Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #3
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 9781455574896
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Pages: 250

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On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

This is the third book in The Secret series. It seems to be a huge trend right now in the New Adult genre to have companion novels about secondary characters from the first book. I find this trend hit and miss, and The Temptation of Lila and Ethan is somewhere in the middle for me.

The best written parts of the book was a tie between when Ethan and Lila were not together yet (talk about tension) and when Ethan is struggling to get Lila clean after years of drug abuse. The Lila is this book is not the Lila of past books. When you first meet Lila in The Secret of Ella and Micha she is flirtatious and bubbly, but here you see what’s behind her drug fused façade. I wasn’t prepared for how dark Lila got so quickly, but it still worked for me.

Lila has been told she is unwanted and unloved her whole life. Her mother raised her to put beauty and materialistic things first before anything else, even her own daughter’s trauma. It was best never to cause a scene or embarrass the family.

“Lila you’ll never make it. Lila, you’re worthless. Lila, you’re messing up this family. No one will ever love you if you don’t change into something they can love. Be perfect. Be beautiful. Because no one will want you if you’re not.”

Lila really did struggle to overcome her problems. When Ethan finally wakes up and sees that her drug use is more than just a recreational and decides to help her, those pages were so real. You felt Lila’s urges to just have one more pill and what she was going through with her withdrawals. Ethan was petrified of screwing up Lila’s chance at sobriety, but didn’t shy away from it.

“It hurts like a knife slashing into my skin, deep, violent thrashes, but I know enough to know that she’s desperate right now and will say anything to get me to leave.”

Parts of the book I really did like (drug use, Lila’s recovery, etc.), but others just seemed slightly bland (like the romance). It’s not that Lila and Ethan weren’t suitable for each other, because I think Ethan was fantastic for her, but something was missing in the story for me. The one consistent part that I did like in this book was Ethan. He was dealing with his own guilt and past, but pushed his problems aside to help Lila. Throughout her recovery he was panicked and afraid he was going to mess her up. He’s the type of character that I have been waiting for in New Adult. Ethan said everything I have wanted to see in a book about young girls that have been abused before. No means no! I feel like New Adult goes through this issue a lot, but no one ever says that it’s not okay for a guy to do that to you. And I was so happy to see that there was finally a book where the guy verbalized that it’s just not okay.

“Would you stop thinking about yourself like that? So you screwed some guys. So fucking what? People have sex and that doesn’t make you a slut. And it sure as hell doesn’t give rich douche bags an excuse to rape you or make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

“Don’t ever say that again. If a girl says no even once then a guy should stop. Hell, if she shows a single sign of not wanting it, the guy should stop. You should never, ever have to have sex with a guy when you don’t want to.”

I don’t know if Lila really did get over her past (which is pretty awful FYI). It seemed liked she was hiding and hiding her past from Ethan and then she magically moved past it after she told him about it. But maybe that’s what she needed to move on with her life? And the ending was a bit ambiguous for me. I know it’s because it was opening up for the next book, but I don’t really feel like it was necessary. It would have been a perfect ending with the wedding and all four of them on the cliff. I just feel like authors, especially in this genre, drag out series with companion novels upon companion novels, and I just can’t help read them even if they aren’t bringing anything new to the story.

“I can only imagine how broad my smile is at this moment because I’ve never had this—protection. I’ve never had someone in my life who would stand up for me and tell me that it was okay, that people make mistakes and it doesn’t mean you have to suffer eternally for them.”

My Rating:

Review: Elect by Rachel Van Dyken

Elect by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: The Elect #2
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 9781455554225
Release Date: December 10, 2013
Pages: 262

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Would you die for the one you love?
Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family's enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him.

Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family's sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend... But Trace isn't ready to give up on a future with Nix--and if he won't fight for them, she will.

In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

I am really enjoying this series. The first one was a bit to get used to, and at times seemed a little too ridiculous, but once you get settled into the mafia world it really is a fun series to read. The books have tons of secrets and suspense and is chocked full of romance.

Elect picks up where Elite leaves off. Nixon needs to distance himself from Trace to protect her from his enemies (and his enemies are scary!) The chapters alternate between Nixon, Chase, and Phoenix, with each giving a different look on the story.

One thing I didn’t like was Phoenix redeeming himself. He almost rapes Trace in the first book, and now everyone just deals with it and lets him back in? I don’t think so. The author did a good job at writing those parts because no matter what, I still felt for him, even though I despised him.

