Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Synopsis: 

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

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Unravel Me was pretty good for a second book in a trilogy. I generally find these cursed 2nd books to drag on a bit with plot/character/world building for the finale to come however this book wasn't bad at all. I am enjoying the direction the book is taking. I'm still a little hesitant just because I don't think I'm on board with ALL of the hype around it, but I will say that I am quite pleased so far. 

~Spoiler Free Review~

Writing: As I said previously in my review for Shatter Me, I think that Tahereh Mafi has a beautiful and different writing style. This holds true in this book. I like her flow and I like her descriptions. This book, like its predecessor, is very character driven but that didn't bother me in this books since there are SO many new characters introduced. 

World Building: I think this book did a little bit of a better job with world building as it was necessary to really grasp Omega. That being said I would have liked to have seen more. 

Characters: Hmmm... I'm torn. Juliet is, don't kill me, starting to get on my nerves. I'm official NOT A FAN of Adam and to top it all of I really don't think I'm in Warner's corner either. Kenji, I like Kenji. That being said, I don't like 3 out of the 4 main characters in a character driven series... Not sure I like my odds for Ignite me! Sad day. 

Plot: I liked that this book was more action packed than Shatter Me! Some fun, unexpected twists that were definitely needed. 

Overall, I am not disappointed but I would not say this is a "must read" like all of they hype around it claims. I wouldn't recommend this to everybody, however Unravel Me is definitely a fantastic read for someone who enjoys YA/Dystopian. If this is something you can't get enough of, then yes. Get out from under your rock and read this series... I liked this storyline better than Shatter Me however I just cannot give it more stars since the characters brought me down. I'm nervous for the next book, I'm not in a great place with this series as of right now. 

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“Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me.” 
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I really liked it???
★★★★

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TX3 - Books to Read if You Like These Movies!

The wonderful people over at The Broke and the Bookish posted another Top Ten Tuesday discussion for today, April 29th, my Top Ten Books to read if you like these movies. Now I've said before that I'm not a huge Movie person unless they are based on books so bear with me this week... Here are some books that I would recommend if you enjoyed these Book-to-Screen Movies!

Wait for You by J.Lynn

Synopsis: 

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

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Caution: Severe book crush swooning ahead... 

I really do enjoy the New Adult genre however I can only handle them spaced out. I find that I generally give them 4 stars pretty consistently however this one takes a 5! I haven't enjoyed a New Adult like this since I read Easy by Tammara Webber. Wait for You is a fantastic addition to the New Adult world!

~Spoiler Free Review~

Writing: J.Lynn is actually Jennifer L. Armentrout’s New Adult pen name. I believe the Wait for You series is Lynn’s New Adult debut and she does not disappoint, as expected since she has proven herself to be a fantastic writer in other formats. Lynn has the ease in words that lets the story unfold seamlessly. I flew through this book and it all ended way too soon. I am glad that this isn’t a standalone and I’m excited to read the novella Trust in Me which is the same story as Wait for You but in Cam’s POV. It will be interesting to see Lynn portray everything from Cam’s perspective and I look forward to continuing on with Lynn’s New Adult writing. I believe she will be somebody to represent the New Adult genre with lure and grace. 

Characters: I feel that Lynn did a fantastic job with the character building. As the case for most Contemporaries/New Adult novels, Wait for You is very character driven. Avery Morgansten is a great female lead. I really appreciated how authentic and real she was portrayed both in her beauty and her flaws. Cameron Hamilton, oh Lordy… Cam, Cam, Cam. There are not enough words to describe my love for Cam. Serious book boyfriend material, I want to be his “Sweetheart!” He is edgy, and funny, and hot, and deep, and! He can make cookies the sexiest food ever. He should by the face of Girl Scout cookies… just saying! I LOVE HIM!!! The friendships surrounding these two were entertaining and genuine. 

Plot: I’ll be honest, it is a typical New Adult book so yes, good girl with broken past meets hot bad boy and the rest is history. That being said, I still adored this. I don’t think it was anything super different or unique be Lynn has developed these characters in such a way that, in my opinion, makes this book stand out from the crowd. I may have suffered a bad case of insta-love by I appreciate that the characters didn’t. The relationship took time to develop. Cam had to work for it and I loved that. This made for a great story line that was well implemented. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to continue on with this story. If you are interested in New Adult you NEED to read this book, especially if you are new to the genre. I think it would be a great gateway book. Note: there is some sexual content but it isn’t in your face S&M and is portrayed tastefully so I would recommend only for readers over the age of 17/18? 

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“I'm beginning to think cookies is a code word for something else."
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Goodreads Choice Nominee for Romance (2013)

It was Amazing!
★★★★★

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Friday Reads!

TGIF! 
It's my roommates birthday Saturday so I'll be doing a lot of cleaning and having a good time! Probably won't get much reading in but I'm overly optimistic as usual... 

1) Burn for Burn By: Jenny Han - 1st book in the Burn for Burn Series

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13406425-burn-for-burn

2) Love Letters to the Dead By: Ava Dellaira - Standalone

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18140047-love-letters-to-the-dead

3) Ignite Me By: Tahereh Mafi - Final book in the Shatter Me Trilogy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13188676-ignite-me

Taking out the pages I have already read the page count comes to:
3 books =  859 pages in total.

Let’s do this!

Sunshine Blog Award!

Yay! A big thank you to Feli @The Four Eyed Cat Reviews for nominated me this month for the Sunshine Blog Award. It is so refreshing to get positive blog support from a book blog sister! Plus every blog deserves a little sunshine!

MY NOMINEES

1) Devin @ Devin Reads Books

2) Tina @ Pages of Comfort

3) Arianne @ Reading with ABC

4) Lily @ Lily Pond Reads

5) Nikita @ NjKinny's World of Books

6) Becca @ Pivot Book Reviews

7) Christianna @ The White Unicorn

8) Laura @ Laura in Bookland

9) Emily @ Forever Literary

10) Michaela @ Will Read for Coffee

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Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Synopsis: 

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

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This book got me excited. I find that once someone is immersed in the world surround literature it is hard to find books that are completely unknown territory. I feel that I always start a book knowing something going into it. I tried to stay in the dark with Dead Beautiful and was very pleasantly surprised. 

~Spoiler Free Review~

Writing: Fun. Easy. Quick. Yvonne Woon does a really great job at getting a story across with as few of words as possible, something I think some other long winded authors should take note of. I really appreciated this along with the speed. This first book, Dead Beautiful, was nothing artistically beautiful or severely complex so the flow from page to page was crucial. This book could have been painfully drug out but Woon executed the story perfectly. I will be picking up the next one immediately. 

World: Again, nothing complex. It's a modern day story so there isn't much world building to accomplish however there is an aspect that is a twist on the world around us as we know it, and this is what Woon does a great job laying out. I'm excited to see how this will build in the next two books. 

Characters: Dead Beautiful is very character heavy but I enjoy every character, or at lease can respect the importance of each. I think Renée is spunky and impulsive and she's growing on me. I think all of the relationships with her family and friends are believable and well portrayed. I'm warming up to Dante. The whole forbidden love thing sometimes rubs me the wrong way but here, so far, its alright. 

Plot: Interesting. I feel like it is the same story told time and time again but with a cool twist. I really liked one review that said "Twilight meets Hogwarts." This is kind of dead on minus the weak-minded Bella and the destined-for-death Harry. I actually thought this was really creative. 

Overall, this was a fun read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves the whole paranormal + boarding school storyline, which I personally have a weak spot in my heart for.  This is heavier in the adventure than the romance, so that is something I would keep in mind if you are looking for feelings similar to the Bella/Edward love scale. Honestly, I am really looking forward to the rest of this series!

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“Sometimes, you have to look back in order to understand the things that lie ahead.” 
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I'd say more of a 3.5 but I'll round up since I'm picking up book #2 ASAP.
I really liked it

★★★★

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TX3 - Characters I Love & Despise!

The wonderful people over at The Broke and the Bookish posted another Top Ten Tuesday discussion for today, April 22nd, my Top Ten "Characters who X!" Since this is open for creativity I'm going to list off my favorite and not-so-favorite male and female characters. Now obviously there are going to be some that don't make either list, probably because I haven't discovered those characters yet. I know, I know... My top ten are TOTALLY predictable!

FAVORITE FEMALE CHARACTERS:

Hermonie-Harry Potter

Katniss Everdeen-Hunger Games

Beatrice Price-Divergent

Allison Sekemoto-Blood of Eden

Mia-Where She Went

FAVORITE MALE CHARACTERS: 

Harry Potter-DUH!!!

Tobias Eaton-Divergent

Wade Watts-Ready Player One

Finnick Odair - Hunger Games

Adam-Where She Went

CHARACTERS I CAN'T STAND!!!

Please don't kill me... 

Jordan Brooks & Noah Keating-If Only

Alexa Hollen-Defy

Mercy Taylor-The Line

Adam-Shatter Me

Allyson Healey-Just One Day

Gayle-Hunger Games

Let me know your thoughts.

Do you agree? Do you disagree?

Who makes your favorites?

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

Synopsis: 

Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.

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Wow... I was not expecting this. When I first started The Husband's Secret I was not loving it. Getting cheated on sucks, why would I want to live through such a hurtful action through a book? I read to get away not to immerse myself in the sucky parts of life. I almost put the book down, and then... I personally like to think about the "what if" and Liane Moriarty displayed this common question in an amazing way. I surprisingly enjoyed this!

~Spoiler Free Review~

Writing: Was this the most fantastic writing I have every read? No, however I was thoroughly pleased with Moriarty's writing. Her style had good flow but her creativity in bringing this story around full circle was fantastic. Looking back at it, this book should be predictable; however Moriarty does a fantastic job losing you in interwoven storylines from chapter two all the way through. She got me lost in the pages.

Characters: I thought these characters were all very realistic. They were flawed and honest and raw. I found some of them to be quirky and some to be unique but I found them ALL relatable. Even the characters whom were at the wrong were relatable. I understood every action/reaction and found that I had a connection to every character.

Plot: This was one of those storylines where you think you know where it is going, then it takes a sharp turn in a completely different direction that leaves you holding your breath unknowingly and then you are closing the back cover at a loss for words. This book made me think, more-so after I turned the last page. Heck, I’m still thinking about it days later. I find myself thinking about the characters, the karma, the “what if” in everyday life.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. I would recommend it to anyone who needs a breather from all the Young Adult/Contemporary run-of-the-mill books rut that I seem to always get sucked into. If you find this book initially boring please stick it out, I don’t think you will be disappointed. 

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“None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken. It's probably just as well. Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever. Just ask Pandora.”
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Really Liked It

★★★★

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Friday Reads!

TGIF! 
Last weekend my projects kind of took over so this week I hope to finish!

1) Life Eternal By: Yvonne Woon - 2nd book in the Dead Beautiful Trilogy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10551253-life-eternal?from_search=true

3) Love Reborn By: Yvonne Woon - 3rd book in the Dead Beautiful Trilogy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13596828-love-reborn

Taking out the pages I have already read the page count comes to: 
2 books =  760 pages in total.

Let’s do this!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Synopsis: 

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

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YAY YAY YAY! This book was delightful! Miss Peregrine's was a breath of fresh air in the midst of a book slump. Aaahhhh... I wouldn't say it's the first of its kind (I found it similar to The Book of Lost Things) however I enjoyed this. Read it in one day flat. 

~Spoiler Free Review~

Writing: I really think Ransom Riggs has a wonderful way of writing. I really got “the feelings” with this book. I was heartbroken with Jacob. I was really lost with Jacob. I really felt hope with Jacob. Riggs did a great job and I think this duology (correct me if I’m wrong) is something he should really be proud of. 

World: SCORE! Miss P’s was SO descriptive! I loved being taken on this journey from our world to this weird island to this weirder orphanage! It was fantastic from the first word to the last page. I LOVE some good world building and this book DOES NOT disappoint. 
Character: I really liked Jacob. I have never been through anything like Jacob has and yet I found him extremely realistic. He was flawed and lost and completely human. I adored all of the orphans and found that the bad guys were surprisingly creepy. 

Plot: This storyline is eccentric and bizarre but it totally works. I have a confession: I don’t do creepy. I was extremely nervous going into this book because I have seen some of the pictures and disturbing things seriously make me sick. I just can’t do them. I was very hesitant to pick up this book but honestly, I think it had the perfect level of eerie for me. 

Overall, this was very enjoyable for me. I’m going to take a little break but the next time I feel that I need a refresher I will pick up Hollow City, or even the graphic novel! I would recommend this book to everyone, seriously. Point blank: it is just a good story with good characters and some damn good writing. I really think you will be happy you did. 

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“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.”

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Really Liked It

★★★★

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