Review: PERFECT SCOUNDRELS by Ally Carter

Title: Perfect Scoundrels

Author: Ally Carter

Publication date: February 5, 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it's that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting--or stealing--whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale's family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother's billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there's no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won't let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother's will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company's fortune. So instead of being the heir--this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she's willing to save her boyfriend's company if it means losing the boy.

Review:

That's right, folks. The third book in Heist Society is out and I got it the day before the publication date thanks to the joys of preordering and my sister gifting it to me for Christmas. Who cares if it's a Christmas present a little over a month after December 25th, it's ALLY CARTER, GUYS! 

The story starts out with the gang in the middle of a con. Hale uses the g-word (girlfriend) and Kat is taken aback by it. She likes Hale, but the world girlfriend is foreign to her. However, we don't get far until Hale receives news of some kind and leaves in the middle of a con. Big no-no. We find out though that poor Hale's beloved grandmother just died. During all of this, we get flashbacks to when Kat and Hale first meet. Hale has always felt like the black, unwanted and uncared for sheep of the family. The only exception is Hazel Hale, his grandmother. While Hale was born into the family, Hazel married into. Despite those two differences, they always had a connection of feeling lonely in their tycoon family. 

Being an Ally Carter fanatic, who likes to shove her books into friends' faces and has to restrain herself from tackling anyone who hasn't read the books, it's hard to look at this book objectively. So I'll try to be more organized with my thoughts. 

The characters. Oh, what a lovely bunch of characters. I want to be part of the Bishop family and have such lovable friends. 

-Kat. The MC, the leader of the con, the talented thief. Once again, I love Kat. She has a big heart and while things conflict her, she tries to do the right thing for everybody. Yes, she made me get tense when she decided to not share a few things with a certain person in the beginning, but that soon was resolved. And yes, she started to flow to the MC whining territory. However, unlike other MCs, she checked herself and Ally Carter was going to address it unlike other authors who think it's perfectly acceptable for MCs to have a blow-out, pity party. 

Her father was right, and Kat knew it. But she was also a little mad that he'd broken off a perfectly good pity party with logic. 

-Hale. Kat will always be the MC, but Hale started to get more of a spotlight on him in Perfect Scoundrels. Unfortunately, it was because he was the target. Someone conned him. Through it all, like any normal person, Hale would start to become not like the good Hale we knew. In grief, he does stupid things like break into an office on a whim or get drunk. With anyone else, I might squint critically at his actions. But with Hale? He was so vulnerable and confused, I wanted to give him a hug. 

It might be incredibly biased and too sentimental on my part, but I also think it's sweet how close Hale and Kat are. Besides his grandmother, he hasn't had a real family. Marcus is definitely loyal and you see a closer bond as the story progresses between the two, but you can see how different Hale's relationship with Kat is from the other people in his life.

And even though Hale has some moments that make us fear Hale and Kat's relationship, there are smoochy scenes that will leave you smiling from the cuteness. 

May I also add, what's with him being called Scooter? I don't remember an explanation on this, but I'm determined to find out. Hopefully I'll snag an interview with Ally Carter and ask, if not, somebody please find out.

So she rose and walked around the table, brought her hand to his face, and kissed him. 

"Why shouldn't she choose you?" Kat forced a smile. "I did." 

-Gabrielle. I seriously love this girl. I wasn't sure of her in the first one, grew to like her even more in the second book, but this one? She blew me away! She gave Kat reality checks, told it how it was, and while gentle when it was necessary, she was tough. I cheered for her when she went up against the heartsick Kat and was thrilled every time I saw her name on the page. She was definitely one of my favorite characters. 

"What I mean, dear cousin, is that maybe you want Hale to get out of his family's business because that is the only way to keep him in yours."

-The Bagshaws and Simon. Hamish, Angus, and Simon are also such lovable characters. The Bagshaws are the kind of characters you want to cheekily grin with and squeeze them in your arms. They're the dorky, lovable guys that make you remember why secondary characters are so important. Same goes for Simon. 

"Don't worry, Kat," Hamish said. "You're about to feel much, much worse."

