Review- Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)

   


Title: Wither
Author: Lauren Destefano
Series: The Chemical Garden book 1
Rating: 5/5






Summary
In the not-too-distant future, genetic engineering has turned every newborn into a ticking time bomb: Males die at age twenty-five, and females die at age twenty. While scientists seek a miracle antidote, young girls are routinely kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When sixteen-year-old Rhine is taken, she enters a world of wealth and privilege that both entices and terrifies her. She has everything she ever wanted - except freedom.

Soon it becomes clear that not everyone at her new husband's home is how they appear. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to escape... before her time runs out.

My Review
Well I'm not sure what I was waiting for cause this book was amazing and I was missing out by not having read this book sooner, now my only problem is the fact that I don't have the other books and I need them really bad now.
    "It doesn't matter how much his mother loves him; love is not enough to keep
      any of us alive."
I was so taken aback by the story line, the threat of death is always close for these characters because of the low life expectancy this world has and it makes every one scramble in this weird situation in which girls are kidnapped and sold off to rich families as sister wives with the goal of carrying on the crazy world. Rhine is stolen from her home and twin bother Rowan and sent to marry Linden and she also gains two sister wives  Jenna and Ciecly and I was very drawn into this book by the strange relationships of all the characters, I really liked the characters but I am not sure that I can say I loved any of them but I fell in love with the way this very strange and unique situation created very strong and very strange tense relationships that involved both trust and fear and almost always at the same time. It was also strange to me the thin line I walked between hating Linden and feeling sorry for him, Sometimes I felt like he was just as much a prisoner of his evil father, Vaughn, as the girls but I think he is aware of the evil in the house and plays the naive card for his own benefit.
I loved the descriptive way it was written it made a terrible tragedy and full of loss but it is wrapped in the beauty of the mansion and the clothes I could understand Rhine getting lost in the world, there were moments even I needed reminding of how she got there, and all the creepy things that could be going on down below.
I really can't wait to continue the series and I hope that the next books have a bit more of the science that is involved in a cure and the reason they die so young and I really hope that Rhine and Gabriel can be a part of finding a cure but only time will tell.

Read to Review- 97 (Rise of the Battle Bred #1)

Title: 97
Author: V.L. Holt
Series: Rise of the Battle Bred book 1
Rating: 4.5/5




Summary
Jane Burrows is the girl next door, well actually, five doors down from the new kid. She's happy with her life: she's got One True Friend, a set of wheels, and the best job ever, newspaper delivery girl! She's not even super annoyed when William McLeod starts following her around like a puppy dog. He's hot, after all. Except, what's with the spooky overprotective thing? What's with his stern opinions on ancient warfare? What's with his evasive answers to the most simple questions? Just...what's with William? If Jane's honest with herself, she wants it to be her! William's living on borrowed time. He's got three lives left before his number is up, and his dad is forcing the issue. No fighting again. Never mind the Lochspawn are hot on their tails. Nevermind they might be incriminated in four grisly murders. Nevermind the girl of his dreams is monster bait. He's supposed to sit on his hands and watch while his world goes up in Warloch flames? Yeah, no.


My Review
 *I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
The concept and lore surrounding this story was very cool and in my experience very fresh and new and I really enjoyed it, but I must confess I did have one complaint and that was the romance , I don't  really care for insta-love  I prefer to watch a relationship grow and although it could be argued this was not insta love I think it was close enough and I was also bothered by  the up and down when Jane became angry with William quickly, oh and also the blushing...okay so that was a few things but they were small for me because they did have sweet moments together and the story being told around them is so captivating and cool that I can see past it to enjoy the background and the growth.
I loved how the story was told from a few different points of view, we got Jane's, William's and even the evil Warlochs, it gave the story a well rounded quality that I really enjoyed. I think this is a wonderful start to what I think will be a great series, and with a cliff hanger like that I am anxious for book two and very very excited to see where we go from here. I am most curious about the Marine and how the Warlochs will use him to their advantage, and I also am interested in what the unveiling of secrets will do the relationships in this book. This was an action packed and exciting read, thank you to the author for the joy of reading it. 
Before I end this book I just have to mention Jane's list of "mom sayings" it was a cute little touch to the story that I Loved and for something so small it made a big impact on me :)

Review- Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1)

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone 
Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone book 1
Rating: 5/5







Summary
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hairactually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?


My Review

 "She had been innocent once, a little girl playing with feathers on the floor of a devils lair.
   She wasn't innocent now..."

I'm not really sure what I expected from this book, but I know it was not this! I was kinda thrown off at first cause it's a lot to take in, there is A LOT of mystery, and a lot of world building but once I wrapped my head around it all and submerged myself in this world I found I enjoyed so much about it.
I loved the way this was written, it flowed so well even when it goes back and forth in time and when things started tying together my mind was blown, there was so much originality and so much unexpectedness that I was really caught off guard in the best possible way.
Karou was a great character she was a bad ass shrouded in mystery even to herself and I loved finding out about "Elsewhere" with her and then finding answers about where she comes from... it was spectacular. Akiva, I was not a fan of at first but as the mystery unfolded and we learned more I felt drawn into his story and his struggle.
I don't want to spoil anything but this book was an unexpected gem and I can't wait to see this series continue I have a feeling it's about to get epic.

