Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) by Kristen Simmons
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400
Summary:The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.
After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.
Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….
Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.
Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.
With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?
My Thoughts: I’m not sure what to say about this one yet. Maybe I didn’t take long enough to digest it. While I loved Article 5, I just didn’t love this one as much. Don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy it, just not as much as Article 5. It might be because we already know some of what happened, and Chase didn’t come running into the picture as he did in Article 5. HA!
We are back with Ember and her gang of friends. Chase, Sean, etc. They are still on the run and they want to rescue Rebecca. Ember is also believed to be a sniper and everyone wants to catch her even more. Some people support her, some despise her. Its hard for her to know who to trust.
There were a lot of new characters and new plots to follow which is a good thing. It kept me guessing. I did love the scenes between Ember and Chase, and all that cuddling, so cute!
I liked that Tucker was more in this one, and Ember just had to deal with it. I’m glad to see how things went down there. I wanted to know how she’d react if put in his reach again.
This one was action packed and I felt like there was never a dull moment. People die, people live, new people enter, everyone goes haywire! And when Ember runs into her best friend= AWESOME!
And that ending, whoa. Am excited for the next one!
Overall: Liked it alot. Not quite as much as Article 5 but still enjoyed it a lot and will definitely read the next when it hits shelves. I’m so glad to see new characters and to have more going on!
Cover: Like it! These covers really amaze me.
What I’d Give It:
Me And My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Amazon’s Children Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 240
Summary: The cheerleader who has everything . . . ? Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship. Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart.
My Thoughts: Another 2013 debut! We are introduced to Mallory who is a cheerleader, somewhat popular, and from a normal family. She has a mom, dad, and an older sister named Darby.
Mallory has went through a lot of things. To deal with some of them, she makes up a fake boyfriend. His name is Todd and he is pretty amazing for a fake boyfriend. She has lied so much about him it almost seems believable at times. She writes details about him in her little notebook so she doesn't ever mess up. She plans trips to go see him, she has pictures of them both (photoshoped of course). Its pretty convincing to the outside eye.
But then she starts to like another boy. A real life boy who goes to her school. His name is Liam! Liam was so nice and adorable. He goes to church, likes music, and is pretty amazing. Mallory isn’t sure what to do but she has to act fast before someone else snags him up!
Mallory’s life isn’t perfect. She has to deal with her sisters issues, her best friend Tess’s issues. She sure does have a lot going on! And then it comes out to the whole school. She is a virgin so that makes things even worst. Everyone finds out and it sucks for her.
This was a cute novel. I liked it I really did but I didn’t love it. The characters felt a little underdeveloped but the issues were pretty deep with everyone and really makes you think.
Overall: I liked certain aspects of it, and felt a little out off about other things. I just felt like it could have been a little shorter and would have been ok with me. Being a virgin is cool Mallory! The relationship between Mallory and Liam was a little too fast. They instantly liked one another and that bugged me a little bit. I guess they didn’t have enough tension for me. HA.
I think this was still a nice read and I liked it enough. It was just ok but I did like certain points of it. This is probably more of a 3.5 for me. It was ok but a little better than ok but I didn’t love it.
Cover: I really like the cover. I like the colors and the way she is touching her hair! I think it fits pretty well.
What I’d Give It:
Scarlet (Cinder #2) by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel And Friends
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
Summary: This is not the fairytale you remember.
But it’s one you won’t forget.
Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.
Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.
As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . .
My Thoughts: I really loved Cinder, so I was beyond excited for Scarlet, and I enjoyed it almost just as much. I still loved it, but not quite as much as I did Cinder!
We are introduced to Scarlet who lives on a farm and helps her grandmother out. She’s lived with her since she was a little girl and its all she really knows. She remembers her dad and living with him but it wasn't the best moments of her life. When her grandma is taken, Scarlet is on a mission to find her. She is one determined girl. She won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not even a boy named Wolf.
She sets off to find her grandmother, and Wolf offers to help. He’s got a lot of secrets of his own, and that makes things more interesting.
On a side note, we are also thrown back into Cinder’s world, and we get to see how she’s doing, how she’s coping, and how things are going. Cinder and Scarlet are pretty tied together, and it was so fun seeing things happening in both of their worlds that would soon collide.
The chapters would switch so one minute we’re reading about Cinder and the next Scarlet. This actually worked! It was fun, entertaining, and I found myself enjoying it!
And of course, there are boys! And friends, and enemies. Oh gosh, this was so amazing.
I don’t want to say much else, because I don’t want to tell you how they are connected, or much of anything. I just want to say this novel was great and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Loved it.
Overall: When reading a novel, its pretty amazing when you say you don’t want it to stop and you're disappointed when you run out of pages to read. That is how I felt about this one. I didn't want to stop. I could have easily read 500 more pages! Man, oh man! I enjoyed this!
Cover: It’s so pretty. I love the colors and its fits perfectly!
What I’d Give It:
City Of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Summary: An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.
Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.
My Thoughts: This was so different.
We are introduced to Nisha who lives in a little area called City Of A Thousand Dolls. It’s basically a small community where girls live who can be bought and who are trained in different areas.
Right from the get go, I knew this one would be unique. She can talk to cats. How awesome is that? She understands them, they understand her, how cool!
She is also seeing a young man who just happens to be royalty. She wants him to choose her as his wife.
Girls start dying and Nisha gets curious. She wants to find out what happened to the girls and who did it. She needs to know!
As she finds more and more clues things aren't seeming to go her way and she’s left feeling useless and not as hopeful as she once was.
I loved Jeritt. Oh man, he was so cute! And funny, and quirky.
I actually really enjoyed this one. I can see where some might not but I must have just been in the mood for this because I raced right through it and found myself laughing and smiling quite a bit. And, I liked how it all played out. I’m happy to see how it ended.
Overall: I really enjoyed it. I liked the plot, and the characters, and all the other little weird stuff about this one.
Cover: Like it. A girl standing between those big statues! It would draw my attention right away!
What I’d Give It:
Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Philomel
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Summary: Known amongst 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 to 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. Caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld, New Orleans lures Josie in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.
With characters as captivating as her international 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.
My Thoughts: I’m the girl who doesn’t read much historical. I never find myself very interested in it. It doesn’t hold my attention very well.
But, Out Of The Easy was so good. I actually enjoyed it and finished it real quick. This is the first real historical that I really never got bored and I ate the story right up.
We are introduced to Josie who is the daughter of a prostitute. Josie has lived above a bookstore before she was even a teenager and has pretty much taken care of herself. She works at the bookstore with the owners soon. His name is Patrick. I really liked Patrick and I enjoyed Josie and his friendship. Another boy I want to mention now is Jesse. Oh Jesse, you are so adorable. He was witty and really charming. And that motorcycle! Oh Jesse!!!
One day while Josie is working at the bookstore a man walks in. He has class and Josie automatically admires him because he doesn’t treat her like others do. She wants to go to college and he actually thinks she can do whatever she wants. Its nice to have someone believe in you even if it is only for a little while.
This sets everything in motion and Josie is thrown into a situation where she has to make daily decisions that could affect her life and everyone around her.
Out Of The Easy was a brilliant novel. It had a nice plot and enough romance thrown in to keep me interested. It was also neat seeing Josie’s relationship with all the prostitutes and her close friendships with a few other characters.
Out Of The Easy was beautiful and I loved it!
Overall: So, I don’t read historicals, right? If you're like me, please try this one out and see if you like it or not. And if you already like them, you’ll probably enjoy this as well! Out Of The Easy was a nice novel, a sort of beauty to it. Josie was also very smart and a great heroine!
Cover: Its actually really pretty and artistic. I think it fits perfectly.
What I'd Give It:
Posts
