Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

Apparently I was on a Lauren Oliver kick! First Delirium, then this. And sorry for taking a two-day break from my four days of book reviews. I have so many posts planned!

Title: Liesl and Po

Author: Lauren Oliver

Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal

Pg #: 307

Reading Span: October 17 to 21

Rating: **** (four stars)

The story begins with Liesl, our main character, a quiet girl locked in her tower bedroom for the rest of eternity by her stepmother. Then we have Po, the genderless ghost who comes from the Other Side, and his loyal cat-dog companion, Bundle. Together, the three form a close friendship through (at first) shy encounters that bloom into a heartwarming story. If that on it's own isn't enough to make you say "awww", well, that's where we differ. Then of course there's our other charming characters and subplots, featuring Will as the Alchemists apprentice.

I read this what feels like so long ago that it's very difficult for me to write a review at this point. However, I will try my best.

I loved the characters and the dialogue between them. Liesl was so naive and innocent to start, and after her journey and interactions, you can see her growing up. The other characters like Augusta, Will and the guard were fun characters which made the story much more entertaining. However, I found the stepmother (Augusta) and her daughter to be very stereotypical. The stepmother always has to be evil and ugly. *sighs*

The plot was fun because you could see the confusion unfolding from various perspectives. It was very well-written that way. Sometimes I did find the plot to be a little repetitive or slow, though.

Overall I found it to be a very moving novel. Lauren Oliver wrote this story from her emotions about a close friend's death, and it really shone through in the story. You could tell the emotions were from the heart, and were very real and raw. This story is ultimately one of hope, growing up, and moving on. Because this message was very prevalent throughout the book, I found it to be quite memorable. I would recommend this beautiful coming-of-age tale to everyone.

That's the best I can do! Hope you liked it. Have a wonderful day!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Another review! I am going to be having "Four Days of Book Reviews". First Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, now this, then tomorrow a new review, and the last day of December another review. Enjoy! (:


Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
Pg #: 131
Reading Span: December 25, 2013
Rating: *** (three stars)

A Christmas Carol is the classic story of an old, bitter man, who, through meetings of past, present, and future spirits, changes his life for the better - just in time for Christmas!

This is a very traditional and heartwarming tale. It was the perfect book for me to read on Christmas Day. That said, it was very easy to forget that this wasn't just another A Christmas Carol retelling. There was nothing original or gripping in the way Dickens wrote it that felt like it was special as compared to other editions. I give him credit for coming up with this wonderful story, but I was a little surprised at how average it seemed to me.

Let's talk about the characters in this story. Because I have seen various editions of this story, none of them were surprise. Scrooge is bitter, Bob Cratchit is kind and devoted, and Fred (Scrooge's nephew) is merry and caring. Everything with the characters were pretty much as expected and reflected on the various movies and plays I have seen. The one thing I did find was that the Ghost of Christmas Past was extremely hard to picture in my head. I still fail to see how he can randomly grow legs... The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, was written exactly how I saw him.

The writing style was noticeably archaic, as this was written long ago. Because of this, sometimes I had to read closely to pick up on the meaning of the sentence, which I had expected. The one thing I was surprised about, however, was how superfluous some of the story was. It was often bogged down by heavy descriptions which I honestly couldn't make sense of, not because it was old-fashioned, but because I could not decipher was Dickens was trying to say, to be honest. Call me simple-minded, I really don't care.

I seem to have a lot of qualms about the book when you read above, but overall, I still enjoyed it and because three stars means "liked the book", that is the rating I have given it. I would recommend this book to read if you want a classic tale for Christmastime, but I would not recommend reading it any other time of year.

Have a lovely day!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Finally! A real review! *gasps from the crowd*

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn + David Levithan
Pg. #: 260
Reading Span: December 13 - 21, 2013
Rating: **** (four stars)

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares tells the story of two teenagers who share an unexplainable connection through one red Moleskine notebook, and the adventures the simple journal sets them on.

The one word I could use to describe this book would be entertaining. I was so caught up in Dash and Lily's story, mainly because of the characters. Dash and Lily both had very distinct voices and narratives, which added interest and made it easier to distinguish the alternating POV's. At first, though I thought they were fun and interesting to read about, I didn't really like either Dash or Lily. I found Lily to be whiny and Dash to be sullen and rude, but I grew to love them. The supporting characters like Langston, Boomer, and particularly Great Aunt Idea were all super fun and hilarious and I just loved them! I also loved the character dynamic and dialogue in this book - it was so funny and entertaining to read!

The plot progression was well done; something was always happening and new characters were introduced at the right times to give the plot a boost. Plus I just love the idea for this book so very much, with the journal being passed between the two characters. However, I was hoping for a few more dares and less scavenger hunt. I feel like that was a missed opportunity that the authors could've jumped on.

Overall, this book is a cute and light read for the holiday season. It really sucks you in to it's cute and fun world and you'll find yourself immersed in Dash and Lily's story. This is a book I would definitely recommend, especially for Christmas.

Have a lovely day!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

So I've been behind on everything and haven't done a review in forever. I honestly can't even remember the last time I did a review, and for what book. I recently read this book at the end of September and loved it so much that I thought I'd post a short review (more like me gushing and fangirling to an a ridiculous level).

Title: Vampire Academy
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal
Pg #: 322
Reading Span: September 28 - 30
Rating: **** (four stars)

Vampire Academy starts off with our two heroines, Rose and Lissa, being taken back to St. Vladimir's Academy after two years on the run. An evil group of vampires, the Strigoi - the immortal and dead ones - are after Lissa, a Moroi or mortal vampire, and a princess at that. Back at the school, Rose is trying her best to protect Lissa. As a dhampir (both human and vampire), it is her duty to keep the Strigoi from forcing Lissa to become one of them. Dark things are happening at St. Vladimirs - but the mystery is who's behind them.

Gahhhh this was good! I'd heard it was fantastic, but I didn't really think it was my 'type' of read. It was. I wouldn't say the plot was very fast-paced. There really wasn't a ton of action until the end. However, it really worked because it was constantly kept entertaining. Also, the mystery was pretty consistent throughout the novel, so it was sprinkled into the more contemporary, real-life kind of circumstances. I also didn't mind that there was minimal action until the end because I absolutely love reading about boarding schools. Ever since Harry Potter, they've just fascinated me for some odd reason and I am never bored reading them. However, I didn't feel like this element of the book was used to it's advantage. I never heard about any of their classes, really. I feel like there was a missed opportunity there, but potential for the future.

The characters in this book were good as well. Rose was a very strong character. She's strong-minded, smart, witty, and confident. She owned absolutely everyone in this book with her fantastically hilarious remarks and come-backs. Her tough attitude really makes her someone you don't want to cross. That being said, I also found her to be shallow and just plain rude sometimes-- I can't believe how selfish she was about Lissa! However, often she was naive, selfish, or immature. It annoyed me that she expected to be taken seriously when she was so irresponsible about certain things. On a different note, I also loved Lissa. She was so different from Rose with her more sweet and gentle personality, but she was true to her beliefs which I really liked as well. My other favourite character was Christian, because he was so mysterious and different and him and Lissa together was awesome. I was so happy when they finally got together.

Now, I will probably get hate for this, but I'm going to go ahead and say it anyways. I didn't love Rose and Dimitri as a couple. Everyone gushes over them but I was kinda like, nope, not feeling it. It just seemed very basic and typical of the YA romances nowadays and I felt like I was that person watching it happen with their arms crossed, rolling their eyes at the stupidity and swooning. That sounds harsh. Anyways, it wasn't horrible and I like both their characters, I just didn't really believe it.

One thing I really like about this book is how the mystery is slowly building, and finally at the end you find out the real truth. Up until the last part of the book, you don't know why it's so important that Lissa and Rose leave the one place that should be protecting them. This really keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end.

My one sort-of complaint is that I am still super curious on pretty much everything. It feels as if Vampire Academy was only a few chapters of a book, not a full novel. It went by in such a blur that I feel as if I have just barely gotten a taste of the world. I am loving the vampire lore, but I really want more of it! And when will I get to see some real strigoi, hmm? I also am very curious to see where the romance goes (fingers crossed for no love triangle!) and find out how some of the loose ends get tied up. Plus, I can't wait to see more of the characters!!! I am starting the second book today, and am hoping to finish the rest of the series relatively soon.

Thanks for reading this review! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

The Program by Suzanne Young

For this review, I have used HTML for the spoilers because that's how it was on Goodreads, but it won't work on Blogger so look out for the red, bolded type if you have not read the book!

