Book Review: Cinder

Goodreads Synopsis:
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.  

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My thoughts on the plot:
I've never read a book with cyborgs before, so I was intrigued by this synopsis. And the fact that it is dystopian made it even more appealing. Obviously, all the hype about the book also had a lot of influence on me.
But the synopsis sounded very interesting, and therefore I decided to pick it up.

My thoughts on the characters:
Cinder was such a great main character in this book. Her life was pretty bad, but she still had hopes and goals to make that change. She was tough, but not to tough, which I feel happens to a lot of main characters. I like when characters are believable, and I feel like Cinder is that. She had a tender side, but was never whiny.
The prince was charming, but sometimes i felt like he needed to toughen up a little bit more. But all in all a good match for Cinder, and I understand why she would be attracted to him.
Other then that I also enjoyed Cinders little android friend Iko, and her stepsister Peony. They were both a good support for Cinder.
You always need a villain in a book, and I thought Levana was an interesting villain. And I can't wait to see how powerful she really is. Cause I'm afraid she can do a whole lot of damage throughout this series.

All in all:
I loved this book, and I loved reading about a new dystopian world with cyborgs, lunars and humans. It was something totally new to me, and I really liked it. It is also a fairytale retelling of Cinderella, hence the Cinder name, and that is also something new to me. But I liked this take on Cinderella, and I thought it was made very original and interesting.
I felt for Cinder so many times throughout the book, and so many bad things happened that really made me feel sad.
The one bad thing I will have to say about this book is that the revelation made at the end of the book was very given. I figured out that secret very early on, and I felt like it was to obvious to make it a wow moment.
But other than that this book was such a great read. I would definitely recommend it to other people. And I know for sure that it won't be to long before I get my hands on the second book, and continue with the series.
In the end I had to give this book:

….

Elin

Book Review: The Selection

Goodreads Synopsis:
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

My thoughts on the plot:
When I first heard of the Selection, it was being compared to the TV-show "The Bachelor", and I kind of thought, "meh, can that be any good?". But then I read the synopsis, and also the reviews from other readers, and I was intrigued. As I have also said before, Dystopian is one of my favourite genres out there. And this sounded like such an original take to a dystopian world. And I also have to admit, besides the fact that I did think the book sounded interesting, I was also drwan to the cover. It\s just gorgeous.

My thoughts on the characters:
I really like all three main characters in this book, America, Aspen and Maxon.
America is just such a great human being. She thinks about others, but she also manages to think about herself and what she wants. Even though the life she lives is hard, and she and her family doesn't have a lot of money, she is still able to stay positive and believe that everything will be alrigth. She doesn't care about how much money she has, as long as she will be able to be with her true love. I really like that about her.
Aspen and Maxon are both great guys. And I havne't been able to find a favourite between the two. Usually I can pick which one I want the main character to end up with. But with these to I haven't been able to choose.
Besides the main characters, there are other great people in the book. For instance America's little sister May. She is hilarious. I also like one of the other contestants competing with America, Marlee. She is such a cute person, and a good friend to America.
Obviously you also need a bitch in a book like this, and Celeste fills that role to a tee.

All in all:
I really enjoyed this book a whole lot, and I flew through it. The original plot made it very fun and exciting to read. Most of this book was about world bulding, and getting to know the characters and how the selection really worked. I always think the first books in dystopian series are so interesting because of the world building that usually takes place in these. Some action happened, but I am expecting that a lot more will happen in the next book.
The love drama in the book was also really good. As I mentioned with the characters, I could not choose my favourite between the two guys. And that is a good love triangle for me.
I cannot wait to get my hands on "The Elite" and get to continue on with the series. Hope it is as good as the first one.


I gave this book a 4.5 stars.

….

Elin

Book Review: Torn Away

Goodreads synopsis:
Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.

When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy?

My thoughts on the plot:
I have never read a book like this. The plot was what made me want to pick it up. It just sounded interesting and devastating at the same time. A natural disaster like a tornado, is something that I will never be able to fully understand how it feels like, because I live in a country where tornadoes never happen. But I wanted to read about it, to get a better understanding of what some really unlucky people actually have to go through. It sounded like a book that gets you're thoughts going, and I like that.

My thought on the character:
I liked the main character in the book, Jersey. And I felt sad, angry, devastated, happy along with her. I had absolute understanding for the times she freaked out or got really angry. What she had to go through was so sad, and I felt so bad for her.
Her little sister Marin was so funny and cute, and I loved all the fun things she did.
But OMG, her fathers family were awful. I hated them so much, and I really couldn't stand them. 
Her mothers parents on the other hand, was absolutely lovely, and I immediately became fond of them.

All in all:
This is a super sad book, but at the same time it also has a lot of great and beautiful moments. I can't begin to imagine how it would be to go through something as heart breaking as Jersey. I loved following her through all her ups and downs.
This book really makes you think about all the small things in life that we take for granted. You really don't know how lucky you are until you lose it.
But most importantly this book shows you how family and friends is the most important thing you've got, and how important it is to treasure this.
This book was very good, and I ended up giving it:

….

Elin

Book Review: Legend

Goodreads synopsis:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

My thoughts on the plot:
I love dystopian books, and I always find that their synopsis' sounds so interesting. The synopsis of legend is no exception. It sounded so good, but I have to say I was a little bit disappointed in the beginning. One thing I find very interesting with dystopian books, is the world building. Usually the world is totally different from the world we live in, and I enjoy seeing how the different authors choose to do it. In this book I felt like it lacked a lot of world building. I found myself wanting more.
But as I got through the book, more interesting stuff started happening, and more secrets about the world was revealed. Obviously those secrets couldn't be revealed in the beginning, cause that would just spoil the surprise, so as I got more into the book I could kind of see why Lu chose to do the world building the way she did.

