Brad About Books: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Read on April 4, 2013

THE RISING
Published: April 2, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 406 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Darkness Rising, #3

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Read my reviews for the first two books in this series:

The Gathering • The Calling

The Rising is an electric, pulsing, and dazzling finale to one of the best paranormal series out there. I'm sad to let this series go, but I couldn't have asked for a more fantastic ending! Definitely the best of the trilogy!

The best part about this trilogy is the character development. Reflecting back to book one, The Gathering, all the characters have extraordinary changed - for the good, or for the worst. And I loved how Armstrong did! She wasn't afraid to break her characters or put them to the test, and I really appreciated that. And oh man, The Rising definitely pushed Maya and the gang past their limits! I was afraid for them the entire time, and I absolutely loved where the plot took these characters - it was so fantastic!

The paranormal aspect (what kind of paranormal aspect? You'll have to read to find out!) in this series is incredible, and as soon as I read the last page and closed the book (I didn't want it to end, by the way. I was devastated after the last line, but I couldn't have asked for a more powerful and out-with-a-bang ending), I knew that this was the best of the trilogy. This is one of those series that is impossible to put down; there is never a dull moment, and as soon as you get inside this world, you're stuck there. The characters won't leave your head, and the dilemma in the Darkness Rising trilogy will leave an imprint on your mind. If I wasn't reading The Rising, it was the only thing on my mind.

Remember when I said that The Rising had an out-with-a-bang ending? Let me delve further onto that. If you love an explosive and dynamic ending that will leave an impression on you and wrap itself completely around you, then this series is a must-read. The Rising has such an epic, climatic finale, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout it all. The Rising did not disappoint by any means. Kelley Armstrong, thank you so much for this journey - I loved it so much!

Overall, The Rising is a marvelous ending to such a fantastic YA paranormal series. A phenomenal conclusion!

M Y   R A T I N G

Brad About Books: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Read on July 6, 2013

THE DREAM THIEVES
Expected Publication Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Format: ARC
Page Count: 448 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: The Raven Cycle, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, The Raven Boys.

The Dream Thieves is, simply put, one of the best sequels I have ever read. Stiefvater built upon this rich and vast world, and I couldn't get enough of this book. I never wanted it to end. Phenomenal.

What I loved the absolute most about The Dream Thieves was the fact that are main protagonists in book one, Blue and Gansey, were mostly sideline characters in this sequel. We definitely get to see more of them, don't get me wrong - and they're just as great as ever! I adore Blue so much. I love how she handles her situations, and how she deals with being wrapped up in this complex and overwhelming mystery. Gansey is also fantastic - he's continuing his search, and I loved how Maggie Stiefvater really pushed his character to see what his limits were and what he would push the boundaries for. But in The Dream Thieves, we get to see more of Ronan, who was a supportive character in The Raven Boys. I LOVE it when a series does it! You guys don't even understand. Ronan is such an interesting character! He's dark, mysterious, and even a little sinister. And while I loved Blue's voice in The Raven Boys, it was definitely a nice change to hear more from Ronan. Maggie Stiefvater knocked it out of the ballpark with The Dream Thieves - mind-bending, heart-shattering, and all-around fantastic.

For those of you who have read The Raven Boys (and if you haven't, what is wrong with you?! GET ON THAT.), you remember the mystery that was surrounding the town, correct? Stiefvater takes it to a whole new level in The Dream Thieves! Dark secrets come to light, and the amount of the truth that is revealed is stunning. The last line of The Raven Boys boggled my mind for months, but I completely understand now. I'm not even joking you, I love this book to pieces. Stiefvater's Raven Cycle has easily become one of my favorite series of all-time. If you haven't started this series, I highly, highly recommend it. You won't regret it!

Can we just talk about the last 25% of the book?! So much action and tension and drama and I just can't. I was on the edge of my seat, biting at my fingernails, looking over my shoulder, and all that goodness while reading the ending of The Dream Thieves, and I absolutely loved it. But really, all of this book is excellent. The writing is gorgeous, the plot is exquisite, the characters are fantastic, and the entire plot is unique and one of a kind. My gosh, The Dream Thieves was brilliant.

Overall, The Dream Thieves has become one of my favorite sequels of all-time. Addictive, enthralling, and a masterfully executed story, The Dream Thieves completely consumed me. Marvelous!

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Read on April 20, 2013

RUBY RED
Published: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Henry Holt (Macmillan)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 322 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Ruby Red, #1

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Ruby Red is a whirlwind of a novel, with combinations of epic moments and wonderful characters that make this crazy and awesome read even more enjoyable. I wish I could travel back in time to experience Ruby Red again!

The concept of Ruby Red is very engaging and highly addictive - how could you not resist a time travel story?! And luckily, Ruby Red is one of my favorite time travel stories I've ever read. Wanna know what I loved most about this time travel? There was a plot reason for time travel. It's not just something cool to give the story that extra dazzle, extra push. The story revolves around family secrets, heartbreaking betrayals, and traveling back in time to fix the past and restore the future. And the mystery! Gosh, Ruby Red is such a tension-filled, edge-of-your-seat type of book, and it's impossible to put down. My only regret was not picking this one up sooner! Loved it!

Gwen was awesome, short and simple. I get that some times, characters need to be a little naïve in order to get a true grasp on the situation at hand, but I feel that some characters go way past the boundaries with being naïve. Thankfully, Gwen wasn't that type of character. Sure, she was apprehensive at first (who wouldn't be?), but she handled the situation very maturely, and I loved her character! And can I just give Kerstin Gier a round of applause for not putting insta-love in the book? It could've been so easy to make Gideon an insta-love character that would fall in love with Gwen, and the story could have taken off from there. But Ruby Red doesn't revolve around love! It worked flawlessly. Ruby Red was masterfully structured and complexly rich; Kerstin Gier did an incredible job with this fantastic novel.

And while I had just a little trouble getting into the beginning (by, like, 25 pages, maybe?), it's so easy to be captivated and fall under the spell of Ruby Red. It will absorb your mind and consume you whole; I never, ever wanted to put this book down. It was that awesome.

Overall, Ruby Red is an explosive, fiery tale that wrapped itself in my brain and never left. I still think about it to this day. Ruby Red is epic!

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Read on July 12, 2013

HOW TO LOVE
Expected Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 389 pages
Source: ALA

Her greatest mistake was her one true love. 

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

How to Love is, simply, fantastic in every way imaginable and possible. My favorite contemporary novel of all-time, for sure! Powerful, heartbreaking, and incredible, How to Love should not be missed - absolutely phenomenal!

If you know me, you know that I only recently began to get into more contemporary novels. And How to Love was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013. You have no idea how relieved and thrilled I was to discover that How to Love lived up to all of the hype surrounding it; it's truly great! The emotions, the heartbreak, the characters, the writing style, everything blends and flows together perfectly and congruently, and How to Love has easily become one of my favorite books of all-time. If you love contemporaries, you seriously must pick up this book. It's a revolution in the YA market.

What I love most about How to Love is how the story is told: we have the Before chapters, which tells of Sawyer and Reena's life before Reena became pregnant, and the After chapters, set three years later with their daughter, Hannah, and their love rekindling. It was just so unique and interesting! And I love how the situations and dilemmas feel authentic. I can't express that enough. Reena does not jump back into Sawyer's arms when he comes back into her life; he hurt her in ways he could never possibly imagine, and Reena will never forget that. Oh my gosh, I am so happy that Reena did not go running back to him by any means. It felt totally real and genuine! I thank you for that, Katie Cotugno - for not only created an authentic, incredible novel, but just for this masterpiece of contemporary literature. How to Love is incredibly phenomenal and fantastic. I loved this book to pieces.

And the writing style - GAH. Talk about stunning. The way Cotugno bends the words makes them flow off the page so easily and masterfully. This novel is sure to be a hit, and I can see myself re-reading this book in the future; it's that wonderful. I'm serious with this recommendation, guys. How to Love is an absolute must-read. One of my favorite books ever.

Overall, How to Love is an achingly beautiful, satisfyingly incredible novel that moved me, shook me, and completely consumed me. I couldn't get this novel off of my mind. If you're in need for a great love story, How to Love is the fantastic way to go!

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Starfall by W.A. Fulkerson

STARFALL
Published: February 23, 2013
Publisher: Createspace
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 364 pages
Source: Author in exchange for an honest review
Series: Starfall, #1

The day an Ungifted witnesses his star fall from the heavens is a moment that shapes the rest of his life. Finding one’s star means choosing a gift, and having a gift means a better life- especially for Ducasus and Malleus. Born into slavery on a Flare’s plantation, the twin brothers spent their youth watching the sky, waiting, wishing, hoping for the day when their ticket to freedom might come. When it does, it is nothing like either of them ever expected. 

Starfall is an exciting, adventure-filled journey inside a world filled with giants, monsters, and races not yet known. A new mythology begins now.

Starfall is a dynamic, explosive tale that packs a punch. This novel is a force to be reckoned with. 

After reading the synopsis, I knew I had to have my hands on this book. And while I'll admit, the beginning threw me off, and I was confused, everything settled out towards the middle and ending. A new mythology is brought forth in Starfall (side note: how awesome is that?), and things take a bit to get set up. But once we learn everything, this novel takes off like a rocket and never lets up. It's impossible to put down, and it consumes your mind. Very epic and highly addictive!

The idea of a slave discovering his destiny is quite interesting! I'd never seen it done before, and I was definitely curious to see how everything would play out. What I wasn't expecting was loads of awesome and peculiar creatures, fast-paced scenes that kept me up late into the night, and wonderful characters that were fantastic to be on an adventure with. I can't tell you how happy I am with Starfall - for fans of Percy Jackson and Shadow and Bone! You won't be able to put Starfall down!

That. Ending. Woah. I keep mentioning it, but it's insane how crazy it is to quit reading this book - it's nearly impossible. I hated to tear my eyes away from the page, and the ending of the book was completely wrapped around my mind and wholly captivated me. I need the next book pronto! Loved it!

Overall, Starfall is an epic, stunning tale that will pull readers in and never let them go. Needing some awesome fantasy in your life? Look no further; Starfall has you covered.

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush by Laura Toffler-Corrie

Read on August 3, 2013

MY TOTALLY AWKWARD SUPERNATURAL CRUSH
Expected Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Roaring Brook (Macmillan)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 352 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

While coping with middle school drama and costuming a teen production of Fiddler on the Roof, fourteen-year-old Jenna falls for Luke, an angel, and joins him in battle against demonic foe Adam, who wants Jenna's ancient pendant.

My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush is a light-hearted, fun paranormal read that is filled with beautiful love scenes - but with those love scenes comes, unfortunately, insta-love.

I was intrigued by this novel just from the premise - we have an angel and his evil foe, clashing together because of our main protagonist, Jenna. It just sounds really cool! But while it does sound cool, I had a few issues with this book. I couldn't tell if Jenna and Adam had anything going on, and I felt like Jenna flip-flopped with her feelings. Aside from all that, it's impossible to deny that My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush is a fun read! Definitely impossible to put down, and I found myself sucked into the story very easily!

I feel like this book would be a great transition book from tween-readers to teen-readers. It definitely has the light-hearted and easy to read vibe, and it's incredibly easy to get invested into the story. Jenna was such a great protagonist. She was strong, loyal, and determined - everything that makes a great heroine. And honestly, I felt like she handled situations like a leader and very carefully. If you fall for an angel, you're not just going to rush into their world, no? Luckily, she didn't - she took a moment, paused, and asked herself if she really wanted to become apart of this. And I really appreciated that from Laura Toffler-Corrie!

The ending was my favorite part about My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush - talk about fast-paced! Action was flying off the page, and I couldn't get enough of this book. Plus, who can resist a nice paranormal read now and then? Such a great book!

Overall, My Totally Awkward Supernatural Crush is an energetic, stunning read that captivated me and never let me go! So good!

M Y   R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Deception by C.J. Redwine

Read on July 5, 2013

DECEPTION
Expected Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (Harper)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 480 pages
Source: ALA
Series: Defiance, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, Defiance.

Deception... oh my gosh, Deception! I really enjoyed the first novel, but C.J. Redwine created an even more epic and dazzling sequel that had me completely enthralled. Phenomenal with a capital P!

I'm going to be honest: when I read Defiance, the first book, I had some trouble getting into it. It took me about forty pages to adjust to the world and characters, but after that, it soared, and I fell in love with it. I had no problem whatsoever getting into Deception! It probably was because I was used to the world of Baalboden, and to Rachel and Logan. But Deception brings something to the table I've never seen done before in this genre: betrayal amongst friends. There's an enemy within the group of rebels, and someone isn't who they say they are. And I loved that! It was so interesting to guess who was the backstabber and see how Rachel and Logan progressed in this brutal, harsh wasteland. Redwine definitely put her characters to the test in Deception, and it was absolutely phenomenal. One of my favorite reads of the year!

With Defiance, we mainly got to see Baalboden and a few places outside the walls. And believe me when I say that I freaked out when we got to explore more of the entire world! Traveling with Rachel and Logan was a blast, especially when there is a traitor in their group - the struggles, hardships, and backstabbing that Rachel and Logan endure in Deception was one of a kind. I love it when an author isn't afraid to break their characters and put them to the test. When I was nearing the end, I had no idea what in the world would happen to this duo. I can't even express how much I love Deception. I can't even.

It's unbelievable how much action there is in this sequel! Sometimes with sequels, the plot can drag on and nothing can happen, all because we're waiting for the grand, explosive finale in the third book. That is totally not the case in Deception! It's impossible to put it down - Redwine throws action scenes at the reader so quickly, but in a way for the reader to absorb the atmosphere and feel like they're standing on the battlefield with these characters. If you enjoyed Defiance, just wait till you read Deception - it'll make grab you, shake you, break you, and never let you go. Luckily, you'll never want it to end.

Overall, Deception was a marvelous sophomore novel that had me on the edge of my seat, turning pages desperately to find out what would happen next! Truly brilliant!

M Y    R A T I N G