Review: FAIREST by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3.5
Warning: Spoilers for the beginning books may appear.

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Anyone else relate to the Castle gif? I'm pretty sure that everyone who finished this newest installment in The Lunar Chronicles world reacted similarly to this.

It's not as if I thought I would come out of this sympathizing with Levana or liking her a little bit more. But usually when you read a villain's backstory, there's somewhat of a bond that's created between the reader and the villain. And I love villain backstories. Reading about the villain and seeing the factors that led them to them, it's something I wish more authors did.

This was on a whole other level. The Castle gif accurately pictures my reaction because once I finished, I didn't know what to say or do. How do you describe the level of disturbing creepiness that I read? Horrifying, disturbing, sick, twisted...pick your word, any word.

Levana grew up in a lonely, loveless family. We don't meet her parents because they just died, but we understand that there was no sadness felt after their deaths. From reading the other books in the series, we know how important Channary and one particular actions of hers will be, so I was expecting something better from her. Either I missed a clue in the other books or I was just naive, because she was possibly even worse than Levana.

At first I really did feel sorry for Levana. She was disfigured for a reason we don't know yet and horribly treated by her sadistic sister. She's craving love and attention. That feeling of pity and sympathy quickly vanished and turned into horror when the story progressed. Because of her loveless childhood, she set her sights on an older man, who was one of the royal guards. Attractive and nice, Evret, the royal guard, stood out from the rest. Hey, that's normal for young girls. But considering that it's Levana we're talking about, I wanted to scream RUN, MAN, RUN when we were first introduced.

Of course, I was right to do so. I won't ruin anything, but how they get into a relationship and how Levana becomes little Winter's stepmother is truly disturbing. I don't think I stopped cringing throughout the book. We also get a "healthy" dose of Channary in the book and considering I have sisters of my own, I couldn't imagine how awful this woman was. While Levana might garner pity a couple times in the book, Levana is—and I hate to say that anyone is—irredeemable. I wondered if Channary was having a turning point near the end of the book and that maybe, maybe, she changed, but that hope was fleeting. Irredeemable sisters, the both of them. SPOILER she cut a woman's feet off! SHE. CUT. HER. FEET. OFF. So that this servant wouldn't be able to walk and be able to do all her sewing for her. Did I mention that she CUT HER FEET OFF SO THAT SHE WOULD ALWAYS WORK? END OF SPOILER (highlight the text with your mouse)

I wished we had seen a better insight to the Lunar world because I still felt like we had snippets here and there. The whole world is fascinating and Marissa Meyer has done a great job with it, I just wish we would experience it more. We still have hope for Winter, which this novella also did a good job in setting up. I loved reading about Winter in Cress and even more so in Fairest, although I realized how sad it is that I knew how most of her childhood would be like.

In the last part of the book, more politics are involved, and Levana's hunger for power is increased to the max. Again: creepy.

Now that we have more information for Levana's character and her history, we know that there will be no redemption for her. No soft spot for anything, no moment of weakness. I want to say that she only loves herself, but that's not entirely true either. Levana looks out for herself because no one else ever has and in a way, maybe that means she loves herself. But we know that she always hated her looks and conflicted in her feelings. She's selfish, and I think it's interesting to realize that that doesn't equal loving herself. I think I'll be a big ball of anxious nerves in Winter because Levana will give it her all to win over the heroes. But reading Fairest also makes me very excited to read the finale of this series. Each book in the series (besides this one) has increased in page count, so we know Winter will be the largest. I have hopes it'll be the most amazing one of all too.

As for Fairest and all of Levana's cringeworthy actions and Channary's sadistic character?

After finishing.

It isn't necessary to read this, but I recommend doing so because you get more information and backstory. How do you like reading about the backstories of antagonists? 

Review: THE LAST BEST KISS by Claire LaZebnik

Title: The Last Best Kiss
Author: Claire LaZebnik
Publication date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen

Anna Eliot is tired of worrying about what other people think. After all, that was how she lost the only guy she ever really liked, Finn Westbrook.

Now, three years after she broke his heart, the one who got away is back in her life.

All Anna wants is a chance to relive their last kiss again (and again and again). But Finn obviously hasn’t forgotten how she treated him, and he’s made it clear he has no interest in having anything to do with her.

Anna keeps trying to persuade herself that she doesn’t care about Finn either, but even though they’ve both changed since they first met, deep down she knows he’s the guy for her. Now if only she can get him to believe that, too....

