FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012

Hey guys! So this is an awards-type thing I decided to do last year, where I gather up my seven 7 stars, my four 10 stars, and then show you guys which was my absolute favorite book of the year. I HAVE to have reviewed it this year in order for it to qualify though!

(Click the covers to go to my review)

Fangirl Fiction
Books that'll turn any girl into a fan! 7/5 (7 books most)

Burn for Burn was just an amazing read that absolutely stunned me! I loved Jenny Han's Summer series so when I heard about this my interest immediately piqued! This was SO good and I loved how different the girls were! But I really do wish the guys/girl had done something more dramatic to earn this kind of suffering...well that is what prevented a ten, but still! AMAZING book, I loved how devious it was and it was just...wow.








Do I even need to say anything? Sweet Evil was amazing with a unique twist on the Nephilim (trust me, that deserves 7 stars already) and Kaidan? YES. not to mention I loved Anna and she was just adorable! Want to see my entire rant? Click the pic!










Send me a Sign. Oh how I loved thee. I absolutely loved Mia and her superstitious ways! She could read into anything and I just loved how quirky she was, and the fact that she wasn't the average loser/normal in books. She was popular and quirky and she didn't know if she'd be alive in the end. It's a unique...situation for a character and this book just made me cry so many times! I loved the love interest. He was just...awww. Wish I could say more! Send Me a Sign to say I can! 








I can't believe I rated this 4 stars at first! Oh, the young blogger I was. But Meant to Be was a sweet, adorable read that was light, hilarious, and romantic at the same time! Lots of fluff, but the kind that we love! I have almost zero qualms about it whatsoever! This book and I were Meant to Be!









Even the Empress would approve! I loved how we got to read about the apocalypse and not just read about after it. I loved seeing how the suspense increased with each page, and I loved meeting all the other Arcana! I just loveloveloved this book! That's pretty much all I can say right now! Also--Jackson.










Another book that made me sob! I loved the writing, I loved the character, I was with her along the way when she fell in love, relived her guilt, and everything else. This book was just...heartfelt. It was such a Lovely, Dark, and Deep tale!














Fab Fiction
Absolutely FABULOUS fiction! 10/5 stars! (4 books most)


OH MY GOODNESS! THE SQUEES I HAVE FOR THIS. It was just amazing, I wanted to cry at the end and and and...wow the guy she ended up with was so unexpected..and KORBYN. WHHHHYYYYY. Oh I want to cry. I couldn't believe when it was over and...and...OH THE FEELS.








Oh my. Crewel was just simply magnificent! One of the strongest female heroines I met and amazing world-building! Need I say more? It excels at my favorite parts of a book and I could reread this in less than hour because of how much flipping I'd do! And that ending? JUST CREWEL.









You've seen me rant about this on Twitter. Facebook. I'm even doing a Readalong for it! Is it any surprise it's on here? Venom is my absolute favorite historical fiction novel! Jeez, I even did a report on it for school! It manages to weave deceit, romance, and absolutely stunning writing into one historical novel you can't forget!









Fiction Favorite!
My (very hard to choose) favorite book of the year!


The IMAGINATION! The CHARACTER! The LOVE INTERESTS! OH MY GOODNESS I JUST LOVED THEM. The creativity that should be required for all Alice retellings was here. The character was likeable and I didn't really have any negative feelings towards. her. I AM A MOTH GIRL and I just loved how...brooding Morpheus was! Jeb stands NO CHANCE in the long run. MORPHEUS IS SO MUCH BETTER! My heart SPLINTERED when I read this!

How was  your New Year's? What were some of your fave books? I'd LOVE to know!

Mini Freak Out: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mini Freak Out

Goodreads Blurb

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

Beforehand, I'd just like to say that I don't have many annotations in the beginning of the book because I was more than a few pages into the book and the end? I was too caught up in the book to notice that I needed to annotate! So sorry bout that! But it is a thick book so you'll see enough of my craziness anyways!

Page 43: (This after I read the whole thing) Man...that should've tipped me off...

Page 45: PSH. Do you really want to be left alone? Now?

Page 52: NO DOUBT.

