THE BOUNDLESS By Anna Bright

June 3, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE BOUNDLESS By Anna BrightThe Boundless by Anna Bright
Series: The Beholder #2
Published by HarperTeen on 6/9/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 511
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When Selah found true love with Prince Torden of Norway, she never imagined she’d have to leave him behind. All because the Beholder’s true mission was a secret Selah’s crew didn’t trust her to keep: transporting weapons to the rebels fighting against the brutal tsarytsya, whose shadow looms over their next port of Shvartsval’d. A place Selah hoped she’d never go.

But gone is the girl who departed Potomac filled with fear. With a stockpile of weapons belowdecks and her heart hanging in the balance, Selah is determined to see the Beholder’s quest to its end.

Short and Sweet

After finding out that the Beholder was storing weapons that she didn’t know about, Selah has to do the hardest thing ever and leave Torden behind. Now Selah is aboard the beholder transporting the weapons to rebels who are fighting Baba Yaga. Selah never wanted to go into Baba Yaga’s territory but now that she’s there she’ll have to learn how to be as cunning as Grandmother Wolf if she wants to see her home of Potomac again.

Characters

Selah: Selah grew so much, she became a lot stronger and realized sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to for the greater good. Selah had to go through a lot in this book, she had to leave her fiancé, she got captured and had to deal with the cruel conditions of being in Baba Yaga’s territory, she had to learn to be as cunning as the generals to win her freedom.

Anya and Cobie: Anya and Cobie made the decision to stay with Selah when she was being taken to Baba Yaga’s territory. I ended up loving these two girls more than I thought I would, the friendship between all three of them blossomed into something beautiful. They were strong and always stood by each others sides, when one had a weakness the other would provide strength, they were smart and just resilient.

Romance

Selah and Lang: Selah and Lang had a lot of tension between them one that could seem like it would blossom into a romance. There were a lot of moments when they would try to make each other jealous or just have a lot of arguments. I think these two were better off as friends but I wouldn’t have been upset if they did end up as a couple.

Selah and Torden: These two were so cute together I loved them! When they were apart Selah would think about how to get back to him and she kept his engagement ring and looked back to it for strength. Torden was amazing he was always looking out for Selah and he was just so caring and understanding! My favorite couple!

Quotes

~ “I would be a wolf so she could be a lamb.”

My Thoughts

~ The Boundless takes place right after the end of the first book, Selah is on her way with the crew to deliver weapons to the rebels. Unfortunately Selah ends up being captured after she does something risky and is taken away to Baba Yaga’s territory. The Boundless is very different from The Beholder, Selah is no longer looking for someone to marry now she’s helping the Beholder crew carry out their mission delivering the weapons. Selah ends up meeting Fritz who is a potential candidate to be her husband but instead he’s more of an ally and also one of the rebels. After helping Fritz and his sisters do something dangerous Selah is caught along with Cobie and Anya and taken away. I thought the book started off a little slow and I didn’t think it picked up until the halfway point. It was interesting to see Selah’s interactions with Baba Yaga mainly because she was always walking on eggshells around her. Selah, Cobie, and Anya were brave and smart and they did what most people wouldn’t do, they plotted against the Baba Yaga. The ending was more fast paced and I liked how all of the characters that we’ve seen before come together to complete a common goal. The ending was great and I loved that Selah took care of business back at home.

Overall

The Boundless shows us that we are always the author of our own fairytale. I loved seeing how much Selah grew as a character she was smarter and more ruthless than she was in the first book. I loved the characters and the interactions and the plot was great! This was truly an amazing end to the series!


Filed Under: Reviews

THE PAPER GIRL OF PARIS By Jordyn Taylor

May 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE PAPER GIRL OF PARIS By Jordyn TaylorThe Paper Girl of Paris by Jordyn Taylor
Published by HarperTeen on 5/26/20
Genres: Contemporary, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

NOW:

Sixteen-year-old Alice is spending the summer in Paris, but she isn’t there for pastries and walks along the Seine. When her grandmother passed away two months ago, she left Alice an apartment in France that no one knew existed. An apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years.

Alice is determined to find out why the apartment was abandoned and why her grandmother never once mentioned the family she left behind when she moved to America after World War II. With the help of Paul, a charming Parisian student, she sets out to uncover the truth. However, the more time she spends digging through the mysteries of the past, the more she realizes there are secrets in the present that her family is still refusing to talk about.

THEN:

Sixteen-year-old Adalyn doesn’t recognize Paris anymore. Everywhere she looks, there are Nazis, and every day brings a new horror of life under the Occupation. When she meets Luc, the dashing and enigmatic leader of a resistance group, Adalyn feels she finally has a chance to fight back.

But keeping up the appearance of being a much-admired socialite while working to undermine the Nazis is more complicated than she could have imagined. As the war goes on, Adalyn finds herself having to make more and more compromises—to her safety, to her reputation, and to her relationships with the people she loves the most.

Short and Sweet

Alice is spending her summer in Paris, and its not to for vacation, when her grandmother passed away she left Alice an abandoned apartment that no one knew about. Alice wants to find out why the apartment was abandoned and why her grandma never mentioned it.

Adalyn doesn’t recognize Paris anymore, its been taken over and everywhere she looks she sees nazis. Adalyn doesn’t know what to do but when she’s given the chance to fight back she takes it. But being a part of the resistance is harder than she thought especially when she has to keep everyone she loves in the dark.

Characters

Alice: Alice is our main character from the present time. Alice was determined to figure out what happened in the past and learn more about her grandmas upbringing. I felt bad for Alice, she felt a lot of pressure from her parents to sell the apartment, but she wanted to keep it in the family.

Adalyn: Adalyn is our main character from the past. Adalyn was smart and willing to do whatever it took to feel like she was making a difference. I loved Adalyn but I was constantly worried for her, the more she worked for the resistance the more risky it would get for her.

Romance

Alice and Paul: Alice and Paul met in a coffee shop, they were cute I like that he was willing to help Alice on her quest to find out more information about Adalyn. There was this one moment where Alice got mad at Paul and I don’t think he deserved it but other than that they were a cute couple.

Adalyn and Luc: Adalyn and Luc met when she found him defacing posters. They both were apart of the resistance and they didn’t see each other a lot because Luc leaves but he comes back occasionally and that’s when they usually see each other. I thought that they were sweet and they did have chemistry.

My Thoughts

~ We get two POVs one from Alice which is during the present and one from Adalyn which is during the past.

~ I felt so bad for Adalyn her best friend was her sister Chloe (Alice’s grandma), but while working for the resistance Adalyn had to keep what she was doing a secret. This ended up putting a rift between the two sisters and eventually they don’t even speak to each other anymore.

~ I like how Alice learned more details from Adalyn’s life from the diary. I liked seeing the diary entries. Alice and Paul learn a lot from things left behind in apartment, which was basically a time capsule.

~ I wish that Alice’s grandma was still alive so that we could learn more about her life during that time.

~ The last chapter for Adalyn was hard for me to read, she did a lot for her country and she was ready to risk it all. I just wish that she didn’t have to seem like she was fraternizing with the enemy.

Overall

The Paper Girl of Paris was an entertaining read. I liked how the past and present intertwined. Following Alice’s adventure to learn more about the past and then reading about Adalyn’s mission to make the future of Paris better was captivating. I thought it was a good read and it held my attention the whole time, I recommend it!


Filed Under: Reviews

STAY GOLD By Tolby McSmith

May 21, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

STAY GOLD By Tolby McSmithStay Gold by Tobly McSmith
Published by HarperTeen on 5/26/20
Genres: Contemporary, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Pony just wants to fly under the radar during senior year. Tired from all the attention he got at his old school after coming out as transgender, he’s looking for a fresh start at Hillcrest High. But it’s hard to live your best life when the threat of exposure lurks down every hallway and in every bathroom.

Georgia is beginning to think there’s more to life than cheerleading. She plans on keeping a low profile until graduation…which is why she promised herself that dating was officially a no-go this year.

Then, on the very first day of school, the new guy and the cheerleader lock eyes. How is Pony supposed to stay stealth when he wants to get close to a girl like Georgia? How is Georgia supposed to keep her promise when sparks start flying with a boy like Pony?

Short and Sweet

Its Pony’s senior year at a new high school and his goal is to fly under the radar. Pony is transgender and he already had to deal with the fall out at his old school and he just wants to avoid it this time around.

Georgia is a cheerleader but she wants to do more, but she thinks its better that she keeps a low profile until graduation.

Characters

Pony: Pony is our main character and he’s transgender. His goal this year is to lay low and just keep his secret, he’s already come out before and it didn’t go well. Pony was great he was just trying to live his truth and he did have to struggle with those around him that didn’t agree.

Georgia: Georgia is our other main character. Theres a lot more to Georgia than being a cheerleader, she’s a great writer but nobody knows it, she’s afraid of what people will think. Georgia also has a habit of making up stories.

Romance

Georgia and Pony: There were a lot of ups and downs with these two. There was a lot of chemistry but Pony hid the fact that he was transgender which turned Georgia away mainly because he lied to her. But when these two are together there’s lots of chemistry and they have fun, it was cute and I was happy they worked things out.

Georgia and Jake: Georgia the cheerleader and Jake the football player in high school this is a match made in heaven, but Georgia wasn’t into it. I did like Jake though he was sweet and understanding.

My Thoughts

~ We read from both Pony and Georgia’s POVs. While reading from Pony’s you can feel the hurt from being misgendered or just even having to hide his secret. Pony isn’t supported by his dad which is hard on him. The one thing I did like was how supportive Pony’s older sister Rocky was, she was the best! Georgia is also dealing with some things, she hasn’t seen much of her mother since the divorce and last year there was an incident with a boy who left her feeling like she couldn’t trust guys.

~ I learned a lot from this book especially from Max he was very informational about transgender topics, he was also a good friend for Pony and did try to push him out of his comfort zone.

~ I liked that we got to see Pony at his job I liked Ted London and the interactions that they had. I feel like if they had more time together they could have shared more with each other.

~ Georgia is a great story and I like how she went from writing about topics that didn’t really matter to ones that called for people to make a change.

~ Something happened at homecoming that was upsetting, but the outcome of everything made things better.

Overall

This was an own voices book and it was great. It felt authentic and I loved how real the characters were. This was a fresh and funny book! Pony was a great character and so was Georgia. Pick this book up if you see it and Stay Gold!

Filed Under: Reviews

PARACHUTES By Kelly Yang

May 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

PARACHUTES By Kelly YangParachutes by Kelly Yang
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 5/26/20
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 496
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the United States while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California.

Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.

Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. But Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course when her debate coach starts working with her privately.

As they steer their own distinct paths, Dani and Claire keep crashing into one another, setting a course that will change their lives forever.

Short and Sweet

Parachutes are what teenagers are called when they come to the United States to go to school while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire never thought she’d be one but her parents decide to send her to a school in California, now she has a host family and a lot of freedom. Dani lives in California and she is not happy that her mom rented out a room for to Claire. But Dani has bigger things to worry about she’s an all star debater an her only goal is to earn her way into Yale but she has to compete with the privileged kids at school. Claire and Dani have a lot more in common than they think but while they’re navigating their struggles alone they eventually are brought together.

Characters

Claire: Claire seems like she would be like the other parachutes rich and superficial, but she was smart and thoughtful. Claire has just wants to succeed and have fun, for the first time in her life her parents aren’t controlling her every move. I didn’t agree with everything that she did but coming to America and having the feeling of being free she kind of went crazy.

Dani: Dani is smart and she’s on scholarship and her goal is to make it to Yale one day. Dani is on the debate team, she’s honestly a great debater and puts her heart and soul into it. Dani just wants things to work out but in the end things go off course.

Romance

Claire and Jay: This relationship was so superficial. Jay is also a parachute and his family is really rich. Jay would buy Claire gifts and it would seem nice and he would talk about wanting to be with her, but the way he treated her was awful. He couldn’t be trusted he was a cheater and he seemed very needy, but when the tables were turned he would get so upset. The way Jay treat Claire was awful and what he did was unacceptable.

Claire and Zach: Claire and Zach meet while swimming and it seems that Zach has a genuine interest in Claire. I liked these two but it was rushed and that was one thing I didn’t like.

Quotes

~ “Show ’em you don’t need a parachute to soar!”

My Thoughts

~ *Content Warning* This book mentions: Rape, Sexual Harassment, and Racism.

~ Dani is great at debating but she wants to feel like she’s on the same level as her classmates who have private coaches so her coach Mr. Connelly decides to coach her in private. I was so upset with this because he was inappropriate and when she wouldn’t accept his advances she would get punished in some sort of way, he would tell her that her speeches were awful and he didn’t pick her to go on a debate trip. I felt so bad for Dani because she’s worked so hard but it felt like no one at the school would take action.

~ Claire on the other hand had to deal with Jay and he was crazy. Jay ended up raping Claire. The way some people overlooked what happened to her was disgusting.

~ Claire and Dani may have been living under the same roof but they didn’t have a lot of interactions. Towards the end of the book I was happy when they came together but I wish there was more, they could have helped each other.

~ Claire’s friends were awful I couldn’t stand them especially Jess. I don’t know how Claire was friends with Jess I just thought she was a trash friend.

~ It was interesting to see how different Claire and Dani lived their lives. Claire still lived a lavish lifestyle while in California but Dani and her mother weren’t well off.

~ It was interesting to learn about parachutes even after reading this book I did some more research.

Overall

This book was hard to put down, I just wanted to know what would happen next. Both of these girls had to deal with so much I felt for both of them. I had a range of emotions while reading this book, I was happy, I was sad, I was angry, and outraged at the injustice. I felt like I was with the characters and the writing was amazing. I’m so happy I read this book I’m still thinking about it. I would definitely recommend it, its beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time but I loved seeing how Dani and Claire ended up supporting each other!

Filed Under: Reviews

JUST A BOY AND A GIRL IN A LITTLE CANOE By Sarah Mlynowski

May 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

JUST A BOY AND A GIRL IN A LITTLE CANOE By Sarah MlynowskiJust a Boy and a Girl in a Little Canoe by Sarah Mlynowski
Series: I See London,
Published by HarperTeen on 5/19/20
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Sam’s summer isn’t off to a great start. Her boyfriend, Eli, ditched her for a European backpacking trip, and now she’s a counselor at Camp Blue Springs: the summer camp her eleven-year-old self swore never to return to. Sam expects the next seven weeks to be a total disaster.

That is, until she meets Gavin, the camp’s sailing instructor, who turns her expectations upside down. Gavin may have gotten the job just for his abs. Or that smile. Or the way he fills Sam’s free time with thrilling encounters—swimming under a cascade of stars, whispering secrets over s’mores, embarking on one (very precarious) canoe ride after dark.

It’s absurd. After all, Sam loves Eli. But one totally absurd, completely off-the-wall summer may be just what Sam needs. And maybe, just maybe, it will teach her something about what she really wants.

Short and Sweet

Sam’s boyfriend is taking a backpacking trip around Europe, and she’s going to be a camp counselor at Camp Blue Springs. Sam thinks her summer is going to be a disaster until she meets Gavin the sailing instructor.

This is Sam’s first time being a counselor and it started it off rocky she was struggling. Sam was an okay character but her inner dialogue was annoying, sometimes I liked her and other times I questioned her decisions.

I liked seeing the interaction between Sam and the kids, over the seven weeks. The activities seemed fun and I liked the kids personalities, they went from being shy to coming out of their bubbles.

Sam and her fellow counselors were interesting. There was a lot of hooking up and mingling going on. Sam and Gavin would flirt a lot and then the flirting turned into a lot more. I didn’t like the relationship mainly because they were both already in relationships they were cheaters, it was too much.

Overall I liked the camp atmosphere, I wasn’t really happy with the characters there was some bullying going on and it was awful. The relationship would have been cute if they were both single. I think the only saving grace was the children.

Filed Under: Reviews

HUNTING NOVEMBER By Adriana Mather

April 25, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

HUNTING NOVEMBER By Adriana MatherHunting November by Adriana Mather
Series: Killing November #2
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on 5/5/20
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

After surviving a crash course in espionage at the mysterious Academy Absconditi, November has only one purpose: finding her missing father. Along with fellow student (and heartthrob) Ash, November follows the clues that her father left, embarking on the deadliest treasure hunt of her life. The first clue is in her hometown, where old friends beckon and unexpected enemies lurk around every corner. The second clue is in Europe, where revelations about her family's history will plunge her into an international web of deception, lies, and intrigue. The third clue is deep in enemy territory, surrounded by the most skilled assassins and master strategists, and where everyone wants her and her father dead. Can one girl with limited training infiltrate a centuries-old organization that is powerful enough to topple empires? November only knows that she'll do whatever it takes to save her father . . . or die trying.

Short and Sweet

After enduring what the Academy had to offer November is ready to leave and look for her dad. November leaves with Ash to follow the clues her father left for her and now she just needs to find him before her enemies find her.

Characters

November: I liked November she still doesn’t know everything about Strategia, but she views things differently than the other kids at the academy and its interesting to see how she would solve things. I was proud of November she was determined to find her dad and I liked seeing how she deciphered his clues. November still made mistakes but she owned up to them.

Ash: Ash was great I liked that he knew more about Strategia and the family politics so he was a lot of help when it came to that. He had a lot of insight to offer and I thought it was great that he always thought things through more than once and tried to find the best way to approach a situation.

Romance

November and Ash: I liked November and Ash together they brought out the best in each other. I also liked reading about how different their upbringings were. They both had different ways of viewing the situations they were in. They were cute and they looked out for each other and I’m glad that he decided to leave the academy with her.

My Thoughts

~ We’re not in the academy any more and that was probably my favorite thing about this book seeing November venture out and taking what she learned from the academy and applying it to the outside world.

~ November and Ash follow the clues her dad left her and it takes them from the States to Europe and I liked the following the clues aspect and seeing where they would lead.

~ I was always worried for November and Ash it felt like their enemies were one step behind them all the time and they had to look over their shoulders at all times.

~ We see more of the other families in this book and I liked seeing the interactions its very interesting how strategia works.

~ For me the first half of the book was kind of slow but it picked up during the second half and I think that’s because we have more characters and leads to follow so it becomes more risky.

~ My other favorite thing was seeing the other students from the academy join in and help November and Ash during their adventure, it just made it feel like they were all a team and more people to have each others backs.

~ There were some bombshells that I was not ready for and they were so good and I wasn’t expecting them, my mind was blown. They were honestly so satisfying it was perfect.

~ The ending was great and I was captivated I did not want to put my kindle down!

Overall

This was a great sequel, I loved how everything came full circle and everything was answered. It was nice to see how everyone came together to accomplish a common goal. The plot twists and secrets that were uncovered left me on the edge of my seat. I think that this book was amazing, it was a great sequel and I would recommend the Killing November series!


Filed Under: Reviews

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND By Elizabeth Acevedo

April 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND By Elizabeth AcevedoClap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Published by Quill Tree Books on 5/5/20
Genres: Contemporary, Poetry, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.

Short and Sweet Review

Camino and Yahaira live very different lives, Camino is in the Dominican Republic and Yahaira is in New York City, but both of their lives are changed when their father dies on a plane crash. Now both girls have to navigate life without their dad and learn about the secrets he kept. Camino lives with her aunt in the Dominican Republic and her father only visits her during the summer. Camino has big dreams she wants to be a doctor and move to the states.

I felt for Camino without her father around she had more of a burden on her shoulders, she couldn’t afford to go to school and she had to watch out for one of the guys in the neighborhood who wouldn’t leave her alone. Yahaira on the other hand felt like she had to keep her fathers secrets but come to find out everyone knew except for her, Yahaira didn’t leave on the best terms with her dad especially because she found out one of his secrets, I feel like she had a lot of guilt about that. Yahaira had spent more time with her dad growing up than Camino did and one thing Yahaira always mentions is how he taught her to play chess. I loved Yahaira’s girlfriend Dre she was levelheaded and was always there when Yahaira needed her.

Yahaira on the other hand felt like she had to keep her fathers secrets but come to find out everyone knew except for her. I liked reading from both girls POV it showed their grief and how they tried to come to terms with everything it was also interesting because Camino and Yahaira didn’t know about each other. When Camino and Yahaira met it wasn’t a happy reunion they were basically strangers but I did like seeing how their bond was developing.

The writing was beautiful and portrayed all of the emotions both girls were feeling at any given moment. I loved having Camino and Yahaira together, they were both amazing characters in their own ways. Clap When You Land was beautiful and heartbreaking but having two sisters unite over tragedy was also heartwarming.


Filed Under: Reviews

THE BETROTHED By Kiera Cass

April 22, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE BETROTHED By Kiera CassThe Betrothed by Kiera Cass
Series: The Betrothed #1
Published by HarperTeen on 5/5/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

Short and Sweet

Lady Hollis has won King Jameson’s attention and that is a dream come true. But after learning what it would be like to become a queen and live like royalty Hollis wonders if that’s really the life she wants especially when she meets Silas a commoner who seems to truly understand who she is.

Character

Hollis: Hollis is an okay character she isn’t what anyone in the kingdom expects for a future queen, she does what she thinks is right and she does keep other people in mind.

King Jameson: King Jameson seemed sweet at first but in the end his true colors came out he may of been nice but he still thought that everyone should know their place especially Hollis.

Silas: Silas there really wasn’t a lot of him but he came from another kingdom with his family and that’s how he met Hollis. I guess Silas was a good guy he was very talented when it came to working with metals.

Delia Grace: Delia Grace is apparently supposed to be Hollis’s best friend but she is the absolutely the worst friend anyone could have. I don’t understand why Hollis always went to someone who was basically rooting for her downfall.

Romance

Hollis and King Jameson: There was no chemistry at all and I feel like Hollis only tried to win Jameson over because that’s what her parents wanted and the other girls were trying to win his affection but it felt like she won once she was the one he chose. In the end Hollis realized that the “affection” was one sided and that the relationship wouldn’t work.

Hollis and Silas: There is barely any interaction between these two and then they just decided that they were soul mates and had to be together. I guess that this relationship was better than between Hollis and Jameson, but this was rushed and we didn’t really have a developing relationship.

My Thoughts

~ Hollis follows the beat of her own drum which bothers the other people living in the castle but I guess that’s what attracted King Jameson.

~ Silas and his family come to the castle to seek refuge from the kingdom of Isolte, but there’s mysterious circumstances surrounding why this family would be seeking sanctuary.

~ The king and Queen of Isolte come and visit and honestly if this book was about Queen Valentina instead of Hollis this would be 80% better. Queen Valentina had so much to offer she was closed off because of her life in Isolte and she has dealt with a lot. I would be interested in reading more about her life.

~ I think the characters all felt very flat there wasn’t much personality and I didn’t connect with any of them.

~ I feel like Hollis relied on Delia Grace way too much, she was always going to her and asking her opinion and it was just a lot especially knowing how awful Delia Grace really was.

~ Hollis’s parents weren’t that great either. I honestly had a problem with most of the characters in this book which is unfortunate.

~ This book isn’t too long so it didn’t take long to read but I wish there were more interesting things happening in the book most of it was about Hollis winning King Jameson’s affection and then the visit from the Isoltes and then her running off.

Overall

The ending felt rushed and I was not at all happy with what happened it left me with a feeling of wanting more and it wasn’t a cliffhanger it was just a bad ending. I feel like the only reason I would read the next book is to see what will happen.

Filed Under: Reviews

CLIQUE BAIT By Ann Valett

April 21, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CLIQUE BAIT By Ann ValettClique Bait by Ann Valett
Published by HarperTeen on 4/28/20
Genres: Contemporary, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Chloe Whittaker is out for revenge.

Last year her best friend Monica’s life was unceremoniously ruined by the most popular students at their high school, so this year Chloe plans to take each and every one of them down. She’s traded in her jeans and T-shirts for the latest designer clothes, erased anything on social media that would tie her to Monica (and blow her cover), and carefully figured out how she will befriend the members of the clique, find out their deepest and darkest secrets, and reveal them to the world.

Chloe has the perfect plan . . . but there’s one thing she didn’t prepare for. And that’s falling for someone she’s determined to destroy. The closer she gets to uncovering the secrets the in-crowd is determined to cover up, the more she realizes that she is going to have to choose between betraying her oldest friend or the boy who’s captured her heart

Short and Sweet

Chloe Whittaker is about to take down the most popular students in her school, the level ones. After the death of her best friend Monica, Chloe is out for revenge and she’ll do whatever it takes to find their weaknesses and secrets to bring them down. But the last thing Chloe wanted was to fall for someone in the group.

Characters

Chloe: Chloe is our main character and she’s really smart. The planning that she did to pull everything off was amazing. She put a lot of thought into everything especially how she would become apart of the group and discover their secrets. I liked Chloe she had good intentions but she was also blinded by her need for revenge.

William: I loved Will he was caring and when we get to learn more about him the more lovable he is. He looked out for Chloe and tried to keep her out of harms way as much as he possibly could.

The Level Ones: Francis, Lola, Sophie, Maddy, Zach, and Will are the most popular students in the school. Chloe blames them for Monica’s death and is determined to bring them down. Out of all of the level ones I think Maddy and Will are the nicest.

Romance

Chloe and William: Well this relationship started off with some blackmail and faking but by the end these two really developed feelings for each other and I loved it. These two were just playing a part so that Chloe could make her way into the level one crowd but she started to like Will and he started to care for her and look out for her it was sweet.

Francis and Lola: The school’s power couple. These two may seem perfect on the outside but these two had a lot of cracks in their relationship that most people didn’t know about. I didn’t like Francis he was kind of verbally abusive.

Quotes

~ “Observe, blackmail, initiate, infiltrate, collect and expose.”

My Thoughts

~ The kids in level one are ruthless and are mean to the kids who aren’t in their group.

~ It was interesting to see how Chloe infiltrated her way into the group. I liked watching Chloe navigate the life of a level one and even seeing her plan unfold.

~ I thought Maddy was the nicest girl in the group she really tried to look out for Chloe and become her friend.

~ It was interesting to learn all the secrets that the Level ones had and how it would affect their lives once it got out.

~I know Chloe was getting revenge for Monica but the more I read I felt like Monica wasn’t the greatest friend to Chloe in her last couple of months, especially when Monica became a Level one.

~ Almost every chapter starts with a letter that Chloe wrote to Monica which I liked, it was interesting to see what their friendship was like during the good times.

Overall

I loved this book and it kept me hooked from beginning to end. I read this book in one sitting and I would read it again. It was like a mean girls with a lot of revenge. I’m so happy that I got to read this book because it was amazing and not once did I feel like it got boring or lost my interest. Read this book!!! If you love mean girls, revenge, fake dating, then this book is for you!

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REDEMPTION PREP By Samuel Miller

April 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

REDEMPTION PREP By Samuel MillerRedemption Prep by Samuel Miller
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 4/16/20
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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Everyone knows Emma. Neesha’s her best friend, Aiden’s her basketball star boyfriend, and Evan’s her shadow, following Emma’s every move.

Emma stands out, which is hard to do at Redemption Prep, a school where every student has been handpicked to attend its remote campus in the forest of Utah. So when she goes missing in plain sight during mass, everyone notices.

And everyone becomes a suspect, especially at a school with so many rules: Don’t skip mass. Don’t break curfew. Don’t go into the woods.

Emma’s disappearance ignites an investigation, and Neesha, Aiden, and Evan all want to find her—for different reasons. But they each have their own secrets to hide, and not everyone wants Emma to be found.
As the search continues, the students start to realize that they’re not the only ones trying to hide something. Redemption Prep has secrets, too—secrets bigger than any of the students could have imagined, and Emma could be the key to finding out the truth . . . if anyone can find her.

Short and Sweet Review

Redemption Prep is an elite prep school in the forest of Utah. Everyone knows who Emma is, so when she goes missing everyone notices. Neesha is her best friend, Aiden is her boyfriend, and Evan is her shadow. Each of them wants to find Emma but for different reasons.

We get three different point of views Neesha’s, Aiden’s and Evan’s, I didn’t like one more than the other, I feel like each of them had their own motives for finding Emma. Neesha was selling a drug named Apex with the help of Emma, and Aiden is obviously trying to find his girlfriend, and Evan is kind of like a stalker. Even though Evan has never talked to Emma he did have good intentions.

The book is a fast read its paced quickly. I liked the whole mystery aspect of the book, it was interesting to see how each student went about trying to find Emma and how they also learned that redemption prep was not what they thought it was. I did like how in the end the students teamed up for the greater good. I was really excited to read this book but I felt like the ending was rushed and I was still left a little confused about the motive of the school. Overall this book was okay but it didn’t wow me like I thought it would and the whole thing about Emma going missing ended up being a disappointment.

Filed Under: Reviews