“And maybe that’s why I was beginning to feel more terrified than anything—because I knew—I had nobody worth pulling for, and it hurt like hell.”
Phoenix

You see more of Chase in Elect. Even though Chase could be a bit of a jerk he was still a sappy sweetheart to Trace. The love triangle picks up speed in this book. Chase fully falls for Trace and it breaks your heart to see him like that.

“Chose me. Because my heart? My soul? My damn existence? Has already spoken, and it wants you and only you—forever."
Chase

At times I did feel like Trace fell for Chase too quickly, but that could be said for how she felt for Nixon in the last book as well. She definitely had strong feelings for both of them and at times it felt like there wasn’t an option that the story chose for her. Nixon completely redeemed himself from being a self-centred ass and became a thoughtful, self-sacrificing man.

“It’s not about me, man. It’s about her. I’m not going to put her between us. Hell I’m not even going to let it get between you and me. It’s her, it’s always been her. Hell if I’m going to sit here and throw a fit for wanting something that doesn’t want me back. She loves you? Fine. Because, Chase. It’s never been about my wants or needs. I can’t live if she’s unhappy. I can’t breathe if she’s upset. If being with you brings her that peace, then I want you to have her. I’ll be your best man at the wedding. I’ll babysit your kids when you want date night. Chase--. It’s about her.”
Nixon

My Rating:

Review: Addicted To You by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Addicted To You by Krista and Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #1
Publisher: K.B. Ritchie
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 9780989339209
Release Date: August 22, 2013
Pages: 328

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She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom.

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other.

Addicted To You was an interesting book about deeply flawed people. The book wasn’t what I thought it was going into it. I thought it was going to be a salacious novel about sex addiction. I was wrong. The author could have easily sensationalized Lily's addiction, but she chose to focus on Lily’s cravings, her constant fight with her them, and how an addiction that her family would never understand almost destroyed her life.

Lily and Lowen (Lo) both have addictions, one for alcohol, one for sex. They have been covering for each other for years.

"We lied for each other and hid our infidelities, playing the role of doting boyfriend and girlfriend. The deeper we sink, the harder it is to crawl out. I fear the moment when… someone discovers our secrets. At any moment, everything can crumble beneath us."

Lily hides her addiction from her family knowing they won’t ever understand. She wishes that she would have a drug or alcohol problem instead, because at least her family would understand and not be mortified and shocked of a sex addiction. Instead Lily has pulled away from her family. Never taking phone calls or emails from them. Missing important family gatherings. Neither Lo nor Lily was helping the other by pretending to be in a relationship. They enable and covered for each other.

As I was reading the book you can just see their addictions spiralling out of control and you knew they were going to hit rock bottom. You know they have to hit that point to take control, but it wasn’t pretty. Even after the epic moment it wasn’t clear cut okay let’s get some help now.

Soon as Ryke stepped on the scene I was intrigued. I wanted to know where this was going. He seemed so involved at helping Lo without ever meeting him before. And it went where I thought, but I still didn’t see everything coming that unfolded.

I hope to see more of Lily with her sisters because the dynamic was great. They didn’t always get along, and fought all the time, but think they would be more understandable then what Lily gave them credit for.

My Rating:

Review: Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Eagle Elite #1
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 9781455554164
Release Date: July 9, 2013
Pages: 209

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For Tracey Rooks, life with her grandparents on a Wyoming farm has always been simple. But after her grandmother's death, Tracey is all her grandfather has. So when Eagle Elite University announces its annual scholarship lottery, Tracey jumps at the opportunity to secure their future and enters. She isn't expecting much-but then she wins. And life as she knows it will never be same . . .

The students at Eagle Elite are unlike any she's ever met . . . and they refuse to make things easy for her. There's Nixon, gorgeous, irresistible, and leader of a group that everyone fears: The Elect. Their rules are simple. 1. Do not touch The Elect. 2. Do not look at The Elect. 3. Do not speak to The Elect. No matter how hard she tries to stay away, The Elect are always around her and it isn't long until she finds out the reason why they keep their friends close and their enemies even closer. She just didn't realize she was the enemy -- until it was too late.

Elite was definitely a different kind of book. It was unlike anything I have read in the New Adult genre. It was ridiculous and confusing at times, but in the end it was a fun ride.

