Review: The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

~Owned as eBook; 457 pages~

When I first started reading this book, I was awed at the unique writing style Rick had. It was perfect for this apocalyptic, alien-invasion themed novel. Every time I picked up this book and put it back down, I had a sick feeling in my stomach and was scared out of my mind at the fact that we - meaning all us humans - were going to die. The desperation that's viewed through the three character's POV is realistic and clear, and some of that desperation stayed with me several minutes after closing the book.

That brings me to another point: the three-character POV. Though it was interesting reading this book through three different POV's, sometimes it was confusing at the beginning about whose POV I was reading, especially when the POV first changed, since I didn't know that I was going to read from anyone but Cassie's perspective. After a while though, I came to crave those changes in narration, especially because at least two of those characters weren't in the same place, and it was nice knowing what was going on in the two different places this story mainly takes place in. Also, as a bonus, whenever one POV seemed to get boring, the reader would soon be reading another. The different POV's also helped me get to know each character better, and by the end, I knew who I liked, who I loved, and who, at times, annoyed the heck out of me.

2013 is filled with dystopias complete with the perfect romance, but while reading this novel, it was clear that this was something different. For one, the main character isn't a rebellious teen, but a broken teen girl who trusts nobody, has a crush on a guy who has never noticed her and may or may not be dead, and carries around a teddy bear everywhere she goes. And oh yeah, her parents are dead, she's not sure where her little brother Sammy is, and she might just be the last human left on Earth. So yeah, this definitely wasn't unoriginal. Also, romance wasn't the main theme in this book; it didn't even take up half this book, really. Most of The 5th Wave is focused on dark thoughts, action, and death scenes. Still, the romance was enough to satisfy me, so I'm willing to bet almost any YA fan would enjoy - or at least, not hate - this book.

I was surprised after reading when I realized how many times I changed who I wanted Cassie to end up with. When Cassie first mentioned her long-time crush from high school who she only spoke to once, Ben, I was vehemently wishing he would end up with her. Even when Evan came along, he seemed too nice, and I was still voting for Ben. Then, unexpectedly, I came along Ben's POV, and when I realized that he had no idea who Cassie was, I was all Team Evan. At least he cared. I switched back and forth between these two guys several times, often making excuses for Ben like "maybe he'll be struck by her beauty and courage when they meet again." Needless to say, by the end of the novel, I was all Team Evan. Unfortunately, I'm not 100% sure what Cassie was thinking by the end.

After reading some people's comments on the book, I saw that the character Ringer was one many people, especially girls, liked, their reason being that she's strong, sassy (in a very ungirly way), and a total inspiration for girls. Of course, I might have noticed that too, except the obnoxious part of me only saw her as Ben's future boyfriend, which completely ruined my plans of there being a love triangle between Cassie, Ben, and Evan. I know that this book isn't based on romance, but you can't blame a girl for trying.

I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, as I believed it was much too abrupt and peaceful, especially considering that someone very dear to my heart (sort of) may or may not have been dead by that point. I mean, by the end of the novel, two characters are literally hugging themselves under the sunset, while their life is obviously still in danger, and someone's life may already be gone. That behavior just isn't appropriate in the least.

I'd recommend this book to all YA fans, but especially all hard-core dystopia/apocalypse addicts. This book will satisfy both romance and non-romance lovers, though mostly the latter considering the large amount of science-fiction and "everyone around me is dying" trauma. The cliffhanger at the end, the unique plot, the interesting character build-up, and the writing style are what are going to have me waiting for the next book in the series. I can't wait to see what Rick will come up next!

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Released May 7th, 2013

Genre: YA, Apocalyptic, Aliens

Review: Two Lies and a Spy (Two Lies and a Spy #1) by Kat Carlton

Kari plunges into the world of espionage on a mission to save her parents while trying to impress the guy she’s been in love with forever.

When sixteen-year-old Kari’s dad sends her an unexpected text, she and her brother immediately go into hiding. Because when your parents are superspies and your dad declares a Code Black, it can only mean something bad. Very bad.

Kari soon discovers that her parents have been disavowed and declared traitors, and she’s determined to clear their names. Breaking into the Agency seems like a reasonable plan, especially with the help of a team that includes her longtime crush, Luke, as well as her two best friends—an expert hacker with attitude and a master martial artist—and Luke’s popular, vindictive twin sister. Oh, and a new guy, who’s as cute as he is complicated...

~Owned as eBook; 256 pages~

Earlier today, I was scrolling through Bloglovin' just randomly looking at blog posts, and then I saw this book reviewed on someone's blog. After exciting myself over the book cover and title, I didn't even read the review; I just looked up the title on goodreads, judged it to be good, and got the book. I'm glad I did, because this was the perfect Friday read, with the perfect hilarity in its characters, the none-too-sappy romance, and an easy-to-understand plot. This book would probably be great for any spy-lover who just needs a book to keep them interested yet still relaxed.

Kari is the perfect heroine in the novel. She isn't as spy-y as Kat from Heist Society or Cam from I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, which made this spy story all the more unique. She is of course infatuated with Luke, who doesn't seem all that great to me, but I love Kari's snarkiness, especially when a certain boy (Evan!) is involved. Easily annoyed spies are definitely the best. What I also like about her is that although she acts tough and is very strong-willed, I got a glimpse of her vulnerability, which makes Kari seem more like an actual stressed-out person than a book character.

As it says in the blurb, Luke and Evan are the two main guys in Kari's life. Luke is the one Kari's had a crush on for a long time. He's sporty and hot and seems human. On the other hand, there's Evan, the impossibly gorgeous boy with his uniform perfectly tailored to fit him, and who ends up looking like a model. And don't forget the cute British accent! Did I also mention he can't help but teasing Kari at every turn. That's another part of him that differs with Luke: while Evan is the seemingly stuck-up British prick, Luke is the super-nice guy (who also happens to have a completely opposite, slutty sister). That's the most-likely reason I didn't like Luke that much; I can see him as a friend to Kari, but he's too nice to be boyfriend material.

It was nice that the plot started as soon as the first page of the novel, especially since the book isn't really that long. It was also delightful how no matter what any other characters say, you believe exactly what the main character thinks, even if they're wrong. And that's exactly what happened in this book. The conclusion of the mystery in this book was nowhere near what I was expecting it to be, and I was positively surprised when I, and in turn, Kari, turned out to be completely wrong about the happy ending. That's not to say there isn't a happy ending, only that it's not one you'd normally expect.That wasn't the lone part of the story I was shocked at though: I didn't at all expect who Kari would choose to be her boyfriend. At some moments, I believed it would be Luke, and at others, I thought it was going to be Evan. Up until almost the very end, I was sure about who Kari would choose, and I was happy. Then came the other guy though, and again, it turned out I was wrong. I'm hoping that in the next book, she'll choose the other guy; I can't deal with another disappointment like that.

Overall the book was a fun, quick read, and it was more entertaining than anything. Though this book is based on what could be called a mystery, there wasn't really much to solve, though it was still nice to tag along with Kari while she finds out the truth for us. Two Lies and a Spy was an easy read and a book for about middle-grade to high-school readers. Also, remember how I said I absolutely adored Kari's personality? Well, the interrogation excerpt below will explain why....

Mr. Carson gives up on getting any useful information out of me and leaves. But my hopes of being released are dashed when two other agents come in and sit down across from me. They start to ask me questions that date back to when I was a toddler.
Do I remember my parents speaking Russian at home?
Of course I do. They met in Moscow, and they both speak it fluently.
Do I know of Russians who came to the house to socialize or do business?
Well, duh.
Who are these people?
I name a professor at Georgetown, a researcher at Dumbarton Oaks, a lawyer who deals with immigration issues. I also name a manicurist, a banker, and a tailor who services half of the Pentagon. These individuals are harmless and just make their living like everyone else. They’re not spies or foreign agents, for God’s sake.
Do I speak Russian?
I tell them I suck at languages. I can’t even speak pig Latin.
They don’t bother to ask about Charlie, and I don’t offer the information.
They want to know if we eat traditional Russian dishes.
Really? Sure. My parents loaded my Similac with Smirnoff. I’m addicted to Borscht. I adore ice cream topped with caviar. Please!
They do not appreciate being mocked.
Well, I don’t appreciate being interrogated.
We stare humorlessly at one another for a while, and then they begin with the questions again.
Do I dream in Russian?
I laugh hysterically at this. I have already told them I don’t speak it, so why would I dream in it?
They ask me the value of the dollar to the ruble.
I have no clue.
What religion am I?
Officially? Baptist. But it’s not like we really attend church.
How often do we go?
I don’t know . . . a few times a year. Definitely Easter and Christmas.
What’s our family’s real religion?
Baptist. I spell it: b-a-p-t-i-s-t.
They don’t appreciate the spelling part.
So we’re not Russian Orthodox?
No.
Am I sure about that?
Yes.
Was I baptized Russian Orthodox?
Not to my knowledge, but I was only a few months old. I ask them if they recall their own baptisms, because if so, then they have incredible memories. I ask how they know that they weren’t signed over to Satan at the age of three days?
I can tell that one of them wants to smack me. The other one moves around in his chair as if he has a really bad case of hemorrhoids but just gets on with the questioning.
Do I love my parents?
Duh.
Do I love them enough to lie for them?
Yes, but I’m not lying.
Do I love them enough to betray my country?
I tell them that I am beyond sick of their questions. I tell them that I want a glass of water.
They ignore me.
I repeat my request.
They ask me if I know the Pledge of Allegiance.
Yes.
Will I please recite it?
I do.
How do those words make me feel?
Huh? I don’t know. Fine.
Proud to be an American?
Sure.
Or ashamed to be a traitor to my country, like my parents?
I tell them that they are brainwashed idiots, and that they are so far over the line.
What line would that be?
The line of common decency. The line of truth. The line where my parents and I are supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
Am I quite sure that I’m not the one who’s crossed the line? Me, and my parents, too? Is it decent to commit treason for money? Is it truthful to lie to them? And how can they consider us innocent when we are mired in hundreds of facts that point to our guilt?
I explode.
I tell them that if they ask me any more obnoxious questions, I will pulverize them.
They ask how long I’ve had these violent tendencies. And are they fantasies, or do I seriously consider acting on them?
Though I want to smash both of their faces in, I run to the door instead. I pound on it and scream that I am done, done, done with these assholes, and that someone had better let me out of here and give me access to an attorney, or I will contact our around-the-corner neighbor, who is a Supreme Court justice, and make them pay for this.
I demand to be assured of my brother’s welfare.
I scream that they had better let my mother take a shower and give her clean clothes.
And I tell them that if anyone shoots my dad, I will make sure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The door opens while I am still pounding on it, and I fall forward. I’m so tired and frustrated that I’ve lost the ability to count on my reflexes. I trip and sprawl right into Evan Kincaid’s arms.

Title: Two Lies and a Spy

Author: Kat Carlton

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Released September 3, 2013

Genre: YA, Spy/Espionage, Romance

Review: All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

~Owned as eBook; 288 pages~

This book blew me away. When I picked up this book to read along while eating a few Timbits, I had no idea what I'd be getting into. I knew it was going to be sad, but just how sad, I didn't know. I knew there would probably be romance, but what kind, I didn't know. I knew the people were Amish, but I didn't know how Amish. And now I know.

This is probably one of the most painful books I have ever read in my life. If I could, I'd recommend this to anyone and everyone, if only to get a taste of a book outside their normal reading areas.Someone who cries easily should make sure they don't read this book in public though, because near the end there are bound to be tears just straight-up running down your cheeks. My eyes were leaking at a certain point, and I ended up sleeping on a wet pillow.

Wherever Julie got the idea for this book, I just have to say that she's brilliant. I knew before I started reading that in the entire book, Judith would somehow be talking to Lucas in her head, but I never really understood the format that would make that possible. Then, last night, when I started reading, I started flipping through the pages of the book since the format was one-of-a-kind. For one, Judith had something I'd nearly call an obsession with Lucas, which kind of freaked me out sometimes, though I guess I can understand why she did it, kind of. What really surprised me was that there was a new chapter about every 2-3 pages, and the entire book was split into 3 different parts, all told to us through Judith's thoughts and conversations.

The character build-up in the novel was amazing, and barely anyone was who I'd expected them to be. Some mean people weren't mean at all, and some nice ones weren't as kind as I'd previously thought. Even Lucas was susceptible to this trend. Judith's obsession with Lucas was over the top, and yet it was easy to connect with her. At one point in the novel, I felt completely betrayed by Lucas, and felt that Judith was too good for him. Eventually though, I learned that Judith was right, and that "nobody's perfect," not even book characters. So yes, I forgave Lucas, and I hope that makes me a better person.

Judith, on the other hand, is one of the nicest, most self-sacrificing people in the world. Sometimes she even scared me since she seemed unable to comprehend a life without Lucas. She was so strong and self-reliant, but even then it was impossible to forget that she was in dire need of a loving person for her to lean on, and than person came in the form of an unexpected childhood beauty as well as an old gossip. The intense yet unclear relationship between the characters kept me reading throughout the night; I began the book under the covers and finished under the same covers at 2 in the morning. The book was that good.

What never ceases to shock me is how Amish communities - supposed God-abiding, safe havens - are really the scariest places of them all. It just goes to show that there is no truly good human on earth. I have now been scared away from all Amish-resembling residences, and know that any book with this theme will have a terrible community. I was shocked and unable to understand, though, Judith's mother's hate for her daughter after she returned without half her tongue. After failing to hide Judith's return from the rest of the community, not only did Judith's mother threaten her never to open her mouth and speak, but she also believed that Judith had become a prostitute. I don't know much about good mothering - considering I'm a teen - but I know for a fact that that's not the way I'd treat my child if she came back to me after being kidnapped. Nothing that mother could ever do would make up for her sins in my eyes. I guess I spent all my forgiveness on Lucas.

I admired how even though the fact that Judith was in love with Lucas was constantly shown through how Judith always saw Lucas at the corner of her vision, or even when I'd read it in her thoughts, it was nice to see that despite looks, the romance didn't take precedence in the novel. Although the romance was an important part of All the Truth That's In Me, it was only a side-obsession that added to the book's overall sense of desperation and mystery. That being said, the conclusions drawn at the end of the story were completely unexpected. I was led to believe one thing, and I came up with about 3 other ideas while reading the book. At the end though, it seemed I drew all the wrong conclusions, purposely misled by the book. It takes talent to do that (especially to moi), and it seems Julie's got that in plenty.

I've never understood why English teachers teach their students the boring books they do . If they need a book about the Amish, instead of reading The Crucible why not read this? Don't get me wrong, The Crucible was an amazing play, but what is it compared to this? Almost nothing, that's what. So like I said, everyone should read this book; it's too good to miss out on. Luckily for some people, this book isn't preachy in the least. The only sermons summarized in this book pertained to the priest accusing people - mainly Judith and Lucas - of doing unChristian things, and it made the false Christianity of many people in the community that much more realistic.

In hindsight, when I think about how long and how many ratings later it took me to start reading this book, I should have realized I would have loved the novel. After all, I'd read Julie's other two YA books and gave them both 5 stars. Now that I know how awesome Julie is, if she ever writes another YA novel, I'll be the first person to get her book...without even reading the synopsis.

Title: All the Truth That's In Me

Author: Julie Berry

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Released September 26, 2013

Genre: YA, Amish, Mystery, Romance

Review: Myriah Fire by Claudy Conn

It started with a stolen kiss …

Fiery Myriah Whitney is wild of nature, contrary, and independent. But when her father catches her kissing the handsome Sir Roland (how else is she to determine if he is the one who will make her feel thunder and lightning, hear bells and music?), he declares that her days of headstrong independence are over. She will, he commands, announce her engagement to Sir Roland—immediately.

But in an age where marriages are about alliances rather than affection, practicality not passion, Myriah wants more—she wants to fall in love. And she does not love Sir Roland. So she runs away to her grandfather with her faithful manservant, Tabson, at her side.

A wrong turn in the fog, however, leads to the discovery of an injured young man, and before she knows it Myriah is caught up in world of intrigue and secrets. And when she meets the young man’s older brother, the mysterious Lord Kit Wimborne, the sparks fly. Their first encounter—in his bed, both of them naked, no less!—is an explosion of wills, and it is what finally set Myriah on fire.

She has, it seems, finally found her thunder and lightning…

~Free kindle eBook; 168 pages~

First, I wish to say how much I don't like the cover of this book. When I see that a book is a historical romance, I expect to see a novel with a cover that's pretty and not so...revealing. I get that there's nothing exactly inappropriate about what's shown or anything, but I still have standards when I come to this genre. That being said, Myriah Fire was a cute story about a girl named Myriah with fiery hair.

So this is how my experience with the book went: the first 8% of the novel was pretty interesting, what with Myriah complaining about her lack of love and boredom with the London Season, yada yada. Then from about there until about 23% into the story, I was completely bored out of my mind and constantly had to stop myself from thinking about how terrible the book was. At that point, I found myself hating the author's writing style, and especially the third person format of the novel. In that 15%, I found everyone's voice to be terribly monotone, and had no problem putting the book down to go to sleep. Then today, I picked up the book and voilà, I couldn't stop myself from reading even if I'd tried to. The tone was back to normal, and the yelling scenes between Kit and Myriah were front and center. Those scenes are probably what I like best about historical romances, this one included.

