Code by Kathy Reichs

Goodreads Description: "The Virals are put to the ultimate test when they find a geocache containing an ornate puzzle box. Shelton decodes the cipher inside, only to find more tantalizing clues left by "The Gamemaster." A second, greater geocache is within reach—if the Virals are up to the challenge.

But the hunt takes a dark turn when Tory locates the other box—a fake bomb, along with a sinister proposal from The Gamemaster. Now, the real game has begun: another bomb is out there—a real one—and the clock is ticking."

My Review: Kathy Reichs does it again! I have got to say, the Virals series is probably my favorite current YA series right now. I'll be the first to admit that I'm sick of dystopians; I read too many of them in a rush and now I'm burned out from them all. But the Virals series takes me back down to Earth and it really grounds you with a huge dose of sarcastic humor, compelling science, and the thrilling mysteries and mayhem that we all love so much. (Don't deny it; you ALL loved watching National Treasure and reading The Da Vinci Code for the same reason!)

         Virals is one of those series that only gets BETTER with time, which is rare. I still think Seizure is my favorite out of the three, but Code was seriously fantastic. After Seizure, I found myself wondering: How is she going to come up with ANOTHER dastardly, compelling plot? And holy shizza, did Kathy Reichs deliver!

        Code is, quite frankly, fantastic. Tory & Co. are back for another round and they're just as feisty, foolhardy, and funny as ever. These are characters that I'm not tiring of; in fact, I want more! I even like Shelton, and he's one of those characters that authors usually neglect and fans don't really care about. Once again, the frank language and sarcastic humor is one of the greatest selling points for these books. I love the way Tory talks and thinks. It's so real and fresh. She's someone I want to be friends with, after reading this. (Also, she has this cool habit of getting people into crazy adventures...). 

       I liked that Ben and Tory's relationship deepened quite a bit. Reichs took it pretty slow the first two books, which I appreciated, because A) it's REALISTIC, and B) I hate when a main character quickly turns into Only The Love Interest. But after two books of taking it slow, she made their relationship quite a bit more dramatic in Code and, yes, I was thrilled. I love them together. 

       AND THE PLOT. Holy mother. The plot. The plot actually seriously scared me this time, unlike the last two books. How do four kids manage to get themselves into such crazy messes?! I was literally racing through the pages frantically, in a hurry to figure out who was pulling the strings behind this sick "Game" (talk about your regulation psychopaths!). And once again, Kathy Reichs managed to combine an action-filled plot with tons of awesome descriptive scenery of landmarks, monuments, and cool locations in South Carolina AND tons of clever science. Now, how much of this science is true? I'm not sure. But I like that she takes these books beyond the basic "it just is because it is" and has the kids find logical, scientific answers for most of their questions. They don't solve the mysteries by luck; they use RESEARCH and their BRAINS to solve them. Oh, and their guts and powers. 

       Speaking of their powers...it's cool how they're evolving as the Virals and becoming more powerful and slick. 

       And let's not even talk about the whole Chance plot. It makes me so angry that he's up to no good again that I literally wanted to throw the book out the window. What is up with this dude? Can he please pick a side to be on? Why is he so freaking bipolar? 
      AND THEN THERE WAS THE FREAKING ENDING. Oh. My. God. Talk about a crazy cliffhanger. I admit, I had a feeling something was up--- But just wow. I can't wait to see how this ending affects the Virals pack in the next book. Because obviously, things are going to get messy for the friends now!

      All in all, a fantastic third book in the series. And now I seriously CAN'T WAIT for the fourth book, whenever that is!

Cover: I'm gonna be honest: NO. I don't like it. I liked the action-y covers with the kids on them that the first two books had. They were more adventurous and fun to look at. I don't know why the publishing company decided to change the covers mid-series (HATE when they do that), but the new covers are all sort of boring, no offense. 

Overall Grade: A+

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Goodreads Description: "She's got it bad, and he ain't good -- he's in her garage?

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me..." 

Gonna have to face it: Jody's addicted to Jackson Gatlin, frontman of The Regulators, and after her best bud Mac scores tickets, she's front and center at his sold-out concert. But when she gets mashed in the moshpit and bodysurfs backstage, she's got more than a mild concussion to deal with. By the next morning, the strung-out rock star is coming down in her garage. Jody -- oops -- kind of kidnapped him. By accident. With a Curly Wurly candy bar. And now he doesn't want to leave. 

It's a rock-star abduction worthy of an MTV reality series...but who got punk'd?!"

My Review: My first confession? My review may be a bit biased, because I know EXACTLY how Jody feels about The Regulators. My favorite band is All Time Low, and I've been a hardcore dedicated fan for years now. So I know what it's like to put all your faith and soul into one band. However, the difference is that All Time Low is a lot more laid back and they don't do all the deviant stuff that The Regulators were known for, so I can't really connect to that. But the obsession with the band? I GET that. Okay, moving on... My second confession? I loved this book! It was sweet and heartbreaking but also pretty funny, at times! 

         I just really loved how this book was a good mix of everything. It was definitely funny, with the crazy hi-jinks Jody pulled and the idiotic situations she got herself---and her best friend, Mac---into. And it was entertaining and sort of deep, seeing the nonsense Jody went through in trying to help Jackson recover from his demons and become a better person. And it was sweet and almost a little sad, with Jody and her relationship with Mac and her bad relationship with her mother and missing her grandfather a lot. I just really loved the emotions in the books. It wasn't too much of one thing or too much of another. And it didn't get too deep, dark, or preach-y, which is something that bothers me about books. 

          The book had some of the plot of that ABC Family movie Taking Five where the girls kidnapped their favorite band and held them captive in their basement, and it sang along the same tune as one one of my favorite books, Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (review here), which is about another teenage girl caught up in the crazy world of bands and band members---but it also had its own, quirky feeling (helped along by the fact that  it takes place in England). 

        I just loved all the characters. Jody's grandfather sounded like a total boss and I wish the readers could have gotten a chance to meet him. Jody herself was very relate-able---just a girl who wanted to fit in, stand out, be loved, and not feel so alone...and who doesn't relate to those feelings? Jackson himself was a total jerk and a loser for the first half of the story but I began to feel sorry for him and eventually wish the best for him. And Mac! God, I LOVED Mac! What an awesome and hilarious best friend! Everyone needs a sarcastic-yet-loyal friend like Mac. And I loved that he had a 2-year-old sister, Cree. Having a 2-year-old sister myself, I could relate. 

      The ending was bittersweet and very raw...but satisfying, in a sad sort of way. And Jody and Mac's ending? PERFECT. And that's all I can say! 

Cover: Funny and it fits the dark-yet-funny theme of the book pretty well. I like it! The snapshots of the other poses the models did on the back of the book were great as well! 

Overall Grade: A-

Posh and Prejudice by Grace Dent

Goodreads Description: "The divine Shiraz Bailey Wood is back in this hilarious sequel to Diva Without a Cause (a.k.a Diary of a Chav) to enlighten us with her signature brand of madcap humor on her demented, glorious life in the gritty suburbs of London.

When sixteen-year-old Shiraz Bailey Wood's year-end test results come in, she's astonished to discover not only that she passed them all, but that she's actually clever! Emboldened by an invite to higher-level classes, Shiraz enrolls in Superchav Academy's "Center of Excellence" to get even brainier.

Hanging with goody-two- shoes types in higher-level classes seems like just the ticket to avoid getting stuck forever in her crap hometown. But Shiraz has to figure out for herself: are these posh types really any better than she, or do they just want to stick their noses up at everyone?"

My Review: Shizza's back! And she's funnier than ever. I really loved Diary of a Chav. It definitely wasn't the best-written book ever and it didn't have some deep, heartbreaking plot---but hearing Shiraz's raw, "keepin'-it-real" voice was hilarious and a reminder that even people that the world likes to look down on---"chavs, trailer trash, ghetto people"---have feelings and thoughts and opinions and dreams. It was almost a wake-up call. And Posh and Prejudice was much the same thing---it was a wake-up call that not everyone's parents think college and a higher education are the best thing in the world (shocking to someone like me), and that some people have to fight to do something as simple as getting a higher education. 

      As for the book itself, its strengths really lay with the characters, as always with Grace Dent's hilarious British books. The plot was, of course, interesting! I loved seeing Shiraz go to the sixth form and try her hardest to fit in but also keep it real. Her struggles to make sense of Wesley and attention from a handsome new preppy rich guy were also cute to read about. Shiraz is so tough but so innocent, in some ways, with a heart of gold---that's what makes her so lovable. 

     Carrie disappointed me a bit in this book. Not much attention was given to her or her friendship with Shiraz, until the very end of the book. However, I did like seeing the character progression with Uma (and it was something I NEVER saw coming!). I have to admit: as someone raised by parents who highly emphasized the importance of a higher, quality education, I was a bit disappointed with Shiraz's decision at the end of the book. However, then I found out that there were MORE books after this, so perhaps things will turn around in future books! 

      For now, the story was heartwarming and also so funny that I literally had to control my laughter at time. Some of Shiraz's observations about the world around her are too funny to believe. And her family? WOW, the Bailey-Woods are hilarious, especially her insane mother. Anyway, this was a great follow-up to Diary of a Chav and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series! 

Cover: SO CUTE! It actually fits the theme of the series: bright, poppy, fun colors and a cute ghetto-fabulous girl who's wearing things that most people would call "tacky" or "chav-y" but who also looks really hopeful and cheerful. And that pretty much describes Shiz to a T! 

Grade: A-

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Goodreads Description: "She could save the world—or destroy it. Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux. But she can’t do either alone. With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him? Who can Evie trust? As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…."

My Review: Poison Princess was pretty good! Not the BEST paranormal romance I've ever read, but the depth Kresley Cole added to her non-romance plot really made this book a winner. The book does have a dystopian, post-apocalyptic essence to it, because the apocalypse has happened and Evie is basically trying to survive while trying to figure out what her powers mean and who she truly is---but I'm going to be honest, the apocalyptic world wasn't exactly marvelously built. It didn't really matter though, because the world isn't the focus. This isn't Divergent. The focus is on the relationships and characters and on the Tarot plot.
      To explain: basically, Evie---and a bunch of other kids---are reincarnations of the major trump cards in a Tarot deck, the most important and powerful cards. She can hear the "catchphrases" of each Card (or Arcana, as they're called) in her head---and the voice won't be silenced until she meets the Card in real life. Her grandmother knows information about all this madness, but Evie hasn't seen her grandmother in 8 years and doesn't even know if she survived the apocalypse---but she's going to journey up to North Carolina with Jackson to try anyway, and figure out her fate. 
      They basically have to avoid militia men (who are pretty much evil), slavers, and Bagmen, who are basically zombies. Along the way, they acquire three more "Cards". I really like Finn (he's funny), can't quite figure out Matthew, and sort of hate Selena for the moment.
      Anyway...first of all, Evie and Jackson's relationship was crazy. I call this a paranormal romance because Evie's sort of...well, paranormal. She and Jackson had major tension and banter and it was really cute but sometimes sort of dark. They were nice to each other sometimes, but they were also really mean to each other---and their relationship was still attractive (to them, anyway). Jackson's definitely one of the meanest "bad boys" I've ever read in a YA novel. To be honest, it sometimes put me off, but I tried to gloss over that and move on...
     Because for me, the COOLEST part of this book was the actual Tarot plot! It fit in so well with the Louisiana (and Southern) landscape that Kresley Cole painted, and it was fascinating! No cliche vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, or demon princes here! Evie's powers were fascinating and eerie and almost gothic in a disturbing sort of way. She was the reincarnation of the Empress card, destined to fight out a battle that with other Cards that's already happened repeated times in history. Let's just say the whole thing was really cool and Gothic-y and just...unique. Never read anything like it. 
    The one seriously bad thing about this book? WAY confusing. It took me almost the whole book to finally figure out what was going on, and that was a bummer because it sort of ruined the book for me, in a way. Also, at times, Jackson got a little TOO creepy/misogynistic and that irritated me.
    And the ending...got really fast-paced and sort of violent and action-y. The beginning 10 chapters were pretty slow and boring and confusing but wow, the ending made up for that! So yeah, definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Cover: However, I'm not looking forward to the sequel's cover. Sorry, but this is just one of those cliche covers with a girl in a flowing dress and some attractive, brooding dude that doesn't even MAKE SENSE with the plot of the book and is just used to draw preteen girls in. Sorry, but I have no respect for covers like that. Get some originality, please. 

Overall Grade: B+

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Goodreads Description: "The long-awaited companion to New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck's reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle--disguised and alone--to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck's reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn't yet identified, holds a key to her heart."

My Review: Bitterblue. Was. Amazing. At first, I wasn't liking it so much, because it wasn't as action-filled as Graceling or as poetic as Fire, but by the end of the book I loved it. The plot was very different from the first two books---but it also connected in little ways. Katsa, Po, and a lot of the cast from Graceling made lots of appearances in the book, and even Fire showed up at one point, which excited me. 

        The plot of the book was really what drove it. The characters were good characters too, but the plot was amazing. Basically, Bitterblue is now 18 (or 19, I forgot) and she's trying to be a good queen to Monsea after Leck's reign---but it's very difficult, because Monsea, and her castle and advisors, seem to be full of odd mysteries and strange shadowy agendas. The whole book was like a twisted, eerie murder mystery---Bitterblue trying to figure out EXACTLY what went on during Leck's reign and why things were so hidden now and why such strange, weird things were happening in the city and her castle. It was all really odd and eerie and quirky. You could never figure out what was going to happen next---and when you DID find out, in the end, what Leck's reign was all about and what truly happened during the 35 years he ruled...well, my jaw dropped. And I had nightmares. This is the second book in my life to ever give me nightmares, so trust me: it's disturbing. My stomach felt queasy at some times, hearing about Leck's strange thoughts and crimes. (For example: "Little girls are even more perfect when they bleed." I wanted to puke when I read THAT.)

        Aside from the mystery---which was amazing, because it finally tied together all these strange loose ends left over from Graceling and Fire (such as the question we all had at the end of Fire: Would the Dellians ever meet with the seven Gracelingian kingdoms?)---the characters were great. Bitterblue was clever and quick and curious, but also emotional and somewhat haughty and sometimes selfish...which was realistic. She was raised a queen. Saf was amazing. He was harsh and not at all Prince Charming and funny and strange. His relationship with Bitterblue was funny and sweet but kind of depressing and raw. I'm glad Cashore ended their relationship the way she did; it was realistic (and a slap in the face for ever silly book that ALWAYS ends with a fairy tale romance). Sad, but realistic. 

       Suffice to say, Bitterblue stunned me. The world Cashore has built in her Graceling Realm books is so complex and realistic and beautiful. She ties together little things to form a greater, more complex story and that's cool. It reminds me of how J.K. Rowling wove Harry Potter together. I'm not sure if Cashore will write any more books in the series. If she doesn't, that's okay, because these 3 are amazing on their own. But if she writes more, I'll be really happy!

Cover: GORGEOUS. I loved it the minute I saw it. All the colors of blue and purple are amazing, and I love the image of the keys. It's the prettiest Graceling Realm cover! 

Overall Grade: A+

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Amazon Description: "In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?

The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . .

 

With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan."

My Review: I'll admit: I was pretty disappointed with the first two books in the Heroes Of Olympus series. I'm a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series, and the Heroes of Olympus books 1 and 2 just seemed way too complicated, confusing, and contrived. It was like Rick Riordan was trying to be J.K. Rowling or something. I didn't get to know the characters well enough and the stories were so crazy that half the time, I was confused on all the mythology and magic and madness happening---and I'm REALLY well-versed in Greek mythology, so that's saying something. However...Rick Riordan definitely made a junior comeback with the 3rd book in his series! 
         Okay, I admit: part of the reason I liked it so much more was because Percy and Annabeth were reunited. It was like the old team together again (minus Grover, who I miss!). But even with Percy and Annabeth together again, the story was much better! The first two books were confusing in simply that Riordan was trying to introduce 5 characters' pasts and story lines (I'm not counting Percy, since we already know him) AND trying to form a new dastardly plot...and that got confusing. But in this book, we were already decently comfortable with all of the characters and their pasts, so we got to move ON---and move on we did! 
         The setting really contributed to this book. Them sailing to Rome felt like old times (remember sailing across the Sea of Monster? Yeah, so do I). The setting was so cool! FINALLY they got to go to Rome! I'd been waiting for this moment for a long time. Hopefully they'll get to go to Greece in a future book as well. The setting just made it so much more exotic and unique. 
        The return of some favorite Greek mythology characters also helped the book a lot. Some of the mythology in the previous Heroes Of Olympus books was kind of confusing and crazy because some of the myths weren't too well known---like the South Wind, North Wind, etc---but this time, we got to meet Arachne and Hercules. And that was pretty awesome, let me tell you that. 
        The plot was interesting and well-paced; it flowed well, with good action scenes and some good calm scenes. What made it really good was that the two teams were finally merged; their camaraderie and bantering was really fun, and it felt like we were back at Camp Half-Blood, with all of the familiar faces. Something about having a large group of characters makes it really fun; the previous books felt a little...lonely.
        All in all, a really good job on the third book! This makes me really excited for the next books in the series! ESPECIALLY after a cliff-hanger that left my eyes popping out of my head and me waggling my hands in a series of silent fangirl screaming. Trust me, the cliffhanger? Brilliant but PAINFUL. The waiting for the next book is going to be intense!

Cover: It's okay. I'm not a fan of the scene the artist chose. This scene wasn't THAT important; I'd have rather scene a nice illustration of their ship, or of some scene in Rome. But it's okay, not bad. 

Overall Grade: A-

Audrey's Guide To Witchcraft by Jody Gehrman

Goodreads Description: "Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. 

When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past." 

My Review: [I received a copy of this book from the author, Jody Gehrman.] This was a pretty good book! Looking at the cover and reading the back...I wasn't really sure what to expect. Was it supposed to be a funny book? A serious book? The cover looked very paranormal romance-y. I had no idea, so I just dove right in---and I liked it a lot. I wouldn't say this is the best book I've ever read---and it's certainly not the best book by Jody Gehrman I've ever read (that would be her Triple Shot Betty books!)---but it was a pretty amusing book to read, nonetheless! My favorite aspect of it was probably the main character, Audrey. She was so...REALISTIC. She was very sarcastic and a good mix of insecure-teenager with loudmouthed-brat. In fact...the reason I probably liked her so much was that I could RELATE to her so much. Not that I love baking as much as she does---but I could definitely connect to her issues with sibling rivalry, wanting to blend in the crowd AND wanting to stick out and do her own thing, and also wanting to help her quieter, shyer friend stand up for herself. 

         So, all in all, Audrey was a great character. She seemed a little whiny at times, but I could sort of see how that was understandable, given the chaos in her life! And I thought the way Jody Gehrman portrayed her missing her mom was pretty realistic. Sometimes, in books, when the parents are absent...it's like the main character forgets about them. Audrey never forgot her mom. 

        The other characters were pretty winning. I liked Audrey's little sister---she was very sassy and in-your-face and fun, and the way she and Audrey bantered were great. And I LOVED Audrey's cousin! She was just the coolest, most unique person! She wasn't too "mystical-magical-wise-Dumbledore-figure", and she also wasn't too normal. She was definitely one of my favorite characters. 

         As for the magic and the plot itself...it was a tad weak. I did like how the magic seemed very elemental and chemical and very traditional---in that witches actually made potions and spells in cauldrons---because that's a fresh take on magic, these days, honestly. However, the book moved VERY slowly, and in the end, not much actually happened. I did keep reading, because the characters were awesome, but I wish the book had gone a bit faster or there had been a bit more action. I wanted to see more magic. And for all of Audrey's creepy premonitions about the evil guy...her meeting with him with a little anti-climactic. He didn't seem as evil as he should have. So hopefully there will be more action and adventure in the next book!

Cover: The cover's a bit weird and eerie. I do like it---such as that red dress, that's just divine!---but I think they could have picked a better cover for this book. This cover seems very gothic and paranormal romance-ish, and that's not what this book is about. So it's nice, but not very fitting, in my opinion. 

Overall Grade: B+