They Were Just Science Experiments...Gone Wrong

It's been a while since the last post, but I have started revisiting old favorites. The reason...well my public library won't let me hold onto a best seller for more than 3 weeks, and with finals (because we all know high school students are extremely needy) I haven't had a chance to try something new. I need my brain to focus on new books, but past loves, I can easily get through quickly. Here's what I'm on:

Chloe Saunders is an average 15 year old, until she gets shipped off to the looney bin because she

was "seeing ghosts". Once there, she is thrust into the world of the Edison Group; lots of therapists 24/7, and a group of kids around her age who all seem to have something a little off. Chloe is slapped with a schizophrenic label and medicated, just like the others, so all seems natural. Until, Chloe begins to see things, hear things, and suspect that maybe the diagnosis at this hospital isn't truthful. Her roommate, Liz, is said to throw things across the room and make things move without anyone seeing her actually touch them. Now, after one outburst, she's gone; left to be rehabilitated, the nurses say. But why can Chloe see her days later, as a ghost? Derek and Simon, two step brothers with enough issues between the two, take notice of Chloe and her "abilities". She realizes she's a young necromancer, so she was seeing something; it wasn't a mental illness. 
Chloe begins to see that maybe these illnesses the group presents are just a front; so what's the hospital hiding? All they know is they are apart of some kind of experiment, so they need to get out, find Simon's father, and get some answers. But, can they all escape the Edison Group's clutches? Are the answers they seek even able to be found?

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is the first in the Darkest Powers Trilogy. I absolutely fell in love with this series once I first read them. The writing is good, not the best I have ever read, but it flows nicely. Armstrong really does a nice job of capturing a fifteen year old's point of view. Plus, it's a new take on super powers. The kids all have something that is hidden, and it's not until they all recognize the lies that they realize they need to break out of this supposed hospital. The more things Chloe sees, the more the story unwinds and they realize this is no hospital, and they are not mental patients. Chloe's character changes dramatically throughout the novels, which is really amazing, so the reader knows she's actually growing up. All the characters, slowly but surely, do become more aware of their powers, stronger, and more attached to each other.
I will not say a bad thing about this series. This series centers around Chloe being a necromancer, which is an interesting power to take the spot light. I think that's why I was so drawn to the series, and I will always be. This is my second time around, and I am still enjoying the story, even though I already know the end. Definitely a must read! :)

Two Hearts, One Destiny

Scarlett and Rosie March are sisters, best friends, and hunters. They hunt Fenris, werewolves who stalk and kill young girls. Years ago, Scarlett saved Rosie's life from a Fenris; however, no act of courage goes without some tragedy. Ever since the day their grandmother was killed and Scarlett lost her eye, both girls have been hunting these werewolves, hoping to put an end to their existence.
Their long time friend, Silas, returns from his trip, only to realize that the Fenris population is gaining. Scarlett discovers in order for them to keep fighting, they need to go to Atlanta where the 3 packs ( Bell, Coin, and Arrow) are planning to hunt down their Potential. Once they find this specific wolf, they could gain power among the other packs, but it is up to the three friends to find the Potential first.

On their hunting spree,  Rosie discovers she may not have hunting in her soul as her sister does; also she thinks she may be falling in love with Silas. But what would a huntsman of 21 years old want with her? The more the trio encounters, the more danger they find themselves in. Finally, they see the end in sight, but are they willing to come face to face with the truth, or will it separate them and change their lives?

Sister Red by Jackson Pearce first caught my attention because of the Red Riding Hood angle. The story paints a different picture from the classic fairy tale, but it shows the true heart of both these sisters. Scarlett is fearless and married to the hunt, whereas Rosie is constantly repaying the service her sister did for her years before, but she has a different life path and different desires. Silas helps to convince Rosie of her abilities and experiences outside of hunting; he tries to help her free herself from the hunt and constant turmoil it causes.
Bottom line, there is not much to this book character wise. All three characters are clearly labeled, and they stay this way throughout the novel.
The one thing I really liked about this book was there were different twists that I did not expect. This may be a fluff read, but the sudden plot changes did impress me and cause me to react. Yes, I gasped a few times out loud, which did result in odd looks by my fellow gym members. Oh well.
The ending was not as expected, and Rosie does surprise readers with her abilities and strengths that we did not assume she possessed.
It's a quick read, there's not much to it, but it's worth it if you are interested in warped fairy tales. Definitely an interesting take on a classic. 

It's The Only Way I Can Stop the Whispers...

Alyssa's grandmother, Alice, went insane after she "came back through the rabbit hole." These dream sequences were laughed off by all, but unfortunately landed her in the mental institution. Before she passed, Alice said that it was a family curse and all the women would succumb to this mental state. So it was really no surprise when Alyssa's mother, Allison, ended up mentally unstable. However, once Alyssa turns ten and she begins hearing bugs, she is terrified that this may be her curse as well.

Upon visiting her mother in the hospital years later, Alyssa is terrified when a dark force appears to be desperately trying to silence her mother, and she knows it has something to do with the curse surrounding her family. Her father is not buying into the curse angle, so he thinks it may be time to up Allison's medical attention and schedules her for electro-shock therapy. Despreate to try to get some answers and save her mother's mental state, Alyssa begins to dig deeper and try to solve this "wonderland" case.

As Alyssa sees into her past, she recognizes a dark figure that keeps pulling her back. In her memories, this feels familiar. It seems she has already been here; already been apart of the dream. Once she finds the portal to Wonderland, she knows this is her destiny. As she steps through, she knows she must save her mother and help to restore the wrongdoings in Wonderland. But, when Jeb, long time crush and best friend, leaps through the portal to help protect Alyssa, they both find themselves in a misguided world, with a possibility of never getting home.

Splintered by A.G Howard was really interesting. It did a great job of weaving in the Alice and Wonderland tale, and creating a whole gothic world surrounding it. It took me a while to read this one, not because it was bad, but because it was more complex than I expected. Being that the only free reading I do is at the gym, this one took some thinking. At times I felt it slipped a little too much into a typical romance; Jeb's love for her shines through and he is always acting as protector. There are points of the story that revolve too heavily on their suppressed romance for each other, and I think these were the points that were kind of off putting. I love a romance as much as anyone, but some parts seemed like it pulled back into the teenage "soft core porn" just for the sake of doing it. Plus, when the knight in shining armor seems too good to be true, it turns unrealistic.

However, Howard pulled me back in with the dark fantasy that is Wonderland. There are sexy, dark characters involved in this world, and Alyssa has to discover that she is part of this. There are parts of her that belong, and that is scary to her and to the existence of the this realm. The journey was not at all expected, but the end turned out somewhat how I imagined. The great part of this book was truly the whole back story of Wonderland. It adds in a new creepy factor to the whole Lewis Carrol story, and I think if you go in thinking and hoping for that, then you won't be disappointed. Look past the coincidences and easy escapes, and just take in the landscape and the darkness following.

My Greatest Fear is Disappearing

Ally's life seemed perfect: star actress, popular, she's on the dance team with all the upperclassmen girls constantly watching her, and the senior football player says he loves her. But once a naked picture is streamlined throughout the school, her picture perfect life is suddenly shattered. Her friends ignore her, and the words "whore" and "slut" are tossed around frequently. Ally remembers the roof, wanting so badly to jump, but she doesn't remember what happened before or after. Now she finds herself in the hallway, the in-between.

Elijah has always been in love with Ally, but steered clear after his own brush with death. After his brother's suicide, Elijah's life has fallen apart, but he managed to surmount his pain and power through, only now he can see ghosts, and he knows he needs to try to help Ally find her way back.
Her pain is so strong, and as her memory comes back Ally sees that maybe she won't be able to come through on the other side. Can Elijah make Ally see that getting through the pain is worth it? Or will Ally succumb to the pain and stay at death's door forever?

Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean centers around the raw emotion of pain and uselessness. Feeling a sense of belonging is typical for high school, and once that comfort is taken away, there is no telling the emotional toll it can take. Ally was once on top, but only because she built herself that far. Her baggage started way before high school, but once you claw your way to the top, you tend to forget the people you step on. I really started to get aggravated with Ally on more than one occasion. She starts to give up and decide this pain she's going through is far too much to take, so she'd rather be dead.
Upon further thought, because I am a high school teacher, I realized that I can understand her emotions. High school girls think it's the end of the world when the cute guy doesn't like them, or the are embarrassed in front of everyone, or they are ditched by their superficial friends. Ally is no different.
The best character, by far, was Elijah. His older brother's death affected him deeply, especially because his parents said they wish it had been him and not Frank. His baggage is so deep, but he managed to struggle through. His fight and his desire to keep fighting are admirable. I found myself wanting to read his side of the story more, and I found him more interesting. He is comfortable with himself and he doesn't care what anyone thinks. Ally was more shallow, and even through this experience, I feel like a part of her will always be that way.
I liked this one. Not loved, not hated, but it was okay. Some times during reading I kept thinking it was getting a little ridiculous. The whole ghost angle, and her being invisible was just eh. I get it, she's in-between, but I feel like the author could have done it a better way.
The book was really quick because it was in journal format, so both Ally and Elijah's stories were short chapters and poetic. Quick and easy, and it does a nice job of portraying realistic emotion in a high school environment. It's not a must read, but if you happen to want a quick one this is it.

The Pilot, The Poet, The Physic

Throughout their journey, Cassia and Ky have been lost, found, and lost again. Now, Ky is a pilot who brings in cargo for The Pilot in charge of the Rising. Each day he desperately tries to get closer to Cassia, but it seems, for now, they are lost. Cassia is part of the Rising, but hidden within the Society's hold. She continues to trade artifacts (old poems, pills) for information regarding this new wave of change, while still staying in her sorting role. But she also longs to be reunited with her family, and with Ky. Xander is a medic for the Officials in the Society. Each day he gives newborns the cure for the plague and the red tablets, without the other medics knowing this is his plan. He vows to save those who are sick, although a part of him always thinks of Cassia. Would she have picked him if she had stayed?

The three are introduced to The Pilot leading the Rising, and a new wave of government can begin. However, people are getting sick. There is a new plague that no one knows how to cure. Hundreds are going still each day, and a number of those are dying. Just when hope seems lost, The Pilot recruits the three to help establish a cure in a village outside the Society's walls. The Pilot vows to return when they have a cure, so they may administer it to other villages. Is it possible that a cure can come from here? If it does, how many is The Rising willing to lose to prove they are the government to be trusted?

Reached by Ally Condie is the final in the Matched trilogy. Although Crossed was a little let down, Reached pulled the series back up and made me want to stand up and cheer. Condie's writing is so increidble that I found myself book marking multiple pages. The writing stuck with me, and it seemed so effortless. Truly remarkable how Condie has written three books, all of which have the same writing affect.
I liked Reached much more than Crossed(the second in the trilogy) because I felt there was more to it. We did a lot of traveling, lots of things were changing, but it just felt so long. I think it helped that Condie added Xander's point of view to this book. Giving Ky a voice was great, but I always loved Xander because you knew from the beginning there was something different about him. There is something he is hiding. In my opinion, Xander is the strongest of the three. He knows he has pretty much lost the fight for Cassia's heart, but there is a part of him that holds out hope. But, he is driven to other things. Watching him cure people, and seeing his effort makes readers realize he is more than a love sick puppy. He cares for Cassia, but he also cares for Ky. He doesn't hold jealousy, but rather sadness and longing for something more. And honestly, I would have chosen him. :)

Reached shows how one form of corrupt government can be taken over, but perhaps this new wave may not be the answer either. The emphasis on the disease and how much information The Pilot is withholding begins to confuse readers as well. Who can we trust? What are the secrets being kept, and which way should we go?
I labeled the book as "mature audience" simply because younger students may not grasp the concept of the government control; which is the same case with books like, The Hunger Games. The purpose that drives the book is not knowing who can be trusted. The three characters trust each other, and now must reach their own discovery on who is their "Pilot" and who should be followed. I feel this is a real complicated issue, and at times it does make you reconsider how much trust you hold in your government. What are they really keeping from you?
Although it took me a while to get through, lack of time on my part, it was well worth it and a definite great ending to the trilogy. Although we have not "reached" an outcome for the continuing government at the end of the novel, we can assume things will be better. Because they have to.

There is something extraordinary about the first time falling. But it feels even better to find myself standing on solid ground, with someone holding on to me, pulling me back, and know that I'm doing the same for her. ~Condie

Hush Hush, the much anticipated end?

Nora and her fallen angel boyfriend, Patch have survived. After killing the leader of the Nephilim army, her step father, Nora becomes their leader. Although many do not agree with this take over, it is what the Black Hand wished. In order to keep their alliance a secret, Nora and Patch stage a pretend fight to end their relationship. With the help of Dante, the Black Hand's second in command, Nora begins to slowly gain the allegiance of her people. As the anticipation of the battle between the Nephilim and the fallen angels begins, Nora needs to decide what is more important: having power, or Patch. The two are confronted with many differences between their kind, and it is up to them to determine if this defines their path.

I am going to be honest here. I did not completely read this novel. Before you call me a fraud, let me explain:
Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick was a most anticipated end to the saga. After reading Hush Hush, readers are sucked into this world of fallen angels, love, and passion. Once you continue reading, you wonder if there was anything special about it to begin with. Then there's this book. I was most disappointed with the 3rd: Silence. It was meant to be the final book, but because the author clearly needed a whole other book to end her deeply developed story, it turned out to be a tease. Silence was nothing special at all. I found myself bored and disappointed, especially because the main character, Nora, seems to get more intolerable as the series continues.
I decided I would read the final book. When you come so far, you think to yourself: Self, let's just finish this off. This was, quite literally, the conversation I had with myself on this novel. Picking this book up and starting it was easy because I anticipated a shallow, easy to follow plot. However the more I read, the more I became quite aggravated. The way the author goes about describing characters, setting, plot was so trite. I felt as though she gave up halfway through writing this series.

Hush Hush was one of those books I fell in love with because it was great all around. The plot and theme were new, the ideas were interesting, and it really felt like I wouldn't be let down for the rest of the journey. I was wrong. Her writing was slapdash, her ideas were boring, and the main character could not pay me to get involved in the story. EVEN THE TITLE IS LAZY! It was a mess. So halfway through, I began to skim. I skimmed all the way through the end of the book.
I got to the resolution and, honestly, started laughing. Not only does everything end fairly quickly with no big finish, but the epilogue focuses on the marriage of Nora's best friend, Vee, who can only be described as horny, overweight, and occasionally a great friend to have. Maybe there's more depth to her, but I couldn't really see it. As for Patch, he turned from sexy and mysterious, to Edward. What does he even see in Nora?!
The only thing I really got out of this novel was the fact that Fitzpatrick tried to be the new Stephanie Meyer without bringing in vampires and werewolves. Instead it's fallen angels. Basically the same story. I haven't even read Twilight, but I can imagine it follows the same plot.

So no, I did not officially read this book cover to cover, but I read enough to know it was a disappointment. If you need a series to pick up, this is not the one. Unfortunately, this series ends with the first book. And it makes me sad because I really did like the first one. I just feel the author got lazy and hitched her writing on the coat tails of other ideas. In this case, it didn't work for me. When you start to feel sorry for the author because you think "THIS is the best you came up with?" it's officially time to close the book and move on. Trust me, I don't do that often. It's safe to say this one did not hit any type of mark in my book. We can only hope if Fitzpatrick decides to write another novel that it doesn't relate to this one. At all. Please.

This Place is the Thing Behind Madness. There is Nothing Good Here

Cas is still heartbroken after losing Anna 6th months ago. She sacrificed herself and was dragged to hell by the Obeahman, the same monster who killed his father. Now, Anna is in his nightmares being tortured and begging Cas to free her. He is convinced that Anna is in a hell she does not deserve, and he needs to go after her.

His best friend, Thomas, understands, but he knows it will not be an easy task. Thomas's grandfather, Cas's' mother, and even their friend, Carmel, know this is a fight not easily won. Everyone says to leave the dead alone; she was a murderer, so she belongs in hell. But Cas won't let the girl he loves rot in a hell designed by the Obeahman. Determined to set things right, Cas and Thomas begin researching ways to get to Anna, and how to bring her back.
A packet from Gideon, his father and mother's close friend, may prove to serve up more secrets and bring about new enemies. Armed and ready to avenge Anna's noble death, Cas will stop at nothing to bring her out and into a world she belongs. Even if it means his death.
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake is an amazing read! I specifically kept it until October so it would be the perfect Halloween book, and it did not let me down. Just like Anna Dressed in Blood, the writing is so ridiculously good. A few times I had to look at the back cover just to be sure the author was a woman because she does such a great job with Cas's voice. All the characters are likeable and able to relate to in some way. The description is incredible. I absolutely fell in love with these two books! I don't know if there will be a third because of the ending, but I sure hope Blake writes more in the future.
I think at least somewhere down the line there should be a movie made. I could see a Zac Efron playing Cas...not just because of the age, but because I feel like he could do dark, mysterious, and oh so hot. Me thinking of Zac Efron is hot when he is practically my younger brother's age is disgusting, by the way. *Side note: technically he's only two years younger than I am...so I can feel okay oogling him. :p*
But read this book and tell me you don't see a great male lead who is a loner and completely gorgeous?
Read these books. End of story. You want an intense spooky ride with great writing: read these!