ARC Review: Captive by Aimee Carter

Title: Captive( The Blackcoat Rebellion #2)
Author: Aimee Carter
Publication: November 25th 2014 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA Dystopia
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price? 

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it

-- My Thoughts --

     The first book in this series, Pawn, made it to my five-stars favorites. It was absolutely phenomenal and I thought there was NO WAY to top the first book, but Aimee Carter proved me wrong.
     Kitty Doe has been playing her role as Lila Hart, surrounded by enemies and friends, it's becoming harder for her to know who to trust. But when a series of events shake the foundations of all the lies the government has been built on, and Kitty has the hardest decision to make; give up, or fight for freedom.
     This book  has no dull moments, not a second passes by without something major happening, there is no boredom. I LOVED the plot. It's fast. It's electrifying. It's thought-provoking. It's suspenseful. There are even MORE things at stake in this book  than in the first one.
     Of course, Aimee Carter's discriptions are still to-the-point and vivid. But the strongest suit of this book is definitely the characters. Kitty amazes me.  I love her bravery, her loyalty, her commitment to the cause. Her love. There is not ONE moment that I didn't like her. Then, there's Knox who got a lot more of appearances in this book. But we had little of Benjy. I hope we see more of him in the next book.
     Of course, there is romance. But I am not sure whether I can consider this as a love-triangle or not. It's been two books now and I still don't know if one of the guys is considered as a love interest or not. I guess it will all be resolved in the third book and I can't wait!
     The ending was thrilling and such a huge BANG that left me with millions of questions. I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book! This is definitely one of my favorite series to date! If you are a fan of dystopia and survival stories like The Hunger Games and Divergent, then this book is the one for you!

Review: Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publication: April 8th 2014 by HarperCollins
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Source: Owned
Goodreads

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

-- My Rating --

5/5 Oscars: Loved it

-- My Thoughts --

     I have heard a lot about Kelley Armstrong, who hasn't it? So, I was expecting a lot from her writing and her world-building, and it totally blew me away!
     Ashyn and Moria, two twin sisters, are the Seeker and the Keeper in their little town. They rest the souls of the damned in the Forest. But this time, the souls do not want to rest. And with terrifying creatures, shadows, and much more, the path of the two sisters is separated. And with their journey to the Empire's capital, they might even find love in their path.
+ World-building: This is the book's strongest suit. The world that Kelley Armstrong created is so full of imagery and so vivid, it's like you're there. Her descriptions are never boring and never too much. They make you imagine the world in your head, every little detail, and it was such a beautifully terrifying world she created.
+ Characters: So, many authors excel at creating three-dimensional characters. So, it wasn't a surprise for me. BUT a lot of authors concentrate on making the main characters seem three-dimensional, that they forget the supporting characters, and they come out as shallow and unreal. But Kelley Armstrong made her main characters, plus the secondary characters, as real as possible. None of them were perfect in anyway, so it was easy to connect with them on many different levels.
+ Character Development: The most evident character development, as usual, was with the main characters. Ashyn and Moria are polar opposites, but twins. Moria is the kind of confident, sure, strong-willed girl that everyone wishes to be. But Ashyn is the shy, emotional, and low-self-esteemed one that most of us are. But throughout the book, they develop and become more aware of their flaws and trying to fix them. I loved witnessing that.
+ Plot: The plot was swift-moving and it was not boring, not even for one second. Then they're are those horrible, scary creatures that the author created, that are so chilly, they scared me to the bone. With the plot she created in this book, Kelley Armstrong has a LOT to follow in the follow-up to this amazing first introduction.
+ Romance: This is what I LOVED the most about this book. Okay, so it wasn't full of romance, there were only small touches of romance here and there. But the love interests were so real. For Moria, we have Gavril, who is a warrior and is anything but open with his emotions. They hate each other, at first, but underneath it all, you can see the love. With Ashyn, we have Ronan, who disappeared after three-fourth of the book, but his presence was there. The attraction between them was obvious but Ashyn was very hard on herself and believing that a guy would actually like her, not her sister. I think there is much more potential to the romance, and the book in general, for the sequels to come!

Review: The Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

Title: Biggest Flirts (The Superlatives #1)
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publication: May 20th 2014 by Simon Pulse
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Owned
Goodreads

Tia and Will’s lives get flipped upside down when they’re voted Yearbook’s Biggest Flirts in this sassy novel from the author of Endless Summer and The One That I Want.

Tia just wants to have fun. She’s worked hard to earn her reputation as the life of the party, and she’s ready for a carefree senior year of hanging out with friends and hooking up with cute boys. And her first order of business? New guy Will. She can’t get enough of his Midwestern accent and laidback swagger. 

As the sparks start to fly, Will wants to get serious. Tia’s seen how caring too much has left her sisters heartbroken, and she isn’t interested in commitment. But pushing Will away drives him into the arms of another girl. Tia tells herself it’s no big deal…until the yearbook elections are announced. Getting voted Biggest Flirts with Will is, well, awkward. They may just be friends, but their chemistry is beginning to jeopardize Will’s new relationship—and causing Tia to reconsider her true feelings. What started as a lighthearted fling is about to get very complicated…

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     I received the second book in this series for review. And so I had to read the first book too. And Jennifer Echols is such a well-known author, so the book was as I expected, fabulous.
     Tia is not the one to do relationships. She wants everything simple and casual. Up until she meets Will, but when she rejects his advances and he finds someone else. She realizes that her feeling run deeper than she thought.
     The first thing I noticed is the beautiful, bubbly writing style of Jennifer Echols. She has such an amazing lyrical voice. It's like you can feel the characters in their teenage years. And since I am still a teenager, I could really connect. Jennifer Echols definitely knows how to capture the true essence of a teenager.
     As with most contemporary books nowadays, it definitely doesn't catch you from the first page. You need time to get to know the characters better and get familiar with them and care for them. But otherwise, I really liked the characters in this novel. but I definitely didn't love them. Tia is such an impulse-decider. She decides everything without even thinking about the consequences. I just wanted to get into the book and slap her. And Will, as well.
     I just wanted them to get over their egos and just admit their feelings to each other. The ending was definitely much better than I hoped it would be. I cannot wait to read the second book in the series, because I am feeling that i will like the MC of the second book much better.

ARC Review: Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Title: Solitaire
Author: Alice Oseman
Publication: July 31st 2014 by Harper Collins Children's Books
Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller
Source: Provided by the kind publisher...
Goodreads

In case you’re wondering, this is not a love story.

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year – before all that stuff with Charlie and before I had to face the harsh realities of A-Levels and university applications and the fact that one day I really will have to start talking to people – I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that’s all over now.

Now there’s Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don’t know what Solitaire are trying to do, and I don’t care about Michael Holden.

I really don’t.

This incredible debut novel by outstanding young author Alice Oseman is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and all unflinchingly honest writers.

-- My Rating --

2/5 Oscars: It was Ok

-- My Thoughts --

     When I saw the cover of this book, I fell in love. And the blurb was so intriguing that I immediately jumped at the chance to read this. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I hoped it would be. And it seems that I am one of the few people who didn't enjoy this book.
     Victoria (Tori) Spring is  a pessimist. There's nothing that matters to her in her life except her brother, Charlie and her blog. But all that changes when; her childhood best friend, Lucas appears in her life again. And a group called Solitaire starts pranking the whole school. And she meets Michael Holden.
     What intrigued me was the idea of this Solitaire blog that starts up at Tori's high school. They prank the whole school with the most innovative and unique pranks ever. I really liked that. But after a while, things get really out of hand. When I read the blurb, I imagined horror or at least a lot of thrill. But I didn't get any of that. The whole Solitaire aspect was just mild. There was nothing that scared me about them or intrigued me to find out who they really are.
     Then, there are the characters. My main problem with this book is the fact that I didn't like Tori, at all. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't connect with her and her negative nature. She was moody about everything and her decisions were ridiculously stupid. I guess it has to do with the fact that I am as optimist as a person can be. Then, there was Michael, whom I liked but I thought his actions were unbelievable. He felt two-dimensional to me.
     There is a bit of romance in this book which was also unbelievable. Like, it just came out of the blue. With no precaution or anything. That was just weird. Finally, when the villains were discovered, I felt nothing. I was just okay with it and it was no surprise for me considering who was the real bad guy. I knew it already.
     Overall, I imagined this book to be much better. But sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. But that does not mean that this book was horrible. Actually, there might be a lot of people who will love this book or already love this book.

Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless (Hopeless #1)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Publication: December 19th 2012
Genre: NA Contemporary
Source: Owned
Goodreads

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

-- My Rating --

4/5 Oscars: Really liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     I have been hearing so many great things about Colleen Hoover for years now. And i felt really bad for not being a part of the wagon for this incredible author. I expected so much from this book and thankfully, it was just as great as i expected.
     Sky's life has never been quite normal. Always secluded from the world. but as her senior year approaches and she decides to go to a normal high school this time, her whole life changes when she meets Dean Holder. Enigmatic, mysterious and dangerous Holder. He's everything Sky never knew she needed. And everything she shouldn't want.
     This book is a character-driven romance, which is obvious. But there is also a huge plot going on. I loved that even though this book concentrates on the romance, there is still much more going on than we think. I loved that it tackled many different subjects; there is abuse, family drama, and friendship. There is not one dull moment throughout the whole book.
     Then, there is the romance. OMG, the romance is absolutely everything I wanted. It was so beautiful and real and the chemistry between Sky and Holder was palpable. I just loved every scene where they were together. It was so full of feelings, perfect.
     And the ending was absolutely amazing. The huge revelation and the little twists were not what I was expecting, but they were a really good surprise. Now, I finally understand why so many people are in love with Colleen Hoover, how can you not be? She writes the most amazing characters, ever. I can't wait to read another book of hers.