{Book Review} The Kiss of Deception (Remnant Chronicles #1): Mary E. Pearson

Rating: 72%
Series: Remnant Chronicles #1
Genre: High Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction,
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: July 8, 2014
Page Count: 492
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Who Would I Recommend This Book To?

Fans of the Fire & Thorns Trilogy (Rae Carson), The Shamer Chronicles (Lene Kaaberbøl), Throne of Glass Series (Sarah J. Maas) 

Would I Buy It?

70% 

There is actually a large possibility of me purchasing The Kiss of Deception because of 1) How much I enjoyed the novel and 2) How beautiful the cover is of both this book and its sequel

Background & Backstory

Fun Fact: I put off reading The Kiss of Deception for literally the longest time possible, even though it was one of my most anticipated releases of the summer. I had received this book as an eARC from Netgalley ages ago, like in April of 2014. Pretty much, life has gotten in the way of my reading this book, and I forgot about being accepted for it until the release date drew nearer and it was getting so much prepublication hype. Even that didn’t make me pick up the book immediately. Finally, I put it on hold at my library and borrowed. But wait.... there’s more. I renewed this book TWICE, which mean I had it in my possession for almost nine weeks. For an anticipated release, this sure was getting pushed to the back burner a lot. 

And then.... came the move.

for personal reasons, I had only recently (last Saturday) been notified that I was to move cross country to upstate New York. And as you know, I only recently (four months ago) moved around 30 miles from the home I had lived/grown up in almost my entire life. But enough about that, I had been forced to move, and because of this, I had had to return all 31 of my library books (I’m not an impulsive clicker at all). Because of this, I was forced to read books I actually owned (what a concept), and I saw this as a sign and a FINAL go-ahead to read The Kiss of Deception. 

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid male protagonist that makes me yearn for a sequel this very instant!

I conquered my hatred! If you’re new around here, you may not have seen a discussion post from September which was entitled, I Hate Big Books and I Cannot Lie. In this, I explained about my hatred of reading big books because of the sense of unproductively and dissatisfaction they gave me. And the number one time this hatred is felt is when reading large eBooks. There is an ongoing debate about eBooks versus Physical Books, and one of the best arguments for Physical Books is the sensation of turning pages and the visual representation of making your way through a book, something us 21st century readers like to see to have our egos stroked. Anyways, The Kiss of Deception clocks in at almost 500 pages, something I was blissfully ignorant to when I began reading. Yet, I sped through this chunkster in less than 24 hours. My eBook reading pace is usually three times as much as my physical book one for other reasons mentioned in [INSERT POST TITLE/LINK]. Reading The Kiss of Deception has made me conquer my hatred of big books, and made me believe in myself and the fact that, if I am loving a fat eBook, it can be read in an extremely short amount of time. The fast-paced intrigue of the novel is the most attractive aspect of it, and if you struggle, like I do, with chunkster, you may have no issues whatsoever. 

Multi-Points-of-View-Sensory-Overload: One of the most enticing factors for myself as a reader is multiple POVs (Thank the Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu for this). And The Kiss of Deception had a boatload of perspectives. The majority (60%) of this novel was told my Lia, aka our leading lady. The other 39% was told by her two love interests, Rafe and Kaden, or “The Assassin” and “The Prince,” as the ominous headers for each chapter state. The last 1% is an unnecessary chapter told by Lia’s best friend, Pauline. Anyways, one of the biggest appeals of The Kiss of Deception is the fact that Lia, and yourself as the reader don’t know if Rafe is the assassin or Rafe is the prince or if Kaden is the assassin or Kaden is the prince. I don’t know how many revisions and rewrites Pearson had to make to get the reader so clueless as to who was who, but she accomplished it. I felt intelligent (for once) because I actually guessed which name was attached to which person. On another quick side note, it doesn’t matter actually whose name is attached to who in the fact that neither man uses their real name. You have this idea of who each man is, but in the next chapter you read, you’re thrown off, and your presumption is *maybe* proved wrong. I will have to say that they weren’t the most distinct voices I have ever heard (June and Day will forever be that pair), but they definitely held their own and got the job done.

Length Not Needed? While I wasn’t bored, and the story was fast-paced, I do think that it could have been shorter by 100 pages or more. There was a lot of extra standing around, waiting for each, and every, distinct, little, event to happen a lot of revelations could have been made in a shorter span of time. 55% of the story took place in this ONE town and it got a little tedious. The other 40% of it took place in  a desert-like terrain which annoyed me a little, coming from The Fire and Thorns trilogy, and although that wasn’t The Kiss of Deception’s fault, there was still so much extra traveling time trekking across the desert.

