The Lovely and the Lost, by Page Morgan

(3/5 stars)

I'm singing songs of gladness, because this series has finally come into its own. As some of you might recall, I reviewed Page Morgan's first book in the Dispossessed series, The Beautiful and the Cursed, once upon a time. I remember my main problem being that I felt like (besides the gargoyle aspects) I had seen this story multiple times. But that's no longer the case, lovely readers. No, this sequel put me in my place and grew its own identity of which I certainly appreciate.

What I liked: So I still love (or obsess over) gargoyles. It's my favorite thing about these books and the romanticism of the time period in Paris is breathtaking. Morgan continues to build this beautiful world by adding more complications and more paranormal aspects that make it stand out. I enjoyed the risks and plot twists that were added to the story because they added more depth. I especially like that we got to interact with Grayson more because that boy has got some serious issues that I like seeing explored. Gabby remains my favorite character, and her love interest, Nolan, is swoon-worthy to the max. So that all brings me to the character development that we've seen throughout the two books. For the most part, everyone grew in wonderful ways. I even started to like Luc (some of you might remember that I just couldn't stand him in the first book). The characters have let the world around them make them stronger, and I've loved watching them grow like that.

What I didn't like: Okay, so unfortunately, as much as this series has grown, I still have problems. I had a hard time with the overall arc of this book--I just don't think a weird demonic blood transfusion is enough to sustain the plot and keep it interesting enough on its own. Luckily, there was more going on with the characters, but still, for that to be the main conflict, it just didn't do it for me. Personally, I feel like Ingrid might have gone backwards on the character development scale. She was so strong and sure of herself in the first book and for some strange reason, I didn't feel any of that this time around. I'm also still really irked about the love triangle because it's not convincing. I don't feel like Ingrid really "loves" either option, and when it comes down to it, I'm personally not invested. At this point, I don't care who she picks, it doesn't feel genuine with either. I did want to see more Gabby (like I said, she's my fave), and I would have also liked to see more of Chelle because she seems like an interesting character who might have a really cool backstory. Oh, and I also couldn't handle the kid with the spider powers... this isn't Spider Man...

Regardless, I know that I'll definitely read the next book in the series because if I was able to see such a dramatic change from the first two books, we can only go up from here. I'm very curious to see where the story takes the characters and I have high hopes.

-Annie

Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii by Vicky Alvear Shecter

(4/5 stars)
*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The second I looked at this book and realized it was about Pompeii, I just knew that I had  to read it. I have a weird, morbid fascination with Pompeii--I can't even help it. I love the movies, the tv shows on the History Channel, and the songs (just a little Bastille shoutout because I can). So, I'm extremely glad that this book didn't disappoint and just continued to add on to my Pompeii obsession.

What I liked: Oh gosh was there a lot of research done on this book! There's cool mythology and the geography of everything feels legit and the history surrounding the story seems so very real. Like, are we sure Lucia and Tag weren't real people? Because they totally felt like they could have existed. I loved Tag and his role in, not only the story, but in the society around him. He was a slave with dreams that pulled at my heartstrings and I wanted all good things for him. Lucia, for being an upper class citizen and not super privy to an education, was quite intelligent and intuitive. Not only was there a lot of interesting mythology in this book, but there was a neat little (teeny tiny) paranormal twist about curses that added to the story. It did a lot for the relationship between Lucia and Tag, too. And speaking of that romance... hello heartbreak. But I'll get to that...

What I didn't like:... here. Ugh, I know it's a story about Pompeii and obviously things aren't going to turn out all sunshiny and rainbowy, but I really wanted a happy ending you guys. At this point, I don't even care how realistic it is, I just wanted to smile when it was all over--especially since they went though so.much. Besides all my unrealistic and albeit naive expectations, there were some spots that were a bit slow and really focused on the historical side of things. That being said, I didn't personally have a problem with it because I consider myself a history nerd and so that information was interesting to me. But others might find it tedious--just a little warning.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions in the best way possible, and I really felt a connection to the characters. I was constantly rooting for them, and that's all I can ask for in a book, really. Mix in the drama of Pompeii and we've got ourselves an interesting read, y'all.

-Annie

White Cat, by Holly Black

(4.5/5 stars)

(also, there are multiple covers for this book, but this is the one I had)

Well, well, well, where do I even start? This book had everything I wanted, even if I didn't know I wanted it: paranormal magic, boarding school, con-artists, complicated relationships, danger and death, suspense, the list goes on. Basically, this is now my all time favorite Holly Black book and here's why:

What I liked: I want to say everything, I really do, but how does that help anyone? So instead, I'm going to go with I liked 99.9% of the book. I'm not even kidding. The characters are great, especially Cassel. He has a lot of flaws, a lot, and yet we still find ourselves rooting for him to succeed. His life is convoluted in ways you can't even begin to imagine so it's a bit amazing that he's still a very likable character. He has identity crisis after identity crisis--not being a curse worker in a family of curse workers, not knowing what race he actually is, thinking he killed his childhood best friend--you know, the normal stuff teens deal with on a daily basis. But it's great. The family dynamic is Italian mob-like, except with a cool form of magic: curse working. This all brings me to the world building. Holy musical world building! There's so much detail and complication in the world of the curse workers, and yet there was never a time when I was confused or didn't know what something meant. Holly Black shows us the world without really having to explain anything, in typical Holly Black fashion, but it so completely works.

What I didn't like: Well, apparently I committed to not liking .1% of the book so I'm just going to run with it. The secondary characters--besides the family--didn't play as big of a part as I wanted them to. I really liked Daneca and her social justice causes, so I would have liked to see more of that I guess. But like I said, I'm being extremely picky because I can be.

This book fascinated me in every way and couldn't put it down (I tried unsuccessfully). All the relationships tied together in an awesome way and it made the book so enjoyable. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for something different (and totally awesome) in the paranormal genre!

-Annie

Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up? by Sara Hantz

(2/5 stars)

*I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

So as soon as I read what this book was about (a kick boxer becomes a stunt double for a super famous celebrity), I knew I just had to get my hands on it. This book had so much potential to gain my love, but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

What I liked: There were some things that I liked about this book, really. There were some cute nerdy references in the beginning that I really liked, but that didn't last for very long. I also liked that this book features a character with a speech impairment because that's not something you see a lot in YA books, or any books for that matter. That brought a lot to the character, and it was maybe the only part of her that I liked because it was the most real...? I don't know. That basically ends my list of what I liked.

What I didn't like: A lot, unfortunately. Where do I even start? The dialogue was stiff and forced. None of it sounded like how real people talk. The same can be said about the character voice. Abi was whiny and complained too much for my taste. To put it simply, she was annoying--and I hate using that word because I feel like it's a copout, but it was one-hundred percent true in this case. In the beginning, there was so much info dump. So much. Most of it was unimportant to the story and I didn't care about it. I also got really sick of hearing how perfect Matt was. Like, I get that he's this attractive guy who she really likes, but use better words. Describe why she thought he was so perfect, and not just the same way over and over. All that brings me to how predictable the book was. Normally, I don't mind a predictable book. If I can get into the story and the characters, I'm usually not affected by the fact that I know exactly how the story will end. But this one was painfully predictable and it made me not like it.

I didn't like this book. I wish I did. I started the book wanting to enjoy it, but there was a lot that didn't work for me. Disappointing :(

-Annie
p.s. Don't forget to enter my Best Month Ever Giveaway!

Best Month Ever Giveaway!

May is the best month ever, and for many exciting reasons. Here's why: May 1st (today) is my 22nd birthday, May 10th is my college graduation, May 14th is one of my best friend's weddings, May 18th is my blog's first birthday, and so on. The excitement never stops. So in honor of the Best Month Ever, I want to do a giveaway for all my lovely readers and followers.

Here's what you could win:
I will send the winner their pick out of one of my favorite YA books via the Book Depository. That means that this giveaway is international, yay! Your book options are:

-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
-Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
-Divergent by Veronica Ross
-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
-Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
-Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
-Firecracker by David Iserson
-Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
-My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
-White Cat by Holly Black
-Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
-Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
-Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
-Delirium by Lauren Oliver
-The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

So a lot of these books are series books, so if you want another in the series, that's totally okay! Please make sure you're comfortable with giving me your shipping information if you win (you can't get the book if I can't send it). The giveaway will end at the end of this month, May 31st. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter away, my friends, and happy May!

-Annie