Lauren Oliver - Requiem

It's been a while since I've read a dystopian book which has been refreshing, reading other genres and branching out to see whether I like other authors and styles, but the next in my pile was Requiem, the last book in the Delirium series which I started over a year ago now.  It is satisfying to come to an end of a trilogy/series because it brings a nice end to the main story while leaving your imagination running wild with endless possibilities of what the characters are getting up to later on.

Requiem is the third and final book in the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver, a series I've been reading for a while and the second book, Pandemonium, was the first book I reviewed on my blog as well.  The Delirium trilogy is set in a time where it is believed people can contract a disease called amor deliria nervosa, falling in love with someone is considered a disease, and the entire population are put through a procedure to "cure" deliria; the focus of the trilogy is Lena, a young woman who fell in love with a young man called Alex who is considered an Invalid as he was born in the Wilds and just pretended to have gone through the procedure.  In Delirium, Alex gives Lena another option, run away with him to the Wilds which she is unsure on up until seven days before her procedure when she decides to run away.  After some problems, including being caught meeting together, Alex rescues Lena and they attempt to escape.  While Lena succeeds, Alex lets himself be captured so Lena is safe and is shot in front of Lena.  Even though she is shocked, she runs away to the Wilds so Alex's sacrifice is not a waste.  After Delirium, in Pandemonium, Lena is in the Wilds, trying to help those that have taken her in to also save the rest of society from being "cured.  Lena goes undercover in society into the DFA (Deliria Free America) so to help people but is captured along with Julian, the leader of the youth division of the DFA and the son of the man leading this strange land.  She is able to escape capture, bringing Julian with her, and she starts to fall for him when they begin to trust one another as she brings him into the world Alex brought her into.  Lena and Julian get back to the rebel camp in the Wilds she went to originally and Lena finds out that not only is her mother still alive, after she was supposed to have died in prison years ago, but so is Alex.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Dystopia fiction fans

Favourite Characters: Alex - still the same guy despite what he thinks

Favourite Part: Before we can come, Alex whirls around and takes two steps back to me.  I'm startled to see that his face is twisted in anger.
'What the hell was that about?'  he demands.  When I can only stare at him, he goes on, 'You could have died, Lena.  If it wasn't for me, you would be dead.'
'Is this your way of asking for a thank-you?'  I'm shaky, and tired, and disorientated.  'You could just learn to say please, you know.' - Page 121

Good Points: Julian adapting to the Wilds; dual narrators alternating chapters; more focus on the war between the resistance and the government

Bad Points: The love triangle; underwhelming ending

Kristen Simmons - Three

Unfortunately, I kind of forgot that I promised to review this book as soon as I bought it; luckily, I was rereading some of my reviews last month and found the promise I made to you, if there's anyone out there, and pulled Three out of the bottom of the pile and started to read it immediately.  I apologise profusely and have rectified my mistake; I need to reread some of my reviews after this one and see if I've made any other promises that I've not kept.  With this being a review of the third book in the trilogy, it was too hard to keep spoilers out of it but my advice is to skip to the end if you want a simple summary of my feelings on this book as there is too much important information in the first two books to skip them entirely.

Three is the third book in the Article 5 trilogy from Kristen Simmons which is told from Ember's point of view and focuses on her and Chase Jennings, her first love.  The Article 5 trilogy is set in a war torn America, there are no police but are soldiers who enforce the law of the land, known as Moral Statues, dictating to society the moral code that people should live by.  Punishments are severe if these Statues are broken, going from being arrested to the punishments (with long imprisonments and death being common).  Prior to Three, in Breaking Point, having faked their deaths in Article 5 due to both Ember and Chase having fugitive status and no familial ties, Ember and Chase are trying to keep a low profile and are taking in by the Resistance.  At the same time as that, there is a sniper going around shooting FBR soldiers and the Bureau's number one suspect is Ember which makes it even more difficult for our heroes because now the Resistance are cautious around her because she could draw too much attention to them.  Eventually, even though it's not true, Ember embraces her identity as the sniper so to gain attention and help so she can save her friend, Rebecca, Ember's friend from the reformation school, from a rehabilitation centre where it goes wrong for Ember and Chase but they do escape in the end with Rebecca with the help Sean and Tucker.  However, much to their horror, on their return to the safe house, they discover that the safe house has been burnt down and very few have survived, which may not include the leader, Wallace.  This sparks something in our heroic duo and leads onto Three.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Definitely one for those that like dystopian fiction

