Crash (Crash 1)

Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.

Jude's everything she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart. 

Wow, I really liked this book. I can't say it was amazing but it was a great story. What I didn't like is this is obviously a series. Which is fine just annoying that it's so obvious. I loved the story and the people involved. One thing that bothered me was that they acted like they really trusted the other person but at the first sign of anything wrong, that same trust was thrown out the window. Overall it was really good, I had listened to this as an audiobook and i am glad about that, made it so I couldn't spoil it for myself. 

Pretties

Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect.

Perfectly wrong.

Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive. 

Not much to say about this one besides its a filler book. It was necessary for where the series is going but that's it. And a love triangle, really?! Was that necessary??? Don't think so. Oh well, not my favorite but worth the read to be able to finish off the series. Here's to hoping that Specials and Extras are better. 

The Choosing

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority. 

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within. 

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.
First off a huge thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for sending me this title for review. Second, I LOVE a good dystopian, some of my favorites being Divergent and The Giver. Once I read the synopsis of this book I knew I needed to read it. So glad I did! I really loved this, the story was well written and well paced, the characters were well written and easy to love (or hate). The first page grab's you and drags you in and the last one brings closure with promises for more in the future book(s) in the series. I love how this is written by a Christian author, the daughter of the famous Ted Dekker and yet doesn't seem to have the normal Christian vibe that most others do, it doesn't sugar coat anything, it's more nitty gritty then other Christian author's are willing to get into when writing a novel. It's not written to uplift you but to make you really think about what you are reading and how the story should affect our way of thinking. Her and her father have a very similar writing style, her's with a different edge to it. It's hard to really explain, plus it's been forever since I have read a Ted Decker novel anyways. Overall AMAZING! Great work Rachelle and I look forward to reading more of your book's in the future. 

I received this book for review through Tyndale's Blogger review program in exchange for my honest review.

Uglies

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?

Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her driver's license — for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society. She'd rather risk life on the outside and urges Tally to defect with her.

When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world — and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever. 

Some dystopian books I have a hard time seeing them happening, this one easily could. As obsessed with beauty as america is this seems like something that can easily happen.( Hopefully it never does)
This is my second book by Scott Westerfeld, the first being So Yesterday, I had high but not overly high hopes for this start of the series. So far i have been really enjoying the story even though I feel like Tally comes up with complex-amazing-always-seems-to-work plans a lot and they always are successful. But over all I really enjoyed it and the cliffhanger would  be annoying if I didn't own the whole dang series. ( thanks Goodwill!) Overall I liked it, wasn't blown away but it was good and looking forward to the rest of the series and to see where we will find Tally by book 4.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!


OHHH MY GOSH WHAT IS LIFE. THIS BOOK IS SO DANG GOOD MY GOSH, I NEED THE REST OF THE BOOKS, NOW! I am really excited to finish this and a little sad, I wanted to find out what happened but not get to the end, ya know? I have never read a book by Sarah J. Maas and I have been meaning to read the throne of glass series but just haven't got to it. ( currently trying to read through my TBR pile) But wow, I loved this book so much and that it was a beauty and the beast retelling never hurt either. ;) Overall amazing!

Crimson Bound

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

(This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)


Love love love. Nothing but dang love for this author. She blows me away every time This book I love less than Cruel Beauty for these reasons; I had a hard time seeing the retelling side of little red riding hood, I just didn't see it, and Cruel Beauty is a retelling of beauty and the beast which is my favorite fairy tale. So point made. This book should be a movie, it would have to be done right but it totally could be one. OVerall just as good as the first and can't wait to see more from this amazing author!

The Whipping Boy

Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.

A rather strange book if I do say so myself. I love historical fiction, but this one isn't even close to the best I have read. It lacked depth or very good story line at all. Quit frankly if your a little kid this may be a decent book to read or get read to you, other then that this sucks.