal part in Wren’s life and the decisions she makes with regards to HARC and the life they’ve created for her. Ever is one of the few people that treats Wren like a person, regardless of what her Reboot number is, and that was something I really appreciated in her character. She wasn’t scared of Wren or intimidated by her. She was the closest thing to a friend that Wren had, and I think she changed Wren’s life for the better.

Reboot is one of my favorite science fiction novels of the year, and maybe of all-time. I was immediately pulled into the story and attached to the characters after only a few chapters. My expectations going into this were high, and I’m happy to say that Tintera delivered.

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

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Nantucket blue
Pages: 304
Released: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Summary from Goodreads:
For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. 

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on–most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits–that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

My Thoughts

I’m always on the lookout for a great summer read, especially when it actually is summer. So when I first heard about this book a few months back, I knew I’d need to get my hands on it. If there was one book I wanted to read this year, it was Nantucket Blue.

Everything about this book screams summer. From the romance on the beach to the picturesque island, I felt as if I were on Nantucket myself even though I’ve never visited there. Howland does a fantastic job describing the setting, bringing the tiny island and its people to life. Not only that, she made the characters and their lives seem real as well. I wanted to get to know Cricket, and share a kiss with Zack (HOTTIE). Howland didn’t tell me Cricket’s story, she showed me, and that is always a great thing.

Our story follows Cricket after her best friend’s mother dies and the two become strangers rather than friends. Cricket has no clue why Jules is suddenly shutting her out, but she’s determined to help her friend anyways. She gets a job on Nantucket, where her friend will be for the summer, but that quickly falls through so she’s left scrambling for another one. She becomes a maid at a hotel, which is great, but then finds out that Jules doesn’t want her around, which really stings. I mean, I felt seriously bad for this girl because I don’t know what I would do if all of a sudden my best friend didn’t want to talk to me. Fast forward a little bit, and Cricket begins secretly dating Jules’s brother which is SO SWOON WORTHY I WAS IN HEAVEN. Of course, not everything is the perfect shade of Nantucket blue (I had to). There’s plenty of conflict between Cricket and Jules and other peeps.

So. You know how I mentioned that this book is totally swoon worthy? Well, it definitely is. There’s this great Fourth of July scene where I kid you not my stomach had all those little butterflies that make you wish you were there. Zack is so sweet and thoughtful and also a boy that is hot. The really great part, though, is that the relationship formation in this book is natural and realistic. There’s plenty of awkwardness and taking it slow like people do in real life. AND, it is sex-positive in the best way. Like yeah, there’s sex, but it’s totally awkward first time sex which I applaud Howland for because that is what we need in YA. I’m sorry, but teenagers aren’t sex gods who magically know how to do everything their first time. Oh, and Cricket has rules, which was awesome because not every teenage girl is just ready to rip her clothes off the second a guy looks at her. I’m just sayin’. 

I don’t want to go too in depth because I want you to experience the amazingness for yourself, but I have to share this quote because it is gorgeous and basically shows you why I love this book so much: “I wasn’t made of bones anymore. I was made of starfish and moonlight and phosphorescence.”

Nantucket Blue is a fun summer romance, but still has plenty of emotion in it to balance it out. It is EXACTLY what I’m looking for in a summer read.

Rating: 4/5 stars