Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)
Book Summary: Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Rate(1-10): 10

Book Review: House of Hades by Rick Riordan (Heroes of Olympus #4)

Note: Review contains spoilers. So does the synopsis. If you have not read this or Mark of Athena, do not read on!

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

Heroes of Olympus #4
Book Summary: At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

Liana's Summary: Without Percy and Annabeth, their two main players, the rest of the crew believes they are weakened. However, they cannot let that stop them. They have to stop Gaea and her forces to restore order. With the raging war between the Greeks and the Romans, and the monsters emerging from Tartarus, the plan seems a bit difficult to follow. But in the end, who will prevail?

Rate(1-10): 10

Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3)

Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3)
Book Summary: The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion? 

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

Liana's Summary: Day and June haven't spoken to each other in months. Both are too proud to bother the other first, and therefore, silence, no matter how much they miss each other. But when Day receives a message saying that his Princeps Elect requests his presence, he goes, and finds out that the country is in grave danger, and someone very important to him will be at risk to save it.

Rate(1-10): 10

Book Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #2)

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

(Blood of Eden #2)
Book Summary: Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

Liana's Summary: Allie feels Kanin in her mind. She hears his screams and his thoughts in her dreams.. So what else can she do, but set out to look for him? But when the tug doesn't lead her to Kanin but someone else, Allie forms an ally bond with the someone else, and they set out to find Kanin together. As more and more surprises unfold, Allie finds herself with three companions, set out to find Kanin, and then four, to find Sarren and cure the world of Red Lung-- and hopes that it won't be too late.

Rate(1-10): 10

Book Review: What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

What Really Happened in Peru by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
(Bane Chronicles #1)
Book Summary: Fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices know that Magnus Bane is banned from Peru—and now they can find out why. One of ten adventures in The Bane Chronicles.

There are good reasons Peru is off-limits to Magnus Bane. Follow Magnus’s Peruvian escapades as he drags his fellow warlocks Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss into trouble, learns several instruments (which he plays shockingly), dances (which he does shockingly), and disgraces his host nation by doing something unspeakable to the Nazca Lines.

This standalone e-only short story illuminates the life of the enigmatic Magnus Bane, whose alluring personality populates the pages of the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. This story in The Bane Chronicles, What Really Happened in Peru, is written by Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare.
Liana's Summary: What Really Happened in Peru summarizes Magnus Bane's adventures before meeting our favorite TMI characters and after meeting our wonderful TID characters, and tells the story of what really happened in Peru.

Rate(1-10): 10

Book Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Illustrations by Hyekyung Baek (Manga!)

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Illustrations by Hyekyung Baek, Manga!
Book Summary: A manga-adaption to the prequel of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices is the story of Tessa Gray, a sixteen-year-old American girl traveling alone to Victorian London who runs afoul of the city's sordid supernatural underworld. Rescued by the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, Tessa quickly finds herself caught up in an intrigue that may very well destroy her new friends - including the two enigmatic young men, Jem and Will, who have taken her under their wing...

Liana's Summary: Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices, in manga form. Tessa goes to London to find her brother Nate, but she gets tangled in a mass of Shadowhunters and Downworlders.. And finds out something about herself, as well.

Rate(1-10): 10

This is my very first manga review. (The Infernal Devices will probably be the only mangas I will bother to review, or even read.. unless TMI becomes a manga series too!) Okay, usually, I don't read mangas. I don't. But I really had to read this. My favoriteseries, being turned into a manga? TOTES GONNA READ IT, OF COURSE.

I absolutely loved reading this. Almost all the characters were the perfect portrayal of my mental images (except for Magnus, though we can't deny he looks fabulous with his luscious locks). 

When I was reading this, I was just like, OH YES YES YES I REMEMBER THIS PART. I cannot wait for the Clockwork Prince manga to come out. omg. This was just amazing and brought the novel to a whole new level.

For those who are lazy to actually read the whole novel.. (Ugh, those people) please do read the whole novel prior to reading the manga, because the manga happens to be more enjoyable after you've read the book.

Book Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi.

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi.
(Shatter Me #1.5)
Book Summary: Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

Liana's Summary: Warner, after Juliette's escape, is angered and devastated, and most of all determined more than ever to find her, and get her back-- and put a bullet through Adam Kent's face. When he finds Juliette's journal, he tears through it, only to discover her pain and loneliness. Meanwhile, Warner's father forms some plans for Juliette, plans that Warner absolutely despises, and will do anything to stop.

Rate(1-10): 10

Wow, wow, wow! Tahereh Mafi, what an amazing writer!

Ever since I've read SHATTER ME, I've been dying to read UNRAVEL ME, and I'm so glad that I discovered DESTROY ME before I started to read book 2. This was a novella, in Warner's point of view, obviously, and I have to admit (although grudgingly) that Warner has a heart after all. However, I know which side of the love triangle I'm on, *fosho*. LOL.

Anyways, yeah, great series! Tahereh Mafi is such an amazing writer, so everyone should check this out!

Book Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd.
Book Summary: In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

Liana's Summary: Juliet thinks that her father may be alive, but she refuses to believe it-- that is, until, an old but familiar diagram leads her to the last person she expects to see-- Montgomery, the boy of her childhood, the childhood that was lost ever since her mother died and her father left. After Juliet loses her job, mainly because of self-defense, she goes to Montgomery and tells him to take her with him to see her father. But is her father the same loving, gentle man that she used to know? Or has he been driven completely mad? Juliet has to deal with her long lost father, and two boys that are completely in love with her at the same time. But she can find a way out of this mess- can she?

Rate(1-10): 10

It's been a while since I've chosen a book to read all by myself without any recommendation from anyone. And this book was FREAKING AMAZING. I can't contain myself, LOL. It completely deserves the 5 stars and even more if I could give it.

I honestly don't know where to start because I can't-
My feelings-
Ineffable-
INEFFABLE-
I can't put this into words-
This book was too fabulous-
omg-
so done with life right now-

Well, I'm gonna try to spit it out. Ahem. So, the title speaks for itself. The main character is a daughter of a madman that just so happens to be performing vivisection brutally and making wild animals into human-like beings----

Okay okay character discussions

Juliet- She was a likable main character, opposing sexism the whole entire time. She seems a bit too stubborn, though, and sometimes really desperate. She's brave but not really brave, and very, very.. brusque. But still a likable protagonist.

Edward- You see, when he first came in I just knew that it was going to be a love triangle. Well then. At first, I abhorred him for ruining the perfect relationship between Juliet and Montgomery, but... Well, Edward is a complex character.

Montgomery- He. Is. Hot. omg. When he first got introduced to the story, I got really excited since I knew that the book was about to get even better than it already was. Montgomery is a kind, caring, and composed man. He keeps his secrets and does what he does for the good of others. He's a true gentleman.

The ending was too much for me to handle. I couldn't even breathe, omg. Like, seriously? THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME, MEGAN SHEPHERD, I CAN'T.

The romance was all right. However, Juliet seemed a bit torn in between and it just annoyed me out of my mind-- LOL at least I know clearly which guy I'm rooting for now

Honestly I have to admit that I'm really disappointed there is going to be a sequel. I mean, I'm glad there's more of the story to see and I'm definitely gonna get the next book when it comes out-- but. But, the ending of this book was absolutely perfect and tragic and, even if there is more to write, I feel like a sequel will ruin the perfectly constructed ending of this book. Well, that's my opinion, anyway.

Nonetheless, I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book and this is definitely a recommendation that I'm willing to give to anyone.

Quotes~

"..his handsome features.."

"..tied his blond hair back."

HE HAS LONG BLOND HAIR OMG
SO DEAD

"I'm going to have you tonight,.."

"..something undeniably attractive about him.."

NO YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO THINK HE'S ATTRACTIVE STOP YOU HAVE MONTGOMERY OK

"I like getting to know you, Miss Moreau."

edward please go away

"..you looked even more beautiful when I thought I was dying."

no edward stop

"...he kissed me."

I don't know what to think anymore -sobs-

"I came for you, Juliet!"

Art thou Romeo? Oh wait it's just Edward

"Montgomery tackled Edward."

"She was in love with him."

NOOOOO

"He's been in love with the mere idea of you for years."

D'aaaw that's so cute

"His lips found mine."

"You're too good for him,"

stupid, naive Edward SHUTTHEFUCKUP BEFORE I ENTER THAT BOOK MYSELF AND SMACK YOU UPSIDE THE HEAD 

"But my father can."

