Review: Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Book: Defiance by C.J. Redwine (Defiance #1)
Published: August 28, 2012 (Balzer + Bray)
Format: Digital ARC from publisher via Edelweiss
Summary: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

My Review: I had never heard of Defiance until a few weeks ago, when I ran across a review of it over at Bewitched Bookworms.  The synopsis sounded very interesting, and the review made me even more eager to read it!  I quickly acquired a copy and absolutely flew through it.  There was almost nothing I didn't like about this book.  From the sparse yet imaginative world of Baalboden and the surrounding Wasteland, to the writing style, to the alternating points of view so I could see the stories of both protagonists, I enjoyed Defiance immensely.

The two main characters were Rachel and Logan, both of whom were freaking awesome.  Rachel was dedicated, loyal, and independent.  Not to mention that she could take on three fully-grown guys at once with her super fighting skills, courtesy of her father's rule-defying instruction.  Logan could kick your butt, make you swoon, and invent some immensely useful contraption at the same time.  Alas, though, your swooning would be for naught, because Logan totally only had eyes for Rachel, even though he fought it for a while.  The build-up between these two was spectacular, and the chemistry between them was blatant from page one.  Speaking of chemistry, there was sparring!  Romantically charged sparring/fighting is totally one of my favorite things ever in books, and Rachel and Logan pulled it off wonderfully.

The world of Defiance was engrossing and very easy to get lost in, and the characters were a very big part of that.  It had quite the cast of secondary characters, and many played very important roles.  There was the old family friend Oliver, the barbarous Commander, the helpful yet mysterious sibling duo, and several others. 

Defiance was not a light read; there were many dark elements to it.  Rachel and Logan's journey was anything but easy, with obstacles ranging everywhere from the Commander to the malevolent Cursed One that could set you ablaze almost before you could get a chance to run away.  In addition to this, there were many internal struggles both - especially Rachel - had to deal with throughout the course of the story.

I think you would be hard-pressed to not enjoy this book.  It had a little bit of something for everyone: strong heroine, brilliant-but-gorgeous hero, heart-pounding romance, adventure, suspense, villains, paranormal/fantasy elements, and a very dystopian setting.  Defiance was a winner all the way around, and I can't wait to read the sequel!   

The words are inadequate, but if I open my mouth again, I’m afraid of what I’ll say. Instead, I quietly follow him to Oliver’s tent, the imprint of his palm on mine lingering long after the heat of his skin fades away.    There are much more important qualities to have than a docile disposition.    I clench my teeth and tell myself pain is just a state of mind. I can rise above it. My body doesn’t agree with my theory, so I force myself to recite the Periodic Table to give myself something productive to focus on.    A laugh bubbles up, even as tears sting my eyes. I reach up to clasp...the symbol of his promise to me, and hold the tender, vibrant thought of him close as the stars chase each other across the sky.

P.S. As if you don't want to read it enough already, take a look at this fantastic trailer!


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Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: June 2012 (Razorbill)
Format: Physical copy, borrowed from the library
Summary: Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

My Review (Warning: Contains spoilers for Bloodlines and the Vampire Academy series.): The Golden Lily kept me up until 2 AM. Literally. I started it a little after 7 PM while I was working out at the gym, and I didn't stop for more than the tiniest of breaks until I finished it in the middle of the night. Even though I had to work in the morning. It simply grabbed a hold of me, and I was powerless to resist! Which I obviously didn't want to do, anyway.

You would think that with me being unable to tear myself away from the book, it would be because of the incredibly gripping plot, right? WRONG. The main plot was somewhat intriguing and mildly suspenseful, yes, but honestly I really do think that was the book's main weakness. I found the plot twists not so twisty, and I wasn't all that invested in it. Which may be because every time it would cut to something that was actually relevant to the plot, I would pretty much "NO, I NEED MORE ADRIAN/SYDNEY TIME. D:" Even without this factor, though, I thought the plot could have been a little stronger.

Mead really has a knack for writing interesting characters. I loved Eddie and Jill and all the others. Sydney was kind of different for me, because we are incredibly similar in a lot of ways. But at the same time, some things about her were not relatable at all. She had serious self-esteem issues, particularly related to her "too big" size 4 body. These were finally addressed to an extent in this book, though, which I definitely appreciated. She was also seriously oblivious to things even when they progressed to obvious levels. I still really liked her as a character, though.

Of course, not surprisingly, the romantic aspect of the Bloodlines series is the thing I love the most. You have absolutely no idea how happy I was when nothing happened between Adrian and Sydney in the first book. Even though it had been forever and five days for us, it was only a very short time since the end of VA for them. So it really would have made no sense. Not to mention the fact that I prefer my fictional romances to progress at the speed of a turtle on depressants, and to have loads of chemistry while they do so. Adrian and Sydney? Have this in spades. Their explosive chemistry continued in The Golden Lily, and may have actually even grown even MORE intense. I don't know how Mead concocted such an brilliantly explosive and beautiful couple for me to root for, but I love her for it.

Another thing I love about Mead. No matter the series, no matter the characters, she's not afraid to rip out your heart and tear it into a million tiny pieces. But she still makes you love her, even as she does it. Because you know that it will all work out in the end. At least, you're losing feeling in your fingers and toes from crossing them so hard HOPING that it will.

The Golden Lily was a great read! It had a decent plot, and some interesting developments were made on the continuing story arc. The interaction between Adrian and Sydney was smoldering. It made me laugh, cry, roll my eyes, curl my toes in anticipation, and have just about every reaction possible. I am already geared up for the long wait until #3. Although, currently, Goodreads is saying that #3 is coming out in February, which means we won't have to wait all the way until summer. Score!

Also, I want to marry Adrian Ivashkov and have since the VA series. Just saying. I can't write my first review of a book with him in it and not mention that. So, there you have it. Good day.

❝...I made sure to sigh heavily and let her know in a passive aggressive way how inconvenient this was for me.❞

❝You made your own jean shorts...with a butter knife?❞

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Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Title: Bitterblue (Graceling Realm, #3)
Author: Kristin Cashore
Published: May 2012 (Dial)
Summary: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past. Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

My Review: Bitterblue was definitely one of my most-awaited books of the year. I absolutely fell in love with Graceling when I read it last year, and I loved Fire nearly as much. I couldn't wait for the next (and final, as far as I know *sob*) book in the story! But along with this anticipation came the fear it wouldn't live up to my expectations, as well as the desire for the story of the Graceling Realm to never, ever end. Therefore, I let it sit on my library pile for weeks before I finally picked it up. Once I finally did, though, I never wanted to set it back down!

Writing this review is going to be difficult because I have some conflicted feelings about Bitterblue. I've taken a couple days to sort them out, though, and I think I'm finally able to articulate them without writing down my reaction to EVERYTHING, which would include some massive spoilers. There will still be some minor spoilers for the earlier books in the series, though, so be warned!

It was great to see Bitterblue grown up. I really felt for her and all her problems as an 18-year-old queen who knew very little about her own country, limited only to what her advisers saw fit to tell her. I found her an interesting character. I didn't think she'd be as fierce as Katsa or Fire, but Bitterblue was fierce in her own way: intelligence. She could do crazy hard math problems, all in her head. She purposefully wrote in ciphers. Bitterblue was also a very genuine person; she stayed true to herself and did her best to act on what she felt was best, if possible.

I loved so much about this book. One of the main things I loved - and didn't expect at all - was that Katsa and Po were in it, and not just brief mentions! That made me supremely happy. The secondary characters including Teddy, Raffin, Bann, and others were wonderful. I even grew to appreciate some I didn't think I would like in the beginning. I vaguely remembered Giddon from Graceling, but more his name than anything else. Over the course of Bitterblue, I totally fell for him. I would love to read a book all about him! I am intrigued by his past, but I really want to know what came next for him. Another factor I loved about the book was how personal it was; unfailingly, every time I took a break then came back to the book, I felt a mild shock when I remembered it was written in third person. It just felt so intensely personal that I expected to be reading from Bitterblue's first person POV. I just thought that was something that was interesting and warranted a mention.

Now, onto Saf. I don't really know where to start. Saf was a thief. But an honorable thief who was fiercely loyal to those he cared about. His relationship with Bitterblue was messed up from the beginning. As a queen and a commoner, there was no possibility of a normal romance for them, ever. It was interesting to see how their story was handled, even though there were some things about it that didn't quite sit right with me. I really felt the beautiful connection between the two of them.

The plot for Bitterblue was interesting and complicated and, at times, difficult to read. From his first introduction in Graceling, you know that Leck was one messed up, evil guy. You get a little more of him in Fire. But until you read Bitterblue, you don't even know the half of it. Bitterblue really had a challenge in front of her, trying to rectify damage done to an entire kingdom over the course of a 35-year-long reign of a madman.

The main thing I didn't like about Bitterblue was the lack of closure on several fronts. That's all I will say about the matter, because it would be impossible to get into without going spoiler crazy. I can appreciate it on one hand, because it added a dash of realism. There were obviously some things that simply couldn't be resolved unless the book went on for years and years. But some things I felt could have been handled better.

Supposedly, Bitterblue can be read as a standalone. I suppose this is true, but I would highly discourage anyone from attempting this. For one, it would probably be confusing. For another, you would not get anything near the full impact of the story, especially regarding several of the characters. Last, but not least, Bitterblue would spoil several things about both Graceling and Fire that would lessen your enjoyment of those books should you want to read them later.

I could probably say more, but I have rambled on long enough. I have no idea how the review got this long already! Overall, even though I was disappointed in some aspects of it, Bitterblue was an addicting (though I was reading under a library deadline, which may have heightened the addicting effect), solid, and enjoyable addition to the Graceling Realm.

❝Bacon improved things dramatically.❞

❝She was trying to come up with a casual way to broach an unapproachable topic. How is everyone feeling today? Did you all sleep well? Anyone missing any gargoyles?❞

❝The more I see and hear, the more I realize how much I don’t know. I want to know everything.❞

❝Think how satisfying it’ll be to attack me with a sword.❞

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Review: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Title: A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2)
Author: Beth Revis
Published: January 2012 (Razorbill)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.


I waited months and months for A Million Suns, and it was worth every agonizing second. I was blown away by the second installment in this series, and now I'm even more excited for the third (if that's possible). I am anxiously awaiting to find out things that were left up in the air in this one.

I love Revis's writing style. The "chapters" - I really think of them more as sections - vary in length. Sometimes, they are really short, but they always pack an incredibly powerful punch when this is the case. She really captures the voices well; I love getting a look inside Amy and Elder's heads.

Can I just take a moment to address how much I adore the development of Amy and Elder's romance/friendship? Not everything has to happen at the speed of light (read: in the first book of the series). I love some good build-up, and Amy and Elder do not disappoint. It makes them more believable, to me. This romantic element of the book is really great.

A Million Suns was fully of surprises; everything was not predictable. I really appreciate that quality in a book. There were two surprising twists in particular that I did not see coming. The plot itself was very fascinating, and it was an interesting way to propel a story. Watching Elder and how he managed the role of Eldest was something that made me understand Elder more as a character, which I enjoyed. I also like that Revis is not afraid to take leaps with her writing.

Quotes!

❝Love without choice isn’t love at all.❞

Love love love this quote.

❝It’s like tasting dessert before supper is served; it’s only made me want more.❞

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Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly #2)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Published: January 2012 (HarperTeen)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.


I like that the opening of Hallowed mirrored that of Unearthly. It provided a nice symmetry, yet there were sufficient changes to compel you to read further. Like the first, this book was a quick, thoroughly addicting read.

In Hallowed, Hand took the opportunity to reveal more about the angel history as it appears in the Unearthly world. I became less confused on the front of Watchers vs. Black Wings and things like that. I truly enjoy reading Hand's version of the history and reality of angels. It never feels like an infodump, yet I came out of the scenes more knowledgeable than I was when I started them. This is quite a feat, because I have a severe dislike of the infodump and tend to barely skim them unless absolutely necessary. Anyway, it is nice that we got some more answers in this book, although I still have more. Which is the point, I suppose; it would hardly be an effective series if I had no lingering questions to be answered in the next book (or the one after that, etc.).

Hee! I loved the small reference to the cherry Jolly Ranchers, which threw me back to Unearthly.

Oh, Christian. I still loved Tucker, but I actually connected with Christian in this one. In the first book, he wasn't quite cookie cutter, but he really had nothing in particular to compel me toward him. In Hallowed, however, I started to really get to know Christian and truly like him. I very much enjoyed his interactions with Clara.

I won't spoil it, but there is a surprise guest who appears in the book who is completely and thoroughly intriguing and awesome. I want to know more! Alas, it is still a long time until the next book. Ten months is so long...

I still get a weird vibe from Angela and harbor an inherent, if irrational, distrust of her. I actually discussed it with my friend Lynne, and she does, too. I really wonder if it is intentional on Hand's part, whether as foreshadowing or to be misleading. Or maybe it is all in our imaginations - Lynne and I tend to be extremely similar in our reactions and opinions, so it is not a particular surprise that we both feel the same way.

Quotes Time!

❝Yeah, somehow I have the feeling that my first visit to a therapist would end with me in a straitjacket getting comfy in my new padded cell.❞

❝I’m having an argument with myself. And I’m losing. So not a good sign.❞

❝This was dumb and admittedly creepy in an Edward Cullen kind of way, but it was the only thing I could think to do.❞

❝It’s not stalking if you’re happy to see me?❞

❝I keep showering and I brush my teeth and I carry on.❞

There were several plot twists in Hallowed. I saw a couple of them coming a mile away, but others caught me completely unawares. I appreciate an author who can do that. There were definitely heavy moments in Hallowed; it was not all sunshine and rainbows. Regardless, it was a great read. I am fascinated by Hand's world, I love both Tucker and Christian, at the end of the day, I am completely addicted to this series. The next installment cannot come out fast enough! I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Unearthly or who simply enjoys YA paranormal fiction.


Purchase this book at: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || The Book Depository

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Published: November 2011 (Harper/HarperCollins)
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: "You can't touch me," I whisper. He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him. Please touch me, is what I want to tell him. But things happen when people touch me. Strange things. Bad things. Dead things.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time -- and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

My Review: I really did not want to start another incomplete series right now. I saw this book at Barnes & Noble the other day and was completely intrigued. I came home, looked it up, added it to my Goodreads to-read list, and let it go for the moment. Then, completely unexpectedly, I saw it on the library shelf two days ago. I picked it up last night after I finished my other book, read the first two pages, and promptly stopped because I knew I needed to go to bed and that I wouldn't for another few hours if I read any further. I then proceeded to wake up this morning and begin reading it immediately. I was completely hooked! I took a short break for lunch with friends, then came back and finished it. It was such a great read! My heart broke for Juliette a thousand times, and I held my breath and nearly cried and even laughed. I rooted for her again and again. I was enthralled in the story, and I never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, it did (thankfully, not in a cliffhanger-that-makes-me-want-to-kill-something way), and now I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for the sequel. Now, let the gushing commence!

