ALL YOU NEVER WANTED is a story of sisters in crisis. Alex is the older sister, prettier and more popular, but hiding an embarrassing secret that is mALL YOU NEVER WANTED is a story of sisters in crisis. Alex is the older sister, prettier and more popular, but hiding an embarrassing secret that is making her withdraw from life. Thea has always wanted to be like Alex, and as Alex diminishes, Thea sees her chance to take over, spinning wild lies in her quest for world domination.
It's also a "poor little rich girl" story, in a way, because Alex and Thea's problems are magnified by their new wealth. Their mother has remarried, to a fabulously rich man who lives in a mansion the girls call Camelot, and while the money can buy lots of things, it has also effectively removed their mother from their life, as she now travels with her new husband instead of taking care of her children.
I absolutely loved how real both sisters came off. They aren't best book friend material by any means - Alex is very withdrawn, prickly and "ice queen"-ish while Thea is overdramatic, a compulsive liar and could give Hedda Gabler a run for her money in the soul-sucking department - but their struggles are relatable and their motivations fully understandable.
Alex's story unfolds in third person, fitting for a girl who has distanced herself from her own life. Her secret shame came as a direct result of a rich guy power play by her step-father, so she's especially bitter. She's also developing an eating disorder, and no one wants to call her on it - not her drug-dealer boyfriend, her friends or her sister - all for their own underhanded reasons. But fortunately for her, Xander is in her life. And he might just offer the lifeline she needs. (LOVE Xander!)
Thea's story is first person all the way, and we get front row seats to the way she deceives everyone - even herself.
Highly recommended, especially to those readers who value excellent character development....more
The more I think about this one, the more I like it. It's a light, romantic read with a appealingly snarky MC (who works and lives in a CREEPY DOLL4.5
The more I think about this one, the more I like it. It's a light, romantic read with a appealingly snarky MC (who works and lives in a CREEPY DOLL SHOP) and a swoon-worthy boy - exactly what I needed as a respite from all my doom and gloom reading. The ending might be a bit too pat (and doesn't allow the couple to really work through their main conflict) but it put me in a good HEA mood, so I won't grumble.
I enjoyed it even more than PIVOT POINT. Yep....more
I loved this sequel! We get more of everything I adored about the first book -- Cate's complex relationship with her sisters, sweet scenes with love i I loved this sequel! We get more of everything I adored about the first book -- Cate's complex relationship with her sisters, sweet scenes with love interest Finn, witches using their magic against the evil brotherhood -- plus terrifying and surprising new developments. The ending crushed me. I need desperately to know that things will be okay in book three....more
"Sure to be AWESOME!" - That's what I wrote when I first heard about this novel. And now that I've read it, I can confirm that it's true. It's awesome"Sure to be AWESOME!" - That's what I wrote when I first heard about this novel. And now that I've read it, I can confirm that it's true. It's awesome.
If you've read Leila Sales' other books, you know that she's funny, with impeccable comic timing. MY SUICIDE PLAYLIST is darker and more raw than her first two books - it's about a teen outcast who creates a suicide playlist after all - but Leila imbues Elise with such genuine warmth and offbeat humor that despite the depressing particulars of Elise's life, you can help but smile at Elise's keen observations and turns of phrase.
There are so many reasons to love this novel, but my top three were the pitch-perfect spooky atmosphere, the romance, and the mystery.
Atmosphere: WintThere are so many reasons to love this novel, but my top three were the pitch-perfect spooky atmosphere, the romance, and the mystery.
Atmosphere: Winters really makes 1918 California come alive. You feel the fear of the Spanish Flu, the uncertainty brought about by the war and the desperation of the people who went to the spiritualists to find out about the well-being of their loved ones.
Romance: I fell hard for this novel because of the connection between Mary Shelley and Stephen. By the time the novel opens, Stephen has already been shipped off to fight in Europe - so we mostly see their relationship develop via his letters (swoon!) and a flashback of their first kiss (double swoon!). And man .... I felt sooo bad for both of them. I ached for them to be back together.
Mystery: Mary Shelley was so determined to set things right for Stephen - even if it cost her her life. I admire that kind of moxie and dedication. And that's how Winters manages to up the stakes even more - Mary Shelley has to solve a whole mystery involving Stephen. This mystery was so well plotted, too. I totally didn't see those reveals coming.
Wonderful novel that I'll be recommending over and over again for years to come....more
"Immersive and compelling, STARGLASS is sci-fi with both brains and heart. Terra’s search for belonging and authentic humaI totally blurbed this book:
"Immersive and compelling, STARGLASS is sci-fi with both brains and heart. Terra’s search for belonging and authentic human connection is one to savor"
Fiona wakes up in her own room, but everything’s different. The house is trashed. The girl she sees in the mirror is older, thinner, haggard. She hasFiona wakes up in her own room, but everything’s different. The house is trashed. The girl she sees in the mirror is older, thinner, haggard. She has a spider tattoo on her hand, a tattoo she somehow knows she needs to cover up with her sister’s concealer. And her beloved twin brother comes after her in a rage, his growl just like a monster’s.
She runs away from him through a world that’s changed too. Most everything’s dead or in ruins. People are wary, conniving or worse. And turning in someone who is marked can earn you precious ounces of honey.
STUNG is a gripping novel about science gone very wrong. First there were the gen-altered bees. Then there was the bee-flu. Then there was the vaccine against bee-flu that turned out to be plague.
This near-future Denver that Fiona faces is horrific but plausible given the careful worldbuilding - which unlike many current half-baked dystopians/post apocalyptics - actually reveals how current conditions arose and how people changed in order to deal with them. Thus the zombie chicken merit badge for worldbuilding.
But - I very nearly gave this novel the badge for romance, because the slow-burn relationship between Fiona and her eventual captor Bowen, a neighbor boy who used to tease her, was one of my favorite parts.
Those looking for something fresh and intelligent in the dystopian genre, this one’s for you....more
In my review of the middle book, PANDEMONIUM, I said: "It's no secret to anyone who has read Oliver's books that she has a way with words. This is wriIn my review of the middle book, PANDEMONIUM, I said: "It's no secret to anyone who has read Oliver's books that she has a way with words. This is writing that can make you believe in anything.” That holds true here as well. See, I came into REQUIEM hoping for a certain outcome and even though that outcome didn’t materialize, I left the book convinced that Lauren stayed true to her characters and that everything that happened developed organically.
Lauren was in Frankfurt for the book fair last October, and when I met up with her, we had a long discussion about the romance element of REQUIEM. Who should Lena end up with? With Alex, the boy who first showed her what love is and with whom she shared an unparalleled sizzling chemistry in DELIRIUM? Or with Julian, the boy who discovered what love is thanks to her and who is sweet and awesome and completely won me over in PANDEMONIUM? Unlike in most YA triangles these days, it is not a clear or easy choice.
But REQUIEM is not all about the boys – far from it. With the addition of Hana’s POV (in alternating chapters with Lena’s POV), we gain more insight on why Lena’s fight with the resistance is so urgent. It’s a testament to Lauren’s skill as a writer that she is able to make Hana sympathetic despite some rather shocking revelations having to do with her. Although I was understandably more invested in Lena’s story, Hana’s parts were essential to fleshing out the world.
Now that I’ve finished the series, I’m itching to go back and start reading it all over again – and really – what higher praise is there?...more
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