Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn

Renee Ahdieh

(The Wrath and the Dawn #1)

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

Hardcover, 388 pages, Putnam’s Sons Books

Genres: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

My Review

I don’t even know what to say. This book was… This book was incredible? Mind-boggling good? Fantastic? All of the above? Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes.

I was really scared going into this book. The hype was definitely up there and I was worried it was not going to live up to my expectations. I shouldn’t have been worried in any way, shape, or form. The Wrath and the Dawn can definitely hold its own.

The characters of this book are phenomenal! Sharhzad is the perfect blend of feisty, head-strong, awesome, and bold that I love in a YA female lead. She’s able to dish it out with the big boys and give some major third-degree burns while doing so. Basically, she just made me smile. Now Khalid, Khalid is another character I have no words for. If this were real life and he had done the things he’s done, I would hate him. Okay, hate is a strong word. I would loathe him. But this is not real life, this is fiction, and Khalid is a sexy beast. There. I said it. His tortured soul and strength of character just made my heart BOOM BOOM so fast.

The other characters are good too. I liked all of them, even the second part of the love triangle. However, even though I liked Tariq, I do NOT want him to end up with Shazi. It will not happen, Renee. Do you comprehend what I am saying right now? Please do.

Let’s move on from my mini-rant/plead, shall we?

The plot of this book deserves a very strong “A.” I never knew what was going to happen. Which is weird considering it’s supposed to be a retelling, but I’m not complaining. However, because this book is based off of One Thousand and One Nights story, I was expecting that element to continue throughout the story. Again, not complaining, just observing.

The magic of the world and the detail that went into each paragraph, line, and word just made this novel so beautiful. I wish I had time to read it again, but alas, I do not. The only complaint I have about Sharhzad’s story is that I was very confused when I started reading. The first 10 pages or so switch point of views so much and I was trying to get the names and places straight but it was all so confusing. I think that probably wasn’t the best way to start out a fantasy novel.

All in all, I don’t think I can recommend this amazing fantasy novel enough. It has everything a fantasy lover wants: magic, mystery, mayhem, and sexy-times. Believe me, you’ll want to read it, so just go pick it up already.

**Note: I won a copy of this book from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion/review.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Dumplin'

Julie Murphy

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Hardcover, 384 pages, Balzer + Bray

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

My Thoughts

To be honest, the premise for this book doesn’t intrigue me that much. What does intrigue me is all of the hype for the book.

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

I Made Coasters!

So, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I got a new apartment. And because I got a new apartment, my roommate and I have decided to get a little crafty. Just take a look:

We made coasters using 4x4 floor tiles, Mod Podge, and color prints. Some of them turned out really well, while a few have some issues. (The Dean one makes me particularly upset because of a few imperfections, especially considering he’s my favorite and all.)

Here’s a close up of them all in case you want a better view:

 

I’ll keep you updated on any more crafts we do. I know of one I’m particularly excited for that should be posted next week.

What kind of bookish crafts have you guys done or are planning to do? Let me know in the comments.

Review: The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy

Amy Engel

(The Book of Ivy #1)

Publication Date: November 4, 2014

Paperback, 282 pages, Entangled Teen

Genres: YA, Dystopian

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

My Review

Ivy Westfall is 16 and ready to get hitched. Or not. Ivy is actually very, very far from being ready to tie the knot, especially since her father wants her to kill the boy she marries, just so he can rise up in power. Oh, did I forget to mention that Ivy is supposed to marry the President of Westfall’s son? But what will Ivy do when she grows to like Bishop? Will she kill him, or will she succumb to her feelings?

Ivy Westfall is an okay character. She didn’t wow me and she didn’t enamor me. She didn’t have much of a personality at all in fact. She kind of seemed like the stock girl put into YA dystopian/sci-fi/paranormal books. You know the one I’m talking about, right? The main protagonist who falls in love with someone they shouldn’t, does all the right things without really trying, has a bad background. You know, that girl.

The other characters were just as un-special. Bishop was the stock boy character who said all the right things and looked good, but we never really got to know him. And the President and his wife, as well as Ivy’s dad and sister, were just as cliché in their make-up. I just wanted to feel like these characters were people, and it was too hard to do that when they said and did predictable things. Heck, they even felt predictable emotions.

The plot of the story was a’ight. I was originally excited about the prospect of a YA character marrying another character. Normally these things don’t happen—at least not immediately—in a YA novel. However, the story started to feel just like a predictable romance-type book would. Girl marries boy. Girl has to kill boy. Girl and boy start to like each other. You see where I’m going with this? If you do, then you know how the story will end. Although, the ending of the book did leave off on a very tantalizing cliffhanger. So while I’m not chomping at the bit to get book two, I won’t object to maybe checking it out from the library sometime.

All in all, a good story with okay characters. I’d recommend it to anyone who just wants a quick (really quick—it’s only 282 pages), non-contemporary read.

**Note: I borrowed a copy of this book from the library.

Which Team Are You? : The Maddox Brothers Edition

I basically just post a book series every week and have people vote on what team they are. I know the YA Sisterhood does the YA Crush Tournament, but I just want to find out how much you guys like one love interest over another, in one series.

Last week's poll was over Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Frigid series. Team Tanner won! (Note: I didn't count the two votes for Kyler I did to see if the poll was working.)

So for this edition of “Which Team Are You?” I’m going to ask you who your pick of hunky man-flesh is from Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster and Maddox Brothers books.

You can choose from:

1) Travis

or 2) Trenton

OR 3) Thomas

OR 4) Taylor

OR 5) Tyler

I’m Team Travis? Maybe. He’s the first one I read about, so he’s the first one I sort of fell in love/lust with. If I had to choose a second favorite, it’d probably be Taylor. Maybe? Can you tell I’m very indecisive today? 

(Oh, and the reason the images are the same for Taylor and Tyler is because they're twins. Just FYI for those who don't know.)

If you had to choose one, who would it be, and why? If you haven’t read the books (And why not!?), who do you think sounds more appealing from the Beautiful Disaster summary (which favors Travis, oops) below:

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Which Team Are You?

	Team Travis
	Team Trenton
	Team Thomas
	Team Taylor
	Team Tyler

abcpoll.com free polls

***Please note that I stop checking the poll the Friday before the new poll comes out (on Sunday). Also, please only vote once so everyone’s vote counts, unless you need to vote for both guys. I give you permission to do that because sometimes choosing is tough.***

**Also note that these are not my images. I found them online.

Stacking the Shelves: The Second Beautiful Edition

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly haul meme that is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It allows book buyers to share their accumulation of books with the online book-loving community.

I forgot to take pictures of these books before I left home to move into my new apartment, so please forgive me, but this week I got two books.

Beautiful Redemption and Beautiful Sacrifice by Jamie McGuire

I’ve been really into reading new adult/adult contemporary lately. Any recommendations?

What books have you bought/received lately?

Dean Winchester Friday

Dean Winchester (or sometimes Jensen Ackles) Fridays make me a very happy fangirl. You'll see why when you look at the pic.

Jensen Ackles and his daughter. I think my heart just melted. Oh and btw, Jensen now has an Instagram account, so there you go.

Review: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not

Adam Silvera

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

Hardcover, 304 pages, Soho Teen

Genres: YA, LGBT, Contemporary

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father's suicide, it's been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again--but he's still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he's slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron's crew notices, and they're not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can't deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can't stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute's revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

My Review

Before I thoroughly dive into my review I have to explain that there will be two parts to this review. The first part will briefly go over the book itself and the second will go over my feelings. If you keep reading, you’ll understand more about why I’m trying to give you this clarification.

***

Aaron Soto is a normal kid living in a less-than-fantastic area. He’s got semi-decent friends and a messed up family, and recently he’s been feeling some feelings for Thomas, a new boy (notice the space) friend, despite having a girlfriend (notice the lack of space). That’s when he contemplates getting the Leteo procedure to erase all of his memories of dude-liking.

This book was a solid 3-star book at first. It had a decent plot, some interesting characters and a message that I loved. However, some of the writing was a little dry and the book was rather short for how complex it was. But, as a said, the message that LGBTQ people cannot just forget or dampen who they are is a great message that everyone needs to read about, because trying to make someone into something they’re not just hurts the person in the end.

***

Despite me believing this book is a 3-star book in regards to its story and writing, I only actually gave this book a 1-star rating. Why? Well, it’s kind of personal, so you may not truly understand why, but I’ll try my hardest to explain.

I haven’t been having the greatest of days lately. My best friend has been gone for the entire month of July and my roommates are getting on my last nerves. I’ve also managed to obtain an injury to my hip so I can’t even go running like I used to. Now I just walk to the gym and I’m in pain. (I’m doing stretches and stuff to work the pain out, but it’s a slow process.) I haven’t had a day off in a month and my job just kind of sucks sometimes. Some other minor things have happened to add to that crappy pile as well. Basically, I’ve just been kind of blah.

So, as I finished More Happy Than Not, I began to feel very strangely. Because Aaron was so depressed about who he was and his entire life, I too began questioning every aspect of my life and honestly, it made me feel miserable. I felt so down and terrible. I have never in my life felt depressed, but after reading this book, I can honestly say I never want to feel like that again. Thankfully, I got out of my funk by the next day, so all was well, but I go to books to read a happy story, or at least one that has some sort of silver lining, and to me, this book didn’t.

Writing this down makes me feel like I’m overreacting, especially since I can’t accurately convey how I felt now that it’s been a couple of days since I finished the book—I had to give myself some space—but I wanted others to be aware that this book is a sever downer for those who aren’t happy with their lives at the moment. If I can save one person from feeling as terrible as I did, then this review/spiel will have served its purpose.

Now, I don’t want to take away from Silvera’s book. It’s true that he’s got a fantastic message and a great cast of characters. This book just wasn’t what my emotional stability was looking for. Perhaps if I would have read it at a more happy time in my life I wouldn’t have had such a bad reaction to it? I guess I’ll never know…

All in all, if you are mentally prepared to read about a boy with deep secrets who has lived a life of pain and hardship, then I would encourage you to dive in and soak in the truth of Silvera’s words. Just take caution.

**Note: I borrowed a copy of this book from the library.

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

Sweet Ruin

Kresley Cole

(Immortals After Dark #15)

Publication Date:  December 1, 2015

Hardcover, 384 pages, Gallery Books

Genres: Adult, Paranormal

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

Mesmerized by a beautiful supernatural creature unlike any he’s ever met, an immortal assassin is caught between desire and duty in this sizzling new novel from Kresley Cole’s #1 New York Times bestselling Immortals After Dark series, which RT Book Reviews declared “should be on your auto-buy list!”

A foundling raised in a world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn’t know who or what she was—just that she was “bad,” an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life. The day he was taken away began Jo’s transition from angry girl…to would-be superhero…to enchanting, ruthless villain.

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

A threat to the Møriør has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie. Whether by bow or in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart. With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood—and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to sweet ruin…

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts? Rune knows he must not trust Josephine, yet he’s unable to turn her away. Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can’t ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him. When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.

My Thoughts

I don’t know how I feel about having main characters in this series that I know nothing about, but I generally love Kresley Cole’s book, so I think I’ll be okay.

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?