2013 releases | Rattle The Stars

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Crash by Lisa McMann

Rating: Three out of Five Stars

I really wanted to give this book two stars, but the wit in the book is just too damn amusing to not get three.

I’ll be a little harsh here, the concept of this book is laughable. Not in the “har har it’s supposed concept is a comedy” way but a “how did this get published” way. I almost hope that McMann was spoofing all of the big YA themes in this book and Crash really was a silent jab at the overuse of the YA ideas (insta love, boy treats girl like shit but girl still loves him, wrong side of the track friends/lovers, blah de blah). But, that could just be me trying to rationalize why I actually did enjoy this book in twisted way.

Crash is basically a modern-day food-obsessed version of Romeo and Juliet with a heavy layer of supernatural smothering it. Boy and girl lurve each others, parents hateses each other, and she is destined to save him or die trying! ONWARD LEAD THE CHAAARGE!!

(man I am REALLY getting into this review…*settles down*)

Crash is an amusing book, shallow, but entertaining. There’s not a whole lot of meat and potatoes but the banter had me cracking up. I would have to set the book down because it would launch me into little giggle fits. The exchanges between Jules and her brother were spot on. The sarcasm was level awesome, especially at the end.

But the book, the plot, the characterizations, was weak. You can’t sink your teeth into anything and Jules annoyed the hell outa me most of the time. On top of it being pretty predictable and me literally scoffing out loud at the end followed by a huge eye roll.. that’s why this book will only be getting three stars.

(Could be that because pizza was mentioned throughout the entire book and intimately described at the beginning is also why I’ve bumped up the rating.)

But regardless.. it’s quick and easy and funny. Just don’t except something epic.

Tags: 2013 releases, Crash, McMann, Romeo and Juliet, Sara McMann, Visions Series, YA books, YA Review

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Categories Reviews

Favorite Books of 2013 – Mid Year Edition

16 Jul

Well, my blogging friends, we are halfway through 2013 and I’ve gotten through almost 55 books. (wootie woot woot!) With me being a wee bit over 50% of my goal of 100 book-a-roos in 2013, I think I shall have a fav books mid-year edition. Mainly because I’ve read some awesome books and haven’t been able to write reviews yet. Not sure if because I am lazy or busy with work… hmmm…

Regardless, below are my favorite Thus-Far read books that were published in 2013. This is also me book pimping these onto to you lovely readers because they are crazy good.

Favorite Book Thus Far of 2013

Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers – this is gorgeous and rich. I love LaFever’s writing and her characters in the entire His Fair Assassin’s series are breathtaking. From shy and sweet to spicy and fierce these female pro-tags became my bffl faces while I was reading.

Favorite High Fantasy Book Thus Far of 2013

The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell – This was a fun book and surprised me. For having a badass female pro-tag, she’s very feminine at the same time and relatable. I feel like usually you don’t have that balance and it was nice to see. The switching narrators also allowed me to stay more engaged with the story and the fact that the romance is subtle, second to the main story, is refreshing.

Favorite Dystopian Book Thus Far of 2013

Reboot by Amy Tintera – this one is hard for me because I actually rated Prodigy by Marie Lu higher. But I think when it comes down to which book is actually better all around, Reboot wins. It’s definitely a more mature book, with more engaging characters and more thought provoking themes. Buuuut, Marie Lu’s writing, while def geared towards a younger age range, engulfs you and tears you through a fast paced storyline that has you reading it in 12 hours (guilty!). So just… read both, yeah?

Favorite Fluff Book Thus Far of 2013

The Elite by Kiera Kass – we all know this is a no-brianer and that I have a slight ~~sickeningly~~ obsession with The Selection series. It’s just… just… so fatabolous. I fangirl all over these books.

Tags: 2013 releases, 2013 YA Top Books, Amy Lidell, Amy Tintera, Dark Triumph, fluff books, High fantasy, His Fair Assassin, Kiera Cass, Marie Lu, Prodigy, R.L. LaFevers, Reboot, The Cadet of Tildor, The Elite, The Selection

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Categories My Personal Thoughts

Asunder by Jodi Meadows

2 Jul

Book Two in the Newsoul Series

Rating: One out of Five Stars

I am going to give everyone a heads up… this review will be snarktastic.

So I’ve had some time to step away from this book and allow my feelings to mellow out a bit. But sadly, my rating is not changing from a One Star. I know a lot of people ohemgee-loved-this-book but I have to, respectively, disagree. Please please don’t hate me for this review.

