Vixen (The Flappers #1) - Review

flappers. girls in rebellious dresses. and boys with dangerous intentions.

gangsters. speakeasies. and forbidden love.

it's 1923. "and anything goes".

Vixen was a roller coaster of secrets, alcohol, and dangerously invigorating love triangles. The first Flapper book in a whirlwind series encased so much and covers the grounds of crazy ex-besties, picture perfect couples with cheating scandals behind closed doors, vengeful souls, and partying far past bedtime.

I really enjoyed the teenagers and young adults in the book, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up the second book in the trilogy. The sporadic drama and topsy-turvy plot twists made me invest too much into the characters (more than I was comfortable with because I grew attached). If you think about it, that's not such a bad complaint about the book. Maybe one day I'll finish the series, but as for now, I'm remaining a one-timer.

Overall, historical fiction is my #1 favorite genre of these past couple of years, besides the few other dystopia and fantasy hits!

x3.5!

Belle Epoque - Review

Would you want to be hired as the "ugly friend", an undercover role beside a French aristocrat for the sake of making her look more beautiful to possible suitors?

Maude Pichon, a runaway from Brittany avoiding a lurid arranged marriage, had no other choice but to fall prey to being the "average-looking friend" next to Isabelle, a girl desperately in need of a husband in order to soothe the fretting heart of her social climbing mother, the countess.

Things swirl into action as she meets the rest of the "Repoussoirs" in the agency, normal to ugly looking girls in need of jobs and willing to be drab for the sake of a decent income and attending social gatherings, balls, operas, and other highly exclusive festivities. Dukes with dreamy gazes, artists with scruffy composures, and elegant gatherings encompass Maude's world as she attempts to keep her identity a secret from Isabelle, who she was hired to be "ugly" next to. But at the turn of the century with advancing technologies, gorgeous fashion, and the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Belle Epoque Paris, secrets don't stay secrets for long. And everyone knows it.

I really enjoyed the simplicity of Belle Epoque! It was an easy read and truly captured the perfectionism of the beauty era in Paris, France. Historical fiction is sure to be a rising genre and Elizabeth Ross does not fall short of the intriguing stories intertwined with flowing dresses and forbidden glances! Ross made me ponder the value society puts on beauty and the inner-motives of friendships. She opened my eyes to the necessity of not only genuine feelings in relationships, but following one's own dreams as opposed to what others want you to do. I recommend this novel to anyone searching for a quick, Euro-historical read displaying strong, compelling, and developed characters with classic plot twists! 

x3.5!

The Luxe Series - Review

scandal. secrecy. daring gowns. mysterious kisses. dangerous boys. the wealthy aristocrats of Manhattan, 1899.

This is The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, within the gloriously prestigious setting of large penthouse suites and unctuous gala events. I followed the daughters of dwindling wealth, Diana and Elizabeth Holland. Diana, a sixteen-year-old, raven-haired, sultry-eyed beauty is the adventurous, wild kind. Elizabeth Holland, the eldest of the Holland sister duo, is the obedient and compliant one with many forbidden secrets rummaging beneath the iron of her skirt. Henry Schoonmaker, the rebellious son of a multi-million dollar empire constructed by his lineage, is looking for a little more danger than society is willing to allow him to handle. Penelope Hayes is the overly extravagant eighteen-year-old immodestly searching for the love of Henry in which she had almost grasped. Carolina Broud, planning her exposure into legitimate upper class society and will do what ever it take to get her name in papers even though the only thing she has to her title is being a house girl with her sister, Claire, for the Holland family.

And then there's society: the most scrutinizing and all-ears form of gossip and midnight chatter. Throughout the adventurous course of the series, these characters of the Luxe series embrace the whispers, the getaways, the glamorous balls, and ever-watchful eyes of people hoping to catch the next big talk of the city. With crazy, unimaginable plot twists and on-your-feet wit of these sporadic characters, I was always entertained! Godbersen kept me compelled by the angelic atmospheres, the perfectionist smiles, and innocent public personas, in conjunction with the scandalous escapades and dramatics occurring behind closed doors.

Pick this series up before Josh Schwartz, creator of the wildly successful Gossip Girl TV show takes the Luxe and puts it on the screen!

x4!

