Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy: A Parody by William Codpiece Thwackery

Title: Fifty Shades of Mr. Darcy
Author: William Codpiece Thwackery
Release Date: November 12th, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 192
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Adult

Lizzy Steele had been brought up to be a proper lady with perfect manners, skilled in conversation, and well respected in the community. But when Mr. Elliot Bingley comes to court Lizzy's sister, she is given the opportunity to learn a somewhat different skill set upon her introduction to his friend, a Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. It only takes one chance meeting with this tall, dark stranger for Lizzy to be lured into Darcy's secret world of lascivious practices and lusty urges. Drawn like a moth to his flame, Lizzy is the mistress of her own undoing, for Darcy has made no protestations of love; indeed, his intentions were made plain from the outset. But even the most innocent and well brought-up of young ladies have urges, and as Lizzy learns that a riding crop isn't just used for going for a canter on her pony, a whole new world is revealed to her—shaded black and leather-clad.

Awkward. This was very awkward on so many levels. I know that as a parody it was supposed to be awkward, but what makes this even more awkward is that this book has a higher rating than Fifty Shades. I have no idea how that happened; maybe because the story was so funny in that it was so ridiculous.

This was actually the first parody that I have read, which is why I found it so enjoyable. I don't know how the fans of Mr. Darcy would feel about their lover getting tormented in such a way, but some of the scenes this author comes up with is just unbelievable.

It was witty, it was gross (in a lot of places), and it was intriguing. I'm not sure exactly what I was supposed to be looking at or just laughing at the story, since everything was exaggerated.

I read the novel pretty quick and I was a little glad when it was over. I can just imagine this being a movie and people laughing their heads off throughout the thing.

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Title: Burn for Burn
Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Info: Jenny - Website | Jenny - Twitter | Jenny - Facebook | Siobhan - Website | Siobhan - Twitter
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster  
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

I can't believe I waited so long to read this book. I'm still suffering from a book hangover and I finished this novel just a few days ago. Honestly, I read this within three hours and I was still in shock when I turned that last page. It left me with my jaw open and desperately looking online because there was no way this book didn't have a sequel to it.

Since I was young I was always an advocate for revenge. Sometimes karma just takes a little too long, so I felt like this book was just my right kind of poison. And what I found even more surprising is how I connected so well with all three girls. Granted, I'm not as tough as Kat, or as rich as Lillia, or as thin as Mary, but there was something about each of these girls that I found a personal connection. The bullying with Kat, the bullying because of my weight with Mary (not to mention she has the first half of my name!), and the protectiveness of Lillia.

I feel like I shouldn't have, but I secretly kept cheering for Kat and Alex. I don't know what will happen between the two or if Alex will be with Lillia (or any of the girls, actually) but I love that there was at least some tough of romance. And Rennie. Can I just say that both Lillia and Kat had patience of steel? I would have smacked the girl and made her life a living hell way before she had the chance to make mine a living hell. The way that both of them just let Rennie get away with things irritated me to no end.

And Lillia's patience is just infinite because some of her friends, I just had to shake my head the whole time. This poor girl, I want to feel sorry for her but at the same time I'm too busy being pissed that she let these things drag on for so long.

There wasn't much of Mary, sadly. I wanted to see a little bit more of her and I'm hoping that she reveals a little of herself. Especially with everything that occurred with her, I just can't put my finger on it, but something is just so...strange. I don't know, but the authors explore it.

I have never read anything from Jenny Han or Siobhan Vivian (even though both authors are on my TBR pile) but now that I've had the best taste of what they can do I'm excited to explore more of their work soon enough!

This book was the best and I'm even considering rereading it. It was the best, and the relief that I felt knowing there was more to come, wow. This is the best!

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: Jamie McGuire
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: August 14th, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 361
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Interest: Series
Age Group: Adult

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match

Wow. Just wow.

I don't even know what to say exactly. I feel like I'm in a weird roller coaster with this book. I loved Abby and Travis, I hated Abby and Travis, I wanted to hug them both, I wanted to kill them; I was just all over the place with them.