My thoughts on the characters:
The two main characters, Day and June, was great. I also love to read from several peoples perspective, which you get to do here. They were pretty tough both of them, and I liked that. The love between them was a little bit boring though, but that might pick up in the next books.
The only thing I missed was like a funny character. Usually books contain a funny friend, and I always seem to really enjoy reading about them. So I wish a character like that was in the book. But who knows, maybe it will come later on.

All in all:
I wasn't super sucked into this book, and I did think it was a bit disappointing in the beginning. But with that being said, it really picked up throughout the books. Shocking secrets were revealed, and I found myself very interested in finding out "what's happening next".
I will definitely pick up the next book in the trilogy.
In the end I ended up giving this book:

….

Elin

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. This is a meme where you can share upcoming releases that you are waiting for.

This week I chose Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Release date: October 14th, 2014

Goodreads synopsis:
A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

My thoughts:
This just sounds like such an interesting book, with a mix of fantasy and dystopian. That has to be the recipe for success. It looks like this is going to be a trilogy, and who doesn't like a good YA trilogy. This is definitely high on my wishlist.

To discover more upcoming releases, click HERE.

….
Elin

August Wrap Up - September TBR

The end of August is here, which means it is time to do a wrap up and a TBR blog post. I managed to read 6 books in August, which is an OK amount. I was hoping to get through more considering it was the bout of books read-a-thon this month, as well as I had my three weeks vacation. But I was more busy then I expected.
I'm still happy with the books I got through though, and without further adieu, lets get started with the wrap up.

The first book I read was My Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty:

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book a lot, and it definitely made me want to pick up more of Liane Moriarty's books.

I did a book review for this, so if you would like to see what I thought about the book, click HERE.









I ended up giving this book:

The second book I read was Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
This is the third book in the Vampire Academy series. This was fast pace and a lot of stuff happened. I still enjoy the characters a lot, and the story and mystery is great.
It ended with quite a heartbreaking cliffhanger.










This book got:

Then I read Blood Promise by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
The fourth book in the Vampire Academy series. This was actually kind of a disappointment to me. I felt like it was too slow, and not a lot of exciting things happened. The stuff that did happen was interesting, but I felt like the book dragged out a lot, and it got boring at times.









I gave this:

I then read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

My thoughts:
I needed a break from the VA series, and I'm so glad I chose to pick up this book. I loved everything about it, the plot, the characters, the writing style. I also did a book review, which you can find by clicking HERE.










Of course this book got:

The next book I picked up was Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead:

My thoughts:
This is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series. After a little break I decided to pick up this series again, cause I still wanted to know how it continued. And this book was definitely better then the last one.
This was filled with action, mystery and love drama. And I enjoyed all of it.








This book got:

The last book I read during the month of August was Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol:

My thoughts:
This is a graphic novel, which is something I haven't read a lot of.
It was a really quick and fun read, and I read it in one sitting. It also had a bit of a shocking twist, which I enjoyed.
It definitely made me want to pick up more graphic novels, cause it gives you a very different and fun reading experience.








The book got:

So all in all it was a really great reading month, where I've had a lot of super enjoyable reads.

When it comes to the September TBR, this will not be a list that is set in stone. I might change what I want to read and pick up other books then what I plan. But I do have some books I think I will definitely read.

First of all I will be reading Torn Away by Jennifer Brown:

I am currently reading this book, and I am very intrigued by the story so far.

I am starting work again on Monday, and this means sitting in traffic, which again means time for audiobooks. This month I am planning on listening to the Legend series by Marie Lu:

I also want to finish the Vampire Academy series, which means I will pick up the last book, Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead:

Other then that I will just pick up whatever I feel like. I hope to start a new series, but I have a couple of different to choose from so I don't know which one it will be yet. I'm also hoping to read more stand alones. 

….

Elin

Series Review: Caster Chronicles

This will be my spoiler free book review of the entire Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margareth Stohl.
It is 4 books in total, and that is Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption.

I really enjoyed this series, and ended up giving the first two books 4 stars, and the last two 4.5 stars. I love when series just gets better and better.

Short synopsis:
These books follow the ordinary small town boy Ethan, and a new girl in town Lena. Lena is a caster, which is another word for witch. She is cursed, and when she is turning 16 she will be claimed for either the dark (bad) or the light (good) side.
We follow Ethan and Lena as their lives intertwine, and they must together fight against the curse.

My thoughts on the plot:
I think the plot of the books were interesting, and original. In the first book they fight against the curse that Lena will have to deal with when turning 16. In the other books they run into a lot of other obstacles. The last book was more adventurous than the other 3, and that was also one of the reasons why I liked that one the most.
So much happened throughout the books, so even though the books are pretty big, I flew through them.
The one negative thing I will say about the story in the books, is that it was a bit predictable at times. There weren't really any shocking moments that made me feel taken aback, and I missed that.

My thoughts on the characters:
I did to like the two main characters, Ethan and Lena. Ethan wasn't tough enough, and Lena was just annoying and whiny. I didn't like their relationships either, it was just to "lovey-dovey" for my taste. I will say though, that in the last book you get to read from both Ethan's and Lena's point of view, and that actually made me like Lena a little bit better.
But besides the main character, the books contained a lot of other enjoyable people. I love Link and Ridley, I think they are hilarious. Macon is also great, he's just such a good person. Liv, who is introduced in the second book, was also a really great character. She is the type of girl character I enjoy reading about in books.

All in all
This is a very fun magical and action packed read. I would not recommend seeing the movie, because that just isn't that great, and these books are so much better. If you like young adult novels, you will probably really like these books as well. Again, a really great series, and combined I'm giving this series: