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Kyera (8 KP) rated Mockingjay in Books
Jan 31, 2018
A re-read of Mockingjay (and really the entire series) was long overdue. I haven't read the series since it came out and wanted to re=familiarize myself with it before watching the movie. I remember being Team Gale rather than Peeta (but that may have just been after the casting of Liam Hemsworth). Upon re-reading, I found myself not having a strong opinion about either suitor. Gale is much angrier than I recall him being, Peeta doesn't have much of an impression (after being jacked) and I just don't care what Katniss decides. That is certainly not how I felt in the first book. She becomes decidedly less relatable to me as the books progress. Hunger Games was definitely the strongest in the series and as a result, the finale felt like a bit of a letdown. The death toll was realistic, as they were embroiled in a war but not emotional. There were only a few deaths that I really felt, while the rest you could just immediately move on from. Perhaps that's terrible to say, but I believe they would have meant more if the reader was able to connect to the characters more. If you haven't read the series ye3t, what has taken you so long? Definitely read the series. The world building is wonderful, even if the ensemble cast can come across a bit flat at times. You will enjoy it if you're a fan of YA, dystopian fiction or want to read the books before you see their film adaptations.
Firefight
9.0
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The #1 New York Times bestseller and sequel to Steelheart—a novel that James Dashner called...
the reckoners ya scifi science fiction
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Delayed Admission (Shadow Veil Academy #1) in Books
May 14, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
65 of 250
Kindle
Delayed Admission ( Shadow Veil Academy book 1)
By Heather Renee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Some secrets are better kept.
To Raegan Keyes, she's the only one of her kind, but has no idea what she is. Until, one night, she finds out her unexplainable abilities aren't the only thing she needs to worry about. Suddenly, her world becomes much bigger than she ever could have dreamed.
When a mysterious man named Enzo arrives, too striking to be human, Raegan learns she's not as alone as she believed. As more secrets are revealed, she's swept off to an academy for others like her, thousands of miles away from home, by a complete stranger whom she'd rather stab than travel with.
As tension builds between Raegan and Enzo, she begins to find her purpose as she settles into her new existence, alongside elves, witches, vampires, and shifters. With a group of new friends, she's finally feeling alive again. That is, until something sinister comes along, once more throwing her life into mayhem.
I didn’t really know what to expect but I really ended up enjoying it! I love that Reagan is a dragon with Elf and witch magic it’s something for everyone. I wondered if it would be to YA and it is in parts but still a decent adult read too especially if you’re looking for something light!
Looking forward to more from Heather Renee.
Kindle
Delayed Admission ( Shadow Veil Academy book 1)
By Heather Renee
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Some secrets are better kept.
To Raegan Keyes, she's the only one of her kind, but has no idea what she is. Until, one night, she finds out her unexplainable abilities aren't the only thing she needs to worry about. Suddenly, her world becomes much bigger than she ever could have dreamed.
When a mysterious man named Enzo arrives, too striking to be human, Raegan learns she's not as alone as she believed. As more secrets are revealed, she's swept off to an academy for others like her, thousands of miles away from home, by a complete stranger whom she'd rather stab than travel with.
As tension builds between Raegan and Enzo, she begins to find her purpose as she settles into her new existence, alongside elves, witches, vampires, and shifters. With a group of new friends, she's finally feeling alive again. That is, until something sinister comes along, once more throwing her life into mayhem.
I didn’t really know what to expect but I really ended up enjoying it! I love that Reagan is a dragon with Elf and witch magic it’s something for everyone. I wondered if it would be to YA and it is in parts but still a decent adult read too especially if you’re looking for something light!
Looking forward to more from Heather Renee.
Catacomb (Asylum, #3)
8.0
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The heart-stopping third book in the New York Times bestselling Asylum series follows three teens as...
Compete (The Atlantis Grail #2)
8.5
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It’s one thing to Qualify… But do you have what it takes to Compete? With Earth about to be...
Sci-fi Space Adventure Fiction YA Young Adult
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Shrooms ( Garden Variety Zombies 1) in Books
Nov 2, 2023
163 of 235
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Kindle
Booksirens ARC
Shrooms (Garden Variety Zombies 1)
By Zola Joyce
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazel always had doubts about the protective abilities of the government. Particularly Child Protective Services and the cranky old lady who’d been doing her best to separate Hazel from her one and only parental unit. Why couldn’t Mrs. Stenopoulos see the value of independent living, and Hazel’s knack for it from the youngest of ages?
She was second in command of her mother’s slightly illegal but very profitable enterprise.
She’d taught herself to drive a full four years before she was eligible to get a license.
She’d rescued her beloved hound from the ‘Clinical Trial’ her mother’s boyfriend of the month had recently concocted.
And just a few weeks after her 15th birthday, she’d secured a full ride scholarship to the local university. Early entrance.
Hazel was a caretaker, a dog lover, and a crack shot. Ask anyone in town.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
If you enjoy Zombie YA then it’s definitely the book for you! I think it could have done with a bit more humor and it did have some just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I’ve gone with a 3⭐️ because it’s well written and the idea is really interesting. The ending has thrown me a little and I really want to read the next to make sure I wasn’t high on mushrooms reading that last page 😆.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Shadow Keepers in Books
Dec 9, 2022
220 of 230
Kindle
The Shadow Keeper
By Marisa Noelle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sixteen-year-old Georgia Boone has seen the shadow creatures in mirrors and other reflective surfaces since she was six-years-old. But no one--not even her
brother, the person she’s closest to in the entire world--believes her. She is all alone in the hellish world where crow-like creatures hunt her everywhere she goes
When an afternoon of shopping ends in violence and blood, Georgia is sent to the UK’s most prestigious mental health hospital: Brookwood Hospital.
There, she’s forced to face her fears and answer the question:
Are the shadows real, or is this all in her head?
At Brookwood, the shadow creatures are more present than ever. Each day they grow stronger. With the help of a mysterious boy who lives inside the mirror world, she might be able to prove that she’s not hallucinating and stop the shadows from destroying the human world.
I’ve seen a lot from this author on social media and was really looking forward to reading her work. I was not disappointed this is a great YA with some sensitive issues that in my opinion were dealt with very very well. I could relate to a lot in this book from my teenage years to now. It was such an interesting concept and I’m glad it went the way it did it’s nice to see that people with mental health issues can face our demons and win sometimes whether they are real or not!
Kindle
The Shadow Keeper
By Marisa Noelle
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sixteen-year-old Georgia Boone has seen the shadow creatures in mirrors and other reflective surfaces since she was six-years-old. But no one--not even her
brother, the person she’s closest to in the entire world--believes her. She is all alone in the hellish world where crow-like creatures hunt her everywhere she goes
When an afternoon of shopping ends in violence and blood, Georgia is sent to the UK’s most prestigious mental health hospital: Brookwood Hospital.
There, she’s forced to face her fears and answer the question:
Are the shadows real, or is this all in her head?
At Brookwood, the shadow creatures are more present than ever. Each day they grow stronger. With the help of a mysterious boy who lives inside the mirror world, she might be able to prove that she’s not hallucinating and stop the shadows from destroying the human world.
I’ve seen a lot from this author on social media and was really looking forward to reading her work. I was not disappointed this is a great YA with some sensitive issues that in my opinion were dealt with very very well. I could relate to a lot in this book from my teenage years to now. It was such an interesting concept and I’m glad it went the way it did it’s nice to see that people with mental health issues can face our demons and win sometimes whether they are real or not!
Chaos & Flame
Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton
7.0
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Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House...
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Protector in Books
Jun 12, 2019
Girl Doesn’t Take Her Mate’s Crap in this YA Fantasy Romance Novel
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Word Count: 86,170
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Faith thought she was a normal human girl. Then she turned 18 and started developing abilities. Around the same time, a mysterious girl named Belle showed up and explained to Faith that she was really a Halfling, who belonged to an alien planet. Not only that, but she had the powerful ability of Forewarning, a skill that was highly coveted, especially by the Loverias and the Wincrests, two rival royal families on the brink of going to war with each other. Things get even more complicated when Faith forms a mated bond with Prince Davio Loveria– right before finding out her long-absent father is Prince Alexo Wincrest, Davio’s sworn enemy.
Caught in an impending war on a foreign planet, Faith must think and learn fast to keep herself from becoming a political pawn while also keeping her family safe.
Faith is a fucking badass and I love her. She acts like a teenaged girl, with all the angst and drama that comes with it, but at the same times she’s smart, and she won’t take shit, especially not from Davio. I love how resourceful she is and how quickly she’s able to adapt to a foreign planet with different cultures and abilities. But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue. She does have issues with learning the culture and controlling her abilities. She also doesn’t deal well with having her world turned upside down but her reactions aren’t unrealistic and they make me love her that much more.
Davio, however, is a piece of shit. I knocked off a star just because he exists. He’s a pompous brat with less maturity and poise than a two-year-old. When he finally accepts that he’s mated to Faith, he shows his “love” by controlling her and ordering her around. He doesn’t let her be alone because she needs to be protected. He demands that she either be with him or one of his bodyguards at all time, effectively keeping her a prisoner. This is supposedly because she has Forewarning, which makes her likely to get kidnapped or killed. I would have an easier time believing that if she had ever gotten attacked in the book. But the only people who attack her are Davio’s own bodyguards. No one else gives a shit.
He also loves ordering her around. He’ll order her to get showered and dressed in two minutes. He also orders her to betray her father. Davio is actually shocked when Faith won’t give him intimate secrets about how to take down her father. He accuses her of being a traitor when she refuses to be part of any plan that will get her father killed or kidnapped.
Davio hates Faith’s father for being from the wrong country, he always thinks he’s right, and he’s controlling to boot. He’s basically teenaged Trump.
Davio is the biggest problem in the book. Almost everything else I enjoyed. I loved the world building and how the mated bond was portrayed. Even though Faith and Davio were connected through the bond and couldn’t be apart very long without feeling anxious and depressed, they weren’t brainwashed by it. They still didn’t trust or even love each other for most of the book and they could identify what feelings were real and what was from the bond. It’s rare when a book can have soulmates without having insta-love, but Protector pulled it off.
I’m still confused by Faith’s parents, however. Faith’s mother raised her by herself on Earth after getting abandoned by Alexo. But when he shows up eighteen years later and has a brief conversation with her, she’s completely willing to travel to a foreign planet, be banned from going back to Earth. She also needs to pretend to be his wife despite hating him for abandoning her. I honestly have no idea why but that might get explained in later books.
Word Count: 86,170
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Faith thought she was a normal human girl. Then she turned 18 and started developing abilities. Around the same time, a mysterious girl named Belle showed up and explained to Faith that she was really a Halfling, who belonged to an alien planet. Not only that, but she had the powerful ability of Forewarning, a skill that was highly coveted, especially by the Loverias and the Wincrests, two rival royal families on the brink of going to war with each other. Things get even more complicated when Faith forms a mated bond with Prince Davio Loveria– right before finding out her long-absent father is Prince Alexo Wincrest, Davio’s sworn enemy.
Caught in an impending war on a foreign planet, Faith must think and learn fast to keep herself from becoming a political pawn while also keeping her family safe.
Faith is a fucking badass and I love her. She acts like a teenaged girl, with all the angst and drama that comes with it, but at the same times she’s smart, and she won’t take shit, especially not from Davio. I love how resourceful she is and how quickly she’s able to adapt to a foreign planet with different cultures and abilities. But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue. She does have issues with learning the culture and controlling her abilities. She also doesn’t deal well with having her world turned upside down but her reactions aren’t unrealistic and they make me love her that much more.
Davio, however, is a piece of shit. I knocked off a star just because he exists. He’s a pompous brat with less maturity and poise than a two-year-old. When he finally accepts that he’s mated to Faith, he shows his “love” by controlling her and ordering her around. He doesn’t let her be alone because she needs to be protected. He demands that she either be with him or one of his bodyguards at all time, effectively keeping her a prisoner. This is supposedly because she has Forewarning, which makes her likely to get kidnapped or killed. I would have an easier time believing that if she had ever gotten attacked in the book. But the only people who attack her are Davio’s own bodyguards. No one else gives a shit.
He also loves ordering her around. He’ll order her to get showered and dressed in two minutes. He also orders her to betray her father. Davio is actually shocked when Faith won’t give him intimate secrets about how to take down her father. He accuses her of being a traitor when she refuses to be part of any plan that will get her father killed or kidnapped.
Davio hates Faith’s father for being from the wrong country, he always thinks he’s right, and he’s controlling to boot. He’s basically teenaged Trump.
Davio is the biggest problem in the book. Almost everything else I enjoyed. I loved the world building and how the mated bond was portrayed. Even though Faith and Davio were connected through the bond and couldn’t be apart very long without feeling anxious and depressed, they weren’t brainwashed by it. They still didn’t trust or even love each other for most of the book and they could identify what feelings were real and what was from the bond. It’s rare when a book can have soulmates without having insta-love, but Protector pulled it off.
I’m still confused by Faith’s parents, however. Faith’s mother raised her by herself on Earth after getting abandoned by Alexo. But when he shows up eighteen years later and has a brief conversation with her, she’s completely willing to travel to a foreign planet, be banned from going back to Earth. She also needs to pretend to be his wife despite hating him for abandoning her. I honestly have no idea why but that might get explained in later books.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Cool for the Summer in Books
May 13, 2021
A simply wonderful book about finding yourself and love
Larissa "Lara" Bogdan has had a crush on one person for her entirety of high school: Chase Harding, the handsome, beloved football quarterback. But it's not until she comes back from a summer at the Outer Banks that he seems to take real notice of Lara. Like, flirting, asking her out notice. Now, she suddenly has everything she's ever wanted. But Lara can't seem to shake her memories of that Outer Banks summer and the girl she spent it with: Jasmine. Those memories come back in full force when Jasmine unexpectedly shows up at Lara's school on the first day and sees Chase flirting with Lara. Lara finally has Chase now. So why can't she stop thinking about Jasmine?
"How do you tell people who've listened to you babble about your crush on a guy for a thousand years that whoops, you spent the summer fooling around with a girl?"
Oh goodness, this was a great book. I'm so jealous there are so many wonderful YA LGTBQIA books out there now, which I would have devoured as a teen, yet incredibly happy too. I absolutely loved Lara as a character. She's sweet and bookish (addicted to romances) and in that stage where she's finding herself and coming out. It's hard not to relate to that. Adler's characters pop onto the pages--Lara, her mother, Jasmine, and Lara's cast of funny, overbearing, and loving friends. And even Chase, who is truly a good guy. (I appreciated that it wasn't "bad guy" versus "good girl" but two good kids, with their own personalities and flaws, whom Lara had to choose from.)
The book is told in a then and now format, starting out with Lara in high school and then flashing back to her summer in the Outer Banks with Jasmine. As someone who has spent some time in the Outer Banks, I loved the beachy setting, and the book just felt fun, summery, and exciting. You could feel the thrill of Lara and Jasmine falling for each other. It's so rare that we get this in our literature, and it brought back memories of my own first love and that fun, scared, happy feeling, along with all that uncertainly of realizing you were feeling these things for another girl. Adler captures it all so perfectly.
"If I somehow got Jasmine back--if I even wanted her back--what would it mean losing when everyone else found out the truth?"
The premise for this book is fascinating and lovely. Lara suddenly has everything she wants: she has pined after Chase for THREE YEARS. She comes back from vacation with a tan, a new haircut, and a newfound confidence (which no one knows the source of) and he suddenly takes notice of her. She should be in heaven--her friends certainly think so. Faced with having to make all these monumental life decisions, to realize whom she loves, and what she is--it's a lot. The book does such an excellent job of portraying bisexuality and the journey of figuring out who who you are. It's very well done, but also funny and witty. All the characters seem real and, for the most part, true to their age.
Overall, I loved this one. It portrays the queer community very well and does an excellent job capturing teens. The story is fun, sweet, and captivating. I feel like it would speak well to teens and adults who remember that spark of falling in love. I have to go read everything else by Adler now... 4.5 stars.
"How do you tell people who've listened to you babble about your crush on a guy for a thousand years that whoops, you spent the summer fooling around with a girl?"
Oh goodness, this was a great book. I'm so jealous there are so many wonderful YA LGTBQIA books out there now, which I would have devoured as a teen, yet incredibly happy too. I absolutely loved Lara as a character. She's sweet and bookish (addicted to romances) and in that stage where she's finding herself and coming out. It's hard not to relate to that. Adler's characters pop onto the pages--Lara, her mother, Jasmine, and Lara's cast of funny, overbearing, and loving friends. And even Chase, who is truly a good guy. (I appreciated that it wasn't "bad guy" versus "good girl" but two good kids, with their own personalities and flaws, whom Lara had to choose from.)
The book is told in a then and now format, starting out with Lara in high school and then flashing back to her summer in the Outer Banks with Jasmine. As someone who has spent some time in the Outer Banks, I loved the beachy setting, and the book just felt fun, summery, and exciting. You could feel the thrill of Lara and Jasmine falling for each other. It's so rare that we get this in our literature, and it brought back memories of my own first love and that fun, scared, happy feeling, along with all that uncertainly of realizing you were feeling these things for another girl. Adler captures it all so perfectly.
"If I somehow got Jasmine back--if I even wanted her back--what would it mean losing when everyone else found out the truth?"
The premise for this book is fascinating and lovely. Lara suddenly has everything she wants: she has pined after Chase for THREE YEARS. She comes back from vacation with a tan, a new haircut, and a newfound confidence (which no one knows the source of) and he suddenly takes notice of her. She should be in heaven--her friends certainly think so. Faced with having to make all these monumental life decisions, to realize whom she loves, and what she is--it's a lot. The book does such an excellent job of portraying bisexuality and the journey of figuring out who who you are. It's very well done, but also funny and witty. All the characters seem real and, for the most part, true to their age.
Overall, I loved this one. It portrays the queer community very well and does an excellent job capturing teens. The story is fun, sweet, and captivating. I feel like it would speak well to teens and adults who remember that spark of falling in love. I have to go read everything else by Adler now... 4.5 stars.