Published: October 23, 2012 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Pages: 523
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Mystery

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel. 

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can't. 

She used to think her problems were all in her head. 
They aren't. 

She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. 
She's wrong. 

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

 Holy. Crap. I--So. Many. Feels. 

Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Published: May 1, 2012 

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 525
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 

 Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. 

Insurgent was an interesting sequel. 

I didn’t enjoy it much as I hoped I would. Don’t get me wrong – this is a fantastic book – it just wasn’t up to the standard of Divergent.

“Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.” 

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Published: May 5, 2015 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 416
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fae

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore. 

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

 As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. 

 Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

First of all, if you still haven't heard of Sarah J. Maas or read something about and from her, I don't know where you must have been hiding. This lady has her shit together and you can judge that only by the fact that she takes the time to make maps for her books. She takes the time to map out fictional regions and that's when you know stuff is about to go down.

Book Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Published: January 13, 2015 

Publisher:  Riverhead Books

Author: Paula Hawkins

Pages: 336
Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspence

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

 And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Rachel had her life perfect and planned out five years ago. She had a nice house, a husband, but now lives in the duplex of an old friend from university and has a serious drinking problem.

The story is told form 3 different POVs - of Rachel, Megan and Anna. It is also divided in little sections by the time of day - for example - Morning, Early afternoon, Evening.

If you have every known someone who has/had a drinking problem or was a drug addict you would know it's really not easy for them to stop. They cannot just decide that today is the last drink they'll have. It doesn't work that way. That being said, I've read a handful of books where the character goes through a stressful couple of days and suddenly stops their bad habit.

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Published: April 7, 2015 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Author: Becky Albertalli

Pages: 303

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary

 

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

Wow, I really enjoyed this story!

The characters were very real and relatable. The writing was exquisite and on point. The music choices were more than perfect (eg. Elliot Smith, Lennon, McCartney) and I want to hug Beck Albertalli for the effort and because this is one brilliant debut novel.