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Book Review: Witchstruck

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Witchstruck CoverBook: Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

Published September 2013 by HarlequinTeen|237 pages

Where I Got It: Nook Store

Series: The Tudor Witch Trilogy #1

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy/Historical Fiction

You can find Witchstruck on goodreads & Victoria Lamb on Twitter and her website

Goodreads Summary:

If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned.

If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.

Meg Lytton has always known she is different–that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne.

With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg’s hand in marriage, and Meg’s own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn’t a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.

The Secret Circle meets The Other Boleyn Girl in Witchstruck, the first book of the magical Tudor Witch trilogy.

What I Thought: 

If there’s something I love, it’s Tudor history, and when I saw Witchstruck, I knew I had to read it!  I love the element of witches and magic in this book, and given that Mary is still Queen…I just love that Elizabeth has a lady-in-waiting who is a witch.  I actually found it all really believable!

Lamb definitely had some elements that I wasn’t expecting- one being Meg being a witch, which worked really well with the book.  Also interesting was her love interest- a priest-in-training from Spain, so there’s an element of a very-forbidden romance.  And yet, it didn’t feel overdone and was actually believable.  Especially because his order does allow priests to get married.  Which sounds like it wouldn’t work or be believable, but I really thought it was something that worked really well.

Alejandro is a great character, and I loved that he was so willing to help Meg, even though he knew what she was capable of and even knowing of her magical abilities.  They have their differences (obviously) but I liked that there was such differences between them.

Even though Meg is a lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth I, it’s much more about Meg and her journey.  Still, Elizabeth is interesting in this book, and I liked her relationship with Meg.  I do like that Lamb doesn’t seem to take sides in Witchstruck.  The book felt pretty neutral towards both Elizabeth and Mary, and you don’t really get a lot of the conflict between them that you’d see in other historical fiction about them.  I’m not sure if it’s because they’re not in the same place for most of the book, or if there’s another reason for it, but I liked that the conflict between them was minimized.

Let’s Rate It:

I found Witchstruck to be really believable, even with the paranormal/magical elements of the book.  They really did work well with the book and everything going on during this time period.  I love all of the historical details in the book, and I really feel like Lamb knows her stuff in regards to the history.  Witchstruck gets 4 stars.

Book Review: Awry

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Awry CoverBook: Awry by Chelsea Fine

Published June 2012 by Firefall Publishing|236 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Archers Of Avalon #2

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

You can find Awry on goodreads & Chelsea Fine on Twitter, Facebook, and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Three curses. Two brothers. One love triangle.

Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes…love is the death of you.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet has just died. Only, dying isn’t unusual for a girl under a centuries old curse that left her semi-immortal. 

This time, though, she comes back to her current life instead of awaking in a new one, and she realizes her curse is changing. With the help of the immortal Archer brothers, Scarlet tries to piece together her life and break the curse before her impending death comes again.

What I Thought:

So, back when I read Anew, the first book in the series, I thought that the curse was really different and unique, and in Awry, we learn more about the curse and how Scarlet meet Gabriel and Tristan.  I really liked seeing how she met them and how Raven, the girl who cast the curse fits into the picture.

Oh, and remember when I said that there is more to Scarlet’s guardian than what we saw in Anew?  We definitely learn more about her guardian in Anew.  And not good things (naturally).  Still, I feel like her part in things is not over, and that we’ll get the last bits and pieces of her story in the last book.

I really liked the flashbacks and how they were incorporated.  It really added to the romance and the curse, and it really made the curse have more of an impact because you know the history behind everything.  There’s so much there, and all of the details and history seem so real, and well thought out, and not there just to be there.  Plus, the flashbacks really made the relationships between everyone easier to understand because you know where everyone is coming from.

I really like how everything is coming together, and how they’re still trying to figure out everything…but also how they’re getting closer to finding the Fountain Of Youth.  There are still some missing pieces, of course, but I have this strong feeling that Fine will wrap everything up really well.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Awry and how it built on the world that Fine created in Anew.  I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how everything comes together.  Awry gets 4 stars.

