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Half-Blood by: Jennifer l Armentrout

7/22/2015

Half Blood by: Jennifer L Armentrout
Synopsis: 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.

Alright... its review time!!

Alright so I have quite a few fixed emotions about this puppy!! First off, I just want to say... HOLY FRIDGE IN A FRICKIN KITCHEN THAT WAS AMAZING. Second of all, I just want to say that I have slightly disappointed in Jennifer L Armentrout. And last but not least, Seth is bae.

Okay, so now that we got that out of the way, lets talk about this book. I was so excited to start this novel. I am a huge fan of JLA's Lux series so when I heard she had another paranormal series I lost my mind. I had heard from other reviews I have read that apparently Half-Blood was very similar to Vampire Academy. When I heard that, it barely even phased me cuz I am so in love with Richelle Meads vampire books. Any who, lets just say I was in NO WAY prepared for how similar they would actually be. Now when I say this, I don't just mean one or two plot twists that were the same or that the characters in this series resembled Rose and Dimitri. I mean that at least the first 100 pages is almost EXACTLY LIKE VAMPIRE ACADEMY. Im not going to go through every detail that was similar because I would a) probably lose my mind b) it would only take 80 YEARS. It was infuriating (even though I was completely hooked from the beginning)!! As some of you may know, I also read Wait for You by Jennifer Armentrout a week or two ago and I also felt like JLA had completely replicated Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. The review in which I ranted about that can be found here: Wait for You by: J.Lynn Ive always pegged this woman as one of my favourite authors and I just admit that Im quite disappointed in the fact that she seems to be incapable of coming of with her own books.

Even if she isn't that creative, I must still admit, this woman can write one HELL of book.

I was completely drawn in from the very first page and I couldn't help but root for Alex. I must admit, I have a soft spot for badass female heroines (even if she was almost identical to Rose Hathaway). I found the whole Pure-Blood vs Half-Blood thing pretty interesting and I was immediately loving the covenant because they all drive KICKASS HUMMERS. Nothing can achieve more points then that simple fact in my books. I fricking loved Aiden and OMG THE SEXUAL TENSION BETWEEN THEM THOUGH. Ugh it was driving me absolutely crazy... until mr. Seth showed up. I like him. I like him a lot. :) I especially started loving this novel even more after it strayed from the VA plot and kinda became its own book. It definitely kept me guessing the entire time and I am actually kinda frustrated with myself for wasting my time writing this review when I could be starting the sequel (which I am about to do in... 3...2...1... now. :) I definitely recommend them to anyone who hasn't read Vampire Academy or to anyone who isn't a diehard VA lover. If you are (like me) you might lose your sanity at parts.

Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your perspectives and opinions on this book!!

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The Casual Vacancy by: JK Rowling

7/10/2015

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The Casual Vacancy by: JK Rowling
Synopsis: A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Alright... its review time!!

Okay so I am in the middle of final exams right now so this novel took me a week or two to finish but oh my god am I happy that I read this!!! I was extremely hesitant at first because I have heard SOOO many mixed reviews about but I found the HARDCOVER copy at my local garage sale for $2 so I couldn't pass it up. I admit, when I first read the plot, I was not impressed. It sounded boring, lame and a lot like something only adults would be into (politics aren't really our youths forte). This novel isn't about politics, the Casual Vacancy is simply about life. Basically, this book is about the death of one of the councillor/politicians dudes in a REALLY small British town and how this mans death effects all of the members in the community. The thing that I really loved though was the fact that it was written from the perspectives of the rich and the poor, the old and the young. It showed all the nitty and gritty drama and secrets behind of the pretty curtain that a lot of families hide behind and how it effected both the kids and the parents. It showed how Barry Fairbrother's death effected the rich people who knew him really well but also the not so rich people. It showed how easy it is for your life to fall apart but also how easy it is for someone else to come along and help you put it back together. Parts of it were hilarious while other parts were heartbreaking and extremely hard to read about but in the end, it was real life and I loved it. I can see why a lot of people struggle to finish it or get bored halfway through because JK Rowling is VERY verbose in this novel. There is a lot of dialogue and character building (which can get confusing at times cuz there are so many characters) but in the end, when everything ties together... my god... its incredible. Rowling proves once again but an absolute badass she is.

Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novel!

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Winger by: Andrew Smith

7/10/2015

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Winger by: Andrew Smith
Synopsis: Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids in the Pacific Northwest. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

Alright, its review time!!

Holy poop. You know what... let me rephrase that... Holy crap. (The previous sentence has been changed for the sake of the readers). I did not anticipate that this novel would do this to me. I had heard that it was really funny (and my god was it FUNNY!!) and relatable but I didn't think it was going to give me "the feeling". Do you know the feeling where everything seems to move in slow motion and you can almost feel like a blanket of sadness settle on your shoulders that you can't seem to shake? That feeling that makes you stop talking to those around you and instead you just sit there and stare at walls for hours on end (tears are optional)? Not a lot of authors can manage to make me feel this way but this author did. Times 100. Ryan Dean West isn't just a character, I believe that he is simply a reflection of myself and teenagers in general. I am a huge supporter of the LGBT community so this book just makes me sad and disappointed with people in our society. I can't even begin to put into words the anger that I feel towards some of the people in this book. Andrew Smiths voice and basically every part of this novel is pure genius and just... real. Everything about Winger is just simply, real. Im not going to write about any spoilers or the big events that occurred in this book but just trust me please when I say that every teen and adult needs to read this. Wow. Just wow.

Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinion on this novel!

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Wait For You by: J. Lynn

7/9/2015

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Wait For You by: J. Lynn aka Jennifer L Armentrout
Synopsis: Some things are worth waiting for…
Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.
Some things are worth experiencing…
Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.
Some things should never be kept quiet…
But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?
And some things are worth fighting for…

Alright, its review time!!

**I keep jumping between a rating of either 3.75 or a solid 4.5. One moment i love it, the next moment I hate it.**

I finished this book 2 days ago so I have had quite a bit of time to get my ducks in a row. This book is extremely hard for me to write a review for because I have so many mixed feelings towards it and the author. I just want to start off my saying that I really love Jennifer L Armentrout's fantasy books, specifically her Lux Series. This was the first romance novel of hers that I have read and to be honest, Im slightly disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I really loved the characters (especially Cam... *cue googly eyes*) and the romance was SOOO swoon worthy. It was funny, well written and I actually managed to enjoy reading from Avery's point of view. Typically, I always ending up hating the female character in New Adult books because they are always FREAKING MORONS. Avery at least was tolerable. My problem with this novel is that there was simply nothing that set it apart from any other romance book, and that the actions and decisions made by the love interest are just always so unbelievable.

Now, for those of you who liked this book, don't start losing your panties on me. I have evidence to back up my point but first, let me explain myself. Its so obvious that these new adult books are written by women. Somehow the guy knows exactly what to say when the girl is crying over something super personal? Omg he's always there to defend her and beat up any guy who tries to touch her? He is 100% completely devoted to her (even once they break up) and turns down the slutty girls who throw themselves at him (EVEN THOUGH HE HAS THE REPUTATION OF BEING A PLAYER AND MAN WHORE)? He is always respectful and never tries to take advantage of her? Im sorry but this is not realistic in someone who is known to have slept with anything that walks. For example, that one part where Avery is drunk and starts to taking her clothes off and tells Cam she wants to have sex with him right then and there was kinda stupid. Im sorry but the girl who you really like and think is so hot is asking to have sex with you and instead, HE HELPS HER PUT HER CLOTHES ON AND THEN TUCKS HER IN AND INNOCENTLY CUDDLES WITH HER ON THE COUCH UNTIL SHE FALLS ASLEEP!?! After he does the whole "when I have sex with you I want you to be sober so you can feel everything I am doing to you" speech!?!? Im sorry but while this is totally #relationshipgoals, this is clearly written by a chick.

My next point is that all the plots in these books are the same. Let us take a look at Wait for you:

-girl meets boy by clumsily tripping and just so happens to be caught by the hottest guy in the entire college.
-They then proceed to hold each other for 5 awkward pages while his eye color is described
-boy is super popular and every girl (and gay guy) wants him. He also sleeps with everyone
-girl is the nerdy book worm who just so happens to be an innocent virgin
-boy has a reputation of getting in fights
-bad boy turns into a good boy for the girl
-good girl turns reckless and sexy somewhere along the way

Im sorry but I have read WAY to many books like this and its disappointing that authors seem to almost rewrite each others books. Maybe they get lazy? Or do they all get together and have sleepovers where they write one novel, put a variety of couples names in a hat and then they each choose one and publish it with those names? I really don't understand it.

I do have one huge piece of evidence that is driving me crazy though so I have to get it off my chest. For those of you who are still reading this, which Im guessing a lot of you aren't, thank you for sticking around but I must say goodbye if you have not read both Wait for me or Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. I need to point out a few similarities between the two.

The following will contain spoilers for both so read at your own risk.

The moment Avery started getting emails and phone calls calling her a whore and stuff, I knew she had been raped. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, just like I found it very obvious in Hopeless. SIMILARITY #1. Then as we continue to read on, we find out that Cam has a reputation of getting into fights and almost went to jail. To me, that sounds ALOT LIKE Dean Holder. SIMILARITY #2. Omg, then we find out that the reason Cam beat someone up was because the dude was hurting his sister. Wow, if I remember correctly, Holder beat up this kid cuz he was trash talking his sisters suicide. SIMILARITY #3. SISTERS. Then, the first time Cam and Avery try to have sex, Avery loses it because the memories of her rape start coming back and it all feels to familiar. Same happened with Sky and Holder. They were gonna have sex at his house but Sky's memories hit her like a train and she ran into the bathroom and started crying. SIMILARITY #4. Then at the end of Hopeless, Sky decides she needs to go visit her dad (who used to physically assault her if you don't remember). Just like Avery feels like she needs to talk to her parents about what happened to her. So, both Sky and Holder, as well as Avery and Cam get in the car to go confront the girls past. SIMILARITY #5. Then, after the confrontation, (which I must admit each turned out very differently) they head back to the hotel and have sex for the first time and its this really romantic and incredible experience and everything turns out okay and all the stars align blah blah blah. SIMILARITY #6. Oh, I also just remembered, both main female main characters have gay best friends. Sky has Beckett and Avery has Jacob. SIMILARITY #7. LIKE HOLY CRAP IM SORRY BUT THOSE BOOKS ARE PRETTY FREAKING SIMILAR. Btw, Hopeless was published in 2012 and Wait For You was published in 2013 so I am in no way throwing shade at Colleen. She is queen. My problem is with Armentrout.

While the romance was totally amazing and Im kind of hoping I find my own Cam, this book had zero to no individuality which left me kind of disappointed. I don't plan on continuing on with this series. Thanks for letting me rant guys. xoxoxo

Happy reading nerds and sound off in the comments with your opinions and perspectives on this book!

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Half-Blood by: Jennifer l Armentrout

The Casual Vacancy by: JK Rowling

Winger by: Andrew Smith

Wait For You by: J. Lynn

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