Unmarked by Kami Garcia

Unmarked by Kami Garcia
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Series: The Legion #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia.

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

My Thoughts:
One of the things I absolutely adored about the first book, Unbreakable, was the Supernatural feel to it. They hunted down clues in different locations, they fought off spirits or whatever came their way. In terms of cast members it was more of a Scooby Gang, but the feel of the book was pure early days Supernatural, and it was awesome. Needless to say I was disappointed when that feeling was missing here.

While the book has a different feel to it, that doesn’t mean it lacks in excitement. There are some huge reveals that I can't really even hint around, because they’re massive spoilers that you definitely want to read for yourself. There’s a lot going on in regards to studying the history and mythology behind the Legion of the Black Dove. Because so much happened I can’t really say that Unmarked suffers from second book syndrome. What I can say is that I should have been excited by how action packed the book was, but instead I was almost bored at times because of where it ended up. I think what I missed were the quieter moments, like the conversations between Kennedy and a certain character (you might guess who, but I can’t talk about it, because, of course, spoilers).

Another thing I didn’t care for was the complete cliffhanger ending. While the first book also ended at a crazy moment, it ended in a place that the book was leading you to. The group had followed a set of clues and the book ended after the big reveal. In Unmarked, on the other hand, we’re still working towards something when the book suddenly ends. Yes, a piece of information is revealed, but plotwise we’re totally hanging off a cliff, which is not my cup of tea.

I definitely still enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it like the first book. I look forward to where the series is going -- I just wish it had stayed closer to the first book with group antics and more conversations, instead of Kennedy being so insular.

The Cover:
Kind of meh?

Rating:
[3/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

My Thoughts:
I absolutely LOVED this book. Seriously. Full stop LOVE. I just thought it was so perfect in so many ways. I adored what it had to say about friendship, romantic relationships, growing up, and change.

Roomies tells the story of two girls who are very, very different in many ways, but who also “get” each other on a larger level. I adored how their stories were so different, and yet both of them had a focus on family, boys, and friends.

What’s so fun about the relationship between EB and Lauren is that they only communicate by email up until the end. It really shows how it’s possible to grow a friendship online that’s very complicated, but also very meaningful. Speaking of meaningful, Roomies also features such perfect secondary characters. I especially adored Lauren’s family and EB's love interest, Matt.

For a relatively short book, Roomies covers so many important stories and truths. I loved how things were presented and examined. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot, but I also enjoyed the central theme of getting ready for college and preparing for change. While I enjoy a lot of New Adult books that are out there, Roomies touches on a lot of things that I wish more NA books would mention. This is the type of NA story that I find relatable.

The Cover:
I suppose it's appropriate, but I really don't care for it (maybe just the colours I don't like??).

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 320
Series: Legion #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

My Thoughts:
As soon as I read the synopsis for ‘Unbreakable’ I knew I had to read it. I really, really love books about ghost hunting, and I wish there were more of them. On top of that awesome concept, the book had a total Supernatural vibe, which I absolutely loved. Add a plot-line in about an ancient secret order that comes together against ghosts, and I am totally sold. This book was perfect because it was super creepy without being terrifying (though I’m definitely a wimp and I made sure to read the whole book during daylight hours).

The characters in ‘Unbreakable’ were interesting, if a bit stereotypical. But the way the characters fit into clichés was kind of awesome, because they still had depth to them, and they’re the type of characters who you can't help but love. Besides Kennedy, our main character, there’s Priest, the younger nerdy genius boy; Alara, the badass tough chick who's actually sweet and nurturing; Lukas, the sweet boy who's doomed to be friend zoned; and Jared, the dreamy emo boy who pushes people away. What’s great about Jared is that he easily could have been the total jerk bad boy who, as a reader, you totally don’t understand why the main girl likes him. Jared, thankfully, is not this way at all. He’s the damaged, tortured type who holds people at arm’s length, but he’s actually quite sweet to Kennedy, so I was definitely able to root for him.

The romance aspect of the novel definitely moves very quickly, and there's a bit of a love triangle as well. I feel like the flirtation could have been drawn out more, since this is the first book in the series, and the connection seemed to become quite deep, quite quickly. Still, because I did dig their connection, I could accept it and not have it ruin the book or anything.

This is a short, fast paced novel, which is awesome for action sequences, but not so great for the overall plot structure. I loved this book, but it was very much a first act. It's the beginning of a saga and it sets up the story fantastically, but there aren't a lot of real answers given. It’s more of an introduction that provides more questions for next time. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but if you’re looking for a standalone story, or even a series book with a contained plot, then you should probably look elsewhere. Despite my (relatively minor) reservations on some aspects of this book, I wholeheartedly enjoyed ‘Unbreakable’ and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume in the series.

The Cover:
It's intriguing, but it's not my favourite.

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Unbreakable by Kami Garcia on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 432
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

My Thoughts:
If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while then you know I don’t read a lot of vampire books. The ones that I have read, I’ve only read after many positive reviews from bloggers I trust. But this vampire book? It sounded so very different from other vampire books, and I keep hearing about how great Holly Black is, so I knew I had to check it out.

I was intrigued by the set-up of having “Coldtowns” where vampires (and humans who want to be vampires) are quarantined. It was fascinating to read about vampires as a known part of society, but still separate to an extent. The way things were run in Coldtown and the many different groups made things quite compelling. Also fascinating was the way vampirism worked in Black’s world: the idea of becoming “Cold” and feeling the urge to complete the process, but still a chance to wait it out and remain human.

I loved the beginning of this book, but while the premise and the world building were fascinating, there were parts of the book where things dragged. While we learn a lot, and go on a journey with the characters, there isn’t actually an intricately structured plot. There are interruptions in the story which give us background information, and while these are interesting, they definitely distracted from the main story.

I liked the characters, but I never wholly connected with them. I’m not sure if it’s because there was so much going on that’s morally grey (or, let’s face it, morally black in some situations) or because I couldn’t understand Tana’s decision making process. Maybe it was the third person narration that left me a little distant from what exactly Tana was feeling and thinking.

Did I like this book? I did, because I found the setting and the idea of the book to be very interesting. But my lack of full connection with the characters, as well as the fact that the beginning of the book was my favourite part of it, stopped me from truly loving the book. In the end, I think the book felt incomplete. It's not that I really think it needs a sequel (although I think the great world building would allow for one), but we're definitely left with questions.

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:
[3/5]

Find The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 257
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

My Thoughts:
Daisy Whitney has a special way with words. The things that she writes just reach out and touch my heart. It sounds cliche, but I find her writing incredibly meaningful. I love how the themes in ‘When You Were Here’ (love, life, loss, finding meaning) are universal, and yet it felt like Danny's words were meant directly for me, for me to feel & experience.

This one stands out to me, first and foremost, because of the male narrator. Danny is a lovely character: so sweet and a little bit broken as he copes with the death of his mother. The book is sad, of course, because of the theme, but it was the type of sad that I can handle. It was bittersweet throughout, with a few bursting moments of hope and renewal at the end.

The book also features two main female characters, Holland and Kana, who are very distinct from one another, and yet I adored them equally, in such different ways. I really loved the platonic friendship between Danny and Kana. It just felt so perfect to me, that representation of an incredibly meaningful relationship between a boy and a girl that wasn't romantic.

‘When You Were Here’ is sad but hopeful, and I found it to be beautiful and moving. It has a great travel aspect with Danny going to Tokyo, and also features an incredibly sweet relationship between a guy and his dog. This book is just so lovely and I highly recommend it; my first thoughts after finishing it were: 'So. Freaking. Good.'

The Cover:
Really like it!

