Pages: 423
Publication date: September 20, 2011

Publisher: Greenwillow

How I got the copy: bought

Rating:  3 Stars
  

       
  

From Goodreads:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one. 

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will. 

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

    Holy character development batman!  There was so much growth for all the characters in this book it was fantastic.  And unfortunately, one of the very few things that kept my interest.  I wasn't a big fan of the plot.  Not sure if this is because I'm not a big fantasy reader or if I just didn't like it.  

The world was a little confusing to me (kind of like how Shadow and Bone was confusing at first).  But the world was definitely cool and unique.  I pictured it to be this Spanish Aladdin world mixed with the TV show Reign on CW.  

Ya there was a lot of weird stuff going on in my mind during this book.  Like how I pictured a troll doll everytime she mentioned the blue godstone in her belly button.

(If Karou and Elisa had a sister.)

Pages: 310
Publication date: August 20, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

How I got the copy: Library

Rating:  3 Stars
  

    
  

From Goodreads:

Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity.

    The first time I ever laid eyes on this cover I got chills.  It's so creepy and definitely what my nightmares are made of.  But sadly, it wasn't scary at all.  Upon reading the last sentence of the book I was left thinking "this is not what I signed up for".  Where were the creepy ghosts that I was promised on the cover?

Pages: 296
Publication date: October 22, 2013

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

How I got the copy: from Spencer Hill Press for review (Thank you!)

Rating:  3 Stars
  

     
  

From Goodreads:

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

    I won't lie.  My first thought about rating this was one star.  But after really thinking about what I didn't like in this story I could only come up with one thing that would push me to rate it one star.  And that is the main character Cheyenne.  Oh how I wanted to shake her into reality.

Cheyenne had Bella Syndrome.  She's blindly in love and doesn't care about anyone else except her lover.  When she's kidnapped she's not concerned that he used chloroform on her.  When he pushes her she thinks she deserves it.  She doesn't even care about her mom dying from the virus or being eaten alive.  And sadly, I could go on.  I thought once she realized Teo was a bad person she'd stop liking him.  But no.  He still gave her the tingly swoons.  And I could have respected her if she still cared about him after he shows his true colors.  I mean they did sort of date(ish) for a year so of course she would want him to get better right?  Wrong.  She doesn't care about him at all, but yet she still wants to make babies with him.  Oh and now she wants to make babies with another character too. On top of that, the world has ended and all she can think about is who she wants to kiss more.  I tend to like character development more than plot development so when I don't like a character it makes me not like the book.  So while I recognize Cheyenne had to have these flaws for there to be conflict in the plot I just couldn't get past her personality.   

If Cheyenne hadn't been the main character I think I would have rated this four or five stars.  The plot was phenomenal.  The idea of each couple being a tragic literary couple was brilliance.  I loved watching their stories unfold like the original stories.  Zombies were reinvented in this story and the world was really creepy.  The only complaint I have is that the ending felt really rushed and like it was too convenient how it all wrapped up.  [Highlight for spoiler] plus why wouldn't their parents try to save them?  That didn't seem realistic.

Marcus was another part of the book that made me want to rate this higher.  He had a lot of layers and was sweet.  It was awesome to see the nice guy getting some attention for once (even if it's only after the hot one turns evil).  And he seemed realistic.  He had some skeletons in his closet.  

What I really loved was Teo.  He was so sick and twisted and unlike any other villain I've ever read.  I didn't love him like I love Warner from Shatter Me.  But it's more I was just shocked by his pure evilness.  Literally no character was safe from Teo's wrath and the anticipation and suspense of who he would attack next kept me on the edge of my seat.  

Pages: 336 (ebook)
Publication date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury

How I got the copy: Netgalley (thank you!)

