Mini Review: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

Title: The Titan's Curse

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Puffin Books
Release Date: May 5th, 2007
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.
But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.
Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

So the adventure continues and I feel like a little kid at Christmas because that's how much I'm loving this series. Although the second book was a bit of a let down, still great but not as good as the first, I was completely blown away by The Titan's Curse.

The characters really grow and develop, not only throughout the novel, but in the break before this book even begins. You see Percy begin to care about others, not just because he wants to be the hero, but because he really cares. He's having to work with others and we know how difficult that's been in the past for him. I was so happy that Grover was back in the game because I missed him in Sea of Monsters. There are also some new characters that I thought really brought the story to the next level. We get to see more of Annabeth's family and they're awesome btw.

The adventure Rick Riordan created kept me turning the pages all day long (read it in one sitting) and made me want more. I usually get tired of the same world but Rick Riordan managed to make me want to pick up The Battle of the Labyrinth right away. I think I'm seeing a pattern, books that take place on a cross country adventure? Please and thank you. There's just so much that can happen. As always, I loved reading about the other gods and learning a little bit more about the huge backstory that surrounds them all. Whenever I think there can't possibly be more, another surprise pops up!

Speaking of, I hope that we get to see more of Nico (and maybeeee his sister?) in the next book. I can't say this enough, but I'm so glad people pushed this series on me and didn't give up until I gave it a shot. It's quickly becoming one of my favorites and I can see why it has such a huge cult following!

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★★

Mini Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

Title: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
Author: Katie Alender
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Source: Netgalley

Goodreads Summary:

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.
But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.
Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .
Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

When I first requested Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer on Netgalley, I was crossing every part of my body to get approved and then I started seeing the reviews. People were saying how upset they were with the characters and I'm sad to say that I agree.

The premise of this book had so much potential to be a great mystery/horror but it really left  me empty in that department. I was hoping it would be about Marie Antoinette running around chopping people's heads off and the main girl being the only person that could stop her. I guess it was like that in some way but the plot revolved more around the main character, Colette, and her two incredibly snobby "best friends" roaming France and sight seeing.

Personally, I didn't feel any attachment to Colette and her so called best friend, Hannah. She was THE WORST human being ever. I think I've never read a book with a worst best friend. Even in books where the best friend steals the other girl's boyfriend, they had some sort of redeeming quality. Hannah just didn't have any. She didn't let anyone voice their opinions and Colette and Pilar (the other friend) never stood up for themselves. There's a particular scene, when the three of them go dress shopping, that took it over the top for me. I just couldn't anymore. I did like two of the side characters though...so I guess that's something?

Turning back to the plot, I usually wouldn't have an issue with a book where the main characters explore Paris, the problem was that I was expecting so much more and it fell very short for me. Overall, this was an entertaining read but you might want to lower your expectations before diving in.

Rating:

★ ★ ★☆☆

Blog Tour Review + Playlist: Unchosen by Michele Vail

Title: Unchosen (The Reaper Diaries #2)
Author: Michele Vail
Publisher: A Freeman Publication
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Source: eARC provided for tour

Goodreads Summary:

I thought the worst of my reaper training was behind me… turns out I was wrong. Dead wrong. 

Molly Bartolucci has done a lot of growing up but after being accused of using illegal magic at her school for necromancers, reaper-in-training Molly is treading lightly. As the destined leader of Anubis’s Chosen, she needs to study hard, train harder, and stay out of trouble. 

Uh, right. 

It doesn’t help that she’s feeling more than academic about her melt-your-bones hot reaping instructor, Rath. And if her relationship drama isn’t enough to drive her over the edge, she has to deal with mother issues, nosy little sisters, suspicious friends, and an unnamed force stalking her at school. 

Then her family is attacked, and her bio-dad ends up comatose in the hospital. Now, Molly has to uncover who’s trying to hurt her loved ones—and all without the help of Anubis.

This is the second book in the Reaper Diaries but Michele did a great job recapping the first book in the first few pages and then dropped some reminders throughout the novel. Since the book is told with some parts being journal entries, it's easy to figure out what happened in the first of the series. We kind of jump right in from where the first one left off and things start going wrong for Molly right away.

The characters didn't really develop much from the first novel. My favorite character continued to be Henry, Molly's ghoul. He was always there for her, zero questions. Yes, technically that's his job but I have a feeling he'd be there for her even if it wasn't. He's not supposed to show emotions but sometimes you can see a little spark in him. Rath, the love interest, is still as adorable as always. He's less frustrating in this book compared to his character in the first one but he still keeps his bad boy charm and I'm happy Michele kept that in. Plus, every time Rath called Molly, "brown eyes", I melted a little (or A LOT).

I really love the format in which this series takes form. In between each chapter Michele allows for quotes from some of the history books written in this Reaper world and they kept me interested. It was entertaining to learn more about Molly's Reaper history.

The one true problem I had with this book was that the plot seemed to be lacking something. Molly gets into trouble from page one and things quickly happen from there but it seemed like nothing was developing, even though a lot of things were happening. I don't know if this makes sense but I'm not how else to explain it. That said, this book was the type of entertaining, fast book everyone needs once in a while. The last five pages had me glued to the book and the ending makes me think the third book in this series is going to be action packed and amazing.

Also, I'm glad we got to see more of Molly's sister, Ally. Hopefully she makes more of an appearance in the third book because I loved reading about her character and seeing it develop. I'm looking forward to the conclusion.

Rating:

★ ★ ★☆☆

I also picked some songs that I think go well with the book and I love each and every one of them.

Playlist:

Glory and Gore by Lorde

Something to Believe In by Parachute

This Moment by Katy Perry

If I Lose Myself by OneRepublic

Something I Need by OneRepublic

I Lived by OneRepublic

Let me know what you think of the playlist. These songs all have a certain vibe to them that reminded me of the book.

Review: Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellon

Title: Ditched: A Love Story
Author: Robin Mellon
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Release Date: January 10th, 2012
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:

There's a girl.Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. That said, she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
And there's a boy.Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat, handle first.Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
Then there's a ditch.But when Justina is ditched, figuratively and literally, she must piece together--stain-by-stain on her thrift store dress--exactly how she ended up dateless...with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven.
To get the whole store, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. Can losing out at her prom ultimately lead to finding true love?

Justina has the worst possible luck ever. I can't even begin to describe all that things that happened to her in one night, PROM NIGHT. The story starts with Justina rolling out of a car, into a ditch. With a brand spanking new tattoo. At six in the morning.

This book was seriously so much fun to read because of how fast paced it was. There wasn't a dull moment. I mean, when so many things are happening to one girl, in one night, there's not much room for lulls.

The only problem I had with this book was with the main character. There were moments when i wanted to shake her into reality. She wanted to kill, mangle, or drown every girl that got close too close to Ian. Even just a look towards him was enough to set her wrath loose on them. I would like to think that most of us aren't like this. We get jealous, I know that's normal, and we even give the occasional dirty look but not to the extreme Justina went. This definitely knocked off a star for me.

That doesn't mean I didn't still enjoy the rest of the story. My absolute favorite parts were the in between chapters where we get to see Justina the morning after her disastrous night. She told her story to two women at a 7-Eleven to try to piece together what happened and their input and advice were hilarious. If you're looking for a fast paced book that you can pick up and finish in one day, I suggest giving Ditched a try. It's one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Review: Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Title: Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Release Date: April 1st, 2006
Source: Bought

Goodreads Summary:

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

I'm late on the bandwagon for these books but I'm enjoying the ride. In case you missed me gushing over The Lightning Thief, you can check out my review. There were so many things I loved about the first book and while I still adored the second one, I felt it lacked that magical hold the first one had.

We're introduced to some new characters like Tyson but while he was pertinent to the story, I didn't fall in love with his character like I did with the three main characters in the first book. Although, I was so happy to meet up with our old heroes and even began to feel attached to Clarisse. She was so snooty in The Lighting Thief but you can really see the character development and the fight within her, between following her instincts and following what her god of a father wants.

