The Inventor’s Secret by Andrea Cremer

Publisher's Summary: New from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels, comes an action-packed alternate-history steampunk adventure.

In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

My Take: Yes! I’m so excited that Andrea Cremer has created another trilogy that I’m going to love to death! I’m a huge fan of her Nightshade series and I’m completely sold by The Inventor’s Secret!

One of my favorite things about this book is how phenomenally detailed Andrea was in creating the setting for this book! I keep telling people that I would be thrilled if this book were made into a movie, and I think the movie would be amazing! She created and described the steampunk gadgets and machines so amazingly that, in my mind, the world she created is almost magical! I feel like it’s similar to how I would picture things from a Middle-Grade book, only we get some YA romance and some pretty vivid moments of … how do I say … well, I’ll just be blunt … there’s some killing.

There are quite a number of difficult challenges the characters need to face throughout the book and right after they cross one stumbling block there always is another! It was so good!!!

I just loved Charlotte’s character! She is so openly blunt about things and she’s so not the girly-girl type, but she’s thrown into playing the part of a girly-girl and it’s hilarious! She can’t hold her tongue and I loved it! I feel like she’s a lot like me, she is very opinionated, bossy (except I'm not bossy LOL) and very vocal about her thoughts and it’s extremely entertaining! Very rarely does she hold back, but if she ever does it always seems like things turn out good for her anyways.

The ending was extremely sucky but in a really good way, and I’m going to be dying for who-knows-how-long before book 2 comes out!

The Treatment by Suzanne Young

Publisher’s summary: Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, which Publishers Weekly called “chilling and suspenseful.”

How do you stop an epidemic?

Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.

Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.

Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?

My Take: CRAZINESS!!! The last half of this book gave me such crazy anxiety it’s not even funny! It was a build-up of a heck of a lot of crap that my mind and emotions had a hard time handling it. But it was soooooo good, and the ending was phenomenal! This book made me a huge fan of Suzanne Young, and I’m so sad that it’s over!

The first part of the book had me getting reacquainted with the characters and getting sucked back into the scary paranoid life of the teens in this duology. And speaking of sucked…since Sloane doesn’t have her memories from before The Program (and since it has been a year since I read The Program), it took me some time to figure out the “who, what, and where” of this story. But that didn’t cause any problems with me enjoying The Treatment because the writing and the continued story-line was so intriguing that I was completely absorbed into the story.

One thing I loved about this book was the rollercoaster of emotions it put me through. Throughout the entire book, I agonized over who I thought Sloane should trust when she would get to those dark, depressive states. I think it would be horrifying to be a teen living in a world like this. The other thing I loved about this book was learning to love and hate all of the characters right along with Sloane. Sloane is by far my favorite character in this book and there was only one time I was mad at her over her actions.

There were so many cans of worms opened in this book and so many unanswered questions from The Program that I never thought they could all be tied up in a duology. All along I kept thinking this series was going to be a trilogy and, as I was nearing the end of the book, I was getting a little freaked out thinking that I was going to have to wait a whole nuther year to relieve this anxiety. But IT.IS.OVER! And I couldn’t be more thrilled with how this book played out even though I’m so sad to say goodbye!

For those of you who haven’t read this series, read it now!

The One by Kiera Cass

Publisher’s Summary: The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

My Take: OMG! I loved every bit of this book! Well, I’m actually quite upset with a death in this book, so I can’t say I loved EVERY bit of it (that death was extremely sudden) but, other than that, I loved it. This was one of those happy fairytale fluffy books…and I feel like I needed it! I think I had a smile on my face throughout the whole book, but I will admit that there were a few moments I had tears running down my face. And I can’t tell you how many times Jaime from Two Chicks on Books had to hear me giggling out loud while I was reading this book. Basically, I had a lot of emotions going on while reading this final book in The Selection trilogy.

One thing everyone wants to know about is the love triangle. Well I’m not going to spoil, but it’s pretty apparent right from the start who she’s going to choose. That’s one thing about this book; there are not a whole lot of surprises. So once you start to read, you’ll know.

My favorite thing about this book was how I was reminded that Cass is really good at character development. I think that is why so many people are invested in this series; it’s because you learn to love the characters. Well in this book I grew attached to a character that I never would have guessed would happen. And she ended up being one of my favorite characters. America really grows a strong independence and an understanding of how she can make a difference in the situation she is in. There are some decisions she makes that causes drama, but those all worked out perfectly in the end.

