Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

My Thoughts:
Oh my WOW! I loved this. I loved every line of it. I loved Jonathan's voice and the silly footnotes and humor and wit and imagination and scientific equations that went directly over my head and people talking in haughty British-English and did I mention the humor? I so seriously loved this. So hard. Allow me to stop rambling and give you a proper review:

First of all, the writing was impeccable. I was never pulled from the story for any reason, the voice was consistent and perfect and punctuation was utilized so perfectly that I'll bet an actor could cold-read this and get exactly the inflection Dixon was imagining when she wrote it.

And speaking of imagination, this book has it in spades. Everything from the world to the scientific explanations to the effects of the weird drugs was so new and different from anything I've ever read. It was so interesting! And the way the story evolved and things were revealed was so perfectly paced and perfectly handled. I could read Heather Dixon for the rest of my life and never get tired of her. This book was the fun of steampunk, the intelligence of Sherlock Holmes and the science fiction of I-don't-even-know-what. But it was good. The science portions were well-thought-out and made perfect fictional sense. Just so wonderfully woven together. Seriously. So good.

And the characters! Such lovely, well-rounded characters. I totally would have befriended Jonathan and the one-eyed-guard and Hannah and Anna and I just loved them all. So much. Even the bad guys had back-stories and moments where I understood them and wanted to reach in and give them a hug. Depth. They all had it.

And, the clincher (for me): It was clean! I mean, these kids are just kids, right? So they think about boys and girls and whatever but there is so much going on that not a whole lot of romance happens. There is a tiny element of romance but no fiery all-consuming passionate affair. Whatever happens is just sweet and childlike. Because they're children. And I love Heather Dixon a little bit for treating a teenage romance the way a teenager most likely would. Not the way adults imagine they would have liked to behave in those situations. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

You know what, just go read it already. It's so good. If you like clean, sci-fi, steampunk books set in 19th century England, you'll love this. Promise.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Mild (if any)
Drugs/Alcohol: Heavy (the entire plot hinges on a hallucinogenic drug...)
Violence: Moderate

The Almost Girl by Amalie Howard

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows. Riven isn’t prepared for the beauty of a world that is unlike her own in so many ways. Nor is she prepared to feel something more than indifference for the very target she seeks. Caden is nothing like Cale, but he makes something in her come alive, igniting a spark deep down that goes against every cell in her body. For the first time in her life, Riven isn’t sure about her purpose, about her calling. Torn between duty and desire, she must decide whether Caden is simply a target or whether he is something more.

My Thoughts:
Didn't finish.

I started the book because my 14-year-old niece said it was really good. "My new favorite book," she said. So I was excited. And it was going well in the beginning. I was curious about what was going to happen, about the world, about the characters. But then I got about half way through... and couldn't read anymore. Here's why:

Howard tells us how brave and smart and talented and competent Riven is all the time. I mean, she's a frickin' general in her home world, right? She can beat up anyone and is the strongest, most feared, strategic fighter ever to come out of Neospes. Neospes, mind you, where everyone is trained to fight starting at the age of 2 (has Howard ever met a 2-year-old, btw?) and they learn warfare and combat and all manners of ways to kill people. So when she passes out in the first chapter and, like, five times afterward, and gets beat up and crashes her motorcycle and gets seriously injured and is rescued by the untrained love-interest at least ten times throughout the course of the half of the book that I read, I don't actually believe that Riven is smart or talented or competent or brave or any of that. It makes me think she's actually really bad at her job and only became general because her father is such a prominent figure in Neospes. And why would anyone appoint a 14-year-old general of an army? Ever? At all?

Ok, so we've established that while Howard tells us Riven is a uniquely amazing character, we actually find out that Riven sucks. Then there are the other characters. Most of whom die before we get halfway through the book, so they're probably not worth mentioning. The love interest, Caden, who is also Riven's target for reasons that still hadn't been revealed halfway through the book (which was annoying) but were generally made to sound bad for Caden, has a girlfriend when he meets Riven. And totally disses his own girlfriend and cheats on her with Riven. But we're not supposed to care about the questionable way in which this relationship began because Caden's girlfriend was your classic high school mean girl. So she's not worth caring about.

And I can't even figure out why Caden likes Riven at all. Not once is she nice to him. Ever. Riven gives him mean stares all the time and tells him how superior she is and that she doesn't want friends and doesn't like anyone. But Caden keeps trying to kiss her anyway. And when he succeeds it's this super-passionate moment when he has her trapped even though she told him flat-out that she wasn't interested and then she tried to beat him up. Unsuccessfully, because, you know, she's such a badass. So... Caden is pretty much the date-rapist type. That's what I got out of that.

I started out really curious about the world of Neospes. There's some vague Terminator-type of mechanical war that turned machines against humans and there was some kind of crazy warfare that causes Neospes to live in a bubble and the air is bad and water is scarce and there are crazy animals that are half-machine and they make themselves that way... but nothing was explained. This far into a book something should have been explained. I was getting tired of waiting for the reveals that should have come a little sooner. And been more interesting than the few reveals I did get to. And the twists felt contrived. The emotions were way too drama-y. And stupid. And I think you should just skip this book altogether.

But maybe you'll be like my 14-year-old niece who loved it. Who knows.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild, if any

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Philadelphia 1876. The Dead are rising. A zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor Fitt. Whoever controls the Dead Army has her brother. She avoids her mother's choice of husband for the lab of Spirit Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel. The situation threatens her reputation, and the lives of everyone in the city.

My Thoughts:
It took me a while to get into this book. I read the first chapter then put it down for a while because I wasn't interested it. I mean zombies? Really?

