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Book Review: Allegiance Of Honor by Nalini Singh

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Book: Allegiance Of Honor by Nalini Singh

Published June 2016 by Berkley|478 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #15

Genre: Adult Romance/Adult Paranormal Romance

The “unparalleled romantic adventure”* of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as a new dawn begins for the Psy-Changeling world… 

The Psy-Changeling world has undergone a staggering transformation and now stands at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: Old enemies. New allies. Wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten and threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: A child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost, protect the vulnerable—and save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

I don’t even know where to start for this review!  I mean, I liked Allegiance Of Honor, but not as much as I thought I would or as much as I wanted to.  I really did want to like it more, but I think, after Heart Of Obsidian, I started to lose interest a little bit.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this series, and I really love the world.  I liked catching up with all of my favorite characters, and seeing how everything was resolved.  I liked seeing everyone come together for the Trinity Accord, and how important it was for Trinity to stay standing.  Everyone wanted a better world for all Psy, Changelings and humans, though some groups seemed more interested in saving the Psy.

It’s just…the world as we know it got so big, and I felt like we only saw glimpses of the characters we’ve come to know and love.  There’s a lot to wrap up, and with a world like this one, everything moved pretty fast.  Some things weren’t resolved (like the Architect and the Consortium), and for a group that seems like a pretty big threat to Trinity, I expected more resolution to it.

But there’s also a sequel series, so some of the things that aren’t resolved in this book/series will probably be the focus of that series.  That’s what I’m hoping, anyway, because otherwise, I’m not really sure what the point of introducing them was.

If I thought the character lists were getting longer…well, let’s just the character list featured at the beginning of this book was the longest we’ve seen so far.  Understandable considering we’ve met a lot of characters along the way.  But one of the things I gave up on books ago was trying to keep a lot of characters straight, especially the side characters.  But also some of the main couples as well.  I had a hard time remembering a lot of the newer characters, and as much as I liked catching up with some of the characters, it also felt a little bit unfocused to me.  Maybe it’s because of all of the characters we followed in this one.

I think part of why I only liked this one is that it felt like a really long epilogue.  Everyone’s happy, things are mostly okay, but things are also setting things up for the next series.  I’ve enjoyed the series, and I liked that it was for the fans…but…it also seems like it’s more for the hardcore fans of the series.  I like Singh and this massively amazing world she built, but it was a little too happy and sunshine and rainbows for me.  Or maybe I just wasn’t in that mood when I was reading the book.

I think I just missed the overall story that we got in the previous books, and I kind of missed that in this book.  It just wasn’t there enough in this one but in a series this long, you’re not going to love every single book.  I just wanted something with a little more action to it, I think.

3 stars.  It’s not one of my favorite books in this series, but I liked it enough.  It’ll be interesting to see how some of the things in this book come up in the following books.

Book Review: Shards Of Hope by Nalini Singh

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Book: Shards Of Hope by Nalini Singh

Published June 2015  by Berkley Hardcover|483 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #14

Genre: Adult Romance/Adult Paranormal Romance

The “smoldering heat, epic romance, and awesome action” of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as two Arrows find themselves caught in a chilling conspiracy that spans all three races…

Awakening wounded in a darkened cell, their psychic abilities blocked, Aden and Zaira know they must escape. But when the lethal soldiers break free from their mysterious prison, they find themselves in a harsh, inhospitable landscape far from civilization. Their only hope for survival is to make it to the hidden home of a predatory changeling pack that doesn’t welcome outsiders.

And they must survive. A shadowy enemy has put a target on the back of the Arrow squad, an enemy that cannot be permitted to succeed in its deadly campaign. Aden will cross any line to keep his people safe for this new future, where even an assassin might have hope of a life beyond blood and death and pain. Zaira has no such hope. She knows she’s too damaged to return from the abyss. Her driving goal is to protect Aden, protect the only person who has ever come back for her no matter what.

This time, even Aden’s passionate determination may not be enough—because the emotionless chill of Silence existed for a reason. For the violent, and the insane, and the irreparably broken…like Zaira.

I really liked Shards Of Hope! We find out more about Aden and we actually see some different changeling packs, which was nice.

Don’t get me wrong, I love SnowDancer and DarkRiver, don’t get me wrong, but other changeling packs are mentioned throughout the series, and it was nice to see the Psy-Changeling word beyond San Fransisco. Particularly the Changeling world, because I feel like like we do get glimpses of the Psy world outside of San Fransisco, but not the changeling world.

Aden was ap retty mysterious figure, but I’m not surprised, considering he’s an Arrow. Obviously, Silence is really important for him, especially as the leader of the Arrows. It’s interesting that he was so underestimated in terms of his power, and with the updates from the PsyNet and the livestream comments, it’s obvious people seem to either love him or hate him. Well, I don’t know that love and hate is the best way to put, but people have some really different thoughts about Aden as the leader of the Arrows. There’s more to him than people thought, and I’m glad they finally saw that Aden is the one who should be leading the Arrows. Even though he’s Psy, he’s obviously their Alpha, and I really liked seeing how much he wanted to change things, particularly for the kids.

I was really hesitant about the romance between him and Zaira, especially since I wasn’t a fan of the romance in the previous book. Zaira wasn’t cold like I expected her to be, and it was obvious she’d follow Aden to the ends of the earth. I liked them together slightly better than the one in the previous book, but I still wasn’t completely into it. This part of the series is clearly wrapping up, and I’ve found that as the series went on, I wasn’t also interested in the romance. Maybe the Psy-Psy romance focused books aren’t my thing as far as the romance goes, but I do really like the series, so even though I might not love the romance, I still really like the world.

Shards Of Hope does build on Shield Of Winter, and I know I already mentioned how much I liked seeing more of the Arrows and how much he wanted to incorporate the really cool things the changelings are doing with their young. I thought it really showed how willing he was to make things better for the Arrow kids and how there are different (and maybe better) ways of doing things.

With one book left in this series, I don’t know that we’ll see more of the changeling world we were introduced to in this book. I’m hoping we get more of it, but there’s a lot to wrap up- and with a lot of characters too. The character list felt like it went on for pages, and I gave up books ago on trying to keep all of the characters straight because there are so many. This world that Singh built is massive but also awe-inspiring. I’m curious to see where things will go, and how everything (and everyone) will come together. There’s definitely a lot more story to tell, and Singh really could go on for books to come where this series is concerned.

I don’t know, I feel like I’m talking more about the series as a whole than the actual book. I don’t really have anything else to say about the book, but I’ll be glad to read the next book.

3 stars. I liked it but I didn’t love it. Part of it is not being completely invested in the romance (I tend to like the Psy-Changeling romances more than any other pairing), but at this point, I’m pretty curious to see how it will all come together.

Book Review: Shield Of Winter by Nalini Singh

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Book: Shield Of Winter by Nalini Singh

Published June 2014 by Berkley Hardcover|431 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #13

Genre: Adult Romance/Adult Paranormal Romance

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life. 

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…

I really liked this one!  We finally get Vasic’s book, which was nice.  I was wondering if we’d ever get his book, and I’m glad we did!

I’m curious to see what is next for the Arrows, particularly with Silence falling.  I mean, protecting Silence is their main goal, so I’m wondering if we’ll at least get a glimpse of what their goals are now that things are changing.  It kind of seems like their future is linked with the Empaths, and I wasn’t expecting them to have such a big role in this book.

It makes sense that Empaths are really important to the future of the Psy, so I’m hoping we’ll get more of them as well.  I think Slave To Sensation is the last book that had such an emphasis on Empaths, and I really felt like a lot of this series was building up to both Heart Of Obsidian and Shields Of Winter.  We start to see what a post-Silence world looks like, and with a couple of books left in the series, I’m curious to see how things get wrapped up.  I now things are far from being resolved, and I really do want to know what else is going to go wrong before it gets better.

I like Vasic and Ivy, and I do like them together, but…something about their relationship seemed a little cold to me.  I know Silence is really important for Vasic as an Arrow, and he’s seemed pretty cold whenever he’s popped up in the series before this point.  Maybe it’s just me, but I expected more angst and tortured hero from Vasic.  Considering all of the things he’s had to do, I figured there would be more angst as far as his relationship with Ivy goes.  He’s an Arrow, and she’s an Empath, and I figured there would be more conflict with that, but there wasn’t really enough of it, at least for me.

Maybe I was expecting something like the romance we saw in Slave To Sensation or Caressed By Ice, and that’s why I wasn’t into the romance.  I wish I liked them more together, because I do like them together, and I think they’re a great couple.  I just didn’t love them.

4 stars. I really liked Shield Of Winter, and I’m really curious to see who will be paired together in the next book.  And how the series is going to end.

Book Review: Heart Of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

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Book: Heart Of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Published November 2013 by Berkley|371 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the paperback from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #12

Genre: Adult Romance/Adult Paranormal Romance

Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh’s explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world…

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.

A woman whose very existence has been erased.

A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.

A deadly price that must be paid.

The day of reckoning is here.

From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

This is the book I’ve been waiting for in this whole series, and I’m glad we finally got it!

So, up to this point, it was obvious Kaleb was not only really powerful but also up to something.  We got an idea of what he was really up to in the last book, but this was the book where everything came together.  I wasn’t let down by anything, and there has been a lot of build-up to the events and revelations in Heart Of Obsidian, and I was really nervous it wasn’t going to live up to the expectations I had going into this book.  Either Singh was going to do it justice, or I would be really disappointed in the story.

Thankfully, Singh did it justice, and I had nothing to worry about.  Kaleb makes a lot more sense, and I feel like I understand him a lot better in this book.  He was a character who could go in any number of directions, and I wasn’t sure what to expect with him.  Having read Heart Of Obsidian, I can’t imagine his story being told any other way, and for a book being focused solely on the Psy world, I was really intrigued by what he and Sahara went through.

I’ve always liked the books that focused on both Psy and Changelings- both worlds are so cool and interesting, and it seems like I tend to really like the books where we see both.  It seems like when a book focuses mostly on one, I don’t seem to like it as much.

That wasn’t the case with this one, and I’m not going to lie, I actually liked that this one was so completely focused on the couple.  We didn’t really get any of the other stuff going on in the background, and as much as I love all of the different pieces, it was nice to take a break from everything and focus on one thing.

I know this book has been out for a while, but I’m still hesitant to talk about it because I don’t want to give anything away if you haven’t read it.  This is one book where it’s better to go in not knowing a lot.  Unless you like spoilers, which is also cool.  I know I was glad I went into it not knowing anything.

4 stars.  I really liked Sahara and Kaleb together, and I’m glad we finally got Kaleb’s book!

Book Review: Tangle Of Need by Nalini Singh

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Book: Tangle Of Need by Nalini Singh

Published May 2012 by Berkley|422 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Psy-Changeling #11

Genre: Adult Romance/Paranormal Romance

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past—one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another. 

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle. 

Their coming together is an inferno…and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

This one was okay for me.  I mean, I liked seeing everything that happened with the Psy and everything going on with Alice but I wasn’t particularly interested in the romance.  I definitely found myself more interested in the other couples we see in the book, particularly Sienna and Hawke.

I found myself bored with both Adria and Riaz, and I think they’re one of my least favorite couples, if not my least favorite.  I think the fact that he had a mate didn’t help, though it seemed like he really did choose Adria, and that part I did like.  But otherwise, I just had a hard time rooting for them as a couple and I didn’t particularly care about their story.

I just think that all of the other couples and everything going on with the Psy and Arrows took away from their story, and it felt like everything going on with Adria and Riaz took a backseat to everything else going on.  It felt like everything else going on was more important than their relationship.  Who knows, maybe I would have liked them as a couple more if we spent more time with them.

As far as Kaleb goes…I’m wondering what he’s up to.  Clearly, finding someone, and I want to know who it is.  I’m sure all will be revealed soon, and I’m hoping it’s not a disappointment or letdown when we get there.  As for the Ghost, I’m hoping it’s the same as well.  I really hope it’s soon.  It will probably will be, since we only have a few books to go.

I’m not sure what else to say about Tangle Of Need, but I think I will finish with the thought that it’s very much about the aftermath of Kiss Of Snow.  It wrapped up a lot of things we saw in that book, and I’m curious to see where things will go.

2 stars.  As much as it pains me to give this book 2 stars, it really was okay for me.  Still, I think it wraps up a lot of things from the previous book, and it hints at some things I’m sure will come up in the rest of the series.

Book Review: As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows

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Book: As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows

Published September 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books|550 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: The Fallen Isles #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

MIRA, THE HOPEBEARER
Mira Minkoba is on the run with her friends after a fiery escape from the Pit, where she’d been imprisoned for defending the dragons she loves. And she wants answers. Where have all the dragons been taken? Why are powerful noorestones being shipped to the mainland? And did the treaty she’s been defending her whole life truly sell out the Fallen Isles to their enemies?

MIRA, THE DRAGONHEARTED
As her connection to the dragons—and their power—grows stronger, so does Mira’s fear that she might lose control and hurt someone she loves. But the only way to find the truth is to go home again, to Damina, to face the people who betrayed her and the parents she’s not sure she can trust.

Home, where she must rise above her fears. Or be consumed.

The second page-turning novel in Jodi Meadows’ Fallen Isles trilogy scorches with mysterious magic and riveting romance as one girl kindles a spark into a flame.

I liked this one!  I didn’t like it as much as the first book, but I still want to know what happens next.

I wasn’t a big fan of the timeline in this book, so that didn’t really change from the first book.  It’s slightly better than it was in the first book, and a lot more linear but I still wasn’t a fan of it.  Most of the book is told through Mira’s perspective, but we do get chapters about what happened to Aaru.  Aaru’s chapters are much more linear than the timeline we saw in Before She Ignites, and I liked learning more about what happened to Aaru.

At the same time, though, I just wanted to be in the present.  It did tie in to Mira’s story, at least a little, and I am curious to see if it will tie into the last book as well.

I did like seeing more of the treaty, and what was really going on with it.  It wasn’t what I thought it would be, and it was clear that for a lot of people living in the Fallen Islands that the treaty wasn’t what they thought…or at least, what some people thought.  I was surprised by everything with the Treaty, and while part of me is hoping everything is okay with Mira’s parents, part of me is hoping things are not okay.

Mira really finds an inner strength that we didn’t see before, and I really hated that her worth as a person- for some people- depended on her looks and her doing what people told her to do.  It made me angry, because Mira is a good person, who wants a better world.  She wants to help dragons and her people, and all some people want is a pretty figurehead to further their own agenda.

I’ve really liked seeing Mira grow and change, and I’m sure we’ll see more of that in the next book.  Part of me didn’t like that she didn’t want to take her medication for anxiety, but…I can also understand not wanting to use when you’re unsure if you’ll be able to get more.  So much is depending on her, so I’m hoping…what, exactly, I don’t know, but there’s something about it that I didn’t like, and I can’t pinpoint why.  I’m also not sure where I want it to go, but part of me hopes we’ll continue to see Mira deal with her anxiety.

3 stars.  I liked it, and I liked Mir’s journey in this book.  There’s a lot I’m hoping we’ll see in the next book, and I’m hoping we don’t get past and present in the next book, because it really hasn’t worked for me in this book.

Book Review: Heart Of Thorns by Bree Barton

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Book: Heart Of Thorns by Bree Barton

Published July 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books|438 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Heart Of Thorns #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Inventive and heart-racing, this fiercely feminist teen fantasy trilogy from debut author Bree Barton examines a dark kingdom in which only women can possess magic—and every woman is suspected of having it.

Mia Rose wants only one thing: revenge against the Gwyrach—feared, reviled, and magical women—who killed her mother. After years training under her father’s infamous Hunters, Mia is ready. She will scour the four kingdoms, find her mother’s murderer, and enact the Hunters’ Creed: heart for a heart, life for a life.

But when Mia is thrust into the last role she ever wanted—promised wife to the future king—she plots a daring escape. On her wedding night, Mia discovers something she never imagined: She may be a Huntress, but she’s also a Gwyrach. As the truth comes to light, Mia must untangle the secrets of her own past. Now if she wants to survive, Mia must learn to trust her heart . . . even if it kills her.

I liked this one! I didn’t love it, for a few reasons, but there were also some things I really liked as well.

So…what didn’t I like about Heart Of Thorns?

For one thing, it’s pretty predictable. I mean, Mia is set to get married at the beginning of the book, but it’s not something she wants. And of course, Mia is the very thing she hates, especially after what happened to her mom. It’s predictable in the sense that she has to learn how to accept the thing she’s been trained to hate. I didn’t mind the predictability of Heart Of Thorns, but I can’t say I’m surprised by pretty much anything that happens in the book.

