Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi

Series: Under the Never Sky, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Hardcover: 374 pages
Genre: YA - Dystopian
Read it in: 6 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Debut Author, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★★★

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Oh. My. God. SO many AMAZING dystopians for 2012. Seriously. I can't get enough of them. I checked this out from the library and made my husband read it while I was reading another  book. He likes Dystopians as well and I'm always throwing books at him to read. He liked it, so I knew I would definitely like it. Not that I didn't already know that from the summary!

I finished this over a week ago, but I still get all happy and excited when I think about it. It was just SO amazing. I seriously had to read TWO contemporary books just to try and get out of its world. The world that Aria lives in is REALLY scary. But so amazingly real! Every time I picked up this book to read I was drawn into it and felt like I was right there experiencing everything.

I got frustrated, and sad, and scared, and embarassed EVERYTIME Aria did. Her emotions were so well and the writing was so descriptive that everything was real. It's also told in alternating perspectives between Aria and Perry. I really loved being able to get into Perry's head. It really helps to understand the things he does and not just what Aria thinks he's doing when she experiences it.

At first I really wanted to smack Perry for being so mean to Aria, but I quickly fell in love with him and he's one of my top favorite characters from the book. I loved nearly all the characters, except for Soren and his dad and of course the creeps they met along the way. Not going to go into too much detail because you just really need to read it yourself.

Overall, this is a wonderful dystopian. I don't really have any complaints at all about it. If you haven't read this yet, do so immediately. Definitely addicting and one of my top favorite dystopians now.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
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The second book in this series is called Through the Ever Night. It will be released on January 8th, 2013. 

Also, as a side note, this is definitely one of the BEST book trailers I have ever seen. It seriously makes me want this book turned into a movie even more than I already do.

Incarnate, by Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul, #1
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Hardcover: 374 pages
Genre: YA - Dystopia
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Dystopian
Rating: ★★★★★

New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Wow. That is the word that still comes to mind when I think about this book.  I finished this book on the 3rd of this month and the power of this book still stays with me. It completely blew me away and makes me want to go back right away and re-read it. I wish I would of been able to read this sooner!

As some of you may know, I'm a sucker for the Dystopian genre. And this Dystopian? Wow! This book was SO unique! I love Dystopians, but if you read a lot of Dystopians you see that some of them may be unique, but also have around the same type of things in them. (If that makes sense!) But I can't think of ANYTHING that is anywhere near this book.

Another thing that I happen to love and be really interested in is reincarnation. Which is also something that really drew me to this book. (Other than that GORGEOUS cover! I mean look at it! Every time I see it I have to stare at it for at least 5 minutes straight.) There is just something about reincarnation that is really interesting. And the people in this book know everything about their past lives! It's SO cool!

One thing bad about them knowing, is that they have all known each other for millions of years so when it comes to a random person popping up with a new and fresh soul, no one really signs up for the welcome committee. Except, for you know, Sam. *swoon* Saaaammmm. Him alone makes me want to grab a copy of this and read it again. He's so sweet and caring and hot and smart and is it getting hot in here?? *Shakes head to clear it.* Anyway, I absolutely LOVED his character. LOVED. I can't wait to see what will happen with him and Ana in the sequel. ( I am dying for the sequel SOOO bad. Anyone have an extra copy they want to send me as a Christmas prezzie? :P)

Although Ana bothered me sometimes, I really liked her character. She kept her guard up when it was needed and she was really smart. She may have been a newsoul and didn't have millions of years of experience, but she was really smart. And even when a lot of the people didn't welcome her with open arms, she still put her life at stake to help protect them when it was needed. She's extremely brave, and I really liked that about her. Plus, she was just fresh. You know what I mean, right?

Also, just to let you know, a lot of characters in YA nowadays are falling in love at first sight, which gets really old. That didn't happen with Sam and Ana. Yes, Sam was friendly toward Ana and they both put their lives at stake to help each other. But their relationship grew and grew after spending time with each other and as they learned more about each other. And their relationship was so pure and beautiful and after a while I was BEGGING for something to happen with them. It drove me CRAZY, but in a good frustrating way.

