Author: Sarah Ockler
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 378
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★★

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.
So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.
It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...

Who knew cupcakes could have such an awesome role in a book? I'm sure it's something that is probably talked about in pretty much every review of this book, but I thought it was really fun how Sarah made the chapter titles into cupcake recipes, and how it all played into the corresponding chapters. I really wasn't sure exactly what to think when I started this book, I had heard it was good and I felt like the synopsis sounded really interesting, just wasn't positive how much I would enjoy it. I was actually very pleased with this book, it's such a pleasant read.

The story really starts off with something I wasn't expecting, involving Hudson's dad. I felt so bad for Hudson and her brother for having to go through everything they did, not just at the start but throughout the entire book. It was really amazing watching how Hudson was able to overcome everything she was going through, and be able to get back into skating. Skating, Hockey, Cupcakes. Those three words pretty much sum up this book. As to how they all come into play, that is something I will leave for you to figure out. But trust me when I say it's worth doing so.

Hudson is such a perfect character, in my opinion. She just has such an awesome personality, and even though she goes through so much in this book she always seems to find something positive in it, which is great. Her brother Bug, was probably my favorite character in the book. You don't really see him much in the book, but he is just a really great character and I really loved the moments between him and Hudson. There are two prominent guys in this book, Josh and Will. I won't go into much detail about them, but lets just say that I really dislike one of them. I also really enjoyed Hudson's friends from where she worked, when she was around them it was just a lot of fun to read because of how well their personalities blended.

The ending was decent, somewhat predictable though. I guess that is one of those things you can't really escape when reading contemporary. I feel like Sarah really wrapped up everything nicely though, and I was really happy with it. It was a really great story, with and equally great ending.

Bittersweet is easily one of those books anyone could read and enjoy. There is really nothing about it that I feel any reader wouldn't like. It's a story about finding out what can truly make a person happy, when they are going through so much. Who doesn't enjoy a story like that every once in awhile? This is another book I would highly recommend adding to your summer reading lists though.

Author: Jenny Han
Release Date: April 27th, 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 288
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★★★

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

This review is going to be really simple, I don't want to include anything that can really be considered a spoiler, since this is the second book in a series. So don't expect a lot of detailed talk regarding the plot line.

I am really, really glad that I decided to give this book a chance. If you read my review of the first book in the series, you would know that I was somewhat disappointed with it. I was really hoping for my problems with the first book to be resolved while reading this, and for the most part that did actually happen. There is no doubt about it, Jenny is an extremely talented Contemporary author. I can be picky when it comes to reviewing a book, because I like being honest and expressing my thoughts. In this case though, I am blown away with how my view changed on this series after reading this.

Jenny did a great job blending this book with the first title, I felt like it was a very easy bridge which was nice because a lot of the time you will have a story pick up somewhere different and you're left wondering what events took place in the short period of time between the end of one book and the start of the other, to get where things are when you start that book. So I was just really impressed that it bridged so nicely. While there were a few new plot lines, some being really major.. I felt that there was a lot brought back from the first book too, in some cases I would consider that a negative thing but it really worked with this book. Bringing things in from the first book, really played on the events taking place in this one. The fact that Jenny was able to think that far ahead to know how she wanted different events in her books to play on each other is awesome, and I was really impressed by it.

One of my main issues with the first book was the characters. I just didn't feel like I got to know many of them, and that really disappointed me because I saw so much potential in them I was just waiting for it to flourish. With that said, they really flourished in this book. I feel like you really got to know every single one of the characters on a whole different level, and I really liked that. I found myself connecting to the characters, which I wasn't able to do in the first book. So I am just really happy that there was such a great turn around in the character department, and I am really excited to see how things work out for all of them in book three whenever I get the chance to read it.

The ending was really great, things really start winding down a little after the midway point of the book and there are some really sad moments. It was tough seeing what Conrad and Jeremiah were going through with their dad, and the house but I think it was all written beautifully. I did find myself being somewhat surprised by some of the things that happened right at the ending, but I feel like that is going to make for some very interesting plot twists in book three and I can't wait to read it, and see where everything goes.

I do really enjoy this series, I don't love it but I have really come to enjoy it especially after this book. I wish the first one would of been a little better, yes. But this really made up for it, on so many levels. I am really excited to read book three, and I am really hoping that it will live up to my new found feelings for this series. I would highly recommend checking this book out though if you've read the first one, these books would make for awesome summer reads.

JBB: What was the inspiration behind The Last Princess?


Galaxy: I was asked by an editor at Alloy Entertainment to write The Last
Princess. Previously, I had written two other books (not YA) called "By
The Shore," and "Tiger, Tiger." I'm from London, England which is
where the book is set and the setting of my previous novels so I think
they thought I would be a good match for the subject.
But after they presented me with the original out line it went through
many, many, many changes until their version and mine sort of blended
into one idea.


JBB: How much research went into the book?


Galaxy: I researched almost every aspect of the book in detail. What type of
environmental disaster would ruin the countries' infrastructure of
electricity, etc. I researched horse-back ridding and sword fighting.
What tools we would have and wouldn't have if there was no electricity
or oil left. In the first draft of the book there were pages and pages
describing in detail the events of the Seventeen Days. In the end, the
editors cut alot of this detail, so the book would move at a faster
pace.


JBB: When I read the book, I got a Historical Fiction vibe even though
it takes place in the future. Did you intend for there to be so many
parallels between the events taking place in The Last Princess and
some of the events that have actually happened in Britain's past?


Galaxy: Yes! I wanted it to seem like the Seventeen Days or a huge
environmental disaster could happen without much warning at anytime
and we would be left with very little to fall back on. We depend so
heavily on electronics and devices sometimes it feels like we don't
even need to use our brain anymore. As a small example I remember a
time when I had to memorize phone numbers...now I just touch a screen.
I wanted a modern heroine and hero but who are living in a changed
world. I wanted the feeling that everything we take for granted can be
taken away.


JBB: What would you say the hardest part of writing this book was?
Easiest?


Galaxy: I think the hardest thing for me was learning to write a plot-heavy, fast-paced book. Because I was working with Alloy the book
wasn't mine alone, so some chapters or ideas that I
became attached to ended up being cut.
The easiest part was describing the loving relationship Eliza has with
her brother and sister. I always love writing about the natural world.
I loved describing the horses, the forests and the heavy grey rains.


JBB: What character or part of the story did you become attached to the
most while writing and why?


Galaxy: There were so many characters of the story I became attached to. I
felt so badly for Jamie (Eliza's younger brother) being so young and
in so much pain. I desperately wanted him to be able to live the life
of a healthy seven year old boy, even if it was only for just one day.
I loved Caligula, the abused horse that Eliza treats kindly. Caligula
in turn becomes Eliza's sort of guardian. I felt sorry for Wesley and
even the "mean-girl" Portia that their mother was killed and their
once happy family torn apart.



JBB: Is there anything else you would like to say to the people reading
this post?


Galaxy: I think some people have wondered what exactly happened in
The Seventeen Days. I imagined natural catastrophic events, earth
quakes, violent storms and tsunami (like the recent ones in Japan and
Indonesia). These event would trigger floods, landslides and fires
and destroying power lines and supplies, cutting off communication
causing mass death, food shortages and making the world uninhabitable.
As my brother said, "the world would look like one huge garbage dump."


JBB: Where can people find you online, and find out more about your
books?


Galaxy: On the Poppy website: www.pickapoppy.com
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Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: April 14th, 2009
Publisher: McElderry Books
Pages: 485
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★★★

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

I know, I know. I'm extremely late to this series. I had actually meant to start it a long time ago, I just always tended to find something else. Now that I have read the first book though, I am wondering why I had ever decided to pass on it so many times. City of Bones was deeply engrossing, I loved the extremely rich atmosphere of the scenes/settings. The dark vibe was also really fun, it added a great layer to the story. I was somewhat afraid that it would be more toned down, but I was really impressed with how dark some of it actually was.

I had a minor issue with the story, it starts out really great though. Early on you start learning a lot about the characters, and the different situations going on but towards the middle of the book I felt like Cassandra just added some filler scenes that I don't really feel was needed. There was nothing really specific that comes to mind, I just remember getting bored at certain parts because I felt like a scene was just tossed in for the sake of it and really didn't have any role in the story. Most of those scenes were good though, just wish the flow of the story would of went a little better in the middle of the book. Luckily things really seemed to get back on track towards the end, some of the major plot lines were picked back up and I was able to get several of the answers I was wanting.

I'm not going to go into a huge discussion on the characters, as I feel like talking to deeply about it could ruin the feel of this book and I want people to enjoy it. I will say though that Cassandra did an amazing job creating her characters. Both the good and bad ones where written very well, and I found myself really wanting to know their stories and how they came to be in certain situations. I feel like things are really going to pick up in the character department in book two though, especially after some of the bombshells at the end. I am excited to see what happens to them all, and to meet any new characters there might be.

The ending was fantastic, it left you with a thirst for the next book but I didn't really see it as much of a cliffhanger or anything. Luckily it will be easy just to pick up book two and not have to worry about any of that, I guess that is one of the awesome benefits of waiting so long to start a series because most of the books in the series are already out.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series though, I plan to pick up a copy of book two soon and just really look forward to jumping back into this insanely rich world that Cassandra has created. If you're like I was, and haven't started this series yet I would highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list. It would be an awesome use of time.

Author: Emily Gale
Release Date: June 1st, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 288
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC For Review

Rating: ★★★★★

*Silent Scream!*
Kass Kennedy is nobody's idol. She does forget the lyrics. She's not a gleek. The x factor? Not her! Read her lips: She has the right to remain silent.
Just try telling that to her dad.
Because he's totally lost it this time, demanding Kass audition for a TV talent show. Which would be slightly less than death-by-embarrassment if Kass could (duh!) actually sing. And if even the smallest part of her craved the spotlight. Stardom is her dad's dream, not hers. But he's so fragile, she's afraid he just might crack if she doesn't go through with his latest, craziest plan.
Not helping: Her hopelessly MIA mom. The budding criminal mastermind also known as her kid brother. And amateur shrink Izzy and used-to-be-sweet Char, who've gone all frenemies over a boy in brown boots. (Don't ask.)
It's only rock n' roll? If only! Inside, Kass is screaming, but no one is listening. How loud does a girl have to shout to be heard?

What is it with all of the amazing debuts this year? Emily really has something special with her debut Young Adult novel. I feel as though there have been a lot of books that I have read this year that I really liked, but this is easily one of the few that I truly loved. What I thought was going to be a pretty simple story, ended up being so much deeper and emotional that I would of ever imagined it being. I was beyond impressed with what Emily was able to accomplish.