Favourite Characters: Chase - many great things about him

Favourite Part: He opened his hand, and in his palm was a yellow flower - like a rose, but smaller.  When I looked at it, he unfurled my fist and placed it within.
I prodded the tender petals - those that had survived his grasp.  Most were bent or torn, but it was still beautiful.  Something fluttered inside when I imagined him finding it and carrying it for me.
"I think I might be broken."  He didn't look up.
I moved closer, feeling his sadness washing over me.
"We're all broken," I said.  "We just have to put each other back together."
My loose fist holding the flower came to rest in the center of his chest, locked between us.  He leaned down, his forehead touching mine.  His eyes closed.
"What if I'm too far gone?"
"Then I'll find you," I said.  "And I'll bring you back." - Page 84

Good Points: Chase and Ember's relationship; great end to the trilogy; Jesse

Bad Points: Everything went horribly wrong in the last hundred pages; Sean and Rebecca were left out a bit

Kiera Cass - The One

Apart from film review posts, I haven't posted anything about any books because I've been busy with work and I've found a book I really have been struggling to get into, Sweet Honey, Bitter Lemons by Matthew Fort, which I'm really not connecting with.  However, I pre-ordered The One by Kiera Cass ages ago when I first heard it was coming out and it arrived on the 8th May so I ripped open the box and started reading it immediately.

The One is the third and final book in Kiera Cass's The Selection trilogy which is centred around America Singer, a young woman who is from an underprivileged area of the kingdom Maxon is the heir to.  When Maxon turned nineteen, his father decided that it was time for the prince to marry.  The traditional way of finding the prince's bride is to hold the Selection where thirty five eligible girls are selected from a pool and sometimes it can take months, even years, and the prince can get to know each girl and decide which one will be his wife but now the King is getting desperate to quell the rebellion that is sparking in his country.  America only put herself in the pool for the Selection because her boyfriend at the time, Aspen, told her to go for it because it would be her best chance at a better life rather than staying with him forever.  America is still reeling from her break up with Aspen when she enters the palace as part of the Selection and unintentionally insults Maxon on the first night but fortunately their relationship grows over the course of the series despite some bumps in the road, including America pissing off the King so much at the end of The Elite that she is nearly kicked out and has greatly upset Maxon to the point where she wants to prove that she does indeed love Maxon, however hard it will be.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that liked The Hunger Games or Matched

Favourite Characters: America - strong female character; Maxon - still vulnerable but has potential

Favourite Part: He stared me down, determined.  "How did the girls find out about you taking my shirt off?"
I looked at the ground, hesitating.  "We were watching the guards work out.  I said you looked as good as any of them without your shirt on.  It slipped out."
Maxon threw back his head and laughed.  "I can't be mad about that." - Page 81

Good Points: America and Maxon; the plot of the series; links to previous books

Bad Points: Everything escalated very quickly at the end

Jennifer Estep - Kiss of Frost

So I've read normal books recently, I've read some really odds ones set in another reality, and I've read dystopic/post-apocalyptic ones and now for a magical high school based one that I do have a tendency to read along with all the other weirdness.

Kiss of Frost is the second book in Jennifer Estep's Mythos Academy which focuses on Gwendolyn "Gwen" Frost, a Gypsy girl with psychometric magic who became Nike's warrior in the previous book at Mythos Academy, a place that trains young men and women to fight against Reapers who are warriors of Loki and want to release Loki from his prison.  Previously, Gwen had no friends at the school until she develops a friendship with the Valkyrie Daphne and her new boyfriend Carson after Gwen helps Carson find something he's lost.  As she's new to this school, Gwen is still out of place because she's not been training as long as the other students to be a warrior who have been training since they were children.  In the previous book, Gwen fights with a student who is a Reaper in disguise and wants to release Loki and intends to sacrifice anyone to do it.  During this fight, Logan Quinn the Spartan, who Gwen has a crush on, saves her and helps defeat the Reaper, saving the school and the world from Loki's chaos.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Those that liked the House of Night series and Starcrossed series

Favourite Characters: Vic - sarcastic and bloodthirsty like last time; Oliver and Logan - both heroic but for different reasons

Favourite Part: Part of me was thinking about Logan, but the other part of me was thinking about Daphne[.] [...] Daphne was great with a bow. [...] An image flickered in my mind then, one of Daphne using the bow, instead of me-              
[...]
"Yeah, come on, Gwen, while we're all still young," Oliver sneered.       
My anger flared up to supernova level at Oliver's snarky tone, so much so that I didn't think - I just let go.     
THUNK!
The arrow hit the target dead center - perfect in the middle of the black bull's eye. - Page 17

Good Points: Taking the story out of the Academy; Oliver's character development; would almost be a funny story if Gwen's life wasn't in jeopardy permanently

Bad Points: Felt a bit repetitive; the identity of the Reaper was a bit obvious

Kiera Cass - The Selection Stories

After a mix of weird books and fairly normal, I have picked up a dystopia fiction, The Selection Stories, from a series I've started a while ago, The Selection.  My original plan was to read this book much later on because it is fairly new and I've only just received it through the post but once I finished Reckless, I picked up The Selection Stories immediately because I really wanted to read this.

The Selection Stories is the collection of the two short stories from Kiera Cass's The Selection series which follows America Singer, a young woman who comes from an underprivileged part of the country she lives in where she used to work as a musician while the other members of her family are artistic types so they can earn money to survive as well as her two potential love interests.  Along with thirty four other girls, America is chosen to be part of the Selection, their society's way of finding the bride for the prince of the ruling family when he becomes nineteen while the public watch through reports.  Sometimes the Selection takes months, even years, for the prince to choose his bride but this time, it seems more urgent as the country is in crisis with people rebelling in certain parts and are even attacking the palace while the Selection are staying there.  Unfortunately, America only put herself up for the Selection because her boyfriend, Aspen, told her to take the opportunity because it would be her best chance in life in his opinion as he is a lower caste than her.  America is reluctant to take part in the Selection because she is still reeling from her break up with Aspen and unintentionally insults the prince, Maxon, on the first night but they start to get along and their relationship grows over the course of the first book and eventually fall for one another (him faster than her though).  However, despite America seems to starts to get over Aspen, he shows up in the palace as a guard which throws her through a loop because now she questions her feelings for both Aspen and Maxon; the second book deals with how America comes to terms with her feelings for Maxon and Aspen and deciding which one she wants to fight for while neither young man knows what she is thinking.

Cornelia Funke - Reckless

I am giving up on normal books for a bit now, the stories don't interest me as much as paranormal or fantasy books and after An Enormously English Monsoon Wedding, I dove straight back into the weird and wonderful with a book from a German author which is a new one for me.

