Review: “End of Days” by Susan Ee

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End of Days is the third and last book to the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy. A satisfying ending for an awesome series! End of Days is everything I was hoping for and more. It’s action packed, full of humor, some very memorable scenes and of-course Raffryn (is that how you spell it?). Not much to say without spoiling but read this series! Susan Ee brings a whole new twist to angels and it’s mind blowing! Not a very thorough review, but it was so good! Go read it NOW!

~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~

I loved all the different aspects of the book. I liked that Susan Ee explained Beliel’s back-story. The whole concept of going through a sword to Hell and bringing back the Watchers was something I never would have predicted.

I also really liked that Paige and their mom played a big part in the book. Honestly, her psycho mom had become one of my favorite characters. I mean, scaring the hellions with rotten eggs? That’s as cool as moms get. And every time I try to picture Paige, I start to hate Doc more and more. I don’t care what good thing he did, he literally tore that little girl apart and sewed her back together. Why isn’t he dead again?

The ending scene with the fight was great; especially picturing the Watchers fighting side by side with the humans. *tears* That was beautiful.

I of-course loved the Raffryn ending! Their conversations always make me laugh, they’re hilarious! Poor Raffe though, after working so hard to get his wings back. Hopefully Pooky Bear will accept him soon.

Review: “Winger” by Andrew Smith

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Winger is not the usual type of book I pick up but since it was getting so popular in the YA world, I decided to give it a try. I can honestly say I did not expect to like it as much as I did. It’s about a guy named Ryan Dean who goes to a rich kid private school and plays rugby. I usually don’t expect much of books with a private school setting because they’re so overdone, especially ones where the main character is very involved with a sport (not being a sports person myself), but this book surprised me. Yes, it does have those cliché breaking-the-rules-at-midnight scenes and getting-in-fights-with-the-other-teams scenes but there were also many parts that genuinely interested me.

This book is a coming of age story. Ryan Dean is a high school junior at only fourteen years old who is tired of being considered a child, especially by one of his best friends Annie who he’s hopelessly in love with. This was a little like another one of those out-of-place-in-high-school-student-rooting-for-one-of-the-most-popular-kids kind of book, and it was but it was more too. Winger is funny, very touching at times, and the ending punches you in the heart.

~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~
 
All I can say is that I did NOT expect that ending. Joey was by far my favorite character and I loved watching Joey’s and Ryan Dean’s friendships develop through the book. It had been a while since I cried at a character’s death (as in cried with actual tears) and Joey’s death was completely unexpected, to me at-least.

I liked the friendship aspect of the story more than the romantic aspect. I did like Annie though and I was rooting for Ryan Dean and Annie but I wasn’t as interested with them as a couple as I usually am in other books.

Up until the last few chapters, I was going to give the book 3 stars but it’s getting four stars because of that killer ending (though I would much rather have Joey living than dead). I think it shows how your life can turn upside down at a single event and how having people you love around you can make a big difference.

Review: “The Young Elites” by Marie Lu

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Short Synopsis: The Young Elites by Marie Lu is a YA Fantasy book. In this land, there was a huge epidemic the blood fever that killed off a large amount of people. The ones who survived came out of it with some kind of marking and are called malfettos. A few of those malfettos developed powers and they are called The Elites.

I have mixed feelings about the main character Adelina Amoteru (reasonably so). She’s not exactly a hero but she’s not a villain either, she’s more of an anti-hero (she actually reminded me of Elsa from Frozen in certain parts). Marie Lu herself says this was more of a villain's origin story than anything else. Adelina is unlike any main character I’ve read about (except maybe Ender Wiggin from Ender’s Game). Adelina is very aware of the fact that she is flawed in both her appearance and her personality. Her marking is her bright silver hair and because one of her eye stopped working, they had to take it out of her socket so she is missing one eye.

I love that Marie Lu created this very dark and disturbing character, but gave her enough personality where the readers can't help but sympathize with her (at-least a little bit). Adelina crosses the line between good and evil quite a few times and her sense of morality is very different from the typical YA protagonist. It’s not that she is inherently evil but more that she will do anything to protect herself. She tries to be good but she has this growing fury inside of her that she can’t get rid of. Her energy depends on the fear of others which alone warned people to stay away from her so she was pretty much doomed from the beginning. She is tired of being used and has this hunger for power which she can’t seem to quench. This book brings up the question of good vs. evil quite a few times as the line between the two get more and more unclear.

4.5 stars because the beginning was a little slow and it took me a while to get accustomed to the setting and the characters.

~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~
 
I loved how Adelina’s power developed and it’s a pretty cool power. I mean, killing someone with an illusion of pain? Terrifying but awesome.

The other characters were interesting but I didn’t connect with most of them. I liked Raffaelle but wanted more of his story which I’m hoping the later books will bring. His character proved that no one is who they appear to be because he is the one who banishes Adelina at the end (granted she killed Dante and technically Enzo).

Enzo: I honestly didn’t like him all that much but it did surprise me when he died. But at the end, we do see Maeve who can bring people back from the dead so this should be interesting.

I wanted to know more about Gemma and Lucent; they were mentioned quite a lot but we didn’t really get to witness Adelina interacting with them. There might be more of Teren than we saw in this book, but right now, I pretty much hate him. Thinking he’s some kind of savior by killing all these people, that’s what you call delusional.

Violetta is probably my favorite character since I always tend to like the sweet ones. She has protected her sister her whole life. I’m confused on why she doesn’t have a marking though, maybe it’s just really small. Or maybe her hair just turned a very similar shade to what it was before so no one noticed. Oh well…

I’m really excited to see where this is going. Adelina’s character could go in any direction.

Review: “Hex Hall” by Rachel Hawkins

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To me, Hex Hall was one of those light reads that you enjoy when you’re reading it but forget about after a few weeks. The main character, Sophie, is a witch who gets sent to this boarding school with other supernatural kids because she messed up a love spell.

I thought the plot was predictable. She was the new girl who fell in love with the hottest guy in school (Archer) who already had a girlfriend. The girlfriend was of course portrayed as one of those snotty, mean girls in a generic high school movie. Sophie’s roommate (who also happens to be a vampire) was the most unpopular person in the school. And then slowly Archer started to fall for Sophie.

However, the book was funny at times. Sophie is witty and able to stick up for herself and her friends. And the ending did make me want to read the next book just so I could find out what happens next. Overall, it’s a nice and quick read but nothing remarkable or extraordinary.

Review: “Angelfall” by Susan Ee

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“But the truth is that we’re all just stumbling around in the dark. Sometimes we hit something terrible.”
 
“Sometimes, as we’re stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”
 
Now here is a very admirable heroine. Penryn is brave, kind and fiercely loyal to her little sister, Paige. The book begins with her, he sister and her mother going out at night to scout for supplies. As the story progresses, the pieces of what has happened comes together. The world had been attacked by angels and humans are barely getting by.

While scouting Penryn meets an angel named Raffe whose wings is cut off in a fight and his opponent flies off with Penryn’s sister. Penryn saves Raffe because she needs his help finding her sister. They two start to bond and help each other out.

I loved how determined Penryn is to the point of extreme stubbornness. She is also not just another helpless teenager; her mother has some form of psychological disability and made her take a bunch of self defense classes as a child so Penryn has some really cool moves up her sleeve.
And Raffe is just adorable with an awesome/cocky sense of humor.

~o~SPOILER ALERT~o~
 
In the end, when they sew giant bat wings on Raffe made me so angry! How could you do such a thing!? And then when he though Penryn was dead and brought her to the car with the other rebels, imagining that scene gave me goose bumps. :’(

And also, poor little Paige! Those monsters took her apart then sewed her back together like a rag doll. Whoever they are, they better die a horrible death.

Favorite Books of 2014

1. In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

Genre: Sci/Fi, a little Dystopian

The last book to The Darkest Minds trilogy. A great ending to a great series. If you’re looking for a good read with a strong heroine, well developed characters and intricate world building, pick this series up.   

Recommended for: anyone who loves a strong female lead and characters with awesome powers  

2. Cress by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The third book to the Lunar Chronicles. The Lunar Chronicles is a fairytale retelling of different characters set in a future world of cyborgs and robots and people from the Moon with great powers. Full of adventure, humor and romance. 

Recommended for: fans of Fantasy with pieces of Science Fiction mixed in.  

3. The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Genre: Sci/Fi

The second book to the 5th Wave series. The world has been taken over by aliens who insert themselves into humans. These books are dark, adventurous and compelling. A similar concept to The Host by Stephanie Meyer without too much romance.

Recommended for: Sci/Fi fans who want to prepare for a future alien invasion

4. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

The final book to the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan which is a continuation of the his first series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The demi-gods’ have their final battle with Gaia. Though I was expecting a grander finale, it was a good enough read with classic Riordan humor.

Recommended for: Percy Jackson fans, mythology fans

 

5. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Fiction (Young Adult)

The story of a girl names Hayley who, after years of being on the road with her father, had finally settled down so she can attend school. Her father is a war veteran with severe PTSD with his memories constantly haunting him and Hayley tries her best to take care of them both.

Recommended for: readers who like emotional stories 

 

6. Exposure by Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs

Genre: Sci/Fi

The fourth book to the Virals series by Kathy Reichs. It follows Tori, Hi, Sheldon and Ben as they try to be more in control of their canine power as they set out to solve a kidnapping when two of their classmates go missing. These books are adventurous and mysterious.

Recommended for: Sci/Fi and mystery fans

 

7. This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl

Genre: Non-Fiction, memoir

A collection of diary entries, birthday cards, internet entries, memoirs from family and friends, etc. of Esther Earl. She passed away of cancer as a teenager but her story remains an inspiration. John Green dedicated The Fault In Our Stars to her.

Recommended for: fans who like emotional stories, John Green fans

 

8. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Genre: Fantasy

The story of Harper Pierce who unexpectedly becomes a Paladin, of an ancient line of guardians with lethal fighting skills, and is given the task of protecting David Stark, one of Harper’s least favorite people. This book is humorous and adventurous. A fun read, not too heavy but not too light

Recommended for: Fantasy fans who like well-rounded female heroines

Ten Favorite Sci-Fi Books

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
   
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   
3. The Darkest Minds by Alexander Bracken
   
4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
   
5. Legend series by Marie Lu
   
6. Divergent by Veronica Roth
   
7. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
   
8. Gone series by Michael Grant
   
9. Maximum Ride by James Patterson
   
10. Matched by Allie Condie