I really feel like this story is one of those that you can't help but love. As I mentioned, I thought it was going to be a fairly simple story about a girl on her journey to audition for X Factor because of it being something her dad wanted her to do, but as the story went on that started to become a very small factor of the story. This story is full of heart, you have all of the things Kassidy is going through with her Dad and not being sure where that is going to go.. And you also have everything going on between Kassidy and her group of friends. There is some drama, and quite a few mistakes made throughout the story but seeing how everything is overcome is what really shows how much heart is within this story. I also really liked how at the end of several chapters Kass has these dreams where she is talking to Simon Cowell, those were a lot of fun to read.

Kassidy is truly an amazing character. She isn't perfect by any means, she makes quite a few mistakes that leaves you wondering what she was thinking.. But in the end she is such a real character, that I really think a lot of people will love. Kass's Dad is another of the major characters, his story is extremely complicated and is also where the emotional part of the story comes into play. He was really one of the best characters, I felt really bad for what he was going through. He was easily my favorite character in this book. Izzy and Char are also two really great characters, there is a lot that goes on between Kass and Char but it was great seeing if everything was going to work out between them or not.

I adored the ending of this book, it was somewhat sad although not in a extremely negative way. But it was also a very enjoyable ending that I felt brought a very nice close to an already beautiful and touching story. There is absolutely nothing about this book which I disliked, and I can't recommend it enough. It's a fairly quick read, but it has so much heart. I can't even express just how much heart this book has. I really hope you all will take the chance to read this amazing book whenever you get the chance to. It is extremely worth it.

Thank you to Scholastic for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: June 1st, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 390
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Gift

Rating: ★★★★★

the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. the heat.Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now. the shiver. For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Shiver was astonishingly good. Werewolves are another thing I am extremely picky about when it comes to them being included in a YA book, but Maggie truly did an amazing job with Shiver. I loved how she portrayed the Werewolves, how it wasn't extremely dark but you still had that subtle touch of darkness. And the writing... Oh boy, the writing. I can't even begin to explain how great of a writer Maggie is, even from the first few chapters I was hooked on the way she writes. Shiver is packed with amazing, what a great introduction to Maggie's writing.

As I already mentioned, Maggie did an amazing job portraying the Werewolves in this book. Sam, in particular was written extremely well. He really felt like a huge backbone to the story, not just because of him being a main character but just because it was so easy to connect with him. I've seen so many cases where you have main characters in a story like this that are extremely hard to connect to, and understand their role in the story but that's not the case for Sam or Grace. This story is pretty straightforward, once you learn everything There are a lot of fun and even suspenseful moments throughout the book that really help make the atmosphere really great, as you're reading. I honestly couldn't find anything wrong with the story as a whole though, everything was written extremely well as I have mentioned several times now and it all flowed together very nicely.

You already know how I feel about Grace and Sam... Amazing to say the very least. But there are also a lot of other great characters in this book that really makes it all come together very nicely. Olivia, Beck and Isabel are all extremely awesome in their own ways. I am leaving out a few characters from this review, simply because I don't want to spoil anything. But trust me when I say that even down the the smallest character, Maggie did a fantastic job breathing life into all of them and making them all extremely enjoyable within the story.

I am pumped to read the rest of this series. I am really anxious to see where Grace and Sam's story goes, and what happens to a few certain side characters. I am also interested to see what characters might be introduced in Linger, and what role they will play. After the events in Shiver, it feels extremely likely that there might be some new characters that might have some very important roles in the story, guess I will just have to wait and see. Needless to say, this is an amazing book and I highly suggest that you read it if you haven't yet.

Author: Diana Peterfreund
Release Date: June 12th, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 398
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC For Review

Rating: ★★★

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. It's one I have been waiting to read for quite awhile, but I  just wasn't extremely impressed with it. I have never read Persuasion, which it is inspired by so I don't really know if it would of been helpful to have knowledge of that story or not, but there were just a lot of things that I didn't really care for. There were some really good things about the book to.

Diana is a great writer, there is no doubt about that. For Darkness Shows the Stars flowed really nicely. I just had quite a few issues with the story itself, it's not a bad story I really think it is one a lot of people will enjoy especially if they have read the book it's inspired by. But for me I just couldn't find that moment where I really got that connection to the story except for the letter chapters. I  really enjoyed the letter chapters, that was probably the most enjoyable parts of the book and where I actually felt connected to Elliot and Kai's story.

The characters are another strong point for this book. Even though I wasn't really able to build a connection with the story, there were a lot of characters that I really liked. It was great watching Elliot's and Kai's relationship grow throughout the story, and to take a look into the past and see how things were through their letters. They went through so much, so it's interesting to see how things work out between them. It really seemed like one of those cases where if anything can go wrong it will. It's just a matter of if they can overcome all of the hardships or not. I really enjoyed all of the characters except for Elliot's dad.. He just wasn't an enjoyable character at all. I got a feeling he will be one of the most disliked characters for anyone that read the book.

The ending was alright, but not great. As I have mentioned, I wasn't really able to connect with the story so the ending didn't really have this huge effect on me. I feel like Diana accomplished what she wanted with her story though, and was able to wrap it up nicely. I just really wish I was able to connect to it more.

I really do wonder if having a understanding of what Persuasion was about would of allowed me to be able to connect with this story better, maybe it would of helped me enjoy it a lot more than I did. I do feel like people could really enjoy this book though, even if it wasn't one that really did it for me. If it's one you think you'd like then by all means give it a chance. It's a great romance, but past that I just didn't really see much in it.

Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Kate O'Hearn
Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 385
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Finished Copy For Review

Rating: ★★★★★

When Pegasus crashes onto a Manhattan roof during a terrible storm, Emily’s life changes forever. Suddenly allied with a winged horse she’d always thought was mythical, Emily is thrust into the center of a fierce battle between the Roman gods and a terrifying race of multiarmed stone warriors called the Nirads. Emily must team up with a thief named Paelen, the goddess Diana, and a boy named Joel in order to return Pegasus to Olympus and rescue the gods from a certain death.
Along the way, Emily and her companions will fight monsters, run from a government agency that is prepared to dissect Pegasus, and even fly above the Manhattan skyline—all as part of a quest to save Olympus before time runs out.

Pegasus: The Flame of Olympus was such an enjoyable book. It honestly felt more like a middle grade than a young adult, even though every label I could find listed it as young adult. I love Greek/Roman mythology so even from the Prologue I was hooked. Kate did a very good job at taking mythology and putting a very interesting twist on it.

I'm sure most of you know at least some Greek/Roman mythology. This book includes a lot of characters from mythology such as Jupiter, Pegasus, Neptune, Hercules and more. Granted a lot of them are only mentioned once or twice throughout the book it was still really cool to have them all in it. Kate did a fantastic job making the battle between the Olympians and the Nirads feel really epic. And seeing how Emily and Joel get caught up in the story is also pretty exciting. The battle is pretty much the meat of this story, between the battle and trying to protect the flame of Olympus to keep both worlds safe.

Emily and Joel get caught up in all of this after a major storm hits New York. The storm is pretty much what sets the story in motion with the introduction of Pegasus and Paelen. Even though Pegasus is a horse, he is still such a great part of the story. Kate was able to create an awesome background for Pegasus and it really felt like he was more than just a horse. Paelen is a really great character to, being a thief he is somewhat hard to like but he does have some good qualities. All in all it's just a really great group of characters, Kate really did a good job writing them to where they all flow together nicely.

I'm really excited to see where this series goes, and what becomes of all of the characters after what happened at the end. I was really impressed by the ending though, I will admit I was expecting it to be a happy and perfect ending at first just because of how the book felt but it ended up being a really great ending which has somewhat of a mix of good and bad. I didn't really feel like it ended on some huge cliffhanger either which was nice, it just got me excited to read the next book to find out what happens next.

If you like Greek/Roman mythology or are just looking for a exciting and fast paced book to read this summer I would highly suggest picking this one up. It's fairly light, I found it to be a really fast read once I was actually able to sit down for an extended period of time to read it. So I feel like it's once of those books that can easily be read in a day, and have it be a really fun experience.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Cat: I read an article about a drug that could possibly jolt stroke patients back to normal right around the time a family friend died from cancer. I couldn't help but wonder: "What if there was a drug that could 'revive' people back from the dead?"


JBB: Considering the huge leaps made in medicine in such a short period of time, do you feel like we could possibly see a drug similar to Revive within our lifetime? What kind of impact do you think it would have in a real world setting?

Cat: I am constantly amazed by medical developments, so I think something like Revived could exist at some point. That said, I have absolutely zero medical training or knowledge. :) But I think that in the real world, it would be very controversial. I think some people would believe that bringing people back from the dead is messing with fate or God's will. But it certainly would be in demand by others--and maybe too in demand. I'm sure availability would cause some problems.

Author: Abby Grahame
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 276
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Finished Copy For Review

Rating: ★★★★★

The prettiest people often have the ugliest secrets…


Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.
It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been… even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.
Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one… the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.
When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.

Historical Fiction is by far one of my favorite genres, especially within YA. That love for Historical Fiction has been reinforced by Wentworth Hall. The early 1900's is such a great time period, and Abby really did a beautiful job making everything about Wentworth Hall feel like it was actually part of that time period. And the fact that it takes place in Britain makes it even better.

The story is actually pretty simple, but I didn't feel like that was a negative thing. The heart of this book, in my opinion is it's richness. It was such a great reading experience, simply because Abby put so much detail into it and made it to where it felt like you were stepping into this early 1900 estate and experiencing everything that goes on. The reason I say the story is simple, is because a lot of it becomes really predictable early on. The mystery surrounding who is writing the satires, the story behind Baby James those are two very important parts of the story which I was able to figure out very easily with just a few small hints. It in no way ruins the book though. It's still a beautifully written story.

Just like with all setting and time period of Wentworth Hall, the characters are absolutely amazing. Maggie and Michael are great, their story is really complicated but it is really interesting to see how things actually play out between the characters, and to learn about their past. Especially with Teddy having a thing for Maggie. My favorite characters are so easy to chose in this case, Lila and Nora were honestly two of the greatest characters in this book. I am not positive what exactly it is about them that I like so much, I just loved every scene in which they were in. There is a lot of drama between the family, maids, Michael (Stable Hand) and the other characters in this book. But I really felt like it was done really well.

The ending brings back the statement I made about things feeling a little predictable. While not a bad thing, I knew what was coming. I wasn't disappointed with it though. I thought it was a beautiful ending to the book. It was very solid, and made everything end with a good vibe in my opinion. Abby just did an amazing job writing this book, and I was really impressed. And with Wentworth Hall being her first novel, I am even more impressed. It's a really fantastic book, and I hope everyone will check it out if it seems like something you would be interested in. It's a really rich book as far as the Historical aspect goes, but it also feels somewhat light if that makes sense.. I think it would make a great book for someone wanting to try Historical Fiction for the first time.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Kevin Emerson
Release Date: May 22nd 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 435
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC for review

Rating: ★★★★★

WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.
The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.
No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.
Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

The Lost Code is an extremely awesome book. I love stories of Atlantis, and things of that nature so I was hooked really early on. Kevin is an amazing writer, her really does a good job at making sure you become immersed in the story. There were just so many aspects of this book that I loved, not just the fact that it has some dealings with legends of Atlantis, it's just full of awesomeness.

