Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

Grade: 3 Butterflies

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1

Author: K. A. Tucker

Publisher: Papoti Books

Goodreads Summary

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

I have heard nothing but praise for this book and because of that I was terrified to read this book. It seems that whenever I read a very hyped up book I get severely disappointed. I also don't really like contemporary books in general and I rarely find one that I really love. Needless to say, I was afraid to read this book and in the end I wasn't completely disappointed, but I wasn't blown away. This book was good and enjoyable, but I didn't think it was as amazing as I hoped it would be.

To start off, I really enjoyed the plot. It was fast paced and very addicting! I think I read this book within a day because of how addicting it was! However, I wished this book had more to it. It felt like it could have benefited from another 50 or 100 pages added to it. It just felt too fast and very rushed and that really took away from the book.

The part that I really loved about this book was the emotional aspect that it had. This really surprised me, in a good way, because I just thought that this was a love story and when I started reading this emotional undertone I feel in love with it. I just loved how it added so many layers to the story and really made it this gritting and haunted story. The main character was really emotionally messed up and that added so much to her character and the story. However, this was another aspect of the story that would have benefited from the book having more pages. I just felt that this part of the story was speed through and resolved way too quickly for me to like.

Now I want to talk about the thing I really didn't like about this book and that was the romance. To put it bluntly, I hated the romance in this book. Why I hated it so much was because it was the whole "Strong girl who doesn't need a guy but as soon as she sees the main love interest she falls apart and doesn't know how to act" troupe. As soon as Kacey meets Trent she literally falls apart and gets all awkward because *swoon* his eyes are so pretty. Also, it seemed that their relationship was built on lust and nothing else. It took them forever to even get to know each other and that was after they fell in love. After a while, however, I did start to like the romance, but right when that happened the big reveal was, well, revealed and then I really did not like Trent at all. I understand they were in love, but some of the things he did I don't think I could forgive.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. It was very fast-paced, I really liked the characters, and I really loved the emotional aspect that was in it. However, there was some aspects that I didn't really like, the biggest one was the relationship troupe. I would recommend this book to any lover of contemporary because it was quite enjoyable to read and there is a chance that you will like this romance much  more than I did.

This book got...

3 Butterflies

Basic, nothing special.

Happy Reading

Perdictions & Hopes: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

Warning: 

There will be spoilers for the first book Talon. Do not read this post if you have not read Talon yet.

In commemoration of Rogue releasing tomorrow, I decided to do a Predictions and Hopes post.

So, I read Talon a few months ago and I very much enjoyed it. It wasn't my favorite Julie Kagawa book, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was a great first book and the series has a good chance of becoming amazing.  

Releases: April 28th 2015 (Tomorrow)

Series: Talon #2

Author: Julie Kagawa

Goodreads Summary

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. 

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. 

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

The thing that I hope, above all else, is that Garret will survive because I really like him. He was my favorite character in the first book and I really don't want him to die. Next I really hope that Ember and Garret's relationship evolves and becomes, well, an actual relationship. However, I hope this happens without any cliches; that Garret won't get jealous of Riley and throw a kink into their relationship. I am fine with them having arguments and a bumpy road, but I just don't want this to turn into another love triangle.

Another reason that I hope Riley doesn't become a huge problem in Garret and Ember's relationship is because I don't want him to become a nuisance. I really don't want his character to only impact other characters lives instead of the plot. His character has so much promise and I don't want him to become basically a filler character. Added on to that is I really hope he gets his own love interest besides Ember because he seems to maybe have a shallow view of humans and that would set him straight.

I also hope Ember grows a bit more mature. Throughout Talon Ember was a good character that had great depth to her character and I really liked her. She was a really good character to read about and it was easy to root for her. However, she always felt a bit immature to me and I really hope she grows up a bit in this book. If she became a bit more mature and less silly then I believe she would became a truly bad-ass character. 

Lastly, what I really hope happens in this book is that it will show us a POV of some soldiers still in The Order of St. George and to expand on the gray area that is the Order. It would be very interesting to see some other soldiers realize that the Order isn't as good as it tells everyone. I really loved that aspect in the first book and it would be great if it continued but with more depth in this book. It would be especially great if we got to see the POV of Tristan and see him start to get suspicious of the Order.

I predict that there will be a lot of fighting in this book. Like kick-ass dragon fighting or hand-to-hand fighting or just plan gun fights; either way fighting. The description makes it seem like all of the main characters are been hunted down and that equals fighting in my mind. I am excited for this because kick-ass dragon fighting is kick-ass and I can't wait to read that! I love action books that are also combined with deep themes and that is what this book seems like.

That is what I hope/predict will happen in this book. What are your theories?

Happy reading

Review: Neverfade by Alexandra Bracken

Grade: 4.5 Butterflies
Series: The Darkest Minds #2
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Summary

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself? 

I highly enjoyed reading The Darkest Minds and with the ending it had I was very anxious to read this one and see how it continued. After finishing this one, I had some mixed emotions. I really loved this book; I liked it much better then the Darkest Minds! However, I'm not really liking the way the series is going. Besides that, I didn't have any problems with this book, I loved it.

So, this book starts out 6 months after the events at the end of The Darkest Minds. Ruby has just finished her basic training with the league and she is now being sent out on missions. I don't want to say anymore than that because the plot starts off right away and never really stops. With that being said, I was immediately pulled into this book and was never let go. The plot keeps up a constant pace throughout the whole book, but it wasn't too fast. It let you savor what was happening while at the same time keeping your attention.  I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book and could not stop reading. I read into the night to finish this book.

The characters were amazing! I loved Ruby and Liam and all the new characters introduced in this one! They are all just so well written and had so much depth to them. You also get so connected to them because they are good people, but everyone wants to kill them and because of that you root for them to survive and succeed. You also want them to succeed because failing would mean they die and you don't want them to die.

The thing that I love the most about these books so far is the world. And I mean that in the sense that I love to hate this world. This world is horrible, unfair, and without justice. I love it because it adds so much to the reading experience and the plot.Like I said before, the fact that the world is so horrible makes you like the characters more and you want them to get past all of the hatred and the death.

The other thing that I love about this book and the series is how there really isn't any good guys. So many people claim to "help" the children but they are really in it for themselves and that adds an interesting element to the book and makes the plot even more gripping. It sounds horrible that I like the fact that there aren't any good guys, but I like it because it adds that element into the book but also because it makes you think about right and wrong. It kind of the same thing as the whole world thing, the fact that there isn't anybody in the children's corner makes you root for them more and makes you increasingly angry and I like books that make me feel.

Now, the one thing I didn't like about this book was how it ended because I don't like where the plot is going. This is one of the rare instances where I agree with a villain; not his methods, but his opinion  on a certain thing. Anyone who has read this will probably understand which villain I am referring to and to what I am referring to. I won't say anymore about it because I don't want to spoil anything, but basically it feels like they are giving up the fight and are basically saying everyone was right about them. I just don't like that and I hope that in the next book something will change about this and it won't continue on this course.

This was a great book and while I thought the Darkest Minds was really good I thought this book was amazing! This book had everything; a great, gripping plot that had you on the edge of your seat, characters that are wonderfully written, a world that is horrible but gives so much to the plot, and writing that is beautiful. I loved this book!

This book got...

4.5 Butterflies

Beautiful, this is a great book. 

Happy reading!

March Wrap-Up & April TBR

This month was a very hectic month for me. It was midterms month and on top of that I had so many assignments due. So that meant I had little time for reading. However, I did manage to read some good books this month, specifically Heir of Fire. I finally got around to reading it and I fell in love with it! I need the next one, I need it!

Books Read: 

Re-Read: Touch of Power by Maria V. Synder| 4.5 Butterflies

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas| 4.5 Butterflies

Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker| 2 Butterflies

Books Reviewed: none 

This wasn't the best month for me

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Red Queen Victoria Aveyard

I know I'm not going to get to all of these since April is going to be just as hectic as March was. This is just the list of books that are my top priority. I already started Outlander and I love it so far!

How was your March and what do you plan to read in April?
Happy April Reading!

Harry Potter Moment (5)

This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts.The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! To get more information or upcoming topics click Here

What would your Animagus form be?

 My favorite animal is a rabbit. I just love them so much! How could you not, they are just so cute and fluffy and cute! I have a few rabbits as pets right nor and I love them!


However, if I turned into an animagus I would have to be a bird, specifically an owl. If I could chose to fly I will chose to fly! It would be amazing and wonderful to fly! Also, since I could fly I could spy on the death eaters and foul their plans *evil laughter*.

What would your animagus be?

Happy reading

Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson

  
Grade: 3 Butterflies
Series: Defy #1
Author: Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Goodreads Summary

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

I love fantasy, absolutely love it. It is my favorite genre and when I saw the premise of this book my attention was instantly grabbed. It took me a while to get to this book, but I was happy with reading it. Overall this was a solid book. It was an enjoyable read, the plot was fast paced and enjoyable, I never lost interest in reading, and the world was really interesting. However, I think this book would have benefited from more; more pages, more character depth, and more world.

To start off, the plot was fast paced and interesting. I speed through this book and never lost interest in it. I liked where the plot went and enjoyed reading it! It was good! However, I believe this book would have benefited if another 50 pages were added. I just felt that the book speed through scenes that could have been longer.

Also, added to that, I believe that if more pages were added then the characters would have benefited. The characters were enjoyable and I liked them (except the Alex). However, they lacked depth. They had some depth, like the prince and Alex, however, they could have much more. Also, I just I didn't feel connected to them. Throughout the whole book I was never on the edge of my seat in worry over the characters and that really bothered me. Books are so much better to me when I am emotionally connected to the characters.

Another thing I didn't feel connected to was the romance in this book. I liked Alex and the Prince together. However their relationship moved really fast, too fast. I didn't get to savor the romance. And while their relationship did have some depth to it I was never connected or invested in it. It just moved too fast for me to appreciate it. That didn't affect my reading experience during this book but the second one seems to hinge heavily on the romance. So, during the next book this might become a problem.

I feel like thus far all I have been doing is bashing this book, but I really did like it. It did have its flaws, but I still really enjoyed reading it. I liked the fantasy world, the plot was good, and the characters were decent. I would recommend it to any fantasy lover and I will be continuing the series because I've seen some good reviews for the second book.

This book got.....

3 butterflies

Basic; Enjoyable

Happy reading!