Review: The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Rating: 5/5

Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis: War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

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This series has been one of those that will stick with me forever. The intelligence behind it, the beautiful prose, the haunting plot; all of these things have combined together to create something special. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I am glad to report that it did not disappoint. 

What I Liked: Throughout the second book I wished that Arin and Kestrel had spent more time together. I mean, I understood why that was not possible, but still, I missed the dynamic. Well, Rutkoski rectifies this in the third book. Now, Arin and Kestrel are together, united against the Emperor’s forces and ready to do battle. What makes these scenes particularly interesting, and in my case enjoyable, is the fact that Kestrel’s memory is proven to be fallible from her time in the work camp. This leads to an interesting situation where she essentially has to learn to trust Arin all over again. For me, that particular dynamic worked because it created a new level of complexity to Arin and Kestrel’s relationship, and let’s face it, Rutkoski has become known for creating this kind of tension. Even though her memories have been tampered with, Kestrel’s personality remains the same, if a little hardened. Her particular brand of wit and cunning make her endearing and she has become one of my favorite female heroines. In “The Winner’s Kiss,” brains continue to outwit brawn. 

What I Didn’t Like: The end of the war seemed a bit hurried for me. Kestrel’s actions effectively bring it to a halt, but I find it difficult to grasp that, that was all it took. For a nation that truly believed in what they were doing, I found it unbelievable that they would not have fought until the bitter end. I also expected a higher body count–just throwing that out there.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this series and am sad to see it end. Rutkoski was a breath of fresh air and I am excited to see what she has coming down the pipeline. 5/5

Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publication Date: February 2016

Rating: 2.5 

Synopsis: If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

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Hey guys. So obviously I really stuck to my New Years resolution to post at least once a week. I have no excuse except it has literally taken me months to read one book. Whether that was the books fault, or my fault I don’t know, but either way, it’s been hard to review content these days. 

Anyway, on to the book. I very excitedly picked this one up the day it came out, anxious to read it. I loved “The Red Queen,” and the cliffhanger killed me. I couldn’t wait for the sequel to come out and when it got here I assumed that I would anxiously devour it. Not so much. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the book well enough, but it felt very much like a filler between the first and the next installment.

What I liked: I enjoyed being introduced to the new characters with new abilities-some of which were incredibly cool. There is something very relevant about this band of people coming together to fight their oppressors, and as most of the action came from the moments the newbloods spent together, I enjoyed these scenes the most. Cal remains my favorite character, even though we did not see as much of him as I would have liked. The best part of this sequel for me was the way it refused to solve anything. I admire Aveyard a lot in the way she refuses to fix her characters. Everyone is flawed, not just Mare, and this makes them incredibly realistic. The realities of war are shown in this sequel and no one is safe. There are two major deaths in this book which reiterates that Aveyard is so not afraid to go there.

What I didn’t like: The pacing. Oh god, the pacing. This book took me almost two months to finish because the middle was incredibly slow. A lot of the action is repetitive. Find a newblood, get them, get foiled, win, move on. The book felt like one unending loop of Mare trying to be less of a horrible person, while becoming more of a horrible person, and then they would go find something to do. It lacked plot and cohesion and was very difficult to get through. Aveyard also introduces these new and exciting characters, which could really liven the book up, but refuses to utilize them effectively. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mare. I think she’s a great dimensional heroine, but god she got on my nerves.

Overall, this book was fine. If you enjoy a lot of exposition you’ll probably like this, but for the rest of us, it feels like a filler. 2.5/5

Review and Giveaway: Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

Title: Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

Giveaway: Signed copy of Dreamstrider  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Genre: Fantasy YA

Rating: 2.5/5

Publication Date: October 6, 2015

Synopsis: A high-concept, fantastical espionage novel set in a world where dreams are the ultimate form of political intelligence.

Livia is a dreamstrider. She can inhabit a subject’s body while they are sleeping and, for a short time, move around in their skin. She uses her talent to work as a spy for the Barstadt Empire. But her partner, Brandt, has lately become distant, and when Marez comes to join their team from a neighborhing kingdom, he offers Livia the option of a life she had never dared to imagine. Livia knows of no other dreamstriders who have survived the pull of Nightmare. So only she understands the stakes when a plot against the Empire emerges that threatens to consume both the dreaming world and the waking one with misery and rage.

A richly conceived world full of political intrigue and fantastical dream sequences, at its heart Dreamstrider is about a girl who is struggling to live up to the potential before her.

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I picked up “Dreamstrider,” by Lindsay Smith some time ago on a recommendation from  a trusted book friend. I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on a signed copy, which made me all the more eager to read.

What I liked: The concept of this book was incredibly interesting. Livia, the main character, is a dreamstrider meaning that she has the ability to jump into people’s bodies via the dreamworld. But, this book is not really about Livia’s journey into being a dreamstrider, instead it is about her using her ability to save her country from those who want to use the dreamworld for evil. This book had a really solid premise and I enjoyed the fact that the reader learns about Livia’s abilities and what they can do as we get into the action. The way this book is set up is incredibly smart.

What I didn’t like: Personally, I found this book incredibly hard to become invested in for a multitude of reasons. First, I found the story to be incredibly confusing. I had a hard time keeping track of what was actually going on and it effected my interest in the story. I also was not a huge fan of the main character Livia. I can navigate a heavy plot if I love the characters but I found Livia difficult to handle and the secondary characters felt more like wallpaper than anything else.

Overall, this book held some positives but not my cup of tea. I hope someone will enjoy it in my stead. 2/5

Review: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Title: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Publication Date: October 6th, 2015

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Genre: YA Romance/ Fantasy

Rating: 3/4

Synopsis: Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.

But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.

But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?

The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

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In an effort to maintain my New Years resolution I am finally reviewing this book. I read it back in October and I’ve been sitting on it for awhile. It’s one of those books that I am interested to hear other’s opinions on, because my feelings are so mixed. I loved the first book, but felt the content was maybe too much for YA.

What I like: I am intrigued by the world-building that Ewing introduces in this sequel. She begins to delve more into the history of her world and relates this back to her main characters explainable powers. The world building was much stronger in the sequel, probably because the characters delve out of the heart of the Jewel. The beginning of the book was action packed as the characters are trying to escape from the Jewel. It really grips you and I personally could not stop turning the page in those first dozen or so chapters.

What I didn’t like: I still feel like there are some very deep themes being played out here that would work better in a New Adult format. The ideas here are really fresh and original, but I sometimes feel like the violation of these surrogates is skirted because of the age group these novels are targeted towards. There are some real issues here and it’s annoying to me that they aren’t explored further. Outside of this, the second half of the book fell apart for me. The beginning was so interesting that the exposition of the second half felt boring.

Overall, I enjoyed the novel well-enough and will probably pick up the third installment. 3/4

Throwback Thursday Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: September 18th, 2014

Genre: Paranormal YA

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Synopsis: It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

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It has been a crazy long time since I have done a Throwback Thursday post. Really, I have no excuse outside of the fact that it is the end of the school year and I have been crazy busy with students. For this week, I decided to go back to the start of one of my favorite series, which incidentally will be wrapping up this Fall. I discovered “The Raven Boys,” this past Winter during an epic binge and read all the currently released books. I’m pumped for the next one and also a little weary of the death of my favorite character Gansey. It’s coming. Stiefvater has already confirmed, and it’s just a heartbreaking notion. Anyway, on to the review. 

