Scythe

Title: Scythe
Author: Neal Shusterman
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: November 22, 2016
Dates Read: 4/1/2018-4/3/2018
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Arc of A Scythe (book 1)

Hope in the shadow of fear is the world's most powerful motivator.

I was hesitant to pick up Scythe at first. I had heard many great reviews, and I was afraid it wouldn't live up to my expectations. And, seeing that it was my first Neal Shusterman novel, I was afraid that it would ruin him for me. Thankfully, I was wrong. It was the opposite of what I thought. This novel blew me away.

Citra and Roman are two normal Mid-Merican teens. Citra comes from a small family, while Rowan comes from a large family. They live in a society where there is no pain, hunger, poverty, or even death...well, natural death. Enter, the Scythedom. The Scythes are in charge of keeping the population balanced. Citra and Rowan are both chosen as apprentices to Scythe Faraday, a fair scythe who has a compassionate way of life. It's not supposed to easy, but it's not supposed to be life-threatening either. Then the rules change and it suddenly becomes a game of life or death.

I can't wait to pick up Thunderhead!

Batman: Nightwalker

Title: Batman Nightwalker
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA fantasy
Series: DC Icons #2
Release Date: January 2, 2018
Dates Read: March 2018
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I honestly enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I’m not a huge Batman fan. I’ve seen the first movie, and that’s it. I thought I would be very confused. Surprisingly, I wasn’t. This book takes place after the murder of Bruce’s parents, but before he becomes Batman. 

We find Bruce just weeks away from his high school graduation. He’s slated to attend a charity event in his name, against his better judgment. He tries to escape the escape the paparazzi by ditching his own event but to no avail. He ends up covered by even more paparazzi. His little”stunt” lands him community service on the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. There he meets Madeline Wallace, a girl who supposedly has ties to the Nightwalkers. The Nightwalkers have been terrorizing the rich and famous of Gotham City lately. She’s a quiet girl who becomes mute when the police come. Then something happens and all of that changes.

This was a great read. I love the new DC ICONS series, and I love how it portrays the heroes before they became famous. If you're looking for the classic villains from the Dark Knight trilogy, you won’t find them here.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: 5/5/2015
Dates Read: 8/11/2018-8/13/2018
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

We need hope, or else we cannot endure. 

Wow...I don't even know how I can do this book justice, but here goes nothing.

Feyre is a huntress. Her and her family's survival is based upon what she kills. Feyre lives in a world that was once ruled by fae, but now faes are just legends. She's heard the stories of faeries crossing the wall separating them from the mortals, but she scoffed at it as most of her village did. 

One day, while hunting, she comes face to face with a wolf. Legend has it fae sometimes take the shape of wolves to hunt in mortal lands. She hesitates on killing it, but soon hunger and the price of the pelt clouds her judgment and she kills it without a second thought.

Soon after, a ferocious beasts come barreling into her cottage, demanding for the murderer. Turns out, Feyre was wrong. That wolf was a faerie, and now she must pay the price for it. Whisked away to a magical kingdom, Feyre soon finds herself in the world of fae, ones with strange masks on their faces. Feyre soon discovers that her handsome captor is hiding more than he claims. Soon, Feyre's hostility towards him soon turns to passion, which makes the land of the fae an even deadlier place. Feyre must break an ancient curse to save those she loves.

This book was even better than I thought it would be. People have been telling me to read it for a while now, and I'm glad I finally listened. I honestly wasn't sure if I would like it or not, since hyped books tend to not live up to my expectations. This one, however, far exceeded my expectations. Now onto book two.

Don't feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.

Vicious

Title: Vicious
Author: V. E. Schwab
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Dates Read: 8/8/2018-8/10/2018
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Vicious #1

Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human. 

Victor and Eli are college roommates. At least, that's how they start out. They are both smart, ambitious, and see the hunger for knowledge in each other. It's senior year and it's time to decide on their thesis. Victor's is on adrenaline, while Eli's is on EOs, better known as ExtraOrdinarys. Soon their thesis goes from academic to experimental, and things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison and is determined to search for his old friend. aided by his cellmate and a young girl. Eli, however, is on a mission. One that could threaten Victor and everything he's worked for.

To be honest, I didn't expect to like this when I started it. It's confusing at first, as the timeline jumps between the past and present. As you continue reading, however, it soon begins to connect and everything falls into place.

This was my first V.E. Schwab novel and definitely will not be my last. I hope to start either A Darker Shade of Magic or This Savage Song soon. I'm looking forward to reading Vengeful soon. This is definitely one of my top reads of the year, if not the top read.

The absence of pain led to an absence of fear, and the absence of fear led to a disregard for consequence.

Hunting Prince Dracula

Title: Hunting Prince Dracula
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: September 19, 2017
Dates Read: 7/28/18-8/7/18
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper #2

For there are no limits to the stars, their numbers infinite. Which is precisely why I measure my love for you by the stars. An amount too boundless to count. 

This begins soon after the events of Stalking Jack the Ripper. After the horror of the Jack the Ripper case, Audrey Rose leaves London in order to escape the grief. She and Thomas travel to Romania, home of one of Europe's top forensic schools...and the home of Vlad the Impaler, better known as Vlad Dracula. Audrey Rose's joy is short-lived, however, as she yet again finds herself investigating all too familiar murders.

In my opinion, this was even better than the first. I couldn't guess who did this, and the ending had me floored. I love Thomas and Audrey Rose so much. The banter between them is hilarious and witty, and the chemistry is through the roof.

"Do you want to know what I think? The Truth?"
"Yes." He gazed unabashedly into my eyes. "Make it scandalous too. This is a bit too serious for my tastes." 

I would say that this one is a lot creepier than the last, and the faint at heart and the squeamish might have to skip over places, but all in all, I loved this book. Now comes the wait for Escaping from Houdini.

Everyone makes mistakes, Wadsworth. There's no shame in that. It's how you go about mending them that truly counts.

Slay the Demon

Title: Slay the Demon
Author: Laura Lee McKellips
Genre: Romance, Fiction
Release Date: March 1, 2017
Dates Read: 8/3/2018-8/5/2018
Rating:
Series: Briar Wall #1

You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. 

Briar Wall is a small town but is remembered for one thing, a mass shooting back in 2003. Kimberly Wilson is one of the survivors of that harrowing day, a day that changed her life. This inspires her to start Slay the Demon, an organization that helps victims of mass shootings slay their inner demons. It's a tough line of work emotionally, but for Kimberly, the reward far outweighs the rest.

That is until history repeats itself. On the thirteenth anniversary of the shooting, a second shooting happens. This time the gunman targets the elementary school instead of the high school. Matthew Oliver is a local businessman who's daughter attends that school. Relief washes over him when he sees that his daughter is ok. But Maggie is only physically ok. Inside, Maggie is still trapped with the shooter, and Matt must find a way to unlock her from it.

He turns to Kimberly. Though apprehensive of her, together they must work together to break Maggie from her emotional cage.

I'm not usually a big fan of romance novels, but I really enjoyed it. I love when romance books have more than just a romance in them. Laura Lee writes a great combination of loss and new beginnings that I loved.

Courage doesn't mean you're not afraid. Courage means that you don't let fear stop you.

An Ember in the Ashes

Title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sanaa Tahoe
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Dates Read: 6/28/2018-6/29/2018
Series: An Ember in the Ashes (book 1)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing.  Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength.

I had this book for awhile, but could never finish it. I didn’t like the split points of view that this book was written from at first, then I grew to love it. I wish I would’ve pushed through it  the first time I tried to read it.

We first meet Laia. Laia is a scholar. She and her brother, Darin, are raised by their grandparents. Together they live a quiet life, one without any resistance to the empire. Then one night, everything changes. Her brother is arrested for treason, and Laia is faced with a life-changing decision. Must she stay and fight, or must she run and hide?

Elias Veturius is top of his class at Blackcliff Military Academy. He, his best friend Helen Aquila, and many others are graduating in just a few short days. He is faced with a tough decision that must be made in the coming days. One that could possibly be the end of him.

In order to save her brother, Laia risks her life as a spy inside Blackcliff. There she meets Elias and the two have more in common than they think. Slave and soldier with common goal? It’s an alliance that can be the death of them, if they aren’t careful.

From Ant to Eagle

Title: From Ant to Eagle
Author: Alex Lyttle
Genre: MG realistic fiction
Release Date: Apri 1, 2017
Date Read: June 22, 2017

My name is Calvin Sinclair, I am eleven years old and I have a confession...I killed my brother.

Calvin “Cal” Sinclair is about to start sixth grade, while Sammy, his little brother, is about to start second grade. They have recently moved from a big city to a small town, and Cal is bored to tears. He comes up with a way to keep his brother away from him and to get his work done. He comes up with different “levels” that Sammy can earn usually by doing his brother’s chores or some unrealistic task to keep him away from Calvin. The levels range from Ant to Eagle. Cal soon meets Aleta Alvarado, the new girl in town. She and Cal share a love for R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. Soon Cal starts spending more time with Aleta than Sammy, and Sammy begins to feel left out. This continues through the summer and even after school starts. Until one day at school, something happens to Sammy that will change the entire Sinclair family forever.

This heart-breaking novel is the debut of Alex Lyttle. I recommend this for fans of R. J. Palacio’s Wonder. This book shattered me. It’s heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, and awe-inspiring.