But then I picked it up again and read the whole thing in two days. There was just so much to love here!

First of all, I loved Eleanor. I loved that she was strong and brave and smart but Dennard never said any of that. Eleanor was just like that. As a reader we were shown Eleanor's character without being told Eleanor's character. Which was perfect. I loved the writing style, the quality (after the first chapter) of writing and the way characters were written. Loved it. I'm a new fan of Susan Dennard.

All the other characters were also well-developed and well-rounded. And they spoke like real people... in the 1800s. It was like a dark, steampunk Jane Austin novel. Which was really fun. Another thing that I loved was that there was a nice romance element but it didn't overwhelm the story. Nor was it some kind of super-passionate, love-trumps-anything-else-going-on type of affair. It was naturally-evolving and moved at a normal pace. Mostly. But it was still yummy. Although entirely clean.

One thing that bugged was that the huge reveal at the end wasn't surprising at all. It was one of those things you guess after the first chapter but hope it incorrect because it's just so obvious. Oh, well.

Anyway, it was fun. It was clean. It was well-written and really entertaining. Go read it.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: None

The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

Published: October 16, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Pages: 416

Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won’t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense. 

My Thoughts:
I fell in love with Marie Rutkoski when I read her books The Winner's Curse & The Winner's Crime so I went ahead and bought this book, luckily it's a standalone and it was awesome.


The story follows a girl named Darcy who has been in and out of foster homes since she was five. Darcy was found at age five with no memory of who she was or where she came from, so they gave her the name Darcy.

Darcy isn't a bad kid, but there have been instances that have caused her file with child services to be a thick as a brick and so she has gone from home to home as each family had a complaint about her.
Darcy doesn't understand why she is so different, why she can't remember anything. However in her new place of residence she finds; almost a home. She has friends at school and a foster mom who is pretty cool.

Then a new kid comes to school and the first moment she sees him, she knows he doesn't like her but for some reason she is intrigued by him and he then imposes himself in her life and she has no idea why.... until she is arrested.

Intrigued? you totally should be! I liked Darcy, she wasn't this horrible character with a bad mouth and bad reputation. Darcy loves art and her friends are amazing.

I loved the different personalities that were put in this book. Holy cow, and Marie Rutkoski does a fabulous job of keeping the unique and their voices separate. I so enjoyed her friends, they were just a great comic relief to the story.

The romance was great too, NO INSTA-LOVE which is a must for me, but it had its complications that kept me completely interested and invested in the characters and the story.

The overall idea of the story was GREAT and unique. With plenty of action and mystery that would keep any reader riveted.

Sexual Content: mild (some kissing)
Violence: moderate (talk of past mass killings-nothing graphic)
Language: mild/none
Drugs/Alcohol: none

Tracked by Jenny Martin

On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high-stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn't stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It's up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?




My Thoughts:
It took me a long time to get into this book. The beginning didn't hook me, Phee seemed a bit too reckless and immature for my taste and the love triangle was annoying. Really annoying. Lots of waffling emotions and deep introspective thought analyses. ugh. And did anyone else just feel bad for the loser of the love triangle? I mean, like, throughout the entire book? I felt like the poor guy was just shuffled to the side all the time. He lacked any depth at all since, really, we only saw him when/how Phee dictated he would be around.

Once the story evolved into a political/corporate story with intrigue and spying and stuff, it got really interesting. The plot was very well thought-out in that respect and I enjoyed all the plotting and planning. It was smart. 

But it didn't overshadow the lackluster writing and borrowed concepts. I mean, this entire novel was basically Speed Racer with a girl main character. I can't think of a single major difference. I'm really trying to think of major difference. Maybe the love triangle could be thought of as the major difference but I wish that hadn't been in there at all. Why do YA authors feel like they must put love triangles in YA books? This book actually would have been BETTER if the poor, shunted third member of the love triangle had been a different character entirely; Why wasn't he a brother? Or the strictly platonic best friend? Or gay? Or any number of things that would have prohibited any notion of a love triangle? It pulled me from the story and I was more annoyed than anything. Actually, I felt more sympathy for him than for Phee. Phee annoyed. I definitely see the potential for more angsty pining and love-triangle drama in the second book since this book ended the cliffhanger way it did. But I'm still annoyed. 

Another positive in this book was the racing. And it wasn't even so much the racing itself as much as it was the way Martin portrayed Phee while racing. I loved being in her head for those moments; The way her adrenaline was written, her inherent need to race, the calm before the race and all that. So well done. Loved those moments.

Phee was likeable enough as a character. I guess. But I didn't like her as much as I could have. I would have appreciated more humor; This book was Very Serious. I would appreciated less introspective whining; So much unnecessary drama. I would have appreciated smarter actions on her part, a little bit of subtlety, maybe. She was so very in-your-face blunt and easy-to-read. The worst possible spy. The worst possible secret-keeper. But I guess that was just her character. Wasn't a huge fan.

By all means, if you're into post-apocalyptic stories with a Speed Racer/Fast and Furious spin (maybe even some Mad Max minus any violence whatsoever), obtain and read this book. You may like it much more than I do. But I wouldn't recommend you own it until you read it first and decide for yourself.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Mild (it's all irritating new-world slang cursing. So no real curse words. Just annoying rusting made-up foul language--Actually in a way I appreciate the non-use of bad words but the fake cursing annoys me. If you're gonna say it, just say it)
Violence: Mild (if any)
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate (though it is generally frowned-upon by the characters in the book)

The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness

Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

My Thoughts:
I was hooked from page one. It was a fast-paced could-not-put-down, urgent, layered, intelligent, easy-to-read-yet-complex story that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. So good. It was kind of all its own but if I had to compare it to anything else it would be the intensity of Hunger Games, the quality of writing of Shatter Me (but not the subsequent books in the series), and the world-building of the Across the Universe series. This book was really nothing like any of those books and, all-around, better than them, but if you want a comparison of some sort, that's a decent place to start.

