Fangirl--Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2013
Pages: 445 p
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: October 2015

Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl

Rainbow Rowell is quickly becoming one of my "read anything by her" authors. Fangirl tells the story of a college freshman away from home for the first time. Cath is attending the same college as her twin sister, but Wren has decided it would be better for both of them if they don't room together and if they try to make new friends. Cath is not too keen on this idea and just continues doing what she's always done--writing Simon Snow fan fiction and ignoring the real world. Her plan goes awry when the real world keeps interrupting and demanding she pay attention.

I loved this book: Cath's relationship with her roommate; her budding friendship with her roommate's quasi-boyfriend; her writing partnership with a fellow student; her conflicted relationship with her twin sister. Interspersed throughout the book is Cath's fan fiction story Carry On. The book is written much like I imagine Cath's mind is set up-- constantly traveling between the Simon Snow universe and the real world.

Fans of Rowell will not be disappointed.
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Death Cure--James Dashner

Title: The Death Cure
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2011
Pages: 325 p.
Source: Library E-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

This book is the third in the Maze Runner series. While I always strive to avoid spoilers in my reviews, reviewing the second in a series will naturally spoil some of the first book. If you have not read The Maze Runner or The Scorch Trials yet, you may want to skip this review until you have. 

James Dashner's The Death Cure

Thomas has been under the control of WICKED long enough and now that he's survived the Scorch Trials and out in the real world, he's determined to save his friends and put an end to WICKED's manipulative testing. The more Thomas remembers, the less he trusts WICKED.

I read this back in August. I also read the first one back in August. I can remember the first one vividly. I can't remember enough about this one to write a full summary. I know that I felt very unsatisfied with the whole idea that all of these tests were just to map out brain patterns. I started reading The Kill Zone, the prequel to the entire Maze Runner series, but I didn't finish it. My son recently did and said it answers a lot of questions, but I shouldn't have to read another book to understand the trilogy. When I first read this I rated it 4 stars at GoodReads so it must have been entertaining at least, but my test of book quality is always how well it stays with me and this one isn't making a strong impression. It's worth reading it to finish out the series, but I don't think I'd recommend this trilogy like I do The Hunger Games or Divergent.

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Scorch Trials--James Dashner

Title: The Scorch Trials
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2010.
Pages: 368 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

This book is the second in the Maze Runner series. While I always strive to avoid spoilers in my reviews, reviewing the second in a series will naturally spoil some of the first book. If you have not read The Maze Runner yet, you may want to skip this review until you have. 

James Dashner's The Scorch Trials

Thomas and most of his friends have escaped the Maze and think they have finally found freedom, but in reality they are less free than before. Aware now that they have been the subject of experimental tests, Thomas's next assignment is to survive the treacherous Scorch--the dangerous wasteland home to people dying of the Flare disease. On top of all the scary threats and crazy people, Thomas's closest friend has been taken away from him and he doesn't know who he can trust anymore.

There were quite a few scenes in this sequel that were even scarier than the first book. Although I zipped through it and generally enjoyed it, I had to overlook some things. I had so many questions after reading the first book and I was a bit disappointed with some of the answers in the second book. I just didn't buy the overall reason why WICKED was subjecting these boys and girls to these tests. But, the book was entertaining nonetheless and readers of the first one will want to continue the series.

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The Maze Runner--James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2009
Pages: 384 p.
Source: library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

James Dashner's The Maze Runner

Thomas wakes up in complete darkness with no memories of where he is or how he got there. He realizes he is in a box moving upwards for what seems like forever when finally the elevator stops and the top door opens. Blinded by the light, Thomas eventually focuses on a group of boys peering down at him. Frightened and confused, Thomas leaves the elevator and enters the Maze.

Actually he enters the Glade, the home of this group of lost boys, which opens up to the Maze, an ever-changing towering stone maze that holds the only hope of escape--if the boys can evade the monstrous Grievers and stay alive long enough to find it. Just when Thomas thinks things are strange enough, the box makes an early delivery and this one is a girl who sparks some memories in Thomas.

