Killer Frost - Jennifer Estep

Killer Frost by Jennifer Estep

So I was so positive that there were going to be a dozen more Mythos Academy books.
And I was totally wrong.
Killer Frost is the last one.
But it ended well.
I'm not upset with Jennifer at all.
Sometimes I get very mad at authors for the way they finish books or series'.

Short synopsis:
After returning from another Mythos Academy campus, Gwen's group of friends knows the Reapers aren't just going to lay down and retreat.
Gwen spends the following weeks trying to continue to fulfill the mission that Nike gave her.
Collect certain artifacts that will help aid her and her friends final defeat of Loki.
Gwen's grandmother gets stuck in the middle of a new battle, and after a minor success they know that the final battle is nearing.
The spend only a day preparing the campus for the final battle.
Loki's army is stronger in numbers than Nike and Gwen's but finally Gwen realizes what she has to do to finally kill Loki once and for all.


I am sad that this series is over, but it only means there is now space in my brain for a new series!!

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Jennifer Estep - author website

Read on.
Jessica.

Midnight Frost - Jennifer Estep

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

I started reading the Mythos Academy a few years ago when the first book came out.
I fell in love with Gewn's gypsy gift and the premise of the stories.
Set in an almost current time when normal people have no idea that mythological creatures and powers are real and in practice currently.
Gwen has the gift of psychometry,  when she touches something or someone she gets flashes.
The flashes can be of where the object has been, who has touched it, the feeling or intentions of those people.
When she touches people she can see everything about them, past, present, feelings, intentions, ideas.
She tries not to touch people very often as she feels it is a breach of trust.
In previous books you meet Loki, the bad guy of the mythological world.
Gwen finds herself in charge of getting rid of him.
In each of these books, Loki has his minions - Reapers, try to do away with Gwen.

Short synopsis:
After the last debacle with Reapers, Gwen is just trying to take it easy.
This proves hard for her, as her boyfriend has made himself scarce.
A new Reaper attack leave a close friend on the edge of death.
Gwen and her friends must travel across the country to another Mythos Academy campus to retrieve a necessary plant to save their friend.
While on their mission they of course encounter more Reapers.

Each of these books is a step towards the defeat of Loki and I look forward to reading them through that major event.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Jennifer Estep - author website

Read on.
Jessica.

Ignite Me - Tahereh Mafi **Spoiler Alert**

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

I normally would never write anything that spoils a book, but this one series just blows me away.
I can't even figure out where to start.
These books would probably make my permanent shelf.
And if you read my Kindle vs. Printed book post you'll know that really doesn't happen.
(I am a huge supporter of the public library.)

Let me start with:

I without a doubt, no holds barred, hated Warren.
I couldn't figure out how Juliette missed shooting him in the chest when she had a chance.
Generally I fall in love with the characters first love right along side them.
I was Team Adam all day every day.
When she started loosing her head around Warren all I could say was 'get it together Juliette'.
I was having a legitimate hard time dealing with the secrets she was hiding.

Destroy Me, the novella from Warren's point of view did nothing for me.
I felt obligated to read it and couldn't wait to finish it.
I felt like it made my phone dirty. Blechh.
It didn't change my opinion of him for me,.

On Tahereh's website she has a FAQ page and one of them was I really like Warren, am I a bad person?
And while she says no, and obviously she knows best.
I knew I could never be real life friends with someone who liked Warren.
That's how strongly I felt about him.

And I guess you've noticed it's all in past tense.
I might not quite be in love with Warren now.
I have revised my opinion of him.
I am quite in love with Juliette's love of him.
Each of the books and mainly this one shed an enormous amount of light on why Warren is Warren.
I didn't think much of it was worthy of forgiveness, but Ignite Me was quite different.

I don't think I'm going to do a synopsis of this book.
I just want to talk about it. If I had a journal, this post is what I would have written about Ignite Me.

Juliette's 'adventure' with Warren starts in the beginning of course, but escalates in Unravel Me.
FiftyDirty-Two from Unravel Me is what I keep finding on the internet, in reference to the scene where her pants disappear.
I think it should be FiftyDirty-Five from Ignite Me.
There were a number of other things that changed my mind, but her discovery of her power to turn her gift off and her subsequent automatic realization that she could have anyone she wanted really affected me.
I had realized long before she did, that she may have been staying with Adam by 'default' as she puts it.
I wanted her to be happy and Warren's uncontrolled love and adoration of her was okay with me once she discovered she didn't have to be with him.
That chapter changed me. One line in particular.

"Seconds are merging into minutes and hearts are collapsing and hands are grasping and I've tripped over a planet and I don't know anything anymore, I don't know anything because nothing will ever be able to compare to this." Ignite Me, Tahereh Mafi p.318

The complete unbridled emotion that pours out of her when she's with Warren is so different from how she was with Adam, and I knew after that scene that Warren was okay.

I am unhappy that there aren't any more books.
Her complete empowerment, and decision to lead blew my mind.
I would love to know how she handles the rest of Anderson's henchmen.
How they replenish Earth's depleted resources.
If Adam and Alia fall in love.

This is a gigantic post and I know I didn't even express the entirety of the way this book made makes me feel.
Still. Three days later, I've just been basking in all of it's glory.
Rereading that chapter over and over.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Tahereh Mafi - author website

Read A-likes:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth

Read on.
Jessica.

Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Can we talk about Tahereh Mafi's writing skills again!?!? Please???
She unravels me! She has an undeniable way with words.
I can't even handle it sometimes.
These books are off the map.
I'm waiting on the second novella to come in, I put it on hold, and I'm getting impatient.
I ended picking up Unravel Me in print form while I was at the library visiting my friend this week.
I knew I was going to be ready to read it sooner than it would be available to download off hold.
I read it the other night, instead of going to bed when I should have.
I was exhausted all the next day, but it was worth it.

Short synopsis:
Juliette and Adam have been at Omega Point for a few weeks now, but Juliette isn't settling in very well.
She's convinced everyone hates her because they're scared of her.
She is supposed to be fine tuning her gift but doesn't understand how.
She and Adam are having a hard time finding time to spend together.
And their brand new world is about to fall apart.

Adam's gift is being fine tuned and its taking its toll on their relationship. 

Juliette comes into her own gift.

But a war is coming.

And it brings back to Omega Point an unwanted visitor. 

I can't say enough how much I love these books. 

There aren't really words. 

I cant wait to finish the series so I can talk a little more about particular characters.

I don't want to pass final judgement until I've learned all I can about them.

When I Googled for the book cover, I was not surprised to see a large number of people that may be as obsessed about this trilogy and this amazing writer as I am.
Much of what I found actually is about the character that I mentioned above, and when I write about them I'll let you know what Google thinks of them too.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Tahereh Mafi - author website

Read A-likes:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth

Read on.
Jessica.

Kindle Book vs. Print Book

I want to take a minute to talk about what will still be the major debate between book nerds for the next 100 years.

The Kindle (or e-book) versus the Printed book.

Let me first say I don't buy books.
I borrow them from my public library.
I don't often reread books.
So I feel like my money could be better spent on bills than on books I'll only touch once.
Also keep in mind I have over the past 24 years have paid probably close to $200-$300 in fines.
I pay for books, in a round about way, so that other people can read them too.

Let me also mention that I sweat, profusely, on a constant basis, no matter the weather or temperature.
It's called hyperhidrosis.
The obvious place a stranger will notice it is my hands.

Because of those two things I am team Kindle.

I honestly don't love the turn of the page, or the weight of it in my hands, or any of the things team printed books will site as reasons why Kindle books are sacrilegious to the book world.

I sweat, so the requirement of holding the book creates damp and then wrinkly, crinkled pages.
I love to read laying down, and holding an actual book, especially one that is of good size, is difficult.

I was gifted my basic kindle a few years ago, and immediately figured out how to borrow library books and get other books for free.
I can take as many books as I can check out, with me wherever I go and it weighs less than my iPad.
I love that the screen of my Kindle isn't lit up so my eyes don't hurt as badly.
I also love that I can use either my phone or iPad to also read said books, which ever is with me.
I can change the brightness of my screen.
I can get textbooks for school at half or more than half the price.
And one of the coolest features of all about e-books, is the ability to search!!!

I love books. Literally. Love. Them.
I love to read, I have for as long as I can remember.

I have never loved lugging bags of books too and from the library.
But I absolutely love my Kindle.

I  will always meet people who think that I 'm wrong, that Kindles are the disgrace of the book world, that they're going to be the death of the public library system, and the demise of authors.
But I will always love e-books and my Kindle, because it's the right media for me.
Let me know what team you're on!

Read on.
Jessica.

The One - Kiera Cass

The One by Kiera Cass

As I said in the previous post, I starting reading this before I wrote about The Elite... Bad Idea!
I think I got this though.

Short synopsis:
With the selection down to four and on the coattails of her disastrous presentation, America is trying to win back the hearts of the country and of Prince Maxon and his father.
With a few more rebel attacks under her belt, she and Maxon aim to figure out a way to appease some of them.
After a covert operation goes wrong, they are forced to change directions.
America manages to come up with her own plan to execute using her status and an assignmment as an Elite.
After a successful plan execution, America gets devastating news.
She returns home for a few days, and upon her return to the palace makes a decision that will change her life.
Within moments, America's actions turn this decision 180 degrees.
The following day rebels turn the tables once more.

This book in the trilogy absolutely has the most action, the most emotion and the most loss.
But I feel like all of that is wiped away in the fast few pages.
I am excited about the next installment The Heir coming out in May.
But am very dissapointed in the fact that it jumps ten plus years into the future.
I get so invested in a plot line, charcters, a country, even though it's all fiction, I want to know exactly what will happen and how.
I'd even love to see before some books, for instance in the series between present day and the selection, how did we get there.

I have put in a request for the next novella at the library, we'll have to see if they purchase it.
The Heir and the fancy collection book are also requested to be ordered! Woohoo!

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Kiera Cass - author website

Read A-likes:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth
Shatter Me Trilogy - Taherah Mafi

Read on.
Jessica.

The Elite - Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass





I did a horrible horrible thing.
I read the Elite, and then because I didn't have to go to work today and I was too lazy to get up and write this post this morning, I read The One this morning.
And now I'm not completely sure where one ends and the other begins.
I shall try, but really you should read them all so it doesn't much matter.

Short synopsis:
The Elite is what the last six or so girls is known as.
Each of the girls that has made it this far have some sort of real connection with Prince Maxon.
In case I didn't mention it in The selections review, there are rebels!
There always are in any good dystopian novel.
The government is never better than it was.
The rebels have already attacked numerous times during the selection and with only the Elite there it's no different.
Throughout this book you learn not what their end goal is but a little more about who the rebels are.
You find out the consequences of actions that you don't expect to happen to the people they do.
And I suggest you have The One handy when you're nearing the end of The Elite.
The last chapter is a gut wrencher and you won't want to wait to start the final book.

I also read the second novella, but will be reviewing them in a few days.

I was wrong about the date for the next book, The Heir comes out in May!
The additional novella comes out in October with all the extra stuff.
October.....I can't wait!!!!

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Kiera Cass - author website

Read A-likes:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth
Shatter Me Trilogy - Taherah Mafi
Legend - Marie Lu

Read on.
Jessica.

The Selection - Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass

When I found Shatter Me I also found this book.
Except the ebook wasn't available so I put it on hold.
And I was impatient!! The summary had me hooked!
Cue a few days later I'm headed on a two and half hour drive to see my boyfriend for NYE.
The idea of an audio book popped in my head.
I am previously not a fan.
I was accidentally put on hold for the audio (CD's ughhh. hahaha.) version of The Hunger Games, I started them that way until the book came in and I promptly started over.
I have a hard time concentrating on an audio book, I think faster than anyone can speak.
I tend to get sidetracked and sometimes even bored, I also love to reread passages.

I decided an audio book was worth a try for the drive, and even though I didn't like it.
I will absolutely do it again for every trip back to school from now on.
This book made me a better driver!!!
I get bored and tired driving (I make the exact same 2.5 hour trip sometimes 6 or 8 times a month) and I turn to my phone to keep me engaged (you'll think less of me if I crash because I was on my phone, but I'll feel better about myself because it wasn't because I fell asleep at the wheel)
But this book being on kept me off my phone, (I couldn't even concentrate on a simple text I was so engaged) and kept my eyes on the road!!!
Audio book for the win!

There are absolutely some major and I mean MAJOR drawbacks to an audio book.
Which I wont be able to overlook toooo often.
A major one in my book is there is no obvious distinction in a audio book when an author leaves half a page blank or leaves a line in between two paragraphs to show distinction between scenes.
To be quite honest I swear the reader only mentioned half the chapter numbers. I was forever getting lost and having to just go with it to figure it out.
One of the other things that I find annoying about audios is that you can't always tell what someone is saying.
For example the male lead in this books name is Maxon but I was hearing Maxin and it may not matter but I had no idea how it was spelled and it bothered me.
There was also a girl named Kriss in the book which is pretty and maybe feminine and lends itself to certain picture in my head.
But it what pronounced just like regular old Chris and I was thrown off at first and then thought ughh every time I hear it (many of the names in this book could be considered exotic and Kriss might be but Chris is not, I couldn't figure out why her name didn't fit in).
Because a human reads the book and not a computer there are also regular words that aren't pronounced the way I'm used to hearing and I would get annoyed.
I am a very visual person, and as a general rule when I read a movie is playing in my head, the reader voices for characters and dramatizations totally threw off my mental movie.

Aside from all the things I didn't like about it being an audio book I loved the actual book itself.
The summary says it takes place in a dystopian world.
(that's a link to the Wikipedia definition page)
If that's what it means then I officially have a name for the sub-genre of books that I like.
It's just like Shatter Me in that aspect. Post new governmental takeover.

Short synopsis:
The Selection takes place post/during the fourth world war. I know right?!?!?! EEECK!!!
The country is no longer the USA and no longer a democracy. The calendar is different.
Lots of things are different, the most glaring is the return of casts and the cast system.
They use a cast system that is numbered one through eight and you are your number.
Each number has a list of professions it can pursue and there are no other options.
There is a royal family, a King and Queen, with princes and princesses (the current family only has a prince).
The Selection is a lottery used to provide a wives for the princes of the country.
The lottery produces 35 ladies for the Prince to weed down to one.
America Singer is begrudgingly part of the selection.
As a five her family could use the money that the selection guarantees her but she isn't interested in becoming the princess, because after all, she has a boyfriend.
She is convinced to enter because she knows there is no way she would get chosen.
Miraculously she gets chosen and her life changes over night.
^ Those are the crappiest four lines I've ever written, but what else can I say.

A huge part of the excitement of this book is figuring out some of what I've already told you, about the country and the casts, how the selection works.
This book is fantastic and don't let a less than stellar description of it deter you.
There are rebels, and love, makeovers, and new clothes, there are friendships, and girls with motives, a made up history lesson, a Prince, and 35 girls from which he must choose only one to marry.

There are also four more books, two in the trilogy and two novellas, one between each main book.
I have read the first novella and started the second book.
I will review the novellas together at the end.

In looking up the authors website I found out that there is another novella and a fourth book!!! (that's seven books total)
(It's funny the author is actually how I picture America in my head, when in reality, she probably looks more like me, red curly hair and blue eyes, mine aren't really blue but people insist that they are. I think I must be thinking of America Ferrera.)
So it's not technically a trilogy anymore.
In March a book will be released with all three novellas, a few extra scenes from another point of view, and some other bonus features.

Credit:
Amazon - in case you're into buying
Kiera Cass - author website

Read A-likes:

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Divergent Trilogy - Veronica Roth
Shatter Me Trilogy - Taherah Mafi

Read on.
Jessica.