The Program by Suzanne Young

The Program by Suzanne Young

Publisher:  Simon Pulse      

Publication date: April 30th 2013
My rating: 4 stars

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Last night I was browsing Goodreads, looking for something interesting to read and The Program caught my eye. Sure, I've heard of it before but I wasn't so sure if it would be something I usually enjoy. Since I'm a risk taker I decided to read it the next morning. I didn't expected to be so engrossed in Sloane's world. 

Sloane's surrounded by fear every day of her life since her older brother killed himself. Every third teen is suicidal so the government developed The Program which helps teens 'forget' about their problems. One of Sloane's friends, Lacey, is one of those rehabilitated teens. Lacey's boyfriend, devastated when Lacey doesn't recognize his kills himself, leaving Sloane and her boyfriend James to fend for themselves. They can't trust their parents because they fear they would  end up brainwashed like Lacey so they only trust each other. After not being able to endure the pain any longer, James starts cutting himself which only results in him being sent to The Program. When he gets back, he doesn't remember Sloane and her depression only grows stronger. Her parents send her to the rehabilitation and we get to witness how the process actually works. 

A lot of other reviewers mentioned Sloan not being a strong character but I disagree. She was doing her best. Take note she didn't had the chance to grieve over the death of her brother, she also lost all of her friends and her boyfriend. She had no idea who is trustworthy inside the facility. She did fight to keep her memories from being erased and that was all she could've done. 

James was charming and fun despite living in such a dreary world. He was there for Sloane, even after the treatment, when they didn't know each other. 

Realm was also interesting in his own way. He develops connection with Sloan while she's being brainwashed. He's the only person who didn't mind having a fresh start so that even made me want to want to more about his past. Hopefully, more will be revealed about him in the sequel. 

That epilogue shocked me. Didn't see the twist coming. The repetition of the scene was well done. I still can't believe it happened. 

Despite the lack of action which I usually crave, I couldn't put this book down. It's not hard to picture something like this happening in the not so distant future, which made it even scarier. Even now, so many people medicate themselves to dull the physical and mental ache. It was smart of the author to tackle this issue. 

 

After the End by Amy Plum

After the End by Amy Plum 

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: May 6th 2014
My rating: 3 stars

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.
At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.
When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.
Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Juneau lives in Alaska believing World War III destroyed the rest of the world and her clan was lucky to escape. One day, on a hunting trip she sees a town filled with people living their lives. When she returns her clan has disappeared so she sets off to find them. She meets Miles, a city boy and he starts helping her. 

All this is fine it's just that both of them were annoying. Juneau gives her two dogs to a lady so she can take care of them until she returns. Now this wouldn't be strange if she knew this person before but she just met her and thought she looks harmless. What kind of logic is that? I know Juneau is just discovering the new, evolved world but she shouldn't have to be so naive. 

Then there's Miles. He's a rich boy/wannabe delinquent who ends up suspended from high school for doing some naughty things. His father's not pleased and doesn't let him roll into Yale. LOL Yeah, right! Punish him with not going to school. That's the best thing you can do for your neglected son. I'm sure he'll still be loyal to you and not to the strange girl he just met. Miles was annoying most of the time like one those mean characters from cartoons. Nothing major but still enough to piss you off. 

I didn't think much about the book until the two main characters got separated. The pace quickened as soon as they got away from each other. This is where things got interesting. I know they're suppose to be together so the romance could start but I wasn't feeling it. There was too much childish bickering between these two and it wasn't even the cute bickering where you were waiting for the moment where they'd realize they love each other. 

After the End is still so much better than the first Amy Plum book I've read, Die for Me. I still plan to read the sequel which will probably be out next year. 

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux      

Publication date: April 8th 2014
My rating: 3 stars

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.
Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.
Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. There were interesting aspects but none of them were strong enough for me to finish Plus One within two days. I was reading it for whole 6 days which is usually a sign I should give up. But I couldn't give up because I desperately wanted to see the awesomeness in it like the other early reviewers did. 

There was something missing. I'm not entirely sure what exactly. Maybe it was Sol's behavior in the first half. She was cold, brief and distant from D'Arcy who was nothing but helpful after he saw the mess Sol is in. I can't think of any other reason why it didn't work out. 

