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I know a lot of you aren’t going to like what I’m about to write, but maybe some of you will agree with me. I can easily say that I really enjoyed Legend, and there’s no doubt about it. But I can also say that the cover doesn’t do the story inside justice.

It’s true that the cover does incorporate various aspects of the story, but I feel there are endless possibilities and that the cover could have been much more eye catching that it is.

On the other hand, how crazy amazing was Legend?! Day and June are totally kickbutt! And OH so perfect for each other!! I love that this story was told in both of their points of view. The reader got the chance to get into both of their heads and see what they’re thinking and how they’re living their lives.

Legend weaves back and forth between the lives of Day and June, who live in the same world, but on completely different ends. While June is the baby sister of a high ranking soldier, Day is viewed as a criminal. June has perfect scores, is enrolled in a military academy and is living a good life. Day is legally dead, hiding in the slums, hoping to steal any food, and medicine to provide for his brothers and mom.

At the age of ten every child has to take a test called the Trials, scoring them on their intelligence and physical ability. The score they receive decides what kind of lifestyle they will be living in their future. If they’re scores are high (like June’s) their life will be comfortable. But if their scores are low (like Day’s) they are sent to working camps.

A civil war is rising between the rich and poor. More and more of the poor are dying due to a plague, while the rich go on living their lives with the cure.

When June’s brother is brutally murdered, she sets out to find his killer and get revenge. She heads to the poor lands of her society, knowing she has nothing left to lose. Her brother meant everything to her, and was always there for her, even when their parents weren’t.

Day is struggling with his own problems. He has a risky plan to steal the plague cure and return to his baby brother who is coming down with the sickness. His plan doesn’t run as smoothly as he hoped because Day isn’t sure, but he thinks he might have killed a soldier on his way out of the hospital. 

Day and June bump into each during a street fight. Day takes in June, and they both start to have feelings for one another. June soon finds out who Day really is, and what he did. And can’t believe she was distracted by her feelings.

But the couple soon realizes everything isn’t what it seems. The world they are living in is a lie. The government, the Trials, the plague – everything is a lie. Day and June know what is REALLY going on, and need to do something about it.

Overall Legend was totally bad (…ass, that is!) and I already added Prodigy and Champion to my Christmas wishlist! Day and June were everything and more that I was hoping for in two main characters in this type of society dealing with these types of issues! I think that it’s extremely interesting that the world they live in is very comparable to the world we’re living in. Each person is sorted and filed by their physical ability and intelligence, but in Legend it’s is much more obvious.

Dying to read the rest of the series!

 

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“Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?”

 There was so much hype around this series every time another instalment was released, and it seemed like everyone was talking about them. And no wonder! There was not one slow moment throughout this entire book, and throughout The Maze Runner. If you haven’t started this trilogy, you need to ASAP!

The Scorch Trials begins right where The Maze Runner ends. The Gladers have just escaped the maze, but now are facing their next challenges; the world that’s falling down around them, and the Flare, to name a few.

After their arrival, the Gladers wake up to a (clean) man sitting at a desk behind a clear protective shield. He is here to tell the group about their next test; go 100 miles across the desert within two weeks. To get the Gladers to take this seriously, the man tells them that each and every one of them is infected with the Flare, and if they make the distance they will be granted the cure.

This story was so intense, mysterious and crazy! This group of teenagers has no memory of who they are, or what is going on around them. And the reader only knows what the Gladers know.

Besides every page being filled with action and mystery, there was also a lot of character development. The reader was re-introduced to the characters who survived the maze (I won’t be giving anything away, go read the book!) and to a few new ones. Thomas is still the smart and friendly leader we got to know in the first book, but within the second segment we see him facing some difficult situations. Thomas really pulls himself and the Gladers through a lot of tough times. Teresa seemed to be the girl for Thomas in The Maze Runner, but she does a few things, that completely change and spin the minds of readers. I was unsure whose side she’s on!

The new characters we got to meet were Brenda and Jorge, two people that the Gladers bumped into, and decided to bring along for the Gladers sake, and theirs. The two join the ride, in hopes of getting the cure as well. Brenda has Thomas questioning his love for Teresa as he starts to have feelings for her, so I’m excited to see how that works out and who Thomas picks.

I couldn’t believe how action packed this book was, and how much more I enjoyed the characters, even though I already loved them in The Maze Runner! I can’t wait to start reading the third and finally book! Who knows what James Dashner will have in store for both me and the Gladers.

P.S. Does anyone know if they are making these into movies?

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It’s Me!

So if the title hasn’t given anything away yet, I’m here today to tell you the five books I’m dying to finally having released in the month of November! And of course, why that it is! If you are just sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting for any of these titles below to finally hit the book store, feel free to comment down below! Or if you’re excited for other November releases that aren’t mentioned here, also feel free to comment! Either way I would love to hear what you’re anticipating and why!

Here are my books:

Champion by Marie Lu.

“June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.”

My friend was actually the one who constantly pushed me to check out Legend and to read it. She’s a die-hard fan. And while I do have to admit the way Day and June meet in Legend is a bit predictable, I was still completely head over heels for it! I can’t wait to see what Marie Lu has in store for both the readers and for June and Day! 

 

Crash Into You, by Katie McGarry.

“The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life—that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker—a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks—no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.”

Crash Into You has been on my mind, ever since I read and reviewed Pushing The Limits! I loved Katie McGarry’s writing style, and she almost reminded me of Simone Elkeles and her Perfect Chemistry trilogy. I’m excited to read this one, and see what Rachel and Ian get themselves into, and how far they truly will go just to save one another. 

 

The Fiery Heart, by Richelle Mead.

“In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn’t over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there’s still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this smoldering fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.”

This series has been around for so long, and I’ve been meaning to start reading it for a few years now, but still haven’t. I’ve read the first book in the Vampire Academy series, I purchased the rest of them as well as her Bloodlines series, but still haven’t picked them up. I’m so excited and I’m always hearing and reading good reviews, but still I always find myself having to read something else first. With winter break coming up soon (ish), I might just have to marathon these two series, and finally get them read!

 

Loud Awake and Lost, by Adele Griffin.

“LOUD. There was an accident. Ember knows at least that much. She was driving. The car was totaled. She suffered back injuries and brain trauma. But she is alive. That’s the only thing left she can cling to.

AWAKE. Eight months later, Ember feels broken. The pieces of her former self no longer fit together. She can’t even remember the six weeks of her life leading up to the accident. Where was she going? Who was she with? And what happened during those six weeks that her friends and family won’t talk about?

LOST. One by one, Ember discovers the answers to these questions, like a twisted game of dominos. And little by little, the person she used to be slips further and further away.”

A few years ago, when I first started blogging, I headed to the library and found this creepy book called Tighter by Adele Griffin. I was completely creeped out and loved it. Looking back at it now, it probably wasn’t THAT scary, but still I read it in one or two sittings, and could barely force myself to put it down. Since then I haven’t read anything about Adele Griffin, or heard any new books coming out, until now. And that’s why I’m excited to this book to come out, I want to see what Adele Griffin has in store!

 

Ketchup Clouds, by Annabel Pitcher.

“Zoe has an unconventional pen pal-Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe’s letters, but at least somebody will know her story-somebody who knows what it’s like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.”

I haven’t heard anything about this book, nor about Annabel Pitcher, but when I got the chance to read the synopsis, it was going right onto this release list! She’s a teenage girl who fell in love with two boys, betrayed one, killed the other and she writes letters, explaining this to a man in prison who is on death row?! Okay, how crazy is that!? Doesn’t that make you want to buy the book?

Thank you so much for stopping by, and checking out this new type of post I’m trying out! If you like it, be sure to let us know!

 Lisa

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I know! I’m so embarrassed! There is no need for anymore blogger bullying! (JK!) I’ve finally picked up Delirium, read it, and I’m here today to review it! This book came out a little over a year ago, and back in those days I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it!

But after purchasing it, for some reason I never found myself picking it up. Other books needed reviewing, things came up, and soon Delirium was just left, sitting on my shelf, collecting dust. And I’m utterly embarrassed to admit it!

