Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

"Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself."

I've been looking for a good fantasy series for awhile; I never really got into Game of Thrones (especially with the tv show now and questionable themes turn me off even more) and when I saw that my library had Finnikin of the Rock, I decided to give it a chance. Hot damn, am I glad I did.

My first thought when I ended the book was "this is how you write fantasy". I understand that fantasy worlds are often medieval in type, and questionable things happened in the medieval world, but you can write a successful book, or book series, without having characters die on every page and destroying female characters.

Yes, the book took a bit to fully understand everything that was going on. A couple of times while I was reading, I had to stop and be like "wait what" and re-read a sentence. But, I'm a werido and sometimes enjoy taking awhile to get into a book, if the book shows promise and that the further you get into the book, you find out more about the world, and thats what this book did. The further you got, the more pieces of puzzle you received.

I'm not gonna lie, the fact that they took Evanjalin's word regardless, even though most of the characters at some point were all "she's a liar!!!!! she doesn't have the sight!!!!" was a little annoying, and very repetitive. However, I did enjoy that Marchetta didn't create weak female characters; every female character in the novel was strong, not afraid to rule, and not afraid to be bossy, it was fantastic.

The slow-burn was also quite nice, even though the romantic theme seemed to be thrown in just to be thrown in. I think the book would of been fine without the romantic notion, but I understand how it fits into the plot in its own weird way. Could the plot have been re-worked to survive without the romance? Yes, but Marchetta wrote the romance tastefully, so it worked well, in my opinion.

This book is like, 4.25. Not a four, but not a four point five, I'm just going to create a rating because I can.

Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

"I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt."

Back in 2014, when I read the Legend Series for the first time, Marie Lu quickly became one of my favorite authors. I was pretty late to the game, and The Young Elites was basically coming out by the time I finished the trilogy. Lo and behold, another year later, I finally managed to read it.

Right away, the story hooked me. The idea that none of the characters were innately good fascinated me. They aren't the typical heroes; The Young Elites are shunned by society because of what they were turned into (something they couldn't control) and because of that, they aren't afraid to do what's needed, even if it is morally compromising. Adelina leads the group for being one of the most fascinating, and rightly so. Most of the book is about her story, and its interesting to see her battle with the darkness inside her, embracing it when she uses her power, and not knowing the results of her embracing the darkness that festers inside her. Her transformation at the end of the book was jaw dropping, and also refreshing, in a world where the female characters are typically seen as the morally good characters.

Another interesting component of the book was the friendship between Adelina and Raffaele, in that it was completely, totally, platonic. There was no one sided liking or such, which basically had me screaming from the mountains, because its an element that is missing from a lot of YA books. Raffaele himself is also an interesting character. Right away, he knew shit would go down if they accepted Adelina into the fold, and when it does go down, he does whats best for the remaining Young Elites. There's not "we can fix this!!!!" talk, which is quite refreshing.

The rest of the characters were equally dynamic. I wanted to punch Teren pretty much THE WHOLE BOOK, and I couldn't really form an opinion on Enzo because every time his name was said, I would think of Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2 (who lets face it, is pretty epic).

Marie Lu continued to impress, giving us this gritty, realistic fantasy world. I'm excited for the sequel, which knowing me, will take me till 2016 to read.

Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

"A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. 

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be."

This book.

This. Book.

I honestly don't really have words to describe my admiration for this book, I really don't. I've heard about this book on tumblr and on blogs, and when I went to my local library (which doesn't have the best selection), I was honestly surprised to see this book on the shelf, my mom even asking me why I was reading an LGBTQ book and I just gave her the look. But I was so, so glad I decided to check it out.

One of my absolute favorite things about this book was the writing. Sáenz manages to capture you in within the first page, within the first sentence.

"One summer night I fell asleep, hoping the world would be different when I woke."

The book is in the POV of Aristotle, known throughout the book as Ari. It cover's Ari's sophomore year through senior year of high school, as he struggles with his identity, not only his personal identity, as a Mexican-American, but also his sexual identity.  Ari befriends Dante when he's fifteen, and trying to learn how to swim, and as the book unravels, Dante's sexual orientation becomes rather clear, where Ari is possibly even more confused when Dante comes out to him.

The characterization of Ari and Dante, some of which I mentioned above, is also one of the main elements about the book that I loved. The book is wonderful, because the characters are believable. The time period, the boy's ethnicities, even the struggles they face at home, help create wonderful, well rounded characters that give the book the realness that causes people to cry when they reach the end (don't worry, they were happy tears).

Five out of five stars. Everyone needs to read this book.

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

"Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart."

It was so, so exciting to be able to read a book and enjoy it so much. I've been seeing this book (and the series) getting so much hype around the booktube and blogger community, and it was so thrilling to be able to sit down and read this book and just appreciate it so much.

The writing was one thing that dragged me into the novel right away. Usually POV changes can annoy me fairly quickly if they aren't done correctly, but Rutkoski created such a clear definition between Kestrel and Arin's thoughts that it was easy to keep the two separate. With a plot that needed both sides of the story to be explained so we could see how both halves of the world lived, the Dual POV was very much needed, and it brought the story to another level by having it be so effective.

The characters and the world building were also done fantastically well. Kestrel and Arin were both well developed, and so were some of the side characters. Little moments between Kestrel and her father, and also Kestrel and her friends, not only developed Kestrel as a character, but also them. The world building was also great; just enough to keep you interested, but at the same time not enough so you were anxious to keep reading and find out more.

Surprisingly, I also enjoyed the elements of the love story in the book. It helped build on the plot, it didn't hinder it, and it also didn't hinder Kestrel as a character, and I loved how she used the fact that Arin loved her to her advantage. The plot twist at the end of the book threw me for a loop, and it was the perfect way to end the first book in a trilogy.

I can't wait to read the next two books, solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

"Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own."

Snow Like Ashes has been on my radar for a little while, but I finally got around to reading it because of The Summer Reading Book Club! It was the choice for fantasy, and I'm really glad it was, because this book brought me through a whirlwind of emotions.

Honestly, when I first started reading this book, the main thoughts that were going through my head were "hold up i'm hella confused what is going on???" The world building was not a strength in this book. Raasch attempts to explain what is going on, she really does, but each explanation kept barley breaking the surface, and I still don't have a reasoning of what was really happening in the book besides the fact that Spring was evil, Winter needed rescuing, and the Rhythm kingdoms were assholes. I honestly don't know if this was done purposefully, to keep us in the dark about what was actually going on to help with the plot twist at the end of the book, but regardless, I'm severely hoping the next books clear up some things. I have no idea how the magic works in this series, which is a little frustrating, because the plot basically revolves around the magic.

Combine the above feelings with my iffy feelings about the characters, and I honest to god thought I was going to hate this book, and the hype train would let me down (again). The first, ten or so chapters were spent with me wanting to hit my head against the wall. Meira wasn't a bad protagonist, she really wasn't, but certain things she did (mostly pertaining to boys) just itched me the wrong way. I did like how Raasch did build her character through the final chapters of the book, which is actually what turned my whole viewpoint of the book. When the plot twist came and launched itself into gloriousness, I was so, so on board. Meira seriously turned the book around for me at the end, because she came into her own right of being a BAMF essentially, and pretty much decided she didn't need any love interests help.

Now onto the other characters: Mather annoyed the hell out of me, surprise. It was very understandable that Meira would have a crush on him, he's attractive and also the only other guy around who is her age. However, his whole demeanor just rubbed me the wrong way, and his little to none character development didn't really help either. Theron surprisingly didn't annoy me, and I loved his failed rescue attempt (which reminded me of Hook's failure to rescue Emma because she did it herself in OUAT). It was hilarious, I loved it so much, especially because Meira just turned around and was like "yeah nope saving myself you gonna help?" His characterization also reminded me a bit of Dorian from the Throne of Glass series, which is a-ok, because I love that series, and princes who rebel against their fathers just like in 90's and early 2000's movies (No dad, I'm giving up your dream) is possibly my favorite characterization of all time.

The only other thing that bothered me about the book was about how short it seemed. The chapters weren't very long, and overall the book felt a little rushed to me. I think a lot more things could of been explained if the book had, like, five more chapters, or if five more pages were added to every chapter.

All in all, a decent book. Final rating is 3.5 stars, and I'll probably read the sequel just to see how the story progresses.