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Genre: YA Contemporary/Romance/Psychology (I have no idea what genre to call this)
Pg #: 408
Reading Span: June 12-14
Rating: **** (four stars)

I love and hate the concept of this novel. I love it because it's brilliant and original, makes a great story, and plays on real world issues. I hate it because it's possible. But the idea works well for a novel.

First, the characters. I have quite a few things to say about Sloane, the main character. I love her because she's realistic. Almost any girl would react similarly to her in the situation she's in. But it doesn't always work for situations in the novel. Sloane is often hysterical and very naive- which can be understood. But I wish she had one memory or thought to cling onto to throughout the book which made her tougher or stronger, to spare us from many hysterical crying scenes. I get it, I really do. I am glad the author made her realistic. But something needs to change.

I like James in the story. I don't particularly like his personality, but his character and signature cockiness works. I liked Lacey, she was fun, but I was never a fan of Realm (more on that later). The interaction between Sloane and her family was sad, but necessary. I couldn't help hating Sloane's mom for doing that to her, even though she thought it was the right decision.

The plot progression was pretty good. I really liked how it was split into three sections of her life-- pre, during, and post Program. It was interesting to see how the interactions between her and other characters changed in each stage, and how Sloane felt without the memories of her past. Her backstory was revealed nicely throughout the novel as well. Some parts of the book were a little dull and uninteresting, but most was enjoyable.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. The main thing that brought my rating from a 5 or 4.5 is because of the unnecessary romance scenes. They were repetitive and didn't add to the story. I went into this book knowing it was a partly romance novel, but I think it would attract more potential readers without some of the romance. References to their type of relationship and certain things that happened that are important later in the novel would be better for me personally because they often bored me.

But the reason I liked this book most is because it made me feel something. Brady's death and the toll it took on his family made me said, but moved. Sloane's struggle <spoiler> after James was taken to the Program </spoiler> nearly made me cry. That was one of the best parts of the book. Anything with Roger made me angry and creeped out. And <spoiler> When Realm betrayed Sloane, and she got the injection that made her forget and he acted like he wasn't to blame and she trusted him blatantly because she couldn't remember he had done the very thing that he was now consoling her about... GAH </spoiler> made me hysterical. Actually. Ask Brianna, she was with me while I was reading it and I was so made I a) Made fingernail marks on the book b) Slammed the book shut and almost threw it across the room c) nearly broke into frustrated tears.

I highly recommend the Program. It is extremely moving, and hits close to home for me, because so many teens are depressed and/or suicidal today. You often hear about it on the news. The scariest part is, what if this happened? What if a government program was instituted into our society? Are scientists looking for a "cure" to depression right now? And, most concerning, how far are we willing to go to find one and put it in place, despite the consequences?

Thanks for reading!

May Wrap-Up + Mini-Reviews

So May was prettyyyy crazy, and unfortunately I had little time to read. This was disappointing because I really felt like reading all of this month-- I just didn't have the time, and if I did squeeze in some time, I'd feel guilty about all the stuff I still need to finish. So it was kind of a lose-lose situation.  I am hoping next month will be better and less busy, but at the way my schedule is looking now, this seems very unlikely. :/ Anyhow, I did get a chance to read some great books in May. I have wrote a couple sentences on my general feelings for each one and provided a link for the books I reviewed.

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (*** */*)
I finally finished this last month as part of a novel study I've been taking part in. The beginning was slow and dull to me, but it picked up speed and some parts I found very interesting. The dystopia world was interesting since it was set in the Southern USA and Mexico, and the entire book was very unique. However, the last section (La Vida Nueva) was very separate from the rest of the book and the ending was extremely abrupt.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans (***)
Level 2 was not what I was expecting at all, as I was thinking it would be more a otherworldly, action sort of book, where it was actually more contemporary. I also had problems with pacing in this book, as the middle was very slow and seemed as if nothing happened, yet at the end things happened too fast. I found that many of the flashbacks and middle section of the novel were unnecessary or repetitive. The setting, Level 2, was interesting but I would've liked to see more development.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (*****)
Though there were a few slow moments and painfully obvious "twists", I absolutely loved this book! Because they didn't focus too much on the "twist", it wasn't too bad that it was predictable. I loved the writing style and perfect mesh between two of my favourite genres-- Dystopia and fairytale retellings. This book had a little something for everything, and tons of awesome elements that all come together at the end. I can't wait to read Scarlet!

Glitches by Marissa Meyer (****)
After finishing Cinder, I wanted more of this awesome story, so I read Glitches, a 30 page short story. And though this story doesn't really contain anything we don't already know, it was very interesting to see it all from Cinder's eyes at the time and understand the effect the events had on Cinder's step-family.

Shards & Ashes (****) 
It's kind of hard to do a review as this one is an anthology. In my full review, I wrote a mini-review for each story. The general comments I had were not being able to connect to the piece and also development of the world created, which is hard in a short story. Though some I didn't care for, I also really enjoyed a fair amount of the stories as well.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret (****) 
The pieces of the puzzle really came together in this novel with gorgeous illustrations and a unique perspective. The characters were interesting, but sometimes I wasn't a fan of Hugo and his actions because it limited the story, despite the fact I understand why he did the things he did. I loved the setting of Paris. The incorporation of old films was awesome too. However, I felt like something was missing that I couldn't place, or couldn't connect with.

Mind Games (**)
I was quite disappointed with this read. It was very bland-- I wanted assassins and action and I got repetition of the same things, the same thoughts. I didn't like the writing format (how it jumped from past to present and the way that was executed) or the writing style for Fia's chapters. Many of the characters seemed underdeveloped or superficial. I don't think I will be reading the books following Mind Games.

The amount of books looks like more than it is because one was a short story, one was a illustrated novel, one I read most of last month, one I read some of last month and is a short story anthology, and two are very short books.

Thanks for reading! My June TBR will be up shortly. What did you read in May, and what do you want to read in June?

Mind Games by Kiersten White

This is my third review for my monthly TBR in May, and I am reviewing Mind Games.

Title: Mind Games
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: Young Adult Psychological Thriller
Pg. #: 237
Rating: * (one star)

This book was one of my most anticipated 2013 releases, and it just didn't live up to my expectations. When I think back on the book, nothing really happened. I think it was really missing out on the "thriller" part of psychological thriller. I felt like the thoughts and events happening to our narrator's were very repetitive as well. I must say, I was getting tired of hearing Fia endlessly announce how she could do nothing in her situation because she had to protect Annie. I get it, I really do, but you can't have ten chapters of just this thought going around in her head.

Don't even get me started on the characters (yeah... too late). James was such a jerk that I can't even read about him without shouting violently inside my head and slamming the cover of the book down because I am so angry at how Fia is totally okay with his jerk-ness. Fia and Annie felt very underdeveloped to me. I liked Annie better because her emotions and actions I could relate to more, but both of them could've used work. Because Fia is so damaged, we don't even get to see what she's like as a person (normally) because she's always damaged. Also, sometimes at the beginning I forgot who's perspective I was on (until the writing style with Fia came up... which leads me to the next point).

Now the writing style and format. Fia's chapters often had random, unconnected-to-the-real-sentence thoughts in brackets (ow, my arm hurts, my arm hurts), FULL CAPS IN SENTENCES, and lot's of choppy thoughts and frustrating tapping (tap-tap-tap). I think White was trying to go for a unique voice in her character, and a portrayal of how damaged she is, but it didn't work for me. All it did is annoy me and make me want to stop reading the book. Also, the writing format. White alternates very often between past and present-- The past chapters are in no order at all. For example... Fia: Monday Morning, Fia: 7 years ago, Annie: Monday Morning, Annie: 5 years ago, Fia: 4 years ago..... etc. etc. This was very frustrating and extremely disorientating, especially at first. Not only that, but these flashbacks were almost never relevant (I didn't care what happened in them, really) and didn't connect to the chapter before. I think the author was going for a unique approach of slowing feeding in backstory, but personally I would've preferred she just have written it from the past because more than half of the book is past rather than present. So no flashbacks.

I know I ranted a lot, but despite this, the idea was good (if not a little unoriginal). But it sounded so thrilling, intense, and action-packed in the synopsis and that's just not what you get. Maybe some will like this, but I don't recommend picking it up unless you're a fan of slower-paced, quirky writing.

Thanks for reading!

Shards & Ashes by Various Authors

This is my TBR review for Shards & Ashes by Various Authors. Since it is a short story anthology, I will post my Goodreads update reviews and maybe a little more, as well as a rating here for each individual story. Then I will average the ratings for an overall book rating. Enjoy! :)

Hearken by Veronica Roth

**** */* (four and a half stars)

I loved this story! I really wish it was longer, because it was so enjoyable, and also because I wanted much more information about the world and the bombings. That said, I was captivated by the story and the idea. I could sympathize with the main character and the choices she had to make. I really want this story to be expanded into a novel!

Branded by Kelley Armstrong

**** (four stars)

I really enjoyed this story! I found it very entertaining, though found it difficult to see any development in Priscilla's character. The world was more developed than the previous one (Hearken), but I still wanted to know why our world (the "Old World" as they refer to it) was destroyed. Good story though!

Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl

** (two stars)

The premise and idea was awesome, with the thought that your life could be "spent". That said, the format and writing style was very weird. I didn't like the three random perspectives... It kept switching between third and first person. The writing style was choppy and therefore made it hard to read as a coherent piece. I didn't feel like anything really happened. 

Dogsbody by Rachel Caine

*** (three stars)

I liked it! I actually would've liked to see the concept spanned out over the length of a real book though-- There was just so much more I wanted to know and discover. The ending felt very rushed, as if it was trying to wrap everything up and end on a resolution without leaving anyone hanging-- but couldn't waste pages doing so. Overall I did really like the story itself and characters for the most part though. 

Pale Rider by Nancy Holder

* (one star)

This story was very... odd. To be honest I really couldn't get into or connect to the story at all. I still am very confused at many things and felt like everything happening was just so random. At the end, new information is thrown at you which was very overwhelming as well.

Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr

**** (four stars)

This story was good too! The idea was really creepy and cool, and I loved the action and backstory. However, there was one thing that I found very shocking in a strange way-- Spoiler! When she stabs her dad. How could she just do that. Wow. Just... no. Spoilers over. I also would've liked more background on how the Nidos took over.

Burn 3 by Kami Garcia

**** */* (four and a half stars)

Burn 3 was awesome! I really liked the idea and I was thoroughly entertained, though I wanted more background on how the Burn happened. I really liked Phoenix, and understood how she felt having to carry so much weight on her shoulders. The most important part of this story was that I could imagine the world and felt enraptured in the story-- I cared. 

Love Is a Choice by Beth Revis

**** (four stars)

I really enjoyed this story, though felt a little confused having not read Across the Universe. It was kind of cheating in a way, since it was set on the spaceship Godspeed, rather than a different world like the eight other authors. That being said, Revis is a very talented author and I could tell that from this story. It was very entertaining. One character was very contradictory though-- It describes her as being innocent, but later the narrator says that she has always had that fire in her eyes, while before he describes her eyes as big and innocent. Overall though, very good. 

Miasma by Carrie Ryan

* */* (one and a half stars)

Mrahhhhh. What do I say about this story. Insta-love? I personally didn't enjoy this story too much. The idea behind it (plague/illness) is very popular right now so I didn't find it extremely original or interesting. The main character annoyed me greatly

Overall, I was disappointed greatly by three of the stories, but enjoyed the others and even loved a few. According to my calculator, it results in about a 3.1 star rating, so averaged out, a 3 on Goodreads. However, I did really enjoy a lot of the stories and feel my thoughts on the book are closer to a 4-star rating.

Hope you enjoyed this review! Thanks for reading. :)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I tried reading this novel twice before in late 2012 and early 2013, but I couldn't get past 20 pages. I tried it again though, and those same 20 pages were way more interesting. Guess third times a charm is actually true in this case. Anyway, I loved this novel and am so glad I gave it a third chance.

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Dystopia/Fairytale Retelling
Pg. #: 390
Rating: ***** (five stars)

I loved this book. I rarely give out a full five stars but this one earned it. Completely earned it.

The dystopia aspects were awesome. I loved the mix of Eastern and Western cultures to make a interesting society. And Marissa Meyer just has brilliant ideas about everything. Androids? Cyborgs? Lunars? She executed each perfectly. Just... love.

The characters were awesome as well. I really related to Cinder and found myself thinking the same way she did throughout the book. Adri and Pearl were good characters to bring out the Cinderella aspect of the book, and Peony was a nice addition to make it different. I also loved Iko and the fact that she had a glitch in her personality chip-- She was definitely one of my favourite characters. Queen Levana and the other lunars were very mysterious and I can't wait to see what happens in the next books on the moon. So excited! :)

There were a few minor issues I had with the novel. First, some parts were a bit slow. Not boring slow, I just would've liked a bit more to be going on. Second, the "plot twist" was very, very predictable. However, it didn't really take away from the book much. In some books I've read, the author builds up and builds up to that moment, which ends up being very disappointing because it's so easy to guess. In Cinder though, so much is already going on and she has so much on her mind that this "twist" is kind of going on in the background, so I didn't mind it so much.

I loved this book because I became enthralled in the story. I cared about the characters and the outcome of the novel. It locked me in an alternate world, which is my favourite part about reading. It has been a long time since I have connected and felt like a world in a book was so real.

Have you read Cinder? If so, did you love it as much as me? If not, please read it! Comment with your thoughts. :) 

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

I know it took me FOREVER to get through this book (I was super busy and ditched it for a few weeks to read other books), but I did finish it and am reviewing it as part of my monthly TBR (sorry the review is posted so late).

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Pg. #: 576
Rating: *** (three stars)

*sigh* I wanted action. I wanted violence. I wanted assassins. I found that the book focused much more on "games of love and intrigue", as the back cover quotes. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book overall. Some parts were very dark and intriguing and I liked that quite a lot.

Let's talk about characters. I like Ismae, though sometimes she annoyed me in the fact that she spent ages simply wandering the castle and eavesdropping. Duval was fine, I neither liked him nor disliked him, he just settled into that gray region. I did however like the Duchess (Anne) and thought Sybella was an intriguing character, which makes me very excited to read Dark Triumph!

One thing I did really enjoy was the feel of the book. LaFevers did an awesome job of portraying the time period and setting of Brittany. I am really enjoying books of this era right now, so I loved the mood and feel of the book. The politics of the book and the Duchess's situation was obviously desperate and I found it interesting to see what their solution might be. That said, the characters in political positions were extremely confusing. I always mixed up the regents and ambassadors and everything.

Overall, yes, I did enjoy the book. I just felt like the book had too little happening for 500+ pages. The progression was too slow for me and I wanted more action for sure. There were only one or two violent action scenes. I would recommend this book for people who like historical romance and less for people who want a historical adventure with a twist.

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

I am now posting reviews for my monthly TBR, which means I'll read some books just for fun, and other books for fun and review. I'm sorry this review is so late (I finished it in March...) but here it is anyway!

Title: The False Prince
Author: Jennifer Nielsen
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Pg. #: 342
Rating: **** (four stars)

Let's face it, I read a lot of YA. A lot of YA. Every one of the 23 books I read in 2013 is YA except this (though I suppose Princess of the Midnight Ball is also classified as Middle Grade). So anyway, it was absolutely excellent to read a middle grade book because it is such a refresher. The writing style is just different and I don't know exactly how (it's not simplistic or "telling not showing" or anything). The lack of romance was also refreshing, and the twisty plot that doesn't lag on-- I'm always entertained in Middle-Grade fantasy. 

I really liked the narrator's voice for the first 150 pages or so. It was told in first-person from the perspective of Sage, an orphan who is basically kidnapped and in contest to play a special role (dang synopsis totally gave that away). He was sarcastic and rebellious which made the book much more interesting. However, as it went on, I became increasingly annoyed with his smart-talk. For a boy described as very clever, sometimes he said the stupidest things. And talking about the narration brings me to another point that frustrated me... 

Sage conveniently left things out of his narration. No, seriously. Say he saw someone steal a knife. He wouldn't express that until later. Obviously the author was trying to up the suspense factor, but this frustrated me and made me confused. There was a huge part of the novel that Sage just conveniently didn't mention until the end, which made everything fall apart for me. I couldn't get used to the fact that I couldn't trust the narrator. 

I also found some things predictable. Just by the nature of the book, you can almost guarantee one thing that's going to happen (like when the constant threat in books is always the character dying... the main character doesn't die when there is a series, at least not that I've seen). I also predicted several things, even the big event at the end. I was a little unsatisfied by the ending because I wanted something else to happen. SPOILER ALERT. I really wanted Roden to become King, then the next book could've been about the consequences of this. SPOILER ALERT OVER. 

Despite all that, the novel was highly enjoyable. I was always entertained, the plot progressed well, and I liked the different characters. Overall, it was just a super fun book, which is why I still rated it 4 stars because I did really enjoy it (once I got over all the stuff Sage "conveniently forgot to mention"). 

Thanks for reading! I have a few more posts planned, so keep checking for those! Or, you know, just follow. :) Have a great day!