Rain's Reviews: Tremor by Patrick Carman

Tremor by Patrick Carman

In the year 2051, some people have a second pulse… 

Like all who have “the pulse,” Faith Daniels and Dylan Gilmore have telekinetic powers—they can move objects with their minds. But there are five “second pulses” in the world who have an even greater power: Almost nothing can harm them. They are virtually indestructible.

Both Faith and Dylan have the second pulse. But the other side has second pulses, too, and they’ve been training for a war that has been brewing their entire lives. As Dylan executes a plan to infiltrate enemy grounds, he’ll have to face his only weakness, and a family secret that will threaten his very existence.

Together, Faith and Dylan are the only hope this world has left, but they must go their separate ways in order to accomplish their plan. Will their love survive?

With richly developed characters and heart-pounding action scenes, the second book in Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy continues the electrifying dystopian story of love and revenge.~Goodreads
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Review

Tremor was a mind blowing sequel to Pulse. I have been a little anti-series lately but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. There were small discrepancies but overall I could handle it.

Faith was a little rebelious in the first book. Somewhat unreliable, all characteristic things for a teenage girl in YA Lit, but Faith has reached an entirely new level. She is positively mutinous in this book. Its like she intentionally seeks out opportunities to go against Meredith's command. And though there were moments that I thought all of it was completely justified (I have no appreciation for a tyrannical leader) there are lines that need not be crossed. And she took her anger out on everyone, no consideration who it was. You get some answers regarding her unruly emotions and other things concerning her powers that were both useful and interesting, so that is helpful. Anyways, She felt a little less well rounded then she did in the last book but the story felt shorter as well.

Carman had a lot to squeeze into one book. Jumping around to all of the characters involved takes a lot of time. It never really gets boring for me, I love diving into everyone's perspective and seeing how they see the same situations and Carman does each one uniquely so its not like you are reading the same passage three times.

Lets just lay something right out there. All of the characters- clear cross the board- seemed less dimensional. That was a disappointment for me.

Anyways, Dylan was cool. Always the solid rock in the emotional turmoil that is this book. Never wavering, never unpredictable, a solid due you could really get behind, understand and become close to. Well not too close, he seemed quite cold until like the last page but I think that had to do with the lack of character development in anyone.

Hawk is just as awesome as ever and I wish he was my best friend. He get a bit of a darker side to him but I still appreciated his role and personality. Always awesome to have him on your side.

Dylan, Clara, Andre, and Gretchen are just as evil, vile, and generally frustrating as ever. Dylan got a little under my skin, like I almost started caring for him again but now I'm just a tiny bit confused about his true self and end game.

The book had plenty of secrets, action, and seriousness. Don't read it for a light fun summer read. But do read it. I wait impatiently for the next one.

Have you read it? What did you think, I'd love to talk about it!

~Rain

Liberty Bay Books: Tremor
Goodreads

***Hey guys! Friendly reminder. I am an affiliate with Liberty Bay Books and while that in no way effects how I review these books (as you can probably tell by my review) It benefits a great locally owned shop and myself if you purchase these great books through the link above. Thank you bunches!***

Rain's Reviews: Dorothy Must Die by Dannielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.~Goodreads

Review

Dorothy Must Die was original, predictable, and odd.
The lead character Amy Gumm is a Kansas dwelling miserable teen with a drunk mother and a hard school life. She arrives at Oz on a tornado and it all goes South from there. She is sarcastic, but not witty. She is a fighter, but not confident in it. Amy has been put in a situation that requires commitment, a strange mixture of trust and mistrust, common sense, and a sense of self preservation. She owns almost none of those things. She has commitment and that is about it. Despite this and her occasional stupidity induced embarrassing moments I actually liked her. Nox (cool name right?) right away and forever more reminded me of Four from Divergent.. He is the complicated, dark, serious guy that is in every fantasy novel. He had a glimmer of innocence to him that intrigued me but over all he was predictable.
Overall I think predictability is my biggest complaint. The writing style and character development were fine but I knew what was coming from a mile away and it wasn't because it was a retelling. Despite the wonderment this story contained and could have potentially contained I think that somewhere along the way it fell short.
~Rain

Quote

"No matter how tough you think you are, there are certain things that just get to you, and they are usually the little things. The one you don't expect." Danielle Paige, Dorothy Must Die

Liberty Bay Books: Dorothy Must Die
Goodreads

***Hey guys! Friendly reminder. I am an affiliate with Liberty Bay Books and while that in no way effects how I review these books (as you can probably tell by my review) It benefits a great locally owned shop and myself if you purchase these great books through the link above. Thank you bunches!***

Rain's Review: Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Trust Me I'm Lying by Mary Elizabeth Summer

Fans of Ally Carter, especially her Heist Society readers, will love this teen mystery/thriller with sarcastic wit, a hint of romance, and Ocean’s Eleven–inspired action.

Julep Dupree tells lies. A lot of them. She’s a con artist, a master of disguise, and a sophomore at Chicago’s swanky St. Agatha High, where her father, an old-school grifter with a weakness for the ponies, sends her to so she can learn to mingle with the upper crust. For extra spending money Julep doesn’t rely on her dad—she runs petty scams for her classmates while dodging the dean of students and maintaining an A+ (okay, A-) average.

But when she comes home one day to a ransacked apartment and her father gone, Julep’s carefully laid plans for an expenses-paid golden ticket to Yale start to unravel. Even with help from St. Agatha’s resident Prince Charming, Tyler Richland, and her loyal hacker sidekick, Sam, Julep struggles to trace her dad’s trail of clues through a maze of creepy stalkers, hit attempts, family secrets, and worse, the threat of foster care. With everything she has at stake, Julep’s in way over her head . . . but that’s not going to stop her from using every trick in the book to find her dad before his mark finds her. Because that would be criminal.
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Review

Trust Me I'm Lying was a very captivating book. It was a mystery with a criminal edge that keeps you awake at night reading. I wasn't able to guess at things that was going to happen (though I can't usually anyways). The characters were OK. I'm not a big fan of love triangles but this one was really understated and I'm not sure that I would call it a love triangle. The romance that did happen was cut but I ffel like it was stuck awkardly in there far to out of proportion to the issue at hand. The action- well I really liked it. There wasn't a ton of guns firing life or death stuff but there was fun stuff like car chases, narrow escapes, and snooping. It was totally up my alley.
Julep was great fun-except for when Tyler was around until she got used to him. It wasn't the the interection that botherd me so much as the self talk that became really repetitive. Other than that she wa a breave, smart, strong female character that gives me a reason to keep reading young adult romances.
Sam and Tyler were both nice of a bit tragically  under developed but I think that that's just me being greedy.For the story they got their job done with no gaping holes in their story or the books plot. They were both really fun to read though I personnaly liked Sam better (shhh....).
The book overall is deffinitly something I would recommend. The language and romance were clean and though some of the action was shocking none of it was inapropriate. Happy reading y'all and pick this up in stores in Oct!
~Rain
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Liberty Bay Books: Trust Me, I'm Lying
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass
To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Timesbestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

~

Review

City of Glass is the third installment of the Mortal Instruments series. I’m no good at sequel reviews but I’m going to try nonetheless.

The book starts out and I already wanted to put it down- not permanently but you know, to cool down. But I stuck with it and it did get better. I think one thing I enjoy about the characters is that they hold Clary accountable for her actions. Jace and Clary finally get some answers to their plethora of questions. Simon is a very large part of this story and you see more of Magnus and Alec. I liked that Cassandra spread around the POVs and you get a lot of little side stories and the main plot from many different viewpoints. This book, though marvelous didn’t leave a large opening for book four so I am anxious to find out what’s next for this series.

~Rain
Goodreads

Rain's Reviews: Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White

Amelie Bennett: Ending the world, one prophecy at a time.

I was born to slay Crossworld demons. 

Big black flappy ones, little green squirmy ones. Unfortunately, the only thing getting slain these days is my social life. With my high school under attack, combat classes intensifying, and Academy instructors dropping right and left, I can barely get my homework done, let alone score a bondmate before prom.

Rain's Reviews: Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter) by Tiffany King

Jordyn (A Daemon Hunter) by Tiffany King

Hand to hand combat training: Check Cardio and strength training: Check Daemon hunting: Check Anomaly: Check Check, check, check, check...That's all my life is. There's nothing ordinary about me. I'm "special." I know this because I'm reminded of it every stinking day. I can kick a Daemon's ass with both hands tied behind my back. I can run up a mountain without breaking a sweat. Know what I can't do? Get guys to notice me, or hang out with friends like normal people do. I can't just be ordinary because I have an Arch Angel for a mentor who is always breathing down my neck, and a family of angelic Guides and Protectors who scrutinize every little thing I do. Just for a day I want a life where I'm no longer some anomaly, where I don't have to feel like a lab rat. And then I met Emrys. Okay, so my mentor and family hate him, but probably for good reason. After-all, he is a Soul Trader, and they aren't the most trust worthy beings. But, he is sooo hot with his green eyes, leather jacket and the sexiest tattoo you've ever seen running down his back. And-he doesn't treat me like a project. I've got myself in quite a little quandary here. Choosing between my responsibilities and the Trader that holds my heart is something I didn't sign up for. Torn between two different worlds, I must now decide who to trust and who to walk away from. What's a girl to do? See what I mean? I am an anomaly. I am Jordyn.~ Goodreads

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Oh, I’ve been waiting to read this book for months on end. I know its been out and Tiffany King is worth spending 2.99 on I just never did get around to buying it. So when I saw it was free on Amazon I bought it real quick like. Jordyn is the first in the series A Daemon Hunter.

I wonder what makes some demons be spelled Demon and others Daemon? Is it just writers choice like color and colour? Or does it have to do with context? hmm… if you know I’d love to hear the reason.

Jordyn has got to be the snarkiest and sassiest person(ish) I have ever read about. I mean really a remark to everything said. While it was funny most the time, it started to grate on my nerves. Jordyn is very cocky and though it is well earned confidence her need for a little humble pie was astonishing. But, it wasn’t so much so that it ruined the book. The mystery wasn’t the highlight of the book but the action and romance was. And let me tell you it was swoon worthy. But it did stay well in the young adult category.

Emrys, the rebellious, hot, and forbidden soul trader is Jordyn’s kind of guy. And while she doesn’t know much about him and her family and Haniel really don’t like him at all she just can’t stay away. But he isn’t what he seems. At first he acts like a huge player that doesn’t care but don’t let it fool you. And Jordyn can definitely take care of herself.

So I don’t know what to say really except, the climax came very near the end which though the whole story was great I don’t like drawn out build-up but, hey. It is what it is and I would recommend this book to the Saving Angel’s series fans and anyone who likes a romantic, action packed book with snark galore.

~Rain
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Goodreads
Amazon
Tiffany King's Website

Rain's Reviews: Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

Tent City by Kelly Van Hull

After a devastating plague, introverted 17-year-old Dani Campbell and her family find themselves living in a very different America, one run by a cult-like leader, who forces children to move to "safety camps" designed to protect the human race. Encouraged to flee by her parents, Dani and her five-year-old brother seek refuge in the Black Hills of South Dakota. On the run with danger around every corner, Dani must fight to ensure their survival in this new world while trying to unmask the mystery of how it all came to be. ~Goodreads

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Tent City is the book to read if you like post apocalyptic survival adventures. It’s a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and you can’t stay away for long. It plunges you straight into the action and you don’t have hope of getting anything done while reading it.

Dani has watched the world fall apart. She watched life transition from normal to searching for rations and praying the council doesn’t kill you.  She is stuck in a world of poverty, concentration camps, and tyranny. Can she live through this as the insecure, unhappy, and unwildernessy girl she is? And What happens when through the dangerous events she gets herself into she starts to fall for two very different people? (Yes, there is a love triangle)

Bentley and Jack, the leader and the healer. They couldn’t be any more different and yet they are indispensable to the story.  Bentley, the fearless leader who is always ready for a fight and seeks revenge for lives lost. Jack the doctor who wants to just get through this and helps in anyway possible even if it costs his freedom.

Kit and Brody were great secondary characters. I just wish they weren’t so one- dimensional and I had a hard time getting a reading on Kit. The setting, story, characters, and writing all added up to a great book.  

~Rain

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Amazon

Goodreads

Blog Tour: Smash Into You by Shelly Crane

Blog tour:

Smash Into You

By Shelly Crane

Synopsis:

Jude has spent the whole twenty one years of his life running. From what, he wasn't quite sure. His mother tried to keep him safe; a low profile, a constant move on the horizon, a week's pay always stashed away. She tried to instill in him that he was special somehow, though would never elaborate. He never felt different. He was so completely normal and vanilla that he wondered if it had all been in her head. But then she was murdered and all he saw was a running silhouette of a man as his mother said three final words to him. Three words that changed his whole being.

Never stop running…

Now he's semi-settled into a big town. The college is huge and easy to blend into. It's been three months since he had to move because 'Biloxi', as he calls the man who killed his mother, found him once more.

Then Marley, an eighteen year old girl who is as infuriating as she is blissfully ignorant of her gorgeousness, smashes into his car with hers. Then smashes into his life as he realizes that whatever it is he has that Biloxi wants, she has it, too. And now, they're after them both.

~~~

Review

Smash Into You is a smashing novel ;). It was just stunning and honest at the same time. But you might not feel like that the whole time you’re reading it. But I’ll get to that later on. Smash Into You was a joy read, don’t get me wrong. But with a jaded Jude who has been running from a nameless murder and has watched his mother die by the hands of this man. And a practical stranger get thrown into this mix by accident? Things seem to only be able to go wrong. Jude has been on the run from man and he has no idea why. Every person Jude becomes close to is at risk. Jude has been living this life on his own since he was fourteen. This life full of anger, guilt, fear, and sadness.Don’t Go and misunderstand me, Jude was a fantastic guy deep down. He was compassionate, loving, and real. Tis life would break even the best of men and Jude is doing the best he knows how to do. This is a story of Jude losing himself and this outer person he puts on. He is breaking his chains and freeing himself from this life that was chosen for him. He learns to take control and fight for what he wants. Jaded Jude really isn’t nearly as bad as he seems ;). And, yeah, you’ll have to take my word on it. Marley is a sweetie pie who has had the worst of luck. I can’t tell you too much about her. Half the fun if figuring out this mystery of a girl. I mean, I absolutely loved it. You are always reading about mysterious guys, and men who have secrets but the girl wants him anyways and I immensely loved the fact the her cards aren’t just laid out on the table in the first chapter. I will say this though, Marley is forgiving, understanding, and so darned nice. The jaded and the jewel set off on a life changing adventure with uncertain terms. This book was bloody fantastic with suspense, mystery, action, forgiveness, and revenge. I didn’t put this down till I was done (@ 3a.m.) The plot and characters were amazing and seamlessly laid out in this spectacular story. Smash Into You drags you into a lively world and you get swept up into this exciting anguish of this life. The romance and hope seems doomed to be a lie. But when determined, humans can change the rotation of the earth.  
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About the Author

Shelly is a NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY bestselling YA author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. She loves paperbacks, coffee, and candy corn, and to spend time with her family and friends, go out to eat at new restaurants and site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.

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Rain's Review: Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer

Invisibility

Synopsis

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth. ~Goodreads

Review 

 This book had some very high standards to live up to. I love David Levithan’s writing style and everything I’ve read of his has been a favorite. But I haven’t ever read an Andrea Cremer. So with that being said here is what I have to say. 
Invisibility is one of the most unique paranormal books I have ever read. If for no other reason than the subject matter that makes is paranormal. I mean an invisible boy? And not just temporarily but like born that way? Yep, I would have picked up this book no matter who wrote it. I put this book on my to-read shelf on Goodreads in February and as I was scouring the web for any information it would give me about Invisibility I checked David Levithan’s Facebook. Omageeze I am so glad I did. I found out the He and Andrea Cremer would be in Seattle the day after Invisibility went live and I totally squealed. Like in the middle of Starbucks. So long story short I went to the signing, made a complete fool of myself (But that's what life is for, right? *crickets chirp*), and got Every Me, Every You and Invisibility signed. WOOT. So now that you know the back story here is the actual review.
This will be an interesting endeavor...
Stephen is a breath of fresh air. I really love the hot swoony guys who make me sigh and blush and all that jazz. But Stephen is different and I really liked him- a lot. And since he has been invisible to everyone since birth he obviously grew up in isolation from the outside world and doesn't know how to make a lick of conversation, right? Wrong! Stephen has spent his life observing human interaction and this has made him a great conversationalist with humor to boot. 
Elizabeth isn't your run of the mill paranormal female lead. Though she does make some mistakes  she isn't an idiotic boy crazy stereotypical chick who when you see your like, “Are you naturally that stupid or do you have to work at it? She has a pricklier side but it just makes her more resilient to the crappy situations the fates enjoy giving her. But he is also protective, caring, a little self conscious, and of course funny.
Invisibility will find its not so invisible place on my shelf. It will stand in all its proud glory and ensnare me again and again in it’s fantastical pages. Made possible by a blog post not meant to be any more than a happy authors daydream. 

~Rain 
~~~
We stop in the middle of the living room. His eyes sweep the space. 
"you've got a box infestation," he says. "I'm afraid it's serious."
 I laugh, heading to the kitchen to grab a knife.When I come back to the living room, Stephen pushes a box towards me. 
"I've found it," he says. "This is the box for us."
"So be it."

Links for the books and authors:

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Andrea's Facebook

David's Facebook

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Darker Days (Darker Agency, #1) by Jus Accardo

Darker Days (Darker Agency, #1)  by Jus Accardo

Cover Reveal

Synopsis

Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.