With her signature wit and expertly authentic teen voice, Claire LaZebnik (the author of fan favorites Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting) once again breathes new life into a perennially popular love story. Fans of Polly Shulman, Maureen Johnson, and, of course, Jane Austen will love this irresistibly funny and romantic tale of first loves and second chances.

Review:

First line: On nights when I'm honest with myself, I can admit that Finn Westbrook was the best thing about my ninth grade year.

I always liked the original Persuasion storyline because there's so much chemistry involved. Girl and boy like each other, girl's family disapproves, girl stupidly listens to family so she breaks things off with boy. Then boy comes back, boy is all "look at me now," flirts with others, and girl is emotionally tormented. Finally, boy and girl share moments, and reunite. Some people might be annoyed at the sound of so much going back and forth, but for me, there's chemistry to make it all come together and sizzling tension. Oh, lovely chemistry. I thought LaZebnik made this her own in quite a few areas, which I appreciated, but there was still sweet chemistry between the two characters.

Anna and Finn became quick friends through her sister's carpooling when they were younger. Because Anna was apart of the popular group (and Finn was most definitely not), they hung out only outside of school. I felt like there was quite a lot of telling and not showing in this beginning part, but strangely, I didn't care. I loved getting to know cute, geeky Finn and insecure Anna. Anna's narration perfectly showed how conflicted she was. She knew that Finn deserved better than how she was treating him, but like most preteen girls, she cared about what her friends would think of her. As we all know, she ends up breaking his heart because of her friends. However, I could clearly see she wasn't all the way in denial. She might make an excuse here and there about keeping him in secret, but she wasn't in denial that it was wrong. That's how you make a character redeemable in my eyes.

Years later, Finn comes back very grown up. Grown up as in hello, hot stuff. Anna's friends (the same ones she broke Finn's heart for) are immediately taken in by him (to their credit, they didn't know Anna had a thing for him) and he joins their group. While he snubs Anna, you just know they still have a spark between them. You can't deny it, Finn, you just can't. Enter the tension. Really, unlike most YA novels, they don't have many "moments," but you can see that the past is still very present between them and that old feelings haven't died.

I liked Finn. I liked Anna. I did NOT like Lily or Lucy. Honestly, I was confused by all the many characters added in, but Lily and Lucy stole the show in this book, mainly in the annoyance department. Both of them had their faults; Lucy with her insane obsession over perfection and Lily with her strangle-worthy way of being "look at me!" While I connected with Anna throughout the book, when it came to her friends, we clearly were not alike. Too. Much. Lily was a hot mess, Lucy was close to being one, and I could have done without all of that.

LaZebnik drew parallels between Anna's sister Molly and Anna's current situation, also making the story her own. While Finn/Lily's subplot wasn't a favorite of mine, Molly's was. She added likability into Anna's twisted family and able to coincidentally show Anna right and wrong in the confusing mess. I do think Anna's father's sublot could've been ditched. That was one point where I felt as if LaZebnik added an element to the story just for the sake of staying close to Persuasion. Also, ew.

I reviewed Epic Fail back in the summer of 2013 and while I really enjoyed that Jane Austen retelling, I'm relieved to say that I think I might like this latest LaZebnik novel a little bit better.

Verdict: A fresh retelling on one of my favorite plots, solidifying my love for Claire LaZebnik.

Note: All quotes are taken from an ARC and may be changed at publication.

Review: SCARLET by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Scarlet

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Publication date: February 14, 2012

Publisher: Walker Childrens (Bloomsbury)

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. 

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

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

Review:

First line: No one really knows 'bout me.

Robin Hood was starting to feel like the fairytale that was retold too much to me. Robin is the hero, Robin is the villain, Robin is a secondary character in a contemporary novel, the protagonist is pulling a Robin Hood, there are Hood aspects to a story. I thought that with all the different Robin Hood variations in the world that surely, I wouldn't be too impressed with Gaughen's version.

Boy, was I wrong.

Instead of having Robin as the main character, he's a secondary character. Instead of having the main character be about crushing on Robin, she's one of his team members, a fellow thief. Right there, it's different. We've all heard about Robin and his merry men. The one I really remembered was John and he's there, but instead of having Will Scarlet be a boy, he is now a she under disguise as a he. Sounds trippy, but it's not. While Robin Hood is the hero among the people, Scarlet is the best thief and the one the girls like to swoon after, ironically enough.

What I liked: 

• Scarlet kicking butt. I'm all about girl power, whether it's from inner strength or physical strength, and she definitely had the outer kind. Wielding knives, rescuing people from prisons, thieving, and undermining powerful people. I wanted to cheer her on like the obnoxious guys in football stands. 
• Much, one of Robin's Merry Men. We have John, Robin, Much, and Scarlet. Two of the three guys are crushing on Scarlet and Much is not one of them. I pictured him as a lovable, quiet guy with his disability and he gives you the feeling that you want to hug and protect him, but you know that he wouldn't appreciate it. Can we have more opposite sex platonic relationships, please? 
• I might have been in turmoil for most of the ending and I really, really liked that feeling. I already have enough stress in my life and usually don't go seeking for it in my reading. However, sometimes it's great to feel that angst because you know you're invested. You care. You're enthralled. The author has officially captured your attention and your emotions and she's doing a fantastic job of weaving her story. 

TURMOIL. FEELS. ANGST.

What I disliked:

• John aka The Pusher. I call him The Pusher because I felt overwhelmed and claustrophobic just reading about him. At first, I was torn because I thought, "I love underdogs!" and I wanted to root for him despite Robin being the other side of the love triangle. My feelings for John quickly evaporated though because he pushed. And pushed. He invaded my personal space, which is so not good. Back off, John. 
• Scarlet's speaking, which consisted of were instead of was, added character in the beginning, but then slowly became annoying. I think she was the only one who did that and honestly, I think she would have spoken correctly by then. SPOILER I so knew from the beginning that she was proper. I didn't necessarily figured her real name, but should've if I thought about it. END OF SPOILER.
• Robin was right, Scarlet played with everyone's emotions way too much. John would flirt with her, she would tell him to back off. He would kiss her, she would reciprocate. Scarlet ran back to Robin, he kept his distance, she went back to John. It was a frustrating cycle. At times, I was able to just enjoy this love triangle and holler for Robin to make his move. Other times, I wanted to slap some sense into Scarlet for being confusing and inconsiderate. Of course John wasn't going to back off if she kept giving mixed signals! 

Really, I don't know why I waited so long to read this. I love retellings and Gaughen wrote this one very well. I immediately longed to have the sequel in my hands so maybe it was a good thing I waited to read this first book. 

Verdict: A fresh way of retelling Robin Hood by adding a kick butt protagonist and tense moments. Also, romance. 

Have you read Scarlet? What's your favorite retelling?

Review: A LONG, LONG SLEEP by Anna Sheehan

Title: A Long, Long Sleep

Author: Anna Sheehan

Publisher: Candlewick

Publication date: August 9, 2011

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone -- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose -- hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire -- is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes -- or be left without any future at all.

Review:

The fact that this was a retelling and that it was set in a futuristic society dealing with Sleeping Beauty after she woke up made the appeal factor go way up. Add in the positive reviews from other bloggers and I was already searching for it in my library system. I bypassed my other waiting-to-be-read library books and went straight to this one, anticipating the greatness. What did I receive in return?

Sums up my experience.

Problem #1: 
Rose. If I can't like or connect with the main character, the rest of the book is almost hopeless. I say almost because I still kept reading. I thought Rose was weird, not because she was the futuristic Sleeping Beauty, but because her character felt forced and I found myself grimacing too many times at what she was thinking or saying. Besides weird, she was also way too naive and her narrative was boring. Weird, naive, and boring are not adjectives that I like in my character.

Problem #2:
Relationship with Xavier. So we have weird Rose and her unstable childhood, because her parents decided to make her unconscious for months at a time, and now we add in a boy. We're given flashbacks to before her long stass period and we meet Xavier. But Xavier is special. Why? SHE CHANGED HIS DIAPERS. That's right. She was seven years old when he was born and changed his diapers. As her parents continued to stass her, he grew up. They eventually reached the same age when they became teenagers and fell in love. Gross. Of course, since her parents stassed her even before she was seven, she realizes that she's old enough to be his mother and still continues the relationship. Ew.

Problem #3:
Relationship (?) with Bren. She goes on about her love for Xavier all throughout the book, but early on, she starts to think that she's falling in love with Bren, the boy who woke her up, and this is not a spoiler. Considering that he only did the casual niceties that a boy does to a weird girl after she's slept for a long time, I thought it was odd that she jumped right to love. Whoa there, Rose. She asks him out, he says no, and she goes crazy and heartbroken. I, on the other hand, felt no sympathy and my eyes started to hurt from the eye-rolling.

Problem #4:
MORE WEIRDNESS. I hated all the weirdness, but that's what this book seemed to be made out of. Rose, her relationships, and then her friendship with Otto. I really hoped to like Otto, but what he said and Rose described him to be was one thing, but his actions were completely another. Unfortunately, I can't say more than that.

Problem #5:
The ending. It ends with a very rushed epilogue that made me roll my eyes for the millionth time, but then I see on Goodreads that this "standalone" will have a "standalone sequel." That's right. They call both of them a standalone. A standalone sequel...really? The epilogue was completely unnecessary because it didn't give us a glimpse into anything else. It was her narrative of boringness. We discover something significant about her, but then it's pushed aside as an afterthought in the end. I wanted to know the answers to all the open questions, but I doubt I'll be picking up the sequel.

Problem #6:
Blah, blah, blah. More weirdness. Blah, blah, blah. WEIRD.

Two weird quotes because the rest of what I remembered are spoiler-y:

"That's okay," I said. "If you can make friends now, you'll be able to make friends later."

"Did you make friends?" she asked.
"Like I said. I'm not really the one to ask."

Rose, all she was asking is if you made friends. You ARE the person to ask and the answer is NO (unless you count Otto and Bren). 

~*~

"I know you will. I know you will." He covered my face with kisses until my knees buckled and I melted in his arms. "I'll miss you!" he hissed. "Oh, hell!" And he gripped me tight enough to bruise. "It's not fair!"

Their whole relationship/romance acted like a fail.

Also, why are you letting him grip you until bruising?! 

~*~

I know several people who loved this book. My bloggy friend Alice listed this as one of her favorite reads of this year. So you might like it. For me, I'm amazed that I didn't DNF it.

Verdict: Boring, weird, and gross all wrapped up into a possible DNF.

Wishlist Wednesday #22

Hosted by Pen to Paper

Title: Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publication date: February 4, 2014

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Why I'm wishing: 

Can we just take a moment to take in that beautiful cover? I'm absolutely loving it. Now we can all join in together and hate that February is so far away. I've been seeing this mentioned on my Twitter feed and desperately want this one. It involves a Rapunzel retelling, but we will also get to see our old favorites, like Cinder and Scarlet. 

It doesn't hurt that I hear Thorne is the love interest, which I so guessed in my interview with Marissa Meyer earlier this year. Yes, please.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday? 

Wishlist Wednesday #21

Hosted by Pen to Paper

Title: Cruel Beauty

Author: Rosamund Hodge

Publication date: January 24, 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins)

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Why I want: 

1. I love fairytale retellings. You all know that. But with reoccurring Beauty and the Beast retellings, I love to read the new ones, finding which version I like best. Besides, Beauty and the Beast rocks. 

2. Assassin falls in love? Yes, please. She's been training to kill him and then she falls in loooove. Let the swooning commence.

3. That cover. 

What are you wishing for this Wednesday? 

Mini reviews: P&P versions

With school craziness (yes, it is summer and I am still doing school) and ACT prep (for the second time) along with trying to maintain a social life, I actually got into the nasty habit of reading books and then forgetting to review them. I told myself I'd review everything I could get my hands on. Alas, I just put it off...then forgot. So to make up for that, I decided to do two mini reviews of Pride and Prejudice retellings because you can never have too many Mr. Darcy characters Jane Austen retellings.

First one:

Title: Prom & Prejudice

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Publication date: January 4, 2011

Publisher: Point

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date.
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Mini review: 

If you have read any of my posts recently, you would have noticed that I have started paying attention to a new (to me) author: Elizabeth Eulberg. I reviewed one of her books here and put her on the Nicest Authors list here because she deserves it (she even sent me a sweet tweet!). So I saw that she wrote a book about one of my favorite stories and knew I had to pick it up at the thrift store for only $2! That's besides the point. The point is, Eulberg writes great fluff books. I can pick up her book, be wrapped up in the story, but it also gives my mind a break, in a good way. 

If you want another cute, fluffy read, then this is your kind of book. Sometimes what I need to get myself back into the reading game is to read a book like this one because I don't have to think hard, I just get to enjoy the story. I also adore retellings.

My issues were slim considering it didn't have any glaring annoyances, but I would have wished some more swooning Darcy moments. We definitely got some, but not to the standard I would have liked being that I love to squeal over him. But, like I said, this one was a fast and light read, a book you like to have on the beach or to get away from some doom and gloom fantasy book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Verdict: A fast and cute book that does a good job modernizing a special classic. 

