Movie Review: If I Stay

Summary:

Life changes in an instant for young Mia Hall after a car accident puts her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, she must decide whether to wake up and live a life far different than she had imagined. (Via IMDb.com)

Release Date: August 22nd, 2014 

Running Time: 1 hour and 46 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review:

     Last August, I read If I Stay. I remember getting my copy at an antique shop in Oklahoma, of all places. I finished If I Stay in one sitting on the drive home to Pennsylvania. I remember having my sunglasses on in the car so you could not tell I was crying. 

     If I Stay is an amazing book and the book-to-movie adaptation was amazing. It made me laugh and cry. So far, If I Stay is my favorite book-to-movie adaptation of this year. If you have read the book or have yet to I highly recommend going to see it (with a tissue box in hand). But, of course read the book first if you plan to ever read the book, you would not want the movie to spoil you.
    Usually in book-to-movie adaptations, they tend to cast people that are not like the characters in the book. But, they did an amazing casting job in If I Stay. At first I was not sure about Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia but she turned out to be the perfect fit for Mia. All the other cast members were amazing and they really brought the emotion.  

*Spoiler Section*

    

     I cried a lot during the movie, but not as much as I did watching The Fault In Our Stars (click to see my review) . It was nice that there were flashbacks between the present and the past.  It made it less painful to watch since we would get distracted and forget about the bad things going on. Unlike The Fault In Our Stars, where it was dumped on you the entire time.
     I knew that the worst two scenes that I would bawl over (like the book) were when Teddy died and when Mia's Grandfather told her it was okay if she didn't want to stay. During the movie, we actually did not see as much of Teddy as we did in the book. Since I was so attached to Teddy in the book as well as in the movie it sounded like I was hyperventilating when he died in the movie. I was crying hysterically. It was also so emotional when Mia's Grandfather told her it was okay to leave because it showed how much he loved her. He loved her enough to not want her to suffer if she was forced to wake up. It was so sad, yet sweet.
     I loved that the movie was a really close adaptation to the book. One thing I was disappointed about was that they left out how Kim and Mia became friends. That was not necessary to include but it would have been nice to change off of the subject of Adam and show who else Mia would leave behind if she died. 
     I was also glad the movie included a lot of lines directly from the book. My favorite quote that made it into the movie is on page 175 when Mia's dad says, "Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you." I wish that on page 175, "I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard." had made it into the movie.
     If I Stay seems to be making a lot of money, so I am crossing my fingers that they will make enough for the sequel, Where She Went (click to see my review) into a movie as well.
     Overall, If I Stay was an amazing adaptation of the book and gave me All. The. Feels.
~Casey

Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Summary:

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing. (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 500

Release Date: August 5th, 2014

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review:

     The hardest thing about reading is saying goodbye. That is one thing non-readers will never understand. They asks us why we cry over character deaths, why enjoy reading and other questions like those. We get attached to these characters and are submersed into their world and we don't want to leave. Those characters become our best friends and we fall in love with them. They become a part of us and we don't want to let go. That is why I don't want to see the Lux series end. I have been with the series since December of 2012 and one of my close friends and I bonded over the Lux series so I also do not want to let go over sentimental reasons. The good thing is, this is not goodbye to Jennifer's books. Unlike most authors, she has several series and single books going on at the same time so I never have withdrawal from her books (unless it is a sequel *cough* Every Last Breath, the third book in The Dark Elements series *cough*). 

     Before I get all teary eyed and start spoiling everything, Opposition is the fifth and final book in the Lux series. The Lux series is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite series and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone. Jennifer L. Armentrout is also one of my favorite authors. The Lux series is witty, humorous, exciting, action-packed, romantic, and amazingly written. A series like this only comes around once in a while and you will never find anything quite like it. I will deeply miss this series but Opposition was the perfect ending to the series.
     I have a review of the prequel novella, Shadows:
http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/shadows-lux-05-by-jennifer-l-armentrout.html 
     My review of the fourth book in the Lux series, Origin:
http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/08/origin-lux-4-by-jennifer-l-armentrout.html.
     Jennifer has an amazing ability to write. She can write any genre for any age group. One thing I also find amazing about her writing is that she can turn a book with approximately 360 pages or less into something big and brilliant. 
    Take the Lux series, for example. That is a small book to me. I usually read books that are 400-500 pages long. But, Jennifer uses all 360 pages to the maximum effect. She fits all the romance, action, drama, etc. into a small 360 page book that never fails. I have yet to read one of her books that I have not liked. Jennifer also has this ability to write chapters that are so intense and make you nervous but then she throws in a romantic moment that makes you forget what bad things are happening and lets you relax. Jennifer is also an amazing person. I have met her three times before and every time she is so sweet and easy to talk to. I feel like I am talking to an old friend. She is so easy going and funny to listen to at a panel. 

     I do not like the new covers of the Lux series. The old ones, Obsidian, Onyx, Opal, and even Origin related to the books. The cover models also looked like Daemon and Kat. Opposition is just a weird close up of a guys face. What is up with the sparkles though? It looks like Twilight threw up on them. But, I guess it represents the Luxen since they are made up of light. Also, why did they have to bind up Obsidian and Onyx into Beginnings and Opal and Origin into Consequences? The books were perfectly fine before! What are your thoughts on the cover changes?

     The following spoiler section will spoil the entire Lux series and Jennifer L. Armentrout's special thank you that includes an extra epilogue to Opposition:  http://www.jenniferarmentrout.com/a-special-thank-you/. 

*Spoiler Section*

   
    Usually when I write a review it just flows out of me. I know exactly what to say and how to. But, for some reason, Opposition was not like that. It's not that I don't have anything to say about the book, but when I do it seems to come out wrong. So, I hope this review turns out alright. 
    I liked that Jennifer used the two-point perspective in Opposition (like in Origin). It was nice to know both Daemon and Kat's thoughts on certain events and what each of them were up to since they were separated at the beginning of Opposition. I never had trouble identifying if I was in Daemon or Kat's perspective in the middle of the chapter, which was great. I did not want to have a repeat of Allegiant.  
    One thing I hate in books is the mistreating of gingers. In most of the books I have read with gingers they were either killed off and/or a mean person. Both of those are the cases in the Lux series. In Opposition, we meet red-headed devil Sadi who dies (two-for-one deal). I am not saying this to shame Opposition this is just an observation I tend to make when I read books since I am also a ginger.
    I thought it was so interesting that the invading Luxen were able to take other Luxen under their control, unless those Luxen had a hybrid. It was so sad when we found out that Dee was under the Luxen's control. I was really nervous that Kat, Daemon & Archer would not be able to break her from it. When Kat was able to break her from the Luxen's control, I wanted to have a group hug with them. I also wanted to hug Kat because she saved my ship (Archer and Dee). 
    I had no idea how they were going to get rid of the invading Luxen. But, using EMP bombs was a horrible idea. It came from the right direction, to kill Luxen, but killing innocent humans, and electrical grids made it a horrible idea. I so badly wanted to hug Daemon when he came up with the idea to get the Arum to kill the Luxen instead of using the EMP bombs. I wonder if they ever got the electrical grids back up and working in Los Angeles?
     Meeting with the Arum was really weird because since Obsidian we have been taught that Arum are bad. When actually the Luxen are the bad aliens. I am not saying the Arum are the best people around because Lotho is an absolute creep. But, Lore and Hunter are pretty cool. I am now really interested in Hunter and Serena's story. I am curious to see how a Arum and a human fell in love. Which I can find out if I read Obsession, an Adult spin-off book from the Lux series. 
   I was shocked to find out Kat and Daemon's connection was broken by the Prometheus serum, one of them could die without killing the other. But, once I learned that I knew Daemon was going to get hurt. Daemon would get hurt because Kat was in no real danger because Daemon was constantly protecting her. I was 99% sure that Daemon would survive what ever happened to him though. I love being right! Even though I was right and Daemon survived, I still cried a little because Kat was talking about how much she loved him and how they had promised they would have forever together. I am just glad that Katy did not create a montage of her and Daemon together in her head because when characters do that I can't stop crying, they are too emotional for me!
    When Dee, Dawson, Archer, Daemon, and Kat went home to Petersburg, West Virginia to find Ethan I did not want Kat to go with them. I knew she would find her mom assimilated. As much as I like to be right, I wish I would have been wrong on that. But I wasn't. I loved Kat's mom from the very beginning of the series. She was cool and such a great mom. She should not have died like that. Also, Kat did not deserve to lose her mom. It was sad enough that Kat had lost her dad to cancer but her mom as well, it's horrible.
     Throughout the series many characters have died, some were enemies and some were friends. In the end, I am glad most of the main characters got their well deserved happily ever afters:

• Dawson and Bethany: It is really sentimental that they named their daughter after Ash. I remember that I could not stand Ash at the beginning of the series but she eventually got better and redeemed herself when she sacrificed her life to save Bethany in Origin. It really showed how Ash hated humans at the beginning of the series and how she ended up dying by saving a human. 
• Archer and Dee: They were one of my favorite 'couples' out of the series. I wanted them together when they first met one another in Origin, not that Daemon agrees with me. I was so nervous as to what would happen to them in Opposition since Dee had been turned to the dark side at the beginning of Opposition. Thankfully Dee came back to us and is her old self again. Archer really made me crave Olive Garden throughout the book.
• Daemon and Kat: Jennifer had always said Daemon and Kat were never going to have a child. She totally caved. Just like Dawson and Bethany it is very touching that Daemon and Kat named their son Adam. Unlike his sister Ash, Adam was a great guy but he was killed in Onyx. I am also happy that Daemon and Kat (and the rest of the gang) moved to Colorado and Daemon and Kat attended the University of Colorado together. I am so proud of Kat, she finally started her blog again!
• Sadly Luc didn't get his happily ever after. It does not straight out say that Nadia dies but I am assuming she did. But, Luc still has all the Origin kids to look after. I don't know how that is going to work out but, at least Luc is not lonely.

   Opposition was a great conclusion to the Lux series but I am sad to see the series go. Overall, the Lux series is action-packed, romantic, witty, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat. 
~Casey  

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Summary:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. 

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off. 

(Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 380

Release Date: July 29th, 2014

My Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5 stars

Review:

     Silver Shadows is the fifth book in the Bloodlines series (the spin-off series of the Vampire Academy series). The Bloodlines series is one of my favorite series and if you have yet to read it I highly recommend it. But, I suggest reading the Vampire Academy series first.
     My review of the fourth Bloodlines book, The Fiery Heart (my second most popular review after Champion by Marie Lu) is here: http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-fiery-heart-bloodlines-4-by.html. Out of five books so far in the series, Silver Shadows is my third favorite. I felt Silver Shadows was too predictable and I was constantly mad at Sydney for pushing her luck. But, at some points it did have me on the edge of my seat. 

*Spoiler Section*

     Silver Shadows was my second most highly anticipated book released in 2014 (the first one being The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin) but it was not as good as I thought it would be. Like all of Richelle Mead's books it held my attention but I had to put the book down a few times because I could not handle Adrian and Sydney's suffering. That shows that Silver Shadows was a good book because I was feeling all of the characters emotions.

     Sydney is one of my favorite female characters because she is so intelligent, loyal, independent, and compassionate. But, those were her weaknesses in Silver Shadows. She could have laid low and let the Alchemists think they were changing her but she constantly risked everything. Not all of her risks were bad though. She was able to shut the gas off in her room and got people on her side to later help Adrian and Marcus plan the escape. But she could have done it more nonchalantly. At first she would stay under the radar but she would get too comfortable and blow it. She should have listened to everyone when it came to helping Renee. I would have hated not to help Renee since she was so out of it from being re-inked but that put an unnecessary target on Sydney's back. It showed the Alchemists that she would still  go against what others tell her even if there are consequences. Ultimately showing that she would continue to be friends with the Moroi and Dhampir even with the consequences from the Alchemists. With that aside, Sydney is still one of my favorite female characters. Silver Shadows showed that Sydney an extremely powerful witch and a kick-butt character.  

     Oh, Adrian. I was way more frustrated with him than I was with Sydney. I knew Adrian was going to go back to drinking since that is his way of coping and I was okay with that. But, I was not okay with him going to Court. At Palm Springs, Adrian would drink but he would sober up so he could try to find Sydney in her dreams and he had the Palm Springs gang (Jill, Eddie, Angeline, Trey, etc.) to watch over him and help him through this. I knew if he went back to Court, he would constantly party because he had no one to watch over him there. Whenever he first got to Court and asked Lissa and Rose for help to find Sydney I so badly wanted him to tell Lissa and Rose he was in love with Sydney. If he had said that, I know Lissa would have felt pity and helped him. Or whenever Adrian had finally got into Sydney's dream I wanted him to get Lissa and so she could see what was happening to Sydney at re-education. Since, Lissa wanted proof that something bad had happened to Sydney in order to rescue her. 
      Another reason I did not want Adrian to leave Palm Springs was because I wanted to see the Palm Springs gang. I missed the way everything was before Sydney got sent to re-education. I loved to see what trouble Angeline would get into next or how cute and awkward Jill and Eddie were together. Sadly, I do not think we will ever get that back but, at least it was fun until it lasted. A positive of Adrian going to Court was we did get to see the Vampire Academy gang. We should be seeing a lot more of the Vampire Academy gang because Adrian and Sydney will be at Court during The Ruby Circle.
    The Alchemists are such sick people. They claim they are all about morals and such but they are horrible people. They claim the Moroi and Dhampir are bad people while the Moroi and Dhampir are some of the nicest people and both races are more human than the Alchemists will ever be. I hope in The Ruby Circle the Alchemists will be shut down or killed. Killing is a harsh word (it is not one when it comes to the Alchemists though). I don't know how everything is going to happen in one book because it seems like a war is going to go down between them. But, my prediction is there will be another spin off series that deals with the fall out of the war or whatever ends up happening. 

     I know the Alchemists were responsible for Jill's disappearance. The Alchemists had the motive because the only way to get Sydney back was for Lissa to hand her over to them since Sydney is under her protection. If word gets out that Jill is gone then Lissa will lose her throne, resulting in a new ruler who will more than likely hand Sydney over to the Alchemists. Or, the Alchemists could use Jill as a bribe and tell Lissa that the only way to get Jill back and to not have word out that she went missing is to hand over Sydney to them. Also, the Alchemists had the resources to kidnap Jill. 
     On page 379," 'Wait . . . did Angeline see it happen?' I asked. 'No,' said Dimitri. 'That's what's so strange. Angeline went to bed with Jill in the room . . . and woke up with her gone.' 'She didn't hear or see anything. Jill just disappeared like magic.' Rose snapped her fingers for effect."
     We know the Alchemists have excess and have created so many types of drugs that would have knocked Angeline out or wiped her memory. I am surprised Rose, Dimitri, Lissa, Sydney, or Adrian has yet to think of the Alchemists as suspects. I feel so horrible for Eddie though. He felt so terrible for letting Sydney trick him into not protecting her from the Alchemists and he believes he is not good for Jill because he could not protect Sydney. Eddie is going to be a mess since Jill disappeared. I hope in The Ruby Circle we will get Jill back and Eddie and she can have a happily every after, like they both deserve.
     Speaking of romance, I was glad that Trey and Angeline were able to be together. I disliked that Trey's dad did not see reason and disowned him and cut his funding. But, at least Trey is no longer wrapped up in the Warriors of Light.
      I was so excited when Adrian proposed to Sydney. Their wedding was so nice and I hope whenever we get Jill back and get the Alchemists off their backs they can have a real wedding with all their friends and family (well, the family members that still speak to them). 
     I am not a huge fan of the book covers for the Bloodlines series, but I love the spines of the books. All the Bloodlines spines are written in beautiful fonts in the color from the title of the book. The spines looks fine with the dust jacket on but I prefer the dust jackets off because the spine itself has a lovely shine.
      Overall, Silver Shadows was nerve-racking, intense, and an emotional roller coaster. I am so excited for The Ruby Circle, which is expected to be released February 10th of 2015. But, I am sad that The Ruby Circle is the last book in the Bloodlines series, I do not want the series to come to an end.
~Casey 

Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

Summary:

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat. (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 360

Release Date: May 6th, 2014

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review:

     Breakable is the second book in the New Adult series, Contours of the Heart. The first book in the series is Easy. Breakable is a prequel to Easy from Landon’s perspective and is Lucas’s perspective of Easy. I absolutely love this series and highly recommend it. The New Adult genre is in-between Young Adult and Adult in mature content. This particular series includes rape, and some sexual situations. This warning is not to discourage you from reading this series but to warn younger readers.

*Spoiler Section*

    
     I loved learning about Lucas' past since he barely talked about it in Easy. As much as I loved to see Lucas' past though, it sometimes got too much. Landon had so much struggle and was alone with his pain for almost all of his life, I just wanted to see him happy with Jacqueline.
     I don't know why but I don't like guys with long hair. I know I should not judge someone without getting to know them first but it always happens. Breakable changed that though. Lucas has long hair, tattoos, and piercings which, in general, can make men appear scary, but he is the sweetest and most compassionate person. I love Lucas so much, and I am glad he got his happily ever after. 
     In Easy, I never understood why the series was called the Contours of the Heart until Breakable. That was one of the lines in a poem Lucas' mom wrote. The poem also happens to be one of Lucas' tattoos. 
     My favorite quote from Breakable was on page 126 when Arianna said "Tattoos make statements that need to be made. Or hide things that are no one's business. Your scars are battle wounds, but you don't see them that way. Yet." That quote perfectly explains the reasons behind Lucas' tattoos. 
     It was so fascinating to see that Lucas and Jacqueline were telling the same story but each of their stories were so different. I loved that Tammara Webber shortened some of the story. For example, when it came to 'Landon' and Jacqueline's e-mails Tammara did not talk about every single e-mail since we already knew them all from Easy. Instead, she used that space in the book to go more in depth into Lucas' past. 
     Tammara has such an amazing writing style. I was on vacation while reading Breakable and I could not tear myself from the book to look at the scenery. Even though I already knew half of the story from Easy, I could not stop reading it. She has such a great ability at describing the scenes. I felt like I was actually in the story and was experiencing what the characters felt. I am excited to see what Tammara Webber will write next.
     As much as I loved Breakable it is hard to describe in words exactly how much I loved it. Breakable is a heartbreaking story that shows even if you have a dark past, you still have a future.
~Casey

Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014 & GIVEAWAY (CLOSED)

     My summer has been so crazy this year. I am from Pennsylvania and during the summer I usually spend a month with my Aunt and Uncle in Oklahoma, which is normal. But, this year my parents and I were lucky enough to get tickets for Comic-Con on Sunday, July 27th (the last day of Comic-Con).So, my parents drove out and picked me up from my Aunt and Uncle's house in Oklahoma and we had a road trip out to San Diego (and back home to Pennsylvania). 

    This was our first time to go to Comic-Con so it was a learning year. I am bias since I have only been able to go to Comic-Con on a Sunday but I think it is the best day. Since Sunday is the last day of Comic-Con, a lot of stuff is on sale so the exhibitors want to get rid of their inventory. Also, some of the publishing companies were giving away their display copies, which was a great bonus.  
     I am so thankful that on Sunday there was a "What's Hot in Young Adult Fiction" panel! The panel was moderated by Nathan Bransford and included *Kresley Cole, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, *Tahereh Mafi, Tessa Gratton, Natalie C. Parker, C.J. Redwine, Brendan Reichs, and Scott Westerfeld. I had never met any of these authors before and a few of them were some of my favorite authors of all time (that is what the * in front of some of the authors names symbolizes). After that, all those authors had a signing at the Sails Pavilions and I went there too. All of the authors were so funny and sociable. I have gone to several different book signings before Comic-Con and met tons of amazing authors but this signing had to be the best. Everyone was so fun, nice and down to Earth! I ended up getting tons of books (free and bought there), ARCs, bags, book previews, bookmarks, posters, anime stuff, temporary tattoos, bookplates, etc.

Books I Got Signed:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

(Bookplate) Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

(Bookplate) Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

(ARC) Unmarked by Kami Garcia

Idols by Margaret Stohl

(ARC) Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

(Non-signed) Books I Got for Free:

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
(ARC) Endgame: The Calling by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton

Pictures:

(Left, Right)

"What's Hot in Young Adult Fiction" Panel

(Kresley Cole, Nathan Bransford, Kami Garcia, Tessa Gratton, Tahereh Mafi, Natalie C. Parker, C.J. Redwine, Brendan Reichs, Margaret Stohl, and Scott Westerfeld)

(Tessa Gratton and Tahereh Mafi)

(Kresley Cole and Kami Garcia)

(Margaret Stohl and Me)

(Me, C.J. Redwine (photo bomber), and Kami Garcia

(Me and Margaret Stohl)

(Me, Brendan Reichs (photo bomber), and Natalie C. Parker)

(Me and Tahereh Mafi)

(Kresley Cole)

(Kresley Cole and Me)

(Capital Guard from The Hunger Games and Me)

(Boba Fett from Star Wars and Me) 

(My book haul from Comic-Con and Happy) 

(Me with the Comic-Con sign)

Giveaway!

     

     At Comic-Con I got an extra signed ARC of Unmarked by Kami Garcia. So, I have decided to have a giveaway.

Rules:

• You MUST be a resident of the United States of America (I can't afford international shipping)
• You MUST be 13 years or older unless you have your parents permission
• I am NOT responsible for a lost or damaged package
• The winner MUST claim their prize 48 hours after notification
• The giveaway STARTS August 18th of 2014 at 12am EST and ENDS August 25th of 2014 at 11:59pm EST 

     Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Divine Vices (Divine Vices #1) by Melissa Parkin

Summary:

Danger seldom leaves its victims unscathed in the ways of seduction, and this lesson is one that sixteen-year-old Cassie Foster now knows all too well. 

Nine months following the traumatic accident that claimed the life of her mother and sister, this high school junior has at last found a fresh start in the quiet town of New Haven, Maine. In the company of her best friends, Ian and Gwen, she’s bracing the usual turmoil of adolescence and taking all in stride… until the new transfer student, Jackson Matthews, comes walking into her life. He’s arrogant, sarcastic, roguish, devastatingly sexy, and the very last thing Cassie wants to entertain. But when circumstances drive these two together, she finds herself a bit too close for comfort as their bond intensifies. Plagued by unexplainable events, a sudden string of disappearances, and even a cult-related murder, Cassie begins to fear for her life. Is it all just a coincidence that these happenings began when this Casanova strolled into town, or has she in fact fallen for a real lady-killer, or worse? (Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: (e-book) 349

Release Date: November 2nd, 2013

My Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Review:

     Melissa Parkin is a self-published author of the Divine Vices series. She asked me to read and review the Divine Vices. I read the summary for Divine Vices and I was extremely intrigued. I had no idea what to expect. I had never read a self-published book before. But, I had heard stereotypes about self-published books not being good since they were not picked up by major publishing companies. This stereotype should never be mentioned about the Divine Vices. The Divine Vices was fantastic and much better than many other books I have read.  

    Anyway, Divine Vices is based in the first person perspective of 16 year old Cassie Foster. She is such an amazing female character and she is one of my favorite female leads. She is extremely strong willed, feisty, intelligent, and stands her ground. Usually lead female characters let guys walk all over them. But, that is not Cassie. She reminds me of myself by sassing guys and asking for extra credit when she does not need it. Also, a guy calls me Cassie all the time because he knows I hate it when people call me that. 

     I would highly recommend the Divine Vices to anyone but especially if you love The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer trilogy like I do. Like Mara from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Cassie is not sure what is going on and no one believes what she says she is seeing.

     I had two favorite quotes from the Divine Vices. One was mentioned in the prologue, "Sometimes the conscience can be deadlier than any manmade weapon." The other was said by Jack in chapter 11, "That's the problem people have these days. They want to document everything. They always have a camera or a device of some kind glued to their hands, forcing them to spend their experiences seeing things with only one eye...We live our whole lives looking into screens. Don't let those pictures or videos be the only proof you have for yourself to refer to. The mind is a powerful thing. Don't discredit its ability to remember." Both of them are true but especially the second one because I was on a road trip all over the country when I read the Divine Vices and my parents wanted to capture every single moment while I was less enthusiastic with photographs and every so often I took a picture.  

     I am so excited for the next book in the series after the major cliff hanger at the end of Divine Vices and it is expected to be released in November. Overall, the Divine Vices is thrilling, mysterious, creepy, witty, sassy, and has fantastic writing.

~Casey

Passion (Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate

Summary:

Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn't need to be that way....

Luce is certain that something - or someone - in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of thislifetime...going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel...and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history. Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames...forever.

Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series. 

(Via Goodreads.com)

Pages: 420

Release Date: June 14th, 2011

My Rating: N/A

Review:

     This summer I wanted to finish reading the Fallen series (see my post on summer reading goals: http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2014/06/summer-reading-plans.html) and to do so I had to re-read the first three books in the Fallen series, Fallen ( see my review: http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/fallen-fallen-1-by-lauren-kate.html), Torment (my review http://www.littleredsreviews.blogspot.com/2014/07/torment-fallen-2-by-lauren-kate.html) and Passion. I also had to read the last book, Rapture, and a short novella, Fallen In Love. 

     During the summer months, I can usually finish a book in a day or two but I was rather busy in July and I did not have much time to read. When I did have time to read though, I was having a difficult time reading the Fallen series. I was so annoyed that I was constantly being confused. Even after reading the first three books in the series, I barely learned anything about the plot. So, I decided to stop reading the series. I would rather spend my time reading a book/series that I enjoy than one that irritated me. The series was not a good match for me but you might enjoy it. 
     The series was unique by using a third person perspective, which not many series do, and by using a reform school in the first book, I do not think I ever read a book with a reform school in it.  

     I am still planing on going to see Fallen when it comes out in theaters sometime next year. So, be on the lookout for a trailer reaction and movie review when they are released. I do not think I will ever pick the series back up and finish it, but, if the adaptation of Fallen does well in the box office and the other books get turned into films I may try to finish the series, but I can make no promises.

~Casey