Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) - Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings

Goodreads summary:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

There is darkness sweeping across the stars.

Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness: a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her fearsome glass starship the Maurader, she’s just Andi, their captain and protector.

When a routine mission goes awry, the all-girl crew’s resilience is tested as they find themselves in a most unfamiliar place: at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter connected to Andi’s past and a harrowing betrayal.

Meanwhile, on the far side of the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The final pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship—or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles towards the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only thing certain is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

From internet sensation Sasha Alsberg and author Lindsay Cummings comes a new serialized space opera, full of action, fantastical intrigue, and steamy star-crossed romance. ​

For fans of popular sci-fi books and fantasy books for teens such as Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Wool by Hugh Howey, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, and A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.


My review:

3.5/5

I love Sasha Alsberg's channel, ABookUtopia, so I had to read her first novel, written in collaboration with Lindsay Cummings. I was a bit surprised by the length of it, even though I was aware that it was only part of a novel, but I wasn't disappointed at all.

I'm afraid that I can't say much about the novel right now, because I would have to read the entire novel, instead of parts of it, to have a real opinion about it. However, I can say that I liked what I read so far. I liked the writing, and the plot seemed quite interesting, even if it's just blooming at this point. Even though it's done in short parts, I feel like this one could have been a bit longer, because it would have been easier to understand the story and the characters if there had been a bit more explanations.

I'm excited to read the other parts of Zenith, because I really want to find out more about this interesting world and its characters. Also, this part ends on a sort of cliffhanger, so I can't wait to continue reading!

The Cinderella Pact - Sarah Strohmeyer

Goodreads summary:

In this funny and big-hearted story by the author of The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives, three best friends make a pact to transform themselves into the glamorous women they've always wanted to be.

Nola Devlin has a secret identity. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column- she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even Nola's two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.
When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact"- a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.

But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the return of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince - or the rat in coachman's clothing.


My review:

I have watched the movie adaptation of The Cinderella Pact about ten times over the past few years, so when I found out, only years after watching it for the first time, that there was a book, I knew I had to read it. As different as both versions can be, I think they're pretty much just as good, which doesn't happen often! Then again, the last time I watched the movie, I was probably 14, so maybe it's much worse than I remember it to be.

I already knew and loved (or hated) some of the characters from the movie, so I was happy to see that they were very similar to the ones in the book. Nola and her friends are amazing ladies and I was glad to see even more of their friendship when I read the book. I could understand their motives for getting healthier, because it's obvious how difficult their lives have become, not just because they can't get their favourite table at a restaurant. Seeing their journey through weight loss, especially Nola's, was very motivating. As I saw how much they struggled, I couldn't help but want to push myself more into everything I do.

The one point that I think is better in the movie than in the book is the romance. While I keep swooning whenever I watch the movie, the romance in the book just seems too quick and not deep enough. I couldn't see the chemistry between the characters and it only seemed like Nola "falling in love", instead of a love story. I was a bit disappointed, since it's one of my favourite parts of the movie. Also, Chip's character isn't very complex in the book, in my opinion, which didn't help the romance aspect.

Luckily, I found myself laughing just as much as I do whenever I watch the movie. Nola is a funny character to follow and her misfortunes made me laugh quite a bit. Because of that, it was the perfect summer book and I'm glad I finally picked it up.

I would recommend both the book and the movie, since they're both great!

What Lies Within - James Morris

Goodreads summary:

“You’re going to die”

Shelley Marano is an ordinary, unexceptional high school senior…until the day she receives a cryptic text message, and her world tilts sideways. Now she’s in real danger, although she doesn’t know who would want her dead, or why. As she starts to unravel the mystery, the truth about who she really is proves to be more frightening than she ever imagined. With the lives of her and her friends hanging in the balance, one thing is certain:

Nothing will ever be the same.

Packed with suspense, What Lies Within is a page-turning, plot-driven rollercoaster ride that fans of Stephen King, James Patterson and Rick Yancey will be sure to enjoy.


My review:

3.5/5

First of all, I need to say that I have excuses to make to the author, James Morris, because I received this book ages ago and I promised that I would read and review really quickly, which I didn't do (I had to say it, I feel really bad about it).

I truly should have picked this book up earlier, because it made me realize that I could truly enjoy thrillers. I'm kind of scared of everything, so I usually pick up the least scary novels I can find, which excludes thrillers, obviously. When I started reading this, I got so lost in the story that I even forgot to feel scared. It's also not the scariest thriller, which I think helped me.

I really liked Shelley, the main character. She was easy to relate to and she became more and more interesting as the story progressed. I also liked her best friend, Winston, even though I wasn't sure if I liked their friendship as much as I liked them separately.

As for the plot, I won't even mention it, because it's something that I wasn't expecting at all and that no one would expect, in my opinion, so I'd rather not spoil anyone. I was pleasantly surprised, even though I believe the book could have had more elements and been longer.

I recommend this novel to anyone, because it made me question myself a lot and I opened up to this genre.

Hearts, Fingers and Other Things to Cross (Broken Hearts and Revenge #3) - Katie Finn

Goodreads summary:

WEATHER ALERT: SEVERE STORMS AHEAD

Gemma and Hallie's world has come to a screeching halt. Their parents are engaged, which makes them step-sisters. Nothing in the world could possibly be worse for Gemma and Hallie--they won't let it happen. Even if it means putting their own feud aside to separate their parents.

Events quickly escalate as a hurricane rips through the Hamptons leaving everyone (including Gemma's two exes, her current crush, best friend, and her nemesis) bottled up in one house. One big, miserable group of exes and enemies together allow secrets to unfold and plans to be plotted. The calm before this storm definitely doesn't exist.

Katie Finn pulls out all the stops for this fast-paced, dramatic conclusion in the Broken Hearts and Revenge series, Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross.


My review:

3/5

As the last book in a YA series, I think that this book was good, but not exceptional.

As childish as they can be, I liked reuniting with the characters, which are all funny and interesting. I think that some of them finally grew up, which was a bit of a relief, because the previous book, as well as the first half of this one, made me roll my eyes in exasperation at some things that the characters were doing or saying. It was nice to see them grow up as the series progressed.

I'm really happy that this book has a resolution for most of the issues encountered during the previous books. Overall, I don't feel like anything new happened; instead, I feel like everything I was more or less expecting happened, which was not a bad feeling. Some people made peace, some confessions were said and some relationships started or ended, but there wasn't any big finale, which was a bit disappointing, but not surprising, considering everything that needed to happen in such a short amount of pages. It wasn't too predictable, but I feel like it would be even better for younger readers.

I'm satisfied with the end of this series, so I'd definitely recommend it to younger (or even older) readers.

BookTube-A-Thon 2016: A Big Fail

Hi everyone! As you know, I participated in this year's BookTube-A-Thon, like always. I did a blog post about my TBR for this year and it made me so excited that I was convinced I would be able to read a lot and to even post a few reviews during the week. However, it didn't exactly go as I planned, which you'll see in the summary of my reading challenges. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I'm sorry for the lack of blog posts!

Monday, July 18

On Monday, I was as motivated as anyone could be, so I tried reading a bit before I went to bed at midnight and I read while eating breakfast. I focused on Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross, since it's such a short book. I was working that day, even though I wasn't supposed to, so I didn't get that much free time after that.

Tuesday, July 19

On Tuesday, I was finally free, so I read as much as I could. I started reading Frankenstein, but only for about 50 pages. I finished reading Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross, which made me very happy. I gave it 3/5. At night, I started The Cinderella Pact, which I really liked from the beginning. 

Wednesday, July 20

Wednesday was my reading day. I read quite a big part of Frankenstein, but I also started listening to I Was Here. I continued reading The Cinderella Part as well, so although I didn't finish a book on that day, I did get some progress.

Thursday, July 21

On Thursday, I started panicking because I had only finished one of my seven books, so I almost finished Frankenstein in one more sitting. Then, I read Zenith in one sitting, because it's a lot shorter than I expected it to be. I gave it 3.5/5. Somewhere between Thursday and Friday, I finished The Cinderella Pact, which I gave 4/5.

Friday, July 22

On Friday morning, I finished reading Frankenstein. I didn't feel like picking it up one last time, but since I really enjoyed it, I gave it 4/5. I wasn't supposed to work that day, but I did anyways, so I didn't have time to read after that. 

Saturday, July 23

Things went downhill on Saturday, when I had a really bad day at work. When I came home, all I wanted to do was sleep, so after trying to listen to I Was Here for half an hour, I went to bed and didn't get out until my alarm woke me up the next day, instead of finishing I Was Here and starting to read The Story Girl like I had planned.

Sunday, July 24

Finally, on Sunday, I realized that I wouldn't be able to complete all the challenges. I did finish I Was Here, and I gave it 5/5, but I didn't touch The Story Girl or Matilda, since I wasn't feeling all that well and I simply didn't have enough time.

Overall, I'm happy that I read five books, even though I wanted to read seven. I wish I had completed more reading challenges though, because I only completed four of them. 

I've been extremely busy since then, so I haven't read much at all and I didn't have time to touch my computer, let alone write a review for one of the books I read during BookTube-A-Thon. I'm going on vacation tomorrow for one week, but I won't have my computer and there won't be any Internet anyways, so you guys won't here from me for a few more days. I'm really, really sorry about that, but I hadn't realized how crazy my life would be during this week. I hope to post again very soon though!

I wish you all a good day :)

Sapphire Blue (Precious Stone Trilogy #2) - Kerstin Gier

Goodreads summary:

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.


My review:

4/5

This is one of my favourite series, and it has been for a couple of years. It's at least my third time reading this particular book, so I feel like I've become some sort of expert on this subject - if I could be an expert in such a subject, obviously.

The first point I think is worth mentioning is the amazing narration. I've mentionned this when I was rereading the first book, but I don't the English translator does it justice. I have sadly not had the chance to read this series in its original language, because I simply don't speak it, but when I read it in French, I feel like the narration is smoother, lighter and therefore funnier. Gwyneth (or Gwendolyn in French - that's something I'll never get over, because why does the name of the main character change from one language to another?) is one of my all time favourite characters, because her internal dialogue is absolutely hilarious. This is caused by her amazing sense of humor, which can be quite dry at some moments, but also by the fact that she sees all kinds of ghosts and creatures that cannot be seen by other people, so her conversations with them are great.

My next point is definitely the characters, which are all extremely complex and well developped. Obviously, Gwyneth is fantastic, but her siblings are as well, just like her friends. Some people in her family are kind of horrible, but they're really well pictured anyways. I truly feel like they're real humans, which makes me love this story even more. Also, there's Gideon, which is absolutely swoon-worthy. Even when he's acting horribly, I can see why he's doing it, so I still love it with all my heart (and it almost hurts). He's one of my favourite love interests in books, to be honest.

This leads us to my next point, which is the romance. Oh, the romance! I absolutely love Gwyneth and Gideon together. They really haven't known each other for that long, which is a bit annoying in books, it doesn't feel like it to them, nor to me. I actually think that the whole story could have been stretched over a longer period, because it doesn't feel like the series takes place over two or three weeks (or something like that). Because it feels like they've known each other for longer than they actually have, the progression of their relationship is realistic and adorable. This book contains huge moments in their relationship, especially one that could seriously make you hate Gideon - I'm warning you so that you might hate him a little bit less, 'cause he's adorable.

Plotwise, I think this is the least interesting book in the series, because it doesn't have the interest of the first time travels. It's more or less the calm before the storm, because everything starts falling into place for the big finale (which I'm now really excited to read). I think that if we could see a bit of Lesley's perspective, it would be a lot more interesting, because she's the one doing all the research, while her best friend is lost in her Gideon contemplation - I don't even blame her, by the way. Sure, it's incredibly annoying, but Gideon does seem like the kind of guy who makes you lose all kinds of logic.


I would definitely recommend this book! However, after reading it at least four years later than the first time I read it, I think it's very clearly intended for younger audiences. That being said, it doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed by more mature readers!

Shuffle, Repeat - Jen Klein

Goodreads summary:

When Harry Met Sally for YA romance readers. This opposites-attract love story is perfect for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Perkins, and Jenny Han.

June wants high school to end and real life to begin. Oliver is soaking up senior year’s glory days. They could have coasted through high school, knowing about—but not really knowing—each other.

Except that their moms have arranged for Oliver to drive June to school. Every. Single. Day.

Suddenly these two opposites are fighting about music, life . . . pretty much everything. But love is unpredictable. When promises—and hearts—get broken, Oliver and June must figure out what really matters. And then fight for it.


My review:

4,5/5

If you guys didn't get to see my initial review for this book, you might not understand how much I loved it. It wasn't much, but let me tell you this: it was in all-caps, and I did restrain myself from using too many exclamation marks when I was typing it. The effort was there, but the results weren't.

At first, I wasn't sure if I would like this novel, because June seemed easy to judge and stuck up. The truth is that she is, but I started warming up to her as Oliver started to shake her inital opinions on high school and life in general. Then, I discovered that she's nice, funny and smart, which makes her a pretty good character, in the end. As for Oliver himself, I think he's pretty easy to like, because he seems a bit too perfect when you don't know him. When he opened up to June, I started liking him even more, because no one likes a perfect character. This is when things went downhill for me, because he became absolutely adorable to me and I didn't want anything more than to get him and June together.

Their relationship is really well written, especially when it comes to its pace. The fact that the story takes place over an entire school year makes their relationship realistic and even deeper, because they know each other pretty well after a year of carpool. I liked these moments between them, when they're talking about their lives, school or each other's bad music tastes. Although the playlist is a big part of this novel, I liked the fact that it didn't overpower the rest of the story, since it gets less important as the plot develops. It's a nice touch, especially since it's written at the end of the book, but there are so many more important things in this novel.

I liked June's group of friends, even though I don't think they are present enough in this novel. I wish we'd seen a bit more of everyone, because aside from Itch and Shaun, I don't feel like I know June's friends, so it's hard to understand their friendship.

When I became really invested in the story, June started acting like a big old idiot, which made me very, very, very mad. I almost didn't want to keep reading, but I knew (hoped) that things would get better, so I kept reading and I am very glad that I did. The fact that it made me feel so many emotions proves how much I enjoyed reading this book, which hasn't happened to me that often with books that aren't rereads this year. I was really happy about that! I hope this book truly takes me out of my reading slump, because even though I'm reading books these days, I don't feel as enthusiastic as I'd like to. Fingers crossed!

As you can imagine, I 100% recommend this book, because I think it's an amazing YA. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did!