The world-building started immediately and the way we learned about this strange place, as a reader, was completely natural. There was no info-dumping. No pause in the book for a backstory moment. It all flowed so flawlessly and effortlessly that I felt like I could have just landed in this world myself. And the world was so detailed and well-thought-out. And interesting. I wanted to learn about it. I wanted to learn why everyone was the way they were. I wanted to know the history of this place. It was just so well done.

The characters and the way people spoke were fascinating. Everyone had depth. Everyone had inner conflict and layered backstory and just inherent interest. I was so interested in everyone. Our main character, Todd, and his talking dog, Manchee; They were so likable. Todd was a regular, nice kid asked to do crazy difficult stuff, make insane choices. And he just did the best he could. He was sweet and kind in spite of being raised in a bizarrely mean place. And Manchee was just a good, loyal dog. I loved the portrayal of Manchee and his simple thoughts.

Some of my favorite moments were with the villain characters. Todd's depictions of them (because we were in Todd's POV the whole book) were just perfect. Ness just got inside those characters and portrayed them so well, with so much depth that I couldn't help but be fascinated by the evil people. Seriously, so well done.

The writing itself was amazing. Thoughts felt like real thoughts. Dialogue felt natural. Reactions and events were completely believable in this foreign world. Ness has a way of making you feel on-the-edge-of-your-seat that I've rarely seen in a book. It's incredible. I loved the different dialects people spoke in and the phonetic spelling; It added so much to this world. The twists and turns this plot took were sometimes expected but always worth reading. So much happened to these people in such a short amount of time that I was kind of exhausted after finishing the book but also super amped to read the next one because there is an Insane Cliffhanger! I mean--Worst/Best Cliffhanger Ever! I'm simultaneously annoyed and excited about the ending. But I will definitely read the next one. And probably the whole series. And anything else Patrick Ness writes.

It was just that good.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Moderate
Violence: Heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild

Dissonance by Erica O'Rourke

Published: July 22, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 496

Some decisions have unimaginable consequences.

Every time someone makes a choice, a new parallel world is spun off the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, sneaking out instead of staying in bed—every decision creates an alternate universe in which an Echo self takes the road not travelled. As a Walker who can navigate between these realities, Del is training to help keep the dimensions in harmony.

When Del secretly starts to investigate other dissonant worlds, she get tangled up with an Echo of her longtime crush. She knows she shouldn't keep seeing him. But as Del persists, she uncovers a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide—a secret that threatens the entire multiverse.

My Thoughts:
I have to say I didn't really know what I was getting into when I picked up this book, I thought to cover was super pretty and a friend of mine really liked it. Happen to find it on Bookoutlet for super cheap so I bought it, and it sat on my shelf for a few months before I finally got to picking it up! I am so glad I did and I'm looking forward to book 2!

First off I really enjoyed the concept of this book a genetic ability to manipulate matter and visit alternate worlds! How cool is that! I thought this was well written, well thought-out, the world building was perfect and easy to understand, the romance was not terrible and it's a contemporary with some sci-fi power to it. COOL!

Delancy is our main character and she helps monitor and fix anomalies that affect our world, or the "key world" in these alternate worlds. Delancy finds a musical frequency that connect worlds and is able to travel to them. Through threads she (and others like her called "walkers") and others are able to manipulate the threads to fix problems. However, you must be extremely careful otherwise you could "cleave" a world which is what happens to Delancy when she wasn't supposed to do anything in this alternate world. Which really brings about more problems then one might think.

I loved how in each alternate world the characters are all different due to A CHOICE that creates more and more alternate worlds. Because of a choice is spawns what life would have been like if a character had chosen differently. I really enjoyed that.

The romance wasn't amazing but wasn't terrible. That's all I'm going to say about it. No exciting "feels" but wasn't annoying either.

My favorite character however was Delancy's Grandpa, I loved their easy relationship, his quirk, and his story. I just loved everything about him that added that little extra humor in the story.

I also enjoyed the relationship between Delancy and her sister because I could relate on SO MANY LEVELS with this. I was great to watch their relationship change and develop throughout the book.

Overall I would recommend this book to those looking for a unique and fun book that captures your mind and imagination.

Sexual Content: moderate (kissing and make out)
Language: moderate (I honestly can't remember)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild
Violence: mild

The Cage by Megan Shepherd (To be released May 26th!)

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

My Thoughts:
**An ARC of this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.**

Megan Shepherd has diverse taste: This is straight-up Slaughterhouse Five (the alien zoo parts) meets Lord of the Flies plus any recent YA love-triangle novel. Any at all. There are thousands, take your pick.

So major props for coming up with a somewhat unique idea. Or at least, you know, borrowing ideas from less borrowed-from stories. Meaning the Slaughterhouse Five one, not the Lord of the Flies one. Lord of the Flies has been borrowed-from I don't know how many times. Honestly, I almost feel burnt-out on books about kids turning against one another and going crazy and being violent. Interesting and thought-provoking (or at least it was the first few times I read it) and entertaining, yes. But a little overdone. Kurt Vonnegut is a worthy author to borrow ideas from but after seeing the Slaughterhouse Five connection to this book I can't help but compare the authors. No offense, Megan Shepherd, but you're no Kurt Vonnegut. That is all I will say about that.

