Book Review: Lair of Dreams

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Released: August 25th 2015
Read: May 2016
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 613 pages
Series: The Diviners #2, here's my review of the first book.

Description from Goodreads:
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.
Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.
As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?


Review:
Holy cow! I thought that like most sequels, this one would fail to capture the magic that the first one did. I was happily proven wrong. This book (while not QUITE so scary) managed to keep the suspense from the reader until the very end. While I thought that it would be hard to follow the plot from the first book, she managed to create a mystery with the same excitement as the last one. In this novel, the old characters were developed upon, and new ones introduced. In many series, it sometimes feels like the existing characters are almost forgotten, or set aside. Not in this one. Although we got to know the new people, the old were still very much there. Goodness... this is actually such a good sequel! I couldn't stop gushing about it while I was reading, because there were many twists and turns that came from nowhere. The only thing that could've been improved was the "horror" element. It could've been scarier, like the first one was. But still an AMAZING read! And luckily there are still two more books to go!

Favorite Quote:
“We are made by what we are asked to bear, Ling Chan,” 

― Libba Bray, Lair of Dreams

Rating: 8/10

Recommended for people who love: mystery, horror, romance, suspense, supernatural, strong female leads, historical fiction

Happy reading!
Mari

Book Review: Illuminae

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Released: October 20th, 2015
Read: December 2015
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Paperback ARC, 599 pages (borrowed from the lovely Ohana Reads)

Description from Goodreads:
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Review: Reading this book was unlike anything I've ever read before. This was such an interesting and refreshing take on the normal scifi genre. Instead of having the story be told by the protagonists, it took a multimedia approach. The plot was told through emails, reports, schematics, files, medical reports and interviews. It was exciting to turn the page, not knowing what would be on the other side. I have to say, I liked this book. Like a lot. Kady (one of the two main characters) is so ballsy and cool! She does what she wants, when she wants and doesn't care if she clashes with the people in charge. I loved reading the reports on her, where she breaks into secret rooms and then waves at the camera to the people watching. In a book that is ultimately about survival in the deep, dark space, reading about Kady was refreshing and a tension relief to say the least. Her relationship with Ezra was SO CUTE, and you were hoping that they'd rekindle their relationship by the end. The tension over "will Ezra get away from the infected crazies?" really kept the plot driving forward, and kept you turning the page to see what would happen. And don't get me started on AIDEN, the AI (artificial intelligence)  on the ship. Reading about what he was "thinking" was so incredibly unique, and it was a testament to the authors talent on how well they wrote his scenes. I would think that it's hard to write about a character who really isn't alive, but is still "feeling". The authors approach this with poise, and although this is a computer talking, it feels like a human voice. It was actually quite beautiful. Reading the scenes of his was almost like reading poetry turned into art. Confusing to write down, but if you read it, you'll understand. In a weird way, this book was basically a mash up of a "zombie survival" story (the infection that breaks out and that is SUPER contagious), a rouge computer (AIDEN) and a wild space adventure wrapped up into one. So cool... This novel ended on a cliffhanger, so I will definitely be watching for book two come October!  

Favorite Quotes:
 “I am frequently underestimated. I think it's because I'm short.” 

“The universe owes you nothing, Kady. It has already given you everything, after all. It was here long before you, and it will go on long after you. The only way it will remember you is to do something worth remembrance.” 


“All he cares about here on the edge of forever, is her. He does not want to die. Not because he is afraid. Simply because he cannot bear the thought of leaving her behind.” 


Rating: 9/10

Recommended for people who enjoy: scifi, romance, adventure, survival stories

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: Wolf By Wolf

Taken from Goodreads

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Released: October 20th, 2015
Read: February 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Borrowed ARC, Paperback, 388 pages
Series: Wolf by Wolf #1
Source: Borrowed from the lovely Ohana Reads

Description from Goodreads:
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

