I’ve been following Daire’s journey in the Soul Seekers series since the very beginning, when she was shipped off to the sneeze-and-you’ll-miss-it town of Enchantment in New Mexico.

Along the way she’s made friends and deadly enemies, she’s had plenty to laugh about and more than her fair share of hardship and adversity to overcome. To tell you the truth, if it had been me, I wouldn’t have handled even a quarter of what she’s been through, let alone finding things to smile about.

In Horizon everything comes to a head. The loose ends are tied and the magnificence of the tapestry woven by Alyson Noël is displayed in all it’s vibrant living colour. It is no wonder all four books in the Soul Seekers series have been optioned by Cheyenne Enterprises.

Now you may have noticed I didn’t review Mystic, and this is because I didn’t feel it had the same spirit as the two before it, Fated and Echo. I will be going back over Mystic now the series is finished, so I can find out if it was more to do with my misunderstanding of the book than anything else. After all certain books mean more to us at different times of our lives.

This is a beautiful conclusion to a high impact, truly fantastic series. I will miss the characters and look forward to possibly seeing them brought to life on the big screen and not just playing around in my imagination.

http://www.soulseekersseries.com/

http://www.alysonnoel.com

Paperback, 336 pages

Expected publication: November 19th 2013 by St. Martin’s Griffin

ISBN: 1250054354 (ISBN13: 9781250054357)

I think I’ve reviewed this entire trilogy, and I can tell you it’s well worth it. You will be hooked right ’til the last page of the final book.

Clara Gardner is back for one last hurrah. Helping her friends, fighting her personal demons and ultimately making the best of the hand she’s been dealt.

The love triangle between Tucker, Christian and Clara steps into high gear. You’ll be guessing right to the end.

Your heart will be in your mouth and I am trying so hard not to give spoilers away, but you’ll not see certain things coming and, ugh, I dare not say too much.

If you enjoyed the first two you’ll most likely have already read Boundless. If you haven’t, borrow the first, Unearthly, from the library to get a feel for the characters and the plot points, and then get swept up in the magic that is The Unearthly Series. Dare you to not get emotionally attached.

http://www.cynthiahandbooks.com/

Paperback, 448 pages

Published February 1st 2013 by Harper Collins Australia (first published January 1st 2013)

ISBN: 9780732292621

Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?

Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late. 

#1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale brings his brilliant plotting and breathless pacing to SYLO, the first in this ultimate end-of-the-world adventure trilogy.

Hardcover, 407 pages

Published July 2nd 2013 by Razorbill

I had a hard time remembering that Tucker and his friends are only 14 years old. Throughout this story they are brave, have foresight and really trust their gut feelings, making them seem older.

When Pemberwick Island is taken over by a government agency, the people begin to question the intensity the soldiers have shown. Tucker and Quinn witness an explosion late one night and the next day the boats begin to arrive. They won’t let anybody leave the island claiming there has been an outbreak that needs to be contained and with a recent death, the people don’t really question it as they are concerned about their safety.

Not only are the residents stuck, but the vacationers are also not allowed to go until the issues have been resolved and the boats are allowed to leave again.  As the situation becomes more dire, more people die and some taken to camps “for their safety”,do the people begin to question the severity of the situation.

When Tucker, Quinn and Tori witness the soldiers killing innocent people who try to escape. They question if the takeover is really for their safety and begin getting involved. Then there is a twist to the story. Right before the island becomes isolated,  a stranger shows up and begins handing out a new type of drug that acts like a steroid giving the user energy and strength.

Are the drugs and deaths just a coincidence? Or are all the events connected somehow? The main characters show different reactions to what is happening. Tucker and Tori have similar thoughts, but Tori has more concern for her father than others.  Tucker does focus more on everybody as a whole and the safety of of mankind itself.  Quinn brings a lot of the humor to the story and he is also the most detailed and logical thinker.

This story is a true invasion of different kinds. As the first book in the series we just get a taste of what is to come next, the real revelations coming out at the close of the book. I was impressed with this story and the way the author chose to release the details. I was loving the ending and was sad to have reached the last page. I am anticipating very good  things to happen in this series!

Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad’s consulting job means she’s grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she’s learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place–possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren’s death, Lo’s hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as “Sapphire”–a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can’t get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious “butterfly clues,” with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined–a world, she’ll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother’s tragic death.

Hardcover, 325 pages  Published February 14th 2012 by EgmontUSA

Not only does Lo develop a hoarding obsession upon her brother’s death, she also develops ticks (part of an obsessive-compulsive disorder) that make her daily life harder. She finds companionship in a solitary boy Flynt whom does random jobs around town to make money, mostly painting. Their friendship soon develops into more and they confide in each other.

The writing slowly builds up the suspense as Lo digs herself deeper into the ugly side of town. As the story gets more intense, her obsessive-compulsive disorder becomes more aggressive as well. Lo is searching for answers and it seems that every corner she turns, Flynt is there. He is familiar with the area and the people she is looking for as she searches for answers about her brother’s life. His death makes her feel incomplete and searching for answers is all that keeps her going. Her school life, home life and friends are all feeling her remoteness.

When Lo learns of the death of a local strip dancer, she begins to be obsessed with the woman. She buys some of Sapphire’s things from a seller at a stand and begins to feel that Sapphire is guiding Lo to help her find her killer, and why she died. This gets Lo in deep with the dangerous people involved in the business. They do not want her around asking questions and when trouble hits closer to home, Lo turns to Flynt. But Flynt has been hiding secrets of his own.

The Butterfly Clues is a Contemporary Young Adult novel that deals with heartbreak and mental illness with the main plot driven by the murder mystery of Sapphire. 

My favorite part about this book that I think others would enjoy is the unique ness of the main character. She is not only grieving from the loss of her brother, but also struggling with the confusion of a first love. We get to see her step out of her comfort zone and we all need a reminder to be brave every once in awhile.

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!