The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Title: The Dolls
Author: Kiki Sullivan
Series: Dolls
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperTeen
Release: September 2, 2014
Review: Five Stars

I received this ARC from The Regulator Bookshop.

Characters: Eveny (protagonist), Aunt Bea, Peregrine, Chloe, Caleb, Drew

I really liked Eveny. Unlike many protagonists, Eveny isn't quick to trust. She observes and gets to know people before she really lets them in, and with a world like this, that's very important. On to Aunt Bea. She ROCKED! Yes, she kept secrets, but when all is said and done, she's there for Eveny, and understands the mess she's in, which is more than most parents/guardians are in novels. Peregrine and Chloe are quite something. They're selfish and mean, but I feel like there's something deeper to them. So, Caleb. I heart him so hard! Proof:

@Sullivan_Kiki YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!! God, I heart Caleb SO much! Also, I LOVE Aunt Bea!
— Tween 2 Teen Books (@Tween2TeenBooks) August 6, 2014

Caleb is so swoony and I want more! Drew plays the role of Eveny's best friend. He's the first person in Carrefour that she really hangs out with.

First Impressions: 4/5

It started out a little weird, but I fell in love with it pretty quickly. I hadn't heard much about it, and didn't know what to expect. But here's the deal, when the main character is a red-head and the book takes place in Louisiana, it's a recipe for perfection.

Writing: 5/5 It's hard to rate the semantics of writing when reading an ARC, because there are many mistakes that get taken out in the drafts afterword. That said, the writing was to the point and well done.
Plot: 5/5 The plot is a mysterious thing. The author sets it up so that anyone can be the bad guy in town. With Eveny coming into her powers as well, there's some crazy stuff that goes on.
World Building: 5/5 At first, Carrefour seems sorta cheesy and stereotypical, but as the novel goes on, you see why.
Characters: 5/5 The characters were supremely well done. It was really cool never knowing exactly who was what.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't read many books in the south, but they're often really fun. I'm really excited to figure out what happens next!

@Tween2TeenBooks Let's just say there will be more magic. More boys. More danger. More family and fate and romance and action. :-)
— Kiki Sullivan (@Sullivan_Kiki) August 6, 2014

Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel

Title: Vivian Divine is Dead
Author: Lauren Sabel
Publisher: Katherine Tegan, imprint of HarperTeen
Release: June 3, 2014
Series: TBD, but I really hope so!
Pages: 277 (ARC)
Review: 5 Stars

Thank you to the Regulator Bookshop for this ARC!

I have many things to say about this book!!!!! First of all, if you add an 'I' to the beginning of the author's last name, it becomes my name! I was majorly freaking out! Also, there was a character with my name in the book! Which shouldn't come as a huge surprise, considering where it takes place, but I actually don't come across many Isabel's in books.

I was hesitant about VDD at first. It's not the kind of book I usually read. Contemporaries are rare enough on my shelf, and this just didn't make me go 'Ooh, I want to read this!' But! When I was presented with a chance to have the ARC, I grabbed it, and I am glad that I did! I got this ARC Wednesday, and considering how busy I am, it's amazing I finished it so fast!

The main character is a bit of a whiner, but she also acknowledges that she's whining. It's like she whines about something, but then realizes that she doesn't want to be a whiner and so she puts up with whatever's bothering her. It's entertaining to read from her point of view, to say the least. Vivian is VERY stubborn, which can be helpful or hurtful, depending on the situation.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and many of my friends are already dying to get their hands on a copy! For lovers of mysteries and action, this is the book for you! There was never a break in the action, which caused for some confusion at parts, but was overall entertaining. I give this five stars, unless there's not a sequel, in which case it gets downgraded to a four.

P.S. For those of you looking for a diverse read, this one's a great option!

On the Fence by Kasie West

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: July 1, 2014
Pages: 293
Review: Five Stars

Let me say this now, I LOVE Kasie West! I got an ARC of this from The Regulator Bookshop, and loved every page of it! It comes out in July and let me tell you, you want a copy! I was even lucky enough to get to meet Kasie on the Lovestruck tour! She is an amazing woman and was a joy to talk to! This is a companion novel to The Distance Between Us, but you don't need to read one to read the other.

