Reached by Ally Condie

Reached 

by Ally Condie  

 

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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This is (possibly) the last book in a series of three. Admittedly my interest has been waning since the first one, but I still felt I needed the closure this one would bring. But ack! Not enough closure! I felt this book didn't tie everything up like it should have. I have waded through pages and pages with these characters, slogged through one drama after another, and traveled many many exhausting miles with them. All I wanted was a happy clappy everything perfect ending. Did I ask for too much? Obviously yes.

 

I wonder if Condie left some ends hanging just in case she wanted to come back for a 4th book. And the romance! Disappointing. Cassia and Ky were separated almost the whole book (I know, I know, there is more to the plot than the romance, but really? The whole book? I might expect that for a 2nd book, but not for a 3rd. By the 3rd we're due for a little more love.) I also felt like she tried to cram so many extra characters and plot twists that the book didn't resemble the original as closely as it should have. The world building we had been introduced to in the first two books was all crumpled up and thrown out the window. At least that's how I was left feeling.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none, though many deaths from illness; Profanity: none that I remember; Sex: none

 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

by Maggie Stiefvater 

 

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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SO fascinating! Maggie Stiefvater is one of the most diverse authors I've ever read. A lot of authors write the same in every book - which is excellent when you love their style, a little boring/predictable if you don't. But Ms. Stiefvater's style and voice vary widely with every book she writes. I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as I did her other ones, but it was still a great read and a series I will most likely continue with. I loved Blue and Gansey and his crew. I adored Blue's "family" and life. And Maggie - I'm warning trusting you here. Your past books/series have ended happily and this one had BETTER TOO.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: yes; Sex: a reference or two of an aunt's many men, but otherwise I don't remember any.

 

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers 

by Rae Carson 

 

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Excellent second book! I honestly forgot how much I enjoyed the first book until I read the second. I should have reread it and will most likely reread both the first and second when the eventual 3rd comes out. I just really like Elisa! I love the path she travels, her relationships, her self acceptance with who she is physically. Rae Carson has developed an excellently organized world and belief system and I've enjoyed every bit of it. Her heroine is believable and flawed and trying her best in a difficult situation. She also grows a lot in both books and becomes someone I really cared about. I can't wait to read the next book!

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: none that I remember; Sex: brief discussion about becoming lovers

Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier

Shadowfell

by Juliet Marillier

 

Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill--a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk--Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.
During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death--but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban's release from Keldec's rule. Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.

 

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I really liked this book. Sometimes after reading contemporary, or dystopian, or paranormal, I'll pick up a fantasy book and remember how much I love fantasy. I loved Neryn's strength and flaws, her determination in the journey. I loved the "Good Folk." I love books where they travel - I like the camaraderie that comes from journeying and setting up camping and eating together, I think it makes for more realistic relationships. Of COURSE people get to know each other when they travel for months together. I love Flint and am so curious to see how his story turns out. My one and only problem with this book? HER AGE. Seriously, she should be 4-5 years older than she is. I'd be happier with 3 years older. I've read other books by Juliet Marillier and her heroines are always a bit young - when writing a historical book, I understand the need for accuracy and such. Yes, in the past young girls were married off much earlier than they are now, which is how I've ignored the ages in her other books. But this isn't a historical novel, it's fantasy. It's not even fantastical history. Pure fantasy with new countries and landscapes and people. She needs to be older. Hopefully she ages a lot before the next book or I forget how old she actually is.

 

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate. Profanity: no. Sex: random groping and worrying about "what men want", but that's it.

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

The Unwritten Rule

by Elizabeth Scott  

He's looking at me like—well, like he wants to look at me. Like he likes what he sees, and he's smiling and his eyes are so blue, even in the faint flow of the porch light they shine, and I nod dumbly, blindly, and then grope for the door handle, telling myself to look away and yet not able to do it. "Sara," he says, softly, almost hesitantly, and my heart slam-bangs, beating hard, and this is what it's like to want someone you can't have. To want someone you shouldn't even be looking at.

Sarah and Brianna have always been friends, and it's always gone like this: guys talk to Sarah in order to get closer to Brianna. So even though Sarah met Ryan first, she's not surprised that he ends up with Brianna (even though Sarah has a massive crush on him).

The three of them hang out, and Sarah and Ryan's friendship grows until one night an innocent exchange between them leads to a moment that makes Sarah realize that Ryan might be interested in her after all. But if there's one unwritten rule, it's this: you don't mess around with a friend's boyfriend.

So Sarah tries to resist temptation. But with the three of them thrown together more and more, tension builds between Sarah and Ryan, and when they find themselves alone together at one point, they realize they just can't fight how they feel anymore...

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Yes, another Elizabeth Scott. I decided to give another one of her contemporary teen books a try. This book reminded me a lot of Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed - this is essentially the teen version of that story. I liked it and appreciated the quality - Elizabeth Scott is a talented writer, but I didn't love the subject matter. She is excellent at creating multifaceted characters - the heroine makes mistakes, terrible mistakes, but you still feel for her and want to cheer her on. Ms. Scott makes tangled tales that usually are difficult to conclude with all ends neatly tied, and this book is no exception. I wanted to shake Sarah and Brianna (especially Brianna) and Ryan and tell them all to chill out. For a short book it was emotionally wringing. I liked Stealing Heaven better, but still an enjoyable book to read once.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: possibly; Lame. Sex: reference to

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Hallowed 

by Cynthia Hand 

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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A great second book (following Unearthly) - many questions are answered, the mythology is fleshed out a great deal, and in general it was an extremely satisfying read. Hooray! Second books sometimes tend to slump and be mere place holders in a trilogy but this one added to the existing story rather than tore it apart. Clara is growing into herself and deals with difficult choices and decisions. I wanted to smack her brother upside the head a few times, and still do, but hopefully that will change with the next book. I still really like Angela and look forward to spending more time with her in the next book - I have a feeling there is more to discover about her.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: none that I remember; Sex: fairly heavy making out

The Wild Queen by Carolyn Meyer

The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots 

by Carolyn Meyer 

Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone. Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hopingthat a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable “sister queen,” Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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I picked up this book because I liked the cover (yes, we've already covered that I will at least preliminarily judge a book by its cover) and I've always been fascinated with Mary Queen of Scots. But why do I let myself get caught up in historical books? Especially historical books that I KNOW don't end happily. I like happy endings. I like people to stay alive and find love and reunite with friends and live happily ever after. Mary Queen of Scots does NOT live happily ever after, yet I've read a few books about her. Each book is as depressing as the last - no matter which book I read, she is still advised by untrustworthy people, lied to and betrayed. It never changes! No more! Historical fiction is great. Fiction based on depressing historical figures is not, which is why I generally avoid books about Anne Boleyn and will now attempt to avoid books about Mary Stuart. For those of you who like well written yet depressing books about real people who lived tragic lives, this book is for you.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: mild; Profanity: none; Sex: yes