Waiting on Wednesday: Gemini by Sonya Mukherjee

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Publication Date: July 26th 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA, Contemporary
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Synopsis: In a powerful and daring debut novel, Sonya Mukherjee shares the story of sisters Clara and Hailey, conjoined twins who are learning what it means to be truly extraordinary.

Seventeen-year-old conjoined twins Clara and Hailey have lived in the same small town their entire lives—no one stares at them anymore. But there are cracks in their quiet existence, and they’re slowly becoming more apparent. Clara and Hailey are at a crossroads. Clara wants to stay close to home, avoid all attention, and study the night sky. Hailey wants to travel the world, learn from great artists, and dance with mysterious boys. As high school graduation approaches, each twin must untangle her dreams from her sister’s, and figure out what it means to be her own person.

Told in alternating perspectives, this unconventional coming-of-age tale shows how dreams can break your heart—but the love between sisters can mend it.

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books  
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
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Synopsis: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Timesbestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

My Rating: 3/5 stars

My Review: “People come in and out of your life. For a time they are your world; they are everything. And then one day they’re not. There’s no telling how long you will have them near.” 

After reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before, I had very high expectations for P.S. I Still Love You. And while the book itself was amazing, and adorable just like the last, there was one moment in the book that completely ruined it all for me.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK 

During the first book, I absolutely fell in love with Lara Jean and Peter. So obviously I've been waiting for this book to come out so that I could hear the rest of their story! To see what happened and if they actually got together. 

For those of you that read the book, you're probably like YES TEAM PETER!! Who doesn't love him right? And I was absolutely thrilled when they worked things out right at the beginning of the book.

But what kind of a book would it be with a happy ending right at the beginning, obviously something has to happen to the two of them. And it did.

So while I was cheering for team Peter at the beginning, I found myself leaning towards the other side of the love triangle. 

Now heres the problem I had with this book. In real life, especially during high school, relationships go something like this.
You date someone, something happens, you break up, you are devastated for a long time, and then all of a sudden a new someone comes a long, picks you up and makes you fall in love all over again.

Something like this happened to Lara Jean, except she never really moved on and went right back to Peter. Now don't get me wrong I love Peter as a character, but that type of thing usually doesn't happen in real life. It does happen sometimes when you meet the right person, but that definitely doesn't happen to someone in high school. 

I just felt like the author would be giving her readers a more positive message if Lara Jean was to chose the other boy. Because of books and movies like this, lots of younger adults get this idea that they are supposed to find the one, even in high school. Which very rarely happens. It would be a better message if the reader could see that its okay to be hurt, and that there will come another person and will help you move on.

I don't know if I'm just too old for this book (I'm only 19), or it just didn't click with me. Sadly I won't be continuing on with this series. It was nice while it lasted. Hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Series: Splintered #2
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: “Nothing can break the chains you have on my heart. For you are Wonderland.” 

Unhinged is definitely one of the most beautiful books ever written. I can't help but fall in love with A.G. Howard's writing even more.

It's been a year since Alyssa has come back from Wonderland. Her boyfriend Jeb doesn't remember anything, and all Alyssa wants to do is get things back to normal, no matter how much her wings are dying to escape. When Morpheus shows up with news that Red is back, and Wonderland is in danger, Alyssa's world is turned upside down as she gets in the middle of saving Jeb and saving Wonderland.

I love this book for so many reasons! I really wish I could give it five stars but theres just one thing that made me mad throughout this book. I was dying for Alyssa to go back to Wonderland, just waiting for the moment she went back in, and that didn't happen.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved the story line, and I loved how much more the characters got to interact and how we got to see so many old characters return, but it just wasn't the same.

Alyssa is still the same kick-butt character, whose madly in love with Jeb but also has small feelings toward Morpheus. Morpheus is of course the same old magnificent winged boy that everyone on Team Morpheus has come to love. And Jeb went back to being the little human boy that no one really cares about.

The thing I loved so much about this book is that we get to finally meet Alyssa's mom, when she's normal and not locked up. What's even better is we also get to explore her parent's past and see how exactly they met each other, which I thought was absolutely sweet.

Obviously I was a little disappointed with the world-building, since we didn't get a chance to go into Wonderland, but as for describing the normal world, the authors writing was glorious as always.

Overall, this book is amazing and if you loved the first book you will definitely love the second one. I cannot wait to read Ensnared.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Monsters of Verity #1

Publication Date: June 7th, 2016

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Genre: YA, Fantasy 

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Synopsis: The city of Verity has been overrun with monsters, born from the worst of human evil. In North Verity, the Corsai and the Malchai run free. Under the rule of Callum Harker, the monsters kill any human who has not paid for protection. In the South, Henry Flynn hunts the monsters who cross the border into his territory, aided by the most dangerous and darkest monsters of them all—the Sunai, dark creatures who use music to steal their victim’s souls.