Fantastical Tropes? Having only begun to incorporate High Fantasy into my regular reading, I can’t judge as to what is a “cliche” or “overdone” trope. But I sure as heck can point out the similarities between three separate series. I am talking about the Fire and Thorns Trilogy, the Throne of Glass Series, and The Kiss of Deception. All three of these had so many similarities in their royalty structure and the protagonist’s desires to break out of the mold and tradition set before them. I get it, it’s a common problem with royalty now, back then, and in these high fantasy universes, but you would think their systems would vary slightly. Yet, they don’t. Royalty doesn’t want to be royalty. Magic is taboo but some still believe in it. Protagonist has to make the decision to make a stand for her home. The end.... until the second book.

Love Triangles That Work: I am not in the party of bloggers who think love triangles are the devil. I am known to indulge and and enjoy a well written one every once in a while. The Kiss of Deception’s trio was, as usual, unprobable, but I just liked them together and thought their relationships worked well. Each man provided something different that Lia needed, and I enjoyed seeing the contrast between them a lot. What I will have to say is that the name (Rafe/Kaden) and the occupation (Prince/Assassin) of the guy who I was routing for ended up not coinciding, which would be kind of awkward if these book characters knew my wish of exchanging one for the other.

Ending 40%: I am such a fickle mistress when it comes to liking endings of books, because I usually don’t and they fall flat. Sadly, The Kiss of Deception continued this trend. The vibes I was getting felt so Crown of Embers, and the character’s motives for their actions unrealistic. Why did you have to let me down but entice me enough to pick up the sequel Mary E. Peason? WHHHHY?!?

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

80%

Hell yeah, I’ll be reading the sequel. *Fast forwards a year from now and Sofia still hasn’t read it* I need answers. 

Conclusion: A strong series debut with lyrical prose, multiple points of view, fast paced, plenty of intrigue, a likable love triangle, and suspenseful ending.

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} The Last Changeling: Chelsea Pitcher

Rating: 70%
Series: Faerie Revolutions #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Faries,
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: November 8th 2014
Page Count: 360
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Barnes & Nobles ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis: A Kingdom at War . . .

Elora, the young princess of the Dark Faeries, plans to overthrow her tyrannical mother, the Dark Queen, and bring equality to faeriekind. All she has to do is convince her mother’s loathed enemy, the Bright Queen, to join her cause. But the Bright Queen demands an offering first: a human boy who is a “young leader of men.”

A Dark Princess In Disguise . . .

To steal a mortal, Elora must become a mortal—at least, by all appearances. And infiltrating a high school is surprisingly easy. When Elora meets Taylor, the seventeen-year-old who’s plotting to overthrow a ruthless bully, she thinks she’s found her offering . . . until she starts to fall in love.

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About the Author: WEBSITE | @Chelsea_Pitcher | FACEBOOK

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. 

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Background & Backstory

Everything, at least in the bookish world, has a reason. Despite knowing how much immense pressure is put on myself when it comes to reading and reviewing a blog tour book, I sign up for them anyway. Go figure! The reason behind THIS tour stop is that I needed that pressure. To be honest, my Netgalley approval ratio is shot, I have no chance of ever amending that sucker unless I spent half a year reading purely eBooks. There you have it, I signed up for this tour to get my approval to feedback ratio 1% higher.

Con | Insta-Love:  While I am not a blogger/reader that immediately shuts down whenever they face a fearful instal-love situation *Divergent Reference* I don't enjoy it unless I myself am routing for the couple extremely hard. With The Last Changeling, it was one of those model instal-love situations that I, personally, disliked. The moment the two of them met, they were already thinking about each other in a physical way, which EXTREMELY annoyed me.

Neutral | Dual-POVs: If you know what type of reader I am, having dual-POVs as a neutral point of the book is surprising. I enjoyed the dual-POVs, never got them confused, and they added insight to the story. Yet it almost felt as if this story couldn't stand on its own without them. First person from either side and even third person would have confused me as a reader, so it seems like the default and obvious choice was to write the novel in duo-POVs. 

Neutral | Faeries: I don't like faeries in books. Never have. Never will. The beautiful creatures found in kid's fairy tales usually are bad, or mean, or unappealing. I had hoped this book might change my opinion, but since it was so set in stone, I think only a 5-star book would have done that. So while I don't count this as a strike against The Last Changeling, I didn't like the faeries either.

Neutral | LGBTQ+ Advocation: Neither Taylor or Elora falls under the LGBTQ+ spectrum, but there was a ton of advocation for LGBTQ+ people and their rights. As always, I commend authors for including the aspect in their stories. I just thought it was kind of distracting from the main, overall plot arc with SO much focus. 

