Juliet Immortal

Romeo, Romeo, why for art thou such a jerk? This is the question that Stacey Jay poses in Juliet Immortal. The tale of the Montagues and the Capulets remade into a modern tale of betrayal, redemption and love. Juliet and Romeo- after their fateful day- are now working on opposite sides in the battle between love and hate. She is an Ambassador, whose mission is to make sure soul mates get together. Romeo is a Mercenary, whose mission is to make sure soul mates betray each other, as he had done to Juliet. They take over bodies and work to complete their missions. Should they fail, they may be fated to a lifetime in the mist. When Juliet winds up in Ariel's body, she finds a damaged girl caught up with a bad boy- Dylan. Dylan, of course, becomes inhabited by Romeo. Juliet has no contact from her mentor-Nurse and this time the mission seems wrong. Enter Ben. She thinks Ben is supposed to be the soulmate of Gemma, Ariel's best friend. But she finds herself connected to Ben in a way she has never experienced, even with Romeo. Juliet can't figure out what she is supposed to do. Ben loves her just as much, but this can't be the mission. And Romeo needs to figure things out before he starts decaying completely. This is a great twist in the Romeo and Juliet saga. It definitely sends the message to love yourself, or you can't really love anyone else. The ending leads to the next book, where Romeo is given the chance to redeem himself. Looking forward to reading that in the near future. After all, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Juliet Immortal is the perfect supernatural romance filled with action, adventure and a myriad of twists and turns. So until the morrow- parting is such sweet sorrow. Happy reading my friends!

Dance of the Red Death

When last we left Araby, she had found out her father caused the deadly plague devastating their city. The love of her life had turned her over to the enemy to save his siblings. And she had thrown her lot in with Elliot, the prince, who is trying to overthrow his evil uncle for control of the city. In this sequel, Araby and Elliot, along with April, Kent and Will, are on the hunt to find Araby's father to see if he can reverse the plague he has created and save April's life. But being around Will creates tension with Araby. She is so hurt by his betrayal, but still longs for what they have lost. And Elliot. He is no longer pretending to love her. He may actually have feelings for her, but can she trust someone so untrustworthy. Araby uses Elliot to get back into the city to find her father. Will insists on going along. Talk about a love triangle. In the meantime, Prospero, the evil ruler, is planning a party for one thousand of the citizens. Araby's mother is one of the "guests" i.e. prisoners, at the manor. In order to save the city and those she loves, Araby must enter the heart of the manor and play Prospero's game. In the balance are the boys she may love, her parents and best friend, along with the fate of her city. All the while avoiding catching the two diseases that are wiping out the citizens. Bethany Griffin has used Poe's story to weave an entirely new one. It is filled with action, intrigue and romance. Can Araby forgive Will and give in to her feelings? Can she save April? Can she keep the children save? And can she make peace with the evil things her father and mother have done? This was a great conclusion to the series (of two). It is an interesting story of destruction and redemption. Happy reading my friends!

Red Rising

I must be honest, I didn't think I was going to like this book after the first few pages. It is gritty, dark and dirty (meaning it takes place underground). But it got such great reviews I decided to plod along. Am I glad I did. This is the story of Darrow. He is a Helldiver of Mars. He is a Red. The lowest class of society. They are kept underground to mine the earth in order to make Mars inhabitable for future generations. They find it a noble undertaking. Well, not everyone. Darrow's wife Eo thinks they are slaves. She wants Darrow to strive for more than being a Red. As a matter of fact, she is willing to die to prove her point. Darrow comes to find that his entire existence has been a lie and begins an undertaking to infiltrate the Gold society. The Gold's are bigger, stronger, prettier and more ruthless than any other color. This is their right. This is their place. Darrow must transform himself into a Gold so he can take them down. He finds himself at the academy, thrust into a competition that will test who will become a member of the power class. The game is brutal, deadly and without morals. Darrow will have to find a way to fit in but stand out. He is drawn into the game and will do anything to succeed. Many will die, many will be betrayed and Darrow himself may have to go against everything he believes in to accomplish his goal. This book is the Hunger Games for an older crowd. It is filled with strategy, mind games and the test of friendship, when no one is your real friend because you are a Red in a Gold world and one false move means your death. Darrow is a great hero (?) filled with righteous indignation. He will be a symbol of his people if he doesn't get in his own way. Boys will love this book, not enough romance for my girls, but the strategizing more than makes up for it. It reads like a movie, and I'm sure it will be one. So pick up this great first book in the series, but make sure you have a free afternoon because you won't want to put it down. Happy reading my friends!

