Book Review: The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

The Stars Never Rise
Author:  Rachel Vincent
Publisher:  Delacorte Press, 368 pages
Publication Date:  June 9, 2015

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.

When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.

To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?

Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.

Review:

I absolutely loved the premise of The Stars Never Rise, where you have a world in which there was a war between humans and demons and the humans won.  The population was decimated and the survivors live in walled cities where the church has taken over, protecting people from the demons who jump into bodies and take over.  People have given up a lot of freedom (very strict religious rules) in order to be safe.  

This book hooked me from the very beginning and never let go.  It's fast-paced, INTENSE, with just enough surprises and twists.  I read it in one sitting.

The romance…at first, I thought it was going to be the typical YA romance (I mean, come on, the synopsis mentions "deep green eyes"), but it turns out to be VERY UNUSUAL and I'm really curious as to how it will all turn out.  I have a theory…and I hope I'm wrong.  If you've read it, e-mail me to discuss!

Read this book!

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (99)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent

Paladin by Sally Slater

From NetGalley:
A Million Miles Away by Lara Avery

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Fixer (The Fixer #1)
Author:  Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher:  Bloomsbury Children's, 384 pages
Expected Publication Date:  July 7, 2015
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
When sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick is sent to live with her older sister, Ivy, she has no idea that the infamous Ivy Kendrick is Washington D.C.'s #1 “fixer,” known for making politicians' scandals go away for a price. No sooner does Tess enroll at Hardwicke Academy than she unwittingly follows in her sister's footsteps and becomes D.C.'s premier high school fixer, solving problems for elite teens.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life. . . . until their worlds come crashing together and Tess finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy with one of her classmates and a client of Ivy's. Suddenly, there is much more on the line than good grades, money, or politics, and the price for this fix might be more than Tess is willing to pay.

Review:

The Fixer was a fun and entertaining read.  Think Scandal for teenagers.  Although the synopsis makes it sound like Tess starts solving problems for teens at her school, like Veronica Mars, there's basically one incident that happens early on and then the focus shifts to a specific mystery that Tess becomes involved in.  

I loved the Washington politics aspect of it.  The President and First Lady, Supreme Court justices…and then you have the children of powerful people in school together.  What a great combination, I kept thinking this would make such a fascinating television show.  CW perhaps?  

However, I'm just not sure how realistic it was for Tess to be so savvy given she just moved to DC, she grew up on a farm in Montana, and she has no idea who any of the power players are in DC.  But if you just go with it, you'll enjoy it.  Also, as someone who enjoys some romance in books, there is absolutely none, and not even really a hint of one. There are two guys, but it doesn't even go there.  So hopefully in the future?

Compulsively readable, I couldn't put it down.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks)
Author:  Miranda Kenneally
Publisher:  Sourcebooks Fire, 304 pages
Expected Publication Date:  July 7, 2015
*ARC received by publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

Review:

I liked Jesse's Girl, it was a cute book.  Reading about Maya and Jesse getting to know each other, having a fun Ferris Bueller's Day Off kind of day exploring Nashville, was fun.  There were many times I found myself smiling so if you're in the mood for a happy and sweet romance, you will enjoy it.

Reading about the music scene was interesting, and I liked the Nashville setting (I used to live in Nashville, actually and even in Franklin).  The message of working hard and following your dreams was a good message.  Jesse was cute and I appreciated the fact that he was struggling with his fame and unsure about trusting Maya.  That rang true.  Maya…she was just okay for me and I can't really pinpoint why.  Just a meh feeling.  

Jesse's Girl is a quick and entertaining read…the perfect beach book.  

Posted by:  Pam

Recommend It? Super Mini Reviews (7)

I got this idea from Danielle at Love at First Page. I read a lot of books that I don't review so I thought I would give a super short review of some books and let you know whether I recommend them or not.

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen.  I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH.  A 500 hundred year old curse.  A human-troll love story.  Game of Thrones political machinations.  Although it's so obvious who Anushka is and Cecile, while fierce, gets many people killed with her stupidity, this book (and series) is AMAZING.  Yes yes yes recommend!  Go read it right now.

Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson.  Words cannot adequately express how much I love this series.  Lia and Rafe…OTP, I have to say.  There's intrigue and deception (they have to pretend to hate each other to stay safe from the Komizar, who is a piece of work).  And toward the end?  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  So much action!  Intense.  How will I survive until the next book????  A million times recommend!

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge.  Unique, dark, and intense, I loved this book.  The whole bloodbound aspect fascinated me.  Rachelle was the best heroine, fighting her transition to pure evil, fighting the lure of the forest.  Rosamund Hodge's writing is beautiful and this book was MESMERIZING.  Yes, recommend!

Posted by:  Pam

Stacking the Shelves (98)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  It is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Bought:

Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

From NetGalley:

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Everything, Everthing by Nicola Yoon

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 

What books did you add to your shelves this week?

Posted by:  Pam 

Summer Book Related Goals

Summer is a great time because I have more time to read.  So I decided to make some book related goals.

1.  Read the ARCs I have.  Right now I have 22 ARCs that were sent by publishers and I'm starting to feel guilty that I haven't read them.  Some were sent over six months ago and their publication dates have come and gone, but I'm determined to read them.

2.  Read the library books I have checked out.  I have about 15 library books.  I don't know why I tend to read them last.  They sit on the shelves, judging me, and I keep going online and renewing them.  The only thing that seems to make me read them is when someone has requested one and I can no longer renew it.  I think I should go through them, decide whether I want to read each one, and return the ones I've changed my mind about.  Then I will read the rest.

3.  Finish completed series.  There are a number of series that are complete and I have read at least the first book and I want to finish them (these are not ones in which I didn't like the first book and don't want to continue).  Why do I keep waiting?  Why do I keep starting new series instead of finishing the ones already complete?  Part of it is that I need to reread the first book (and even sometimes the second book).  That is a problem because with all of the other books I have to read that I haven't, rereading feels like such a waste of time.  But I'm determined.

4.  Write my reviews right after I've read the book and don't start reading a new book until I've done that.  This is a huge problem for me.  I finish a book and I immediately start reading another book.  Then it's two or three books later and I sit down to write the review and I can barely remember the book.

5.  Write better reviews.  I feel like I say the same thing over and over and over again. 

Do you have more time in the summer to read?  Do you have any goals related to reading this summer?

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: Earth & Sky by Megan Crewe

Earth & Sky (Earth & Sky #1)
Author:  Megan Crewe
Publisher:  Skyscape, 308 pages
Publication Date:  October 28, 2014
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Skylar has been haunted for as long as she can remember by fleeting yet powerful sensations that something is horribly wrong. But despite the panic attacks tormenting her, nothing ever happens, and Sky’s beginning to think she’s crazy. Then she meets a mysterious, otherworldly boy named Win and discovers the shocking truth her premonitions have tapped into: our world no longer belongs to us. For thousands of years, Earth has been at the mercy of alien scientists who care nothing for its inhabitants and are using us as the unwitting subjects of their time-manipulating experiments. Win belongs to a rebel faction seeking to put a stop to it, and he needs Skylar’s help--but with each shift in the past, the very fabric of reality is unraveling, and soon there may be no Earth left to save.

Review:

Given the combination of aliens and time travel, I was expecting to love this book, but it was just okay. Honestly, it was a bit lackluster.  Characters I didn't really care about, no romance really, and even with a ton of running and danger, I was pretty bored.  And I was surprised by the fact that the time travel was pointless in the sense that the characters went back into the past and there was barely any description, no interaction with people, so it didn't even seem to matter that they went into the past. Apparently something Sky and Win do during one trip alters the future because when Sky gets back, one of her friends is gone.  Just poof…disappeared.  But I didn't even care because I had no idea who her friends were because they play almost no role in the book.  It's hard to like a book when you don't care about the characters.  The ending…abrupt, with no real resolution to the story.  Sadly, Earth & Sky didn't work for me on any level.

Posted by:  Pam

Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2)
Author:  Jenny Han
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 337 pages
Publication Date:  May 26, 2015

From Goodreads:
Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

Review:

I really enjoyed this sequel.  Lara Jean and Peter are adorable together, although I do wish there was MORE of them.  Lara Jean has never had a boyfriend before and she has to figure things out, especially with her insecurity about Gen, Peter's ex-girlfriend.  That said, a lot of the book is spent on her relationship with her family and her volunteer position at an old folk's home, which means the book reads more as a coming-of-age novel than a romance novel. It's refreshing when a girl doesn't let her boyfriend completely consume her and Lara Jean's a strong person who loves her family and has other interests, but I still wanted more swoony moments.  

To be honest, there's a lot of DRAMA when it comes to their relationship.  In a way I didn't mind it, but I wish it had been something else other than Gen.  Ugh, I didn't like that girl at all and I still have some issues with how certain things played out.  

I LOVED the ending, and then the quote from the Velveteen Rabbit…LOVED LOVED LOVED.  Made me smile.  A very satisfying conclusion (I'm assuming there's just the two books).  

By the way, if you want to know more about the boy from her past, e-mail me and I'll let you know.  I didn't mind the direction the book went when it came to that, I thought it was realistic and well done and I actually really liked the guy.  

Posted by:  Pam