The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2011, Harlequin TEEN

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Synopsis: To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase - a half human, half fey slip of a girl - smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
 
With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end - a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan's side.
 
To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Good: Ash in the forefront. Ash and Puck, traveling together. Ash and Puck dealing with their shared past and current situation with Meghan being a distant character, unable to get involved in the boys issues. I loved the trek, the challenges Ash had to face, everything that lead back to Meghan. Everything, except . . .

The Bad: There is a significant problem with the resolution Ash's major issue in this book. He wants a soul. He must earn a soul, as he is fey and they don't have souls. Souls are a purely human thing. The fey DO NOT have souls. Therefore, Kagawa's plan on how Ash obtains a soul is impossible. Without giving anything away, all I can say is it does not work. You can't say fey's don't have souls of there own and then go the route the author went here. I don't know, maybe she didn't realize went against everything she had previously stated. Or maybe she meant for some exception to that rule. Either way, it kills the power behind stating that souls are not something the fey possess. You can't have it both ways and it absolutely ruined a perfect book for me.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

2010, Harper

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Synopsis: For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

The Good: Groundhog's Day meets Mean Girls is a premise to get excited about. You'll be disappointed, but at least you'll always remember how awesome the premise was.

The Bad: People love Lauren Oliver's books. I want to love her book. I try, but they're so ridiculous. I really enjoy young adult books, but I think these are the type that you just can't relate to unless you're a teen. Like Delirium, Before I Fall focuses on teen love. It's a common enough theme. Problem is, these books seem to revolve around the worst reactions to a common feeling. Sam is the epitome of self-centered. It's me, me, me. Even in death, the world must revolve around her and her feelings and her ideas of what should and shouldn't happen. Any bad things that happen must be someone else's fault. Oliver took the whole mean girl thing and made it a complete caricature, and then expected us to believe in Sam and want her to find a way to be redeemed. Except she gave us no reason to care about her and all the reasons in the world to wish she's gone straight to hell.

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

2014, Delacorte Press

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Synopsis: “There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.

The Good: Suspicion contains a wonderful murder mystery. Had the book focused solely on the mystery and cut all the other distracting nonsense, it could have easily been a five star book. An orphan girl raised in America becoming duchess and uncovering the hidden details of why her entire family is dead is more than enough to carry a book.

The Bad: The aforementioned nonsense. A unrequited love, from 10 years previous, who she never even looked up on social media? Right. He dates her cousin for an entire decade, until the cousin dies, and then just maybe realizes he really loves Imogen? Sure. Randomly thrown in supernatural gobbledygook, in a feeble attempt to make the book more marketable? Great. Wrap that all up in a tidy Princess Diaries ripoff bow, where Imogen has duchess lessons in etiquette or whatever. Wait, that could have worked, I guess, if she had cared a whit about being duchess rather than pining over some boy who'd been banging her cousin forever. All unnecessary attempts to appeal to current book trends that ultimately drag the book down to barely a 3 star rating.

Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter

Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter

2012, St. Martin's Press

Series: Book 3 of Shadow Falls

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Synopsis: Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers. Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she's meant to be with--and the truth about what her emerging powers mean. But she's about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together. Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it's not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different--and more astonishing--than she ever imagined.

The Good: At the last moments of the third book in the series, we finally learn what Kylie is. Pretty much. It's not like we got a clear definition, but at least we have a label of sorts. It's unexpected (because, I assume it's a completely made-up by the author thing, but I could be wrong), but it's something. We get some real action and some real life and death stuff, there seems to be a definite upping of the ante. Kylie now has a direction to focus in so there is real hope for faster paced plot progression in the future. I hope.

The Bad: Kylie needs to swear off dudes. She's an awful person when it comes to dating. It's not that she can't decide between the two guys, it's that she gets one and then only wants the other. Then she gets the other and only wants the first one. And because of this manufactured boy drama, she can't be bothered to spend her time alerting adults to her issues, learning how to harness her abilities or protect herself from danger. The world revolves around her easily-bored heart and it's one of the single most annoy things I've ever read.

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

2007, Speak

Series: Book 1 of Sweep

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Synopsis: Something is happening to me that I don't understand.

I see things, feel things in a new way. I can do things normal people can't do. Powerful things. Magical things. It scares me.

I never chose to learn witchcraft. But I'm starting to wonder if witchcraft is choosing me.

The Good: I really enjoyed how the writing was inclusive and accepting of everything, without having to make a big deal about anything. Wiccan religion, lesbian aunt, teen sexuality, whatever. All part of the story, not issues that have to be addressed and dealt with. Beyond the magick themes of the book, the mundane high school life felt accurately portrayed. It wasn't washed-clean of normal teen activities, nor overly hyped to make things more scandalous than in reality. 

The Bad: Bree, the best friend, is certifiably crazy. Like dangerous, obsessive, not a person you should associate with, crazy. Beyond angsty teen, in love with random boy issues, she's constructs a fantasy where the boy wants her back and progresses to destroy her relationship with Morgan in the process. It's dangerous to portray this type of behavior as anything other than being in desperate need of psychiatric help. Wicca was portrayed in an odd mix of by-the-book instruction and outlandish power. The author focused on making sure the details were explained well and factually, then immediately twisted the practices in an attempt to make the main character seem special. It was weird and just felt off.

Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

 Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

2013, St. Martin's Griffin

Series: Book 2 of Vampire Queen

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Synopsis: A new year is beginning at Wickham Boarding School. A new chance at life, at reversing the evil in my past. But nothing is ever as simple it seems...

Last year, the love of my life died performing a ritual to fulfill my one wish and make me human. And now I’ve performed the same ritual for my friend Vicken – and survived. Why am I here, back safe on Wickham campus?

The strong magic I used in the ritual did more than just make Vicken human. It drew someone to Lover’s Bay who does not belong here. She wants the ritual. Then she wants me dead. And she will take down any and everyone in my life to get what she wants.

As if that weren’t enough, the ritual has also summoned the anger of the Aeris, the four elements and most fundamental powers on earth. They have a surprise and an unbearable punishment for me – like stepping into the sun for the first time, only to be put into a cage. And now I have to make an impossible choice – between love or life, yearning or having, present or past…

The Good: I loved the flashes back to Lenah's vampire past. We really get to see what it was like for her throughout her time has a vampire, from the first day to the last when she had lost all feeling. If the entire romance angle of the book had been excluded, the book would have been a short story, not even a novella, but it would have been exciting and fun. Because the actual story beyond the romance had a decent mystery and a few decent twists.

The Bad:I have such an issue with girls who can't be alone. Must have a boyfriend. If they can't be with the guy they believe they love, they have no issue just using another in his place. While still pining for and at times actively pursuing their one true love. This is Lenah in a nutshell. She loves Rhode, but can't be with him. So she's with Justin, who loves her. Meanwhile, she's still in love with Rhode. Fixated on how he feels about her. It's something one might expect from someone insecure. Someone not all that worldly. Someone inexperienced with dealing with their feelings. Not something anywhere near acceptable coming from someone who's lived for 600 years. Lenah has failed to grow at all in her extremely long lifetime. If she could at least admit she was using Justin for attention, then fine, but she's almost completely convinced herself that Justin is enough. It's infuriating and makes her near unbearable to read.

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

2010, Harlequin Teen

Series: Book 3 of Soul Screamers

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Synopsis: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And so is someone else…

The Good: Tod is becoming a much more compelling character. He seems to be growing into his role and becoming a better person, in sharp contrast to his brother. I really enjoyed the Demon's Breath/drug angle of the book and how that played out with involving the students at Kaylee's school.

The Bad: Kaylee conveniently forgets crucial details on a regular basis. It drags the books out, ridiculous when they're so short as it is. Any reader even halfway paying attention will notice completely remember these things and grow increasingly frustrated throughout the book. And then there's the whole boyfriend hiding things from her. Unforgivable things. Add that to the fact that the characters continue to hide everything possible from the adults in their lives for no good reason other than "parents just don't understand." Except, these parents would completely understand and help. Yet, let's just screw ourselves over and go completely unprepared into mortal danger time and again because parents are dumb or whatever. Maybe this thing resonates with teen readers, but as an adult with the ability to judge the parents on their previous reactions to situations in the series, these kids are coming off as complete idiots begging to be killed.

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

 The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

2009, HarperCollins

Series: Book 2 of Darkest Powers

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Synopsis: My name is Chloe Saunders, and if you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl - someone normal.

Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment - not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends - a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch - and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

The Good: Kelley Armstrong is a strong writer and it consistently shows in her books. Her characters are engaging, her word choice on point, always. There were a few surprising twists, enough to make the book worth the read if you enjoyed the first in the trilogy.

The Bad: There was a significant falloff of personal enjoyment reading this one from the first in the trilogy. It clearly suffers from middle of a trilogy syndrome. It's hopelessly cliched, completely predictable with the main character "on the run" in an attempt to discover the truth of her situation. We've left the carefully constructed setting setup in the first novel and are now running blind in the world not knowing who to trust. I could be describing almost any random middle of a trilogy book here and that's a huge problem for this book and YA trilogies on the whole.

Wicked Games by Sean Olin

Wicked Games by Sean Olin

2014, Katherine Tegen Books

Series: Book 1 of Wicked Games

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Synopsis: To all the locals in the small beach town of Dream Point, Carter and Lilah seem like the perfect It Couple-but their relationship is about to brutally unravel before everyone's eyes.

Carter has always been a good guy, and while Lilah has a troubled past, she's been a loyal girlfriend for the last four years. When smart, sexy Jules enters the picture at a senior-year bash, Carter succumbs to temptation. And when Lilah catches wind of his betrayal, she decides that Jules needs to pay.

By the end of the summer, the line between right and wrong will be blurred beyond recognition. Blood will be shed. Nothing in Dream Point will ever be the same.

The Good: I loved that Wicked Games pulled no punches. Lilah is mentally ill and goes off the deep end in a skincrawling fashion. She takes every scorned woman impulse and just goes with it, consequences be damned. Carter is obviously torn between caring for Lilah and wanting to escape her choke him with her love impulses. Carter makes stupid mistakes while dealing with a mentally unstable person and things escalate in a terrifying fashion. Lilah was scary, like really genuinely scary.

The Bad: Some of Carter's mistakes were understandable, but others were unrealistic and obviously used for plot progression only. His complete denial of possible danger towards the end of the book is absolutely impossible given what he's experienced up to that point.

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

2012, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Series: Book 2 of Daughter of Smoke & Bone

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Synopsis: Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

The Good: Days of Blood & Starlight is such a huge story. Some many different things going on, different parts of the story coming together, all culminating into something amazing. While a love story at it's very core, the series has become something so much more. The two separate worlds of Karou and Akiva have expand so far that they could each support a series of their own. The cultures, the history, the inner workings of each are utterly fascinating. The way they've clashed for ages, the eternal fight finally coming to a head, and what it means for the future of both - and the human world - is more than anyone could have possibly expected. Even better than the first book in the series, it's going to be hard to top in the next installment.

The Bad: A little slow, a little too easy to put down. Taylor is a beautiful writer and has a flair for detailed imagery. While this creates a vivid world and intense characters, it also eases up on the action considerably. The slower pace makes it hard to really get swept away in the book. I put the book down and I'm not desperate to pick it back up again. That's the one aspect that keeps this book from being perfect.

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

2009, Disney-Hyperion

Series: Book 1 of The Enemy

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Synopsis: They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

The Good: This is a really interesting take on zombies. Kids are immune, only the adults turn into monsters. All the adults, every single person over 16 years old. The situation itself is terrifying. The kids stick together, search for safety. There were more than a few deaths and some were pretty painful to experience. I found both the plot and the writing itself highly engaging and well done. The action is nonstop and level of violence is brutal. I especially loved the series being set in England and the situation at Buckingham Palace was insanely interesting.

The Bad: The book has some romance that feels totally out of place. Of course, teens and stressful situations will always breed romantic entanglements, but here it was forced and inconvenient. Almost as though it was wedged in there as an afterthought.

Fear by Michael Grant

Fear by Michael Grant

2012, Katherine Tegen Books

Series: Book 5 of Gone

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Synopsis: It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

The Good: Something wonderful happened in this book - we got a line to the outside world! The chapters have rotate different characters perspectives and in Fear, we got full chapters of Sam and Caine's mother. We got to know what happened to those who aged out. We know how the world is reacting. We know what's going on with the military and the scientists. It was amazing. I never cared about the Diana story line before. Shes never been very important. But, whoa boy, did she become pivotal quick. I couldn't get enough of her story. Big, big things happening throughout the book. There was no good place to put the book down. I promised it was the last chapter before bed repeatedly. And still had to keep going. The next book is the last book, so this book brought a lot of situations to their boiling point. I can't wait to see the whole thing come together.

The Bad: Not a thing.

Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

2011, St. Martin's Griffin

Series: Book 2 of Shadow Falls

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Synopsis: From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how...

But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear... and bring her closer to her destiny.

The Good: Kylie still doesn't know what she is, so that still annoys the hell out of me. But, she's getting there. She's dealt. She's accepted. Most of the time, she still has a ghost issue. She's figuring it all out and it's extremely interesting. I love her getting closer with Miranda and Della. They have a very authentic teen girls at camp getting becoming friends thing going on, with all the insecurity and vulnerability that goes with that. Add in the varied types of paranormal they are and they're different personalities and it makes for some great interactions.I had my suspicions about what was going on so I wasn't completely shocked, but it was a great experience regardless.

The Bad: At this point, the love triangle is unnecessary. Maybe it becomes important down the line, but right now it seems as though it's just one more thing distracting Kylie from figuring out what she is and what that means for her.

Plague by Michael Grant

Plague by Michael Grant

2011, Katherine Tegen Books

Series: Book 4 of Gone

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Synopsis: It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

The Good: Plague is the best book in the series thus far. As if all that they've been though isn't enough, now kids are getting sick. Dying. No one really has any medical experience beyond the basics. There is no cure forthcoming. The healer can't heal the sick. How do you battle illness and win? Some pretty big players are taken out of commission due to the illness, leaving the rest to step up. In an absolutely horrific twist, then came bugs. I will not elaborate further. I can't begin to do the situation justice. I am a grown woman and it absolutely terrified me. Grant got under my skin good. Some people complain that some characters in this series smoke, drink, do drugs and now have sex. I personally love that about these books. I mean, really. Some 14 year olds do these things under their parents noses in the real world. Now, eight months without parental supervision, how realistic would it be if no one had sex or drank or smoke especially while they're watching their friends die off one by one?

The Bad: Sam goes off the deep end. His reason - Astrid won't put out. I have no problem with the situation, nor the reaction. I do have a problem with it revolving around Sam. It's blatantly out of character. Sure, Sam's no angel. He seems to pretty much constantly want to avoid the leadership role that has been thrust upon him time and again. His interest in Astrid is peculiar, yet the heart wants what it wants. They argue A LOT. And yet, he expects a more physical relationship. To the point of sulking and getting drunk and being despondent. If he was really the type of guy to react this way, he's already be sleeping with one of the other more willing girls.

Lies by Michael Grant

Lies by Michael Grant

2010, HarperCollins

Series: Book 3 of Gone

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Synopsis: It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness—or so they thought.

As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

The Good: I had been on the fence about the abilities the kids had developed in the first two books in the series, but I've grown to fully appreciate them now. Without them, the series would just be Stephen King's Under the Dome, but with only kids. The abilities makes this series something completely different and with each book we understand a little bit more the how and the why of it all. Lies is probably has the fastest pace of the series so far, with a huge amount of action happening in a short time frame. It was very hard to put down. There was never a good place to take a break. I needed to know what was going to happen next at the end of each chapter I couldn't help but continue. I really liked the addition of the new characters and the possibility they bring to the story.

The Bad: The characters become super infuriating at times. All of them really. It's as though they wallow in their flaws. Some don't seem to realize, yet others acknowledge them over and over again and never change. Astrid especially. She started out fine in Gone, but by this 3rd book she's become an obnoxious caricature of her original self. For someone so smart you'd think she could manage to be a little less concerned about God may think and a little more concerned about what's actually happening around her.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

 Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

2008, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Series: Book 1 of The Missing

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Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere - and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?

The Good: Found sort of blew me away, with its amazing premise and promise of even more in the rest of the series. The way things all came together was pure magic. It's not very often when I find myself absolutely shocked - mouth hanging open and eyes wide - at a reveal. This is one of those books that as soon as you finish it you want to go back and reread the buildup again to fully appreciate everything that brought you to this point.

The Bad: Almost the entirety of the book was buildup to the big reveal. While worth it in the end, it would have been very easy to give up on the book a long the way. The events leading up to the end were fantastical and it got to the point where I firmly believed there was no way they could add up to anything coherent in the end. Of course, I was proven wrong, but it's a minor miracle I read long enough to learn that for myself and I fear most readers won't make it until the payoff.

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

2008, Razorbill
Series: Book 3 of Vampire Academy

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Synopsis:  WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS ROSE COULD LOSE HER BEST FRIEND FOREVER?

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...

Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

The Good: I really enjoyed the entirely of Rose questioning her own sanity. The way it was effecting her ability to perform up to her usual standards put her on the same playing field as some of the other students. It also made her more relatable. She's no longer only tough, rule breaking, does what she want girl. She's growing to consider others, and not just Lissa. She's finally getting some real answers with Dimitri and honestly, that's a huge part of my love for this book. We so needed progress in that area.

The Bad: The ending left me annoyed. Yes, it does it's job of making me need to know what will happen. But it just felt wrong. Out of left field, and not in a wow what a shock type of way. Also, this book was really long. Much longer than it needed to be. We rehashed the past over and over when a vague bit and here and there would have done fine.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

2011, Harlequin Teen
Series: Book 3 of Iron Fey

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Synopsis:  My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

The Good: Puck is amazing and Ash isn't bad at all either. The love triangle works because both of the guys in Meghan's life are so different, but equally as good for her. It would make sense for her to be with either one of them. There is a good amount of action in this book, some twists and a major surprise or two. The pace is extreme and it was extremely hard to put down once I started.

The Bad: Meghan makes some strides in growing up, accepting the world around her and not whining all the damned time. Now she only whines about 50% of the time and is annoying, yet tolerable. While I love her story, her personality grates.

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

 Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau

2013, HMH Books for Young Readers
Series: Book 2 of The Testing

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Synopsis: In the series debut The Testing, sixteen-year-old Cia Vale was chosen by the United Commonwealth government as one of the best and brightest graduates of all the colonies . . . a promising leader in the effort to revitalize postwar civilization. In Independent Study, Cia is a freshman at the University in Tosu City with her hometown sweetheart, Tomas—and though the government has tried to erase her memory of the brutal horrors of The Testing, Cia remembers. Her attempts to expose the ugly truth behind the government’s murderous programs put her—and her loved ones—in a world of danger. But the future of the Commonwealth depends on her.

The Good: I'm always wary of middle of a trilogy books. I've been let down more often than not. Totally not the case here with Independent Study. Joelle Charbonneau blows this installment right out of the park. Big things happen in Independent Study. This book has action, really emotional events, important plot progression, everything that makes a sequel essential. Cia is sort of annoying at times, but it's realistic given everything that's going on around her. We got a bunch of answers to questions, but even more questions have arisen, making me super excited for the next book.

The Bad: Not a thing.

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

2013, Razorbill

Series: Book 3 of Across the Universe

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Synopsis: Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

The Good: Shades of Earth was the absolute perfect ending to this series. So much action. So many unexpected twists. So much emotion I could barely contain myself. Every single question I had was answered fully. I could not have asked for a better book to finish out this amazing world. Everyone experiencing life on land for the first time. The wildness and unknown. An entire hidden past that changes everything. This is how you end a trilogy.

The Bad: Not a thing.