Smoke

Ellen Hopkins is a master storyteller. Not only can she weave a tale like you wouldn't believe, she does it in poetry. Not just in form, but in the way she puts words together. In this sequel to Burned, she continues the story of Mormon girl Pattyn Von Stratten. Pattyn is recovering from the loss of her love Ethan and her unborn child. She is also on the run for killing her abusive father in defense of her sister. She finds a new life in California, but even that life is tinged with violence. The daughter of the family she winds up working for is dangerous and out to get Pattyn and her new friend Angel. Back at home Jackie, the sister Pattyn was defending, is recovering from being raped. Everyone has brushed that under the rug. Even worse, the rapist's father is now helping out her widowed mother so she is forced to be in Caleb's company often. Her mother tells her she is partly responsible and should let it go. Her tutor Gavin steps in to protect her and they fall in love. But no one is telling the whole truth. Not Pattyn, not Jackie and not their mother. They all move towards a place of truthfulness as events collide and force each of them to face their guilt and make amends. Can you find love more than once in a lifetime? And do you deserve it if you do? The scenery in these books is beautiful and created such a peaceful backdrop to the horrific things these girls must face. I love her books even though they are filled with tragedy and consequences because they also offer hope. Hope that even in the worst of times, things can get better. Happy reading my friends.

Every You, Every Me

I love David Levithan's books. He always seems to find a new story to tell. This one is no different. Evan has lost Ariel. You don't know what has happened to her, but you do know it is destroying Evan. Then he starts finding pictures around town and Ariel is in some of them. They start to haunt Evan and he shares them with Jack, who had been Ariel's boyfriend. Evan and Jack are feeling extreme guilt for whatever has happened to Ariel on that day. As the photographs keep coming, Evan feels himself unraveling day by day. Even his friends are starting to doubt him. Who is sending them the pictures? Could it be Evan himself? This is an interesting storytelling method. Evan's thoughts are crossed out, he has a constant stream of consciousness thing going on. There are mysterious pictures, kind of hard to see to add to the confusion Evan is feeling. As the story is told, you get glimpses into how disturbed Ariel was and how much it changed her friends. It wasn't my favorite book of Levithan's- that honor goes to Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, but I'm glad to have read it. I love how the concept came to be, he had a friend send him pictures and he wrote the story around them. The friend didn't know what he was writing until the book was done. I really like knowing how authors come up with story ideas. I'm hoping for one of my own one day. lol. Anyway, if you are looking for something different, this may be the story for you. Happy reading my friends.

Venom

Ah Venice. City of canals, gondolas and streets filled with mysteries. Cass is living with her aunt after her parents have been killed. She feels like she is in a cage. She is expected to marry the boorish Luca and take her place in society, doing what is expected of her. Until a chance encounter with an artist (scandal!) leads her on an adventure that could lead to her death. Falco is everything Luca is not. He is wild, passionate and lives life in the moment. She is fascinated by him. He makes her feel alive and in love for the first time in her life. She knows it won't lead to anything, I mean, how can it? He isn't of her station. He certainly wouldn't have the approval of her family or society. But Cass can't seem to stay away from him. He is the promise of freedom and adventure and living her life on her own terms. As girls start turning up dead, Cass and Falco race to figure out who is committing these crimes because Cass is next on the murderers list and time is running out. Just when things start to heat up, Luca reappears after three years in France and he isn't the same boorish boy who Cass remembers. As a matter of fact, he is handsome, kind and seems to really love her. What's a girl to do? With Venice as a back drop, this book rolls along at a fast pace, with the possibility that anyone could be the murderer. I love Italy, Venice is a beautiful city and I could picture places in this book from my travels there. It makes me long to go back and walk the streets where Falco and his artist friends are prowling. Who knows, maybe we might meet up in a cemetery in the dark of night and wind up having drinks in the taverna. One can only hope. This is the first book in the series, so of course, cliffhangers ensue. Who will Cass choose- Falco or Luca? Will the murderer be caught? Will the truth about the Secrets of the Eternal Rose be revealed? Stay tuned my friends and happy reading.

The Shadow Throne

"I would not fall. Never again. Gritting my teeth, I replayed Mott's voice in my mind, telling me that I was the Ascendant King. Meant to rise. And so I would" This, in a nutshell, describes Jaron, King of Carthya. Let me start by saying he is one of my all time favorite YA characters. He is brave, loyal, hilarious and reckless. He seems to get himself into as may situations as he gets himself out of.  He antagonizes everyone he crosses paths with. He is ready to be the king he was born to be, against everyone's predictions. This is the third book in the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen. It is the story of the thief Sage, who turns out to be the long lost heir to the throne. As Jaron, he finds himself in one near death situation after the next. He is being attacked by the evil King Vargan and doesn't have the manpower to withstand the armies wrath. But the beauty of Jaron is that he never gives up and doesn't believe in the odds. With his loyal companions, Roden, Mott, Tobias, Amarinda, Fink and the pirates, Jaron devises a scheme that just may save his kingdom and win him the girl of his dreams. The series if filled with action and adventure, romance, and most importantly, humor. It is one of my all time favorite series- ever and Jaron is one of my two favorite thieves turned kings- tied with Eugenides from The Thief  series. If I had my way, those two would meet up somewhere and plan some shenanigans- can you ladies make that happen somehow- Jennifer and Megan? Well, if not, I have enjoyed the ride and will forever chuckle when I think of Jaron. Long live the Ascendant King! And happy reading my friends!

Wolfsbane

Let me start by saying, if I haven't already, I'm kinda into wolves right now. I'm hooked on the tv show Bitten (Greyston Holt- yes please). And now my addiction to Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series.  I was totally team Jacob too, by the way. All that being said, part two of this series finds Calla Tor, alpha of her pack, on the run after saving Shay from being a sacrifice. Only one problem, it means leaving her pack behind and her mate- Ren. She finds herself in the enemies camp, only to find, they aren't the enemy after all. She had been living with the enemy her whole life. Calla comes to find the Searchers are really the right side of the fight and the vehicle to her freedom. They find Shay is more than just a newly turned wolf and is the answer to saving the world. As the Searchers devise a plan to take down the Keepers, Calla must fight to save her pack, including her brother Ansel. This means trusting her new friends and their abilities against all her instincts. Oh, and there's the issue of Ren. Calla can't just turn her back on what they were supposed to be. She can't leave him behind knowing he risked his life to save her. She can't move forward with Shay when Ren is lurking in her memories. When a traitor is found in their midst, Calla must fight with everything she has to save all those she loves. But can she? I love this series and the new characters, Connor, Monroe, Ethan and even Adne add a new level of fun to the action. It shows that good people are lost in both sides of a war, and that you may find family where you least expect it. There is one more book to go, but I may take a break in between to finish the False Prince series. I know one of these wolf boys is going to have their heart broken and I have to prepare myself for that. It's a beautiful day here in SoCal and spring break has begun, so you know where I'll be, sitting on the porch, nose in a book... Happy reading my friends!

Nightshade

Calla Tor has always known her future. She is the Alpha of her pack. Destined to marry Ren and start a new pack. It is her duty. It is what Guardians do. They protect the Keepers. They defend their territory. And they obey the rules. Calla will do as she is supposed to, after all, Ren is incredibly attractive and she is definitely drawn to him. But then one day on patrol, she stumbles upon a boy who has been mauled by a bear. If she doesn't give him her blood he will die. And there is something about him that makes her sure she doesn't want him to die. So she saves him, and he knows her secret- that she can shift into a wolf. Shay is instantly in love with Calla and against all signs to the contrary, he decides to pursue her. He drops himself into her life, making Ren a bit cranky. But lo and behold, Shay has a role to play in everyone's destiny, for his uncle is Bosque Mar (or so they say). We all know Bosque is evil personified from the two prequels to this series. As Calla and the packs are commissioned to keep Shay safe, they find themselves more and more attracted to each other. Shay challenges the way things are supposed to be and wants Calla to take charge of her own life. They uncover secrets that will shatter all Calla has been taught and she must make a spur of the moment decision that will change everything, leading her into the hands of the enemy. Or are they? I LOVED everything about this book. I don't know why. I love both ends of Calla's love triangle (but hate that someone is going to be sad)  I love the personalities of the packs. I love a strong alpha female character. So, if you have read the Rise and Rift prequels, pick up where they leave off (sort of- years are missing, so I hope there is another prequel. If not, start with whatever book you want, but by all means- START!! I have to go, Justified is on and I love me some Raylan Givens. But first thing tomorrow during silent reading, book two Wolfsbane is gonna get devoured! Happy reading my friends! Go howl at the moon!!

Independent Study

Cia has passed The Testing. She found the recorder with the message she left for herself, warning her of what had happened and who she can trust. Just when she thinks her troubles are over, it is time to be placed in her 'job'. Which branch will she test into? She dreams of mechanical engineering, she wants to help her country. But she is put into Government- what does she know of being a leader? To make matters worse, she is pulled into a rebel group that wants to end the Testing. Cia isn't sure she wants to risk her life anymore, but she finds herself determined to help the President keep power and put an end to the brutal methods of Dr. Braun. Everything they do is watched, measured and evaluated, with those found lacking 'redirected'. When Cia finds out what that really means, she is even more determined to put an end to the evil. Tomas is by her side to help her, but everyone else seems to have ulterior motives. Who can she trust? When one of her friends is murdered, Cia realizes that she must risk it all to save the people of the colonies and hopefully herself. This story is a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent. It has a smart, loyal and brave heroine in Cia. She learns that she may be the best kind of leader there is, one who doesn't want to lead at all. She will sacrifice whatever it takes to help her country, even if it means she is at risk. I look forward to the conclusion of this series, which will be out in June. It stands strong in this genre and will satisfy those readers who find themselves interested in a disassembled society led astray by evil leaders. Happy reading my friends and I hope you pass the Test!