The Bursting Bookshelf

Dakota Halifax loves to be in love. In fact, as one of Las Vegas’s premier wedding planners, she’s built a whole career around romance. Which is why her own wedding has to be nothing short of perfect. And then her fiancé jilts her. While she’s waiting in her wedding dress. On a cruise ship already out at sea.

Once back on dry land, Dakota tries to pour her heart into her business and weekly wedding advice column, Get Ready to Wed. But how can the heartbroken celebrate others’ true love? When she reconnects with her childhood best friend, surprisingly sexy and all-grown-up casino bouncer Brendan West, Dakota wonders if maybe she can fall back in love with being in love.

But then her ex reappears, begging for another chance, and suddenly Dakota questions if she’ll ever understand love. Can someone once-burned and twice-shy ever find her way down the aisle again?

Review:
I'll admit, I bought this book mostly because it was 99 cents on the iBooks store and I liked the cover. Ever since I started reading on my iPad, I have been a sucker for the sale section of the store. I can't even count the number of impulse buys I've made that are collecting digital dust because I bought-and-forgot. The reason this one really stood out to me is because it sounded like a modern spin on The Wedding Planner (a classic J-Lo rom-com movie).

From a plot point of view, this book was basically what you would expect by reading the back cover. Girl gets left at the alter, girl meets (or in this case, is reintroduced to) cute new potential beau, girl's ex realizes his mistake, girl has a tough choice between the two guys, everyone lives happily ever after. It's a story that's been told a million times before, but this iteration is just cute enough to keep a reader from thinking too hard about how many versions of this story they've read. There are a few small twists, but it's a pretty straightforward, predictable read.

Dakota was a fun character to read about. It was easy and fun to see her journey after being jilted. Reading about her reevaluating her life and choices actually seemed realistic and fresh. It was nice to read about a capable woman who didn't fly to extremes when her life got turned upside down. Grant (the ex) was infuriating in all of the best ways. He was fun to hate and had a few manipulative tricks up his sleeve that kept him from being too much of a stereotype. Finally, there was Brendan. He was a tad bit two dimensional and predictable, but he was fun to read about and was a good competitor to go against Brendan. I found him to be the breath of fresh air in this book: he said what Dakota needed to hear and said everything I was thinking about how awful and manipulative Grant was.

Was this a fun read? Yes! I would definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a cute new romance book on the fly. It's got heart, it's got fun characters, and it has little moments that will make your heart swell. Just Jilted is a good example of a diamond in the overwhelming sea of eBooks that are constantly on sale on the iBooks store, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a summery fun-while-it-lasts read.

Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets: Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger.…Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her...

Review:
Sophie Kinsella is a massive name in the romantic comedy book genre: she's sold millions of books and her lighthearted novels make for great beach reads or eBook impulse buys. I'm a sucker for a good love story, so I decided to give Sophie Kinsella's books a second shot after I didn't really enjoy the first one I read (review here).

The main appeal for this book was a unique premise and the clout the author's name carries. Can You Keep a Secret follows Emma as she strives to prove herself at a career she is pursuing to prove that she is not an embarrassment to her family. During a flight on a business trip, her plan hits incredible turbulence prompting her to spill all (yes, literally all of them) secrets to the stranger sitting next to her. In a twist, the stranger turns out to be a big-wig at the company she works for and shenanigans ensue.

Was the story line a tad bit predictable? Yes, absolutely. There was no real twists or turns, everything was pretty straight forward. You could see the ending coming a mile away, as is the case with most books of this genre. Was the ride still fun? Yes. This book is a fun, park-your-brain type of book that might not be memorable, but it's nice while it lasts.

One thing that has been consistent in the two Sophie Kinsella books I've read is how terrible the lead character's friends/family/boyfriends are. One of Emma's roommates only qualities is that she's selfish. Her cousin is the stereotypical mean step-sister who has everything going for her and who Emma is constantly compared to. She's oddly malicious towards Emma, despite Emma being a lighthearted seemingly kind person.

On the topic of Emma - she seems to be the same character as Poppy (from I've Got Your Number), but with more career problems. She makes seemingly criminally poor choices that always make the situation she's in ten times harder to get out of than if she had just been honest from the start. Emma gains your sympathy as she deals with her demeaning coworkers and her cousin who seems bent on replacing her in Emma's own family, but she lost my sympathy when she doesn't ever stand up for herself. Her lack of a backbone really drove me nuts: she put up with her cousin, she put up with her coworkers, she even put up with the man she's dating not telling her anything. 

I would recommend this book to someone who looking for a light read with a heavy dose of secondhand embarrassment. If watching characters digging themselves further and further into a hole is your cup of tea, you'll enjoy this book. If you begrudge characters who actively make the poorest choice in every situation to the point that they seem to enjoy the consequences of their actions, I would give this one a pass.

Review:
Everyone has seen the hoarding shows on television at some point or another or they've at least heard of them. This book is a take on the effects that hoarders have on their loved ones, specifically their children. Unlike the TV shows, this book offered a very personal feeling take on the issue without seeming too cliche or falsified.

The cover is a good representation of the book; it features a pile of clothing, which was one of the many things hoarded by the mother of the main character. Also, the pink cowboy boots do have a part in the book part way through, it's nice to see some tie ins on the cover. The bright pinks and oranges are very eye catching and enjoyable to look at; not too harsh on the eyes. The tag line, "How do you come clean when your life is a mess?" is a perfectly suited line to describe the book, tying the entire cover together.

During the course of the book some of the characters grew on me while others didn't. The main character, Junie, had her enjoyable moments, but for the most part I did not agree with her decisions and how she treated others. She didn't treat her mother very well at all, even considering the situation she had put them in and she didn't think of the consequences her lie had on those around her, specifically Tabitha and her mother. I really enjoyed Tabitha, the best friend character, and her mother for being understanding of what Junie was going through, but at the same time trying to get her to do the right thing no matter how Junie treated them.

The writing was one of the parts of the book I didn't enjoy. Something about it was just not appealing to me, whether it was the  unnecessary use of swearing or the way it reflected upon the characters. The way that characters were portrayed just didn't put them in the best of lights, even though they clearly had a lot of potential, and it really showed in some cases, such as the case of Junie. I didn't find Junie to be too like-able, which really didn't aid the plot. In the plot's defense, I did think it was well paced and fairly realistic feeling without ever having too many absolutely unbelievable moments and it had a good ending.

Overall, I truly liked the premise of this book better than the delivered product. If you're looking for a book specifically about hoarding, give this book a try. I give The Opposite of Tidy a 3/5.

As the only Scion that can enter Hades at will, Helen descends to the Underworld in search of a way to overcome the Furies and end the cycle of revenge that has cursed the Scions. But she’s running out of time. Each descent weakens her both in mind and spirit. A mysterious stranger might be her only salvation, but the price may be her love for Lucas Delos.

As an unforgettable love triangle emerges, Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding. The eagerly awaited sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed, Dreamless delivers with a huge emotional impact that will leave readers satisfied—and longing for more.(

Review:
After reading and loving Starcrossed, I was dying to read Dreamless. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of it, and I dove into as soon as I went on vacation and read it within a day. Unfortunately, I did not care for this one nearly as much as I did the first one, for a multitude of reasons.

Dreamless's cover followed the same theme as Starcrossed's. It had a cover model in a flowing dress, but you couldn't see her face again, making sure the reader thought about how Helen looked and didn't get an idea from the cover. Also on Dreamless's cover, 'hot colors' were featured (orange and purple with dark shadows) rather than the 'cool colors' that were on the cover of Starcrossed. The 'hot colors' symbolized the growing tension, suspense and danger featured in the sequel versus the 'cool colors' representing the lighter themes of Starcrossed. The font of the title was the same as with Starcrossed.

When it came to characters in Dreamless, I didn't enjoy many of them. To begin with the main characters, Helen didn't always think things through for the greater good, she also got very closed minded when it came to her romantic relationships, never thinking things through straight and only seeing when option when there were multiple. Lucas had the same flaws; he didn't know when to let a relationship go and to help with the greater good. He simply didn't seem to be the same character that was in Starcrossed, and I really didn't care for him in Dreamless. My favorite character of the book was the new one; Orion. He was brave and intelligent and willing to help Helen even when she was clearly obsessing over someone else.

The best part of this book was the plot and writing. The writing features a ton of detail and truly shows the emotions of the narrator as well as the feelings of those around them. It also helped carry the story, which was one of the redeeming factors of the book. The plot moved at a fairly fast rate and did accomplish a lot in terms of moving the story ahead. There were a few slow points, but for the most part it kept a fairly steady pace. The ending was one to remember, and I will return to finish the series to find out what happens in the end.

Whether or not I read the last book, I do know that I would recommend that people who have read the first book give Dreamless a go. Altogether I give Dreamless a 3/5 for being a sequel that just didn't live up to the it's predecessor due to multiple factors.

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.


Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Review:
As soon as I saw this book was on Netgalley, I requested away, even after having some mixed feelings over the first book. The tone of this sequel was very different than that of the first, but I did feel that it improved on the first with more mature characteristics. Henry really changed in this novel from the guy who only wanted Kate to stay and do what was for the greater good, to a stone cold version that was much more fitting to his godly title. The secondary characters truly didn't show much of their former selves, due to the book mainly being centered around Kate finding Henry. On the note of Kate, she was a little bland, never quite becoming the protagonist that I had hoped for going into this book, she had kept all of her insecurities and refused to listen to reason even when the signs were right in front of her.

The end, my gosh the end! I loved how fearless the author was with her characters, putting them to the ultimate tests and trials without giving them an easy out. The writing remained fairly average, as it was in the first book, nothing wrong with it, but it didn't have the stellar qualities some authors master. That being said, the plot for Goddess Interrupted was much better paced than it's predecessor, getting into the action very soon after the book started. Altogether, I give this book a 3/5 for showing promise for the next book, as well as for being a good sequel, recommended for fans of the series and anyone in need of a action packed romantic fix.

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre…to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria…to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own—scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving “the life” for a normal life proves harder than she’d expected. 

Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring Kat back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has a good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat’s dad needs her help. 

For Kat, there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's history--and, with any luck, steal her life back along the way.


Review:
I picked this book up at the bookstore because they had it on sale and I had heard great things. When I started the book, I was intrigued, I had never read a similar thief sort of book, but as the book moved along I lost interest in the plot as well as the characters. The main character Kat, did not really connect with me, I just couldn't understand her motives for many of her actions or her seeming connection to Hale and why she didn't acknowledge it much. The other characters were light and fun, but they lacked the depth that I would have liked to have seen in them. The writing was good, it just didn't catch me as the story went on, it did provide all the necessary details for the story though. The plot was the big let down for me, it just did not keep my attention, nor did it bore me too much. I was kind of stuck in limbo on this one. Overall, I would give this book a 3/5 for not boring me, but certainly not entertaining me.

Review:
I recently broke one of my biggest life rules: Don't watch a movie before reading the book. I had rented My Sister's Keeper from the library, and had enjoyed it well enough, but my mom had pointed out that the two endings are very different. I didn't think I would get around to reading the book, so I Googled the ending. About a week later, it was announced that I would be reading the book in a group setting, which often ruins books for me. Needless to say, knowing the ending probably donated to my dislikes of this book. My biggest drawback of this book was the flashbacks and the lack of Kate in the story. Her story was told by everyone else, creating a lack of her point of view. Apart from that, I enjoyed the writing style Jodi had, not too mature and able to traverse many ages. The story itself could have been told in less pages, but it had a way of gripping you without much action. My favourite character was Anna because of her bravery and loyalty towards her family, and my least favourite was Sarah because she seemed to only care for one of her children. Altogether I give this book a 3/5 for being an okay read, with several major flaws.

 High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.
It’s all a fake.
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—
Are about him.

Review:
After recently receiving this book for review, I was unsure of how I would feel about the book. Often fantasy books are a hit or miss with me. While I was hoping this book would be on the hit side of things for me, unfortunately it was not.

The cover for this book is intriguing. I love the blue colour and how light it is and then you add the scarlet fabric that seems to be in the wind, you get a very colourful cover. The one part of this cover I didn't like was the sword. I felt the cover would have been just as good without it. I also liked the font used for the title and author name. It looks almost sketched or old. Altogether this cover came together fairly well.

As you may have heard, Witchlanders does not feature a romantic aspect. It purely focuses on the bromance between Ryder and Falpian. Of those two main characters, Ryder was by far my favourite because of how he didn't change his mind easily for others and he would go to any length for his family. Falpian on the other hand, I didn't like as much because of how easily he changed his mind and how spoiled he could be at times. A part of this book I liked quite a bit was the relationship between Ryder and Falpian. They came from such different worlds that their friendship was odd, but it worked well.

One of my biggest issues with this book lies in the plot pacing. For the first half of the book, I found the plot to be much too slow for my taste. But then in the second half, the book picked up speed and ended well. This book had so much originality in it as well. I have never read a book about witches quite like this one and I did enjoy how original this book was. The writing was also good, though some of the terms used and just getting used to the world with the writing could get a little overwhelming at times.

Overall, Witchlanders was not my favourite book, though not the worst. If you enjoy fantasy books, definitely give this one a shot. I give Witchlanders a 3/5 altogether.


 

Review:
I first spotted this title on Goodreads and admired how unique it sounded. A reluctant necromancer? The only books on necromancers I had read were Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers Trilogy, so I was very excited to read this book. When I saw it on Netgalley, I knew I would have to read it. After reading it however, I was confronted with some conflicted thoughts.

The cover of Ward Against Death did not play into my decision to read the book as much as usual. Usually, I am choosing a physical book and I am drawn to those which catch my eye. This book was online though and I did not see the cover every time I read it. For these reasons I am unsure of how I feel about this cover. On one hand, it is not the kind of cover I am usually drawn to. On the other hand, this cover does have a sense of uniqueness that can be lacking in many covers. Altogether I am unsure with this cover and how much I like it.

Ward Against Death is set in multiple points of view. At times I found it to get a little confusing trying to remember who knew what and who was keeping what from others. As for the characters specifically, I did not find them to be all too great. I thought Celia was too pushy, always bullying Ward around. Ward on the other hand, I felt was not too strong, and he let himself get pushed around by Celia too often. I didn't like how he never put his foot down on anything with her. As for other characters, I did not find any stand out characters, mainly because for a good portion of this book, the characters were on their own.

The story line of this novel was okay. It was not my favorite because at times it just felt too slow for my tastes. By the end of the book, the plot had sped up. The writing in Ward Against Death was a weak point for me as well. I found myself feeling lost and confused about recent events. Also, there were quite a few terms used that I didn't understand, because I felt they weren't quite as well defined to the reader as I would have liked. Apart from these factors, the rest of the writing and plot were fairly good.

Though Ward Against Death was not my favorite book, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books with a historical feel and a twist of fantasy thrown in. I give Ward Against Death a 3/5 overall.

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

Review:
Before receiving this book for review, I had never heard of it before. When I saw the cover however, I fell hard for it. I dove in, expecting an amazing read, but unfortunately, that is not what I found.

The cover for this book is gorgeous online, but on the ARC in person, it is something else. The letters are embossed and the cover will be soft touch. On the final copy, apparently it will have foil. Awesome right? The coolest part of the entire cover is how the cover model's hair turns to smoke and then if you turn the book over, there is some of the hair/ smoke below the summary. That has to be one of the coolest covers.

My troubles over this book begin with the characters. I did not care for Emily that much. She did not respect her friend enough to leave her boyfriend, Zach, alone and she did not respect herself enough to stop being with Zach even when he was quite clearly just playing her. I found it odd how she did not realize that she was being used for the longest time, which also was partially why I did not care for her. Chase on the other hand was in a tough place in his life, putting on a facade everyday to keep other people from getting too close to him. What I found I disliked about him though is how easily fooled he was during most of the book and how he trusted people too easily as well. I found that I enjoyed Chase more than Emily, though they were not my favorite main characters ever.

Fury is set in two different perspectives; that of Chase and Emily. I liked how that gave you insight into what they were thinking when they did some of the things they did. What I did not enjoy was how the characters were so easily tricked into doing these things throughout the story. Though I did not care for the story, the book was well written besides the fact that the characters had a tendency to swear a little too often in my opinion. The ending of Fury was very open ended. I did not find it to be a cliffhanger, but more of an end that you could stop reading the series at or continue on with the books.

Overall, I did not care for a lot of the aspects of Fury all that much. I give it a 3/5, but I will be giving the second book a try when it comes out.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Review:
I have been putting off reviewing Once in a Full Moon for a week, for the simple reason that I really did not care for it. I got this one out from the library not long ago and dove right in, believing it was going to be completely different than it was. I quickly got a found out it was nothing like I thought it would be like, and I found myself a little disappointed with this book. To start off, I found the storyline predictable: I guessed the gist of what was going to happen during the first chapter. The writing wasn't bad, though I did find it very simple, not bad but simple. The characters are where things went downhill for me. I didn't care for the protagonist, Celeste, at all. At times she came off as trying to be uber-perfect all the time. The two main guys in the story were Brandon and Nash. Brandon was the mysterious new guy and Nash was the seemingly perfect boyfriend. I found Nash to be interesting later on in the book when he pulls some twists in the plot line. Brandon on the other hand, I found to be bland. There was nothing wrong with him, he was a good guy, he just wasn't too exciting. I will probably give the series a second shot when the sequel comes out, but until then this book gets a 3/5 to me. I love the cover! It's dark but it also has hints of colour in the title, the shadows on the model, in the model's hair, and in her eyes. It is a very eye grabbing cover.

Title: Linger
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release: July 13, 2010
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 362
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Synopsis:
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.


Review:
Linger is the sequel to Shiver. Shiver was OK and I wanted to know what happened next so I picked up Linger right away. I started Linger. I read 18 pages. I stopped Linger. I went back two months later to finish it and did so successfully. And that's my story of how I got Linger.

The cover of Linger is my favorite part of the whole book. It's following the same theme as the first with the all green colour scheme in the text inside and on the cover, but the cover has a slightly different picture. I really like the font for the title that's used, as I said about Shiver. I also like the little blood splat that dots the 'i' of the title. It also stays consistent with the first book in that way as well.

The writing in this book, and the first one for that matter, are just too poetic and lyrical for my tastes. I really didn't care for the way that Sam was always coming up with bits and pieces of songs about Grace all the time. It just threw me off a little bit and I didn't really care for it that much. That kind of writing is actually one of my least favorites unfortunately. I really have never cared for poetry at all and this book was getting a little too close to poetry for my liking. But the story in this book was interesting and it does make me want to read the last book, Forever, when it comes out. And the ending really was something. It built up from the start of the book just to have a cliffhanger of equal value to the one at the end of Shiver.

The characters in this book did stay pretty much the same as how they were in the first book other than some growth in relationships and introducing of new characters. Though this story was told from four different points of view instead of the two that were used in Shiver. At times the multiple points of view did make the story a little choppy, but for the most part it didn't really take away from the story all that much.

So overall the cover and the storyline were my favorite parts of this book. I will be reading Forever when it comes out but until then, linger got a 3/5 in my opinion.

Title: Eyes Like Stars
Author: Lisa Mantchev
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release: July 7, 2009
Rating: 3/5
Pages: 352
Series: Theatre Illuminata
Synopsis:
All her world’s a stage
Enter Stage Right
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith (Bertie): Our heroine.
Nate: A dashing pirate who will do anything to protect Bertie.
Cobweb, Moth, Mustardseed, and Peaseblossom: Four tiny, mischievous fairies, and Bertie’s loyal sidekicks.
Ariel: A seductive air spirit. Disaster follows in his wake, but Bertie simply cannot resist him.
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. The actors are bound to the Théâtre by The Book, an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of the actors, but they are her family. And she is about to lose them all because The Book has been threatened, and along with it the Théâtre. It’s the only home Bertie has ever known, and she has to find a way to save it. But first, there’s the small problem of two handsome men, both vying for her attention. The course of true love never did run smooth....

Review:
First off look! The colour of my text matches Bertie's hair! OK, so now that that's out of my system, we can continue. Ah, Eyes Like Stars, how you tempted me so. I really enjoyed the summary that I read on the back! It made me fall for it so much! Because, if you haven't noticed, I love books that are different than the regular old staple YA fiction. Don't get me wrong, I love all the big names in YA right now but I like to be able to read and review something that people might not have heard of before or that no one has really reviewed yet. Like this book. I haven't seen many blogs in the YA blogosphere review it and I happened to have read it so...


*SPEECHLESS*


You may wonder why I am so 'speachless'. I. Just. Adore. This. Cover. It's just amazing looking. I mean the artwork is phenomenal and I can say nothing bad about it. I mean it's got cool artwork, the text is fun, and most importantly, it does not have 'A Novel' or 'A Novel By...' on the cover. Yes that is probably my biggest pet peeve of all. I just hate that, but that's another story altogether. But look at the pretty little fairies around Bertie's head, and her hair! Oh her hair! I love her hair and this is just the way I saw her and her hair while I read the book. But the absolutely best of the whole cover is the review down at the bottom of the page.*

"Magical stagecraft, unmanageable fairies, and a humorous cast of classical characters form the back drop for this imaginative coming-of-age."
-Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire

Suzanne freaking Collins! She's my favorite author but when I first read this book, I had no idea who she was. But then I was showing this book to one of my friends and I noticed Suzanne's name and I just freaked out. I am a huge fan and I have read the whole Hunger Games Trilogy.

The characters were alright in this book. My favorites were the fairies. they were funny and lovable all at the same time. They brought this fun air to all the serious parts and parts where the writing lost me completely. That's my problem with this book, but I'll get to that later. Out of the two guys my favorite was Ariel. He made me so mad but happy at the same time. If that made sense. But for me Nate was just too tame compared to Ariel who was out there, adventurous and dangerous. That for me is just way more appealing in a book than the tame character.

The story was a great idea. At times it made no sense, at times it confused me and at times, and it made me want to give up on this book. Don't get me wrong, I finished and liked more parts towards the middle than I thought I would at the start. The writing is also just a little odd for me. I have never read a book written like this before. Hey if you like plays and stuff, this is the book for you. It just didn't appeal to me in how the writing was also very young feeling. And I mean young as in not the maturity I was hoping for in this one. The writing just screamed middle school book to me when I wanted YA fiction out of it.

That's why I can only bring myself to give this a 3/5 overall. I'm sorry if you like it, but I just didn't like the writing and how confusing it got. In the end I did finish it, but I had to convince myself to. It took a lot of convincing.

* Please note that the review quote at the base of the cover may not be available on all editions. But it's on mine.