Crossed by Allie Condie (book review by Eleni)

Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: March 13th 2011
Publisher: Speak
Series: Matched #2
Pages: 367
Rating: 3 stars
Buy at: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

The Society chooses everything. 
The books you read. 
The music you listen to. 
The person you love. 
Yet for Cassia the rules have changed. Ky has been taken and she will sacrifice everything to find him. 
And when Cassia discovers Ky has escaped to the wild frontiers beyond the Society there is hope.
But on the edge of society nothing is as it seems...
A rebellion is rising.
And a tangled web of lies and double-crosses could destroy everything.

Review:

Personally, I wasn't so impressed with this one. And that's why it was so hard to rate this book. I didn't know if it deserves two stars or three but in the end i decided with three so the following reasons.

It's not an amazing book lets be clear about that. It is more like a cliche boy loves girl , girl loves boy, they risk everything for each other and one of them ends up doing something he considers wrong just to please the other person.

I expected this book to be a little more adventurous than the first one but in the end it was blant and boring. It was really really really predictable and for not even a second I didn;t doubt my guesses...and in the end I was right. But the writing was really good and although I wanted to drown myself, I continued reading because at some point I felt something for the main protagonists of the book. It was not strong but it was there so I finished the book.

As with all the young adult books , this one is not an exception of the rule , it follows the pattern of every second book - the couple loses each other and they both begin a journey of finding each other and themselves. Lame but what can we do. 

The characters were okay and the descriptions were really good too but the plot needed a little more adventure and action and also the characters needed stronger targets. Stronger motivations for doing what they were doing.

Other than these I don't have anything else to say about this book. It wasn't exciting and I expected a little bit more than that.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (book review by Eleni)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Series: Lux
Pages: 335
Rating: 5 stars!!!
Buy at: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review:

Okay I will try to review this book as much as i possible can without making any spoilers and I will stop drooling over Daemon like a girl trapped on a freaking island with no sight of boys for months!!!

Obsidian is amazingggggggggg, is awesommmmmeeeeee it is just GREAT. Okay now lets move to the actual review...

First of all, I loved the fact that the story was not an insta - love kinda romance but a more like I-LOVE-YOUR-GUTS-SO-HARD-BUT-THERE'S-NO-WAY-I'M -GONNA-LET-YOU-KNOW story and that goes until the end of the book. That made me starve me for kissing, sex whatever between the two main protagonists Daemon (sexy dude) and Katy (bookworm). 

To be honest with you the whole thing kind of reminded me of Twilight (yes i know )but a lot more intense and with no corny -cheese lines so don't be disappointed because it's not as stupid, actually I didn't find the book stupid at all except at some points where it was similar to Twilight.

The book is building up suspense in the right speed ,not to fast not to slow but as it should be and that made me turn the pages faster and faster. Also the word usage is amazing and there are some swears in it and a lot of description which i love particularly in steamy scenes..if you know what I mean.

The characters could not be more amazing and developed. I fell in love with Daemon immediately and I adored Katy too. Armentrout created a paranormal romance novel but Daemon and Katy are so human that you can relate to them. They have their faults and make their mistakes and surely they have a lot of stubbornness that you want to slap both of them. The rest of the characters are cool too and I liked them a lot, even the b*** of the whole thing in the end you get to like her. 

To be honest with you, I expected a book with all the cliche situations and a protagonist that falls in a second for the sexy neighbor next door but that was beyond expectations. The author just crashes all the cliches and gives Katy a backbone. 

This is a novel with lots of sense of humor, sarcasm and cleverness that you will enjoy so so so much. I am sure you will never forget this book.

Clockwork Princess by Cassadra Clare book review by Eleni

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 19th 2013
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
Series: The Infernal Devices
Pages: 565
Rating: 5 stars
Buy on: Amazon , Barnes and Noble

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy – aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shaodwhunters of the London Institute. 

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. 

Review:
Okay, here we go. It took me two whole days to come up with a review for this...book. This book that tore my heart in two and made me so freaking angry and made me lost it totally..is one of the greatest books I ever read on this genre.

I wont spoil anything at all but what I will say to you is that go buy, download, loan whatever this book right now and start reading. It will drive you crazy and i have to say that you will be pulling your hair with utmost despair.

The characters are all the same and the story starts from where it was left on the Clockwork Prince and then everything goes to hell literally. Tessa is about to marry Jem and the rest of the Shadowhunters try to figure out what to do with the infamous Mortmain. Suddenly, when everything is going bad Will comes up with the news that there is no yin fen for purchase anymore due to the fact that Mortmain bought everything. And the downfall starts.

I really hated the fact that Clare had to totally tear her characters apart in this book and have everyone suffer as much as possible - with the only exception of Will who suffers a lot more than the others. Tessa has found herself in a love triangle again but this time the weight goes towards Will - but wait..she is not sure. I dont know how Clare did this but Tessa gave me the impression (Again) that she was trying to convince herself that she loved Jem, although we all know that she loves Will.

I cant say how much i wanted to cry when Jem was dying and when Will talked to him about some things. How both of them love each other and how each one of them would sacrifice himself for the other. This 10 pages were the most emotional in the whole book. Clare did a good job with words again. She gave a great description of how the bond of a parabatai ends and how it really feels. It was just heartbreaking and amazing.

I want to make a huge spoiler but i cant because i told you i wont but towards the end of the book all of you will get a huge shock. I thought i would die because what happened goes beyond imagination and seriously i think that what happened is a huge slap in the face for Jem...poor, kind Jem but for that part and only i am so glad that i read the book.

In the whole book what i DID NOT LIKE AT ALL IS THE EPILOGUE. Seriously??? 15 pages for 130 years of life????Okay i have to say that some lines made me tear up and think about it after i finished the book and i have to give that to Clare -she can make you cry with just one line. But what really happened in the last 4 pages is what made me so angry. What happens is kinda weird when it comes to honor and respect and also She leaves you with the impression that there's gonna be more but i dont think it will be more. Agh!!!!

Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess is one of my favorite books now and i will return to it sometime in the future.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Claire book Review by Eleni

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 19th 2013 (Ppaerback)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Series: The Infernal Devices Book 2
Pages: 505
Rating: 5 stars
Buy at: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

True love is shrouded in secrets and lies in the #1 New York Times bestselling second book of the Infernal Devices trilogy.

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when it becomes clear that the mysterious Magister will stop at nothing to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, tortured Will and the devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal and fueled by revenge. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa is drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa answers about who she really is? As their search leads to deadly peril, Tessa learns that secrets and lies can corrupt even the purest heart.

Review:

     As always I don;t know what to say about Claire's books. The use of words and the depth of the characters take you to 1880's London and make not to want to leave.

     First of all, this book is a little more different from the first one. To be honest I thought that I would drop the first one because (let's face it) it was a little bit boring. This one though is so much different. It's so much more intense and has so many scenes that are romantic and sexy but also so so so annoying because we all know Claire and how she likes to torture her characters (and the readers too). Claire takes the love triangle in a whole other level. It makes you wanna rip the pages from the book with utter madness. I don;t want to spoil it for you but there is going to be a lot of disappointment in the end for most of us. 

     The depth of the characters is amazingly good, I love the bromance of Jem and Will and I hate that both of them love Tessa and each one of them is so proud to talk to each other about their feelings until the very end where everything goes to hell and it's too late for a certain one.

     For some reason Will reminds of Jace (Mortal Instruments) and to be honest although a little fun and familiar it is kinda boring, at least Claire would change Will a bit and make him more of a...gentleman since we are talking about Queen Victoria's London.

     Tessa on the other side is a whole new characters (at least for me). Altough brave and generous, she seems to lose it big time in the end of the book giving the reader the impression that she is doing things she doesn't want to do but need to be done out of pity...and that is bad. But as a weak person that I am Tessa has a special spot in my heart for being so good.

     Jem in this books is more adorable than ever and more sexy than ever all at the same time. Although, I will never forgive him for doing what he did.

     This is a really sad book and I am afraid that the next one will be much much worse. Overall Claire did an incredible job with the book and Im not  disappointed  at all at it because honestly it drives you crazy with anticipation and pure agony. 

    

Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke book review

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke
Release Date: August 13th 2013
Publisher: Dial
Series: Between (bk 1)
Pages: 366
Rating: 5 stars
Buy at: Barnes and Noble , Amazon

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. 

Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back. 

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Review:


Initially i would read this book in 2014...it was on my reading list...was...exactly. I read this book within hours and i need more...more...more...more...
This book is the reason i want to wait for all the books of the series to be released so i can marathon those shit. It was that great. 

It starts with Violet thinking back at her grandmother talking about the devil and how nostalgia tortures her. Throughout the novel Violet (and the author) make sure that we get that she had a great friendship with her now dead grandmother. As the plot progresses Violet comes face to face with a boy that is both mysterious and dangerous,,,she finds herself doing and feeling things she never did before and that makes the reader want more due to the amazing vocabulary the author chose.

The characters:
Violet although eccentric in her own nerdy way is also sweet and loving and caring and a snob. In other words not the perfect protagonist we all have accustomed to and that makes this book original. I loved loved the way she annoyed me with her stupidity at some parts of the book. 

River is my new favorite protagonist. He didn't make it through the top 5 but definetely in the top 10. He is so mysterious and sexy and no matter his lies he still wins the reader. That means something right? I liked the way she annoyed Violet and how he evaded her questions all the time.

Luke and Sunshine are the same dull and crazy for sex people for me. They are the classic teens. Sunshine with her overconfidence and Luke the guy who pretends to be tough but he is softer than a blanket. I really liked that those two hook up a lot through the book cuz they are alike (a lot). I loved the subtle role of Luke as the old brother towards Violet but i hated the way she treated him.

The Grandmother: Well i am so sure that she will play a huge role in the following books. I wont spoil it for you but she also plays a role in this book too...she was one naughty belle when she was young.

The author did a good job developing the characters...making none of them perfect and i think that contributed in making the reader see them more human and relate himself with them. Big applause for that please.

The Plot:
I have to say that at some points i guessed a few things and i was right but i didn't expect the ending to be such a big surprise to me. That made the book a whole lotta better and a little more original. 
The author did a great job with the descriptions and the words making the reader feel like sitting next to Violet and River. I could smell the rain while reading certain parts and thats not happening with a lot of books. 


Overall this is one of my favorite books so far and i cant wait for the next ones to be released. I totally recommend it.