I read this book based on a recommendation from my 11 year old son (and so we could watch the movie together ((book better than movie))). He loved the book. I enjoyed it as well. There are plenty of scary and suspenseful moments and I think this is the strongest of all three. This book leaves you with so many questions but is a good choice for readers who love all things apocalypse.

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Landline--Rainbow Rowell

Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: St. Martin's Press,  2014.
Pages: 310 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

Rainbow Rowell's Landline

I accidentally read a grownup book. It was my own fault really--I assumed because the author had written YA and because the cover just looked so YA, that it would be YA. But it wasn't. I suppose maybe you could say it's that New Adult classification they are trying to push now.

Georgie McCool is a TV writer having a hard time balancing her job with her family. Her husband picks up most of the slack, but when she tells him she can't go visit his family for Christmas, Neal has had enough. He packs up the kids and visits his family without her. Wondering if she has finally ruined her life for good, Georgie goes home to her mother's house and discovers a mysterious way to communicate with Neal... but it's the Neal from her past. Georgie is given an opportunity to change things, but should she?

I love the idea of Landline. I definitely prefer Rowell's YA fiction and I didn't love Landline the way I loved Eleanor & Park, but Landline resonated with me in a way I wasn't expecting. I understand all of the criticisms I've read about it. But I couldn't stop reading this book. I finished it in one night, which is not a normal endeavor for me. Georgie wasn't the most sympathetic character and Neal wasn't the typical romantic hero and that may have been why I was so drawn to them. I wanted them to work out and I wanted to keep reading to see if they did.

Although there's nothing in here to prevent teens from reading it, it's not YA. It takes a grownup's experience to appreciate Georgie's struggles and to be able to truly sympathize with a marriage on the rocks.

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Alliance--Mark Frost

Title: Alliance
Author: Mark Frost
Publisher: Random House, 2014.
Pages: 352 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

Mark Frost's Alliance

This second book in the Paladin Prophecy series picks up where the last left off. Will has exposed the school's secret society, the Knights of Charlemagne. He decides to stay at the Center for the summer working with his new mentor in developing his new magical talents. Will learns more about his father, his new friends, and the sinister history of the school. Just as thrilling as the first book, this one will leave you desperately wanting more.

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Paladin Prophecy--Mark Frost

Title: The Paladin Prophecy
Author: Mark Frost
Publisher: Random House, 2012
Pages: 560 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: August 2015

Mark Frost's The Paladin Prophecy

Will West is an average kid living in an average town. His parents have worked VERY hard to make sure he is just average and does not excel at anything, whether it be academics or athletics. When Will takes a national standardized exam and accidentally aces it, he begins to understand his parents odd demands. He is instantly courted by an exclusive prep school and is followed by strange men in black sedans. His parents begin acting strangely and he quickly learns his only chance at safety is to enroll in the mysterious prep school. While there he uncovers a lot more than he ever expected.

This is an entertaining read that fans of supernatural stories, as well as spy stories, will both respond to. It's fun to read and hard to put down.

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Hunter--Mercedes Lackey

Title: Hunter
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2015
Pages: 374 p.
Source: VOYA
Compensation: None
Read: July 2015

Mercedes Lackey's Hunter

Joy has been hunting monsters ever since she was a young child. In her remote isolated village, hunting monsters is a normal activity and everyone is expected to contribute to the cause. Regular citizens handle the less dangerous types (like gnomes), while those with magic—like Joy and her fellow Hunters—protect them from the bigger sinister Othersiders like dragons. When Joy is summoned to Apex City to protect the most important people in this post-apocalyptic society, she is baffled by the way they live. Citizens feel safe behind magical barriers and view Hunters as entertainment, watching their every movement on reality TV channels. Joy quickly realizes that this sense of security is just an illusion as more and more Othersiders break through the barriers.

Lackey does a good job of setting up the conflict between the traditional monster-hunting Joy and the vain reality star Hunters of Apex City. There are brief scenes between Joy and the most dangerous of the Othersiders, the Mages, that hint at a much larger story to come in the following books of the series. Fans of Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games series who like a little more magic and fantasy with their dystopia will appreciate this new series.

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Seven Realms Series--Cinda Williams Chima

In an attempt to make my life a little easier (I am behind on quite a few reviews), I am going to review this entire series in one post.

Title: The Demon King
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2009.
Pages: 506 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Cinda Williams Chima's The Demon King

I enjoyed Cinda Williams Chima's other series--The Heir Chronicles--but I really liked this one. In this first book we are introduced to Han, a rough street kid with a heart of gold and thick silver cuffs on his wrist that he cannot take off. Selling those cuffs could feed his family but they are magically attached to him and all they've ever done is give him his streetname--Cuffs. Things start happening for Han when he runs into the bratty son of the High Wizard and he and his friend Dancer steal the boy's magical amulet. At the same time, the young Princess heir Raisa has just returned to court determined to be more than a figurehead ruler. When Raisa and Han's worlds collide, the entire Seven Realms will never be the same.

Title: The Exiled Queen
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2010.
Pages: 586 p.
Source: Library e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Exiled Queen

Han has finally been able to remove his cuffs and claim his role as a wizard, alongside his clan friend Dancer. They enroll at Mystwerk house to learn proper sorcery. On the same campus, Raisa has secretly enlisted at the military academy to escape the High Wizard's devious plan to marry her to his son. Raisa learns more than she expects while posing as regular student Rebecca Morley. 

Title: The Gray Wolf Throne
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2011.
Pages: 517 p.
Source: Amazon e-book
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Gray Wolf Throne

Han discovers his good friend Rebecca Morley near death and knows he must do everything he can to save her. When he discovers her true identity he feels betrayed and hurt. Han has never had any love for the royalty who are responsible for so much pain in his life. But he must honor his vow to help Raisa become Queen. Raisa is unsure of Han's loyalty. They both doubt each other's motives but cannot deny the bond they share.

Title: The Crimson Crown
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Hyperion, 2012.
Pages: 608 p.
Source: Amazon ebook
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Chima's The Crimson Crown

Queen Raisa is faced with the difficult task of uniting her warring kingdom, protecting it from outside enemies, and repairing the hostility between the clan people and the wizards. Han does his best to help her, but he seems to cause even more hostility and trouble. The series wraps up when a thousand-year-old lie is finally uncovered.

I loved this whole series. I loved Han and Raisa, I loved the clan and wizard conflict, the world-building. Fantasy, romance, political intrigue. I loved it enough to buy the last two e-books in the series so I could read them immediately.

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All Fall Down--Ally Carter

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2015
Pages: 320 pages
Source: Library ebook
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Ally Carter's All Fall Down

Ally Carter is back at it with another suspenseful series. I love Carter's books. She writes strong female characters who know how to kick ass but be a little vulnerable too. Her stories are dangerous and thrilling, but fun too. This new series, Embassy Row, is no exception.

Grace lives just a stone's throw away from Russia. And Greece. And Italy. She lives on Embassy Row with all of the other diplomat's kids. Her ambassador grandfather just wants her to stay out of trouble and be happy, but it's hard for Grace to do when she knows her mother was murdered but cannot remember any of the details. It's up to her to find the killer and exact revenge. No one will believe her but she knows the truth. She embarks on a dangerous game of espionage and teenage hijinks to try to uncover the mysteries surrounding her mother's death and life. But the dangerous path she follows leads her to unexpected discoveries.

Grace is a little more "messed up" than Carter's other lead characters have been but that only makes the story more interesting. Fans of the Gallagher Girl Series and the will be sure to eat up this new series as well. I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

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Saint Anything--Sarah Dessen

Title: Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking, 2015
Pages: 417 p.
Source: Library
Compensation: None
Read: June 2015

Sarah Dessen's Saint Anything

Sydney is invisible, hidden in her older brother's shadow. Peyton has always been likable and charismatic and even when he drives drunk and must go to prison, his family is more concerned about him than about the victim of the accident he caused. Sydney feels lost and confused until she happens to meet the Chathams, a crazy family who run a pizza parlor. The Chathams work together to take care of their mom who has MS and completely accept Sydney into their fold. Which turns out to be a good thing when Peyton's prison buddy--who has Sydney's parents wrapped around his finger--shows his true colors.

I've liked everything Sarah Dessen has ever written and this was no exception. The story was interesting, but with Dessen's books it's less about story and more about characters. Fans of Dessen will not be disappointed.

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