Book Review: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

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The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical
Released: June 27th 2017 
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books



The thrilling final installment of Chloe Neill’s New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series sees a sinister sorcery advancing across Chicago, and it may usher in the fall of Cadogan House…

Since the night of her brutal attack and unwilling transformation to vampire, Merit’s stood as Sentinel and protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House. She's saved the Windy City from the forces of darkness time and again with her liege and lover, Ethan Sullivan, by her side.

When the House is infiltrated and Merit is attacked by a vampire seemingly under the sway of dark magic, Merit and Ethan realize the danger is closer than they could have ever imagined. AS a malign sorcery spreads throughout the city, Merit must go to war against supernatural powers beyond her comprehension. It’s her last chance to save everything—and everyone—she loves.

Back in the day, parents would send their kids to the continent before they went school, like a college, and they would visit different cities and  have fun before it was time to get serious with their future.

Henry Monty will be traveling the continent due to his father wanting him to be more responsible. No more drinking. No more smoking. No more kissing boys. If he breaks any of those rules he will not be inheriting anything and will no longer be apart of his family.

Monty is a character that has the world at his feet but when a secret is revealed he starts seeing things and people differently, he starts to understand said people more and I was all for it. The Monty you knew at the beginning is the same Monty you will know at the end, he still has his sass but is a little more appreciateive of others.

The adventures Monty, Percy, and Felicity went threw had my heart soaring. One minute they are running for their lives and the next they are in Spain trying to return something that was stolen and then pirates, yes pirates. You guys I loved every page of this wonderfull story, Mackenzi Lee and her characters have won my heart over and I did not want this story to end at all, I was reading this very slowly so that I wouldn't get to the last page.

The Gentlemans Guide to Vice and Virtue is a book you do not want to miss out on. It's filled with sass, banter, fun adventures and even a romance that will fill your heart with joy. I definitely recommend this to book everyone, it's a light, fast paced read that I'm pretty sure you'll love just as much as I do.

Austin Butler Performs Role of Akos in 'Carve the Mark' Audiobook!

Did you know that actor Austin Butler from The Shannara Chronicles, Switched at Birth, Carrie Diaries performed the role Akos in Veronica Roth's new book Carve the Mark audiobook? 

Well now you do, and here is a video that HarperAudio shared on their YouTube channel recently. 

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Carve the Mark
Written by Veronica Roth

Fans of Star Wars and Divergent will revel in internationally bestselling author Veronica Roth’s stunning new science-fiction fantasy series.

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another.

Book Review: What The Dead Want by Norah Olson

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What The Dead Want
Author: Norah Olson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Horror
Released: July 26 2016
Review Source: Katherine Tegen

16 -year-old Gretchen takes photographs to understand the world around her, a passion her mother Mona fostered and encouraged when she was still around. Since her mom disappeared years ago, Gretchen and her dad have lived on their own in New York City, haunted by Mona’s absence.

When Gretchen’s great aunt Esther calls unexpectedly to tell her that she has inherited the pre-Civil War mansion on her mother’s side of the family in upstate New York, Gretchen understands nothing except that her aunt needs her help. But what she finds there is beyond her imagination. The house is crumbling apart, filled with stacks of papers and journals from decades, even centuries past, and it’s crawling with rodents. It’s also full of secrets and a legacy of racism and violence so reprehensible that the ghosts of the past are exacting revenge on the living.

Somehow the mystery of Mona’s disappearance and the atrocities that happened on the land during the Civil War are inextricably intertwined, and it’s up to Gretchen to figure out how…before even more lives are lost.

Gretchen's mother was a spiritual picture taker. And that might have been what took her life. Unsure whether her mother disappeared or died Gretchen has been living her life in mystery. One day when her great-aunt calls her up she finds herself on an adventure she wasn't prepared to take.

I really enjoyed this book. The chapter lengths were short - so if you're like me in that you have to finish a chapter whenever you want to pause your reading, you'll love this book. And with short chapters that means that the book is a very quick read.

The subject matter was interesting. I am a believer in spirits and ghosts. This book is heavily based around spirits and ghosts. Sometimes reading at night would give me the heebeejeebee's but honestly I absolutely loved the story that was being told.

Audiobook Review: Redemption by Debra Driza

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Redemption
MILA 2.0 #4
Author: Debra Driza
Narrator: Tara Sands
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: April 26th 2016
Publisher: HarperAudio

Mila has been running for her life for so long. But there might be nowhere left for her to go. Especially now that she’s an incredible danger to herself and anyone who dares get close to her.

That’s why Mila has gone into hiding with friend and tech expert Lucas. She can’t take the risk of hurting people worse than the way she hurt Hunter: the boy she’ll always love, the boy who might never forgive her for what she’s done.

But then Mila discovers that General Holland—her ultimate enemy—has plans that are an even bigger threat to humanity than she is. His quest to reclaim Mila is only part of a larger mysterious endgame that will put people’s lives at stake. Mila must make a choice: either push aside her fears and fight him with everything she’s got…or turn her back on the world forever.

If you are not familiar with Mila 2.0 series, then let me give you a very quick recap. Mila is a teenage girl that was created to be a weapon. In the last book, we come to learn that she has a bomb inside her and it will soon go off at any moment. The issue is that she doesn’t know when but she will do the impossible to learn more about her creator and Sarah, the girl she was designed to look alike. If you’re like me and enjoy anything related to technology, even A.I., then you will enjoy Mila 2.0 series.

As for Redemption, the book starts right where it left off. Mila is in the mountains of Montana with Lucas and his brother Tim. They are on the mission to learn more about Sarah and they do end up finding out more information. However, to get at the bottom of this mission, they will need to go undercover and visit the school Sarah attended. Things are going well but there are a betrayal and then within a blink of eye things go chaotic. The ending was interesting but a bit disappointing. If you read Allegiant then you will understand. However, this one was a bit more understanding than Allegiant. As of today, any ending is better than Allegiant.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this series. I love Mila – even though she an android, she has more feelings than some human beings. She is daring and caring but always had the willingness to help others. Yet the ending is left for room for more. There isn’t much explanation or character development for most of the characters. And fans are left off in the air with many questions left unanswered. I think Debra rushed the ending and could’ve given us more information and answered things from the previous book. I wish for more but nevertheless, enjoyed the series.

Book Review: Night Speed by Chris Howard

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Night Speed
Author: Chris Howard
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Released: May 03, 2016
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

Only those young enough can survive the pulse-pounding rush of tetra, a dangerous and addictive new drug that fuels a nine-minute burst of superhuman strength and speed. Alana West has been trained to use the drug so she can pursue the young criminals who abuse its power—criminals like the breakneck who nearly killed her kid brother.

On tetra, Alana is unstoppable. The rush makes her an explosive blur as she surges through New York City, battling to bring down breaknecks before they leave more people dead or injured in their wake. But with the clock ticking down to her eighteenth birthday, Alana will soon be too old for the rush...when just one more dose will prove deadly.

Supported only by her strong and steady handler, Tucker, Alana goes undercover, infiltrating an elite gang of breaknecks to stop the supply of their drug. But when Alana gets trapped on the wrong side of the law, she learns the breaknecks are not quite what they seem—especially Ethan, the artistic boy whose bottomless brown eyes seem to see the truth inside her. With her own dependency on tetra increasing, Alana must decide where her loyalties lie before the rush ends. Forever.

If you’re a fan of fast-paced action, adrenaline, the struggles and moments of weakness that come with great power, mild government conspiracies, and just a dash of romance on the side, then this book is totally for you. Night Speed is a standalone novel that focuses on our main protagonist Alana, a girl who works for the government to stop criminals from terrorizing the city, causing damage to property and hurting innocent civilians. But it’s not your typical hero-villain story, if you can even call it that.

One of the main arcs of the story is this drug that they call Tetra. For exactly nine minutes, Tetra gives you a rush unlike any other. It hits your body and gives you super speed and super strength, making you feel like you’re more than human; you’re bigger and better and you feel invincible; the ones who take the drug see the world in the 4th dimension which means that they see everything clearer and brighter. Here is where the great power comes with grave consequences. One too many doses of the drug incapacitates those who take it, and after a certain age the drug under no circumstances can be taken again. It’s an addictive drug that when taken under strict, controlled, directions can be used to stop the breacknecks, those who take a synthetic and less stable version of the drug, from wreaking havoc and going on crime sprees. However, Alana, for reasons I won’t delve into because spoilers, is thrown into this world of breacknecks and the line between duty and addiction is one she is going to battle with.

Overall, this is a great and in my opinion original read full of the things that make great action movies, except it’s a book and you get to direct the movie as you read.

Book Review: The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreani & Mindi Scott

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The Way Back To You
Author: Michelle Andreani & Mindi Scott
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 3 2016
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

In this witty, heart-tugging novel, two teens take a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to meet three strangers who received the life-saving organs of their late best friend—charting a journey of loss, hope, and love along the way.

Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident.

Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.

Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.

As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they're barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake.

With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her...and to each other.

When Cloudy's best friend passes away it's like her whole life has been shifted. She doesn't want to let it affect her in that way, but there's no other way to get on with life. Instead of dealing with the death she pushes it to the back of her mind and pretends that everything is okay. Kyle was her boyfriend. For him his whole life stopped. He had envisioned a long time relationship with Ashlyn and wasn't prepared for the devastation to come. Cloudy wants to help Kyle, and unknowingly help herself too. They go on a road trip to find the recipients of Ashlyn's organs. On the way there past secrets get dug up, and there's no turning back.

This is a cute road trip book. It has its moments of sadness, it also has its "swoony" moments, and it has its moments of happiness. I put swoony in quotes because while they're swoony you're unsure if you want it to be a swoony moment. For me it was a no-brainer: Kyle and Cloudy are suppose to be together. But then you feel awkward wanting the boyfriend and best friend of Ashlyn to get together. Then you wonder if it's morally wrong for them to get together. Then you're sitting there doubting what you want. It was difficult for me, but the story was adorable.

It is a great story to show that grieving is a natural process. And everyone does it in such a different way, there's no right way to grieve. Yet there are harmful ways to grieve - such as bottling it all up and pretending that everything is fine. While reading Cloudy's POV there are times when you want to stop the story to talk to her and let her know that it is natural to think about her best friend - and that honestly she should be thinking about her and talking to other people about her.

All of the characters are so lovable in this story. Matty is by far my favorite secondary character. He's hilarious and seems like the kind of guy that would be there for you no matter what. Even if he's upset he's still there. And I feel like we all want that one friend.

This book really made me want to just grab one of my friends and hit the road. Of course I feel like we would plan more than these two did, but it would still be fun nonetheless.

Blog Tour: Unforgivable by Amy Reed + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on Unforgivable tour for Amy Reed. This tour is hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours.

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Unforgivable
Invincible #2
Author: Amy Reed
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: May 3rd 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

In this raw, gut-wrenching, and beautifully written sequel to Invincible, Marcus continues Evie’s story of their intense romance, a la Gayle Forman’s Where She Went, after saving her life only to find his life—and their relationship—falling to pieces.

Marcus knows pain. The kind that swallows you like a black hole. His brother committed suicide, his mother left him, and his dad mostly ignores him. Relief only seems to come from drugs, alcohol, and secret acts of self-destruction.

Until he met Evie. Together, they lived in the moment. They fell in love—hard—creating their own beautiful world. But they each had their own secrets, their own pain, hovering like a thick fog, suffocating them in a world too small to share.

Unforgivable takes off where Invincible left us—with Evie drowning in San Francisco Bay. Marcus finds her just in time, but her survival is not the happy ending he was hoping for. Forbidden from seeing Evie by her parents and unable to reach her, Marcus learns of a pain that might break him completely.

Marcus spirals into an even deeper darkness and is forced by new events to face the demons of his past. The pain of losing Evie becomes tangled with the loss of his mother and brother, and he must finally face the ghosts he has been trying so desperately to outrun or risk losing Evie forever.

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Amy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually graduated from film school, promptly decided she wanted nothing to do with filmmaking, returned to her original and impractical love of writing, and earned her MFA from New College of California. Her short work has been published in journals such as Kitchen Sink, Contrary, and Fiction. Amy currently lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats, and has accepted that Northern California has replaced the Pacific Northwest as her home. She is no longer restless.

   

Prizes: Win (1) of (3) finished copies of INVINCIBLE by Amy Reed (US Only)

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Book Review: The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

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The Mirror King
The Orphan Queen #2
Author: Jodi Meadows
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: April 5 2016
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

Wilhelmina is being held prisoner at the Indigo Kingdom, and therefore she has to become Black Knife to set things right. With the wraith on its way and the Osprey's leader making assassination attempts on the kingdom's heirs she has to set things right. Her powers are far stronger than she was prepared for, and because of that she now has a wraith boy who follows her every command.

I enjoyed this story. I was intrigued by Wilhelmina's powers. It was more fun for me to read about her powers in this book. Especially with the wraith boy. She must learn to trust him but is worried because she doesn't quite believe that she is what made him animated. Learning to deal with the fact that she animated him is what gripped me in the first few chapters.

I love her relationship with Tobiah now as well. Knowing who they both are and knowing what they have to do for their kingdom's makes everything a little more interesting for their relationship. She's the kind of girl who will run and go do things for herself, whereas Tobiah was taught to do things for his kingdom.

I feel that the story was a bit slow going to get into for my liking. Apparently with stories like this I want there to be a ton of action all the time. So that was mainly my only problem with this, there were times when there was a ton of action, but then times when it would slow down too much for my liking.

Other than that it was an enjoyable book.