Book Review: Sanctum by Sarah Fine

 Book: Sanctum (#1 Guards of the Shadowlands)
Author: Sarah Fine
File type: Ebook
Release date: October 16th 2012
Publisher: Marshall Canvendish Children's/Amazon Children's Publishing.
My rating: 3 stars.

synopsis:

“My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance—hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn’t just anyone—she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife. 

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she’s captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city’s endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn’t—the dark city isn’t the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.




I wish I could say that this book was awesome. But unfortunately, I can't.

Sanctum comes forward with a really unique and refreshing concept. I, in no way, can question the originality of the story.A mission to rescue your bestfriend from the dark streets of Hell? Me Gusta. Now add a hot guard ,a badass female,a strong protagonist, a thoroughly sarcastic and smart writing style and the evergreen beauty of hell to the mix. Me SUPER Gusta. 

I should've loved the damn book. What's not to like? It has everything that usually wows my idiot mind. I didn't even carethat the guy's name was Malachi and I tend to run away from awkward names because awkward names mean awkward situations where the girl tenderly looks at the guy and the guy begs her to say his name so that he can hear it and then she says, that awkward name and rather than melting into a gooey puddle of nonsense, I'm either on the floor laughing or just mentally cringing everytime that awkward name is mentioned. And Malachi, for me, is an awkward name.

BUT

I did not mind it. 

For every 'Malachi' there was my heart demanding me to melt. And melt, I did. Initially.

Sanctum started out really great! I was so mesmerized by it's awesomeness that I knew, in my mind, that THIS was going to be epic. Seventeen year old, Lela Santos is a likable female. She's tough and strong. She doesn't take bullshit and neither does she give bullshit. I understood her love for Nadia and I agreed with whatever she did and whatever she thought because when I looked at her, I saw her doing and thinking things a normalteenage girl whose been through a lot in her past would normallydo. And then she said bye bye world and arrived in heaven. I loved how her loyalty towards Nadia led her towards the Suicide gates in hell, so that she could rescue Nadia's soul even if she had to sacrifice her eternal peace for it. Sentiments towards best friends are my undoing among many other things. It was because of these sentiments that I had liked Code Name Verity. And then she meets Malachi. The guard of the dark city.

See, I had absolutely no problem with the details and setting of the plot. I was really in favour of the whole 'I'll kick your ass if you lay your fingers on me' feel. I was also particularly in love with Malachi because the strong man had a sensitive side to him from the very beginning. What I didn't like was the Lela-Malachi dynamic. 

It was so unreal and weird for me to see both Lela and Malachi falling for each other as quickly as they did. Considering Lela's feelings about touch, I was pretty surprised to witness the 'I WANT TO KISS HIM AND WILL KILL HIM.' side of her. I wouldn't blame the girl and in a way, she was voicing my thoughts in the book as well, but it just didn't work. All things considered, the pace of the romance was very fast for me. And also very weird.

Everytime, there was a scene of conflict and everytime Malachi saved Lela, all I could think was how convenient it was for Lela to be so stupid in the presence of Malachi when all the while before she even entered hell, she was smart. I'm all for the protection mode of a guy but dude, please. Give it a rest. 

By the second half, I was sure that this book was disappointing. But the presence of Ana's and Raphael's character made it worthwhile. 
It all felt so bland to me and after some point, I was irritated with Lela and her actions. And the end was also pretty okay to me. All of this was enough for me to say 'WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?' to the book.
I liked this book. It wasn't all there but it was alright. Maybe.

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen   
Publication date: April 23rd 2013
My rating: not sure

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.
America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.
Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

Last year there was this huge scandal with certain blogger and her review of Selection. She didn't like it which resulted in author's agent going after her. There was name-calling, attacks on personal level and that was pretty much the start of whole author vs. blogger debacle that's still going on, only with different authors and bloggers. 

I wasn't one of those people who hated The Selection when it first came out. I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and find out for myself if it's awful just like some people are saying. It wasn't. It was pretty decent. Definitely a book for younger audience. It didn't have that dark dystopian feel to it but I was ok with it since romance was the center of whole book and everything else wasn't as important. 

