Blood Crave (Blood on the Moon book 2) by Jennifer Knight

The ending of this book blindsided me. That was the first time I had ever read something like that, especially in the middle book of a series. I was hooked after the first book, but I think I have just found my newest addiction.

Faith is one of my favorite heroines simply because she is not perfect. She makes mistakes, she admits those mistakes and sort of embraces her own flaws - I love that about her. Most main characters, especially the female ones, are the stereotypical perfect little angels. Faith has some serious demons, and one hell of a temper - but she also doesn't let it control her every move, though it may seem that way. She is not afraid to admit when she is wrong, and she has some very selfless tendencies.

As for the rest of the characters, I love them just as much in this book as I did in the first. How can you not love Lucas? I like Derek too, but he annoys me too much sometimes haha. There is a time when you need to learn to let things go, and I don't think he has fully hit that point yet.

Overall, this book was amazing. When I started it, I didn't want to finish it. I wanted it to last forever because it was so good. I have not had a story pull me in like that in the longest time, it is a feeling I cherish. I can not wait for the third one to come out, hopefully it comes sooner rather than later. I don't know how long I can wait with that sort of cliff hanger.

Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

To start off with, I absolutely loved this book. Not only was I drawn to it because of its simple and beautiful cover, I’d be lying if I said that the Goodreads’ tagline “Devil Wears Prada meets Divergent” didn’t intrigue me.

The book did not disappoint me. I loved every second of it and I couldn’t put it down. I haven’t felt this invested in a new book in a long time, so I applaud. I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series, if it does become a series. So far, there is no news of a second book - but I hope that changes soon.

The idea behind this book is genius, it basically takes all of our flaws when it comes to following the newest and biggest trends and shoves it right back in our faces. In this world, teens rule the workforce. They are chosen for their lifelong jobs during seventh grade by this thing called the Tap. The world itself is very interesting. Everything revolves around fashion and entertainment companies. Fashion has the Big Five, and since this story is centered in the fashion aspect of this world, I don’t know much about the other half. Even the second point of view, a singer named Ivy Wilde, is more about fashion than the entertainment. This world amazed me, and it also made me think. We really are not far from this extreme that Elaine shows, I mean, we already wait hours - if not days - before the release of a new Iphone, book, movie, or video game. How is this obsession with the new trends that shift almost daily any different?

Now, onto the characters. I was confused when the point of view shifted from Marla to Ivy. This was mostly because the first chapter of the book established a first person point of view, but then two chapters later it switched to third person limited with Ivy. I was annoyed with both of them for a majority of the book, but I still love them. Ivy, though, I was still annoyed with at the end. I only saw a change in Marla, at least a change that she stuck with and continued to fight for. Ivy gave in, which I understand but cannot condone. I really can’t wait to see what will happen next, I hope that Marla continues to fight for her ideas and designs.

In my opinion, this book was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone who asks about it. The world id intriguing, even seductive despite its cruelty. Overall, Material Girls is wonderfully written and an all around wonderful read. Stay young.        

Citadel of the Sky by Chrysoula Tzavelas

I received a copy of this book on NetGalley. Okay,I hate giving bad reviews, and I don’t want to think of this as a bad review - but it isn’t a good one, either.

I had three main problems with this. The first one is the writing style. Not only did I find errors throughout the novel (I understand that this is an ARC), but the word choices themselves were stiff. I couldn’t get into the flow of the novel because there wasn’t one. The dialogue between characters was so forced that I found myself unable to get into the story at all. Another reason for this was the characters themselves. There were too many with too little of description. I couldn’t picture them in my head. There was also no back story, so right out of the gate I was extremely confused. I had hoped that reading through the entire thing would help me figure it out, but it had the opposite effect. The more I read, the more confused I became due to the convoluted story.

There is a bright side, though. I think the idea is brilliant, but it just needs some work. I love how the royal family has certain powers that others don’t - it turns it away from the standard monarchy that happens only through bloodline. At least in this family, there was a reason for their being in power. I think that if there was more added to the book - like the clarification of the terms, the power, and the structure of the world they live in - it could become a powerful story.   

Being Brave Again by Anais Torres

I was sort of skeptical when I started to read this, but I found myself falling in love one chapter at a time. In all honesty, my favorite part of this book was the end. I love how it ends on a happy note, but it isn’t a a stereotypical happily ever after or a sad, gut-wrenching end.

First off, the main character Rachel broke my heart. What happened to her was so tragic, but she still persists. Not only does she switch to an entirely new school, she just deals with what is thrown at her. She is not perfect and no where close to being fully healed, don’t get me wrong, but the end of this book shows us that she is starting to finally be okay again.

Logan, Logan, Logan. What can I say? I hate him and I love him at the same time. I don’t hate him because he is horrible or anything, but he does (not knowing Rachel’s history) make a rape joke in front of her after she freaks out. That made me lose some respect for him, yes he apologized, but in my eyes that isn’t something that is easily forgiven. I do love him, too. He is so real, I can imagine him standing there right in front of me. He is just like every other, average guy you meet - but at the same time, he is not. He has his flaws, we can see that in the initial way he deals with finding out about Rachel’s attack and a few other things I won’t go into detail over.

Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable. It had it’s moments when it made me cry, laugh, and want to scream all at the same time. It is an amazing story, one I would recommend to anyone who asked.        

The Forgetting By Nicole Maggi

 I received this book as part of the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued when I entered the giveaway, not only did the cover catch my eye but the synopsis made me curious. I was ecstatic when I received my copy, and that enthusiasm was not unwarranted.

The book was wonderful. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and the characters were believable. I love the ending, you think you know what is going on but Nicole Maggi pulls the rug out from under your feet. I devoured this book, I couldn’t put it down and I also didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait for a sequel or any sort of continuation of Georgie’s story - if there is one.

Speaking of Georgie, the book starts off with her waking up from her heart transplant. I felt like the writing in the beginning is what really hooked me. The warring perspectives between the main character and the new thoughts of her heart was so well done it hooked me then and there. I love the journey she goes through, not just solving the mystery of her heart’s previous owner, but also the change within her. I love it when main characters have that sort of eye opening experience that makes them change their ways.

The supporting characters were just as intriguing, if not more so due to Georgie’s inherent curiosity about each and every one of them. Nate was spectacular.

Overall, considering the heavy issue it handles, I think everyone should give this book a try. Not only is it a wonderful mystery, but it was just a great story as well.        

Frostfire by Amanda Hocking

I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaways.

As a previous fan of the Trylle series, I could honestly say that when I found out about Amanda Hocking starting a new trilogy set in the same world, I was ecstatic.  I started this book with high expectations and those expectations were blown way out of the water.

From the start of the book, I could sense that there was a different tone. I don’t know if it was because this time the main character was already knee deep in the world and not finding out about it half way through, or if it was simply because it was just better written than the original Trylle series. The main character, Bryn, was absolutely fantastic in my opinion. Her no nonsense, take charge attitude was refreshing and I loved the way she wasn’t afraid to stand up and enforce her own ideas - even when speaking with the King and Queen. I also enjoyed Ridley, who was sort of the love interest and also her boss. He provided some much needed humor in certain situations, and it made me love him even more.

Overall, the I felt the book earned a well deserved five stars. I enjoyed it too much to give it anything less. If you’re a fan of Hocking’s other work, or the work of Julie Kagawa and P.C Cast, I would really recommend these books.