The Space Between - Review

In the deep crevices of the chaotic cities of Hell, sixteen-year-old pale beauty Daphne, daughter of the most infamous demons Lucifer and Lilith, suddenly sparks a desire to be more than her Pandemonium world. The spontaneity of her thoughts leads her on a roller coaster adventure when her soul-saving brother, Obie, has vanished on Earth. 

Worried he might be in danger because of a lethal Earth warden and intrigued by the mysterious boy, Truman, whom Obie has saved, Daphne embarks on an enticing yet catastrophic journey through differing worlds. And which will she choose? Life or death? Earth or hell?

I really enjoyed this book! It was a quick read that I devoured without thinking! Brenna Yovanoff gives an avant garde angle on the protagonist with her dark and brooding ancestry, while putting in her midst a troubled, confused, and helplessly adorable guy, Truman. Somehow his dreams hold the key to finding her earth-lost brother. And he also might hold the key to her stale, yearning heart. The Space Between never lost my interest! Wild and absorbing, I'd follow this story line to the ends of the…earth?

x3.5!

Born Wicked - Review

Perfect, corset-wearing, pretty witches disguised as innocent, perpetual girls. Boys who manipulate society to bend in their will. And a plethora of spells to cast down New England's petty streets in the year 1900.

Cate Cahill and her sisters have a secret. And it involves little murmurs that magically repair ripped dresses, turning things into new objects, and controlling the environment around them. Witches are a taboo in a life where the Brotherhood, a band of conservative, women-demoralizing men, keep girls silent and stuck on traditionally feminine tasks. 

Can Cate Cahill keep her "brewing" secret forever? Or will a spell slip out before she can retract it? Also, she needs to remain flawless in the eyes of her primary suitor, long-time friend Paul.

Jessica Spotswood evidently dotted her I's and crossed her T's. I enjoyed the witchery, the lingering glances of handsome Paul, and the paranoia within the mysteries of a secret letter Cate receives. I recommend this book to devout witch-book fans, someone looking for a little historical fiction fantasy, or someone like myself, a rookie to all things spell-casted! 

x4!

Requiem - Review

It's the final book in the Delirium trilogy.

In the final installment of the enticing and adventurous, dystopian Delirium trilogy, the finale comes to a soft, yet complex end. I enjoyed the book, but was saddened there was no definitive ending, something I could grasp. There were so many loose ends, untold, and unseen stories, but overall, author Lauren Oliver delivered. 

While there are less dramatic metaphors and other captivating, poetic literary elements in the last book as compared to the previous two, we get to see the evolution of Hana, the strengthening of neglected people in a society of bland rules and regulation, and the final love story everyone has been itching to read! 

Avid fans of the Delirium trilogy will be sad to see the story go, but the disastrous yet beautiful Deliria of LOVE will always prevail. 

x3.5!

new ARCs January 2013

I can't wait to dig into Requiem!!!! The FINAL installment in the Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver! It's going to extremely epic, I can FEEL it. *Spoilers* > Especially since the hugely enticing love triangle going on between the three major characters, Julian, Lena, and Alex! :)

 I have no idea what this book is about, but I am READY for it. It's THICK and take a good, long look at that cover! :) Brilliance. Pure brilliance.

January Book Haul

what i want - the nook hd

Only $199 for 8GB, which holds 10,000 books??

PERFECT.

Beta by Rachel Cohn - Review

Elysia is a teen Beta - an experiment made out of a girl's clone...that died in order for Elysia to exist. One island developed out of perfection for the wealthy and elite.

One mission: for Elysia to serve in a household.

And she's NOT supposed to feel emotion. At all.

But what happens when this isolated world of utopia breeds secrets and underlinings of a life so rebellious, the society of the island will do ANYTHING to sweep it under the rug?

Beta was a brilliant idea! I really enjoyed getting such vibrant imagery from the gorgeous settings on the island, titled Demesne (Deh-MEZ-nay). Sounds like paradise, huh?

Well......

Rachel Cohn tugged at my heart with her unpredictable and often tear-worthy plot twists. Elysia is supposed to be the one without human-like feelings, but it turns out, she might be the ONLY one with unbreakable determination and a will to live. The last pages really built up and was soaked with vengeance and the thrills a possible sequel! At times, Elysia's skewed interpretation of the modern teenage lingo made her irritable and seem a lot slower than she actually was. Overall, I really enjoyed such a distinctive plot that is MADE for readers to drool for more.