Review- Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

Title: Stolen Songbird
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Series: The Malediction Trilogy book 1
Rating: 5/5


Synopsis

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

My Review
 wowza I loved this book, I knew it would be good from the moment I saw the beautiful cover and read the very interesting blurb on the back but I never expected it to be as amazing as it was, my only complaint it that I can't get book two yet, like WTF I need to know what happens, the last couple of chapters and the last lime were so intense that when the end came I felt like I had been severed from the one I was bonded (little inside joke for all those who have read it lol) I can't wait to much longer so I hope they hurry up.
I have so much I want to say but I hope it does not come off to fan girl cause this is a really great book and I want every one to know it. So much happens at the beginning of this book, cecile is kidnapped by a human working for Trolls, she is roughed up on the journey, and she is married off to the Troll prince and that's just the first 80 pages and it gets so much better from there as Cecile is thrust into the middle of a brewing revolution of the half-blood Trolls, who are treated like slaves since their magic is little or non at all and she is also believed to be the one person who can break the curse that has trapped them under the Mountain for hundreds of years. Now the fact that all of this is put on her shoulders in a short span of time, I admired how Cecile handled herself it was very honest and very brave and the fact that she found a way to make the best of a bad situation was my favorite thing about her and I liked a lot about her, also I enjoyed how she took her time in her decision whether to stay or not when Tristan was kind enough to finally give her a choice :
   "Trollus had it's dark side, but there was so much about it that I loved, a world of 
     opportunity in one small city-"
she may have been slightly blinded by love but for the most part she thought things through.
 Okay time to talk about Tristan..YAY!  Of course he started off acting like a huge jerk but something told me that was not the real him and of course my thinking was correct, because of his terrible Father he must put on an act to protect himself, his people, and most of all Cecile. I loved him so much and he broke my heart for so many reasons:
    "Now I was certain that I'd sacrifice everything to save her."
    "There was no good choice, because no matter the outcome, one thing was certain:
      I was going to lose her."
The best part about Tristan was how aware of his people's nature he was, he struggled with the decision to break the curse afraid for the humans that he had grown fond of over the years and afraid of    the destruction his people would bring :
     "Some creatures were best kept in their cages."
I really can't say enough good stuff about him, I do believe I have a new book boyfriend.
 There were so many other wonderful characters in this book like Marc, the twins, the Queen and Dutchess and even Anais who I hated at first but she grew on me over time and redeemed herself in the end.
This book had so much to love and I have to stop this review before I give much more away but if you love adventure, love, magic, and fantasy get your hands on this book I am so glad I finally got it and I am soooo stocked for book 2!!! This is a magical thrill ride that no one should miss.

P.S I met the author at a book convention near my city and she was very lovely so add that to the reasons you should read this book!

Blog Tour Review- Unlit Star by Lindy Zart

 Title: Unlit Star
Author: Lindy Zart
Rating: 4/5

Summary

We are not guaranteed anything, not even this life.

Rivers Young is the popular guy untouchable by reality. He is like a star—bright, consuming, otherworldly. The thing about stars, though, is that they eventually fall, and he is no different. 

He falls far and he falls hard. 

Delilah Bana is the outcast enshrouded in all of life's ironies. Alone, in the dark, like dusk as it falls on the world. When Rivers hits the ground, she is the night that catches him. In the darkness, they meld into something beautiful that shines like the sun. 

Only, the greater the star is, the shorter its lifespan

My Review

So I signed up for this blog tour thinking that the book was something entirely different from what it was, and when I looked the book up to refresh my memory (I signed up a while ago) I must be totally honest... I did not have high expectations and I thought that I may not like it, well if anyone is having similar thoughts I will tell you that in my case... I was wrong.

My issue with this book is Delilah's internal monologue it was extremely long and wordy, yes she is a loner so she will converse with herself a lot, and yes she had some gems of wisdom hidden in there but you had to wade through a lot of other stuff to get to them. I am also not sure I really liked the characters of River and Delilah, I loved the idea of them and I loved what they did for each other, changing lives for the better but I am not sure I will remember them exactly and just the tale the two of them wove, and I think that is enough.

I don't really read much contemporary romance but this was an intense tale of love and loss and it gave me pause to think about A Walk to Remember, So if you love a good romance that will pull at your heart strings, and you also don't mind crying (This one will make you cry I assure you) then this is the book you need to read.

Overall I really loved this book and I am very glad I signed up for the tour!

About this author 

Lindy Zart has been writing since she was a child. Luckily for readers, her writing has improved since then. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two sons, and one cat. Lindy loves hearing from people who enjoy her work.