Rating:  3 Stars
  

      

From Goodreads:

Dane Washington is one suspension away from expulsion. In a high school full of “haves,” being a “have not” makes Dane feel like life is hurtling toward one big dead end. Billy D. spends his high school days in Special Ed and he’s not exactly a “have” himself. The biggest thing Billy’s missing? His dad. Billy is sure the riddles his father left in an atlas are really clues to finding him again and through a bizarre turn of events, he talks Dane into joining him on the search. 
A bully and a boy with Down syndrome makes for an unlikely friendship, but together, they work through the clues, leading to unmarked towns and secrets of the past. But they’re all dead ends. Until the final clue . . . and a secret Billy shouldn’t have been keeping. 
As a journalist, Erin Jade Lange is inspired by hot button issues like bullying, but it is her honest characters and breakneck plotting that make Dead Ends a must-read.

     If you're looking for a realistic, male pov contemporary, with an unusual bromance, some laughs, and a heartwarming message this is the book for you.    

    Did I love it?  No, but I didn't dislike it either.   While I'm glad I didn't DNF, I also feel I could have not read it and been perfectly content with life.  It had a nice message about treating people who are different from you equally and bullying, but it was kind of cliche in that way.  

    The mystery.  That's what kept me hooked.  I just wanted to know where Billy's dad was and why his family wasn't together anymore.  His mom was all sorts of shady so it was making me think they shouldn't find the dad.  Dane doesn't know who his dad is so I thought that was an interesting twist and a great way for the two characters to connect.  And I really felt the friendship between these two.  I loved that the story was solely about their friendship.  When Seely is introduced I thought oh here we go with a romance, but I was pleasantly surprised when the romance didn't overpower the real story.

    It was really refreshing to read such a realistic story.  Lately I'd been reading lots of fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal so it was nice to read something that I felt could actually happen with such authentic characters.  While Dane made me angry with his ignorance, I did like that he felt real.  And Billy was hilarious at some times.  He was good at manipulating Dane into doing what he wanted and I loved when he made Dane speechless.

    I think if the characters had been a little more dynamic I might have enjoyed this more.  They just felt very one dimensional. Dane was just the kid with anger management problems, Billy the boy with Down syndrome, and Seely the tom boy girl who skateboards.  I know that sounds contradicting because I just said they felt like real people.  Let me clarify.  Their conversations were realistic, but their actions and thoughts was what felt flat.  While I liked their character growth, I just felt if they'd had more depth I would have cared about them more and wanted to continue reading for more than just solving the mystery.

    This isn't a book I'd recommend to everyone I meet, but I will tell those of you reading this review that you should put it on your tbr.  

Pages: 336
Publication date: October 4, 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

How I got the copy: Bought (Hardcover)

Rating:  3 Stars
  

     

From Goodreads:

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her. 

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Plot: 5/10

Characters: 5/10

Setting: 5/10

Pacing: 6/10

Style: 7/10

Cover:  The colors drew me to the book right away.  I especially love the font and the way that it looks like the girl is running.  But I'm confused why the bridge doesn't have cars on it.

28+50=78 (3 Stars)

     My first thought upon finishing this book?  Crap, now I have to buy the rest of the books in this trilogy.  I find this funny for two reasons. 1. I didn't even want to read/buy the first book. and 2. For the first 100 or so pages of this book I hated the main character.  But somewhere along the lines I became engrossed in this story and captured by the suspense.  I couldn't stop reading.  

     Eve is frustrating at first because she is so naive.  It makes sense and I'm glad the author was true to the character, but there were so many times I wanted to reach through the pages and shake some sense into her.  I was so relieved when she realized her mistakes and I even cheered when she finally grew some courage.  

     Caleb was a great addition to the story, but that's all he really was.  Just an addition.  I kinda wish it had been split POV between the two of them because I felt he had a lot to tell and I wanted to know him more.  I also thought it would be nice to see what the world was really like through his eyes since Eve is so sheltered in the beginning.

     The world building is really interesting in this one.  I was having trouble with it because I found holes in the logic of it, but once I got past that I realized it was an interesting idea and just let my hesitations go.  I liked that the author took literature examples and twisted them to fit what the king wanted the girls to think.  Like how "Romeo seduced Juliet and led her to her death" because he wanted the girls to fear all men.  I hope book two and three explain more about this world and how the plague started it's destruction.

     If you like Delirium, The Host, Uglies, or Article 5 you should try this book.  And the best part is that all three books are already out so we don't have to wait to continue reading!  This one definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath, and wanting more.