However, The Elite gave me a headache. It was nothing like Selection and I was upset because I was looking forward to find out what happens next. There were so many problems I couldn't ignore. I even wrote a list and here it is:

1. predictability 

2. annoying love triangle

3. unstable/fickle heroine 

4. repetitive

I'm just gonna explain why I felt that way, so be aware, there are some small spoilers ahead. 

1. Predictability - Pretty much from the start I knew where the story was going and I wasn't surprise when certain things happened, mainly that whole situation with Marlee. It got better towards the end. 

2. Annoying love triangle - I'm up for a love triangle cause they bring more drama but I don't approve when both love interests go from great to these characters which make some nasty decisions only to be redeemed afterwards. I can't forget the shitty things they did. I can't. It just sticks in my head and there's no going back. Cass did this with Maxon two or three times in The Elite. 

3. Unstable/fickle heroine - This is connected to #2. A lot of decisions America makes is because Mazon did something she didn't approve. She would run in Aspen's arms whenever that happened and Aspen was clueless about her feelings towards Maxon. When Maxon apologized or explained why he did what he did she would pick him again. She got into a fight with a girl in selection. I guess you already know who was it, right? There is one thing she did right. She had a speech and it brought people hope of better tomorrow. But one little speech doesn't make me forget what idiot she was throughout the whole thing. 

4. Repetitive - This is the thing which annoyed me more. Rebels broke into the palace so many times it was just ridiculous. They would spray the walls and steal books. So many times. What kind of kingdom is this if they can't even defend the heart of the country? And there's America going from one guy to another every time it doesn't go her way. 

I will read the final book since I already read this much but I certainly won't expect much. I just hope America stays with the choice she made in the end of The Elite. 

Joint Review: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Harper 
Publication date: February 5th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

tickticktickticktick
it's
 almost time for war.Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

 If you thought Shatter Me was something special, wait till you read Unravel Me. Tahareh's writing style just amazes me. How she merges poetry with prose. It's just so beautiful. If, by any chance you still haven't read Unravel Me, or dare I say Shatter Me, please, do because there is no way you won't like what this woman has to say. It's an emotional bomb. Ovaries were exploding every time Warner showed up. 

Unravel Me starts of with Juliette and Adam discovering he isn't immune to Juliette's touch. So they try to stay away from one another which only brings out almost 200 pages of relationship drama. Don't get me wrong, I was enjoying it because it was all working out the way I hoped it would. In the middle of this drama Warner appears and we see the amazing dog scene from Destroy Me in Juliette's POV. She can't get Warner out of her head because he seemed so different from the cruel and heartless guy she met in the first book. 

Warner! How much I love him! He was the villain which I don't actually see as one. He's just got a lot of daddy issues like pretty much anyone in this book. I was a huge Warner fan since Shatter Me, he made me fall in love with him in Destroy Me and I was totally crazy after I got to know him even more in Unravel Me.  He is smart, good-looking well trained soldier. He loves to read and whenever he speaks he  does seem better than others, in spite of his flaws. And yet, there are so many things we don't know about him. Tahereh is a smart lady. She's not going to reveal all her card till the final round. 

*dies* *dies* *dies*

Chapter 62 deserves to be mentioned too for I feel there hasn't been a chapter this emotional and hot, well, since forever. It gave me so much joy and yet I wanted more. Since I have both hardback and the audiobook of Unravel Me I had to listen so I can experience it in another, totally different way. And let me tell you, the way that Kate Simses narrates is just unbelievable. You can feel the longing and restraint. 

Why you do this to me, Tahereh? 

Juliette and Warner are going to end up together in the final book because there is no way Tahereh wrote all that in Unravel Me and say 'Oh, that wasn't anything special. Juliette and Adam are endgame.' I refuse to believe there is even a small chance it won't go my way. I mean, after so many of my teams lost, I at least deserve to get this one! I deserve to be happy and so do these characters.  Even Tahereh's mum is on Team Warner. :D 

Me daydreaming I'm Juliette. 

I don't care much about Adam. He can be unhappy for the rest of his life. LOL I did like him in Shatter Me and yet there was Warner. Warner steals every scene. Adam, the stoic guy who walks in thigh shirts just seems unrealistic. There's just something that rubs me the wrong way whenever he's there. And even Juliette doesn't think he can handle her deepest secrets but she can confide in Warner. A & J just aren't compatible enough. 

No, she doesn't, Luna. No, she doesn't. 

There was one character I need to mention. He saved our Juliette from being a big mess after she faces every small obstacle. It's Kenji! He is an epithet for what it means to be a friend, even though he was just doing his job. He was Juliette's rock, while Adam was out sulking and dealing with his problems. Kenji, the guy who always makes us laugh with his roguish charm has some secrets of his own. He doesn't share a lot of his true feeling but it was obvious he cares about a lot of people. I'm sure Tahereh will write a novella in his POV so we'll finally understand why he is the way he is. 

Kenji when he's around Juliette 

And last but not least, Juliette. She went through a transformation. She still cries, pities herself and apologizes to everyone for every single thing people don't approve about her. After she talked with Warner I believe he gave her some insight how to overcome those things and by the end she was fierce. That last page was shocking, at least to me it was. She is done playing nice and I wanted to scream because I can't wait to see what is her next move. Will she join Warner to help take down his father, will she be on her own, or will she go back to save her friends? Where is the third book? I want it now! 

At least you'll evolve from that stage.

Sorry guys for all of these gifs. I promised myself I will control my fangirling but I just couldn't resist it. Tahereh brings out so many feeling from deep inside, the ones I thought I never had. 

I'm trying control my laughter and snorting after that fantastic review written above by Zemira.
I agree with everything she said. I agree with her so much that right now I'm utterly clueless.

But Like Always,

I try.

Note: I'm trying to copy Tahareh's style of writing which I wasn't a big fan of until Destroy Me came and literally destroyed me.

This book is SO epic.

I can't even begin to explain how many times I gasped in surprise while reading this book. And gasping was always something that puzzled me. It's just that I've come across many books which has their protagonists gasping over things I can't even seem to understand why needs gasping ,because in my mind, I had no clue as to what the hell was so 'GASP' about that whole damn scenario. So naturally, when I had not one , not two but THREE gasping moments (and these are the ones I noted.) , I just had to stop reading and register that moment of triumph which occurs when you know that the author just fooled you. Or in this case, nailed you. 

I will be honest. Shatter Me wasn't the greatest book I read and it was only after reading Destroy me that I thought that I probably should give Unravel me a try. 

Sometimes, I just want to shoot myself and take my brain out and kiss it until I die. 

Gross, I know. But who cares? Whatever triggered my actions to actually order the book and read it is something I'll forever be indebted to.

And also. Warner is unmistakably the finest piece of YA awesomeness I've come across in a long , long time. Sorry badass protags of YA, but this guy just beat all your asses  for the top spot. 

I'm usually blown by books that are what their prequels could never be. I'm sorry, but in this case, Unravel Me annihilated Shatter Me. My experience of reading Unravel Me was almost like me sitting in a theatre and watching a movie.

So let's go step by step shall we? And I promise you , that there are no spoilers.

So I crack open the book and start reading it. Which is like me sitting in a theatre when the movie starts and all the lights go off. The first half is interesting but the characters are making you gag of uselessness. You hate the main girl and you hate the main guy. You just hate hate hate. And you know that THIS is going to be a disaster.It's just because of that one character (Kenji.) who's so awesome that you could just fall in love with again and again that you continue to have hope. And just before the first half is going to end..BOOM! You read or er, see something that totally wakes you up and you're like 'Oh Oh Oh OMG. WHAT WAS THAT. So cool.' and then suddenly...

Intermission.

Now you know that things are going to be Badass with a capital 'B'.

So you arm yourselves with popcorns and drinks and dive headfirst into the movie. Or in my case, the book. 

