[Review: Red Velvet Crush by Christina Meredith]

"Red Velvet Crush"
Author: Christina Meredith
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Music
Date Published: June 14th, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Rock music, a broken family, challenging sisters, and the crush of first love—Red Velvet Crush has everything you need in a summer read. For fans of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Eleanor & Park, and This Song Will Save Your Life.

Teddy Lee’s mother ran off when she was in second grade. And ever since, Teddy Lee, the often-overshadowed middle kid, has tried to keep her family together. But her older brother Winston usually keeps himself busy with smoking, drinking, and girls, and who knows what else. Her younger sister Billie is occupied with her shoplifting habit and boys . . . and who knows what else. So when Teddy Lee finally takes the songs she’s always written and forms a band, maybe it’ll bring everyone closer together, maybe it’ll be her time to shine. Unless Billie steals the spotlight—and the boy—just like she always does. Christina Meredith explores the complicated relationship of sisters—both the unconditional love and the unavoidable resentments—in a novel full of music, urgency, the first blushes of love, and the undeniable excitement of hitting the road. 

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

Finally, a book about music that I actually enjoyed. It's true that I'm really picky when it comes to books that have to do with bands and going on the road. In fact they usually fall really flat for me, but Red Velvet Crush surprised me, and I found that I really liked it. It's much better than the band name the book is named after, but that's beside the point. 

I think that what works so well for this novel is that it's about so much more than just the music. It reminded me of Almost Famous in that way. That the story is actually more about a group of people coming together and learning some really tough lessons, while also rocking out, and having a grand adventure at the same time. It's refreshing, and it's bold.

I also have to say that I really enjoyed Meredith's writing style. It's whimsical, but it's also brash, and I think it's one of the reasons that this book works so well. Her flowery prose makes reading some of the harsher details much more interesting. And she makes sure to make you feel as unsure as the characters in her story as you read along.

The relationships in Red Velvet Crush felt really authentic. They felt real, and that is part of this books charm. Sure Teddy Lee and her family aren't perfect (at all) but there is a love there that can't be denied. Winston, though he plays a part in the novel, takes a backseat to the relationship between Teddy Lee and Billie. Theirs is a sister bond that isn't full of rainbows and butterflies, and that's one of the biggest plot pushes of the book. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but it means that we get to see Teddy Lee grow a lot in the short amount of time that we have with her.

The romance element was fun, but it wasn't the best part of the book for me. In fact my only complaint with the book has to do with the romance and how it all ended. Now, I'm sure that teen readers are going to eat the end up, but as someone who's older, I found that it didn't work for me. 

That being said, Red Velvet Crush is a delightful summer read for anyone who's a music junkie like I am. Meredith fills the pages with old school band references, beautiful words to describe the music that's happening on the page, and some good old "on the road" shenanigans.  

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!

Mini Review Batch

"Burning Glass"
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Series: Burning Glass #1
Pages: 512
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Date Published: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

-Goodreads

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

This book started out so promising! Death and mayhem filled the beginning, and I thought that I had found a book I would adore. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy this book, because I did, but I will say that once we made it into the kingdom, it became something I wasn't expecting. Purdie knows how to write gruesome depictions, and swoony moments, and who doesn't love that. I will say that as the story went on, I found that the book became a little too swoony for my taste, and the bloody parts seemed a little less hard hitting because of that. Sonya was a great protagonist though, and even though she seems a bit boy crazy, it's clear that she's got a good head on her shoulders. So, even though this book was middle of the road for me, I'm looking forward to the next installment, and I'm curious to see what Purdie does next.

Rating:

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

"Seven Black Diamonds"

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: Seven Black Diamonds #1

Pages: 400

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal

Date Published: March 1st, 2016

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Lilywhite Abernathy is a criminal. Her father’s “unconventional” business has meant a life of tightly held secrets, concealed weaponry, and a strict code. But Lily’s crime isn’t being the daughter of a powerful mob boss. Her guilt lies in the other half of her DNA—the part that can coax ancient rumors from stones and summon fire with a thought. Lily is part fae, which is a crime in her world.

From the time before she was born, a war has been raging between humanity and fae. The Queen of Blood and Rage, ruler of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, wants to avenge the tragic death of her heir—a death that was the fault of reckless humans.

Lily’s father has shielded her from the repercussions of her ancestry…until she is sent to the prestigious St. Columba’s school, straight into the arms of the Black Diamonds.

