Review: Variant by Robison Wells

Variant

By: Robison Wells

Pub. Date: October 4, 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 356

Source: Netgalley

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move.

Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Variant is about foster kid Bensen (love that name!), who receives a scholarship to the prestigious Maxfield Academy. He believes that attending the school is finally the break that he needed his entire life. He is sick of being moved from home to home and wants a real life and a real education. But Maxfield Academy isn’t like other schools. There are no teachers, no homework and no adults! In place of that are wire-fences and security cameras. Once you get into Maxfield, there is no getting out!

The “students” are split between three different gangs. Each fitting into their assigned roles. Complaints are not made out loud because that could lead to a kind of punishment that nobody wants. The students do the cooking, cleaning, and teaching and every single student has a chip on a piece of jewelry that can not be taken off under any circumstance.

Bensen never knows who to trust and the author keeps us guessing throughout the very end. The cliffhanger also leaves the reader wanting and needing book two NOW!

I enjoyed Bensen’s character. He was so strong-willed and brave. He wasn’t willing to sit back and allow this to happen to him. He was going to break all the rules and do whatever it took to escape.

Aspects of Variant reminded me a lot of Lord of the Flies. What happens to children when there are no adults supervising them? How do they handle this situation? I hated LOTF when I read it in HS, so I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed Variant.

If you are looking for a suspense story, then Variant is the book for you. I am eagerly awaiting book two! 

Waiting on Wednesday # 15

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly waiting for.

In Honor

By: Jessi Kirby

Pub. Date: May 8, 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Honor receives her brother's last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn't. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Leave your link in the comments so I can check it out!

Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

A Beautiful Dark

By: Jocelyn Davies

Pub. Date: September 27, 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 320

Source: Netgalley

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

I’m not really a fan of books about angels. Except for anything written by Becca Fitzpatrick, I try to stay away from them. With that said, I am glad that I gave A Beautiful Dark a chance. It was well-written and kept my attention throughout the story.

At Skye’s 17^th birthday party, she meets two mysterious boys and has no idea how much her life is about to change. The boys, Asher and Devin claim to be cousins and transfer to her school. She knows that something is up with them, but can’t figure out what it is. One minute the boys seem interested in her, the next, there not. Very hot and cold.

Asher was a lot of fun! He was definitely my favorite of the three. Devin had some cute moments as well, and I really loved the snowball fight between him and Skye.

The main issue I had with this story was how long it took for us to finally find out what was going on. I wanted to know all already! Once I did, the book flew by and I kept wanting to know more!

I thought the storyline was very original. Many stories about angels kind of have the same theme-the fallen angel who wants redemption, but A Beautiful Dark was completely different from that, and it was one of the best things about this book!

I know this review is very general. It is hard for me to write something without giving anything away. A Beautiful Dark is definitely one of those books that you need to read for yourself to understand what is being said about it.

I would recommend A Beautiful Dark  to anyone who is a fan of angels because of its completely different spin on it. Even if you are like me, and don’t enjoy books about angels, I think you will enjoy this book too!  

Review: Oubliette by Megg Jensen

Oubliette

(Cloud Prophecy # 2)

By: Megg Jensen

Pub. Date: June 11, 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 186

Source: Author

Reychel thought she was finally free. She was wrong. Everyone saw her gift of prophecy as a blessing, but her gift is uncontrollable. No one alive can teach her to manipulate her unique gift and the answers she needs lie buried within a madman’s journals. She’s thrust in the midst of a brewing war and the only uniting factor for her people is their belief in the Prophet. Will Reychel learn to control her gift or will she be forced to deliver a false prophecy that could lead her people into a violent war?

I loved Anathema (the first book in the series) so much that I could not wait to read Oubliette and let me tell you, Oubliette does not disappoint! There is just something about Megg Jensen’s writing that keeps me intrigued until the very end.

Reychel, the Cloud Prophet is transported to a new land where she meets the daughter of Nemison, the man who was supposed to teach her how to use her gifts until he was kidnapped. Reychel has no idea who she could trust since she has been betrayed by so many different people, including the man she loves, Mark. Since no one is teaching her how to use her gift, she has no idea how to properly use it. Without her prophets, she will not be able to help her people. Through the journals of the original Cloud Prophet, the man who long ago prophesized that a girl would come and free their people, Reychel hopes she will learn what she needs to do in order to succeed in her destiny.  

There were so many times that I thought I was going to be able to figure what was going to happen, and then BAM, Jensen surprised me with a plot twist! This is only the second book I have read by Jensen, but I can already tell that every story she writes is going to be FANTASTIC and I am looking forward to reading more by her! 

Read my review of Anathema, the first book in The Cloud Prophet series! 

In My Mailbox (24)

 

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.

~Review~

 

The Fate of the Muse by Derrolyn Anderson

Red by Kait Nolan

Antara by Marilena Mexi

~Bought~

 

Crave by Melinda Metz

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Only $1.99 on your nook!)

Enthralled edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I love my local Barnes and Noble for putting books on the shelves before the release date. That's how I got my hands on Lola and Mara Dyer! 

~Borrowed from the Library~

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

I just finished Stay With Me and loved it!

What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave your link in my comments so I can check it out!

Follow Friday # 9

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is:

Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

My Answer: I actually never re-read an entire series before. Once I read a book, no matter how many times I tell myself that I would want to read it over again, I never do. I recently finished The Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I can see myself in a few years reading it again. The writing is terrific and I fell in love with every single character. Eventually, I would like to read Harry Potter again, but I have so many other books to read that I hate wasting time re-reading books. I would rather spend my time discovering new books and authors.

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon

By: Cath Crowley

Pub. Date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Random House Children’s House

Pages: 224

Source: Netgalley

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

I loved, loved, loved Graffiti Moon! It was funny, cute and above all, it had heart. It is a beautifully written contemporary, but it is so much more then your average teenage love story.

Graffiti Moon is told in the POV of Lucy, Ed (Shadow) and Leo (Poet). Lucy has been obsessed with Shadow’s graffiti art ever since she first laid eyes on it and has been searching for Shadow ever since. She understands his art and knows that he is the guy she is meant to be with. The night that she plans on finding Shadow her friends want to hang out with high school dropout Ed, and his best friend Leo. Lucy despises Ed but agrees to hang out with them because Ed promises to help her find Shadow. She has NO IDEA that Ed is Shadow and I loved that! I thought the readers were going to find out that Ed was Shadow the same time that Lucy did, but we learn as soon as we read Ed’s first chapter.

Ed was my favorite. I loved everything about him. He had that adorable thing going for him and since he had a hard time with his emotions, he painted what he was feeling instead. Crowley’s described his work so vividly that I felt like I was the one looking at it.

I also loved Leo. He didn’t say much and his POV was in verse, but I just fell in love with him! I’m not big on poetry, but his poems were short and sweet and through them I really felt like I got a sense of who Leo really was.

I really loved everything about Graffiti Moon. I can’t wait till February so I can have my own copy sitting on my bookshelf. I plan on reading everything else Crowley wrote ASAP!!

Do whatever you can to get your hands on Graffiti Moon! It’s totally worth it!!

Waiting on Wednesday # 14

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly waiting for.

Lover Reborn

(The Black Dagger Brotherhood # 10)

By: J.R. Ward

Pub. Date: March 27, 2011  

Publisher: New American Library

There is no description for Lover Reborn yet, but I am so excited for Tohr's story. He's been through so much and It's about time he gets healed! 

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave your links in the comments so I can check it out!

 

Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Saving June

By: Hannah Harrington

Pub Date: November 22, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 336

Source: Netgalley

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

Let me just start off my saying that I was not expecting to enjoy Saving June as much as I had. This book was AMAZING! I absolutely loved it!

After Harper’s sister June commits suicide, she decides to take June’s ashes to California. She knows her sister would rather be in the Pacific Ocean then have her ashes split between her divorced parents. With the help of Harper’s best friend, Laney and a mysterious boy who claims to know June, they embark on the road trip of their lives. While the subject of suicide is obviously a sad one, Saving June was not a sad book. It was a book about taking chances, starting fresh, friendship and forgiveness.

I loved every single character! While Harper is more of a keep-to-yourself-hard-ass, Laney is loud, fun and outgoing. It was a nice balance between the two best friends. There friendship added so much to the story because they were complete and total opposites but the two of them worked so well together. I have to say that my favorite character was Jake, the mysterious boy who just showed up at June’s funeral.  He sings beautifully, plays guitar, and is a little rough around the edges. What more could you want in a fictional boy? The pages just come to life when he is in the scene and I found myself wanting to know more and more about him and his past. I loved how “wise beyond his years” he was and the way he incorporated music into the road trip and ultimately the healing process.  

I usually don’t do this in reviews, but I want to add my favorite quote from Saving June, which is about Jake and his music: 

"He took his pain and turned it into something beautiful. Into something that people connect to. And that's what good music does. It speaks to you. It changes you."

Overall, Saving June is a spectacular debut from author Hannah Harrington. I can not wait to see what she comes up with next! 

Review: Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction

(Perfect Chemistry # 3)

By: Simone Elkeles

Pub. Date: August 16, 2011

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

Pages: 308
Source: Bought

Luis Fuentes has always been sheltered from the gang violence that nearly destroyed his brothers’ lives. But that didn’t stop him from taking risks—whether he’s scaling a mountain in the Rockies or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis can’t stop looking for the next thrill.

Nikki Cruz lives her life by three rules—boys lie to get their way, don’t trust a boy who says “I love you,” and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Her parents may be from Mexico, but as a doctor’s daughter, she has more in common with her north-side neighbors than the Latino Blood at her school. Then she meets Luis at Alex’s wedding, and suddenly, she’s tempted to break all her rules.

Getting Nikki to take a chance on a southsider is Luis’s biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by Chuy Soto, the new head of the Latino Blood. When Chuy reveals a disturbing secret about Luis’s family, the youngest Fuentes finds himself questioning everything he’s ever believed to be true. Will his feelings for Nikki be enough to stop Luis from entering a dark and violent world and permanently living on the edge?

There is something about a bad boy with a heart of gold and those Fuentes boys do not disappoint! Chain Reaction, the third (and sadly, the last) book in the Perfect Chemistry trilogy has everything I came to expect from a Simone Elkeles story. There is romance, action, humor, and heart. Once I started reading, I could not put the book down until I was completely finished. Luckily, I was in the car on a nine hour road trip so I had the time to spend with Luis, who is easily my favorite of the three brothers.

Unlike the older Fuentes boys, Alex and Carlos, Luis stayed away from gang life. He is ridiculously smart and did not want to do anything to ruin his chances of becoming an astronaut. Sure, he made dumb decisions sometimes, but what teenager doesn’t? But he was also protective of his family, and there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect them. When he finds out that he has to work for the same gang his brother was in or they will hurt his family, he agrees in a heartbeat. While keeping this secret from his family, he is also trying to win the heart of Nikki. Out of all of the girls, Nikki was my favorite. The girl was everything I would want in a female character. She refused to take any crap from anyone and I loved that about her! The chemistry between Luis and Nikki was undeniable and I loved the sexual tension between the two. They were just so adorable together!

What I love about these books is that Elkeles makes me feel so many different emotions. I truly feel for every one of her characters and I would love to go to a Fuentes BBQ and be apart of that family!

I’m sad that this trilogy is over, but I can’t wait to see what Elkeles has in store for us next! If you haven’t read this series yet, what are you waiting for? Start it now, you won’t regret it!

Read my review of Perfect Chemistry (book 1)

Read my review of Rules of Attraction (book 2)

Trailer for Chain Reaction:

Follow Friday # 8

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is:

It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

My Answer: I wish the world of The Black Dagger Brotherhood series was a reality. Even though that means that vampires and evil lessers exist, I think it would be awesome to hang out with all of the brothers and their mates. They are all so close, and I think it would be a great thing to be apart of!

Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade

(Nightshade # 1)

By: Andrea Cremer

Pub. Date: October 19, 2010

Publisher: Philomel

Pages: 452

Source: Bought 

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

How the hell did I wait so long to read this book?? It has everything I could want in a book-action, romance, love triangles, history and deception. The perfect mix for an amazing book!

The book begins with Calla, female alpha of her pack saving a human boy from a bear, something that she is not supposed to do. She figures that she will never have to see him again, so she doesn’t have to worry about her secret being spilled. It turns out that the new boy in school, Shay, just so happens to be the human boy she saved. Now, Calla has to deal with the ramifications of her actions. To make her life even more complicated, she begins to have feelings for Shay, even though she is supposed to mate with Ren, male alpha of another pack.

Nightshade had such an intense love triangle! I love Shay, and the more we learn about him, the more I fell for him. On the other side of the triangle is Ren. He comes off as being a jerk, but really he isn’t! He is so sweet and caring, and I loved that about him. It’s hard for me to choose whose side I am on, and it must be impossible for Calla!

Calla was such an awesome protagonist! She is strong and loyal and what drew me to this story in the first place was that it was a female in high authority who fell for a human boy, instead of the other way around! I love that she was willing to put her family and her pack before anything else, even her own wants and needs.

Overall, Nightshade comes highly recommended and I think it is one of those books that could be enjoyed by everyone. I am so excited to read the second book in the series, Wolfsbane, out now!

Review: Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

Between the Land and the Sea

(Marina’s Tales # 1)

By: Derrolyn Anderson

Pub. Date: March 19, 2011

Source: Author

Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. In just a few weeks after moving to the small beach town, sixteen year old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past to learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her...and maybe even find true love along the way.

It seems like mermaids are the new things in YA books and I’ve only read a couple, but I have to say Between the Land and the Sea has been my favorite! The characters were great and relatable, the plot was original and entertaining and the writing flowed nicely!

Privileged teenager Marina, is forced to move from San Francisco to Aptos, California to live with her Aunt Abby and cousin Cruz, while her dad has to go overseas for work. Marina would rather go with her father, but as soon as she gets to Aptos, she immediately feels at home. Aunt Abby is welcoming and nurturing and Marina and Cruz pick up right where they last saw each other (which was when they were still children). She even meets a wonderful, swoon-worthy boy named Ethan. For the first time in Marina’s life she has friends and a crush and she is really happy with where she is. One day while Marina is on the beach she sees a Mermaid on the coast and immediately feels a connection to her. She begins to learn secrets about her mother (who died during childbirth) and Marina realizes who she really is. Marina plans on finding out the secrets that the sea is holding, no matter how dangerous it is, or how great the costs are.

Marina was such a great character! Even though she grew up with money and got everything she ever wanted from her “Aunt” Evie (her rich and famous neighbor who loves to spoil her rotten), she was grounded and down to earth. She cared about people and was willing to sacrifice her own life for those she cared about. I loved her cousin, Cruz! He was so different from other characters in books today, and I felt he brought so much to the story. He was into fashion and truly was a very talented fashion designer. I loved that he wasn’t afraid to be who he was. The love interest, Ethan was wonderful! I have to say that he is one of my favorite male characters out there! I loved that even though he was one of the most popular guys in school, he didn’t care what people thought. He was nice to Cruz, even when no one else was, and he wasn’t arrogant or thought he could get by on his gorgeous looks. Ethan was responsible and a hard-worker, and an all-around great guy!

I really have nothing bad to say about Between the Land and the Sea. It was so much more then a mermaid story. It had everything that I could want in a book, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it. I HIGHLY recommend everyone go and buy this book TODAY! It is completely worth the money (it’s only a $1, so you have no excuse for not buying this awesome book!!).

The second book, The Moon and the Tide, is already out and I can’t wait to get started with it! 

 

Ladybird, Ladybird Trailer & Giveaway!

Ladybird, Ladybird
By: Abra Ebner
Pub. Date: September 15, 2011
Publisher: Crimson Oak Publishing

Samantha was born on a full moon to a mother already dead. Revived by doctors and given to her unloving father, Samantha was raised a cursed child, her only friend the ghost of her mother who speaks to her through keys. From the inside out, Sam burned with life, a fire so vivid it kept her peers at a distance, all except one. Leith, a quiet farmboy with a broken heart and demons of his own, enjoys the seclusion his classmates grant him, but the seclusion is all too familiar to Sam.When their worlds collide... fires burn.

The trailer for Ladybird, Ladybird is absolutely AMAZING! It makes me want to read this book even more then I already had!

How freakin awesome does this book look? And, hello...LADYBUGS! I don't think I can express how excited I am to read this book!

Crimson Oak Publishing is giving away five- $50.00 American Express gift cards. You can ENTER HERE and be sure to add Ladybug Storytime in the "Referred By Blogger" field!

Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Triangles

By: Ellen Hopkins

Pub. Date: October 18, 2011

Publisher: Atria (an Imprint of Simon & Schuster)

Pages: 544

Source: S&S GalleyGrab

In this first adult novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the unforgettable Crank trilogy, three female friends face midlife crises in a no holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life.

Ellen Hopkins has made her mark as the wildly popular author of several novels for young adults—every one of them a New York Times bestseller, and every one a hard-hitting exploration of tough-to-tackle topics. Now, in Triangles, Hopkins brings her storytelling mastery and fearlessness to take on the challenges of adult dramas.

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

I think this summons up pretty well what I felt about Triangles:

I tweeted this right after I finished Triangles, and then went all fan girl when THE Ellen Hopkins responded back to me!

As an obvious huge fan of Hopkins work, I was skeptical of her writing an adult book and did not plan on reading Triangles. I didn’t think that I would be able to relate to the characters, and I’ll be honest, I didn’t relate to them, but Hopkins did such a wonderful job writing them, that it was hard to not at least feel for the characters. Out of the 3 main women, only one of them I would have felt for even if Hopkins was a horrible writer, because her story was just so sad. When this month’s GalleyGrab appeared in my inbox and I saw Triangles, I figured I had nothing to lose and I am so glad that I read it!

Triangles tells the story of three women- Holly, Marissa and Andrea. Holly and Andrea are best friends, and Marissa is Andrea’s sister. All three women are dealing with their own issues and each of them deals with them in their own way. Holly feels trapped in her marriage and with raising three children, she needs something more, thus beginning her extramarital affairs. Andrea, is single and lonely and taking care of her teenage daughter alone, leaving her to make choices that she would never think she was capable of. Then there is Marissa, my favorite of the group. Her five year old daughter is dying from a Spinal Muscular Atrophy and Marissa has to take care of her all by herself while her husband is traveling the world and cheating on her. She is also raising a gay son, who that same asshole husband won’t acknowledge is gay. I really loved her son, Shane. He really jumped off the page for me. I really admired his character and loved the scenes that he was in.

Holly was my least favorite of the group and I found her really annoying. Andrea didn’t bother me but I completely felt for Marissa. Her entire situation was so sad, but I loved the way she carried herself and how unselfish she was.

Even though I couldn’t relate to the characters because of my age, I really enjoyed Triangles. Hopkins writes verse so wonderfully, that it is hard to not enjoy anything that she writes.

Hopkins next YA book after Perfect will be based on Triangles, but through the eyes of the children of the women. I am super excited for this, and I really hope that Shane is included in that because I can not wait to learn more about him! 

In My Mailbox (23)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.

~Review~

Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe (via Negalley)

Lord of Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson (via Netgalley)

The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (via Negalley)

You Are My Only by Beth Kephart (via Negalley)

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler (via RazorBill & LibraryThing). I was so excited to get this in the mail. It even came in pretty cool packaging!

~Free~

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

~Swag~

  I also received some awesome swag from the lovely Melissa Schroeder!

What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave your link in the comments so I can check it out!