The world building was strange. Smudges- night dwellers and Ray- day dwellers don't mix. They live in what seems like totally different worlds. Ray's live with ease while Smudges live in poverty from the start of their lives till the day they die. While Rays have great education and carriers, a Smudge can only hope being a poor factory workers with little or no health care. 

Even though the origin of the divide was explained it still didn't make sense to me the authorities would keep it up after they resolved the problem. Maybe if was explained in another way. I don't really know... 

I don't want to end on bad note, with not saying anything positive about Plus One. It was one of those strange books you pick up to see what all the fuss was about. I did like the sort of open ending it had. The outcome was still visible so I hope the characters got what they wanted to. 

This is my first Elizabeth Fama book even though I bought a hardcover of Monstrous Beauty a while back. Still need to read it and even though I had mixed feelings about Plus One, it doesn't put me off of Monstrous Beauty. I just want to read it even more. 

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperCollins      

Publication date: February 4th 2014
My rating: 5 stars

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew - about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam - was wrong.

Warning! There will be spoilers. I won't hold my tongue for anyone. I want to be free to express my thoughts since I can't explain why I'm my life is ruined by fictional character to my family or friends. So if you don't want to know about which guy Juliette chose in the end, shoo! 

Another warning. This review won't make any sense. My thoughts are scattered all over my brain and I'm still pretty much not sure how I'm going to continue my life without a new book every winter. 

What mind fuckery is this? I felt like I was going crazy while reading this book. I would clutch my hair, flail all over the room, cry, yell This is my ship!, shimmy and pretend I'm taking a part in those gifs where people are REALLY excited about something. 

Ignite Me was better than seeing your favorite band perform live for the first time. I don't get excited easily but I was acting like a mad woman today. I never felt this way about any book/series before. Tahereh delivered again, so surprise there. I had some doubts about whether she would kill off characters. I was worried about my King getting hurt. I'm not gonna lie, if I had to choose between saving everyone else or just King Warner... well, do I even need to answer that? 

Readers didn't like Juliette in Shatter Me and Unravel Me but I was one of those who loved her manic ass right from the start. She grew up and learned who she really is. She's someone who fights no matter what, tried to do the right thing every time, has a kind heart and thinks positive. She's a true fighter, is determined and I love her. 

Adam was an useless POS, most of the time. Who'm I kidding?! He was awful towards Juliette after he found out they wouldn't be getting together. He was being an ex from hell. Juliette was being nice but he wouldn't let go of his anger. The only person he treated nicely was James. Not even Kenji could get on his good side. 

Kenji! The sweet sidekick. He's always helpful. He's still a mystery. Hmmm... I wonder if he'll get his own novella because I don't think he got to shine properly in this trilogy. I'm actually pissed Fracture Me ended up being Adam's novella and not Kenji's. No one asked for Adam's POV, ok?! People were demanding another Warner novella while I was the only one in there asking for more Kenji. No one wanted to read what is not inside Adam's head! 

Here's the part I was saving for the end. King Warner. His Stylish Majesty, Aaron Warner Anderson. AAAHHHHHH!!! Sorry! How to describe this man? He's perfect. I have nothing bad to say about him. I am ready to be ravished on the table. haha And I'm not even done there. I want him in the bathtub while we try out his soaps. I want him on the bed, bench press in the training room and in the elevator. Sorry! I got carried away again. I swear, I didn't mean to go there but my thoughts just drift. I'm gonna be serious for a second now. Warner turned out even better than I initially thought and all the haters will probably change their mind. If not, then you can just re-read Shatter Me for the rest of your life and pretend the other two master pieces never happened. 

A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with one of my friends. We were discussing our exes and she said she would never like her ex now because she grew up and changed a lot. She doesn't want to cuddle a guy who's too insecure about himself and them in general. She was right. So many relationships fell apart not because people stop loving each other but because they changed. And that's the main reason I knew Adam and Juliette would never work. He would never get used to Juliette's powers, her desire to be free and to want more from life just like she doesn't want to be 'all' he wants. 

Chapter 55 made me cry. I was seriously freaking out while reading it and then it was over. I had to set the book down and cry for a couple of minutes. Why did I cry? Well, because my ship is canon!!! King Warner found happiness and it made me happy. Just when I thought nothing can top Chapter 55, Chapter 58 comes along and I start levitating. 

I can say thing with certainty- Aaron Warner is the best male character in whole bookdom. Move over Mr.Darcy, Jace, Dimitri, Will, Adrian, Eric, Barrons and all others. You can't fight me on this because there's just no way anyone has all the qualities for the sexiest man ever. He's Juliette's bird for God's sake! If you still want to comment about some other dude, please do, I'll just laugh his peasant ass off. 

I could write for hours about this book but I'll just stop here. Tahereh Mafi is finally replacing Richelle Mead as my favorite author. After so many year, Richelle has lost the throne. Never saw this coming. Thank you, Tahereh. For your incredibly unique prose, for your impeccable  style and for giving antagonists a completely different side. 

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen      

Publication date: January 28th 2014
My rating: 5 stars

The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.
When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.
Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

A music prodigy Davy didn't expect her life to change in just one moment. Before she was an excellent student, with a loving family, friends who envied her and a gorgeous boyfriend. That all changed when she found of she has the kill gene.She tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS) and is forced to change school, her friends abandon her and so does her boyfriend. Even her parents aren't sure what to think about the new situation. She meets Sean, a boy who's already carrying HTS and they slowly start to get closer. 

OK. The worst thing I could think about this book is- there will be only two books. Why can't we have at least 3? *whines* I'm not ready to say goodbye. I know this seems weird since the first one just came out but I really liked this book and I need to have the sequel. NOW!!! I'm usually not one of those gimme-the-next-book-now type of people but in this case, I am. HarperTeen and Sophie Jordan need to change the contract and add at least one more book to the table. Till then, I will be patiently waiting. Thank you very much, in advance. 

The thought of people discovering  a 'kill gene' is pretty scary. Who would want to live near the carriers? I'd like to think I would give them the benefit of the doubt but who knows. I don't think people are born evil like the scientists in this book suggest. Life makes them that way. Everyone has the chance of doing the right thing. Not all of them are willing to make the sacrifices which come with that responsibility. What would you do if you found out you had the kill gene? Would you try to prove you're not a killer even though other won't believe you aren't dangerous or just become one because of the gene? 

Everything was perfect. The plot. Those fighting scenes. The characters, even the bad ones. I adored it all. I loved the black sheet of the family, the brother. He was a nice touch. Even though he was a trouble maker he still stood by his baby sister. Hope to see more of him in the sequel. Sean was also great. A foster child with a kind heart. He's good at saving defenseless people, including Davy. Don't get me wrong, I loved the scenes where Davy was kicking some ass but she can't hold up a fight against 3 other carriers alone. Let's be real. She doesn't have super powers, only HTS. Davy and Sean made a great team and the romance was spicy and sweet at the same time. 

If you're looking to discover a new exciting story then you found the right book. I purposely didn't want to reveal too much because you have to find some things for yourself. It will be worth it, I promise. 

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Publisher: Angry Robot      

Publication date: January 29th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

"Cat, this is Finn. He's going to be your tutor."
Finn looks and acts human, though he has no desire to be. He was programmed to assist his owners, and performs his duties to perfection. A billion-dollar construct, his primary task is now to tutor Cat. As she grows into a beautiful young woman, Finn is her guardian, her constant companion...and more. But when the government grants rights to the ever-increasing robot population, however, Finn struggles to find his place in the world, and in Cat's heart.

I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi books. I tend to stick with dystopian novels full of destruction, urban fantasies with smoking romance or just read a quiet contemporary novel. But for quite some time now I've been searching for a great urban fantasy novel and keep seeing this book even though it's not even UF. So, I decided to just read it yesterday and boy was I glad I did.

The Mad Scientist's Daughter is the first book to get a spot on my 'best-of-2014' shelf. It was thought-provoking, enthralling, beautiful. A breath of fresh air in the stale air of adult fiction category. The only reason I didn't read it in one day is I had to take a break because the mighty feels of this book started to choke me. 

Cat was a carefree child and her parents decided she would eventually had to go to school so her father's android assistant starts tutoring her. Over the years Cat starts falling in love with Finn (the android). She's ashamed and confused because let's face it- he's a freaking android, a machine! He's not a human and he can't feel anything, or can he? I was conflicted because Finn did seems more robotic instead of human so I can't even begin to imagine what Cat must be going through.

Cat tried to stay away from Finn after she left for college, dating other men and hanging out with her artistic friends but she still somehow managed to see Finn from time to time. I've read a couple of review where people would complain about Cat's behavior but I understand her. She did try to stay away from him/keep him a secret. Everyone's quick to judge someone else but what would they do if they were in the same situation? I highly doubt they would be walking around holding an android's hand in front of everyone. It's not easy to love an android who doesn't seem to have feelings. 

Cat grown up through this book and I usually find this type of books extremely boring. Turns out I didn't mind it this time around. Every single chapter was flowing steady. I have no objections. The Mad Scientist's Daughter was perfection and Cassandra Rose Clarke should write more adult fiction. She's a natural. I'll check out her YA fantasy series one of these days. 

Here are my gif reactions to this book

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Book: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
File Type: Paperback
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher:  Harper Collins Children's Book's
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

synopsis: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 "But the fire, the fire. The desire to live. I am not done yet, I am not."

Veronica keeps screwing me over. It isn’t even funny anymore.

I’ll tell you what I feel about Allegiant:

Allegiant isn’t as engaging as Divergent.
Allegiant isn’t as badass as both Insurgent and Divergent.
In fact, In approximately 400 pages, it was when I reached the two-hundredth page that things actually started move. Before that, the pace of the book was grossly tedious and I was struggling to get on track with it.

Some may debate that the start of the book was absolutely fine but here’s the thing, I’ve been busy for a while and I try to read every chance I get now and then but that disrupts my routine. But I have come across books which have compelled me to sit still and read the entire book in one sitting. And obviously, Allegiant didn’t do that for me until the two-hundredth page.
But Allegiant is something.
At the end of the day, it is the very end and THAT end. Oh my God.
That end hasn’t stopped screwing with my mind.
It’s safe to say that at a point of time, I had even thought about that end but I didn’t think that it would happen because it was just a passing thought, BUT I DIDN’T THINK THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

Honestly, I’m shattered.
I don’t even know where to start from and where to end. That end keeps playing in my mind.
That end impacted my emotions in a huge way. THAT end screwed me over and I loved it.
That end made all the fucking difference.

But Allegiant isn’t just about that end. It’s also about several other things. Allegiant consists of Tris’ and Tobias’ PoV and I finally understand why Ms. Roth decided to bombard our minds with not one but two different perspectives. We met Tris in Divergent , when she was still trying to find herself and was still fighting to be brave. The circumstances changed her in a drastic way. She became sharper, stronger and deadlier. Life altering moments transformed her from this insecure flame to a full blown explosion and honestly, if Tris irritated the hell out of you in Insurgent, then you’re in for a surprise. Yes, I’ve forgiven her. And for those who have already read the book, they know exactly what I’m talking about and for those, who have yet to read the book, you’ll see.
As for Tobias? When we met Four in Divergent, he was this broody, strong and resolute guy who knew what was what and knew his way around a mess. He was HOT. He was fantastic. Tobias went through some life altering moments himself. As a child, as a sixteen year old and finally as an adult. You have to see, these things had to have affected him too and they did. You meet a broken man in Allegiant and it’s so refreshing to see how nicely this has been incorporated in the book. There will be times, when a person reaches a stage where you have to make decisions which can change your life in a split second. There will be times when the situation you’re in can lead to dangerous and deadly consequences. And these decisions and consequences shape your present as well as your future. These decisions and consequences can break you, but they can also, make you stronger. Appearances can be deceiving and it all comes full come circle in Allegiant.

Ms. Veronica Roth promised me a stunning conclusion. She promised me that the Allegiant would be worth waiting for. And trust me ,it is.

Series Overview: Ashes Trilogy - Ilsa J.Bick

Series: Ashes, Shadows, Monsters

Author: Ilsa J. Bick

Series: Ashes Trilogy

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Zombies, Survival

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Average Series Rating:

Series summary:

It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling post-apocalyptic novel about a world that could become ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.

Judge A Series By Its Covers:

I'm not sure if everyone's aware of the first cover of Ashes. It was this terrifying and ugly gray face with murky eyes. I wasn't too happy about reading it so I didn't even read the blurb until the cover change. Eventually I bought the book on TBD because it was on sale. And I still didn't read it because I didn't get this beautiful black/yellow combination but the UK edition. Even though I'm not a huge fan of cover changes after a book or two are released but in this case I approve. 

What I Liked:

• Most of the characters. I just couldn't help myself and root for almost all of them. There was even a certain minor character which shined more than out MC, Alex. I'll get back to him later. ;)
• It's a book about people losing their minds and eating other people. What's more scarier than that?
• The significance of titles. I love these titles. The represent the major themes in all 3 novels. Ashes- to leave the past behind; Shadows- what hides in the corners or everyone's mind; Monsters- fight the monster within or let it win. 

What I Didn’t Like:

• At times I was frustrated about the lack of zombies. I guess I expected more of them to start popping out in Ashes and Shadows. They got their shot in Monsters. 
• Some might say these books are slow paced but I didn't think of them as such, most of the time. There were certain moments when I wanted nothing more than to skim a page or two because nothing was happening but even though there was no blood and gore there were still some very important things revealed. 

Do I Recommend It?

Yes, if you are willing to not think about the 496 pages long book and it's sequels (528 and 821 pages which brings you to a total of 1845 pages of explosive action) 

Favorite Book in the Series:

• This is a tough one. I did love the first half of Ashes but overall, Monsters wins this round. It was unputdownable, exciting, messing with my mind/heart/soul. It made me cry so many times I'm not even sure how many times I cursed the life and the author for making these characters suffer. 

Favorite Character(s):

• Hands down, Wolf. I don't want to spoil anything. I found him interesting the moment he appeared in Alex's life. He's one of the Changed humans who doesn't speak. That didn't prevent him from being the most interesting character. There's was just something gentle and deadly about him. Even though he was her captor he was always trying to protect her from other Changed. He was like a guardian angel. I know this sounds horrible but that's how I see him. How can a cannibal be a guardian angel, you ask? Well, you'll just have to read this trilogy to find out. 

Credit for Series Overview goes to Effortlessly Reading. 

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury     
Publication date: August 20th 2013
My rating: 4.5 stars

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.
The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

I knew writing a review for this book would be hard even before I started reading it. Just look at that long summary. I mean, how I am going to summarize everything that's been going on in a 480 pages long book?  I'm going to try so bear with me. 

Not everyone who picks up The Bone Season will love it. It has a lot of infodumping which I surprisingly didn't mind at all. It's set in England in 2059. But it's not your regular England. Everything changed 200 years ago when Rephaim arrived. People started living in a cross between Victorian era and the futuristic world where some have special powers. 

Paige herself has a power. She can invade other people's minds and 'push' them out which essentially means, they would be dead. Her power is extremely rare so she had to find protection with choosing to join a gang filled with voyants (people with powers). One night she accidentally kills a man and is captured. She ends up a prisoner in a closed out city, serving Rephaim who use voyants to fight their battles for them. 

Paige trains alongside Warden, who is one of the highest ranking Rephaim. Warden is trying to help Paige master her power. Wish we found out more about Warden's past, before Paige arrived. He's one of those strong, silent type of characters so it's hard to tell what's on his mind.  

The only 'bad' thing I could say is that the romance was unnecessary. Shannon should've set it aside for the sequel. It came really late in the book without any noticeable bulidup. There was a lot of talk about trusting each other so their romantic feeling came out of nowhere. They should've remained friends so I could have the pleasure of reading about them falling in love later on. 

If you love to read books where you can actually picture how the whole world runs then you CAN'T miss The Bone Season. It's one of the hottest books in 2013 and I can't wait to see it on one of my shelves.