 

What I liked: I was nervous when I first picked this book up, because usually I like my YA to be chalked full of romance and this didn’t seem to be that type. That being said, I enjoyed that this is more about the story and development of characters than the usually bad boy/good girl routine. I felt like I really engaged with the entire ensemble, which was unusual for me in a group this large. I obviously have a favorite, Gansey, but I enjoyed all the boys, Blue, and her family’s stories. Outside of this, there’s a certain element of mystery surrounding the actual plot of the book. There’s a bad guy, a dead King, and at times I was generally confused as to which plot I should be watching. In the end it all tied together pretty nicely and the sub-plots actually enriched the overall arch of the story. I’m a big fan of any book that adds in elements or folklore and History as seamlessly as this one does, and I’m anxious to get to the final chapter to see where this all goes. 

What I didn’t like: Knowing that Gansey will die. The entire time I read, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop on this one, it ended up being super stressful. I couldn’t enjoy the action because I kept waiting for the moment Gansey’s life would end. Gah!

Overall, this is a great entry way into an exciting series. After reading it, I became a huge fan. 4/5

Review and Giveaway: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Title: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

*Received this ARC as part of a blog tour in turn for an honest review

Buy Links: Amazon; Barnes and Noble; iBooks

Publication Date: April 7th, 2015

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:  Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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This week I thought I would take a foray into the world of Contemporary YA. Usually, when I read Contemporary Romance it’s in the Adult or New Adult section. With that being said, this year one of my goals is to diversify my reading habits, and when I saw the beautiful cover of this book I knew I had to read it. I’m excited to break my thoughts down on this one and also to feature it as what I believe is my first Contemporary YA Romance on this blog! (That could be wrong but I’m like 90% sure I have not featured another Contemporary YA unless it’s had paranormal aspects).

What I liked: Gosh was this book sweet and uplifting. I want to recommend it to all my female students because I adored Sage as a female MC. Usually, in books like these I notice that the female main character is what I like to call the outcast for the sake of being the outcast, but Sage revels in being different and has even carved a name out for herself in her somewhat cliche High School. Without a doubt my favorite part about this whole book was  the concept of using Post-It’s to say nice things to people who need a little uplifting. I cannot even express how wonderful this whole concept is to me. Working with teenagers, I’ve seen how hard it can be to go through puberty in this day and age when social media makes it so easy to tear people down, and the concept of nice, simple Post-It notes is one I would love to see some of my students recreate. Outside of being the coolest, sweetest, most BFF worthy female MC ever, Sage is also very well rounded. Yes, she’s all of these nice things, but she also has a dark past which added an aspect to her character that makes her incredibly relate able. She’s not perfect and she knows it, in fact, I thought sometimes she was a little to down about not being a saint.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I thought the book was great and it is one I will use in my lessons and recommend to my students. The one problem I had was overarching and really more of a personal thing. While I liked the book, I struggled to relate the the characters vernacular and the sometimes cliched High School depiction. Ten years ago I would have been all over this book and all over Shane and just in swoonsville, but as an adult I struggled to find common ground.

Overall, I think this is a great book, especially for lovers of Contemporary YA. It is a strong story with a great female character at it’s core. 3/5

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The sophomores can’t hear us down the table, as it’s loud in here, but I pitch my voice low just in case. “Basically, Ryan was never my boyfriend. He just let people think we were together. Because I’m an idiot, I didn’t guess why.” Those last words come out bitter.

“So why did he do that?” I hear all kinds of nuances in his voice, questions, doubts.

Here’s where it gets tricky. “It’s complicated. He lied to me, though, and that’s what I can’t just get over. Maybe someday we’ll be friends again, but for now…” I shrug.

“Friends?” he repeats.

“Yeah. Friends.”

“So he didn’t break your heart.” He sounds relieved.

“Did you want him to?”

“I was afraid he had. That maybe you were talking to me…” His eyes cut away from mine.

“Because I was trying to make Ryan jealous? Not my style.”

I want to say, OMG, Shane, you think I’m a dude magnet? I’ve been Ryan’s sidekick, his not-girlfriend so long, that I have no idea what this is or what I’m doing. But I love it.

“I’m not looking for drama,” Shane tells me.

I understand the reason for the pronouncement immediately. Ryan’s watching us from across the cafeteria, but he won’t be shoving Shane into any doorjambs or cornering him in the boys toilet. In some ways, his silent, wounded eyes are worse. I can tell he feels horrible and that he misses me, but what am I supposed to do? After what I’ve learned, I don’t want to be his girlfriend, which is what he was shooting for when he made his big confession. I feel like I hardly know the guy, and that hurts most of all.

“There won’t be any.”

“I just… I can’t afford any trouble,” he says softly, not looking at me. “Any more, and I’m off to juvie until I’m eighteen.”

Possibly he thinks this will scare me off.But I have my dark side, too. The staff at the group home pulled me off an emotional ledge years ago, so I know what it’s like to feel completely out of control, doing stuff you know deep down is a terrible idea and yet you cannot stop. I study the rigid line of his shoulders. Did you put that post-it on my locker?” I ask.

He’s dead silent, but his eyes answer where his lips do not. I see the yes written in aquamarine.

In this moment, I want to kiss him so bad it hurts.

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About Ann Aguirre:

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.

 

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Throwback Thursday: Unhinged (Splintered Series #2) by A.G. Howard

Title: Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Re-telling (kind of)

Synopsis (from ma’ brain): It’s been a year since Alyssa traveled down the rabbit hole into Wonderland. For the most part the year has been normal (re: boring), with minimal netherling interaction–minus, of course, Morpheus. Suddenly, netherling things start to invade the ‘normal’ world. Seems that Alyssa’s fight with Red is far from over, and if she doesn’t kick it into gear soon she risks both her worlds.

Rating: 3.5/5

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So, I’m back with a throwback. But, I’m only throwing it kinda back. A few months ago, I discovered the “Splintered” series by A.G. Howard and totally fell in love. Majorly. I loved Alyssa, the anti-heroine; the romance hit the spot; and despite being a re-telling I felt a fresh excitement every time I turned the page. Needless to say, I was eager to pick up the next installments. After finishing “Unhinged,” I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel. There were defintely parts I loved–lots of them; yet, this next installment felt like a bridge between two books. I feel as though it set things up to be wrapped up and while I can appreciate this, I did wish for a few more things. Let me break it down:

What I liked: As I said, this series has so, so many strengths. Howard’s writing is poetically descriptive. Sometimes I don’t even care if I know all the rules to her world because she’s trapped me inside with her imagery. There were honestly times were I drifted off daydreaming because of the lushness of her descriptions. God, it was so good! Her world is full of alternatives (realities, characters, rules) and I don’t think another writer would have been successful in bringing this world to life. Howard’s pen is mighty. Now that I’m done being jealous as heck, let’s move to my main man Morpheus. Morpheus is not the typical male lead I’d usually go for but boy is he so well written that I just go to swoonville everytime he and Alyssa interact. Literally, half of my booknotes say “Morpheus=swoon.” What I love most about him is that he’s multi-dimensional without it being totally obvious that he’s multi-dimensional. We know he loves Alyssa and Wonderland, but we really struggle to understand what motivates him to do some of the crap he does. Is it love? Lust? Loneliness? Power? What is your deal Morpheus?? While that’s not totally answered, I felt like the second book begins to flush him out a little. This book is definitely about peeling back Morpheus for us readers.

What I didn’t like: I have to be a little vague on this as not to spoil anything for anyone, but I‘m starting to feel like everyone in this book is in someway connected to Wonderland. I’m going to be disappointed if this takes a “Vampire Diaries/Heroes” turn and we all end up with magic. I also found myself disappointed by the ending. It all just feels kind of busy. Too many villains, too many netherlings, too much confusion for me.

Overall, this was a strong sequel if you loved “Splintered.” The ending starts to get muddles but seeing as how the third book is out all of that can be worked out in a timely manner (I assume lol). I’ll be reading the conclusion ASAP.