Pro | Predictable Urban Fantasy Plot With a Twist: The Last Changeling was one of those classic urban fantasies where a magical being (female or male or anything in between) is found. Then they are helped and concealed with the help of the opposite gender as they attempt to blend in with everything around them. The first 50 pages, I thought I wouldn't like the plot because of how many cliche trope markers there were. Yet, I held on and was pleasantly surprised with how much originality followed the predictable plot set up.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

25%

This is absolutely nothing personal against Chelsea Pitcher (who is an extremely nice author) or her book, but I don't think I will be reading the sequel. I make it a point to only read sequels to books I rated 4 or more stars and reading the next book in the Faerie Revolutions just would not fit into my enormous TBR. On the other hand, if you had asked me how likely it is for me to pick up another book by her, the percentage would be a lot higher because I am interested to see what she does with her writing in a contemporary novel (such as The S-Word) which is the first book of hers I had ever learned about.

{ARC Review} Frenemy of the People: Nora Olsen

Rating: 5.5/10
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+,
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Page Count: 264
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles

Synopsis: Clarissa and Lexie couldn’t be more different. Clarissa is a chirpy, optimistic do-gooder and a top rider on the school’s equestrian team. Lexie is an angry, punk rock activist and the only out lesbian at their school.

When Clarissa declares she’s bi and starts a Gay-Straight Alliance, she unwittingly presses all of Lexie’s buttons, so Lexie makes it her job to cut Clarissa down to size. But Lexie goes too far and finds herself an unwitting participant in Clarissa’s latest crusade. Both are surprised to find their mutual loathing turning to love.

A change in her family’s fortunes begins to unravel Clarissa’s seemingly perfect life, and the girls’ fledgling love is put to the test. Clarissa and Lexie each have what the other needs to save their relationship and the people they love from forces that could tear them all apart.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Initial Thoughts: I'm sitting here, on a Tuesday afternoon, trying to figure out how on earth I should describe Frenemy of the People because it was such an unusual book. I have a lot of complaints about FotP particularly about word choice that may have been altered in the final novel.

Characters: If you expected some lovely rainbows and butterflies story where the main characters go through tremendous change and growth.... you won't be getting that here. Clarissa is an extremely unusual character in the aspect that she is an extremely ignorant one. I swear, I knew more than she did when I was eight years old than she did at almost eighteen. She has apparently lived an incredibly sheltered life in a ritzy home and neighborhood. Yet that is absolutely no excuse for being CLUELESS about your financial situation (which was going down south), and not even knowing what the word "foreclosure" meant. I could swear, I kept waiting for some point in the novel where she would do a (cliche) 180 in terms of character, and become this better person because of being in love and being exposed to the world. At least that would be realistic to the "movie magic" (book magic if you will) feel Nora Olsen might have been going for.

Lexie. Well, in the first chapter, I thought she was the contrast to Clarissa's severe idiot syndrome. And I was right about the contrast she provided.... for all of the first two chapters of the novel. After that, I was just reeling with major "What the hell is happening?" reactions. I honestly don't understand how this book made it past the editors, with a character being so complex and caring about worldly issues one moment to being downright juvenile the next. I hope this changed in the finished version, because if it didn't..... *crickets*

Clarissa's Coming Out: Somebody needs to punch this girl in the face, like right now.... please, somebody just punch her. I mean, I made a whole category of this review dedicated to her "coming out." I myself am not part of the LGBTQ+ community, so I can never know exactly how coming out works, and have never had the struggle of not being accepted for who I love. Yet I know enough to know that no one can just wake up one day and decide to be bisexual like Clarissa did. I am not kidding whatsoever, she was literally at a horseback riding awards event, texting her friends, and she decides she's bisexual. I mean, I would understand if she had been holding it in for a long time, and finally revealed it to her friends, but that SO was not the case. Somebody brought up the topic of kissing girls and BAAAAM! Clarissa declares she's bisexual. 

Just. Like. That.

Does anybody else who has read the book, or understand from what I am saying that that is the most unrealistic thing that could happen in a realistic fiction novel. Anybody?

Originality: As I was reading reviews, a pattern I saw was that a ton of people thought there were too many Lesbian sterotypes. Especially Carelessbookgeek who pointed out the stereotypes for Lexi as 

Vegan. Tomboy. Punk. Smartass. Doesn't Like People. Dumpster Diving.

Personally, I live in a very open, accepting environment, and was not aware of these particular sterotypes, but I do see how they could be very annoying an unoriginal. 

***Spoiler Alert***

Clarissa and Lexi ran over Clarissa's now foreclosed house with a bulldozer. Let me repeat myself. They ran over Clarrisa's house with a FREAKING BULL DOZER!!!! Does no one else see why I am so distressed and CAPS LOCKING here?!? This is the kind of thing crazy girls do in movies that wind up with them being arrested, or showing up on Pretty Little Liars. This book does not have witches and goblins. It is trying to be a story about two girls trying to navigate their lives in a generally conservative high school and be in a relationship. Not something that could, would, and never should happen.

***End Spoiler***

#Disappointment: What really disappointed me was the fact that the story of Frenemy of the People could have been told really well. It would have had the whole two-unlikely-people-end-up-in-a-relationship-against-all-odds situation, which is albeit overdone, but still could have been endearing and sweet. Instead the characters were so idiotic, plot events were generally impossible, and the book overall did not make much sense. I also think adding the LGBTQ+ aspect could have made FotP a novel that was truly thought provoking, about characters overcoming diversity. Instead, it almost seemed like something Olsen just tossed in to spice up the story a bit.

Conclusion: A story that could have been heartwarming, about change, and growing as a person, ended up annoying me a lot because of its unrealistic characters, and plot elements.

What about you? Have you ever had that one book that you just didn't enjoy, that felt like the author tossed in a bunch of ingredients into plot element stew and called it a day?

{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Playlist+Review} Dark Metropolis: Jaclyn Dolamore

Rating: 5/10
Series: Dark Metropolis #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Paranormal Romance,
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: June 17, 2014
Page Count: 304
Source: Netgalley
Format: eARC

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis: Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.

Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaclyn Dolamore was homeschooled in a hippie sort of way and spent her childhood reading as many books as her skinny nerd-body could lug from the library and playing elaborate pretend games with her sister Kate. She skipped college and spent eight years drudging through retail jobs, developing her thrifty cooking skills and pursuing a lifelong writing dream. She has a passion for history, thrift stores, vintage dresses, David Bowie, drawing, and organic food. She lives with her partner and plot-sounding-board, Dade, and two black tabbies who have ruined her carpeting.

www.jaclyndolamore.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Playlist

What one has to know when reading and/or about to read Dark Metropolis is that this is not a normal book. The premise, plot, and characters are unlike any others that I have met before. When writing a playlist for a book, there is usually a defined feel of the book that will fit into a certain niche of music. For example, Legend by Marie Lu may have a more alternative, and rockish feel, while The Distance Between Us by Kasie West is more light and cheery pop and country. I personally can't get a real feel on what genre of music Dark Metropolis fits into, but I tried to pick songs that I feel had meaningful lyrics, or the ethereal vibe that DM gave off. 

"We were making history

                                                        Breaking rules and breaking free

Questioning the writing on the wall

Got wind from the underground

Laughing as were falling down

Soaking in the glory of it all"

Young Blood: Bea Miller ~ While I'm sure Bea Miller wasn't thinking of a teenager with magic going against his orders to revive people from the dead, the lyrics are very relatable to Freddy's struggle throughout the book, as to whether he should carry out his orders or not. 

"We wear a smile to hide that we’ve been hurt before
Keep our disasters in a suitcase by the door,
'Cause you know, you know we’re only human!"

Broken Ones: Jacquie Lee ~ It isn't so much as the lyrics that make this a good DM song, but the feel you get when hearing it, as well as the shivers that will run up your spine when listening to the vocals and then when you listen closely to the lyrics and their meaning.

Throw it Away: Kina Grannis ~ I have recently fallen in love with listening to Kina Grannis and her unique voice. Every song on Elements is completely different, and the way her voice just slides up and down embodies the almost creepy feel of Dark Metropolis.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley/Itching For Books Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Pros:

The concept of Dark Metropolis was simply astounding. In the beginning of the novel, we learn that the story is set in the 1930s and one of the main characters -Thea- works in the Telephone Club which is a nightclub, and this just makes me imagine all the glamor of the 30s with the makeup and the fashion that reminds me of the Great Gatspy and flapper girls. With just the synopsis, you already know this story will be unique, and when the magic aspect gets added, it just improves the story.

***Spoiler Alert***

I don't particularly enjoy books about zombies, I don't know if it's because of the whole undead thing, but I don't think so because I actually think being undead is really cool. Anyway (you know how I can get sidetracked), while Dark Metropolis did not turn my opinion around about zombies, Dolamore did treat the subject very well, and shone some new light on them. While it wasn't explained in detail how Freddy's magic worked, it was still such an interesting idea that he could revive people from the dead. But (you know there has to be a but), these people aren't the same and will physically wither if they don't take a serum, and can't die again unless Freddy lets them go. Yet even though they're undead, they can still love people and care for them.

***End Spoiler***   

Something people were praising a lot was the romance and I completely understand why. The relationship between Thea and Freddy is slow, and there isn't any insta-love in the vicinity *sighs in relief* yet it's almost as sweet as a light contemporary novel when Thea gushes to Nan about Freddy and how they haven't kissed YET. And when a girl says, "yet," you know she wants and expects whatever the "yet" is pertaining to. 

There was almost a minor romance between Nan and another minor character (I don't want to spoil it) who was another girl. Jaclyn Dolamore probably wasn't considering this as a big deal, but I just love how it shows progression in YA and general literature in just the 21st century. It was so subtle and treated merely as an, "Okay, that's good the two of you like each other." thing instead of a big deal/  

Cons:

I have to admit, while I did enjoy Dark Metropolis, there were a number of confusing elements throughout the novel. These mostly had to do with the magic aspect of the novel which I don't want to spoiler for you. 

The pacing of Dark Metropolis was a bit slow during the first half, but eventually picked up until it had its explosive ending.

While I was reading reviews of the book, I noticed a lot of people had a tendency to like the characters and their personalities. I don't know if I just wasn't paying close enough attention, but I did not feel this.  As it happens with characters I don't enjoy reading from/about, it felt like they were just puppets being controlled by somebody, and they didn't feel very much like real people. 

I know I will usually root in favor of first person, and I truly think that it would have worked well with DM because the story is told by the three main characters -Freddy, Thea, and Nan. The story was written in third person, and would transfer every few chapters between characters. I also think that my lack of connection with the characters may have been non-existent if it was written in first person, giving me a behind-the-scenes look into their heads.

Conclusion: Dark Metropolis had a mind blowing concept including a blend of genres readers will not soon forget.

{ARC Review} The Dare: Hannah Jayne

Rating: 5/10

Standalone

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Reccommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars & The Lying Game

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Page Count: 288 (according to Amazon)

Source: Netgalley

Format: eARC

Goodreads ~ Barnes & Nobles ~ Amazon

Synopsis: Two jumped off the pier that night...but only one came back alive

Bryn did everything with her best friend Erica. So when someone dared Erica to jump off the pier one night at Harding Beach, Bryn was right by her side. But when Bryn made it back to the surface, Erica was nowhere to be found. Bryn tries to make a fresh start by burying her memories of that awful night. But when a Twitter post from "EricaNShaw" pops up on her feed and a chilling voice mail appears on her phone, she realizes that someone isn't ready to let go of the past...

Disclaimer: I recieved this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

My Intial Thoughts; This book.... how do I begin to describe this book. As some of you may know from Twitter, I am currently going through a bit of a reading slump. I could get into why I am in that reading slump *cough* the last 10 months of school *cough* and the fact that I am just tired of effort. Being on vacation hasn't helped either with this reading slump because of all the excitement that makes it feel like the world is coming to a standstill when I pick up a book to read. Anyway, my point is that my opinions about "The Dare" are different because of this reading slump, but unlike make of my fellow book bloggers, or readers in general, I feel like the book was better because of this reading slump. 

I have to admit that I almost gave this a 2 star rating, or lower, but my reading slump really affected my opinions. I just had waaaay top many problems with the characters, romance, ending, writing style, mystery.... basically almost every technical aspect of the novel. 

Characters & Narration 3/10: You know those books where you would imagine the narrator's voice as monotone and boring? Well that's how I imagined Brynna. I just wasn't feeling her voice, and most certainly didn't have a feel for who she was as a character. The way Bryn narrated events could be compared to the difference between hearing about something via text message versus actually being there and experiencing it. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EVENTS. I felt like I was just being relayed a story instead of experiencing everything as if I was Brynna. 

Premise 9/10: The premise is what truly drew me into the book, and triggered my click happy self on Netgalley. I live in a house with a mother who is addicted to murder mysteries, and this just seemed like a refreshing novel that might turn out to be an insane page turner. What I did not notice until I started "The Dare" was how similar is was to PLL/ TLG (see more on that below) which also would have helped me make the decision to click the "Request" button since it had been a long time since I had read a book like that. 

Romance 3/10: Okay... so there was romance in this book. That's all you can pretty much say. I dislike Brynna's love interest -Teddy- because he just seemed one dimensional. I had no feel for him and if he cared about her. The other fact was that Bryn was closer to her friend Evan than Teddy. I totally shipped Brynna and Teddy together, and then we found out he was gay, which is absolutely fine with me, but I believe a poor choice on the author' part in relevation the dynamics and chemistry between Bryn and Evan.  

Pacing 7.5/10: Let's just put it this way - I was in need of a page turning mystery that would hook me in and keep me hooked. Period. And I am happy to say that's what I got. So if you were perusing B&N, which I know we all do (don't you dare lie to me), and in the need of a light mystery, buy "The Dare." I read almost the entire book while in a doctor's office waiting for my aunt. It was just - READ. TOUCH SCREEN. REPEAT. And then I got to the end, which made hardly any sense to me for that matter. 

Similarities to Other Novels: You might have noticed the "Recommended for fans of Pretty Little Liars & The Lying Game" up there. The reason I put that is because I have read both novels, and think that "The Dare" is reminiscent of them. Minus the multiple teenage girls as MCs. Other than that, the three books were extremely similar. There was that whole "mysterious death of best friend, maybe murder" appeal as well as the "mysterious girl's death being drugged up from the past by none other than that mysterious girl presumed to me dead" and "the MC's life is promptly ruined because of all of this." As you can see, a lot of similarities. 

Ending 5/10: One word: FRUSTRATION. I don't want to spoil anything, but, THAT's FREAKING IT? I was expecting something bigger or something MORE and THIS is what Hannah Jayne gives me? I admit that I didn't see it coming, but I felt there was no connection between it and previous events. 

Conclusion: While I had many problems with the technical aspects of the novel, it was a quick fun read 

, reminiscent of Pretty Little Liars, that woke me from a reading slump. 

{ARC Review} Curses and Smoke: a Novel of Pompeii: Vicky Alvear Shecter

Rating: 3/10
Standalone
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Young Adult,
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

Page Count: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Amazon ~ Barnes & Nobles ~ Netgalley ~ Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis: When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto? TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master's injured gladiators. But his warrior's heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag's owner, doomed by her father's greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she's been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air. . . .

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them -- to Lucia's father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

Do you know what time it is *does awkward dance that would get her thrown out of places* Backstory Time! If you have been visiting my blog for even a smidgen of time, you will know I am nearly famous for going off on tangents about how I got the book, why I read it, and so forth. This book.... this book sounded AMAZING. I am known to enjoy a his fic (historical fiction novel) every once in a while, and I thought this would be my perfect fix for the next month or so. When I saw it on Netgalley, my click-happy self requested the book, and I got accepted. Let me just tell you a little preview of my feelings. 

You know in those movies where they go into the scary house, or dangerous situation and know that something is wrong? Well, that's what happened the moment I started reading C&S. I could not put my finger on that something, and like that lovely GIF up above, I thought, "If I ignore that something, it will go away." 

So I kept reading.... and reading.... and reading.  

Fast Forward to around 20% or 70 pages of C&S, well that something wasn't disappearing, and that something now had a name. If you fast forward my reading experience to the end of the novel, that list of somethings is LONG. A few weeks ago, I posted my top 10 list of "Books I Almost Put Down, But Didn't" Curses and Smoke needed to be on that list, and the side of the list of the books I wish I had put down. Truthfully, I kept holding on and on by a thin thin thread (Maroon 5 song -Sad). I kept wishing I would get over that precipice of boredom and distraught. 

I didn't.

Where do I even start with this book? It might just be an "it's me not you" thing, but I had issues with the plot, originality, pacing, characters, romance, and especially the writing style.

Plot/Originality: Remember on twitter when I was talking about writing short stories and putting them into books for an assignment? Well one of my classmates wrote a love story set in Pompeii. I could get into how weird that is (immature teenage boy writing a love story), but that has nothing to do with this review. Anyway, he is not the best writer, and certainly not the most creative. Yet, he wrote a story with a plot line almost exactly following Curses and Smoke. I also know for a fact that he is not secretly a book blogger that receives ARCs. So.... that flushes the plot line and originality for Curses and Smoke down the toilet. Obviously, the star crossed lovers living in opposite classes is a universal theme, and one used often in historical fiction, but I honestly think that Shecter could have done something interesting with it.

Characters: Tag and Lucia made me want to rip my hairs out one by one. You know the phrase "still waters run deep"? Well how about "still waters are stagnant and that's all there is to it"? The characters were shallow, so not personable (not a word), and were almost like slabs of rock. The only case in which this would work with characters is if it was some high authority figure who seemed to be untouchable and whose walls seem unbreachable by anybody else. This was completely not the case. I didn't feel like I knew who they were at all, or that they had some storied past, or anything else. I literally had more connection with the destruction that the volcano made than with them. 

Romance: Their romance was freaking cliche. It was as if it was a scene from a play that went like this, "Hi, I'm Tag, I'm madly in love with you but we can't be together because I am a slave and you're the rich Domina that could have me executed if you wanted." The two of them together didn't seem like such a good match either because they didn't balance each other out, or were similar. They seemed a lot like Romeo and Juliette wannabes, stealing "amazing kisses" (from Lucia) in the woods, and wanting to run away together. Yay them *rolls eyes*. 

Writing Style: What got to me so much was the writing style of Curses and Smoke. This is a historical fiction novel. That means they are in the past. They are not supposed to sound like 21st century teenagers. I admit they didn't say, "Whatever" or "Duh," but it came pretty close to it with phrases like, "I got it." It was so seemingly modern, and frankly, poorly written. The description of action sequences,  who the characters were, and the emotions people felt.

Pacing: All you need to do is read my backstory to understand my issues with the pacing, paired with all of the other factors. I believe, that with the interesting premise, I could have given the book a higher rating if the pacing had been quicker, and the plot developed quicker. 

***Mini-Spoiler About Ending***

So, I was in the car on the way home from running, and I was telling my mom that books have gotten so cliche, your heart wrenches, you clench your fists, and you cry. All for what? The characters live, they get what they want, "they all live happily ever after." I love happy endings, if I love the characters, and sad endings make me want to punch authors. However, a majority of novels I have read in the past few months have had happy endings, and I just didn't want that to happen with Curses and Smoke. The synopsis sets everything up for a happy ending, but for the first time in forever (another song reference), it is sad. I am so sorry to admit this, but I was quite happy with the ending. I was like, "YAY! One of the MCs died!" This proves just how much of a connection (or lack thereof) with the characters I had. Everything about it was rushed, and if I had enjoyed C&S, I would have thought of it as a WTF moment.

Conclusion: I was highly disappointed with this novel because of the amazing premise, but the characters, plot, and writing style disappointed me.

{ARC Review} Breaking Free: Winter Page

Rating: 9.5/10

Genre: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+, Young Adult, Fiction,

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press

Publication Date: April 10, 2014

Page Count: 185

Format: eBook/eARC

Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Synopsis: Raimi Carter is finally a girl, just like she always knew she was meant to be. At a new school where nobody knows she’s had gender reassignment surgery, she hopes to finally live the normal life she’s longed for, happy in her own skin. 

Life is great until she discovers a dangerous bully is blackmailing head cheerleader, Clare Strickland, threatening to reveal her secret: she’s gay. As Raimi fights to free Clare from his clutches, the two girls move beyond friendship. But secrets from their pasts and their own fears of coming out tear them apart—maybe forever. Baring their souls to each other could cost them everything. For two girls trapped and desperately in love, only strength, courage, and trust in each other will help them break free and claim their future.

*I received this book from Netgalley as an eARC which does not impact my honest review in any ways* 

This is the third book I have finished for Bout of Books, and it was my second 5 star book for this readathon, so I hope this great trend continues. (I'm actually reviewing this beforehand on Wednesday).  

Where do I begin? How do I even begin to express my opinions about this book? The first thing I would like to mention is that I rarely read the "About the Author" section of books, but I actually did this time, and was shocked to discover that Breaking Free is written by a high school freshman. To have a full length novel published by the time you are a high school freshman is a huge accomplishment I would have loved to achieve. The second part about Winter Page (which might be a pseudonym) that I loved was what she wants to do. "Her goal each year is to write something that makes her English teacher cry." I think this is so amazing, and I think she is a really cool person from her "About the Author", and of course her book itself.

I am actually trying out a new review type with Breaking Free, which I have sort of attempted to do before. Anyway, what I will be doing for particularly quote worthy books, such as this one, is basing my review around the quotes. I am a TOTAL quote nerd (Is that a thing?), and actually counted that I had highlighted 23 places in the book, so let's jump into the review.

"It's not about what body you're in or what body you're attracted to. It's about what's in your head. So, your genetics could say one thing, but how you act, how you think, how you were supposed to be, might say something different." 60%

Raimi Carter is hit with a double whammy in life. She's a transgender lesbian. So not only does she believe she is the wrong gender, but she likes the gender that she wants to be. Basically, Raimi used to be a boy, but took the hormonal treatments to become a girl, but instead of liking boys (who she used to be), she likes girls. The Raimi we are allowed to get to know and love is one that is finally completely comfortable in her skin, and because of what she has had to go through, is even more understanding, compassionate, and empathetic than who she would have been if her situation had been different. The Raimi she used to be was very different. The old Raimi was uncomfortable in her own skin, but thank god she had a loving, supporting mother who got her the treatment she needed.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't give birth to you in the right body. But we're going to take care of it, and don't you ever date think this is something bad or to be ashamed of. We are who we are, and it doesn't matter what anyone else says." 59%

Because of Raimi's unique situation, she has given me new perception on what it means to be a girl. I myself am a girl and perfectly comfortable and happy being a girl. I know looks are so not everything (the moral of every Disney Channel 'Original' Movie), but for Raimi, they are a huge part of her individual everything. Mentally, she is a girl, but she needed to change her outward appearance so others would see her as such, While some girls had body image and weight issues, she thought they should be happy and proud for what the hips and curves because that's what made them girls.