You're on the second half now and it's like..it's like you're in a different world. The girl is changing. And you can see the damn change. She is evolving! The story is evolving! Everything is evolving and then there are those moments I  mentioned before, GASP! So many GASP moments. And you're dead and floating in heaven.

And then the thing ends. AND YOU NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW.

But there's that thing for now.

That satisfaction. That smile. That THING. 

There is so much change. Even Tahareh's writing seems to have evolved and grown. It's all such a beautiful mess and I'm afraid I'm going to cry happy tears. 

And the love triangle?

I will Shatter, Destory and Unravel anything that doesn't let Warner and KENJI! have his happy ending. 

While we all know about Juliette , Warner and Adam, I personally felt that this book was all about Kenji. He owned this one. More than anyone, he was the one who intrigued me and I just knew that this guy was going to do wonders! And wonders? My heart needs to be in the damn ICU.

Some want Warner.

Some want Adam. (Pfft..who am I kidding? NOBODY wants Adam.)

BUT.

I

want

KENJI.

Give me this guy. Please..Please.

There were these other characters as well who did an amazing job but right now I can't think straight because my mind is consumed with Kenji and Warner. (Sorry Kenji, but the blonde god is badass.)

The thing is you need to read this book. I don't care if you didn't like Shatter Me but you need to read this book. YOU NEED TO.  Plus, you get to know what Warner's first name is. I'm sure you want to know THAT , don't you?
IF you're a person whose already read it. Please ignore what I just said above. I'm not always that violent.

And did I tell you that Juliette and I are on their way to become best buds?

Yes. Even I can't believe how warped up my brain is.

SO MUCH TRANSFORMATION.

I love you so much dear book.

Okay insanity over. Bye.

Top Ten Tuesday #15

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More Than I Did

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin -  Eh, I can't with this book. Everyone's been obsessed with it even before it was released. I remember watching that awesome trailer and spazzing. But I didn't see the appeal, at all. Noah was just a guy with a British accent. Nothing special. 
2. Legend by Marie Lu - Another disappointment. I didn't feel the connection between the characters and while there were plenty of great action scenes I couldn't get past the characters. 
3. Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson - Devyani is probably hunt me down for this but I've read 2 or 3 Sarah Alderson books and she does nothing for me. Characters make this crazy decisions and it just throws me of track. 
4. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer - Ugh! I don't get the appeal of this series. It's just bleh. 
5. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - Another hyped book which failed to impress. All I remember about it that the girl cried a lot. 

                                                                           
                                                                               

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - Why I liked Boundless so much was because I never did like Unearthly all that much. There was nothing unique about this one apart from the fact that the protag was an angel and that she had a 'purpose'. Otherwise, it was all the more the same exact YA soup story. Two guys, confused protag, side drama and a nice cliffhanger-ish end.
2. Slammed by Colleen Hoover - Considering the shining ratings that it has in it's bag on Goodreads, this book was totally bland for me. Apart from the poetry, which really was pretty, I just can't find anything good to say about this one.
3. How To Kill A Rockstar by Tiffanie DeBartolo - This one's a beautiful one. But due to some things that occurred in the book, I just couldn't like this book as much as others did.
4. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - This was another one I just couldn't get into and love. There was so much hype that moved around it and I myself was really excited , but after reading it , I just couldn't help but feel disappointed.5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass - This book wasn't about a badass assassin. It was about a pretentious , full of herself , messed up wannabe princess who claims to fight like a Ninja.

Arclight by Josin L.McQuein

Arclight by Josin L.McQuein

Publisher: Greenwillow 
Publication date: April 23rd 2013
My rating: 2 star

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. 
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

I debated whether or not I should finish this book since I got it from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I didn't wanted to finish it because I started reading it at least 5 or 6 times but I never got past the first two pages. Isn't the start of the book very important? Shouldn't I want to grip it tighter and never let it go, at least not until I finish reading it? It didn't happen. And I kept hoping it will get better with time. The main reason I was persistent is that some of the bloggers I follow read it and gave it 3 or 4 stars. So I pushed myself. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. 

MC, or pretty much any other character in Arclight was like an Egyptian fresco painting where you can only see one side of the model. They were like cardboard cutouts with no heart or soul. 