Atlantis, Temples, Futuristic Domes, Sirens, crazy ancient technology. All of that alone makes this story sound awesome, doesn't it? This story is pretty crazy, in a good way of course. I was blown away by some of the things that go on. It starts off fairly normal at the camp where Owen is taking a swimming test, but then you start seeing some weird dialogue where it seems like people are monitoring what is going on with his body. All of that through me for a loop, but compared to some of the craziness that happens later on I eventually found those bits of dialogue to be more normal. It was really interesting how Kevin decided to bring the Climate into play with the story, and it really ties in well with everything since what it is causing with the flooding and everything fits in so well with the whole Atlantis theme in the story. The skulls were also a really cool thing in the story, but I won't go into that.. I will just leave that as a little teaser.

Owen and Lilly are amazing.It felt like it took awhile for a connection to build between them, but once they do start to form a solid one things really get more enjoyable. Because once that happens, you're getting into the meat of the story, and you're starting to discover all of the mysteries that they are trying to figure out. I am really, really interested to see what happens to them in book two. Especially Lilly, because I have so many questions about her after the last few chapters of this book. I'm also really interested to learn more about the "Nomads" there are several names mentioned in the book and you actually meet a few of them, but I didn't really feel like we learned to much about them in The Lost Code, I got a feeling they will be a much bigger influence later on in the series. There are a lot of other great characters, but I don't really want to give to much more away. This is a book I really want to see others read, so I want to try and stay pretty basic.

Based on the ending of The Lost Code, I feel like we are in for quite a treat with the rest of the series. Which I can easily say I am extremely excited for. I think things are going to get even crazier, and more interesting as the series goes on. Kevin did such an amazing job with The Lost Code, so I can only imagine how great the next books will be and can't wait to read them. I wouldn't really say this one ended with a cliffhanger, but Kevin did a great job setting the tone for whats to come.

I can't recommend The Lost Code enough. As I have mentioned several times, it is full of awesome. I really think it will be one that a lot of people will enjoy. It's got so many great elements within it that blend very nicely. I really hope you all will add this book to you list of books you want to read. It's completely worth it.

Thanks to Kevin for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

I am always woefully unprepared when I hit the road. Generally I gain a lot of weight from eating truck stop crap and also have to buy supplies along the way, because I’m not a good planner. So, if I were to think about it ahead of time, rather than taking off half-cocked, these are the ten items I would make sure I had:


1. A cooler for my beer. Just kidding. I’d bring a cooler for yogurt and health drinks and for lettuce. I’d also bring some almonds for heart health and some delicious fruit to tide me over until I can hit the next organic co-op along the way.

2. Stretchy pants. After agonizing over how much I don’t like vegetables, I will need to have stretchy pants, because I will likely freak out after a day, and then I’ll eat pizza and sub sandwiches and many bacon cheeseburgers. If I’m in the south, I will eat cheese grits. My jeans will burst and I’ll need stretchy pants.

3. A harmonica. I’ll use this when I’m singing the fat man blues.

4. Several phone chargers. I spill coffee on everything electronic when I’m road tripping. Phone chargers fizzle fast. I’ll likely need a new phone or two, but that’s a risk I’ll take (won’t buy in advance, due to expense).

5. A paper map. Electronics die when you spill coffee. Paper just looks gross. You can still read a map through coffee stains.

6. A Frisbee. My muscles get all knotted up. Nothing feels better than chasing a Frisbee through the winds of some foreign place (if my heart can take it after all the bacon).

7. Mad libs. These are funny for three minutes. The best three minutes of your trip will be spent creating a dirty mad lib.

8. A friend or two. My friend Sam and I went on a two-month book tour a few years ago. We took lots of hilarious pictures in crazy places – like at crazy Niagra Falls – which made the trip seem fun!

9. Underpants. Remember, you will want a change of underpants at some point.

10. A notebook. The truth about road trips is that much time is spent suffering, confused, wishing you were home. I love that. I would rather suffer than be bored. You get to know yourself when you’re uncomfortable. Bring a notebook so you can keep track of your beautiful monkey thoughts.


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Author: Geoff Herbach
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 290
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Finished copy for review

Rating: ★★★★

Felton Reinstein thought he had it all-a great girlfriend, an athletic scholarship in the bag, and football friends he could totally count on. Wrong Like an elephant storming a house of cards, it all comes crashing down. And it's Felton's fault. Turns out his little brother has taken an impromptu road trip to Florida (aka desperate flight from all the talented people) to make a bid for stardom (aka fronting a hotel rock band with escapees from a retirement community). What's a big brother to do but help pick up the pieces, even if it means giving up all the status, all the glory and once again facing a life of nothing special.

You don't really see many young adult books with a male protagonist, so that factor alone really helped Nothing Special stand out in my opinion. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, I was a little skeptical at first.. It sounded really good, I just wasn't quite sure how much I would enjoy it. I felt like the writing style was really unique, I haven't read Geoff's other book, but I will have to check it out after reading this one.

I really, really liked how this story was written. The whole idea of this story being one huge letter from Felton to Aleah was really cool. And with the book being written from Felton's point of view it really creates this awesome reading experience. I really enjoyed the trip that Felton took, it was fun getting to go along and see everything that happened. It doesn't have me to excited to jump on a Greyhound Bus anytime soon though, although I am sure they aren't as bad as some of the experiences he had in the book. One of the key things in this book is the relationship between Felton and his brother Andrew. While they went through a alot of tough times, it was great watching their relationship grow through all of the ups and downs throughout the story.

There really isn't to much to say about the characters in my opinion, they all felt very real. I really liked Tovi and Andrew though. They were just two really awesome characters. Tovi is Felton and Andrew's cousin, it was just awesome seeing how they all interacted, all of the arguments and everything just felt so real. There were a lot of good moments between them too. Gus was a really fun character to, although I won't go into much detail I really think people will like him. It's just a great cast of very real characters, I don't feel like there was anything lacking in this department.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it took a little while to get into, and then throughout the book there were a few parts that felt a little slow. In the end though, this ended up to be a really great book. It has an awesome concept, and Geoff did an amazing job writing it. Nothing Special is a book I think a lot of people will enjoy, if it sounds like something that might interest you I would highly suggest it. It's just such a different story than I am use to, and I think that made it even more enjoyable.

Thanks to Soucebooks Fire for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.


This weeks is a mix of two weeks worth of books, since I wasn't able to do one this week. But I am really happy with everything I got, I have already reviewed several of them so I will make sure to include links to those reviews alongside the books as I list them.

For Review: 


Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London (Finished Copy) - Thanks to HarperCollins

Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach (Finished Copy) - Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire - Currently Reading

In Honor by Jessi Kirby (Finished Copy) - Thanks to Simon and Schuster - You can see my review here.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze (Finished Copy) - Thanks to Little Brown - You can see my review here.

Revived by Cat Patrick (Finished Copy/Not Pictured) - Thanks to Little Brown - You can see my here.

Pegasus, The Flame of Olympus by Kate O'Hearn (Finished Copy) - Thanks to Simon and Schuster

Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame (Finished Copy) - Thanks to Simon and Schuster

Commercial Breaks: Picture Perfect by P.G. Kain (ARC) - Thanks to P.G. Kain


Bought:


Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (SIGNED) - You can see the post where I recap the signing here.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (SIGNED) - You can see the post where I recap the signing here.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - You can see my review here.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - You can see my review here.


Also, a quick reminder. Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a SIGNED copy of Belles by Jen Calonita. You can enter here. (US Only)


What did you get this week?

Author: Kristen Cashore
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Dial (Penguin)
Pages: 563
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

Those of you that have read my reviews of Graceling and Fire  know how much I have enjoyed this series. With that said, I was really disappointed with Bitterblue. I just felt like there was something missing while reading it, it's really hard for me to explain exactly what I was thinking while reading it. I completely understand where Kristin was wanting to go with the story, and I feel like she did a good job ending it the way she wanted.. I just didn't feel like it was the best ending to the series.

At first I was really thrown off by the "puzzle" aspect of the story and didn't like it at all, but as time went on I really started to enjoy it. It was a really clever way to try and lead Bitterblue to the discoveries she wanted to make. Another thing I really like about Bitterblue is how Kristin ties in Graceling and Fire into it. You see characters from both books, there are not many characters that aren't mentioned. And it was great to see how all of those characters have progressed over time. I think I was mostly disappointed with Bitterblue herself, I just couldn't really bring myself to connect with her until the last maybe third of the book. I just wish there was something more, like there was with Katsa and Fire in the other books.

Leck is a huge character in this series, as he is mentioned in some form in every book. I liked that we finally got to learning more about Leck . Granted I could of lived without hearing some of the things he did, some of it is very gruesome.. Kristin did a great job with the story, this is where the "puzzles" comes into play, I can't get over how clever some of them were later on in the book. It was fun reading along as Death and Bitterblue solved them.

There were several moments while reading Bitterblue where I felt like it would of been better suited being released before Fire was just because of some of the things being talked about, I just thought it would of made more sense. But as I kept reading, and you start seeing different characters pop up it's very easy to see why that really wouldn't of worked. I was just trying to play things out in my mind, while not really looking at the bigger picture. I like the way Kristin had it all planned out though.

The ending of this book was the best part in my opinion, there is a lot that goes on that really makes up for a lot of the things I disliked earlier on in the book. It just wan't enough, in my opinion. I wish it would of started to pick up a lot earlier, and I think I would have a much better overall opinion on the book than I currently do.

While the ending of Bitterblue was decent, I really think that the ending for the Graceling series as a whole could of been a little stronger. As I mentioned at the start of the review, I love this series. While having a few negative feelings for Bitterblue I don't really feel like it brings down the series as a whole, this series is still well worth reading. And everyone has different opinions, so you might think Bitterblue is an amazing closure for the series.. it just didn't do it for me, sadly.

Author: Galaxy Craze
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 295
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Finished copy for review

Rating: ★★★★★

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.
A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless.
When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape.
Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.

The Last Princess was an extremely interesting book. Galaxy Craze took a topic that has massive historical significance and breathed an entire new life on it. This book as a whole just felt really different. It is set in 2090, but it has this really odd Historical Fiction feel to it. Maybe that's just me trying to draw parallels between the things taking place within The Last Princess and then things that actually happened, that were very very similar.

Princess Eliza is a member of the British royal family, I really loved how in-depth Galaxy went with the royal family even with the mention of the newest member, Kate. Little things like that just really set the mood for this book, and allowed me to become immersed in it. The idea of the futuristic revolution was also something that I found intriguing, I love English History so I found myself finding so many parallels between the revolution that took place in this book and the one that took place in 1688 which is why I brought up that it had this really odd historical fiction feel to it.

Eliza was such an empowering character. She truly embodied everything you would expect to see in a great female protagonist. She was always able to keep her mind set on what was important, and wasn't willing to give up even if that meant her own death. Cornelius Hollister is the pure definition of evil. He was willing to do anything for power, and based on some things that took place later in the book I truly mean anything. You don't really get to hear to much about Jamie or Mary, which are Eliza's siblings but considering what they go through it is easy to see that they were extremely strong and brave characters also. I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. I think my favorite character had to be Wesley. He is just such a complex character, and it was really interesting to see how his story turned out and if it would have a positive or negative impact on everything. I also really liked the horse Caligula, she played a very important role later on in the story.

The ending was somewhat predictable others really surprised me. I was really pleased with it though, I think Galaxy did a great job wrapping up this really intriguing story.  I wish I could think of a better way to describe this book, but like I had mentioned it just had such an odd feel to it. It was really impressive how Galaxy was able to put such a believable spin on some events that actually happened in the past while adding in really awesome characters, and intriguing plot lines.

I think The Last Princess is a book that could easily appeal to people that are fans of multiple genres. I found that it had a little something for pretty much everyone. I can honestly say that I am hooked on Galaxy's writing and ideas after reading The Last Princess.

Thank you to Little Brown for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Jessi Kirby
Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 240
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Finished copy for review

Rating: ★★★★★

A devastating loss leads to an unexpected road trip in this novel from the author of Moonglass, whose voice Sarah Dessen says “is fresh and wise, all at once.”
Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.
Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

In Honor is such a beautiful book. It's probably one of the more touching books I have ever read. It's just such a well written book, that has so much heart. Jessi did a fantastic job with this book, it's the first of hers that I have read but after reading In Honor I am definitely going to be checking out her other book whenever I get the chance.

This story really surprised me though. I knew it was going to be a really deep and touching story just from reading the description. I just didn't expect it to be quite as emotional as it actually was. I felt so bad for what Honor and Rusty were going through, Honor losing her brother and Rusty losing his long time best friend. That alone makes the story really sad, but Jessi really made it into such an uplifting and powerful story. I really enjoyed the idea behind the letter, with Finn leaving what Honor thought was a request for her to go to Kyra Kelleys final concert and tell her about Finn. The road trip that her and Rusty went on was really fun to read, they met a lot of interesting people along the way and got into plenty of crazy situations. In particular, I thought the scene with the two police officers was one of the crazier scenes in the book I both loved and hated that scene for different reasons.

Honor and Rusty were such great characters to follow. They both had such awesome personalities, and it was just a lot of fun to get to know them throughout the book. And as I mentioned, they met quite a few interesting characters on their trip. I didn't really have any issues with any of the characters, they all added something unique and fun to the story. Bru was probably one of my favorite characters aside from Honor and Rusty, he just seemed like a really fun character.

The ending of this book was adorable. It didn't quite end the way I was expecting, considering the whole plot of the story but it was still an extremely good ending in which everything was wrapped up. It was by far one of the better book endings that I have read in quite awhile. Jessi did a great job wrapping it up, and in a very cute way at that.

I would highly recommend this book. It's just such a heartfelt book, that is a lot of fun to read. I was really happy with everything about the book, and I really feel like everyone that reads it will love it in one way or another. Jessi is a fantastic writer, and as I mentioned before I can't wait to read her other book and any future YA books she might write.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Shannon Greenland
Release Date: May 10th, 2012
Publisher: Speak (Penguin)
Pages: 256
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC for review

Rating: ★★★★★

Elizabeth Margaret—better known as Em—has always known what life would contain: an internship at her father’s firm, a degree from Harvard and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is that it’s not what she wants. When she gets the opportunity to get away from it all and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em pursues her secret dream of being a chef, and she also learns that her family has kept some significant secrets from her, too. And then there’s Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can’t resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels she is living on her own terms for the first time.

This book had a lot of heart. I thought it was going to be a fairly light and fun read, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how much different this book ended up being, from what I had initially thought it would be. Shannon did an amazing job writing the book. I honestly don't think there is anything I disliked about it, it's a great story with everything else you need to make a great book.

I wouldn't want to have my life planned out for me, I felt really bad for Em because she felt so pressured into doing exactly what her parents wanted her to. When she gets a letter from her Aunt Tilly, things start to change though. She gets her parents to agree to letting her go to her Aunts B&B for a month before starting an internship at her fathers law firm. The story doesn't really get good until she actually gets to the B&B once she is there she is faced with a lot of decisions she never imagined she would have the opportunity to make. It was just really nice seeing how her story progressed, and everything she went through to figure out what she truly wanted.

Em and Cade are one of the better romantic couples I have seen in a book lately, they are just really cute together and it was nice seeing that relationship grow. Gwenny and Domino have to be my favorite characters, they were just so much fun and I always found myself laughing at the things they said or did throughout the book. All of the other characters were also written very well, I didn't really have any that I didn't like.

The ending was really shocking for me. I wasn't expecting what happened at all, but in a way it seemed to make sense. I didn't really feel like there were any subtle clues or anything leading up to it, or I just didn't catch on to it.. But I really felt like it was a good ending, it felt right. Shannon did a fantastic job with this story.

If you're looking for a heartfelt summer read, I would highly suggest The Summer My Life Began. It has a cute romance, and a really touching story. I feel like it's a perfect summer book, the fact that it takes place during the summer is just a bonus. I hope you will all check it out though, it's well worth it.