Mini Book Review: Shadowspell

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Shadowspell CoverBook: Shadowspell by Jenna Black

Published January 2011 by St. Martin’s Press|224 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Fairiewalker #2

Genre: YA Paranormal- Fairies

You can find Shadowspell on goodreads & Jenna Black on twitter & her website

Goodreads Summary: 

On top of spending most of her time in a bunker-like safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking have long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. 

A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

What I Thought:

I was pleasantly surprised with Shadowspell, but I definitely liked it a lot more than Glimmerglass.  I thought that the addition of the Erlking was interesting and his backstory was also interesting, but it also fits with the story really well. I’m really curious to see what role the Erlking will play in the next book and how a certain deal he and Dana made will play out. Still, I find that deal particularly interesting because of an ability of his and how it’ll work because of Dana being a Fairiewalker.

I’m not sure how I feel about Dana in this book.  I think I’m feeling pretty neutral about her, and I feel pretty neutral about a lot of the other characters.  I get why Dana has a lot of issues but the only character who is really standing out right now is the Erlking.  I think his interest in her to be really interesting.

I really like the world that Black has created.  There’s so much going on in this world and there’s so much there!  It’s definitely a good second book and it really adds to the series.  Dana learns more about her abilities as a Fairiewalker, and she’s clearly not just any Fairiewalker.  That, combined with everything else going on, makes me feel like there’s a lot more going on than what we’re seeing.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Shadowspell and I can’t wait to read the next book!  To be honest, I’m not completely sure why I liked this one so much, but it was a really enjoyable read.  Shadowspell gets 4 stars.

Book Review: Providence

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Providence CoverBook: Providence by Lisa Colozza Cocca

Expected Publication is March 18, 2014 by Merit Press|Expected Number Of Pages: 256

Where I Got It: I got an e-ARC from netgalley.com, which hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find Providence on goodreads & you can find Lisa Colozza Cocca on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

The eldest of ten children on a dirt-poor farm, Becky trudges through life as a full-time babysitter, trying to avoid her father’s periodic violent rages. When the family’s barn burns down, her father lays the blame on Becky, and her own mother tells her to run for it. Run she does, hopping into an empty freight car. There, in a duffel bag, Becky finds an abandoned baby girl, only hours old. After years of tending to her siblings, sixteen-year-old Becky knows just what a baby needs. This baby needs a mother. With no mother around, Becky decides, at least temporarily, this baby needs her. When Becky hops off the train in a small Georgia town, it’s with baby “Georgia” in her arms. When she meets Rosie, an eccentric thrift-shop owner, who comes to value and love Becky as no one ever has, Becky rashly claims the baby as her own. Not everyone in town is as welcoming as Rosie, though. Many suspect Becky and her baby are not what they seem. Among the doubters is a beautiful, reclusive woman with her own terrible loss and a long history with Rosie. As Becky’s life becomes entangled with the lives of the people in town, including a handsome boy who suspects Becky is hiding something from her past, she finds her secrets more difficult to keep. Becky should grab the baby and run, but her newfound home and job with Rosie have given Becky the family she’s never known. Despite her guilt over leaving her mother alone, she is happy for the first time. But it’s a happiness not meant to last. When the truth comes out, Becky has the biggest decision of her life to make. Should she run away again? Should she stay–and fight? Or lie? What does the future hold for Becky and Georgia? With a greatness of heart and a stubborn insistence on hope found in few novels of any genre, “Providence” proves that home is where you find it, love is an active verb, and family is more than just a word.

What I Thought:

When I first started to read Providence, I wasn’t sure about it- initially, it seemed like something I wouldn’t like.  But as I kept reading,I started to get drawn into Becky’s world.

I felt for Becky, who had to grow up fast.  And finding a newborn on a train, and taking her in, and finding a place that becomes her home…Becky had to grow up even more.  I’m glad Georgia had people who cared for her, and I’m glad Becky found the same.  Something that didn’t set well with me was how Becky’s parents didn’t seem to care that she was gone and that we don’t see them fighting to get Becky back.  Still, it fit with why she left and never went back.  There is a part of me that wanted to see more of Becky’s life with her parents and life at home because I wanted more to see how much her new life contrasted with her old one.