My absolutely-no-contest favorite thing about Shatter Me was the writing. I am left without adequate words when trying to describe it. It was so unique, so fresh, so lyrical and bold and stunningly, flawlessly gorgeous. I am a huge sucker for great writing, and Shatter Me had it in spades. I always write down quotes from books, but I was almost at a loss for this one. There were a few that stood out as good quotes to keep for the future. But as an example of just how amazing the writing was? I would not even know where to start. Here are two of my favorites:

❝I spent my life folded between the pages of books.

In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.❞

This is one segment that struck me as I was flipping back through (it is only from page 8, so no worries about spoilers):

❝His hand.

On me.

2 tips

of 2 fingers graze my cloth-covered shoulder for less than a second and every muscle every tendon in my body is fraught with tension and tied into knots that clench my spine. I stay very still. I don't move. I don't breathe. Maybe if I don't move, this feeling will last forever.

No on has touched me in 264 days.

Sometimes I think the loneliness inside of me is going to explode through my skin and sometimes I'm not sure if crying or screaming or laughing through the hysteria will solve anything at all. Sometimes I'm so desperate to touch to be touched to feel that I'm almost certain I'm going to fall off a cliff in an alternate universe where no one will ever be able to find me.

It doesn't seem impossible.

I've been screaming for years and no one has ever heard me.❞

How could you not love this? I just want to read it over and over and over.

One thing that seemed to bother people was the use of strike-throughs. Personally, I absolutely adore stricken text. It is a cool writing tool that can be very powerful and effective when used well. And it was used perfectly in this book. But just as a warning, if it bothers you, it is used pretty heavily toward the beginning.

*Warning: The rest of this review contains spoilers.*

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Published: September 2011 (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed. There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong.

My Review: I fully intended to review at least one the books I read earlier in the month that are due back at the library. Instead, I am reviewing this book. Because I just...need to. I got The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer from the library on January 26 (this past Thursday). I was in the middle of another book right then, but I knew that I was going to want to discuss Mara with someone when I was finished. So I gave it to my friend Lynne. She flew threw it, and the next thing I knew, she was at my door later that afternoon, telling me I needed to read it ASAP. I was going to read it over this weekend, but I heeded her and picked it up that night. And finished it a little after 2 in the morning, much do my dismay. I was right. I DID need someone to discuss it with, but everyone was asleep. So, after sending a lamenting text to Twitter, I switched off my reading lamp and went to bed. Only problem was that this book? Isn't exactly conducive to sleep. I tossed and turned, mind wide awake and still spinning with possibilities, until giving up and sticking my well-used DVD of Two Weeks Notice into my laptop, plugging in headphones, and watching my tied-for-absolute-favorite movie until I fell asleep. Thankfully, the next morning, Lynne and I were able to debrief and exchange theories and just talk about everything pertaining to Mara. It was a great (and much needed) talk. I just love talking about books, particularly with people who love them as much as I do. ♥

*Lots and lots of spoilers ahead. Proceed at your own risk.*

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly (Unearthly #1)
Author: Cynthia Hand
Published: January 2011 (HarperTeen)
Rating: 4.5/5
Summary: In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees...
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My Review: Okay, kiddies. I have Hallowed sitting right in front of me, begging to be opened. But I need to review Unearthly first because I don't want to be biased in any way by what might happen in the next one. This will probably be quick, though, as Hallowed is positively shouting my name right now.

This is my first real foray into the world of paranormal angel books. I tried Fallen but didn't even get a quarter of the way through it. There are several more I'd wanted to try, but I just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Unearthly was an absolutely stupendous introduction. I loved it so much! I was utterly addicted, reading it in less than 24 hours over two sittings. The moment I was finished, I foisted it onto my friend Lynne so she could know the awesomeness. I then got her addicted, so she hated me because the second one wasn't out yet. I regret nothing.

