Matched Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

I'm not sure what I have against firsts in a series but I haven't been impressed here lately. Not saying that this was a bad book because it wasn't. Not by a long shot. I feel like if I would have read this book back when dystopians was a new thing, I would have been greatly into it. But it just seemed very familiar. Already done, society has taken over, nobody wants to fight, Cassia thought everything was perfect until she met a boy. Very familiar. except when it wasn't. The characters were different. I kept comparing Cassia to Katniss or Tris but Cassia isn't in the hunger Games or in Dauntless. I honestly don't think Cassia would have made it five minutes in the Hunger Games or even jumping on that first train after joining Dauntless, if that's what faction she would have chosen. Cassia is normal. She is not overly brave and she doesn't really fight society all that much. She does wonder though, and in this book, wondering is dangerous. She falls in love with someone who is not her Match. She does very small, little things to show her defiance to society. She wonders, she learns and she creates. Cassia grows strong and she starts to see that everything in Society is not as perfect as she thought and when things start to get a little crazy she wishes that everyone had the right to choose. She wants to choose the food she eats, the clothes she wears, the things he can read, and even who she is matched to.

Xander and Ky, the two guys in this story. One is her Match and her best friend since childhood, and the other a mistaken face that pops on her screen. One she loves, and one she loves a totally different way. I love them both for so many different reasons.

My Favorite Quotes:

"For a moment, he leans over the platform and I see what I need to see. I see his eyes, bright with life and fire, and I know he won't stop fighting. Even if it's the kind of quiet fight on the inside that you can't always see. And I won't stop fighting either."

"Every minute you spend with someone gives them a part of your life and takes a part of theirs."

"Only when I hold onto nothing can I be the best, only then can I be what they expect me to be."

"Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled."

"...they are giving us pieces of a real life instead of the whole thing. And I'll tell her that I don't want my life to be samples and scraps. A taste of everything but a meal of nothing."

I am already into the second one and it is so much better than this one.  I am loving these books and I keep waiting for things to happen that seem to be just out of arms reach.

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Something Strange and Deadly - Susan Dennard

There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia...

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family as fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walkers by. But this is nothing compared to what she's just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor... from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she'll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including the maddeningly stubborn yet handsome Daniel, the situation becomes dire. An now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.


I remember being at RT and getting swag from this author. Bookmarks and whatnot. They looked good and I'm finally just getting around to reading them. This is a historical YA paranormal book. I love historical books but I Hate the women of that time. I love strong, kick ass heroines and Eleanor Fitt is not one of them. She was annoying, cowardly and at times I thought she was going to pee herself. But she had a smart mouth and the potential to be better than the women of her time. I guess this book was the perfect example of character growth and development. If you have ever read a story where the kick ass heroin hints at a time when she wasn't so kick ass and some hard times or extenuating circumstances made that character who she is today, that is that story for Eleanor Fitt. This is the story that defines the type of woman she will become and its not a cowardly woman of her time. She becomes strong and brave. She ends up with war wounds that no one should have. I can't wait to read more from Miss Fitt of the Philadelphia Fitts. This sums it up perfectly...

"When you first came into our labs, I thought you were a snobby princess who only cared about herself. Just the sort of person I hate."
I bit the inside of my mouth, trying to keep the thirsty ache away. "A-and now?"
"Now..." He shook his head and gazed at his cap. "Well, you're none of that. I was wrong. You're an empress with grit and brains, and I wish..."

There was just as much mystery in this book than there was the walking dead. It all started with her father and the people her father called friends. There is betrayal, bullying and secrets. There is so much more to Clarence than you see in the beginning. I loved the spirit hunters. Daniel especially. there wasn't much spark in the love interest department as I think was intended. I really didn't feel for either guy until the end.

"The Fault is not in our stars," I whispered to the ceiling. "But in ourselves. This was my choice."

This book didn't really get good until the end because I just didn't like her much. I did start to like her more and more throughout the book and towards the end it was really good. I will be reading the whole series and I intend to start the next one immediately.

And with all the strange and deadly things in the world, what was there even to dream about.

I give this book a 3.5 stars and I have a feeling this series is only going to get better and better and I will be there for the ride.