So close..

"No!"

------

Megan Shepherd is such an amazing author, and this is just her DEBUT. Wow, amazing. There were so many plot twists in this story I can't even breathe anymore

So, that's all. 

What did you think of this review?(;

Book Review: Clockwork Princess by Casssandra Clare. (Infernal Devices #3)

 Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare.
(Infernal Devices #3)
Book Summary: Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Liana's Summary: Tessa is finally getting married, getting married to someone, someone that she loves. They say that you can only love one other person at once, but apparently, that's not true-- and Tessa is living proof that that saying is entirely false. Torn between Will, and dearest Jem, how can she choose? Meanwhile, adding to everyone's burdens, Mortmain is continuously unrelenting with his brutality and desperation-- he needs Tessa, to take over the world.. by his side. It doesn't matter that she's engaged. He'll do anything, anything at all, and kill off anyone without so much as a second glance. And the person he's killing happens to be Jem himself-- the one character that none of us can see merely suffer. What will happen? Is Tessa strong enough? Will Jem survive, at all? And what will Will do? Cassie Clare has written a truly beautiful trilogy about love and loss, engaging all of her readers and leaving them in a teary mess.

Rate(1-10): 10!!

If it weren't for my 'don't break the scale because that's unfair' rule, I would have given this book however many more zeroes to the end of that 10 that I could type in a lifetime. In other words, this book has fully broken my personal expectation scale, and it'll never be fixed again, I fear.. And the two exclamation marks will do nothing to emphasize how much I LOVED THIS BOOK.

As you all know, or may not know, but are finding out right now, that Clockwork Princess was one of my highly anticipated books of 2013. I've been waiting for this book for quite some time now, and I don't know how I survived my own impatience. 

When I read the end of Clockwork Prince, I half-died inside. When I saw the cover for Clockwork Princess for the first time, I cried. It's so gorgeous. Tessa is really pretty, and the book looks fabulous next to Clockwork Angel & Clockwork Prince. And there's a pedigree on the inside of the cover, too! For those of you who haven't read the book, do not look at the family tree first. Read the story and then examine the pedigree, since it contains spoilers. I'm just glad that I received a warning to save examining the pedigree for last. 

When the book came out, I screamed. When I preordered it, I squealed. When I saw in the tracking information that this book was in the same state that I was in, I jumped for joy. When this book came to my house, when it was placed on my chair, for me to open, I tore it open (gracefully, believe it or not) and cried. Throughout this whole book, no matter what I told myself, I could not help but tear up at least once in every single chapter. Y'all have no idea how much times I teared up because of some romantic quote or something about death. I've always considered myself a hard-hearted person, who wouldn't cry at all, even at the saddest parts of a story. What made me surprised was that Cassie Clare had the ability to make me cry with just a few romantic quotes while JK Rowling didn't really make me cry at all with all those deaths of all those beloved characters. Except for one, of course.. Don't get me wrong, really, JK Rowling is forever my queen, but Cassandra Clare is probably my goddess.

Well, before I cracked open this book and devoured it all up, I wanted to have a look at my previous reviews to remind me of the plot in the previous books. But no, that did not help at all. All I did was swoon and fangirl about Jem, which I am still doing at the moment.. Seriously, reading my previous reviews make me wince. LOL. They sucked butt- I'm not saying that the reviews I write right now are good, I'm just saying that they're a little better. I feel like I've gotten practice from writing 200+ reviews, huh?(;

What I absolutely LOVE is that most of my questions have been answered-- not just the questions from the previous 2 books of this series, but from the Mortal Instruments books as well. It fits nicely, like puzzle pieces. 

I absolutely ADORE Cassie Clare and her writing. She's amazing. Every chapter, every page, sentence, every line, every WORD kept me engaged to this story. I haven't lost concentration once-- I considered this story too precious. And that's amazing, because, knowing me, I usually lose concentration in at least one part in even a really good book. Once I read the first page, I remembered how much I missed the Shadowhunter world and how much I loved Cassie Clare's writing.

My emotions for this series, cannot be expressed. One word: ineffable. For those of you who've read it, I hope you know what I'm talking about, omg. For those of you who haven't, go ahead and read it, and we will all fangirl together.