Reckless is the first in the Mirrorland series from Cornelia Funke, the author of the Inkheart trilogy, the first of which was turned into a film starring Brendan Fraser.  The Mirrorland series is set in two realms, ours and a hidden world that can only be found by going through a special mirror - one that coincidentally, Jacob Reckless's father owns.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Fantasy lovers

Favourite Characters: Fox - really sweet

Favourite Part: Fox rubbed her head against Jacob's lifeless hand.  A last moth rose from his chest.  Suddenly she flinched.  His body shuddered - his lips gasped for air, and his hands clawed into the grass.
Jacob!
Fox impulsively jumped on his chest, causing him to groan in pain. - Page 200

Good Points: Thrown straight into the story; story for fighting for one's family; well written

Bad Points: Ending was a bit predictable

Rachel Caine - Daylighters

Now for one of my favourite series which is coming to an end, the Morganville Vampires series, which has spanned 7 years and 15 books. As I love this series, because I'm partial to a bit of Shane Collins, the main character's, Claire, love interest, I decided to ignore my own system and read this one way ahead of my plan because I have been wanting to read it for ages!

Daylighters is the fifteenth and final book in Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series that focuses on Claire Danvers and her housemates, Shane Collins, Eve Glass (formerly Rosser), and Michael Glass, as they try to survive living in Morganville, a town in Texas that is run by vampires (or was prior to this book).  Claire and her friends have been through hell and back, from a psychotic vampire hunting father to another psychotic father who takes over the town to a race of vampires, Draug, who target other vampires as well as humans for their source of food drenching the town and overthrowing the ruling vampires.  As well as the problems in the town, with the vampires, Claire goes through a lot regarding her relationship with Shane, which has had its troubles because of his dad interfering and Shane being jealous of Claire's relationships with the vampires in town, including her employer, Myrnin, and even Michael.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Vampire lovers; Rachel Caine lovers

Favourite Characters: Shane - always and forever

Favourite Part: And then he kissed her, all passion and intensity and heat and dark chocolate sweetness melting on her tongue, but not just sweet because there was spice in it, too, bursts of searing pepper, and he made her hungry, so incredibly hungry to feel his skin on hers that it almost drive her crazy. - Page 334

Good Points: Lots of action; Shane's character development; good end to the series

Bad Points: Michael's happy ending being linked to the villain

Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Angel

This year, Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was released in the cinemas, having been adapted from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, particularly the first book, City of Bones.  I have already read this series but I stole the prequel series Clare wrote from my sister and have decided to review it for you lovely people, if there's anyone out there.

Clockwork Angel is the first in Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices series which is a prequel to her already successful The Mortal Instruments series; this world focuses on the hidden world surrounding the normal one with various mythical beings known as Downworlders and Shadowhunters who police them.  Downworlders include vampires, werewolves and warlocks, all with their own leaders and needs and Shadowhunters are half-human half-angels with great strength and reflexes; Shadowhunters use their gifts and runes to ensure Mundanes (normal humans) don't become aware of this strange world.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: Mortal Instruments fans; fantasy lovers

Favourite Characters: Will - something about him; Charlotte - true female Shadowhunter

Favourite Part: Slowly Jessamine lowered her hand from her mouth, her face still pale.  "Goodness, my nose is enormous," she exclaimed.  "Why didn't anyone tell me?" - Page 74

Good Points: Expansion on the already established world; hints to the Mortal Instruments characters; Tessa's implied to be a new kind of Downworlder

Bad Points: Not enough steampunk; the Victorian gender roles

Meg Cabot - Awaken

Ever since my teens I have always loved Meg Cabot's more unusual books.  Don't get me wrong, Princess Diaries was a good read but I never really got into it because I never was into the girly books; I liked more action based books instead of girls swooning over the latest fella on the scene.  So I thought I'd share my love of Meg Cabot's books through my reviews with one of her more recent series which I started about a year ago and one of the latest editions to my bookshelf.

