'Evertrue' by Brodi Ashton

Evertrue (Everneath, #3)
By Brodi Ashton
Published: Jan, 21, 2014
Read: April 2014
Format: Kindle

Rating: B

“I had believed there was no such thing as redemption. I knew now I was wrong. Redemption had not come from grand gestures of dashing bravery. It had not come from successfully completing twelve impossible labors. Instead, redemption transpired from the small, quiet places.”

Here's the thing about the Everneath series: It's pretty cheesy. Reading through most of the quotes on Evertrue's Goodreads page, I rolled my eyes and wondered why I liked the series. Despite its cheesiness though, it's also funny and captivating. (Warning: Spoilers for the first two books are below.)

Nikki was a normal girl with a normal boyfriend (Jack) until she met Cole, who just so happens to be an Everliving. In order to stay eternal, Everlivings have to feed off mortals for 100 years (which, in our world, turns out to be about 6 months). Cole uses his powers and Nikki's vulnerability to lure her into the Everneath and act as his Forfeit. Except unlike most Forfeits, she returns to Earth unaged when the Feeding is over. Turns out her love for Jack was powerful enough to keep her grounded and not turn her elderly, like it does to most Forfeits. But the price is that she is marked and the Tunnels come for her. Jack sacrifically gives himself to the Tunnels in her place at the end of the first book, and she spends the second book trying to rescue him with Cole by her side. She does so successfully (of course), but Cole informs her at the end that because she fed off him three times while in the Everneath, she is now turning into an Everliving and must find a Forfeit or she'll die.

In Evertrue, Jack and Nikki's mission is to destroy the Everneath so she can return to her mortal self and they can live happily ever after. Like I said, it's fairly cheesy. But for some reason I couldn't put it down. It's interesting and unlike other books I've read. The writing is also witty and I found myself chuckling at the dialogue. It's fantasy and not supposed to be realistic, so I think it has a bit of a license to be unbelievable and groan-worthy.

I also liked the character development in this book, particularly from Cole. We begin to see that he's not such a bad guy after all, and may in fact be a hero. The mythology that is discussed in the first two books is explained more and all loose ends are wrapped up, as they should be in the conclusion of a series. Sure, this is a rather fluffy read and won't impress scholars, but I enjoyed it.

'Into the Still Blue' by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)
By Veronica Rossi
Published: Jan. 28, 2014
Read: March 2014
Format: Kindle

Rating: B

“We have to tell each other the little things, the bad things. Maybe they’ll hurt for a while, but at least they won’t become big things. If we don’t, we’re just going to keep hurting each other. And I don’t want to do that anymore.”

I've been horrible about writing reviews for the books I've read this year. For a while I wasn't reading, but I've started to read a lot again in the last couple of months since my daughter was born. I have a lot of time while I feed her, so I've used that to read. Unfortunately I haven't kept up with my reviews, so here I am in December writing a review for a book I read in March. My reviews may not be as thorough as what I've written in the past, and I'll probably be writing well into 2015 to catch up, but I'm going to do my best to keep my promise.

Into the Still Blue was the third and final book in the Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi. It was a series I found through Goodreads and to be honest I was reluctant to read the first book because of the cover, but I'm really glad I gave it a chance. Like many of the books I read, this is in the futuristic dystopian category. Aria grew up in a world protected by the elements and full of realms and technology. Perry grew up in a caveman-like society, cast out by Aria's ancestors. The two meet and fall in love in the first book and I was captivated by their love story and the world-building Rossi does so well.

In the third and final book, the pair is looking for the "Still Blue," an elusive place where the Aether storms don't exist and their people can finally be safe. The conclusion to this series was rather satisfying to me. I'll admit it's not groundbreaking writing and will definitely have you rolling your eyes on occasion, but I enjoyed it. I really liked the romance between Perry and Aria, and also the friendships they each have with Roar. The story was exciting and enchanting and I'd definitely recommend it for a fun, romantic read.

'The House of Hades' (The Heroes of Olympus #4)

The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)
By Rick Riordan
Published: Oct. 8, 2013
Read: March 2014
Format: Hardcover

Rating: B

"Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work—it demands everything from you—especially the truth. Only then does it yield results."

A synopsis for this book is difficult since it is the fourth in a series. And really, the story goes even farther back because it is a companion to the five-part Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

The Heroes of Olympus series follows seven demigods (half-human, half-god): Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Leo, Piper, Frank and Hazel. The group is on a mission to stop an ancient evil god, Gaea, from rising and ending the world as they know it. They journey overseas to Italy and Greece to complete their quest. Here is the publisher's synopsis:

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

I've really liked all of the books in these two series, and The House of Hades was no exception. Once again, the narration duties are shared between all seven demigods. Though this has the potential to make the book feel disjointed, it doesn't. It still flows as we read from different characters, and I appreciate getting different perspectives. Annabeth and Percy's journey through Tartarus was probably my favorite to read because it was so tense and full of adventure. But I enjoyed reading about the other demigod's journey to the House of Hades as well. 

Though I was disappointed when I heard that Riordan decided not to make this the conclusion and instead add another book, I'm looking forward to reading that. I was a little frustrated that I didn't get to find out what happens in the end, but at least there's more Percy, Annabeth and the others to look forward to.

Throwback Thursday: 'Attachments'

Attachments
By Rainbow Rowell
Published: April 14, 2011
Read: December 2013
Format: Kindle edition

Rating: A

“There are moments when you can't believe something wonderful is happening. And there are moments when your entire consciousness is filled with knowing absolutely that something wonderful is happening.”

It's 1999 and Lincoln is a wayward guy in his late 20s who takes a job as an "Internet security officer" because he's not sure what else to do. He works at a newspaper, so most of his co-workers are journalists, including Jennifer and Beth. Lincoln's job is to monitor his co-workers' emails, and he becomes particularly intrigued by Beth and Jennifer's exchanges, leading to somewhat of an infatuation with Beth, whom he's never even met. It sounds like it may be creepy, but it's not. It's incredibly cute and romantic, even if not very believable. 

I loved the three main characters. I found them fun and relatable. If they were real people, I'd want to be their friends. Lincoln has just finished another degree and moves back home with his mom. Through flashbacks we read about his high school sweetheart who broke his heart in their first semester at college. Though it's been nearly 10 years, he's still not completely over that trauma. He's a geek at heart, who spends his weekend playing World of Warcraft with his buddies, but he also craves adventure and wants to meet the love of his life. Jennifer has been married for a few years and is struggling with being unsure if she's ready to be a mother or not when she discovers she's pregnant. And her best friend, Beth, has been living with her musician boyfriend for years, but he shows no sign of wanting to settle down. If you watch Parks and Recreation, he's basically Andy from Season 1, but not as charming and funny. To put it simply, he's a huge jerk and she deserves way better. Which of course made me root for Lincoln even harder.

This story was especially fun for me since I too am a journalist. I like reading about characters I can relate to. And at almost 27, I'm close in age to these three (they're all 28), so that helped even more. I also found it nostalgic and enchanting when the author described the character's outfits and popular songs and movies at the time.

I'm a romantic so I want to believe something like this could happen in real life. But it's not likely. At any rate, I thought Attachments was very endearing and I liked it a lot. It was funny, sweet, charming and just irresistible. It's also a very quick read, which was only a downside because I didn't want it to be over. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. I really don't think you'll regret it!

'Panic' by Lauren Oliver

Panic
By Lauren Oliver
Published: March 4, 2014
Read: March 2014
Format: Hardcover 

Rating: B-

“It was so strange, the way that life moved forward: the twists and the dead ends, the sudden opportunities. She supposed if you could predict or foresee everything that was going to happen, you’d lose the motivation to go through it all. The promise was always in the possibility.”

Panic takes place in Carp, a small town in upstate New York. It is narrated by Heather and Dodge, two 18-year-olds who just graduated high school. The book starts on the first day of Panic, a game where any graduating senior can compete for a large pot of money. The stakes are high and the challenges are dangerous. Heather and Dodge participate for two very different reasons: Heather has just been dumped and chooses to jump (a move that signifies your intention to participate in the game) on a whim; Dodge, on the other hand, has a very clear goal: revenge.

Panic follows Heather, Dodge, and Heather's two best friends, Bishop and Natalie, throughout the summer of the competition. It is interchangeably narrated by Heather and Dodge, though I would have preferred it if Heather was the sole narrator. Dodge's intentions were only clear when reading from his perspective, but I found his character rather flat and I was always hoping the next chapter would be Heather. Thankfully, her sections seemed to outnumber Dodge's.

Heather and Dodge are both very poor and have sad family lives. Though the title of the book suggests it is mainly about the game, it focuses a good deal on them and their difficult situations. Dodge's sister was paralyzed two years ago when she was the runner-up for Panic, and he helps take care of her in the rundown apartment they share with their mother on Meth Row. Heather lives in a shady trailer park with her 11-year-old sister and their mom, who is more interested in sex, drugs and partying than taking care of her daughters. Their family lives fuel Heather and Dodge's desires to win the game, and make them more likable.

I've read and enjoyed Lauren Oliver's Delirium series and her standalone book Before I Fall, so I was interested in reading Panic when I first heard about it. The description doesn't do a great job of explaining what the book was about, but the fact that Oliver wrote it was enough for me. Overall, I liked the book. I thought it was interesting and thrilling in parts. The challenges were definitely unpredictable and dangerous, and it was fun reading about how Heather, Dodge and Natalie tackled them. However, there were several big "surprises" that I saw coming from miles away. I found the ending and many of the reveals to be predictable, and this spoiled it for me a bit. But it was a still entertaining and a quick read. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a semi-thrilling, fun book to read.

Throwback Thursday: 'Allegiant' (Divergent #3)

Allegiant (Divergent #3)
By Veronica Roth
Published: Oct. 22, 2013
Read: October 2013
Format: Kindle

Rating: C-

“The first step to loving someone else is to recognize the evil in ourselves, so we can forgive them.”

Until Allegiant, the Divergent series has been one of my favorites, and I  eagerly awaited the release of its conclusion for more than a year. I am sad to say that it was very disappointing.

Veronica Roth chose to tell the story from Tris' and Tobias' points of view, which I liked. The only problem I had with this approach was that she did not follow the every-other-chapter-changes-perspective format, so I sometimes got confused by who was speaking and had to go back to read the first few pages in the right perspective. That being said, I really liked hearing from both Tobias and Tris, as I thought it helped round out the story and made it less biased toward one character.

The dual storytelling is not the only thing that made Allegiant stand out from its predecessors. Tris, Tobias and company venture out of the city in the beginning of the book and spend most of their time at a compound formerly known as O'Hare Airport. Though I liked that it took place in a different location, I did not so much like what happened there. I will be vague in an effort not to reveal spoilers, but I thought Roth strayed too far from the main plot once she revealed the difference between GD and GP (not going to explain that here as it is kind of complicated). It was interesting stuff, I just think it was a distraction from what was going on in the city and it took away from the story.

The ending. Ahhh, the ending! Again, I don't want to spoil anything here, but the ending was highly dissatisfying. Not just what happened, but how it was treated. I didn't think it was drawn out quite enough, and I feel like it didn't do justice to our two main characters. It happened and then we moved on. I wanted more time to cope, more explanation as to how everyone dealt with it and so on.

Overall, I think Allegiant left a lot to be desired. Aside from the ending, it was an all right book. It definitely kept my interest and I enjoyed it. There was a little bit more romance between Tris and Tobias, and reading his perspective definitely increased that aspect. But the ending just really spoiled things for me, and because of that I've given it a low rating.

Throwback Thursday: 'Insurgent' (Divergent #2)

To continue my Throwback Thursday series I will review Insurgent, the second book in Veronica Roth's Divergent series.

Insurgent (Divergent #2)
By Veronica Roth
Published: May 1, 2012
First Read: August 2012
Format: Hardcover

Rating: A

“No matter how long you train someone to be brave, you never know if they are or not until something real happens.”

Insurgent picks up right where its predecessor, Divergent, left off. After Erudite and Dauntless went to war on the Abnegation and made known their mission of hunting down the divergent, Tris and company escape to the peaceful Amity compound. But they're not welcome there for long. They must find somewhere to stay while also finding a way to take down Erudite and the rebel Dauntless members.

I can't say too much about Insurgent without giving away spoilers, so this will be short. I thought this was an excellent book, and it definitely did not suffer from the "second book syndrome" trilogies often face. It had even more action than Divergent, making it exciting and a quick read. I devoured the 525 pages in just over 24 hours.

Tris is rather moody in this book, but I'm sure you would be too if you were 16 and went through everything she had in the last few weeks. Her decisions don't always make sense, but they're realistic. I had no trouble buying into what she does. She is conflicted and has just gone through heartbreak and betrayal so deep she loses herself.

Those who enjoy the romance between Tris and Tobias may be slightly disappointed throughout the book, as they both struggle with their grief and keep secrets from each other. There are some sweet moments between them, including the first time she tells Tobias she loves him, but they spend a lot of time apart and they bicker quite a bit. But in the end they are a stronger couple for everything they endure.

The ending was quite the surprise and had me kicking myself for reading the book more than a year before the third book came out. Now that it's been released, you'll want to jump right into the last book of the series.