As for the actual book itself, I loved it! The characters were likable and interesting, and the whole concept was fascinating and very well executed. This book was very well executed. I like how you became more and more immersed into everything to do with angels, just like Clara. There's always reality to touch back onto, but there is so much to learn and know. I found the entire world Hand created with the angels to be fascinating, as well as her ideas of heaven and hell. Everything from Black Wings and White Wings to the wings to glory was well-written and intriguing.

I liked that there were subtle Biblical references in addition to the overt ones. I enjoyed reading about Clara's relationship with her brother. Her mother intrigues me. I would love to know more about her history and what happened in her backstory.

I would just like to note right now that I'm suspicious of Angela. I have been ever since Clara began spending time with her. I just...get a strange vibe from her. We'll see how that plays out. It may be nothing.

As for the twist at the end? I had suspected that might be the case, but I didn't know WHY. Ergo, I was not absolutely sure that was going to happen, but I wasn't surprised when it did. The why and the details are still bothering me, though. I am glad it wasn't super cliff-hangery, though, like I was afraid it would be.

For the record: Team Tucker. Practically from the second he was introduced. I'm so afraid that I have -- yet again -- picked the wrong boy in the triangle. But I don't even care because I love him so much. He is easily one of my top fictional crushes. [spoilers] During Clara's first kiss with Tucker, I literally teared up and couldn't breathe. It was that intense. This does not happen very often. I went back and reread it at least five times. LOVE. [/end of spoilers]

On a slightly shallow note, THE COVER. The covers for this series are seriously gorgeous. I want to decorate my room with them.

The end. I'm off to read Hallowed now! Aah!

Review: Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund

Title: Academy 7
Author: Anne Osterlund
Published: May 2009 (Puffin)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: With a past too terrible to speak of, and a bleak, lonely future ahead of her, Aerin Renning is shocked to find she has earned a place at the most exclusive school in the universe. Aerin excels at Academy 7 in all but debate, where Dane Madousin - son of one of the most powerful men in the Alliance - consistently outtalks her. Fortunately Aerin consistently outwits him at sparring. They are at the top of their class until Dane jeopardizes everything and Aerin is unintentionally dragged down with him. When the pair is given a joint punishment, an unexpected friendship - and romance - begins to form. But Dane and Aerin both harbor dangerous secrets, and the two are linked in ways neither of them could ever have imagined. . .

My Review: My sister gave me this book to read, and since we usually have pretty similar taste, I trusted her judgment.  The premise sounded good enough.  Plus, look at the pretty cover!  It turns out that I was right to trust her; I enjoyed this book a lot!

Academy 7 was so cute!  It was a fast read, but it wasn't super light.  It had substance, an interesting premise with good execution, and a decent plot.  In fact, if anything, I would have liked to see some things fleshed out more, specifically the ending, which was a little abrupt.  Regardless, it was still a pleasurable read.  I particularly enjoyed the original world Osterlund had created.  I am...strange when it comes to sci-fi.  I am not usually a fan unless it is a background for a romance, and even then, I'm picky.  But this worked for me.  And it was so nice to actually have a story in a different universe that  -- *gasp* -- wasn't part of a series.  Now, don't get me wrong; I love a good series.  I also happen to be impatient, though, and I hate waiting in between the books.  Plus, I am always worried that I will forget the details and it won't be as great of an experience as reading the books back-to-back.  Which is true to some extent, although I have started to get over that.  There are just too many things I'm dying to read that are the first in a series; I know I will cave on at least some of them.  But I digress.

The main thing I loved about this book was the development of the relationship between the two main characters.  Aerin is so hesitant about everything at first, including actually having a friend in Dane.  She just broke my heart and made me want to hug her.  But the way they naturally develop from strangers (with some animosity on one side) to friends to, eventually, more was so realistic and beautiful.  It grew naturally, and the way their feelings were portrayed was perfect.

Oh, and there was sparring!  Which always makes me happy.

This was a cute, satisfying read that left me with a smile on my face -- the perfect way to spend my Friday morning.