I loved Rosie and how kind she was.  She really did give Becky and Georgia a home and they felt very much like a family. I’m not sure how I feel about Lily, especially with how the book ended.  On the one hand, I’m glad Becky and Georgia did find someone who cared about them and would take them in…but at the same time, I loved how Becky did what she needed to do in order to take care of Georgia.  Becky really did change a lot over the course of the book, and she has a really bright future ahead of her.  Still, it did seem like it was the best decision for everyone.

I will say that I kept picturing the book taking place in the 1950’s.  There’s something very old-timey about the town, and it was hard to imagine it taking place in present time.  Then again, I’ve never lived in a small town like the one Becky came across, so for all I know, small towns have that good-ole-day kind of feel.

Let’s Rate It:

I have a few issues with Providence, but overall, I really liked it!  I liked seeing Becky deal with and overcome some of the things she had happen.  And I like how welcoming people were to Becky.  Providence gets 4 stars.

Book Review: We’ll Always Have Summer

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We'll Always Have Summer CoverBook: We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Published April 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers|304 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: Summer #3

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find We’ll Always Have Summer on goodreads & Jenny Han on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

It’s been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college– only, their relationship hasn’t exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It’s time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

What I Thought:

This series has such a special place in my heart now!  I just LOVED We’ll Always Have Summer!

I’ll admit, it’s slightly weird to see Belly in a place that’s not Cousin’s.  Cousin’s really is a special place, and so much has happened there.  But I also liked seeing Belly at college and how she’s really growing up, and how she’s not the same girl as she was when she was 16.  She had such a hard decision to make in We’ll Always Have Summer, but I think anyone who has read the series will be able to figure out who she chooses in the end.

Which is also interesting, because I’ve gone back and forth on who I wanted Belly to be with.  But as much as I liked her with Jeremiah at one point, this book really showed that he and Belly aren’t meant to be, no matter how much he cares about her.  There were things he did that made it feel like he was more in love with the idea of being with Belly than he actually loved her.  I’m sure he did love her, but he just seemed like a completely different Jeremiah in this book.

I just love the relationships we see in this book- the one between Belly and her brother, the one between Belly and her mom, Belly and Conrad…and there is even that part of me that liked Jeremiah and Belly, because I think it took being with Jeremiah and spending time at Cousin’s with Conrad for both Belly and Jeremiah to realize that it wasn’t going to work out.

We’ll Always Have Summer made me want Susannah back SO MUCH!  I couldn’t help but wonder what Susannah would think, and how different things would be if Susannah were still alive.  I love that she left a letter for Belly to read on her wedding day!  Speaking of Susannah…it really does seem like everyone’s made peace with her death.

I also like that we see happened two years after the events of the book, and that we get the resolution we’ve really been waiting for- assuming you wanted things to go that way, of course.  And I’m glad my copy of We’ll Always Have Summer included Conrad’s letters to Belly- I loved reading them!

Let’s Rate It:

I loved We’ll Always Have Summer, and this series makes me feel so nostalgic and wistful.  I’m glad things worked out the way they did, and Cousin’s is such a special place.  We’ll Always Have Summer gets 5 stars.

Book Review: The Impossible Knife Of Memory

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The Impossible Knife Of Memory CoverBook: The Impossible Knife Of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

Published January 2014 by Penguin Group|400 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find The Impossible Knife Of Memory on goodreads & Laurie Halse Anderson on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

For the past five years, Hayley Kincaid and her father, Andy, have been on the road, never staying long in one place as he struggles to escape the demons that have tortured him since his return from Iraq. Now they are back in the town where he grew up so Hayley can attend school. Perhaps, for the first time, Hayley can have a normal life, put aside her own painful memories, even have a relationship with Finn, the hot guy who obviously likes her but is hiding secrets of his own.

Will being back home help Andy’s PTSD, or will his terrible memories drag him to the edge of hell, and drugs push him over? The Impossible Knife of Memory is Laurie Halse Anderson at her finest: compelling, surprising, and impossible to put down.

What I Thought:

When I saw that Laurie Halse Anderson had a new book, I knew I had to read it!  It’s right up there with Speak as one of my favorite Laurie Halse Anderson books, and I couldn’t help but relate to Hayley.

Hayley has so much going on at home with her dad, and she definitely has a lot of her own issues to deal with, not to mean everything her dad is going through.  Hayley’s dad isn’t the only going through things.

What really stuck with me was how we’d see a chapter from Andy’s POV every once in a while.  It struck me as something really different because you don’t normally see anything from the POV of the parent, and it really added to what was going on with both Andy and Hayley.

I felt like Anderson handled Andy’s PTSD and his experiences as a soldier so well and with so much care.  I’m glad Hayley has good friends in Grace and Finn and that she realized she can count on Trish, even with Trish leaving them years earlier. It’s such a great look at PTSD and how everyone deals with it and that it’s not limited to the person with PTSD but their friends and family as well.

My only complaint- which is a minor one- is that the ending wrapped up a little too nicely, especially with everything that happened in the book.  I did expect a happy-ish/hopeful ending, which we definitely got, but…something about it was a little too nice and neat.  Still, I so very much loved everything about this book, and I’m willing to overlook the ending because Laurie Halse Anderson has done such a good job at making both Hayley and her dad easy to relate to and understand.

Let’s Rate It:

The Impossible Knife Of Memory is another amazing book by Laurie Halse Anderson.  She does such a great job at creating characters who seem like real people and are so easy to relate to, even if you’ve never been through what they’re going through.  I love the few chapters from Andy’s point of view, and it really adds to Hayley’s story.  The Impossible Knife Of Memory gets 5 stars.

Book Review: Ignite Me

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Ignite Me CoverBook: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Published February 2014 by HarperCollins|416 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: Shatter Me #3

Genre: YA Paranormal Dystopic

You can find Ignite Me on goodreads & Tahereh Mafi on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she’ll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew – about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam – was wrong.

What I Thought:

I can’t believe it’s all over!  But it’s such a good ending for all of the characters, and I can’t imagine it ending any other way. I really can’t.  

Ignite Me starts where Unravel Me left off, and only a chapter in, we got a moment that had me going “oh my god, what just happened, did Warner really say that, oh my god, how could that possibly happen?”  And I knew at that moment that I needed to not read this book during lunch, because I manage to not yell at my Nook, even though I really wanted to.  And of course, everything turned out okay in regards to that particular revelation.  

I just love Juliette and how much she’s changed and grown as a person since we saw her in Shatter Me.  She’s come to accept her abilities and what she has to do in order change things.  I just love her friendship with Kenji, who is still such a great character.  I’m still not sure how I feel about Adam or Warner, but I will say that Warner has grown on me, and Adam was slightly irritating.  After reading Ignite Me, though, I’m pretty sold on Warner and Juliette.  They really are good for each and bring out the best in each other.  Still, I’m wondering if my neutrality towards Warner and Adam is because I haven’t read the novellas yet.  

The ending!  It fit, but I think part of me was expecting something different.  I like that the book ends with a feeling of hope and that things are going to be different, but at the same time, part of me wanted a glimpse of what things were like after the big battle happened.  

I do miss the strike throughs we saw in the other books, but there is still the repetition of certain words and the interesting placement of some of the text that we saw in Shatter Me and Unravel Me.  I still love that we see Juliette’s thoughts so well, and I still felt like we were experiencing what she was experiencing.  

Let’s Rate It:

Ignite Me is such a good ending to a series that I’ve come to love!  I’m sad to see it come to an end, but I love how much Juliette changed over the course of the series.  Ignite Me gets 5 stars.  

Book Review: Cress

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Cress CoverBook: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Published February 2014 by Feiwel & Friends|560 pages

Where I Got It: at the Nook store

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3

Genre: YA Dystopic/Fairy Tale Re-Telling

You can find Cress on goodreads and Marissa Meyer on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

What I Thought:

Cress was so completely awesome!!!  Honestly, I think it might be my favorite in the series so far.  Cress has such an interesting story, and I LOVE what Meyer did with the Rapunzel story.  And how it connects to Cinder’s story…goodness, I wasn’t expecting some of the things that came up in this book!

I was surprised I loved Cress so much, considering how I excited I was and how much I had hyped up the book.  It definitely exceeded the already high expectations I had for Cress.  I just love how things from the first two books that I didn’t even think about come up in Cress (like something Dr. Erland mentioned about his daughter in Cinder) and how many connections there are between the characters and everything that’s going on.

There’s so much action and I liked that we had several different POV’s- Cinder, Scarlet and Cress, and it worked really well! Especially because they all have their own part in trying to put a stop to Kai’s wedding to Queen Levana.

Let’s start with Cress!  I just love her story, and I really do love her story the most.  I found her to be really sympathetic and lovable, and I felt bad that she was on a satellite for so long with only a few visits from Sybil, who worked closely with Queen Levana.

I also liked Scarlet’s story, especially when she meets Winter, who will be the focus of the next book.  Which I am anxiously awaiting, because hers another story I think I’ll love.  I like Cinder a lot, but I was so interested in what was going on with everyone else that I didn’t pay too much attention to Cinder herself.  We certainly learn some things when Cress focuses on Cinder, but I wasn’t as interested in her story as I had been with the other books.

Cress is such an awesome book, and it really makes an already awesome series even more awesome.  Plus, it’s easily my favorite cover in the series.  And I like how the covers all incorporate a really important element from the original fairy tale- a shoe from Cinderella, the cloak from Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel’s hair.  Even more cool is how the shoe, the cloak, and the hair tie are all red.

Let’s Rate It:

Cress is such an amazing addition to the series, and I’m so excited to read Winter!  I love how Meyer re-told Rapunzel, and Cress is easily my favorite book in the series so far.  Cress gets 5 stars.

Gilmore Girls 3×15: Face-Off

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Face-Off originally aired February 18, 2003.  This episode was written by John Stephens and was directed by Kenny Ortega.

Gilmore Girls Season 3 Graphic

Face-Off opens with Taylor going over the details of his upcoming family reunion with Lorelei, who needs Rory to pretend to be sick so Lorelei doesn’t have to talk to Taylor anymore.  He also gives them buttons that show support for the Stars Hollow High hockey team making it to the championship or finals or whatever.

Richard’s mom Trix is going to be staying with Emily and Richard while her floors are getting re-done, which isn’t going over well with Emily.  Lorelei has a date with Alex after Friday night dinner, while Rory is waiting for Jess to call.  When she tells Lorelei about her night the next day, we learn that it never occurred to Rory to call Jess.  Rory wants to know why Lorelei asks her if she’s going to tell Jess before starting to compare Jess and Dean.  Lorelei says it’s not fair to compare them because Dean and Jess are different, and that Rory got lucky with Dean as a first boyfriend.

Mrs. Kim set Lane up with someone, and it makes Dave jealous.  Dave even runs to the hockey game to check on Lane and Yung Chu, and finds out Yung Chu has a girlfriend.

Rory ends up going to the hockey game since Jess still hasn’t called to make plans.  Lane is wondering if everything is okay, since Rory is there without Jess.  Rory and Lane run into a girl named Lindsay, who acts a little weird around Rory.  Lane tells Rory that some people at Stars Hollow High think that Rory thinks she better then them because Rory is going to Chilton, but it turns out that the weirdness is because Lindsay and Dean are dating.  Lane keeps asking Rory if she’s okay, and Rory says she’s find because it had to happen sometime.  Lane feels bad for not knowing, but Rory says it’s not a big deal.

Meanwhile, Jess shows up at Rory’s to find she’s not there, and is really surprised that she’s not home.  Lorelei pretty much tells him to get it together before going to Emily’s to drop off some things for something Trix is planning.  When Emily gets back to her house, she finds Trix kissing a man in a jogging suit before leaving the house.  Emily is in an especially good mood because she has something on Trix, and accidentally spills the beans when Trix pushes Emily a little too far.  Emily apologizes to Trix later than evening.

After the hockey game is over (and Stars Hollow High loses the game), Dean and Rory talk.  He wasn’t sure how to tell Rory about him and Lindsay.  Rory leaves a message for Jess, ranting about how she’s not going to going to wait around for Jess to call her, because she wants specific plans, not a vague we’ll hang out later. She also mentions that she’s spoiled and likes being spoiled, and Jess is just going to have to deal with it, otherwise he’ll have to find someone else.  She leaves the rink to find Jess waiting for her with tickets to the Distillers concert.

What I Thought:

I don’t really have thoughts on the Emily and Trix stuff, so I’m just going to talk about Rory and Jess, who both really annoyed me in this episode.

I’m surprised it took so long for Rory to compare Jess and Dean…at least, a comparison that we see on screen.  Jess doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who calls someone to make plans, and at this point, you’d think Rory would actually know this.

And her whole I’m spoiled and I like being that way, and Jess is just going to have to deal with it?  Good heavens, I wanted to smack Rory for that.  It is one of the things I dislike about Rory, because she seems pretty used to getting what she wants and she does seem to have this big sense of entitlement.

Also: Dean moving on.  I’m not surprised that she thought Dean would still be pining after her.  Rory says it’s fine that he moved on, because it had to happen eventually, but I wonder if it’s really okay with her.  I could be reading too much into it, but given what we’ve seen of her up to this point (and Rory in seasons to come) it does seem like Rory to be taken off-guard and hoping he’s still pining after her.

Favorite Or Funny Moment Or Line:

Nothing really jumped out at me in this episode.

Pop Culture:

Michael Moore’s documentaries, Miss Manners

Let’s Rate It:

I was pretty annoyed with how Rory acted in this episode, and I thought it was an okay episode.  I think it does bring up some interesting things we’ll see later on, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite episodes. Face-Off gets 2 mugs of coffee.

Book Review: The Elite

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The Elite CoverBook: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Published April 2013 by HarperCollins|336 pages

Where I Got It: Nook Store

Series: The Selection #2

Genre: YA Dystopic

You can find The Elite on goodreads and Kiera Cass on Twitter, Facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Kiera Cass’s The Elite is a must-read for fans of dystopian fiction, fairy tales, and reality TV. This sequel to The Selection will enchant teens who love Divergent and The Bachelor.

In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. In the second book of the Selection series, America is one of only six girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

The Elite delivers the adventure, glamour, political intrigue, and romance readers of The Selection expect, and continues the love triangle that captivated them.

What I Thought:

With The One coming out in a few months, I figured it was time to read The Elite!  I didn’t like it as much as I was expecting, given how much I loved the first one, but I still liked it!

I liked getting to learn more about the world America lives in, and how the country is really run by Maxon’s dad, who is not a nice dude.  Then again, he’s king, and it’s not at all surprising he loves being in charge and had a big role in selecting the Selection.

I just didn’t like America in The Selection!  She couldn’t decide between Maxon and Aspen and was really indecisive about who she wanted.  I get her indecisiveness, but it just got really frustrating and grating by the end of the book.  She pushed Maxon away, only to be annoyed when he showed interest in the other girls. She had trouble trusting him, even when he confided in her, and kept her distance even though she had feelings for him.

America seemed so much more petty and judgmental in The Elite than she did in The Selection, and while she had her good moments, she was also not as likable as I was expecting her to be.  I’m also not liking Aspen, although I have warmed up to Maxon a little.  I do understand Maxon a little bit better, and I’m thinking he deserves someone better than America, given how she’s acting.

As much as I like the world of Illea, the rebel attacks seem random and aren’t making a lot of sense.  How are they able to get past the security system in the palace two days in a row?  I just have so many questions, and I’m feeling like I’m not getting any answers.

As for the ending, we have another ending that seems really abrupt.  I was hoping it would be a one time thing, but it’s also frustrating because I was expecting more of a conclusion.  It really makes me feel like I’m reading one book that’s divided into parts as opposed to books that have their own story line but also come together to tell a larger story.

Let’s Rate It:

I love the world Cass created, and I love the elements of fairy tales and reality t.v. in a dystopic form, but I also wish the books didn’t end so abruptly.  And I also wish we got more explanations for the rebels.  I’m still interested in reading The One, because I want to see if any of my questions get answered, and to see if America finally makes up her mind.  The Elite gets 3 stars.