Review for True by Erin McCarthy

True is a new adult romance written by Erin McCarthy.


a copy of the book was provided through NetGalley

i am so sick of these "New Adult" romances. they all claim to be original and entertaining but they just turn my stomach. this is not the genre for me and this book is the last i'll read of them. i wanted to read True because i am a huge fan of Erin McCarthy. her books always put me in a good mood, so that's what i was expecting with this one. i was sadly mistaken. this story seemed...simple and not in a good way. i didn't connect to any of the characters. i could have cared less if they all had hopped into a van and drove themselves off a cliff.

Rory is a shy girl in college. she's thinking of hooking up with a guy when shockingly SPOILER that same guy almost rapes her SPOILER. this seems to be a theme for the "New Adult" books. they all start off with sexual harassment or abuse, which i don't understand. is every girl going into college going to be raped? is that a proven statistic? anyway, she then transfers her feeling to bad boy Tyler, who is the most annoying person ever. reading the "love" grow between these two characters almost made me scratch my eyes out. i couldn't stand them not one bit. back to the plot, they fall in love and then some stuff happens to keep them apart and then they're back together in the end. honestly that's all i got from this book. nothing really mattered to me. i was just rushing through the story so that it would end.

i do plan on reading more McCarthy books, just not the NA ones. those are dead to me. never again. NEVER AGAIN.



1 STAR RATING

Review for Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is the final installment of the Infernal Devices series written by Cassandra Clare. Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince are the first and second novels, respectively. There is a sequel series titled The Mortal Instruments.


Cassandra Clare seems to be stuck in the Shadowhunter world. one series spawns a prequel which births a sequel which regurgitates a spin-off. it's a never ending recycled clusterfuck. but this series, The Infernal Devices, is one of the most interesting and entertaining. Will, Jem, and Tessa are all great characters who reel you into their lives. with this final installment to the prequel series, you are immediately sucked in and then spit back out, forced to deal with all your intense emotions are each and every conflict (and resolution) that you just read about.

Clare is at her best (so far) with her writing in this book. i wasn't bothered by any narration or dialogue from any character. if there were mistakes or annoying quips, i completely missed them because i was so invested in the story. each character owned their voice and made me care about them as individuals, not just as a whole group. as always Will, Tessa, and Jem shine above all the rest. i don't think i've ever rooted for both men in a love triangle, but i was doing exactly that. i kept going back and forth between Jem and Will before i realized that i can't choose like Tessa can't choose. i loved them both equally. i'm satisfied with the way that particular conflict was resolved. i won't put any spoilers. you have to go read it for yourself. it's dealt with in a way that seems fair and realistic and romantic and heartbreaking all at the same time.

i laughed a lot during this book surprisingly. despite the heaviness of the story, Clare managed to get those sarcastic moments in there that i love so much. all of the scenes with Mortmain, the villain in case you don't know, were very...adult. he wasn't written as a campy bad guy. not to say that the other baddies in her books are childish. Mortmain just feels like the baddest of the bad to me. the action scenes were kick ass. the final showdown between Mortmain and the scooby gang will go down as one of my favorite fight scenes. i rushed through this book because it's so fast paced, then found myself trying to draw it out so that it wouldn't be over. this is an amazing read and an amazing finish to a great series. hopefully the last book in The Mortal Instruments series will be even better than this (though i seriously doubt it).

4.5 STAR RATING

Review for Family Pictures by Jane Green

Family Pictures is a contemporary novel written by Jane Green.


an advance copy of this book was provided through Goodreads

this is the first of many ARCs that i have neglected over the past few months. i was supposed to have reviewed this before March. two months later, i'm using the tired cliche "Better late than never" as my official excuse.

Maggie and Sylvia are both married with children. they are married to a man who travels too much for work and with children who are about the leave home for college. with these common adjustments they're making, they have no idea that one dark secret is about to change their lives forever.

Sylvia is my favorite character. she has the most chapters told in her POV and they're superior to all the other narrators. i liked her back story and tone of voice. she was the only character that i felt sympathy for. she doesn't whine and act like a victim. she just deals with life that best she can, and i admired her for it. Maggie was another story. she pops up into the story in Part Two and i didn't like her one bit. she's a spoiled woman who i felt nothing for except disdain. i rushed through her chapters. Eve, Sylvia's daughter, was another character who got no sympathy from me. i felt like the author didn't do a good job in portraying her eating disorder. it only scratched the surface when it should have dug deep into her character and given her more chapters to tell the audience her struggle.

this is the first book i have read by Jane Green and i think it will be the last. it liked this book just enough to finish it but not enough to read anything else by Green. the "dark secret" was a great conflict for the characters but i feel like the author dropped the ball with making me care.


2.5 STAR RATING

Review for Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight is written by Laini Taylor. It is the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone. The third installment of the series is not yet titled but is expected to be released early 2014.


Days of Blood and Starlight thrusts you back into the world of Akiva and Karou. Akiva is dealing with the consequences of his actions, which include betraying the love of his life. he finds it hard to redeem himself but special circumstances reveal a way that he can try. Karou is helping the rebellion by resurrecting soldiers. but as she gets less complacent and more curious about what the rebels are actually doing, she discovers that her side is just as bloodthirsty as the angels.

as always with a series, i vaguely remember what happened in the first book. that is the case here. especially since i read Daughter of Smoke & Bone over a year ago. thank my lucky stars that this book goes over the important parts that i need to know in order to understand what the hell i'm reading. i can tell you for sure that this book kicked the first one's ass. the heroes are more complex, the enemies are more evil, and the writing is out of this world. Laini Taylor just sucks you into her world and there is no getting out of it. it's been 20 minutes since i've put the book down and i'm still shaken about some of the shit i was put through reading this.

this is not a happy feeling book. it's honest and brutal and violent. people are dying in almost every chapter and Taylor does not spare the details. each chapter cuts into your heart as you are shown every angle of the war between seraphim and chimaera. there are multiple narrators in this story which adds a different layer to it. you would read a scene from two different view points and it added a twist that you didn't even know existed.

the characters were the best part of the story to me. Karou and Akiva's heartbreak was...heartbreaking. as  they come into each other's lives just to leave again, you can feel their anger and anguish. i hope they find happiness in the next book but i don't think that's in the cards for them. Taylor does not sugarcoat the war she writing about and i wouldn't like it if she did. but on a brighter note, i'm glad that certain people are dead. i mean i was hoping with all my soul that they would die and i'm glad my dreams came true. the real surprise character that i related to was Liraz. as Akiva's sister you only got that she was a proud soldier and disgusted with Akiva's love for Karou. but this book broke through her facade and you get to know another side to her. i hope to hear from her POV more in the next book.

this is one of the best books i've read so far this year and it comes highly recommended. and out of all these YA books that are popping up in the theaters, this is one series i wouldn't mind seeing.

5 STAR RATING

Review for Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwholly is the second book in the Unwind series written by Neal Shusterman. The first book is Unwind and the third book, which has yet to be released, is titled Unsouled.


i don't really remember what happened in the first book. i have a vagueness about the main events but can't tell you what they were. thankfully you don't need to know exactly what took place in Unwind to follow this book. you might appreciate it more but you can still follow it. all you need to know is that things are going to be even harder for Risa, Connor, and Lev this time around.

the book starts off with a new character named Starkey who you know is going to be a problem. every one of his chapters are him singing his praises and how he's this and that and a bag of chips. he is not a hero in this story nor is he a bad guy you love to hate. i just disliked him and everything he stood for. in dire times it is best to stick together and unite, not look out for yourself or certain people like SPOILER Storks SPOILER i hope he gets what he deserves in the third book because i would like nothing more than to see him perish in the most ironic of ways.

Connor is struggling to keep the Graveyard running smoothly. he has yet to fit into the role of leader and has to deal with the consequences because of it. his chapters were a hit and miss for me. before he was betrayed, i liked hearing about the struggle within himself. his "unwound" arm, running the Graveyard, and dealing with Risa were issues that i cared about. but once it seemed like SPOILER Risa deserted the Whollies and was a spokesperson for unwinding SPOILER, i was turned off by his whining. it was all "I should have done this" or "This is not the way it was supposed to go." dude, get your shit together. it was unrealistic to think that everyone was going to survive. i'm kinda hoping he dies before this series is over.

Lev and Risa were both amazing. i remember loving them in the first book and that just carried over into this one. Lev has to deal with a cult while Risa has to deal with SPOILER being healed SPOILER. their plot lines were the strongest and i would write more about them but i'm all bitched out over Connor and Starkey. but believe me when i say that they're the reason to read this book. i loved the alternating chapters between the characters. with a story this big and complex you have to get all the voice-overs you can get. everyone feels and reacts differently to unwinding, making the story even more real. having to wait for the last book is going to be hard but i'll be patient. good things come to those that wait.