Stacking the Shelves

Bought:

The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter

Newest book purchase....

So far I have heard great things about this book, and I can't wait to get started...

*sees pile of required English reading*

.... Eventually.

Currently reading...

Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi

(also an assigned reading for my Contemporary Women's Text class)

All I can say right now is that it's very interesting... Raises a lot of questions about not only physical harems (which is, in reality, very different from my perceptions) but also one's internal harems.

A quick break from college life...

Hello lovely readers!! 

I've recently started my first year of college and let me apologize in advance because I won't be able to post as frequently as I would like. I have a TON of readings to do on a daily basis- I'm taking two English classes, History of Lit in English I and Contemporary Women's Texts. 

But worry not, I WILL still be posting!

I'm really excited and I can't wait to tell you all about new books I'm reading in class. They probably won't be YA so don't be surprised if I start blabbering about Beowulf (though I really doubt that). Anyways, I'm currently reading Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson for my Contemporary Women's Texts class. I'm surprised by how much I like it so far! Very funny delivery. Can't wait to do a review when I finish. 

Okay, that's my quick update for the night.  And to everybody going back to school, good luck!  :)

Top Ten Favorite Secondary Characters

Hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

Tesadora and Perry from The Lumatere Chronicles

There is so much back story for these two characters and SO much character development with regards to their relationship towards each other. Tesadora and Perry should definitely have their own book series.

Dee from Just One Day

He is just made from awesomesauce. I'd love to have someone like Dee as a BFF.

Finnick and Annie from Catching Fire/Mockingjay

I love these two not only for their heart-crushing romance, but also because of how these characters make readers rethink their initial impressions and look at them in a new light. 

Sonia from Crime and Punishment

She is just such a wonderfully selfless character- a real angel figure. By far my favorite character in the book.

Jackal from The Immortal Rules

This guy is a sadistic, slightly crazy vamp. With an awesome sense of humor. And I kind of love him. Julie Kawaga, what are you doing to me?!?

Rose and Linden from Wither

My God, what I wouldn't give for a prequel about these two.... Seriously! I'd give up chocolate! (Maybe for like a week, but it's the thought that counts.) I think the relationship between Linden and Rose is so complex and interesting... almost Stockholm-like. But I also think they're super cute and perfect for each other. So.

Isabel and Cole from The Wolves of Mercy Falls series

I definitely liked these two more than Grace and Sam. They were such broken characters, though undeniably tough in the face of what they were going through. 

Severus Snap from the Harry Potter series

Admittedly, he is a rather large secondary character, but I'm going to include him on this list because REASONS. 

Seriously. If you need me to explain why, then you need to go back and re-read the series.

Noelle from the Private series

Throughout the series, she's had so much development and, bitchy or not, I really love her as a character. 

Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments series

Izzy is a character who doesn't really start to shine until the later books. Sure, you see her sass and badassery in CoB and CoA, but its' afterwards you realize just how strong yet vulnerable she is. 

To be honest, I like her SO much more than Clary. 

Movie Review: City of Bones

Am I the only one who thinks it's surreal that just last year, we were freaking out over casting news and scouring the web for set pictures, and now the actual movie is actually out...? Like- in theaters.

Yeah, it's cray-cray.

I apologize in advance for how unorganized this following review will be. The thing is, I just have way too many feels about this movie to try and organize it into a coherent, well-written review so this random list of thoughts and such is what you're going to get instead. :)

I didn't have time for a re-read prior to seeing the movie but I thought that the movie captured all the key scenes very well. If they had lost some of the small moments in between, it wasn't big enough to notice. The pacing was very fast and full of action. There was literally not a moment of down time and I loved that. 

