Category Archives: The Must Reads

These are the books that I think are a must read.

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Eve by Anna Carey

I held out on reading Eve because I was a little over dystopian novels for a while. There are only so many times in a row you can read about the bleak future of the world before you need a break. I’m actually pretty upset with myself now for how long it took me to read this. I should have read it sooner.

Eve remembers just a little bit of her life before the plague killed her mother and she was sent to School. While there, she becomes the best student of her class and finds a lot of pride in that. On the night before her Graduation, she discovers what the School is really a front for and decides to make a run for it. She heads into land where nothing she knows will help her. She may be book smart by the School’s standards, but when it comes to surviving she’s clueless. And yet she doesn’t think about giving up. All she knows is she does not want to end up like the rest of the girls that graduated from her School. She wants to be herself and not have anyone dictate her life for her. It’s this that gives her the strength of character that has me loving her. She doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do, she just knows what she does not want to do and lets that determination guide her.

Caleb had me crushing. He was sweet and strong and caring. He knows helping Eve won’t be easy, and yet he still helps her because he doesn’t want to see anything happen to her. The way they fall together was perfect and not too fast and felt right. It wasn’t love at first sight and it took time. That made it feel real and even sweeter than most Young Adult romances out there now.

Eve was a fantastic novel with amazing characters and a world just real enough to make it terrifying. The end had me wanting more and I can’t wait to see what Carey has in store for Once.

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Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I loved Hush, Hush. I was excited to be able to read more Nora and Patch. And then I read the book description for Crescendo and felt disappointed before even reading a word. I was worried there’d be a mostly pointless love triangle (or possibly quadrangle) introduced and I’d spend the majority of the novel annoyed and wishing I could fast forward to the end.

Instead what I got was a slow build up (I see what you did there with the Crescendo, Ms. Fitzpatrick) of emotions and history until it all comes crashing down.

Nora learns a little bit more about who she is and what she is made of in this book. She’s not sure who she’s able to trust, even Patch. Because of this, she has to rely more on herself for the answers she needs. She trusts her instincts more and lets the blood that runs through her help guide her. Of course, this means sometimes she makes decisions that made me shake my head at her, all the while loving that she’s starting to stand on her own more.

The relationship between Nora and Patch hits turbulence in this one and even though it gets rough, it’s very easy to see that everything ripping them apart in Crescendo is also driving them closer together. They can’t be torn apart, even when forces outside their control are trying their hardest. Even when it is them doing the ripping, they still find a way to be together.

The twists and turns in Crescendo had be guessing at every page. Just when I thought I’d have something figured out, the road would turn and I’d be just as clueless as I started. It kept me focused and on my toes.

Crescendo is a fabulous sequel to a great book, and certainly didn’t let me down like I thought it might. The story fits its name and I can’t wait to read what happens next.

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Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

I’m not sure why I wanted to read this book. I’m not usually one for lots of teen drama. If I want a romance, I go for sweet, lovable books. From the description, I thought there’d be way too much going on to make for a good novel. And yet, I am in love with Pushing the Limits.

I was right about this book on one count. There is a lot happening. However, instead of making it seem like drama for drama’s sake, it fit. Every little detail made sense and left an empowering feeling as I read. Each little thing Echo and Noah face helped them grow as characters until the very end. The people that we are introduced to at the beginning are not the people we know at the end. McGarry did character development right and I love her for that.

On the surface, Noah is the typical “bad guy.” He’s a bit of a loner, smokes pot, and has a reputation of using girls. But once you start reading his side of the story, things change and it comes to light that he’s that way as a front, as a way to keep himself from getting hurt. I think that’s why I loved him so much. For all his toughness and macho behavior, he’s still a guy afraid of getting hurt.

Echo starts out a little weak, but it fits. She doesn’t remember a major event in her life. That memory lapse has made her question herself, made her think of herself as less than. As the novel progresses, she fights with those inner demons and comes out on top. She realizes her worth, even if she struggles with it occasionally. She knows she’s worth something to people, and to see that at the end of the novel was wonderful.

Pushing the Limits is probably not a book I would have picked up in the store. This book somehow called to me anyway and made me read it and I’m so happy I listened to that call. Pushing the Limits is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from McGarry.

