Review: Truth or Dare by Ella Monroe

Title: Truth or Dare (Captial Girls #3)
Author: Ella Monroe
Publication: April 23rd 2013 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...

Jackie, Lettie, and Laura Beth barely survived the holidays . . . literally.  Jackie's on lockdown while the hunt is on for her stalker, who somehow got into the White House and left her an ominous note. Laura Beth and Sol are finally back together after a scandal almost tore them apart, and Lettie, who’s forced to live with Whitney and her gossip-mongering mom, has let down her guard enough to fall in love with Daniel.  For the Capital Girls life is always complicated, especially when they're under 24-hour media scrutiny. But that won’t stop the three friends from making their senior year the most amazing ever—even as the mystery deepens over Taylor Cane's death and First Son Andrew Price’s role in it.

-- My Rating --

3.5 / 5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I read the second book in the series, a while ago, but I have never read the first book. But I don't feel left out at all. Actually, I was thrust back into Jackie, Laura Beth, and Lettie's life like I hadn't even left.
Minor spoilers if you have not read The Capital Girls (#1)
     Jackie's relationship with Andrew is crumbling to pieces. But the perfect TV relationship should not break. So, they are keeping it a secret. Laura Beth hates to rival with her best friend, but she wants a ticket to the White House, too. Lettie is all but happy to have her parents go away, but she moves on. And might even find the romance she needs.
     The one thing that interests me the most in this series, is the high-profile lifestyle. Jackie is always on TV, tabloids, gossip magazines, and it feels believable. I never thought I would say that a book about some teenage girls in the spotlight of politics would be believable, but it is. The characters, the three girls are strong-willed and relate-able. You can feel the energy pulsing off of them. But the other characters are not as fleshed out, which was disappointing.
     The plot of this book was predictable, more predictable than the second book, which was sad, too. But it still had its moments, and it  kept me satisfied and interested. So, it deserves the four stars it gets. The ending was lovely, and expected. I am not sure if there is a fourth book or not, because I want to know what happens to the girls. But even if there isn't, Ella Monroe left me perfectly satisfied and i wouldn't mind, at all.

Review: In Too Deep by Amanda Grace

Name of book: In Too Deep
Author: Amanda Grace
Publication:  February 8th 2012 by Flux
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Owned
Goodreads

Carter didn't rape me. People at school think he did. Suddenly, new friends are rushing to my side, telling me that Carter hurt them, too. They say he's getting what he deserves.

Maybe I don't want to fix this.

"Honest and constantly refreshing."--Kirkus Reviews

Sam is in love with her best friend Nick, but she can't seem to tell him. So she decides to flirt with golden-boy Carter Wellesley, hoping Nick will see it and finally realize his true feelings for her.

On Monday, everyone at school is saying that Carter raped Sam. He didn't, but Sam can't find the words to tell the truth. Worst of all, she's afraid she'll lose Nick if he finds out what really happened.

As graduation approaches, Sam discovers that living the lie isn't as easy as her new friends make it sound--and telling the truth might be even worse.

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I have read one book of Amanda Grace and it was amazingly heart-breaking and real. I loved what I felt through that book and I guess I put too much expectations into this one. It didn't disappoint but it was lacking in many aspects.
     Sam is just the average-looking, normal teenage girl. She has a huge crush on her best friend, Nick and she would do anything to get his attention. Even if it means throwing herself at the most popular playboy at school. But her actions have their consequences and Sam might not be able to ever get back to her normal life.
     This plot had a lot of potential. There were many aspects that were studied: alchohol use, bullying, rape, and many others. I liked the plot very much but what fell short for me was the charcaters. No matter what I did, I couldn't connect with Sam. Maybe a little on the level of loving her best friend, but otherwise, she was too much a drama queen for me. I felt like she cared too much about what other people thought of her. But Nick is adorable, cute, and smart. He reminds me of someone close to me and I loved him for it. He truely cares about Sam, and God! I was glad there is no love triangle
      Do not expect to be happy after reading any of Amanda Grace's books. They are raw and real, and they show you what happens when you walk down the wrong road. Even though I knew this, I did not expect the ending. At all. But I liked it and it teaches you a lesson, indeed. I would recommend this, but will not read it again.

Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Name of book: Half-Blood (The Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication: October 18th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Owned

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. 
There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. 
Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

-- My Rating --

3.5 / 5 Oscars: Liked it..

-- My Thoughts --

     Okay, so don't hate me, please. I know I should have started reading this series much sooner, and because of all the hype the author was getting, I was scared that the book would not meet my sky-high expectations. I blame it on the blogging world, though, but fortunately, the book was amazing.
     Now, I am not writing a summery of such a famous book. But the first thing that intrigued me was the idea of half-blood and pure-bloods and their roles in the world. I loved it that the author concentrated on a small island , not a huge city, or it would have been confusing. The characters in this book were superb. Alex is such a kick-ass, stubborn female. She reminds me of me ( without the ass-kicking part, of course). I related to her and her conflicts. Between the two equally-awesome, HAWT love interests, I will definitely be Team Seth. Seth stole my heart away from the first scene he entered the book and I already love him. My kinda guy, indeed.
     One thing I can say about this book is GO READ IT. Don't be left in the dark like I was. I am pretty sure that the second book in the series will be even better and I get to see more of Seth! Yay!

Review: Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Title: Bloodspell
Author: Amalie Howard
Publication: June 1st 2011 by Langdon Street Press
Genre: YA Paranormal
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...

The spell was simple...

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.

What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?

-- My Rating --

3.5 / 5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     I have not been a fan of vampire stories after Twilight. They just never succeeded in adding something new to the mix of the paranormal genre. I appreciated this one because it combined the witch lore (which I love) and the vampire lore (which I am not a huge fan of).

     Victoria led a normal life, up until the day of her birthday. She is not a normal girl anymore, nor are the people around her. A vampire, a warlock, a witch and an auro-seeker. Her friends and enemies are not, and never were normal.

     The characters were typical in this book. The only word to describe them was typical. They reminded me of my friends, my enemies, and my family. It was a nice connection but there was nothing amazing or unique about them. The plot is moving fast-enough, but at sometimes, I felt like the romance between the two main characters, Victoria and Christian was too fast. They rushed at it, and it sucks, but it kinda reminded me of Fifty Shades of Grey (probably because of the main character's name)

     This book has a couple of flaws, but it was intriguing enough to keep me turning the pages up into the night. Which I appreciated. It kept me distracted, which was the point of reading it. I don't really know if this was a standalone or a series, but either way, I am eager to know more about.

Review: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Name of book: The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publication: April 1st 2012 by Scholastic
Genre: MG Fantasy
Source: Won @JeanBookNerd

THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

-- My Rating --

3.5 / 5 Oscars: Liked it...

-- My Thoughts --

     This book was a pleasant surprise. I still don't know if it's middle-grade or YA, but I think it bends more toward the middle grade genre. And I have no experience in the genre, but this book was a perfect dose of mischief and action.
     Sage is an orphan boy with a mysterious past in a cruel and magical world. But one day, a lord takes him and three other boys under his wing. But the lord has a plan, a treacherous plan. A plan to make one of the boys, the lost prince of the country. And the three others won't get out of it alive. So Sage must use his one chance of survival. He MUST become the prince, or die trying.
     If that is not intriguing enough, then what it? Well there were a lot of things that I liked about this book. The first being the world-building, it was subtle, but when it was there, it was perfect. I loved it that the author provided a map of the country and its surrounding lands. The second thing that I liked was the characters. Sage is a wonderful, understandable teenage-boy. He is around my age group, so I could relate to him, though his bravery and sarcasm were over-the-edge at times.  Also loved the HUGE cast of supporting characters, specially Imogen and Tobias. I will definitely be reading the second book in the series!