In this genre, I usually find myself liking only the main male and female characters. However, this time I found myself adoring Kit's younger brother - though also a cad - William as well. Though there was never any romance between the two - thank God! - I loved how Myriah liked the younger brother before she even met the older one; that doesn't seem to happen a lot. That's not the only reason I liked Bill though. After all, he was kind, sweet, adorable, and definitely at least a hoot-and-a-half. In fact, I probably couldn't have gotten through half this book without his snide remarks, which I couldn't help but find endearing.

The villain of the story, Sir Roland, was portrayed excellently by Claudy. Somehow, the third person format allows us to see inside Roland's head as well as view him through the eyes of others. It was very interesting to see that while Roland wasn't too bad inside his own head (ignoring the fact that he said he'd keep Myriah on a tighter leash *scrunches nose*), he seems plain evil from other's point of view, especially Lord Kit's. That also played a part in why I didn't see Kit doing what he did at the end of the novel.

I was completely confounded at the end when instead of berating Myriah for running away in the first place and possibly even punishing her, Myriah's father and grandfather instead hugged her to death and agreed to let her marry a person they only met. And that's not even mentioning the fact that they barely even cared that Myriah was the only female living in a bachelor's house for a week or so. Seriously! Adults, get yourselves together!! As weird as it sounds, I'm glad my parents would never let me do that. In all seriousness though, this book gave you everything you'd expect to have in a 168-paged runaway romance, and for that I'm thankful. It also doesn't hurt that the book is free right now; you can purchase it on Amazon by clicking here.

Also, as a sidenote, I really wish historical romances would stop bringing too much sex into their plots...

Title: Myriah Fire

Author: Claudy Conn

Publisher: BC Publications

Released November 27, 2011

Genre: Historical Romance

Review: Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

~Owned as eBook; 304 pages~

This book was really something else. You don't find too many books that take place in Japan, and so this was a nice surprise. Also, though I read this as an ebook copy, I saw the paperback version at B&N the other week and the cover material is just gorgeous. My first thought was "recycled!", so extra points for that. Ink was very original and very entertaining. The romance was cute and I'll be looking forward to seeing whether it goes up or down in the next book.

I loved how easy it was to connect with the main character. Katie just moved to Japan after her mom died, which I connected to because I moved to India for a year. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to admit that I didn't take the move in stride like Katie did. I didn't really attempt to speak the language, and I complained about almost everything, especially the weird bathrooms. Despite the fact that Katie is a much better person than me, I understood where she was coming from and admired her throughout her story.

There were two possible love interests in this book: Tomohiro and Jun. Though this book hinted slightly at a love triangle, I felt that Katie pretty much stayed with Tomo the whole time. I'm glad there wasn't a love triangle; it would have just made an already intense book too much. The cool thing about reading the novel was that whenever I started reading it, I felt like I was literally transported to Japan. It's even cooler since I've never actually been there:) The descriptions and scene-setting were really well-done, and I could just see the school grounds and all the people milling around on the grass, etc etc.

At one point in the book, I felt that this story was extending for way too long. When I looked at the number of pages on Goodreads though, it claimed there were only 304 pages. Then a little bit after my complaining/exhaustion, the book was finished. It turns out that there was a chapter from the next novel included at the end of this book, and let me just say, Amanda is a master at writing endings. I was blown away at the ending of both the end of Ink as well as the end of the excerpt of the next book. Unlike most authors, she doesn't leave us with a cliffhanger, but neither does she let us out of her clutches. After finishing Ink, I knew for a fact that I'd have to have the next book, Rain, as well.

What hooked me the most (besides the sometimes funny Japanese romance) was the plot. Though there was only a little bit of Japanese mythology in this book, it was interesting to read about. Also, the way Katie amplified the Kami's power, especially Tomohiro's, added to the connection between the two characters. Overall, this book was excellently written, with a solid plot and a unique relationship between the characters. The memory I will always take with me though, is how funny it is that even on the other side of the world, boys can be just as cocky.

Title: Ink

Author: Amanda Sun

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Released June 25, 2013

Genre: YA, Romance, Mythology