The end of The One was just insane! That ending happened extremely fast and tied up all the loose ends and I loved it! Kiera Cass did a fantastic job and I’m more than satisfied with this book and the series and I highly recommend them.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Publisher’s summary: Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

My take: This is one of those books that have an ending that makes the entire book so unbelievably worth it! That was a phenomenal ending, I tell ya, but it’s also one of those endings that makes you think, “That sucks!”

This book was so good that I read the entire book in one sitting, and I didn’t even feel like my day was consumed! I felt like it happened in a snap! Yep, it’s that good. (Full disclosure . . . I did start it a while ago and only read a few chapters before putting it aside. But when I picked it up this time, I started from the beginning and didn’t stop until I was finished. Well, I MIGHT have gotten up to go to the restroom once, but I know for sure that I definitely left a dent in my couch where I sat while reading!)

One of the things I loved about this book is that it was fantasy with absolutely no paranormal aspects to it. So the war and lifestyle portrayed in the book were completely foreign to me but so much fun.

I think my favorite character in this book is for sure Kestrel. She’s an independent thinker and does what she wants and she’s kick butt! I liked Arin too, but there were times where I was worried about Arin’s decisions even though I understood his actions.

The ending to this book has all the tables turned, with a completely different set –up from how the story started, and I’m so excited to see where Marie Rutkoski is going to take us. Even though I loved this book so much, I have a feeling it’s only an introduction to a phenomenal new trilogy and I’m more than eager to follow along!

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Publisher’s summary: Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Elizabeth Fama's Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

My take: Now that’s an awesome ending! I think I liked it because that ending wasn’t a surprise to me, and it’s not a happily ever after because it would be way too impossible to have an ending that worked out after everything that happened in this book.

This book took me a little longer to read than I would have liked because there were just a few things I had a hard time relating to, and I debated my star rating for quite a while but I think these following issues had way too much influence than I would have liked. First, what’s up with this book and people acting like stealing a baby is as okay as stealing someone’s phone simply because you have the intent of returning it? It’s a baby! And not just one baby is involved, two completely different babies from two completely different families are stolen, and for two completely different reasons. This should be an extremely serious situation, and people wouldn’t just tiptoe around this kind of thing! And I don’t care who you are, as a parent you’d change your whole life if this happened to your children because it’s a natural need for parents to be so protective. And I know that the whole point to the kidnapping of these babies is to try to show this extreme seriousness, but so many unconcerned people were involved that it was hard for me to accept! I just had a really hard time coming to terms with this idea. The other thing I had a hard time with is the lifestyles of these people. This whole Day people verses Night people lifestyle thing, evolving out of the Spanish flu of 1918, was hard to wrap my mind around as to the “why.” At first, I kept wondering if this was a futuristic book where the people were all told the wrong history of the world. But then I realized it’s a book where this is a “could have been” lifestyle brought about if we separated people between night and day (for whatever reason) because of the Spanish flu. I just had an extremely hard time with this fantasy vision of the world, obviously, because it didn’t happen in the real world. But you give me a book with a bunch of power hungry people, and I’ll get it.

Other than all of that, I really loved the story. The characters were really well done! It was like they were meant to be together. Sol was a little too selfless for my liking, but I still ended up liking her. And now that I’ve fallen in love with the characters and I’ve wrapped my head around the world Elizabeth Fama created, I’m super excited to read the next book!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

My Take: This book is a bizarre world that is extremely hard to explain. The story takes place in a very strange setting and it has a very different feel to the writing that I don’t think I’ve ever felt from another book. It’s like a young adult version of an epic fairytale. Does that even make sense? I think the closest I can come to explaining the “feel” of the writing while reading Cruel Beauty is that it was similar to the bizarreness I felt while reading The Night Circus.

The main character, Nyx, has lived a cruel, horrifying life and she has so much animosity for her family. Normally, a character with that much negativity is one I would have a hard time liking, but I never had that problem with Nyx because it was the life Nyx has lived that had me completely understanding all the hate she had in her heart. But even with all that hate, I wouldn’t say that she is totally full of pure hate because if she were, she wouldn’t feel so guilty or have such a desire to make things right, or to do good, or to save the people of her land. I think most people who lived the life she lived, would just give up! They wouldn’t try to fulfill the destiny that was thrown upon Nyx’s shoulders.

And when Nyx is introduced to her new husband, Ignifex, and his shadow, Shade, I was immediately intrigued by Ignifex. I really didn’t care too much for Shade because he actually kind of annoyed me. And even though Ignifex was cruel (what I think a lot of people would define as evil), he was still interesting to me. His snarky comments and his banter with Nyx were extremely entertaining. I kinda struggled with the book because I really wanted to like the “bad boy,” and it kind of bugged me that he was supposed to be so evil. But the bizarre world kept me reading along and I’m glad I did.

There are a lot of magical elements throughout the book that keep the story very unique, and there is, of course, a huge betrayal/twist in the story. And then, when all elements of the story finally come together, and all the parts of the puzzle about this bizarre world finally fit into place, I was absolutely blow away by how amazing the whole story was! And I loved the ending! I will be keeping my eyes open for any other book written by Rosamund Hodge.

Star Cursed by Jessica Spotswood

Publisher’s summary: With the Brotherhood persecuting witches like never before, a divided Sisterhood desperately needs Cate to come into her Prophesied powers. And after Cate's friend Sachi is arrested for using magic, a war-thirsty Sister offers to help her find answers—if Cate is willing to endanger everyone she loves.

Cate doesn't want to be a weapon, and she doesn't want to involve her friends and Finn in the Sisterhood's schemes. But when Maura and Tess join the Sisterhood, Maura makes it clear that she'll do whatever it takes to lead the witches to victory. Even if it means sacrifices. Even if it means overthrowing Cate. Even if it means all-out war.

In the highly anticipated sequel to Born Wicked, the Cahill Witch Chronicles continue Cate, Maura and Tess's quest to find love, protect family, and explore their magic against all odds in an alternate history of New England.

My Take: I’m such a huge fan of this series! Oh my! It is so good!

I’m starting to realize that I am loving books that are set in historical periods, but with paranormal aspects. I know that what I’m describing is historical fiction, but I don’t really need books that have true “historical moments in time” in them. I think I just really like books that pick a historical time era and then use that era’s lifestyle and incorporate it into the story.

Okay, enough about my liking of historical fiction and back to the book. I loved Star Cursed because in Born Wicked we learn about the historical setting of the story as well as the prophesied destiny of the three Cahill sisters, what they are each capable of and what motivates each of them. We also learn a little bit of the motivations of the horrible Brotherhood, and we also learn to be leery of the Sisterhood. Then, in Star Cursed, we get to know about the Sisterhood first hand, and we learn about the role they actually play as well as who to trust and whether or not a prophecy can be changed.

I loved following along with Cate’s story as she tries to decide if she’ll be a leader of the Sisterhood, struggling with her own wants and needs. I liked following her constant dilemma of trying to do the right thing and do what’s best for her sisters. I never had a moment where I thought Cate made a bad choice, and I was always really fond of her character. But, just like in the first book, I’m not a fan of Cate’s sister, Maura. I think she’s a brat…I have a better word for her, but I’ll keep that out of my review. But I absolutely love her other sister, Tessa. She’s just way too cute, she is extremely mature for her age, and I loved seeing her become more and more wise throughout the story. There are also some new characters in this book that I grew really fond of as well.

While reading, you know that the story’s leading up to something pretty insane. The story does get to some real nail-biting moments and, along the way, there’s a really sad moment and a lot of really happy moments. But all the while, I had this strange feeling that I should be bracing myself for something that would totally rip me to shreds, and I just knew that it would be a huge betrayal that would cause it. Boy was I right! It wasn’t anything that I could have imagined, and it’s just horrible! It’s one of those epic cliffhangers…like a truly awful, but totally awesome, cliffhanger.

Star Cursed was so good that I literally picked up Sisters’ Fate the moment I was finished reading Star Cursed (even though it was 11:30pm) because I was determined to continue the story. I really hope that the upcoming release of Sisters’ Fate will get more readers into this trilogy because I think these books are not getting the attention they deserve!

Half Bad by Sally Green

Publisher’s summary: In a world of witches, there is only good and evil.

Begin the hunt!

Sixteen-year old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled like a dog, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan’s only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers-before it’s too late. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Half Bad is an international sensation and the start of a brilliant trilogy: a gripping tale of alienation and the indomitable will to survive.

My Take: So…Half Bad is just crazy insane! Some of the things in this book were so crazy that I had a hard time even imagining them happening!