The main character is named Charlie. She is confident, sporty, and a pretty cool chick. According to Charlie, she is a tomboy who doesn't know how to be a girl. After getting into a bit of trouble, her dad makes her get a job. Charlie ends up in a workplace that she didn't expect to like, but ends up enjoying anyways. Over the course of the book, Charlie makes new friends, finds herself, realizes that she doesn't need to change for anybody, and that true love might have been in front of her the whole time. She's a spunky protagonist who you're going to love!

After reading awesomeness that is The Distance Between Us, I was ecstatic when I got this ARC. I gobbled it up and loved every word. Plus, there's a squealy moment towards the beginning that readers of The Distance Between Us will love! The plot was fast paced and fun. I loved the characters, and like how Charlie's protective older brothers are portrayed. I feel that the defining point in many of Kasie West's novels is the characters learning that they aren't a stereotype, that they don't really exist. It's a journey that all teens go through, which makes this incredibly relatable. Make sure to pick up this book when it comes out in July and I am hungering for whatever Kasie writes next! A definite five stars!

P.S. Be on the lookout for a giveaway of Pivot Point by Kasie West coming soon!

After the End by Amy Plum

Title: After the End
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: May 6, 2014
Pages: 323
Review: 5 Stars

I got an ARC of this from The Regulator Bookshop.

I... just... GAH! I'm currently sick and am having trouble talking, which means I can't blab on and on about this to my family. Being an ARC, I can type of any spoilers. If you have read After the End, let me know and we will squeal together! I loved Amy Plum's Revenants series, and generally, second books/series don't live up to the first, but oh, this one did! I was a little confused at the beginning, but quickly caught on to the plot! I honestly didn't see where so much of the story was going!

The story is told in dual POV, switching between the male protagonist Miles and the female protagonist Juneau. It's always interesting to see a character who has lived a secluded life suddenly thrust into our world, and it's done beautifully. I love Juneau's character and can really relate to her. One day, she's living her life, and the next she finds out that her entire life has been a lie. That's not easy on a girl. There was definite romance in this book, but it was not insta-love, more like a slow building flame, which I really appreciated.

In many ways, Miles is the sole opposite of Juneau. While she can survive in the wild and is kick butt to the max, Miles is a city boy from Los Angeles whose goal in the story is to please his über rich father. That said, Miles is an interesting character. I really liked seeing in his head, and feel that the story would have been wholly incomplete without it. While Juneau goes from unaware to aware in the story, I feel like Miles goes through much larger of a transformation. You might even go as far as to say that he was turning his life around.

So, I hate cliffhangers in any circumstance, but when the first book ends in a cliffhanger and you get it two months before release, it's really REALLY REALLY REALLY bad. I don't hate cliffhangers in that they're a bad story device, in fact, they're awesome for the book and I write them a bunch, but as a reader, I want to know everything NOW NOW NOW! You really won't see where over half of this book is going, I promise you. I took me a little while to really get into the story, but I read all but the first few chapters this afternoon. The book was definitely a five star read, and I'm dying for book two!

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Reckoning
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: Sweet
Release: April 29, 2014
Pages: 379
Review: 5 STARS!

I thought the first two books in this series were good, but holy bleep, Sweet Reckoning blew the socks off of the first two books! I got the ARC from The Regulator Bookstore Wednesday afternoon and finished it the next morning. My journey of reading Sweet Reckoning can be viewed via tweet, starting here:

@Tween2TeenBooks @JenESmith @stdennard @AmyPlumOhLaLa @KasieWest @EpicReads Excellent! Happy reading!
— Wendy Higgins (@Wendy_Higgins) February 12, 2014

A few chapters in, I found this! I'd been told there would be one after finding the Sweet Evil reference in Origin, and was happy to spot it.

@Tween2TeenBooks @JLArmentrout Teeheehee. Tiny, but it's there! :)
— Wendy Higgins (@Wendy_Higgins) February 12, 2014

 And then, I about died after reading page 53.

@Tween2TeenBooks 0.0 Eep! And thank you for not giving it away. :)
— Wendy Higgins (@Wendy_Higgins) February 13, 2014

 I was like, whoa, this did not just happen! And then, chapter 17 came around and the swooning began in full force.

