Through The Ever Night by Veronica Ross

Goodreads Description: "It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable."

My Review: It's ironic that this book is marketed as "unforgettable", when it seems pretty...well, forgettable to me. It's a decent enough sequel but I found it rather lacking in both action and romance. Perry's parts were honestly just downright boring and I found his struggles to gain the Tides' support very unrealistic. Either he must be the leader of the dumbest people on the planet of Earth or...yeah, no, that must be it. I mean, they get mad at him for not allocating more workers to the fields when they're under threat of attack and he CLEARLY needs to use those workers to defend their home. They also scoff at him wanting to move their settlement to the caves, which sounds unpleasant, I know---but do they not SEE the aether destroying their settlement all around them? Do they seriously think they can just sit on their behinds and go their merry way? 
          So yeah. That made me a little irritated. Aria and Roar's story was much more interesting, partially because I like both Aria and Roar better than I like Perry (seriously, why couldn't Aria be with Roar? Perry's so cliche perfect) and partially because their journey to Sable's settlement---more like kingdom, really---was much more interesting and it echoed sort of a Graceling feel. 
          Some signifcant things did happen in the book, with Liv and the attacks from other tribes and, oh yes, the whole big bad business with the Still Blue. The book definitely sped up near the end, which I liked. The first half of the book seemed kind of like a waste of time to me. But still, apart from the chaos at Reverie, which happened at the VERY end of the book...nothing happened. I had hoped we would learn more about the Still Blue or something, but not really. 
          The main reason I liked this book was the same reason I liked the first one: Aria. I find her to be a really likable character: friendly yet tough, a loyal friend, and she actually makes pretty good decisions, unlike a lot of idiotic heroines. She matured pleasantly from the first book, which was nice. 
          Hopefully the next book will have more resolution as to matters of the Still Blue (which is pretty much the only thing anyone really cares about, readers included). 

Cover: It's alright, very much like the first. But I wish they'd picked a guy who actually resembled Perry and not just some male model. And perhaps actually shown what aether looked like. 

Overall Grade: B-

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Goodreads Description: "Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending."

My Review: The Elite was good and bad, in my opinion. Here's what I found good: Kiera Cass followed the same formula and writing style that made me enjoy The Selection. America was just as realistic as she was last time, a good mix of teenage girl and tough girl and normal girl. I'm glad Cass didn't fall into the same rut all dystopian authors do and make the second book about some sort of "uprising" or "revolution" where the heroine becomes some sort of Katniss Everdeen-esq warrior-ninja. It worked for Suzanne Collins...but it doesn't work for everyone. And these books always seemed more like Gossip Girl or The Bachelorette than they did a war story. So while there was war, I'm glad Cass chose to MOSTLY focus on the Selection and the romance and the issues with the other girls more than she did the rebels. Because honestly, that plot seemed pretty backseat-ish to the love triangle. And I enjoyed the love triangle as well; it's kind of obvious who America is going to pick, but hey, you never know what might happen in the last book. Both guys have their ups and downs. It's not like the Twilight Saga, where I was firmly on one guy's side. 

        Here was the bad: NOTHING HAPPENED. Okay, fine, the thing with Marlee---that was big. But that was probably the ONLY thing of importance that happened in this book. I feel like at the end of the book, nothing had changed, except for Marlee. The same few girls who were there at the beginning---the same few girls who MATTER to the plot, anyway, not the random girls none of us care about---were both still there at the end. America had made advances in her relationship with Maxon, but she also went backwards a lot, so I'm not sure she made any progress at all. The only part I did sort of like was when America tried to brashly reform Illea with just one presentation. Anyone could see it was a dumb idea, but hey, at least we have a heroin with some thoughts on social reform and not just how to plan the next coup d'etat. AND her little social reform presentation led to a nice plot with Maxon's dad being all pissed at her (which, I admit, seems a little random and uncharacteristic, because he always seemed pretty placid in the previous book...but we find out quite a few shocking things about the King in this book, so it looks like he's got some skeletons in his closet), which should be amusing to read about in the next book. 

       All in all, I liked this book because the characters stayed true and honestly, it's fun to read this type of girly book (I honestly wish she hadn't put the rebels in; it's so unneccessary to the plot. Leave that stuff to the Divergents of the world, please). But I did find it lacking because the plot was slow and now much happened except for the one thing with Marlee, and a few emotional revelations. Hopefully Cass will pick up the pace in the next book, WITHOUT turning America into some soldier. (Cause really, how realistic is that? How many teenage girls do YOU know who could successfully turn into awesome warriors at the drop of a hat?)

Cover: It's pretty nice, I like it better than the first book. I do love the mirrors they put in the covers, it gives it this cool icy feel---and I like that the fact that the girl is wearing a ball gown makes SENSE. Hate when random books have girls in dresses on the front for no apparent reason.

Overall Grade: B+

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+