Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

Title: Alienated (Alienated Series #1)
Author: Melissa Landers
Genre: YA Paranormal / Sci Fi
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Published: February 4th 2014
Page Number: 344
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

REVIEW

This is one of those books that I have a lot to say about. Because while I really liked the book there was also a few flaws that I caught onto.

Melissa Landers (Macy Beckett to some readers) has a fantastic, simple writing style that drags you into the book from the very first page. She writes with precision and I honestly thought that I was living the opposite life of being a human and a L'eihr. Her characters, Cara and Aelyx are so well thought out that you will know people of their personalities in real life. Cara is head strong, has a lot to say and likes to make sure she gets to say what she wants too and I loved her for that. Not only that but she's a character I related to because she's very selfless. People want her to give up on the program but she's having none of it because she's doing what's right for her, her family and Aelyx.

Aelyx. My Dear, Aelyx. He's an Alien I would definitely like to meet. We first meet him as this almost robotic character devoid of emotion but his character growth through out the book was perfect. He grows so much more likeable but his relationship and feelings for Cara are so strange to him, but he accepts them. He's more human than he'd like to think he is.

The storyline is similar yet so different to the TV show Starcrossed. While I did spot a few similarities that I liked because I loved that TV show but there were also a lot of differences. For example the storyline was definitely more throughout and entertaining. I loved the contrast between Human and L'eihr. The ending was perfect because we got to see so much more from them and that really changed things for me.

But despite finding myself to really enjoy the book, I also thought it was heavily predictable. I had only read 30 pages and caught on that something was going to happen between Tori and Eric. It's somewhat of a YA cliché. There were also a few smaller scenes that I predicted would happen, but I mainly overlooked them because I really was so engrossed into the story. It's a bundle of fun. I need to sequel, Invaded in my life!

Buy the book (Waterstones) | Buy the book (Book Depository)

Monthly Reading Wrap Up | June 2015

The month of June was definitely an unusual reading month for me. Within the first couple of days I finished 3 books, and then 2 or 3 days later I finished my 4th. Then things stumbled from there....I was more bothered about watching TV and Netflix than picking up a book, and when I did get around to doing that, I got bored! Nothing could get me out, I was in a reading slump.

All Lined Up by Cora Carmack - 4 Stars

I was pleasantly surprised with All Lined Up. I wasn't a big fan of Losing It, which was Cora's first book published, however, All Lined Up was an adorable treat. I read it in 4 hours and I fell in love with Carson. I love a bad boy, but he was a gorgeous gentleman and for once, I loved a good boy.

All Broke Down by Cora Carmack - 4 Stars

All Broke Down was a little more serious than All Lined Up, which I liked, especially since it added a depth to Silas' character. Silas appeared as a cocky player in All Lined Up, but I was happy to see that there was more to him than meets the eye. All Broke Down was also very, very steamy!

All Played Out by Cora Carmack - 4 Stars

If I am honest, I was disappointed with All Played Out. I had fallen in love with Mateo Torres from the teasers Cora was displaying online, but for some reason I couldn't connect with him at all. He was just a cocky, flirty player that loved sex. I did, however, love Nell. Nell was a character I could easily relate too, and it was great seeing how she grew as a character.

The Taking by Kimberly Derting - 5 Stars

All stop what you are doing because I have found my favourite book of the year! Yes, The Taking had now become my favourite book of the year and for all the right reasons. I'm not a Sci-Fi, Paranormal fan but The Taking immediately dragged me in and I finished it within a day. I loved the main protagonist, Kyra. She was relatable and the perfect mix of girly girl and tomboy. The relationship with Austin was.....heart palpitating. I'm excited to read the sequel, The Replaced.



What books did you read this month?

Let me know in the comments.

Review: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Title: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2)
Author: Rick Yancey
Genre: Sci-Fi/Post Apocalypse
Publisher: Penguin Publishing
Published: September 16th 20124
Page Number: 300

Summary:

For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse.

No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test.

 

 

Review:

 

So I just finished this book and I had to immediately come and write up this review because I have so much to say. First off is that I absolutely disliked this book, it was no way near as good as The 5th Wave. Second is that I doubt I will be reading the third book because this book has made me lose interest. How can it go from being one of your favourite series to one you hate? And if I was doing to Taylor Swift Book Tag then this series would be the one to match the song: We are never ever getting back together and I'm in no way sorry because this was terrible!

 

The first one hundred pages dragged on and on and on and on. I felt like it was taking me ages to read and that's not normally a case for me. Some books drag on in place and last for a few pages, but this never seemed to end. Plus nothing happened, like seriously, nothing. I was expecting some sort of tense build up and then something to happen and BAM! That something never came and if I'm being honest, it never came in the entire book.

 

Also Rick Yancey turned this series from Cassie's story to Ringers, who is a new character that I hate. Actually I should take that back because I didn't like any of the new characters a part from Razor, who if I may say is a little too like Evan (We saw hardly any Evan. BOOOOO!).

 

While reading the book all I could think was:

 

Kill Ringer

Kill Ben

Kill Poundcake (He'll never beat Lil' Miss Poundcake from RuPauls Drag Race)

Kill Teacup (WORST. NICK NAME. EVER!)

Just kill them all because they all seemed to be a copycat of the original characters (Cassie, Evan, etc.)

 

While I was reading this short book (which I'm glad was so short because I would've shot myself in the eye if it was any longer) I saw a bunch of reviews from my friends who had enjoyed it and that was because they liked The 5th Wave, but never loved it.

 

There were a few good points about this book and those were Evan and Cassie. I love them so much and they make the story. If this book didn't even have any Evan or Cassie then it would've been a zero starred book because lets be honest, Cassie and Evan are a lot of our favourite couple.

 

However, we saw Cassie and Evan for like fifty pages and then it ended with them, which I'm still annoyed at because like I said: THIS IS CASSIE'S STORY!!

 

Overall, I rated this book a 2.75 out of 5 stars, but my star review may be changed when I have a few moments to calm down.




Review: Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout

Title: Onyx (The Lux Series, Book 2)
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen (Soon to be Hodder and Stoughton in UK)
Published: August 14th 2012
Page Number: 366

Summary:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Review:

 

"Everything starts to change in this sequel. Just as good as Obsidian, if not better!"

 

Writing a review for a sequel is very hard. I can't give you guys any spoilers, so this will go more about my feelings about the book and if I think the characters developed from Obsidian.

 

Jennifer L Armentrout does get bonus points for this book. There's a character that appears once in page 29, who none of you probably remember, but for me he was the only one I will one hundred percent remember. His name is Billy Crump. Now the reason why this character will stay with me is not because his surname is unusual. It's because we share the same surname. Yep, my surname is Crump. So you can imagine my reaction when I saw it, if you cant then just know I busted out laughing and hid my face with my book because I was bright read.

 

Moving on, I definitely felt like this book was both better and worse than Obsidian. Not much action went down and I really wished it had, because Obsidian ended so great that I one hundred percent thought there was going to be a lot of secrets revealed. I was also expecting a scene between Ash and Katy where they at least try and get on. The good thing was that we had good action scenes when they came and a lot of predictable suspects who somehow made me love them.

 

The characters in Onyx definitely went through some sort of change. Katy found something big out and it changed her as a person. She also had to get used to the idea of her mother having a new boyfriend even though her father had died. No one wants a replacement. Ever.

 

In Onyx my favourite character was definitely Dee. We get to really understand her in this book and her relationship with Adam is just...perfect. As a "Teenager" Dee is trying to figure things out and I felt like she handled them maturely. The only note I would say is that PDA in the school cafeteria is a big "no no".

 

Overall, I felt like this was a good sequel. The only criticism is that I wished that there was something more. Everything else was good though. 4/5 Stars!

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout

Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen (Soon to be Hodder and Stoughton in UK)
Published: May 8th 2012
Page Number: 335

Summary:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Review:

 

"I know what I want for my birthday this year and it's not an object. It's actually an Alien. Daemon Black, please."

 

I'm definitely not known for reading Paranormal/Romance books, so when I decided to pop open this book and delve into it for the third time I knew I had to be prepared. I had my chocolate biscuits, my favourite tea in my favourite mug and I had my blanket. What more could I want? Nothing that's what.

 

People have told me over and over that this book reminds them so much of Twilight (I have not read it, but maybe I will one day.) and I can definitely see why. (I have watched the Movie.) Daemon's friends are very much like Edwards family in personality wise. Ash reminded me so much of Rosalie Hale. Pretty, sharp cut and just a clear bitch. Also the scene where Daemon tells Katy that he is in fact an Alien is very much like Twilight. The only difference is that he tells her by a lake and Daemon's an Alien, not some fake pale skin vampire. However, I really liked that because Daemon and Katy slay Bella and Edward. No competition. Ever!

 

Katy's character is definitely relatable. Moving to a new town you are going to be a bit scared and somewhat awkward, but she came out of her shell pretty quickly. That scene where she stands up for herself against Ash and Daemon was the perfect way for herself to show the school that she's not someone to mess with. Katy was also a bit immature at times, which did get on my nerves a little, but I embraced it and kept looking forward to her and Daemon's cut throat conversations.

 

I'm giving everyone a warning here. Daemon is mine. End of.

 

Daemon is definitely one of my favourite characters. He's hot and cold in attitude, but while I'm impatiently awaiting the next Cassandra Clare book, Daemon definitely gave me my fill of male characters who have zero idea what they want, but while searching they like to have a little fun. And act like a dick. Lets not forget that. What I loved most about him was how he cared for Dee. He knew she was capable, but she was his life. Their brother is gone and she's all he has left. It was sweet and while Katy had this bad word for him, it made you fall in love with him all the more.

 

While this book is a Paranormal/Romance I sometimes felt like I was reading a contemporary with a unique character and a lot of sexual tension - which we all know Jennifer is a queen at writing. Overall, I really enjoyed the start to this five book series. I cannot wait to see what the others have in store. 4/5 Stars!

Monday Missions #1

What is Monday Missions? Monday Missions was created by my friend Daisy. She's a booktuber like me, and her idea is to show her TBR for that week. I liked idea and decided to do it (I had her permission of course)

Goodreads pages are linked in book titles.

Book 1: Little Celeste by Dawn McNiff

This book is about an eleven year old girl, called Shelley. Her mother is distant and one day she leaves her room for two minutes and when she returns there's a baby on her bed. She must then care for the baby. Apparently if you love Jacqueline Wilson then you'll love this, and I love Jacqueline Wilson. Anyway, I picked this book because it sounds so family oriented and I need one of them books about now. Also I've heard some great things about it!

Book 2: Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout

Apparently this book is 'Twilight' but with Aliens instead. By the sypnosis though, it's about a 17 year old girl who moves to a new town. Her neighbour is very arrogant, but it's because he's an alien. They hate each other until someone tries to attack Katy and the only way she'll survive is by staying with Daemon. I picked this book because I need to start this series. My friends all love it as well and it's calling to me.

Book 3: Trouble by Non Pratt

This book is based on a 15 year old girl called Hannah who get's pregnant. A new boy starts at her school who she befriends, could be the other way round and he pretends to be the father so she doesn't look like a slut. I decided to read this because I am a Trouble Book VIP, so my copy is signed just for me. Also I like contemporaries.

Book 4: Half Bad by Sally Green

Half Bad follows a boy named Nathan who's the child to a white witch (good) and a black witch (bad). His mother died and since he was the age of 14 he's been locked in a cage. By the time he's 17 he needs to have escaped his cage, but the only problem his he cant trust anyone. I NEED TO READ THIS NOW! This book I have been looking for everywhere, now I can start it.