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
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
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

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

Pushing The Limits, by Katie McGarry

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: August 1, 2012
e-Galley: 416 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary Romance
Read it in: 3 days
Source: Netgalley
Challenge: Debut Author, Contemporary
Rating: ★★★★★

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.
So wrong for each other...and yet so right.
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 I can't get this book out of my head. It's been three days since I finished this, and I just can't get it out of my head. When I have a free moment, my mind brings it up and I can't help it. I'm glued to the book I'm currently reading, and I love the book I'm currently reading, but I just CAN'T. GET. THIS. BOOK. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD!

If you can't tell by now, I really freaking loved this book. I LOVED it. Everything amazing. I mean, yes, I had a few issues with this book, but most of them were issues you're SUPPOSED to have while reading this book, like wanting to slap a few characters and cry because you think they are being stupid or making a very big mistake. The only problem and question that kept popping into my head was about Echo's mother. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but how, after ALL of the things that they think happened with her mother, did they NOT lock her up or put her into a psych ward? Really? I mean, I can kind of understand some of it, but at the same time I'm just left saying, "What....?"

But that's all!

I loved the characters. Except Grace. I wanted to smack a biatch when she popped into the story, ha! She drove me nuts. And I didn't really like Echo's ex-boyfriend all that well, he just seemed like your typical "I'm a jock and I'm popular, so you have to be too to be with me" guy. But Noah, oh God, Noah. I ADORED him. His past is pretty...wow, with all the girls, but oh my, Noah! *le dreamy sigh* That's all I can say about him. And Echo was a great character. She went through SO much, and I felt so bad for her. But she was a great character, even though I thought she was being stupid part of the time.

Echo and Noah were great with each other. They were complete opposites most of the time, but they fit so well together. They made each other better people. They learned a lot from each other and were just...perfect together. =)  Also, the book is told in both Echo and Noah's point-of-views with alternating chapters. Which I absolutely LOVED! I loved being in both their heads. (I need to get a physical copy ASAP because I read it on a messed up format e-galley. BOO!)

I also loved both of their issues. Echo trying to remember what happened with her and her mother, and then Noah trying to get his family back together. LOVED it. Not going to go into too much detail with that, but it really added to the story.

Overall, I don't know what else to say without rambling. It was amazing and I can't wait to re-read it in the future. I REALLY want to re-read it RIGHT now with a physical copy, but I don't have one. =( So boo! I  know there is another book coming out in 2013 in Beth's POV, but I wish there was another of Noah and Echo after they leave for school. I would definitely read it, even though some people think that it adds too much to a story that should of ended. But I love them so much! If you haven't read this yet, do it! I know you've most likely heard mostly GREAT things about it and you're probably suspicious, but don't be, it's amazing! Really! =D
                                                                                                                            

Author Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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The Golden Lily, by Richelle Mead

Series: Bloodlines, #2
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 12, 2012
Genre: Young Adult - Urban Fantasy
Read it in: 5 days
Source: Own
Challenge: TBR Pile, ABC Reading 
Rating: ★★★★★

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy spinoff series
Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

So here I am once again left staring at the screen wondering what the hell I'm going to say about a Richelle Mead book. I've only read her Vampire Academy series, plus the two Bloodlines books, but I have to say that Richelle is an amazing writer. AMAZING!

She always has me dying to read the next book in a series, and then when I finally get a copy of it, I don't want to read it. I want to save it. And then when I finally do start it, I get sucked in. So completely sucked in.  I love when a book grabs you and takes you to another world. Another world where you feel all these amazing feelings that the characters feel. They feel the same feelings we do, but for some reason ALL of their feelings are amazing. Whether they are truly happy, or completely and utterly heartbroken.

The Vampire Academy series, and it's spin-off Bloodlines series does that to me. The Golden Lily did that to me.

I've heard a lot of people say it was kind of slow, and it kind of was, I'll admit that. But I was so sucked in with the plot and characters, that I didn't mind. It could be a story of their every day life, from brushing their teeth, to getting ready in the morning, to going to sleep at night and I wouldn't care! Because not only does the plot make up the story, but the amazing, REAL characters.

I'll admit, too, that I sat there, reading, and waiting for something to happen with Adrian and Sydney. I want something to happen between them SO bad. I want--no, need--them to be together. NEED. I love Adrian and he deserves to be with someone like Sydney. They have amazing chemistry, even if they don't see it. They are so different, but they help each other perfectly.

