Review for Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

By Marissa Meyer
Published February 4th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends
Borrowed from Local Library
550 pages

"Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has." ~ Goodreads

Review

The third instalment of the Lunar Chronicles packs a punch with the addition of new characters and a thickening plot!

I admire Cinder and Scarlet's tough personality, but it was a nice change to meet Cress. I personally relate to her. She's socially awkward, lacks self confidence, and is a hopeless romantic. I feel like she's an underdog and I always love rooting for the underdog. Then, there is Thorne. I've never met a character quite like him before. His statements are blunt, yet charming. He is not one you would think of as funny, yet he had me laughing more than once. His, well, special, situation in Cress made for quite the bit of entertainment. Together, Cress and Thorne made such a cute duo. It was awkward at times, but my heart melted at the subtle things, like how they both relied on each other. I hope their relationship is taken farther!

Again and again, Marissa Meyer flaunts her writing abilities. It's amazing to see how everything is coming together, all the details she left behind in the previous books and I can assure you the fast pace continues. The multiple POV's has always been a trademark of sorts and I've always appreciated them. It gives immense insight in to what is really going on. However, at times I am so curious to see what happens with one character that I have to restrain myself from flipping ahead. This was the case with Cress and Thorne.

I highly recommend the whole series to readers who search for adventure, action, romance (like three couples worth), dystopian settings, and of course that hint of fairytale retelling!

Excerpt

There he was.

Carswell Thorne.

Though they were separated by two screens and vast amounts of empty space, she could feel the link being forged between them in that look. A bond that couldn't be broken. Their eyes met for the first time, and by the look of pure amazement on his face, she knew he felt it too.

Heat crept up into her cheeks. Her hands began to shake.

"Aces," Carswell Thorne murmured. Dropping his feet to the ground, he leaned forward to inspect her closer. "Is that all hair?"

The bond snapped, the fantasy of one perfect true-love moment disintegrating around her.

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Waiting on Wednesday (29): Tear You Apart by Sarah Cross

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

My Pick This Week Is...

Tear You Apart (Beau Rivage)

By Sarah Cross

Expected publication: January 27th 2015 by Egmont

384 pages

"Faced with a possible loophole to her "Snow White" curse, Viv goes underground, literally, to find the prince who's fated to rescue her. But is life safe in the Underworld worth the price of sacrficing the love that might kill her?" ~ Goodreads

Why?

After reading Kill Me Softly and enjoying its originality, it's a no brainer that I want to read another one! Actually, I will be reading Tear You Apart shortly as I have received an advanced ebook copy. How exciting! It will be interesting to see how Viv escapes her fairytale destiny!

What are YOU waiting for this Wednesday? Leave links and I'll visit!

Review for Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2)
By Marissa Meyer
Published February 5th 2013 by Feiwel and Friends
Borrowed from Local Library
452 pages

"Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner." ~ Goodreads

Review

Equipped with an intricate plot and interesting characters, Scarlet is sure to hold your attention!

Chapters alternate between Cinder, Scarlet, Kai, and even Queen Levana. Scarlet is fierce and determined, qualities I admire in a heroine. Her travelling companion Wolf was a puzzle and as his personality and background pieces came together it gave me quite a shock! Cinder was as sassy as usual and her travelling companion provided almost comic relief. When all these characters met and their adventures collided it was pure awesomeness.  

Meyer strikes a wonderful balance between originality and her chosen fairytale. She ties select characterstics from the tale, but puts her own twist on them. The creativeness shines through. A quality made even more evident as the series continues. The beginning and even middle felt a bit slow to me, however, the last quarter was very intense! The world that Meyer has created is like a web and we've only traveled through half of it. 

I recommend Scarlet to readers who enjoy action, suspense, and creative plots. I'm anxious to see what happens next!

-

Excerpt

"What's your name, anyway?"

That awkward shrug again. "They call me Wolf at the fights." 

"Wolf? How... predatory."

He nodded, entirely serious.

Scarlet swallowed a grin. "You might want to leave the street fighter bit off your resume."

He scratched at his elbow, where the strange tattoo could barely be seen in the dark, and she thought she'd maybe embarrassed him. Perhaps Wolf was a beloved nickname.

"Well, my name is Scarlet. Yes, like the hair, what a clever observation."

His expression softened. "What hair." 

Scarlet settled her arm on the top of the door, resting her chin. "Good one. " 

For a moment he seemed almost pleased with himself and Scarlet found herself warming to this stranger, this anomaly. This soft-spoken street fighter.

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Review for Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly
By Sarah Cross
Published April 10th, 2012 by EgmontUSA
Borrowed from Local Library
336 pages

"Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns." ~ Goodreads

Review

  Breathtakingly unique Kill Me Softly is pure genius. It is sure to take you on a magical journey that you won't forget any time soon!

Kill Me Softly can easily be compared to the show Once Upon a Time as they both feature a fairy tale town, quirky residents, and mysteries that seem to hover in the air. Cross goes old school by bringing back the original Grimm tales and yes, they are grim. A decision that I very much appreciated because it adds weight to the story.

 Mirabelle was not easy to get emotionally attached to as I found her to be mean (poor Freddie) and immature (she's fifteen after all). However, I liked her sass (especially with a certain someone) and the personal growth she underwent. The supporting cast made Beau Rivage come to life. It was entertaining trying to figure out which fairytale each one was from. As soon as they were introduced I played a little game with myself: who were they really? By far, though, Blue was the greatest person in the book. I loved him! There was so much more to him than snarkiness and blue spiky hair. He genuinely surprised me. Mira and Blue together sent butterflies to my stomach!

The world Cross created was something I've never quite experienced before. Writing from a different perspective than first person was a wise choice. As the reader I felt like I had been dumped in a strange town myself and had to slowly try to piece things together. Nothing was quite right, but no one explained things fully. I waited and waited for someone to tell me what was going on. And even after the big revelation the plot had a few more hooks. I was entranced, flipping pages well past midnight just to find out the truth behind the residents of Beau Rivage and to see how it all unfolded.

I highly recommend Kill Me Softly to fairytale fanatics and anyone who enjoys originality. I will definitely be looking out for any sequels!

Excerpt

"Okay. Well... I'm going to tell you something. You might not like it."

"About my... curse?" she said, still hoping that he would tell her no, she was mistaken.

But he nodded instead.

"Mira, you have what's called a marchen mark. Marchen is the German word for tale. As in fairy tale."

"What do you mean?"

"It identifies you. It places you in a role. It tells you what you're meant to do, or what will happen to you. It's like... your destiny. Your curse."

Review for Reboot by Amy Tintera

Reboot (Reboot #1)

By Amy Tintera
Published May 7th 2013 by HarperTeen
Borrowed from Local Library
365 pages

"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" ~ Goodreads

Review

Equipped with an original premise and a fast moving plot, Reboot will surprise and please.

Having the highest number in the Reboot community, Wren Connolly is not one to be messed with. Although I respected Wren and admired her skill, I found I wasn't able to connect with her. A disappointing feeling considering she was the heroine. Even when she regained her emotions (or developed them?), her personality didn't have enough for me. I love my heroines to have sassiness, sarcasm, snark - you know, firecrackers. After Callum enters the picture, she of course begins questioning her orders and starts to fall for him. As much as he was a sweetheart, Callum was missing something for me, too. His character fell flat and as harsh as this may sound, I just found him to be a bit of a pansy. However, it was refreshing to see the typical roles reversed (girl - protector, boy - protected), but it was also frustrating. I couldn't fall for him the way Wren did. Their relationship, although lacking depth, was cute.

Reboot has a most intriguing plot. I must give it a round of applause in that area. It was new to me, fresh, and exciting. At first the dystopian world was a bit blurry, but it cleared up enough. Immersion into Wren's world didn't happen, but the steady stream of events kept my attention extremely well. The ending promises more books to come and I may have to watch out for them.

I highly suggest Reboot for those who like strong heroines, unique premises, and action. It may not have hit my sweet spot, but it is a one of a kind book that you should give a chance!

Excerpt

"She's supposed to make them good Reboots," I said, the memory of pulling the knife out of Forty-five's head flashing through my mind. 

"Then maybe you should do it," Twenty-two said, perking up. "You get to pick, don't you?"

"Yes. And I don't train such low numbers."

"Why not?"

"Because they're no good."

"Maybe because they don't have you."

.......

"One-seventy-eight," Manny said.

I turned my gaze to One-twenty-one, who nodded at me. He already knew I would choose him. 

I looked at Twenty-two. How long did he have with Lissy? They'd be out in the field in a couple weeks, and with Lissy's track record, he'd be dead within two months.

His dark eyes held mine. Not many people looked me in the eye. 

And that smile. That smile was strange here. Newbies didn't come in smiling; they came in terrified and miserable.

He was definitely weird.

"One-seventy-eight?" Manny repeated, looking at me expectantly.

"Twenty-two." It was out of my mouth before I could change my mind. A grin spread across his face. 

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