I actually liked the way this began. Six human teenagers are abducted by aliens and relocated to a fabricated alien world made to look human. They are given 3 rules: Eat, sleep, procreate. They are even told with whom they should procreate. They're also given puzzles to solve, entertainment and whatever they need to live. Aside from all that craziness, there's weird things going on all around them, visual tricks being played on their heads, and just weird mind games in general. You see that everyone is going to slip into madness; It's going to happen, right? You see it coming. But I felt like it happened so suddenly. One day they're all working together to solve puzzles and figure out their environment, the next nearly everyone is ganging up on Cora (our protagonist) and blaming her for everything going wrong. The only person whose fall from sanity felt legit was Leon's because a) he was already a little unstable when he arrived, b) he isolated himself early on and c) he had a lot of guilt to spike his crazy meter. Seeing inside everyone's heads and how they thought and processed--especially after slipping out of sanity a bit--was interesting. But it could have been done more convincingly.

The love triangle. Well. Blah, first of all. I'm sick of them. And secondly, it was just weird. Cora is a beautiful, tough, take-no-crap from nobody type of girl. One love interest is Lucky, the human she is paired with in the enclosure. He is hot, smart, thoughtful and they share a past. Lucky is irrationally in love with Cora, but, honestly, kind of creepily so. He seems sweet and strong at first but about halfway through the book he becomes this love-sick puppy. Did. not. like. Then there's Cassian, the third part of the love triangle. He is the alien who stole all these kids from their homes and now keeps them in the alien enclosure. He's also incredibly beautiful, feels deeply for the human plight and is falling in love with Cora. I just--How does Cora not find it creepy that Cassian watched her for years? YEARS! And Cassian is an alien who can read her mind (more on that later) and do other psychic stuff. And Cassian abducted her from Earth to place her in an alien environment. How old is he? Because she's a teenager. Why did Cora not find this incredibly creepy?!? But, oh, he mostly looks human, only more beautiful, and he seems to care about Cora even though he told her flat-out that he specifically chose her for this habitat. Really?

Ok, and Cora convinces everyone to make plans to break out of the habitat. Which makes sense to me, I would have had the same thought. But there's no real planning. They don't find out much about the enemy at all, the plans mostly revolve around turning toys into makeshift weapons and the aliens can READ THEIR MINDS! That right there would probably put a huge damper on everything since, you know, the aliens would know exactly what they were doing (that said, why didn't they put a stop to more things? Weird). They learn that feeling pain clouds their thoughts so that the Kindred (aliens) can't read their minds, right? So they start pinching themselves whenever they think about certain things or whenever they talk to each other about plans. Only, thing is, the aliens can still hear them talking even if they can't read their minds. So... that could have been handled a whole lot better.

There were some things that I really loved in this book: The actual habitat that the human kids were placed in was fascinating. All the weird perspective stuff and the way it was designed and how the puzzles worked--all of it was fun to read. The actual writing was easy-to-read and addictive. I wanted to know what would happen, I was invested in the story, I even mostly liked the characters until they all went crazy. There were a few cases of annoying reiterated thoughts ("His lips were so close to mine. Did he want to kiss me? Did I want to kiss him? What if it happened again?" that kind of thing) that got annoying. But mostly I was okay with the writing. Not spectacular, but not sub-par, either.

I will definitely read the sequel. I want to know where this goes. But it better be better than this because right now I think I like this series but I need some major convincing.

Sexual Content: Moderate-Heavy
Language: Moderate (I think--don't remember)
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate

The Declaration (The Declaration #1) by Gemma Malley

In the year 2140, it is illegal to be young. Children are all but extinct. The world is a better place. Longevity drugs are a fountain of youth. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children born outside the law, it only gets worse – Surplus status. Not everyone thinks Longevity is a good thing, but you better be clear what side you’re on. . . . Surplus Anna is about to find out what happens when you can’t decide if you should cheat the law or cheat death.

My Thoughts:
This started out really slow. I actually almost gave up after a few chapters but I pressed on and I'm glad I did. The slow start made way for a faster-paced ending. Not fast, mind you, but definitely faster than it began.

I was kind of annoyed that the book started with a diary entry; It felt like a lazy way to begin a book. You know, instead of showing the reader the world in which they've been dropped into, the author pens a diary entry that basically outlines everything that's happened in the last century. Sort of. But then the diary became a very central part of the story and it made a lot more sense. And I was glad I knew what was written in it. So, at first it was annoying, but then I got it and was OK with it.

So Anna is a teenage girl who has been living in a facility for the majority of her life where is regularly beaten, told she is worthless and brainwashed to believe that she is a waste of resources and the only way to make up for that is to serve those who are "legal". I found her character very believable. She was naive and immature and uneducated and, of course, she's going to attach herself to the first person who comes along and is actually kind to her. It makes perfect sense. Do I like it that she falls in love with the first boy that was ever nice to her? Not particularly. But it's believable. I felt for Anna. I understood her. I even related to her on a few different levels. And I mostly liked her.

Peter was less believable for me. He said things in ways that didn't sound like a boy would say them. He spoke kind of girly. He was a bit whiny. I can't put my finger on it exactly but I just didn't like him very much. Maybe it's that he didn't feel very well-rounded. He was a flat character. Many of the characters in this book turned out to be flat. Which is disappointing. I did enjoy the end scene with Mrs Pincent, though. She still felt flat but it was nice to see a bit of layering going on with her, get her background story. And it was a good ending.

I don't really have too much to say about this book. It was slow but interesting. I loved the idea and the world in which this story was set. But, then, I'm a sucker for dystopians. I loved that it was British; Most books I read are American. I just didn't love everything about this book. The characters weren't as well-rounded as they could have been. The plot was predictable. Some things were kind of cliche. But I liked it. I will read the next book in the series.

Sexual Content: None
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate (lots of talk of beatings and violent stuff but I don't remember if there are any scenes.)
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Thoughts:
I finished this a few days ago and have been letting it marinate. There's a lot I could say.

For one, this was about an alien apocalypse. Nothing new. Honestly, I kept comparing these aliens to The Host, mixed in with some good ol' War of the Worlds. Throw in some lonely survival plotlines and major army training and we've got ourselves a book with no originality at all. But Yancey made it good. Here's what worked:

Conflict. Yes, the aliens killing everyone was a major problem, but the really interesting conflict was the <i>inner</i> conflict. The book was divided into sections and each section was from the POV of a different character. We got inside a few different characters' heads and in each brain there was major conflict. It was fascinating. There would be whole paragraphs of contrasts: "I can't trust him. I have to trust him. I shouldn't stay with him. I need his help." Stuff like that, it was all over the place. So simple, yet so profound! When you have conflict like that (and everyone has something like this) it's exactly this easy and exactly this difficult. Two completely contrasting thoughts that will drive a person crazy thinking about them.

Twists. Throughout the book you get major hints about what's going down, who's on what side and how things are going to play out... but all the hints contrast. It's really hard to tell which hint will end up being the right one, which plot the book will follow. I mean, near the end it gets easier to figure out but while you're in it it's confusing. Well done. There were a couple things I didn't see coming. Love that.

Desperation. There's a lot of emotion in this book. And with all the crazy stuff going on people do a lot of things out of desperation. Seen from that perspective things like, oh I don't know, weird romances seem believable. As does other stuff, like wanting to be a part of an army. And such.

Sarcasm/Hyperbole. Perfect amount of dark humor. The humor in this book was the exact right type for this serious book; Dark, sarcastic, skeptical. If that doesn't make sense, go read it. There was no goofy foil character, nothing you could count on for reliable comic relief. But the narration had a lot of funny moments, in that sad, sarcastic kind of way.

So, overall, I liked this book and will definitely finish out the series. All that stuff up there equals good book. There were a few things that didn't work: I couldn't tell whose head we were in when the narration switched, with the exception of the little brother. Everyone else sounded the same. And there were a lot of repeated ideas and phrasing. I get that Yancey was trying to show similarities between everyone's plights or whatever but it was a bit much for me. Anyway, that's my only real beef. Go read it. You'll thank me.

Sexual Content: Mild
Language: Mild-Moderate (honestly don't remember so it couldn't have been too bad)
Violence: Heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild

This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

My Thoughts:
I was expecting the same type of amazing-ness as These Broken Stars. I really was. Which is never good for a book; I go in with the highest of expectations and am, of course, disappointed. Maybe These Broken Stars was so good because I had no expectation at all?

Our hero and heroine, Flynn and Jubilee, were fun, yes. We meet them when Flynn hits on Jubilee in a bar, then kidnaps her. Right of the bat there's action, intrigue, romance and the pace doesn't slow down until the end of the book. Constant movement and action. It was a bit exhausting. A good kind of exhausting, though. I could not stop reading. Jubilee and Flynn were perfect opposites of each other and, therefore, perfect for each other. Anyone could see that but throughout the whole book there's this continual back-and-forth "What am I feeling? Do I like you? Should I like you? I'm so torn and don't know what to do!" This came from both sides of the story and it got so old. So unnecessarily dramatic.

Another thing that bugged were all the references to people looking Chinese or holding onto their Irish heritage. This world is hundreds of years out from the end of Earth. I doubt anyone would look like a people that existed on Earth thousands of generations before or even know about the different groups of people that did exist on Earth; There would have been too much intermarriage and loss of heritage and whatever else happens when large groups of people leave one place and move on to another. It just wasn't believable.

I did like that Tarver and Lilac made an appearance here. They had a really cute scene and I'm glad it was in the book. I liked the way their relationship had progressed and how their characters had evolved.

Jubilee and Flynn, though? I just didn't love them. I understood their hesitance, their conflict, their devotion to their people, their determination to do what they thought was right. I got it. I just didn't love them. I don't know what it was, really.

One last thing and I'll leave this book alone: I thought the idea of a teenage rebel leader and a prodigy teenage military captain fighting the rebels was a bit cliche. It wasn't exactly the same as other stories, I'll give you that. But it was close enough to other stories I've read that it felt over-done.

This book just didn't do it for me. It was a could-not-put-down read. It was fast-paced and dramatic and intense. There was very little humor. The story felt played-out and I didn't love the characters or the way they were/acted. Some people will love this book. I'm just not one of those people.

Sexual Content: Moderate
Language: Moderate
Violence: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderat

Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi

At first I liked this series. I found all the dystopian stuff really fun. Aria's world inside the safety of a sterile dome was really interesting. Everyone was attached these sci-fi synthetic eyes that pretty much acted as virtual reality screens hooked up to the internet. They were able to visit "Realms", which were like internet sites, and interact with other people in a completely virtual setting. These people were the ultimate gamers. I could totally see technology going this way one day. And it kind of makes me sad.

Anyway, something bad happens to Aria and her mother, so Aria is forced to leave the relative safety of her dome and go out into the outer wasteland, where she meets Perry and other outsiders. And we find out that the outsiders live like they're medieval or something. No modern technology whatsoever and some weird supernaturaly things going on. Some people had super-human hearing or smell or sight or could even read minds. The dome people just had brain damage. Go figure.

I liked the world Rossi created. All the sci-fi stuff made fictional sense. I bought it. The story at times almost had a fantasy element to it, with all the traipsing around in the woods and survival story stuff. There was a whole bunch of futuristic technology, a couple of different dystopian societies, a pretty serious apocalyptic theme and a bit of romance. There's a lot going on here. It had a lot of potential.

But then there were the characters. I didn't feel that any of them were very well-rounded. Not all of them were flat, exactly, but none of them were really three dimensional, either.

The main problems I had with series were to do with the relationship. Aria and Perry went from hating each other to loving each other way too quickly. I mean, it was abrupt and maybe a bit awkward. Because they really hated each other. And then they were completely in love. And I lost the connection somewhere in there. But then they were hot and cold all the time. It was kind of like Rossi couldn't figure out how to create a movable plot or conflict without the lovers fighting or deciding to leave each other. Over and over again.

In the beginning Roar provided a lot of comic relief but then he just got depressing. Understandably so, but yikes. I didn't really like the way his storyline played out. It was sad. And felt unnecessary.

Once I arrived at the final book I was kind of over the whole thing. It was whiney, contrived, dumb and even a bit ridiculous. I did read the whole thing but, really, I don't think I should have. The third book usually redeems a series but this one just... didn't. It got worse. The end was just so unbelievable, and yet, predictable. I thought up a few different endings that would have given the story more poetic justice and have been less cheesy. Rossi should have planned the ending out a lot better. 

Sexual Content: Moderate (knowledge that characters had sex)
Language: Moderate (although it may have all been weird sci-fi slang)
Violence: Heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate

Under the Never Sky

3/5 Acorns

Through the Ever Night

2/5 Acorns

Into the Still Blue

1/5 Acorns

Overall:

The Body Electric by Beth Revis

The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust? 

My Thoughts

This was yet another book I read without reading the synopsis and...oh man...this book, was bloody brilliant! Period, end of story, Brilliant.

Where do I begin, this story is so unique and should have everybody reading it! It's an adventure with a very huge warning of big government and loss of freedom. It's a vivid dystopian

If you're a fan of Beth Revis's trilogy Across the Universe  which is set in space about a spaceship named Godspeed. Well this is the story of what is going on in the future years after Godspeed left earth. I remember the ship bringing mentioned 1 or 2 times in the book which I thought was just so great!

Ella lives with her dying mother, her father died in a terrorist attack which left her devastated and alone, she has only one friend who is currently in the military. What I like about her is, she is so human, the grief she feels for a loved one, she has insecurities, her heart and mind are troubled, she seeks to find the truth. She was a great complex character and I was able to connect with her as a reader. I loved her.

Ella has the ability and technology to enter into peoples minds as they relive memories. When the government seeks her help in going into someone memories to seek out a terrorist, she is met with obstacles. The obstacles and a mysterious Jack who enters her life and warns her about friends and family-aren't what they appear to be, Ella seeks to find out the truth about her and her life.

Jack was just soooo CUTE! I loved him! He was sweet, and good, and a great male character. Just loved him. It's because of him and that helps set in motion everything that happens in the story.
What is so great about Beth Revis's writing for this story was the fact that Jack was less in the book then you'd think he would need to be. But how he has such a huge impact on the overall story, at first I kept thinking, "what about this Jack fellow?" "what does he have to do with all this?" Revis used him in a cool way to have him barely there-at first-and then he REALLY is in the story. I just thought it was brilliant!

I would recommend this book to anyone because it was adventurous, thought-provoking, clean and just fun.

Sexual Content: mild (knowledge that 2 characters had sex once, some kissing)
Language: mild
Violence: moderate (PG)
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/none

October UP COMING Books to Anticipate!

Here are a list of books that I personally am looking forward to this coming October!

Lark Ascending (Skylark #3)
By: Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: October 1, 2014

Lark thought returning home to face her city was the hardest thing she'd ever do. She was wrong.

No longer the girl who ran for her life, Lark's ready for the Institute. She never dreamed she'd find a rebellion, a Renewable, and those she used to love embroiled in the fight of their lives. She's mastered her magic, but she still doesn't know if she can master the darkness stirring inside her. 

Nothing is simple anymore, and finding her place in this war—and discovering the terrible secrets behind her ruined world—might cost her everything she has left.

Endgame
By: James Frey
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Twelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played. A game that would determine our future.

This is Endgame.

For ten thousand years the lines have existed in secret. The 12 original lines of humanity. Each had to have a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak. They are good and evil. Like you. Like all.

This is Endgame.

When the game starts, the players will have to find three keys. The keys are somewhere on earth. The only rule of their Endgame is that there are no rules. Whoever finds the keys first wins the game. Endgame: The Calling is about the hunt for the first key. And just as it tells the story of the hunt for a hidden key, written into the book is a puzzle. It invites readers to play their own Endgame and to try to solve the puzzle. Whoever does will open a case filled with gold. Alongside the puzzle will be a revolutionary mobile game built by Google’s Niantic Labs that will allow you to play a real-world version of Endgame where you can join one of the lines and do battle with people around you.
Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil? There is only one way to find out.

Play.
Survive.
Solve.
People of Earth.
Endgame has begun

Lailah
By: Nikkie Kelly
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

Black Ice
By: Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Sometimes danger is hard to see... until it’s too late. 

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn't prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin, accepting the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage. 

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. The task is made even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that have taken place there... and in uncovering this, she may become the killer’s next target. 

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy? Or an ally? 

