Review: Through the Ever Night (Under The Never Sky Book #2) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Through The Ever Night (Under the Never Sky Book #2)

Author: Veronica Rossi

Published by: HARPER/Harper Collins Publishers

Released: 2013

Summary: Aria and Perry have the happiness of reunion, the pain of separation, and the weight of responsibility in this sequel to Under the Never Sky. Perry is now Blood Lord, charged with leading and protecting his people. Aria is struggling to find her place in this Aether ridden world, she is being blackmailed by Counselor Hess to find the whereabouts of the Still Blue. With a brief reunion, Perry and Aria must again separate to fulfill their responsibilities. Perry must figure out a way to keep his people alive. Aria and Roar go on a journey to the Horns to learn the location of the Still Blue and rescue Liv. The fate of everyone they love hangs in the balance as the Aether storms get stronger and the Still Blue is the only chance for survival. Can Perry and Aria save the ones they love?

My Thoughts: What a great sequel! I actually found this to be more enjoyable than Under The Never Sky. My main problem with the first book was I felt it started off rocky. Through the Ever Night started off great, had a great middle, and a great, not really ending but kinda, end. I just really enjoyed this one. The action was there from the first page and never let up. I loved getting to spend more time in this Aether ridden world. I also liked getting some explanation as to what caused the Aether. This was a fantastic sequel and makes me very excited for the grand finale.

What I love most about this series is probably the world. It is so brutal and yet beautiful. I could feel the danger each time an Aether storm hit and the funnels started raining down from the sky. The dangerous beauty of the world is just really awesome to experience.

I also really enjoyed Perry and Aria, and how each chapter switched between their point of views. It made for very fast reading and both of their stories were interesting. I almost kind of liked them better separated, because I didn't have to deal with their mushy, gushy romance as much. Now, don't get me wrong, I love Aria and Perry as a couple, but they do have a problem of being unable to keep their hands off each other.

So much action, danger, and suspense. Loved it! Something was always going on and I was never bored. And Yayy for a lot of time with Roar! But boy did my heart break for him. I'm hoping for a twist and surprise reappearance so he can be happy too.

Such a fun book and great sequel. This was better than the first book, really how a sequel should be done. Tons of action, romance, and danger. I can't wait to read the third book to see how it all ends. For those wanting an exciting journey, go check out this series.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Better than the first one!

Review: Y: The Last Man: Unmanned: Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, Jose Marzan, Jr.

Title: Y: The Last Man: Unmanned: Volume 1

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Penciller: Pia Guerra

Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.

Published by: VERTIGO/DC Comics

Released: 2003

Summary: Summer 2002: Every male of every species suddenly drops dead. The cause is unknown, but the consequences are awful. The world is now run by women, but without men, they are a dying breed. There is one exception, one man still walks the Earth, and his name is Yorick Brown. Yorick Brown and his male pet monkey miraculously survived. Yorick could be the key to an answer, a cure, but all he wants to do is find his girlfriend in Australia. Making it there might be hard though, because some women don't want the men back at all, they want them all dead.

My Thoughts: Ahh graphic novels, such fun. They are so quick to read and can be refreshing to read between big books. I'd heard of Y: The Last Man on booktube and thought I'd check it out. I'm glad I did because it was highly enjoyable. The writing was very quick and funny, and the artwork went right along with it. This was just a very fun story and I've already requested the following volumes from my library.

Yorick Brown is a really funny character. Part of why I enjoyed the book so much is because of him.

Some things I didn't understand: why the world collapses just because the men are gone. I get that no men is disastrous, but I didn't understand why food or electricity would become scarce without them. The Amazon women, I didn't get them. Burning off your left breast seems a little crazy under the circumstances. And why does everyone just assume that all Republicans are gun toting crazies with no real gun skills? Those were just the questions/minor irritants running through my mind, but I still enjoyed the book.

So yeah, I liked it. Very funny and I can't wait to see where it goes next. I would definitely recommend this. And fun fact, Brian K. Vaughan is also the writer of the super hyped, graphic novel series Saga. I plan on reading that one too. 

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Yorick Brown is a funny guy!

Reading Right Now! (#33)

Title: Daughter of Deep Silence

Author: Carrie Ryan

I'm only on page 21 of 375 pages, which makes me only 6% of the way through.

So what I'm Reading Right Now! is Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan. I pretty much just started this so I can't give a definite opinion or feel as of yet. I can say that I think I'm going to like it. This book is kind of marketed for fans of the television show Revenge. It's about a girl who is one of three survivors of a tragic cruise ship disaster. She lost her whole family on board and is now alone. It only gets worse when the other two survivors lie about what happened aboard the ship. Frances Mace takes on the identity of her friend Libby, who died in the ship tragedy disaster, and plots her revenge. Frances/Libby is now ready to take vengeance against those that killed her family and the other two survivors who lied about what really happened. One of those survivors just happens to be her first love, Grey. That is all I know up to this point, but boy does it sound like something I'm going to love. I've read Carrie Ryan's book,  The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which was a zombie novel and I really enjoyed that. So I'm hoping for good things with this one as well.

So that's it for what I'm Reading Right Now! Tell me what you're reading in the comments below.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books You Read in One Sitting (or close to)

This weeks Top 5 Wednesday is the Top 5 Books You Read in One Sitting (or close to). The close to are the key words for this post. It's been so long since I actually finished a book in a day. So the books I picked for this post are  books that I finished quickly. So here are my Top 5 Books I Read in One Sitting (or close to)...

 

  

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine Ooh I love love love this book. I remember reading it and just devouring it. It's a very cute, fairytale-ish story. Ella and Prince Char are just adorable and are one of my favorite parts of the story. This book is just too cute not to read in one sitting.

Jackaby by William Ritter I read this one this year and absolutely loved it. I didn't want to put it down and just felt like I kept turning pages until there weren't anymore to turn. It was fun, quirky, and there was a little bit of adorableness with the character of Charlie. I really hope I get more of him in the next book. I am very excited for the sequel. This is a really fun book that I just flew through.

Altered by Jennifer Rush I loved this one!! I was such a fast paced read. It's like an action movie in book form. There is so much action and mystery and I just had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. The main character in this one is great too. She's not a defenseless, helpless girl, but she can take care of herself, which is so refreshing! 

Erased by Jennifer Rush Maybe including the sequel to Altered might be cheating, but I loved Erased just as much. I flew through this one just like I flew through the first. I love this series!! It's got hot boys, tons of action, and so many crazy, shocking twists. I need to get my hands on the third book ASAP. Love this book and recommend this series to everybody.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab This one should be no surprise considering how often I mention in. I just flew through this book so fast because I loved it so much. I was hooked from the first page and just had to keep reading until I finished it. Can't wait for more of this world and these characters.

So that's my Top 5 Books I Read In One Sitting (or close to). What books have you devoured quickly? Let me know in the comments below. And if you want to join in on the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Each Wednesday there is a fun topic to consider and who doesn't want to reflect on all the great books you've read? Check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers here!

Review: A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter #3) by Megan Shepherd

Title: A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter #3)

Author: Megan Shepherd

Published by: Balzer + Bray

Released: 2015

Summary: Juliet is on the run looking for sanctuary. After beating the King's Club in a tale of horror and madness, Juliet and her friends must find somewhere safe to stay. Luckily, Elizabeth Von Stein has given them directions to a family manor that can hide them. When they come to Ballentyne Manor in the Scottish moors, they find a place straight out of a classic horror tale. The manor hides its own secrets and is also the home of the late Victor Frankenstein and his mad science. But Ballentyne can hide them and possibly cure Edward who is fighting for his life. Juliet gets thrust into more secrets in the manor and must battle her own madness to find her destiny.

My Thoughts: My feelings are bittersweet. When I first picked up The Madman's Daughter, I fell into this delicious world of gothic horror and madness. Now, finishing the third and final book in the series, I am left with a slight feeling of sadness. The sadness comes from knowing that Juliet's journey, while not over, is finished for the readers. I really could read book after book in this series and be oh so happy. I love this series and these books, and facing the reality of its end is a sad one indeed. I love the way Megan Shepherd tells a story and I will read every other book she decides to produce. I think readers will be satisfied, mostly, with this concluding book.

I really did enjoy this final book. I don't think I would classify it as my favorite of the series, but it was still very enjoyable. There is pretty much action on every page, with enough twists and turns to make your head spin.

The setting of Ballentyne Manor (cue thunder and lightning) was perfection. The manor was so creepy and full of secrets. It was a great, creepy setting. 

As in all the other books, Juliet is still battling her evil demons. She thinks she's destined to turn out wrong because of what her father was. I've always enjoyed this struggle of Juliet's. She's not a perfect, innocent character and sometimes her choices show that.

And yayy for the creepy, gothic gore! I loved it and it is something Megan Shepherd does so well. In here we get dead bodies galore, creepy children, the beast, and so much more. It's just fun reading.

Now as for the end, I'm semi-satisfied. It kind of leaves it open, but concludes the story at the same time. Of course I want more, but I'm satisfied with what was given to me.

One thing about this book is that there was something happening on every page. So many twists and turns going on, but some of them ended a little prematurely for my taste. And some things got wrapped up, but I still had more questions. There were a lot of villains in this book, and all their ends seemed to come rather quickly. Yes, all the twists and turns were fun, but I got a little whiplash from one to the next.

I'm pleased that the love interest went in my direction. The guy that Juliet ended up with was perfect for her, and he always had a soft spot in my heart.

So yeah, I love this series and this last book was great and bittersweet. I'm sad the series has come to an end, but am so glad I got to experience it. This whole series is fun and so creepy. Everyone should go read it and experience the madness themselves. This will be on my list of favorite series for a long while to come. Farewell Juliet, Montgomery, Edward, Balthazar, Sharkey, Lucy; it's been a blast!

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 4/5

Wonderfully Mad

Reading Right Now! (#32)

Title: The Waking Dark

Author: Robin Wasserman

I'm on page 289 of this strange, 452 page beast. I don't know what percentage that makes me, but it's definitely over 50%

What I'm Reading Right Now! is The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman. It is a horror novel, where one day 12 people are killed, with friends and neighbors being the killers. One killer survives, and has no idea what led her to kill. Flash forward to a year later where the town is on the way to getting over what happened and a tornado hits. An F5 tornado that decimates parts of town. Where cleanup and aid should be happening in the aftermath, the town instead gets quarantined, shut down, no one is allowed to leave for some unknown reason. The government has stationed soldiers at the border who deliver food and supplies, but won't let anyone leave. Things keep getting stranger in Oleander, Kansas and the people start going a little strange too.

I am definitely enjoying this book, but at the same time I'm left with this feeling of confusion and discomfort. Like this town is getting more messed up by the day and I'm curious to figure out just what is going on. This book is also categorized as YA, but it doesn't feel like any YA book I've ever read. It's actually kind of refreshing in that way. I've never read any Stephen King, but the author says this is her kind of paying homage to one of the horror masters. If I had one solid word for this book, it would be weird, very very weird. I don't know what's going on. People are getting crazier by the day. I don't think things are going to end well for this town.

And shout-out to the state of Kansas whoop whoop! I used to live there, grew up there really, all my family still lives there, so I enjoyed having a book set there. At first I thought maybe the author had some sort of Kansas connection from her mentioning the Royals and the fantastic beverage that is pop, but I'm not 100% sure. She mentions corn and corn fields a lot and Kansas isn't really a big grower of corn. That's more Nebraska. Kansas grows a lot of wheat. There's some knowledge for you.

So yeah, that's what I'm Reading Right Now! It's weird, but strangely entertaining. I will say I feel like I'm reading it slowly though. It might be because I'm not in the mood to read every second and I keep getting distracted by all things social media and internet, including this blog. It needed to be updated, which gave me an excuse to abandon reading. Anyway, enough with my babbling. What are you Reading Right Now? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if anyone has read this book, I would love to know what you thought of it.

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Books With Multiple POVs

So, I've been bad with Top 5 Wednesday again. I missed last week, which was a really great topic. Maybe I'll revisit it and stick it in here somewhere. But this weeks topic is the Top 5 Books with Multiple POVs, preferably with more than two distinct voices. Unfortunately, I was only able to really come up with two books that I could say with confidence fit. There are a lot of books with two distinct character voices that I can think of, but books with more voices are hard to find. Anyway, here are the two I came up with.

 

The Gone Series by Michael Grant: This is one of my favorite series and it contains a whole cast of characters. Each chapter seems to switch from one perspective to another to tell this crazy story. Also, there are a lot of characters in this series that I really like, and through 6 books you really get to know them and grow with them. A fantastic series with a whole lotta characters and a whole lotta fun!

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman: I'm actually reading this one right now and am enjoying it so far. It's a horror novel, revolving around this small Kansas town where a lot of craziness is taking place. There is no real main character so far in this story. It switches between a wide cast of characters who all live in this small town and are dealing with this craziness and tragedy. Really good so far.

So those are my books for this Top 5 Wednesday. I recommend both of them! If you want to join in the Top 5 Wednesday fun, you totally should. Go check out all the other Top 5 Wednesday-ers here! Tell me what your favorite books are with multiple POVs.

Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury

Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter #1)

Author: Melinda Salisbury

Published by: Scholastic Press

Released: 2015

Summary: Twylla is the perfect weapon, she can kill with a single touch. As the human embodiment of the goddess Daunen, poison runs through her veins. She resides in the castle and works as an executioner. Twylla is kept busy in her duties because of an evil queen. Twylla doesn't like what she does, but her fate is sealed. Or at least she thought it was, until a new guard comes into the picture and long held secrets of the castle come to life. Twylla's world is filled with magic, myth, legend, and madness.