I cannot say that I am completely satisfied with what happened, and in the middle of the book, specifically on page 311, I was in complete denial. I was so angry, that I HATED this story, but then again loved it with such a passion. But when I finished this story, the ending was so bittersweet and beautiful I couldn't help but cry at the last few words. And no, I am not usually a tearful person when it comes to reading! Dangit, I even cried at the Author's Note: A Note on Tessa's England. Seriously?

Some people say that there are too many Shadowhunter books, that Cassie Clare is just feeding the cash cow. Well, that may be true, but then again she's satisfying all her readers' hungry eyes with her writing, so those people shouldn't complain of what she's doing, because how she earns her money is none of their business. And so, I am awaiting The Dark Artifices, and cannot wait for City of Heavenly Fire, OR the City of Bones movie, either! Eeep! ANTICIPATION PORES, OPEN! LOL.

There wasn't that much romance in this book, probably because all of the romance had already bloomed in the first two books. It was really cute, still, seeing them love each other,  already being in love. I like how the Lightwoods fell in love though, (I liked the Lightwoods in this book-- I've always liked the Lightwoods, I mean, they aren't bad, but in this book I loved the Lightwood brothers!) it was nice seeing some new romance blossom! Honestly, I couldn't ask for more. This book exceeded the PERF line, I don't even know what to say. 

And now, character discussions.

Tessa- Ah, the heroine of this tale. I like Tessa, but I have to say that I like Clary from TMI so much more. Tessa seems to be too mature for her age, and I appreciate that, but she seems kind of broken, somehow. But yes, she makes a good main character.

Jem- What more do I have to say but that he is my fictional infatuation? As beautiful as the bright side of the ferken moon. He showed me, and undoubtedly many others, that fictional male characters don't have to be cocky to be hot. Jem is one of a kind, and I'll never forget him, even in the future when the books won't be opened for quite a while, until I decide to reread. The worst things happen to the kindest people.. Oh, yeah! And I love how I understand his Mandarin, how I don't need to look at the translation at all.. muahaha. LOL.

Will- Will must be the most arrogant of his time- he's beautiful and he knows it. I love the way he talks, the way he quotes books, the way he says a lot of conceited things, the way he makes light jokes out of everything he can think of, the way that he hates ducks, the way that he cares for Jem so much, how he showed all of us what it was like to be a caring parabatai. We gotta love Will. In this book, we've got to see so much more of him. Which is great! Because he's such a great character.

Sophie- I like Sophie, lots. At first I thought I wasn't going to like her, because of her crush on Jem, but she turned out to be awesome. I feel really happy for her!

Cecily- Cecily, ah, the one that left us all gaping at the last page of Clockwork Prince like mad dogs, falling off our chairs. The one that worried us so when we first heard her name from an unconscious Will. I feel like Cecily just came to annoy Will, which was practically what she did, but mainly I feel like she was trying to prove to Will that she wasn't a little kid anymore. Cecily is a wonderful character.

Magnus- Magnus Bane will forever remain a fascinating character-- he's AWESOME. I feel like he has more depth and feelings and character in him, the things that he somewhat refuses to expose, although he shows plenty of character already. But I know he has feelings and I think I'll get to know him better, soon enough.

Quotes. Oh, the quotes that make me cry, laugh, and scream!
This time, let me do something differently. I won't do quote reactions. Just the quotes that I love so much.
Might contain spoilers.

"..his curling dark hair streaked with silver.."
"I'll train with you."
"Please do not make me uncomfortable, Mr. Lightwood."
"Perhaps not," said Will, who had ears like a bat's. "But I would make a radiant bride."
"He wanted to run to her, to wrap her in his arms. Protect her."
".. he turned just in time to see his parabatai slump to his knees on the ground."
"Wo xi wang ni ming tian ke yi jia gei wo."
"There is no such thing as perfect, Tessa."
"I could never hate you, William."
"If Jem dies, I cannot be with Tessa," said Will. "Because it will be as if I were waiting for him to die, or took some joy in his death, if it let me have her. And I will not be that person. I will not profit from his death. So he must live."
"I can't wear this, Magnus. It's too pretty for a man."
"So are you."
"She could not be Jem for him, she thought, could not be his compass that always pointed north, but if nothing else she could make his a slighter burden to carry."
"We have honor, we are Nephilim. If he takes that, we truly have nothing."
"Are you wearing a woman's necklace, Will?"
"..and she loved them both."
"You know that; you must know that. I could never let you go away from me, not into danger, not while I have breath."
"Tessa, did you imagine that there exists any quarrel, large or small, that could make me stop loving you?"
"I am not dead yet, Will," Jem said in a soft voice, thin but as strong as wire. "What did Magnus mean by asking you if I knew you were in love with Tessa?"
"Wherever we are, we are as one."
"If there is a life after this one," he said, "let me meet you in it, James Carstairs."
"I am dramatic," said Will.
Magnus waved a hand. "All Lightwoods look the same to me--"
"Don't girls usually fall in love with their rescuers?"
"Will is easy to love, and he has given her his whole heart. I can see it. I hope she will not break it."
"Death shall never rule me."
"You are lonely," she said. "You have surrounded yourself with creatures that are not real, that do not live."
"I want to kiss you one more time before I die."
"When you fight now, I will be still by you. When you walk in the world, I will be the light at your side, the ground steady under your feet, the force that drives the sword in your hand. We are bound, beyond the oath."
"..I will still be in some part the Jem you knew, and I will see you with the eyes of my heart."
"Wo men shi sheng si ji jiao,"
"Of course you can have a true Shadowhunter name," Will said. "You can have mine."
"You are human, he had said. In all the ways that matter."
-------------------
Kay, that's that!
What did you guys think of this review?(;
This series will forever be one of my HIGHEST recommendations.

Book Review: Diva by Jillian Larkin. (Flappers #3)

 Diva by Jillian Larkin.
(Flappers #3)
Book Summary: Joy and tragedy collide in DIVA, the riveting conclusion to the Flappers series, set in the dazzling Roaring Twenties. Parties, bad boys, speakeasies—life in Manhattan has become a woozy blur for Clara Knowles. If Marcus Eastman truly loved her, how could he have fallen for another girl so quickly? Their romance mustn't have been as magical as Clara thought. And if she has to be unhappy, she's going to drag everyone else down to the depths of despair right along with her.

Being a Barnard girl is the stuff of Lorraine Dyer's dreams. Finding out that Marcus is marrying a gold digger who may or may not be named Anastasia? A nightmare. The old Lorraine would have sat by and let the chips fall where they may, but she's grown up a lot these past few months. She can't bear to see Marcus lose a chance for true love. But will anyone listen to her?

Now that the charges against her have been dropped, Gloria Carmody is spending the last dizzying days of summer on Long Island, yachting on the sound and palling around with socialites at Forrest Hamilton's swanky villa. Beneath her smile, though, Gloria's keeping a secret. One that could have deadly consequences . . .

Liana's Summary: Gloria is trying to get out of jail-- and she can, just under one condition. She has to help Hank, the hot-but-annoying FBI guy, to go on with a case. Use seduction, passion, to get the suspect's secrets out? No! She can't betray Jerome. Jerome is waiting for Gloria, to come back into his life again. Meanwhile, he's earning enough money for them both to get married. But will that even happen, with Gloria's racist father getting in the way? Lorraine may not get Gloria back, ever. She knows that Marcus will never love her. So she's all alone, except for maybe Becky, her roommate, or Melvin, who was the only guy that was nice enough to befriend her. Probably out of pity, we never know. Clara is depressed. She keeps telling herself that she's done with Marcus, that she's done for good, but she just can't be not bothered by looking at his new fiance.. In the glamorous conclusion to the Flappers trilogy, Jillian Larkin allows unexpected friendships and romances to sprout, making this trilogy that much more amazing.

Rate(1-10): 10

Whoa, that was a long summary. Ha. When I do long summaries you all can tell that I loved the book.

I stayed up 2 hours last night finishing off the last 200 pages of this book, and I have to tell you that it was worth it losing two hours of my normal 8 hours of sleep, and here I am in the morning typing a review, wide awake. (:

Anyways, Jillian Larkin is absolutely po-si-lute-ly fabulous. Did I say that already? Yeah, I did. 

This is one of the series in which I liked the first book the most. I mean, this one was great and all but the first one was where everything began, and I like the beginning. DIVA, no matter how fabulous of a conclusion it was, I still like VIXEN out of the three. (And Gloria and Lorraine are both gorgeous, however I have to admit that Clara sure rocks the covergirl looks)

I'm sad to say goodbye to this series. (Dang, I've been reading third books in series recently. Ha.) 

This was a wonderful conclusion and it taught us about love, about determination, about redemption, and about friendship and loyalty. And she taught me what a speakeasy was and a flapper, as well. Some early 1900's language. LOL. Some characters appear to me differently now, because of their positive endeavors. I won't say whom, but for those who've read this series I think y'all know who I'm talking about.

That ending made me cry.

Overall, the 1920's has become such a glamorous and beautiful decade to me, nevermind the flappers and the booze and the speakeasies. Jillian Larkin made it all fascinating.

Quotes!

"I'll do it again, and again."

Well screw you

"She was the Flapper Queen once again."

"They kissed in the corner of the quad."

"She and I are together now."

"He was interested."

too bad she's taken ahem ahem right Gloria?

"..and tilted his face toward hers."

omfg ew get away

"..Hank didn't know where Jerome was."

"I miss her so much, Glo."

Oh my God oh my God OH MY FERKEN CHEESECAKE AHHHHH BRB CRYING

"I've always loved you, Clara. And I always will. Now and forever."

"..and kissed her---hard."

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That's that! What did you think of this review?(:

Book Review: The Prince by Kiera Cass.

 The Prince by Kiera Cass.
A Selection Novella.
The Selection, 0.5
Book Summary: Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection...

Before Aspen broke America's heart...

There was another girl in Prince Maxon's life...

Don't miss this thrilling 128-page original novella set in the world of the New York Times bestselling novel The Selection. Also features a teaser to The Elite, Kiera Cass's hotly anticipated sequel to The Selection.

Liana's Summary: Maxon is nervous as ever. If some other guy were in his shoes, wouldn't he be? It's The Selection. A huge event. Maxon didn't think that America Singer would be any different, but it turns out she is.. and maybe they can become more than friends. Kiera Cass writes a novella in Prince Maxon's point of view-- something that all readers of the Selection want to read..

Rate(1-10): 10

Reading this reminded me of how much I loved The Selection. Man, that book was so freakin' amazing. I died. Beautiful cover and absolutely AMAZING story.

What all readers needed was the guy's point of view. That's right. Team Maxon!

I loved the preview of The Elite at the end of this novella. Agh! I can't wait!

This has got to be the shortest review ever. omg. LOL. I guess that's it.

Book Review: Delirium Stories by Lauren Oliver. (Hana, Annabel, and Raven.) (ALEX, as well.)

 Delirium Stories by Lauren Oliver: Hana, Annabel, & Raven.
Book Summary: For the first time, Lauren Oliver's short stories about characters in the Delirium world appear in print. Originally published as digital novellas, Hana, Annabel, and Raven each center around a fascinating and complex character who adds important information to the series and gives it greater depth. This collection also includes an excerpt from Requiem, the final novel in Oliver's New York Times bestselling series.

Hana is told through the perspective of Lena's best friend, Hana Tate. Set during the tumultuous summer before Lena and Hana are supposed to be cured, this story is a poignant and revealing look at a moment when the girls' paths diverge and their futures are altered forever.

Lena's mother, Annabel, has always been a mystery--a ghost from Lena's past--until now. Her journey from teenage runaway to prisoner of the state is a taut, gripping narrative that expands the Delirium world and illuminates events--and Lena--through a new point of view.

And as the passionate, fierce leader of a rebel group in the Wilds, Raven plays an integral role in the resistance effort and comes into Lena's life at a crucial time. Crackling with intensity, Raven is a brilliant story told in the voice of one of the strongest and most tenacious characters in the Delirium world.

Rate(1-10): 10

Hana: I've read this before, already. So check out my review! http://bookaholic-ness.blogspot.com/2012/07/book-review-hana-by-lauren-oliver.html

Annabel: Lena's mom, Annabel. Throughout the whole entire trilogy I was wondering about her. Since we never really got to know her. At most, she was just a ghost of Lena's past, although still alive. But in this book, it told her story. Her whole story. She's has such a background and it was a comforting thought knowing her escape plan, and how Thomas helped her too. How she never forgot about her daughters, how she stayed sane the whole time.

Raven: I've always liked Raven. She was always a leader. In the trilogy, I got to know her well enough but not too well. I knew there was more to her, and her novella totally proved it. She's amazing!
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Alex: He wasn't part of the Delirium Stories paperback collection. His story was a limited one, only in the backs of the preordered copies of Requiem. And, I was one of the lucky ones who decided to preorder. Surprise for me! (; Alex is a wonderful character, and I'm so glad that I got to see into his past. It makes him that much more understandable and interesting. Alex has always been the mystery boy that didn't like to reveal too much of himself. But we all got to know how kind and caring he was. It was nice reading from his PoV.

It's really cool how these got put together. What I like about the Delirium world is that every character has a background, a story. (: Fab. It's sad that I there's no more of the Delirium books to read, but they'll always be stored in my memory. Good enough?

What did y'all think of this review?(;

Book Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver. (Delirium Trilogy, #3)

 Requiem by Lauren Oliver.
(Delirium Trilogy #3)
Book Summary: They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.
But we are still here.
And there are more of us every day.
Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.
After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. 
Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.
Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.
But we have chosen a different road.
And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.
We are even free to choose the wrong thing.
Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

Liana's Summary: Lena's different now. She's not the girl that she was before. She won't be. She wanted freedom, freedom in the Wilds, freedom with her one true love (whoever that is). She doesn't want anything to remind her of what she had-- or didn't have in the past. War. Fighting. People dying. This isn't what she wanted. She's going to play her part in this war-- and everything will be fine in the end.. right?

Lauren Oliver takes you on one hell of a ride through this amazing and long-anticipated conclusion to the Delirium trilogy.

Rate(1-10): 10!!!

Oh my. My exceeding use of exclamation marks. Ha. Anyways, if you haven't read Delirium or Pandemonium yet just go ahead and read my reviews on both. (If you're not familiar with the Delirium world at all, this review probably won't make sense.. Also, if you haven't read Pandemonium, then don't read this review. Please. Or just read it, at your own risk.) Because this is one RIDICULOUSLY OVERLY FABULOUS series to read. Not to mention it's high on my Top 10's list. 

Well. All of you know that out of my highly-anticipated-reads list, this was on the very top. Requiem. I've been waiting for about 8-9 months for this book. In that period of time, I have passed this book on to friends and fellow bloggers, insisting that they HAD to read it. As of right now, I'm still pestering people to read it. For those of you who've read Pandemonium, and suffered that cliffhanger ending, you understand how painful that must have been. Requiem was even higher on my anticipated-reads list than Cassie Clare's Clockwork Princess. (Which, I am happy to say, is already preordered and will arrive soon enough. EEEEEP) Okay, long story short: Requiem was THE book that I NEEDED for this whole entire year. If I had to choose just one book to get this year (ouch, the pain of this negative speculation) it would be REQUIEM. 

Well, let's get on to actually discussing this story. LOL. Before I start babbling about buying this book and how I waited for a thousand years for its arrival

So basically, I hated everyone in this book.

But this book was so good.

I had this love-hate thing going on this whole entire time. I'm just like DAMMIT IF YOU DIDN'T DO THIS THEN THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED and then I would start bawling my eyes out and throwing tantrums. I know, scary. But that's what Lauren Oliver does to people with her too-amazing writing.

Let's see. (Btw, if you dislike curse words and really passionate voices and caps lock, please skip the next paragraph. Will probably contain spoilers for people who have not read Delirium or Pandemonium.)

Let's start with Lena. THIS STUPID BITCH. SHE'S A GREAT PROTAGONIST BUT A STUPID BITCH. If she weren't so selfish and indecisive nothing would have happened!! And then there's Hana, her stupid hoe of a best friend who HAD to betray her and Alex and betray everybody! Because she was fucking jealous! If it weren't for her then Lena and Alex would still be happy and Lena would have never met Julian! And so there's Alex. If he never sashayed into her life then EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE AND THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN NORMAL. And then there's that fucking shithead Julian. Why did he even have to come into this story? Lena and Alex could have been happy!! DAMMIT. 

I think I'm done. (Sike.) I'll just rave about it in my head some more, but there you go. My thoughts and feelings in that one paragraph above..

