Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

The book Obsidian, by Jennifer Armentrout, is a paranormal, scifi y.a novel with plenty of action, sarcasm, hilarity, relatability, and swoon-worthy romance. 

Synopsis

Starting over sucked, being new sucked, and being neighbors with Daemon sucked. Katy just wants to be able to update her blog on reliable wifi, plant a garden, make a few friends, and survive her Senior year at a new school. But mysterious Daemon is making that nearly impossible. He may be hotter than the Sahara, but he was clearly an arrogant jerkface that Katy could literally stab and feel no remorse for. 

"I'd always avoided confrontation in the past, but this guy was flipping my bitch switch like nothing else." -Katy 

Or so she tells herself.. Strange things are happening around West Virginia. Girls are going missing, being attacked, and there is something just not right with Daemon and Dee Black. 

Katy gets swept away in the friendship between Dee and her obvious crush hatred of the infuriating Daemon. But can she maintain her friendships when people from out of this world literally want to tear her apart? 

Jennifer Armentrout sure knows how to create relatable characters, gripping tales, and searing romance. I couldn't get enough of this first novel in her Lux series. 

Katy, the main protagonist, is my spirit animal. Young Katy would rather spend her days indoors updating her book review blog, waiting on new book releases, or reading the next novel in her TBR pile. She is shy, snarky, hilarious, and represents us bookaholics brilliantly. I have never related to a character before quite like I do Kate. 

Daemon Black is the swoon-worthy jerk of a boy next door. Although he says and does some horrible things, they are always in Katy's best interest. You can't help but love, hate, and love to hate Daemon all at the same time. 

Dee Black is the perfect, starved for real friendship, best friend. Dee struggles to find her place in her world and Katy's. After all, Katy is the first real friend she has ever had. She doesn't let her big brother, all of 4 minutes, or her "family" break up her friendship with Katy. She fights to the end proving that nothing will stop her from finally living her life. 

I strongly recommend you check out this first book. And if you happen to like this one, I also suggest White Hot Kiss (another series by Jennifer Armentrout). 

I give it 5/5

Now for some of my favorite quotes to help guide your decision to read this novel. 

"I thought people in small towns were supposed to be nice, not act like the son of Satan." -Katy

"Sometimes being around children was the perfect abstinence program. Then again, not like I needed a program." -Katy

"The day my Internet was hooked up was better than having a hot guy check out my butt and ask for my phone number." -Katy

"Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." -Katy 

"I was always able to lose myself in reading. Books were a necessary escape I always gladly jumped into headfirst" -Katy

 

 

 

Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The book Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Bracken, is a dystopian fantasy novel. 

Ruby was just a little girl when it all began. When IAAN began killing,
changing the children around her. Those who survive are "gifted" with great and terrible powers of the mind. 

President Gray is determined to eliminate the threat these children posses.

Gray creates concentration rehabilitation camps. 

After a terrible accident, Ruby is thrusts into the depths of the worst camp; 

THURMOND.  

Boys and girls are separated. Then each child is classified and color coded by power.

Greens are coders.

Blues are telekinetic.

Yellows control electrical circuits.

Reds summon and control fire.

And Oranges, Oranges control the mind.

Yellows, Reds, and Oranges are the highest threats and quickly taken out within the camps.

The problem is that Ruby is an Orange disguised as a Blue. 

After chasing her best friend Sam away, Ruby soon learns it is no longer safe at THURMOND.
But Ruby is rescued by Cate, a young doctor determined to save her.
The problem is that Cate is part of the Children's League. Ruby's journey
to survive and free herself from oppression leads her to Zu, Chubbs, and Liam
where her adventures really begin. She soon learns that she will
stop at nothing to keep this children safe. But can she keep them safe
from herself?

I absolutely liked adored LOVED this dystopian novel! It had enough of a hint of romance with plenty of action to keep me racing through the pages. I laughed in spots, I teared up in others, and I angrily slammed the book shut on more than one occasion. This is one of those books where you find yourself thinking about the plot and characters long after the dust has begun to settle on the pages. I just hope it gets the ending I am rooting for. 

Most realistic dystopian ya novel I have read recently. It is an accurate representation on the feelings and actions of the youth. I think a lot of ya novels I have read recently don't accurately portray teenagers and the actions and feelings that they would take to survive. 

I give it 5/5

March 2015 Book Haul

Death Cure by James Dashner Review

Once again I will try to avoid any major plot twists and spoilers as well as I possibly can.

Synopsis

The third and final installment of the Maze Runner trilogy, Death Cure by James Dashner, is an adventurous tale full of action. Group B and the Gladers successfully made it to the "safe haven" in the Scorch Trials, earning them the chance for a cure. Thomas however, is taken away. He is fed three square meals of ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, bread, and water. Locked away like a prisoner, completely isolated. He hasn't had a bath in over three weeks. Hasn't seen a person in that time either.

"Rage crept in. Like a shivering rat looking for a spot of warmth, a crumb of food."

This is how Thomas felt as he stared at the white walls, floors, and ceiling, waiting for the inevitable snap of his brain as he is driven over the edge by the Flare. Suddenly, Rat Man appears in the doorway. This has been yet another trial from Wicked to discover kill zones. Each of them received similar or worse trials. Thomas is lucky though. Like several others, he is immune to the Flare. Some of his friends are not as fortunate.

A procedure will be given to each of them to secure their memories back. Wicked needs for the "subjects" to remember and participate fully in the quest for a cure. They are safe now. They of course have the option to not have the procedure done. Thomas, Minho, and Newt have had enough. They have had enough of the lies, deceit, trials, and games of Wicked. They refuse the procedure. But will they be able to really refuse? Or will they succumb to yet another trial and danger? They hope to make their escape towards freedom.

My Review

Death Cure came to an exciting and unforgettable end. The entire book was much better than I could ever anticipate. So many questions were raised that I could not wait to find the answers to. The stakes were high and I was not disappointed with the action in this book. Bullets were flying, fists were sailing, and the most advanced weaponry was used in the battle for a cure and safety. Wicked, the Right Hand, and Thomas' group all had different objectives in mind as they all raced to beat the other at their own game. Dashner has found a way to make the most realistic apocalyptic dystopian fantasy come alive. There were several deaths that had me in tears and others I knew were inevitable. I have to admit, I was quite worried on how the ending would play out. There were so many possibilities I had in mind. Never did I suspect it would end in the way it did. I am thankful for that. Dashner thought up a brilliant conclusion to the series. Just this once, my favorite book in the series is the ending.
4 out of 5

So were you as satisfied with the ending as I was? Were you team Teresa or Brenda? Did anyone really ship Thomas with anyone? I found that I was not too concerned with the slight bits that can be classified as "romance" in this dystopian novel. I was far too invested in the lives of Thomas, Minho, and Newt to care too much about what happened to the others.

From a Young Writer

Hello, my name is Ashley and I am a writer.

It’s funny to think that it has taken me this long to establish myself as a writer. I've always thought of a writer as someone who got paid to write. The words published and author come to mind. An author can’t be an author without being a writer. But can a writer be someone who writes without being published? I've discovered the answer is yes. 

A writer is a person who is passionate about the written language, one who writes for the love of words written upon a page.

I have been keeping journals since the seventh grade with my thoughts, scenes, and little poems. For as long as I can remember, I've lived in the imaginative world of my mind; always creating fantasy characters, powers, and situations to push them through. 

I adore letters. There is something special about picking up a piece of paper and communicating through ink. I find it much more preferable to the instant gratification of the digital age. Don't get me wrong, I love my Internet, but to receive a letter in the mail is the best form of communication. Because of this, I often find myself writing letters to my friends and loved ones in appreciation for how much I care. For what is better proof of my love than writing the things I cannot and often dare not say? 

I am a writer. I may not be seasoned or well-versed in the publishing industry, however my passion for the written word exceeds my inexperience. So with this in mind, I have created this blog today to share my passion for books and to gain experience in writing. I hope to finally finish several story and poem ideas that have been sitting in my notebooks for a while. 

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings