The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel

Publisher: Entangled:Teen

Publication date: November 11th 2014 

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

-Goodreads description

I reaaallly liked this book. A lot more than I thought I would which is always a nice thing to say after spending about 8 hours of your life reading while you could be doing more productive things......but that's what books do to you. Sigh...Anyway, before I go off on a tangent, I wanna keep this nice and short and say that it's definitely the kind of book that deserves it's place on the TBR list and it perfectly represents the outsider of the Dystopian novels that have come out recently.

The characterization was totally on point and no character was left underdeveloped, and if so, it was for clear and intentional reasons. Ivy, the protagonist, was definitely an intriguing character who had depth to her personality and questioned the principles of her society and the beliefs she had been told. What I enjoyed most though was that I was able to feel her slow transition throughout the book which was greatly paced so that the readers could really indulge in her emotions and actions. However, by far, my favorite character was Bishop. I mean, there are not really that many characters in this book at all, but still, Bishop is my man <3 When Ivy first meets him, he seems detached and indifferent but quickly, you start to see him for the lovable, amazing, honest, sweet, cute and humble guy he really is... I really need to give two thumbs up to Engel for the depiction of her characters. Truly well done! 

Whilst I loved the characters, the setting for me and some of the details were kind of iffy. Like if this is a dystopian world, there really shouldn't be so many things available..like jeans and bikini's and stuff like that. I get that a lot of resources were left behind but they say no one ever goes beyond the fence because it is likely they die..so did they bring all those jeans with them when they first arrived decades ago? I don't know..maybe, it's something I missed but this was something that really stood out to me and not in a good way. 

Despite these mistakes, I still believe that this book is a great read and encourage you to try it!

                                                                   - Alana xxx

The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's sons

Publication date: October 7th 2014

I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

-Goodreads description 

I really loved this book! I knew before I even started it that I would love it seeing as I loved the Legend trilogy by Marie Lu. I will say that I put off reading it because the premise just didn't seem that intriguing to me AT FIRST. But boy was I wrong. If I had to have any regrets, it would be not having started it earlier! The characters and narrative are just so intriguing and real that I couldn't put if down.

The main character, Adeline Amouteru, is a malfetto; one of the few survivors scarred by the fever that swept through the country. In a country drowning in corruption, hunger and fear, Malfetto's are condemned for their strange abilities which have been blamed for the nation's downfall with rumors stating that they are cursed. Adelina comes from a wealthy family, a humiliation to her once successful; father. With no eye and bringing a handful of dishonor upon her family, she is hated by her father, his love solely reserved for her younger sister. Driven by his misfortune, her father agrees to sell her off to a bidder.

Adelina, though, will have none of that and attempts to run away. The big word to look our for is attempt. Yep, she's gone for about a 15 minutes and dear old dad shows up. Busted. Until that is, she kills him..total bad-assery intact. Unfortunately, not soon after, she is caught by Inquisition Axis, a group that means to hunt down the Malfettos. Immediately, she is sentenced to an execution by fire. At the last moment, she is saved. When she awakes, she finds herself with a group of malfettos called The Young Elites, her saviors, run by Enzo, the group's leader, Adelina's love interest and the rightful heir to the throne. In order to see if she can truly control her powers, she is tested. If she passes, she will become a Young Elite.

Definitely a favorite of mine is the characters. There is not one character that is badly developed or unappealing. In fact, I can't think of one character I really disliked. Crazy,right? But, it's true. Gahhhh, I just can't. They were all so perfect! Adelina was a bad-ass. Enzo was sexy...dark..mysterious... and RAFFAELE - A hottie with a body but that has a completely...platonic relationship with our protagonist. And let's not forget evil but misunderstood Teren.

Other plus points are the setting which is perfectly integrated into the story and just fits right in. The magical element is also very mature in its portrayal- no faerie dust or pixies here, guys. And you know what? The dark stuff is exactly where it's at.

I feel like I don't even need to write any more. All I need to say is that you should definitely read it! Like..now...right now.
                                                                   - Alana xxx

The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

Publication date: November 4th 2014

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.

There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.

She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.

She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived. 

-Goodreads description 

It's finally freakin' here. After months of anxious waiting, Michelle Hodkin has finally blessed us with the last installment in her best-selling series. I can unquestionably say that I have never read a series like this within the Young Adult book realm and this book is definitely an attestation to her unforgettably suspenseful writing style. Whilst it is a love story that puts quite an emphasis on romance, it doesn't feel like you're reading a romance novel. It feels authentic in its approach, combining fantasy, mystery and thrilling plot twists to keep the reader on their feet till the end.

Having read the previous book - The Evolution of Mara Dyer - quite a long time ago, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the plot. It starts off right where the 2nd book finished off and in truth, it can be pretty confusing and disorienting to place just what is happening as you begin the book. However, if you have read the 2nd book recently, you should definitely have no problem as even I was able to get back on track after the first few chapters of this 470 thrilling page turner. 

I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book as it was really different to anything I have read not only recently but in a veeeery long time. Within YA, I feel like there is an unwritten taboo about mental instability and insanity when combined with what is seen as a romance story. However, Hodkins is not afraid to dip her toe in the water, giving the reader a sense of the darkness the lurks within Mara's mind. I also love the fact she addressed real life issues within what is really a fantasy series. Rape amongst other controversial topics were delved into which is is a very risqué move on her part. So bravo to you Hodkins. 

The second half of the book was a bit of a let down for me compared to the fast-paced action and ominous atmosphere within the first part. This was a shocker for me as the initial half was not romance-filled and lets be honest, I'm a total romance chick at heart. However, it does not impact my overall thoughts of the book being an undeniably amazing ending to the series. Once again, I really enjoyed the secondary characters within the book such as Jamie and Stella as they brought comic relief to what were the most gruesome situations. Their contribution to the story is undoubtedly evident and a big reason why I was not as mentally scarred as I was. 

One thing I have to mention though is despite the usefulness of the Mara's flashbacks throughout the book, I did NOT enjoy them as they simply did not intrigue me. Nevertheless, this is due to my personal preference and subjectivity.

To conclude, a heart-stopping finale that lives up to Hodkin's reputation.

BTW, Linked below is an awesome free excerpt of Chapter 8 from the audiobook which I received from my friends over at Audible. Thanks!
                                                              - Alana xxx

Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa 

Publisher : Harlequin teen

Publication date: October 28th 2014 

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

- Goodreads description

Oh, Lordy, Lord. Where to begin? What can I say Julie, you deeply disappointed me with  this book. Before going into this, I was like, this will for sure be a solid read because of course, it Julie freakin' Kagawa. I absolutely loved the Blood of Eden series and quite liked the iron fey series too. I assumed that it would probably fall into place snugly between the two but boy, was I wrong. 

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was  because of its the ravishingly delectable  cover- I mean, just look at it-  but also because it held substantial promise in terms of plot however it fell disappointingly short. And by short, I mean like face planting before take off. There is really nothing to say about this book but that it was boring, held no interesting character development- they're freakin' dragons, for God's sakes- and it seemed to drag on and on and on and on for an infinite amount of time. 

I considered stopping when I reached about 1/4 of the way through however I really wanted to see if the book would get increasingly better as I read which it sadly didn't. Having said that, if the 2nd book were to be released, I might pick it up because its one of those series. The kind where you know it will be bad but you can't help but want to find out what happens, even though you have basically no interest in the characters themselves. Weird, I know, but I've learnt to roll with it. 

An unsatisfying start to a series which should only be read if all others options have been exhausted.

                                                                                     - Alana, xxx