Honestly, I don't know what to make of this book. Obviously I loved it because I gave it five stars, but I have conflicting emotions about this book. Abby and Travis are one of those couples that are so wrong for each other that it makes them just right for each other. There was a lot of breaking up and a lot of misery and there was just a lot of laughs, and as one character put it, when their happy it's all peace and butterflies, but when their angry at each other they take the whole world down with them.

I found myself laughing, at the edge of my seat hoping for the best. McGuire had my heart in my throat in one scene and she had me about to burst into tears in another. I started this book at 8pm and finishing up at 6am the next day. Once I was pulled in I wasn't able to pull out because this world just made no sense to me.

I'm a hardcore feminist, I am of the opinion that no woman needs a man to survive they just think they do, and for a moment I was afraid Abby would become one of those women. She was so strong and had her head on straight in the beginning, but when she got entangle with Travis it was like all that went out the window. I don't think at all that someone will look at this book and say, "Hey, I need to have a relationship this twisted and confusing because it looks fun!" Honestly, Abby and Travis are just one of a kind. That's the best way to put it. Like another book I reviewed, these two somehow work for each other even when they want to kill each other.

Now, this is where I would typically end, but I looked at other reviews that expressed how much they hate this book because of the "abuse" that goes on. And that's fine, not every book is liked (even Harry Potter has some haters) but I just want to point out to people that throw that word around just exactly what it is. Everyone knows that abuse has four different forms and each with a distinct definition:

(NOTE: These definitions are obviously my paraphrasing but I think by this point we all know what they mean when we see them. If not, Google is everyone's best friend). AND: There are some minor spoilers, but hopefully not too much.

Sexual Abuse: Also known as rape, improper touching, unwanted sexual attention, and making inappropriate sexual comments that make someone else feel uncomfortable. Does sexual abuse happen in this book? Absolutely not. Abby gives consent each time they are having sex, including when they weren't even together! Does he touch her in ways she doesn't want? Again, no.

Physical Abuse: We know this has hitting, pinching, leaving some physical mark on someone. Does Travis ever hit her? No. He even says himself he would never hit a girl. Now, there was a scene when he hit a guy and the guy fell taking Abby with him, but that punch was never meant for Abby and Travis didn't even know what he was doing when he hit the guy. The guy was touching her and he went like a raging bull. But he realized his error and did his best to make amends.

Verbal Abuse: Insulting or name calling. Putting someone down with words. Does Travis ever put Abby down or call her names? No. Not once, even when they were just friends or having one of their arguments.

Emotional Abuse: Also known as Psychological abuse. When someone is causing another character psychological trauma, such as anxiety, depression, or stress. Now, an argument can be made that Travis does cause have some emotional baggage that makes Abby feel completely out of her element. She does experience stressed and in someways she is depressed. BUT she is also doing the same thing to him. He feels just as much emotional turmoil as she does when they are apart. Its not like its his intention to make her suffer emotionally, or she him. It just happens because of the way things are happening between them.

And now, there is also the topic of stalking. First, he never crawls into her window to watch her sleep. But, when they are in bed together he does. I would like to know of one lover that has never done that to another lover. That's not called stalking, that's called appreciating what you have next to you. Almost every lover does it at one point or another.

Also, he is not following her around campus. If you wanted to talk to someone really badly who was avoiding you, I think just waiting for them to show up doesn't constitute stalking.

So, not everyone is going to like this book. I'm not even sure if I like it or not, but I do know that when two people have been through what they've been through I think that says a lot about where their relationship is going. I for one found myself enjoying this book just as much as I was having issues with it, but I do not think there was any form of abuse going on. Travis is just like any alpha male out there. Its what you make it and that's that. I highly recommend this book though. This is one that cannot go unnoticed.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: April 5th, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 424
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, & City of Glass
Age Group: Young Adult

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And - most importantly of all - she can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary's best friend, Simon, can't help her. His mother just found out that he's a vampire and now he's homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side - along with the power of the curse that's wrecking his life. And they're willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he's dating two beautiful, dangerous girls - neither of whom knows about the other one.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

And so the epicness continues. Honestly, I think with each book the series just continues to get better and better. It truly knows how to take a hold of the reader and pull a spell over them into the world of Shadowhunters and the love that Jace and Clary battle on a daily bases. 

Now with the war over a new battle looms. One that no one is prepared for and the love that Clary has for Jace is threatened, while Simon becomes Downworlder #1 on everyone's list. 

I love the fact that Cassandra Clare continued the series, but I especially love how Simon has finally taken a stronger rule. I know that this book was primarily for him, and so I'm glad that we finally get a closer look at his life. A Downworlder who is trying to have the best of both worlds, but sadly that's not how things will be for him. 

And the fact that Clare was able to tie this nicely with what happened in the original trilogy helps make the connection, I think, a little better. Clare doesn't bring in something new and shocking and creates a new story. She recycles what has already been brought and makes it 10X more threatening. 

And, of course, the ending had me gasping. I could not believe what had just happened, and all I can say is that I am so glad the next book is already out because that ending killed me. Just ripped me inside. Though, I think I may need a break, because I know if I read CoLS I will just completely and utterly lose it, and not to mention have a longer wait for the final book. 

Clare is a mastermind and has created a world that I have no idea how she was able to come up with. Some of those demons I just find so creative and that woman's imagination must be running on wildfire. 

Haunting, beautiful, captivating, this series will leave you wanting more and more. The reader will never want to leave this world. 

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Glass
Author: Cassandra Clare
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: March 24th, 2009
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 541
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: City of Bones & City of Ashes
Age Group: Young Adult

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

I got the first four books together and had been reading them back to back, but when I got to this book I could not truly finish reading it. In fact I barely got half-way before my anger over Cassandra Clare and the world she created forced me not to stop. By the time I hit this book I was emotionally invested into this series and while I love drama and torturing characters, I am also a hopeless romantic and want to see character's together. Its usually that little happiness between the main leads that reminds me that through all this mess things will be alright. 

But Clare ruined it for me with this whole Jace/Clary brother/sister thing going on. Weird how one little thing could drive an entire decision to leave the book? Yeah, I didn't get it either at the time, but that's what happened. 

Afterwards getting swamped with school, work, and other reviews I never really got back to this story. I usually like to put books that drive me nuts aside for a little while to give me time to cool off, and I'm glad to know that method still works. By the time I picked up where I left off I was calm and cool and collected enough to push through everything, and I am so glad I did. 

Clare never disappoints in this book series. It was one disaster after another and the way the characters were thrust in different directions only to come back together in the end was just amazing. I just loved the way Clare build everything up and made it a ride worth remembering. There was so much growth, I barely recognized Clary, and there was so many connections and answers that needed fixing. 

And is Clare the Queen of Foreshadow or what? Half of everything that went on made a person want to smack their forehead like, "Duh!" Okay, maybe they were a little obvious to me because I'm late on this series, so I had already bought the fourth and fifth book, and my little craziness drove me to read the blurbs. It was out of my control, I swear! So I may, on some level, have been driven to finish reading this book because I knew of the way things would more or less end, which helped me keep control. 

Still, if I hadn't been such a cheat, I would probably never have caught them. And yet when it was brought all together it was almost like road signs had been laid out, yet a person still got lost. But with some guidance they got back to their original path. Go figure. 

I know this was supposed to be the last book, but I am so glad that the series is continuing. While the ending was fitting there was still a lot that went unanswered. And while I don't know the whole story about how the next three books were supposed to be laid out contrast to what Clare actually did, I am still glad the whole gang will be back. 

This series is amazing and Clare is an extraordinary writer. Her complex story-line and interesting characters come together in magical ways that make the story a beautiful and haunting piece of work. 

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

Title: The Alchemy of Forever
Author: Avery Williams
Release Date: January 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 3 Stars

Seraphina's first love made her immortal...her second might get her killed.Incarnation is a new series that introduces a fresh mythology perfect for fans of bestselling series like The Immortals by Alyson Noel and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

After spending six hundred years on earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches, but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to swap bodies with other humans, jumping from one vessel to the next, taking the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year-old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falls for the human boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care for in great danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

When I first bought this book I failed to look at the reviews. Throughout the entire thing I kept thinking to myself, "What is she doing? Why is she doing this? I don't get it." And I think that was my main problem with this book. Williams is a beautiful writer, but she doesn't exactly capture Sera in the way that helps the reader connect to her. I felt like I was watching a movie and not really in the action itself.

