Review: Endure (Defy #3) by Sara B. Larson

Endure (Defy #3) by Sara B. Larson

Published: December 29th 2015 by Scholastic Press

 Rating: 2 out of 5

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Synopsis:

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

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Review. Ignite (Defy #2) by Sara B. Larson

Ignite (Defy #2) by Sara B. Larson

Published: December 30th 2014 by Scholastic Press

 Rating: 2 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy—before it's too late?
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Review. Defy (Defy #1) by Sara B. Larson

 Defy (Defy #1) by Sara B. Larson

Published: January 7th 2014 by Scholastic Press

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

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Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Synopsis:
The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Review:
The best book in the series. Now Grace is wolf and Sam waits to find her. A couple of false alarms later and they're together again. But things are different now.

When the wolves discover they're still under attack from Culpepper Grace and Sam take things into their own hands. The race is on to move the wolves. But there are consequences.

This book was full of highs and lows. At one point I nearly cried (I won't tell you which bit but its near the end). This book has more action and purpose to it than the others. Most probably the reason I liked it more. It still only gets 3 out of 5 though. I'm glad the series has ended but the ending was not a proper one. What happened to tieing up all the loose ends and an HEA? Don't be disappointed!

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Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Synopsis:

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Review:
Even though I didn't rate Shiver too highly I wanted to find out if the story really held water, so here is my Linger review.

Isabel and Cole stole the show in this sequel and I actually had laugh out loud moments. The relationship between Sam and Grace is more intense particularly as Sam doesn't change for winter but Grace begins to feel the stirrings of her new life. When she gets ill, everything begins to change.

I did like the POV's in this story and was glad Isabel shared some of the limelight. Cole is intriguing and definitely meant for Isabel.

But storywise, still not a great deal going on except for a lot of filler. A little bit too much drag for my liking. That said, it was way better than Shiver IMO.

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Review - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding

My Review:

This book makes you realize how much the storyline in the first two depended upon the tension created by the love triangle. In Mockingjay, the author robs her readers of what they crave! By the end, everything is so messed up that Peeta vs. Gale became "OH snap. Who even cares anymore?" I couldn't help but be disappointed--it was so violent, everyone dies (I CANNOT forgive Collins for taking away both Finnick and Prim!!) and even though there is a nicely packaged epilogue, I wanted more...EXPECTED more out of this final installment. 

Bottom line: You have to read it, but don't spend money on it- wait and borrow it from your friend. And then fondly recall the first book.

Review - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol. Catching Fire maintains the adrenaline rush of Suzanne Collins's series launch.

My Review:

I'm pretty sure I've developed a love-hate relationship with this series. These books aren't bad, not at all, they just can't manage to capture me! I got into the first book a lot quicker than this one; after half the book had passed I still didn't feel that need to finish it so I actually had to take a break for a while. And while the first book felt original--one of the reasons to why I did end up really enjoying it--this one felt more as a repetition of the same story. I know that it didn't end up the same, far from, but that was during the last 30% and when I actually became glued to the pages.

After that ending though, I have to read the final one. Have to, not really wanting to. Don't get me wrong, I do want to know what to happens to the characters. Very much! I just don't want to read the books. There's something about the way they're written that just feels so drawn-out and slow that I don't want to drag myself through another one. I want to read because it's fun and not find reasons to get out of reading. But I really can't leave the characters without knowing what will happen now and thus I will get the final book as well. See; love-hate relationship.

I have to say that the last part of this book did bump it up from a 2 star rating to a 3 one though. I can say one thing; even if I don't like actually reading them, there's nothing wrong with the plot and characters!

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Synopsis:
Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance

Review:
This book had so much hype I had to read it. I've never read Stiefvater before so really didn't know what I was getting in to.

First off, the characters were too ordinary. Despite the fact that Sam is a wolf he's just a half-human/half-wolf. He has no flair or excitement about him. No real back story except oh yeah he happens to be a wolf. Grace is a little too dull for my liking. And the friends seem to be too stereotypical friends. The bitchy one (Isabel) then the fun one (Olivia). Grace has parents who again, stereotypically, don't particularly like the new boyfriend etc etc.

It's a really slow read, not a great storyline, too many parallels to Twilight for my liking, and random poems thrown in to make it a little bit arty.

The book did make me shiver, but not in a good way.

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Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Review:

After starting this one I really didn't think I'd like it. It was so slow and drawn-out in the beginning. Almost everyone's rated this book between 4-5 stars, with the majority being 5, so I expected more. Maybe that was what ruined it for me, but it took almost the whole first part of the book to keep my interest. After that, it still felt a bit slow but picked up right after the first spark of love interest--can't stay away from the romance!

When the Games finally began I was hooked. Was I blown away? No. But I did truly enjoy it! And I'm extremely glad that I didn't give up in the beginning, because I can't wait to get hold of the next one. I felt for Katniss the whole time, she had both courage and skills to pull off winning the games, as well as a bit of rebellious streak. As for Peeta, he had my heart from the beginning and I loved every scene with him. He was so charming and supporting! The end of the Game was nerve-racking and the ending of the book had me extremely frustrated. I'm longing to know how it all turns out for these two!

The Hunger Games really is one of a kind. Horrible really, if you think about it; how little these people from the Districts mean to the Capitol. But it was good and I would recommend it! I'd just say be careful not to expect too much in the beginning, but instead give it a chance to deliver what I know it can, in it's own way