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The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Finally, the Gods and Goddess I know and love. The proud, lying, cheating, crazy lot of them. They seemed a little too good in The Goddess Test, a little worse (in a good way) in Goddess Interrupted, and just perfect in The Goddess Legacy.

I love that I understand the characters just a little bit better. I was never strongly against any character’s actions, but to know their back-stories really gave me a greater understanding and appreciation for the other two books. Actions make better sense and the characters are even stronger. I really enjoyed looking into Calliope and Persephone’s stories. They made me like them, even though they ended up hurting so many people.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was a little disappointed in Henry’s story. I loved the peek into his head, but something was missing for me that kept me from being over the moon in love with it. I do love Henry a little bit more now, though, and feel like I understand him a lot better than I did the first two books.

Overall, The Goddess Legacy was an excellent group of novellas that gave a necessary peek into the lives of the characters we love to love, or love to hate. It makes them feel a little bit more like complete people, and I feel like I’ll have a better understanding of the choices and actions in the third novel. If The Goddess Test and Goddess Interrupted left you wanting just a little bit more, this is definitely a great book to pick up.

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Arise by Tara Hudson

I had a couple problems with Hereafter when I first read it. It was good, but the writing felt a little new and I wasn’t completely on board with Amelia and Joshua’s relationship. Both of these issues weren’t even a thought as I read Arise, the only thing going through my head was how amazing this book is.

Arise had a different feel to it. Maybe it was the story taking place in New Orleans, allegedly one of the most haunted cities in the United States. Maybe it was the introduction of new “types” of ghosts. I’m not really sure what it was, but Arise felt more mature and dangerous than Hereafter.

I like to be able to understand character decisions, even if I don’t agree with them. I need actions to make sense, and a lot of the time in Young Adult novels, I’m left a little confused by way a character makes one choice versus another. Thankfully, I didn’t feel this way about Arise. The choices made sense. I wasn’t a big fan of a couple decisions, but they made sense for the character and that was more important than me being 100% on board. Thank you, thank you, thank you Tara Hudson, for being able to write choices that made sense.

Amelia and Joshua’s relationship was the only other problem I had with Hereafter, but in Arise, I was in love with it. They aren’t completely losing themselves to the other person. Sure, they might have to make a bit of an effort, but they are trying to be together without losing their individual selves. And yet, it was easy to see how much they love and care for one another. This is the way relationships in books should be.

Arise is a simply stunning book, and a fabulous summer read. It’s got the romance and the action, all mixed together in a dark, rich location. This is definitely a book everyone should pick up and read.

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Rape Girl by Alina Klein

This is not a happy book. It’s not tied up in pretty ribbons by the end. It’s hard to read and at times, you might have to stop for a moment and catch your breath. It may not be pretty, happy, or easy to read, but it is a powerful, powerful book.

Klein does not need to be overly descriptive or graphic in order to get her message across. Her writing style is simple, yet moving. She doesn’t go into the details of the characters’ lives before. It’s not important what kind of people they appeared to be before. What is important is the after, and Klein does an amazing job of getting that across.

Valerie, despite being the victim, has more to prove than anyone else in this book. In a society where people are innocent until proven guilty, she has the uphill climb of having to prove that she said no. She also has to face the fact that people don’t believe her, that her voice isn’t viewed as equal when compared to the voice of her rapist. It makes the book difficult to read and there were many moments when I needed to stop reading to gain control over my own emotions.

Rape Girl is a highly disturbing book about how reporting a rape can derail one girl’s life more than she thought possible. It deals not only with the rape, but with the emotional aftermath when people are quick to doubt the truth. This is a book that doesn’t fit within any constraints. Teens, girl and boy alike, as well as adults need to read this book. It makes you think and sticks with you long after you turn that last page.

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Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood has been on my to read list for a while now. I put it off for the sole reason that I knew I’d love it and didn’t want to have long to wait before reading the second book.

Blake jumps right into the story and wastes no time in introducing Cas’ life to us. He hunts the ghosts that terrorize people and spends most of his life in moving boxes. His life is all about move, hunt, kill, repeat. Then, for the first time ever, a ghost presents a challenge like he’s never known and his system is thrown a little off balance.

I loved Cas. He was a real guy, and I applaud Blake for being able to write a guy that doesn’t sound like a girl in disguise. The relationship with his mother isn’t strained like a lot of parent/child relationships in Young Adult books today, and I really liked that. Cas and his mother don’t have many secrets and it was nice seeing a book hero rely on his parent when he needed just a little help.