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Creed - Trisha Leaver + Lindsay Currie

Creed - Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie
Release Date: Nov 8th 2014
Three went in. Three came out. None even a shadow of who they once were.

When their car breaks down, Dee, her boyfriend Luke, and his brother Mike walk through a winter storm to take refuge in a nearby town called Purity Springs. When they arrive, the emergency sirens are blaring and the small farming town seems abandoned. With no other shelter, they spend the night in an empty house.

But they soon discover that not everything in Purity Springs is as it seems. When the town's inhabitants suddenly appear the next morning, Dee, Luke, and Mike find themselves at the mercy of the charismatic leader, Elijah Hawkins, who plans to make Dee his new wife. Elijah's son, Joseph, offers to help them escape . . . but the price of his help may be more than Dee and her friends can bear.

 

I was browsing through Netgalley one day and saw this. It looked really good so I requested it. It took me a couple of days and half the book to get engrossed in it but one I did, it was good. It was creepy and disturbing. Its set in this weird M Night Shyamalan type setting right out of the village. These three kids run out of gas and head into this town. Weird alarms are going off and no one seems to be around. Dee, her boyfriend Luke and his brother Mike spend the night in this deserted house waiting for the next morning so they can be on their way.

 Dee is a ward of the state and has a past. She was taken away from an abusive father who tried to sexually abuse her, spent some time in a group home and finally seemed to have her life on track. She lived with the Hoopers, an elderly couple who seemed to care for her greatly. Luke, her boyfriend, who knew of her past and seemed to be her rock. Mike his kind of a trouble maker brother, who really wanted to buy kegs and throw a party instead of go on that trip in the first place.

This book made me so mad in so many ways. The town was in essence, a cult. This weird town of people who would do any and everything their group leader Elijah said. It was even said that if he told everyone to drink battery acid, they probably would. He was creepy and weird. Jacob, the son who wanted to escape and save his sister, just drove me crazy. Jacob wanted to leave so badly that he was to blame for all the misfortunes that happened to Dee, luke and Mike. Jacob, who one day would have been leader could have saved that town. He could have stuck around and as leader, changed the way things were but instead he decided to run.

 This book was creepy and sad and in ways horrible. I kept wanting them to escape that horrible place and kept waiting for a happy ending that did not come. I wanted everything to be okay and it wasn’t’ I think that alone made me not like this book as much as I could have.  I wish there was more closure. It only mentioned what happened to a few character not all. It was like one of those scary movies that you know could have a sequel just because of the ending. Maybe another group of unsuspecting kids will stumble across this town and things might end a little happier.

 

All in all, I give this a 3 1/2 stars. I think if there was a sequel, I would read it just to see if things end differently and just to see some of the characters again.

 

 

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Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire
Sarah J Maas
Sept 2nd 2014


Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?


I got this book through Netgalley. I was super excited that I was approved.  This is the 3rd in my number one favorite YA series. Number 2 in my top five any type of series.

I can not even begin to describe how awesomely amazing this book is. I have only ever read one other series that has had me this wrapped up in the world and that is Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. You guys should know by now, my number one book boyfriend is and always will be Jericho Barrons! I actually had this conversation with Sarah J Maas at RT where she proceeded to tell me that she LOVED those f*cking books! Which made me love her even more!

So we leave of Caleana heading to Wendlyn on a mission set up by Choal to keep her safe. She gets there and I have never seen her this broken. She has always been a little broken but still strong. Still kickin butt. but now? She just doesn't care. She's drinking and starting fights and not even trying to complete her mission. It broke my heart to see how down and just lost she was.

“Because I am lost,' she whispered onto the earth. 'And I do not know the way.”  

Then along comes Rowan. Oh how I love Rowan. Not as a potential love interest for Calaena but just as he is. He is just as broken as she is. Together they build each other back together and it is truly amazing to read about. The silent conversations between them remind me so much of the conversations between Mac and Barrons!

“I claim you, Rowan Whitethorn. I don't care what you say and how much you protest. I claim you as my friend.”  