Thanks to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Lisa Daily
Release Date: May 10th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Pages: 279
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: ARC for review

Rating: ★★★★

Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.
But Molly soon discovers that beauty--and her wish--comes with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good?

Beauty is a pretty good book. I wouldn't say it's spectacular, but it is a great book if you're looking for something light. Lisa is a great writer, this book is really cute and fun but it also has a great message. I would go into more detail, but I think it's something that would be better if left for when you read the book. I just really enjoyed that aspect of it.

I honestly don't think I would want to go through what Molly does in the book. Sure some of it sounds nice, but when you think long term it really doesn't sound to appealing. I loved how Molly went through all of these situations throughout the book and had to decide what was best for her. When you have the prospect of having pretty much anything you could want dangling in-front of you it would be hard to try and pass something like that up. Those are just a few of the challenges Molly is faced with in the book, it's just interesting watching how it all leads to her making an important decision at the end.

I don't really have much to say about the characters. They weren't bad, but they also weren't great. I really liked Molly and Kemper they were probably the most enjoyable characters. I found Mr. G a little weird, but I think he was a quirky addition to the story. Hudson was great to, especially towards the end. I had thought he would be one of those stuck up guys, but I was surprised. I think the only character I didn't really care for was Hayley. I just didn't care for her at all, especially later in the story. So all in all it was a great cast of characters, they weren't amazing but they were enjoyable.

The ending of the book was really good. As I mentioned earlier, everything that takes place after the event Molly goes through at the start of the book leads up to one huge decision. It's not some huge complex story line, it's just a simple story about what is really important. I think that Lisa did a great job wrapping this book up, I think there was a really great lesson to be learned from Beauty with all of the positive and negative things that come with the wish that Molly made.

Light, fun read. I said it before, but that is the best way to sum up this book. It's well worth reading, as I said it's nothing spectacular but it's still a really good book. It was nice to read something like this after a lot of the books I have been reading lately. I think Lisa did a fantastic job, and I look forward to reading more of her books if she continues to write YA.

Thank you to Penguin for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 525
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: Bought

Rating: ★★★★

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

My final thoughts on this book leave me bordered between three and a half and four stars. Does this mean that Insurgent is a bad book? Absolutely not. This is an amazing book and an amazing series.. However, I do have my reasoning as to why this book is getting a lower rating from me. Veronica is an extremely talented writer, there is no doubt about that. She knows how to keep her readers intrigued and does a great job at feeding readers information without giving to much at one time. I have mentioned before that I really enjoy when authors do this. If I get overwhelmed I am more likely to put a book down, but if the information is spread out in a decent manner that really keeps me reading for longer periods of time.

You're probably curious as to why I am giving Insurgent a lower rating though.. As I mentioned above, my conclusion in no way means this is a bad book. I love this series, and will absolutely be reading the next book. Insurgent just didn't hit me the way Divergent did.. It wasn't quite as exciting, if that makes sense. Veronica writes amazing action scenes, and there are plenty of them in Insurgent I just didn't think they were quite as epic as they were in Divergent. There isn't much of a time lapse at all from Divergent to Insurgent so you easily pick up on what happened last, if it's been awhile since you have read Divergent.

The story takes some really interesting twists. You learn a lot more about what it means for people to be Divergent, you learn more about Tris's family. And a lot of the other prominent characters that were in Divergent. I don't want to go into to much detail, because I want to keep this spoiler for for those that haven't read Divergent yet. But for those of you that have, you're really in for a treat with some of the new plot twists in Divergent.

There really aren't to many new characters in Insurgent. There are a few prominent ones, but the majority of them you have already heard about at one point or another in Divergent. It was just really interesting learning more about them, especially those that had some of the major twists surrounding them. The ending left me with quite a few questions regarding some of the characters though.

I think Veronica loves teasing us, the ending of this book is absolute torture. It's a great ending, but it leaves you with so many questions that you really want to have answered, but you are stuck waiting on the third book. Based on how things turned out at the end of this book, I am really hoping that book three will be more exciting than this one was. I feel bad giving this a lower rating, since I do really love this series and Insurgent is a extremely well written book... It just didn't feel as great as Divergent did.

I think a lot about family stories, perhaps because I’m an only child, and now that both of my parents are dead—no longer living, I almost wrote, because the other, more naked statement is still sometimes hard for me to write—I feel like I’m the only one left who can and will carry them.

Sometimes the family stories rattle around in my head, demanding attention all at once, and I don’t know where to focus—I guess that can be the effect of remembering. But other times, (especially when I follow the advice that great writer and teacher once gave me, which was: “Write where the pressure is!”) a particular story will rise up above the others and say: “Pick me.”

That’s what happened with While He Was Away.

I got quite and waited until the pressure revealed itself—and it was a story my mother told me in three simple sentences right before she died when I was fourteen.

Her story went like this.

“I was married before I married your father. I was very young. My first husband died in WWII.”

That was it. That was all she would say.

She knew she was dying, and she wanted me to know this truth about herself. For years afterward, no one else said a word about it, and then finally, it was revealed that there was really very little to say—only the classic: “They were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love; it was like a dream”—and then there were a few pictures that a cousin gave me—my mother, young and beautiful, in love with a young and beautiful boy.

When I started thinking about the other young and beautiful boys and girls who were heading off to Iraq to do battle for all kinds of reasons, I found myself thinking again about my mother, the girl, and her boy, and how in some ways, love in wartime is so different now, and in other ways, it isn’t all.

I wanted to retell the story she told me in three simple sentences, and it turned into a novel., While He Was Away.
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