Category Archives: The Must Reads

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

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Review: Tease by Amanda Maciel

Title: Tease
Author: Amanda Maciel
Rating: ★★★

I had to take a few days to sort out my thoughts on Tease. From the beginning, I hadn’t expected to like Sara. She’s one of the bullies in the novel, and feels like nothing is her fault. Honestly, I thought I’d feel a lot more anger towards Sara and her friends. Somehow, Maciel created a story and character that made me feel sorry for the bully. Not in a way that I felt like she should avoid all blame, but in a way that made me examine all her characters closely and see what made Sara different.

Emma Putnam was the new girl at school. She was also the target of bullying. She killed herself and now the people who bullied her most are being charged for the harassment that led to her death. Sara doesn’t see how she is at fault when it’s Emma who killed herself. Sara and her friends didn’t kill her, but she fails to see how they were pushing her to do so. The novel jumps between the present and the past, showing the events leading up to Emma’s death and the fallout.

Sara is not a likable character. She’s a little selfish and a little clueless. But she’s also a victim of high school. She wants to make the most of her years there, doing anything to be friends with the school’s “Queen Bee” Brielle. It’s an extremely toxic relationship and Maciel does a good job of showing how that friendship changes Sara. The before and after points of view also do a great job of showing how Sara is different when she’s friends with Brielle. It’s clear that Sara does a lot of the bullying to keep Brielle’s favor. It doesn’t make her bullying okay, but it gives a little context to Sara’s actions.

This is not a book that anyone could pick up and read. It’s realistic, the characters aren’t very likable, and Sara doesn’t do a complete 180 transformation. She has her moments when she understands her part in Emma’s actions, but there’s a disconnect, too. Her intent through the bullying was to make Emma transfer schools. So when Emma kills herself and Sara is charged, it’s clear she can’t understand why people think she wanted Emma dead. And to be fair, reading Sara’s point of view makes it clear that she didn’t want Emma to kill herself. Sara has a lot of typical high school insecurities and getting Emma to transfer, she thinks, would fix them. Plus, by joining in on the bullying, she avoids being bullied.

Tease is not a book that has a happy ending. The characters don’t redeem themselves and find complete understanding about what happened. Sara finds a way to accept her role. She knows that her actions were part of what led to Emma’s suicide, but she also finds a way to move forward with her life in a way that shows she learned something. I didn’t like her character, but I did find a respect for her at the end. I never thought I’d like a book that had unlikable characters and a plot told from the bully’s point of view, but Tease managed to do it. It doesn’t try to make you like or feel sympathetic towards the characters; that would have felt fake. Tease is a good book that will make you consider both sides of every story.

If Tease sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

Title: Torn
Author: Jennifer Brown
Rating: ★★★★★

This is the second book of Brown’s that I’ve read. Hate List was the first. That was like a gut punch, in a good way. Torn Away left me with the same feeling. It’s about how a girl struggles to find her place after everything she loves is taken away from her in an instant.

Jersey is a typical teen. She fights with her mom, she rolls her eyes at chores, and she finds her little sister annoying. Her father’s not in the picture, but she has a stepfather. When a tornado sweeps through her town one night, her mother and sister are killed. Her stepfather doesn’t know how to live without them. She’s sent to her biological father’s home, and then her mother’s parents. Nothing in her life is stable anymore and she doesn’t know how to deal with everything she’s been handed. The one person she knows could help her is the one person she can’t talk to, her mom.

Her friends can’t understand. One friend lost his house, but still has his family. Another friend’s house and family are fine. Jersey can’t find a way to grieve for her family because she doesn’t know how she’s supposed to let go and handle her feelings. I felt so much for her. Even though she’s still alive, nothing about her life is the same. The stepfather she had come to rely on doesn’t know how to live life without her mom and sister. He doesn’t know how to handle life without them, but with a daughter that’s not his. He contacts her father’s family and send here there, not wanting to try and salvage the family he had before.

Her father’s family is clear about their feelings on her. She’s not one of them. She’s an obligation. The one person who she starts having a relationship with can’t fill the gap in her life. She’s on the outside with no chances of changing that. When she is sent to her grandparents, her mother’s parents, she is holding on to the resentment her mother passed to her. She still doesn’t feel like she’s found a place to belong.

Jersey is such a strong character in this novel. I had tears in my eyes as I read her struggles. The tornado destroying her house was bad enough. Then her mom and sister are gone. Her stepfather doesn’t know how to live with her. Her father’s family resents her very existence. Her grandparents were always the bad guys as she grew up and now she has to live with them. Any on of these would be tough to handle, but having to work her way through every single one was nearly impossible. I was waiting for her to break.

In the end, this novel is about Jersey finding a way to move forward with her life while not losing touch with where she came from. It’s about finding the strength to live for those who can’t and for letting go of the past in order to face the future. Brown is an exceptional writer and Torn Away only adds to her ability to yank at my heart and cry in my favorite way possible. She’s a must read author.

If Torn Away sounds like you kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
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IndieBound

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog Series
Rating: ★★★★

The time period between the First World War and the second has always fascinated me. The environment that Hitler had in order to make his rise to power had to be just right. Prisoner of Night and Fog looks at pre-World War II Germany through the life of one of the Nazi Party’s girls. She’s held in high regard because her father died for Hitler. She’s never questioned what her father was fighting for. That all changes when she learns that the story of her father’s death might not be the truth.

Gretchen has always believed in Hitler and his ideals. Her father died to protect him, so she sees no reason to think Hitler’s wrong. She’s not quite like other Nazi’s though. She still has compassion, and that gets her in trouble one evening. When a Jewish reporter sees her try to stop her brother from beating a Jew, he begins to reach out to her. He claims the story she’s been told about her father’s death is wrong. She doesn’t want to believe him, but when things start pointing her towards the truth, she questions all the beliefs she’s grown up with.

I enjoyed Gretchen’s character. I’ll admit that I was worried. How can you take a person who so strongly believes in what Hitler talks about and make her likable? Or if she’s really that ignorant, why should we think she’s trustworthy? But Blankman pulled it off. She made Gretchen just ignorant enough, just compassionate enough, that her transformation from Hitler’s pet to Hitler’s despised felt real. It was clear that she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel about Daniel. In the beginning, it was clear that she believed Hitler’s statements about the Jews. She had grown up being told they were horrible and subhuman. But when she sees that’s not really true, she has to reexamine everything she’s thought.

Daniel was fantastic. It’s clear that he knows Gretchen’s thoughts can’t change overnight, but his belief that she needs to know the truth makes him stick with her. He starts to change her mind about the Jewish population, proving that Hitler is wrong. When he exposes just how deep Hitler’s hatred goes, it’s a shock to Gretchen, but Daniel waits until she can come to terms with everything she’s learning about. He’s strong and wants to fight what’s coming in the best way he knows how.

I was fully engaged in the plot. There was history mixed with new characters. Seeing Germany struggle and how Hitler took advantage of that was really interesting. Not only that, but to see Gretchen have her dreams and goals, yet also see them fall apart right in front of her broke my heart.

I’m incredibly happy the story isn’t over yet. Gretchen and Daniel still have so much to do and so many stories left. This series will definitely be one I watch. The history was what made me pick Prisoner of Night and Fog up, but the characters are what kept me reading.

If Prisoner of Night and Fog sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Edelweiss and Balzer + Bray for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner’s Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner’s Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Okay. I had to sleep on this review. I couldn’t pull my thoughts together enough after finishing the novel. My jaw was on the floor and my head was a mess. In the best way, of course. The Winner’s Curse is a book I never thought I needed to read. I wasn’t sure Rutkoski could make me feel the relationship between slave and owner was a real one. There’s so many ways it could have felt wrong, but it never did.

Kestrel is the daughter of the general’s daughter. She’s part of the town’s elite, but that doesn’t mean she is treated differently than other people. She must either join the military or marry. She doesn’t want to do either. On a whim, she purchases a slave one day. This goes against everything she feels is right, as she’s one of the few people in the city that feels like owning people isn’t right. But Arin, called Smith in the beginning, comes to her home and the two form an odd relationship. Arin is not what he seems and in him, Kestrel finds someone she doesn’t have to hide from.

Kestrel was an amazing character. She’s not a fighter. She’s a strategist. Her abilities with weapons go about as far as protection, but she’s able to strategize and analyze situations better than most people. She’s not a boy-crazy teen. She sees through flirtations and knows her feelings on the people she’s grown up with. She begins to doubt herself when Arin challenges her feelings and beliefs. Despite not being as confident in herself as she was in the beginning, she never loses the belief that she can accomplish whatever she needs to. She is constantly strategizing and figuring out her next best move.

Arin is just as amazing. He’s definitely not what he seems, but it provides his character the ability to change. He’s a slave, a resident of the city from before the people were conquered and either killed or sold. He has harbored an anger and resentment towards the people who reduced his people to slaves for 10 years. I did have a hunch about his role in the novel, but that didn’t make me love him any less. His growth from the time Kestrel buys him to the end of the novel is fantastic. I really can’t say much about why I love his character so much without giving away events of the novel, but I can’t wait to read more about him.

This novel has twists and turns all the time. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something new was thrown in the mix that left me reeling or picking my jaw off the floor. Like my hunch with Arin, I had thought I knew how the story would go. I was right about some things, but Rutkoski threw me for a loop at times. I was on the edge of my seat. I didn’t want the novel to end, but when it did, I was shocked and needing more.

The Winner’s Curse is one of the best world-building books I’ve read. You’re thrown right into the action, but never feel like an outsider. The characters are fantastic and the growth from the beginning of the novel to the end was superb. Rutkoski has an amazing series on her hands and I’m really looking forward to reading what comes next for Kestrel and Arin.

If The Winner’s Curse sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Lady Thief
Author: A.C. Gaughen
Series: The Scarlet Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

Sometimes I get really angry when I finish a book. So angry I can’t speak for a while. When I get this kind of anger, it’s not because I didn’t like a book. It’s because I liked it so much I’m mad I finished the book. And in the case of Lady Thief, I’m mad I didn’t make myself wait because now I have another break between books.

Scarlet’s secrets are out. She’s not Will Scarlet, boy thief. She’s Lady Marian, Lord Gisbourne’s betrothed. He’s hunted her down and she was forced to marry him to save Robin. She refuses to play wife, though, and returns to her band, knowing that she loves Robin and he loves her. But when Lord Gisbourne returns and makes a deal with Scarlet, she knows better than to trust him; she just can’t see what he’s planning. And with Nottingham in need of a new sheriff, there’s even more at stake.

Scarlet is forced to fight in a different way in Lady Thief. She can’t rely on her experience on the streets. She’s expected to play the part of noblewoman and there’s no place for knives and fighting there. She must think of different ways to fight back and give Robin the best chance she can. The court of Prince John can’t think of her as a noblewoman, but as nothing better than a commoner, someone not worth their time or respect. She finds an ally where she least expects it and uncovers a secret that makes her question everything about her.

The moments between Scarlet and Robin are, for the most part, wonderfully sweet. They love and respect each other, something difficult to find in that time period. Robin is fighting his demons, though, and not every moment is sweet. He has problems that are unknowingly taken out on Scarlet, something he can’t forgive himself for, nor should he. The struggle between them is real and it’s going to be difficult to find their perfect happiness. I have hope that they will continue to fight for each other and the life they want to create together.

Scarlet blew me away. I’ve been anxiously waiting for Lady Thief to be released and it didn’t disappoint. I finished and felt that wonderful anger, the kind that lets me know I just finished an amazing book that I didn’t want to end. Gaughen has a fantastic series on her hands and I’ll be not so patiently waiting for the conclusion. This is a must read novel and series.

If Lady Thief sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The Shadow Throne
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

The Shadow Throne is the conclusion to a fantastic series. Jaron has spent the last two novels growing from the orphan thief Sage into the king his country needs. Everything about it was wonderful. My heart was in knots the entire book, and after I finished, I had to take a few moments to catch my breath. That’s the best feeling to have after finishing a book.

War has come to Carthya. From every direction, they are under attack. If that wasn’t bad enough, Avenia has kidnapped Imogen, the girl Jaron loves. They know she is his weakness and plan on using her to bring Jaron down. Jaron knows there is no easy path to take. Every choice he makes puts him in danger, but he makes the best choices he can. His wit and quick thinking have been able to save him in the past, but he’s not sure they will be enough to save his kingdom.

I have loved Jaron’s growth across all three novels. To see him come from the hurting, combative, angry boy he was in The False Prince to the boy trying to fill a role he was never meant to play in The Runaway King and now the king trying to save his country and the people he loves. He has grown in so many ways, maturing and finding out who he is as a ruler. He learns to accept friendship and love, something he struggled with before. He sacrifices his strongest desires in order to keep his country safe. He still has his flaws, but he learns how to make them work for the greater good.

The Shadow Throne was the most heart wrenching novel for me to read. I was on the edge of my seat, chewing my fingernails. I couldn’t see how things were going to work out and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew. Nielsen always seems to write only as much as needed before surprising the characters and the readers a few paragraphs or pages later. I love this and all the little surprises I had while reading. Jaron remains a thief, even as king, in how cunning he is. His personality and wits are written on every page.

The Shadow Throne is the perfect ending to this series. It took my emotions on a roller coaster ride. I felt everything while reading this book and wasn’t prepared for it to end. But it did and I couldn’t be happier with it. This is the ending Jaron deserved and I’m so happy he got it. The Shadow Throne is a must read book of a must read series.

If you’d like to purchase The Shadow Throne, you can do so here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Title: The Runaway King
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Series: The Ascendance Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

I have been anxious to read this book from the second I finished The False Prince. After the amazing story told in the first novel, I couldn’t wait to see what happens next for Jaron. Nielsen did not disappoint.

Jaron has just taken the throne, but his regents only know him as the reckless child always causing problems. They aren’t sure if he can lead a country. After an assassination attempt, the regents are even more convinced that the best way to keep the country safe is to appoint a steward until Jaron can lead. Jaron has a different idea about how he can save his country, one that takes him right into danger.

I’m not sure word I’d use to describe Jaron. He’s clever and smart, but not always in the perfect moment. He’s sarcastic and likes to act as though nothing gets to him. In reality, he uses his humor to keep people at a safe distance. He’s still hurt by what his family did to him, and if his only family could do that, what reason does he have to trust everyone else? He is a fascinating character and I’m so glad we have another book to spend with him.

The secondary characters are just as fantastic in this novel. They play major roles, even if they aren’t the main character. Jaron needs them; he wouldn’t be able to find success without them. Jaron might take the lead, but he’s nothing without his help.

The plot of this novel was perfect. It didn’t feel like one of those, “I have to sacrifice myself for the greater good” plots. Jaron is throwing himself to the wolves, but he’s doing it with the intention of fighting until he can’t fight anymore. And even at that point, the lowest of low, he will find a way to keep going, There’s eve a little romance thrown in there for good measure.

The Runaway King is a superb sequel that does not disappoint. It’s just as wonderful as the first. The action is there and now the stakes are even bigger. It was only Jaron’s life on the line in the first book, now the lives of those he cares about and his country are at risk. He knows what happens if he fails. Nielsen has another amazing novel and I can’t wait to see what she does in the last installment.

If you’d like to read The Runaway King, you can purchase it here:
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Audible
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IndieBound

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Review: Champion by Marie Lu

Title: Champion
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Legend Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★★

The Legend series has gotten better with each book. After reading Legend, I didn’t think Lu could write anything better. Then I read Prodigy and was amazed at how Lu outdid herself, but was sure she couldn’t top it. There was no way. And then there was Champion. Even if she had written a novel that wasn’t as great as the first two, it would still be fantastic. But I loved this book even more than the first two. It’s not a “let’s wrap this up in the perfect bow” book. It’s a “let’s make an impact and give the characters the ending they deserve” book.

June is one of three Princeps-Elects. She is getting a firsthand experience in the world of politics. Day has a high-level military position and works to keep the peoples’ faith in the Republic. Despite their high ranks, life isn’t perfect for them. June feels out of place in politics, even though she knows it’s a position of high honor. Day is trying to move beyond the past and make a new life for him and his brother. But there’s a piece missing in their lives they both try to ignore. When they are brought together again because of a growing threat, they have to deal with saving the Republic and saving their relationship.

The characters are what make me love this novel. The plot and action are nice, but without the right characters, I probably wouldn’t have loved reading this book so much. June is analytical, but that’s the way she keeps her head when everything is falling apart around her. When she lets her guard down, though, she’s vulnerable and just wants something, someone real to hold on to. Day has a tough exterior, having to fight for everything growing up. But he cares so much for the people he loves that he would do anything to take pain away from them. These two characters alone are what make this novel so amazing, not to mention all the secondary characters.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I wasn’t sure how Lu would be able to end things. I had all these ideas and scenarios in my head, but none of them compared to what actually happened. Just when things look like they’re getting better, something pops up and a whole new plan has to be formed. I felt my heart drop at times, only to have it lodged in my throat a few moments later.

Champion is the best ending this series could have. It wrapped things up, but left pieces to the imagination of the reader. There’s tragedy and pain, but hope and happiness, too. This is the ending the characters deserved. The entire Legend series is a must read.

If Champion sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: The Offering by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Offering
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Pledge Trilogy
Rating: ★★★★

After reading The Pledge, I knew this series would be one that I loved. It had wonderful characters, and interesting storyline, and it was well written. Throughout the series, I have only fallen more in love. With the end of the series coming in The Offering, I knew I wasn’t ready yet. Once I read those final words, there was no going back. Sure, I can reread. But it’s never quite the same.

Charlie has done amazing things for her country. She’s brought back communications and removed the evils of Sabara from their country. She’s learned how to control Sabara’s Essence. She knows she’s doing the right things for her country, but with the eyes of everyone on her, she feels the pressure. A neighboring country has delivered a gruesome warning and the only way for her to keep war from entering her borders is to sacrifice herself. She’s not sure what will happen after she meets Queen Elena, but she knows she has to try to save her country.

Charlie finally comes into her own in this novel. She knows how to fight, but she knows how to think, too. Sure, she’s still nervous and has a few flaws, but they are what make her shine. She knows that her country cannot save a war and that one person’s life is not more valuable than another’s, but she is willing to give herself up in order to save her people. She shows true courage and I admire her for that.

Max, although not a huge presence in parts of the novel, is still as wonderful as ever. Whenever he was around, it was perfect. I could feel myself melting anytime the love he has for Charlie was shown. He’s courageous, yet vulnerable. He’s always ready to show Charlie just how much she means to him. I’m a little happy he’s not in the entire book, though. It makes the moments we see him even sweeter.

The story itself was fantastic. I’d always try to guess what was about to happen, and I’d maybe get a little piece right, but I was still shocked when things were revealed. The way Derting can throw something in that’s completely unexpected yet makes perfect sense is amazing. Her curveballs never feel like they were thrown in to make things more dramatic. They always feel like that was exactly how things were supposed to happen.

The Offering is an amazing end to a fantastic series. It has action, love, and a fantasy dystopia that’s perfect for the novel. It’s definitely a must read.

If The Offering sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Where You’ll Find Me by Erin Fletcher

Title: Where You’ll Find Me
Author: Erin Fletcher
Rating: ★★★★★

When I decided to request an ARC of Where You’ll Find Me, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it. It had the potential to be either really bad and cheesy or really amazing. A teen drowning her sorrow through drinking and partying meets a boy hiding out in her garage. I think if Fletcher has chosen to stay at surface level and focus on the romance, it would have been a bit of a flop for me. Instead, she uses the relationship as a catalyst for Hanley to face her demons, as well as make the reader think about death.

Hanley changed in middle school. She went from being a sweet, behaving daughter to rebelling with drinks and partying. She drowns her pain with alcohol and surface-deep relationships. She knows she’s doing this, but she doesn’t see a reason to change. She’s managed to run away from her problems and keep them from catching up. When she finds Nate living in her garage, things begin to change. Drinking and partying don’t sound as fun. Being with this adorable boy sounds better than anything else. Through their relationship, both Hanley and Nate face their life choices and come to terms with things beyond their control.

Hanley was a fascinating character. She blames herself for things that she couldn’t know. She’s broken, but instead of showing her true pain, she distracts herself and others from seeing the truth with alcohol. If people only see her acting like a misbehaving teenager, then people can’t see just how much she’s really hurting.

Hanley distracts herself from her problems and Nate runs away from them. That’s why Hanley finds him living in her garage. He’s sweet and charming, but vulnerable as well. He kept his secrets hidden even as Hanley opened up to him. It’s clear he’s hurt by the secrets he’s keeping, but he doesn’t see a way to avoid them other than running away. What starts as an easy friendship turns into something more. Hanley’s forced to face her demons, but with Nate there, she has someone to lean on and get strength from. She’s able to speak her mind, say everything she feels, and to have someone there to listen. When Nate is the one who needs help, she’s ready to be there for him. It’s a wonderful relationship that digs below the surface and forges connections based on more than a feeling.

Where You’ll Find Me is about so much more than a girl falling for the guy hidden in her garage. It talks about death, blame, and forgiveness in a real and touching way. It’s a fantastic read.

If Where You’ll Find Me sounds like your kind of novel, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.