Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Release Date: November 5, 2013

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages:  384

Summary:  He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.

With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

My Thoughts:  When I read Legend, it was exciting and one of my favorites of the year!

I am finally done with the series! When I started Champion, I wasn’t sure to think. We are right back there with June and Day and neither of them are really enjoying life. They are living life without each other doing their own thing. They both have their own battles they must face.

I don’t want to say very much about this one in this review incase you haven’t started the series yet. I thought the first part was good, than towards the middle it got somewhat boring and I felt like I wanted it to speed up. And then the end, it got a lot better. It just had a very slow middle and I almost put it down completely but I needed to know how this series was going to end.

I really enjoyed this series but the last one was my least favorite. However, I did really enjoy Day and June again and Day’s little brother. I also really liked the last few pages of Champion! Loved those!

Overall:  I liked this one but not as much as the first two. I’m glad how things ended up though. Nice story!!! One of my favorite series of all time! I think this is more of a 3.5 cupcake rating for me!

Cover: I like it! I think Legend has the best cover though!

What I’d Give It:

Thornhill (Hemlock #2) by Kathleen Peacock

Thornhill (Hemlock #2) by Kathleen Peacock

Release Date: September 10, 2013

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books  

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages:  352

Summary: Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

My Thoughts: I liked Hemlock but I didn’t outright love it. With Thornhill, I liked it even better. I guess because we jump right into the storyline and we already know who the characters are.

We are back with Mac who is a human. This time she is in her father’s presence but not for long. Mac and her friends get captured and sent to a werewolf rehabilitation camp. I love how Mac plays the werewolf so well. She fools plenty of people instead thinking she’s one of them. I also loved that we are back with Jason and Kyle. I just love both boys a little bit and I have a hard time figuring out who I like more.

I think the best part of this one was the characters once again. They made me laugh but they also were very likable. I also really did like the plot and seeing how things went down.

I can’t wait to read the third and final book in the series! Hopefully soon.

Overall: I’m still really torn between Jason and Kyle. I want to like Kyle and I want Mac with him but part of me also likes the Jason aspect and what he brings to the mix. I really liked this one.

Cover:  I like it! It’s cute! Love how she is just standing there!

What I’d Give It:

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse’s Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 304

Summary:  Practice Makes Perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

My Thoughts: I really love the Thousand Oaks stories! Each one features different characters and they usually tie back to someone in previous books. I always enjoy learning about more characters!

In Jesse’s Girl, we are introduced to Maya who is a rocker! She loves music, she loves playing, and she enjoys singing even though at times she has a rocky start. She gets nervous to sing in front of people. It does help her to sing with others.  Maya gets the opportunity to shadow a real life singer for her class assignment.  She gets paired up with Jesse Scott!  Jesse Scott is famous! All the girls want to date him, all the guys wish they were him.

Maya and Jesse are an unlikely pairing. Even though they have a lot in common, they are also very different. I loved how sweet and exciting Jesse was underneath his tough exterior. He has learned not to get close to anyone and he’s been okay with that. Maya is pretty open. She likes being herself and she would stand up for what she wanted and believed in.

Maya and Jesse spend quite the day together. I really liked their first real day. I loved seeing all the little things they did.  

As the story progressed, I loved how seeing things went between them. It wasn't always perfect but Jesse and Maya were good together. They helped each other open up more and to go after what they wanted.  

I loved how this one ended. I loved how Maya got to sing and have a chance to participate even though it wasn't quite what she expected.

I loved how this one turned out! And I loved the relationship of Maya to the characters from previous books!

Jesse’s Girl was another fantastic novel!

Overall: Loved it! I can’t wait until the next one comes out! Which character will it be? Just love these books! Love the way they are written and how cute they are!

Cover: Its sooooo darn neat! Love her boots and I just love how they look walking together. CUTENESS!

What I’d Give It:

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips

Release Date:  June 30, 2015

Publisher: Kensington

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages: 272  

Summary: “Edgy and honest, Faking Perfect is the real thing.” –Huntley Fitzpatrick

When Lexi Shaw seduced Oakfield High's resident bad boy Tyler Flynn at the beginning of senior year, he seemed perfectly okay with her rules:

1. Avoid her at school.

2. Keep his mouth shut about what they do together.

3. Never tease her about her friend (and unrequited crush) Ben.

Because with his integrity and values and golden boy looks, Ben can never find out about what she’s been doing behind closed doors with Tyler. Or that her mom’s too busy drinking and chasing losers to pay the bills. Or that Lexi’s dad hasn’t been a part of her life for the last thirteen years. But with Tyler suddenly breaking the rules, Ben asking her out, and her dad back in the picture, how long will she be able to go on faking perfect?  

My Thoughts:  I wasn’t sure what was going to happen as I went into this. But, the story flowed just nicely! I loved Lexi and the way she looked at things.

Lexi lives with her mom and has never really known her dad. For all she knows he could be dead. At least thats how it starts.

She also lives next door to her best friend who is a guy, and of course she has a crush on a boy named Ben. Ben is perfect. The perfect student, the perfect son, the perfect everything at least in Lexi’s eyes. She’s also friends with his cousin so she’s around him quite a bit. Lexi wants Ben but she doesn’t make it obvious. In the meantime, Lexi is having an on and off again relationship with a boy named Tyler. If you can call it that. Mostly, Tyler sneaks into Lexi’s room at night and stays with her a while and then leaves.

I really liked this one a lot. I also liked seeing the different sides of Lexi. How she was with her mom, how she was with her best friend and next door neighbor and how she was with Ben and then bad boy Tyler.

Of course, I was team Tyler all the way. I wanted her to be with him. You can see the chemistry between them and how nice of a guy he really is even if it doesn't show on the outside.

I really enjoyed this one! I liked learning more about her family and I just loved Tyler! I want him to be mine! I loved getting to know him and seeing the softer side of him.

This contemp was really romantic and sucked me right in!

Overall:  I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I hadn’t heard much about it but decided to read it one day and I must say I loved it! I am so glad on how things turned out for Lexi too. I’m glad things went that way.

Cover:  Like it! Its nice but I’m not sure if I would pick it up for the cover alone!

What I’d Give It:

Jessica Rules The Dark Side (Jessica #2) by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica Rules The Dark Side (Jessica #2) by Beth Fantaskey

Release Date: January 10, 2012

Publisher:  HMH Books For Young Readers

Age Group: Young Adult

Pages:  320

Summary: It's one thing to find out you're a vampire princess. It's a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband's name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius's time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is —and whom she can trust— before it's too late?

My Thoughts:  I liked the first book in this series enough but I never truly loved it. I liked Jessica Rules The Dark Side more than that one. Maybe because it didn’t deal with Jessica and Lucius in school.

Now they are in charge and living in the family castle. They are rulers. I loved seeing Jessica as a princess and I loved the addition of Mindy coming to visit.  I even liked Mindy’s love interest. It fit perfectly.

When one of the elders is murdered it puts Jessica and Lucius in a very sticky situation and they have to figure out who did it.

If you haven’t read the first one, I don’t really want to give much away in this review so I’m going to keep it short.

I enjoyed this one more than the first and I’m glad. It took me a little while to get through the first and it felt really long and drawn out. I kind of just flew through this one.

Overall:  I liked this one. It had more mystery and I liked seeing Jessica grow up a bit. This one is probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating!

Cover: Like it. I am so enticed by these covers. They are cute!

What I’d Give It: