Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi - Review

Title: Defy Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #5

Rating: 4/5

Plot: 

Shatter Me has been one of my favourite series for as long as I can remember, but this might be my least favourite. For some reason, Kenji is a fan favourite, so he got a big POV for a good portion of this book. Reading his perspective just felt overdone and like it was pandering to the fans, but I found myself skimming his parts just to find the 1-2 pages of Warner or Juliette (I mean Ella). Even the parts with Warner and Julitette seemed disappointing though. There was very little action and when there was action it went so fast I could feel myself getting hyped up about it. And it was always the kind of action where I never felt like the characters were in danger. 

Characters:

Juliette/Ella:

I get the idea behind the name change, really, but Juliette is such a beautiful name and basically erasing that and throwing a generic name like Ella (sorry to the Ellas out there) into the mix just makes me kind of sad. It’s like all that history of the first three books is just gone or it gives me a whole new perspective on it that I don’t like. I used to love the first three books and now I feel like everything in them was a lie. 

Warner:

Sweet boy. After Ignite Me his character started going downhill. Now he’s the kind of character where his only purpose is to argue with other characters, come off as the I-never-had-a-good-childhood-and-now-I-don’t-know-pop-culture character, and serve as Juliella’s (I’m using that as a coping mechanism) protector/worry about her all the time. It makes me sad. I still love him and I think he had some great character development in this book regarding his relationship with his father and learning about his past with Juliella, but I can’t help but feel like a part of that character I loved is missing.

Kenji:

Y’all already know how I feel about this boy. As far as I’m concerned, he’s there for comic relief and to be a friend to Juliella but other than that I can’t figure out why he is so overhyped. I can understand a small POV to get the perspective of the sector since Juliella and Warner weren’t available to come to the phone, but he had some thick chapters.

Overall:

There were some good parts to this. I particularly liked Juliella’s POV when she was being held, because it felt so intense and raw. 

I’m at that point where I kind of wish they just hadn’t come out with three more books and just left it at Ignite Me. Restore Me was okay, but now I’m just not in it anymore. This doesn’t even feel like the same series. And even though I love Warner and Juli…Ella together, their relationship just seemed off kilter and awkward in this book. Of course, that won’t stop me from reading the last book and it won’t stop me from preordering it and reading it as soon as I get it, but I already feel the disappointment on the horizon. I just hope it has the same satisfactory end as Ignite Me. 

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera - Review

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Rating: 4/5

Themes:
death, friendship, love, celebrating life, courage

There's something beautiful about death. When I picked this book up, I didn't even bother to read the synopsis because I had heard good things about it and I just wanted to charge right in. I would say spoiler alert, but the book itself is a spoiler.

Plot and World-Building:
Conceptually, the idea of Death-Cast is intriguing. The idea is that you get a call on the day you're supposed to die. No one knows how Death-Cast knows when you're going to die, but they are never wrong. The idea of knowing when you're dying has to be a heavy weight. Sure, some people get told they have a month, 6-months, a year, but these people get 24 hours maximum. And it's all via a phone call from people that their entire job is calling these will-be-dead people called Deckers. I could probably read a handful of books from this world because I have so many questions about it. Does this make people do more reckless things on days they don't get a call? Are people more outgoing? More violent? More loving? I think if we lived in this world I would get a panic attack in the middle of the night, just staring at my phone waiting for the inevitable and that just isn't healthy.

I need someone to talk to me about this because I find it very interesting and I want more details. Even though this story is told from the perspective of Mateo and Rufus, I like that Silvera added some snippets from other characters here and there. Not only did it show that effects of "the call" on other people, but it also showed how many paths crossed with Mateo and Rufus along the way.

Characters:
Overall, I really enjoyed the characters. Rufus doesn't necessarily have the best taste in friends, but they're loyal and they have his back until the end and I think that's really good. And yes, Peck, I would be extremely pissed off if my girlfriend's ex came out of nowhere and beat me up, but I don't think I would be so extremely pissed as to try and get him arrested or maimed on a day he is supposed to die. Just doesn't feel very worth it.

The characters in this were very diverse, which was a pleasant surprise. I particularly liked that Lidia was a single teenage mother that works hard to sustain them both. It shows a healthier side as opposed to what reality TV says about teen moms.

Mateo:
In all honesty, I thought Mateo was a recluse from the beginning and for the first half of the book I just wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him yelling "Live a little". Meeting Rufus was really good for him and watching that relationship grow and develop from the start isn't something easy to do in a 24 hour period of time.

The one thing I don't agree with is his initial feeling to not tell Lidia he's dying. It just isn't fair to her and that took precious hours that could have meant a lot.

Rufus:
Their contrasting personalities were interesting. Unlike Mateo, Rufus is tough and outgoing. But he has had a hard life, so I think meeting Mateo did him as much good. He needed someone to push the boundaries with him, emotionally, to help him open up a little.

Last Thoughts:
The fact that this is a YA book is earth-shattering. Usually, death is too real for people to handle, especially when it's set in a world so similar to ours and the characters so similar to people we know. I think that breaks a boundary and really drives home that life is short and we should take advantage of the time we have. Counting the minute and seconds won't get us anywhere. So, take the jump off the cliff, run around in the rain, tell that person you love them.

Vortex Visions (ARC) by Elise Kova - Review

Title: Vortex Visions (ARC)
Author: Elise Kova
Series: Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles
Release Date: February 4th, 2019
Rating: 3/5

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Edition of this book in exchange for an honest review**

For those of you that don't know, Vortex Visions is the first book in a new series in the same world as its sister series, Air Awakens. If you haven't read Air Awakens or finished the series, there is bound to be some spoilers in here, but, as the author Elise Kova has openly stated, you don't have to read Air Awakens before reading Vortex Visions. 

Also, my reviews tend to be a bit spoilery, so if you're not a fan of that I suggest going forward with caution. I do, however, try to keep plot spoilers and big events out so not to ruin the book for anyone.

For this review, I've decided to split this into a few categories; plot, world-building, and characters.

Plot: 
I picked this book up excited not only because I got to revisit the Solaris Empire, but because I would get to see some of my favourite characters all grown up and meet a whole bunch of new characters to accompany them. Instead, I got a lot of Vi complaining about her life, going to her lessons, and learning a bunch of new stuff that seems completely woven from scratch and not at all like the original series. Perhaps this is what Elise Kova meant when she said you don't have to read Air Awakens.

Quite honestly, and here's a spoiler so don't get mad when I say that the most interesting parts of this book were when Vi had run-ins with death. It's like with some fantasy series when the characters take long walks to get from place to place except there's no walking and it is all in the same general area but with a lot of thinking, extremely fake girl gossip, and complaining about how life isn't all that fair. You're not 13, Vi, it's time to grow up a little.

The disease, the White Death, was probably the best plot aspect of the whole book and something I hope to hear more about in future books.

The ending was okay. It was much like I expected given the rest of the novel, but at that point, I reached a point where I didn't really care about most of the characters involved, which is not great. I think it'll be a great way to push into book two. A lot of loose ends that make me want to pick up the next book.

World-Building:
Of course, Elise never disappoints with her world-building. I absolutely can't complain about it. And for those of you that read Air Awakens, were probably surprised about the inclusion of even more world-building in this! I must admit, part of me is very upset that there is a bigger world than what we previously thought. To me, it seems like that just makes the plights of the characters seem less worth it. In other words, why would a bigger kingdom in a bigger part of the world not matter more?

The magic aspect of Air Awakens was one of my favourite parts and by essentially belittling the powers of those in Solaris, it made me sad that Vhalla, who was seemingly so important, doesn't matter a whole lot in the grand scheme of the world. I'm really picky when it comes to magic systems and I happened to like how the magic system was in the first series, so the fact that that was all basically thrown out and replaced with the formulaic "words are power and are what drive power" idea is kind of irritating. It's how most magic systems are in a lot of other YA fantasy, so I expect something different because I kept thinking about Eragon by Christopher Paolini the whole time. Now that is a magic system with words that works.

Since J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, I think it has become a cliche that fantasy writers feel like they have to have elves in their writing. 5 books written in the exact same universe before Vortex Visions and there is no mention of "elfin" until this book. I understand that the world has expanded and that we are still learning about it, but this feels a little forced and I'm not for it.

Characters:
Vi:
As far as main characters go, I found her...bland. She came off as the typical character that was separated from the life she should have lived with very little freedom. And of course, she likes to go out and hunt. How very original. I found her less individual and more like a watered-down version of her mother, Vhalla. It's no wonder the Senate was unsure about her taking the throne seeing as she never set foot in their capital city, no one knew much about her, and her younger brother Romulin was living the life she essentially should have. I feel very little sympathy for her cause.

I think she did a lot of growing up throughout the book, though and I'm genuinely interested to see where the next book takes the rest of her journey.

Taavin:
He might have been my favourite part of the book. He was mysterious and intriguing, so I can't wait to dig into his character more. Especially with how this one ended *wink wink*.

Andru:
Poor, beautiful, misunderstood Andru is too pure for this world and deserves to be showered with love and attention. He was made out as a bad guy almost the entire book, but he has so much more to him.

Ellene:
Perhaps my least favourite character. Acts like the worst teenage stereotype I've ever seen. Quite disappointing, really.

Last Thoughts:
I can't lie, I liked Air Awakens far more than this and, for those of you that are reading this to decide where to start, I have to recommend you start there. This series can wait for you, but I also think, despite the deep flaws in this story, it is truly worth the read. There are enough characters that I care about, mainly from the original series, but a few in this as well, that I'm quite attached to and would like to see how they end up.

Another Day by David Levithan - Review

Title: Another Day
Author: David Levithan
Series: Every Day #2
Release date: August 25th, 2015
Rating: 5/5

**SPOILERS Y'ALL**

It has been a hot minute since I read a book that I genuinely thought I should write a review about, so here we go.

As a refresh of book one, Every Day is told from the perspective of A. A wakes up every morning in the body of a different person.  It's all they have ever known. Then, Rhiannon comes along. And for all of my Fleetwood Mac lovers out there, you know it changes everything.

Book two is Every Day but from Rhiannon's perspective. Now, it has been a good long while since I read the first book, but 4 pages in I was already caught up and hooked.

Let's just take a second to put yourself in A's shoes. A new body, new life? Sure, why not? Then you start to realize "Well then who do I talk to every day? My family? My friends?" This is exactly why my heart twists for poor A and Rhiannon just doesn't make it any better.

Right away, we are thrown into her relationship with her boyfriend, Justin, and he is just...so unlikable. It's one of those moments where you wish you could reach through the pages and grab Rhiannon by the shoulders, shaking her, and yelling "You cannot fix this!" Professionally, I don't think it is technically considered domestic abuse, but it's clear that she's grasping at straws to be with him.

The concept of a person like A is my favourite aspect of this series. The part that keeps echoing in my mind is when A finally tells Rhiannon that he jumps from body to body every day and she asked: "Are you a boy or a girl?" And A just kind of frowns: "I don't see myself as either." Don't mind my completely paraphrased quotes, but it's such a forward way of thinking that, as a reader, also causes me to think about how I would respond in that situation. A new body every day means different genders, different nationalities, different races, different body types, and poor A, who seriously deserves a break at this point, just can't seem to grasp why it matters to her what the body looks like when it's just A on the inside. That is heavy and poetic.

But it does matter, doesn't it? We all just see the outer surface, never looking past the shell and looking at the person on the inside. Be careful, a book like this might actually make you a better person! And seeing Rhiannon's preferences actually have an effect on A and how he/she feels about the body he/she is in is earth-shattering.

The ending is where this all gets a little iffy. Rhiannon can't be with A, because it's too complicated (too cliche?) and because she can't connect with some of the bodies A has (wears?). And A is such a delicate being that needs to be guarded and protected, because no matter how heartbroken and torn down he/she feels about their "breakup", he/she goes completely out of their way to find a guy he/she finds suitable for Rhiannon.

This book is just so good. Seriously, it left me thinking so much and I have no one to talk to about it. Someone, please talk to me about it.

Another Day is all about being better/caring more about yourself and accepting those around you for who they are. In reality, personality is all that should really matter to ANY of us! And it is all about breaking free from those people that are holding you back from being the best you you can be.

*casually adds book to Goodreads "favourite" shelf*

LGBTQIA+ Books

Since I was feeling a little beat up about season 7 of Voltron, I decided to compile a list of books that have characters that are LGBTQIA+. Enjoy!

Representation is a big deal in the modern age. While some of these books might not necessarily be considered "modern" and a few others might not be conventionally LGBTQIA+, they all DO have representation of one form or another. In an age where people are becoming more accepting, it is imperative to introduce diverse characters to our younger generations and even older generations to show them that there is absolutely nothing wrong with accepting who you are and how to accept the people around you. In recent years, I have seen this improve tremendously and can't wait to see how this improves even more in the future of print media, TV, and movies.

If there's a book you love that isn't listed below, or if you're an author with LGBTQIA+ rep in your book, feel free to drop the title/link to your book down in the comments. I tried to keep this list to ones that I had read, but I slipped in a few that I haven't gotten around to.



1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

2. Captive Prince by P.S. Pacat

3. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

3.5 The Iliad by Homer

4. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

5. Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

6. The Raven Cycle (series) by Maggie Stiefvater

7. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

8. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (series) by Rick Riordan

9. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

10. The Mortal Instruments (series) by Cassandra Clare

11. Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

12. Contagion by Erin Bowman

13. None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio

14. Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

15. Been Here All Along by Sandy Hall

16. Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde

17. At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson

18. Fence (graphic novel series) by P.S. Pacat

19. Every Day (series) by David Levithan

Earth's End by Elise Kova - Review

Title: Earth's End

Series: Air Awakens
Author: Elise Kova
Rating: 4/5

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.

Can we just take a minute to applaud Baldair on just being a genuinely amazing person? *soft clapping sounds in the distance* Lovely. I’m confident enough in my own ability to latch onto unsuspecting characters enough to be able to go out on a limb and say that he could possibly be my favourite character from this book. I know, I know, “But Price Aldrik is everything you love in a love interest, what has happened?!” Well, hear me out.

Alright, for starters, Aldrik legitimately creeped me the hell out. In Air Awakens and Fire Falling, it was like “Ooh dark prince, me likey”. And at the start of Earth’s End, this is much how I reacted. He was hurt, he needed Vhalla, and then his reaction to her absence when he woke up was just amazing and I freaking loved it. However, I don’t think Aldrik completely has his wits about. Not only does he essentially openly attack his father, but he does it in such a flamboyant and over-the-top fashion that it’s...unnerving. You know nothing good can come from that. Then, when he started snapping at Vhalla more and more about her “prying” I started getting those uneasy feelings that remind me of Tamlin from ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas. He is unstable and not in the sexy way that the dark prince usually is, but like serious disturbed. When Vhalla finally allows herself to see his drinking problem, I think that solidified my resolve. The fact that she turned to Baldair in that situation speaks volumes to me. Not to mention he put off his own affairs to help her. Aldrik is like...clingy in a creepy way and throws around “my love” WAY too often for it to be smart. Just saying, uneasy vibes.

There’s two more books to this series, I knew this one couldn’t have a happy ending. The fact that Aldrik and Vhalla both thought they could get away with their...to avoid spoilers...plan for the end of the war was just ridiculous. They basically flaunted their plan and were asking for it to be dismantled. Once again, I turn to Aldrik’s unholy reaction. I don’t know what it is with people and just pushing their significant other away at inopportune times, but stop. The last 10 pages were probably the best part of the entire book just because of the sheer magnitude of everyone’s reactions. Not to mention it’s when Vhalla is the most badass because she basically says “Screw you” to everyone and just *poof* disappears.

I love this series and the fact that I’ve been dragging it out as long as I have is both amazing and terrifying. I do hope Aldrik cleans up his act, because I’m getting real tired of his bs while Baldair is out there being the golden boy (ha). His character alone and a few of Vhalla’s “WTF” moments are the only reason I couldn’t bring myself to give this a full 5 stars, but it was STUNNING nonetheless.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Review

**Quotes based on the US paperback

“Name one hero who was happy...you can’t.” He was sitting up now, leaning forward.
“I can’t”
“I know. They never let you be famous and happy...I’ll tell you a secret.”
“Tell me.” I loved it when he was like this.
“I’m going to be the first.” He took my palm and held it to his. “Swear it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the reason…” (pg. 104-105)

The Song of Achilles tells a twist of The Iliad from the perspective of Patroclus. It follows the life of Patroclus from being a young, simple prince and all the way through the Trojan War. It tells a heartbreaking tale of him meeting Achilles and the progression of their relationship from strangers to companions to something more. 

I latched onto this story from the very start. In my freshman year of high school, before I knew this book even existed, I wrote a retelling of The Iliad where Achilles and Patroclus were implied lovers, but never explicitly said so. When I heard of this book, I knew I had to read it. This story was beautifully tragic and wonderfully heartbreaking. In the beginning, Patroclus is so depressing (yet somehow humorous) that you can’t help but feel bad for him and the bad luck the Fates seemed to bestow on him. 

“She wants you to be a god,” I told him.
“I know.” (pg. 55)

Watching Achilles grow in his experiences from a perspective other than Homer’s is unexpected and something I welcome. Seeing him embrace Patroclus as a friend so readily was so heartwarming. 

Thetis. The wrath I felt for the minor goddess was not something I had anticipated. She clearly loved Achilles and the fact that she wanted him to become a god is something I had never looked at before. Heracles became one, so why shouldn’t he? Her disdain for Patroclus was gut-wrenching and left me tense with every interaction. By the end, I was almost completely over her character, but the last few pages left me feeling only grief for the goddess.

“There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles,” Chiron said. “And perhaps it is the greater grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone. Do you think?” (pg. 84)

It was when the war came that I truly began to feel the full weight of this book. Anyone who has read The Iliad or read up a little on Greek stories/history knows there is only one way for this book to end. I saw a deep change in Achilles during the Trojan War. He was no longer the same innocent boy and he knew what the war would mean. Not only for himself, but for Patroclus. In the war, it is the first time Achilles feels the full weight of his mortality as realization sets in that he will not be a god.

Achilles was looking at me. “Your hair never quite lies flat here.” He touched my head, just behind my ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you how I like that.” (pg. 182)

Patroclus makes it clear to the reader that he has no intention of surviving the war or ever leaving Troy. He will do anything to keep Achilles alive and even goes as far as to keep him from killing Hector. It is a running theme during the war for Achilles to claim he has no reason to kill Hector. It is obvious that he is doing this not only to buy time from the Fates, but to remain with Patroclus for as long as possible. 

The time in war weighs heavily on Achilles and even starts to change who he is. His hubris begins to consume him as he realizes that the gods never promised how much or why he will have fame. Patroclus fears that people will remember him for the wrong things, the terrible things he does in war instead of the Achilles he knows and loves. There is even a time in which Patroclus considers suicide in a fit of rage to punish Achilles for his selfishness. 

I forced my voice to match his in lightness. “I’m sure you’re right. After all, Hector hasn’t done anything to you.”
He smiled then, as I had hoped he would. “Yes,” he said. “I’ve heard that.” (pg. 247)

This book was the most beautiful book I have ever read. I could read the story of Achilles and Patroclus and still cry at the end. That is how amazing this is. I could go as far to say that this is now my favourite book and that I play to read it many many more times in the future. The Song of Achilles truly makes you appreciate the time you have while on earth, however short it may be. 

Achilles makes a sound like choking. “There are no bargains between lions and men. I will kill you and eat you raw.” (pg. 344)

The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan - Review

Title: The Hidden Oracle
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Trials of Apollo #1
Format: Hardback
Pages: 376
Rating: 3.5

Chiron galloped over. "Thank the gods!"
"You're welcome," I [Apollo] gasped, mostly out of habit. 

It took me forever to even pick up this book. I loved Percy Jackson and the Olympians series so much (it has to be in my top 5 series...ever). When Heroes of Olympus came out, I was up the freaking wall, because we were finally going to see more of the gang! Only to be disappointed after the first book was all new characters. Of course, that series progresses and I eventually fell in love with it as well. I thought it was over. Rick was writing his Norse series, I wrote my farewell to Percy Jackson, and I thought the story had ended.

Trails of Apollo. I saw the clips on YouTube about it and couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I love Apollo. He's probably one of my favourite Olympian gods, because he's quirky and the way he never sees anything as his fault amuses me to no end. He reminds me of Narcissus, because he's always talking about how everyone surely must love him and his beauty and his wit. For the first hundred pages or so, that is exactly what I got, but in human form! I understand that, as a human, Apollo would feel differently about some things or care about things he normally wouldn't have as a god, but this is his third time as a mortal, surely if the first two times didn't really change who he was, the third time around would be no different...so why does he get so weepy and sad about...everything!?

Meg...when we were introduced to her it left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't like Meg from the start and I still don't. She gives off the "I'm so tough" vibe/act that authors sometimes give female characters to "appeal" to the female audience and I absolutely hate it. I'm not saying that girls can't be tough or whatever, but you don't need to stress it so much. Just let whatever happens happen.

For some reason, everyone at Camp Half-Blood seems really ready to make fun of Apollo or pick on him, which really doesn't make sense to me. Even though he's in mortal form, he might at some point be a god again and boy wouldn't you look stupid if he came up and wiped that smile off your face. Which I am 100% convinced he would do once he was back in his godly status and ready to beat the ever living crap out of the people that wronged him.

And now, the entire reason I couldn't bring myself to give this book four stars...LEO.

Yeah, that's right, I can't stand him. I find him such an unlikable Jason/Percy wannabe and he simply can't be them because it is not his destiny to be as good as them. So, after I thought he died in HoO, you're telling me I have to sit through 5 more books with him as the main character bringing little to the table and being annoying the entire time!? Awesome. Just freaking spectacular. All the snip-its I was seeing before this even came out was all about Percy and Apollo interacting and now you're telling me that instead of my beautiful, awesome Percy paired up with turned-human Apollo fighting to save the world I get Leo and weepy Apollo with god-turned-human Calypso that probably won't end up doing much? This should get interesting real fast.

*quietly* I just want more Percy....

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes - Series Review/Recap/Overlook

Bear with me, this review/recap/overlook will include spoilers and my own personal opinions of the events that take place in the books Falling Kingdoms, Rebel Spring, Gathering Darkness, Frozen Tides, and Crystal Storm. If any of these are spoiled for you in the upcoming post, it is now your own fault, for I have given you this warning. I, in no way, own Falling Kingdoms or the characters in it.

Clearly, this being about the first 5 books in a rather long, tasking series, this will be a super long post. I will try my hardest to keep spoilers at the minimum, despite my prior warning, and I will do my best to keep this in sections. I will talk about the character evolution, the relationship evolution, and the plot evolution. As a reminder, these are my opinions and I don't mean to offend anyone.

Evolution of Characters

Princess Cleiona Aurora (Cleo) Bellos of Auranos: It's safe to say that Cleo is one of my favourite characters. Her transition from book one Cleo to book 5 Cleo is amazing and truly inspiring. She's forced to become this strong, deceitful person so quickly, you can't help but fall in love with her. In the first book, she is so happy-go-lucky and loose, she hates the Limerians by the end of book one, understandable. By the end of book five, though, she's in love with her worst enemy. Strong, proud, and willing to do anything to get her throne back. All the loss she has endured, it's only fair that something should finally go her way.

Prince Magnus Lukas Damora of Limeros: Magnus, like all the main characters, also went through a great transition. It's obvious in the first book how closed off and cold he is toward everyone, which is no surprise given his parents. The only light being Lucia in his life for so long. The end of book five was so incredibly heartbreaking for me, reading what happens to him (shan't spoil). After being with Cleo through so much, he finally opens up and when he does, it just turns on him. I just feel so bad for him. And I love him. So much.

Princess Lucia Eva Damora of Limeros: Being almost the sole hope for so many people must be a struggle in itself, but when everyone is fighting over the same power, it must be so much harder. I'm not saying that Lucia's loss of Alexius is anything to excuse the destruction she caused after the fact, but I feel like she should be cut some slack at the very least. It's possible, I think, for Lucia to redeem herself in the last book, having finally seen through the thick fog that blinded her for so long.

Jonas Agallon: Regardless of what I've read about Jonas, I find he has very few layers to his character. Simple peasant boy turned rebel. In ways it's so predictable, it should be expected. But as a rebel leader, Jonas fails in so many ways, seeing as his plans seem to almost never work and even when they do they result in a great loss of life. I understand his rage against losing his brother, but in his quest for revenge, he basically left his family behind and almost single handedly caused the Auranian battle in book one.

Felix Gaebras: King's assassin turned rebel. Somehow trained by some of the world's hardest people, yet manages to get in the clutches of Princess Amara and imprisoned. I'm not going to say that Felix's actions earned him his current position, but Felix's actions earned him is current position.

Nicolo (Nic) Cassian: I've loved Nic since book one. His banter with Magnus (whom he needs to make friendship with) alone is great, but his friendship with Cleo is the most pure thing ever and they deserve to be friends forever. He's just so sassy despite losing his sister and he's so strong and independent, I just love it! P.S. Nic, please be okay.

Princess (Empress??) Amara Cortas of Kraeshia: Power hungry. To the very core, power hungry. I hope she gets what she deserves in the long run.


Relationships

Magnus/Cleo (Magneo): Nothing in this world or the next could possibly convince me that they don't 100% belong together. They are passion and love and if they ruled together, they could become the most powerful couple, I'm convinced.

Jonas/Cleo: Dead end romance? Seemed like they had something going on that just kinda died off.

Lucia/Magnus: Started out super gross, but ended out being okay. I don't ship it, but I do want them to make up and be close again. It's the least that Magnus deserves.

Magnus/King Gaius: Super intense. Every scene with them is a show-down and I have to slow down to take in every minute. When Magnus finally stood up to him, I practically cried. Yet Gaius continues to intervene with Magnus's life, as if anything he does could fix their relationship.

Nic/Cleo: Worlds strongest/best friendship

Ashur/Nic: I want them to be happy. Let them be happy *looks hopefully at Morgan Rhodes*

Lysandra/Jonas: I'm actually convinced that they would never have worked out. Jonas was so in love with Cleo and then suddenly he's in love with Lys? SPOILER Right after she died?! I just don't believe it.

SERIES AS A WHOLE

To get across just how much I love this series, keep in mind that in order to properly do this post, I reread all five books and book marked pages I thought were important. And after I finished book five like yesterday, I wanted to start all over again. This series is so beautiful and I can't believe I called it a Game of Thrones wannabe the first time I read book one. I am so happy I decided to keep reading, it really shows that you should never judge a series by the first book. I will actually cry very real tears when I finish the last book, but until then I'll just reread the series until my books fall apart.

Traveler by L.E. DeLano - Review

Title: Traveler
Author: L.E. DeLano
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

Fair warning: may be spoilers

So, I put off this review for a while solely because I'm not entirely sure what to say about it without being repetitive of the review I wrote a while back. Of course, this book is the final copy, therefore different, but for the most part, it's the same.

It is no secret that I absolutely love this book and that it's one of my (if not my all-time) favourite books and has been since I first read it on Swoonreads.com. The way DeLano writes is like I'm actually in the pages of the book. From page one through the last page, you are having adventures with Jessa and Finn. With this writing, you are a Traveler. And I think that's all a book lover really wants. To have the adventure of a lifetime. So, when you read a book that gives you the sense of that adventure, what more could you ask for? Besides a book 2, of course.

I could read this book a dozen, a thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, a million times and I will fall in love with it every time. I could read this book until it falls apart in my hands, turns to dust, and I have it memorized and I would still fall in love with it. In a day and age where supposedly there are 'no unique story ideas', L.E. DeLano sure did find a way.

Now that I have my swooning (see what I did there?) out of the way, let's get down to some points and characters.

Let's start with Jessa; creative, clever, caring (especially when it comes to family), and down to earth. In the beginning, Jessa comes off as the normal day-to-day teenager; school, work, home, repeat, but Jessa is a writer. Her dreams are so vivid that she can take those and put them on a page like no other. That is, until she meets a guy from her dreams. After some coaxing, Jessa finally gets the truth behind her vivid dreams. She is a Traveler, a person who can travel between the different realities using reflective objects. But all is not as it seems as Jessa learns that being a Traveler isn't all it's made out to be. Some of her "other lives" don't have it as well as she does, not to mention she's being hunted in every reality.

Finn. The thing that I just can't get over about this book is that you can have one character, but actually have him be like a hundred different characters at the same time. But he's still always the same character. It might be a little confusing when you look at it that way, but trust me, it makes sense. I can't say much about Finn without giving away some things, but just a warning, this character will make you cry at every turn.

Another thing about DeLano that just blows me away is that she must have had to come up with dozens of back stories and lives for every reality, because they are literally so detailed and insightful, it's almost hard to believe. I could spend weeks just reading about all the different realities and how they differ from the one we're in.

There's just so much about this book that I love that if I went over everything I want to, this would win an award for world's longest review, so I'll just leave it to the reader to find all the amazingness (and pirates). This story and this world has so much to offer, I can't believe I have to wait a year for book two!

The Rose Society by Marie Lu - Review

Title: The Rose Society
Series: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Rating: 5/5


Okay, to sum it up, I'm very dissatisfied with the steps that were taken throughout the novel. Beware of spoilers, because I have a lot to say about this.

I do not like what happened to Enzo. I can understand that it was for plot and character development. As well as the whole "telling from the perspective of the villain" idea. I get it, really. But I shipped Adelina and Enzo sooooo hard and, regardless of the things that happened in this novel, I still freaking do. Magiano is great. He has a good vibe and I think he has great chemistry with Adelina that I would love to see more of in the next book.