I thought the story line was missing something that the first book had. I just wasn't as involved in what Percy, Annabeth and Grover were going through as I would have liked, which is why it took me longer to finish. That said, I am still amazed with how Rick Riordan writes this world entwined with our real world. Every time he brings out a new element I'm in awe at how well he makes it work.

Learning about all the different myths is a huge plus with these books. I've always been interested in mythology and this just brings back that desire to learn. Sea of Monsters is an action packed adventure and I can't wait to pick up the next book, Titan's Curse.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Review: Two Lies and a Spy by Kat Carlton

Title: Two Lies and a Spy
Author: Kat Carlton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: August 1, 2013 
Source: Gifted
Goodreads Summary:

Kari plunges into the world of espionage on a mission to save her parents while trying to impress the guy she’s been in love with forever.
When sixteen-year-old Kari’s dad sends her an unexpected text, she and her brother immediately go into hiding. Because when your parents are superspies and your dad declares a Code Black, it can only mean something bad. Very bad.
Kari soon discovers that her parents have been disavowed and declared traitors, and she’s determined to clear their names. Breaking into the Agency seems like a reasonable plan, especially with the help of a team that includes her longtime crush, Luke, as well as her two best friends—an expert hacker with attitude and a master martial artist—and Luke’s popular, vindictive twin sister. Oh, and a new guy, who’s as cute as he is complicated...

It's clear that I love any books about spies. Bad ass heroine + cute guys + spies = my perfect book. They're always basically guaranteed to be fun and action packed and this one was just as entertaining as I thought it would be.

I hate that every time I read a teen spy book I end up comparing it to Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series but I can't help it. Although nothing has quite lived up to my love for that series (I've basically grown up with that series), this one kept me up well into the night.  I carried it around for two whole days and read wherever I could fit in a sentence or two (that may have included stoplights...don't judge).

It starts off with the main character, Kari, receiving a single message: "Can u pick up milk on ur way home?" To any other teen that would be something normal and quotidian but not for Kari. This only means one thing. CODE BLACK. She meets up with her 7 year old brother at a park and this is when all hell breaks loose. From here on out there are very few lulls in the story, on the contrary, it picks up speed right to the very last page. There were back to back twists and if you already know me, you know that I usually guess the twists way before they're announced. Even though this was the case here too, the action was enough to keep me turning pages.

The characters are all very different. There's Kari, daughter of two spies, but she's not really into the whole spy thing. She knows very little of what her parents do because they're rarely home and when they are, they can't share anything from their missions. So when it comes to saving them, she has to rely on her friends to help. Then there's her baby brother Charlie. He's basically a child genius and my favorite EVER. He says the best things and you can really tell that he loves and wants to protect Kari even at his young, tender age of seven. Kari has two best friends, a professional hacker and fashionista with a snazzy attitude (I loved her personality and what she brought to the story) and Kane, a martial arts genius. Lastly, there's the two love interests. Where would we be if there wasn't a love triangle between a good guy and a bad boy? (Drips sarcasm) Although I'm annoyed with all the love triangles, I have to say, I'm all in with team bad boy, Evan, although there were times when I thought he over did it on the rude and snarky comments. There were things that were unnecessary but out of the two I have to go with Evan because Luke was just too boring for my liking.

My one problem with Two Lies and A Spy is that Kari is so open about her parent's status as spies. By around page 80 everyone and their mother, neighbor and friend knew that Kari's parents are spies and that they've gone missing. I would like to think that if any of us were in Kari's situation we would be more cautious about who we tell what. Most spies try to keep their identities a secret, even when they're in trouble and have limited resources. They work with what they have. Kari clearly didn't learn this from her parents.

That said, I did really enjoy this one and want to see what happens now because that ending left me anxious for more. I recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced story with a hint of funny and intense. It won't disappoint.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: January 8, 2013 
Source: Library
Goodreads Summary: 

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

This is such a difficult review for me to write, especially since everyone I know adored Just One Day. I read this at the beginning of March and I'm still not too sure how I felt about it. I wanted to love it so badly. I really, truly did. I don't think anyone can understand how much I love If I Stay and Where She Went both by Gayle Forman. But I just didn't feel the same about Just One Day.

I try to write my reviews as I read the book, so for the first 100 pages, the review was definitely five stars. I felt like I was in Europe with Allyson, taking on new personalities and eating amazing food. The romance was a whirlwind of emotions and just the type of romance abroad any girl dreams of. Willem and Allyson visit the places usually forgotten and I was able to get lost with them in their amazing adventure.

Sadly, it lost me a little in the middle (and not in the good way it had before). Since the first part of the book happens within the time span of one day, it was very fast paced. Then the second part takes place throughout several months and that's where I had the problem. It was too slow for me. I know she's supposed to be piecing her life back together but it seemed like she just gave up on life because of a guy. Allyson falls into a routine and I quickly tired of it. Her best friend abandons her and I felt so depressed reading Allyson's tragic story that I had to put it down for a while and it took some effort to pick it back up.

The characters weren't interesting at all until Dee showed up and spiced up everything. That's when I was finally able to start getting into it again. He brings a new perspective to the whole story. Other characters start to be introduced and just as quickly as it lost me, Allyson's story came to life again as she got herself together and took charge.

After that, I went back to loving Just One Day. Things quickly picked up and I finished the rest in a day. Now, after that ending, I can't wait for Willem's story to come out THIS MONTH. I think his story will be a bit more fast paced and exciting than hers.

Rating:

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I don't know why I didn't trust any of the people who raved about how amazing this book was. It is the adventure of a lifetime and so much more.

The characters captured my heart and I found myself ripped into their world. One of my biggest fears was that I wouldn't connect with Percy because he's a 12 yr old kid but I was so wrong. There wasn't a time when I felt tiresome or annoyed from reading from the point of view of a preteen. Usually I get mad at characters for doing stupid things but even with Percy, Annabeth and Grover being so young that wasn't the case.

The romance is very VERY light. There's almost none of it in this first book, which is good because they're so young still. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they develop and evolve in the following books.

As I mentioned before, the adventure sucks you right in. There wasn't a moment when I didn't say, just one more page, because Percy and his friends were in the middle of something crazy. I loved every encounter with the Greek gods and monsters and I thought it was amazing how Rick Riordan managed to bring that old mythology and the modern world together in this epic story.

I can't wait to pick up the second book since this one blew my expectations out of the water. I think I'm the last person ever to read this but if you somehow haven't yet, go get it and start your journey alongside Percy's wild story.

5/5 stars

Blog Tour: Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor Review + Playlist and Giveaway

In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.
Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne could care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school.
When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Expected Publication: July 30th 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Purchase: Amazon

A lot of covers lately have the girl with the plaid skirt and high socks. You know, the usual boarding school outfit, and by that I mean this book, Also Known As, the Hex Hall books and the Gallagher Girls series. I'm a little skeptical when it comes to these covers but the books themselves are some of my favorite books and this one continued the trend.

Prep School Confidential was really fast paced to the point where there was never a lull. Either I was laughing out loud, or I was in the middle of a really intense page turning scene the entire time. The main character, Anne, can come off as a little snotty when you first start the books so, fair warning, but I liked her character. Is it wrong? Kara Taylor just did her cattiness so well. Anne didn't necessarily say rude things out loud but I found myself thinking the same thing she was thinking so I definitely related to her. As I said before, she can come off as too snobby and annoying in the first chapters, but as you read on and get to know Anne, you find out that she isn't like that at all. In reality she's the only one who actually cares enough to find out what really happened to her Isabella after she's found dead. 

There were two love interests, as there usually happen to be in young adult books. There's Anthony, Isabella's twin and Brent. I will tell you that I was super suspicious about one of them up until the very end of the book. And even now I still don't fully trust him. We'll see what happens in the next book (OH YEAH, THERE'S A SEQUEL).

There was no way I could have guessed who was behind the murder. I had some ideas and then started narrowing it down but Kara Taylor did a fabulous job with the mystery. The only problem I had was that there was an overload of information. So many things were going on at the same time in this school that I found it a bit overwhelming. There were some things that were left with an open ending but hopefully the next book develops more on them.

I didn't know there was going to be a sequel but I'm so excited for the next book now! There are still a plethora of things unresolved and I'm so curious. In my opinion, there aren't enough good mystery books in YA and that's my favorite genre. I highly suggest you fellow mystery lovers pick this one up.

4.5/5

Playlist:

I Love It by Icona Pop

-The main character doesn't care what anyone does or says and I think this really empowering song fits her character. Plus, she burned down part of her school..."and watched it, let it burn"...anyone?

Change My Mind by One Direction

Beautiful People by Cher Lloyd

Your Biggest Mistake by Ellie Goulding

This Love (Will Be Your Downfall) by Ellie Goulding

-Reminds me of Isabella's character and the way she thinks and sees things.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.
Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

This book was so much fun! A true laugh out loud read. I was so not expecting what this book actually delivered. I hadn't heard much about it and I think it deserves more hype and more notice in the blogging community and in the book world in general.

The main character, Maggie, was witty and sarcastic and strong all bundled into one. I wish I had a witty and quick response to everything like Maggie does. She's been cracking safe's and locks since she was a baby and could barely reach them. When we first meet her, her parents are sending her to school to be a 'normal' teen but there's a catch. She gets to go to school as part of an assignment. When she moves to New York for this new assignment she meets Roux. Oh dear Roux! She's such a handful. She's the type of girl who isn't afraid to speak up. Oh no, on the contrary, she speaks too much sometimes but you quickly warm up to her. She's a great friend when Maggie really needs one.

Maggie and her 'assignment', Jesse's relationship is sure to be one of my all time favorites. They compliment each other perfectly. Their conversations had me literally cracking up. There are few books that have that effect on me so when I find one I hold on to it tightly.

The only downside is that I wish the spying part of the book was more developed. There are a lot of more simple spying methods used and that's fine but I'm used to reading really intricate spy stuff from Ally Carter and I thought it was slightly lacking BUT the characters were so well developed that it just became a minor issue. The characters and their relationships were the main focus.

It was just a light, quick and ridiculously FUN book. The ending had me on the verge of biting my nails. In conclusion, I LOVED this book and recommend it to fans of Ally Carter or someone who is just looking for something fun and quick.

5/5 stars

Review: Storm (Elemental #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.
And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.
Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.
The storm is coming.

Going into Storm I was expecting action, thrills, and plenty of twists speckled with pure hotness (let's be honest, four sexy brothers? YES. PLEASE) but I didn't get what I expected. I wanted something along the lines of Altered by Jennifer Rush. Four boys in all their elemental glory.

The thing is, I guessed EVERY plot twist by the middle of the novel. How disappointing. The twists were things I saw coming from a mile away. They were good twists, and I can tell why people love this series so much but nothing took me by surprise. Also, I got a little bored in the middle. The action wasn't enough for me to want to keep reading. I just wasn't hooked until the final chapters.

That being said, the characters really pulled through and that's what saved the book for me. The four brothers have this great family connection and even though they fight amongst themselves constantly, there's nothing they wouldn't do for each other and that really comes through in the story. So let me break it down for you. We have Chris, the youngest, who can wield the water element. He's hot and cold with Becca but like in every paranormal YA, it's just for her own safety and when he finally reveals his feelings...OH THE FEELS. Then there's the twins. Yes, you heard me right. TWINS. Gabriel and Nick can wield fire and wind, respectively. Gabriel is the angry, dangerous one and Nick is the one who keeps everything under control and everyone calm. Even though Gabriel can be a douche, he was my favorite because the way he stands up for the people he cares about was outstanding. Finally, we have Michael, the older brother who takes care of them all. He got custody of the brothers when he was 18 and their parents died but he doesn't always handle things in the best way, which is understood since he himself is only 23 having to raise three teenage boys (who can control the elements on top of everything). 