Awaken is the third and final book in Meg Cabot's Abandon series which is basically the Greek myth of Persephone being taken to the Underworld retold in the modern  day.  This series focuses on Pierce Olivieria who is brought back to life by the mysterious John Hayden.  When she tries to move on from this, she begins to see John everywhere and starts to fall for him as he falls for her.  Because Pierce has been revived thanks to John, she is a target for the Furies, unhappy souls who dislike their final resting place and possess weak willed people.  Furies want to throw the Underworld into chaos and targeting Pierce could do that because it would distract John so he takes her to the Underworld, at a price; she can no longer return home and has to stay with him forever as he sorts souls with his crew.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Paranormal and/or myth lovers; good for holidays

Favourite Characters: John - formidable and strong; Reed - new, interesting

Favourite Part: When the lights flickered back on a second later, causing us all to blink, I saw that there was a tall figure, standing behind Seth who hadn't been there before. - Page 178-9

Good Points: Good rewrite of the myth; new characters; easy to get back into; symbolism

Bad Points: Too simply resolved; not exactly a good moral lesson; old characters seem forgotten

Kristen Simmons - Breaking Point

Back to an old reliable series that I've started reading already but want to share with you all.  Like every other time, I'll try not to give too much away.

Breaking Point is the second book in Kristen Simmons's series Article 5 which is told from the point of view of Ember Miller and focuses on her and Chase Jennings, a young man that she cared about from her past.  In a war torn America, there are no police but are soldiers who enforce the law of the land, known as Moral Statues, dictating to society the moral code that people should live by.  Punishments are severe if these Statues are broken, going from being arrested to the punishments (with long imprisonments and death being common).  In Article 5, Ember starts as a 17 year old girl who keeps a low profile so to draw attention to her family or home life because her mother has broken Article 5 of the Moral Statues, a child is only considered a valid citizen when they are conceived by a married man and wife.  Unfortunately, the seventeen years of hiding catches up with Ember's mother when she is arrested by none other than Ember's former best friend (and first love), Chase Jennings.  Ember is taken into custody and forced into a reformation school where the inmates are brainwashed to comply with the Moral Statues.  Meanwhile Chase goes AWOL and goes to rescue Ember; once they are together, they find the resistance, seeking shelter.  When they're alone together, Chase confesses that he watched her mother die and did nothing about it which causes Ember to run away so Chase goes after her and is captured and arrested because he went AWOL which means Ember has to save HIM.  Once she finds him again, they fake their deaths so those in charge of America won't come after them both again.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Definitely one for those that like dystopian fiction

Favourite Characters: Chase - many great things about him; Ember - great name as well as other great traits

Favourite Part: Instantly they consumed me, overwhelmed me, like the fact of my love was the only truth I'd ever known.  The only truth there was. Chase Jennings, I love you.  I love the boy you were and the man you've become and even when I don't like you at all I still love you because you are you, kind and safe and good, because you understand me and are not afraid.
As the honesty of my words sunk in, he became very still.  Statue still.  And I waited, more raw and vulnerable than ever.

[...]

"I love you, Em.  I've loved you since I was eight years old, and I'll love you my whole life." - Page 353-4

Good Points: How easy it was to pick back up; the reintroduction of old friends; Chase and Ember's relationship

Bad Points: Tucker - too easily accepted for me after everything

Jennifer Estep - Touch of Frost

Another Goodreads recommendation, following me reading the final instalment of the Starcrossed series, Goddess.  This has similar mythic themes but the concept is a bit like P.C. and Kristin Cast's House of Night series where it takes place in a specialist school.

Touch of Frost is the first book in the Mythos Academy series by Jennifer Estep.  This series revolves around Gwendolyn "Gwen" Frost, a young Gypsy girl, who started a new school two months prior the beginning of this book.  She is established as the outcast in this young adult book while everyone around her is accepted in their own clique.  She has no friends, though she doesn't care about this, and dresses differently from all of the other students (who wear designer gear and nothing else); she also feels different to everyone else because she isn't a warrior like them and she only has a bit of magic.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: Those that liked the House of Night series and Starcrossed series

Favourite Characters: Logan Quinn - mysterious and aloof; Daphne - appears to be more than a pretty girl which is great; Vic - sarcastic and bloodthirsty

Favourite Part: Arm in arm, we left her room, the beginnings of a real relationship shimmering in the air between us, just like the bright pink sparks fluttering up from the Valkyrie's fingertips. - Page 236

Good Points: The concept; love interest is present but not a focal point; Gwen's determination; the powers and the weapons

Bad Points: School life is not fully explored; myths are vaguely mentioned

Carolee Dean - Take Me There

I thought this book was going to be so easy to introduce because the initial thoughts I had on it from the cover were it was going to be the same as Amy & Roger's Epic Detour; this is because Goodreads recommended this book to me when I had finished Amy & Roger.  However, it was completely different which was amazing from my point of view.

Take Me There is a young adult book by Carolee Dean about Dylan Dawson, a young man with an established background as a bad boy, combined with a criminal record, a jailbird father, and an alcoholic mother who is trying to forget her own past through the bottle.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Anyone - some violence and gore but not horrific

Favourite Characters: Dylan - he's amazing; DJ Dawson - helps Dylan come to terms with his past

Favourite Part: I hear my father's voice faintly, over the telephone, answering for me in a soft drawl.  "He's my son."  He reaches out his hand, pressing it against the glass, as if trying to touch me.  He smiles, and I see a tear making its way down his cheek.
[...]

I press my hand up against my father's and I'm suddenly close enough to the glass to see my reflection, blurred by the tears now filling my eyes.  I wipe them away with my fist and take a good look at my father. - Page 167-168

Good Points: The opening; the poetry; DJ's writing; male perspective

Bad Points: Wade's sudden turn around

Sarah Strohmeyer - How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True

From books of the dystopic/post-apocalyptic persuasion to the paranormal, I sometimes like to mix it up with something more normal from time to time.

This time, I have chosen How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by 

Sarah Strohmeyer, a book aimed at young adults that revolves around Fairyland Kingdom, a fairy tale theme park.  This story revolves around Zoe, an upcoming high school senior who has landed a summer internship at Fairyland along with her cousin, Jess, and thirty-something other teenagers the same age to work as cast members in the various fairy tales that have been brought to life in this theme park.  While the internship is unpaid, but their living expenses are covered for the summer, all of the interns have the chance to win the Dream & Do grant for the two most exceptional interns, one boy and one girl, who have shown "exceptional Wow™ spirit" and with this, they get to join the Fairyland Executive Training Program.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Teenage girls and girls in their early twenties

Favourite Characters: Ian - funny and many other reasons; Zoe - relatable despite what she's been through

Favourite Part: He bowed deeply before me and slipped to one knee, taking my hand in his and gazing with the perfect Fairyland combination of princely adoration and chaste love.  Andy actually applauded, and even my own heart skipped a head - which Ian must have felt because he squeezed my fingers gently.
"Am I forgiven, dearest?" he asked again, batting his eyelashes.
I mouthed, In your dreams! - Page 178-9

Good Points: The story; the queen; easy to read; the concept of the Dream & Do grant

Bad Points: The backstabbing teens; the message takes a while to come about

Veronica Rossi - Through the Ever Night

Now back again to a series that I have already started and I adore so I wanted to share my opinion with others.

Through the Ever Night is the second book in the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi; this series alternates between the perspectives (though in third person narrative) of Aria and Peregrine "Perry".  These two live in separate worlds; Aria is defined as a Dweller, she lives in Reverie, a pod where the chosen live to carry on the human race, living in a virtual reality through eyepieces, weeding out the illnesses and ailments that destroy us, while Perry is defined as an Outsider, he lives in the wilderness with his tribe where they fend for themselves, surviving on whatever they can hunt, scavenge or trade for.  Aria's world is turned upside down when she is thrown out of Reverie and stranded until Perry finds her and helps her survive while taking her to her mother who is in one of the other Pods in this world.  Along the way, she discovers she is in fact half-Outsider, from the father she's never known, and possesses the senses of an Audible (being able to hear sounds way beyond normal means).  Meanwhile, Perry is determined to have Aria find his nephew who has been sold by his own father and return to him to the tribe, the Tides, and while he seems primitive to Aria, she falls for him as he for her.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that like The Hunger Games

