Review: The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published: March 4th, 2014
Hardcover, 355 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him - with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagines new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is a stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Let me start by saying that the cover of this book is what first caught my attention. A beautiful dress and amazing font made me desperately want to see what was inside. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. We've come into this world years after a war that left the rich society of the Herrani enslaved to the war-ridden Valorian. Kestrel is the general's daughter and she quickly makes a choice that may ruin everything her father has been working toward. She buys a young slave while at auction, a man who has spoken to her without speaking and someone she knows she must be near. But having her own slave is not what she expected and she treats Arin like her fellow Valorian and soon the rumours of a love affair begin. Just because the rumours aren't real doesn't mean that's what Kestrel wants. But Arin knows more than he lets on and Kestrel's love eyes blur her vision to his devious plans.

This book blew me away in the most subtle way. It was slow moving and there wasn't much action and that is what I loved about it. The characters were vibrant and I fell in love with Kestrel and her spirit and need to be different from the rest of the Valorian. Her best friend Jess is a typical rich girl, ready for gossip and pretty dresses, but I loved everything about her and never saw her as less than Kestrel. Arin was dark and dangerous and could very well have turned into the bad guy, and I loved reading his point of view and the way he saw Kestrel. He loved her even after what her people did to his people. And we could see how badly Kestrel wanted to make things better between the two colonies because of her love for Arin.

The world intrigued me. I loved the war that happened and how realistic it all seemed. It was like Rome taking over Greece and we all know how easily something like that could happen again. I loved the small hints at the different fashions between the Herrani and the Valorian. I'm excited to see what else Rutkoski has in store for the rest of this trilogy as I can see so much more happening. Then tension between Kestrel and Arin was perfectly executed and I need more of the two of them in my life. This reads almost like a period drama and it would be good for anyone who likes a book set in a different world without too much action. I'm a big fan of the small things and this book gave me everything I could have asked for. I think those who read These Broken Stars would love this one.

"Arin smiles. It was a true smile, which let her know that all the others he had given her were not."

Review: Perfect Lies

Perfect Lies
Author: Kiersten White
Published: February 18, 2014
Hardcover, 232 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

Mind Games was the kind of book that is exactly like its title. The whole time reading it, you're not sure what's real, who's good or what's really happening. It was one big mind game. It's sequel, Perfect Lies, made a lot more sense and helped me figure out just how this story was going to play out. This book was fast paced, full of action, and proved that girl should never be underestimated. When Fia decides not to go through with what the Keane Foundation told her too, she's suddenly on edge and trying to get out of the company. The only reason she stays is to be with James and to protect her sister, Annie. But Annie is seeing things she doesn't like, things that could mean Fia is in danger, and suddenly they are both on the run towards each other ready to end this once and for all.

This story is thrilling, fast, and full of twists and turns. So much happens in these 200 pages and I didn't want Fia and Annie's story to end. Keeping in pace with the first book, this is told from both sisters' perspectives yet happens in very different time lines. In Annie's view, we are counting down to the event that ends this book, while Fia is many months ahead, closer to the event. The girls don't see each other very much throughout the novel, but when they do - it matters. Their relationship is unusual, but they are sisters through and through and the amount of love they have for each other is unbelievable. Both would do anything for the other and both are willing to risk their lives to save them. They can't really trust anyone, but somehow they both find it in themselves to use their powers to save each other. Fia showed how fierce she is in the first book, but this one was all about Annie. She proves that just because she's blind does not mean she's weak. Her character grew so much over these pages that I was just rooting for her the whole time. And while the first book really focused on Fia and her relationship with James, this one was all about Annie finding her own love. It was beautiful and perfect and showed that love isn't about looks at all. It was wonderfully done and the sweetest moment when it was revealed. 

These girls will not leave my thoughts for a long time. This book was unique, fun and full of girl power. Who wouldn't want to live in a world where the girls get mind powers and the men are left with nothing? Well, a girl can dream. Any fans of White's Paranormalcy series will love these new girls, these new adventures, and this new world full of action and adventure. 

“She told me only people we love the most can destroy us, because no one else has that kind of power.”

Stacking the Shelves: The Epic Rival Girls Next Door

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews featuring the books we got this week, and I also mention blog news/happenings of the past week.

I went down to Toronto for the week to visit my family. Trips down there always end up with my lugging books back here. I like to pick up books that I can't find in the book store here, so here are the winners:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Imaginary Girls by Nova

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney

The S Word by Chelsea Pitcher

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

I've already starting reading Imaginary Girls, but I can't wait to dive into any one of these books. Successful shopping trip!

Has anyone read any of these? Which do you recommend to read first?

Review: Juliet Immortal

Juliet Immortal
Author: Stacey Jay
Published: August 9, 2011
Hardcover, 306 pages
3 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Juliet Immortal is not your ordinary Romeo and Juliet love story. Romeo and Juliet did not kill themselves for love. Romeo, a Mercenary, killed Juliet in order to become immortal. Betrayed and forsaken, Juliet becomes an Ambassador of Light, immortal on her own and now the arch nemesis of Romeo. Juliet's job is to keep soul mates together and out of the hands of the Mercenaries. Every century or so, she is sent into the mortal world in someone else's body in order to protect true love. Juliet believes love has failed her, Romeo now her worst enemy, and hates the idea of bringing soul mates together. When she meets Ben she experiences the same feelings she felt with Romeo, even though she knows it's forbidden for her to fall in love. When Romeo shows up in a body right next to her, she knows this mission will be unlike any other, and Romeo won't leave until he knows he can have Juliet as his own for eternity.

Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays and I'm always interested in retellings. The problem is, I have yet to find a retelling that I love as much as the original. I love the idea of having the forbidden romance in modern times, but that has yet to be what any of the retellings I've read have been about. I was interested in this one because it seemed completely different. Romeo and Juliet, now enemies, but with this history of the crazy magical love they once felt for each other. Juliet is smarter, knowing that what she felt for Romeo was probably not real. She's much more mature in this novel, having been alive for over 700 years. The plot was good and I enjoyed the challenges that Juliet faced throughout the novel, but the writing fell short for me. I wasn't in love with the characters and I found myself just wanting the book to be done. 

Juliet inhabits a new body whenever she comes back to Earth. The body she's in this time, Ariel, has been in an accident and she has burn scars all over her face. This is an important element to her character, but it's not explored as much as I would have liked. In no way did I want Juliet and Romeo to get back together, his character not at all charming like Ben was. He made a good villain, knowing everything about Juliet that she wished he didn't. As she tried to get her soul mates together while also trying to avoid her feelings for Ben, Romeo was always there, always showing her that he had her first. I had no idea how their story would play out in the end. And I was quite surprised and happy with the ending, which is the reason I gave this more than 2 stars.

The subtle additions for the original play kept my interest. Juliet's nurse became her mentor, the Friar Romeo's boss. The forbidden love between Juliet and Ben had the tellings for a real love story. Juliet learns throughout the novel that it's best that her and Romeo did not survive back then as there would have been no way for them to live without any money. The novel had its strong points, the plot moved quickly and the ending was dramatic, but there was something missing that made me not love it. I'm still eager to find a retelling that will give me the same feelings the original play did, hoping that tragic love can still be beautiful in modern times. 

“Real love has little to do with falling. It's a climb up the rocky face of a mountain, hard work, and most people are too selfish or too scared to bother. Very few reach the critical point in their relationship that summons the attention of the light and the dark, that place where they will make a commitment to love no matter what obstacles-or temptations- appear in their path.” 

Review: Breathe

Breathe
Author: Sarah Crossan
Published: October 2, 2012
373 Pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Inhale. Exhale. 
Breathe. 
Breathe. 
Breathe . . .
The world is dead. 
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Imagine The Lorax with a nice dystopian twist and more romance. This is what Breathe reminds me of. The world has no oxygen left since all the trees have been destroyed. Now, living in a pod in the middle of nowhere, society is trying to survive. The pod is separated into three sections, Premiums, Stewards, and Auxiliaries. Quinn is a Premium but his best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary. This doesn't stop him from helping her out with oxygen tanks and promising her vacations outside the pod. Alina is part of the Resistance. She has been stealing tree clippings from the Botany room in hopes of getting them to the Resistance outside the walls. But she needs help and she plan on getting it from Quinn.

The pod life is very realistic. The Auxiliaries are only given a certain amount of oxygen to survive and they need to buy more if the need it. Similar to a hydro bill, they are billed for the amount they use and most can't afford to do anything other than sleep and eat. Lovers can't make out without fear of having to pay more and not being able to afford it. The underclassmen can't exercise unless they have a portable tank, which only the Premiums have access to. There is a clear line of upper and lower class and it's not hard to imagine a world where we are separated so drastically like this. 

This story throws you right in. We are shown the pod through the eyes of the upper and lower class and they both see the problem. The Pod Minister is up to something and Quinn is stuck in the middle of it. So when he and Bea are on their way out of the pod for a vacation, he takes Alina up on her ask for help. He gets the three of them out of the pod safely but things are not what they on the inside or out. Soon they see the Resistance and what they've been planning. Fighting for survival with only the oxygen on their backs, these three teens will stop at nothing to prove what is really going on in the pods.

There are three view points, one for each main character, and Crossan finds a way to make the transitions smooth. I knew exactly who was talking based on the scenario and voice. I was never confused or had to check back at the beginning of the chapter to remind myself who was talking. Each how such different views of the world and I got to see exactly how this world played out to each of them. 

Dystopians have become very predicable to me. Maybe it's because I've read so many, but everything seems to play out the same. I like the  concepts that these authors are coming up with. I mean, none of know how the world will end or what will cause an apocalypse, so plausible ones, like no more trees, sound very real. There is sort of a love triangle but it doesn't play out so much so that I want to scream at the book. (Have I mentioned I hate love triangles?) And the actual love story seems realistic enough. There were a few twists and I certainly couldn't put the book down, but I expect The Hunger Games or Divergent when I read dystopians now and this didn't quite live up to either of those. 

I allow myself to be right here, in the moment, savouring the peace. All the millions and millions of stars remind me, too, how small and fragile I am. And unimportant, really. If this branch were to creak and moan and break under my weight, and I were to plummet to the ground, the stars in the sky would continue to decorate the world. And even if the last tree disappears from our planet, the stars will still be up there. 

41. Pushing The Limits

Book #41: Pushing The Limits
Author: Katie McGarry
Published: July 31, 2012
384 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

I wanted to absolutely love this book. I wanted to love it so much that I'd scream from the rooftops about it. I heard so many good things about it and I wanted to love it. Echo was beautiful, tortured and lonely, the makings of an interesting character. Noah ached of pain and good looks, a bad boy who just wants his life back together. The two of them supply enough tension to start a war. They were prefect and their stories were perfect, but I still didn't love it.

Maybe it's because I couldn't relate to any of their problems. They both live pretty messed up lives. Echo escaped her mentally ill mother and is now stuck with her dad and his new wife (her old babysitter). She also lost her brother, something I can't imagine living with. Noah's parents died in a accident and left him and his two younger brothers alone to foster care. Noah is separated from them and is doing everything he can to make them a family again. Echo just wants to know how her life turned out this way and maybe Noah does too. Dual narrations give complete insight into both of their minds, something that is handy when they first start getting involved with each other. 

Each chapter advances the plot, but I feel like the book could have been shorter. So much happened that didn't need to happen. Halfway through, I wanted something big to happen, but it never did. Maybe this isn't what the book was supposed to be. Maybe it is just about surviving, finding a way out of difficult situations and finding the one you're meant to be with. Maybe it was the fact that Noah called Echo "Baby" every time he spoke to her. I didn't find this to be very realistic. I don't read a lot of contemporary fiction, so that may be another reason why I was waiting for something that never came.

I would still recommend this book, especially to people who can relate to these characters more than I can.  The love story is nice and slow, making it truly believeable. Finding love when it seems like nothing good is happening in your life is a wonderful feeling and McGarry captures it through the eyes of both Echo and Noah, proving that love is out there for everyone. We all deserve our happy endings, some more than others. The pain, fear and torture that these characters have been through make their love story that much better. An inspiring book that I have no doubt teens will love.

If you’re scared, tell me. If you need to cry and scream, then do it. And you sure as hell don’t walk away from us because you think it would be better for me. Here’s the reality, Echo: I want to be by your side. If you want to go to the mall stark naked so you can show the world your scars, then let me hold your hand. If you want to see your mom, then tell me that too. I may not always understand, but damn, baby, I’ll try.

38. Under The Never Sky

Book #38: Under The Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Published: February 7, 2012
376 Pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.


I love finding new dystopians to add to my ever expanding collection. I give them high expectations, hoping for The Hunger Games or Divergent qualities. Under The Never Sky shows promise at being one of my favourites, but I think I'll need to read all three of them to know for sure.


I immediately fell in love with the premise. It not only felt dystopian, with the outside world constantly in danger from Aether storms, but there was also a great sci-fi element added. Those who could afford to live inside, live in pods where they can go into realms and live as though there is no danger out of the walls. They don't really know what's happening outside. They've been taught that anyone who lives out there is a Savage, dangerous and uneducated. Aria never expects to meet one. She lives her life comfortably, singing operas in realms and living any life she wants. But when her mom goes missing and she takes a chance at getting information, she ends up outside alone with nowhere to hide. Desperate to find cover from the Aether, she decides that she will find her way back home to save her mom. But when Perry comes into the picture, a Savage that proves everything she knows about them is wrong, they may just have to pair up in order to get the answers to all their questions.


Romance is the central theme here and I'm a sucker for it. Surrounded by danger, cannibals and the storm, Aria and Perry find a way to trust each other. Away from the ones they love, they find new ways to live, to love. The story is told from two different point of views, both third person, but both with distinct descriptions. You see how alike Aria and Perry are and that the only thing that separates them are the walls built around the pods. The Savages have developed in the the ways no one in the pods ever could. Heightened senses give them the ability to survive in the wilderness. Perry can see well in the dark and also read people's emotions. You soon realize that being an Outsider is much more complicated than living in the pods. There are tribes and rules and Aria does not fit into any of it. 


I think I would have connected with both Aria and Perry more if it had been written in first person. I'm forever a fan of this viewpoint because it leaves room to show emotions and thoughts that no one would see save for the narrator. Rossi does a good job with this even in third person, but I think it would have been much stronger told through the eyes of both Aria and Perry. They are both so different, raised in separate ways and born to different rules. They think different and see the world in their own ways. The viewpoints would have both been strong and stand all. I know there would be no doubt as to who was talking, so I wish this had been brought into the story. 


Death looms around every corner. I wanted to know what Aria and Perry would run into next and how well they would prove against it. Aria is fierce even though she's lived in a cage. Rossi does not tell us why the Aether came or how the pods came to be, but somehow it doesn't really matter. She sets the mood, sets the pace, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. A true Romeo and Juliet tale, this book will leave you wanting more.


“There are other things I'd rather do when I'm alone with you."
Time to step off the edge. "Then do them.”