Sera's intentions are very noble; I could not imagine what it would be like to live 600 hundred years, but at the same time I think that there are a lot of things that she doesn't understand about Cyrus or herself or her very existence.

I think that there was a lot of room for character development. I was shocked by how small the book was, because I didn't really pay attention to the page numbers. Just the size of it and the type of story that Williams is trying to bring out is not meeting up. I mean, the author basically goes, here's point A, point B, point C - go. It was like the surface of the story was being scratched and a reader can't go into the very meat of it. If I were to live 600 hundred years I would have a lot to say, and I'm not saying that Williams has to run on and on about everything but there is room for improvement.

Now, what I did like about this novel is that it was very original. I wish that Williams had been able to make the readers dislike Cyrus a little more if he was such a monster that Sera describes him as. I loved the ending, talk about a cliff hanger. And I really liked how Sera and Noah's relationship was developing. I hate insta-romance type stuff, so that there was some actual connecting going on helped me believe the story a little.

Overall, it has some kinks I think should be worked out, but it still keeps the reader. It's a quick read, I finished this in less than two hours in one sitting. So just in case anyone wants to get another book off their reading goal, this is one to go to because you'll be done before you know it. It was enjoyable in some areas, but I say give this book a chance, hopefully the next book will be even better.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Ashes
Author: Cassandra Clare
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: March 25th, 2008
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 453
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: City of Bones
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 5 Stars

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

And so the adventure continues! I am just so happy I started this series because Cassandra Clare is possibly one of the best writers I know who frustrates me and can make me laugh and can make me cry all at once.

The stuff with Simon, so not expecting it. And this whole thing between Jace and Clary, like I said before, I don't believe it. They cannot be brother and sister, because unless Cassandra is investing in a new style of writing with incest, I don't believe it for a second. For me, it feels like Valentine is playing some cruel joke on his daughter.

So now someone thinks that Jace is on the wrong team - Valentine's side - and she is about to make Jace's life a living hell. And then there are the dead bodies that keep showing up and things keep heating up as a pending war will most likely break out.

The imagery, I have to say, is Cassandra Clare's best friend, because she is so vivid with her description and can literally draw me into the story and make me feel like I'm a part of it. I love the way she throws in the character's feelings and makes them believable to the reader, and brings out the emotions clearly.

The plot really begins to develop as the characters story line begins to get complex and more is revealed about their past. I like that the author knows how to draw this out and makes the reader hungry for more.

I literally devoured the pages as I was reading, trying to take it all in, especially during the climax scene where everything breaks out on the ship. It was like I could not read fast enough when it came to this book, and I was hating characters and loving them, and confused by them, and mad at them all at once.

And it's no lie that I nearly cried at the end because Jace is a moron and unless things change in the second book I will not like him again.

Twist and turns, with seductive dark secrets that lie in every corner. This story will give people goosebumps.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: March 27th, 2007
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 496
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 5 Stars

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

I am probably the last person on Earth who has yet to read this book and when I finally had I needed to ask myself one question: What took me so long? This book was amazing! I honestly didn't know what to expect. With all the trends on vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, and wizards I was trying to decide where this book fell into place. And it turns out that it falls on all sides.

I honestly finished this book in one sitting. After Clary's mom goes missing, she discovers a world of myths and legends where demons roam and the existence of Shadowhunters.

One thing that I feel like Cassandra did an amazing job on had been the wide range of characters that are seen in this book. There was the leading lady Clary, which by the way is a cute name, who showed a lot of her strong sides, her weak sides, and her intelligence. Then there was the leading man, Jace, who I had trouble warming up to. But, of course, by the time I did, things went from wonderful to seriously messed up. And for those who have read the book know what I mean. And the rest of the cast who went from annoying me - Isabelle and Alec - to surprising me - Luke.

The introduction to the series was a great start, with the hunt for the Mortal Cup, which could turn children into Shadownhunters. The rise of the Accords and the evil villain Valentine, who I might not like at all but I do like his name.

This fantasy world has got politics and family drama so entangled in the story line that it just keeps moving the entire story forward.

I still don't believe what happened in the end when the news broke out about Valentine and Jace, and I will read the books to prove to myself that this is not true because this is complete unacceptable and if Cassandra Clare plans to keep things like that I will have to stop reading this series to boycott it. Just a little FYI, there.

Besides that, this book was great. It leaves a lot open for the next book. And I say, if you don't love it the first time around, don't stop reading it. I've had to force myself in tons of books to keep going before the love actually opened up, so I say, keep going forward, because when I first started this book I was not completely in love. I will admit. But now, I am crazy for it.

And before I forget, the humor in this book makes the dark theme so much more uplifting. It's hard to find that equal balance of fun and darkness all thrown into one, but I feel like Cassandra Clare really brought out the best in this story by doing that. I mean, Jace, will have you on the floor laughing he is so adorable. And this is why the ending is so hard, because I feel like that fun loving side of him is gone, but I hope more of it will come later on in the series.

Five stars out five for the dark, sexy, funny, twisted story that will keep anyone up all night to finish it.

Possession by Elana Johnson

Title: Possession
Author: Elana Johnson
Release Date: June 7th, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 416
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 2 Stars

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play

I just have one question: What on Earth was I reading?

From page one I was confused and felt like this was a first draft or something. I honestly thought that as I kept reading things would make more sense, but instead, they just complicated things. I had no idea what Vi was doing half the time or what the heck was even going on. It literally felt like I was reading something I would have written when I was thirteen and sucked at writing.

This is one of those books where everyone gives off so much hype about and talk about them endlessly and say great things, and I then I read it and it's like, BAM! all those great things you hear about this book turn out to be not so true, at least from my experience.

I felt like Vi was upset a lot of the time. I felt like she had this I'm-trying-really-hard-not-to-care-right-now attitude that just doesn't work for most people. She has potential to be a good heroine and I feel like this story can be good if it was polished up, and let the readers in the know. I understand that sometimes writers get so into their worlds and when they write they want the reader to see what they see, but I feel like Elana went the wrong way. She could at least explain what was going on.

Somehow I made it to the end, because in the back of my mind I kept hoping that something would change and that this story would get better; it was hopeless.

Basically, from what did make sense Vi lives in the world where the Goodies and the Baddies don't get along, because the Goodies follow what the rulers of this world, the Thinkers, say and do, while the Baddies don't, and that's really all I understood.

It could be better and the idea behind it is great, but the actual story itself is a mess. I'm still debating to read the second book or not, so who knows.

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Title: Choker
Author: Elizabeth Woods
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 240
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author
Rating: 5

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner ever since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team, but they're not really her friends. Mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her, and avoiding the popular girls who call her "Choker" after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria.

Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she has her BFF there to confide in.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect—including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

I'm not going to lie; I was completely and utterly surprised by the ending. Like my jaw dropped.

Right from the first few pages you understand that there is something twisted and wrong about the friendship between Zoe and Cara and I believe that Elizabeth does a wonderful job getting to the core of this friendship and slowly watching the decay of it.

Cara at first is a character that you sympathize with because being in an unfamiliar surrounding, not really having friends, and then getting bullied by the popular girl's, you really want things to end well for her.

Another thing that Elizabeth did well was giving slight hints into the actual mind set of Cara, but you really don't get the full force until the end, which makes things far more interesting.

The pace was well done, and frankly the novel wasn't too long, but it also wasn't too short either.

I read this in one day. If you have yet to read this book pay attention to Zoe throughout the novel and Cara, very closely. At first I didn't really get the correlation between the two besides these were best friends and Zoe was the classic troubled teen who was abused by her step father, type of thing, and Cara was desperate for some familiarity in her life. But as the story progresses there is something about the two of them that connects, and I can't reveal what because that would be telling you everything.

Mysterious, twisted, and dark this is the best psychological thriller I have read the entire year. I say that you should really pick up a copy and read this. You'll be so into this you'll finish it in one sitting most likely. I loved this book and I'm surprised that I have nothing terribly bad to say about it. Elizabeth Woods is the best debut thus far, though you really get a sense that this author is really private since it's almost impossible to find anything about her, but if someone can like get an article or anything else that she's written I would appreciate that. I tried her website and it took me somewhere else, so besides living in Ohio we know nothing about her.

I would love to know where this idea came from.

All I have to say is pick it up and read it. You won't regret it.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Release Date: March 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 358
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author

What if you knew exactly when you would die?
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb — males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.
When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape — to find her twin brother and go home.
But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left

Why did I decide to read this book? Well, because everyone else was reading it. Not a very good reason, but I also found the cover attractive, so I decided to pre-order as soon as possible. When I got my copy I was so happy, just racing to finish it. I was on the edge of my seat ready to read what awesome adventure awaited within the pages.

As I was reading, slowly the excitement died away and disappointment set in. I'm in love with science fiction, especially dystopia, so I knew that this would be a good one for me to read, because the concept was so original and fresh. But, I was asking more questions and getting less answers and left completely baffled in a lot of sections.

My questions were typically: If children were so important, why do they live homeless? And than came the obvious question: What would be the point of polygamy? In any society there should always be more girl's to guy ratio, don't ask why, that's just how it is.

And something else about the society that bothered me greatly is that they would not be able to survive. I don't know how futuristic we're talking about but there's one thing I learned well in AP Human Geography and it's that international trade has to exist for a society to thrive. Now some could argue with me, "Well the Hunger Games didn't have international trade!" And I would tell you is, "How do you know?" In that novel we never got a hint on what happened to the other countries but there must have been some connection, but here the author plainly said only the U.S. survived and I find that alone unrealistic. But the point of the matter is that for a society to survive it needs to trade. The U.S. does not have an abundance of raw materials or certain things that we have grown comfortable in using. Now, I'm trying to give Lauren the benefit of the doubt and think that maybe other countries have survived but the government talked these people into thinking they were lucky to be alive.

I also wished that Lauren had gone into what the government's role in this society is. Obviously they don't have good programs to tend to children, awful scientist, and they don't seem to regulate anything! The human race is apparently dying out and yet they kill people (and those who read the book would know what part I mean).

Now, on to the characters. Okay, Rhine just made me mad. I understand that she really wants to get back to her brother and be with him, but I don't think she knows what she's doing, especially with the way it ended. I felt like she was acting on impulse a lot, and impulse just makes you stupid. I didn't feel like she knew exactly what she was doing. She had one thing in mind and yet you can see how her feelings to her husband shifts greatly near the end. And you want to feel bad for these characters but they are just so naive! 

Cecily made me want to rip my hair, but you felt bad for her because she is so young and naive and just doesn't get it! Concerning this one there was a moment where I broke down in tears (and for those who read it you may know what I mean) but at the same time I felt disgusted because she just doesn't get it! This could be very normal for this society, and I accept that, but if Lauren had been gracious enough to throw a character in here who actually knew what was going on this would have been a great reliever, because if the character's don't know what's going on than the reader doesn't know what's going on and there were moment's that I was just like: What are they trying to say?! And really, Cecily she is the youngest of the wives, but she is just too childish, too selfish, too much of everything, and I was annoyed with her more than anything.


Jenna was the most pathetic of it all. Throughout the whole book she says that she hates her husband and doesn't want anything to do with him and yet she sleeps with him every night! At least I can give Rhine a break in the fact that she didn't, but Jenna talks about survival and wanting to get out, but she does nothing but sit and feel sorry for herself. And you understand why, but at the same time is like she needs to pull it together.

And finally the husband. Okay, so you think he's this guy in the beginning who takes girl's as young as thirteen to be his wife, but at the same time you have to realize that he's just another pawn in this strange game of chess. You almost get the feeling that he does love Rhine and she him, but again Rhine is, in my opinion, clueless. And as well as him. He's lived in his house all his life and he never put point A and point B together. It's like these people have been programmed. They don't feel real.

Throughout the whole novel I just kept asking myself: WHY DON'T YOU GET IT? And really, I don't know if I want to read Fever if it's going to be anything like Wither. 

I was not impressed, I was disappointed, I was aggravated, I was confused, I was stressed. I would not pick this book up again. I'm giving it a 2 because despite the confusion Lauren DeStefano can write beautifully. She describes everything in vivid detail, but no matter how much detail she uses the novel just could not come alive for me. You know there's potential in this book but it isn't presented very well at all.