My Thoughts: What do I feel about this book, that is the question. This book caught my eye because of a very pretty cover and an intriguing synopsis. I was really into it in the beginning because of an interesting world and a crazy queen. Unfortunately, my initial interest and enjoyment dwindled as the story went on. Nothing really happened in this book and the main character managed to annoy me with her decision making skills.

Let's start with the good. The world in this story is really interesting. I enjoyed the myths and legends that were revealed at the beginning. Some people might be put off by this info dump and bored by it, but I wasn't. I enjoyed the history of their gods, their traditions, and the way the kingdom was ruled. I also thought the killing with a single touch concept was really cool and the Tellings Twylla went through to gain that power were really interesting. I also really enjoyed the queen as a villain. She was vicious and crazy, and it was fun waiting to see what she would do next.

Now to the disappointments. The most major one is how this story never really went anywhere, nothing that exciting really happened in it. The story started off interesting and then just dragged on and on until the end. There was no real action and no real shocking surprises or revelations. I was waiting for the story to pick up and for things to happen, and nothing really did. I feel like a lot of people would think this story was a bore.

Our main character Twylla, is kind of a bore too. She's definitely not an action-heroine. She spends the majority of her time feeling sorry for herself. As I got nearer and nearer the end, her decisions became more and more frustrating. I feel like her decision making led to her getting caught, so I didn't feel sorry for her when she did. All she had to do was lock a door and she could have been okay. I wish she would have been smarter and just used her head. And it wasn't like she was truly suffering in the castle. She could of had an okay life for herself there if she had just made different choices.

Now to the love story... ughh. I didn't buy into it. It just seemed to happen too fast and I never loved the guy she was with. He always seemed slightly suspicious to me and I didn't trust him. As for the other guy she had a chance with, he wasn't that bad. She could have had a good life with him if she had just let herself. The first guy also had crazy jealousy issues which I didn't understand. He was just asking to get caught.

Now don't get me wrong, I thought the queen was a great villain and seeing what she was going to do next kept me interested, but then she was absent from the whole middle of the book. I guess she was too busy plotting and scheming, but I would have liked to see more of her delusional madness and vileness. Maybe the book wouldn't have been as boring then.

So in conclusion, I started off really into and interested in this book, but just found the story dragged and didn't really go anywhere. The ending was a disappointment because I felt like nothing really got resolved. The reveal of villains' motivations and why they did things just felt off as well. No pulse pounding drama here. Twylla was just a boring, mopey character and not a lot of fun to be around. Will I read the sequel if there is one? I'm not really sure. I might, but at the same time, I don't want to be underwhelmed by another boring story.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3/5

A cool concept that ended up being a disappointing story

Review: Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky Book #1) by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)

Author: Veronica Rossi

Published by: HARPER

Released: 2012

Summary: Aria and Perry come from two different worlds. Aria is a Dweller who has spent her life in the Pods. She has spent her life zapping through Realms, interactive, virtual spaces.

Perry has spent his life under the Never Sky. A harsh world plagued by Aether storms and where every day is a struggle to survive.

Aria, worried about her mother, tries to make contact with her, but ends up getting thrown out of the only home she's ever known. She's sure she'll die in the wilderness.

Things go wrong for Perry after his nephew is kidnapped by the Pod dwellers. Determined to get him back, Perry journeys across the wilderness.

When Perry and Aria meet, they each have something the other needs. They must team up to survive and maybe become a little something more on the way.

My Thoughts: I liked this book. It was one that grew on me as I kept reading. It took me about 50 pages to really get into the story. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the story. The dangerous beauty of the world. I really liked most of the characters too. Perry was a great one from the start and I grew to like Aria as the story went on.

I did feel like the beginning of the story could have been better. I kind of felt thrown in to a world I didn't really understand. I don't think Aria's world was as well explained as it could have been. In contrast to that, I though Perry's world was very atmospheric and explained. Perry's world was more intense to be a part of. The mutations bit was really cool too. Maybe a little weird with the senses, but still really interesting to read about.

I did kind of guess that there was going to be more to Aria then we first saw. I was still surprised by some of the revelations, but I did kind of expect that she was going to be someone different than she thought she was.

I was also surprised by some of the brutalness in this book. Specifically a scene involving Perry, I wasn't expecting that.

This was a good first book in a series and I'm excited to read more, to see where everything goes. For those of you wanting a really cool, brutal world and characters you come to root for, this might be the story for you.

BOOKCITEMENT LEVEL 3.5/5

Nothing more beautiful then being Under a Never Sky.