Her effort and struggle with herself and her past that haunts her is the most amazing story of character development that I have ever read. There were points where I found myself crying; my heart breaking with hers and those moments where she triumphed were just as emotional. Caleana is a queen that I would follow to whatever end.

“Because she is dead!" She screamed the last word so loudly it burned in her throat. "Because she is dead, and I am left with my worthless life!”

For those who are worried about what is happening with Choal and Dorian, do not fear, there is plenty of parts with them in them. Dorian is at the castle still trying to control his magic. He becomes very friendly with an unexpected person and them together made me happy. Choal still misses Caleana like crazy.

 “He'd known, since the moment he figured out who she was, that while Celaena would always pick him, Aelin would not.”

“As for Celaena,' he said again, 'you do not have the right to wish she were not what she is. The only thing you have a right to do is decide whether you are her enemy or her friend.”

He is struggling with who his loyalties lie and what side of the line he is actually on and what is feeling for her are now that he knows exactly who she is. That moment when he decides and makes his choice made me cheer for him!

“He would see that world reborn, even if it took his last breath. Even if he had no name now, no position or title save Oath-Breaker, Traitor, Liar.”  

 There are so many new characters that I grew to love. Luca and Emrys; the people in Mistward. She tries so hard to shut them out and not care about them but they find a way into her heart anyway. Manon the Irontooth witch who I think we are supposed to hate but I actually really enjoyed reading about and her struggle with herself, who she really is and the feelings she is not supposed to have but still does.

“They have made you into monsters. Made Manon. And we feel sorry for you.”  

I cant leave out Abraxos. The wyvern with the warriors heart! Im not sure if I should be liking him but I do!

“He'd devoured the goat in two bites, then gone back to enjoying the wildflowers.”  

I seriously LOVED this book. So much left to accomplish and I cant wait for the next one. This book makes me want to go to Goodreads and take a star away from any book that I have given 5 stars to because none of them can even compare.

I give this book a huge 5 stars and if I could, I would give it more!

 

 

 

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Contact by Laurisa White Reyes



It takes only half a second…

…Like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall.
…In that instant, every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream.
…I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.

“Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.

Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already, and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira, it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.

To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated in the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of a miracle drug. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth…but proving it just might get her killed!

 

 

 

I got approved to read this book through netgalley. It sounded intriguing, to say the least. Mira sees people's whole life flash in her mind when she touches them. Their hopes, dreams, memories. She hates it so much, se tries to commit suicide twice. Her mom is the only person who seems to believe her and who is there for her. Her father is this big wig in this company who eradicates depression and mental disorders in teens. He also is running for governor. At times he seems so distant and cruel. When her mother falls into a coma, the only person she can turn to is David. David is so sweet and caring, with secrets of his own. It seems like all Mira wants to do, is live her life for the first time since her powers manifested. But instead, she gets wrapped up with an old affair of her father's and someone trying to kill her. dealing with her mother being in a coma is hard for her but seeing that her mother is still in there and having David helps.  When she starts to get the feeling that her father may not be innocent and that her mothers coma may not be accidental, things start to get a little crazy.

 

I think what upset me is that she has this gift that no one believes. If I would have been in her shoes, I would have been trying to prove it. A lot got unanswered but not really with a cliffhanger. All in all, this book was pretty good. Not so quote worthy though. I don't think I highlighted not one. Definitely has potential to be a great series. I will be looking forward to the second one.  Oh and I like the fact that her favorite candy is Abba Zabbas! We at this blog LOVE Abba Zabbas! Too bad they are non existant in the state of Mississippi, or anywhere in the south!

 

All in all I give this a 3 1/2 stars

 

 

 

 

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Keep Calm & Tug Your Ear

Why did I do this to myself? May 6th seems like it is an eternity away, must I really wait?

Let me start by saying that I am TEAM MAXON all the way! (And yes, I am a grown ass woman!) Moving on...

In this 2nd installment, the author delves deeper into the Selection process of Prince Maxon's future bride. The book picks up right where the last one left one. There are 6 remaining girls, and the competition is become cut throat. There are tactics being used from fights that are provoked by other girls in hopes of getting the other one kicked out of the competition down to broken glass in each other's shoes. During this book you learn more about the 6 remaining girls. You root for them more or despise them more. Sometimes you do both at the same time.

