Kasie West books in a row! Wow!

Booklove?

Hell, yeah!

Loner Loserdom - Fate of Clairvoyants

"One little choice can make all the difference."

One day Addie has to face her parents' decision of separating. She's confronted two different choices of life either of which will alter her future in an irreversible way. But what's the right alternative? Boldly leaving the Compound heading to Normville full of dull, normal people or staying in the well-known comfort zone stuffed with mind-blowing Paranormals just like her? It'd be too much to ask for decision-making from a teenager suffering from post-divorce epidemic satisfied with her life just as it is, let alone a non-average teenage girl who uses her remaining 97 per cent of her brain to tell the upcoming events, which she does once in a blue moon. Sometimes future is overwhelming.

There's no way left but Search for the two paths so as to decide which road she should take. Only a sneak-peak in the great unknown would tell her which direction to follow from the cross-road where she momentarily got stucked. Her answer should be easy. But is that so? One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not. It turns out on whatever passage she move along she loses someone she cares about. The real question is whom is she able to let go?

PAR•A•dise: n. a place of extreme happiness (???)

In one potential future Addie stays with her mother (masterhead of her misfortune) relaxing in her daily routine because Heaven forbids she should taste new flavours of exotic dishes. She's stuck with scrumbled eggs while she could try chocolate pencake with maple syrup. What a waste! But no regrets since there's Duke (Telekinetic) the charming talented football player (a title which can't be really hard to achieve if you've got superpowers) who bustle up just to draw Addie's attention. Regardless of their opposite personalities they seem to get along perfectly. Addie starts to think she's in love. On the other side, I find rather suspicious that he suddenly becomes interested in her after three years of attending the same high school. Big loves need time for sure (Lizzy and Darcy for a whole year you see), but three years come on! Anyway, I rooted for them putting my disbelieves on a landing-place. For a while.

"You know we’re nothing alike, right?"
"Isn’t there a reason for the saying ‘opposites attract’?"
"Yes—magnets."

NOR•Mal•ization: v. reduced to a normal state

"The ghost of Charles Dickens told me that after he turned over in his grave, he couldn’t go back to sleep. The ghost of Charles Dickens told me that after he turned over in his grave, he couldn’t go back to sleep." - Addie

"Wanted: good zombie hunter. Call 555–3681. Be prepared to provide references and past experience." - Trevor

In this alternative future Addie and Trevor are back on track to best-friend-land. They're pretty much alike owning to their mutual enthusiasm for comic books, even though he's rather keen on drawing them than reading. They' both feel like they'reclooking for something to grab on to, so they don’t lose themselves. Concerning Addie, without her ability defining her, she doesn't feel grounded. As for Trevor, he's pondering about constant 'would've beens' due to the fact that his football career is gone forever because of his shoulder injury. He's pretty much the kind of guy she's Normally attracted to. And because they don't exactly follow the rules of the friendship handbook also means she has to tell where she comes from. But who would believe her completely inconceivable illusion of Crazyland? Well, Trevor, my darling, does apparently.

Feasable destinies and 'What if?'s

"Sometimes perfection reveals the lie, Addie, not the truth."

Trevor is a cute, caring, sensitive...(I won't list all his superlative qualities though I could do that) angel whom she loves without artificiality of her old world. On the contrary, Dukes is a Mood Controller prick who used her in hope of getting from her the right hint which university he has to go. Which univesity! The lamest excuse ever. From now on there's no way she'd pick Duke over Trevor, you'd think.

The somber reality is she must choose the douchebag version because Laila's (best Memory Eraser friend) life is at stake. Addie's unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. Thus she has to make herself forget what she has lived through with Trevor in her almost cried out in frustration. How could she? How?

One way or another

I loved the tension between the two separate storylines that let me hanging in the swirling thoughts of doubts having no idea which life she'll pick. (And no, I did not read the ending beforehand...it took all my willpower to resist though. Yeah. I'm proud of myself enough.) Altough the author doesn't really unknot the details of the Paraworld (I would like to be more involved), she does know pretty much about relationships. Love you guys!

How I feel now

Arghhh. Duke is on top of my Who-I-want-to-strangle-first list. I'd better start the next book so that I can make sure Addie would find her way back to Trevor. I mean she should have found a better way. Seeing the future involves that you are able to change it right? And don't come with the shit that one tiny alteration may cause crack of doom. Make a difference. *bewildered sigh*

Rating

4 out of 5

My POV: Tbh I kinda emerged in this BookCon/OneTruePastry/crazy cupcakes/Kels@Nash fandom and I couldn't stop myself to dig up the OTP and Rex blogs online (not worth your time looking them up, they don't exist! *crying sad face who is trying to console herself with a Sprinkles' Srawberry cupcake).
The saddest part, these teens had a more interesting life going on at the age of 17-18 than I had that time LOL. These high school guys became like mini-book celebrities in no time and I found myself right in the middle of online girlish fandom over books and imaginary worlds and most importantly talking about them with a wide community who share the same interests. I'd totally be one of the 22k followers of Kels AKA Halle on every possible platform if I could. Follower of Comicbooks? not so much, because watch out IRL: I am not a fan of Nash. I mean okay, he is more into books than soccer, and c'mon he is artistic, cute, master of banters and puns. Although, Halle is a big fat liar (I like her though, don't freak out ;) he lied to her and fell for Kels even though he had Halle which is so IRL. It seems boys tend to run after cases that exist only in their heads. Hands up girls, if you agree. RSVP.
So even if Halle was a total bummer in the eyes of Nash, their online friends, her IRL friends, her brother.... re: you can go on with the list, Nash made a mistake too and did not embrace the coolest thing that happened to him, well pretty much, in his entire high school experience. As for Halle, she was hell of a good Kels who didn't slip up once with her little secret during 7 months in front of Nash and the whole Twitter globe. Plus, it is kind of messed up, but I got the explanation behind her actions even if it is total bullshit. As in, her insecurity about people not accepting her true personality, thus, she is keen on hiding behind a fake persona. Let alone the publisher-buzz about her grandmother.
Let's face it, most people think (they happen to end up mostly wrong) that it is their duty to achieve something great without a big gun relative shadowing them, 'cause they feel the pressure to live up to them and they don't fancy the idea of bringing shame to the family, if they don't. Live up to a great legend, IOW. What kept me in the reading flow was that other fascinating and quite extraordinary events I could be a part of. Let's check out the Academy nominated parents directing in Israel or Le Crew or Ollie or the emotional crises of Gramps. All of them have so many aspirations, dreams to come true, and so many things going on in their lives. I just loved watching these events unfolding before my very eyes and devouring the first season of OTP. Episode one: The Blueberry dreams, Episode two: Lemon cupcakes with Deception frosting... Episode 120: the Red Velvet revelation and so on. I don't expect a second season but I keep myself posted if there happens to be one.
EOT: TQ for the book What I Liked about you.
w00t, YMMD.

'Here is how my unlife falls apart - one high-heeled step at a time.'

The statement above cannot be more true than right now when Zera's immortal life is a huge entwined net of a mess from which she can hardly flee. As every minute of the first novel (Bring Me Their Hearts) ) cut out a well-designed path into the sequel of the trilogy I desperately returned to the first book for a joyful re-read (and re-drooling). To my utter amazement or dismay? Zera hasn't let me down pertaining to her absolute self-centeredness. I am in two minds about it though. During the fight for the retrieval of her heart, she has confronted and betrayed every possible living being. That's why I cannot wrap my mind around how Lucien still longs for her. I mean she wanted to kill him and make him a monster daa! Busted. He must suffer in some serious anti-self-sustaining state of a fatal disease. I am such a doctor when talking about books haha.

However, I kinda look up to her. She is all-time ready to trample on anybody who comes between her and her heart. It sort of disgusts me that we literally talk about the organ itself btw but I can take it as long as I don't lay my eyes on the actual venal thingy on the screen. What is more, she 'asumes' she doesn't need a man to be whole again and I admire her approach of life. That is the talking girl! Hereby I introduce you a modern Into the woods Snowhite aka Lady Zera Y'shennria. She is a feisty upbeat little heartless, isn't she?

Another thing worth mentioning is where her loyalty lies. She is determined to set out on a mortal journey in order to find Y'shennria and Nightsinger who (by the way) took advantage of her first all the way until their diabolical plan turned to ashes and they needed to flee. Soo I am a little worried about Zera's clear judgment. Or at this point, I call her right mind into question. (Doctor again. See?)

That is also a subtle way to show how difficult relationships are and there is sometimes pink between the black and white. At this point, I need to clarify that pink is the new grey, Soo fancy... ;)

And special thanks for the foul, sordid dub actor - the hunger itself behind Zera's thoughts not being loud this time. I tended to skip those parts in the first book and I was relieved I didn't have to in the sequel. Amen.

P.S.: Who on earth falls in love with someone after two weeks? Only 13-year-old Justin Bieber fan. I love you Justin <3

Rating

5 out of 5. I expected to be blown away. The moment didn't arrive so I am still waiting for my Prince Charm on a strutting stallion to snatch me far away in some wondrous epic YA story. Until then it is a solid yet flickering 5.

As her name would suggest, Rose is not exactly a silk-petaled, blooming in the moonlight type of flower. Nonetheless, she is the crown of the Garden which is basically a grandiose theater in the middle of war between two empires that had put up a stilted theme so that everyone can be called Flowers and Wilted as in the priviliged and the expendables (it is way more dramatic, isn't it?).

Apparently, intimidation is the way to pull the strings amid the aerial dancers in order to run the majestic performance smoothly. However, it didn't really become clear for me why this little show bears so much importance in these dark ages that they needed to capture random girls and force them to dance until they slip or succeed. I suppose it was a twisted way of describing a brothel? So to say the least, I am not overly flabbergasted the original idea of the novel. As I'm told, you should appreciate the simplicity of things....but it was practially short-whitted. The plot is basically a love story that desperately needed the evil uncle character from whom Rayce could easily saved Rose once...no, twice....three times...whatever, who can follow it for now anyay? At which point I have to take note: beggars can't be choosers. (Pride and Prejudice ;) But my lack of imagination doesn't rectify the lack of creativity in this story unfortunately. Not my bad...

The story telling wouldn't be so bad, if it did not focus on the whole mushy, mawkish on-and-off meddley that these two love birds profess seriously. I can't even track who rescues who, who gets captured after who, not to mention, the occassional stabs wounds that obviously shock none of them, with what the suspense and the harroing agony for the main characters are forever lost, so for the time being I feel blank. But the thing is I love being filled up with emotions. Now judge me.
A prickin the thigh? Rose is gaily running after Oren to save him. A blow in the shoulder? She is deftly plying a sword-play with non other than the Demarion king itself being notorious for his agile swordmanship and sheer cruelty. A thrust in the gut? Rayce is happily dancing on his feet after 3 days from a stab in his middle. If he had gotten eviscerated, it would have been a cliffhanger telltale. And now you can behead me if you can :P

All in all, I am pretty negative about reading the sequel. I can do without fake drama right now. No offense.

Rating

3 ot of 5 (cause it was not frightful)

“I wonder if she knows that I would anything for her.”

I wouldn’t have dreamt of an heir to the Shatter Me series and yet here it comes! Another seething, heart-warming yet cliffhanger sequel which will definitely tug at your heartstrings all along. Juliette, Warner, I welcome you back guys! I missed you so bad....

“…it makes it possible for me to know how deeply Juliette loves me. I can always feel the rush of emotion in her words, in her eyes. The certainty that she would fight for me. Protect me. And knowing this makes my heart feel so full that, sometimes, when we’re together, I can hardly breathe.”

If the twelve years of the madhouse had not been enough, Juliette must face a different kind of crazy. After having shot Aron’s father, the responsibility of governing North America rests on her shoulders. Instead of going to prom, she commands soldiers of this unhinged world of Re-establishment. When she presides meetings of militarization, she would be supposed to worry about next day’s algebra tests. Instead of buying a new dress for her first date, Juliette faces the surrounding conspiracy while realizing it buries her deeper in the mud of treachery and lies.

But this world is not about normalcy any longer. It is about power and domination. And only those will survive who outsmart the others. Juliette is about to figure the whole mess out when she is already betrayed again. Not only by the prominent leaders of the other half of the world, but by Warner himself.

“Juliette will never, ever forgive me, I will lose her. And it will kill me.”

Although, I should say, this dinky lie about her parents are totally forgivable, I mean, he doesn’t even know a clue about her adopted parents let alone her abandoned half-dead sister. Though, the missive is always the one to blame unfortunately. Thus, I would have spared the poor blighter from a severe heartbreaking who, by the way, thinks the sun starts and sets on Juliette. Warren goes off the deep end where I was afraid he wouldn’t be able to come back. I had been travelling on a rollercoaster in the hills and valleys of their relationship, and I have been dropped dead at their flare-up. I was so high at their most intimate moments and so low at their end game. The writing is flat-out genious.

“I only know that the scientists are wrong. The world is flat. I know because I was tossed right off the edge and I’ve been trying to climb back up for seventeen years but it’s nearly impossible to beat gravity when no one is willing to give you a hand. When no one wants to risk touching you.”

At the beginning I was wondering whether the plot takes a war-centered direction full of malevolence and political turn-arounds. But to my greatest pleasure, it was orbiting all along around Juliette and Warner. Both of them are under a lot of emotional pressure putting me under an emotional mess as well as a sea of questions pop up in my mind with the old life of Juliette. Like about her sister, and the experiments in connection with the Unnaturals. How could they contribute to the success of the Reestablishment? How can the regime take advantage of Juliette’s deathly touch? Is Warner would be better leader than her?

I can’t bear this emotional turmoil really. Especially in the end. I don’t get it at all what is happening right now. I want it to continue! Like. Right. Now.

Rating

5 out of 5 (no wonders)

“If we don’t take any risks, then we won’t find the things worth living for.”

First off, I don’t really get the title of Some quite place which might be the reason for my low level of intelligence quota and here, at my thirtieth word you’re possibly yelling at my review for being so dumb and clueless at which point I am trying to live up to my juvenile age meanwhile not marching on the walk of shame which is so far far away from my much wiser, enlightened peers while I am starting to think that this sentence might have stretched way too long that I have previously planned and right there I need to stop.

So the point is I am obliged to ascribe some symbols to the title as zealous readers are supposed to while proving myself that I am not so dumb as you might have thought before.

Lizzy, although I am not entitled to use the short name but whatever, it is my review (freedom of press), is a quiet place herself incapable of feeling a twinge of emotion on her own but she is swarmed by human-faced Emotions which has officially the best concept of paranormal YA of 2018 so far on my read list. I am so cheesed off while she resist to feel a driblet of love or a dab of fear as if I am not authorized to have any sentiment either. But I would so love to feel so many things at once! I’d love to feel infatuation as long as staring into Fear’s piercing blue eyes or a little quavering in my stomach by Joshua’s touch or I would very much love to clobber that bastard Tim avowing himself to be Lizzy’s father. Instead I have to endure the dolorous nothingness which comes along with Elizabeth’s every step, however, I have nothing to harrumph about while there is Fear kissing all over and Joshua blushing around. Adorableness has just skyrocketed!

All story needs to include something best thing ever. Some quiet place’s best thing ever is that I could not figure out what she’d been made of all along! All those portentous dreams and sulky Emotions goofing around did not add up till the very end and after all this came the Emotion who must appear behind me when sinking under a hot tub: relief. Relief because once in a lifetime the storyline is not predictable. Relief because the punch line turns out to be 98% logical, 99% believable and 100% enjoyable. I cannot thank it enough!

The bright side is that I had been snatching my head from Fear to Joshua wondering who would finally do the homerun, for half of the time rooting for Fear, for the other half drooling over Joshua (true). So when Fear was not in flesh (muhahaha) then Joshua could easily take his place, for I did not miss him.

The 50 shades of greyer side is that I was so horribly crushed when my poor baby was thrown aside like a piece of trash. And for him, there is not such a thing as consolation or other happy ending. He was just a tool in her game, easily got rid of. Thus, though I am beside myself with joy that Elizabeth and Fear getting their Emotional happy ending, I am not the least satisfied with that of Joshua who bears the brunt obviously but what is left for me is to groan inwardly. I really carry the torch for this guy. xoxoxo

All in all, I gaily take a leap of Emotion into the Where Silence Gathers and I hope I will thank my lucky star!

Rating

5 out of 5 (Joy is peeking over my shoulder, say hi to her ;)

   I wouldn’t say Claudia has any special features about her that makes her remarkable or something but I think this is the people and mostly the circumstances that people come to realise her personality and well-covered wits. As in, she is a hilarious cynical-chick that is for sure. For heaven’s sake, I cracked up in giggles everytime she made a rather odd statement. So she’s been labeled a well-matched wingman for Gideon’s one-man circus. Geez, I’d love to follow their mutual blog account – that would be so much fun! Claudeon – i.e. JustCasualClaudeonThings

   I’d doubt that he suddenly made up mind about her and got to the point that he is about to acknowledge her omniscient presence during the rehearsals who, by the way, can make sense of Shakespeare’s elated (inebriated?) rumbling inextricable beyond measure for the LOL generation, but let’s make a deal and assume that people change during her teens and an 18-year-old graduate is more mature than a 15-year-old toddler…. well I’ve almost believed it. I would yet add that adolescents tend to warm to each other when they spend so much behind the curtain rehearsal afternoons together, don’t they? At least so I am told. Nothing less happened to these two. Oh! and obviously, should Page not be gay, Claude wouldn’t stand a chance at Gideon, would she? I guess so. Queen-bees always have the privilege. But you know what? Never mind about the natural (jolting) cycle of high school universality, this is how it is and these two are PERFECT!

“I am the kind of person you feel regular about.”

   Let’s put down the grounds that the fact of the blooming butterfly-wing fragile connection between Gideon and Claud scares the hell out of her is rather an overreaction in such a young age, though, the lack of self-confidence must have a role in that part of young adult life.

"What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna shoot him," Iris replies simply.
"Iris! You can't just shoot players indiscriminately!"
"He dumped you; he deserves to die."
"That's--"
"In the context of the game," she amends. "His stupid character deserves death in the game."

   The coolest part, that scuttling away does not put automatically an end to the Carved Book of Destiny. For I have recently learned, what is meant to be, always will be. Jolly-holly!

“I like you, you majestic space prince.”

   Gotta say a few words about the baffling girlmance if Iris and Claude. What an idiot have thought that these two would become BFFs? Despite the fact that Iris’s hyperbolically stark and churlish countenance wellnigh keeps the population out of her 5 mile reach, Claude seems to hit it off with the whole motion-packed theatre geeks. That’s what we love about her apart from her awesome stupendously hilarious quips. Geez, I have had so much fun!

“That was everything on my must-have list. Luxury, Affordable. Industry standard.”
Real.

Footnote

It’s high time I got my flushed overjoyed head out of the clouds and gave this book a high 5!

<3
So much jooooy xoxo

Pre-thoughts of Peril

    I was expecting a bunch of Savant-like supercool guys kicking someone in the ass, as usual, Joss Stirling style. What did I get instead? Some bloated Teans and even more bumptious Perilous fighting their little games of war based on a lifetime old abomination due to a mutation in their DNA differing them between glowing people and a species possessing heightened UV vision…so original.
Not quite aware of her own origins, Meri can’t quite get a grip on her never-ending pursuit by some tattooed guys flaring out in a flagrant colour of UV when being provoked or overwhelmed by tender emotions. ;)

    Kel on the other side has been training to protect the Crown of his people all of his life from the vengeful Teans devoted to wipe the Perilous from existence until a sudden change of heart. Yes, obviously Meredith has that effect on people subjugating their free will to her any desire of heart. What makes of the safeguard of a millennium old civilization dated way back to the beginning of time having ruled the long-lost kingdom of Atlantis compared to the new all-sweeping sensation of first love? Much more were lost in the great battles of antiquity than a whole supporting family and a playboy way of life that are about to confront Kel out of the blue, I suppose.
He must have cheek to give up on all the privileges his way of living offers him including a loving family and friends for a girl he hardly knows. It is pretty much everything a guy of his age languish for especially in this bleak hailstormy era of Britain. Living is not easy let alone now in this manhandled world of floods and climatic monstrosities without any days of respite.

    So the thing is he has an inclination to light up like a lighthouse with peculiar spiral patterns on his skin and what namely she has is the ability of burning him out with a mere stroke of her backhand. That’s what makes them eternal foes, doesn’t it? And that is where all goes wrong. Meri is running for her life while he attempts to put some reasonable sense in his allegedly Perilous people. But no can do. The Perilous are convinced they are right, justified even. Yup, this infatuated way of approach always turned out well in the last centuries. I am totally put out at the blindfolded stance of this cult calling themselves the Perilous. The name does not quite fit the image, I guess. They may make do at rave parties or graduation celebrations but not in the sector of intimidation until they fetch Meri and propose her a secure teenager life under their personal watch, as the slogan goes “never let a full-blood Tean let lose blowing the entire neighborhood a fuse.”
Becoming estranged from his family, Kel is determined to follow Meri in her elopement with other Teans. Not the best move budy jumping from one mess to another havoc, but I can not put the blame on him. Every girl needs an inferior sidekick, don’t they? ;)

    By and large, the story made me stick to it but I am less impressed. Simply, I don’t find the score of the story original enough as it easily could handle some more supernatural if you ask me. If there is a whole lost kingdom to discover with rather unattractive skills on both sides than why not mix the smoothie a bit? If it is a plain YA so be it, but if we want to build a genuinely spectacular world of supernatural beings, do not extract the excitements and twists from it.

    Rating

    3 out 5 stars  - not impressed :/

    P.S: I would be delighted to make acquaintance with this perilous cupcake Ade until he took a shot at my babe Kel. Naughty boy. Never forgiven.

"I can feel the golden thread of my new destiny, the one I’d chosen for myself, slipping through my fingers."

    Urgggh! Can't believe that's happening to me again! That I launch into a promising story full of untapped intrigues and deep dark secrets then bang! it is only made into three books so as to stall the course of events especially made for angsting me. Damn it. Urgggh! once again.
    As you can forbode, I usually go for an action-packed thrill and a raised-level blood pulse, but what I get is a hoity-toity rambling and an unintermitted retelling of the freaking evident!!!

With or without you

     I would expect it to be truthful to the passages of a young adult and while Haden fits the elementary qualities what a ya hottie ought to possess, on Daphne's part I just feel ignorance. Is she so much engaged in her trust issues that she shuts her eyes to the freaking-eight-abs-underrealmly-gorgeousness rather than make a bolt for him? Outrageous! And the question is on what grounds? The bullshit train must have taken offfff. And from now on, it is unstoppable.
     The acutely-calculated twist and turn comprises the moment when like a stroke of lightning she opens her "inner" eye and perceives she's not the middle of the universe. How cliché is that? Good job hon, keep going!
      It is likely the author concocts a master plan how they will end up together at the end of the series but the crumbs of showing their affection is not the least satisfiable. I feel like a leering puppet gazing at a feasible-ready-to-fall crumb of meat from the dinner table, but instead the head of the family gives me a kick.
      Largely, Daphne doesn't own any attractive feature to make her a positive strong heroine. She'd hardly stand her ground in the mortal dimension if we stripped her off the Greek mythology lacquer.

      "I’d thought I could choose my own path. Weave my own destiny. But the thread I’d been clinging to hasn’t just slipped through my fingers, it has unraveled and snapped."

      I don't need to emphasize the fact that there is absolutely no reason to recite what is happening from three different perspectives. The pastry-cooks also know that 3 layers of marzipan makes the cake concupisible but inedible at the same time. I would have passed over it in silence in case I had gotten a steamy, slouchy, snogging backup story. Obviously, I had not. The only vantage of it is I am a Greek myth addict thus I did not sweep it aside after a couple of chapters that I should have apparently done.

P.S. I hoped for some reasoms that Haden and Garrick might have some brotherhood-developement during the hardship of their quest. Only a treacherous rat crosses my way of expectations and spats me in the face. As in, I don't fancy you, Garrick.

Favourite character: Haden

Least favorite character: everyone else

The great question of life

I feel like earning a medallion for having been put through The Eternity Key and still there is one more to go. The Immortal. To read or not to read? As I need to ready my mind for a reading experience beset with imperative hardships and a lot of angst...yeesh...nope it's totally not gonna happen!

Rating

3 out of 5 and a bunch of sad emojis :((((

"Normalcy is overrated."

Phoebe is a fantasy-reading-total-bookworm-nerd. And that's what I adore about her. I certainly must have been just like her in my sweet sixteen but unlike her, I did care too much what the others thought of me. Randomly dressing up in her beloved heroine's costume, being wrapped up in the world of Faes and leprechauns during lunch break or doing archery in her freetime? Bingo! That's Phoebe. While certain people are pondering on what earth this oddball lives, some other guys may consider her particularly hot. Feebs, however can not get is head out of the cloud nine of her fantasy world made up of personal swoonworthy, one-resolute, sword at the carry heros. But even she has to recognize what her best friend has pointed out: Dev, for example, is definitely knitworthy. Whatever that is supposed to mean.

Although it's in her friends best intentions, it's quite frustrating to see they do everything to get Phoebe an inch closer to boring-land. Isn't friendship all about respecting your best friend's most flagrant weirdness and mocking at the 99 percentage who desperately do their best to blend in??

With all due respect, friends are supposed to act like this:

“Um, you could just ask him out.”
I frowned at her. “Hello? Shy, bookish knitter here. I don’t ask people out. The thought of doing that gives me hives.”

It is quite adorable Phoebe is literally incapable of dating a guy, let alone peeking out of her book tower. But even does she have to realize she can't give too much credit what romances are about in fictions. In other cases, a whole lot of Cinderellas, Rapunzels and Belles would be loafing around drinking cocktails with their picture-perfect princes. That would be awesome!

But frankly, real life has its perks as well, doesn't it? There is cute, Bollywood Dev who makes Phoebe's heart flutter, isn't there? Apart from the embarrassing encounters of first teenage love, I would say flash and blood guys are certainly worth a shot. Or two.

After reading

But!
I'd rather go over to the fantasy YAs full of heart-melting smooches and out-of-this-world excitements more than half of the time. No offense. Reality sometimes sucks.

Rating

3 out of 5

"Love from here to infinity."

First off, Kori is just as badass as I expected her to be.
But
Being raised by an all sharp-edged-up-tight general who trained her in an ever-prepared-hold-your-head-up-high attitude and she didn't even learn how to swim?
It is just me who see the irish bull?
But trying not to ride this horse, I should say the protagonist is Okay.
If nothing else is anyway.

“This is a bad idea,”
“Most of the fun stuff usually is.”

It is just that the whole story feels kinda weak and groundless. Jumping into other dimensions would not be irksome in other cases. If we could talk about frigging jumping dimensions here, I would give my blessings for sure. However, all these fellows do is they chase some lunatic across the country so as not to let Kori's organs blow into bits and pieces there and there. They are nailing Jell-O to a tree as Dylan is always a step ahead of them, aren't they? Oh! Come to think of it, Kori's has no problem to fall for all the "time-travelling" fudge these two random guys out of nowhere cook up. Nice one, really.

"If I ever find a guy willing to put up with my array of irritating habits and low tolerance temper." - Kori and I are soulmates.

Cade, dear Cade. I put you at the bottom of my book boyfriend list. No offense. But I don't know anything about him except the obvious obsession with avenging the love of his life in their reality who happens to wear the exact same face as Kori's on Earth. What a coincidence! Accordingly, I don't buy the so-called "passion" between the two of them. The attraction, the kisses, the desire are so.... how can I call it? Cheap. I am used to real relationships. Not a faint imprint that of another universe.

"Telling us not to do something was the fastest way to nudge us toward doing it." - this book speaks to me :)

Rating

A rather shaky 3 out of 5.

My last words to this book

I am going to live in vivid colors. ;)

How we found each other

It never gets out of fashion to read some gods-walking-among-us-covertly bed-time stories. Just like watching Disney movies.

“Take care of her, Jax. She’s one of us now.”

Apart from the fact that Delia is imprisoned for life on Trespass island, she takes better than expected. At least, better than I would go with it. No internet? They'd better call themselves cavemen again. And good gracious no Instagram? Holy cow! Earth must have spin off its axis.
What the hell is this freak-me-out show Trespass-style?

However, I wouldn't mind if I was taken to an amazing underwater journey like this. I love when Jax and Delia are traveling to uncharted waters of which every minute feels like magic. Have I mentioned I love water? It convinced me to take scuba-diving lessons. Thumbs up!

Personally, I think the story could have been unfold in a trilogy for the characters being multiplayer to explore, let alone enjoyable story-telling. But It remains hidden in the world of imagination left to the audience to go on guessing what will happen to them. And I can't get tired of re-make of Greek mythology ever! I start to believe people of Ancient times got the most inspiration and we, the masses of the 21th century, got the meek part of worshipping. Typical.

How I feel now

I'm doing impressed.

Rating

3 out of 5

Song

Naughty Boy - Running

“I mean, sometimes it’s like people assume I’m like them in ways I’m not, and that sucks, but other times they think I’m different in ways I don’t feel different, and that sucks too.”

Alternative universe, things you can see that others may not, feeling different in a place where you're supposed to belong—these are the signs that definitely forecast a reserved chamber on the funny farm.

And still all is there if you're not afraid to open your mind to the Otherworld. You may not encounter Hades or Osiris—whichever underworld deity you prefer waiting on the other side—but you bet you'll find none other than a tall handsome stranger falling in love with you in a fragment of second as if it was written in the stars.

Nat feels out of place since childhood when Grandmother has been paying her a visit every night telling all kind of—freaking out—stories. Then she disappears in the thin air with a last message: You've got three months to save him. But who is he? Well, it's the typical case of looking for a needle in a haystack. Good luck with that.

"Love is giving the world away and being loved is having the whole world to give."

I love the delicate stages of detachment of the relationship between Mat and Nat when they both wish to be together but at the same time they can't start everything over from point zero. Especially if what she needs is not a do-over but a clean slate. And the book gives voice to the general truth, that just because Mat is a nice person and they had a fruitful relationship, doesn't mean she owes him anything anymore. Even if anyone else wants them to get back together. Once it's over is over.

As for Meg and Nat's born-to-be-friends connection, it is adorable! The fact that Nat isn't this close to her own family is so rare. It is as plain as daylight. #BFF#YOLO

"What is love, other than putting someone else before you?"

I wouldn't say that I've got everything in connection with time travelling and alternative universes but overall it's about love and how much Nat is willing to sacrifice in order to save the one she loves. She proved to be worthy and pure-hearted enough to have a future with the boy she's in love with. Their love is so powerful that he's actually come back from the dead just to be with her! In other cases, I usually need declaration of faithful-unto-deaths and background angel-orchestra but I must say the crystalline act of sacrificing herself for Beau is heart-rending. All of these is wrapped in a flowing and beautiful writing style. Don't hesitate to break open this heartwarming time-space-traveling-love-box.

How I feel right now

Dumb as a fish.

Delivered For You

This story sticks with you, long after your finished reading it. It will invade your dreams and pop up in your head out of the blue.

Rating

3 out of 5

"You don’t need to be afraid to move on. And you don't need to be afraid to stay, either. There’s always more to see and feel."

"One day, if you make the most of it, can be moe satisfactory than a lifetime squandered."

One word that describes the final book

???

Cannot describe in one word. But I could list 100 different kind of exaggerated expressions right now and it still wouldn't be enough to declare how I feel.

Before you read it

Sleeping is a big no-no. Get ready for reading it untill your eyes get sore and lock yourself up in your chamber and make sure that the dragon would chase away anybody who gets close enough to speak to you because that special one would not make the light of day after busting your pink-love-Ren-bubble.

How I feel at the start

I. Can't. Bear. It. Anymore. Save me...

Someone should diminish the pain right away because I'm not sure how much of Kelsey's stubborness I can tolerate any longer, which is enough to make the angels weep.
Shoot me.

"Why aren't you with the man you love?"

It's one thing Kelsey and Kishan are together, that I can't get enough of Ren and Kelsey together makes my life truly miserable. But Kelsey having agreed to marry Kishan is another thing entirely. She always needs a guy who pulls her bacon out of the fire. Although she's said to be the choosen one supposedly altering the destiny of entire India, no day rolls by during which at least one of the boys is saving her ass. What if she chooses to be single for this time? Not wishing to spend her lifetime 4ever alone is a crappy excuse. The worst part is that all the boys are always there like little puppies nipping at her heel because she's Miss Perfect. Urgghh...

“Each step that you’ve taken, each foe that you’ve overcome, each hardship that you’ve endured, has led you here, now, to this moment. It is the eve of your destiny, Kahl-see. It is meant to be, because it has always been so."

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

After the series of battles fought after battles, trials of love, the hope for a new lease of life, Kelsey is ready to embrace her destiny and not to waste a moment on mourning those she left behind. She'd better do so because I was ready to reach for her through the pages and shake her until I beat some sense into her. I was wondering if she was also fed up with the obvious that she's capable of bringing mature adult to their knees and making them to fight her battles. Is it even possible to love two boys at the same time? It sounds like it's even a challinge to have a crash on just one. But how would I know? If love is knocking at the door, then it's knocking at the door. Only if she let it in! Good heavens. I'm watching a pot that never boils...

"Not a moment has gone by in the last two years when I wasn’t overwhelmed by my feelings for you."

Match made in heaven—Till death do as apart

I've been watching a pot that never boils since it felt like forever to see them getting married. On the other hand, it's been a crazy-head-spinning-train that I never wanted to get off. I'll need another novel of their after-marriage even if there wouldn't be parallel universes, magical creatures and I would definitely not be crying after the nutcracker boogey Lokesh man. Their relationship single-handedly is outstanding, heartwarming, mind-blowing and a twenty different kinds of awesome!

Observation: Oddly enough, I was deeply hurt when Kishan had said goodbye to Kelsey. Such a sweet guy, yet unfortunately they were never meant to be. Poor thing.

At least it was a clean break.

How I feel after

I died a few times and couldn't see through the veil of my tears. Don't you dare miss such a staggering-turn-the-whole-world-inside-out love story that sets the world on Fire.

Rating

I can't confine it into a spectrum of five friggin' numbers. You. Cannot. Make. Me.

“You are everything to me, Kelsey Hayes. Every moment with you shines brighter than the last.”

P.S.

Dear Ren,

I would like to thank you for being with me during this entire four book journey which has raised me in cloud nine and I dreamed rainbow and unicorn because of you. That I loved you since your first “Hello, Kelsey. It’s me, Ren.” till your last “You can’t escape my clutches, Mrs. Rajaram". That you invaded my waking thoughts and made me myself scribble your name in red hearts and just being a shot of pure good straight into the heart. I'll remember you. Always. <3

Xoxo

Hardcore fangirl

Kale and Dez are back! It's been a long time since I managed to lay my hands on the third volume of the Denazen series but afterwards a hell of blissful days has arrived! xoxoxo

A woman of few words –a live wire

Dez is one of my favourite kick-ass heroines. She's overly confident, sarcastic, and just a little bit crazy. She has a tendency to make waves and get a blow in first rather than ask questions nicely. The ability of taking care of herself extremely appeals to me. The actions of her carpe diem policy usually put a thorn in her pillow but there's no time to lose on second-thoughts or regrets. An ex-adrenaline-junkie whose older life full of swirling parties seems so trivial now compared to the deep water in which she happens to find herself from time to time. She lives a crazy life but it's more than okay for her.

A hot potato

"I’m going to fix it. He’s in there—I know it. I’ll make this right.”
“And if you can’t?”
I lifted my head and met her gaze head-on. “That’s just not an option for me.”

She comes hell or high water just to get Kale back who has been apparently brain-washed by one hell of an institute: the Denazen. After several months of captivity, he takes after the supreme killer machine of the Capitolium, Peeta Mellark-style. Being unable to put Dez in the right place of his mind, he's intended to terminate her. For good.

Their love is luckily not a heart of glass so they're gonna pull through together eventually. Or at least I keep my fingers crossed...

Race against time

"Some people were just so damn untrusting."

Despite the fact that Kale makes her mouth waters (which makes two of us) everytime she sets her eyes on him, she's well aware of the danger he means to her. Instead of twirling her fingers, however, she doesn't let Kale slip out of her hands if it's up to her. How about kidnapping him and sheperding his thoughts in the right course for a starter? Oh! And don't forget about her eighteenth birthday that could easily become her death sentence if it's not for an antidote . Finding the cure should be a priority but who dares to determine her to-do list? Either way, her clock is ticking. Tick-tack.

A watched pot never boils

"It was the sound of his voice. Deep and rich like warm caramel coffee, each word a soothing sip that sent the endorphins in my brain jumping."

With bulging eyes, she looks out for Kale in case he's showing any progress with his memories. So far, not so good. Much worse he got hooked up with the soulless monster's daughter, Kiernan. Let alone Kale is still trying to figure out whether he should kill her. Or not. Take him as a boyfriend. Free for sale.

"You told me once that I was your lifeline. That I calmed the storm in your head."

Anyway, she won't give up on him. Ever. This is a whole messed-up situation. Crackers on crazy as Kale would say. Such a sweet innocuous guy. Especially when he opens his mouth and says things like that. Luckily he starts to get certain things such as their love cannot be wiped out by some mind-messing Six-weirdo. The intense chemistry plus the head-wrapping fight-to-death stunts result in a damn-sparkling firework. Thanks heaven it's not over yet. Three books but there's still more to the Denazen world. Can you keep up?

"He wasn’t your average chocolate chip cookie. No. Kale was a mocha cookie with coffee-flavored chips and a gooey caffeinated center. He was one of a kind—and I wouldn’t have changed that for anything on earth."

Favourite scene

Beside all the smoldering make-up sessions, it's when Dez in the elevator...this could be made one hell of an action movie!

Rating

5 out of 5

Cara arrives to l'eihr.
Aelyx makes a splash on Earth.

She tries to blend in.
He's far too noticable.

She'll never be one of them.
He'll never be welcomed.

Intergalactic love –blazing stars of the universe

Maintaining a long distance relationship is hard enough on general ground but what if a whole galaxy seperates the youngs madly in love with each other?

Cara's spitfire personality is mere different than people of Aeigis got used to. The auburn mane, freckles all over her face mark Cara as the strangest creature in the universe. Although she has to face some serious hostility, she sticks to the plan of forming an alliance between Earth and Aeigis in favour of saving human kind. So noble of her.

Meanwhile Aelyx is eager to put the alliance across so he can return home and to Cara as soon as possible. In the meantime, he is trying not to die due to the cuddling hospitality of his mundane hosts.

Over the hills and far away

Apart from the ethnic differences, which is hard enough to cope with, they're at loggerheads, problems are waiting to be solved. They don't see eye to eye in the matter of where they should built their cosy nest together. Obviously Cara doesn't feel home on his dull planet that is devoid of human emotions and Aelyx doesn't get why anyone would make a permanent home on her lively-all-clolourful-Earth. The first division in their otherwise fruitful relationship. It's a pitty I can't see them together. But! It's a nice whisp of air in the trilogy. I love a bit down-to-earth science-fiction. Their bickering gives authenticity to the otherwise make-up, travelling-between-worlds-at-lightspeed backstory.

Between earth and infinite sky

Cara makes up her mind and though her heart is shattered, she has no choice left but making a clean break with Aelyx. A bit of sorrow mixed in her emotions. Why is she the one who needs to give up everything for him? It should be the other way round. Her return to home proves to be a lot harder than she ever thought to be. But put the bitter sweet aside, both of their worlds are in danger. Another alien race threatens to swipe out the life of their planets. My head is spinning in this newly emerged alien-swamped empire.

"I know how humans love. Their passion burns like a lump of sugar—quick and hot. And when the fire dies, they seek a new flame. They chase sparks instead of collecting the warmth of old embers.”

Constellations in the ever-changing universe

Personally I travel on an emotionally roller-coaster all along: I simultaneously feel fear for Cara and Aelyx, abashment by David's treachery and sympathy for Syrine. Losing someone twice in a row is a huge kick in the ass. There's isn't such thing as justice on Earth...maybe she'll be luckier on Aeigis. If it wouldn't be enough,  my heart sinks to the bottom when Aelyx nearly winds up dead. But to my claim for compensation, the big reunion with his Elire gives me goose-bumps.

Hitch the wagon to a star

Cara makes the world govaround in the brand-new alien government at seventeen without graduation or any sea change brought to the table. We (plain boring human beings) never have the chance to live the dream in posession of MSc but she's lived enough to suffice her ambitions and hit the jackpot in a legislative body influencing lives of millions.

It's only a matter of time that higher intelligentsia will peer down to our earth and it'd be our turn to make a wish-list...then mine would be that I can breath underwater. That would be awesome! With the little fish and everything...

Favourite scene: There's no more effective way to show Cara how much he missed after months of separation than a simple 'Get over here' and a long session of making out afterwards. <3 <3 <3

"In choosing to settle on another planet, I’m letting go of one dream to embrace another."

Rating

5 out of 5 (What else?)

You may also like : Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave

Look how it gets started

Melissa Landers - Alienated

There are books which are Okay but you're able to let go and live on your miserable mundane life. Then there are some stories which capture your attention, snap you out of your comfy bubble and make you feel rather dizzy for a couple of few more days.

Then there're worlds in which you're completely lost being unable to tell the difference between reality and a whole new universe coming to life in your head. You're there with the characters feeling the exact same emotions they live through. As if you had dozens of hot true love and your heart was broken more than in real life. One time you scream, the other time you weep–an endless circle. Then you wail for the reason that it's all over. The pages have run out and there's nothing left but an endless void that cannot be filled. Well, that's this book for me...

Life isn't taken for granted

Lela and Nadia are inseparable since Lela moved to another faster parent of many in Rhode Island. Lela has learnt some tough lessons during the juvie (kick-ass girl) which explains how impossible it is for someone getting through the concrete wall she built around her. Except for Nadia. She has faith in Lela that she could do better in life and she's worth the effort to make her a decent citizen of society. They have a pretty strong bond. On the other hand, Nadia isn't all smiles and fun, either. Deep down she has sorrow feelings hidden even from her bestie. Once she decided to take control and end her life by her own hands. Who could blame her? Life could be shitty sometimes. But Lela takes the blame and follows her best friend into death even though inadvertently. We all know there are no such a thing like a coincidence, don't we?

The Suicide City–Heaven turned out to be pretty damn disappointing

Lela knows exactly where she ended up—the beautiful Countryside of peace and eternal happiness. But how could she live happily ever after if she was the one letting Nadia down? After she cared about her when no one did spare a second thought? Lela has the guts to head the suicide city 'where the only things that grew were the festering wishes of the dead, sorrowful people trapped there.'

I wonder her courage (or stupidity?) to go through hell for her. I doubt my own blood would do that for me, so she has certainly big shoes to fill in. Here comes a strong female lead who can take care of herself finally and helly yeah no need for man action. I give my thumb up!

"This was the shining moment, the one where I proved I was worth the time she’d spent on me."

Off the beaten track

She gets into hot water by messing with the Guards. She's definitely made as welcome as a dog on a putting-green. No point in stirring up trouble if she'd like to get off with a whole skin. Her chances of finding Nadia and dragging her to the Countryside are running pretty low since Malachi (hurray!) is intended to get her out of the hapless city of sorrow to which she doesn't belong. He’d spent the last several decades in a walled city of cement and steel and slime (without any feminine charms to comfort him–poor thing), so he's obviously not in the mood of coming to silly selfless girls' aid who don't give a damn for their own safety but he makes a lenient exception. The guy hasn't had a wide range of fun so I can't blame him falling for the first pretty eyes he's encountered in the last seventy years. I keep my eyes on him though.

Battle array

Malachi Captin of the Dark City is in charge of eliminating the Mazakins—evil spirits arriving straight from hell and in the meantime they're busy occupying the bodies of the wretched citizens. By wielding staff and a lethal scimitar he certainly makes a pretty terrifying first impression. It explains why she can't take her eyes of the smoking hot body of his. In my mind at least...

"I am here. I will do what they ask me to do, and I will do it well."

Despite the waste land where nothing good grow there, something is growing between them which makes both of them vulnerable and willing to make mistakes which they cannot afford. Or else they have to pay a high price. Kind of woozy since they're already dead. I should tell it's not fair suffering more after death, is it? Wasn't the first time enough? What about the jumping-on-fluffy-clouds and angle-kissed-cherub bullshit? I put in a claim for damages.

Second chances

They don't seem to have the ball at their feet. Even though they have a bright future to live out in the Countryside Lela's rather willing to sacrifice her soul in exchange of Nadia's well-being. Craaaazy...What a selfless busy-bee.

In return she's appointed a Guard with Malachi sticking to her like glue. He won't go anywhere without her which doesn't hurt really. Even if he's missed his chance of living happily ever after outside the Suicide City's wall. (If only someone did that for me!) How nice that they have found each other in hell. Maybe the miserable folks like us stand a chance after all....

"I cannot help but fear that I lose a piece of myself every single time. Still, I will do what I can, perhaps until there is nothing left of me."

After reading

Hampered respiration

Songs

Hurts - Some Kind of Heaven

Movie

I wish it was made into a movie! I've recently come across Matthew Daddario whose dark presence matches that of Malachi. Lela should be someone who is badass enough for this role. Any touch-me-not is below the line.

Rating

5 out of 5

I wouldn't miss a Kasie West book for the world.

"Feelings can be the most costly thing in the universe."

Note to myself: china dolls freak me out.

Conclusion: Caymen is quite a piece of work with her omnipresent dry humour. At least we have something in common. It's good to know I'm not the only one ;)

Footnote: sarcasm (noun)

• The use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny - that only one percent of population tolerates. (personal experience)

So unless you're a master of it, I advise you not to use it in everyday conversations, otherwise there's a high possibility that you expose yourself to ridicule and ever-lasting humiliation in front of human species. Again. Personal experience. People could be so damn boring sometimes.

Dolls & More

Life is not a piece of creamy peanut-butter cupcake for Caymen who is named after her mother's favourite holiday destination...you took the hook, right? Actually she's only christened pretty poorly which should be the second special giveaway right after her trait of pulling everyone's leg in a five-meter range.

She put up with creepy china dolls with whiny expression freezed on their meticulously polished faces looking at Caymen from every angle of the boutique, which is already too much sacrifice. Beyond that she's ready to resign herself to the inevitable of working for eternity so as to make ends meet, which would result in missing a year or two at university, if it wasn't for Xander, one of the upper ten thousand. Out of his right mind, he dares meander to the shop acting like a spoiled brat. Luckily he is not to buy a doll for himself. That would be weird...

Yet, he seems to abide her sarcasm and dedicate himself to be her everyday to-school escort after popping out one of his fancy cost-more-than-a-year-long-salary racing car and sporting designer clothes. The ravine between them couldn't be more broad in every walks of life. She's the penniless Lizzy for her loaded Darcy. Only in this case, it is unlikely to work. That's why it has to be stopped. Right now.

Career days—what is your destiny?

"To stop worrying about what’s expected of us and try to find out what we want for ourselves."

They set up a day each time testing new things in order to savvy what the hell they should do with their lives that have already been decided without their blessing.

That's how she's initiated in his push, super-rich, red-carpet everydays that contrast her miserable surviving day by day. However it still not enough to blend in. The fact that Xander seems reluctant to introduce her to his father is an apparent justification of it. He may find her killing humour flat-out amusing at the moment, he'll find another shiny new toy soon enough. These playboys have too much time at their disposal. Or so I've been told.

The perfect reason to get the gallant's delicate, un-callused hands dirty : time to go grave-digging! Xander's taking a sip of the coffee before handing it to Caymen is just another strange habits of theirs. Love is universal but probably every couple has its oddities.

His taste of excitement

Xader's snobby friends give countenance to the doubt of hers which specifically is that the two of them don't fit. His expectations proved to be out of her reach. Hence she'd better get away as far as she can from his blinding spotlight.

Calm after the storm

Like a lightning strike : what if your long-lost grandparents emerge out of the blue and shed some light on your well-to-do identity after 17 years? Congrats, would you feel that youcwon the lottery? Or you'd feel like tearing your winning coupon into bits and pieces because after 17 years of waiting you got fed up. It depends on the point of view.

Caymen unfortunately falls into the afore cathegory. Though it's nice to have someone to care about her. At least it would have been nice if her relatives had looked after her from the beginning. Forgiveness is good but she shouldn't let it fade her memories. God forgives, she shouldn't.

Breaking news : The pauper's fate has turned upside down. She may now has a chance to win the prince's heart with a crown on her head.

Note to you

Appreciate the witty-sarcastic dialogue. Worth it.

How I feel now

Glad that I get rid of the china dolls. Can't put up with them any longer.

Starring

Someone who looks totally self-absord with a stick-up smug smile on his face. Robert Pattinson will do.

Songs

Lord - Royals
https://youtu.be/nlcIKh6sBtc

Rating

5 out of 5