Immediately, I had a severe dislike for our main love interest, Nixon. I can’t even describe how much I hated this character after the first chapter. Why you ask? Because he is a DOUCHEBAG from the first few pages.

“If an Elect talks to you, never make eye contact. Because, technically you don’t exist. You’re just a pathetic excuse as a human being, and at this school you’re a real tragedy. You see while one of the Elect is running for president and basically ruling the world, you’ll be lucky enough to be working for one of our companies. You follow the rules, and maybe we’ll throw you a bone.”

“This key card gains you access into the elevator only once a week. It also gains you access into the cafeteria, twice a day. No three times. We don’t want you gaining weight. Use it wisely and if you impress me with your ability to follow directions. I may just up your freedom.”

“Memorize it now, because as of this moment, you can’t touch us. We are untouchable. If you as much as sneeze in our direction, if you as much breathe the same air in my atmosphere, I will make your life hell. This touch, what you feel against your skin, will be the only time you feel another human being as powerful as me near you.”

Those are just a few of the gems that Nixon rolled out within minutes of meeting poor Tracey. My hatred for him came hard and fast, he just disgusted me. And this is who Trace is supposed to fall for??

Somehow we are to believe that this barely twenty year old guy has the run of this uppity private school for the benefit of everyone involved. He segregates students from different counties because they might have a difference of opinion and fight! Nixon was a tyrant he threw out these rules and everyone must obey them or suffer the consequences. He kicks out one of his closes confidants for mild flirting with Trace! His own sister couldn’t stand him and thought of his as Satan himself.

Even as this book got more outlandish and ridiculous as it went on I did enjoy it. I couldn’t put it down. How I ended up liking it is still a bit of a mystery to me, but I did and I now want to read the second book. As the story progressed I was thoroughly confused. The more the mystery built the more I got into it.

Trace is our poor naïve main character. She is verbally abused by Nixon and his crew, the student body, and physically attacked at one point as well. She breaks down multiple times in public and has to be carried off. Even though all of this abuse stems from Nixon she still is willing to socialize with him.

My Rating:

(because in the end it did entertain the hell out of me)

Review: Treason by S.M. Boyce

Treason by S.M. Boyce
Series: The Grimoire Saga #2
Publisher: Caffeinated Books Publishing
Source: Bought
ISBN: 9781939997074
Release Date: October 27, 2012
Pages: 364

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Kara Magari ignited a war when she stumbled into Ourea and found the Grimoire: a powerful artifact filled with secrets. To protect the one person she has left, she strikes a deal that goes against everything she believes in. But things don’t go as planned.

Braeden Drakonin can no longer run from who—and what—he is. He has to face the facts. He’s a prince. He’s a murderer. He’s a wanted man. And after a betrayal that leaves him heartbroken, he’s out for blood.

To survive, both Kara and Braeden must become the evil each has grown to hate.

I had a love/hate relationship with Kara & Braeden’s relationship in this book. At times it felt like Kara was just jerking Braden’s feelings around. She was hot and cold all throughout this book and just confused both Braeden and myself. I do realize she was just trying to protect him, but it got tiresome at some points.

You wouldn’t get close to me because you didn’t trust me to take care of myself. We’re both at fault here.

But with that being said I still love them together. They work well as a team and maybe the problems I did have with this book was the parts when they went their separate ways. They also had some obvious communication issues. Kara was trying to protect Braeden from the Vagabond, but wouldn’t clue him into her reasoning so she just ended up pushing him away. When they finally talked about it at the end of the novel it was well written and gave me all sorts of feelings.

She’d come back. When anyone else in the world would have left him to a lifetime with Carden, Kara came back.

Braeden is your traditional hero. He truly cares about Kara and respects her. Even if she will never return his feelings he still wants to protect and ensure she is safe. Kara on the other hand comes from a more modern world where she doesn’t think she needs to be protected.

We don’t ever have to be together, Kara, if that’s not what you want. It doesn’t have to be that way. But I will always make certain you are safe.

I’ll do my best to respect what you want, Kara. I just want to be nearby. Someone has to catch you when you trip.

In this book you see Braeden struggling with his heritage. He’s afraid of his Stelian side. He enjoys killing and fears that he will become his father. His past comes to light and it goes over just as one would expect and he is alone to face his father after everyone he has known has abandoned him.

A family isn’t supposed to care about what you are, just what you’ve done. I can’t care about what they think anymore.

A new character is introduced in this book, Stone. Stone is an isen (not the bad kind). When Stone is first introduced he did not make much of an impact on me, but when he appears later to save Kara he really grew on me. I can’t wait to read the third book now because I think he is going to play a big part in it. Stone has a mysterious past and all the answers Kara needs to fulfill her destiny.

Once again S.M. Boyce has created a beautiful world with Ourea.

My Rating:

Review: Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody

Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
Series: N/A
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 9780375899805
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Pages: 198

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Will Scarlet is on the run.

Once the sheltered son of nobility, Will has become an exile. While his father, Lord Shackley, has been on the Crusades with King Richard, a treacherous plot to unseat Richard has swept across England, and Shackley House has fallen.

Will flees the only home he’s ever known into neighboring Sherwood Forest, where he joins the elusive gang of bandits known as the Merry Men. Among them are Gilbert, their cruel leader; a giant named John Little; a drunkard named Rob; and Much, an orphan girl disguised as a bandit boy.

This is the story of how a band of misfit outlaws become heroes of legend - thanks to one brave 13-year-old boy.

This retelling of Robin Hood doesn’t centre on Robin Hood, but the boy who helped him become the hero he is known today. Will Scarlet is a young boy who is struggling with growing up. He’s no longer a boy, but not yet a man. While Will’s father is away fighting in King Richard’s crusade, Sir Guy over takes the Shackley castle. Will is able to escape and winds up in the middle of the Merry Men’s camp. There Will pretends to be a servant’s son to save his own life.

Will in Scarlet was definitely a different kind of retelling of Robin Hood. You don’t meet Robin (or Rob in this case) for a while, and when you do he is one hot mess! Rob is constantly drunk and doesn’t care about anyone or anything beyond his next drink. I wasn’t very much into this book, until Rob was introduced, then I was intrigued. A drunk Robin Hood? Yes please. The brief story of why Rob was drunk all the time makes me want a sequel. Who doesn’t want a good love story?

The man seemed determined to drink himself into the grave, and Much couldn’t think of anything sadder than that.

The friendship between Rob, John, and Much was really sweet. I really liked seeing the beginning of the legend take place. You know that Rob is going to have his band of Merry Men, but how did he get there?

I’ve decided what we do. We robbed this silver from the rich…so now we’ll give it to the poor!
Will Scarlet

By the end of the tale Will, Much, and Rob has all grown into better characters. I liked how the author left the ending about leaving the past in the past and that you are who you are now.

Will stood staring for a time at Rob. He’d misjudged the man. He’d thought him a drunk and a scoundrel, but in the days since, he’d come to realize he was something more. Still a scoundrel, yes, and certainly a drunk, but there was something else in him, a king of strength that made others listen when he spoke. It was a quality Will’s father had possessed, one that Will had dreamed of having. Will wondered what it was that made Rob him it in himself so.
Will Scarlet

If you’ve looking for a Robin Hood retelling this might not be what you are exactly looking for, but it’s definitely worth a read. Will In Scarlet is more of a loose retelling of the legend.

But trust me, he’s the stuff legends are made of.

My Rating:

Review: The Compound by S.A. Bodeen

The Compound by S.A. Boden
Series: The Compound #1
Publisher: Square Fish
Source: Bought
ISBN: 9780312578602
Release Date: September 1, 2009
Pages: 248

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Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they’ve become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy. No amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place, with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day. As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary—and their sanity—Eli can’t help but wonder if he’d rather take his chances outside. Eli’s father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe—really?

"T.S. Eliot was wrong. My world ended with a bang the minute we entered the Compound and that silver door was closed behind us.”

The Compound was a concept I loved. An über rich family goes into a secret compound as the world is ending? This is my kind of story. It was a nice easy read and I honestly didn’t have too many problems with it. In the beginning it reminded me of the movie, Blast From The Past, but instead of a comedy it was a more serious spin on it.

The story centers on Eli, the son of a billionaire. Eli has a twin, Eddy, and two sisters. The night of the evacuation to the Compound Eli’s twin was trapped on the outside with their grandmother and left to survive a nuclear fallout. Eddy and the grandmother are presumed dead and this is something that has haunted Eli for years. Eddy was the popular twin. The twin was could do no wrong and never got into trouble. Eli was the “bad” twin. He was a bit of a loner and was constantly getting into trouble. Eli’s flashbacks showed how much he misses Eddy, their dog, and grandmother. Eli had a lot of anger built up in him. He would barely speak to his family and refused to let anyone touch him. His issues could have to do with the fact that he survived while Eddy is presumed dead from the radiation.