Mysterious, glamorous, and bound together in their mission but constantly at odds, Zephyr, Creed, Will, Roan, Violet, and Alkamy are a Sleeper cell of fae, planted in the human world to help destroy it from within. With covers as rock stars and celebrity children, the Black Diamonds carry out the queen’s war against humanity. And unbeknownst to Lilywhite, she’s been chosen to join them.

Now more than ever, Lily’s heritage puts her in peril, and even the romantic attention of the fae singer Creed Morrison isn’t enough to keep Lily from wanting to run back to the safer world of organized crime.

Melissa Marr returns to faery in a dramatic story of the precarious space between two worlds and the people who must thrive there. 

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

Out of all the YA fairy stories out there, I always enjoy Melissa Marr's the most. Seven Black Diamonds is no exception to that rule. The plot is intricate, the characters have conflicting motives, the kids feel real, and the magic doesn't seem corny. I did feel like this book was a lot of set up. Not at say that it wasn't good set up, but I am looking forward to the next book in the series, since I feel like I really know the characters now. Trust me, Marr gives a lot of characters a voice in this novel. I also enjoyed how she mixed the fantasy world with one that felt normal, though slightly off. Plus, I enjoy the fact that there is always a slightly sinister angle to Marr's stories. This one was a lot of fun!

Rating:

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

[Review: Newt's Emerarld by Garth Nix]

"Newt's Emerald"
Author: Garth Nix
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance
Date Published: October 13th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Lady Truthful will inherit her family’s most valued heirloom on her eighteenth birthday. Until the Newington Emerald is stolen.

Lady Truthful, nicknamed “Newt” by her boy cousins, discovers that to her horror, the people closest to her have been framed for the theft. But Newt won’t let their reputations be damaged by rumors from a false accusation. Her plan is simple: go to London to recover the missing jewel. Despite her best intentions, a young lady travelling alone is frankly unacceptable behavior. So Newt and her aunt devise another plan…one that entails men’s clothing and a mustache.

While in disguise, Truthful encounters the handsome but shrewd major Harnett, who to her amazement volunteers to help find the missing emerald under the assumption that she is a man, Henri de Vienne. But once she and her unsuspecting ally are caught up in a dangerous adventure, Truthful realizes something else is afoot: the beating of her heart.

Truthful has far more than romantic complications to worry about. The stolen emerald is no ordinary heirloom-it is the source of the family’s luck and has the power to yield vast magic. It would be completely disastrous if it fell into the wrong hands. The fate of England depends on Truthful securing the emerald.

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Newt's Emerald, 

You're adorable, and so much fun. I did find you to be really simple, but I enjoyed you a lot. Really I can't complain about much of anything. Also, you have gender bending, and God knows how much I love a good gender bending story!

-The White Unicorn

So, this was my first Garth Nix book ever. I've heard that this one is nothing like his other books, which makes me curious about the rest of the books that he's put out into the universe. I liked this one a lot. Though I did feel like it was written for younger YA audience. Truth be told, it could be because of the other books I've been reading lately, but I liked how light the writing felt. 

This book is regency romance, that also happens to be a fantasy, that also happens to be a gender bending adventure story. It's most of the things I love, thrown into one story, and it all happily works together. This book is just plain cute. 

Truthful is a spunky lead. I mean her name is Truthful. Though everyone calls her Tru and Newt instead. She's full of pluck and doesn't like sitting on side lines. I enjoyed the fact that she grew up with three brother-like-cousins, so she's not some girly girl. Sure she knows how to play with the girls, but she's interesting because she also has the ability to wear a charmed mustache and become a fellow. I enjoy this twist on the normal regency novel. It added something really enjoyable to the mix. 

Nix also adds a huge fantasy element to the story. Magic fills the pages in a way that is unexpected and refreshing. I liked that Nix decided to make this story more than just a typical regency romance. 

Also Nix makes sure that no one is what they seem as the story unfolds, which causes some issues for Tru and Charles. That being said I really liked their little romance, even if it didn't feel like it was developed enough for my taste. I did find Charles to be a great male lead. I just wish we would have gotten to know him better. 

All in all this book is simple, fun, and full of adventure. Readers of a younger age will eat it up, and those of us who are older are guaranteed to find reasons to fall in love with it as well.  

Rating:

 3 Unicorns = I liked it, but it had its issues!

[Review: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis]

"A Madness So Discreet"
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: None
Pages: 384
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Date Published: October 6th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To A Madness So Discreet, 

I needed a book like you in my life, and I'm glad that I found you. You're creepy, dark, wonderful, and just the right amount of unsettling. You blur the lines between madness and sanity in a really smart and interesting way. You're one of those books that I'll be thinking about for a good long while. And honestly you're one of my favorite books of the year, so there's that!

-The White Unicorn

Mindy McGinnis is a genius. Her books are so well written that I can never find anything to complain about. It takes a lot to be able to write a book that not only has a smart plot, but also is smart in what it has to say, and A Madness So Discreet is one of those types of books. It also helps that McGinnis isn't afraid to push the envelope when it comes to her story lines and characters. Happy go lucky novels aren't her thing, and I love that.

This is one of those books that has something for everyone. Do you like historical fiction? Do you like crime thrillers? Do you like books that take place in asylums? Do you like books full of demented secrets? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, get this book in your hands now, because all of those elements writhe inside these pages. 

McGinnis gives us a story with a lead that seems to be mute, but here, nothing is as it seems. I adored Grace. It was nice to see McGinnis giving us a softer, yet still extremely strong, female lead. Grace has been through the ringer. She was thrown into an asylum for a pregnancy, brought on by some horrific circumstances. There were so many times where she could have thrown in the towel, but instead she fights against what life has handed her and finds a purpose solving crimes alongside a handsome doctor. She's strong enough to leave everything behind and take on a new identity. Grace should have had it all, and instead she finds a family within the walls of a mad house. It's rather genius, isn't it?

It's refreshing, the way that McGinnis doesn't pull any punches with this book. The story deals with a lot of really tough issues. Madness turns out to be the least of her character's worries. All these people have dark secrets, and the lines of true madness are blurred in the smartest of ways. 

Though Grace clearly carries the story, McGinnis doesn't shy away from giving us a brilliant cast of secondary characters. Grace quickly become friends with Elizabeth (a girl who observes things through an imaginary String), Nell (who doesn't have issues with expressing her sexual needs), and Janey (the head nurse of the Woman's ward).

There is also Thornhollow (the handsome doctor I mentioned before). He's uncovering new ways to solve crimes, and decides that Grace would be the perfect partner. There actually isn't any love story between them to speak of, and it works. Though, if I'm honest I'd like there to be another book where maybe they end up together. Can you get on that McGinnis? 

Everyone should read this book, because it's brilliant. The thoughts, the words, the plot, the characters. Nothing is out of place. Everything is perfect. Read it!

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!

[Review: Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson]

"Walk on Earth a Stranger"
Author: Rae Carson
Series: The Gold Seer Trilogy #1
Pages: 432
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Date Published: September 22nd, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend—who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Leee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might muder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California—where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift. 

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Walk On Earth A Stranger,

Hmmmmmmm? You and I didn't connect, which is a real bummer. You're good, don't get me wrong, but there was a divide between us that I just couldn't cross. Your story was awesome. I liked your characters. The flow was good. But still I couldn't get into you until the last 20% or so. I'm going to have to finish the rest of your series, cause now I'm hooked, so hopefully I'll gel with those stories a bit better. 

-The White Unicorn 

I can't believe that I'm not singing the praises of this book. I should be, as I'm a HUGE fan of Carson's Fire and Thorns series, so it would only seem natural. But for some reason I didn't gel with this book, and that makes me sad. 

Carson is a fantastic world builder, but I felt like that was lacking in Walk on Earth a Stranger. There were moments when I was sucked into Lee's story, and other times where I felt like I was an outsider looking in. The world felt sparse. Maybe it was because this book is based on actual events, and things that really happened when people made their way out to California during the gold rush? Maybe it was just my connection to the story? It could have also been the fact that I thought the book's pacing felt rushed, and slow all at once. There was a lot of hurry up and wait happening. 

That being said, I adored the characters that Carson used in her story. Lee (Leah) is wonderful. She's conflicted, strong, brave, intelligent, and cursed. I liked that she hid out as a boy, and in doing so learned so much about herself. I also dug the fact that she can witch for gold the way some people can witch for water. It adds a magical element to the story that was a fun addition. 

Carson also didn't avoid addressing a lot of social issues in this book. It was refreshing to see so many strong women and men come together. The book addresses things like human rites, the woman's place in the home, prejudice, and a slew of other things. It makes for some character driven reading, I just wish that the rest of the plot went as smooth as the characters.

That being said the plot was actually quite genius. I liked it a lot, even though I didn't connect with the execution of it. Carson knows how to throw curve balls at her readers, and that was still evident in this book.

So, in the end, this book is good, even if I'm not as excited about it as I'd like it be. If you dig the gold rush, magical powers, slow burn romances, and a lot of social issues being tackled in one book, read this!

Rating:

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

[Review: The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett]

"The Unquiet"
Author: Mikaela Everett
Series: None
Pages: 464
Genre: YA, Sci-fi
Date Published: September 22nd, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

For most of her life, Lirael has been training to kill—and replace—a duplicate version of herself on a parallel Earth. She is the perfect sleeper-soldier. But she’s beginning to suspect she is not a good person.

The two Earths are identical in almost every way. Two copies of every city, every building, even every person. But the people from the second Earth know something their duplicates do not—two versions of the same thing cannot exist. They—and their whole planet—are slowly disappearing. Lira has been trained mercilessly since childhood to learn everything she can about her duplicate, to be a ruthless sleeper-assassin who kills that other Lirael and steps seamlessly into her life.

An intricate, literary stand-alone from an astonishing new voice, The Unquiet takes us deep inside the psyche of a strong teenage heroine struggling with what she has been raised to be and who she really is. Fans of eerily futuristic and beautifully crafted stories such as Never Let Me Go, Orphan Black, and Fringe will find themselves haunted by this unsettling debut.

-Goodreads

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To The Unquiet,

I think you're one of my favorite books of the year, and that's saying something, because I've read a lot of good books so far. You made me think a lot. You made me feel a lot of feelings. You are a book that's going to stick with me for a really long time (if not the rest of my life). You're based on twisted morals and a main character who isn't supposed to be likable, and yet, still manages to be. I can't get over how many days it's been since I finished you, but I still find myself thinking about your layered themes. You get a gold star!

-The White Unicorn

This book is masterful. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started it, but now, days later I can't stop thinking about it. I think it's the best books that stick with us, and somehow The Unquiet snuck up on me, and won't let go. Everett gives us a layered story about a girl who's trained to be unsavory, and yet still manages to have a heart. 

This book is messy. I'm not talking about the writing. The writing is glorious, and Everett picked the perfect pacing as well as an interesting voice when telling her story. I mean that it's messy from a moral standpoint. It asks a lot of questions about humanity and what you're willing to do, or not do, to hold onto it. Nothing is what it seems, and yet everything is laid out in the open for us to see, if only we search for it. 

Lira has to be one of my favorite heroines of all time. She's the perfect anti-hero. I know that I'm not supposed to like her, and yet I found myself digging everything about her. She's been trained to be something horrendous, but she slowly learns what she's really made of. I can't even begin to imagine what Lira has gone through on top of what Everett shares with us. I think that the best characters make you wonder questions like that. They make you want to know even more about them, even though you've already been given tons of information. 

On top of all of this, Everett adds a really compelling cast of secondary characters. There wasn't one character that I didn't like. In fact some of them I ended up falling a little bit in love with. I'm looking at you Jack. Jack's such an interesting character. Cecily is also a wonderful character, and it was interesting to see Lira's relationship grow with her, since they're not actually sisters. 

The relationships in this novel really pack a punch. I don't think that it would be the same story if Everett didn't focus on the relationship aspects presented. It's how we really start to understand Lira and the world that she lives in. There's even a slight romance, but it doesn't take away from the story, and it fits really well, so it doesn't feel light or silly when thrown into the plot. 

I'm just going to say it, you need to read this book, and you'll do it if you know what's good for you. 

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hand on this NOW! 

[Review: One by Sarah Crossan]

"One"
Author: Sarah Crossan
Series: None
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Verse
Date Published: September 15th, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Tippi and Grace share everything—clothes, friends . . . even their body. Writing in free verse, Sarah Crossan tells the sensitive and moving story of conjoined twin sisters, which will find fans in readers of Gayle Forman, Jodi Picoult, and Jandy Nelson.

Tippi and Grace. Grace and Tippi. For them, it’s normal to step into the same skirt. To hook their arms around each other for balance. To fall asleep listening to the other breathing. To share. And to keep some things private. The two sixteen-year-old girls have two heads, two hearts, and each has two arms, but at the belly, they join. And they are happy, never wanting to risk the dangerous separation surgery.

But the girls’ body is beginning to fight against them. And soon they will have to face the impossible choice they have avoided for their entire lives.

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To One,

Wow, you really packed an emotional punch. There is just something about a well written novel in verse that I can't dislike. You made me cry. Big, fat, crocodile tears. And it made me like you even more. I don't cry over everything, so the fact that you got some of my tears is a big accomplishment. Good on you!

-The White Unicorn

I didn't know what to expect when I headed into One. I've read a few other novels in verse form, and I actually like poetry a lot, but books in poem form usually miss the mark for me. One is not one of those books. Crossan has crafted a book that hits your right in all the emotions and it will most likely make you feel everything, even though the words are fairly sparse. 

The book also happens to be centered around something that I didn't know much about before. Conjoined twins. Two very different girls, joined at the belly forever. They have their own separate upper bodies, which provides some interesting situations. 

Crossan brings us into Grace and Tippi's lives. Gives them interesting backgrounds, a loving family, and their own agendas. I really liked getting to know them. What made them tick individually. She also gives them two really interesting friends. One of which will end up dying of HIV. I liked that Crossan chose to give the girls a friend who is also facing a possible premature death. 

The facts of conjoined twins are looked at in a brutal light. I'm not saying that this novel is downer, because it actually had me laughing quite a bit. On the flip side, not everything is light and fluffy, hence all the crying I admitted to doing. I feel like this is a book that you just have to experience for yourself, and since it's in verse form, you can do that really quickly. 

Read it, feel it, love it, and then when it's over cry your eyes out!

Rating:

  5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this NOW!    

[Review: Between The Notes by Sharon Huss Roat]

"Between the Notes"
Author: Sharon Huss Roat
Series: None
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Date Published: June 16th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

When Ivy Emerson’s family loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what’s to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single, terrifying performances. It’s her life.

And it isn’t pretty.

Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own—seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there is no way to stop them.

As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including herself.

Debut author Sharon Huss Roat crafts a charming and timely story of what happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down. 

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Between The Notes,

You're super cute, and very darling. I know this sounds like a love note, but it's not all good things. While I found most of you endearing and adorable, there were things that didn't hit the right notes for me. (see what I did there?) There was just a little too much "hiding the truth" in your pages for me to love you as much as I wanted to. That being said, you had some winning things in your pages, and you have Lennie, so there is that!

-The White Unicorn

If you're looking for a cute summer read, this is probably it. Between the Notes is darling debut, and it shows off Roat's writing chops as well. She drops us into a world of high school, mistaken identities, cute boys, and learning how to come into your own. High schoolers are going to eat this book up, that's for sure.

I'm just going to get my issues with this book over with, so I can move on to the good stuff later. Ivy, though she was awesome, also had a hard time owning up to who she was. I'm sure some of my issues with this comes from the fact that I'm not in high school, but I found that her reactions to what was happening in her life, and all the secrets she told, to be slightly obnoxious. I wanted her to own up to things faster than she did. I also wish that the promised influence of music would have been thicker. I feel like we were told that Ivy would have a deeper connection to music than I was given. Sure, it was there, but I found that the book was more about the romance, and less about the tunes.

That being said, I thought that the romance, or rather romances, in the book were darling. Both fellows had a lot going for them, though I will come clean and say that I'm am totally on board the Lennie train. In fact, I found that Lennie was one of my favorite things in the whole book. He's snarky, sweet, and always has some sort of one-liner waiting in the wings to use on the unsuspecting. I probably liked this book three times more than normal just because I could read about Lennie all day, everyday, and I just wanted to see him happy. 

James was okay and Roat made sure to give him some awesome attributes that I enjoyed. I did find him to be a little young acting for an 18 year old though. Which was a tad frustrating. But I liked that both guys had a really good reason to be in Ivy's life, and that both of them helped her get over herself.

Ivy herself was an okay character for me. Once again, I think that a younger audience is going to connect with her on levels that I just couldn't. That being said, I did see myself in a few of the things that she said when she slipped into snark zone, so that was fun. 

So, even though I didn't love this one as much as I wanted to I'm excited to see what teens have to say about it. Plus, Lennie! Seriously, it's all about Lennie!

Rating:

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

[Review: The Cage by Megan Shepherd]

"The Cage"
Author: Megan Shepherd
Series: The Cage #1
Pages: 400
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Date Published: May 26th, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughter trilogy.

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

 An Open Letter To The Cage,

I think I need to break up with all books about aliens. You've reminded me of the fact that I don't really like them. Add in the fact that two POVs is my max, and you had five, and I just didn't get along with you. I'm sure a lot of other people will dig you though, even if we aren't friends.

-The White Unicorn

The Cage wasn't a bad book. In fact it was decent, but I didn't like it. The story was fine, the characters were even pretty cool, but I just didn't connect to it, at all. This stems from the fact that I don't care for books about aliens. I gave Shepherd a chance to change my mind, and I have to say that she didn't. I found the tropes that she used to be predictable and common place. 

The characters were interesting, but I also felt like they were fairly cookie-cutter. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the character bases weren't all that interesting, but Shepherd managed to give them all interesting quirks and back stories. So they all managed to bore me while they kept me interested. There are also five (count them...five) POVs in the book. My cut off is usually two, so that didn't help. I do think that it helped Shepherd tell her story the way she picked to tell it, I just didn't love it.

Also, the whole human girl falls in love with an alien thing is getting old. I wanted Cassian to be an evil jerk. But I guess that's just a personal preference. Honestly, if you like all the things that I have found to dislike about this book, you're going to love it, and since it's pretty well written, that's exciting to me. I just can't back it.

Rating:

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

[Review: Made You Up by Francesca Zappia]

"Made You Up"
Author: Francesca Zappia
Series: None
Pages: 448
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller
Date Published: May 19th, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook, and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Made You Up,

You were a weird one. On some levels I really liked you a lot. It was interesting to be in someone's head that didn't know what was real and what was made up. You had a couple really cool moments where I didn't even know what was going on, and I liked that feeling. Though I will say that some of you was very predictable for me. I liked you, even if I didn't love you!

-The White Unicorn

I love unreliable narrators, and that's just what Alex is. I thought that this book was refreshing, though I also thought that the story got a bit out of hand at moments. Zappia is obviously an author who is willing to think outside of the box, and I think that even though every element of the story didn't work for me, she has a really interesting voice. Needless to say, I was impressed with her debut.

Alex has schizophrenia, and she's learned how to make sense of the world around her. No one in her new school knows that, and she plans on keeping it that way. She has so many little quirks, like taking pictures of things that might or might not be there, asking deep questions and looking for answers in a Magic 8 Ball, and questioning everything. So she's basically a regular teenager, but it's her carefully created voice that makes you feel like something is a bit off. I have to admit that I loved living in her head for the duration of the novel.

Zappia's way of writing characters fit the book perfectly. I liked that we got to know each one of them really well, while also questioning every single motive that they had. Were they really Alex's friends? Was she making them up? Were the people she was surrounding herself with even there in reality? I had all of these thoughts rolling around in my head as I read, but I still found myself liking the people in Alex's life. Real or not.

I did have some issues with the story. While it worked well for the book, I found that the high school setting was odd. I found the scenes that took place outside of the school worked much better for me. Meaning that a good portion of the novel felt a little forced for me. I wish that wasn't the case, but it totally was. 

In the end, the good outweighed the not as good for me. If you like books that leave you guessing and are told through the eyes of an untrustworthy narrator, give this one a shot!

Rating:

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

[Review: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge]

"Crimson Bound"
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Series: None
Pages: 448
Genre: YA, Fairytale Retelling
Date Published: May 5th, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

(This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Crimson Bound,

You're the kind of book that I don't like to put down. You tell a story and tell it so well. You're gritty and dark and weird, and so beautifully written that you enrapture your reader. Book, you also managed to tell the story Little Red Riding Hood in such a brand new way, that I didn't feel like I had ever read anything like this version before, and that's a hard thing to do. I applaud you! And I salute you!

-The White Unicorn

It's not a surprise that I LOVED Hodge's first novel Cruel Beauty (a retelling of Beauty and the Beast). I raved about that book as well, and I have to say that I have all the same feelings about Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood) as well. Hodge has definitely just snuck her way onto my instant-buy list. She has this way with words, and this way with blood, and this way with making you feel all the things. Seriously, this book made me feel a lot of different things. 

Rachelle was the perfect lead. She's not a saint, she's got loads of blood on her hands, she doesn't know what to do with herself, but she knows what she must do. She's a bit of an anti-hero, but she's also the kind of anti-hero that you find yourself rooting for. She feels this darkness inside of her that she listens to sometimes, but usually, her very human heart kicks in, and takes over. She's edgy, but she's still someone that you can relate to. 

This is one of the first books that I've read this year, where I didn't feel like I was reading a love triangle, even though there were totally two gents trying to snag some cuddle time with Rachelle. Hodge writes both guys in such a genuine way that they fill different parts of the story. Armand is that hate to love story that will make you feel all the feels, and Erec is the snark-filled-ass that we have all met at some point in our lives. The males in this story are just what they need to be.

That being said, the story is so much more than a love story. It's really a story all about Rachelle finding herself and her life calling. It's about a girl who was fooled by an imposter in the woods, and The Devour that is coming to destroy the world. Rachelle is the only one who feels like she can stop it, even though she's supposed to be on evil's side. 

The mythology that Hodge creates for this retelling of Little Red is masterful. We get to see glimpses of the original tale as Rachelle's timeline also unfolds, and it's the greatest ever. I have to say that I can't find anything wrong with this one. If you like creepy tales that are birthed from stories that you know well, look no farther than this novel!

Rating:

  5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this one NOW!

[Review: Conspiracy Of Blood And Smoke by Anne Blankman]

"Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke"
Author: Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog #2
Pages: 416
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Date Published: April 21st, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

The girl known as Gretchen Whitestone has a secret: She used to be part of Adolf Hitler’s inner circle. More than a year after she made an enemy of her old family friend and fled Munich, she lives with a kindly English family, posing as an ordinary German immigrant, and is preparing to graduate from high school. Her love, Daniel Cohen, is a reporter in town. For the first time in her life, Gretchen is content.

But then, Daniel gets a telegram that sends him back to Germany, and Gretchen’s world turns upside-down. And when she receives word that Daniel is wanted for murder, she has to face the danger she thought she’d escaped-and return to her homeland.

Gretchen must do everything she can to avoid capture and recognition, even though saving Daniel will mean consorting with her former friends, the Nazi elite. And as they work to clear Daniel’s name, Gretchen and Daniel discover a deadly conspiracy stretching from the slums of Berlin to the Reichstag itself. Can they dig up the explosive truth and get out in time-or will Hitler discover them first?

-Goodreads

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke,

I have to admit something to you. I loved the first book in your series, and I was so excited to read you. That being said, I don't think that you lived up to Prisoner of Night and Fog. You were still wonderful, but until the last quarter of the book, I have to say that I was a bit bored with you. The history was still legit, even if I felt like you focused too much on the love story this time around. So, even though you weren't perfect, I still like you.

-The White Unicorn

I just have to say it. I feel like Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke suffered from some major middle book syndrome, and that makes me really sad. It's not that it wasn't well written, because Anne Blankman is a great writer, but I felt like the story wasn't as exciting at the first book in the series. The story picked up closer to the end, but the beginning dragged... a lot. 

These characters that seemed so dynamic in the first novel ended up being a little one dimensional this time around, which was a bit confusing for me. I think this fact stems from the book focusing on Gretchen and Daniel's love story so much. I'm a sucker for a good love story, but I feel like this book made that the main subject this time around, and I wanted as much action as I got in the first book. Maybe it's just me, but those are the thoughts I was having as I read along. 

The story did pick up for me once Gretchen and Daniel were back in Germany. Their time in England bored me, but once they were surrounded by Nazis again, the story kept me on my toes. It also helps that Blankman has no issues with putting her characters through some really intense events.

Gretchen and Daniel end up hanging out with the likes of some good-hearted-crime-lords in Germany, and that, for me, was when things started to pick up. The characters that we meet in those moments are ones that really made a difference in the feel of the book. I found myself rooting for these fellows who ran crime and had this firm code of honorable conduct. I love that Blankman added them into the story.

The actual mystery of the novel was interesting as well, since it's stemmed in real events. As a girl who's always been fascinated with WWII, that part of the book was also really cool. The fire and the history behind it was so simple, and yet so complicated. 

Even though I was personally a bit disappointed in this book, I still highly suggest that you read it. 

Rating:

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

[Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard]

"Red Queen"
Author: Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Pages: 320
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Date Published: February 10th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Red Queen,

You book, are pure crack. I know that you weren't perfect and yet I can't help but love you. I want to tell everyone to read you, cause when you let go and don't look for the weirdness that pops up in you, it's the greatest adventure ever. You seem a bit like other books we've seen before and yet you feel really new at the same time. What can I say: you're crack and I need the next book now.

-The White Unicorn

Everyone read this book. The beginning is messy, but as it goes on it gets so good! Aveyard has built a world, that once you get over a few inconsistencies (that might change in the finished copy) that's full of interesting people and places. Even though Red Queen is the background book of the trilogy, it never slows down. We get handed high action from the very beginning and it only gets more intense as the novel continues on. Aveyard has mastered the twists and turns of novel writing and it's written all over this book. She pulls some plot twists that you can see coming from a mile away, but she uses those things to hide the real plot surprises within them. To be honest, my jaw hit the floor more than once.

The names are weird, but as soon as you get used to the thought that every name is weird, it seems a bit more normal. Our lead Mare is delightful. Well technically she's not, but I found myself relating to her on so many levels that I didn't mind that she wasn't supposed to be likeable. She sees the world for what it is and in the end that doesn't always end up being the best thing for her. 

This book also features a triangle of love (because I'm tired of saying the words love triangle). One girl and two princes. Their doesn't seem to be a clear winner or one that Mare should pick over the other, but lets just say that I picked right for most of the book. Maven and Cal both have issues and good features and I like the fact that Mare acknowledges those things.

The factions of blood were also really interesting. I felt like the novel was part x-men and part royalty. How can you go wrong with that. I'm excited to see what Aveyard does with the blood details and her class divide in the rest of the books. I had a few issues and felt like there were a few holes in her world building on that front, but I'm hoping that they disappear as the series continues.

Yes, this book wasn't the best or most well written book in the world, but I adored it with every fiber of my being and I know that I'll read anything else from Aveyard in the future. 

Rating:

 4 Unicorns = Close to perfect (crack book)

[Review: Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little]

"Forbidden"
Author: Kimberley Griffiths Little
Series: Forbidden #1
Pages: 397
Genre: YA, Historical Fiction
Date Published: November 4th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.

-Goodreads
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Forbidden,

Seriously, can you give a girl a break? I don't know if I've ever read a book that puts a main character through so much drama from start to finish. (I'm sure there have been some, but I'm not thinking of them right now) It's crazy how much action and sadness and trauma happen in your pages. It was actually hard for me to catch my breath at times and I wish you would have been a little easier on Jayden, but, you weren't. Talk about intense...

-The White Unicorn

Forbidden is a gnarly book. There just isn't any other way to put it. You can tell as you read the pages that Little really did her research and added a lot of historical drama. This is one of those books that goes full speed ahead from about chapter two on. You get settled in the story in the first chapter and then everything goes to sh*t for Jayden and her family.

The Mesopotamian desert that Little shows us is brutal and unforgiving. Jayden and her family don't have an easy go of it. Even though they do everything they can to stay together and stay alive, you're not sure how things are going to work out as a reader. I'm glad that Little sets that feeling from the very beginning of the novel. It gives it plenty of tension right from the get go. 

The story is full of moral twists and turns. Some of them are pretty easy to call, but some of them are shocking and unsettling. There are some scenes that are horrendously intense. They make you question humanity and bring all the rotten people of the world into a spotlight. Things happen to Jayden that make my blood boil just thinking about them. You don't know who will be there for her in the end, because everyone has their own agenda, even Jayden herself.

I like how this was a forbidden love story, but that the love story didn't take over the plot. Kadesh is just what Jayden needs. He's someone who sees her as an equal and not just a chess piece in his goal to conquer the world. Their story is a bright spot in all the terror that Jayden goes through, but it also adds to the drama in a realistic way.

Creepy, creepy Horeb on the other hand is a terrible person. Actually most of Jayden's family turns out to be fairly rotten. Family should always come before tradition, but that's not the case here. But back to Horeb. I don't think I've disliked a character so much in a very long time. He's pure, walking, evil. He does things. Things that are so vile that I wish I could tell you about them, just so I don't have to think about them by myself.

In the end this book isn't for the faint of heart and some really heavy subject matter and intense scenes play out in this inside of it. If that makes you leery, trend gently. I also just discovered that there is going to be a second book, which is good, because I had so many complaints about the end when I thought it was a standalone. Thank God it's not, cause that was one open ended ending.

Rating

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