Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle #2) by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: ARC provided by friend.
Rating: 
Buy It: Amazon | IndieBound
Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.
Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever. – Goodreads
Review:
Although Rebel Belle took me a bit to get into Miss Mayhem held me until the final moment. I almost didn’t know it was possible to read a book as quickly as I did. Harper is the same neurotic character from the beginning the only thing that changes is she is now aware of her power and how nothing is ever going to be the same again. No matter how hard she tries.
What I loved about this book is that it didn’t feel like the dreaded middle school book. It felt like Harper’s world and she was just having a new problem thrown at her. From trying to figure out David (no longer her enemy but her love) to supernatural problems. And while Bee has come back from vanishing at Cotillion, she isn’t the same. She isn’t the Bee that Harper knows and loves and that of course worries Harper. Harper is like a normal, everyday teen, she’s juggling everything while trying to keep her head above water. That is the most relatable teenage moment in the world: juggling and trying to keep your head above water.
Interesting enough Miss Mayhem was more contemporary instead of supernatural. While there was nothing particular wrong with this book it did go back and forth between moving too slow and moving too fast. I do wish the pacing would have been more consistent.
Will I be reading the third book? HECK YES I WILL BE. With the killer hook/cliffhanger I cannot wait to know how this book series will end.
Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1) by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Publisher: Putman Juvenile
Source: Personal Copy/Audio from library
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon | IndieBound
Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper’s destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.
Just when life can’t get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she’s charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper’s least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David’s own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.
With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y’all beg for more.– Goodreads
Review:
I didn’t know I could relate to a character as much as I did Harper. Not that I’m a Southern Belle (I’m a Yankee!) and not that my family has money (they don’t!) But Harper’s need to be perfect is something I understand. Harper is what carried me throughout Rebel Belle.
The first third of the novel I struggled with, but there became this point I was hooked and I could not put the book down. I actually got upset with myself when I left my book at home and I couldn’t read it on my lunch break. There became this moment I was addicted to the characters, the setting, everything. Harper wasn’t always the perfect character, she made a lot of mistakes, she tried her hardest and sometimes failed, but I adored her. I also enjoyed her friendship with her BFF Bee. It was a realistic friendship that made me want more. They called each other on their bullshit but they also worked at their friendship to make it better. My love of strong female friendships lives on!
What Rebel Belle is about is Harper and the fact that Harper becomes a protector to her worst enemy David who also enjoys calling Harper on her bullshit. Harper doesn’t want to be a protector. She wants to graduate High School and go to a solid college, love her boyfriend Ryan and also be perfect. It kills Harper to fail at something. Harper starts to fail at everything and fast. Nothing is worse than a perfectionist who’s life starts to fall apart. Trust me, I understand Harper with every fiber of my being.
I went from being fairly bored with this book to wanting to pick up the second in the series Miss Mayhem right away. I always take that as a good sign.
AUDIOBOOK SIDE NOTE: As someone who listens to a lot of audiobooks, I’m starting to feel like they are all narrated by the same three people. I feel this way about YA movies also. They all star the same three people. These all star the same three people. Am I expecting too much to have a bit of change? I’m not saying they aren’t good narrators, they are. But they are all starting to mush together.
Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Personal Copy
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon | IndieBound
A powerful story of friendship and sacrifice, for fans of Code Name Verity
Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.
This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship – Goodreads
Review:
I went into Under a Painted Sky knowing just about nothing about it. All I knew as that, my friend Jen, adored it and that my friend Lauren wanted to read it for our book club. I also know that it was well talked up at ALAMW15 and that the cover is awesome. Otherwise I knew nothing. I was the Jon Snow of this book.
Under a Painted Sky did not disappoint. Under A Painted Sky is the story of Samantha, a girl who wants to be back in New York, and not in Missouri. Nothing is going right in Missouri. Missouri is wear people aren’t equal, particularly if you’re a Chinese girl who’s father just died in a fire. As soon as her father dies in the fire, Samantha trusts her landlord, who is not trustworthy..at all. He’s a vile man, and thankfully Samantha stands up for herself. But, by standing up for herself, she ultimately kills him. With the help of a runaway slave, Annamae, Samantha is able to clean up her mess and ultimately free for the Oregon Trail.
I struggled with this book, as a mood reader, I couldn’t get into the story for the longest time and that hurt, because I wanted to be into it! I wanted to love it like everyone else in my life loved it! And I did. Although it took me a bit, I did ultimately fall in love with the characters, Sam and Andy and those who they find on the road to California.
The two find out that the journey was not as simple as they expected it to me. From forks in the road, to cops on the look out, to the fact that their diversity is extremely noticeable. Sam is Chinese and Andy is African American and this added multiple layers to Under a Painted Sky. While discrimination is still something that people are fighting, it was even a bigger war in the mid-nineteenth century where a Civil War had yet to be fought. Andy gets asked for her papers, and Sam gets asked how she (he) speaks English so well, because this was not something people were used to.
Although I was hesitant to enter this world, Under A Painted Sky did not disappoint. If anything, I ended this story wanting more of it. Lately I’ve been enjoying books with strong female friendships. I understand, you are all shocked! But I have been. I love them all! And Under A Painted Sky did not disappoint in this matter. While there are romantic undertones to the novel, not once did I feel that was the main point of Under A Painted Sky. Instead the concentration was on the strong female friendship and the growth of two girls who did not have an easy life. They both have very different backgrounds, but those backgrounds make both of the characters so much stronger and the two slowly become their own family. It also did not disappoint in how well researched it was. As a librarian with a history background, I can point out what a well researched book looks like, and Under a Painted Sky is so well researched I want to hug Lee for doing due diligence and making this beautiful novel. I cannot see what she makes next.
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman
Release Date: July 10, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon | IndieBound
“A scrumptious gem of a story!”—Jennifer A. Nielsen, New York Timesbestselling author of The False Prince
Meet Gladys Gatsby: New York’s toughest restaurant critic. (Just don’t tell anyone that she’s in sixth grade.)
Gladys Gatsby has been cooking gourmet dishes since the age of seven, only her fast-food-loving parents have no idea! Now she’s eleven, and after a crème brûlée accident (just a small fire), Gladys is cut off from the kitchen (and her allowance). She’s devastated but soon finds just the right opportunity to pay her parents back when she’s mistakenly contacted to write a restaurant review for one of the largest newspapers in the world.
But in order to meet her deadline and keep her dream job, Gladys must cook her way into the heart of her sixth-grade archenemy and sneak into New York City—all while keeping her identity a secret! Easy as pie, right? – Goodreads
Review:
This book has been on my radar for months, probably even a year and while I’ve been wanting to read it, I just haven’t had time. Then one day I saw it at the library and knew it was time. Now, if anything, I’m mad at myself that I waited so long to read it. I had friends like, Jen and Kim, who loved it and I should have known I would, too. And fine, they were right. I did love it. I was hooked from the very beginning. This book was the cutest and I cannot recommend it more to people.
All Four Stars is the story of Gladys, a girl who does not fit in, in her family. Her family will eat whatever, and Gladys is constantly critiquing meals and wants to only eat the best. In fact, we first meet Gladys as she is making crème brûlée and kind of sort of starts her kitchen on fire with a blow torch. Gladys, very logically blames her parents for this, if they would have brought her a proper kitchen blow torch she wouldn’t have had to use a giant one which set everything a blaze.
Gladys’ parents just want her to be interested in normal 11 year old things. Playing outside, having friends, watching TV (something besides the cooking channel!) All of these things don’t interest Gladys, she likes cooking, eating amazing food, and fresh ingredients. Slowly however, throughout All Four Stars, Gladys learns it is possible to not only have friends, but be true to yourself. Her teacher has decided that everyone in the class will be writing a paper on what they want to be when they grow up. Gladys turns in her first paper about how she wants to be a veterinarian and her teacher sees through it right away, there is no passion and she calls Gladys on it and makes her re-write the paper. What Gladys’ doesn’t expect is to win the contest in her class and have the essay be sent into the newspaper in New York City.
Once her essay is in New York City, it makes it’s way to the food editors desk and the next thing Gladys knows she has been asked to be a temporary food critic and of course she loses her mind, mostly because she can’t do this alone. Through various people in her life, including her next door neighbor and a friend at her school, she has a chance at making it. All Four Stars is a solid, cute novel that left me not only hungry, but also wanting more.
The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1) by Rick Yancey
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon
The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. – Goodreads
Review:
I feel like this was the IT book for the first half of 2013. Everyone loved and adored this book. My BFF who rarely buys books bought this book without reading it first because there was so much hype involved in it and so many rave reviews. I wish that this book lived up to its hype, but for me, it did not.
What Yancy did well was create this amazing world where essentially you trust no one. You have no idea who’s good, who’s bad. What Yancy didn’t do well was create characters I could relate to. I didn’t have any feelings for Cassie besides wanting to slap her. And Evan? Creeped me out from the get-go. One review I read stated he was the bad boy girls love to love. I love bad boys. I do not hide that. Book bad boys are my thing, yet from the beginning of being introduced to him I got this extremely weird vibe. Weird vibe + instalove = annoyed Ashley.
Even with being annoyed, this is an extremely quick read. Yancy’s writing shines when the book is discussing Zombie, Sammy and Ringer. I could have read about all three of them and their development all day long. Loved and adored these three, because through their section, they grew. I feel like Cassie and Evan never grew. Plus the aliens? Or whatever they are were never completely fleshed out to the point that they made sense to me. Maybe Yancy will focus more on them in the second book.
While this is a solid book, and I can see the potential, it continues to not be the book, or book series, for me.
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
Release Date: March 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Library
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon
After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.
Sherri L. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Review:
While I enjoyed this book at the same time it did nothing for me. From very early on it was clear to me that this book was a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” Solid world building, amazing writing. But I just couldn’t wait for it to end. Nothing sucked me in about this book sadly.
Mila 2.0 (MILA 2.0 #1)by Debra Driza
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Personal Copy
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon
Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.
Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.
Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.
Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.
Review:
This is an amazing debut. I enjoyed this book so much in the sense that I started it and couldn’t put it down. I did put it down for sleeping and school, but trust me, I tried to work through both of those to finish this book. I couldn’t stop reading it. Mila was a fascinating character to learn about and then ending left me with the right mix of satisfied and wanting more. Plus Driza is a strong world building author.
Ashfall (Ashfall #1) by Mike Mullin
Release Date: October 11th 2011
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Source: Library
Rating:
Buy It: Amazon
Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.
For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to search for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster.
Review:
This book caused me so many feels and while I debated doing a whole review for this book, but I was full of so many feelings on this book that the full review was never fully complete. It was full of “OH MY AND ON THIS PAGE” and “SO WHEN THIS HAPPENED.” Ashfall is one of those books like The Hunger Games. It is really, really good but wow is it depressing. My heart went out for Alex throughout this whole novel. This is a novel in which Alex fights for survival the whole story, not just against others, but also for a time, himself. I cannot recommend this book enough.
yAdult Review 