@Tween2TeenBooks *huggles sweet reader*
— Wendy Higgins (@Wendy_Higgins) February 13, 2014

And then, I finished Sweet Reckoning. I was sad it was over, but I loved it so much. I'm planning a full reread of the series as soon as I can!

Just finished Sweet Reckoning and am in MAJOR book hangover mode! It was beautiful & amazing & wonderful! @Wendy_Higgins @EpicReads
— Tween 2 Teen Books (@Tween2TeenBooks) February 13, 2014

@Tween2TeenBooks Yippee!!! <3 <3 <3
— Wendy Higgins (@Wendy_Higgins) February 13, 2014

Okay, I think that's all the tweets. Woo *wipes brow* Seriously though, Sweet Reckoning was amazing. I had so many theories about how the series would end, and I don't think a thing happened the way I expected it to. I'm fairly good at seeing plot twists and the like, but this caught me completely off guard. Wendy found loopholes in all the right places. Unlike a lot of other series enders, Sweet Reckoning had a nice amount of exposition. It didn't hit the climax and then have one teeny weeny chapter to wrap it up. I am happy to say that I got full closure from the ending given!

My heart hurts for the characters. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say that Wendy is BRUTAL to them in this book, Anna especially. To be fair, there are some amazing moments mixed in. I was laughing my head off all the time while reading this. All the characters hit new highs and new lows. Their willpower is put to the test, and they pass with flying colors. There was at least one character who I hated at the beginning of the story and loved by the end. Anna really found herself in this book, and I love her more than ever. And if you look up, you see that Kai definitely has a place in my heart.

Like with the previous books, Sweet Reckoning has a prologue and an epilogue. Both provided some really cool insight, and honestly, the epilogue was very near perfect. I'm the kind of reader that loves pretty bow on top of a story, and Wendy did it perfectly! The action was constant and the romance beyond scorching. There were a couple awkward moments for the reader and the characters, but they always got past it. The characters all came full circle and I believe just about every plot point was wrapped up. There were no loose ends, which was REALLY nice. Sorry this can't be more in depth, but I REALLY don't want to spoil it! A perfect series ender that will go down in the history books! Five stars for sure!

P.S. Wendy Higgins might be my favorite nonexistent word in the dictionary!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, HarperTeen
Release: January 28, 2014
Series: Cruel Beauty
Pages: 342
Review: 5 Stars

I got this ARC from The Regulator Bookstore.

Cruel Beauty was really something. Both a retelling of Beauty and the Beast and having Greek mythology, it was an explosive combination. I will tell you this right now, whatever you are expecting from this book is DEAD wrong! I had so many theories while reading, and next to none of them happened exactly how I thought it out. There are hints that could go so many different ways, it's insane!

The main character is Nyx. She is in no way shape or form a perfect person. And she knows that. She has a slightly irrational hate for her younger sister, and she has wicked in her heart. She admits that on page one. Her family though, with the slight exception of her twin sister, can all just poof. I hated their characters (in a good way) like the plague. Seriously, just die people! Nyx definitely goes through some changes in this book. She learns how to accept the people around her, and what it means to love. There's also Ignifex, AKA the beast. His character changes so much of the course of the book, it's amazing to watch. Also, there were lots of swoons where he's concerned. Knowing the story Beauty and the Beast will help with some plot points, but it does deviate as well.

The end! The end! I did not see it coming from a mile away. There was a lot of quick flipping of pages late into the night to see how it was going to end. The way the story ended, it could actually stand alone, but I REALLY want more! The characters got their story, but more is always appreciated. At some points, things got a little confusing. Like, whoa, where'd this come from? But it always made sense at some later point in the plot. The action was intense, the romance scorching, and the characters deep. They weren't your typical fairy tale heroes and heroins, they were so much more. Cruel Beauty is a beautiful retelling that isn't letting me out of it's grasp. A full five stars for sure!

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Title: Uninvited
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: January 28, 2014
Series: Uninvited
Pages: 366
Review: 5 Stars

One often thinks that an author's second series can never outdo an author's first. That theory is DEAD wrong! Uninvited blew the Firelight trilogy out of the water! It was so good and so much fun. I read it in 24 hours tops, on a school day no less. Let me tell you, when this book comes out, drop everything and read it! It is so good and so amazing. It made me feel for the characters, I just wanted to slap so many of them silly! It shows prejudices in a new light, and almost feels like how Divergent might have started off before the Purity War.

“@Tween2TeenBooks: Wanna know how amazing Uninvited by @SoVerySophie is? It's SUPERCALLAFRAGALISTICEXPIALADOCIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!” LOL
— Sophie Jordan (@SoVerySophie) January 17, 2014

The main character is Davy Hamilton. She is so cool. She's a musical genius, who, when she is notified of being a Carrier of the 'kill gene' loses everything. Yet Davy, for the most part, takes it in stride. Things get continually worse for her, and she has to deal with it every day. There were two characters she had to deal with who made her life miserable more so than anyone else and I have to say, I wish more had been done/said about them, like, you know, they were killed or something. :) Davy meets Sean right off the bat and is scared to death of him. Why? He's a Carrier, like her, but already has the mark of someone who has committed violence. And yet somehow, the two of them end up caring and protecting each other. Depending on how the rest of the series goes, I could see a love triangle coming up, but at the moment, the second guy is too small of a character. Also, Davy has an older brother who is the bestest of best sibling/family character EVER! He cares about her so much and sees beyond the label she's been given.

The ending of this book. Holy bleep, the end of this book. The last fourth of the book or so was NOT what I was expecting. A huge turnaround that pushed the plot into a whole other universe! The book only takes place seven years in the future, but that suddenly made it feel truly dystopian. As far as the end end goes, I need more! See:

I need the sequel to Uninvited by @SoVerySophie RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! So good! *whimpers*
— Tween 2 Teen Books (@Tween2TeenBooks) January 18, 2014

So yes, when this book releases on January 28, read it! Read it until you're near tears and yelling in the middle of the night at characters that exist on the beautiful pages of the book in your hands. Read it so that your friends give you crazy looks and you feel like you can't read anything ever again. The plot was fast, the romance was hot, the book was tense, and most importantly, the love ran deep. Davy has been told that she doesn't need to be this bad person they've made her out to be, and now she's out to prove it. A complete and utter five star review!

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Title: Heartbeat
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release: January 28, 2014
Pages: 256
Review: Four Stars

I got an eARC of this book to review. I *might* have put off reading this until the last minute. But! The book was a nice surprise. It was a fast read that managed to put my emotions out of whack. It was touching and sweet.  There was not too much nor too little of anything. It's a read that may be difficult for some people, but is definitely worth it!

The main character is Emma. She feels fairly pathetic to the average eye, but you have to keep in mind that her mother died only a few weeks before. While you're reading, it might seem like longer, but it's really not. Before her mother died, Emma was obsessed with her grades, and would blow off family time so as to work on homework. She had her life planned out, which is a good thing, up to a point. Emma continually succumbs to the darkness that her mother's death has left in it's wake, but she begins to grow stronger about halfway through the book. The main issue of the book is that her stepfather is keeping her mother's dead body alive so that their unborn child can survive. But Emma feels as if he cares more about the baby than her mother. Emma and her stepfather are constantly bashing heads. I believe that, when it comes down to it, her stepfather is a good guy who didn't know how to deal with things. Emma meets Caleb partway through the book. He's a bad boy who has done some not-so-great things out of grief. His little sister passed away previous to the start of the book, and his parents blame him. The pair of them are a couple that could, honestly, blow up the world or put it back on it's feet. By and by, my favorite character is Emma's best friend Olivia. She is the best friend a girl could ask for. Despite Emma's moping, Olivia sticks around and is there for her, day in and day out. She manages to knock some sense into Emma when no one else can, and is simply amazing.

As far as plot goes, it was okay. I never felt like there was a strong climax, but the beginning and ending were strong. The book turns fairly philosophical at points. As Emma remembers things from her past, she sees memories in different lights and takes lessons from everything she experiences. Life has not been extremely kind to any of the characters. But even still, they rise up and are better because of it. There is romance, but it is in no way the center of the story. The male protagonist is very much a rock for the main character instead of just a romantic interest. He has true point to the story. I feel like the main thing in this story is the characters, and how they interact in change. I give it four stars.

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Title: Into the Still Blue
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release: January 21, 2014
Series: Under the Never Sky
Pages: 400
Review: Five Stars

I got this ARC from The Regulator, the indie bookstore where I live. Holy bleepity bleep, this book was SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!! Quite possibly the best in the series! There is action, romance, high stakes, sacrifice, and so much more. I can't tell you to read it now, since it's not out yet, but if you haven't, read the first two books in the trilogy and join the legions of fans already impatiently awaiting this book. It's one of the best dystopian series I've read in a while and is just amazing.

The story is dual POV between Aria and Perry. Aria started the series as a Dweller, a person who lived in a pod to escape the deadly Aether storms. Perry is an Outsider, living in the wilds among people known as savages. In book one, they happened to meet and their lives changed forever. Aria's character arc is flawless. She changes tremendously, mostly for the better. Both characters become more open to the idea of people who are not like them. Old friends and enemies alike turn up in this book, and the characters risk everything they have to save each other. It's fun seeing how Aria interacts with the people she grew up with after living with Perry and the Outsiders for the two previous books. Oh, and there's a new character who I just LOVE! It's also really nice that the angst is GONE! Book two was too angsty for me, but by this point, relationships were accepted, heartbreak was inevitable, and death was a promise to those who could not change.

The plot is phenomenal. The book starts strong and remains that way the entire length of the book. The characters refuse to give up, and keep fighting through every situation. Thank you Veronica Rossi for writing such an amazing book. The one problem I had with the book was towards the end. Basically, I wish there was more information on exactly what happened after the climactic scenes. Where did the characters go, what did they do, what exactly does the ending entail? All in all, a very good book, but the one part that I felt was really important simply wasn't done justice. Even still, I give the book five stars for a great series ending.

P.S. I still think the book should be called Into the Forever Blue, it goes with the theme more.

The Offering by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Offering
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: McElderly Publishing
Release: January 7, 2014
Series: The Pledge
Pages: 286 (ARC)
Review: Five Stars!

I did a short review for this book in the October Wrap-Up post if you want to read it here.

I can't even tell you how amazing this book was. I got the ARC from YASH this year. When I'd heard that I'd won it, I went around my house happy dancing the rest of the day! I love this series SO much and I can't believe that it's over. Seriously, I just want to go up to Kimberly Derting and say "Write more books!" Luckily, she has a book coming out this summer called The Taking! *happy dance* So yes, when The Offering comes out, read your heart out!

The main character Charlie goes through so many changed in the book. As of the end of book one, she's the queen of dystopian country Ludania. In book two, she faced hard ships from her people as well as the fellow queens of neighboring countries. The Offering takes off where The Essence left off-one of her fellow queens has declared war on Ludania. I feel like Charlie finally accepts her role of queen and leader of a whole lot of people in this book. Before, she's always lead grudgingly, but now, she's prepared to go all-out. Each of the characters had their own agenda that was very similar to all the other character's agendas. They were all trying to do the same thing, but didn't realize it. It made for a lot of near-misses that drove me insane, but in a way that kept me turning pages. Oh, and the romance between Max and Charlie is practically sizzling. It makes me smile just thinking about it. We become familiar with characters that, before, were names that were mentioned in passing.

Okay, how do I go about the rest of this providing no spoilers for the book? Well, I've already told you it was awesome and amazing and spectacular so... The book has action people! Remember how amazing book one was? Now amp that up by a million. The days of standing by in book two are over! Death, destruction, overall mayhem and chaos, it's all there! Oh, and romance! I'm pretty sure anyone that reads it will swoon for Max. Besides the action, there's also the touching family/tender moments. A character saying goodbye to a loved one, either permanently or temporarily, always breaks my heart. If you have any doubts, throw them away. I read this book right after Allegiant, which shattered my heart in two. The Offering managed to mend it right back up in only 24 hours! I've faced many disappointing series endings recently, but this is not one of them! The book is perfect, from page to shining page. This is one book that should be on everyone's to-be-read list! A total five stars!