Falls the Shadow | Stefanie Gaither

When Cate Benson was a kid, her sister, Violet, died. Two hours after the funeral, Cate’s family picked up Violet’s replacement. Like nothing had happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to give their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth—which means this new Violet has the same smile. The same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all of the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

At least, that’s what the paparazzi and the anti-cloning protestors want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that. She’s used to defending her sister, too. But Violet has vanished, and when Cate sets out to find her, she ends up in the line of fire instead. Because Cate is getting dangerously close to secrets that will rock the foundation of everything she thought was true.

In a thrilling debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

I had received this book as a Christmas gift after my friend was enticed by the summary. Excited, I picked it up and brought it one of my fencing meets. My friend and I, both without headphones, decided to read the book out loud which may have been either the worst decision of the best decision we've made.

It took us little over a month to finish the book, and by the end we both agreed that we kind of really hated it. I don't know how much of it had to do with the fact that we were reading it out loud, highlighting the flaws, but there were several aspects of this book that irritated us endlessly. 

1. Characters 

These characters were boring and dull. This may seem a bit harsh but my friend and I had to give the characters different accents in order to prevent them from becoming completely two-dimensional. Jaxon magically became an immigrant from India looking for marriage while Cate took up an Australian accent. But not only were the characters dull, but they were also fairly stupid. They could have easily gotten out of the mess they were in, but continued to dive into a dangerous situation without any thought. On top of that, every interaction between the characters seemed unnecessary. Two characters would have a conversation for pages and pages that would essentially result to nothing. It was very very obvious what role each character played in the plot. For example, Seth was meant for comic relief, while Jaxon presented the "complicated" romance. 

There was even a point in the novel when the author simply forgot about certain characters. In one particular scene the authors forgets the presence of a small, yet dangerous side character and then proceeds to write several pages of pointless conversation between two completely different characters.

2. Plot

The plot had an interesting concept, but a poor execution. As a stand alone book I don't think it did a good job of introducing and resolving the issues it brings up. I'm not saying I want a sequel, but I just don't think the plot was resolved at all. 

3. Writing

There were simple grammatical mistakes in the book. I'm not a grammar Nazi or anything, and I've made several grammatical errors. But in something as revised and edited as a book, there definitely shouldn't be any. The manuscript has passed through the eyes of editors, authors, publishers, and not one of them was able to catch a simple grammar mistake. There is nothing that bothers me more than a hardcover published book having grammar mistakes and typos. There was more than one occasion where Gaither used "Violet and me" instead of "Violet and I", which is mildly ridiculous. There's something wrong if after several rounds of editing nobody notices this mistake. 

Another thing was that the writing was overly dramatized. To the point where it didn't follow simple laws of physics. Not like magic where people fly through the air because of superhuman powers, but people would "fly across the room" after being hit by a small teenage girl. I'm not saying she was weak, but unless this is some paranormal book she's definitely not hulk. 

All in all, I really didn't like this book. There seemed to be little action and way too much soliloquy from Cate. I may have liked it more if I had read it in my head, but reading it out loud highlighted the glaring problems and gaps in this book. Though I really enjoyed the experience of reading out loud, I did not enjoy the actual book. While it seems I'm being a bit harsh, this was my honest opinion of the book. My expectations were set too high by the synopsis, and the actual book fell very low below the bar. I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book, but I do recommend taking the synopsis with a grain of salt. 

Aftermath | Tom Lewis

The end of the world came fast. Between the time the warning had sounded on the TV, till when 16-year-old Paige O’Connor awakened sometime later, civilization had been crushed. 

The attacks had come by “them” – those things in the ships in the sky that had appeared suddenly, and without warning. 

And as Paige would soon discover, the attacks had only been the beginning. 

Aftermath is the first book in the new After the Fall dystopian action series, which follows a young girl’s struggle for survival in the wake of civilization’s collapse, and humanity’s domination by an alien race of beings. 

While the concept of this book was interesting, I personally didn't feel as though it was executed as well as it could have been.

My main issue was the lack of interaction the story had with the reader. The audience should have some part in the story. We should be given the opportunity to like characters and dislike characters without outright being told who is good and who is bad. Personally I felt as though this story lacked depth, in the characters, the plot, the setting, etc.

While this book was science fiction and, of course, completely unreal, I still feel like every book should have aspects with some semblance to real life, whether it be manifested in the character personalities, character relations, the events of the book, etc. And I genuinely feel as though this story didn't have any, at least none that I could relate to.

On the same note, I feel as though the dialogue could have been more interesting. It did serve to answer some of the questions we had, but I felt as though most of it was characters asking and answering questions. We got no heartfelt moments between characters that really solidified their relationship, which is why the proclaimed love was hard to believe.