Page 57: Psh. Punch him in the face? You also want to suck his face. Right, right, AM I RIGHT MARA.

Page 67: Oooohhh Shizzler Twizzlers.

Page 71: WTF. WTF. WTF. I AM BEING CREEPED OUT.

Page 73: WHAT IS THIS.

Page 84: Ermmm...ok. Totally normal.

Page 90: Holy F...what is this. This is a creepy book. Like, really.

Page 92: I have. No. Words. For you. Michelle Hodkin.

Page 98: O_O Really now.

Page 108: (Same as the first) WOW. That really should've tipped me off.

Page 114: ADFNSLCKNASDFKJNLEKFNC. YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS. YOU CAN'T BE.

Page 118: I am so scared. I am so scared. I am so not freaked out. 

Page 121: Oh. My. God. *mind blank*

Page 124-125: OMG MICHELLE HODKIN. I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS. DO YOU KNOW HOW FREAKED OUT I AM ABOUT DOLLS? EVEN WHEN I WAS LITTLE, I STUFFED THEM IN DRAWERS. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED.

Page 126: And thus I shall punch him for being so mean to ME. 

Page 127: Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod. Iamscarediamscarediamscared HIDE ME.

Page 133: MARA, I thought we figured this out already!

Page 151: Heheheheheh.

Page 153: Hmmm...please don't delve into THIS kind of paranormal! I love Mara Dyer's brand of it by itself!

Page 159: MEEP.

Page 160: OMG HEY. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED BEFORE IN 2011! A murder of crows fell from the sky at once with no explanation? WOAH.

Page 164: It feels wrong to be writing a reaction here...

Page 177: JUST A NIGHTMARE? I DON'T THINK SO.

Page 178: Blood? Blood isn't good. Also, WTF, this is SERIOUSLY CREEPY.

Page 181: What. The. Freaking. Hell.

Page 190: What. The. Freaking. Hell. WHAT.

Page 203: HURRY. NO. WHAT IS IT. TELL ME.

Page 241: This is going to a whole new level on creepy.

Page 248: Mara, connect the freaking dots. please. PLEASE.

Page 256: I like Stef. :)

Page 267: Ummm, yeah Mara. My reaction too. Holy Shit.

Page 273: LOLOL

Page 286: Do you know how perfect this setting is for a stalker, a creeper, and a murderer?

Page 292: What. What. What.

Page 207: Mara, you dirty minded girl! ;D

Page 315: *keels over and dies*

Page 321: O_______O

Page 369: WHAT IS THIS. OMG. SDHCNASKNAIERJWPENF. NO WORDS.

Page 382: What. The. Hell.

And the rest? Oh my GOD I was so intrigued! 

I absolutely love psychological thrillers, but especially The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, so getting this in the mail? There was much squeeing. The action never stops from page 1 to the last page (Wow. Just realized this was over 500 pages!) and that is saying something! I was engaged throughout the entire book and I could barely put it down! Double the greatness of Unbecoming, The Evolution of Mara Dyer raises the stakes higher and it makes you realize how creepy and cruel both Mara's world and ours are. Anything we can't explain, we write it off as craziness? That's seriously not right. And I loved how Noah and Mara's personalities just clashed so wonderfully! Honestly, they were rarely on the same page at the same level and when they were, I just missed it when they were completely different! The way that Michelle Hodkin brings them together, not only with their powers, but with their own feelings? It made me throw up my hands and as "How does she do that?" Did I also say how creepy this book was? I'm already scared of dolls! Increase that fear by a ton now!

The only think I didn't enjoy about Evolution was the characters. Honestly, Mara was way too dependent on Noah for my liking. She was always leaning on him, waiting for him, and I sometimes found it pitiful, no matter how sweet I found their romance. Noah was sometimes too cynical and we honestly didn't get to see much development for his character, though what we did see? *Whistles* Wow. Two other characters I seriously wanted to strangle? Mara's mom and Phoebe. When you read The Evolution, you'll see why.

Pages: 544

Series: Mara Dyer #2

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Romance

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Goodreads Blurb

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself. 

Short version: I freaking LOVED Mystic City!

First of all, that cover? It's just STUNNING! And I just adore that background with all it's colors and sparks!

