Select by Marit Weisenberg (2017)

Title: Select

Author: Marit Weisenberg

Pages: 352 (Kindle)

Expected publication: Oct 3th 2017

Publisher: Charlesbridge, Teen


This eGalley was given to me by Charlesbridge, Teen vie NetGalley in exchange for the honest review. These are my personal opinions of the book.

If this book had to be compared to anything, in terms of genre, it would be Twilight. It is a YA romance with supernatural/paranormal undertones. Julia, the protagonist is, however, not a vampire, she belongs to a group of people who are genetically different than humans. All their seances are stronger, they are better at everything. And she falls for the normal, mortal boy. I would not consider this a strong sic-fi or supernatural/paranormal book as it seems to focus more on the romantic relationship between Julia and John than the supernatural aspect. However, I very much enjoyed this. It's like a fluffy YA romantic but with a constantly present, yet subtle element of science fiction. I have been looking a book like this forever, that is funny romantic, but not too cliche.

I liked the characters, except Novak (naturally). I felt like he was restricting Julia and had too much power over her. She didn't speak up to him, even as a daughter and I feel like she was unreasonable blamed for things. I would have liked more information about Julia's group of people as I often in the beginning felt just as lost as John if not more. Often the reader was just told that they were different, they had to be subtle or they were better. I felt like I was expected to know everything already. In a way this puts the reader in the situation of John, which is powerful in its own way, but as he only got to know Julia's whole story 53% into the book I felt like I was as well. And it frustrated me for quite a while. In other words, I felt like although it was a first person story Julia wasn't very open to the reader and we only found something out if it was spoken out loud. More insight would have been appreciated. Sometimes the language was a little boring and simple, but the dialogues were very enjoyable.

I very much enjoyed the mind reading. John is the best character with his funny personal remarks and he really brightens it up. His optimistic, humours thoughts were much more successfully written than his negative thoughts, which sometimes felt a little fake even if they would've been said out loud. John definitely made this book much better and with the constant presence of Angus it was even better.

I can't help but wonder if there will be a sequel. It works fine as a stand alone but I do wonder at some loose ends and the very end hinted at the fact that there might be more to told. What about Julia's mum? What about John's vision? The FBI? The utopia? Angus? I need to know what happens next.

Plot Summary:

“It had always been a fact of life that we were biologically different—better—and that it had to be kept secret.”

Seventeen-year-old Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. She’s beautiful, freakishly athletic, and extremely smart. That’s because she comes from a race of highly-evolved humans living in the heart of Austin, Texas.In order to protect their anonymity and preserve their elite society, Julia’s powerful father forces her to suppress her abilities. When she accidentally demonstrates her super human prowess in public, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school. Thrust into the confusion and humiliation of a normal high school, Julia is just trying to keep her head down when John Ford strolls into her life. An outsider and tennis jock, John is immediately attractive to Julia as a curiosity. She can even read his mind. But as Julia's newfound powers over John grow, so do her feelings. When she discovers her father has been hiding dangerous secrets, for the first time in her life, Julia begins to question her restrictive upbringing. Caught between the prejudices of her manipulative father and the allure of an outsider’s life, Julia must decide how she will define herself—and who she will betray.

My Rating:

7/10

Favourite Quote:

"One more set like this, and that will officially be rock bottom. And in front of her. Definition of a shit show. I should be handing out toilet paper." - John

The Gathering by K.E. Ganshert (2015)

Title: The Gathering

Author: K.E. Ganshert

Series: The Gifting #3

Pages: 379 (Kindle)

Published: Jul 1st 2015

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform


I downloaded this book as soon as I finished the previous book, but took a break in between for an unknown reason. But the finale did not disappoint. Again, theres the pattern that I see a lot in sic-fi and dystopia. Where there is a broken society, the main characters seem to want to start a revolution, and though they seem to only be a couple of teenagers to start with they always end up being this huge organised group at a specific headquarters. Did The Gathering have this? You bet it did, and damn it was good. More things were revealed of the organisation and the people wight the Gift and it just got better and better. Action filled and so gripping.

There was death, betrayal, and in that sense realistic. The ending was happy, as happy as it can get when you're in this situation, but satisfying. The book got very complicated and if I think back at it I'm not sure I remember everything or can recall exactly the roles of different people. I suggest you pay attention while reading this book. The complicated bits were introduced in The Awakening but it doesn't stop there. This book appears very thought through however and there's an answer to every question, if you read carefully.

Absolutely amazing trilogy, and I have now found out that they are officially available in physical paperbacks (rather than just the kindle versions that I read). How amazing is that?! And the covers are the same, and gorgeous. Want to get my hands on them.

Plot Summary:

"Darkness is a tricky thing. Especially when it cloaks itself in light." Luka isn't dead. He's not beyond saving. Tess knows because she saw him with her own eyes. After what she saw, she's sure of one thing: If they don't rescue him soon, Luka won't be Luka anymore. If only she could convince the other members of the hub. They're not sure Tess saw what she claims she saw. And they're preoccupied by the fact that their kind is being systematically eradicated. Answers lie in an ancient prophecy, one that revolves around a seventeen-year-old girl who never asked for any of this. K.E. Ganshert's final installment in The Gifting Series brings readers on an action-packed journey through loss, sacrifice, betrayal, and the impossible choice between what we want most and what we know is right.

- Goodreads

My Rating:

9/10

Other Books in this trilogy:

The Gifting (The Gifting #1)

The Awakening (The Gifting #2)

The Gathering (The Gifting #3)

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummins (2010)

Title: The Murder Comlex

Author: Lindsay Cummings 

Series: The Murder Complex #1

Pages: 398

Published: Jun 14th 2010

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

When I heard that Lindsay Cummins and Sasha Alsberg were having a meet up in London last fall I got very excited to meet them, especially with their new book Zenith coming out. I got really interested in the previous books Lindsay had written and seeing as I had a chance to get them signed I bought both and started reading them straight away.

This book was so exciting and thrilling. Every page was action packed and I was surprised how fast paced it was. It kept my attention throughout and I read it so quickly I was surprised it didn't take me longer, considering I'm not a fast reader.

This book is set in a world with programmed assassins. They are trained to kill but they aren't aware of it. This keeps the death rate higher than the birth rate. Just like the title, this book is bloody, gruesome and extremely graphic. I would have enjoyed a few calmed moments in the book to space it out but the books takes place under a short period of time and it is quick paced.

I loved the two protagonists and truly got a feel for both of them. Each chapter was from either Meadow's or Zephyr's point of view so I got a good understanding for them. Nevertheless, I wish the two of them could've gotten closer to each other and although I understand there was a lack of trust I wish their relationship with each other would've been explored a bit more.

Overall, an extremely thrilling dystopian. If you like Divergent and the Hunger Games this is for you, but it is a bit of a lighter read. A lot of action. I have not yet got to the second one, but I look forward to read The Death Code and get my hands of Zenith when it's out.

Plot Summary:

Welcome to the Murder Complex.
You Cannot See Us. You Cannot Feel Us.
But We Are Here.
And We Control Your Every Move

My Rating:

7/10

Other Books by Lindsay Cummins:

The Murder Complex (The Murder Complex #1)
The Death Code (The Murder Complex #2)
The Fear Trials (The Murder Complex novella)

Zenith - Together with Sasha Alsberg

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket (1999)

 Title: The Bad Beginning

Author: Lemony Snicket

Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events

Pages: 162

Published: Sep 30th 1999

Publisher: Scholastic Ink


I didn't read these as a kid and therefore chose to buy it now when I'm older as I am told they are very very good. Nevertheless, it just sat on my bookshelf for almost a year until my 10-year old sister expressed her love for the TV series. So we sat down and read two chapters every night and where we hooked? Oh yes.

The Bad Beginning is so exciting and intriguing. I love the narrator voice of Lemony Snciket as it appears very educational and it explains complicated things easily. It's very imaginative and allowed my sister and I to put on exciting voices for different characters.

The books are quite short and there are thirteen off them so you are immediately thirsting for more. Me and my sister both enjoyed it very much. If you read it alone it probably won't take you even a day. But reading it as a good night story and having my sister ask for one more chapter was part of the fun to drag out the excitement and reading it aloud added character to the story.

Plot Summary:

Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives with filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets of misfortune.
In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.
It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.
With all due respect,
Limony Snicket

Favourite Quote:

"He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over."

My Rating:

8/10

Other Books in the Series:

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)
The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events #2)
The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3)
The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4)
The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5)
The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6)
The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7)
The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events #8)
The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9)
The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10)
The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11)
The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events #12)
The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13)

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (2016)

Title: Glass Sword

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #2

Pages: 444

Published: Feb 9th 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen, Orion


This is one of the best sequels I have ever read. I'm sometimes critical towards sequels because there can be such a big change in the plot and narrative between the first and second book, naturally. Sometimes I prefer how a series started out than how it ended up and the first book is usually my favourite. Glass Sword however, does not disappoint in the slightest. It is easily one of the best sequels I have ever read and only adds to the story of the first book.

So many new characters were introduced and I think all of them contributed to the direction this story was taking. I took immense interest in all of them. As for Mare, her character started to scare me towards the end. I didn't truly recognise her and I almost built up a dislike for her behaviour, similar to Cal. Although I am a massive Cal and Mare fan I almost took his side at moments. Not that I didn't understand Mare, and there were good reasons for her behaviour, but naturally I almost stood back in disgust - even though I didn't want too. This is however a positive point. Not all protagonists should be liked, it would be incredibly unrealistic.

The plot has taken an incredibly interesting turn of events and this has truly turned into an action filled adventurous sic-fi. I loved how organised they were in finding new bloods and how they spent time housing them and training them. There were clearly mistakes made on the way and dangers but you'd be surprised how extremely well it was handled by such young people. Praise!

As mentioned above I am the most pleased with the fact that this is such a successful sequel. Red Queen was also extremely good but I'm just very pleasantly surprised by this satisfying sequel.

And on a side note: I totally ship Farley and Shade. No matter the ending.

Plot Summary:

I was born to kill a king, to end a reign of terror before it can truly begin.
Mare Barrow's blood is red, the colour of common folk, but her Silver ability - the power to control lightning - has turned her into a weapon that the Silver court will do anything to destroy.
With no one left to trust, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join the uprising. But Mare is treading a deadly path. Will she shatter under the weight of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
-back of Book

Favourtie Quote:

"We seem weak because we want to" - Shade from Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

My Rating:

10/10

Other Books by Victoria Aveyard:

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)
King's Cage (Red Queen #3)
Queen Song (Red Queen novella)
Steel Scars (Red Queen novella)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (2015)

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen #1

Pages: 383

Published: Feb 10th 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen, Orion


Bought this book along with the sequel back in 2016 and didn't find time to get into it until. Recently however, I felt this incredible urge to get into it so here I am mind blown and scarred for life. I had expectations of this books or rather I thought I knew what kind of book it was but I was wrong. I was expecting high fantasy, magic and stuff. A little along the lines with Throne of Glass or Queen of the Tearling. I was wrong. This is more along the lines of The Jewel. It is more sic-fi than fantasy and there is plenty technology. I was prepared for technology but it plays a huge part of the plot. Although the cover is not misleading in any way, but rather discrete I was convinced that it was a high fantasy book (I hand't even read the back).

Furthermore, and if you haven't read the book I suggest you skip this paragraph of the review. People were talking all over BookTube about this mind-blowing plot twist in Red Queen. So of course, I'm prepared for this plot twist and I keep it in mind the whole time while I'm reading. And as much as I'd like to ignore the fact that someone is going to betray Mare I start speculating and I wasn't as surprised as I would've been. Lesson for the future: stay away from BookTube. We all know that's not going to happen. I'm just saying, be careful with reading/watching reviews and discussion before you've read the book. You may enjoy it more after you've read it and can truly understand and join in. It's also made me realise that I should probably be careful to not spoil too much for you guys.

This book was a kind of mix of Divergent, Hunger Games, and The Jewel. Except it was better than hunger games and divergent put together. It was so gripping, not a single calm moment but action filled from the first to last page. Read it in two days from literal obsession.

I felt like the characters truly came alive. They were deep and had layers and layers to be explored. No one character could be truly stereotyped and it was refreshing to have such a diverse set of characters. It played with the idea that people are not simply evil or good and that people think approach issues differently.

Absolutely brilliant book. The new great YA sic-fi. I would love to see this on the big screen.

Plot Summary:

This is a world divided by blood. 
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possessions of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow - a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
But Mare possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of her potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess. Knowing that one false move will mean her death, Mare must use her new position to bring down the regime - from the inside.
Now Mare has created a game of betrayal and lies.
This is Red against Silver, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...
- Back of Book

Favourite Quote:

'Anyone can betray anyone'

More Books in the Series:

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)
Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)
King's Cage (Red Queen #3)
Queen Song (Red Queen novella)
Steel Scars (Red Queen novella)

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (2015)

Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Pages: 310
Published: Sep 1st 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers



I am so in love with Nicola Yoon's writing it hurts. Not only is she a phenomenal author but she explores themes and ideas that a lot of books don't even consider.

The format of this book is great. It short quick chapters with diagrams and drawings which are just wonderful and charming and add to the Maddy's character. It is a brilliant book if you want to get into reading, need a good summer read (I read it in February) or just have nothing else to do. If you want to take a break from all other books and read something else this is great because it is a short stand alone book that just makes you appreciate reading so much.  I have recently been really attracted to fantasy and it feels like it's all I've been reading for a very long time and I just needed to refresh my brain with something new and this book swept me off my feet.

I know there are loads of positive opinions and views of this book and I agree. I guess I'm going to go with the flow cause I have nothing original to say about this book! All has been said. I'm literally just expressing my love for it in 7 different ways.

I read 'The Sun is Also a Star' by Nicola Yoon last year and I mentioned how much I loved her attention to science and art and questioned the universe and everyone's existence. I didn't expect the same from this book but she has once again gone into the subject and brings up things such as fate, own decisions, planets, family, and love.

What I truly truly love about Yoon's characters are that they are so culturally diverse. I feel like this is something that doesn't pop up as much in young adult. Maddy (the protagonist) is half African American and half Japanese. In 'The Sun is Also a Star' the characters are Jamaican and Korean. I absolutely love this. Having moved from Sweden to England and been to an international school for three years with loads of international friends I truly value this attention to detail. Praise to Nicola Yoon for her originality in character nationality.

Plot Summary:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world. I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mum and my nurse, Carla. 

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean and wearing all black - black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

-Goodreads

My Favourite Quote:

"The problem is chaos theory. There are too many inputs to the formula and even the small ones matter more than you think. And you can never measure them precicely enough. But! If you could, you could write a formula to predict the weather, the future, people."
- Olly from The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

My Rating:

10/10

I don't think I'm alone with this opinion. 

Other Books by Nicola Yoon:

The Sun is Also a Star

Hold Back the Stars by Katie Khan (2017)

Title: Hold Back The Stars
Author: Katie Khan
Pages: 304 (hardcover)
Published: Jan 6th 2017
Publisher: Doubleday


This book was given to be for free as an ebook via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are honest and my own and I do not intend to offend anyone or claim that my opinions are right. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to the release date.

This book had such an intriguing cover that just shouted Young Adult Contemporary and I got the feeling that the star filled cover may just be pretty. Turns out I was wrong. The cover is very literal. Carys and Max are stuck in space with only 90 minutes left worth of oxygen to live and while they try to save themselves they also express their feelings and the reader finds himself going back in time to Carys and Max's time together on earth.

I didn't finish this book. It took my ages to try to get into it and in the end I managed to get through 40% of the book but had to put it down. I wasn't enjoying it at all and I didn't look forward to sitting down and reading it. I aim to finish all the books I receive from NetGalley but I couldn't make myself do it. I never bonded with the characters and even though it was a very character dependent narrative I didn't feel like they truly blossomed and it truly bothered me.

I didn't really see the point of the narrative. Here are two people stuck in space with 90 minutes to live and they look back at their life together. As tragic as and emotional this sounds I couldn't be less interested. I only felt like I was intruding on their moment together.

Furthermore what truly bothered me was that I couldn't decide on which genre this book belonged to. It felt like it was written young adult/new adult but the characters were in their 20s which confused me. It is clearly set in the future Europe where it has been improved and people live and move to different Voivodes during their lives for different jobs but don't appear to have a say in where they're going. Love is banned until the age of 30 ish when one is meant to consider having children. Seeing as Carys and Max are also in their 20s but out alone in space (Max with very little education in the astronaut field) this gave me a strange feeling that it was a sic-fi book but it was so clearly a love story and it didn't give me the epic sic-fi/fantasy feeling. I was confused and this battle was going on in my head while reading. I felt like it wasn't giving me enough context to the world they were living in and it left me hanging, uneasy.

Despite this there were few odd moments when the narration on the book kept me reading and it had nothing to do with plot and characters but simply impressive authorship and talent. Similar to Kazuo Ishiguro who had me reading 'The Remains of the Day' even though I was uninterested in the plot. Even if I was unimpressed by the characters and the plot I would have liked to see more of this and if Khan had been able to grasp my attention more often I may have given this book another try.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me as I could not immerse with the plot and felt constantly confused. I hope others get a different, more positive reading experience.

Plot Summary:

Carys and Max and ninety minutes of air left.

None of this was supposed to happen.

But perhaps this doesn't have to be the end...

Adrift in space with nothing to hold onto but each other, Carys and Max can't help but look back at the well-ordered world they have left behind - at the rules they couldn't reconcile themselves to, and a life to which they might now never return. For in a world where love is banned, what happens when you find it?

- GoodReads

Favourite Quote:

'First love can break you. But it can also save you'

My Rating:

2/10

This is the first 2 I have ever given a book and it breaks my heart.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (2016)

Title: The Sun is Also a Star
Author: Nicola Yoon
Pages: 348
Published: Nov 1st 2016
Publisher: Delacorte Press


I received this book from Penguin Random House UK in the form of a Kindle Book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. These are my own opinion and thoughts.

I haven't read a contemporary young adult book that has had me so hooked in a good while. This book was impossible to put down. If you are ever struggling to get out of a reading slump I highly recommend picking this up. The chapters are short and fast moving and had me at full attention.

'The Sun Is Also a Star' by Nicola Yoon follows a day in the life of Natasha and Daniel, two teenagers in New York. During this extraordinary day Daniel manages to convince Natasha to give him the chance to make her fall in love with him through science.

This book was beautifully written from first person perspective in respective character's chapter. Sometimes the chapters were written from the universe point of view or random people who's perspectives are vital to understand for the plot.

I can't emphasise enough how important I believe it is for young people to read this book. It's not just about boy meets girl, even though it is that simple on the surface. It's about a million possibilities and our choices in life, about art and science and love.

Plot Summary:

NATASHA: I'm a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I'm definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family  is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won't be my story.

DANIEL: I've always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents' high expectation. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store - for both of us.

THE UNIVERSE: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Favourite Quote: 

"Sure, but why not more poems about the sun? The sun is also a star, and it's our most important one. That alone should be worth a poem or two." - Natasha

My Rating:

10/10

Never before has the term 'opposites attract' been more accurate.

The Awakening by K. E. Ganshert (2015)

Title: The Awakening

Author: K.E. Ganshert

Series: The Gifting #2

Pages: 314 (Kindle)

Published: Jul 1st 2015

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Okay, so I bought this book as soon as I'd finished the first one. This book is thought through so well. I was really hooked. The hub is amazing and the characters are so interesting. I love the development between Tess and Luka and how Tess keeps on looking for her grandma.

The background stuff about the gifting is so cool. The Shields, The Linkers, The Cloaks and the Keepers along with the Fighters is really clever. The dream space is such a good idea and how they startle to get out of dreams. I'm so happy that Tess is special in the way that she is a Linker and a Fighter and that Luka is her Keeper. Could it get anymore perfect?!

I'm so grateful I even found this book, and the first for free on iBooks! It is to the same quality as Divergent and The Hungergames. No, I'm serious. I think it could be a really cool film, for real. It's real film material.

I have this feeling about trilogies and please feel free to comment, because I think it is a very interest concept (whether it is intentional or nor not it is a continuous pattern). Trilogies always start nice which a disequilibrium that is disturbing. Tess thinks she's mad and tries to make it through high school as she goes to her therapist and meets Luka. Tris is divergent and goes to get trained as a dauntless. Katniss gets selected for the Hungergames and makes her way through. However in the second book things get out of control. Tess and Luke escape. Tris and Four are on the run. (All these four letter names!) Katniss' war with Snow starts with the 75th Hungergames. And then in the third book is kind of just the same as the second in a way that it continues on this war. This is were the trilogy has totally moved on from the first book. It is nothing like the first book. Tess will never go back to high school. Tris will never go back to abnegation. And Katniss has no District 12 to go back to. I get this feeling of loss for the first book. Kinda miss the "cozy" feeling of Tess at high school, Tris in Dauntless training and Katniss in the regular Hungergames. Do you get me? Of course this is all part of the trilogy and it has to go this way or we would get bored and things develop and so on. But I was reading the third book of the Gathering (the book after this) and I realised that some characters will never show up again. They've moved on. And it's this strange feeling of for boding because you can never go back and nowadays books end pretty badly (and realistically I guess). Anyone who agrees or disagrees? Please feel free to comment. I don't know why I brought it up here of all posts but there you go. Might repeat it again separately some other time.

Plot Summary:

Tess Eckhart isn’t crazy. She’s not suffering from psychosis. She and Luka Williams are part of The Gifting. Before they can find out what that means, the man with all the answers turns up dead. The only thing he left behind? A few patient files that lead to the nation’s most lawless city.

With authorities chasing them, Luka and Tess escape into the very heart of peril and against all odds, find an underground community of people just like them. They aren’t gathered together for the sole purpose of survival, either. They have a plan and a purpose—to awaken as many people with The Gifting as possible. It’s dangerous and deadly work. Tess wants to help. Luka is desperate to keep her safe—a task that proves increasingly difficult as Tess’s gifting comes to light.

Is Tess Eckhart the One they’ve been waiting for? The One who can save them all?

Favourite Quote:

"A person can choose not to believe it, but that doesn’t make their soul go away. It’s there, whether they want to acknowledge it or not. The supernatural realm is just as real as the physical one, only you can’t see it. It’s the realm of good and evil, light and dark. From everything we can gather, these two forces are at war, and in order to join the battle, passageways are required." - Link

"That last option should make me rejoice, but I am a selfish creature." - Tess

"It’s true when they say knowledge equals power. After what I learned in the cafeteria, I feel like I have a handful of it in my back pocket.

And I want more." - Tess

My Rating:
10/10.
I cannot stress enough how much I love these books.

Other Books In These Series:
The Gifting (The Gifting Book 1)
The Awakening (The Gifting Book 2)
The Gathering (The Gifting Book 3)

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (2014)

Title: Forever

Author: Maggie Steifvater

Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3

Pages: 388

Published: Jul 12th 2011

Publisher: Scholastic Press

I started reading Forever just after Linger, but for some reason I put it down. A weeks ago or so, I decided to finish the books I had and having started Forever, I thought that I wouldn't get anywhere unless I started with that one. No matter how unmotivated I was (because I like to start new books) I knew I had to finish that one.

Therefore I was a bit confused when I started a hundred pages in. I had to remind myself of what happened in the end of the last book (or at least the beginning of this one). I convinced myself that I wouldn't know exactly but I do remember the main events and things will be revealed again. As soon as I started I didn't have problem with catching up and I so badly wanted to finish it. Because I was hooked or because I just wanted to finish the series? I don't know. Both probably. But, like with many books I read, I was thinking about it constantly.

I absolutely love the relationship between Isabelle and Cole. I know they aren't the protagonists but I can't wait for another Isabelle chapter or another Cole chapter because their relationship (and forgive me if you disagree) is so much more exciting than Sam and Grace's. Sam and Grace were really interesting in Shiver, but then they didn't have problems with loving each other. Isabelle and Cole do. Their emotions are so much more confusing and tangled and I love it.

Plot Summary:

'Gace,' I whispered. 'This isn't how it ends.'

Sam has always loved Grace. As a wolf, he watched her from afar. As a boy, he held her in his arms.

Now facing the possibility of a life without her , he will do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means facing his demons. Even if it risks everything he has.

Anything, as long as their love can survive...

Favorite Quote:

Please ask me in - Cole

My Rating:

8/10

Other books in this series:

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3)

Other Books by Maggie Stiefvater:

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1)

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2)

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle #3)

The Raven King (The Raven Cycle #4)

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Book of Faerie #1)

Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie (Book of Faerie #2)

The Scorpio Races

This review is also available on YouTube here.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (2011)

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #1

Pages: 487

Published: Feb 28th 2012

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

I was at my friends house on a sleepover when I wanted to read something. We were three other people on a sleep over at her place and she and I decided to have a read. I always enjoy looking at her bookshelf. It's cramped. Having forgotten my book at home, I picked up Divergent and got to bring it home to finish it.

After that I borrowed the second book at the library and the third book I got to read on a friend's Kobo account because the library didn't have it available.

I love Tris' first person narrative (if you think about it The Hunger Games are written by a female first person narrator). It is very personal and her description of the events are crystal clear. The characters are very well developed and carefully picked out for a reason.

The idea that society would be divided into sections scares me and that other people would use one another like that. Not just manipulate them or brainwash them, but skipping that step and only injecting them with serum just to force them without even telling them, without warning. It scares me a lot. Just absolutely terrifying. Because they turned on each other. The fact that Tris had to go to the point and kill her friend, hurting other friends in turn - for not having another choice.

Plot Summary:
She turns to face the future in a world that's falling appart.
Three Flying Birds... One for each member of the family I left behind.
Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a decided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit.
So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to booth threaten and protect her.
The hardest choice lies ahead.

Favourite Quote:
Be brave.

My Rating:
10/10
I was hooked from the first page.