"Back at my old school in Texas, I used to watch girls literally starve themselves, and it made me so angry. The only thing I could think was, don't you know that's what makes you a girl, for God's sake!" 6%

What I liked most about Breaking Free was that it was so raw, real, and honest, the way only someone going through the throes of high school can represent and describe something. What I also enjoyed was that it was gritty, but beautiful at the same time. In a bullying sense, it reminded me of the book Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose, which I didn't like very much. Yet, Breaking Free was different, like it had the 'IT' factor that some books and authors only dream about. Something about it -whether it was the dry humor, somewhat painful truth of today's society, or portrayal of young love- positively sucked me in.

"Everyone has monsters, demons, they don't want to face. We as teenagers live in hormonal hell right now. And it doesn't help that we're surrounded by a bunch of people living in the same hell, too wrapped up in their own problems to really think about anyone else." 23%

You know those really cute wall hangings you can get from online stores like Etsy? Well I would LOVE to have one of those made specifically for this quote. I myself, am a teenager, and this could not ring any more true. The day I just had wasn't the best, old memories I would rather keep buried resurfaced, self doubt was inflicted by others, a test didn't go as well as I had hoped it would. People, I myself am guilty as well, get caught up in their own issues because they think its the end of the world when you can point to anyone else and say they are going through the same thing or more, which should bring you out of the "I'm the only one going through this" mood. Being a teenager is hard, there's school, social pressure, home problems, emotions, history, all and everything that happens, and this quote sums everything up.

"Life is just one big game of picking sides.... one long string of consecutive decisions we're forced to make, or that we make on our own. And then, from the decisions we make, we're sorted onto the side we play for. Kind of like Harry Potter. Except that there's not good house, no house that's a compilation of bad eggs. We're just flawed people making decisions best we can. We're not good or bad. We're just humans." 31%

This quote is just amazing and it speaks the truth. Either we make decisions, consciously, being forced, or make them without a thought. Any and either way, they're decisions, and half of the time we don't make the "right" ones. This quote also shows how much wisdom Winter Page has, and just increases my respect for her because she has figured it out.

"She was his living blow-up doll, a toy he had complete control over. It was sick. It honestly was a miracle that the AP Spanish class didn't witness its first homicide." 30%

There are three things I like about this quote. First of all, it accurately portrays how Clare was being treated by Brian a.k.a. the worst boyfriend anyone could ever have. Two, is shows how Raimi is the kind of person to stand up and speak out for what she believes in, and will not stay complacent with the way things are now. Three, the last sentence is really funny (at least in my opinion) in terms of wording.

"Sometimes the worst crime of all was inaction." 33%

The quote above is important to the story, because it gives me a chance to put the spotlight on Clare. Clare Strickland has a flawless reputation to protect, but when a little picture gets sent out by way if social media, everything changes. She is ostracized, criticized, publicly shunned, and so much more in inflicted upon her. Her case is the kind where the (annoying) school psychologist tells everyone that the bystanders are just as much at fault as the bullies themselves for staying silent.

"It should say something about you, considering it's permanent. It has to be something that's going to be in you for the rest of your life and not just a whim." 89%

I'm not going to tell you why, how, or explain so I don't spoil the story for you, but Raimi gets a tattoo (don't freak out, she was in Colorado where it's legal) for personal reasons and because of Clare. You are probably thinking "So.... what is so profound about this?" but once you read the book you will understand. The tattoo is not just a tattoo, it a permanent part of Raimi's body (as your moms and dads have reminded you every time you voice your desire for one), and it needed to make a statements to others. So she gets it on her shoulder, not so she can see it, but so others can.

"The word Free was spelled out in the trademark rainbow of gay pride. The script was outlined in black, making it stand out against my skin. The letters were beautiful, the font not big enough to look garish, but not so small that you couldn't see it." 91%

Ending: The feels hit me so hard here. At a time that I truly should have been in bed, I couldn't help myself but read. It is a page turning shocker and some truths about Clare's controlling ex-boyfriend Brian are revealed. While they may seem a tad unbelievable to some, it is a true WTF moment in the story, and provides a good resolution to his character.

Quotes 10/10: These are some quotes I couldn't find a way to weave into this (extremely long, rambling) review that I felt needed to be inserted into this blog post.

A humorous light to a serious situation.

"Oldest child supplies middle child's bad habit. Middle child gets youngest child into a party where oldest child then gives him access to what the youngest child uses to overdoes. This is why America is failing as a country." 71%

A downright hilarious quote which served that waiter right. 

"The waiter scowled, his lips pressed into an angry white line. It was evident that she had just dealt a major blow to his ego. The poor guy just got cockblocked by a girl that didn't like cock." 46%

Something a bit more.... deep.

"Sometimes, it's not about the cards we're dealt.... it's about how well we bluff." 47%

Conclusion: Breaking Free is a stunning debut novel that captivated me and showed the power of acceptance to people who are different