So, let's be honest. I basically love any dystopian book that has magic in it too. And I actually love amnesia stories, so my expectations were very, very high. And while Mystic City didn't exceed them, it did meet them! And honestly? That was good enough. I loved the characters, world building, romance, plot, you name it! 

So while the plot was actually pretty predictable (at times! Then again, my mind may have been to busy with how much I loved the book to notice any holes) I was shocked at many, many points in the story. Some things I realized I should've predicted, but I just...didn't. But they're those things that you know an author can't do to a character, but you're so caught up in the story you just forget all literary knowledge you could say! The plot honestly was far from slow. There were memories that couldn't make sense with what Aria was told, things that she knows that just didn't add up. And that made this story just WONDERFUL. I loved piecing together clues and jumping when I got it right! It wasn't very obvious unless you were err...pretty desperate to figure out what was going on! I had a vague idea, but it wasn't confirmed until...meh. Just read it! I'm telling y'all, I loved the plot and pacing!

Character-wise, Aria was a bit weak and naive in the beginning, but you'd have to expect it. After all, her memory basically disappeared, she's supposedly in love with her family's biggest enemy (who, by the way, is acting pretttyyy distant and practical. Who can only fact act love for only so long.), and she feels connected to a rebel mystic. So of course she'll be a bit confused! And while some of y'all may find it a bit irritating at how gullible she is, I just wanted to shake the people around her for lying to her! She was at her weakest point and they were abusing her...but that was pretty much the point of her memory loss. *cough*

Romace? No no, it wasn't insta-love! It seems like it and it sounds like it from the synopsis and saying this probably gives you the tip-off, but this was not insta-love. Not at all. Aria just doesn't quite realize it. And I LOVED the romance, contrary to what other people think. So, no. Not insta-love!

And Hunter? Not a bad love interest either! He was SO sweet and fierce and caring and basically your typical, swoony, YA guy! Which is a compliment! 

Okay, so when I said world-building, I guess I meant the descriptions of the world! The world itself? It wasn't very dystopian, actually. They basically used our modern tech, just using different names and making the world less...worldly? It had history of the turning point, but nothing really came out of it besides the mystics--and we don't even know how the mystics came to be! Was it genetic mutation or something? Something someone was just randomly born with? I'm not sure.

But then, like I said, the writing was just spectacular! The descriptions were wonderfully written, but it wasn't boring. There was actually a few transitions so it wasn't all choppy like the books I've recently read (no names!) But the main point was the descriptions...they were just so visual for me!

DEFINITELY read Mystic City if you're a fan (like I am!) of fantasy and those amazing amnesia stories! This was a seriously stunning debut and I can't wait for Renegade Heart, book 2 in this wonderful series! Mystic City will sweep you off your feet with a real Romeo and Juliet kind of romance...just without most of the sappiness, and with tons more stuff standing in their way!

Pages: 416

Series: Mystic City #1

Genre: Fantasy/Dystopia/Romance

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Poison  by Bridget Zinn

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this one. It sounded amazing, but I heard from a friend it was cutesy and innocent--not really what I'm looking for and not really my style. But it came with an amazing review so I'm pretty sure I'll give this a try! :D

Also, I was heartbroken to discover that the author lost her life to cancer in 2011. I hope somewhere she's knowing that a lot of people love her book so far and that more will soon!

It's CHRISTMAS TIME.

WHAT DOES IT SAY? WHAT DOES IT SAY?

IT'S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS YOU GUYS!

And also, here's one of my favorite Christmas songs. 

I'm getting tons of presents, but honestly? It's seriously more fun to GIVE them! LET'S GET IN THE SPIRIT RIGHT? 

No giveaway, sorry. :( I've had giveaway after giveaway...but check back on NEW YEAR's! But since there's no giveaway, ask a reasonable favor of me, and if I can, I'll try to complete it! :D

BUT I'm asking for a present from you guys. I absolutely LOVE seeing decorated houses, so this is what I'm asking of you:

Post a picture of your house, DECORATED (AND PLEASE PLEASE use pain or photobucket to scratch out your address if it's visible. :/ I don't want anyone to be at risk) OR your Xmas tree in full color! I'll hug each of you if I could! Do it for me?  Also, if you have any pictures of snow, I'd LOVE to see them! Just leave a link in a comment below, yeah? 