BLACK ICE is New York Times bestselling author Becca Fitzpatrick’s riveting romantic thriller set against the treacherous backdrop of the mountains of Wyoming. Falling in love should never be this dangerous…

Exquisite Captive
By: Heather Demetrios
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself. 

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

The Fall
By: Bethany Griffin
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down?The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)
By: Rick Riordan
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.

The Invisible (Brokenhearted #2)
By: Amelia Kahaney
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

In the riveting sequel to the reimagined superhero story The Brokenhearted, Anthem Fleet takes on a powerful new villain and makes some startling discoveries about her family and her past that will forever change her.

Taking up where The Brokenhearted ended, the sequel finds Anthem Fleet attempting to return to a normal life after an experimental surgery that left her with a bionic hummingbird heart and a terrifying new strength. But she can’t shake her suspicions about her father’s connection to the Syndicate and she can’t ignore the cries of help in the crime-ridden city of Bedlam. She finds new promise in her relationship with Ford, but after his lifesaving surgery, the Ford Anthem knew slips away. 

When a mysterious new group called “The Invisible” starts attacking the privileged North Siders, Anthem has to step up and be the New Hope that Bedlam needs, or Bedlam will fall…once and for all. 

Publishers Weekly called The Brokenhearted an “atmospheric, adventure-laced debut” with “graceful world-building, strong characterizations, and an enveloping plot.”

Silverblind (Ironskin #3)
By: Tina Connolly
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

The final book in this series will jump forward 18 years and feature Dorie, Jane's young charge from Ironskin.

18 years later . . .
Dorie Rochart has been hiding her fey side for a long time. Now, finished with University, she plans to study magical creatures and plants in the wild, bringing long-forgotten cures to those in need. But when no one will hire a girl to fight basilisks, she releases her shapechanging fey powers--to disguise herself as a boy.

While hunting for wyvern eggs, she saves a young scientist who's about to get steamed by a silvertail-- and finds her childhood friend Tam Grimsby, to whom she hasn't spoken in seven years. Not since she traded him to the fey. She can't bear to tell him who she really is, but every day grows harder as he comes to trust her.

The wyverns are being hunted to extinction for the powerful compounds in their eggs. The fey are dying out as humans grow in power. Now Tam and Dorie will have to decide which side they will fight for. And if they end up on opposite sides, can their returning friendship survive?

Whatever Life Throws At You
By: Julie Cross
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

Queen of Someday
By: Sherry D. Ficklin
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

Stray
By: Elissa Sussman
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

“I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”

Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.

When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.

But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her-magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.

After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?

STRAY is the first in a collection of intertwined stories, all set in a world where magic is a curse that only women bear and society is dictated by a strict doctrine called The Path. A cross between The Handmaid’s Tale and Wicked, with a dash of Grimm and Disney thrown in.

This Night So Dark (Starbound #1.5)

By: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Don’t miss the breathtaking short story that connects the first two novels in the Starbound trilogy, These Broken Stars and This Shattered World. 

Tarver still has nightmares about the night, six months before the Icarus crash, when he rescued a group of civilian researchers being held hostage by brutal mercenaries. Now Tarver and Lilac must reconcile his memories of that fateful night with the truth that they uncovered on a mysterious planet after the Icarus crashed. 

Includes a bonus preview chapter from This Shattered World!

Unraveled (Crewel World #3)

By: Gennifer Aldin
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Autonomous. Independent. Dangerous. They tried to control her. Now she’ll destroy them.

Things have changed behind the walls of the Coventry and new threats lurk in its twisted corridors. When Adelice returns to Arras, she quickly learns that something rotten has taken hold of the world and Cormac Patton needs her to help him reestablish order. However, peace comes at a terrible price. As the Guild manipulates the citizens of Arras, Adelice discovers that she’s not alone, and she must let go of her past to fight for mankind’s future. She will have to choose between an unimaginable alliance and a deadly war that could destroy everyone she loves.

The Young Elites

By: Marie Lu
Publication Date: October 7, 2014

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

The Accidental Highwayman 
By: Ben Tripp
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, gobling attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….

Fans of classic fairy-tale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.

“Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Chasing Power
By: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Lies, secrets, and magic — three things that define Kayla's life.

Sixteen-year-old Kayla plans to spend her summer hanging out on the beach in Santa Barbara and stealing whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Born with the ability to move things with her mind — things like credit cards, diamond rings, and buttons on cash registers — she has become a master shoplifter. She steals to build up a safety net, enough money for her and her mom to be able to flee if her dad finds them again. Well, that, and the thrill of using her secret talents.

But her summer plans change when she's caught stealing by a boy named Daniel — a boy who needs her help and is willing to blackmail her to get it. Daniel has a talent of his own. He can teleport, appearing anywhere in the world in an instant, but he lies as easily as he travels. Together, they embark on a quest to find and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel's kidnapped mother. But Kayla has no idea that this rescue mission will lead back to her own family — and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive... or survive.

The Cure For Dreaming
By: Cat Winters
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

The Fire Artist
By: Daisy Whitney
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

A forbidden romance literally heats up in this new fantasy from acclaimed author Daisy Whitney.

Aria is an elemental artist—she creates fire from her hands. But her power is not natural. She steals it from lightning. It’s dangerous and illegal in her world. When she’s recruited to perform, she seizes the chance to get away from her family. But her power is fading too fast to keep stealing from the sky. She has no choice but to turn to a Granter—a modern day genie. She gets one wish at an extremely high price. Aria’s willing to take a chance, but then she falls in love with the Granter . . . and he wants his freedom. Aria must decide what she’s willing to bargain and how much her own heart, body, and soul are worth.