As one of only three Sunai in existence, August Flynn has always wanted to play a bigger role in the war between the north and the south. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate Harker, daughter of the leader of North Verity, August jumps on it.
When Kate discovers August’s secret, the pair find themselves running for their lives and battling monsters from both sides of the wall. As the city dissolves into chaos, it’s up to them to foster a peace between monsters and humans.

A unique, fast-paced adventure that looks at the monsters we face every day—including the monster within. 

Cursed by Christina Bauer

Series: Beholder #1
Publications Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: InkMonster
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
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Synopsis: (synopsis is not accurate) Although Elea’s the most powerful necromancer in history, she’s spent most of her nineteen years imprisoned in the Midnight Cloisters. Enchanted manacles keep her unique brand of soul magick in check. While the guards and initiates seem contented to torment her, the Cloister’s Mother Superior is obsessed with finding a safe way to destroy Elea, both body and soul.

Escape seems impossible until a handsome hunter named Asher offers to help. Elea takes a chance and soon develops feelings for the mysterious stranger. However, Asher may not be who he claims. Then again, Elea may not be, either… 

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: Another breathtaking book written by Christina Bauer! Cursed takes on a new spin about the world of Necromancers and Casters and it is absolutely fantastic. 

All Elea wants to do is work on the farm that finally became hers! She has no problems with using her untrained powers to chase away potential suitors that just want to take ownership of her farm. When Elea gets a message that her only friend Tristan is in trouble, she races to his bedside. Tristan was cursed by the new Tsar, and curse also affects the person you love the most, and in Tristan's case, that was Elea. Elea now has only 5 years to live before the curse takes her, and the only way to end this curse is to train her powers and kill the Tsar.

I absolutely loved the characters that Christina created! Elea is such a strong and determined character, you can't help but fall in love with her and admire her passion. You get to see the lonely but confident side to her when she's alone on the farm, and then the powerful but wise side to her after she becomes trained and goes on the quest! My favourite aspect was that she's so trustworthy that she couldn't see someone very close to her lying and tricking her, which is something i could definitely relate to and understand. 

I loved the relationship between her and Roland. He brings out a better side in her and its absolutely adorable to see how much he cares! The relationship went by really slow, but I found that absolutely perfect. It's definitely nice to see a relationship take its time and not be one of the "love at first sight" novels (that never come true). 

The world building was alright, nothing too exciting but the landscape where the story takes place was described fairly well.

Normally I would rate a book this good five stars, but there was something about it where I just can't give it full stars. It was really fantastic, but I'm not sure if it was the little world building or the fact that it was a little slow in the beginning of the book. 

Either way, this was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. If you have read other books by Christina Bauer, you will definitely love this one as well, and if you haven't then I recommend checkin out her other series called Angelbound. 

Happy Reading,
- Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: The Remnant Chronicles #3
Publication Date: August 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.

End of Days by Susan Ee

Series: Penryn and the End of Days #3
Publication Date: May 12th 2015
Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
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Synopsis: End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: “Power is best held by the ones who don’t want it.” 

I am so sad that this series is now over, but I must say that End of Days was a perfect finale to an amazing series.

The story picks up right where World After left off. Penryn is reunited with Raffe and her sister Paige who is followed by her scorpions. Their goal is to find Penryn's mother, and a doctor to sew on Raffe's old wings. And of course, many obstacles fall in their path, as they try to save Earth from Uriel.

This story was the perfect mix of Angelfall and World After. It had the Penryn & Raffe connection that everyone missed, as well as the awesome action and crazy characters from the second book.

Not only do we get to see past characters like Dee and Dum, Penryn's mom and others, but we also get a few new characters that will have you wishing they were introduced in earlier books.

I don't want to write too much in my review to avoid spoilers. But honestly if you loved the first two books in the series, you will absolutely love the finale.

The grand finale of the book isn't as "grand" as I was hoping it would be, but I still love the way the author wrote it and I still found it a good overall ending, even though we were left with many unanswered questions.

In conclusion, this is a fantastic series, and a great ending to the series. If you haven't read this series yet, I'm going to find you and force you to read it, because you will love it.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: “She was a cyborg, and she would never go to a ball.”  

Cinder is a fantastic series! Great characters, creative world, and an interesting plot line.

It took me a long time to start the series. A cinderella re-telling along with cyborgs just didn't appeal to me. And that's what I thought about the series until I got a little in it. I'm so happy I finally gave this book a chance, I definitely judge the book way too fast!

Cinder is a fantastic character. I've always loved strong and self-less characters and Cinder is one of the strongest and most self-less characters out there. Cinder is a mechanic. She lives with her stepmother/guardian and two stepsisters, working at the market in order to pay for everything her family does. 

The world-building in this story was absolutely fantastic! First of all, I love how the story was set in Asia. It's so often that books are set in America it gets kind of repetitive and boring, so I was really impressed when the story actually took place halfway across the world from me. Also the whole backstory about the world going through two more world wars, eventually returning to monarchy in some parts of the world and having a new race living on the moon. I just think that the world that Marissa Meyer created is absolutely fantastic. As to the descriptions of the setting that Cinder and Kai were in, I found that there were parts where the author went into too much detail describing the scene, which made it a bit boring. Yet there were still lots of great scenes that were described perfectly where you could imagine them and step into the picture myself.

The plot of the story was fairly well written. The cinderella retelling worked perfectly in the plot, and since it was more futuristic, the changes to the original story made it more interesting and didn't let the reader get bored. While I thought that the plot was very creative, there was also so many predictable parts where you knew exactly what was going to happen, and it all happened. This kind of made me mad at times because it was all so clear and the characters couldn't see what was right infant of them. For those who have read the book, you know what I'm talking about.

Overall, this is a fantastic first book to a great series. The characters are absolutely amazing, the world created by Meyer is to die for, and there's tons of action and adventure to keep you on your toes. As long as you don't mind knowing what happens to the character, and not being surprised you will love this book. I will definitely recommend this book to everyone. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Waiting on Wednesday: Ruined by Amy Tintera

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Series: Ruined #1
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
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Synopsis: Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake. 

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Series: Flawed #1
Publication Date: April 6th, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Genre: YA, Dystopia
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Read chapters 1-5 free on Amazon and B&N

Synopsis: The Scarlet Letter meets Divergent in this thoughtful and thrilling novel by bestselling author Cecelia Ahern.

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule. And now faces life-changing repercussions.

She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.

In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where obedience is paramount and rebellion is punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her-everything.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: In a world where one mistake can get you branded as Flawed and change your life forever, Celestine North is perfect. She's an aspiring mathematician, has the perfect boyfriend, and has her perfect life planned out just the way she wants it. But when a Flawed man starts choking on a public bus, Celestine can't help herself and comes to the man's aid. Helping a Flawed man is a crime. Celestine is taken away to prison, but on the outside, riots start to happen and Celestine gains followers. Things are about to change, not just to Celestine's life, but to the country. 

I was a little skeptical starting this book. Yet it was so amazing once I started reading that I could not put it down and ended up finishing the book in one sitting. This book evoked an emotion that I haven't personally felt since reading the Hunger Games. The author did an absolutely amazing job with the world building, and the storyline. You can almost feel like you are the main character living in that society, its absolutely amazing.

The reason why i gave this book four stars instead of five, is because of the main character. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Celestine! She's brilliant, selfless and caring. The author describes her as being very smart, and we see that aspect in her throughout the whole book, except for one part. There is a part in the story where Celestine gets invited to a party, which turns out to be an ambush. The problem with this is, if the main character is so smart, how could she not see that it was a trick. Even her own sister warned her that it was most likely a trick. Which brings me to, if her sister thought that she was in danger, why didn't she help her? This part in the story just didn't make sense to me, and it made me furious to the point where I almost stopped reading.

Overall, every aspect of this story is amazing. This book is so action packed and emotion driven that you will not want to put it down as you read. Its perfect for all fans of dystopian books, especially Divergent and The Hunger Games. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Happy Reading,

Aneta 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Series: The Raven Cycle #1
Publication Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
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Synopsis: “There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

My Rating: 4/5 stars

My Review: "Rags to riches isn't a story anyone wants to hear until after it's done.” 

The Raven Boys is a beautiful mystery read, with fantastic characters and magnificent scenery. I found this book to be a little slow at the start but once the action starts it is hard to put down.

Blue is not a psychic, but she lives with many. When Blue sees a spirit on St.Mark's eve, she realizes that a boy named Gansey will die this year, by her hand. Gansey is a rich, private school boy that hangs out with that call themselves the Raven Boys. When Gansey and the Raven Boys come to visit Blue's mother for a psychic reading, Blue ends up being twisted in their adventures, trying to save Gansey's life.

I personally loved Blue as a character. She's exceptionally ordinary. She's not beautiful or extremely smart, yet she just has that type of personality that you can't help but love. She's sweet and innocent. It's like you want to be her best friend. Throughout the story, we get to watch her grow and step out of her comfort zone which is with her family and open up to the Raven Boys and become a fantastic overall character.

The way this story is written, it took a lot of getting used to in the beginning. I wasn't particularly fond of it, but once I got to reading the book it became easier to understand and I enjoyed it so much more. This book has a lot of action and adventure so once you get past the boring part in the beginning you definitely will not be bored.

I was absolutely amazing at the world-building of this story. Not only do the character visit so many different beautiful places (on their many adventure) but all those places are described so uniquely that you just fall involve with the world that Maggie created and want to live there. I honestly can't tell you how beautiful it is, you'll have to read it for yourself.

Overall, this book was absolutely magical and has you wanting more when you get past the beginning. I would definitely recommend this book to all action and adventure lovers. Trust me when I say that this series is worth it. Amazing character and beautiful landscape. I can't wait to continue reading this series.

Happy Reading,
- Aneta 

Waiting on Wednesday: Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance
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Synopsis: Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.