Favourite Characters: Perry - he has a lot of weight on his shoulders for such a young man; Cinder - mysterious and intriguing

Favourite Part: He lay down, gathering her close.  Aria slumped against him, turning her ear to his chest.  She listened to his heartbeat - a good, solid sound - as the warmth of his body melted into her.  She'd been in a fog earlier.  Hallucinating and searching for what was real.  She found it in him.  He was real. - Page 121 

Good Points: Aria and Perry when they're together; the story; Roar and Liv

Bad Points: The end comes very quickly; the slightest hint of unnecessary love triangles

Kiera Cass - The Elite

More dystopia/post-apocalyptic fiction off my bookshelf now and it's back to a series I've already started but not reviewed before; Kiera Cass's The Selection series.

The Elite is the second book in Kiera Cass's The Selection series with the first being The Selection which follows America Singer, a underprivileged young woman who works as a musician to earn money along with her family while they live in a society ruled by the royal family of Illéa.  America is chosen, along with another thirty five girls to be part of the Selection: this society's way of allowing the prince to choose his bride while the public watch.  While America signed up for this, she is reluctant to continue because she is still reeling from her break up with Aspen, her former neighbour and boyfriend, who left her to join the Army.  She insults the prince on the first night but she starts to come around and eventually falls for him (he has already fallen in love with her) and their relationship grows over the course of the first book and America makes the final seven of the Selection.  However, the book then ends when Aspen reappears in America's life as a member of the Palace Guard.

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Those that liked The Hunger Games

Favourite Characters: America - she is a symbol of hope in a suppressive society; Marlee - she's stronger in this book

Favourite Part: I was overwhelmed. He understood me so well, how nervous I was about making this commitment, how frightening it was for me to become a princess. He was going to give me every last second he could and, in the meantime, lavish me with everything possible. I had another one of those moments when I couldn’t believe this was all happening.
“That’s not fair, Maxon,” I mumbled. “What in the world am I supposed to be able to give you?”

He smiled. “All I want is your promise to stay with me, to be mine. Sometimes it feels like you can’t possibly be real. Promise me you’ll stay.”

“Of course, I promise.” - Page 81 

Good Points: The concept; the importance of family to America as well as Maxon; America and Maxon's relationship

Bad Points: Love triangles (Maxon/America/Aspen and America/Maxon/Kriss)

Stephanie Perkins - Anna and the French Kiss

Now for a more normal book out of my collection with Anna and the French Kiss.  This is more of a young adult book, aimed at older teens but also can appeal to those in their early twenties.

Anna and the French Kiss is Stephanie Perkins's debut in the book world and has subsequently written two companion books for this one, creating a series containing characters that are interlinked but each book focuses on separate couples.  Anna and the French Kiss focuses on Anna Oliphant and her new life in Paris at school and her developing relationship with Étienne St. Clair.

Rating: 8

Recommended To: A young female audience, late teens/early twenties

Favourite Characters: St. Clair - the way he is with Anna and what he goes through

Favourite Part: St. Clair wanders around, picking up things and examining them like I did in Meredith's room.  He inspects the collection of banana and elephant figurines lined up on my dresser.  He holds up a glass elephant and raises his dark eyebrows in question. - Page 64

Good Points: Anna loves her films; the use of emails

Bad Points: Time goes very quickly; not a good use of the friends Anna makes at school

Moira Young - Rebel Heart

Here's another dystopia book from a series I've already started reading. This book has a different writing style to the other books that fall in this genre with the words being written down phonetically depending on who is speaking.

