{YA Minute Review} Empire of Night (Age of Legends #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Empire of Night (Age of Legends #2) by Kelley Armstrong 

Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least, they were.

Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now, the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than they could have imagined. With treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, Moria and Ashyn will have to draw on all their influence and power to overcome deadly enemies—not all of them human—and even avert an all-out war (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Audiobook, 432 pages. Published April 7th 2015 by HarperCollins (first published April 1st 2015). Source: library

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

I enjoyed the second installment in the Age of Legends series even more than the first. There's a lot of excitement, a little romance, loss, twists and turns, and even a laugh or two. The story seemed faster paced, more interesting and complex and I loved Tyrus - he's a fabulous mix of gravity and charm with a great sense of humor.

I do hate a love triangle - and that's what the author has created here. It seems like Gavril should be completely out of the running - he's definitely not playing the hero - he's not. I'm still waiting to hear his side of the story - he's infuriating closed mouthed - but I'm sure it's going to be interesting.

Empire of Night left me anxious for the next book in the series; the twins are in peril - as usual - everyone has their own agenda, and there are still a million unanswered questions.

{YA Minute Review} Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell

{YA Minute Review} Hush (Lakeview #1) by Stacey R. Campbell

For small-town girl Blakely Henry, any hope of finding her biological parents died when she stopped believing in fairy tales and Disney princesses. That is, until she spots her boarding school’s new British exchange student, Max Ryder, staring at her. Why would a boy who looks like he stepped out of the pages of a magazine be looking at her? Because Max knows something Blakely doesn’t.
Following the tragic demise of one of Europe’s most beloved royal families, Max has stumbled upon information he thinks may lead to a lost royal heir, and now he is on a quest halfway around the world to see if he’s right.
Sworn to secrecy by his university professor and the headmaster of Lakeview Academy, Max is admitted into an exchange program with the sole purpose of finding out the truth. But will his personal feelings for Blakely get in the way?
When a stolen email surfaces, Blakely and her friends’ lives are threatened, and Max starts to question what he is really after.
From the exclusive rolling lawns of Canada’s most prestigious boarding school to the University of Saint Andrews’ hallowed grounds, Blakely’s quiet, unassuming life is turned upside down. Is she really who she thinks she is? Can she survive long enough to help Max unearth the truth? (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} ebook, 278 pages. Published January 23rd 2013 by Green Darner Press (first published November 15th 2012). Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked it!

{Review}

"James," she moaned. (page 1, line 1)

I love the cover, the simplicity, the crown, it definitely gives the vibe of a secret waiting to be discovered. As to the storyline? I liked the idea of it but the actuality was a bit lackluster. The 'mystery' was pretty obvious and the characters were pleasant enough but a bit generic. They're hot/pretty, athletic, smart, popular. I thought they needed an edge; something that made them unique and memorable.

While I thought it felt a little juvenile for the ages of the characters - college and almost college age - I did like the strong friendships and camaraderie of the school. I do wish there had been more background about the royal family - the hows and whys, the motivations behind their actions. Things were wrapped up neatly, questions answered, villains were revealed and we get a HEA.

{YA Minute Review} Reveal (Cryptid Tales #1) by Brina Courtney

Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don't know exist. Of a race of beings that aren't real, or are they?

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.

But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she? (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} ebook, 220 pages. Published December 16th 2011 (first published December 3rd 2011). Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked it!

{Review}

"Shay," my mom calls to me from downstairs and from her tone, I know I'm late." (page 1, line 1)

A unique idea - cryptids - and story. There's a lot going on - a prophecy, secret abilities, a mystery surrounding a parent, secrets - but the story kept my attention, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The characters were likable, Shay and Hugh and especially Jeremy, but the romance was 'eh' - beware there is instalove. I'm interested to know what happens in the next installment of the Cryptid Tales.

{YA Minute Review} Suddenly You (The Jane Austen Academy Series #4) by Cecilia Gray

Fanny doesn't want to be at The Jane Austen Academy. She intends to lay low until graduation when she can try out for the Olympic track team. She doesn't need friends or love. She only needs her running.

But The Academy is in danger. In an effort to save it, Fanny joins forces with the friends she never knew she wanted. Suddenly, Fanny finds herself center stage in the middle of the Academy's biggest love triangle as the lead in the school play...only this track star can't afford to break a leg.

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is guys. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And they're about to turn the Academy—and the lives of its students—totally upside down...

Dive into the fabulous, fun lives of six Academy girls as their friendships are tested, torn and ultimately triumph. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Ebook, 202 pages. Published March 18th 2014 by Gray Life, LLC (first published 2013). Source: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Cecilia Gray and Gray Life, LLC


{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

"Fanny Sato sprinted into the straightaway, the blistering sun licking her shoulders." (page 1, line 1)

I've really enjoyed the Jane Austen Academy series, the re-imagining of Jane Austen's heros/heroines and storylines, and Suddenly You is just as much fun. Suddenly You focuses on uber-driven, independent, competitive, over-achieving Fanny. I liked Fanny's growth, learning to trust her friends, to depend on other people, to speak honestly with her mother.

Though it's a short book and quick read Gray manages to pack in quite a bit, romance with two very different boys, a bit of intrigue and mischief and strong friendships. If you're a fan of Jane Austen and looking for fun, flirty, fast reads I highly recommend the Jane Austen Academy series.

{YA Minute Review} The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

{YA Minute Review} The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

All they have in common is that they're less than perfect. And all they're looking for is the perfect distraction.

Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life. When Kate and Aidan find each other neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all? (Blurb via Goodreads)

Purchase: Amazon + BN + The Book Depository

{Details} ebook, 256 pages. Expected publication: March 1st 2014 by Albert Whitman Teen. Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Jolene Perry and Albert Whitman & Company

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review}

"I just don't really see us going anywhere," Kate." (page 1, line 1)

The cover is what first caught my attention, it's so gorgeous - I'd love a poster of it! The story was sweet and touching and lovely. Kate and Aidan have both had their lives changed, they're struggling with their new normal. 

I liked Kate's verbal diarrhea - besides it being entertaining she manages to be exactly what Aidan needed. I really liked their romance but I was surprised by how fast their relationship moved compared to her last relationship. It's not insta-love but it's still fast.

{YA Minute Review} Faelorehn (The Otherworld #1) by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

{YA Minute Review} Faelorehn (The Otherworld #1) by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

I never heard him come after me and even as I climbed the slope and stumbled onto our shaded back lawn, I didn’t look back. It was like the day the gnomes chased me all over again, but this time I was not escaping some horrible little creatures, I was fleeing from an incredibly good-looking guy who could very well understand me completely. I was either saving myself from that serial killer I always imagined lived down in the swamp, or I had finally gone over the deep end . . .

Meghan Elam has been strange her entire life: her eyes have this odd habit of changing color and she sees and hears things no one else does. When the visions and voices in her head start to get worse, she is convinced that her parents will want to drag her off to another psychiatrist. That is, until the mysterious Cade MacRoich shows up out of nowhere with an explanation of his own.

Cade brings her news of another realm where goblins and gnomes are the norm, a place where whispering spirits exist in the very earth, and a world where Meghan just might find the answers she has always sought. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Kindle Edition, First, 228 pages. Published April 21st 2012. Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

{Rating} 3/5 -- I liked it!

{Review}

"The only reason I knew that I was awake was because of the pale green stars staring back at me from my ceiling." (page 1, line 1)

I thought the world and mythology was interesting, I was definitely intrigued and wanted to keep reading to find out who Meghan was. I really liked Meghan, she's loyal, protective, kind, smart, a misfit. I appreciated that she questioned everything, what Cade was telling her, what she saw, and didn't just automatically believe everything. Cade, the mysterious man, is certainly that. I'm very curious about him.

The pacing was a bit slow, there was a lot of days pass/weeks pass before the story progressed. There was also quite a bit of Meghan did this and Meghan did that. I would have preferred more action instead.
 
At the end I was left wondering about Meghan, about her role, her past, what's to come for her and I definitely want to find out.

{YA Minute Review} Exceptional (Exceptional #1) by Jess Petosa

{YA Minute Review} Exceptional (Exceptional #1) by Jess Petosa

In the future, things are anything but ordinary...

In 2022, the United States commissioned a group of scientists to experiment with genetic mutations. Their goal was to create a serum that would alter the human genetic code, making the subject stronger and faster. They succeeded but their victory was short lived. Not only had they created a super serum, but also an airborne virus. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the world's population had perished. The survivors, well their lives would never be the same.

175 A.V.

Ally is an Ordinary; a human immune to the virus. She lives in a settlement outside the City with her mother and twin brother, but lately it doesn't seem to be enough. She is wrestling between being with her family and volunteering to move to the City, where she can work for the Exceptionals.

Luke is an Exceptional; a superior human being. His ancestors were infected with the virus and lived through it, leaving their super human strength and special abilities to him. He has never given much thought to Ordinarys, despite pressure from his father to choose one from the ORC. But all of that changes when he meets Ally... (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} ebook, 1st Edition. Published February 24th 2012 by Jess Petosa (first published February 15th 2012). Source: Kindle lending library

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked some things about it

{Review}

"In the year 2022, the United States government began experimenting with gene mutations." (page 1, line 1)

I thought the concept had a lot going for it, the exceptionals and the ordinaries, the different worlds they lived in, the big conspiracy that's revealed. Although I did think there was too much telling and too little showing Petosa did do a good job of painting a scary, yet possible, future.

I liked the main characters, strong, loyal, caring Ally and good guy Luke who starts questioning his world as he comes to care for Ally. I did think things were too easy emotionally, they were too forgiving - the entire idea of the ORC is abhorrent, how could anyone think that was okay? There are a few surprises along the way and a bit of action before ending with a cliffhanger with the story continuing in book two Rogue.

{YA Minute Review} Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep

{YA Minute Review} Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3) by Jennifer Estep

I've seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I'm supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I'm just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me--again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects--and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I'm also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can't use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me--and I'm in for the fight of my life. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} ebook, 1st Edition, 336 pages. Published May 29th 2012 by Kensington. Source: library 

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it!

{Review} 

     "If you guys don't stop making out, I'm going to be sick." (page 1, line 1)

I'm still loving the Mythos series and all the characters. In this book the story progressed, giving us some answers, and there was lots of action to keep me flipping the pages. I did think this book was a bit more predictable than the first two, the surprises weren't really surprises but I was still happy to be along for the ride.

{YA Minute Review} Hotblood (House of Slide #1) by Juliann Whicker

 {YA Minute Review} Hotblood (House of Slide #1) by Juliann Whicker

He stole a kiss from the wrong girl…
Left without a soul, 17-year-old Dariana Sanders waited to die. There was nothing left to live for, nothing to feel besides the aching cold that never stopped. Her parent’s marriage was in shambles, and her brother, the only one who understood, the only one who knew how to make the cold go away, was gone forever. The only thing Dariana knew with absolute certainty was that nothing could possibly be right again. Enter Lewis Axel Nialls. Luckily for her, impossible is right up his alley. He can save her from the forces that wish to destroy her. Of course who’s going to save him, from her? (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} 298 pages. Published May 10th 2011 (first published March 25th 2011). Source: Amazon

{Rating} 3/5

{Review} A very interesting and complicated world. It felt fresh and original, the characters were intriguing, the storyline compelling. Because it was so unique - and complicated - I needed more explanations, half the time I was trying to figure out what was going on, to remember the different groups and their abilities etc., who has whose soul...

{YA Minute Review} Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

 {YA Minute Review} Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.
Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.
But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.
Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, 294 pages. Published June 5th 2012 by Feiwel & Friends. Source: library

{Rating} 2/5 - I didn't really like it

{Review} I was engrossed, I'll give it that but engrossed in that it was like watching a bus crash, but I couldn't connect with the characters or care what happened about them, most of them I flat out disliked. On the positive side, it had a big cast of characters and Laybourne did do a pretty good job of giving each of the characters distinct personalities. It also felt very adult for a YA book - sex, drugs, alcohol, assault, etc. There's a sequel, Sky on Fire, but I don't plan to read it.