Overall, this book was amazing. I am definitely getting my own pretty copy soon so I can read it over and over again. It had everything in it that a great, amazing, and just beautiful book needs! Oh, and some dragons and sylphs too! :P  If you haven't read this book, you need to ASAP. And if you don't have it on your TBR list yet, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! :O
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter
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The second book in this series is called Asunder. It will be released on January 29, 2013. 

A Touch Morbid, by Leah Clifford

Series: A Touch Trilogy, #2
Publisher: Greenwillow books
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Hardcover: 299 pages
Genre: YA - Paranormal
Read it in: 9 days
Source: Library
Challenges: Sophomore
Rating: ★★★★ 

Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.

When I read the first book, A Touch Mortal, last year; I fell in love. It was one of my top favorite books last year. It's taken me a while to finally grab a copy of this at the library, and I'm so mad for it! Though I didn't love A Touch Morbid as much as the first book, I still really liked it and I am still absolutely in love with this series.

The writing is amazing and flows extremely well and when I did have the time to read, I flew through the pages. I hate how long it took me to finish this because of not having time! If I could have, I would of sat there and finished the book in one sitting.

So much happens through this book and you learn more about how everything works in Eden's world and some of it is scary, but so intriguing! This series is so unique and I love it! I don't want to give anything away and spoil anything, so I won't go into too much detail.

Eden has grown a lot since the first book, but you can tell she's fighting something. She's having problems in this book and being really secretive about it. I was worried about it through the whole book, I was curious as to what it was, but still had a good idea of what it could be.

The point-of-views change between Eden, Gabe, Jarrod and Kristen, which I LOVED! I loved getting more in sync with Jarrod and also getting into Kristen's head. You get to learn a lot more about the character's and I was happy for that because though Kristen is really weird and a bit insane, I love her. Sometimes she aggravates the crap out of me where I just want to shake her and slap her, but she's one of my favorite characters. She's written extremely well!

There's a new character that pops up and she really bugged me at first, but I finally started being able to tolerate her and I'm REALLY curious as to how she's going to be in the third book because of what happens in the end!

And gah Luke. I hate him, but then I like him with Kristen. Is that bad?! He's so evil, but when he's around Kristen you get this kind of sweet and caring side of him. You can tell he really loves Kristen. But gah he's so EVIL!

And Gabe was one of my favorite characters in the first book, and I'm sad that you don't get to see TOO much of him in this book, but he is fighting something (Which you most likely know what if you've read the first book.). I really liked how he was fighting something, but still kind of was himself through parts of it. He fought it REALLY hard.

Which leads me to the ending of the book. WOW! I am just....wow. Leah really knows how to screw up your emotions. I cried through some of this because there was a part that was just heart-wrenching! I'm not going to say what, but just know that this will happen when you read this!

Overall, this was REALLY good. I'm sad that I didn't like it AS much as the first book, though very close, but I wasn't disappointed. I knew I wouldn't be! I can't wait to see all the amazing and epic things that will be happening in A Touch Menacing!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter 
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The third book in this trilogy is A Touch Menacing. It will be released March 5, 2013.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Read my other review for this trilogy: A Touch Mortal 

Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me, #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Hardcover: 338 pages
Genre: YA Dystopian
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Library
Challenges: Dystopian, Book Blogger Recommendation
Rating: ★★★★★

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Oh my God! I finished this book nearly three weeks ago and it was the last book I finished! The book I started after finishing Shatter Me, I haven't been able to finish. I'm still reading it slowly while reading another book that I knew would get me back into the gear of reading because it's a sequel to a book I loved.

Anyway, back to the OH MY GOD! This book was amazing. It's taken me so long to write a review of this book because after finished it I was going through so many emotions about it and I didn't know what to say about this book. It's a cross with SO much stuff to say, but all I can do is ramble, to not having anything at all to say because it was THAT good.

I'm still having issues with this review. All I can say is my review is going to suck, but this book most definitely does NOT suck. I can't believe I waited so long to read it! I've been dying to FOREVER, but just haven't gotten around to grabbing a copy from the library. I know this will most definitely be one of the next books I order when I do order any books because I want, no NEED, a copy of this sitting on my shelf.

1) The cover is GORGEOUS!
&
2) I need access to it 24/7!

Mafi's writing style was so awesome! Created vivid scenes in my head. SO vivid I really did get sucked in and thought I was truly living as Juliette. I love how she had Juliette writing in her book and crossing things out. I love how things were crossed out! It was extremely unique and I can say I have never seen that in a book. There probably are a few out there, but I've never come across one. I thought it was weird, but unique, at first. But quickly fell in love!