In a world where the sport of elemental powers is the most popular form of entertainment, readers will be swept away by a romance with stakes higher than life and death.

Snow Like Ashes

By: Sara Raasch
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Stitching Snow
By: R.C. Lewis
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Sublime
By: Christina Lauren
Publication Date: October 14, 2014

True love may mean certain death in a ghostly affair of risk and passion from New York Times bestselling duo Christina Lauren, authors ofBeautiful Bastard. Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author ofShatter Me calls Sublime “a beautiful, haunting read".

When Lucy walks out of a frozen forest, wearing only a silk dress and sandals, she isn’t sure how she got there. But when she sees Colin, she knows for sure that she’s here for him.

Colin has never been captivated by a girl the way he is by Lucy. With each passing day their lives intertwine, and even as Lucy begins to remember more of her life—and her death—neither of them is willing to give up what they have, no matter how impossible it is. And when Colin finds a way to physically be with Lucy, taking himself to the brink of death where his reality and Lucy’s overlap, the joy of being together for those brief stolen moments drowns out everything in the outside world. But some lines weren’t meant to be crossed…

Loop
By: Karen Akins
Publication Date: October 21, 2014

At a school where Quantum Paradox 101 is a required course and history field trips are literal, sixteen year-old time traveler Bree Bennis excels…at screwing up.

After Bree botches a solo midterm to the 21st century by accidentally taking a boy hostage (a teensy snafu), she stands to lose her scholarship. But when Bree sneaks back to talk the kid into keeping his yap shut, she doesn’t go back far enough. The boy, Finn, now three years older and hot as a solar flare, is convinced he’s in love with Bree, or rather, a future version of her that doesn’t think he’s a complete pain in the arse. To make matters worse, she inadvertently transports him back to the 23rd century with her. 

Once home, Bree discovers that a recent rash of accidents at her school are anything but accidental. Someone is attacking time travelers. As Bree and her temporal tagalong uncover seemingly unconnected clues—a broken bracelet, a missing data file, the art heist of the millennium—that lead to the person responsible, she alone has the knowledge to piece the puzzle together. Knowledge only one other person has. Her future self.

But when those closest to her become the next victims, Bree realizes the attacker is willing to do anything to stop her. In the past, present, or future. 

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3)
By: Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: October 21, 2014

The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Waterfall (Teardrop #2)
By: Lauren Kate
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen books comes WATERFALL, a novel about love, betrayal, and epic consequences—a world-altering tale told by a girl whose tears have the power to raise the lost continent of Atlantis. This second novel in the Teardrop series is intensely romantic, with strong, hot main characters caught up in a thrilling fantastical love triangle. For readers who love Lauren Kate and the worlds of Alyson Noël, P. C. Cast, Maggie Stiefvater, and Veronica Rossi.

Eureka’s tears have flooded the earth, and now Atlantis is rising, bringing with it its evil king, Atlas. Eureka is the only one who can stop him, but first she must learn how to fight. She travels across the ocean with Cat, her family, and Ander, the gorgeous and mysterious Seedbearer who promises to help her find Solon, an enigmatic lost Seedbearer who knows how to defeat Atlas.

Once on land, Eureka is taunted by gossipwitches, a group of displaced Atlantean sorceresses, and ambushed by locals struggling to survive amid the destruction her tears have wrought. And she feels no closer to facing Atlas or saving the world when Solon lets slip that love is Ander’s weakness, and that any affection he feels toward her makes him age faster.

Trying to make sense of the dark world her sorrow has created, Eureka receives startling insight from an enchanted pond. Her bewildering reflection reveals a soul-crushing secret: if she’s strong enough, Eureka can draw on this knowledge to defeat Atlas—unless her broken heart is just what he needs to fuel his rising kingdom...

In Waterfall, Eureka has the chance to save the world. But she’ll have to give up everything—even love.

Beware the Wild
By: Natalie C. Parker
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her. 

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

Talon
By: Julie Kagawa
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Atlantia
By: Ally Condie
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Earth & Sky
By: Megan Crewe
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Skylar has been haunted for as long as she can remember by fleeting yet powerful sensations that something is horribly wrong. But despite the panic attacks tormenting her, nothing ever happens, and Sky’s beginning to think she’s crazy. Then she meets a mysterious, otherworldly boy named Win and discovers the shocking truth her premonitions have tapped into: our world no longer belongs to us. For thousands of years, Earth has been at the mercy of alien scientists who care nothing for its inhabitants and are using us as the unwitting subjects of their time-manipulating experiments. Win belongs to a rebel faction seeking to put a stop to it, and he needs Skylar’s help--but with each shift in the past, the very fabric of reality is unraveling, and soon there may be no Earth left to save.

Catalyst (Insignia #3)
By: S.J. Kincaid
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

The explosive conclusion to the series reviewers have likened to Ender’s Game and “Hogwarts-in-Space”

This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.

Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.

Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.

Eternal (Shadow Falls: After Dark #2)
By: C.C. Hunter
Publication Date: October 28, 2014

All her life, Della's secret powers have made her feel separated from her human family. Now, she's where she belongs, at Shadow Falls. With the help of her best friends Kylie and Miranda, she’ll try to prove herself in the paranormal world as an investigator—all the while trying to figure out her own heart. Should she chose Chase, a powerful vampire with whom she shares a special bond? Or Steve, the hot shapeshifter whose kisses make her weak in the knees? When a person with dark connection to her past shows up, it’ll help her decide which guy to choose–and make her question everything she knows about herself. 

From bestselling author C.C. Hunter comes Eternal—a must-read for fans of the Shadow Falls series—and the sequel to Reborn.

*Dates are subject to change*