Review: Of Scars and Stardust by Andrea Hannah

Title: Of Scars and Stardust

Author: Andrea Hannah

My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Genres: YA, Thriller
Release Date: October 8th 2014 by Flux
Format Read: eARC via NetGalley

Description from Goodreads

After her little sister mysteriously vanishes, seventeen-year-old Claire Graham has a choice to make: stay snug in her little corner of Manhattan with her dropout boyfriend, or go back to Ohio to face the hometown tragedy she's been dying to leave behind.

But the memories of that night still haunt her in the city, and as hard as she tries to forget what her psychiatrist calls her "delusions," Claire can't seem to escape the wolf's eyes or the blood-speckled snow. Delusion or reality, Claire knows she has to hold true to the most important promise she's ever made: to keep Ella safe. She must return to her sleepy hometown in order to find Ella and keep her hallucinations at bay before they strike again. But time is quickly running out, and as Ella's trail grows fainter, the wolves are becoming startlingly real.

Now Claire must deal with her attraction to Grant, the soft-spoken boy from her past that may hold the secret to solving her sister's disappearance, while following the clues that Ella left for only her to find. Through a series of cryptic diary entries, Claire must unlock the keys to Ella's past—and her own—in order to stop another tragedy in the making, while realizing that not all things that are lost are meant to be found.

Review:

Gosh, it took me so long to read this book! When I was halfway through it, there was a part of me that wanted to quit and mark it as DNF, but I kept reading because I hardly ever give up on books. I struggled a lot to get myself into the story. The book started right away with the mystery of the wolves' existence, and I kept wondering whether they truly existed, because Claire certainly believed they did. There were times when I thought that maybe she was really crazy and imagining things, but then again I wasn't sure what to believe. I liked that it kept me guessing, and I think it was A LITTLE BIT intriguing, but most of the time I felt that it was tiring. I was bored for the most part, and to be honest I skipped a few pages of this book just to get it over with. I have little patience with slow placing books, so I don't know how I even managed to read this till the very end.

Claire was such a confusing character, as the narrator she didn't tell the story clearly. She didn't give you the details and the facts, because she had difficulty in remembering things? Maybe it was done to build up the tension and suspense, but it didn't work for me.

I was expecting this book to be about Claire's venture to find her sister Ella, but the story ended up to be a totally different one. I usually like reading unusual books, but that didn't happen with Of Scars and Stardust. I didn't like that there were so many loopholes, and the ending! It was so frustrating! In the end we did get the truth behind the wolves' existence, but I hated that it didn't explain what happened to the other characters.

Overall, I didn't enjoy reading this book at all. Although I found it a little bit interesting, I was confused and bored most of the time. The main character was annoying, and I hated that the story wasn't well told.

Conflicted about The Iron Trial

Title: The Iron Trial

Author: Holly Black, Cassandra Clare

Series: Magisterium #1

My Rating:★★★☆☆

Genres: MG, Fantasy, Magic

Published: September 9th 2014 by Doubleday Children's Books

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.

My Thoughts

I wasn't sure how to rate this book. In the end I decided to give it 3 stars, because although it reminded me a lot of Harry Potter, I ended up enjoying it. I haven't actually read the Harry Potter series, but I know the movies well (I'm a big fan of them) and so I couldn't help but notice the similarities.

Okay. So, let's discuss this book. The Iron Trial is about a kid who enters a magic school. Sounds familiar? I thought so. But wait. The similarities don't end here, there is more. So the main character is Call, and he is special; he's the only one who survived the Cold Massacre. He's the boy who lived, you see. Though in this book, Call doesn't lose both his parents like Harry Potter, only his mom dies. Another thing that bugs me is that the antagonist in this book (the Enemy of Death) sounds a lot like Voldemort, especially because he craves immortality and leaves Call with a mark during the Cold Massacre. Also, shall I mention that when Call enters the school of magic, he is deliberately grouped with two other kids, a boy and a girl to be specific. Ron and Hermione, perhaps?

So, yeah. My initial thought was this:

However, even though I hated the fact that it was very much like Harry Potter, I must confess that I found it quite addicting. I truly liked the writing, and there was all this mystery going on, which was really compelling. And to be honest, towards the second half of the book I could kind of put aside the similarities. kind of. And the ending! THE ENDING JUST BLEW MY MIND! It was very shocking and completely unexpected.

Therefore, I'm very conflicted about this book. I hate how it isn't original, but I can't deny the fact that I was captivated. And because of that fantastic ending, I'm quite intrigued to know what happens in the sequel.

Overall, this gif explains my conflicted feelings.

Review: Aspen by Rebekah Crane

Title: Aspen
Author: Rebekah Crane
My Rating: ★★★★★
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication: June 5th 2014 by In This Together Media
Format Read: eARC via NetGalley
Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

One quiet night in Boulder, Colorado, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor made a mistake.

In the next instant, her life changed forever.

Aspen doesn't want to remember the car accident that killed Katelyn Ryan, a sleek-haired popular soccer player. But forgetting is hard-- because Katelyn may have died -- but she didn't leave. Her ghost is following Aspen around, and heading into senior year, it's kind of a problem. Especially when Katelyn's former boyfriend Ben appears to be the only person at school with a clue as to how Aspen feels. 

Popularity, Homecoming Court, hot guys - none of these things ever mattered to Aspen. She's been busy trying to keep her stoner mother Ninny in line and out of unemployment. But with Ben sitting next to her in Physics and her therapist begging her to remember all the things she wants to forget, Aspen is thrust into a vivid, challenging world she can't control ... and doesn't want to. 

A darkly funny, emotionally gripping story of opening up, letting go, and moving on, Aspen is about the best-worst accident of your life ... and what comes next.

My Review:

I love this book! I love this book so much that I bought a copy of it. I wanted to have Aspen on my bookshelf so badly, and wasn't able to resist the urge to purchase it. 

At first I thought this was going to be the usual sweet book that you read for fun, like most contemporaries, but it turned out to be meaningful and much deeper than I expected. I don't want to give away too much, so I'll keep this short: the narrator is Aspen, a teenage girl, who gets involved in a car accident. Fortunately, she survives with minor injures, but Katelyn doesn't; the most popular girl in school is dead, and Aspen has to live with all the guilt.

Aspen is a very honest girl, but she is hiding something from everyone and even from herself. I like the fact that she is just like most teenage girls who hate their own hair and have their own issues. She has flaws and that made her real and someone I could easily relate to. I truly loved Aspen; she is quirky and has a great sense of humor. Reading about her struggles, as she tries to deal with everything after the accident, was a very emotional experience for me.

Another character I really enjoyed is Ninny, Aspen's mom. Ninny is a free being who doesn't want to fit into society's expectations. I think she is a very cool person, but she isn't doing a wonderful job as a mom; she's not the responsible type, and most of the time it's Aspen playing the role of "the mom" and Ninny being the irresponsible teenager. Even though they have this unusual kind of relationship, I like that Aspen accepts her mom for what she is. And I think it's fun to have a mom like Ninny once in a while, because unlike most parents, she doesn't pressure you into doing anything.

I've grown to care for everyone in this book, and that's the best part of Aspen; it succeeds in drawing you in with the characters and their lives. Aspen is truly a brilliant narrator, even though she's going through lots of heavy stuff and the guilt is almost eating her alive, she doesn't cease to smile and have fun.

I think this book is realistic. It's very touching, and it made me cry, but I loved that it's beautifully balanced with lots of humor.

When I requested Aspen on NetGalley, I didn't expect it to have a great impact on me, and when my copy arrives I think I'm going to read it again. I highly recommend it!

Review: Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin

Title: Queen of Someday

Author: Sherry D. Ficklin

Series: Stolen Empire #1

My Rating: ★★★★☆ (more like 3.5)

Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance

Publication: October 7th 2014 by Clean Teen Publishing

Format Read: eARC via NetGalley

Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

ONE GIRL WILL BRING AN EMPIRE TO ITS KNEES...

Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.

Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans.

Alone in a new and dangerous world, learning who to trust and who to charm may mean the difference between becoming queen and being sent home in shame to marry her lecherous uncle. With traitors and murderers lurking around every corner, her very life hangs in the balance. Betrothed to one man but falling in love with another, Sophie will need to decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to become the empress she is destined to be.

In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?

My Review:

CONS:

- The book focused on what was happening inside the palace, but I was a bit curious to know what was going on outside of it. Sophie constantly said that there would be a war if she didn't marry Peter and become the queen of Russia, but I didn't feel that the stakes were that high. And this is why I believe that the alliances among the European countries should have been explained in detail, because I didn't fully understand how fragile they were.

- When is the story set? I know that it takes place in the past, but I don't know the exact year. I've never been good at history, so I don't know much about Queen Catherine.

PROS:

- I liked Sophie's transformation during her time in the palace. It was interesting to see how this innocent and brave girl became the strong queen of Russia. I was rooting for her from the very beginning, especially since everyone wanted to get rid of her. During her stay in the palace she learned about love, loss and betrayal, but I liked that she didn't let these things faze her; she accepted her fate, and learned to make the best of life.

- I love the historicalness of this book; I was a big fan of the balls, banquets, maze like halls and rich gowns.

- The story wasn't predictable. Whenever I thought I knew where the story was going, something unexpected always happened. I was more than half way through this book and still didn't know how it would end.

- The side characters are very interesting. Obviously, I liked all those who are on Sophie's side, especially Sergei - he was kind and understanding from the very beginning.

All in all, this is not your typical happy ending book. It's happy/sad, but I love the way the book ended. The main character is great and doesn't whine about how unfair her life is. Although I had a few issues with the setting, I truly enjoyed reading Queen of Someday. If you like a lot of drama and intrigue then this book is for you.

Review: Blood Crown by Ali Cross

Title: Blood Crown

Author: Ali Cross

Series: The Eden Project #1

My Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Genres: YA, Sci-fi

Published February 20th 2014

Format read: eARC, NetGalley

Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads:

Androids have claimed power over what remains of the human race. They rule without remorse. They are the Mind and humans exist only to serve them. 

But it wasn't always so.

Before the android uprising, select droids, called Servants, were pivotal in engineering anew human race with nanotechnology enhanced DNA. The Blood Crown theorum was to be humanity's crowning glory and the key to their survival in deep space.

But Serantha, Daughter of the West, was the last female to receive Gifts from her Servant and when the Mind mutinied, she was hidden away, and presumed dead. 

Without Serantha there is no hope of the Blood Crown being realized so Nicolai, Son of the East, abandons his crown to join the rebel forces. He might not provide the future for his people he had once dreamed of, but he will not go down without a fight.

When Nicolai discovers Sera among a small compliment of kitchen staff, everything changes--but Sera's Gifts were never completed and she is ill-equipped to face a legion of androids determined to wipe her, and every other human, out of existence.

Their only hope is the Blood Crown--but even if Serantha and Nicolai can realize their potential it may be too late to save mankind.

My Review

Let me start by saying how much I love the book cover. I mean, it's SO PRETTY!!! I can't stop looking at it. *Sigh*

I really enjoyed reading Blood Crown, and I think it's a great book. After reading Shattered Veil (read my review *cough* my fangirling here), I was like "I want to read more Sci-fi books".  And when I saw Blood Crown on NetGalley I requested it without even reading the synopsis; I was totally swayed by the gorgeous cover.

I'll be honest, though. I did have some issues with Blood Crown. First of all, I have to say that it was hard for me to get into the story, because like I said earlier, I didn't bother to read what it was about before diving into it. Also, Blood Crown is told from different points of view which is another reason why I struggled with it. However, when I finally clicked with the characters, I couldn't stop reading. Another issue I had was the insta-love. I couldn't understand why Sera felt instantly attracted to Nick, and the affection these two felt for each other didn't seem realistic to me. But later on, I discovered that <spoiler>the two had formed a bond when they were little kids</spoiler> which explained the "strong connection" they felt. And I was glad that everything made sense.

The world building. I think the world building was great! While I was reading, everything took place clearly in my head. So, I liked that it wasn't confusing, and appreciated that there weren't a lot of information to take in all at once. But I was left with a couple of unanswered questions, such as, "How do they produce food on space?" and "How can they live with infinite electricity?"
The book was fast paced, and I was focused on the fight between the Mind and humans, so my questions didn't pop up until after I finished reading the book. And I know these questions are probably irrelevant, but I'm kinda curious. I hope they will be dealt with in the sequel.

The characters are a strong point in Blood Crown. The plot was great too, with a few twists that I didn't expect, but I think the characters are the reason why I highly enjoyed this book. Sera is a wonderful main character; I loved seeing how this lonely girl, whose only wish was to be accepted, grew confident and found her rightful place. She is strong-willed, but she also has some insecurities, and I like that she isn't perfect. On the other hand, we have Nick. Now, if you ever read this book you will probably fall in love with Nick. As a prince, he has lots of responsibilities; I like that he's passionate, and that he fights back. The side characters were notable, too. I particularly liked Archibald, and was amazed with how loyal he was. 

Overall, I think this is an amazing book. I did have some issues with it, but I ended up really enjoying it. If you love reading YA and Sci-fi books, then I would definitely recommend this book to you.

Review: Shattered Veil by Tracy E. Banghart

Title: Shattered Veil

Author: Tracy E. Banghart

Series: The Diatous Wars #1

My Rating: ★★★★★

Genres: YA, Sci-fi, Dystopian

Published February 28th 2014

Format: eARC, NetGalley
Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository

Description from Goodreads

When everything that defines you is stripped away, who do you become?

War has invaded Atalanta’s quiet villages and lush woodlands, igniting whispered worries in its glittering capitol. Far from the front lines, 18-year-old Aris Haan, a talented wingjet flyer, has little cause for concern. Until her beloved Calix is thrust into the fray, and a stranger makes her an impossible offer: the chance to join a secret army of women embedded within the all-male military. 

Aris’s choice to follow Calix to war will do more than put her in physical danger; it will make her question everything she believes about herself. When she and her enigmatic commander uncover a deadly conspiracy, her expert flying may be the only hope for her dominion’s survival…and her own.

It’s Mulan meets Battlestar Galactica, with a heroine who is strong enough to save a nation…but only if she’s willing to sacrifice everything, even the one promise she swore she’d never break.

My Review

Wow. Just wow. This book is AMAZING! It kept me awake all night, and I just didn't want it to end. I'm totally on a book hangover, and can't read anything else. 

I've been putting off writing this review because I find it difficult to write whenever I'm overwhelmed. Though a week has passed from when I finished reading Shattered Veil, I'm still very obsessed with it. My feelings are still all over the place, but I'll try my best to write a coherent review.

Alright, so what's it about? Shattered Veil is a Sci-fi/Dystopian book, and it's about a girl called Aris who disguises as a man to become a Military flyer. Now, in case you guys are wondering why she has to cross-dress, let me explain it to you. Women in this book can't join the military. The story takes place in the future, and after decades of war the population has diminished drastically. So, the government decided to ban women from doing any kind of dangerous work, as they wanted to ensure the survival of the human race.

Aris has never cared about the war, she decided to enter the military just to be with Calix, the guy she loves. She's the silly type of girl who's hopelessly romantic. Initially, I was a bit annoyed at her because I wanted her to join the military for a honorable reason, and not because of a man. Things developed quickly though, and I soon saw her change as the story progressed. 

The transformation from Aris to Aristos was very different. It wasn't the usual 'breast binding' and 'dressing like a man' transformation. It was more complex, and really extreme. I mean, she shaved her head to look like a guy!

There wasn't much romance in this book. Aris did have a long distance relationship with Calix, but it was obvious from the beginning that they weren't meant to be. So, I kept wondering if there was some other guy. Although the book didn't really focus on the romance, I was glad that there was indeed another guy!

The book is told from different point of views which helped building the climax towards the end of the story. The mystery aspect was beautifully executed. I liked how everything unfolded, and that ending!

Shattered Veil left my mouth wide open, so READ IT!

-----
Edit: August 1st 2014
SHATTERED VEIL has a new title and cover: Rebel Wing.

Review: Inked Armor by Helena Hunting

Title: Inked Armor
Author: Helena Hunting
Series: Clipped Wings book 2
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Published March 4th 2014
Genres: NA, Contemporary
Format Read: eARC, NetGalley

Description from Goodreads

In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden Stryker's tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn't believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest. Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to reconcile his guilt over his parents' death in order to keep the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way into his heart.

My Review

The ending of Clipped Wings was heartbreaking, so I had to pick up Inked Armor almost immediately, to know what happened next. I felt so bad for Hayden, Tenley left him without any explaination, and didn't even say goodbye! Needless to say that he didn't take it well.

The book started with Tenley still in Arden Hills, taking care of Connor's estate while Hayden was falling apart, thinking that she would never come back to Chicago. I was really impatient for Tenley to figure things out, so that she could go back to Hayden, and I think that if she'd known that he was ruining himself, she wouldn't have stayed away for so long. When Tenley finally decided to return to Chicago, things didn't go as she expected. There was no happy reunion and everything started badly, and I feared that it would take Hayden and Tenley forever to work out their already-fragile relationship. 

In Inked Armor both characters were more confused than ever. Hayden was on the edge most of the time, and just snapped at everyone. Tenley was still dealing with her past, and occasionally had mood swings. But thankfully, even with all the complications in their life, the two characters were more open with each other, and really tried to work things out.

Unlike Clipped Wings, Inked Armor didn't focus much on the tattoos. There was a mystery aspect in the story, though, which I really liked; it kept me intrigued and eager to continue reading. After I finished Clipped Wings, I felt that some things were left hanging, for instance, there were unresolved issues between Cross and Hayden. So, I expected to see more of Cross in Inked Armor, and I also suspected him to play the part of the villain who would, somehow, separate Hayden and Tenley from each other. But surprisingly, it didn't turned out as I expected, things were more complicated than I thought, and I'm glad that the story wasn't that predictable.

Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed this book more than Clipped Wings. Tenley and Hayden were more open to each other, and I liked how their characters grew as they finally learned to cope with their past. 

I don't know if this is the last book in the series, I think that there's a possibility for the story to go on. And if there will be a third book I will defintely read it!

Review: Clipped Wings by Helena Hunting

Title: Clipped Wings
Author: Helena Hunting
Series: Clipped Wings book 1
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Published March 4th 2014
Genres: NA, Contemporary
Format Read: eARC, NetGalley

Description from Goodreads

An emotional love story that follows the touch-and-go relationship of Hayden and Tenley; two young people who desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to completely let go of their pasts.

As Hayden and Tenley navigate their newfound but slightly unstable relationship, they want to trust each other, but Hayden is hiding a dark and shameful past that he doesn't ever want Tenley to find out about. And Tenley has secrets of her own that could make Hayden run away forever. When Tenley asks Hayden to put a beautifully elaborate tattoo across her back, the two form what they thought was an unshakeable bond. But when Tenley's past shows up on her doorstep, will Hayden stand by her side...or run?

My Review

I've read so many good things about this book especially from Ella (The Filipina Booknote), so I decided to give it a shot even though I'm not a big fan of the NA genre. The premise of the book didn't truly intrigue me, and if it hadn't been for Ella's lovely review, I wouldn't have read Clipped Wings. So, definitely go check out her review!

This book is about two broken souls, Hayden and Tenley. They both want to be with each other, but it's really hard for them to open up and start a new relationship because they're hunted by their dreadful past.

Both characters are full of complexity. Hayden is a tattoo artist who may look intimidating because of all his tattoos, but when you get to know him better, you learn that he isn't a bad person. I like how this book focuses a lot on the tattoos. I've always thought that tattoos were just a type of art that you put on your skin, and I've never really gave much importance to why people put them on their body which was really silly of me. So, I really like how, for Hayden, the tattoos are more than body art, and that they have a significant meaning to him. He had a really dark past, which was unfolded as the story went on, and I liked that he could still be cute even with everything he'd been through. On the other hand, Tenley has just experienced a tragedy, and she blames no one but herself for what happened to her. So, she lived alone, pushing everyone away.  But when she met Hayden she was instantly attracted to him, and she realized that she craved to be near someone, and that she was done with being by herself.

People say that opposites attract each other, well, that's not quite the case with Hayden and Tenley. They have a lot of things in common, they are both filled with pain and guilt, and I think that's why they are drawn to each other. Well, aside from the physical attraction. Initially the two were awkward towards each other, but after a month or so of stolen glances, self awareness and burning curiosity, they finally gave in. 

Although I think Clipped Wings tells a really great and engaging story, I had some minor issues with it. The first is that I couldn't relate to the two main characters because I  haven't gone through anything so horrible in my life. I have never felt the deep feelings of loss and guilt that Hayden and Tenley experienced, and I can only be grateful for my bright and happy childhood. The other thing, is that I was a bit annoyed by Tenley. I didn't like the choices she made, and if I were her I would have done things differently. I get that it's hard for her to share her past, but I seriously wanted her to trust Hayen. 

Overall, I really liked Clipped Wings. The phasing was perfect, and I easily got involved with the characters. There are a few sex scenes which I skipped because I don't feel comfortable reading explicit scenes in general, and I'm glad I was able to enjoy the story even without reading those parts. The book ends with a cliff hanger, so I'm really curious to read the Inked Armour to know what happens next.