So far, my Xmas presents:

Eileen (Singing and Reading in the Rain of course): ARCs of Crash and Burn, Through the Ever Night, Beautiful Lies, and a signed hardback of The Shadow Society

Shreya (Chocolate Coated Reviews): Preorder of Altered and Requiem

Annabelle (Sparkles and Lightning): Preorder of Pivot Point

Mom: 18 preorders. Yeah. 18. Plus 2 pairs of jeans and an incredibly CUTE pair of boots!

School friends: $10 B&N GC, a cute yarn friendship bracelet (like, really pretty), a plastic mustache (don't ask), a lollipop, one of those friendship bracelets from Claires, and cookies. LOTS of those.

Other: FIVE FREAKING $50 B&N GCs. A.K.A $250 in GCs plus 3 Abercrombie & Fitch shirts

Merry Christmas guys! 

Venom Readalong Sign-ups!

Hey guys! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!!! I've got a treat for you today! :) So, if you've been following me on Twitter, then you know I've been planning for something. And if you've seen my rants, then you know I'm a HUMONGOUS fan of Venom by Fiona Paul! So, I teamed up with Annabelle from Sparkles and Lightning to bring you...
Links to my sign ups

<center> <a target="_blank" href="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/fiction-freak.blogspot.com/2012/12/venom-readalong-sign-ups.html"><img alt="Venom Readalong" src="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj610/annabellelovell/VENOMreadalonggraphic.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"> </div> </center>

Links to Annabelle's sign ups!

<center> <a target="_blank" href="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/sparkles-and-lightning.blogspot.com/2012/12/venom-readalong-signups.html"><img alt="Venom Readalong" src="http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/i1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj610/annabellelovell/VENOMreadalonggraphic.jpg" /></a> <div align="center"> </div> </center>

THE VENOM READALONG!!! Sign ups are up for one week, starting today, so be sure to sign up by the 31! I love it--Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve? 

The readalong can finally give you the chance to read Venom if it's been stuck in your TBR or if you want to just read it again! And if that's not enough for you, we do have a few incentives...(US only! Sorry folks! But join in for the fun!)

4 Swag packs 

(including a Venom button, Venom bookmarks, a magnet, and possibly Belladonna bookmarks.)

1 signed copy of Venom + a swag pack

1 ARC of Belladonna.

And trust me, people, you want those prizes! I've had the pleasure of reading Belladonna early and...WOW.

Here's how it's going to work:

Starting from January, we'll email you about 6-9 questions and you MUST answer at least 3-6 of them. Then, every Monday or Tuesday visit Sparkles and Lightning who'll have a linky posted on her site. It may  not be the first one though, so be sure to enter your link for that week there! We'll be randomly choosing the winners for the swag packs from those lists and the winners for the Venom and Belladonna copies from the sign up list here! We WILL be checking to make sure you've posted though, and all prizes will be sent out at the end of everything! All questions can be sent to my email: piscesgirl1688@gmail.com! 

Rules and Guidelines

You MUST have a blog or tumblr. 

You must answer at least once a week, the appropriate amount of questions.

NO SPOILERS ALLOWED

Please start reading now! 

Week 1: Chapters 1-8

Week 2: Chapters 9-17

Week 3: Chapters 18-26

Week 4: Chapters 27-34

Sign Up for the Venom Readalong!

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Website *

Name *

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

Nothing this week folks!

Weekly Recap
Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis
False Memory by Dan Krokos
Waiting on Wednesday
Radiant
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Goodreads Blurb

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.
Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.
Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Before I start, I just want to say that as a wuss, and a usual ghost-avoider, The Dead and Buried may fall a little flat for horror lovers! I, however, adored it!

Something that many non-creepy readers will love is that while it was a bit spooky, it was completely "Oh my GOD that is freaky" kind of scary. So if you're expecting to be scared out of your pants...change your expectations! The Dead and Buried is a typical ghost story, brought to an extreme and detailed level, which I loved. A haunted house, the new kid turned detective, and a love triangle? A bit familiar? Maybe. But I loved it.
It wasn't too creepy for me, but it still made me feel a bit spooked and that's something that rarely happens. I'm either completely scared out of my wits, or I'm bored. This was a perfect balance between both and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The plot was...fine, I admit, cliche. But the ending? Definitely shocking!  I had never suspected that person and the fact that it was that person? Shocking to say the least! Reading back, I could see all the hints pointing at it, but it was still shocking. I thought I knew who it was, then I was proven wrong, rinse and repeat several times, but did I ever guess who it actually was? Did I even have an inkling of a thought? No, not really. Actually, let me rephrase that: No, not at all. It was completely shocking and the way that every hint seemed...innocent? That was just a cruel, cruel twist! The plot was far from slow and while it wasn’t necessarily action packed, it was still highly enjoyable!

I just couldn’t believe the romance between Jade and Donovan. Every kiss, stray look, each feeling.  It felt like it was just there for…nothing, and I just got extremely annoyed by how little depth the romance had. The same goes for things between Kane and Jade. There was…nothing, though I do get that the only reason Jade was leading Kane on was because of her “research”, but I honestly think The Dead and Buried may have been a much more engaging book if most of it weren’t that taken up with Jade and her boy problems.

The characters? They were real. They each had weaknesses, they all had had their secrets, and there was always one thing they wanted. Whether it was protagonist or antagonist, I loved each of them. Even Kayla, who was supposed to be the bratty one. I feel like if someone had just seen her for herself, not her social rank, she could’ve been…better. I even liked Faye, the reigning “mean girl” who was trying to slip into the role of Queen Bee. Everyone had their own story and I loved discovering what their sore point was, what they’d wanted the most. 

Pages: 304

Series: Stand alone

Genre: Thriller/Romance

Publisher: Scholastic Point

Release Date: Jan 1, 2012

Rating: 3.5 --->4 stars

Rants of a Freak *SPOILERS*

This is probably a one time thing, but I recently read the novella Radiant by Cynthia Hand and I needed to rant. So here we go. It's not technically a review, though you can find it in my archive!

• I CAN NOT BELIEVE ANGELA BETRAYED CLARA LIKE THAT! Ugh I want to punch her.
• Just because YOU want to be normal, Clara, doesn't mean Angela wants to. I get you trying to protect your friend, but she loves him. Can't you understand THAT?
• DON'T FORGET, YOU LOVED TUCKER WHICH WAS FORBIDDEN. So Angela loves an angel. Did you also forget how you were created?
• I never did like Angela, but this just seals the deal. She was so...pitiful.
• I can't believe they both spent their summers pining for guys. I mean, it's SUMMER!
• WHY IS THIS SO SHORT. I CAN NOT BELIEVE YOU.
• I wish Tucker and Christian were here...
• I honestly don't like Clara or Angela in this book. Even Tucker who's barely mentioned is annoying me, all because Clara is being whiny about him. Sigh. 
• AT LEAST IT HELD ME OVER UNTIL BOUNDLESS COMES!

Well, there you have it. It's short, but it's basically like a review in bullet points, less professional, and I just got done reading it.

Waiting on Wednesday

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

If you don't follow me on Twitter or didn't catch this tweet, this was me when reading the synopsis of this book: "*reads* Oooooohhh (And long o's) *covers mouth with hand* *giggles* *rereads several times* *it's now the 70th book to buy in 2013*
This just sounds majorly, and I mean majorly, amazing. Doesn't it? Such a short synopsis, but it just makes me want to grab this book now. Usually, I try to stay away from the suicide things, especially after reading 13 Reasons Why which, instead of touching, was really just a bit...depressing. But Premeditated? OH MY GOODNESS. Especially the last line "By Tomorrow, he'll wish he were dead" which you GUYS, I want to KNOW WHAT FREAKING HAPPENS! THE FEELS.

False Memory by Dan Krokos

Goodreads Blurb

Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.
Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.
Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.

To say I was surprised by this would be understatement. I honestly didn't have high hopes for this. Another love triangle? Lost memories (no matter how much I love those stories)? A guy who knows her past? Puh-lease. But False Memory was all that, but raised to an amazing level that's more original than cliche. It asks the question: Who are we if we're not who we thought we were?

Since the romance was one of the main things I was worried about, let's start with that.There was no annoying, cliche, obvious love triangle where you knew who Miranda would end up with.And I still have no idea! Peter was honestly the one I was rooting for. He was the most supportive, he sported feeligns for her before (but she was always with Noah.), and he didn't care...errr...after the plot twist. On the other hand, there was Noah who was her old love, the one she can't remember. And honestly, they were both cute and sweet. But Peter's feelings seemed less shallow, honestly. Noah just liked Miranda for who she WAS. Not who she IS.

The world-building and the construction of this were simply amazing. Actually, I'm not sure. The terms were so scientific, but they sure sounded smart. So I'm guessing that the science made sense to smarter people. What I also found intriguing was that they each had the same power, feeding fear into others' minds. Usually, we see things like healing with a touch, flying, telekinesis, etc., but fear? Never. That's what makes this book so fascinating! Things were properly explained and it was just amazing how all our questions were answered!

Miranda was such an amazing heroine! She had her flaws, honestly, but that's one of the things amazing about her. She may have been, well, I can't say, but she sure was one of the most real characters I've seen. She was calm and collected, and she was never annoying or a Miss-Know-It-All either. She was a relatable character and I loved finding little pieces of myself in her! Definitely a great MC!

Plot-wise, is there any doubt that it could be anything but amazing? It was so action-packed (I say that a lot! But I'm glad there are so many books that ARE action packed) and completely badass with the fighting! There were tons of twists I couldn't fathom and it was just amazing! i'm a bit worried as to whether or not False Sight will be just as amazing, but I've heard wonderful things about it so far, so I'll still hope for the best! :D

It was so amazing, my school library got it, and they rarely get ANY good books. Also, that's where I read it, and, even though I've read it, I think I should get my own copy. And that rarely, very rarely, ever happens! So, duh, you should read it! It was simply amazing!

Pages: 327
Series: False Memory #1
Genre: Sci-fi/Romance
Publisher: Disney hyperion
Release Date: August 14, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

Goodreads Blurb

There are worse things than death, worse people too
The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

Oooh I loved this. Sort of. Kind of? Of course, I, and everyone else, knows how many Persephone retellings there are in the YA world, but I hadn't read one in a LONG time, so I decided why not? I'm so glad I read this! It's possibly one of my favorite Persephone retellings (at least, the ones where they actually include the Greek gods!)

So I honestly think that what I mainly loved about Persephone (not the person) was the world and how the Greek gods were portrayed. There were a specific set of rules, powers, and all those things, and it was like watching mythology come to life! I loved how everything they could and couldn't do made some kind of sense in the world and how vivid the Underworld really was in this book. I'm probably not desciribing how great the world building was, but trust me, it was definitely something that I noticed throughout the book!

What I did find curious, however, was that while the Greek gods were famous as myths in the world, the actual myths hadn't happened. Sure, everyone knew all about Zeus, Hades, Demeter, Cassandra, but Orpheus and Euridyce hadn't happened yet, obviously Persephone and Hades hadn't, but somehow Helen of Troy did? And if there was a class on Greek mythology, how come Persephone didn't know about Cassandra and how she was cursed? These were the little things that I wish were less...conflicting.

The plot was completely fabulous though! I loved how Persephone slipped into her role as the Queen of the Underworld, how she dealt with everything, and I loved seeing how she reacted to everything--being a goddess, getting into her powers, and so much more. I honestly could predict most of the book and twists, so while it wasn't shocking in the least, Persephone was an enjoyable read!

As for characters, I absolutely loved all the characters to the core! Except for Persephone herself. It seems that lately, almost all the books I read have annoying main characters. She kept putting herself in danger and throughout the entire thing, I really just wanted to shove her.She was annoying to the max and I'm not kidding or exaggerating when I say she's a diva.

Persephone was a great read and definitely one of my favorite retellings although it would've been better if Persephone herself was a better character who had more depth to her than she did!

Pages: 237
Series: Persephone #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Retelling
Publisher: Musa publishing
Release Date: July 6, 2012
Rating: 3.5--->4

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

EEP! YOU GUYS I AM SO SORRY BUT I TOTALLY FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES FOR THIS! I'm just err...going to list the books I got...

Epic People
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (I got all of these from Eileen! As in Eileen from Singing and Reading in the Rain who's my absolute best bloggy friend ever! I CAN NOT believe she let go of this for me and I feel super bad about ripping this away from her. I AM SORRY)
Crash and Burn by Michael Hassan (I was ok with ripping this away from her. She said she didn't like it much and I've been DYING for this so...sorry you didn't like it...but is it bad to say, your loss my gain?)
Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski (YOU GUYS. THIS WAS A SIGNED HARDCOVER. STILL FROM EILEEN. OHMYGOD. HOW EPIC CAN SOMEONE GET? CAN NOT wait to read this!)
Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman (Eileen actually got this for me from ARCycling a few months ago...teehee. But this sounds great!!! I can't believe she sent me so many amazing ones!)

Publisher/Other
Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison (PAPER LANTERN LIT WAS AWESOME. Or rather, BETH WAS AWESOME! She sent this to me with the book at the bottom of this list and I waas so surprised to get it! Glad though, since I read it, and it was amazing!)
Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Psh, yeah I'm one of those special people who got a paperback of this from PLL! LOVE them so much! And I'm starting to love mysteries so this? AT THE TOP OF MY LIST!)
The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis (So, funny story. I requested it and thought it was released NEXT YEAR, but apparently it was this year. So I'm reviewing this a year later than the pub date. And I got this from the publisher. Abrams, you have no idea how much I love you. This sounds amazing and, apparently, it's super heartbreaking!)
Belladonna by Fiona Paul (Why yes, I did get another one. DO NOT WORRY, it's not for me! A lucky person will get it for winning the Venom readalong! Sign ups go up on Xmas Eve!)

eBooks
Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum (PUMPED for this! AND my first Edelweiss eBook too! WOOT! Eileen said it was a bit disappointing, but it sounds amazing, so instead of preordering, I'm reading it first! In case, you know. But OH. KILLER ROBOTS? SOUNDS ACTION PACKED)
Hysteria by Megan Miranda (Read Fracture, loved, heard of this, wanted it! I LOVE thrillers now, too! Yeah, my tastes have definitely expanded! WOOT WOOT!)

Weekly Recap
Joint Review: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking
Waiting on Wednesday
A 10/5 star review! Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Goodreads Blurb

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped. 
Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. 
In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on it.

So, here I am, giving another indie book another try. Why? Because this time, almost everyone I knew read and loved this! And thank goodness, I liked it too! While it wasn't the best I've ever read, Exiled was definitely a good read that was riveting and exciting!

It's been a while since I've read something that was truly paranormal and I'm glad to finally ease back into it once and for all! Exiled holds vampires, shifters, witches, trolls, goblins, other dimensions, goddesses...basically the whole thing! I'd usually say that that was pretty stupid and I usually dislike most books like that, but Exiled mixed all the species into one giant storyline that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

The plot was completely action packed since you'd find Chase either attacking/being attacked by demons, on some crazy mission, or something along the lines of impossible. And because of it, Exiled was a thrilling read that kept you reading until the end. It was an action packed read that was fast paced throughout the entire book without stop. If there's one thing that stood out about Exiled, it was that this book was all action, no breaks or slow pacing anywhere! Sadly, though, the plot was predictable and I wasn't surprised by any of the twists.

But I was insanely irritated by Chase himself, always thinking he was all that. Whenever he thought he could help or when he thought he knew everything, he just messed every-freaking-thing up and I wanted to punch him SO BAD. Whenever he went to be the hero, he always put someone in danger. He was just idiotic, impulsive, immature, and I hope to never encounter a character this annoying again.

As for romance, no I don't think there was any. Rayna and Chase actually almost killed each other at first, but I got annoyed at Chase SO much. He was feeling all these compulsive emotions towards Rayna and I don't think he even considered the fact that he liked her. Ugh. 

Pages: 264

Series: The Protectors #1

Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: Self published

Release Date: April 12, 2012

Rating: 3 stars