-Marcus. Okay, you know how I said the Bagshaws and Simon are the reminders for how secondary characters are such an important factor? Well, Marcus is definitely another reminder. Once again, he's another character I want to hug, even though he doesn't seem like the huggable type. He reminds me of Joe from the movie The Princess Diaries. He's so sweet and loyal, but you know there's determined toughness underneath. 

I just really like this scene.

"I don't care if we lose the company, miss. But I would care a great deal if we lost the boy."

-Eddie, Bobby, and the rest of the the Bishop family. Like I said in the beginning of all this, I would love to be a part of the Bishop clan! Eddie is strong and the head of the family while Bobby's protective father shines through which I adored. Who doesn't love protective male family members? But I especially loved how different members of Kat's family came to help with the con and help Hale. There was a specific moment near the end with her family that made me want to shout, "BOO YAH!" 

The insult slid off Bobby like water. "So, you know, kid, according to thief culture, if you're going to court Kat, you now owe me two dozen goats."

-Garrett. I can't say much for him without spoiling too much, but you must know that I despise him. 

"The maid," Garrett cut her off. "I know. I know. You're...noble." 

"Yeah. You should try it sometime," Kat said.

The plot was amazing, as usual. Such impossibilites happening and twists and turns. They run all these different cons and then you feel doom seeping in at one (or several) point. I was sucked in and wishing that everything would turn out alright. And the twists and turns are fantastic, trust me. The only negative that creeps up is how it might be anti-climactic. I was too entertained and enthralled in the story to actually care, but it might disappoint others. Oh, and something else that I can't mention that made me groan with frustration.

The writing was wonderful and so different from how she writes the Gallagher Girls, but I adore it just the same. I love the way it's like episodes and I love how Ally Carter narrates. It's simply beautiful. 

Verdict: Another score for Ally Carter!

Have you read any Ally Carter? Have you read Perfect Scoundrels yet? If so, what did YOU think?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Romances

Property of The Broke and the Bookish

This week on Top Ten Tuesday, we get to list our top ten favorite romances. This will feel incredibly difficult considering the whole time I write this and then after I publish the post, I will have the nagging feeling that I forgot a couple. But I will do my utmost best to remember my favorite ten.

Romances in books are the greatest

In no order: 

1. Beauty and Beast from Beauty by Robin McKinley

Hands down, my favorite fairytale retelling. I love any Beauty and the Beast retelling actually, but Robin McKinley hits it right on with the romance. 

2. Sarah Dessen's couples from Sarah Dessen books

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I can't pick just one! Although, my top would probably be Dex and Remy from This Lullaby, Auden and Eli from Along for the Ride, and Wes and Macy from The Truth about Forever. Sarah Dessen writes great contemporaries and in them are even greater romances. They make me sigh and swoon, pulling me into their world and wishing I had a Dex. 

3. Anne and Gil from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

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For all of my childhood, I wish I had a Gil. I would grunt with frustration over Anne pushing him away, giddily smile with any interaction between them, and imagine having a friendship and relationship like theirs. This is definitely one of the greatest romances.

4. Aria and Perry from Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi

Aria is thrown into a world she's always believed to be horribly savage while Perry has always thought her world never truly lived under their false beliefs. In the first book, and I do have to use a cliche saying for this, they found love. In the second book, they overcome odds. Power couple! 

5. Mia and Michael from The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

This series makes me go into a book hangover of sorts. Out of all of the books, the last one, Forever Princess, is by far the best one romantic-wise. There's a scene in the carriage where it just makes me smile so hard, my face hurts. I love Anne Hathaway, but they need to do another movie adaption, but do this one correctly. 

6. Kat and Hale from the Heist Society series by Ally Carter

Alright, technically, they're not in a relationship in the beginning, but there's an understanding. Also, they have such great chemistry together, I always got so excited to see Hale's name on the page. I'll be posting my review of Perfect Scoundrels later in the week so watch out for more cuteness!

7. Cammie and Zach from The Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter

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You may all sigh now. They don't meet until the second book, but do I care? No. They have such great chemistry, but there's also conflict and trust issues. Their relationship and romance is so wonderful, I can't even say. Ally Carter, you are the best.

8. Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

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I bet that almost every list will have these two on there. They had to overcome an arena designed to leave only one kid left, a dystopian world where starvation kills more than normal, threats, a boy named Gale, amnesia of sorts where Peeta becomes a non-Peeta, war, and other horrible things. Through it all, you know they're perfect for each other. They complement each other. It doesn't hurt either that they have moments in the series that make you swoon.

9. Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

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I don't even know what to say. It's just all so beautiful and plays with your heart in a way that you don't think it's possible. My review is here, if any of you are interested and haven't read this magnificent novel.

10. Christy and Todd from the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn

I started reading this series when I was about in middle school, max. Todd was probably one of the first guys I ever swooned over. This was one of the first series I remember getting on hold over and over at the library and would skim some parts just to see Christy and Todd together. 

Honorable mentions:

Ismae and Duvall from Grave Mercy, Mia and Adam from If I Stay/Where She Went, Annie and Finnick from The Hunger Games, Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, Juliette and Warner from Shatter Me (I'm a Warner fan, but since I haven't read Unravel Me, I haven't seen the true romance), and so many others!

What are YOUR top romances? 

Attention Readers!

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For bloggers, not every single one of us will be accepted by the publisher to read an ARC of an upcoming book we're just dying to read. I bet that not all of us will get every book on our Christmas or birthday list and not every one of us will go out and buy every book we want. If I was rich, I would start expanding my shelves more, but since that's not the case, I can only fantasize.

So what do you do when you're a reader and you love books, but you don't have much money to spend? Here's the list. 

For bloggers:

1. NetGalley. Netgalley is a wonderful place. If you have good stats (sometimes that doesn't even matter), the publisher will accept you via NetGalley to read an e-galley of whatever ARC you request. The catch? In exchange of reading an ARC that isn't out yet, you must review it. It's only fair. 

2. ARCycling. On their website, it clearly states that you must be an active reviewer and can be a book blogger, librarian, and a bookseller. Get that? Must review. How does it work? Well, every Sunday, for a limited time, they post a list. On the list are books that kind people have donated. You fill out the form they put it up as fast as you can to request said books. You can only get a maximum of two at a time, but you can fill up the form to your heart's content, because you might not get the first two that you wanted. There's other rules in there, but you can just look at their website for more information.

For anyone:

1. YA Book Exchange. Like ARCycling and as implied in the name of this organization, you trade or exchange books. Traders will post what they are willing to trade in exchange for whatever book is on their wishlist. Some even say that non-wishlist books are negotiable. That new book that just got released? Somebody might have it and be willing to trade with you! 

2. Thrift stores. This past Saturday, I experienced my first time thrift store book shopping experience. I know, first time? Say what now? In one day, I got NINE books for under $10. You might ask me, "Well, are they even good books?" Three of them were Sarah Dessen novels, one was a HARDCOVER Gallagher Girl book (I was ecstatic since I only had paperback in this one), and one was The Princess Diaries. So to answer your question, yes. I also saw The Maze Runner, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, City of Ashes, tons of Nicholas Sparks', and Kate Brian novels. Amazing!

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3. The clearance section in your bookstore. In my Books-A-Million, they have a nice size section devoted to books under $4. A nice chunk of that section is all YA books. For $3.97, I got Heist Society for one of my friends for Christmas. It's a lovely part of the store. 

4. The library. While yes, you can't own them, you can be in possession of a book for a certain amount of time. You don't know how many times I checked out one of my favorite books or roamed the aisles for new titles or squealed with joy when I saw a book I had been waiting for that became available. There's also the power of interlibrary loans. Check them out. 

5. Amazon. I'm all for supporting book stores, but unless it's in the clearance section or I have a gift card, I probably won't shop at them. Why? Because their hardcovers are no less than $18 and their paperbacks are $10. I love my hardcovers so why not pay almost half that at Amazon? Plus, if you have Amazon Prime, you get free shipping! 

6. The Book Depository. Like Amazon, they have cheap books. Unlike Amazon, you don't have to pay a fee every month or be a member to get free shipping. Just click on their button on my sidebar or down below to go to their site and search for cheap books!

7. Giveaways. I'll be putting up a post of all the giveaways I have found soon so you can start entering, but do you know how many blogs have giveaways? There's Twitter giveaways, blogoversary giveaways, giveaway hops...it's endless! I personally recommend giveaway hops since those are the best places to win because you just go down the list and keep entering. To find them, I recommend starting at I Am A Reader Not A Writer because they host giveaways on a weekly basis. 

8. Free books. Freebooks.com is only for ebooks, but they're FREE! 

9. Half.com. Half.com is a branch of eBay and has great prices for a variety of things. What's in that variety? Books! I'm not sure about shipping, but it's worth checking out.

10. Garage sales. I had come up with nine places for this anyone section, but I wanted an even number. Why stop at nine when good, ole ten is right there? I know I sound like Monk (what a great character and show), but even so, I googled another way to find cheap books. Several places suggested garage sales. I haven't been to a lot of them, but the ones I have been to has never been successful. So it definitely depends on where you live and how many you go to and how good of an eye you have. While I'm not a big supporter of garage sales, it doesn't hurt to go check them out. 

~*~

I know there are lots of lovers of reading out there so I hope this list helps your passion and entertainment pastime. As I discovered while thrift store shopping, if you're patient and look carefully, there are some great treasures out there just begging to be discovered. 

Think of it as an adventure and go find books! 

Have any of you found really great deals in places like the ones I mentioned above? Where do you buy your books? 

Presenting a Blogger...Emily from Forever Literary

Isn't the blot button so pretty? Once again, thanks to the talented Lisseth from ReadAHolicZ, I now have another pretty item to add to my blog.

"Presenting a Blogger..." is a new feature on here where I will showcase a blogger who I love. Hopefully what will happen will be I interview a certain blogger, you read and get to know them, then you go over to their blog and fall in love with them!

Today, for my first post, I will be presenting Emily from Forever Literary.

Blog Facts

Name: Forever Literary

Creator: Emily 

Start date: May 31, 2012

GFC followers: 33 (as of February 8th, 2012) 

Post I enjoyed recently: Her Before I Read posts! I love covers.

This or That:

Chocolate or vanilla? I actually don't like chocolate. People think I'm weird. 

Ebook or paperback? 

Star Wars or Star Trek? I hardly know anything about either, but I'll say Star Wars because I like R2D2.

Brunette or blond? Although redhead definitely would have won if that was an option. 

Winter or summer? 

Interview

Sunny: Hi, Emily! Please introduce yourself and your blog :)

Emily: Hi Sunny and all of your lovely readers! I'm Emily, a teenager who loves reading and blogging, has been doing the former practically her whole life, and has been doing the latter since May. Aside from that, I am a choir kid, a semi-talented baker, sort of a fashionista, a traveler, a serious student, a runner (but only on the treadmill, not on a team), and a big sister. I despise bugs, procrastination, and disorganization, but I love a lot of very random things.

S: Even after all the emails between us, I learned a few new things! 

Okay, what made you first start become a book blogger?

E: One of the few things words cannot describe is the depth of my passion for them, and everyone I know in real life either does not understand my utter obsession with stories or looks down on YA as in inferior genre. I needed to be around people with whom I could count down the days to an upcoming release or converse after reading an incredible novel, and my book blogging friends and acquaintances get that side of me more than anyone I know in person ever could.

S: Amen to that! It seems like no one in "real life" seems to understand, unfortunately.

What are your favorite genres? Does it differ when you try to review them?

E: My favorite genre would have to be contemporary YA, but I also love dystopian, historical fiction, fantasy, and just teen books in general. You could say it differs in my reviews because, although I also enjoy reading the occasional classic or adult novel, I never write about them on my blog, which is exclusively dedicated to modern YA fiction.

S: So what would be your LEAST favorite?

E: Probably non-fiction. It's great for getting facts, but I rarely pick it up just for fun.

S: I agree. Besides facts, non-fiction is quite boring.

Top three favorite authors?

E: These are just three of my favorite authors. I could never narrow it down to three, so I picked the ones I have specific reasons for adoring, so I can sound smarter instead of just saying, "because she is amazing!"

1. Lauren Myracle, because she is so brave with her books. Despite many accusations of being evil, she continues to write what she feels she needs to write and what she wants her audience to read, not caring what the crazy book banners think of her.

2. Ally Carter, because she is a plotting genius. I never know what to expect other than her trademark twists and turns when reading one of her books.

3. George Orwell, because I feel the need to express my love of a classic author since, as I said before, I don't review their books. I could not get the concepts about people, government, and society presented in 1984 out of my head if I tried, and Animal Farm is equally phenomenal.

S: I love your reasons and of course, I adore Ally Carter. 

If you thought the last question was hard to answer, here's the dreaded one in all bookish interviews. Top three favorite books? No series!

E: This is the hardest question ever and one that is literally impossible to answer. What if I just tell you my top three books since I started blogging? I have found that I appreciate books much more with the analytical reviewing mind that I have developed, so I suppose you could say these really are my favorite books.

1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, because the plot and the satire of our conceptions of beauty are both fantastic.

2. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, because it blew my mind and made me so much more grateful for everything I have.

3. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, because the writing is gorgeously atmospheric, and the alternate New England setting is perfectly done.

S: Hee-hee, I loved turning it around to someone else. Although, I give you props for your twist on it by narrowing it down.  

Anything else you want to add or want us to know about you and your amazing blog?

E: My blog name, Forever Literary, represents the fact that I always have and always will adore books, and I love being around people who feel the same way. All of you fellow readers are the reason I started blogging, so I would love to chat about books, and I hope to see you soon!

~*~

I also hope you get to "see" her soon! I'd like to quickly add a thank you to Emily for participating and putting up with me as I tried to figure out this whole interviewing process. I really suggest going to check out Forever Literary and follow Emily on Twitter. You won't regret it because doesn't she sound fantastic? She is. Now go read her lovely posts!

But I'm saying it more nicely :) 

Wishlist Wednesday #11

Hosted by Pen to Paper

Title: You Look Different in Real Life

Author: Jennifer Castle

Publication date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There’d be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star. Now sixteen, Justine doesn’t feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film "Five at Sixteen," all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, just feels like a disappointment. But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what’s on film. They’ve all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else’s eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, “You Look Different in Real Life” is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what’s personal and what’s public aren’t always clear.

Why I'm wishing: 

A reality movie every five years on the same five kids starting kindergarten? It not only sounds different to me, but I also really look forward to seeing how it's done. What's the relationship like with Justine and the outside world? What about Justine and her costars? So yes, I will be reading this as soon as I can get my hands on it. 

What are YOU wishing for? 

Super-mini reviews

I read four books. Two of them were superb. Two of them I didn't like so much that I didn't even finish them. The two that were superb were actually novellas. So instead of trying to write reviews for them, I thought I would write super mini reviews. I'll first start off with the two books I didn't like.

Lost: 2

Title: Spoiled

Author: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Publication date: June 1, 2011

Publisher: Poppy

Source: The lovely people at ARCycling and the person who donated it to them.

You say Spoiled like it's a bad thing.

Sixteen-year-old Molly Dix has just discovered that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world-famous movie star and red-carpet regular. Intrigued (and a little) terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Los Angeles and plunges headfirst into the deep of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her life couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous, spoiled half sister, who welcomes Molly to la-la land with a smothering dose "sisterly love"...but in this town, nothing is ever what it seems. 

Set against a world of Redbull-fuelled stylists, tiny tanned girls, popped-collar guys, and Blackberry-wielding publicists, Spoiled is a sparkling debut from the writers behind the viciously funny celebrity blog GoFugYourself.com.

Super-mini review:

The book starts out with Brooke's perspective (in third person), which threw me off. However, after I thought about it, I actually liked how they approached it that way. Instead of starting off with Molly, who the synopsis says the story is about, they start off at the other end. You see Brooke and her first world problems in L.A. along with her daddy issues. She also talks as if she's one of those horribly written characters in a made for TV movie based on someone in Hollywood or in a popular clique. I was relieved once we moved on to Molly. 

When I requested this book in ARCycling's weekly event (if you don't know about it, check it out. It's AMAZING), I had an idea in my mind that it would be part Belles by Jen Calonita, part sugary. I had to stop at the ninth chapter because I honestly could not take it anymore. I know authors work hard to finish a book and it's like their child, but I just didn't like Spoiled. I didn't like a single character, I felt the plot was shallow, and my eyes were hurting from all of my eye rolling.

Verdict: A book I personally felt was not worth going even half-way for and very boring. 

Title: Geek Girl

Author: Holly Smale

Publication date: February 28, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: An ARC e-galley via NetGalley and its publisher. 

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Super-mini review:

Please don't hate me! I couldn't finish this one either. Harriet wasn't connectable to me despite me loving geeky things. There was about maybe one or two amusing places in the part I did read, but I just couldn't get into it. Perhaps I should have given this one more time. Perhaps I'm weird. Perhaps...

I don't know how far I did go into this and I am grateful for being accepted on NetGalley, but maybe it's not for me. Perhaps I'll go back and read it again at another time, who knows. I do know that I was surprised to not see a bad review on Goodreads. I didn't see one review below three stars, which made me feel very weird. 

Verdict: Not interesting enough for me to continue, however I'm probably the odd ball in this case.

Win: 2

Title: Destroy Me (1.5 in series)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publication date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45

Super-mini review:

I think we can just look at the cover and read the synospsis and know for a fact that it's already a win just by those two things. Not only was Shatter Me brilliant, Tahereh Mafi's writing beautiful, and Unravel Me (the sequel) has been making me squirm with impatience, this is about Warner. WARNER! 

Yes, not a lot of people have sympathy for him in the first book. Yes, people who have only read the first one and not 1.5 think it's bizarre to actually like Warner. Why like Warner? There's Adam! Go back up to look at my eye rolling Robert Downey Jr. Don't even get me started on Adam. But Warner? Sure, I was hesitant to believe that we could actually root for him. Not only does he go from this mysterious, stern figure to a swoon-tastic, hot one, he also garners lots of sympathy. Honestly, I wanted to hug him lots of times during the novella. 

So please, read it. If you haven't read Shatter Me do that now. Then read Destroy Me. Get your opinions twisted around and then you'll be ready to read Unravel Me. 

Verdict: More of the same amazing writing with a character I love more than I thought I ever would. 

Title: Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (Gallagher Girls #5.5, Heist Society #2.5)

Author: Ally Carter

Publication date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 

Source: An ARC e-galley for honest review via NetGalley and its publisher. Also free from Amazon.

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Super-mini review:

Ally Carter is basically my favorite author. I have recommended her books to people and have raved about her until I'm blue in the face. I'm shoved my Gallagher Girl books in my friends' faces (as well as my sisters') and bought Heist Society as presents for my friends as well. During some Twitter party of sorts, I even met really nice people (one of them is the really cool Emily) because we started chatting (well, between chatting and fan-girling) about Ally Carter and the release date of her new books this year. 

I said all that to give you an image. The image of me hearing about this novella for the first time.

And I personally don't think Ally Carter disappointed. We dove right in to the story and there was action on every page. I smirked when Macey tried her guaranteed moves on Hale then sighed with longing when he responded, saying: "I'm sorry I'm not flirting with you. I'm kind of spoken for." 

Of course, Kat (the reason why Hale isn't flirting) is in the story, but she's minor along with Aunt Abby. I wanted to snap my fingers in the Heist Society characters' faces when they underestimated Macey, wanting to tell them, "You do not want to mess with her." in the most ghetto voice I could make. But I know, that's Macey's mission is to have no one suspect her true identity and capability. 

Also, the ending? So many questions! 

The third book in the Heist Society series, Perfect Scoundrels, comes out today which makes this book a perfect lead-in for fans. But thanks to my sister for preordering it for me as a Christmas present, I received the book yesterday! Doo-da, doo-da. Okay, that was the end of my happy dancing, bragging moment. 

Verdict: A great book with characters and action I love that I don't think will disappoint fans.

What do YOU think of the books I briefly reviewed over? Disagree or agree?