[Review: Defy by Sara B. Larson]

"Defy"
Author: Sara B. Larson
Series: Defy #1
Pages: 336
Genre: YA, High Fantasy
Date Published: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press

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Summary: 

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Defy,

I have mixed feelings about you. On one hand I liked your story. On the other hand your love triangle drove me crazy. I wished that you wouldn't have had one. Or that it would not have been a love triangle of the irritating type. In a way, it kind of ruined you for me, but your story was strong. It just is what it is...

-The White Unicorn 

Why do frustrating love triangles exist? Honestly, this book would have been so much better without it. As I was reading I was left with the same kind of feeling that I had while reading The Twilight Saga, that being a wish that there was one love interest. Or at least two men who offered something of substance for our main character. It could have worked, but I have to say that I don't think that Larson executed it well, though she should have just executed the love triangle to begin with. I just feel like shouting "WHYYYY" into the wind, because though I think that the love triangle brought the story down two or three unicorns, Larson wrote a really interesting story.

The story of a girl who cuts her hair and pretends to be a boy so that evil will not befall her is one that we've heard before. This book reminded me of Disney's Mulan on that front, but I liked that Larson decided to give her world a really dark backstory. Meaning that Alexa had to hide who she was so she wouldn't end up in a breeding house. Larson's world building was one of my favorite things about this book. I thought the army, the king's guards and the breeding house were all great additions to the world of Defy. 

I also liked Alexa a lot. Though I feel like she goes from being a girl with a secret to a girl who just kind of acts like a girl. A lot of sad stuff happens to her, and she finds herself alone in her deception. I wish she would have really been as alone as she thought she was, but then, all the boys who love her always knew that she was girl, and all the love happens. 

Rylan and Damian both want to treat Alexa like a girl, and it gets a tad annoying. I honestly didn't like either of them as love interests for her, though I have to admit that I did like them as characters in the story. They were both pretty awesome, when they weren't being annoying about Alexa. 

In the end I think that this book is geared toward people who love love triangles, and people who like them to take the main focus. I am not that crowd, and I wish that Larson's brilliant world building, and her none-romantic story line would have been able to take center stage, because they were great. 

Rating:

  2 Unicorns = It was okay, but something just didn't work for me!

[Review: Catch A Falling Star by Kim Culbertson]

"Catch a Falling Star"
Author: Kim Culbertson
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Date Published: April 29th, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review

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Summary:

 A deliciously charming novel about finding true love . . . and yourself.

Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Catch a Falling Star,

Well you were a creative contemporary weren't you?  I adored all of your characters and the inner dialogue.  You kept things interesting and gave us a look into fame without being obnoxious.  I applaud you for that.  It's not an easy job.  You were also really quirky and God knows that I'm a fan of the quirk.  Because of all of those reasons I really liked you and all of your "Little" hometown charm!

-The White Unicorn

I'm a huge fan of Culbertson's writing style so I knew that this book was going to be a treat.  Thank God I wasn't wrong.  Catch a Falling Star deals with fame and the thin line between what is real and fake in Hollywood.  It poses some really interesting questions about the movie making business while also staying classy.  Culbertson has this way of taking her characters out of their comfort zones and helping them figure their lives out in extremely unique ways.  This time around she just happens to use a hunky movie star with a bad rap and a money offer that's too good for our heroine to pass up.

This book is full blown romance and swoons.  Carter and Adam have the weirdest slow burn thing happening between them, because, technically she's being paid to pretend to be his girlfriend.  So, the whole time they're pretending to be an item and slowly falling for each other.  There is one of the most awkward first kisses of all time in these pages and it had me laughing so hard.  There are some extremely swoony moments where Adam switches from actor mode into something more and you can't help falling for him a little bit and neither can Carter.

Even though the book focuses on this staged romance, it also deals with a whole load of other awesome people.  Carter's family is adorable and her brother is messed up and she has a dog named Extra Pickles!!!!!  (Best. Dog. Name. Ever)  She also has two of the best friends a girl could ask for.  I totally understood how she felt about her best guy friend and her celebrity crazy BFF.  Also, the movie people were interesting and edgy.  They added this odd conflict to what the small town feel of the book.

Oh top of all of that Carter and her best pals run a star gazing blog and spend their nights out on the roof thinking about life.  That gives you a slight hint of the quirky and wonderful details that Culbertson uses in her novels.  She also masterfully uses all of these things to give Carter a journey into self discovery.  Which is delightfully detailed and not overgrown by the romance. 

If you're a fan of unique romances with awesome story telling this is the book for you!

Rating:

    4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

[Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender]

"Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer"
Author: Katie Alender
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Paranormal, Horror
Date Published: September 24th, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via NetGalley) for honest review

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Summary:

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

Just look at that title and that cover.  If you're expecting a book that is going to make you sleep with the lights on for a week or a book that has extreme depth, you should look somewhere else.  However if you're looking for a book that will make you feel like you've just watched a Disney horror flick mixed with Final Destination, then this is the book for you!  Honestly, Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer was just what I wanted it to be.  Wonderful, corny, fluff!  It has it merits, that's for sure, but there also isn't a lot to it.

Alender chooses to incorporate the murders into the story, giving us a little bit of background into the people who get beheaded by the dead French queen that we all know about.  It was a fun tactic and gave us a glimpse at some of the most unrealistic deaths you've ever read.  Once again Final Destination comes to mind.  That being said, it was a smart move on the authors part.

The characters weren't something to rave about, though Colette does do some growing up on her trip to Paris.  She starts out scared to loose the bit of social status that she's managed to gain and over the time of the trip learns to stand on her own two feet, while also being chased around by a dead queen.  Her best friends made me wanna pull my hair out, but the girls who ended up as her pals seemed like they were really nice, we just didn't get to know them very well.  And Jules, the romantic French boy was actually dreamy.  He was the perfect male lead for this type of book and he totally took a little bit of my French loving heart.

Paris is still fresh on my mind from the trip I took there earlier this year and I have to say that Alender paints the city in the perfect light.  This to me was her strong point.  The city itself glowed on the page and I could see each of the places that Alender chose to use in her book.  As a travel log, it really worked for me.  I felt like she nailed the feel of the city and the places inside of the pages.

The mystery or horror plot (if you choose to call it a horror plot) had some holes and I found it really predictable, but it also had some really cool points to it as well.  The fictional history that Alender created was interesting and kept me wanting to know what was going on, even if the end rushed things and got really weird.  

So, while this book isn't going to go down as a classic, it was just the corny book that I wanted to read.  If you're looking for something light with some really cool descriptions of Paris, look no farther.  Oh and while we're at it, can I just say what a cool tag line "heads will roll" is?  It's a total Yeah Yeah Yeah's moment!

Rating:

 3 Unicorns = I liked it but it had it's issues!