Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Summary: Anna can't wait for her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a good job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's not too thrilled when her father unexpectedly ships her off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair, the perfect boy. The only problem? He's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her crush back home. Will a year of romantic near-misses end in the French kiss Anna awaits?

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Review:

Plot: The plot for Anna and the French Kiss sounds like any other contemporary book and it is, but what saves it from being just any other ya romance is the writing. Stephanie is a very talented writer and she has made the perfect spring/summer book. At first I didn't really like the plot but around page 50 I was sold! I loved the romance between Anna and St. Clair and the location was a great addition to the plot and it added a lot to the story.

Characters: I loved all the main characters. Anna and St. Clair were my favorites, but their friends in Paris were great as well. Paris feels almost like a secondary character as well and not so much as a location and I loved how well Stephanie Perkins pulled this off.

Overall: Loved the film references in the book and the writing were lovely. The pacing of the book is some of the best pacing I've seen in a book. The only thing that seemed to bother me was how quickly the storyline wrapped up at the end of the book, but I still enjoyed the ending very much. If you love YA contemporary  then you will more than likely fall in love with Anna and the French Kiss. Am looking forward to the other two companion novels! 4.5/5 Stars

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King (The Iron Fey Series, Book 1) by Julie Kagawa

Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

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Review:

 Plot: I am not normally a big fan of faery books but I thought the plot was well thought out. The story did drag a little for me towards the middle of the book and I thought some scenes could have been shorten just  little to make the book flow a little better. 

Characters: I enjoyed all of the major characters in this book and I think they were the best think about the book. I loved the interaction between Meghan and the Prince. My favorite character was actually the cait sith, Grimilkin. I loved what he brought to the story and the dialogue he added was great.

Overall: The pacing is where the book really suffers the most, for me. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue was great. My biggest problem with the book is that I didn't feel the need to read the next book right away (and I still haven't bought it yet). Julie Kagawa is a great writer and I am curious to see how the rest of the series turns out. 4/5 Stars

Review Policy and Contact Information

Information for Authors & Publisher’s interested in reviews:

Genres:    

I primarily read Young Adult novels, with a a big preference towards Fantasy, Dystopia and Contemporary. I also enjoy reading Sagas, Trilogies and Series, BUT I have to read the books in order, obvilousily. 

 

  Format:

I can only accept physical copies of ARCs due to me not having a eReader.

 

  Reviews:

 I will give my honest review and the fact that I am getting an ARC will not make me post fake reviews. I post my reviews on this blog, Amazon and Goodreads currently and am looking into posting on Barnes and Noble.

I will always finish the book and post a review BUT if I cannot make it through the book for whatever reason (not something I enjoy, aka lots of sex scenes) I will let you know that I cannot provide a review for the book.

My reviews have changed a little since I started reviewing books. I include three main sections in my reviews (Plot, Characters and Overall) and I talk about how well the book was written and the pacing. I use a 5 Star rating scale.

Contact me here!

 

Guest Posts/Interviews

I have never done a guest post or interview but it is a great way to promote your book! If you are interested in doing this please contact me! If you want to be a guest poster contact me and ask me for any guidelines!

 *NOTE* I do not currently accept self published books so please do not contact me about reviewing them.

Legend by Marie Lu

Legend (Book 1) by Marie Lu

Summary: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

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 Review:

Plot: This was my second dystopian novel that I read (first being Divergent) and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The plot is one of my favorite plots I have read in years and I loved how quickly it moved along. The twist and turns throughout the book weren't too surprising but I still enjoyed them.

Characters: Day and June are great main characters. I felt awful for June when her brother Metias was killed. By the end of the book Day and June become two of my favorite characters in years.

Overall: The pacing, plot and characters were great and the writing was beautiful. The book went by fast too due to the engaging writing and quick pace. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Prodigy. 4.5/5 Stars

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

 Summary: When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

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 Review:

Plot: The plot for Katherines was something not like something I have ever read, I have never seen a book incorporate math (and footnotes!!) the way John Green did. I hate math, was never any good at it, and I thought this would be the second John Green book I'd read that I would hate, but I was wrong. The math parts is a little overwhelming at time, and I did even skip a few of those pages, but it did not make the story less enjoyable. I thought the main plot would be just a road trip for the entire book and at first was disappointed when the road trip ended but this ended up being one of my favorites of the year! I loved finding out about why he only dated girls named Katherine and why each of the relationships didn't last.

Characters: The characters in this book were really funny and they felt real which was my biggest problem with Paper Towns, none of the characters felt like they would exist. Colin is a great main character and I loved how 'nerdy' he was and how he acted around other people. Hassan, my favorite character, was so refreshing for YA, I loved his little quirks (I laughed at every mention of Judge Judy!). Lindsay and her mother were also welcome additions to the book.

Overall: This book exceeded my expectations and I am really looking forward to reading more of John Green! The only downsides for me was too much math at parts, even though it fit the character perfectly, and too many footnotes at times. 4/5 Stars

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave (Book 1) by Rick Yancey

Summary: 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.

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Review: 

Plot: I really loved the plot of this book and for me it was something fresh since I don't normally read sci-fi. It had a romance, obviously, and I thought it was handled pretty well throughout the book. My only problem is I don't see how Rick Yancey could make 2 or more books in this trilogy/series, but if he came up with this brilliant book I am positive he can prove me wrong.

Characters: I really enjoyed how he did different points of view throughout the book but the main character is Cassie and I really enjoyed her as a character. At times she came off as a little shallow but she is a flawed human, as are all these characters, and that is what made her feel so real. The other characters were also great! I loved Evan and learning about him through the book and Sammy's chapter was such a great addition to the story. Sure, it didn't give any real new information, but it was so heartbreaking watching that chapter unfold through the eyes of a child.

Overall: I loved the pacing of this book so much, it flowed really well and didn't seem so long while reading it, the book really flew by! I was a little worried about reading this book at first because I didn't like his other series but after getting past the prologue I knew I was in for a treat and I was not disappointed! His writing was lovely and I will be trying The Monstrumologist again. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series! 5/5 Stars

#FridayReads - May 24th

 #FridayReads - May 24th

I will be finishing up The 5th Wave this weekend and then starting on Velveteen, which I am very excited to read. If I have enough time to finish Velveteen I will get started on Demonglass (Hex Hall Trilogy, Book 2).

What will you be reading this weekend? Let me know in the comments.

Upcoming Reviews - May 26th-June 1st

I will be posting reviews for the following books next week:

An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

Legend - Marie Lu

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa 

Beautiful Disaster - Jamie McGuire

Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins

If I Stay - Gayle Forman