Wanting to protect her sister, I get. Finding out that her sister wasn’t who she thought wasn’t a surprise. Her dad maybe trying to help her out even though he doesn’t seem to care about her? A dead mother who had a secret, but left behind information Mia needed? None of that was surprising.

And I skimmed over the parts where Mia was reading what her mother had left behind. I don’t mind cursive/the handwriting-type font, and I get needing to differentiate between what her mother wrote and the rest of the book, but I found it a little bit hard to read, so I sort of skimmed and got bits and pieces. I wish it had been a little easier to read, but that’s just my preference.

I was curious to find out what happened to her mom, but I wasn’t really interested in that part as much as I wanted it to be. Maybe it’s because I pretty much skipped over that part of the book, and I did like everything with her sister…well, all of the stuff towards the end of the book. I was definitely surprised by the end of the book, which was less predictable than I thought it would be. Was it still predictable? Of course if was. But it was less predictable than I thought it would be, considering everything that had happened for most of the book. It’s took bad the rest of the book wasn’t like the ending. I hate it when books only get interesting at the end, and this book was no exception.

Mia definitely learns that everything she knew about the Gwyrach is not necessarily the case, and that was something I really liked about the book. It definitely highlighted how something that only women could do became twisted into something terrible- I did expect something more as far as a sisterhood goes, and it was that part of the book that really shows why the blurb describes this book as a feminist fantasy. I didn’t love it, and it wasn’t enough to warrant stronger feelings but it was something that’s giving the book a higher rating than what it would have received otherwise.

3 stars. I liked it but I don’t know if I’ll continue on with the series. I’m not dying to know what happens next, even if I am slightly intrigued. It’s was entertaining but predictable.

Book Review: Wildcard by Marie Lu

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Book: Wildcard by Marie Lu

Published September 2018 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers|341 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: Warcross #2

Genre: YA Sci Fi

All bets are off. This time the gamble is survival.

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems—and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

I really liked this one!  I was really curious about where things were headed after finishing Warcross a few months ago, and I’m glad we finally found out.

We learn a lot more about Zero in this book, and the mysterious Blackcoats that he works with.  I don’t know what I was expecting with Zero’s story, and why he disappeared years earlier, but I’m also glad we learned more about him.  I was surprised by everything that happened with Hideo- I wasn’t expecting it, but I am glad there were consequences to what he did.  I definitely get why he wanted to find his brother, and the lengths he would go to in order to find him.  At the same time, though, I think his technology could be used in ways he never intended, but hopefully, everything will turn out okay with his algorithm.

Emika…I don’t have strong thoughts about her either way.  She’s a pawn for pretty much the whole book, and I wish she had been able to make more of her own decisions.  Emika is more of a messenger/go-between than anything else, and I really missed the parts where she’s with the Phoenix Riders.  I also missed the actual Warcross elements as well, though I get why we don’t see more of the Phoenix Riders and Warcross.

Wildcard is definitely more about Hideo and Zero, and less about the technology Hideo created.  I liked those parts, don’t get me wrong, but I still wish we had seen more of the other things I really liked about the first book.

Part of me is glad that this was a duology, because I can’t really see how Lu would stretch the story out.  At the same time, part of me wants to see Emika and Hideo’s story beyond what we saw in this book.  Overall, it’s a pretty good conclusion to the story.  The story did move pretty fast, and there were times where I kept forgetting the book only took place over the course of a few days.

4 stars.  I really liked it learning more about Hideo and Zero, but Emika seemed boring in this one.  I also missed the Phoenix Riders and the Warcross elements but it’s still a pretty good good conclusion.

Book Review: Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

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Book: Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Published April 2018 by Simon Pulse|421 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?

I liked this one!  It’s cute, and there are a lot of things I liked…but also some things I didn’t like.

So, I liked the non-traditional families in this book, particularly with the relationship Zorie had with her step-mom.  I loved that even though Zorie wasn’t her biological child, she still considered Zorie her kid, and they had such a good relationship.  It’s a nice change from the evil, horrible step-parent who hates the kid from the previous marriage.  As for Zorie’s dad, I wasn’t a big fan of him.  I hated that for the entire book, he hated Lennon, and it was just so weird to me.  I mean, he’s a kid, and though it wasn’t explained for most of the book, something obviously happened for the dad to want Lennon stay away from Zorie.

We do learn what that moment is, and I was a little let down by it.  I understand why her dad was upset, but obviously, appearances mattered more than anything else, and I was glad when he was no longer part of Zorie’s life.

I really liked the maps throughout the book, and it really seemed to fit with the book and the journey through the wilderness.  Zorie and Lennon do suit each other, and they had a lot of chemistry but I also wasn’t into the romance, for some reason.  It’s sweet and cute, and there’s definitely some miscommunication that gets worked out.  The setting worked really well, and it was a good background for them as they figured out what went wrong at Homecoming.  Also, camping and hiking isn’t something that comes up in YA contemporary.  It made it seem a little more unique, but I am slightly disappointed that Zorie’s love of astronomy didn’t really come into play as she and Lennon were hiking to a different park.

Overall, though, I was bored at times.  The camping/hiking descriptions were cool, but I didn’t really get why Zorrie and Lennon were on the trip when one of the girls just wanted to get rid of Zorrie, and Lennon only seemed to be there to keep an eye on Zorrie.

I also didn’t like the references to Homecoming, and how that changed things for Zorrie and Lennon.  There was a lot of build-up to it, and I did feel a little let down by what really happened.  I already wasn’t a fan of her dad, and that made me really hate him.  I’ve already talked about it a little bit, so I won’t add anything else but I definitely wasn’t thrilled with her dad.

3 stars.  I liked Starry Eyes, and the setting was really cool.  I liked the relationship Zorie had with her step-mom, but I’m having a hard time giving it anything higher than 3 stars.

Book Review: Property Of The Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

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Book: Property Of The Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes

Published September 2018 by Random House Books For Young Readers|256 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the hardcover from the library

Series: None

Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary

When twelve-year-old June Harper’s parents discover what they deem an inappropriate library book, they take strict parenting to a whole new level. And everything June loves about Dogwood Middle School unravels: librarian Ms. Bradshaw is suspended, an author appearance is canceled, the library is gutted, and all books on the premises must have administrative approval. 

But June can’t give up books . . . and she realizes she doesn’t have to when she spies a Little Free Library on her walk to school. As the rules become stricter at school and at home, June keeps turning the pages of the banned books that continue to appear in the little library. It’s a delicious secret . . . and one she can’t keep to herself. June starts a banned book library of her own in an abandoned locker at school. The risks grow alongside her library’s popularity, and a movement begins at Dogwood Middle–a movement that, if exposed, could destroy her. But if it’s powerful enough, maybe it can save Ms. Bradshaw and all that she represents: the freedom to read.

Equal parts fun and empowering, this novel explores censorship, freedom of speech, and activism. For any kid who doesn’t believe one person can effect change…and for all the kids who already know they can!

I really liked Property Of The Rebel Librarian!  I love the story, and I loved June and how having a library and being able to read what she wanted was really important to her.

When I was reading this book, I found myself angry at June’s parents.  Most of the books at her school library were gone, because they think a lot of books are inappropriate.  What made me the angriest was that they went to the school, and had so many books removed.  It’s one thing if they decide they don’t want June reading certain books, but to decide that for all of the kids in her school?  That goes a little too far for me.

Also…the fact that they rip out pages of books she already owned and read and that they glued note cards to the pages of other books to change the story…I just had a hard time completely understanding why they would go to that length to make sure she’s not reading something they deem inappropriate.  I guess I don’t understand why they’d even give the books back to her at that point.

Still, I can believe that parents would edit books so their kids don’t read something “bad” and try to get books removed the library (or remove the librarian from the school) for the good of the children.

I just love June so much, and the school librarian was awesome!  It’s clear that the librarian encouraged kids to read, and had a lot of recommendations for her students.  What happened to her was sad, and I loved seeing June and her school take a stand.  June reminds me of myself, and I love that she became a rebel librarian.  I also loved that she wanted to be a librarian after everything that happened.

Also, I loved that a lot of the students started reading because of the restrictions in place.  These are kids who know what they like, and have a pretty good idea of what books they want to read.  They are kids who want- and are more than capable- of making their own decisions about their reading material.  I hated seeing that choice taken away because of a few parents.  I’m glad they took action, even when parents and the school administration didn’t want them to.

4 stars.  Though a few characters (like June’s parents) made me really angry, I also really liked June and seeing her find her calling as a future librarian.  There were times where it seemed more YA than middle grade, but overall, this is a great book for everyone who loves reading!