I went from thinking those Fade creatures were zombies, to ghosts, to Dementors and then it turn out they are in fact people. I'm not even sure they are human since I didn't finish it. They were the only thing that kept my attention this far but in the end it wasn't enough. It just wasn't. And I'm sorry I requested Arclight and it's going to get even lower rating. I'm really sorry because the author clearly had a great vision. It just wasn't for me. 

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Hidden by Marianne Curley

Publisher: Bloomsbury 
Publication date: June 25th 2013
My rating: 1 star

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing. 
On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

 Jesus Christ! Please strike these characters from Heaven! Please, I beg of you. 

I've never read a Marianne Curley book before but a lot of people seem to love Old Magic so I thought, what the hell, Hidden has a pretty cover and the blurb sounds decent even though most angel books turn into fails, at least for me they do. So... I. Read. IT! 

I read it after dropping it two months ago. It was so painfully stupid. The characters! My God! The insta love is in warp speed. And it happens twice. Please, take your time so it sinks in. It happens twice! This girl feels this insane attraction and 'love' for two guys. She is such an immature brat. She disobeys her mother and gets into more trouble at every turn. Oh. I can just feel this headache thumping inside my head. It's pounding more and more. And the mother is not any better than her daughter. It's probably genetic. Just picture yourself being 15 or 16 and telling your friends how mean your mum is for not allowing you a lot of things. Picture her being stupid, because there is no way a mother can be smarter than her child. No way. Sounds familiar? There you go! I'm sure we've all done it once or twice. But we aren't smarter than our parents, at least not till our boobs stop growing. 

Who wouldn't be pissed off if s/he had to deal with this type of ridiculous characters and storyline in general? 

I wanted to like it. I even put it on my wishlist so I could order it. I'm glad I waited and wasn't blinded with the pretty cover. 

Enough is Enough. When she says no, YOU STOP.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

I don't feel safe.

I am scared.

I am hurt.

I am broken.

Recently, in December, a twenty three year old girl was on her way back home after watching a movie with her friend. She was a paramedical student and had a bright future ahead of her. It was 9pm. She along with her male friend couldn't find a taxi , an auto-rickshaw or anything. So when they saw a commercial bus , they thought why not climb this one and head home. The girl was with a guy so she had this sense of security with her. What happened to her shook the entire country. She was gang-raped by six men. Not only was she raped but she was brutally beaten and so was her friend and they were thrown out of a moving bus and were left to die on the streets. The brutality of this whole incident scared every girl, every woman , every parent, every husband in my country and ....in the end , everybody.

This could've been anybody. It could've been me. It could've been my sister. My best friend. My mother. My aunt. ANYBODY.

I am scared.

It's April now. Things had just simmered down. 

Until now.

A five year old girl was raped by her own neighbour. And it shames me to say this but I'm angry, so be it. It shames me to say that when this girl needed help, she was locked up into a goddamn cell by none other than a police officer.

What should I do now?

In need of help, the only place I'd go would be the police station, SO what do I do ?

I'm writing this because I am scared and angry and horrified.

I don't understand WHY it is difficult for men to keep their dicks in their pants. Why is it so hard for anybody in general to understand that THIS is not right. Why are rapists given a chance to defend themselves? WHY? Till December, this was something that happened outside. But this is the neighbour that we're talking about. Where is my sense of security? Why shouldn't I be scared of travelling alone? and this was a FIVE YEAR OLD girl. A kid. Does she need self defense classes too now?

Psychologists say, that rapists are victims themselves as this savage side of them is triggered by their upbringing and environment. While that is true, does that give the right to anybody in general to rape a person? When I would have a kid of myself, should I remember to enroll my daughter or son in self defense classes? Should I?

I'll tell you what's happening now.

My mother is scared to send her daughter out. You would think that if I was accompanied by my father, then I would remain safe. But no. So here's the thing.

Should I wear clothes that cover each part of my body? Should I not drink? Should I not flirt? Because hey, if I flirt I'm inviting a guy to bed.

You know what's more funny? Nowadays we are advised that we should AVOID provoking people.

When I was a fifteen. I was travelling in a bus and a guy kept on bumping into me from behind. It was quite obvious. He was a pervert and he was touching me. When I couldn't stand it , I just turned around and whacked that asshat. And I was safe.

You know what happened to a girl in another country who was braver than me? And who dared to stand up? She was followed and tortured and raped.

I was FIFTEEN.

Did I deserve it? What if that guy was a rogue thug and what if I TRIGGERED his inner savage. Would I be alive today?

I'm not saying that we girls shouldn't be careful as well. We need to take care of ourselves and each other. We need to understand that not everybody is in their right mind. And not everybody is going to help you.

But does it still gives the right to THEM for doing what they do?

I don't think so.

Enough is enough. 

I DON'T WANT TO BE SCARED.

Why should I be scared? Why should my parents be scared? Why should I have my father and brother accompany me anywhere? Why should I have to look around several times to see a guy leering at me and pinching my ass. WHY SHOULD I NOT PROVOKE THEM AND STAND UP?  Why should I be afraid?

Who should I blame? If not the rapists then their parents? IF nor their parents than THEIR parents? Is it the society in general or is it your thick skull?

If a girl says no. You listen to them.

If somebody tells you that you're wrong and if that somebody is right, then you listen.

If a girl wears tiny clothes, you don't rape her but you protect her.

If anybody drinks, you take care of them.

If anybody needs help, you better help them.

BUT YOU NEVER, NEVER EVER TAKE ADVANTAGE.

Stacking the Shelves

Sorry for the blurry picture

Bought:

Karen Marie Moning - Darkfever

Lauren DeStefano - Sever

For review:

Cohn & Levithan- Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Maria V. Snyder - Scent of Magic

Won:

Cassandra Clare - Clockwork Princess

Laini Taylor - Days of Blood and Starlight

Robin LaFevers - Grave Mercy

I haven't posted StS for the last two months and this is what I got. It's not much, but I did manage to get some books I wanted to read for a long time. 

I'm also starting with the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning once the rest of the series arrives, in two weeks. Can't wait to meet Barrons. ;)

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: February 12th 2013
My rating: 3 stars

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they ran away from. Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan, the two press forward, amid threats of being captured again…or worse.
The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and men die at age twenty-five, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.

There are ups and downs with Lauren DeStefano. The ups are twisted world building with a slow pace which I usually hate but she makes it work and the down is that I don't know to say about Fever. It's like the whole book was wrapped in a mist and you can't see right. The same thing happened with Wither. 

Fever was mainly about freedom. What would we do to be free? What does it mean to be free? We follow Rhine and Gabriel after they escaped from her Vaughn, Linden and imprisonment only to be chained by so many other things in the real world. Rhine has changed a lot, but she often thinks about how her life would be if she remained in the mansion every time things get unbearable. She is determined to find her brother even though it seems impossible in the world without cellphones or the Internet. I'm actually not sure if there are such things but there weren't any phones so I'm gonna think that technology isn't in use anymore. However there is a lot of drug use, prostitution, kidnapping and even a rape attempt. 

There are some new characters, prostitute Lilac and her malformed daughter Maggie, the cruel madame and a kind lady( forgot her name,sorry) whose daughter was kidnapped and who's trying to make up for the lost time with trowing herself into taking care of abandoned orphans. We get to see Vaughn towards the end and get to witness his terrible experiments on girls. 

If you enjoyed reading Wither, I'm sure you'll like Fever too. It wasn't as good as Wither but it still got me to read at least hundred pages on a really busy day when I would rather sleep than read. 

Once upon a time there were two parents, two children, and a brick house with lilies in the yard. The parents died, the lilies wilted. One child disappeared. Then the other.

I was born on January 30, a minute and a half before my brother. I wish I could remember it. I wish I had a memory of that first violent shove, the shock of cold air, the sting of oxygen into new lungs. Everyone should remember being born. It doesn’t seem fair that we only remember dying.

Love unrequited is violent. He loves you so much that he's turned it into hate.