There's also Hunter, who isn't a Merrick brother. He's the new kid in town. He quickly attaches himself to Becca's side, which at first was cute when he defended her but quickly became annoying when he wouldn't let her talk to any of the other guys. It was like he thought she couldn't stand up for herself. And the one time he should have been his over protective self, he fails.

Becca kind of paled in comparison when it came to the boys but she is definitely a strong main character. Becca stands up for herself and others. She doesn't question twice when it comes to protecting or defending innocent people. Even when things are tough she doesn't stand back and let the guys handle the problem.

Aside from the twists I figured out early on, the novel picked up near the end and made me power through it. I loved the snark comments the characters made that had me laughing out loud at times so I can definitely say that I'll be picking up the second one in this series. It's from Gabriel's point of view ;) I will not be missing out on his story.

Rating: 3.5/5

Blog Tour: Our Song (Review + Dream Cast + Giveaway)

Released: May 2, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Purchase: Amazon

Olive Bell has spent her entire life in the beautiful suburb of Vista Valley, with a picture-perfect home, a loving family, and a seemingly perfect boyfriend. But after a near-fatal car accident, she’s haunted by a broken heart and a melody that she cannot place.
Then Olive meets Nick. He’s dark, handsome, mysterious . . . and Olive feels connected to him in a way she can’t explain. Is there such a thing as fate? The two embark on a whirlwind romance—until Nick makes a troubling confession.
Heartbroken, Olive pieces together what really happened the night of her accident and arrives at a startling revelation. Only by facing the truth can she uncover the mystery behind the song and the power of what it means to love someone.

Our Song wasn't on my radar at the start of the year but as soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to get my hands on this haunting love story. I've been loving contemporaries lately and I'm a true sucker for loss of memory and car accident stories that leave the main character trying to piece back their memories and their lives.

The main character, Olive, is a little bland at the start. She doesn't know how to live without her boyfriend by her side so now that he doesn't want anything to do with her (and I'm talking about him not even visiting her at the hospital after the accident and not saying a word to her afterwards) she is lost in the world. But during the novel, you definitely see her growth and her realization about life and how she wants to live it. I adored seeing her finally finding herself. It was probably one of my favorite parts of the story, aside from her relationship with Nick.

Nick is mysterious and amazing all at the same time. I spent most of the time wondering what he was hiding and what his whole deal was. I definitely had tons of guesses about what was going on. He's the enigma of mystery from his watch that's broken and forever frozen on a certain time, to his green car and his air of confidence I was hooked on Nick's character. And let's not forget that he has an English accent, which always makes everything better.

You can tell while reading Our Song that all the characters have secrets of their own. Even the parents and Olive's best friend. It seems so true and honest to what real life is like. Things aren't perfect and I liked that. Olive and Nick are both broken in their own way and help each other grow and bring themselves back to an okay state.

The only thing I had a hard time with was getting some clues on what the big mystery was. I got to almost the end of the book without even an idea as to what was truly happening in Nick's life and the truth about the accident. I would have liked a little bit of insight earlier on. It would have made the book a faster read but that was hardly a problem.

Jordanna Fraiberg is fantastic with the written word. The novel has almost a lyrical feel to it and I really connected it to the title Our Song. It felt to me as if the story was their song. If you're looking for a book to pick up this summer, I highly recommend this beautifully written book.

Rating: 4/5 stars

My Dream Cast:

Crystal Reed as Olive

 

She's a little older but she fits what I thought Olive would look like. Plus I've seen her play a well put together teen in Teen Wolf and a strange outsider in Crush. I think she's really pull off Olive's character.

Daniel Sharman as Nick

I think he would play the perfect Nick. He was born in London so he has an English accent, which is oh so very important when looking for who will play Nick. I know he can pull off the teenager with problems, seeing as how he also plays a teenager in Teen Wolf.

These two actors would have great chemistry as they are also dating in real life. It's the perfect package. I could really see them pull of the wonderful characters in the novel.

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway