Book Review: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “There would be no harvest.”

Plot: Cassie Sullivan and her companions lived through the Other’s four waves of destruction. Now, with the human race nearly exterminated and the 5th Wave rolling across the landscape, they face a choice: brace for winter and hope for Evan Walker’s return, or set out in search of other survivors before their enemy closes in. Because the next attack is more than possible- it’s inevitable.

Review: I picked up this book around Christmas (I know. That end of the world/alien invasion Christmas cheer) and it was the last book I read in 2015. I buddy read this with my best friend and we rushed through it on the 31st of December in the middle of a party (I know we’re so much fun).

This book is normally deemed a terrible sequel to the greatness that was The 5th Wave, but I, while I think that it is not as good, think that it is a good set up for the end. I thought that,for a small book (it’s 316 pages), not much would happen, but when you get to the second half of this book, everything goes insane. Everything that has been the truth to you during this book and the first one is questioned. You can’t even be sure if this is true neither though.

Now the things that turned me off were the first part of the book, where nothing much happened, and Ringer. Ringer was the most annoying character in this book. She was so irrational when she was with the crew and with Razor. I remember that she was so rational in the first book, I don’t really know.

In the end though, the second half of the book makes up for the first one and I’m so excited for The Last Star ahhhhh

xx barbara

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “There will be no awakening”

Plot: On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs. Runs from the beings that only look human, who have scattered Earth’s last survivors.

To stay alone is to stay alive, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious , Evan may be her only hope.

Now Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death.

Review: I’m sorry if this review is really vague.

This book is about an alien invasion that has almost exterminated humanity through 4 waves. Cassie is one of the few survivors and she plans to rescue her brother from a military facility.

First of all, this book has so many POVs, which I didn’t see coming, but it is done very well. The characters’ internal dynamics are so different from each other and you can clearly see the difference in each POV. My favorite character is Cassie Sullivan, but I love Evan as well, even if he’s very creepy. Ben is great as well but I find him very annoying at times.

This book series is a huge puzzle, so don’t expect to have answers. You can never be sure if the information you’re being given is the actual truth. In my opinion, this just draws you into the story. The way that things connect, the way that the characters are connected, the twists and turns are so WOW.

By the end of the book I needed the sequel, this had become one of my favorite books, which I only ended up getting way later…it was a struggle.

xx barbara

Book Review: Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening line: “A shadow glided over the frozen hills, moving too quickly to likely be cast by something of this Earth.”

Plot: The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane.

Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.Captivated. Lured. Loved.Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Review: First things first, I wasn’t planning to read this book when I decided to read The Lux Series. I normally don’t read novellas unless the characters involved interest me. I was not that interested in learning about Dawson and Bethany when I first heard about this book, but when I bought Opposition, Shadows was included in it, so there was no way I wasn’t going to read it.

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Dawson and Bethany’s relationship developed so smoothly and easily and healthly, in contrast to Daemon and Katy’s relationship. They had the cutest moments like when Dawson brought the roses for her and when Beth had the urge to paint him but couldn’t find the shade of his eyes. I actually forgot that there were so many things we don’t actually know about them and it’s interesting to see how much the Luxen didn’t actually know about the DOD and even themselves.

So I’m not sure that this is a must read but it’s not a terrible book, and if you really are interested in Dawson and Bethany, you should read it.

xx barbara

Book Review: Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “Back in the day, I had this plan for the off chance that I was around for the whole end-of-the-world thing”

Plot: Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can’t believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, Daemon and Katy may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

Review: I finished this book last night and oh my God did it take me a while to read it (manly due to school tho). When I went into this book I wasn’t sure what to expect as I am marathoning this series. The end of Origin was something I should have expected but I didn’t, I was praying that it wouldn’t happen but I should have known that the main enemy wasn’t Daedalus or the Arum, it was the Luxen themselves. In this book, humanity is faced with the Luxen invasion after what went down in Vegas in the previous book. Katy and Daemon are separated in the beginning, but when they get together it becomes such an action packed plot. I felt like this book went by so fast even if I took a while to read it, I felt really connected to all the characters, and I really loved to see Dawson and Bethany with Ashley in the Epilogue (I feel incredibly lost now that this is over but I still have Shadows to read), also Archer and Dee were so funny after we got Dee back. I feel like a lot of character development was made and I’m really satisfied with the end of this series. (even if it made me cry).

xx barbara

Book Review: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “I was on fire again.”

Plot: Daemon will do anything to get Katy back. After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about fiding her. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

Review: Well from that terrible book cover (even if Pepe Toth is extremely attractive, if I do say so myself), I was expecting this book to be Daemon’s search for Katy. Luckly it didn’t turn out to be like that. The book is dual POV, which was interesting, and kind of made me wish the other books were as well. Jennifer L. Armentrout continues to write a believable male character with Daemon’s voice.