Rating:
[5/5]

Find When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

The Originals by Cat Patrick

The Originals by Cat Patrick
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

My Thoughts:
I was totally hooked by the premise of this book. Clones are such an interesting concept, so reading from the perspective of a teenage girl who is a clone, and has grown up with two other clones, is definitely intriguing. The book, to me, really focuses on a girl trying to find herself and figure out who she is as an individual when she’s been forced into a charade of hiding who she is.

I felt automatic empathy for all the girls, but especially for Lizzie, since we're reading from her POV. It wasn’t difficult to feel angry on her behalf, to want to champion Lizzie’s causes: the need to be herself, to make her own choices, and particularly to be with the boy she likes. The sweet romance between Lizzie and Sean was definitely one of the highlights of the book for me. I also loved how the three girls cared for, and related to, one another. Ella, Betsey, and Lizzie are all clones of the same girl, but they each had their own personality and things unique to them.

‘The Originals’ had a good start and set up to the story, and I was intrigued trying to figure out what the Mom might be hiding and where the story would end up. Unfortunately it all led up to a reveal that fell a bit short. It felt slightly anti-climactic, almost like an easy fix. Cat Patrick definitely knows how to write about intriguing and complicated premises, but while this was a book that I enjoyed for the most part, it's not one I find particularly memorable.

The Cover:
It's interesting, but there are a few covers being released that look like this, so it's not particularly unique.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find The Originals by Cat Patrick on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Return To Me by Justina Chen

Release Date: January 15, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC for review from Hachette Book Group Canada (@HBGCanada)

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Nothing is going as planned for Rebecca Muir. She's weeks away from starting college--at a school chosen specifically to put a few thousand miles of freedom between Reb and her parents. But her dad's last-minute job opportunity has her entire family moving all those miles with her! And then there's the matter of her unexpected, amazing boyfriend, Jackson, who is staying behind on the exact opposite coast.

And if that isn't enough to deal with, mere days after moving cross-country, Reb's dad drops shocking, life-changing news. With her mother and brother overwhelmed and confused, Reb is left alone to pick up the pieces of her former life. But how can she do that when everything can change in an instant? How can she trust her "perfect" boyfriend when her own dad let her down? Reb started the year knowing exactly what her future would hold, but now that her world has turned upside down, will she discover what she really wants?

Justina Chen, the acclaimed author of North of Beautiful, has created a moving and powerful novel about the struggles that arise from betrayal, the uncertainty of life after high school, and the joy that ultimately comes from discovering what's truly in your heart.

My Thoughts:
‘Return To Me’ is a borderline new adult story, as it deals with life after high school and is about figuring out your dreams and bringing those dreams into reality. If you’re looking for a book that is action-heavy then ‘Return To Me’ might not be the book for you. Justina Chen’s novels are very character based, and this is no exception. It’s really based on Reb’s emotional struggles as she tries to figure out who she is and what her place in life is. The book is very emotionally honest dealing with growing up, having your family fall apart, and learning how to trust both others and yourself. One aspect of the book I found especially interesting was examining the people that you know and/or love, and seeing whether they actually are the person you think they are.

I loved how Reb had a fascination with treehouses: it was a cool and unique detail, and I enjoyed looking through her eyes to see how she viewed things, and how she imagined the spaces she wanted to create for people. I was also intrigued by the bit of magical realism where the women in Reb’s family had types of visions or premonitions that came true. It gave the book a bit of whimsy that you could either take as an exaggeration or accept as a bit of fantasy added in.

The book ties up with an epilogue that I initially debated over whether I thought it was necessary. I liked it, though, because it didn’t tie everything neatly into a bow but it did bring things together and leave me with a sense of hope. Justina Chen is a gorgeous writer who knows how to bring readers on an emotional journey along with her characters. Overall I really enjoyed this examination of family and of self.

The Cover:
It's so simple but pretty -- I really like it.

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Return To Me by Justina Chen on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.