I just don't understand why Adelina can't just explain what happened. Why can't she get the Daggers together and calmly explain to them and Enzo what exactly happened when he died. Maybe then they could work together again. Or perhaps I misread entirely and no one was willing to hear her out, but me thinks it's more because she craves the power to herself. Either way, I find it upsetting.

It probably seems like I'm just spewing a bunch of hate, but while I don't agree with the course of things, I can't deny that this was still an amazingly written book. The ending especially is what finally convinced me that this was a five star book. No matter how much I hate Violetta, I can't turn away the fact that she does have a point about what's happening with the Elites and while my fondness of Raffaelle has turned rotten and sour, it won't blind me to the fact that he has discovered a genuine problem. I can't wait to see how Lu decides to execute this in the last book.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - Review

Maybe 4.5

Great way to start off the year! Beginning was a little slow, but amazing once it picked up!
---
Okay, after further reflection, I decided I should go a little more in depth about the first book I read for 2017.

I absolutely, positively, with out a single doubt in my mind, hated Helene with a burning passion to the point where I can't even explain why without it sounding fake. She tries...way to hard to be tough. And I get it, she is, and in a world full of boys that aren't necessarily trained with boundaries and respect for women, she is forced into taking on a tougher persona even more than she would have. Yet, from the minute we met her I just knew she was a bad seed. And the way she interacted with Elias was just not okay with me and my disinterest in her and her life just went all the way through the ending and will probably carry into the next book.

Elias. Dear, poor soul. I did get a little tired of his 'taking the high road' personality where he looked down on basically everyone, but I got over it. He and Laia...I love it. I'm not blind though, I see the instalove, I can't ignore it, it's there, but it doesn't change the fact that I love them so much. I'm excited to see them in the next book without Helene there to interfere with my little mental image of the happy ending (Is that even a thing?).

Laia.
Honestly, not that sure what to say about her. Well, if I had one thing to tell her I would say "Your mother doesn't seem that great." Am I the only one that thought that? Based on what I know about her, she seems to have had a god complex, while her father was the real caring, smart one. Laia must take after him a lot, but her courage is probably from her mother's side. To a degree, I would compare Laia's mother to the Commandant. But enough about the mother. I like Laia. She's tough and on more than one occasion I was genuinely scared for her, but dang she can be stupid. For reasons that I won't bring up because I don't want to spoil, but if you read it, you know what I mean.

Overall, it was a great book. Truly. Quite excited to read more.

Just a Few Inches by Tara St. Pierre - Review

Title: Just a Few Inches
Author: Tara St. Pierre
Format: Paperback
Pages: 306
Rating: 4.5/5

To see my interview with Tara St. Pierre, go here!

I received a review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my review.

Carrie Roberts is your normal teenage girl that has something completely abnormal happen to her. She's shrinking...in height. After taking some weight loss pills to fit into a dress for the school formal, Carrie loses a little more than 'just a few inches'. Soon, Carrie finds herself shrinking almost an inch every day. The problem? She doesn't know how to stop it. The doctors don't know how to stop it. And even if they stop it, they don't know if they can reverse it. And every one starts asking the question. What if Carrie never stops shrinking?

This book was spectacular. In the beginning, I found it a little slow going. I didn't particularly like Todd and I found the small interactions between Carrie and her friends tedious at times. As for her feeling the need to lose the extra weight, that just made me mad. She's a cheerleader and is obviously popular at school with friends that care about her and her boyfriend is practically a star in the eyes of the school, yet, basically out of spite, she buys a dress she knows won't fit her, just to prove a point?! Ugh. I can understand wanting to aggravate your mortal enemy, if even a little, but ladies, please don't do harm to your bodies to prove a point, you are worth more than that and you all look beautiful.

Carrie doesn't notice that she's shrinking right away, until she notices that she's looking up at a friend she's usually level with and level with a friend she's used to looking down at. If you're like me, then you're already barely five foot tall and wouldn't notice losing another inch or two (but what I wouldn't give to have an extra three inches, eh?), but for a 5' 8'' Carrie, this is a drastic change. Carrie's shrinking puts into perspective of who her true friends are and who she really wants in her live. Once things get more serious, you start to wonder if Carrie will ever stop shrinking...but I'll leave it to the reader to figure that one out.

There's this one part near the end of the book that really showed the real danger that Carrie got herself in. Being about the size of a doll and a little sister with little friends that don't believe in people Carrie's size...you can understand how quickly things can go wrong there. My heart started pounding and I was flipping the pages so fast I thought I might rip a page. This ending is amazing and, while it scared the crap out of me, was probably my favourite part. Certainly a must read for someone looking for a fun, quick read.

The White Rabbit by David Balzarini (ARC) - Review

Title: The White Rabbit
Author: David Balzarini
Format: Epub (ARC/beta)
Pages: 238
Release: 6/7/2016
Rating: 4/5

Marshall Lisser is a wannabe rock musician with a talent for singing, song writing, and guitar playing. While at a party, Marshall's life changes forever. Silvia Sorenstam is a goddess. She's mysterious, she's beautiful, and she's nothing but trouble. After a week long relationship, Marshall and Silvia are wed, with more trouble than they bargained for. As if family problems weren't enough, Silvia becomes pregnant. The secrets just start piling up from there and you know what they say about secrets. Once you start keeping secrets, it's hard to stop. It's a good thing Silvia and Marshall are bound together in sickness and in health.

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting to get from this book, but what I got was not what I thought. In all honesty, I think by not reading the summary before reading the book, I actually managed to get surprised by things addressed in said summary. So, maybe sometimes going in blind makes the reading experience better?

In any case, I have some very mixed feelings about The White Rabbit. On one hand, I do love how Alice in Wonderland references were made throughout the book. The drama was without a doubt the best thing that this book had going for it. It got to the point where I felt like every time I flipped the page, things just escalated.

Silvia made me repeatedly mad from start to finish. Moral of the story, if you meet a beautiful naked women covered in body paint at a party, you should run the other direction. Yet, even with all her awful qualities, I thought that maybe, just maybe, there would be some kind of redeeming moment for her. Marshall. Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. So misled, so stupid, so blind. That's really all I can say. This book not only gives, what I would consider, a realistic perspective on the music industry and then layers it with so much deception. I think the ending was rushed. It could have been a little more detailed or built up to, because by the time I reached a certain point that I won't talk about to avoid spoilers, I read and passed it. I had to go back and reread it a few times for it all to sink in.

Overall, this was an interesting book. I'm glad I read it, because I did enjoy it. And, yes, the characters made me mad the majority of the time and there were some parts that were detailed that could have been simplified and some were simplified when they could have been detailed, but The White Rabbit didn't disappoint.

With Malice by Eileen Cook (ARC) - Review

Title: With Malice
Author: Eileen Cook
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 320
Rating 5/5


**I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

When Jill Charron wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of the past six weeks, her life is in ruins. The accident that put her in the hospital also killed her best friend, Simone. The worst part? Jill was the one driving and everyone seems to think that the accident wasn't really an accident. Soon, Jill finds herself facing reporters and the harsh people on the internet that all seem to have one thing in common. Everyone thinks that Jill killed Simone. If only Jill knew what really happened. Was Simone's death really an accident?

First thought after finishing With Malice? "Oh. My. Gosh."

Pulling you in from page one, With Malice shows not only the struggles of Jill and how she has to deal with foreign police, her own injuries, and a blog that's basically dedicated to trying to prove her guilty, but also the side of crime that I think many books leave out. About half of the book is dedicated to the reports given by the police, friends of Jill and Simone, random locals that witnesses the accident, and people they met along the way while in Italy. Giving these point of views really helps bring out how words and events can be twisted around. From people wanting the spotlight to honest misreading of the scenario, With Malice has it all.

Let's talk characters.

Victim or not, I didn't like Simone from the start. She seemed like the kind of person to trip someone in the hallway just so she could have a laugh or the kind of person to get someone else in trouble for something she did, because it would suit her better to play innocent all the time. Her character just sat wrong with me from cover to cover and I stick to that.

I felt bad for Jill, but I almost felt bad for feeling bad. Dealing with memory loss has to be awful, but when put in a situation where everyone's asking "What happened?!" it certainly has to be worse. Especially since everyone thinks she was the one to blame for the accident, most people probably thought she was pulling the memory loss card just so she doesn't have to tell her side. I think that's awful. But with the lingering "Was is really an accident?" question floating around, I didn't want to feel bad for her just in case she was to blame.

Nico. I didn't trust him. No good looking foreign smart guy has good motives. Not to mention he's obviously a flirt. And the very thought of committing murder-suicide for the likes of him (or any guy in general) should be unthinkable, but in this day and age, there's just no way to know for sure.

I picked up With Malice with the promise of a fast paced, electrifying story that I wouldn't be able to put down and I'm glad to say that I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Cook knows exactly what the reader wants, mixing in mystery, violence, friendship, and romance in a way that's just right for the story. With Malice keeps you guessing from the very start, causing you to try and make connections with outlandish theories and assumptions that keep you hooked from start to finish and leave you wanting more.

Alienated by Melissa Landers - Review

Title: Alienated
Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Alienated
Book: 1
Format: Hardback
Pages: 344
Rating: 5/5

Cara Sweeney is given the opportunity of a lifetime. Being the host of the first L'eihr exchange student. As much as it's an honour, it's also a curse. People of HALO (a group of humans against the L'eihr) are building their ranks. Tensions are rising quickly and on the verge of riot when Aelyx lands. Cara's friends begin to turn on her one by one and soon there's no one to trust.

Aelyx is less than pleased about being on Earth. The colours are too bright, the people are too touchy and harsh, and the food tastes like an explosion. But life on Earth isn't all bad once you look past the group of protesters. Cara gives him his space and actually attempts to make his time on Earth mean something, but secrets are brewing and they can only stay hidden for so long.

Sci-fi is certainly one of my favourite genres, tied with fantasy. And boy does Melissa Landers know how to write sci-fi! From page one I was sucked into Cara and Aleyx's lives. A world where everyone knows about and alien race that lives on an almost polar opposite Earth? Sign me up.

Seeing Aelyx's transformation made me so happy. He showed so much growth and development over the course of the book. I felt so bad for him in the beginning. He lands on Earth and instantly feels homesick, because of the bright, earthy colours, then people keep touching him, which just throws him off even more. THEN to keep the bad times rolling, he can't even eat the Earth food, because it's so overpowering. BUT WAIT, HALO is trying to get him shipped away back to L'eihr and makes him feel as unwelcome as possible by protesting and shooting him nasty looks everywhere he goes. It gets to the point where Cara and her family can't go anywhere, because no one will serve them.

I think Alienated really shows just how harsh people can be and how we refuse to trust people and adapt to change. People need to be more open minded and willing to hear the other side of the story before completely jumping the gun and rioting without cause.

Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to read more about Aelyx and Cara in Invaded.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - Review

Title: Dragonfly in Amber
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander
Book: 2
Format: Hardback
Pages: 745
Rating: 5/5


Goodreads excerpt:
For nearly twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland’s majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones... about a love that transcends the boundaries of time... and about Jamie Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his.
Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire’s spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart... in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising... and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves.

I truly don't know where to begin with this. Usually I start off my reviews with summarizing the book in my own words and then giving my views, but the volume of this book seems near impossible to sum up on my own. Despite the fact that there are over 700 pages to this story, I found that I read this fairly quickly. Going into this, I expected to be reading this at least two weeks, but within the second day of actually reading it, I was well over halfway through. Looking back, the story wasn't even all that interesting. Most of the story was Claire and Jamie going about their normal business with added flare ups of action here and there. Yet, even though I usually detest excess description (which this book is certainly not lacking), I found myself interested in the nitty gritty details that made up this great historical novel. Yes, believe it or not, the history is what ends up drawing you in. The raw material that Gabaldon brings is unlike any other historical fiction novel I've ever read. Not only does it give the harsh reality of hygiene and health as a whole, but also the politics and the economic setbacks that I hadn't expected.

Let's take a moment to look at time travel.

There is no definite way to write time travel. Until someone has gone back in time and actually been able to write out their experiences, which may never happen, then we will be able to understand it. Even then, going back in time may potentially change everything, causing you to never go back in time to begin with. Thus the paradox starts and everyone reading this gets a headache, because this could literally go in a loop forever. My thoughts on time travel. In my mind, time (construct of human intelligence or not) forms to changes. Meaning, what we live in now is how it always has and always will be, because even if people go back in time, that means that they must have done it already. There is no one time and it's all happening at the same time, so in reality, no one can change time, because time is as time does. With that being said, I love how time travel is incorporated. I admire any author that even dares to touch time travel simply because it's so complicated and uncertain. Claire keeps thinking time and time again that her movements will effect how her life was back in the 1940s, but time is funny and she had already made all those moves before she was even born. It's so completely fascinating that I really don't know if I can get my views on this across without completely confusing people. Now, with my little rant out of the way, I agree 100% with Gabaldon's view of time travel. Love it.

As for everything else, I just love Claire and Jamie's relationship, but dangit they make me so mad sometimes. They're so hot and cold that it drives me insane, but they're so intense that you can't help but love every second of it. I really feel for Claire in this book, she deserves her happy life with Jamie and reality keeps throwing obstacles in the way. Overall, this was a incredible second installment to the Outlander series and I'm so excited to see where it goes in books to come.

The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos by Kristin D. Van Risseghem - Review

Title: The Guardian, a Sword, & Stilettos
Author: Kristin D. Van Rissegham
Series: Enlighten
Book: 1
Format: Paperback
Pages: 260
Rating: 3.5/5

**I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review**

Zoe Jabril's life completely changes when she finds out her best friend is an angel. Things get even stranger when it turns out he was sent to be her guardian angel. Zoe is the supposed Redeemer, meant to keep the devil at bay, but meant to bring about Armageddon in the process. Only Zoe can stop the end of the world from happening. If she's the Redeemer, she will take on her true form when she turns 18, sprouting wings and taking on her angel form. It doesn't help that, along with the weight of the world, demons are trying to kill her at every turn and her feelings for the nephillim, Shay, are amplified beyond anything she's ever felt before. Can Zoe overcome her feelings and do what she needs to before the devil is released? Or is Armageddon hopeless to stop?

I found that this was a quaint, fast read. The story had a good flow and made me want to keep reading. I can't help but note, though, that every guy in this book is model-like and charming. I understand that 2/3 of the guys are of some angel form, but you have to draw a line at some point. While I love Shay, he's simply too open. I respect it, but even nephillim guys can't be that willing to be open about their feelings. Other than that, the relationship between Shay and Zoe is adorable and I ship them so hard. The music references threw me off a little. I was willing to let it by with Glad You Came by The Wanted, but I draw a line at One Direction. Guys aren't usually open about stuff like that, especially to the point where they admit to having their emotions take over when listening to a certain song, it just threw me off. I liked this book, but it focused more on relationships and talking about Armageddon rather that actually trying to stop it. If there's a whole new world opened up to a completely ordinary person, I want the action behind that, there was more time for talking before, now we need action! I'll place an assumption that there's more action in the next book. Overall, it was a lovely book and I can't wait for the story to continue on to the next book!

The Young Elites by Marie Lu - Review

Title: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Series: The Young Elites
Book: 1
Format: Hardback
Pages: 355
Rating: 5/5


When a terrible blood disease storms through Kenettra, the land is left with a surprise. Most of the young people that survive come out of the disease differently, some with terrible markings and scars, some with mild changes, but all are outcasts. They are called malfettos. Some malfettos are different than others. While all of them are marked by the disease, only a few of them develop abilities. Adelina lost her left eye to the disease and is a malfetto, cast aside by her father and forever living in the shadow of her younger sister who came out of the disease unmarked. After a horrible accident, Adelina finds herself among a group of Young Elites that call themselves the Dagger Society, but darkness is growing and no one can trust anyone.

Marie Lu never fails to amaze me with her lovely writing and utterly heartbreaking stories. She pulls together things that some authors never seem to think about. I don't know many female leading characters that have been scarred to the extent of losing an eye. And then there's so much darkness that you can't help but get sucked into the story. Main characters are almost always these light, bright people that are trying to bring out the good in everyone, but with The Young Elites, they embrace the darkness. 

I could never get enough of Enzo. His character fascinates me. Especially when he's with Adelina, because I feel like we didn't really get a lot of their relationship. Minus a roadblock or two, I really hope we get to see more of the two of them in future books. Then, there's Raffaele. Sweet, beautiful Raffaele that made me so sad over and over again. Yet another surprising thing Lu brings to the table, Raffaele is a consort in a 'pleasure court', which is a nicer and a watered down version of a brothel. Overall, I truly can't wait to get my hands on The Rose Society.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh (ARC) - Review

Title: I Let You Go
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Pages: 369
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Excerpt:
I Let You Go follows Jenna Gray as she moves to a ramshackle cottage on the remote Welsh coast, trying to escape the memory of the car accident that plays again and again in her mind and desperate to heal from the loss of her child and the rest of her painful past. At the same time, the novel tracks the pair of Bristol police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this hit-and-run. As they chase down one hopeless lead after another, they find themselves as drawn to each other as they are to the frustrating, twist-filled case before them.

There's not a lot I can say about I Let You Go without giving away half of the plot. What I can say is that this is the first suspense/thriller book I've read that actually gave me that thrilling feeling, like the plot kept building and building until I finished the book. At first I thought this would be a standard mystery book. The whole "Who Did It?" kind of thing where you take the pieces and put them together within the first one hundred pages. However, around the 100 mark, I realized just how wrong I was. I Let You Go is a terribly heartbreaking novel that fixates on loss and pain, but in a way that constantly throws your guesses in the wrong direction. This book shows more than one side of the story, breaking it up into three major viewpoints. The viewpoint of Jenna (the main character), the police force, and closer to the middle of the book a special someone that I can't talk about without spoiling. I Let You Go is the perfect tragedy novel with a little something that sucks everyone in at some point. The constant twists and turns keep you guessing and once the story picks up, it's hard to put it down.