First off, I want to talk about the writing style of this book! I read the non-Americanized manuscript and I don’t know how much the writing style will change in the final Americanized version, so I won’t talk about some of the wording I didn’t understand that I had to research online to figure out what the author was talking about (that was fun!) Anyways, the writing starts off as if someone were speaking to you directly, putting “you” (the reader) in the actual POV of a boy (Nathan) who’s locked in a cage and you are being told, step-by-step, what you are doing. I wasn’t really a fan of this style because it was hard for me to distinguish between what was actually happening with what the boy really wanted to happen. Then the second part of the book is in the first person past tense POV of Nathan before he was put in the cage, but there’s also a little portion of this section that was written as if Nathan’s older sister is telling him about what happened to him when he was only a baby. By a little more than midway through the book, the story leads back to the present tense and moves forward from there.

Other than the writing, the story itself was crazy! I felt so bad for Nathan throughout the story. There is a cute romance that was introduced, but the crazy, bizarre things that Nathan endures were way more interesting to me than the romance. Once the story got to the present tense, I think that was when I really started to like the story, and the last few chapters were by far my favorite. There are a few characters that were introduced in those last few chapters that I really liked, along with a whole change in scene, and everything that went down in the end was totally awesome. And the very last scene was just brilliantly done! It left me thrilled with the end, but also left so many doors open for the story to continue!

After reading this book, I’m really excited to see what others will think of this story. I think that it’s one of those stories that you either will really like or that you will really NOT like. I can hardly wait to see!

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Publisher’s summary: Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago, Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. They’re struggling to make ends meet at first, but Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes and deep dimples, and perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable, and Trent is desperate to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means revealing an explosive secret that could shatter both their worlds.

My Take: OK! So I totally now get why everyone’s obsessing over K.A. Tucker’s NA Contemporary Ten Tiny Breaths, why they were all eagerly awaiting One Tiny Lie and why the already independently published Ten Tiny Breaths was picked up by Atria Publishing! And that’s because K.A. Tucker’s writing is amazing! She creates extremely vivid scenes, she does a phenomenal job bringing each character and their personalities to life and she always keeps the story flowing at a steady pace that keeps you interested and wanting more! And that is exactly what she did in Ten Tiny Breaths!

However, even though I’m already a huge fan of K.A. Tucker and her Causal Enchantment Series, I’m not really big on Contemporary, and it’s pretty much always been a HECK NO when it comes to the New Adult genre. In New Adult books, the characters are usually a little bit older than in Young Adult and I think the whole point of the genre is to show the characters actually having sex, and it’s the detailed sex scenes that I’d like to stay away from. So, even though I’m still leery about New Adult, I’ve started to give Contemporary a try. Luckily, I didn’t feel like K.A. Tucker took it too far in the sex department! And, since I’ve exclusively been listening to the audios of the Contemporary books that I have actually started to try, I was thrilled to discover that Ten Tiny Breaths was available with Audible!

As for the characters, Kacey, the main character, is pretty dang badass and she’s super funny too. But she’s got some SERIOUS mental issues. (Due to her past, it’s understandable that she’s a little mentally messed up.) And Livie is the perfect little sister. She’s so sweet and innocent that she would be anyone’s ideal little sister. Storm, the stripper neighbor, is totally awesome and her daughter, Mia, is just the most adorable little girl. But one of my favorite characters is a doctor who makes his appearance near the end of the book, and he rocks! Except, I’m not so sure I’d actually like him as my doctor. OH…and then there is Cain! He’s super cool too! OK…so you’re probably getting the idea that I like every character. LOL! But last of all there is Trent! All I’m gonna say is he’s a hottie and I was rooting for him throughout the entire book.

Now for the story . . . Ten Tiny Breaths starts off with Kacey and Livie arriving in their new home in Miami, running from something potentially horrible in Grand Rapids, MI. They’re starting a whole new life which means that Kacey basically needs to start from scratch. The story moves along really quickly and K.A. keeps the story very entertaining. I think my favorite scene was probably when Kacey finds a rattlesnake in the shower. That scene was hilarious and it led to something even more hilarious. Near the end of Ten Tiny Breaths there is a very crazy twist/reveal which made me think to myself, “Yep! There’s K.A. Tucker’s twisted brain in action.” This twist messes everything up but it also makes the whole story so much more brilliant.