Rebel Heart by Moira Young is the second book in her Dust Lands series which is told mainly from the point of view of Saba, an eighteen year old girl. Saba is the twin sister of Lugh and they are complete opposites; he is bright and strong while she is dark and scrawny. They have grown up and lived together with their father and sister until Lugh is kidnapped by the Tonton, a group of dark robed men who work for the deranged ruler of their land. Rebel Heart follows Blood Red Road where Saba has chased after the Tonton to find her brother, meeting Jack, a mysterious young man who Saba saves, and becomes a symbol when she overthrows the tyrant ruler and his family.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Those who like dystopia fiction, though you need to read the first one so this one makes sense

Favourite Characters: Jack - he's always thinking about Saba and fights for her; Saba - she thinks of everyone else before herself

Favourite Part: The heartstone burns, fierce an true. I bin missin him so deep. It hurts my heart to see him agin. I open my mouth to call his name. I stop myself. His head snaps in my direction. Like he knows I'm here. - Page 282

Good Points: The writing style; the constant separation of Jack and Saba as it's different; the development of Jack and Saba individually as well as together

Bad Points: The way Lugh is with everyone; love fricking square

Marie Lu - Prodigy

So now I'm back to the dystopia fiction again and back to another series I've already started. I know I've already done some dystopia fiction but I really enjoyed this one. Though it falls into the same genre as two of my recent reviews, it differs as it focuses on two prodigal teens that are on the run from the government that have deemed them as criminals.

Marie Lu's Prodigy picks up just after where Legend left off with June and Day running away from the Republic. In Legend, June was the prodigal child of the Republic while Day was the most wanted criminal in society and highly desired by the Patriots, the rebels in this society. Over the course of the first book, June pursues Day, a young man who she believes killed her brother; however, she discovers along the way who he really is and how the Republic have manipulated his life as well as others in society. When she discovers that Day did not kill her brother, June arranges his escape before his execution. When she saves Day before his execution, losing Day's older brother, John, in Day's place, June and Day escape, wanting to find the rebels, the Patriots.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Those who like dystopia fiction, though you need to read the first one so this one makes sense

Favourite Characters: Day - he's cheeky, he's adorable; Kaede - she's spunky and cares for Day on about the same level as June

Favourite Part: Day appears again. This time he leans in close enough for his hair to brush, light as silk, against my cheeks. He pulls me towards for a long kiss. The scene vanishes, replaced abruptly by a stormy night and Day struggling through the rain, blood dripping from his leg and leaving a trail behind him. He collapses onto his knees in front of Razor before the whole scene disappears again. - Page 166

Good Points: The plot, if you ignore the love triangle; the twists; June and Day together

Bad Points: WHY THE LOVE TRIANGLE?!!! (Square or something)

Gemma Malley - The Declaration

Though most people I know describe my book collection eclectic with a slight deviation to urban fantasy books, my next review is on The Declaration by Gemma Malley, another dystopia fiction book.

The Declaration is the first of a trilogy set in Bloomsbury, Britain in the 22nd century where no one ages or dies but there is a price, no more children.

Overall Rating: 6

Recommended To: Those that like dystopia fiction, aimed more towards a female audience.

Favourite Character: Peter - forces Anna to see the truth of her situation

Favourite Part: He said that we belonged together because he was born with a flower and I was born with a butterfly and that flowers and butterflies need each other for survival. - Page 136

Good Points: The concept; Peter and Anna as a couple

Bad Points: Became predictable by the end; Anna frustrated me for a while

Lauren Oliver - Pandemonium

The second in the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver, Pandemonium picks up from where Delirium left off with Lena alone in the Wilds having left Alex behind in Portland after they have fallen in love, where they are seen as contracting the disease deliria.

Overall Rating: 9

Recommend To: Anyone who likes the dystopia fiction like The Hunger Games etc.

Favourite Character: I have two. Non spoiler one - Julian as he tugs at my heart strings which has proven to be difficult over the years. Spoiler - Alex as his line makes me smile right at the end.

Favourite Part: When he speaks again, I can tell he's smiling. 'So I guess we saved each other.' - Page 272

Good Points: Engaging, couldn't put it down, new characters in a new world allowing further expansion on the already defined world from the first of the trilogy

Bad Points (or frustrating points really): Cliffhanger, love triangle