This is probably my favorite book in the series, it feels so much more mature than the other books in the series, probably because it’s a completely different environment and things get a lot more serious than “the hot neighbor is rude to me, I don’t understand”. The new characters and “life state” are really interesting and this book was so much fun to read, even if it took me ages to finish it because of school.

xx barbara

Book Review: Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: 5/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “I wasn’t sure what woke me.”

Plot: After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different…and I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discoering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, I realise, more and more, that there’s no end to what I’m caple of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back.

Review: Having read this book a few weeks ago, all I can say is that this book feels so far away now that I’ve read Origin. This book was the set up for something big. So first of all why did Blake have to come back this early? I hate him so much, my hatred for him gets bigger as the books go. Daemon and Katy’s relationship is so nicely developed, I just ship them so much. For the most part, in this book, I forgot about the Arum, which really is a shame because I really wanted to know more about them. The whole Dawson thing just annoyed me or broke my heart. So much more things happened in this one than in Onyx and honestly, so far, this is my favorite book in the series, which, in my opinion, gets better after each book.

xx barbara

Book Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra

Rating: 3/5

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “The formidable glass-and-steel structure rose from its position on Front Street like a glittering needle threading the sky.”

Plot: Haunted by her past, Clary is dragged deeper into New York City’s terrifying underworld of demons and Shadowhunters- but can she control her feelings for a boy who can never be hers?

Review: Warning: This review contains spoilers.

This book. I expected more from it. It kind of annoyed me. but the ending made up for it. In this book we learn a bit more about the world, which was actually interesting, and what annoyed me the most was the Clary x Simon relationship. I felt like he just went up to her and said “You are my girlfriend now” and that’s it. I loved Simon in the last book and I know he was going through a lot of confusion in the beginning of this book but I don’t see why this relationship ever happened. Another thing that annoyed me was Jace and Clary. I ship it (because I’ve been spoiled for their “sibling status”) but the problem is that Jace and Clary kept insisting on their relationship, which at this point was incest. I feel like it’s pretty obvious how this story is going to end because of how they simply don’t care about how they are brother and sister. Okay yeah Clary kind of cares but still.

That being said I feel like a lot of the other characters didn’t really shine in this book till the end but I really enjoyed the writing and the action scenes. I loved the Simon thing with the vampires. I thought the whole transformation process was very interesting and scary. Another thing I enjoyed was the hints to Jace and Clary’s past and what Valentine has been doing with them. Speaking of which, that man is crazy I can’t believe everything that is happening and I really need to get to City of Glass.

I’m sorry if this was very confusing.

xx barbara

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Rating: 4/5⭐️

Disclaimer: This review is an old one from my tumblr account so it was written a couple years ago.

Opening Line: “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest.

Plot: Clary Fray is seeing things: vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistibly drawn to the Shadowhunters, a secret group of warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City- and the dangers of forbidden love.

Review: 

As usual when it comes to extremely popular books, I was scared going into this one. All the hype was what had made me buy the whole series without even reading one of these books and after reading some negative reviews I feared that I’d spent about 70 euros on nothing.

Long story short, I had low expectations going intothis but I also had high hopes.

This book isn’t the best book in the world, obviously. It’s the first one in a fantasy series, which means that there will be a lot of setting up. I, personally, thought that this was very well done throughout the book. I know that some people find it annoying when the main character is told things instead of figuring them out by herself but I’m actually a fan.

The characters were pretty diverse, with personalities that were distinct amongst themselves and made the story go by a lot easier and faster. Our main character, Clary Fray, was not as annoying as I expected (even if she did have her moments, but everyone does), even if my favorite character ended up being the famous Magnus Bane. Magnus Bane is, in my eyes,the Dumbledore-character to our protagonists, but unlike Dumbledore, who has the image of a serious and wise man, who has his silly moments, Magnus is a modern and fashionable guy that throws parties, likes gliter, and has the eyes of a cat. My least favorite was the other half of Malec, Alec Lightwood. I didn’t like his attitude toward Clary and his weird ass mood swings (I do understand why he’d feel like that but I think that a lot of the things he said were just mean-spirited and rude). He does get better in the second book though. His sister Isabelle, on the other hand, was so kick ass and I loved every scene she was in. Our love interests are Simon and Jace, even if this first one honestly doesn’t stand a chance (even if I did love him in this first book). Simon and Jace are polar opposites, Simon being the nice, loving best friend, and Jace being the love-hate relationship, that flowers into just love.

This brings me into an aspect that I didn’t like about this book: the relationship between Jace and Clary.

I do ship it, and I’m sure it gets better in later books, but in this first book (and in the second book, may I add), their relationship feels like insta-love. Yes, I know it doesn’t make that much sense because they didn’t like each other in the beginning. This is why, from now on, I will be discussing spoilers.