The Compound had a nice pacing to it. As it a fairly short book there wasn’t a lot of action almost until you get to the end, but S.A. Boden did a wonderful job building the backstory slowly over the course of the book. Secrets were revealed (and there are a lot of them) in the right times and it wasn’t overwhelming. The ending had some fabulous action. It was very intense almost to the very end.

The father was terrifying. He so controlling of the family and they were all so scared of him. The whole book was building on how controlling and secretive he was. He was psychologically frightening. He controlled everything and refused to lose control. It was like he didn’t care that he was down there with his family. He treated them like employees who must obey every freaking word he said and never to doubt or question his authority. For example, the Supplements were his solution to a problem and no one was to fight him on it. It was a disgusting experiment and when you find out what is behind the yellow door and the Supplements’ purpose, gross doesn’t even begin to describe it!

The ending was a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed the book. One thing that annoyed me was how much the kids said frickin’. It really got on my nerves. I know what you are trying to say so just say it! I did love how there wasn’t even an inkling of romance. Man has it been awhile since I’ve read a book, especially a YA book, without it, but I guess it would be pretty gross considering the only other characters were Eli’s family.

My Rating:

Review: Resist by Sarah Crossan

Resist by Sarah Crossan
Series: Breathe #2
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Edelweiss
ISBN: 9780062118721
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Pages: 242

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The sequel—and conclusion—to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel.

Resist picks up where Breathe left off. Bea and Quinn are separated from the Resistance and the rest are slowly making their way to Sequoia, a second rebel stronghold. The story is told from four perspectives this time, Alina, Bea, Quinn, and Ronan. I think this may be too many characters for a lot of people, but I enjoyed each one of them. They all added to the story and each character’s path was imperative to the outcome they all dream about.

Bea and Quinn are apart for most of the book. Neither wants to leave the other, but they know they must split up to support the Resistance. Somehow Quinn became stronger throughout his journey and was willing to step up and lead. This could have a lot to do with his relationship with Bea. He wants to prove he is worthy of her and somehow tries to proves it.

“What does that girl do to people? Bea Whitcraft turns boys into men.”
Jude Caffrey

There are a lot of new characters added to this book. My favourite was Ronan, the son of the previous pod minister. Ronan took part in the slaughter of The Grove. After he returns to the pod he starts to see his world differently. Before he was sent out of the pod Ronan didn’t understand what it was like for the lives of Auxiliaries. He took everything for granted and believed in the lies that the Ministry fed everyone. He truly believed the Resistance were terrorists wanting to destroy the pod, but after the massacre he changes and it doesn’t take a lot for this to happen. Then shortly, after meeting Bea he starts to have feelings for her and like Quinn he wants to prove his worthiness.

“She’s pretty and smart and brave and kind, but Jude’s right—she doesn’t look at me with eager eyes. Maybe that’s why I’ve never let myself be drawn to her. I know it would be hopeless, and hopeless is not the love I want.”
Ronan

Alina was by far my favourite in this book. She outshone the rest. She was tough and determined. You could see glimpses of her vulnerable side at times, which only made you want to cheer for her more.

“We have no food, our air is low, and we have one gun between us, I’m not sure we’re in a position to be saving anyone.”

The last half of the book is filled with action and once I got to this point I finished it in an afternoon. I really enjoyed how Sarah Crossan ended the series. It makes you want to see the hope that they have to continue to survive.

Overall, Resist was a pretty refreshing change to YA series. The sequel is also the concluding book in this series. I liked how there are only two books and not a trilogy as it told the story in the perfect amount of novels instead of filling space with nonsense. Resist was a much stronger book than Breathe. A lot of the issues I had with Breathe were resolved in this book. Bea, Alina, and Quinn are all stronger characters and I was not annoyed once by any of them.

My Rating:

Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pure by Julianna Baggott
Pure #1
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Bought
ISBN: 9781455503049
Release Date: February 8, 2012
Pages: 429

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We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone who reads my reviews that I love a good dystopian novel. I love the end of the world and what happens next scenarios. Pure presents a dark and dreary world after “The Detonations.” The world is not far from today’s world where the water is contaminated, food is scarce, chemical warfare has left the Earth scorched, and the humans have changed. People are now deformed and have fused to objects during the detonations.

"Kids before the Detonations are called Pre and those born after are Posts. Posts should be Pure, but that’s not how it works. The mutations caused by the Detonations settled deep into the survivors’ genes. Babies aren’t born Pure. They are mutated, born with traces of their parents’ deformities. Instead of starting anew, the breeds only seem to get more convoluted, a mix of human, animal, earth, objects."

This book may be labelled as YA, but it’s dark, grim, and gory. There are some pretty dark and gruesome descriptions, and the story reads more like an adult science fiction book than one geared towards a younger audience.

I did enjoy Pure, but I didn’t love it. Pure was a very slow paced book. It wasn’t so much that I had a problem connecting with the characters because I didn’t. All the characters were well developed and each had a unique voice. The only character I didn’t connect with was Lyda, but that could because she only had a few chapters. The biggest problem was also what made this novel great. Julianna Baggott creates this fantastic world, but it’s a world that has a lot of backstory. You don’t really get a sense of where this story is going until you are over half way through the book. Sometimes the backstory explanations just took away from the plot line and didn’t help move the story forward.

The fusing of body parts to various objects was weird. It made me squirm sometimes yet still was fascinating. The descriptions of each person’s fusing was so detailed it was impossible not to picture. Pressia had a baby doll’s head as a fist instead of a normal hand. Bradwell had birds attached to his back, and El Captain and some women had whole humans latched onto them. There is no way for them to remove these items or people as once they were fused they became part of the host.

Partridge and Pressia relationship did not go where I thought it was going to go. I just assumed that this was going to be another love triangle. I definitely look forward to reading more in the next book to see how they develop their unique relationship.

My Rating:

Review: Inhale, Exhale by Sarah Ross

Inhale, Exhale by Sarah Ross
Source: Netgalley
ISBN: 5369875691232
Release Date: May 4, 2013
Pages: 190

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Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian's plans go down the drain.

Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams came true.

But things never go according to plan.

When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.

I enjoyed Inhale, Exhale, but I didn't love it. The writing wasn't always stellar. There were a ton of times where I grimaced at the corny writing and clichés. But Inhale, Exhale was a sweet book. In a world where New Adult books are all about being sexy and overcoming some dark horrible past this was a welcomed change. Grant did have a sad history, but nothing to impossible to overcome. He was driven by his teenage years to succeed and follow through with his plan to get an internship at Google and move away from Georgia.

Grant has me swooning in this book. He was sexy as hell, plus he was a computer geek. He completely stole my heart. He was so protective of Jillian even before he really knew her. When JT was talking about her with Grant and mentioned other guys hitting on her, he actually growled.

I’m falling, Jillian. Falling for a girl who I can’t have but want more than the air I breathe.

Grant falls for Jillian and it kind of freaks him out. He has been on the path to his plan and hasn’t doubted himself or veered off it at any point. But he is faltering and that scares the crap out of him. He knows that Jillian has a boyfriend, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing her. Normally I don’t like cheating in books, and I didn’t this time. I just wished Jillian would have made a decision before anything happened with Grant. She didn’t seem like the cheating type and you could tell how much emotional turmoil she was in after something did happen.

Jillian was with Christian for four years, since she was sixteen. Of course she is bound to meet someone new and better. Jillian refers to Christian with Jordan Catalano looks, (but I don’t see how she could have referenced this. My So Called Life wasn’t even on when she was born!) Her relationship with Christian was completely relatable. At the age of nineteen you are just starting to find yourself and become an adult. She knew Christian was perfect, but didn’t want to examine their relationship too closely fearing what she would actually discover.

The secondary characters were great. Trish and Ava were fabulous supportive friends. At the start of the book I wasn’t as keen on them as they seemed a little ditzy, but that could just have been the writing. Near the end of the book you see how much the care about Jillian and what they would do to protect her. I loved Grant’s friend JT. I think everyone has had a friend like him. That clueless mid-twenties boy still living with his mother because it makes like so easy. Most of the parts where I was laughing involved JT. He was such a fun character.

I’d never understand how JT scored girls’ numbers every time we went out. He dressed like a slob, had terrible manners, but yet girls still fell all over him.

I did struggle with Jillian’s chapters. They weren't as interesting as Grant’s chapters, and truthfully Grant is what made this book for me. The ending was wrapped up too perfectly. I could have done without the epilogue. It was just too cheesy for me.

My Rating: