Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer (ARC)

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends (an imprint of Macmillan Teen), 560 pages
US Release Date: February 4, 2014 (yesterday!)
Format/Source: ARC via Around the World Tours - thank you!

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.
----------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"Yeah, I guess you're right,” he said, squeezing. “Maybe there’s a little bit of a hero in me after all. But…really, Cress. Only a little."

There are so many words I could use for Marissa Meyer and her books; but they all boil down to one fact: they are brilliantly amazing, and I wish she would release new material every day for the rest of life. All of Life, entirely, forever.

I LOVED Cinder (book 1, not the character…though I do love Cinder too), and I loved Scarlet, as well. Perhaps not on the same level as Book 1, but it was bloody fantastic and a great continuation of the series. I’ve a sneaking suspicion I just had too high hopes, which is the only reason it wasn’t quite as BIG BOLD LOVE—which meant I approached Cress with a little more reserve. I knew I’d like it, but which level?

One constant thing that amazes me about Marissa’s books are that even though they are retellings of fairy tales we all know, love, and grew up on – they are entirely new and completely refreshing and unlike any story I’ve ever read. They’re part sci-fi, part action, part romance, part thriller…it is everything I crave and want in a story, using our pre-knowledge (IT’S A WORD NOW, DAMMIT) to the best. She is a wizard with words and stories, and I love it.

And Cress hits that same mark. I loved it, so much…still not as much as I LOVE Cinder, but I think it is better than Scarlet. I had to read Cress in a week so I couldn’t savor it, but I definitely had to take a few breaks and set it down and gather my thoughts and emotions. There’s just so much action and curveballs thrown at you! I was holding my breath and covering my eyes every other page, it felt.

Handling this cast of characters was something I was getting nervous about, since each book kind of introduces a handful more that keep adding on. But Cress incorporates everyone, still progressing characters while letting each one take the stage for equal parts. I feel like I got to know every single character better, more fully, and in more development—even the older, old ones. They’re like old friends that I’m consistently learning more and more about.

Speaking of characters, Cress is so badass, guys. Crescent Moon, the most kickass hacker in all the galaxy. And somehow, she’s still a sheltered, timid girl who just wants a kiss and to do what’s right. She and Scarlet are both kickass, in entirely different ways. Scarlet is headstrong and brash (and dear GOD did it kill me what happens to her in Cress, guys!) and ready to fight for what she wants. Cress is much more like me, the quiet ally with a strong, silent will. Her backstory gives you an immediate reaction to care for her, and it just gets better and stronger the more time you spend with her.

And um..Thorne. I love him. I adored him from Scarlet, and I just…I mean, I will always love Prince Kai. But…can I have a little of Captain Thorne, too?

I’m trying to think of anything bad I can say about this book, since that would balance this gushing, squeal-y review nicely…but I just can’t think of anything! I have to say there were a few things that happened in the story that I wasn’t fond of, but at the end it all just makes so much SENSE. And I can’t imagine it any other way. Even if it does rip my heart to pieces and make me want to wail at the book “NOOOOOOO THEY BELONG TOGETHER!!” (Take that for what you will. I’m evil, I know.)

There are a few more things I want to talk about, but they’d be pretty major spoilers. Like when…well, they get stuck…or when this person dies and you find out…or when that group is torn apart…or what happens to her on Luna…or…

You get the idea.

For longtime lovers of this series, Cress won’t disappoint. If you’re only just now hearing about it, you are missing out on A LOT. If I could spend all my days shouting how amazing this series is from the rooftop, I would…except I’ll have to take frequent breaks to read and re-read and pray for Winter to hurry and come out.

5 Stars

and many moons more

Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (ARC)

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Balzar + Bray (an imprint of HarperTeen/HarperCollins), 432 pages
Expected US Release Date: January 29, 2013
Format: Print ARC
Source: Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.
-------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

Montgomery might already have a bullet in his skull. Maybe Father would kill me, too. Then again, maybe not. There were worse things on the island than dying.

Prior to reading The Madman's Daughter, I would never have said I like Gothic Horror/Thriller. Or that I read it. Or that I would consider reading it (I'm easily scared). But now? Oh hell yes. I am DOWN with this genre if it's all like Megan Shepherd's book!

There were so many fantastic elements to this book I have no idea where to start! I picked it up because I'd always wanted to read The Island of Dr. Moreau, and I figured a YA version had to be pretty awesome - plus, I'll admit that I'm buying into the hype. So many people had this book on their WoWs, or were talking about how badly they wanted to read it, and then so many people signed up for the ARC Tour, and I was like "What is up with this book?! What makes it so awesome?"

The answer: EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING, I TELL YOU.

It really is a creepy tale. The idea of experimenting on animals and vivisection (live dissection) to make them talk, act and think like docile humans is enough to make my squirm; and then the details that are given just make it that much more gruesome. Megan can reeeaaally paint a picture, guys - guts and body parts and heartbeats while a scalpel is cleanly slicing through. It is terrifying and heart-pumping and awesome all at once. Like I said, I scare easy, but there's something so captivating about the writing and how each scene is described as well as how it plays into the entire story that had me absolutely riveted.

I'm not sure what it is, but female MCs are a bit of a struggle with me most times - I'm very critical of them simply because I compare them to myself and I am quite self-criticizing, no matter how often we are told not to do it. That said, I was surprised at how much I liked Juliet! She's got a fantastic personality mixed with a great heaping of strength and realism and intelligence. At the same time, I found her completely relatable in how much she doubted and yearned for love from her father and how scared she was of this madness that might be within her. She's well-rounded and well-developed and I can't wait to get to know her more through the rest of the trilogy.

Who else do I want to get to know? MONTGOMERY. In an entiiiiiiiiirely different way than I want to know Juliet though, and a whole lot less ladylike. I am so in love with this character, it is ridiculous. It's something to do with how smart and hopeless and broken he is, how he hates himself but is proud and how compassionate and caring he is towards everyone - animals and humans and the unfortunate inbetweens. Every scene between him and Juliet was crackling with delicious tension, and I can't even formulate how jealous I was of her for having his intentions. Even though he's blonde (ech...not my kind of man!) and arguably as intelligently mad as the father sometimes, I love him. All of him. Every bit. Yes.

Anyway. What was I saying? Right.

This was a phenomenal story. I haven't read the original tale, so I don't know what is taken from there or what is original or added, but I was totally taken for a ride. Things I thought would happen either didn't at all, or did in a way I never expected. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was thrown through a loop and reminded that I am just a pawn in Megan's writing game. The pacing and tone is unreal, and I was completely, totally lost in the story. I found myself immersed with no hope of getting out until I'd read the very last word, and I have absolutely no regrets.

Here's what the magic is in this book: yes, it's creepy. It's weird to think of hybrid animals and humans, especially when there are characters who are spelled out exactly what they are (one character is a sheep + 3 rabbits and completely resembled a human. Yeah. Dwell on that). Kinda makes the skin crawl, actually. Juliet's father really is a madman, and you have no idea the extent of it (I barely believe it and I read it!). But through all this violence and weirdness, you also immensely care about everyone involved. You completely understand how the Father would think he's not mad and how he believes his experiments will improve humanity. You don't blame Montgomery for assisting the father all these years, through all the horrors. You fall in love with him, in an all-encompassing way. You want to hug Juliet to you and help her struggle her way through figuring out her Father and the island. And even though Edward is...well, I can't quite say what his placement in the story is (I had a hunch about mid-way through, but it still shocked me how everything played out!), but you still love him a little bit and want to run after him to the jungle.

Read this book, guys. I can't recommend it enough. If you're like me and think nah, I'm not into Gothic Horror - GET OVER IT. THIS IS WORTH IT.

But that ending? OMG. WHERE IS BOOK 2?! MY HEART!

5 Stars

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. Eldenberry (imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens), 528 Pages
US Release Date: December 6, 2011
Challenges: Local Library Challenge

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
---------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I feel myself diminished, parts of me spiraling away into the darkness, that which is good and honest and true-- If you hold it away from yourself long enough, do you lose it entirely? If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?

*Because this is Book TWO of a series, there may be spoilers from Book ONE. You've been warned!*

If you would like to read my review of Book 1, Clockwork Angel, please click here.

"...Master Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention--but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest..."

I ended Clockwork Angel not knowing who I loved more: Jem or Will. And now, after Book 2, I can tell you that while my love for both have grown exponentially and past many more depths than I thought they could...I belong to Will. Forever.

"They're not hideous," said Tessa.
Will blinked at her. "What?"
"Gideon and Gabriel," said Tessa. "They're really quite good-looking, not hideous at all."
"I spoke," said Will in sepulchral tones, "of the pitch-black inner depths of their souls."
Tess snorted. "And what color do you suppose the inner depths of your soul are, Will Herondale?"
"Mauve," said Will.

Truthfully, I don't know how to review this book because I enjoyed all of it so much. I feel like Cassandra Clare only gets better with every book of hers I read; and I already think she can do no wrong, so there's few more ways I can express how much I love her books! I was wary going into CP because so many people had told me it was better than Clockwork Angel and that the book broke their heart. I mean, that's expectation and anticipation! How was I to get past that?

But I did. And this one is SO much better. And I am heartbroken. Heartbroken. For Will, because of so many sad reasons, and for Jem, because I feel like he's going to get hurt in the end (aside from his imminent death, of course), and for Jessamine, because she just wanted a normal life, and for Tessa even, because we still don't really know what she is and how she came to be. Even though I wanted to punch Nathaniel at the end of CA, I'm still sad for what happens with him.

I'm a bit stunned to realize that I don't care for Tessa much. I'm trying to figure out if I don't like her, or if she simply pales next to such stunning other characters. I feel like all the others have such a unique set of details and personality -- and Tessa is sorely lacking. She's still got redeemable qualities, and I find her to be a good, strong woman amongst the mess Mortmain has made. She can hold her own, sure; but there were a few passages I just wanted to smack her. Especially when it came to the parts with Jem, because I simply don't believe she has the feelings for him she thinks she does.

Aside from Tessa, everything else was fantastic. I loved the plot line of this book, it was exciting and filled with the action and adventure we come to expect from a Shadowhunter world. I loved the addition of Gideon and Gabriel into the story, and was extremely happy to see Sophie take a bigger role: I love her. I think she's strong and loyal and does right by who she is and is supposed to be. I've never wanted to hug Charlotte and Henry more, especially that one scene...well, I'm sure those who have read it know which one.

I do think this suffers from what I call "Book Two Syndrome" - that unfortunate time in a trilogy/series where a book is simply a bridge, a means to get to an end. While it's not necessarily a bad thing, I always feel like Book Two Syndrome books are a bit...boring? Not quite the right word, but while I'm reading, I can't shake a sense of biding time until something massive hits. A lot of information to prepare for the next book, and not an equal match of action.

Regardless though, I still loved this book. I craved the information it did provide, and I think it was all presented well and necessary. I loved the character development and how much of Will we get to finally see, and I'm more eager than ever to find out what the hell evil Mortmain is up to. Such a tangled web! Clockwork Prince does nothing but spin more to the mess Tessa finds herself in, and it's fantastic. Filled with intrigue and passion and romance, I can't believe now I'm in on the wait for Clockwork Princess. Dear World: Can you make March 2013 come faster? Please?!

PS. Who's the anonymous commenter on my Clockwork Angel review that wrote 'demon pox is real'? Because at the time I got that comment, I had no idea wtf it meant! I'd half considered marking it as Spam. BUT I GET IT NOW AND AHAHAH YOU'RE FUNNY! (seriously.)

PPS. Did we all see the cover reveal last week of the cover for Clockwork Princess? Because ohmahgah IT'S GORGEOUS. I think it's a Herondale on the cover, for some reason. What say you?

5 Stars / 5

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

**Thanks for entering my giveaway, entrants! Winner will be announced Tuesday morning :)

Under the Never Sky (Book 1) by Veronica Rossi
Harper Collins, 374 Pages
US Release Date: January 3, 2012
Challenges: Local Library Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
-------------------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

“I’ve never felt that way. We don’t have fear like that. But if those two things are different, then there has to be more, right? Other things besides fear and rocks that are different in the real?” 

Perry nodded absently, imagining a world without fear. Was that possible? If there was no fear, how could there be comfort? Or courage?

How did I not read this novel sooner? I feel like I’ve been empty before having this story in my life.

It took me a little time to get into the book, but that wasn’t the fault of the story; I was in a bit of a slump, it’s been busy, I was in the middle of reading 3 other books, and I was feeling really heavy after a string of very dark, depressing books being read…it was basically set up to fail, which makes me appreciate this book so much more for not only bringing me out of that, but also far exceeding every expectation. And trust me when I say I had a lot of them, because all I’d heard was how amazing this was.

I remember thinking from the beginning how smooth the writing is, how easily it was to fold into this post-Unity world and accept it as real. Veronica Rossi’s writing is seamless, flawlessly swirling words around you and giving an easy pathway into Aria and Perry’s lives.

As soon as I hit page 100, I was in this book for the long haul. I was so completely wrapped up in the story the only way I set it down was when I fell asleep (it was 5am, give me a break!) and it fell out of my hand. The world within is captivating, and I felt like I could look up and see the Aether in the sky, and I found myself wishing I was some sort of Scire, hypersensitive and feeling the world in more ways than I can initially see.

For a long time I’ve seen bloggers and reviewers say that Aria and Peregrine are some of their favourite characters, and I completely agree. It’s amazing how personally attached I feel to each of them, how real they feel as people to me. The descriptions of more than just their looks, but their thoughts, actions, struggles, battles (internal and external) just shaped them perfectly. I’ve been a trained journalist for 11 years now, and if ever an example of being shown a story, not told – this is it. I adore them as individuals, and I love them more working together.

Even the characters other than Aria and Perry are fantastically done, filled with such distinction and definition that I could hardly believe when I’d glance up from a page and realize they’re just part of a story. I’m still partly convinced they do exist, in some other Realm. (And yes, I would totally fall for Roar. Right after Peregrine.)

There’s really nothing negative I can find about Under the Never Sky. It’s compelling and original in the most entertaining way, and I just want to devour everything about it. Veronica Rossi is a master at playing you as a reader, having the quiet, intense moments balance so well with the high-intensity, action-packed ones – both of which appear in just the right amounts. I was so glad it left off on a hopeful note as well, because something I can’t stand is leaving a book feeling bleak. Now, if only Book 2 could release like…yesterday. I’d be happiest then.

5 STARS / 5