And Juliette's abilities! OMG. It reminds me of Rogue from X-Men, and I LOOOOVE Rogue. I still can't figure out which one is more bad-ass in my head yet. They both come to a close tie. :)

And Adam. God. All I can say is: MEGA. FREAKING. AMAZING. HOTTIE! I about died when he entered. He was an asshole at first, but god he's not. Definitely not. He's so sweet and amazing and I totally freaking swooned every time he was in a scene.

Overall, there isn't really much I can say. This is an amazing dystopian. I would also kind of say for those of you weird people who don't really dystopians I really do recommend this because it's not JUST dystopian. It has a supernatural element in it with Juliette's unique ability and it's a romance. And boy did I LOOOVE that romance. I can't wait for the sequel. I'm dying a little inside each and every day it doesn't pop into my head. BOO!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Blog | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook
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The second book in this series is called Unravel Me. It will be releaseed on February 5, 2013. 

Spell Bound, by Rachel Hawkins

Series: Hex Hall, #3
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Hardcover: 327 pages
Genre: YA - Paranormal
Read it in: 1 day
Source: Library
Challenge: none 
Rating: ★★★★★

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Spell Bound was freaking AMAZING. Even though I'm EXTREMELY upset that this is the last book in the series, it did have a great ending. Hawkins did an amazing job tying up all the lose ends. Though, then again, I am STILL extremely sad. I loved this trilogy so much. But I do hear that there most likely will be a spin-off. Not sure if that is 100% true, but I'm very intrigued!

I don't want to go into too much detail on what happened in this book--though my mind is going miles a minute right now with everything because it totally blew my mind--because I don't want to give anything away or spoil anything.

There is a point in this book, which I'm not going to say, that I really wanted to throw the book across the room and I even tweeted Rachel to tell her I was upset about it. Though I tweeted her again after I read the next chapter and understood what happened, ha! I was SO upset. (If anyone is curious, it's the last line in chapter 10.)

I do like the new characters that come up in here, though I'm not going to say who. They weren't my absolute favorite, but they were surprising and grew on me by the end of the book.

The writing was amazing as ever and had be so absorbed in the book I didn't really notice much around me. I just flew through the pages and devoured this book. This was another book that I really needed to read to get me back into reading and out of this rut.

Overall, AMAZING. Perfect ending. If you haven't read this series yet, please do us all a favor and do it.Including yourself. It's unique and the perfect trilogy to take your mind to another place. HIGHLY recommend!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website/Blog | Twitter |  Facebook | Tumblr
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Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari
                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Read my other reviews for this trilogy:

* Hex Hall

* Demonglass

Fever, by Lauren DeStefano

Series: The Chemical Garden, #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Hardcover: 341 pages
Genre: YA - Dystopian
Read it in: 3 days
Source: Bought
Challenges: Dystopian, Sophomore
Rating: ★★★★★

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.
Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.
In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

So some of you may know that I read Wither pretty late. I didn't read it until May! I instantly fell in love though.  I quickly ordered Fever after finishing, but sadly I didn't start it right away! Other books got in the way and I started it twice I think, but then had to read other books again and it drove me nuts!

Fever picks up where Wither left off, with Rhine and Gabriel on the run, but as soon as they think they are safe they fall into another place they will need to escape. Not going to go into too much detail as I don't want to give anything away. But that frustrated me to no end! It was seriously a *headdesk* kind of moment.

I had very high hopes for this sequel. And I was right, never had any doubts about it. Lauren's writing is just one that you know won't let you down. And this world is so awful, but so interesting and real. It's really scary to think this could be the future one day! What will happen if something like this is what is going to become our future? Our children's future? It's just so scary to think about.

And the writing is just so beautiful as always. You fly through the pages so fast and the descriptions are perfect and so detailed and you picture everything. EVERYTHING. It's amazing. And the characters....gosh.

Rhine is so unbelievably strong and brave. She doesn't give up! She keeps going no matter what obstacle falls in front of her. She keeps fighting. I admire that SO much about her. She's such a great character and even though she's a fictional character in a dystopian novel, she's REAL.

And Gabriel, oh Gosh, Gabriel. I'm so happy he's in this book every moment. I loved him so much in Wither and couldn't get enough of him. You learn more about him in here and he goes through a lot too and you just get to see Rhine and Gabriel's relationship blossom and see them take care of each other and I was always going, "Awwwww" at them because they are seriously cute and I just wanted to hug them!

Overall, I loved this book. I'm dying to read Sever, ESPECIALLY after that last sentence of the book. I mean WHAT?! I was late reading Wither, so I didn't have to really wait for Fever, but Sever is 4 months and some days away. I'm DYING for Sever so bad. If you haven't read this series, you need to. Hopefully you aren't reading this if you haven't read Wither, but READ. NOW. I HIGHLY recommend it.
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr 
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The third book in this series is called Sever. It will be releasing on February 12th, 2013. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Read my other reviews for this series: 

* Wither

Possess, by Gretchen McNeil

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: August 23, 2011
Hardcover: 279 pages
Genre: YA - Urban Fantasy
Read it in: 8 days
Source: Library
Challenges: YA/MG Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★

Rule #1: Do not show fear.Rule #2: Do not show pity.Rule #3: Do not engage.Rule #4: Do not let your guard down.Rule #5: They lie.
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.
Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

I'm so glad I was finally able to read this. I added it to my TBR list last year before it had a cover and I remember getting goosebumps when I saw the cover finally. It's beautiful and creepy and fits very well, I think! But anyway, I won a giveaway last year for an awesome bottlecap necklace (You can see a pic of it I found on the net here.). After I got it I fell in love more and knew I needed to read it ASAP. But that didn't happen, sadly. Ha!

This book was so unique and enjoyable! I'm so mad I waited so long to read it, but at the same time I'm glad I waited because I've been in such a reading slump and this really made me want to read. And not only was it unique and enjoyable, but it was suspenseful and creepy as HELL! It made me SO paranoid while reading it at night. I kept waiting to hear whispers from the demons in my room.

There was also one scene that was SO creepy that made me thankful I don't have porcelain dolls anymore. My mom used to buy them all the time (She loves them...*shudders*) and have them in a glass cabinet and she would also buy some for me to put up in my room and I always had trouble falling asleep. Knowing those dead, glassy eyes were staring at me. Watching me. *shudders* I've always been creeped out by them, but this scene in this book REALLY made it that much worse.

The ghost kitty also kind of freaked me out. I was on edge for hours after reading that, ha!

Bridget. The main character. OMG. She was snarky, sarcastic, strong, doesn't need anyone to help her, and just so freaking kick ass. She was hilarious at times and other times I would feel bad for her for having this gift. She's definitely a great character and super fun to read about.

And Matt Quinn, oh God. At first I was kind of iffy about him but it didn't take me long to start talking to Bridget and telling her how stupid she was being with him. I wanted to smack her so many times and tell her to just give in to her feelings for him. He was a jock, yes, but oh so sweet and just...hot. *drools*

There is one guy who creeped me out from the start and I suspected him long before Bridget found anything out. Not going to name his name, though, don't want to give it away. But he was always weird to me. Glad my gut feeling was right!

The writing was amazing as well. I was hooked from the first page. I love how it basically launches right into things. Sometimes its a great thing when that happens. With some back story thrown in there so you can learn about the main character. Loved it.

Overall, this was a great book. The only thing I had a problem with was some parts were just weird to me....Can't really explain them. But other than that this book is amazing and I really hope they make a sequel. I've heard different things about that. Some people say there is a sequel planned, and others say there aren't. Does anyone know if there will be? It could be a standalone, but it does leave a few things left out there where a sequel could be added. I really hope there is, I want to see more Bridget and Matt. <3

I highly recommend this to fantasy lovers! I have never read a book about possession and this one was amazing!
                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
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Fallen in Love, by Lauren Kate

Series: Fallen, #3.5
Publisher: Delecorte Press
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Hardcover: 201 pages
Genre: YA - Paranormal Romance
Read it in: 7 days
Source: Library
Challenges: None
Rating: ★★★

Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.
And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding-and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first -and last- time, Daniel and Luce will spend a night together like none other.
Lauren Kate's FALLEN IN LOVE is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for.
True love never says goodbye. . .

If you're a fan of the Fallen series, I recommend reading this. While it wasn't AS addicting as the first three books, it was enjoyable. It's four short stories compiled into one book. Each short story is with a different point of view, but they all happen on the same day; Valentines Day.

The first story, in my opinion, was the cutest. It was Shelby's point-of-view and it was about Shelby and Miles. It was my favorite story of all four of them. It was the start of something and I can't wait to read Rapture to see if it continues! I was hoping Shelby and Miles would get together!

The second was Roland's point-of-view. It was weird reading through Roland's eyes, but also a great opportunity to learn more about him. This one completely broke my heart. I've always seen Roland as this strong, cool, mysterious sort of character. He's hilarious sometimes, really. But seeing him completely tormented by a choice he had to make for him and the woman he loved, just tore me apart. I feel for Roland so much. I think this one was the saddest one.

The third was of Arianne. I've always loved Arriane and to see this side of her made me understand why she tries to help Daniel and Luce so much. She had a forbidden love too, and it ended badly. You also get to see how she got her scars, and I'm glad we get to find that out because I've been curious about that since the first book.

The final story is, of course, Luce and Daniel. You can't have a Fallen novel, even if Novella, without Luce and Daniel. While their story wasn't very long, you do get to read about the only Valentines Day they've ever been together for. It's always fun to read about Luce and Daniel, but I really hope they get a break in Rapture. They've been through SO much and it just isn't fair!

Overall, this was an enjoyable extra to the series. It's quick paced and I could of read it pretty fast, but I've been in a bit of a rut so it took me a week. Can you believe that? Ha! If you're a fan, definitely read it. It's not the BEST, but it IS a compilation of short stories. Not an actual novel. Read it! :)
                                                                                                                                       
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository 
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The final book in this series is Rapture. It was released on June 12, 2012. 

Read my other reviews for this series: 

• Fallen
• Torment
• Passion 

Born Wicked, by Jessica Spotswood

Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Hardcover: 330 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Historical Paranormal Romance 
Read it in: 2 days
Source: Library 
Challenges: Debut Author, YA Fantasy 
Rating: ★★★★★

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

If you saw the genre part of the book info at the top, you may have noticed I put Historical Paranormal Romance. I did not know which one to put it in, Historical Romance or Paranormal Romance, ha! So I mashed them together.  When I first read the summary of this book, I fell in love, but I did NOT know it was  historical! I wish I would of known because I would of tried to get this even sooner. Though my library doesn't get books in very fast after release dates.

When I snagged this from the library, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait to read it. Once I started reading it, I was hooked from the first couple of pages! I kept picking it up throughout the night and reading it and then throughout the day and I just couldn't stop. I was sneaking pages of it in between chores and even letting my 17 month old jump around on my back and head as long as I was able to read.

I can't really describe how amazing this book is. There are no words, and I definitely don't want to give anything away.

I love the plot and I love the suspense you feel whenever the Brotherhood are brought up and/or are around Cate. I noticed myself holding my breath each time, especially if they showed up at her house out of the blue, because I was scared she'd be next! That she was caught!

The writing flows SO well, it was so beautiful and you would fly through the pages without even noticing! I am VERY impressed with Mrs. Spotswood. VERY! She's definitely on my author watch list now and I am DYING to read Star Cursed. Why can't it be February now?! I NEED that book. NEED IT!

Oh, gosh, and the characters! Cate drove me crazy sometimes, though she was loyal and she knew her responsibility and kept watch over her sisters. But sometimes I wanted her to be selfish ever once in a while. Just a little bit. But that's not how Cate is. I liked her sisters, though Maura was definitely my least favorite. She just got so annoying sometimes. GAH!

I liked Paul at first, he seemed pretty nice. But then Finn came into the picture and Paul was history in my eyes!

Overall, this was an amazing debut. I am seriously kicking my own self in the butt for not reading this sooner. I loooved it! I loved its time period, and its magic, and its writing, and just EVERYTHING. If you haven't read it yet, DO SO NOW! This definitely got me out of my reading rut, but now I hope that I don't dive back into it after this amazing book.
                                                                                                                                        
Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter 
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The second book in this series is called Star Cursed, it will be released on February 7, 2013. 

Two Truths and a Lie, by Sara Shepard

Series: Lying Game, #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 7, 2010
Hardcover: 304 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Read it in: 8 days
Source: Library
Challenge: YA Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★

Sutton Mercer watches from the afterlife as her long-lost twin, Emma Paxton, takes over her identity to solve her murder. But after ruling out her early leads, Emma still hasn’t found Sutton’s killer. A lot of people wanted her dead—but one name keeps popping up: Thayer Vega. When the gorgeous and mysterious Thayer returns to town, Emma has to move fast to figure out whether he’s back for revenge…or if he already got it.
Set in a town where friends can turn into dangerous enemies and everyone harbors dark secrets, The Lying Game is a juicy new series that fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series—and the hit ABC Family show—will love.

I know this is sad, but even though I'm on the third book in this series, I STILL have trouble trying to separate the characters and happenings in the TV show and the characters and happenings in the books. I mean, they are mostly completely different. But I do love both.

Sara Shepard really knows how to write a good mystery. She keeps it creepy, but enjoyable and glamorous. If that makes sense.  I love both Pretty Little Liars and this series. TV show and books. She's a fantastic story teller and definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Once again, as with ALL of Sara's books, they give you a suspect and make everything point to them. You start believing it's actually them, but then BAM you're left back at step one by the end of the book. I don't want to go too much into detail about that because I don't want to spoil the book. But gosh....

I'd love to sit here and discuss theories of who the murderer might be and who is blackmailing Emma into keeping quiet about Sutton and herself, but I don't want to give anything away. But if you've read the first three books and would like to discuss, feel free to email me!

I really like Emma. I've always liked Emma better. I mean, c'mon, she's the nice twin. But, you know, it is refreshing to hear Sutton's thought every now and again to spice things up. Which I LOVE the added memories in this book. It really sheds some light on things and makes you able to see her side of what happened.

You also get to know more about Thayer in this book which I liked, though I'm  a bit creeped out by the book Thayer sometimes. But hey, that's good!

Overall, this was a great addition to the series and I'm very excited for the next! I definitely liked this one better than the second one. I hope I'll like the next one even better than this one. If you haven't checked out anything by Sara yet, please do. She may sound like a fluff writer, and parts of that may be true, but she sure knows how to keep you guessing and her books have great mystery.
                                                                                                                             
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The fourth book in this series is called  Hide and Seek, it was released July 31, 2012. 

Read my other reviews for this series:  

• The Lying Game
• Never Have I Ever

Pretty Crooked, by Elisa Ludwig

Series: Pretty Crooked, #1
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Release Date: March 23, 2012
Hardcover: 368 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Read it in: 13 days
Source: Library
Challenge: Debut Author, YA Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★

Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.
Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”-known to everyone as the Glitterati-without them suspecting a thing, is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.
The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her-evening the social playing field between the have and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.
But when the cops start investigating the string of burglaries at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could he wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

When I first read the summary for this 2012 debut, I knew it was going to be an enjoyable read. It's just one of those books you know right of the bat is going to be fun. And it was. It took me a while to read it, nearly two weeks, but that was because I was in a rut. I just didn't want to read at all, but once I did I'd get through some pages pretty fast because it was funny at times and pretty snarky.

Willa was a great character, she lost her way a little bit toward the middle, but fixed it by helping those who didn't have much money. There is your classic mean girls in this book, the "Glitterati", they make it hell for those who are on scholarships and don't have the means to dress up to their standards. Willa thought there was something that needed to be done about that. So she turns into a modern day Robin Hood.

With the help of a new friend, she learns how to pick pocket and break into lockers and cars and eventually houses and steal things from those who have enough money to buy a million more of the things she stole. When she was on a "job" it really made my heart beat. My heart was pounding so hard thinking she was about to get caught. And then I'd exhale my held breath in relief.

Other than Willa, my other favorite characters were Cherise, Tre, and Aidan. Especially Aidan, he was so funny and all of his scenes made me smile. He's pretty different than the other rich kids. I can't decide who I want Willa to be with, though. I really like Aidan and she does too, but theres parts of me that see Tre and I'm like, "Noo Willa!". Maybe we'll see in the next book what will happen.

Overall, this is just an overall enjoyable book. The writing flowed well and I'd fly through pages when I was reading. This is definitely a debut to read this year! And a new author to add to my watch list. If you like Robin Hood and fashion, you should definitely give this book a try!
                                                                                                                                    
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

The sequel, Pretty Sly, will be released on March 12th, 2013.