The first book in the series generally sets the foundation and predicts the trajectory for the rest of the series. From The Hunger Games, we knew there would be some efforts put to overthrow the Capitol and from The Fifth Wave Series we can predict that there is some sort of human-alien conspiracy that must be solved. But with this book I really saw no trajectory. I assume they're going to try and overthrow the "hosts", but as the protagonists of the story, they haven't really solidified a plan.

Generally I think the execution of the idea could have been better done. It's an interesting concept told in a very simple way, one I didn't prefer. I like getting as into my books as I can so I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wish I could have, but I don't want to discourage anyone who may be interested in this type of writing.

If | Nicholas Bourbaki

If is an experimental novel of ideas. You, the reader, are the nameless protagonist, a young dreamer from northern California. At the end of each chapter, you must make a pivotal decision. These choices shape your identity as the plot and literary form of the novel swerve toward twenty-two possible endings.

I stumbled upon this read on Courtney's blog: CourtneyReads and was intrigued simply by its format. At the end of each chapter, there's a choice. As the main character, the reader has some type of control over the ending of the book, and this, in itself, fascinated me.

However, I will admit, I didn't love this book as much as I hoped to. While I appreciate the difficulty and effort that may have gone into writing this book, the format didn't work as properly as, I think, it should have. Frequently, I would come to the end of a chapter that had no choice, and would continue reading, only to find myself in the midst of a different scene with different characters. And this happened often, often enough that I couldn't finish the book since I wasn't able to extricate and follow any one storyline from the book.

If I have time, I will definitely attempt to try this book again, but it didn't appeal to me as much as I'd hope. Though I don't discourage anyone else from trying out this book. If you've read this book, let me know what you think in the comments below! 

Half-Girlfriend | Chetan Bhagat

Once upon a time, there was a Bihari boy called Madhav. He fell in love with a rich girl from Delhi called Riya. Madhav didnt speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn't. Riya just wanted friendship. Madhav didn't. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half-girlfriend.

From the author of the blockbuster novels Five Point Someone, One Night at the Call Center, The 3 Mistakes of My Life, 2 States and Revolution 2020 comes a simple and beautiful love story that will touch your heart and inspire you to chase your dreams.

I had pretty high expectations for this book. Everyone in India praises Chetan Bhagat as a writer since he's sold thousands of successfully books which have also been made into movies, however, based on this book, I don't understand the obsession. I'm in no way attacking Chetan Bhagat or his career, I'm simply calling into question the popularity of this particular book.

Personally, I found it cliched and poorly written and I really wouldn't recommend it, however I do plan to give Chetan Bhagat a second chance by reading another one of his books.

There are several reasons I disliked this book, and in order to discuss these I'm going spoil different parts of the books, so if you want to read this book and haven't, I don't recommend continuing this review. I also don't recommend continuing this review if you really liked this book, since there are many rants ahead. 

The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer | Laxmi Hariharan

A YA thriller, with strong dystopian undertones and a kickass protagonist, taking you on a white knuckle ride through a disintegrating Bombay City. 

A girl desperate to rescue her best friend.

A cop willing to do anything to save the city he serves. 

A delusional doctor bent on annihilation. 

When Ruby Iyer's best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr Kamini Braganza, she will do anything to rescue him. Anything, including taking the help of the reticent Vikram Roy, a mysterious cop-turned-rogue on a mission to save Bombay. The city needs all the help it can get, and these two are the only thing standing between its total destruction by Dr Braganza's teen army. As Bombay falls apart around them, will Ruby be able to save her friend and the city? Will she finally discover her place in a city where she has never managed to fit in? And what about her growing feelings for Vikram?

While the plot itself was fascinating, I couldn't find myself getting into the book all that much. There are several reasons why and I'll get into each of them. 

1. Writing Style 

Personally I like dialogue over detail. I like things happening and people talking over the detail of a setting, and personally I thought there was too much detail and too many analogies for my taste. Several sentences at a time would be dedicated to setting up the scene, which isn't necessarily bad, but to me it felt like too much. I would frequently skim these long paragraphs of description and ended up missing crucial information to further the plot. I wish more of the substance was focused on the characters and their relationships, which brings me to my next issue.

2. Characters/ Relationships

I didn't feel any type of connection with the characters. I was super excited when Vikram and Ruby's romance started, but the way it played out wasn't how I was expecting it to be, and I didn't exactly love the way it played out. The relationship between Panky and Ruby was mediocre. Though I did feel their relationship was strong, it didn't strike any emotional chord in my body. 

Like I said, I think the plot was fairly intriguing, I especially loved the bomb/terrorist scenes, but the plot alone wasn't enough to get me completely hooked. Another thing I liked about this book was the frequent plot twists near the end. I thought those were well done and did a good job of wrapping up the whole book, making connections to the events and thoughts from the beginning.

Overall, I wish I liked this book more but if you are someone who is extremely visual, this book does a really good job with providing a large amount of sensory information about the setting. The plot was interesting and action-packed so if you're someone who enjoys a good thriller, you should definitely think about picking up this book. 

Isla and the Happily Ever After | Stephanie Perkins

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Before the mobs of people swarm my door with torches and pitchforks, hear me out. I love a good love story as much as the next girl, but this was just ridiculous. 

First there was Isla, beautiful name, irritating personality. Insecurities are to be expected and with some of the things Josh did, they were even justified, but at some point it was too much. She was both highly insecure and obsessed with Josh, to the point where it would be considered stalkerish. She was smart, great, but she was willing to throw away her work and effort in an instance for a guy, and she wonders why she wasn't accepted into college. Anna and Lola both had their problems, but there were parts of them we could connect to and relate with. With Isla, she was just the annoying girl who creates unnecessary drama. She's the girl who pushes her family and best friends away for a guy, a decision I cannot respect. 

Then we have Josh. I didn't hate him. But in Anna and the French Kiss I shipped him with Rashmi, even though they didn't really work out I loved them together, so seeing him with another character really made this book hard to read. The communication between the two was awful. While Anna and Étienne's relationship was gradual and gentle, Isla and Josh's was instantaneous and intense. It wasn't believable. I don't believe that the one guy Isla has been crushing on for three years all of a sudden likes her back and has liked her for the past three years as well. 

In Anna and the French Kiss, the fact that the setting was in Paris made the story so much more romantic, with the trips to the movie theater and the Parisian restaurants we really saw why Paris was the city of love. With Isla, it didn't make a difference where they were. And to be quite honest, I didn't even know where they were half the time. 

I was so tempted to stop reading and I ended up just skimming the last couple of pages. Anna and the French Kiss had set such high standards for me, standards that Isla didn't match up to. My favorite part of the book was Anna and St Clair's cameo, which is sad considering the book wasn't even about them. I started hoping that maybe we would start following them inside, but no such luck. 

Overall I really didn't enjoy Isla and the Happily Ever After, it was a disappointment. Do you agree with me? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below! 

Summon | Meredith Mawr

What if dreams always came true?--or at least parts of them did? That's what happens to Electra Vance, a smart, small-town, Beaufort, South Carolina girl who's excited to go to far away Killewycke Academy for her Senior year (at least 99% of her is), a new school brimming with the promise of new experiences. 

But even before Elle arrives, unusual things start to happen-- then the dreams begin... And, once she meets beautiful and mystifying Sam, her logical, rational world changes in strange and frightening ways. Away from home for the first time, Elle discovers that so much she thought she knew for certain is chaotically, unimaginably wrong. And, Elle hates messy unknowns!

Join Elle in Summon, the first novel of The Summoner Series, on her unforeseen journey, discovering more about herself, her world, her family-- even about Sam-- than her wildest dreams dared foretell.

Non-Spoiler Review

I began reading this book right after the Unwind Dystology, so right off the bat it was difficult for me to really delve into the characters and plot of the book. But once I got into it, the plot was pretty interesting, and by the end, the book was moving so fast, I didn't even realize when it had ended. The book leaves off on a horrible cliffhanger, leaving the reader dying to know how it all ends. If you enjoy books like Twilight or the Lux Series, I recommend picking this book up!

Spoiler-Filled Discussion

When I went into this book, I thought it was just going to be a typical love story between the small-town quiet girl and the completely perfect boy. It turned out to be so much more. The light cover doesn't at all portray the darkness and evil within the book. Meredith Mawr does a wonderful job in creating up a type of world that hasn't been written about before. 

This was one of the few books where I enjoyed the minor characters more than the main protagonists. Elle, Electra Vance was the ultimate female. And although I admit having a lot of the same thoughts she does, most of the book seemed to be dominated by how gorgeous Sam was. I definitely didn't mind the extremely vivid visuals of Sam, but when I was trying to get into the plot, a lot of her lustful thoughts got in the way of the development of the plot. I actually thought that Sam was a lot better than most of the YA male characters in books. Unlike Edward in Twilight, Sam gave just enough information to subside Elle's curiosity, but not enough to reveal anything important, until of course, the end. But their relationship really made me cringe. When I read about relationship I adore the antagonizing relationships when neither party refuses to admit their feelings for each other, so this constant coddling between Sam and Elle didn't really appeal to me. It also felt like their relationship moved in fits and bursts: she'd kiss Sam one day, and then barely talk to him the next, and then practically jump him the next. It just seemed extremely inconsistent. 

Throughout this whole book, Camden was one of my favorite characters. He didn't handle the situation with Elle very well, but I personally think he got the short end of the straw, and I really hope to see him again in the later books of the series. 

The plot began to get more and more intense near the end, especially after we discovered that Elle was a summoner herself. Although I feel like a little more explanation of what a summoner actually is and a little more backstory behind it would be good. Overall, I'm really excited for the next book! I can't wait to find out what actually happens to Elle and Sam, and how they battle against the venators, and what happens to them after that.  

*This book was provided by the author to read and review. This is a 100% honest review.*