Review:
I read this book, as it was literally forced on me by Laurens sister (who runs Ohana Reads). I'm soooooo glad she made me read it!! This book is everything I look for, be it fantasy, historical fiction or strong female characters. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every page of Wolf by Wolf. Yael is such an interesting character, and the "skinshift" quality of hers is just so cool. I kept worrying that she would accidentally reveal herself to Felix (the brother of Adele) or Luka (the former love interest of Adele). Both guys are eager to help Yael but are really suspicious of this "new" Adele. I have to say, I was more partial to Luka. He was just so.. so.. handsome? And suave? It's hard to describe but he was the epitome of an annoying bad boy, who just steals your heart. You hate to like him, that kind of thing. Whereas  That aside, I loved how Yael was able to develop from a young girl (through flashbacks) to a powerful young woman right before our eyes. Although she is perceived by the other characters as someone who is "made of steel", she has her vulnerabilities. The tattoos of wolves (hence the name of the book) represent the people she lost, so her grief and loneliness is always with her. That is what drives her desire to get revenge, and make the leaders of the Third Reich pay for what they did. Because of this she gets drawn into this revolution, and it's the reason she enters the race. This book had a minor "Hunger Games" feel, what with the competition and all. It really moved the plot forward, and filled any parts that normally would've been too long and boring. Right until the very end there is the tension of "will she win or won't she??" It's a surprise ending, and I couldn't stop babbling about it. I won't give it away, but let's just say I CANNOT wait until the sequel is out (Blood for Blood)! 

Favorite Quotes:
“So she traced and she named. She hurt and she raged. She remembered.” 

― Ryan Graudin, Wolf By Wolf

Rating: 9/10 Stars

Recommended for people who enjoy: fantasy, historical fiction, alternate retellings, romance, strong female leads

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: H.E.A.R.

H.E.A.R by Robin Epstein

Release Date: December 29th, 2015
Read: January 2016
Publisher: Soho Teen
Format: Paperback ARC, 272 pages 

Description from Goodreads:
Expelled from high school months shy of graduation—her acceptance to Columbia revoked due to vigilante justice gone awry—Kassandra Black is sent to work in her great-uncle Brian’s lab at Henley University. She’s helping with his HEAR (Henley Engineering Anomalies Research) program, and hopefully getting him to put in a good word for her to attend Henley instead. She’s got to go somewhere, after all.But as she gets to know the other HEAR students, it becomes clear that she overlooked the “Anomalies” part of their acronym—these kids are here to help Brian run experiments that gauge ESP capacity. They’ve each been selected and recruited, including, to her astonishment, Kass herself. But ESP? She doesn’t buy any of it. And even if it were real, she definitely isn’t psychic.Yet with each new test, she finds herself more frightened. Kass really can communicate telepathically; she can even glimpse the future. When one of her fellow HEAR students is murdered, Kass must try to forget everything she knows about herself and her family and learn to trust those who share her remarkable gift.


Review:
What really got me into this book was the main character. Kassandra is strong, and doesn't care what anyone thinks of her. I loved the growth of her powers, and it feels realistic (well as realistic as supernatural powers can be!). I loved that she did what she wanted, when she wanted, and said what she wanted. She is the type of girl everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to be. This book was a refreshing break from the normal dystopian/supernatural genre. It wasn't just about saving the world. It had a deeper story line and plot to it. I really liked getting to know the other recruits of the program. It was almost like X-Men or something. It even had the history to it, about shady ex-colleagues and an untrustworthy government agency. Everyone's power was unique to them, and their character development was interesting, and never dull. Of course the romance between two of the characters (won't say which ones, spoilers!) is a great addition to the story, and adds depth to the characters involved. One of the best parts of the story was the twist at the end. It came out of nowhere, and finished the story perfectly! I can't wait to get my hands on book number two!

Favorite Quote: "Keep my mind open. Keep an open mind. How hard could it be?" -H.E.A.R. by Robin Epstein

Rating: 8/10 Stars

Recommended for people who enjoy: scifi, adventure, romance, strong female leads

Happy Reading,
Mari  

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Taken from Amazon.com

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2. 2010
Read: November 2015
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Format: Paperback, 372 pages

Description from Goodreads:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 
But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

Review: 
This book is just so cute! From the very first chapter I couldn't get enough. The way Perkins writes is so light and breezy it's a treat to read. Anna is portrayed realistically, as any student would be if they moved to Paris. She is a great protagonist, and the year she spends in Paris is great to follow. A great bonus is that her love interest is the guy that everyone wishes was in their lives. He's so romantic and swoon-worthy! I just wish that Anna would have "discovered" more of Paris, and that she would've seen more of the city. I felt like it was an opportunity wasted, that Perkins had a chance to write an epic "city tour" and didn't take it. However that is really my one complaint. This was simply a solid read through and through. I can't wait until I can get my hands on the next one, and I'm intrigued at how Perkins binds all three books together!

Favorite Quotes: “I mean, really. Who sends their kid to boarding school? It's so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn't have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.” 
― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

“I wish for the thing that is best for me.” 

― Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Recommended for people who enjoy: Sarah Dessen, romance, YA fiction, travel, funny heroines

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: Graceling

Taken from Goodreads

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

Release Date: October 1. 2008.
Read: Fall. 2012
Publisher: Harcourt

Format: Paperback, 471 pages

Description from Goodreads:
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace - or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away... 

Review: I was told to read this because of my love for high fantasy. I was a little skeptical, but I decided to read it anyway. What I got was a mixed bag. The idea that some people have "Graces" (where they have a special power) is very interesting and unique. But I sorta had a small problem with Katsa (the main character). She seemed a little whiny at times, and it made me hard to feel sympathetic for her. But the story line made up for it. It was exciting, and took many twists and turns. Her counterpart Po is a great gentleman, willing to protect Katsa and his niece Bitterblue at all costs. It's a great adventure story line, but personally I like the sequel/prequel Fire better.

Favorite Quotes: “When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?” 
― Kristin Cashore, Graceling

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Recommended for people who like: YA, fantasy, fiction, romance, adventure

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: The Vampire Diaries

Taken from mybooksmylife.com

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L.J. Smith

Release Date: 1. March. 1999
Read: July 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher
Format: Paperback, 311 pages

Description from Goodreads:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
Elena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

Review: 
This book was very different than the show, let me say that much. It shocked me at the liberties that the show took from the book. They changed the personalities of quite a few characters, and took others out completely. One of my favorite parts of the book was Meredith, someone who didn't make it into the show, despite the fact that she is a strong female character. I thought that as a whole, the book was a really fun read. The action was exciting, and most of the characters were extremely fun to read about. While reading, the biggest casting fail that I found was Bonnie. In the book, she is of Irish decent with red hair and freckles. In the show, she is the complete opposite. 
However, the show did succeed in one regard. I felt like in the book, Elena (the main character) was at times acting like a certain other human who falls in love with a vampire. She was strangely oblivious to Stefans odd behavior. There was too much obsession in her, which was cringe-worthy. However, since the summer of 2013, I have read the entire series and I am now searching like crazy for the first book in the Returned series.

Favorite Quote: “Evil will never find peace. It may triumph, but it will never find peace” 
― L.J. Smith, The Awakening
Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

Recommended for people who like: supernatural, romance, YA, adventure

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: The 5th Wave

Taken from Goodreads

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancy


Release Date: May 7th, 2013
Read: June, 2013
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 457 pages

Description from Goodreads:
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.
Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Review: This book intrigued me from the very first page. For a long time I searched for a fresh take on the whole dystopian genre. This book is pretty much it. It's a little slower to start, and it really takes time with the character building and the backstory of the whole tragedy is very interesting.
Cassie is an interesting heroine, and she is very headstrong. However, I felt that her relationship with Evan was a little cheesy and predictable. The moment that he appeared on the page, I knew right where his story was going. Even with that fact, I bought the book (I read it from the library) and have read it multiple times. It's a fun ride, and is great to pass the time.

Favorite Quotes:   “But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page of human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way. I may be the last one, but I am the one still standing. I am the one turning to face the faceless hunter in the woods on an abandoned highway. I am the one not running but facing. Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield.” 
― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Recommended for people who like: thrillers, romance, YA, sci-fi, survival stories, dystopian

Happy Reading,
Mari

Book Review: The Diviners

             The Diviners by Libba Bray

Release date: September 8, 2012
Read: February 2015
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 529 pages

Description from Goodreads:
   Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.
   Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.
   As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened.

Review: Normally, I don't go for the really creepy, and paranormal books. Add the fact that it's set in the 1920's, and you are in for a really scary ride.

Now I don't want to scare you away from the book, however it's not for the faint of heart. I think I first realized this during the introduction. It begins at a party with a Ouija board. A OUIJA BOARD! I think any normal person would see that it's only going to go downhill from there.

Like I said before, I'm not the creepy book type of gal. But this book kept me hooked. I literally couldn't stop reading. It took a while to hit the action, as Bray did a lot of character building on Evie (the main character). Once it hit, it was awesome. Every twisty turn was refreshingly original, and I never felt bored.

Although, I wish that we could have seen a little more of New York City in the 20's. The whole story stayed in one area, so I think had we traveled a little further, the story would have had even more depth to it. All in all, it was a great book, and I can't wait to read the next one!


Favorite Quote: “Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones.” ― Libba Bray, The Diviners


(Not gonna lie, this was one of the creepiest parts of the book)

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Recommended to people who like: horror, paranormal, supernatural, YA, romance, exciting, thriller, mystery




Happy Reading,


Mari