Second book:

Title: Epic Fail

Author: Claire LaZabnik

Publication date: August 23, 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Mini review:

I had been pining to read this for the longest time since, as I stated above, I love retellings and I love this plot. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. Epic Fail was filled with humor, cuteness, and a vacuum that liked to suck my time away because it was so enjoyable. 

Once again, I didn't really care for how Darcy was represented via Derek considering that he didn't have as much mystery to him. From the very beginning, I felt like Derek was a good guy and I know he is, but...what about the insults? All he really did was glare and snub a bit. What about the "barely tolerable" line or another off-putting remark? Nothing he did actually deserved hatred and even though Elise goes on about how unlikable he is and how rude he is, she seemed to be always trying to get to know him, which felt odd to me. 

One other thing I would like to add before I give my thumbs-up approval was the dramatic Webster plot was highly disappointing. It felt like since it was a part of the original, the author knew she had to put it in there, but didn't know how. It felt rushed and anticlimactic, which let me down a bit. 

However, overall, I really liked and enjoyed this one. It was cute. It was breezy. It was witty. 

Verdict: A thumbs-up for everything I just mentioned above PLUS my (yes, real) middle name is Elise.

Winner: Epic Fail, but Prom & Prejudice was very close behind. 

Did I also forget to mention that I finished each one of them in about a day, staying up way too late because I thought they were adorable? I even watched Pride and Prejudice related movies and references because who doesn't love P&P?! I went on a bit of a Pride and Prejudice overload.

Do you have a favorite Pride and Prejudice retelling?

Review: SCARLET by Marissa Meyer

Title: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publication date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review: 

I read a post not too long ago about how you might be afraid to give a negative review for a book that is written by an author you adore. Or a book that has had such high ratings. I will try my best to not let my biased feelings and emotions get in the way, but...guys. 

Marissa Meyer is an amazing writer and Scarlet is her testimony to that fact.

**WARNING**

This is the second book in the series. 

If you have not read Cinder, I do not recommend this review.

It may contain spoilers from only Cinder.

Scarlet is feisty and strong willed. She is loyal to her grandmother and is determined to save her from whatever has kidnapped her. When her father comes to her house, she knows that whatever does have her grandmother is dangerous since they tortured her father (that is not a spoiler). Everyone in the village thinks that her grandmother is crazy and Scarlet is overreacting. But then she meets Wolf. Wolf is a very cute street fighter. She keeps him at a distance, but soon they both go on the journey to rescue her grandmother. 

That's the summary of the beginning. My thoughts? 

My favorite chapters in Scarlet were when Cinder appeared. Pretty soon, Cinder popped up almost every other chapter and I was thrilled. Because between the two characters, Cinder won for me. She had gotten tougher, more sarcastic, and less timid. She took charge (the first time we see her is when she is breaking out of prison) and even used her Lunar glamour. We also meet "Captain" Thorne, who was absolutely lovable. He was also in prison and they met very Count of Monte Cristo-like with Cinder appearing in his jail cell and they both worked together to find a way out of there. Not only was he lovable, but hilarious. He made me smile and laugh through the whole thing, definitely one of the best additions Marissa Meyer could have done, in my opinion. Like she says on her Twitter profile, "Fond of...sexy spaceship captains."

Iko? She comes back! Iko was one of my favorite characters in Cinder and while not having as much of a spotlight in this one, she still made me smile. We also see bits of Kai in there, which I was immensely grateful for. I wanted to see what he was up to and how he was feeling. Don't worry, you do. And Wolf is a great addition to the story in the way that you never really could understand him until the end. Was he really the Big Bad Wolf or was he just misunderstood? 

The characters and plot built-up were great. However, there is always a but because I have to mention the negative for me. 

Let me explain a little more about why I did not like Scarlet as much as Cinder. Along with the facts I mentioned above about Cinder, I was not a huge fan for Scarlet. She was determined and focused, which I love. But she was blind to the things around her and annoyed me quite a bit in some parts. She did not pull me in and like my friend Alice says in her review, we go back to an ignorant character after going through such a revelation with Cinder. I can deal with that sometimes, but this time, I did not think the execution on Scarlet's revelations were done as well. While pigheadedness can be a good thing, it can also lead to doom. Hers was doom for me in some areas. Areas, I unfortunately cannot explain due to spoilers. 

At one point, she was even being a butt to Cinder and I was about to hop off my treadmill before I talk all ghetto to her for speaking that way to MY character, thank you get really upset. Although that might have been due to all the stress I had already been having in the novel so it all built up to a big thing where I was getting set off easily. 

All in all, Marissa Meyer gets another thumbs-up from me. The ending? It hints at what will happen in the next novel (actually, Cinder lays it all out), but I wish we had gotten an extra sliver of what will happen with the next protagonist, Cress (Winter is the last one:). I was actually freaking out when I closed it and realized there wasn't even a cover to drool over. 

Verdict: A great sequel that does not beat the first one, but does a well-done job at tension.

Fairy tale review + news!

I'll start with the news/announcement. Alice from Alice in Readerland is having a "magical month" at her blog where she will be doing all sorts of fairy tale things. She'll be reviewing and reading fairy tale retellings and featuring fairy tale features which you do not want to miss. 

If you have read any previous posts of mine, you know I absolutely adore fairy tales and their retellings. Beauty by Robin McKinley? Amazing. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce? Hey, I'm actually reviewing that down below so keep scrolling and see how I like it! 

Title: Sisters Red

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publication date: June 7th, 2010

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Review:

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead. 

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

You know, when I started this blog, I told myself that I would never read any vampire or werewolf book. My prejudice mind said, "Ugh, not another Twilight thing." Well, I didn't even pay attention that this had werewolves when I read the synopsis because all I thought was that it was a fairy-tale retelling. 

Courtesy of Gillian Berry @ Writer of Wrongs

The book starts off really good. The prologue is set in third person and about how Scarlett lost her eye. Then every other chapter after that is first person from either Scarlett's or Rosie's perspective. I was glad for that because I was able to see inside their thoughts. If not, I don't think I'd like the other character nearly as much. 

While they are described as being so close that one sister is the other half, they are opposite. Scarlett lives, breathes, and loves hunting the Fenris. Since her attack, she's determined to not let any girl, no matter how stupid they are, be attacked again. Of course, she's also very protective of her younger sister, Rosie, as would any big sister. Rosie, on the other hand, wants to go on a solo hunt, but she doesn't love hunting. Unlike Scarlett, she wants something else to do in her life then train and hunt.

Then Silas comes into the picture. First, I love his name. My mom has always loved the name (if I was a boy, she would've named me that actually) so I guess it's stuck on me. He's a woodsman, Scarlett's hunting partner, and her best friend. He's back from out of town and instantly, he and Rosie are attracted to each other. 

I liked a lot of things from Sisters Red. The book was addicting and great, but the violence added to it. Maybe because at one scene near the end, there was so much love and hatred behind the actions that it made me go "YEAH! GO GO GO! OH NO!"Other things I love included the drawing class scene with innocent Rosie, which made me laugh, and the origami flower. The relationships were sweet and how Silas was there for the girls melted my heart. 

At the beginning, I figured that Ms. Pearce was actually doing a Little Women + Red Riding Hood twist. They're called the March sisters. That's clue numero uno. Clue number two is the whole Silas and sisters complex. If anyone has seen or read Little Women, you know how the sisters are. Jo is the main character and tough. Amy is the weaker one, but still strong in her own right. Laurie is the boy next door who, while he is friends with the whole March family, he's best friends with Jo. I have seen the movie bunches, but I still hate Amy. Hate her. Not only does she do some despicable things like with the fire and book and I want to reach in the screen and yank off her head, she also marries Laurie! SHE GETS LAURIE. I know Alcott, the author, thought Jo was better off without him, but I never liked it. 

Amy is her sister. 'Nuff said. 

So you can clearly see how the Scarlett + Rosie + Silas complex is very similar to the Jo + Amy + Laurie complex. At least Rosie is more likable than Amy ever was. Also, you see that even though she does wrong things (lies) and Scarlett gets mad, their sisterhood is greater. 

I did figure out the end surprise early, but it didn't ruin anything. I think Jackson Pearce even did it on purpose...or it was just me trying to figure things out way before they're supposed to. But even though I was right, Ms. Pearce pulled me into a false peace when she led me to believe something else. Then WHAM, I was actually right and now I'm devastated. Bravo, Ms. Pearce, bravo. 

A bonus point goes toward an epilogue because I absolutely adore epilogues. Who doesn't? It feels as if they don't have as many of them anymore. They usually make a trilogy then go, "Okay, well you've had three books of these characters, why do you need an epilogue?" 

Verdict: Pros definitely outweighed the cons in this captivating retelling.

Word to Parents: violence, language, creepiness 

Have you read the book? If so, what did YOU think?