And then there are the rebels. Some interesting and yet unexplained events are happening within these attacks. You feel there is someone on the inside helping these attacks occur. One particular moment that left me (And America) puzzled: the rebel and her curtsy. The only thing I can attest that gesture is the possibility that the rebels see America as a symbol of hope. (Very Mockingjay of her!)

The return of Halloween make me squeal like I received an invitation to the party. The grand gestures that Maxon is presenting to America may seem easier due to his resources, but with every gesture he is defying the King's wishes. A penny may seem like so much to Aspen, but I think each gesture is from the heart.

I will impatiently wait for 'The One' to shows itself to my eyes on May 6th. I can't promise that my eyes and daydreams won't wander to others while I wait. Even Maxon strayed to Celeste (YUCK!) when he had to wait. But, fear not Maxon, I will return for you.

I will close out my review with 2 quotes that stuck with me throughout the book:

"It is the most wonderful and terrible thing that can ever happen to you... You know you have found something amazing, and you want to hold on to it forever; and every second after you have it, you fear the moment you might lose it."

"Love is a beautiful fear." 

With that, I wish America all the luck in the world to win her man!

The kiss obliterated her...

Catherine Here! Recently, Kristyn recommended that I pick up Throne of Glass. I devoured that novel and quickly picked up the follow-up, Crown of Midnight. Equally consuming. An easy 5 out of 5 stars! 

 In the first installment you meet Prince Dorian, the potential King's Champion Celaena Sardothien, Captain of the Guard: Chaol and a whole cast of colorful characters on both sides of the moral map. 

In this follow-up, Celaena is working as the King's Champion or so that is the appearance she is keeping. She is the object of much affection, and yet that affection is not the main focus of the story. Celaena and her good friend, Princess Nehemia are one of many relationships that feel the strain of secrets kept in this novel. 

Sarah Maas opens up a whole new world of history and potential for a new and greater future for this band of misfits. Sarah breaks genre stereotypes with this novel. I cannot find a genre it solely associates with. I think it does and will appeal to readers of all genres a like. She also leaves the area of love interests open wider than most. It is obvious the triangle in this book, but I found myself on both sides of the fence depending on the chapter. Ms. Maas creates detailed and personal relationships between her characters on all levels and it leaves you concerned for their well-being. 

The story intertwines mystery with paranormal and magic while touching on romance in a very coming of age manner. A new favorite for me and I will be truly honored to meet the incredibly talented, Ms. Maas at RT this May. 

Heir of Fire is the 3rd installment in the series and is due out September 2nd, 2014. 

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I'd apply for the Selection! Just don't call me 'Dear'

TEAM MAXON 

Catherine Here!
I took a day to compose myself after reading 'The Selection' (click title to get this book on Amazon!) by Kiera Cass. I was almost late for work this morning due to the intense need to finish this book before I fell asleep. This lead to me oversleeping.

Well worth it!

Caste systems are terrible. Especially for America Singer (a Five) who secretly adores Aspen. (a Six) They can be cordial, but the intense love they have for each other is forbidden. As a woman, you do not strive to marry below you.

Meet Price Maxon. Beautiful to everyone except dear America. Or so she thinks. The Selection shows a heroine even more lovable and noble than Katniss who enters the Selection for her family and at the request of Aspen. And then her world is knock upside down.

Prince Maxon is busy trying to learn how to lead a country and before he knows it - he is of marrying age. Enter 35 eligible woman of Illea. All these potential wives are all from different castes. Let the fun and eliminations begin.

I will not give any more details, as I think you should read the book. Kiera has built this world that is sad and beautiful all in the same breath. She has built relationships that are heart wrenching to watch strain, and yet the love shown between siblings, parents and potential spouses is endearing. In an era of Young Adult novels with such violence  and pain, this novel is refreshing. While you do have attacks on the palace, the rebels are not the focus. I caught myself playing cards and gossiping with the maids and other girls. I am eager to read the Elite, and cannot wait for the One to be released next month.

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Until next time...
Happy Reading