 

Review: Made for You by Melissa Marr

Title: Made for You by Melissa Marr

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Buy Links: Amazon; Barnes and Noble; iBooks

Genre: YA, Suspense-Thriller

Synopsis (mine): Eva Tilling is a reluctant Southern sweetheart, until someone decided to mow her down with their car. Now, Eva’s life is turning upside down. She discovers her boyfriend is shady (no surprise), her former best-friend and crush is actually not as totally screwed up as she thought (surprise), and oh yea, there’s a killer on the loose. That coupled with a new gift for seeing how people will die is enough to make anyone crazy, but when its revealed the killer is fixated on Eva she decides to put her crazy time aside and focus her new gift on helping to stop him.

Rating: 4/5 

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Gah! I love a suspenseful YA. Give me a psychopathic killer, some mystery, a dash of romance, and a heroine with an unusual gift any day of the week. Couple all those things with my absolute adoration of Melissa Marr and you have something I’ll want to sit down and read.

Suspenseful YA is hard to write right (haha). I’ve read a lot of books recently which tote themselves as the next “Body Finder,” series and they have yet to live up to my expectations. I loved “Made for You,” because while it does have similarities to ‘The Body Finder,” I didn’t feel like it was trying to BE “The Body Finder.” I found myself able to engage in the plot without comparing the two at every turn.

One thing I will suggest is not reading ahead. I have a bad habit of doing this and I happened to open my “read ahead” page right where the identity of the killer is revealed. #badamanda.

Let’s break down this down here:

What I liked: There seems to be a reoccurring theme lately of the “popular girl” being a fringe character.  As a community, YA is moving away from the mousy, quiet, geek girl and towards a more realistic female. While I’m a fan of this movement because there is nothing more I like than reading about a girl who can be feminine and still kick butt; I still feel that some authors aren’t sure how to do this. Marr is not one. Eva may be ‘Miss Popularity’ but she’s a normal teenage girl trying to figure it all out. The standout moment for me was when Eva wakes up with a scared face from her ‘accident,’ and immediately worries that she’ll never be pretty again. That’s a totally normal human response. Yea, you may be happy to be alive, but worrying about possible disfigurement is not outside the realm of possible concerns. I don’t even think it’s incredibly vain; I do think it is an incredibly human moment, which I feel like we do not get enough of in Young Adult.

So, now that I’ve discussed Eva, I have to go onto NATE. Again, he’s a flawed guy with some familial issues, but he’s also exceedingly kind. I want a Nate. Where can I find one. As far as romantic leads go, he was a good one. The phrase “You are worth it Eva,” left me in swoon city. Now, I could go on-and-on about how strong this novel was as a suspenseful YA, but I’ll focus on just one more thing here.

The ending. I have a love/hate relationship with this ending. But, what I loved the most is that the boy doesn’t really save the day. I mean, he helps, but Eva definitely takes no prisoners. She may be a Southern Belle but even on crutches she’s totally got this.

What I didn’t like: I wanted to know more about the background of the killer. Maybe that speaks to America’s fascination with the depraved, but I felt like Marr dropped some hints that definitely peaked my interest. Aside from this whole situation, I wasn’t crazy about the ending. Up until the time the killer pops into Eva’s house waving around his crime photos I was totally on board, but after that things deteriorated for me. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy them, I just didn’t feel like the ending held the same strength as the rest of the book.

Overall, if you like suspenseful YA than pick this up. If that’s not your thing, you should still give this a try. 4/5

 

Review: The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Buy Links: Barnes and Noble, Amazon, iBooks

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis (mine): Kestrel is in the heart of the Empire playing at out smarting the Emperor while attempting to keep Arin alive and struggling to discover what type of person she wishes to be. Arin, for his part, is doing everything he can to keep his country free and afloat, even if it means sacrificing himself pieces of himself to do so. Will playing these games of deceptions drive them together or further apart and more importantly will they make it out alive?

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I waited to read “The Winner’s Crime,” so that I could purchase it at the NoVa Teen Book fest where I was lucky enough to hear Marie Rutkoski speak on several panels. She was absolutely brilliant and her intellect shined as she explained how characters and her world came to fruition. I adore this trilogies first two installments. Rutkoski’s world and characters are amazing but it’s her elegant, nearly poetic prose that really captured my attention. Her rich attention to detail brings this world into sharp focus and makes it a standout selection. 

What I liked: There were many parts of “The Winner’s Crime,” that I found to be absolutely brilliant; however, the thing that stood out to me the most was how Rutkoski developed her main character’s Kestrel and Arin, especially Arin. “The Winner’s Crime,” is solely about developing these two characters into who they need to be to defeat the Emperor. Kestrel’s development was much more subtle than Arins. Again, we encounter her using her wits to play the game, only this time, she’s not 100% sure what she is fighting for, her country, her love; what was right, or what was wrong. Her struggle felt organic to her character and not like a contrived plot point used to create false tension. The stakes are high for Kestrel and for once she’s not the smartest player in her game.

While I enjoyed Kestrel’s transformation, Arin’s was the most interesting if not frustrating character progression. Though he refuses to see some core truths about Kestrel, his sacrifices move him from an angry boy to a man of strategy. In “The Winner’s Curse,” Arin is a handsome boy who ultimately chooses love over the good of his country, but in “The Winner’s Crime,” he’s ready to take the mantle of leadership. 

What I didn’t like: I wish there had been more interaction between Arin and Kestrel and am hoping for that in the next book.

 

Overall, this fantastic both technically and entertainment wise. Each page will suck you in while simultaneously ripping out your heart. 5/5

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

 

Title: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Publication date: February 10, 2015

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Mare Barrow is a Red, which means she’s a servant of the Silver’s who run her society. Her whole life she has been nothing more than a thief until a chance encounter lands her with what seems like a great gig in the Silver palace. One problem, some very suspect abilities land her on the proverbial chopping block. Now, she has to do whatever she can to keep her head attached to her shoulders, even if it means betraying someone she loves.

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I’ve been waiting for this book to hit shelves for months. MONTHS. It was really hyped up and I wasn’t sure if it was going to actually live up to it. Early reviews were mixed and I wanted to like this so much that I was very nervous to start reading it. I ended up absolutely loving this book. Personally, I had a hard time getting past the first few chapters, but once I did I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put this book down.  The marketing for this book was Graceling meets The Selection, and if you are banking on that I’d throw those thoughts out the window. “Red Queen,” is not like either of those books, in fact, I think the only thing it has in common with The Selection is the fact that there is a marriage situation going on that is semi-similar if you squint your eyes and look really closely. There are some major ? moments in the book, but there were also some really strong moments. Mostly, I left feeling some mixed emotions. 

What I liked: I know some people have talked about the slowness of the book, but I honestly loved that I got to interact and understand  the world before we really jumped into the action. This book is fraught with political perils and enough life-threatening danger to make it heart-wrenchingly intense. I chose to engage with this plot from the viewpoint of it’s discussion of family dynamics. Maybe I’m the only one who sees that, but the connection that Mare has with her family is what I saw to be at the core of this book, not the love rectangle which I had SEVERE issues. Every twist and turn eventually leads Mare back to the people that matter to her the most, and it was refreshing to see this play out against the backdrop of both a revolution and a romance. This was the real sparkling point of this book for me. I only wish that we’d seen more of Mare’s actual family rather than her interactions with the royal family. 

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I was not feeling the romance. I wanted to be more invested in it, but I didn’t feel like it was developed enough in this first installment to cause too much investment. Also, I felt the “major betrayal” coming a mile away. While I enjoyed the books there were certainty moments where I felt it was a tad on the trite side. I’m hoping to see a little more depth in book two.

Overall, this was a great read. For me, it certainty lived up to the hype and after a slow start I found myself totally engaged. I enjoyed the plot and the action and cannot wait for the next installment. Though I felt the romance was a tad weak, the action was high, and the prose was lovely 3/5