So, if you’re looking for a brilliant Contemporary that will keep you glued to your reading chair…look no further! Read this book!!!

The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Publisher's summary: The third book in Rae Carson's award-winning The Girl of Fire and Thorns fantasy trilogy. Elisa, the seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen, will travel into an unknown enemy's realm to win back her true love, save her kingdom, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny. Veronica Roth called The Girl of Fire and Thorns "intense, unique . . . definitely recommended."

Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and George R. R. Martin's style of sweeping and deeply satisfying epic fantasy, the third and final book in the trilogy takes the young queen on a journey more dangerous than any she has faced before. Elisa will stand before the gate of the enemy. And she must rise up as champion—even to those who have hated her—or her kingdom will fall. Full of sorcery, adventure, sizzling romance, and secrets that challenge everything she believes, this is a bold and powerful conclusion to an extraordinary trilogy. As USAToday.com proclaimed, "Rae Carson has proved she's a master and has shaken up the YA genre."

My take: I’m totally blown away and in complete and utter awe with what Rae Carson has accomplished in The Bitter Kingdom! There was so much that happened in this story that it’s hard to believe that it all happened in just one book!

I’ve done a lot of thinking when it comes to Elisa’s character. OMG! She has changed so much from that first scene in the first book (The Girl of Fire and Thorns) when she’s getting herself ready for her wedding. She’s now so much more independent, confident and way more calculating than she has ever been before. And she handles every situation throughout this book perfectly.

I didn’t really have many expectations for this book because the characters and world Rae Carson has created are so completely unique and, after she killed off some pretty important characters in the first book, I went in with only one expectation, and I’m pretty freakin’ thrilled with the way the story turned out.

I think my favorite character in this book is a new character that is introduced pretty early on in the story. She plays such an important role throughout the story, and adds some fun spice as well, that I just loved, loved, loved it!

I’m sad to see this series go, but I don’t think the series could have had a better ending than the ending in The Bitter Kingdom.

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer & David Levithan

Publisher's summary: A magical romance between a boy cursed with invisibility and the one girl who can see him, by New York Times bestselling authors Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.

Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.

Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.

Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.

From the critically acclaimed and bestselling authors Andrea Cremer, who wrote the Nightshade series, and David Levithan, who wrote Every Day and co-wrote Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohen and Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green, as well as many other novels, comes a remarkable story about the unseen elements of attraction, the mortal risks of making yourself known, and the invisible desires that live within us all.

My take: Invisibility was a fun, fresh and relaxing read, and I adored the story.

I’ve nothing but amazing things to say about David Levithan’s Every Day, and I’m also a huge Andrea Cremer fan, so when I first heard about this book, I was dying to get my hands on a copy.

The only thing I struggled with in this book was wrapping my head around the whole invisibility thing. It was hard for me to make it real in my head when all I kept thinking about was, “How the heck did Stephen’s mom take care of him when he was a baby?!” But enough about that…it’s just a story right?

The romance between Stephen and Elizabeth was heart melting. Their journey to discover why Stephen is the way he is, why only she can see him, and whether there is anything they can do to change his condition was so much fun that I’m smiling even now as I write this. I think the best part of this journey is Laurie. Laurie is Elizabeth’s brother, and he is by far my favorite character.

The overall feel of this book is kind of a contemporary feel, but with a paranormal twist. If you’re looking for a fun, sweet, relaxing, cute and romantic read, then this is the book for you!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Publisher's summary: 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 take: This book is amazing! Really, I’d have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!

Whenever I tell someone about this book, I always paint a picture of the first scene in the book because, for me, it totally sets the tone for the entire story. And I knew I’d love this book right after that scene transpired.

What makes this book amazing? The whole premise of the book is awesomely unique, the characters were very well developed and the execution was perfect!

As far as the characters go, I’m not quite sure if I’m really all that fond of Cassie, the main character, because her actions were really flip-flop to me. One minute she’s being super mean to pretty much every dude her age she interacts with, and the next minute she’s changing how she reacts to the other dude (can’t say cause it’s a spoiler). Yes, I know in her internal dialog she notices this character trait about herself, but she doesn’t really do anything about it, and it still bugged me. Plus, I’m not thrilled with how she feels about one of the characters by the end of the book. There are 3 other POVs in this story (all 3 are male character POVs), but two of them are kind of spoilers so I’m not going to talk about them (other than to say that one of those 2 is my FAVORITE POV.) The one male POV that I am OK with discussing is Zombie’s. I’m actually really fond of his character, and I think he rocks! OH! And pretty much all the other side characters from Zombie’s POV are my favorites too. I was always thrilled to be in is POV.

The ending is the BEST and I loved it! I’m so excited about this book…I truly believe it 100% deserves the hype it’s been given, and I know this one will be a big hit!

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Publisher's summary: In Cia's dystopian society it's an honor to be chosen for The Testing. But it’s not enough to pass the Test. Cia will have to survive it.

It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.

My take: Holy flippin’ crap! This book was downright craziness! I’m having the shakes right now thinking about everything that happened in this book, and I’m having severe separation anxiety because I want Independent Study (book 2) now! If I were put in “The Testing,” I don’t think I could control my temper one bit; I think I’d probably hemorrhage right then and there and start acting like a raving lunatic. In fact, while reading The Testing, in one moment I’d feel like I wanted to jump right through the pages and go on a frenzied rampage, and then in the next moment I’d feel the complete opposite and I wanted to curl up in a ball and have an internal freak out.

In the very beginning of the book I wasn’t fully invested in the story, and it took me a few tries to get drawn into the story, as I’d start and stop reading. Which is really weird because it wasn’t very far into the book before the story takes a turn that really sparked my interest and got my full attention. At that point, there is this one particular thing that happens that actually had me leaping from my seat in shock, and I was stuck.

I can’t really talk too much about the characters in The Testing because I have some really strong feelings about a lot of those characters. This is one of those books that had me changing my original feelings for some of the characters by the stuff that transpires by the end of the story. So, by talking about the characters, I’d be revealing major spoilers, and you know how much I hate to do that! In fact, my feelings for some of the characters were so strong that I’ve gotten into a few heated battles with some blogger friends, particularly Jaime from Two Chicks on Books.

This is a book I would totally recommend! And if you are struggling with the beginning, don’t let that hold you back because the story’s phenomenal!

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Publisher’s summary: The selection began with 35 girls. Now, with the group narrowed down to the Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's love is fiercer than ever. The closer America gets to the crown, the more she struggles to figure out where her heart truly lies. Each moment she spends with Maxon is like a fairy tale, filled with breathless, glittering romance. But whenever she sees her first love, Aspen, standing guard, she's swept up in longing for the life they'd planned to share.

America is desperate for more time. But while she's torn between her two futures, the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.

My take: Oh my gosh!!! This series is AWESOME! There is so much to say about why I loved, loved, loved this book! I loved The Selection and I just love The Elite even more!

The Elite picks up pretty much right where The Selection left off, and there is so much more that happens throughout this book! Oh…my! Something really terrible happens to one of my favorite characters in this book and I was absolutely horrified! That’s when we also learn how horrible the nation’s leaders really are. There are also some eye-opening things that happen that had me questioning the true motives of the rebels, and a bunch of other events that have left me curious about what is really going on all around! OH MY!!!! I’m dying to know more!

As for the romance! I was a little sad that Prince Maxon is absent from a lot of the book; especially, because Aspen is back in the picture and we see him throughout the book. I don’t hate Aspen, but I just really don’t want America to be with him. Then something horrible happens that had me questioning my feelings about Prince Maxon, but my feelings are really clear now! And this other thing that happens with Prince Maxon… I WAS a little horrified with the initial shock of it, but I should have expected it and I’m not really mad at him. I’m thinking, “Can I really blame the guy?” “Nah, I’m good!” I’m still Team Maxon!

There‘s a lot of craziness that happens near the end of The Elite, and I was worried that it was going to end in a way that I wouldn’t be happy with, but it actually ends perfectly! It ends in a way that has me dying for the last book and it left me knowing that the next book will be fabulous!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Publisher’s summary: For thirty-five girls, The Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My take: Loved it! Almost immediately when I first started listening to this book, I knew I’d like it!

I thought the romance between America and Aspen in the beginning of the book was sweet, and I thought right away that I’d be rooting for their relationship. But when Aspen started telling America to enter The Selection and then when he broke up with her, I was a little irritated. For a while, I gave him a break and took into consideration his insecurity about being unable to care for America, but I got over that really quick, and then I no longer cared that he was insecure…he was pretty much forgotten in my mind.

But as soon as Prince Maxon was introduced into the story, I was won over! Maxon was probably a huge factor as to why I forgot all about Aspen. There were so many moments throughout the story where I grew to like Maxon more and more. And even though America was unworthy of his affection because she kept turning away from him, I still was rooting for their relationship throughout the story. I kept hoping that America would realize that she should be falling for Maxon.

Obviously, for me the romance plays a big part in this book but, of course, it needs to be because The Selection is a dating game…right? But it wasn’t just the romance that made me love this book. I loved the interaction between the ladies in The Selection and loved learning if they could be trusted. I was also interested in discovering the dynamics of the royal family because I’m sure they can’t all be good if the country is now run so horribly.

Near the end, there was a complication thrown into the mix with Aspen, and I wasn’t too thrilled with that. But I knew it needed to happen in order for the reader to truly know if America will choose the right guy for the right reasons. And, of course, I immediately started reading The Elite as soon as I was done with The Selection.

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Publisher’s summary: No one survives the Fade.
They have taken everything, destroyed everything.
The only safe place left is within the wall of light called the Arclight.

No one survives the Fade.
If they call you, if you leave, you're lost.

No one survives the Fade.
They're trying to get in.

No one survives the Fade.
But she did.
She doesn't remember how.
She doesn't remember anything.

Marina survived the Fade . . .
but for how long?

My take: The moment I saw the cover of Arclight I was really intrigued and could hardly wait to read this one! And I actually ended up really liking it! I had the ARC but I ended up listening to the audio on Audible.

I absolutely love the way this book starts out. You get the feel right from the very start that Marina is kind of the odd-girl-out, and that there is a good reason why everyone looks at her like she’s a bad omen. And right when all this opening craziness happens, we get to meet a bunch of characters that are introduced into this high stress environment…including the main character Marina. Then to top it all off (along with the really cool story/character introductions), we get a feel for what the people in this story are protecting themselves from (The Fade.)

Throughout the story every scene moves smoothly and kept me entertained. There were just a few things that I had troubles with. Once we start to get a feel, or start to see a picture of The Fade, I had a hard time visualizing them in my mind. And then, when we finally do learn a lot more about The Fade, the new information just kept messing with the image that I already created in my head. Hopefully, we will get a clearer picture of The Fade in the following books. My only other problem is that I listened to Arclight pretty much right after I listened to Mila 2.0, and there were a few similarities (not much really) between the two books and the Narrator for both books is the same. I’ve listened to another book read by Tara Sands and she’s a really good Narrator, but I just felt like these two books had a similar feel to them. (Of course, the only reason I may have noticed these similarities is because I listened to both books back-to-back.) Other than those two things, I really liked this book.

The paranormal/dystopian aspect to Arclight is very different from everything else out there and I really liked this aspect of the book. I’m really looking forward to the next book so I can learn more about The Fade.

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Publisher’s summary: Mila was living with her mother in a small Minnesota town when she discovered she was also living a lie.

She was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was never supposed to remember the past—that she was built in a computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much, and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology.

Evading her enemies won't help Mila escape the cruel reality of what she is and cope with everything she has had to leave behind. However, what she's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and that just might save her life.

A compulsively readable sci-fi thriller, Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza's bold debut and the first book in an action-filled, Bourne Identity–style trilogy.

My take: Mila 2.0 was a fun read. I listened to this book pretty quickly and I thought it was cute!

I think the best part about this book was following along with Mila as she discovered what she truly is. She has to go through a pretty traumatic discovery of betrayal by the one person she truly cares about, and she has to try and learn to accept herself for what she is.

I think this book was probably written mostly for a lot younger reader than the books I’m used to reading in YA, so I felt like there were some situations that seemed a little too unbelievable to me. And I think this feeling is why I didn’t care as much about some of the characters while I was listening to the book in Audible.

There seemed to be moments where there was a lot more action than you would normally see in this kind of book. But trying to visualize these heroic moments when Mila is discovering her superhuman capabilities was a lot of fun as I was listening to the story.

I think the best part of the book is when Mila is put through a series of trials. During these trials, there is a character who’s introduced that I can probably say was the only one I actually really liked. However, the trials were interesting.

It’s the last part of the book that I’m not sure I care too much about. I felt like what happened was pointless from the standpoint of the overall story because Mila had to go through so many different things just to prevent this thing from happening, and then it happened anyways! And then…well, I just don’t know how to put it into words…um…yeah!