Also, there are new things brought into this story. You hear about them in the first book, but you think its just a myth. But you're introduced to them in this one. The vampire hunters. Even though I knew that they would probably pop up with all the talk about them in the first Bloodlines book, my mind was completely blown when they did pop up. I literally had to stop and whoop before continuing reading because I was excited. I mean, yeah, they aren't exactly "exciting", they are scary and they pissed me off. But that's also what makes them exciting, if that even makes sense. Even though I hold my breath at the action parts, hoping my favorite characters will be fine, I still love them. Doesn't everyone?

Overall, I could go on and on and on with this book and it's series. But I need to draw a limit at times. I have no real problems with this book except for the fact that I always dive into a reading rut when I finish it's series books. Always. It never fails. it takes me a while to get my head out of the VA world. I'm writing this a full six days after I finished it and I've probably started and put down at least that many books in those last six days.

By the way, if you haven't read the Vampire Academy series, please go do that right now. Please. Do the world a favor. And me. Also, if you've read the Vampire Academy series, but haven't stared the Bloodlines series, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Go. Now. I'm not kidding. DO IT.
                                                                                                                                           

Author Info: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

The third book, The Indigo Spell, will be released on February 12, 2013. 

Angel Burn, by L.A. Weatherly

Angel Burn, by L.A. Weatherly
(Angel, #1)
Author Info: Website / FB US / FB UK / Twitter
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: May 24, 2011
e-Book: 455 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 4 days
Source: Library
Challenge: TBR Pile, ABC Reading
Rating: ★★★★★
To learn more about my rating badges, click here!

In a world where angels are beyond redemption, Alex thinks he’s found one that might deserve mercy. 
Alex is a ruthless assassin—of angels. Forget everything you’ve heard about them before. Angels are not benign celestial creatures, but fierce stalkers whose irresistible force allows them to feed off humans, draining them of their vitality until there is barely anything left. As far as Alex is concerned, the only good angel is a dead angel... until he meets Willow. 
She may look like a normal teenager but Willow is no ordinary girl. Half-angel, half-human, Willow may hold the key to defeating the evil angels. But as the hunter and the hunted embark on an epic and dangerous journey and Willow learns the dark and terrifying secrets of her past, Alex finds himself drawn to Willow... with devastating consequences.

This has been on my reading list for a while. I kind of forgot about it for a bit, until I was searching the e-book catalog online for my public library and saw it. I checked it out and started to read it and completely fell in love. I'm really glad that this was my first official e-book on my Kindle. =)

There are a lot of Angel books out there, I know. A lot of them are starting to blend together and not really have any new concepts. There are a few out there that are my favorite and that are different, but this one is DEFINITELY different. When you think about Angels, you think about the glowing, beautiful, serene, gentle, beings from Heaven, right? Well, when you read this book you'll see completely different to these angels. The normal humans who are infected with "Angel Burn" do see the Angels in that way, but they really aren't. They are far from it in this unique series. They're killers!

Yes, I did say killers. They've come to Earth to feed off humans in order to stay alive. Sometimes they just infect the humans with Angel Burn, which makes them slowly lose it more and more each day and develop diseases like schizophrenia and cancer,  and other times they kill.

BUT don't be afraid, because there are awesome Angel Killers to help somewhat get rid of these killer angels and protect the Earth! Like sexy Alex. Oh my! If I haven't intrigued you yet with this amazing book, just picture a hot guy who is smart, badass, and kills angels for a living! You'll just have to read his description yourself and see his personality by reading this book. It's the only way to get the full awesomeness that is Alex!

This book switches points-of-view between Alex and Willow; the main characters. It also sometimes shows the views of Raziel, one of the head Angels, and Jonah, one of the people from The Church of Angels. Though Raziel was just plain evil and Jonah was helping him out, I still liked their characters. All the characters in this book are real and have so much personality to them.

Other than the killer angels, and sexy AK's, there was romance brewing throughout the whole book. I'm not going to mention much about that though. It was amazing. Had be going crazy the whole time, screaming at the two to just tell each other how they feel, and then they're finally together and its awesome and then its sad and, well, you get the point. It was amazing.

Overall, don't let the fact that it's "another angel book" get to you. It's very unique. VERY. So do yourself a favor and READ IT. So much awesomeness going on throughout it. Most of the time it actually had me forgetting the fact that I was reading it on my Kindle, which I am NOT used to doing. Which added another brownie point to its awesomeness. I'm itching to read Angel Fire now. I'm glad it's already out, I'll definitely be using birthday money on that. =D

The sequel, Angel Fire, was released on January 24th, 2012. 

Wither, by Lauren DeStefano

Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
(The Chemical Garden, #1)
Author Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Hardcover: 358 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Dystopian
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 8 days
Source: Own
Challenge: Dystopian, TBR Pile, Book Blogger Recommendation, ABC Reading
Rating: ★★★★★
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By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

I can't believe it took me this long to read this book. I've wanted to read it since I first heard about it before it even had a cover! But no matter how much I checked at my library's website for it after it came out, it just wasn't there. Finally MONTHS after it came out, it appeared, but I never put it on hold.

Finally, I got my own copy as payment for a layout I made for the lovely Michelle. I was excited, but it still just sat there on my TBR pile under my nightstand. FINALLY got to read it and I'm completely blown away. Sometimes, I worry when a book has too much hype. I'm worried hearing it all will give it very high expectations and then it won't live up to it in my eyes and ruin it for me. But that wasn't the case with this book. It lived up to EVERY great thing that everyone has said about this book.

I was sucked in from the very first chapter by all the amazing detail and writing. Lauren, you've definitely made a lifetime fan out of me! You're writing is beautiful! When you're reading this book, you feel as if you're really there. I felt everything Rhine felt. (LOVE her unique name.) All the pain, and anger, and longing to escape. Everything.

All the characters were vivid and real. Even the ones that I hated. Rhine and Gabriel were my favorites, of course. Which reminds me to let you all know that I am 100% team Gabriel. Yes, Linden was nice at times and you learn a lot about him. But he's not for Rhine! And who would want to share a man with two other women?

This book made me think--as all Dystopians do--what if the world is really like this in 100 years? 50 years? Maybe even 20 years from now? That is VERY scary. Girls being kidnapped out of no where and married off to a man along with a couple of other women? And being locked inside a mansion with no freedom at all? And basically only being there to continue the human races? Really freaking scary.

But overall, this was an amazing book. I'm dying to get my hands on a copy of Fever. I'm dying to see what happens, definitely after that ending! It's driving me nuts! At least one great thing came out of me waiting so long; I don't have to wait a year for the sequel. It's already out!

The sequel is called Fever. It was released on February 21, 2012. 

Alpha, by Rachel Vincent

Alpha, by Rachel Vincent
(Shifters, #6)
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Mass Market Paperback: 472 pages
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Buy: Amazon
Read it in: 5 days
Source: Library
Challenge: TBR Pile
Rating: 
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The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can--that will--change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.But life never waits until you're ready.

I came to a conclusion today after finishing this last book. The final book. This is my number one favorite series. In general. I've known since the beginning of the series that it was my number one favorite ADULT series, but it's official that it's my number one favorite in general. So if you ever ask me what my favorite series is, and you don't specify, I'm going to have to say The Shifters series.

I'm not going to go into too much detail about this book because it's the last in the series. But all I can say is wow. I'm sad to see this is the end of the series, so very sad, but I love how it ended. Rachel couldn't have ended it in a more perfect way.

I cried so much in this book. I've cried so much in this series. Period. You just get hooked on the characters, even if they aren't the very front main characters, and when something happens you're hurt. I felt everything Faythe felt when something happened to this said character. It hit me hard.

Even though one of the deaths in the fifth book hit me hard, and I loved that person so much, I cried more with this person. Is that weird?

Anyway, this book was amazing. I loved it. I can't say which book was my favorite because they are all amazing. I can definitely say this one is high up on my top three lists for this book though.

The characters are amazing and real. Faythe is real. She makes mistakes, she gets her ass kicked in EVERY book. It's just...real. You know? A lot of people think they have to make their main character good at anything to do with the bad guys in the stories, but not Rachel. She made Faythe real. She made her have MAJOR flaws, she made her make stupid decisions that sometimes nearly costs someone their life. But she ALWAYS does it trying to stick up for who/what she loves.

And Mark. Ahh Mark. I love him so much. I love Jace too. But in this whole book I was all "OH. MY. GOD FAYTHE! WHY?!" and that's all I'm saying on that. Seriously. Read it and you'll understand.

All the characters grow so much during the series. Faythe definitely did. She goes from not wanting to be involved with her Pride, to live her own life, to nearly giving up everything to save her Pride. I admire her so much.

Overall, I really can't describe this book very well. Or my feelings. All I know is that it was filled with so much emotion and I loved it. There was a lot of violence and grief and just...so many tears. So much happened in a short period of time.

You should seriously think about picking this series up. It's amazing. It's real. It's so entertaining that you want to read it forever. Even if there were no real plot. Even if it was Faythe's day to day life. Her getting up, brushing her teeth, flipping pages in a book. You'd be entertained. Rachel did a fantastic job and now I want to finish her Soul Screamers series! Which is also amazing, well so I've read from the first book.

Note & Warning: This is an Adult series. There are some scenes  in this book that may not be suitable for those under the age of 16. 

This series is complete. Read my reviews for the rest of the series: Stray (#1), Rogue (#2), Pride (#3), Prey (#4), Shift (#5)