What I love about Lauren Oliver and her series is that she made everything work out in the end.

Let me just do character discussions.. May contain spoilers. Man, everything contains spoilers, doesn't it?

Lena- Lena. She's really complicated, actually. She's definitely not the girl that she was in the very beginning of the first book. She's a great protagonist and realistic too, with realistic qualities that make her so annoying in some ways and just a really brave role model and heroine in other ways. She's been through a lot of character development, which is just amazing.

Alex- He's changed as well. But no matter how much he tries to hide his sadness and bitterness and regret, I still see the old Alex, caring for her. No matter how hard he tries, he still loves her.

Julian- In book 2, I thought he was pathetic. Right now, I still think he's pathetic. LOL. But, still. Now that I've gotten to know him, he's not bad. I actually like him now. He was there for Lena to give her support, to make sure that she didn't fall and break into a million pieces. His patience is remarkable.

Hana- Loyalty over everything else. At first, when I read the synopsis before this book actually came out, I was dismayed that Hana had a PoV in this story, because, well. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO' HANA OK. That's what I thought at first. But she's actually really important and a very interesting character. She was the escape that all readers needed whenever they became so sick and tired of Lena's romance drama, which I admit that I became more than once. Hana is an insight of not only what happens in the 'orderly' world, how life would be if they followed the law, but also a view of what being cured seems like. No matter what the cure is, no matter how many chemicals they use, they won't get rid of all the human emotions that make a person human. What I admire about Hana is that she was always so smart about everything, that loyalty and friendship came to be the most important in the end. She shows us that if you make mistakes, you can still redeem yourself.

Raven- She was always there, always a leader. The romance between her and Tack is just too cute. Oh my lord. I love Raven, and she will always have a place in my book-loving heart. Such an amazing character! (I'm using the word amazing too much)

Coral- At first, I thought she was just there to cause trouble and mayhem and to just slow them down. But boy, was I wrong. Coral's coolio. Although she was a bit of a bitchy girl in the beginning. LOL.

Fred- Someone sing I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE right now

Lauren Oliver's writing is truly remarkable.. have I said that? Between the time I finished Pandemonium and now, I've read BEFORE I FALL, and LIESEL & PO among many other books that I read to keep me distracted. I just couldn't get enough. She writes with this amazing grace that's quiet even in the most violent scenes and authentic, too. A voice. WELL. IT'S LAUREN OLIVER. DUH. LOL.

The ending. It was a classic Lauren Oliver ending. It reminded me of the ending of Patrick Ness's MONSTERS OF MEN. A ghost ending, but an ending. It was perfect. I bawled. Tears of joy.

I can't believe it's over, it's done. I can't believe I'll be saying goodbye to this series, although they still have a place in my desk drawers and my future shelf and in my heart. So it's never gonna be goodbye. Ever. (': 

I can't wait for the Delirium TV show.

A lot of my questions were answered. Loved this book so much. Didn't want to finish it but wanted to finish it at the same time. AND THE ALEX NOVELLA AT THE END OMG I LOOKED INTO THE DEPTHS OF HIS SOUL. :D I'm just glad I preordered gosh

Quotes!

"Julian has his own tent for now."

"Remember when we first met?"

Noooooo no one wants to remember ugh

"It's because of him, isn't it?"

yes yes it is

"There's nothing between us anymore."






"Look, what I'm saying is that you're my caddy."



D'aaaaaw. That's cute. I think.

"Because if it weren't for me, Lena and Alex would never have been caught at all."





"This is crazy,"



No, you're crazy you stupid bitch!

"I'm sorry for everything."




"Forgive me."

"He was still in love with you, anyway."




"He told me so."

"Alex sacrificed himself once so that I could live and be happy."




"I am still in love with him."




"Pop."

"It's true."





"Do you love me?"

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This series has taught me and undoubtedly many others a lot of things. About loyalty, about friendship, how to survive out there, trust, and love. And not to wipe yo' ass with poison ivy.

It's either my foreshadowing skills giving me foresight or Lauren Oliver's amazing writing that allows a reader to foreshadow. I highly think it's the latter, LOL.

Throughout most of the book, I said to myself: TEAM JULIAN. But still, inside, that small part of me was indignant for Alex. Alena all the way.

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That's that.
What did you think of this review?(':