My review for Kristin Cashore’s Bitterblue will be going up tomorrow, but I just realized that I never posted anything about Graceling and Fire. I’m kind of feeling picky about having all the books on the blog, so here are some quick thoughts on each book:

Rating:  
Graceling – What better way to be introduced to the Graceling world than with a character who has been Graced to kill? It would have been so easy to make her a ruthless killing machine, but Kristin Cashore never takes the easy way out with her characters. Katsa, though she follows through on her uncle’s orders, does not thirst for blood on her hands. She loathes being used in her uncle’s games, but it isn’t until Po arrives on the scene that her rebellion begins.

It was the easiest thing ever to fall into the world Kristin Cashore created. I thought the idea of Graces was so interesting — more so when some were so mysterious or when Cashore threw in a surprise or two about them (ahem, Po). Her characters were so complex and this was only confirmed as I read through the rest of the installments in the series. It all ties together and it is so, so great.

Rating:  
Fire – This is definitely my favorite of the three books in the Graceling Realms series. After having loved Graceling, I was a little wary that Fire would revolve around another set of characters, in a completely different time period and location. I was sure that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. But I was wrong!

I loved Katsa, but there was always a degree of distance from her for me. With Fire, my liking to her was almost immediate. As the last human monster, Fire has the ability to control minds and, in addition to that, those around her find her alluring and fall into want of her. It was fascinating to see Fire navigate through her journey of self-discovery and decide between right and wrong. Her past, as disturbing as it may have been with Cansrel, proved her goodness because she could have easily been swayed in another direction.

Always the sucker for a good romance, I really admired the way Kristin Cashore handled these storylines in both Graceling and Fire. It was never the focus, and it never overwhelmed the books, but in both cases it was a natural progression for the characters involved.

Graceling and Fire both offered a lot in terms of action, mysteries, friendship, and complexity in the characters. Oh, and not to mention getting the serious creeps from Leck, yikes. He is seriously the worst and probably my favorite villain. I absolutely fell in love with this series. Stay tuned for Bitterblue!

Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee — whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not — stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden — a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? – Goodreads

Review:
Finishing Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking books has been a long time coming. I first read The Knife of Never Letting Go in October of 2010 and I loved it. But I was also crushed by certain events, so I was terrified of what was to come in the following installments. I had The Ask and the Answer sitting in my bookshelf since then and I kept saying, “I’ll read it soon, I’ll read it soon,” but I never quite got the courage to actually pick it up. Aylee’s reviews (here and here) were definitely a motivation, but it wasn’t until my friend Linda sped through the series, and then began nagging me to get a move on, that I finally decided to go for it. I’m so glad! It was a draining roller coaster to read the series, but it’s easily become one of my absolute favorites. Here are some thoughts on each of the three books:

The Knife of Never Letting Go – Like I said, it’s been well over a year since I read it so here’s my initial review from goodreads: This one kept my heart pounding! With a first person, present tense narration, complete with Todd’s own dialect, it was very easy to get pulled in. With Todd being so young I wasn’t sure how much I would relate to his character, but I found myself valuing his growth as he learned the real meaning of becoming a man.The book went to some very dark, dark places, leaving me absolutely drained; I’m still mourning over a certain character’s death. I felt enough questions were answered along the way, but of course I’m anxious to get a start on the sequel. Fantastic read!

The Ask and the Answer – Can I just immediately say how seamlessly Patrick Ness is able to alternate between POVs? His character’s voices are so distinct, so different from the other, and he easily kept me fully immersed in both. Todd and Viola endured through SO much and their character arcs are some of my favorites in recent memory. Similarly, this book confirmed the complexity of the world and characters that Patrick Ness created. Though his book is set in another world, the themes he presented are so easily applicable to ours. Certain side characters? Wow…I had no idea that they could be redeemed and that I could grow to care for them so much. And, yes, I sobbed.

Monsters of Men – TODD AND VIOLA. THESE KIDS. I wanted to hold them close and keep them safe, but I was also so proud of their maturity, strength, and how they’re such genuinely good people. Thinking back to the first book it’s so easy to recall their innocence; it makes me so sad that they had to experience so much loss and so many struggles throughout the course of the series. Their relationship was subtle, beautifully depicted, and I loved how they drew strength from each other in the most bleak of situations. Patrick Ness continued to make a mess of my emotions with his characters. There was no clear good and evil in this series because the characters were so layered with flaws and complexities that captured the very essence of human nature.

Patrick Ness easily has one of my favorite endings for a book series in Monsters of Men. I know there are readers that are clamoring for more, but there was enough and there was hope — the perfect way to end it, in my opinion.

After having read this series and A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness easily earns a spot in my favorite authors list and a guarantee that I will read anything he writes. He is brilliant and captures so much emotion in his writing. Oh, and he makes me ugly cry every single time. I can’t wait to see what he writes next and I urge you to give Chaos Walking a read.

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 444 (ARC)
Source: Won from author (thank you, S.J. Kincaid!)
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him? – Goodreads

Review:
I was going to wait to review S.J. Kincaid’s Insignia because, hey, July is still months away, but I figured there’s no harm in gushing over its brilliance a little in advance. Before I received my copy, I thought it sounded interesting and I liked that it gave me somewhat of an Ender’s Game vibe. Although I was a little worried that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, I made it my first read of the year and the pressure was on! You guys… I loved this book!

There are so many sci-fi reads where the government and world building just doesn’t ring true to me, but the one here? Spot on: full of corporate greed, bribery, and corruption. It wasn’t difficult at all to make parallels to our economic situation today.

Secondly, Insignia includes so much technology and it was effing COOL. I was on board as soon as Tom first played in the VR parlor, but it only got better from there: plugging in to download data (homework!), the meal bars, programming and, of course, the simulations; the list really goes on and on with all of the awesome and I was always eager to find out what S.J. Kincaid would introduce next.

And then there’s the cast of characters. They were diverse and had different backgrounds which I LOVED. It’s a true testament to S.J. Kincaid’s writing that I feel that her characters are my friends. I feel like such a cheeseball saying that, but the level of comfort that I felt with them at the Pentagonal Spire is not something I often encounter in my reads. I love characters, sure, and I grow attached to them, but what I encountered here can only be compared to what I felt with the trio in Harry Potter: inside jokes, familiarity, and a sense of belonging. There were so many moments where I burst out laughing due to their antics (this book is FUNNY!) and even more moments where I began to dread the end of the book. Missing them was immediate, but I’m glad there’s still more to come.

While, yes, this is the first book in a series, another thing to admire about Insignia is that S.J. Kincaid offered a clear beginning, middle, and end to the book. I am dying to make my return to the Pentagonal Spire with these characters, but that’s because of my love for her story and characters, and not because she left me suffering with an evil cliffhanger. There’s still much to explore, but I’m glad that S.J. Kincaid was able to have a full story arc take place.

Come July I will be pushing this book into as many hands as I possibly can. It’s such a refreshing, humorous, and thrilling read that I really hope it blows up into something huge… I have a good feeling that it will!

Ah, yes, time for a giveaway! I can’t offer up my ARC because it’s signed, but I can offer a pre-order of the book! It’s open internationally as long The Book Depository ships to you (check here) and it will run through May 5th. You must be 13 years or older to enter and the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address. Extra entries are available. Fill out the Rafflecopter:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages: 292
Source: Netgalley
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for. – Goodreads

Review:
My immediate reaction after finishing A.C. Gaughen’s Scarlet was, “Yes, please, MORE!!!” I’ve been in such a weird reading mood as of late that it was a breath of fresh air to have a book hit all the right spots with its awesome.

Although I am (somewhat) familiar with the legend of Robin Hood and his gang, it was very easy to get wrapped up in A.C. Gaughen’s retelling. It had the usual familiar faces and nods, but it also managed to stand on its own with its twists and surprises.

Scarlet herself is quite the mystery. Disguised as a boy, Will Scarlet, it quickly becomes clear that she’s on the run from her past. The situation grows even more complicated when Guy of Gisbourne arrives on the scene. Things go from bad to worse for Scarlet and the gang, but it was definitely an exciting adventure to go on with them.

Scarlet is a no nonsense type of character and it was SO easy to grow attached to her. She’s rough around the edges, more than a little brash, and has quite the temper, but she also has a good heart. A.C. Gaughen did a great job revealing all of her layers as the story progressed. It would be impossible not to admire Scarlet’s physical strength — she’s definitely kick-ass — but it’s equally easy to respect her for her emotional strength as well; Scarlet has endured a lot and has managed to come out a better person from it.

A.C. Gaughen tackles her character development well and that continues on with the romance, too. It’s the best kind of progression here — the slow kind — and you will be left aching due to the chemistry between Robin and Scar. So, so good!

In conclusion, you should pick up this book. A.C. Gaughen breathes new life into the legend of Robin Hood and, if you’re anything like me, you will be praying to the book gods that their adventures will be expanded into a new and exciting book series.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 375
Source: Purchased
Rating:  
Buy It: Amazon | Book Depository

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame. – Goodreads

Review:
Although I have read and loved every single book Lauren Oliver has published, some disappointing reads this year made me expect the worst from Pandemonium. I want to slap myself for thinking so negatively because this may be my favorite of hers yet.

I liked Lena well enough in Delirium, but she was at her best in Pandemonium. Her growth was apparent through the “Then” and “No” alternation. Normally I would hate this kind of switch in a book, but in this case it allowed for a clear glimpse of the changes Lena experiences. I wouldn’t say she’s a leader, and she’s certainly not someone with ~omg special abilities~, but she endures so much loss, anger, and pain and comes out a better, stronger person from it.

The “Then” and “Now” switch never bogged down the story for me. There was an urgency to both the past and the present and I didn’t feel that there was a lack of material in either. Lauren Oliver kept the pace up and, while I probably did have a preference for the present, she handled the transitions very well.

Going into Pandemonium, I knew it was very likely that there would be a new love story in its contents. I loved Alex in Delirium, and I was heartbroken by that ending, so I was definitely very apprehensive of any romance that would unfold in Pandemonium. Oddly enough, I liked Julian almost immediately! His situation was so interesting and difficult and I loved how his opinions and naivety mirrored Lena in Delirium in many ways. I appreciated his growth and, of course, how he and Lena came together. Comparing their love to Lena and Alex’s is a bit unfair because they’re unique and different, but both are true and genuine. That said…um, Team Julian? Yes!

And then there’s the ending. Okay, so I pretty much expected it, I knew that things would come crashing down in THAT way, but I’m still in a complete tizzy over it. The wait for Requiem is going to be the absolute worst and I’m so, so nervous for what’s ahead. There are so many ways it can end and I’m not sure what I want to happen at this point. Well…I kind of do, but Lauren Oliver certainly knows how to throw a curve ball so I definitely won’’t be getting too comfortable with any scenario. Needless to say, Pandemonium was explosively good and Lauren Oliver knows how to pack a punch.