Blake’s writing made this book stand out. She didn’t gloss over anything in an attempt to make it less frightening or disturbing. She tells it like it is when it comes to the ghosts. If they have skin hanging, she tells you. If their head isn’t on quite right, she tells you. She lets the gore speak for itself and that adds a level of tension to the story that made it amazing.

The one thing that held this book back from being five stars was how easily Cas’ new friends believed anything he told them. I wish there had been a little bit more convincing when it came to his friends. After one incident, they all take Cas’ word, and I would have liked just a little bit more conflict there.

Anna Dressed in Blood is a terrifically written ghost story that will have you holding your breath and checking over your shoulder for phantom eyes as you read. It’s got a little something for everyone and I can’t wait to read what happens in Girl of Nightmares.

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Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

I was really worried when I started reading Dreamless. I loved Starcrossed and was extremely worried Angelini would fall victim to the book sophomore slump and I’d be left disappointed. I’m so incredibly happy that this did not happen, and I’m just as in love with Dreamless as I was Starcrossed.

Dreamless was not about the romance. Yes, it’s there and it’s absolutely wonderful, but I think what I loved most about this book was Angelini allowed the love triangle to develop slowly, without being in-your-face, and it was done quietly in the background as the rest of the story happened. It made sense given everything else happening in the story.

As for the rest of the story, holy cow was it amazing. I was holding my breath through most of the novel. There is so much happening, but it all works somehow. Helen descending, her starting to fall apart, the act of the Gods on her…it all somehow manages to fit together perfectly. There’s action where there should be and as soon as I was able to catch my breath after one problem, I was holding it again because Helen was facing something new.

The ending is definitely not the worst cliffhanger I’ve ever read, but it definitely had me growling and grumbling over reaching the end of the book. There is so much possibility and potential for the next book, and I really can’t wait until I can get my hands on it.

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One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

For some reason, novels that center around school shootings, or schools under lockdown. Maybe it’s because I grew up after Columbine, and can remember having a lockdown drill every month and just wondering how a person can reach a point where endangering the lives of children is what they think of. For whatever the reason, I am drawn to these books with the hope that they will be real and gritty and completely unpretty.

One Breath Away did not disappoint. Typically, I don’t really enjoy jumping around several viewpoints. But it really added something to this novel. It adds to the drama. You know pieces, but not the whole. There are so many different outcomes each viewpoint presents that it’s hard to figure out which is the right one. I was holding my breath through the entire book.

The lives of each character are examined, but in a way that makes each detail important to what is happening in the novel. Each detail helps provide the reasoning for how each character acts, thinks, and speaks. It highlights the main story in a way that just relaying the hostage plot couldn’t do. It makes the players so much more real and it makes your heart ache with each unanswered question.

One Breathe Away was a breathtakingly good novel that will pull at your heart and having you wanting to read faster than ever to find out how it all ends. It’s definitely a book people need to read and I’m looking forward to reading more of Gudenkauf’s novels.

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Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Wow.

This was a hard book for me to read, and yet I feel so much better after having read it. I have not gone through anything as traumatic as rape, nor have I ever cut myself. However, I have dealt with depression and reaching such a low point that it’s hard to envision being able to find a light.

Scars is a book about sexual abuse and how Kendra deals with the memories she can’t fight off. Rainfield did an amazing job in showing that Kendra was not cutting to kill herself; she was cutting because it was a way to control the immense pain she was feeling. There’s a distinct line between having an outlet and suicide and Rainfield had clear control over showing this. I commend Rainfield on finding the courage to write this novel, given the author’s note at the end of the book.

I also loved the characters Rainfield created. They’re real people and I felt so many emotions over Kendra. She was dealt such a horrible, horrible set of cards, and ye she’s still able to face the world. She knows what she needs and she’s not afraid to fight for that support. Meghan, as the best friend and romantic aspect of the story, are perfect. She gives Kendra the support she needs and doesn’t turn away, even when Kendra thinks she will. Carolyn is the mother figure Kendra’s mom isn’t. She provides that unconditional love and support Kendra craves so badly.

There is no doubt the Scars is a difficult book to read, but it is a book people need to read. It doesn’t gloss over things and try to paint them in a better picture. It’s real, gritty, and one of the best books I’ve read all year.