Review: Rule by Ellen Goodlett

Series: Rule #1
Publication Date: September 11th, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genera: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: Three girls with three deadly secrets. Only one can wear the crown.

The king is dying, his heir has just been murdered, and rebellion brews in the east. But the kingdom of Kolonya and the outer Reaches has one last option before it descends into leaderless chaos.

Or rather, three unexpected options.

Zofi has spent her entire life trekking through the outer Reaches with her band of Travelers. She would do anything to protect the band, her family. But no one can ever find out how far she's already gone.

Akeylah was raised in the Eastern Reach, surrounded by whispers of rebellion and abused by her father. Desperate to escape, she makes a decision that threatens the whole kingdom.

Ren grew up in Kolonya, serving as a lady's maid and scheming her way out of the servants' chambers. But one such plot could get her hung for treason if anyone ever discovers what she's done.

When the king summons the girls, they arrive expecting arrest or even execution. Instead they learn the truth: they are his illegitimate daughters, and one must become his new heir. But someone in Kolonya knows their secrets, and that someone will stop at nothing to keep the sisters from their destiny... to rule.

Magic, mystery, and blackmail abound in this sensational and striking fantasy debut.

My Rating

4/5 stars

My Review

Rule is an absolute wonder! I fell in love with this book right from the beginning. Its perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Three Dark Crowns.

Three girls that have never met, and have nothing in common are brought before the King. The rest of the kingdom doesn't know this yet, but the King is slowly dying and since his son was murdered, he must call on his bastard daughters and train them so that one of them could be his successor. Zofi, Ren and Akeylah are complete opposites, not only in their looks but also in their background and personalities. But when all three girls start receiving threats, and are told to leave the kingdom unless they want their darkest secrets revealed, the sisters decide to stick together and track down the person that wants to get rid of them for good.

This book had such amazing and diverse characters. I absolutely loved them all. The sisters were all is different, yet I truly loved all of them equally. Zofi is definitely the badass warrior, that has a hidden softer side. Akeylah is a shy and kind girl, but throughout the novel she definitely opens up and explores her more passionate side. Ren is a great leader, she's cunning and is able to make amazing connections with people. All three sisters have their strengths and weaknesses, but it honestly made them even more likeable. I absolutely loved the part of the story when all three of them started working together.

The world that Ellen created is absolutely fantastic. The world is really creative and there are so many details that Ellen put into the story about the setting and each part of the kingdom, I am truly amazed at how well this world came together. Having said that, I was slightly confused about the layout of the land, so I think if a map of the world was included in the beginning of the novel then it would have just made the experience even better.

The plot was also very well written. There is action right from the beginning as the sisters are taken in to the palace, and it continues throughout the whole novel. The climax was also very well written and very engaging. The only comment I would make is that this story was slightly predictable, you could tell right away that the three sisters will most likely end up working together, and the person they suspect to be blackmailing them isn't who they think it is, and a bunch of other little things like that. There was only one part of the story that really took me by surprised, and that was right at the end so I wont be telling you guys what it was.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and all the characters in it. I think that if there were some minor changes in this book, it could have been absolutely perfect. I can't wait for the next book in the series to come out, because I can't wait to read what happens next. Ellen Goodlett is definitely going on my automatic read authors list.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Series: Untitled #1
Publication Date: July 31st, 2018
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Genera: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace - someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything. 

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

Grace and Fury is an epic story of family, feminism and survival. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. I highly recommend this one.

Serina and Nomi couldn't be more different. Serina is the dutiful sister, told from an early age that she was a beauty and would be raised to one day become a Grace so she has a chance of being one of the many Graces the King and his heir have. Serina will stop at nothing to become the best Grace, in order to give herself a better life, and provide more income for her family. Nomi believes this is all a trap, raised to be her sister's handmaiden, Nomi does everything to make Serina's job easier, the only problem is that she doesn't want Serina to become a Grace and would rather live at home with her twin brother and continue with every day life. But when Serina goes to the palace and the heir chooses Nomi to be one of his Graces, their roles switch, and before the two can figure out how to their new roles, Serina is caught taking the blame for a crime Nomi commits, a crime that sends her to an all woman prison located on a remote island. Now Nomi must navigate throughout the palace, and entertain the prince without doing anything to sabotage her position, while Serina must find a way to stay alive in prison in hopes of returning to her sister once again.

When I first started this book, I was a bit worried I would prefer one main character over the other. After getting about 4-5 chapters into the story, I fell in love with not only the story line, but both of the characters as well. Nomi and Serina are both very different to begin with, but throughout the story they see each other's point of view and why their sister acts the way she does. Their character development is astonishing, its probably the best character development I've read about in a couple years. Serina goes from being the soft and reserved girl to a strong woman thats not afraid to speak her mind and do what feels right to her heart, and Nomi went from being rebellious and not really caring about consequences, to finally learning how to slow down, think over her plans and do things for other people rather than just for herself. I loved both characters equally and can't wait to see what they will do next.

I thought the pacing and the plot of the story were very well written as well. The story picks up only a few chapters in, and the twists are so good that they keep the reader interested. So I'm giving you a warning now, once you get a few chapters in, you won't want to put the book down, so read at your own risk.

Besides the characters, the thing I loved most about this book was the world building. The two settings of the characters are so vastly different. You have the palace where everything is so lavish and intricate. Then you have the volcano island where the prison is located, and you get a natural setting with wilderness. While the two settings were so different, the author did an amazing job and making the image so vivd that I could picture it clearly in my head.

Overall, this book was incredible. I loved the message that it sends, as well as the characters and the world. I highly recommend this to all fans of fantasy, feminism and strong female characters. I can't wait to read more from this series, and I can't wait to read more from this author. 

Happy Reading,
Aneta

Review: American Panda by Gloria Chao

Publication Date: February 6th 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ TBD

Synopsis: An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents' master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can't bring herself to tell them the truth--that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels? 

My Rating

5/5 stars

My Review

American Panda is a hilarious and beautiful novel. I laughed, cried and learned so much!

After her brother's disownment from the family, Mei has become the perfect child. She graduated a year early, is attending MIT to study biology and eventually go into medicine, and now her mother is starting to set her up with an approved Taiwanese boy. The only problem is that Mei doesn't want to be a doctor, she likes a Japanese boy and would rather spend her time teaching dancing to other students. The more pressure Mei's parents put on her, the more she wants to do things her way. As the secrets keep building up about Mei's true passions, they become much harder to keep from her parents.

This story was truly wonderful! At the end of the book in the author's note, Mrs. Chao mentions that she wrote this book so that other Taiwanese and Chinese young women can have a book where they can relate to the main character, and while I support this 100%, I also wish that we had more YA books out there that talk about dealing with the pressures that parents can put on you. I really wish I could have read a book like this when I was in high school, because I could definitely relate to Mei's character and what she was going through, even though I'm from another culture. 

Mei was a fantastic main character. She's hilarious, witty and has such a kind soul. If I ever met her in person, I just know that she would be the type of person I would love to be roommates/best friends with. Her character development throughout this book was phenomenal. It honestly filled my heart to read in Mei's point of view.

The plot of this story was very well written as well. While there wasn't tons of "action" per se, there was definitely a lot going on, and it was interesting enough where I didn't want to put the book down. 
This book definitely taught me a lot of new things about the Taiwanese that I didn't know before. I found the history, the lifestyle and the language very interesting. I am so glad the author chose to incorporate so much of her culture into this book, I really appreciated it.

Overall, this book was fantastic. I have nothing bad to say about it. If you're looking for a hilarious contemporary, want to learn more about Taiwanese-Chinese culture, or want to read a book that has a huge focus on family, then this is the book for you.

Happy Reading,
Aneta

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
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

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
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

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

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Series: The Madman's Daughter #1
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mystery 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: “Dead flesh and sharpened scalpels didn't bother me. I was my father's daughter, after all. My nightmares were made of darker things.” 

The Madman's Daughter is dark, twisted, and captivating. It is the perfect book for any mystery and science fans. The characters are all intriguing, there was constant action and mystery and the world that Megan Shepherd created is so mesmerizing you can't help but fall in love with it. In my opinion, this book was perfect.

Juliet works as a maid at a University in London, trying to stay out of poverty ever since there was a giant scandal with her fathers research, causing her father to leave London and abandon Juliet. When she finds Montgomery, her father's assistant, she decides to flee London and travel to a remote island where her father is said to be continuing his research. The island is filled with her fathers strange creations, with Montgomery and castaway Edward by her side, not even Juliet can be safe from the murdered trapped on the same island.

I am so impressed with how this book turned out. I wasn't expecting it to be as captivating as it was. I feel like most of that was due to the incredible and unreal characters. 
Juliet is honestly one of my favourite characters right now. She reminds me a lot of Tessa from Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, they both share that passion of knowledge and deeper understanding, even though it wasn't proper for woman to do so in that time. I love how Juliet has a thirst for knowledge and loves to solve mysteries, this made her so much more relatable and made me love her even more.
I wasn't too impressed with the love triangle in this story. It was good in the fact that I couldn't decide between which boy I liked better, but that was mostly because I didn't really like either of them that much. While I thought Montgomery was really handsome and smart, I didn't think he was really into Juliet. He seemed really distant and more interested in other things than Juliet.
I loved Edwards devotion to Juliet, but he seemed really needy and sometimes kind of annoying. 
I found myself cheering for one of them at one point, and then near the end I started cheering for the other one. Then by the last chapter I was like "To hell with you both, single forever!"
Don't get me wrong, the love triangle is still very interesting and I feel like it would make the book more enjoyable if you liked one of the boys, but I just couldn't get into it.
The other islanders was what captivated me the most. They were the characters I was most looking forward to reading about. I loved how they were all so unique and different, and how they all had their own personalities and everything. What really allured me to them was the science behind it. As a scientist myself the whole process and the possibility of such creatures was really mesmerizing to me and I found myself wanting to read more of how her father created them.

This book is filled with a lot of mystery, and it works perfectly well with this book. Since this book is very dark and somewhat scary, the mystery aspect of this story worked perfectly. Usually when I guess who the bad guy is in the story, I'm usually right, but this time I was completely wrong. The author did an amazing job making you guess and then completely surprising you in the end.

Overall, I found this book to be absolutely perfect. I can't wait to continue on with this series. I highly recommend this book to all fantasy, mystery and science fans. It will captivate you, and you will fall in love with the series.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Publication Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Orion
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia 
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal. 

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: "Red in the head, Silver in the heart." 

Mare's world is divided by blood. Silvers are royalty that yield special powers from elements to reading minds, while Reds are the poor workers, destined for a life of slaving away to earn scraps or fighting in a deadly war. When Mare tries to pickpocket a stranger, he ends up landing her a job at the royal court, only to find out that the guy Mare pick-pocketed was Prince Cal, the heir to the throne. But when Mare is faced with danger she unleashes a power that she didn't know she had, in front of the Silvers.

Red Queen is an action packed, emotional roller coaster. In my eyes, this book is better than the Hunger Games and Divergent combined. It has action, family, romance, war, and betrayal. There wasn't a single minute I was bored while reading, and the characters are all so unique and different that you can't help to fall in love with them.

Mare is definitely one of the most amazing characters I have seen in a long time. I fell in love with her right away, she is selfless and cares about the well being of her family and friends, she would sacrifice herself in order to keep those she loves safe. She's a strong character, even though she's new to her powers and is a Red, she isn't a coward and knows when to fight and keep going. But what I loved most about her is that she's not perfect, she makes mistakes, some small and some really big that can cost her life, and she doesn't win every battle she fights but thats what makes her so human and so relatable. The author did an amazing job with this character, I couldn't find any flaws with her.

The plot of this story is very compelling. Like I said, its full of action, backstabbing, and romance. While this book mostly focuses on the political side of Mare's world, theres still some romance in the book to make it even better. The love triangle (at least I think its one) is well thought out and entertaining. I found myself rooting for one guy, and then at the end of the book I found myself surprised at the betrayal and ended up rooting for the other guy that I didn't like in the beginning.

Overall, in my eyes this book was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend this to all Dystopia and Fantasy fans. I am so excited for the second book to come out, just so that I can find out what happens to Mare next. 

Happy Reading
- Aneta

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Series: Splintered #1
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. 

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Splintered captivated me right from the beginning. This fantastic retelling of Alice in Wonderland begins with Alyssa, a descendant of Alice Liddell herself. Alyssa embarks on a new adventure when she realizes that Wonderland is real, and the only way to save her mother is to travel down the rabbit hole and fix all of Alice's mistakes. 

I love almost everything about this book! I love all the characters (except for one), and the fantastic world that Mrs. Howard created based off of Wonderland. There is tons of action to keep you on your toes, and blindsides that will leave you with your mouth hanging open!

Alyssa is such a relatable character, you honestly can't help but love her. Even though her mother is locked up in an insane asylum, and she can hear plants and bugs talk to her, Alyssa does her best to try and be a normal teenage girl. She works at a vintage store, and skateboards in her free time. I love that about her. I love how even though her mother is considered crazy and she doesn't want to be anything like her in the beginning of the book, you can still tell she loves her and that her touch means everything to her. Alyssa may not be the smartest character out there, but she knows how to follow her conscience which always leads her in the right direction. I would definitely follow her on a quest anywhere!

For me, the love triangle in this story is very one sided. Alyssa has a huge crush on her neighbour Jeb, who is dating someone else. As Alyssa's friend and neighbour, Jeb ends up following Alyssa through her mirror to London and goes on the quest with her. Throughout the whole adventure in wonderland, Jeb tries to hold Alyssa back and get her to go home so that she doesn't get hurt.
I found Jeb to be one of the most whiny characters I have ever read about! Half of the time the only words that came out of his mouth were "Alyssa lets go home. I don't want you to get hurt." While it was nice that he cared about Alyssa, he was also holding her back and being such a debby-downer that I got really annoyed at him.

On the other side of the love triangle, we have Morpheus. Morpheus appears to Alyssa when they were children and taught her everything she knows about Wonderland, after her mother's accident Alyssa forgot everything about Morpheus and what he taught her, but after an incident with her mother, the memories start coming back to her, and Morpheus guides her back into Wonderland. Pretty much the complete opposite of Jeb, Morpheus encourages Alyssa to go on this quest to save her mother, even though his intentions may not be always right, he believes and trusts Alyssa and looks out for her best interest. Morpheus is smart and very mysterious, but he's really kind and caring towards Alyssa. 

The world-bulging in this story was absolutely amazing! Even though the author didn't create Wonderland, she made huge differences in the characters and the landscape of Wonderland, and it was perfect! All the descriptions and landscapes in this book were described so well I could feel like I was alongside Alyssa and Jeb as they travel through Wonderland. Every flower or bug that talked to Alyssa in the read world was described so well I could hear and see them in my head. I am really impressed with the world-building and authors writing.

Overall, this book is one of the best books I've read in 2014, and it makes me wish I read it sooner. I highly recommend this book to all Fantasy fans, especially if you love classical retelling, you will definitely love this book. Other than Jeb, I found this book to be perfect, and I absolutely can't wait to continue with the series.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Series: Geek Girl #3
Publication Date: June 5th 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Amazon ~ Goodreads 

Synopsis: "My name is Harriet Manners, and I'll always be a geek."

It's the hilarious third book in the No.1 bestselling, award winning GEEK GIRL series!

Harriet Manners knows more facts that most. She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States. She knows that its official motto is "Ever Upward". She knows that 28% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she knows nothing about modelling in the Big Apple, and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or how to "become a brand", as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from your boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

The laugh out loud follow-up to award winning GEEK GIRL and MODEL MISFIT will have you in stitches.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Picture Perfect is the perfect ending to the amazing Geek Girl series. If you haven't started this series yet, I have no idea what you're waiting for, go read it right now!

Harriet is back, and she's even funnier than before. Her amazing character is still the same down-to-earth geek that everyone loves, but this time her Geekiness is taken all the way to New York City.. well sort of. 

When Harriet and her family arrive in America, things don't go according to Harriet's list, once again. Her new home is two hours away from the city, her new tutor makes her feel stupid, and her parents forget her birthday. 

I have loved this whole series so much. Harriet and her family are absolutely hilarious and I know that every time I read these books that they can make me happy no matter whats going on in life. Every one of these books is well written, adorable and hilarious. 

I wish this series wasn't coming to an end because I need more Toby!! Yet this book has the perfect ending to the series and I couldn't have asked for anything better.

I highly recommend this series to everyone, no matter what age or favorite genre, you will love it.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ B&N

Synopsis: From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Fangirl is a beautiful contemporary novel that everyone should read at least once.

There is a huge hype about this book out in the blogging community, so I thought why not, since everyone is loving this book, maybe I will too. Now I'm not a huge contemporary fan, I usually prefer to read Fantasy and Paranormal books, but this book is so amazing that no matter what type of book you read, you will love it either way.

Rowell's writing is perfection. I feel like anyone can relate to the characters just because they are so down to earth and realistic. 

Now I've never been to college, so I can't tell you if Cath and Wren's experiences in college are realistic, but I definitely trust Rowell's writing, so thing like this would most likely happen to read people. This is one of the reasons why I strongly recommend this book. College and University are such scary parts of your life, especially if you're going there for the first time. A book like this would definitely help you understand things, like how much you have to study, you might get weird roommates, and that not everyone around you is the same age as you.

Almost everything about this book is perfect. The world-building is great, the characters are fantastic and the plot is just wonderful. The only thing that frustrated me a little was the ending. While it wasn't very clear on what happens to Cath in the future, we do get to know how her class turned out. I wish we could have had a little more detail about what happens next, but I also admire the authors way of keeping the audience guessing. I'm hoping that there will be another book to help tie up some of the loose ends.

Either way, I highly recommend this book to every reader out there, no matter what genre you read. This is a fantastic story that's easily relatable.

Happy Reading,
-Aneta

Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Series: Geek Girl #2
Publication Date: September 26th 2013
Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Amazon ~ Goodreads

Synopsis: “My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

Harriet knows that modelling won’t transform you. She knows that being as uniquely odd as a polar bear isn’t necessarily a bad thing (even in a rainforest). And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

What Harriet doesn’t know is where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives.

With summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get as far away from home as possible. But nothing can prepare Harriet for the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes.

Because, this time, Harriet knows what a broken heart feels like.

Can geek girl find her place on the other side of the world or is Harriet lost for good?

My Rating: 5/5 stars

My Review: Model Misfit is the second book in the Geek Girl series. Click HERE to read my review of Geek Girl, the first book in the series.

The Geek is back, and she's funnier than ever. If you loved the first book, then you will be head over heels for this one. 

With the pressure of the new baby, a loss of a hot boyfriend, and Harriet's 'Summer of Fun Flow Chart' being put to waste when her best friend leaves her for the summer, things could not get any worse for Harriet. Thankfully, she has a fairy god mother named Wilbur who comes to the rescue with a new modelling job in Japan.

Harriet has not changed one bit, even though she may act a little older and wiser, she is still the same lovable girl you've met before. She still makes you laugh out loud, and feel like you're fifteen years old again with her crazy adventures and super fun spirit. 

Holly Smale has outdone herself once again. This book is magnificent and its the perfect summer read that will make you smile and laugh. It is such an easy and enjoyable read, I just want to read the whole series all over again.

If you've read my review of the first book, you can tell just how much I love this series, and my feelings have definitely not changed since finishing the second book. It is just as good. In fact, it might even be a little bit better. 
I highly encourage everyone who has started the series to continue on, because you will definitely not be disappointed. And if you haven't read this series yet... What are you still doing here? Go and get a copy of Geek Girl right away. :)