Dream a Little Dream by: Kerstin Gier

Title:  Dream a Little Dream
Author:  Kerstin Gier
Genre:  Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, YA/Teen
Age:  13+
Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Summary (Taken from the Goodreads Website):

Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute....  

Reaction:

First of all, let me start by saying that I absolutely love Kerstin Gier's writing.  I've read her Precious Stone trilogy (and it was fantastic, let me tell you) and this book was no less fantastic.  Kerstin Gier's writing is just so easy and wonderful to read!  Everything she writes is perfect for a rainy day!  All her books are fast paced, light, romantic, and funny!  Basically they are the perfect chick lit read.
I also feel it is necessary to point out that the cover of this book (and all of her other books) are lovely.  They not only fit with what the book is about, but they look awesome while doing it!

Characters:

Liv:
Liv was hilarious and so easy to relate to!  When her mom was going through her "romancy" stage with her "boyfriend" Liv acted exactly how I would have acted, upset and rudely.  Now, this doesn't mean that Liv is a rude and upset person, because she's not.  Liv is actually very funny, serious, and kind-of nosey.  I really liked Liv and can't wait to see her in the next books!

The Other Boys:
There are so many of them that I don't want to talk about each one of them, so I'm going to talk about them as a whole.  The boy group in this book is very tight knit and each person is unique in their own way.    For example:  Henry (my favorite) is very sweet and caring, while Grayson is very caring and concerned, while Jasper is just a special cutie.  I really enjoyed reading about each and every one of them.

Overall:

This book was very, very good.  There are some things that I thought could have been a little better (hence the four out of five stars), but overall this book was a definite win!  I will definitely be continuing this series in the future (once the other two books in the series are translated!)  I recommend this book to pretty much anyone with eyes or a sense of humor.

Peace out Girl scouts!  -Terantum

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

What happens when a long time, and famous dystopian author tries to write a fantasy book?

To put it simply, it ends up a dystopian book that seems to be putting on airs and trying to be something it isn’t.

No seriously hear me out. Let’s start at the cover. When most authors release the title of their new book or a novella that is exclusive to an e-format they typically have a very simple cover that features the title. In that instance it’s acceptable because the title is the important thing but for the first book in a series it’s a poor and boring move. Even indie and self-published tend to have MUCH better covers than silver letters on top of a storm background that only features Marie Lu’s other books and nothing about this one.

No wonder this book was terrible. It stopped trying before we got to page one. The only thing this book tried to do was pass itself off as a fantasy book but that didn’t last long. Let me explain why: guy who got kicked off the throne by his older sister teams up with a bunch of people society has wronged and wants to kill, psychopathic villain guy is love interest to female protagonist, female protagonist has family issues, and kills off one of the main characters. Those are ALL cliches of dystopian writing. With all those crappy cliches I’m sad to say that’s not even where it stops.

The worst part of this book is the total lack of character development. I’m pretty sure the villains had more character development and they had what? Three chapters at most? Added to that you had the main guy character only fall in love with the girl because she choose the diamond.

What?

Suggestion: Marie Lu as much as I love you in Legend next time get a little more practice with something like a short story in an anthology before you bomb a novel.

And readers? Find a different book that won’t waste your time. Perhaps you should check out Nightfall by Leah Cypress or Rook by Sharon Cameron. Those books won’t disappoint you.

Rating: A sad 1 out of 5 stars. Can I rewind time and get my precious hours back? Please?

Attachments by: Rainbow Rowell

Title:  Attachments
Author:  Rainbow Rowell
Genre:  Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Humor
Age:  16+
Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Summary: 

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

Reaction:

Wow, I heard that this book is only liked by some people, but I don't understand why everyone doesn't love this book.  This book is over-the-top fantastic!   It has the perfect mix of romance and humor...I love it so much.  I have read another one of Rainbow Rowell's books and she has yet to disappoint me with her writing!

Characters:

Beth Fremont:
So, so, so relatable.  I love Beth and I aspire to be her someday.  She is funny and knows what she wants in life.  She is cool and outgoing in an un-overbearing way.  I like how she confides in her problems and doesn't keep them in.

Lincoln O'Neill:
Basically the perfect man.  He is funny, caring, and understanding.  Plus, he plays D&D which is just a bonus on his part.  He crushes on Beth for the longest time and he doesn't actually meet her until the end of the book, so it's kind-of like a slow burn romance, and I love it!

Overall:

Please, please go read this book.  It is pretty much good book for anyone.  It does have a couple of adult themes and a little bit of angst, so that is why I raised the rating a bit.  But, I promise this book is not too inappropriate.  If you are iffy about reading this book, please go and give it a try.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

 See yah, Home Dogs -Terantum   

Ms. Marvel #16 Synopsis/Review

WARNING: To put it nicely there will be SPOILERS from here on out.

I warned you…

WIth Marvel’s current big event being Secret Wars it should come as no surprise to absolutely anyone that everything, and everyone, is being tied in. While the first three volumes were named No Normal, Generation Why, Crushed, and it seems that the 4th volume will be named Last Days of Ms. Marvel. Also we have the team up we’ve all been waiting for… Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers, two Ms. Marvel’s and one city that desperately needs their help.

When we first catch up with Kamala in issue #16 she’s eating her pain away from her break up like thing with Kamran. She only stops when she finds out that Jersey City is in peril, by a planet that seems to be coming down upon the city, and runs to it’s aid. Also she Leonardo Da Vinci’s the water with science (my nerd in me felt this necessary to mention.)

When she makes her way to Circle Q she discovers Bruno and his brother defending what remains of their beloved store, but before she leaves them she tells them to go the high school and use it as a safe spot. Panic has clearly set in on Kamala and Bruno essentially begs her to stay with him and be safe together. Kamala being Kamala denies and goes straight to her parents house. By this time chaos rules the street and thugs run free. She arrives home to no one answering her calls but a voice that comes from the kitchen.

Guess who’s back?! Surprise, surprise! The biggest douche of Ms. Marvel is back: Kamran. Why yes Kamran is back and the first thing he does is shock her parents into sleep and kidnap her older brother, Aamir. Of course it seems we can’t go a single issue without him rubbing things in our face and promptly leaving. Before Kamala gets the chance to leave to find her brother and check up on her friends low and behold her parents wake up.

Back at the high school Loki’s guardians have showed up to help defend the high school. Hipster-viking-magician dude always comes to help when needed. Ms. Marvel arrives on the scene to help get everyone settled. Characters that have gone MIA reappear in background. It isn’t before long that Ms. Marvel, who's the guilt has set in about being save everyone else but her brother, flees to the roof to get a breather. As she wipes the tears away from her eyes a familiar face appears. Carol Danvers.

Review: Every issue with Kamala Khan tends to get better and better. Ms. Marvel, as always, is relatable to the everyday person who would do anything to protect the ones around her she loves. The art is phenomenal as always so thank you Adrian Alphona for the amazing art. On the other hand, the story is amazing and sucks the reader in to this world that has basically gone to hell. G. Willow Wilson you have outdone yourself this time.

5 out of 5 stars

Easter Eggs:

• Pigeons with weird hats
• A place serving Panda
• A guy selling mix tapes
• GM-O’s
• And many more...

Other Reviews of Ms. Marvel:

Coming soon.

Reawakened by: Colleen Houck

Title:  Reawakened
Author:  Colleen Houck
Genre:  Romance, Egyptian Mythology, Fantasy, YA/Teen
Age:  13+
Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Summary (Taken from Goodreads):

 When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

Reaction:

Holy Shizballz!  I completely have a new opinion on Colleen Houck!  I really liked her first series, The Tiger's Curse series, for about the first two or three books, but then I lost interest and her writing seemed to become a little lazy.  But this book was bloody fantastic!  It had everything that I could possibly want in a book, such as: a sweet romance, awesome action, and a cool plot line.  I read this book in a day and I just couldn't put it down!  I love, love, loved this book!

Characters:

Lilliana Young (aka:  Lily):

I really liked Lily and how she wanted to take action in the book.  She was more of a go-getter and more relatable than Kelsey was in the Tiger's curse series.  Lily was afraid of what Amon was and what he wanted from her at the beginning of the book, but then she came to understand what needed to be done and she did it.  She usually put herself before others throughout this book and I really liked that about her.

Amon:

Amon was awesome!  I really liked how confused he was at the beginning of the book about the ways of the modern world.  He kind of reminded me of Castiel from Supernatural every time he was confused about either phones, taxi's, or other things of modern origin.  I can't wait to see more of Amon in the rest of the series.

Overall:

Please go out and read this book even if you didn't like the Tiger's Curse series.  This book is really great and I promise that you won't regret it!  I suggest you read this book if you have any interest in Egyptian Mythology, romance, humor, magical action, or zombie crocodiles (yes, there are zombie crocodiles in this book.  It is awesome!).  

Peace out  -Terantum 

School Time=More Blogging!

School time is just around the corner for some of us so it’s time to dedicate another year to reading and recommending! With one year under our belt Terantum and I have decided to expand what we review to anything from comic books, like Ms. Marvel, to movies based on our favorite novels, like Paper Towns, so frankly we don’t get burned out of reviewing books.

Many other changes are happening too:

-2 blog posts a week

-More variety

-Team ups with different authors

   Thanks for the wonderful year readers!

          ~Cait

Girl Online by: Zoe Sugg and Siobhan Curham

Title:  Girl Online
Author:  Zoe Sugg and Siobhan Curham (Ghost Writer)
Genre:  Contemporary, Romance, YA/Teen
Age:  11+
Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Summary (Taken from the Goodreads Website):

I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has - I can't believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! - and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes...

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family - and the panic attacks she's suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love - and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny's cover - and her closest friendship - forever.

Reaction:

This book really disappointed me in a couple of ways.  To save some trouble I'll list them for you...actually I think that I'll list the pro's and con's of this book...here we go.
PRO'S:
1) It was funny and cute
2) Main character was relatable
3) Plot twist was pretty surprising
4) The cover is cute
5) The idea for the book is good

CON'S:
1)  The ending
2) Her parents let Penny roam NYC with a strange boy they've never met?  Really?
3) No credit to the ghost writer 
4) Her blog went viral that fast?  Really?
5)  Storyline was way too predictable 

So, yeah.  I guess there is about the same amount of good as there is bad.  That's why the book got 3.5 stars.

Characters:

Penny:
She was relatable, and I liked that.  But, she felt two dimensional to me.  She was a cookie cutter girl from a modern teen book.  Red hair, check.  Self conscious of her looks, check.  She's actually pretty, check.  Gets picked on, check.  Gets apparently mega hot boyfriend, check.  Parents don't care about what she does or with whom, check.  Need I say more?  I think that you got the point.

Noah:
Eh, I didn't really like him.  He was also a cookie cutter boy from a modern teen book.  I also didn't like that he got so defensive about what Penny said to him.  Also, he should have told her his secret so Penny knew what she was getting into.

Overall:

This book was "eh".  It wasn't good, but it wasn't overly terrible either.  If you like fashion, predictable romance, England, or trips you might like this book.  I don't know if I am going to read the sequel when it comes out.  Maybe I will just to see if it gets any better.

HAPPY JULY FIRST!!!!  -Terantum