Jace and Clary take things slow throughout the book and I was pretty content with it. When Jace disappears toward the end is when things start to get a little weird.

Clary completely blows what they have out of proportion. It’s like she’s going to die if she doesn’t get to him. I get that she’s worried, but I don’t think you’d be that worried about someone you meant a week or so ago. So she goes to that mental hospital with Luke (great father figure, by the way) and his pack. Clary finds Jace and the bomb gets dropped on us. Clary and Jace are brother and sister. Their father, who was thought to be dead, is not only alive, but also Valentine Morgenstern, our main villain. When they both figure this out they look at each other like they’re in love. They hadn’t known each other that long ago, they might have developed some feelings, but it looks like they have just discovered this after months of being in a relationship, when the most they’ve done is kiss.

I will stop rambling about it now. I thought this first book in The Mortal Instruments was very interesting and I will keep reading this series, which I’m sure gets better.

xx barbara

Book Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 5/5⭐️

Synopsis: Sky Davis is starting sixth form having always been home-schooled, and wants to keep a low profile. But then she runs into Dean Holder – messy brown hair, smouldering blue eyes, and a temper straight out of Fight Club, someone who Sky is determined to avoid.

There is something about Holder that sparks memories of Sky’s troubled past, those which she would rather stay buried. Little does she know that the mysterious Dean Holder is harboring secrets of his own . . .

Opening Line: “I stand up and look down at the bed, holding my breath in fear of the sounds that are escalating from deep within my throat”

This is not my first Colleen Hoover book. I decided to read them in publication order (excluding the sequels and such) so this is my second Hoover book and also my favorite.

Going into this one I expected a sad girl with a lot of issues. What I got was kind of the opposite. Don’t get me wrong, she has issues and she’s sad sometimes, but our main character, Sky, is way stronger and way spunkier than I had expected. This made me dive straight into the book since I wasn’t really in the mood for a book with a sad narrative all throughout it. Another thing that surprised my was Dean Holder, our resident love interest and apparent bad boy persona (at least according to every synopsis). Dean is not really a bad boy (and I don’t mean that as in he has a hard exterior and a soft interior), he’s just a normal person who has a brooding personality. He’s not rude to her like most bad boys are in the beginning of their novels.

You can also see a big improvement in the writing from “Slammed” to “Hopeless” but maybe that’s just me and the fact that I read “Slammed” a year ago.

I can’t really say much more without spoiling anyone so SPOILERS AHEAD.

---

So from the beginning I knew there was something going on when Holder thought he recognized Sky in that grocery shop scene. We already knew she was adopted and I was praying that this wasn’t going into a “City of Bones” situation. Thankfully it didn’t and we started seeing a relationship form between these two characters.

I really enjoyed this relationship. It felt really straight forward. None of them were really playing serious games on each other. She told him outright that she was attracted to him and that she wanted him to kiss her. I really enjoyed how open they were with each other. It was really refreshing.

Holder, as I’ve said is not really a “bad boy” character. He’s brooding, sure but I feel like he was always there for her when she needed him and he was just really supportive of her. We have the bracelet scene where they don’t talk for a month but by this point I’d already figured out why he flipped out about the bracelet so I wasn’t too worried.

From the very first flashback I knew what her dad was doing to her. The more flashbacks we got the more my heart broke and the more disgust I felt for that man. I can’t see how he could molest his own daughter or his sister or Lesley. They were children. How can you look at a child like that? It really upset me. Also what Karen did was wrong but I feel like Sky was a little harsh on her? Not for lying to her but for taking her away. Karen saved her from her father because she knew exactly what she was going through. I really don’t blame her for what she did, especially cause she tried to reach out to authorities before she did it. I also didn’t like how Sky blamed herself for Lesley’s suicide.

One thing I really didn’t like about this book was how toward the end they were always saying the exact same things to Sky about what happened to her. I understand that you want to remind a victim of such a horrible crime that it’s not their fault, but I just feel like we didn’t need to see the same conversation happen so many times. But then again maybe that could help a reader who has gone through the same things so I guess it’s okay.

I also loved Sky’s friends, Six and Breckin. I was hoping we would see more of Six, but I’m pretty sure there’s a story about her on Wattpad that the author wrote so I ought to read that soon. Breckin was also really fun. He was so on board with everything, and so supportive too after that bracelet scene. He was really funny and I really liked the alliance thing between him and Sky.

Overall I’m really happy with this read. It met my expectations about this author better than “Slammed” did and I can’t wait to read more.

xx barbara

so…

I have a tumblr account dedicated to books. I used to be extremely active on there so it’s where I published my reviews. I think I’m going to start reposting them on this blog for the sake of having all my reviews in one place that I can look back on. So whatever reviews you see after my review of “Hopeless” by Colleen Hoover will be old reviews.

xx barbara