Did I fail to mention there's a gorgeous hazel-eyed, lean and muscular, coffee-skin-colored surfer in this?

Yeah. :)

 x3.5!

September Book Haul - 2012

The books keep rolling in! It's time to prepare for the Austin Teen Book Fesitval!! :)

Anyone diving into these reads already? Anyone praying for one of these ARCs?

August Book Haul Pt. 2 - 2012

A vagabond decides to travel the world. Anything having to do with free young spirits and beautiful sceneries, I'm sold! (Originally a birthday gift to my 20-year-old sis!)

A boy that travels through time falls in love with a girl from the 90s. Smells like teen spirit.

A girl assassin fights for her freedom, having to defeat twenty-three killers! A girl and a fantasy kingdom! Perfect!

Mini August Book Haul - 2012

The time has come...and I know I haven't finished all of July's Must Haves but hey, I working on it. It's a hassle when you're mixing reading with writing.. (Shh! Don't tell anyone!)

Alrighty. So August has come as the most sizzling month of the year--100+ degrees here in dry-as-hell (literally) Austin, Texas. But with the crazy weather comes crazy good YA books! That's right! Here is my brand new list of my epically small haul that'll make you jolt with excitement!

Four savage-like and orphaned boys compete for the part of impersonating a runaway prince. Who will win? Who will fall back into a life filled with stealing and conning to survive?

A smart boy is asked to join a military academy to be used as the government's weapon. Sounds like a futuristic adventure to me!

Anyone already have these books? How have you enjoyed them? Anything in particular to look forward to? I can't wait to dive into these reads! August, here we come!

The Forsaken - Review

Orphan Alenna Shawcross thinks she will pass the Government Personality test in futuristic North America now called the United Northern Alliance, but she doesn't. In flashing moments, she's found herself banished and in the most dreaded and unlikely place on the planet: the Wheel, an island made to dump children who've failed the personality test, cut off from society to writhe and decay because of crimes they are likely to commit in the future if they mingled amongst the "normal" people long enough. So she is thrust into this world where there are two warring tribes and deadly decisions she has to make on a daily basis to keep herself alive! In a world of roaring allies, beastly enemies, and flying spears, there is bound to be questions in how all of this came to exist. Alenna slowly realizes she doesn't want to be another puny, terrified girl in the background. Instead, she's hoping to become the warrior that her village needs to conquer the rigged system, crack the codes, and team up with hot and rustic Liam to find a way off of the island. But how far will she go to claim freedom and who is she willing to lose in the process?

In an ultimate struggle of friendship, betrayal, enemies, and lies being spewed at her face, Alenna embarks on a never-before-read journey through the unknown, doing whatever it takes to seek freedom and uncover the mysteries of the UNA. Everything she's ever known about her parents will shift and everything she thought about the teenagers on the Wheel will forever be transformed.

Getting into the book, the first pages were already screaming up at me! My eyes were racing across the pages and I was thrown into this action-packed world. I promise, I was never offered a chance to actually rest while reading this book because something insane and attention-worthy was always happening! This book was stuffed with page-turning secrets and wars that pushed the book further into my "Best Reads of Summer 2012" list! It never failed to bore me and if you love a ton of action with surprising outcomes and an epic adventure through an island not one person can predict, then you'll be up for this book! While at times the drama within the story would be filled with immature dialogue and typical teenage romance issues, I fell in love with most of the characters and will never forget this book that took me on a journey and made me second-guess the kind of mind and heart it really takes to have hope no matter what situation presents itself! I picked up a ton of life lessons from Lisa M. Stasse and will never forget The Forsaken.

x4!

The Innocents - Review

It's Gossip Girl meets Pretty Little Liars.

When sisters Alice and Charlie move into "wealthy-beyond-belief" step-father Richard Flood's summer mansion, Serenity Point, Connecticut couldn't seem more unlike these two girls. Confusing and astonishing mysteries of Richard's dead wife and daughter still haunt his world of champagne-tasting adolescents, town gossiping, and designer sportswear. Only now, this lifestyle of the rich and bored has been passed down to his two new daughters. They're suddenly introduced to Tommy, a boy still torn about his dead girlfriend Camilla. With that tags along Jude, an eye-rolling jerk still dealing with daddy-issue demons. But wherever there is Jude, there is Cybill, a bratty model-esque girl sucked into his world of mixed signals. The two sisters couldn't have been drawn in more. Not only that, but they begin to slowly drift away from each other, breaking promises of being eternally close-knit. 

And all because of a dead girl, Camilla Flood, who's spirit is more alive than anyone can fathom.

Fans of Pretty Little Liars will eat this enticing mystery read up and be scraping for more, watching Alice dig further into the supposed "suicide" of Camilla while attempting to mend broken-hearted and adorably handsome Tommy. But with the twisted and ever-changing turmoil of drama that reminds us of Gossip Girl, Charlie will find her attraction to Jude growing by the second, but stunted by Cybill's strange relationship she has with him. An aura of secrets and dark intentions loom over the mystic Serenity Point. Pick up this book when it releases because brand new author Lili Peloquin is offering us a to-be series filled with soap opera drama, murder mystery, and unique characters all searching for answers.

x3.5!

Venom - Review

It's the dazzling days of Renaissance in Venice, Italy. Gowns, heels, embroidered handkerchiefs, and a few wealth-wielders all grace the island of San Domenico in which the confined beauty and orphaned Cassandra Caravello is privileged enough to have a taste of. In the midst of peace, Cass finds herself drawn to jotting down her caged feelings in the darkness of cemeteries where the dead don't judge. But things begin to get complicated...and deadly. Especially when she discovers her dead friend's grave contains the wrong body!

Suddenly, dead bodies of young girls are missing all over town and with some snarky persuasion from "bad boy" Falco, she'll embark on a murderous mystery that could both reveal heart-jerking revelations and the reality of a man stalking her every whereabouts. The mystic nights soon become crowded with the brooding, blue-eyed artist Falco, dangerous Italian locations, and stolen gondolas across skinny waterways. Solving the murders and discovering who the grave-robber is as well as other deepening puzzles becomes a hassle for Cass who constantly worries about strict Aunt Agnese discovering her late-night adventures.

Did I mention she's engaged to a man of perfection in which she hasn't seen in three years? In "Venom", Fiona Paul raises the stakes with each chapter and forces your emotions to hop onto the roller coaster of secrets, lies, strangers, drunken kisses, and page-gripping chases. Cass gradually develops into a much stronger, much more confident female lead. Her easily admirable authenticity is what adds depth and reason to this action-packed, story-twisting debut. Just when you think you know who the culprit is, you've been outwitted by the warped minds of the numerous in-and-out characters. You've never been this paranoid about the true intentions of each person in this chilling first installment in the brand new historical trilogy. I could literally go on and on, but I'd spoil half the exhilarating story! I strongly recommend this to readers who've had a taste of "The Luxe" series by Anna Godberson, "Gilt" by Katherine Longshore, and anyone who has a knack for flowing gowns, sultry boys in masks, and a deathly villain with blood on their hands...

I give this novel five out of five beans!! It's a MUST!

x5!

97 pages into "Venom"...

After falling madly in love with "Gilt" by Katherine Longshore (I totally posted all over Facebook about her and she replied to my blabbers! How sweet is that!?!) I knew diving into another novel based on historical mystery would suck me in like a vacuum.

And let me inform you now: It has done so.

I'm barely skimming the surface of this 400-something paged adventure and it has already wrapped me in. I'm already becoming completely and utterly attached to main character Cass in Venice, Italy who has proven she'll soon be taking on a transformation from shy-perfect girl to confident-risky gal in no time. Also, how can I not already fall for possible love interest Falco (hot name, don't you think?) with his impeccably brooding blue eyes, tan skin, dark hair, and love for art. His eye-winking, snarky commenting personality will surely send sweet and untarnished Cass on an invigorating roller-coaster! I'm ready for the sinful side of her to sprout, but with time.....

These two characters are already diving into a world of murder, secrecy, grave-robbing, and pendants leading to abandoned residences and shadowy places. Even though I talk on and on about how Cass is in for something she's never experienced before as a wealthy teenager living in the large homes Italy has to offer during the 1500s, I'm sure I will be in for an even bigger adventure reading about it.

Here we go...

July Book Haul - 2012

Being associated with Book People's Teen Press Corps where I constantly am in control of Advanced Reader's Copy novels is definitely a HUGE perk for an obsessed YA reader such as myself!

Here's the July 2012 BOOK HAUL! Also, these were FREE copies, so I feel too amazing right now! My once cute but empty bookshelf is beginning to stock itself up quickly!