A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies

Oh my god. I LOVED A Fractured Light. It was amazing, spectacular, went above and beyond my expectations, and left the first book in the dust! A Fractured Light is the sequel to A Beautiful Dark. I can't describe in words how awesome it is.

The main character is named Skye. She is a really refreshing read. She seems like one of the more real characters I read about. A lot of book characters seem fake and can't be related to a readers life. Skye can be. She always has this choice sitting in front of her. Join the Rebellion or the Order? Rebels or Guardians? Dark or Light? And through most of the book, she's trying to find the shades of grey in between. That can very much be related to my life and yours. Every day we make choices. Whether they are what to wear to school or what to do with your life. People often get stuck between two choices that don't seem good. Some give up, some just decide to suffer the bad, others try to find the options between. For the longest time, Skye feels trapped. She can't find another door, there is no window, and she hasn't been handed a sledgehammer to make one. Then, all of the sudden, she realizes that there isn't a roof and climbs right out of the room. The grey area is right in front of her when she figures out how to look.

The plot of the book is amazing. My opinions on what should happen changed drastically from the beginning to the end. I completely didn't see the end coming. And trust me, no one is what they seem. I give this book five stars.

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

I can't tell you how much I love Greek mythology. I've loved it for years. And Sweet Venom does it justice. It's a new take on the Medusa myth and I LOVE it. Imagine being one of three girls descended from Medusa. You have no idea you're anything but human, until a monster shows up and a girl who looks just like you shows up and kills it. It's awesome!

The three main characters-Gretchen, Grace, and Greer-are very well-written. I found myself being annoyed at Greer for a while, but all is right with the world (more or less) by the end of the book. Gretchen is an awesome, kick-butt girl with a major strength. Grace is a good-girl who I suspect has a slight hero complex. They've all grown up in different situations and it's interesting listening to their points of view. Yes, it's told by three different people.

The plot is a revolving door of monsters, secrets, and questions. I loved it. The action was a bit constant, and I wouldn't mind a bit of down time here and there, it was still good. And I guess I shouldn't be complaining, considering it's middle is interesting and doesn't slow down the plot like it did for another book I read recently. I was slightly annoyed that they found out something in roughly the middle of the book that readers know before reading the first page, but it's all good. With all this in mind, I give it 4.5 stars.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Be warned now, so you don't follow in my footsteps. I went into The Selection thinking it was a fantasy novel. If you are looking for fantasy, stop right there. It is a dystopian novel and an amazing one at that. But it is not fantasy, no matter what the cover suggests. Now, on with the show.

The Selection is an excellent story. I loved it and was surprised at every turn. The main character is lovable and an obvious fighter. I love that her name is America. When you find out the details of her name, it's definitely a wonderful choice. The other characters are well-developed as well. The love triangle is strong, though doesn't show up until closer to the end. Which is just as well, I don't mind reading a story without a love triangle.

The plot is interesting and sets its own course. Nowadays, it seems like most YA novels follow a strict set of rules, but this is WAY outside the box. I find that wonderful. I can't wait for the next book, The Elite, which comes out in the spring. I give the book five stars.

Double Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas and Something Strange and Deadly by Susand Dennard

First off is Throne of Glass. I have to say, I loved it. It was wonderfully written and an amazing debut novel. I definitely didn't see the end coming. Which, coming from someone who can predict half the books she reads, is really something. The characters were well built, though the choice between the two guys was pretty easy.

The main character is Celaena Sardothien. She is the best assassin in the history of the world. I absolutely loved her character. And come on, who doesn't like a good ole fashioned assassin? She is very strong-willed and protects the people she cares about, which isn't many people. Over the course of the book, you find out about her past and the place she grew up. By the end, you'll be very impressed with her. She's well written and I know I couldn't not like her. I wish more had been revealed about her past buy the end of the book, but the author's probably saving it for the next one.

The plot is expertly weaved. The action is almost always there and, when it starts to feel like it isn't 'BAM!' more action. Secrets are revealed when you least expect it and get the best reactions in the world. I wholeheartedly give this book five stars.

Now for the second book. This book is called Something Strange and Deadly. In short, it is a Victorian zombie novel. I really enjoyed the book. It was a little predictable though. It almost feels like there are guidelines for YAF novels these days. If you've read enough books in the genre, you'll know what happens in half the book before you finish the first page (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, it's more like the first chapter).

The main character is Eleanor Fitt. She lives in Victorian times, so she doesn't have much freedom, but will fight to get her way against men and women alike. She is very protective of her brother. She's looked out for him all her life. She does what she thinks (and is) right, which is all a reader can ask for in a book character. I am impressed with how well she is constructed and look forward to reading more about her.

The plot of the book is interesting. It isn't well done though. It is like many of the plots of other books I've read. I liked the book and the author kept it interesting. I give it four stars.

Welcome

I probably should have done this earlier, but welcome to Tween to Teen Book Reviews! My name is Isabel. I've been the one reviewing all the books so far. My friend Lauryn will be joining me soon! We are both avid readers. Over time, I hope to have more friends join me in reviewing good (and bad) books.

As I said before, my name is Isabel. I'm a soon to be teen girl (hence, the title Tween to Teen). I love to read. If you haven't been able to tell from the books reviewed, I'm very into fantasy novels. Some of my favorite books/series are The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, The Sweet Trilogy, Starcrossed, Vampire Academy, Bloodlines, Soul Screamers, and The Goddess Test. As soon as I figure out how, I'm going to put pictures and countdowns to books on the sides of the page (if anyone has any tips about how do that, I would greatly appreciate if you said how in the comments). I love writing and hope to be an author someday. I also like to sing. Though most of it happens in my bedroom, some of it happens in front of an audience. I play volleyball and soccer and am into wolves. I could go on longer, but you've probably heard enough.

I hope you enjoy the blog. Tell me what you think of it so far in the comments. Again, I wouldn't mind if anyone comments about how to put stuff on the sidebars.

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Yes, I know this book is aimed at a younger audience. But I love Margaret Peterson Haddix. I've read a ton of her books, including all the former books in this series. And I started reading this series when I was younger and now need to know how it ends. All of her books are interesting and well-written. This one definitely does not disappoint.

The main character is a boy named Jonah. He grew up thinking he was a normal kid. One day, he finds out that he's a missing child from history. Not just any child though, a famous one. So far, he doesn't know which child he is. My guess is that it's the thing the series is majorly building to that will be revealed in the last book. Anyways, he's a well depicted character. I very much can get into his head and understand him. He's a strong character. He has morals about right and wrong and stand by them. He's not done until the right things have happened and people generally end up happy.

The book is very well-written and has an amazing plot. All the characters are strong. This book has major revelations that are sure to be important for the rest of the series. I like that the author isn't just saving all the revelations for the last book and is instead slowly dispersing throughout the series. I love the book and I love the author. I give the book five stars.

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Dark Companion is a decent novel. The plot was pretty predictable though. And the characters were see-through. I have definitely read better books.

The main character is a girl named Jane Williams. At first, I liked her. Yeah, she was falling for a guy I didn't like, but that was okay. I knew she wouldn't end up with him. She was more than a bit predictable. At the beginning, I thought she was a strong heroine. But by the middle, she was being an idiot and was very weak and not well done. Her character was falling apart. Towards the end, I started to like her again. After she comes to her senses, of course. One last problem I had with her was that she bounced from one guy to the next. One minute she's like 'I can't live without *spoiler*. I love him so much.' The next, she's all 'I don't like him anymore. But ooh, he's hot and nice. Now I love him.' I get that there is supposed to be some indecision, etc. but really? It was a little much.

The plot was mighty predictable. I was able to able to say 'And then that will happen. Then that. Oh, and she'll end up with him.' The beginning and end of the book were good, but the middle doesn't have much going for it. Most of it drove me nuts. I wanted to throw the book at the wall many times. The only reason I didn't was because it was a library book and I didn't want to pay the fine if I damaged it. So, in summary, the beginning and end were good and interesting. The character was okay at times but wasn't well constructed. And the middle was just plain boring. I was very much looking forward to this book, so I give it a three.

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Dear Kendare Blake, please tell me you're joking about how this book ended. Please tell me I got the wrong copy. Or, if you weren't joking and I got the right copy, please tell me there will be another book. Sadly, with how the book ended, I severely doubt there will be a third book. I absolutely adored the first book. This book was ok, it took me forever to read, but it was ok. Then I read the last few chapters and feel like screaming. Not exactly a HEA (Happily Ever After).

The main character is named Cas. He is a teenage boy who 'kills' ghosts. In the previous book, he moves to a new town to kill a ghost the town people call Anna Dressed in Blood. Not everything goes according to plan and he ends up changing his plans and finding out some very surprising information. Over the course of the first book, he falls for Anna, so when she drags the bad guy to Hell, he just has to find her. This book follows his journey to find and rescue Anna. Cas is a very strong person and a well developed character. He's definitely likable and you'll want him to succeed as much as I did.

The plot of the story is done well. It wasn't exactly slow, but I couldn't get as into this book as I did the first one. Hence, it took me a week to finish. I liked it though. I wish it had ended differently, but I liked it. Overall, I give this book four stars.