Legend - Marie Lu

Synopsis: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.


From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. (from Goodreads)


I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book. It's dystopian, so it called to me. I also read that Marie Lu based the story loosely on Les Misérables, a musical I've always wanted to see but for whatever haven't gotten around to. Reading Legend makes me want to change that.


The story goes back and forth between the points of view of June and Day, two kids from the opposite sides of the track in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. June has grown up in a wealthy, military family while Day comes from a more working class/slums area. He's also a criminal mastermind while June is a child prodigy at the top of her class. It was interesting to go back and forth between their two voices because they have different views on the world they live in and definitely different values, but in a way they are almost the same person. June believes in the militaristic society shes grown up in. Day, on the other hand, knows the truth behind the utopian front of the Republic. They complement each other well and when they meet, each move is calculated. It's funny because they don't know how smart each other is.


This is the second dystopian book I've read in a short time that includes a "plague" element. A horrible disease has broken out in parts of the Republic. The rich get vaccines while the poor do not. I don't know if that's becoming a trend, or already was one, but it does add a new factor...it's the driving force behind some of the characters actions. And it becomes the symbol of the Republic's secrets. It kinda serves as the link between their society and ours. Bio-terrorism is something we've definitely had to worry about in the last few decades, and is still a true threat. 


All in all, I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to anyone who reads dystopian, but it just didn't send me over the edge. I think it's a slightly different take on dystopia with one character being an insider and one being an outsider (kinda ambiguous who's who) which was fun to read, but it didn't leave me blown away. However, I did care about June and Day and I want to find out what happens to them next.

Wings of the Wicked - Courtney Allison Moulton

Synopsis: Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay. (from Goodreads)

AHHH! I can't get ENOUGH of this stuff!!! I'm completely in love with this angel/demon world and all the characters in it! I don't know what it is about Courtney Allison Moulton's writing, but I'm hooked. OK, that's kind of a lie. I do know what I like about her.


We get to see Ellie in a whole new light in this installment of the Angelfire series. She's become more vulnerable and put into situations that really test her will to keep going. She still has that feisty sarcasm and dry wit that I enjoyed from the first book, but now she's dealing with heart-breaking trauma. I really didn't expect some of the twists that were thrown in, and I really felt for Ellie in this book. She's pushed to the emotional limit.


But this time she has Will, along with her other friends. They all have such a deep connection with each other that I can almost see the bond jumping out of the page. And I don't just mean Ellie and Will (although things between them move to the next level), but also Ellie and her best friend, Kate, and even Ellie and the new angelic reapers she meets in this book but has known for a long time. And lets not forget Cadan. He's created quite a following with this book! I like Cadan. He offers a different side to the reapers who care about the Preliator's well-being. But I'm not in love with him; I think there's still even more to him than we know. I'm very excited to see what becomes of him in the next book.


One of the themes that got passed around a lot in the first book and continues into this book is the line drawn between the angelic and demonic and how there is no choosing your destiny. A reaper is either good or evil. But Ellie constantly questions this, and for good reason. I think her hesitation to judge is one of her strengths, along with her humanity...another topic of interest. To me, this is what makes Ellie so powerful. Her desire to seek the through and find out who a person really is, even if she's unsure of who she is at times. 


And of course, Will is as loyal and brooding as ever. He's so good to Ellie. So patient. So selfless. His entire existence revolves around protecting her. He's the real deal. I'm totally rooting for him and Ellie all the way. Kate is also worth noting. She and Ellie can almost read each other's thoughts. In my mind, Kate is Will in woman form. She is just as devoted and caring of Ellie as he is, and we get to see a little more that side in this book. She's the bestest best friend.


The last book comes out next January. Are you all as excited as I am??

Bones of Faerie - Janni Lee Simner

Synopsis: The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so 15-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza’s world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Then Liza discovers she has the Faerie ability to see—into the past, into the future—and she has no choice but to flee her town. Liza’s quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.
Janni Lee Simner’s first novel for young adults is a dark fairy-tale twist on apocalyptic fiction—as familiar as a nightmare, yet altogether unique. (from Goodreads)

This book reminded me a lot of The Road by Cormac McCarthy because of the desolate landscape Janni Lee Simner portrays in this story. It's a fascinating mix of post-apocalyptic and fantasy where magic is the reason for such a stark and threatening place that once called itself the Midwest...more specifically, Missouri. I loved the tension created by the vicious trees and ruthless animals Liza encounters on her journey. You can really feel the fear the townspeople have toward the magical wilderness; its almost a force of evil.

The use of reflections was also a really cool effect of this world. Whether it was a reflection in a mirror of some sort or standing water, reflections have a power all their own. And since Missouri has two huge bodies of water, the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, not to mention the arch (a gigantic metal mirror), I can see how Simner was inspired to set her story right here at the confluence.

Although this story was very original and all the references to St. Louis made me happy (Go Cardinals!) I feel like it could have been more developed. Everything that happened felt like it needed to be expanded upon. I wanted to know more about the characters: their histories, motivations, etc. The narration only skimmed the surface. We're introduced to Liza and her family and the problems with magic surrounding the town, but I wanted more about their relationships. Especially between her parents. It was an interesting world, but it just didn't hit a deep nerve with me.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who drives I-44 on a daily basis, but I wish it had a little more.

Cinder - Marissa Meyer

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. (from Goodreads)


I've always enjoyed the story of Cinderella, ever since we read a bunch of different versions from different cultures in elementary school. Cinderella is truly a universally loved fairy tale.This version kinda follows the Drew Barrymore - Ever After retelling more so than the Disney classic. It's a bit more believable that way. You'll see what I mean.

Cinder is extremely resourceful, smart and very proactive in the situations she's thrown into. She never gives up, no matter the circumstances. That's what I like about this girl. She's so strong. The problem is she's not a complete human girl. There was an accident at some point in her life and a chunk of her body has been replaced with robotic parts...including one of her feet. ;-) In Cinder's world, being a cyborg puts you way below humans and not far above androids. It creates a type of class system of the future that she has no control over and can't escape. Just like no one of today has any control over being born into extreme poverty, Cinder had no say in becoming a cyborg.

The hierarchy that Marissa Meyer has developed for her world got me to thinking about the prejudices we face today. Not to be too political, but it reminded me of racism in the 50's and 60's during the Civil Rights movement and even the Feminist movement after that. And I guess you could say today the big movements are for equal marriage rights and immigration rights as well. Basically, at almost every point in out history there has been some group that has been marginalized and treated like second-class citizens due to race, gender, religion, etc. It's interesting to me because the generation that fought for civil rights way back when are now the same generation fighting against equal rights for gays, lesbians, etc.

It's odd how as young people, we seem to embrace everyone but as we age, there are certain things we just can't except. My parents, for example, love listening to hard rock music and my grandparents, on the other hand, thought rock was sacrilegious. And I guess you could say that currently, rap music has replaced rock music's role of being the "corrupter of youth", and my parents can't stand it. They hate rap. It upsets them. But I like it. It doesn't bother me at all. I guess what I'm trying to get at is there will always be something that your generation refuses to accept into society, no matter how inviting and open you were in your youth. Makes me wonder what "thing" my children will be into that I won't have tolerance for.

This is what fascinates me about this story; in the future, the people who are looked down upon are the cyborgs. And there really is no logical basis for this reasoning, just like all the prejudices we face today. I didn't tear through this book like I've done with others, but it was more like a steady, page-turning thriller. I just wanted to soak it all up. And even if you know the story of Cinderella, you'll never guess how this ends!

Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

Synopsis: New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. (from Goodreads)

I don't know, but I didn't have any expectations when I read this book. To be honest, I thought the cover was a little hokey and I'm always a little skeptical of fantasy worlds. There's so much fantasy out there that I love so the bar was set high. And Incarnate just set the bar higher. And now that I get the cover, it seems beautiful to me. Funny how that happens.

I DEVOURED this book!! This was the first book I read in a long time that made me want to call in sick to work so that I could just sit and read the whole darn thing in one sitting. It rocked my world, to say the least. I just loved the magical imagery of the world, and the religious undertones just made it seem more real. I usually scoff at religion, but I think the whole, reincarnation/life force/Jana?/mystical city motif gives more depth to the characters. They have this odd struggle of living in a utopian-type world and at the same time constantly being surrounded by the same people/souls. There's only about 5,000 souls that become reincarnated year after year for thousands of years. Just imagine if there's a certain someone you don't get along with who will be stuck with you in one form or another for the rest of eternity. Yikes! Ana experiences a serious grudge firsthand. 

I thought the concept of same souls, different bodies would be confusing, but Jodi Meadows seems to have a firm grip on her world that I never got "lost". Ana is new to everyone so her history is not complicated. Everyone else, on the other hand, have been reincarnated into different bodies ever since New souls were discontinued. In one life you're a woman and in another, a man. A soul who might inhabit the body of your mother in one life might just be a neighbor in a different one. It's so bizarre, but like I said, you're guided through the craziness of this world so seamlessly. As you see in the story, it brings a whole new meaning to "soul-mates".

What I really enjoyed about this book was the element of music that Jodi Meadows included. I mean, it's a book so you can't hear anything, obviously, but music is still soooo important to the story. It's what really ties Ana to Sam. They are one of the few couples in YA that really seem drawn to each other. I'm really convinced that they love each other, it's not just some I'm-drawn-to-you-for-no-particular-reason-but-I-love-you-anyway kind of romance. It's slow-building and heart-pounding and I'm dying to know what happens next!

All Unquiet Things - Anna Jarzab

Synposis: Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save. (From Goodreads)

Hi all! Sorry it’s taken until Wednesday to get a post up, I literally spent the weekend without internet and electricity…it’s a long story. And, while I might be YA fanatic I am also technologically illiterate so it might take a blog post or two before I get the hang of this. Bear with me.

My first book as a temporary blogger is not a new one, and I actually read it earlier in the year, but I constantly go back to it when thinking about some of my favorite books I’ve read since being introduced to YA. All Unquiet Things was published in 2011 so it’s not old but definitely not hot-off-the-press new either. I randomly picked it up while I was hanging out in the Teen Lounge of my local library. For some reason the cover just struck me so I decided to give it a try. Wow. Good move on my part!

I loooved this book! It’s set in an upscale neighborhood where everything seems to be perfect. You can just imagine the gorgeous mansions sitting atop manicured lawns with a BMW tucked neatly away in the four-car garage. It even has its own expensive and prestigious private school to complete the picture. Of course, the place is really a mess, which brings me to the characters. They all have serious issues. Neily is dealing with divorced parents who have different ideas on what is considered good parenting; his dad just throws money at him hoping that will be a good substitute father-figure. Hence, the fancy school. Audrey is living with her grandparents because her mom is MIA and her father is in and out of jail. Carly, ex-girlfriend of Neily and cousin of Audrey, is dead. Murdered, actually. And Audrey’s father becomes the scapegoat. Throw in a major underground drug trade and you start to get an idea of the situation.

What I loved most about this story is how real the characters all felt. The story is told through a mix of present day and flashbacks, and from both Neily and Audrey’s perspectives. It creates such a whole picture of how all these people are hurting over the death of such a close friend and how it’s so important that they figure out who really did kill Carly. Neily and Audrey are not friends, but they come together to get to the bottom of the murder that rocked their town, and end up finding out more about the person they both lost.

Lets focus on Neily. My heart goes out to him. He loved Carly so much, almost to a fault, which led to their eventual break-up. It breaks him, and it broke me too. I mean, I lost sleep over it. It really got to me because I’ve been in the same situation, once as the person in the relationship who wasn’t very interested and once as the person who was too invested. I’m not sure which position is worse because either way you lose someone who was important to you. Neily knows he loves Carly too much, but what makes it so much worse is that her murder wipes her completely off the map. He can never make things right with her or even one day just be friends. It’s extremely final.

OK, I could go on forever about how much this book stuck with me. I had to go through a grieving period before I could move on to something else. Anna Jarzab just has an incredible writing style. It’s so gritty and honest. I know there’s a lot of really great stuff coming out all the time, but if you have a chance to go back to this book I think you’ll be just as enthralled as I was. And of course, let me know what you think!

Happy Reading :)