Be warned: There are spoilers aplenty in this.

And I apologize in advance for my swearing. *Sowwy*

Alright:

What, in all that is good and holy in this world, the f**k was Meadows thinking with this disaster of book? I don’t think I’ve read something so disorganized as this plot or as weak and pathetic as a main a character since 50 Shades of Bullshit landed in my unknowing lap. And the worst part about my hatred of this book was that I gave Incarnate FOUR STARS! Four freaking stars. Talk about fab to drab in 400 pages. Good lord I would rather torture myself with entire 1500 page Matched series again before I would submit to reading Asunder a second time. It was painfully awful. And I can actually say PAINFULLY because I rolled my eyes so many times while I went through chapters of this book I gave myself a headache. A self-induced, eye rolling headache. If that doesn’t scream “bad book” I don’t know WHAT does.

To be fair, I will list my grievances in a civilized and decent manner and feel free to argue against any of the following points:

1.) As expressed clearly in my review of Incarnate, the world building was extremely lacking. But I think I had tricked myself into thinking that it was acceptable in Book One because the concept was so new. Perhaps my WSOD meter was just catching up? Now though, the newness has worn off and I am left with this jumble of words and bullshit that is attempting to congeal it’s self into some semblance of a working plot. For example: There’s only one effing city in the whole world (planet? land? Earth? Universe?) and it can house a million people? And yet you can walk from one side of the city to the other in a day. A city where every single “soul” has their own house, with their own yard? Riiight. OK yeah that makes PERFECT F*CKING SENSE. And this glorious city that just sits on this volcano just “happens” to have the right amount of houses with walls that, excuse me, pulse? Cool, nbd, awesome. Let me just segway into my next point on that creepy shit..

2.)Sooo… our “bad guy” is actually the wall that pulses? Who is actually Janan? Who is a god but USED to be a real person? And he’s the reason that everything happens in this god-forsaken world/land/planet?

No, that’s not confusing at all. Totally understand THAT connection. Moving on.

(If you don’t get the sarcasm in the points above, shame on you. Just stop reading now)

Ok so besides the completely illogical world that is never fully described and the creepy as f*ck wall/bad guy/god thingy, we could almost save this book at a couple stars if we had a solid main character and a good romance. But alas, that was not to be found in this darling book. Proceed on, oh bitchy rant!

3.) Ana. Young, innocent, naive, newsoul Ana. How I wish you had one ounce of redeeming qualities in you. Instead, if I saw you on the streets, I would throw a rock at you too, you stupid fickle twat. Now here is my biggest beef with Meadows at the moment: WHY DID YOU CHANGE ANA SO MUCH? Yes, she was indecisive and and yes, she kind of made no sense in her decisions making, but at least she was endearing! You tried too hard and tried to accomplish so much with her and it just fell so flat. Everything became soo… coincidental. She just “happens” to have the key that “happens” to be the clue to unlocking this whole messed up Janan crap? I can see how Ana was trying to be this Grand Savior and all that but she just.. wasn’t. She’s weak. Annoying, self-centered and weak. And she has a wrapped and twisted review on reality, I feel sorry for the poor thing. I mean come on, she would NEVER confront Sam on anything. Ana was so terrified of making him mad or uncomfortable or upset she never DID anything. She was so forgiving (practically instantaneously) that every time she “got mad” I pictured a 2 year old stomping her feet for 30 seconds than moving onto the next toy. And her morals went out the window. She wanted to wait to have sex in Incarnate but she was like a two dollar hussy in Asunder. Ugh.

4.) And don’t even get me STARTED on Sam and their “romance”. Seriously. Don’t.

I could really go on and on.. but I’ll save myself a hand cramp and your most likely bleeding ears from my never-ending spiel of how disappointed I am with this book. I will read the third, purely because I did enjoy the first so much and because I adore Jodi Meadows. But lord help me if it’s as twisted and stupid as the second.

Tags: 2013 releases, Asunder, Incarnate, Jodi Meadows, Newsoul, YA Fantasy

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Categories Reviews

To Read Tuesday – 2013’s remaining releases

25 Jun

I have been a SUPER SLACKER on my To-Reads Tuesdays lately. I wish there was some way to quit and be a full time blogger/reader… but alas, I must make money. So until some smitten publisher comes and swoops me up, I do have to work a normal job.

Instead of giving some in-depth analysis into one book, below is a list of all the 2013 releases I am looking forward to for the next 6 months!