Review: Defy, by Sara B. Larson

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

1 Star

*Thank you Scholastic for sending me this copy via Netgalley.*

Blergh. DNF at 85%.

Book Blogger TMI Tag

This is my first blogger tag I'm participating in. Thanks to Amber from The Mile Long Bookshelf for creating this tag (check out her video on it) and Jack from The Book Stop for tagging me!

How old are you?

I am 15. AND A HALF.

What book are you reading?

Currently I'm participating in a massive Harry Potter re-read, and we're on The Chamber of Secrets. Also, I'm reading Defy, which I'm kind of hating. 

What are you wearing?

Um. Pajamas? C'mon, it's Thanksgiving break here, cut me some slack.

OTP?

Taylor and Jonah from Jellicoe Road. AND SYDRIAN from Bloodlines.

Mini-Reviews: A Northern Light, Perfect Ruin, and A Darkness Strange and Lovely

Title: A Northern Light
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: Historical fiction
Pub. Date: September 1, 2004

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Gokey has a word for everything, and big dreams but little hope of seeing them come true. She collects words, stores them up as a way of fending off the hard truths of her life, the truths that she can't write down in stories. The fresh pain of her mother's death. The burden of raising her sisters while her father struggles over his brokeback farm. And the secret dreams that keep her going--visions of finishing high school, going to college in New York City, becoming a writer. Set in 1906 in the Adirondack Mountains, against the backdrop of the murder that inspired Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy, this Printz Honor-winning coming-of-age novel effortlessly weaves romance, history, and a murder mystery into something moving, and real, and wholly original.

5 stars! I don't know when the last time was that I've given a book the ultimate glory of being

Stacking the Shelves (8)

From the Library:

    

1- The Piper's Son, by Melina Marchetta

2- Saving Francesca, by Melina Marchetta (review to come)

3- The Sky is Everywhere, by Jandy Nelson

4- The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness

5- Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Bought:

  

1- Thin Space, by Jody Casella

2- All the Truth That's In Me, by Julie Berry

3- I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai

Netgalley: 

 

Defy, by Sara B. Larson

What's on your Stacking the Shelves? Link up!

Review: Mythology: The Wicked, by Helen Boswell

Title: The Wicked (Mythology #2)
Author: Helen Boswell
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Pub. Date: October 11, 2013

A demon with a pure heart, Micah Condie lives his life by a code of ethics, but breaking that code may be the only way for him to survive. A supernatural entity in her own right, Hope Gentry would do anything in her power to protect her loved ones, but she may be the one who puts them in peril.

When the Demon Impiorum challenges the laws that keep guardians and demons in balance, ancient enforcers of justice intervene. Micah, Hope, and their mentor Jonathan become entangled in a conspiracy that will test even the deepest love and trust.

Someone will commit an act of betrayal. Someone will forever abandon a loved one.

Someone will enter THE WICKED.

4 Stars

It puzzles me how unknown Helen Boswell’s series is. I went into it, expectations low, and was

Review: Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical fiction/mystery
Pub. Date: February 12, 2013

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

4 Stars

It's official. Ruta Sepetys is now one of my favorite authors. First, she crushed my heart with Between Shades of Gray, and now, I find myself enamored with Out of the Easy. Her writing is superb, and her characterization skills are envy-worthy.

Book Talk: How I Review/Blog

A feature hosted here I started to talk about bookish things. Written sporadically, of course.

This topic has been springing up among blogs recently, and I thought I'd give it a shot. 

One thing I learned: I'm probably the most unorganized blogger out there. I mean, reading about how my fellow bloggers review, and how they have a set schedule for all their posts, I realize how much of a foreign concept this is to me. If I had an organized, well-thought out blog schedule, blogging would become ridiculously tedious after a while, and what's the fun in that?