Hot Diggity Dog

I seriously love when a book surprises me. Here's looking at you, Red Queen. Hence the title of this blog entry. I would say that I feel like it shows my age but I'm only 23...

Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
The second Shadow Falls novel of the young adult supernatural series
3 STAR RATING

This is a total snack attack series to read. It's literally junk food fiction. And I'm saying this in the best way possible. It's quick, easy, and so fun to read. You know it's a bit ridiculous that Kylie has all the symptoms of all the supernaturals. You know it's crazy that TWO very hot, very nice guys are vying for her heart when you can't even see the appeal of her. You know it's bad when you are more interested in the side characters' drama than the main protagonist. But you read it anyway. Because it's just there and you know you'll enjoy it.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The first young adult novel of the Red Queen series
4 STAR RATING

 Anyone can be betrayed be anyone. Aveyard tried to tell me but I just didn't want to listen. This is one of the best supernatural dystopian novels I've ever read. The writing was amazing. I mean, I was expecting a twist and a betrayal but just not from...THAT person. But let's talk about the characters. I know we're supposed to be rooting for Mare but the only thing interesting about her is her ability. Every one around her has a more intriguing story, if you ask me. She's the character equivalent of watching paint dry. She doesn't make the story pop, she is just placed into really exciting, tense scenes. Now Maven and Cal, the two princes, are totally bad ass. Maven and Cal are definitely the driving force behind this story. They both have charisma and I wasn't even that mad to find Mare in a love triangle between them. Now back to that twist; I was blown away with the third act of this novel. It really threw me for a loop. I'm still processing it. Endings like that just make you eager for the next book and utterly disappointed when you realize that you have to wait for it. But I'll wait...since I can't do anything else about it.

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson
The first installment of the Ms. Marvel graphic novel series
4 STAR RATING

So I wasn't too sure about this novel. Kamala was annoying in the beginning. She's wimpy and whiny. But once Captain Marvel showed up and gave Kamala some kick ass powers, she suddenly got interesting. Obviously a superhero is a better character than a regular teenage girl. But Kamala using her powers forced her to make some personal changes so that her real self became more relatable. Her not so secret love interest Bruno is freaking adorable and I hope he's featured more frequently in the next book. It's amazing to me that I've never really been into reading comic books until recently. Let's hope that there are more of them like this out there for me to read.