Before I even get into the story, and how much I loved it, how hard it was for me to put down, etc, I need to discuss something important, one of the two things that bothered me throughout reading Delirium… The cover…DAH DAH DAAAAH!

I feel that Delirium has so much substance, content and overall amazing qualities, but I also feel that this cover does nothing for the story. The cover is just a face, it doesn’t tell you anything about the fantastic story inside. There are so many different things that could have been put on this front cover to make it more interesting, than a face…

Delirium takes place in a society that believes love to be a disease; that takes over the body, the mind, and the soul. Their belief is that this disease that leads to suicide and many other health issues. But when a person turns eighteen in this society they are luckily given the cure, to prevent love.

Once this person is cured, they are matched with someone else (who is, of course, also cured) to spend the rest of their lives together, having as many kids as the government wants them to, and basically doing anything the government requires of them. Cured ones don’t feel any emotions, not for their significant other, not for their children, nothing.

If you are left uncured after the age of eighteen, you are now known as an Invalid and are shunned out by society. Many rumors have floated around that many Invalids reside outside of the government walls, but no one knows if that’s really true.

Delirium follows the story of a seventeen year old girl named Lena, who lives in this society and has never known anything else. She can’t wait for her eighteenth birthday and to finally be granted the cure. But Lena’s story isn’t just that simple, see, Lena’s mother could be considered an Invalid, because even after receiving the cure four times, her “love” was never cured, and in the end love is what caused her to commit suicide!

Not wanting to turn out like her mother, and allowing love to take her over, Lena has to look her best, and do her best in the interview before receiving the cure. She can’t risk anything, everything must be perfect!

Standing inside of the interview room, in front of a desk full of judges, Lena is already nervous and making mistakes, even though she and her aunt practiced the questions a million times before. But just lucky for Lena, her interview is interrupted by a herd of cows, and a very handsome boy chasing after them. Lena is given another date and time to redo her interview.

Lena and her best friend Hana, are spending the afternoon together and bump into the same guy, Lena saw during her interview chasing the herd of cows. Feeling nervous to be around someone much older than her, and a male, Lena has to remind herself that it’s okay, because he was over eighteen and already had the cure; especially since he worked for the government.

But after talking and spending some time together, Lena can’t seem to get Alex out of her head. She is starting to have these feelings, thoughts, and urges, all somehow including Alex. She even starts to wonder if the cure isn’t what she wants, maybe she does like the feeling of love taking her over…and maybe the government is wrong.

Delirium was everything I expected from reading reviews and listening to people rave, and so much more! I loved the characters, I loved the upside down society Lena lived in, and I loved how people feared love … Muahhhahah! (That was my evil laugh…)

Lena was down to earth, and feared a lot. But she also had reason to. Her mother went through a lot because of love and not receiving the cure properly. Lena’s biggest fear was turning out just like her mother, and becoming completely shunned by society.

Besides Lena, you also learn a lot about Alex; the guy who for some strange reason was chasing cows through a building…still not sure how that happened. Without giving too much information away, he wasn’t what he seemed to be, even though he worked for the government. But Alex was sweet, normal, and not too pushy like a lot of guys seem to be in YA novels.

Lena and Alex were the main characters in Delirium, but other than that the reader doesn’t learn too much about anyone else except for the society (you would consider that like the evil villain). Lena lives with her aunt and uncle after her mother “committed suicide”. Hana (Lena’s best friend) pops up a few times throughout the story, but not too much, and Invalids can be found here and there in the government’s city limits.

Earlier I said that the cover was one of the two things that bothered me throughout the story, so right now I’m about to tell you the second. And I don’t want you to get mad at me, or think that I didn’t enjoy Delirium, because I REALLY did; I loved it. But in the beginning of Delirium, Lena’s fear of love and need of the cure is obvious, almost every page mentions it. And with her mother’s history, why wouldn’t she feel that way? But once she meets Alex, she seems to do a three sixty in a matter of minutes and completely change her mind, about something she’s felt her ENTIRE life. That doesn’t happen so fast, and that’s what kind of bothered me.

(Sorry for the long rants!)

Overall Delirium was an amazing reading, and I hate myself for just letting it collect dust on my shelf for this long! I’m excited to get to the next book, and finish the series! Heard many amazing things about the rest!

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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.

Hardcover, 457 pages

Published May 7th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile (first published April 7th 2013)

Krista

Cover 

The cover is perfect fitting for the book. It describes a scene in which we are solo wanderers if we want to live, hiding in the forest, travelling at dusk and night is our best chance of survival.

Characters

The story is told from 3 different perspectives and sometimes a 4th. As the characters all get separated into different groups the varied perspectives allows the reader to see what is happening at the same time in different places.

Favourite

Evan is my favorite character. Throughout the novel he had me wondering about what he was hiding. I had a soft spot for him.

Least Favourite

I both liked and disliked Cassie. But she does show growth throughout the novel and I really liked her more in the ending. She is a fighter when it comes down to the people she cares for and her own survival.

Beginning

We jump into the story at the present time and get back story through memories of each of the characters as their POV’s are introduced.

Storyline

After the Aliens have decimated the Earth, humans for the most part are just solo survivors as forming groups is dangerous. When Cassie’s little brother Sammie is taken away by a government group, she decides that she cannot let him go and must rescue him from the camp.

Ending

The story is a build up for the ending. We get to know the characters throughout the story but at the end they all come together. There is a final battle scene that leaves you needing more.

Thoughts

A survival story that when you think about it, is really creepy.When the enemy looks just like you, how do you fight them? It could be a person you’ve known your whole life, your neighbour, your teachers, your family. That is the real backbone to this story and the different perspectives range from younger to teen. I would have loved to see one adult perspective but enjoyed the story as is – romance and danger rolled into one.

Quote

“How do you rid the Earth of humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.”

 

Lisa:

 

 

Cover 

One of the prettiest covers on my bookshelf! There are so many different elements, that truly represent the story inside, and that are just beautiful. What a piece of eye candy! If you tilt the book to the side, you can actually see the rays of sun shine through the branches of the trees.

Characters

There were many interesting characters featured in The 5^Th Wave, and it was compelling to see how these different personalities dealt with what was going on!

Favorite

Cassie and Ben were definitely my favorite characters! Cassie was that butt kicking girl I crave for in books like The 5^th Wave. She matured and grew strong quickly when things started to fall apart. She handled situations much better than I think I would have been able to. When the reader was first introduced to Ben, Cassie was day dreaming about her crush on him. After being in a child military academy Ben was used to hiding his feelings and following orders. But when Cassie’s little brother, Sam who was only five arrived, Ben really opened up to him and took him under his wing. I also thought Sam was tough in his cute baby brother way.

Least Favorite

I didn’t really hate or was even bothered by any of the characters. I felt that each, big or small, personality really made the story. Evan, was kind of mysterious, but also very sweet to Cassie. The Others, that you don’t know who or what they are, but are always there and watching somehow. Each was a component to an amazing story!

Beginning

Millions of people have died, and things are just getting worse and worse. Since the Others have arrived and the first four waves have come, the world seems to be ending. After losing her mother, Cassie is lucky enough to still have her dad and baby brother alive, until they are separated in hopes that they’ll be safer once the fifth wave strikes.

Middle

Cassie is on her search for Sam, but is shot and on the verge of dying. When she finally wakes up, she finds herself in someone else’s bedroom and in bandages. Cassie meets Evan, her saviour, who seems…almost too good to be true.

End

Evan isn’t exactly who he says he is, but decides to help Cassie get her brother back anyways. Cassie sneaks into the child military academy and bumps into Sam. But she also bumps into her high school crush, that I mentioned earlier, who seems to know her brother. Cassie and Sammy are reunited, but things aren’t over yet; the fifth wave hasn’t come!

Overall Thoughts

The 5^th Wave had so much hype when it was first released and I was excited to see what everyone was talking about. And I know I’m going to sound like everyone else, who was screaming on the top of their lungs, but I LOVED THIS BOOK – from the characters, to the actual storyline, and especially the ending! I felt that there was always something around the corner and I’m so excited to see what the next book will be about and how things will go for Cassie and the group!

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