The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

The Iron Trial
By Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
Expected Publication: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 304 
Format: Ebook
Book 1 in the Magisterium series
5 stars

Goodreads  Amazon  B&N

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.

*Novel provided by Scholastic via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Opening Thoughts

As many of you may know, I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, and while I don't share quite the same love for Holly Black, as I've only read one of her books, I really, really enjoyed the book that I did read, so when I found out that Cassie and Holly were writing a book together, I just knew that I had to have it.  I saw everyone getting it at BEA, and I was crazy jealous, so when it popped up on NetGalley I requested it, of course.  When I got approved, which I didn't think I would, I was ecstatic.  Like jumping up and down, screaming in excitement ecstatic.  And of course, this book lived up to my expectations, and surpassed them.

Characters

Callum, or Call, as he is called in the book, has such a great personality.  He's funny and witty, even though he has a bum leg, and is kind of a social outcast.  He's sarcastic and self-deprecating, without being bitter, which could have easily happened.  He's been taught since he was a child that the Magisterium is a horrible place where they don't care what they do or who they hurt to do what they want.  Call tries to fail his Magisterium entrance exam because of this.  Of course, he gets in, and he finds that maybe it's not as bad as his dad always made it out to be.

Aaron is that kid that everyone likes, the super popular one.  Fortunately, he was a lot deeper than that stereotype usually is.  He's supportive and loyal to both Tamara and Call, and really anyone that he cares about.  He'll believe in you even if no one else in the world does, which made him a really great character.

I didn't really like Tamara at the beginning of the book, she seemed kind of cold and stuck-up.  She did develop a personality though, and she warmed up to Aaron and Call soon enough.  Tamara is that really, really smart kid that comes from a family that puts a lot of pressure on her to be perfect.  She comes from a whole family of wizards so she knows every tip and trick in the book on shortcuts for magic, how to pass your Magisterium exams, and everything else that you could ever want to know.

The three of them are such a wonderful team, and they all compliment each other perfectly.  They are very much the Harry, Ron, and Hermione trio, though don't let that turn you off because there really are tons of differences.  Really.  I just can't tell them to you because spoilers.  I must say that I am really excited to see how this trio develops over the next four books.

Plot

Cassandra Clare and Holly Black have created another fantastical world that I can't wait to explore every little nook and cranny of.  Their writing compliments each others perfectly and I couldn't even tell when one author was writing and when the other one was writing, as I usually can when books are written by two authors.  The plot was fast-paced and exciting, without the usual first book lull that most fantasy series have.  There was lots of world-building but it was woven in subtly and cleverly, so that you didn't even realize how much they were building up the world until you were done with the book and realized how much you knew.  There were some absolutely fantastic plot twists that I never, ever saw coming.

Overall, it was another brilliant creation by two writing masterminds.  Don't let any Harry Potter similarities turn you off, because other than the magic school, and two boys and a girl trio, they're nothing like each other.

Thanks for reading!  Are you exited for this book?  

Amber

The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer

The Inventor's Secret 
By Andrea Cremer
Published: April 22, 2014
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 368
1.5 stars

New from Andrea Cremer, the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightshade novels, comes an action-packed alternate-history steampunk adventure.

In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape  or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, ScottWesterfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Instruments.

Opening Thoughts
When I picked up this book, I thought it would be really good.  Gosh, I was so wrong.  I also thought it would be a stand alone.  I think that it would be a lot better as a stand alone, rather than a series.  I had very high expectations for this books and it started off good, but it went downhill fast.

Characters
The characters were okay.  Charlotte was a good character.  She wasn't fantastic, but she was good.  Being shown off and strong but still showing some softness makes a good combination.  I really liked the fact that she strongly disliked a woman's place in society during that time period, because that is how I would have been had I been alive then. Now with Jack I personally had a hard time characterizing him because I have a friend named Jack and I kept reading and picturing him as my friend. So I really never got to know him. Grave really did not have that much characterization about him. I really thought not having any memory really ruled out his personality. Ash was a big brother type but what is he like as a friend? All I really got from him was protective and bossy and that never settled with me as a good character. These characters did not stick with me at all. 

Plot

This is one of the major problem zones. I felt like they just jumped into the story line. I personally don't like when authors do this. I fell like they should give us some character information before they charge into the pot line. Then I went to fast for me from there on. I found the scenes very lose and short. It would have been better with more elaboration in some parts. Then the ending was the worst part. It ended with no resolution. I felt like nothing was accomplished. You don't do a cliff hanger like that. You first solve the problem and then you add the twist or the problem. You can not end without anything being solved. Yes, it does leave your readers on edge but you stop in the middle of the story and it seems lazy! I liked the idea. The idea itself is really fascinating and if she did a better job on the characters and plot it would have turned out ten times better. The plot was my least favorite part out of all of the book.

I have not found out anything about the second book. I do want to read it just to see what would happen though. I took me a while to read this book just because I had all these problems with it. Sorry this review is so late, I forget about it and just realized I had to finish.

Hope you keep reading 
Grace


     

The Real Thing by Cassie Mae

The Real Thing
By Cassie Mae
Published: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Random House Flirt
Pages: 235
Format: Ebook
3 stars

Goodreads  B&N

In this electrifying novel from New Adult sensation Cassie Mae, two close friends surprise themselves by shifting from platonic love to sexual attraction.
 
Eric Matua has one friend—his best friend and childhood sweetheart, who needs a place to stay for the summer. Mia Johnson has thousands of friends—who live in her computer. Along with her email chats and Facebook notifications, Mia also devours romance novels, spending countless hours with fictional characters, dreaming of her own Romeo to sweep her off her feet. When she starts receiving supersweet messages from a stranger who thinks she’s someone else, Mia begins to believe that real love is possible outside her virtual world. 
 
When the two friends become roommates, Mia finds herself falling harder than she ever thought she could. But Eric keeps his desires locked away, unsure of himself and his ability to give his best friend what she deserves in a boyfriend. As her advances are continually spurned, Mia splits her time between Eric and her computer. But she soon realizes she’s about to lose the only real thing she’s ever had.
 
Praise for Cassie Mae
 
“Cassie Mae’s writing is fresh and original!”—Rachel Morgan, author of the Creepy Hollow series
  
“A fabulous author who tugs on your heart strings as if she owns them.”—Jade Hart, author of Coffee and Cockpits
  
“Cassie Mae has a knack for developing characters who have you wanting to climb into the pages and become part of their world.”—Theresa Paolo, author of (Never) Again
 
“Cassie Mae’s books have become my latest guilty pleasure. Pleasure, because who doesn’t love to read a romantic comedy? And I say guilty because when I lay my hands on one, I tend to read them in one sitting and let all my other responsibilities go to the wayside. What dishes?”—Pauline Creeden, author of Sanctuary
 
“Mae is very good at getting me to chuckle throughout an entire book, because her heroines are quirky and unique.”—Book Nerd

Opening Thoughts

I am quite a fan of Cassie Mae.  I really enjoyed her book, How to Seduce a Band Geek.  You can find the review of that book here.  So I went into this book with pretty high hopes.  Unfortunately, this book didn't have the same charm.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed it, but it's definitely not one of my favorites of her.  I'll keep reading all of her books though.

Characters

I really liked Mia's character.  I'm a bit of an internet addict myself, though not anywhere near to the extent that Mia was.  Though I must say that I share her addiction to $1.99 and ninety-nine cent book deals.  She did have her annoying moments, but I managed to look past them.  Eric was kind of annoying to me.  I didn't feel like his problems really warranted the reactions that he had, and the whole thing with Scott didn't seem like as big of a deal as he made it out to be.

 “I can't tell if I hear your heart beating, or if it's mine," I say against his skin.

"Aren't they the same thing?”

“I think only bookworms understand the kind of power stories can have on a person” 

“People change, you know. They grow, they shrink, they bald, they get zits, they wrinkle. But each person is attractive in their own way, and they’re attractive to someone else.

No matter how much you change out here”—she motions to, well, all of me—“I’ll always find you attractive because of the person you are in here.”

“I’m a fan of yellow.” She knocks the fridge door shut with her hip and grabs the drink. “It’s the best flavor ever.”

“Yellow isn’t a flavor.”

“Yes it is.” 

Plot

I think that the plot was as addicting and fast-paced as Cassie Mae's books always are.  I was completely sucked in and finished the book in a matter of hours.  The book is sweet and cute, with its deeper moments, but it is way more light and fluffy then your average new adult, which is most definitely not a bad thing.  In fact, in light of all of the new adult that I have been reading in the past couple of weeks, this book was a breath of fresh air.

Overall, this was a good new adult novel.  I don't think that it was Cassie Mae's best work and I don't think that it was the best new adult book that I've read.  

Thanks for reading!

Amber

Friday 56

Welcome to Friday 56, a weekly meme hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends.  You grab the book nearest to you, open it to page 56, and post a quote from that page that catches your eye.  The important thing is to not go for your favorite book, or the most intellectual, go for the closest.

My Quote is from Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring.

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

-The fellowship of the Ring 

By J.R.R. Tolkien

pg 56

Hope you keep reading 

Grace 

That's What he Said Thursday

That's What He Said Thursday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Chapter Break. Just take a quote from one of your favorite male characters that they said to the lucky female love interest.

"Will you please tell me you love me? I’m dying here." 

-St.Clair to Anna

Anna and the French Kiss 

By Stephanie Perkins

pg 367

Hope you keep reading!

Grace

Rival by Penelope Douglas

Rival
By Penelope Douglas
Published: August 26, 2014
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 368
Format: Paperback
Book 2 in the Fall Away series
3 stars

Goodreads  Amazon  B&N

New York Times bestseller and New Adult sensation Penelope Douglas returns with an all-new novel in the Fall Away series.
 
Madoc’s easygoing nature masks a hidden pain. But he’s ready to get on with his life, until Fallon—the one girl he’s loved and lost—unexpectedly returns to their small town the summer before college. And she’s not done with him… 

*Novel provided by Penguin Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Please note that I don't mean to offend anyone in this review.  However, I do express my opinion about incest, and it is not a positive one.  I hope that you can respect my thoughts and feel free to share your own in a positive, and friendly manner.

Opening Thoughts

Before you even think about picking up this book, there is one thing that you need to know.  This is a book about incest.  If that doesn't faze you, then great!  Go ahead and pick this book up.  However, if it makes you kind of uncomfortable, as it does me, then you should probably move on to bigger and better things.  Now to be completely honest, when I requested this book on NG (NetGalley, for those of you who aren't up to date on the slang that all the cool kids are using), I didn't read the summary.  I had heard a couple youtubers that I really trust for NA recs talking about a book called Rival that was coming out soon.  I saw this book, and thought it was the same one.  Needless to say, it was not.  So I started reading this book because I did get approved (obviously), and I might as well up my approval to feedback ratio.  I probably would have really enjoyed this book had the main characters not been siblings.  But alas, they were, and there's nothing that I can do about it.

Characters

Fallon and Madoc.  Oh boy...  What a duo.  I just don't know what to say about them.  This book is in dual POV, alternating between Fallon and Madoc, which was nice because you got to know what each of them were thinking as things progressed.  Fallon was surprisingly witty and intelligent.  Her and Madoc engaged in some great banter with some quote-worthy lines.  Madoc was kind of iffy for me.  A lot of the scenes that I was supposed to find hot, I just...didn't.  He didn't pull off the intense broody guy, or the class clown.  Despite that, him and Fallon are certainly quite the power couple.

“But breaking was beautiful. It hurt, and it was an uphill climb back to sanity, but you came back stronger, fiercer, and more solid than you were before. Tate had obviously been through it, I had, and eventually so would K.C., I thought.” 

“But we were different now. I wanted only his pain, and judging from the girl he’d come home with last night, Madoc was still the same. A user.” 

“Sometimes I wondered if the angels talked to get me to behave or to entice the devil to come out to play.”

“Guys didn’t like their cars messed with. And I didn’t like being messed with, so I guessed we were even.”

Plot

I must hand it to Penelope Douglas, because she really is a great writer.  She had me rooting for Fallon and Madoc, even though in the back of my mind I was totally grossed out.  Something that didn't really work for me was that we didn't get to see the beginning of Madoc and Fallon's relationship.  We kind of saw it in flashbacks, but I never felt that I was really grasping what had gone down with them.  I think it would have been better if we had seen what had gone down as if it was in the present at the very beginning of the book, and then flashed forward to where the novel starts.  

Overall, this wasn't a fantastic book.  It was fine, I enjoyed it, but there wasn't anything special about it, except for the topic of incest, which just served to decrease my enjoyment of the novel.

Thanks for reading!  Let me know if you've read this book!  Did you like it?

Amber

Waiting on Wednesday

Welcome to Waiting on Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which you share what books you're eagerly anticipating.

The book I am most anticipating is The Iron Trial by Casandra Clare and Holly Black. I love Clare's writing but, I have never read any Holly Black. I recently have gone through some of her books and read over the reviews and was quite interest with her work. I hope the book will be as amazing as I am anticipating.

The Iron Trial

By Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Published by Doubleday Children's book 

To be published on September 9th, 2014

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

From two bestselling superstars, a dazzling and magical middle-grade collaboration centering on the students of the Magisterium, an academy for those with a propensity toward magic. In this first book, a new student comes to the Magisterium against his will -- is it because he is destined to be a powerful magician, or is the truth more twisted than that? It's a journey that will thrill you, surprise you, and make you wonder about the clear-cut distinction usually made between good and evil.

Hope you keep reading!

Grace

The Bridge from Me to You by Lisa Schroeder

The Bridge from Me to You
By Lisa Schroeder
Published: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
4 stars

Goodreads  Amazon  B&N

Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place. 

Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in.

*Novel provided by Scholastic via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Opening Thoughts
This book is written in half-verse, with Lauren's chapters written in verse, and Colby's in normal, paragraph format.  I've never read a book that is written in verse before, but I think that that aspect was one of my favorite parts of it.  I wouldn't say that this is a particularly happy book, but I feel like one of the main undertones, and the overall feeling of the book was hopeful.  I found that it inspired me and also really made me want to see the movie, When the Game Stands Tall.  Is that weird?  Oh well, I don't care.

Characters

Lauren had a pretty bad experience a little bit before the start of the novel, so she's shipped off to live with her aunt and uncle for a little while.  She's kind of uncomfortable around them, she feels like she's intruding, and it takes her pretty much the entire book to get over it.  I was pretty frustrated with her for that, even though I understood why she was reluctant to let them in.  She thought that they were just taking her in out of pity or because they felt like they had to and as soon as she graduated, they were just going to dump her, even though it was obvious to the reader that they didn't actually feel that way.  Lauren is super stubborn, and she's also really kind of innocent, though I don't think that that's really the right word to describe her.  And from her situation, which isn't amazing, but I also don't think is as horrid as she makes it out to be, you wouldn't think that I could use the word innocent to describe her.  She reminded me of a baby deer, except, you know, human.

"Oh, to be a bird, I thought.  To fly away and be free."

"Heart.

Beating fast.

Boy and girl.

Standing in the meadow.

It's like time has stopped."

Colby is a football player who is feeling very pressured to continue playing football throughout college, even though he wants to study architecture, not continue playing football.  He lives in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone and everyone goes to every football game and bonds over it.  Colby is the star quarterback, so everyone knows who he is, and everyone expects him to continue playing football for as long as he possibly can.  In fact, they practically feed off of that hope, as if their whole life is dependent on whether or not Colby gets a football scholarship.  However, despite all the pressure to do what everyone else thinks is right, and to not let everyone down, Colby still manages to find the courage to do what he wants to do, even though everyone else thinks that he should be doing something different.

"It's not just a game.  It's life, played out on the field."

"Small town life is loving the wide roads one day and wanting to leave and never look back the next."

Plot

Colby and Lauren have an adorable romance.  When they first meet each other (in the gas station, of all places!  And then of course that becomes their "special place"), they feel an undeniable connection, and Colby asks Lauren out.  But, on the night of their date, Colby's dad decides that Colby has been slacking when it comes to football, and that they need to go practice that night.  Colby tells him that he has a date, but his dad says that he doesn't need a girl distracting him, and he shouldn't be going out with anyone.  Because of this Colby and Lauren decide that they are just going to be friends until football season was over.  Things happen and they end up getting together, unsurprisingly.  I did feel that this book was meant for a younger audience, perhaps 10 to 12 or so. 

Overall, I did very much enjoy this book.  I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys young YA contemporaries, and/or likes books written in verse.

Thanks for reading!

Amber

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

Virgin
By Radhika Sanghani
Published: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 304
Format: Ebook
4 stars

Goodreads I Amazon 

Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it.

Yet.

This is normal, right?  I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right?

It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed.

The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now?

Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun?

I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen.

Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.

*Novel provided by Berkley via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Opening Thoughts

Oh my gosh, this book was wonderful.  I think that everyone who thinks that chick-lit can't be written well should read this book, because it is solid proof that that isn't true.  This book has me convinced that Radhika Sanghani is a mind reader, because I don't know how she could possibly put every thought I've ever had into words on a page.  I feel like this book should be some kind of Bible to teen girls everywhere because whether you like it or not, all girls think about these things, and this book does such a beautiful job of dealing with it.  I'm not going to say these things because I try to keep this blog on a PG level, and this book goes above that.  

Characters

Ellie is a virgin.  A 21-year-old virgin.  And it kind of sucks that she is incredibly ashamed of that and is actively seeking a one night stand to remedy it.  I think it's pretty awful that we live in a society where if you're not saving yourself for marriage, then it's not okay to be a virgin.  Ellie is completely average.  She's pretty, but not gorgeous, she has friends, but she's not uber-popular, she's intelligent, but she's not a genius.  This makes her so relatable, because most people don't have that one thing that both makes them stand out, and makes everyone recognize it.  She also understands the struggle in attracting a guy that you are attracted to.  Because for me, I only attract Asian guys.  Not that there's anything wrong with Asian guys, but it's weird.  I am not Asian.  I am so pale that I'm practically vampire status Caucasian.  And I rarely attract anyone that's not Asian.  I hope that that little anecdote amused you.

I don't really have anything to say about anyone else in this book so we're going to skip straight to the plot

Plot

This book was so funny I couldn't even handle it.  I laughed out loud more times than I can ever remember laughing for a book in my life.  Every two seconds something else that is awful, yet completely and utterly hilarious would happen to Ellie, and I would just start laughing all over again.  The plot was super engaging.  I was totally addicted, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next.  I read the whole book in the span of a couple of hours, it was that good.  As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start reading it again.

I would recommend this to any female who has ever had any questions about her...um...lady bits.  It's laugh out loud funny with relatable characters, and a brilliant writing style.

Thanks for reading!  Let me know if you've read this book!  Did you like it?  Which of Ellie's mishaps amused you the most?  I think that I'm going to say mine was the Little Hitler Moustache.

Amber

Teaser Tuesday

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, in which you open the book you're currently reading to a random page and share 2 sentences without spoilers, along with the author and title of the book. 

Today's teaser is from Lola and the Boy Next Door

"STOP FLIRTING AND GO BACK TO WORK!"

-Lola and the Boy Next Door

By Stephanie Perkins

pg 308

Hope you keep reading
Grace