The cast was wonderful. Any other argument is invalid. Lily Collins played a great Clary- I'm normally not a huge Clary fan, but I really enjoyed her portrayal. To those who doubted Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, eat your words now because he was absolutely fantastic! And the chemistry between the two.... Let's just say that I am not an adamant shipper of Clace in the books, but I was squealing and flailing like crazy every time they had a Moment in the movie 

Other character-related thoughts

• Really enjoyed seeing more Simon-Isabelle interaction. Give. Me. More.
• I had my doubts about Kevin Zegers as Alec, but he nailed it!
• "Godfrey Gao more like Godfrey WOW." Amiright? That being said, I feel like the movie took away some of Magnus's flair and humor. He was more intense and badass, which was nice, but I really missed his flippant side. Hopefully they can bring out more of that in the later movies.
• Lena Headey totally kicked ass.... in the moments before she lost consciousness, yes, but still.
• Hodge's story line was slightly altered. I liked it, and I'm really interested in seeing how it continues. 
• Jonathon Rhys Meyers.... Well. He definitely took his own spin on Valentine- slightly more madman-esque and creepy. Brilliant portrayal but. Please. Lose. The. Braids. Just. No. 

Overall, though, I think the characters lost a lot of their normal humor and wit in the translation to movie form. There were a lot of great direct quotes from the book (which my inner fangirl greatly appreciated) but I really missed Isabelle's flippant sass and the ever-enjoyable Jace-Simon banter.

The special effects were great- especially in terms of how they portrayed the Institute. By far my favorite location in the movie- the Institute's library gave me a good idea of what I want my heaven to look like. The runes looked amazing and I could tell that a lot of detail went into incorporating the runes not only on the shadowhunters but on various artifacts. I personally thought the demons were pretty dang scary.... especially that little demon child. *shudder*

In terms of how well the movie followed the book, Harald Zwart did a great job. I'd say the movie nailed all the major plot points- and I understood the ones that they had to change. 

BUT. THAT. ENDING. The movie differed greatly from the book in terms of the ending, and I am still left with a bunch of conflicting emotions about that. I understood some of the changes that were made, but others kind of disappointed me. 

This is one of the better movie adaptations out there- pretty high up in my list of favorites- but it's not without its faults. I think it definitely helped to have read the book because the world-building was only briefly explained. The pacing was so fast that had I not had prior knowledge of this world, I would have been a little lost. That being said, I did really enjoy this movie and words cannot describe how excited I am for the next one.

RATING: 4 STARS

Last note:

To all the reviews out there calling City of Bones a Twilight wannabe.

Stop.

Just. Stop. 

Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels

Hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

Coming up with 10 books for this list was... surprisingly hard.

As I looked back on all the books I'd marked as read on goodreads, I realized just how many of those books were part of a series. Must go out and explore more stand-alone novels. 

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

The whole book was about Amy and Roger coming together and I'd really like to see how they are as a couple.

Death by Denim by Linda Gerber

The ending of this was good, but too open-ended for my liking!! I need to know what happens to my OTP!

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

DAT. ENDING.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

First off, this book was perfect as a stand-alone. I wouldn't change a thing about it. But I love the characters so much that I definitely would not mind a sequel. 

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

The fairy tale curse aspect is so cool and I definitely think it could be explored further in a sequel or spin-off. (*ahem* I'd particularly love a Beauty and the Beast retelling...)

Reckoning by Lili St. Crow

What even was that ending?!?!?! Endless. Frustration. If ever there should be a sequel for a series that has already ended, it would be for this one.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

I think this as a stand-alone was absolutely perfect. Flawless. But McCormick captured the protagonist's voice and the hell that she was going through so beautifully that I'm sure if she ever decided to write a sequel, it would be equally wonderful. Plus I really would like to know what happens to the protagonist after that ending.

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

I loved Remy and Dexter! I'd love to have a whole book to see how these two fair after Remy's in college.

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

In my opinion, this is the only Dessen book that really needs a sequel. Hallie and Macon. I just- I WANT SOME ANSWERS, OKAY?

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

I don't know if this one counts since Marchetta has said that she has an idea for a Jimmy Hailler book in mind, but I haven't heard definitive news about this would-be book yet. 

But I want it. Really, really badly.  

Review: The Eternity Cure

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: I recieved a copy by Netgalley in return for an honest review

Rating: 4.5 stars

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Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

As far as sequels go, I'm glad to say that The Eternity Cure did not disappoint- which was quite a feat considering how much I loved The Immortal Rules. This book made me feel so many things- from anxiety to anticipation to short-lived joy to heartache- that I'm going to have to break down this review piece by piece.

The Characters
Allie. Badass as ever. She is both fierce and fearsome, which makes for a great vampire, yet she also carries vulnerabilities and insecurities, which makes for a great, relatable protagonist. In this book, Allie is really starting to come into her own, accepting and embracing her new vampire life. I'm really excited to see where Kagawa takes this character in the next book. Especially with the way this one ended.....

Zeke. Bookish bad boys better watch out because Ezekial Cross is making the Nice Guy persona very swoon-worthy. My favorite thing about Zeke, aside from his innate goodness is his unwavering loyalty and faith. In that respect, I think he and Allie complement each other very well.

Jackal. Oh, Ms. Kawaga.... what have you done? I think Jackal just became my favorite character in the series!! I loved how I was constantly guessing whether he would end up a hero or a villain. There are little moments when he proves to be a good ally (and great comic relief) but there is always this understanding that he can't be trusted. I guess I'm just a total sucker for morally ambiguous characters with snark. I also enjoyed his twisted sibling relationship with Allie- it brought some much needed humor and lightness into an otherwise dark story.

Kanin...... is such and interesting character. After two books, I'm still not completely sure what to make of him. Kanin takes a bigger role in this book which was quite nice because I love his demeanor, especially in relation to all the other characters. For me, Kanin is definitely the most intriguing one to read about.

And, in case you were wondering, Sarren is still as twisted and sadistic as ever.

The Plot
As always, Kagawa's pacing was perfect. This book had me hooked from the very first chapter and kept me enraptured all the way up to that jaw-dropping ending. Literally, I openly gaped at the book when I got to the last page. But don't worry, no spoilers for you!

The most notable thing about this book was that there was a lot more gore than in The Immortal Rules. On one hand, this was nice because more action was happening throughout the book- and, really, who doesn't love awesome fight scenes? On the other hand, it did feel just a tad bit excessive. There are only so many pages I can stand of sword-slashing and vampiric dismemberment.

The Romance
This is pretty surprising for me to say, but I was a little unsatisfied with the romance. It's not that I didn't like the romantic development (because I totally support the Zeke/Allie ship) but the initial meeting between the two, namely Zeke explaining why he came after Allie, did not feel very natural to me. I may be in the minority here, but, following the events of book 1, it didn't seem like their relationship was at a point where it was realistic that Zeke did the things he did for her.

All in all:
The Eternity Cure was a very riveting read. Kagawa has hit the character-plot-setting trifecta once again.
Warning: this book ends with one heck of cliffhanger. Unless it's 2014 and the third book is out, prepare junk food on hand to eat away the feelings.

Cover Reveal: Cress

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3)

By Marissa Meyer

To be published February 4, 2014

My thoughts:

It's. So. BEAUTIFUL.  *o*

Definitely my favorite cover in the series thus far.

Top Ten Beginnings & Endings

Hosted over at The Broke and Bookish

BEGINNINGS

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” 

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

 "My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted."

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

“She will fight for light, and he for dark,
Battling through the ages for loves sweet spark.
Wherever two souls adore truly, you will find them, lo,
The brave Juliet and the wicked Romeo.” 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love.
It did not end well."

ENDINGS

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

"'Yes,' I said. 'Isn't it pretty to think so?'” 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
"I love you. Remember. They cannot take it."

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
“Instead, I try to adjust to the dawn, letting the tears fall where they may, because it is morning; it is morning and there is so much to see.” 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This one's spoilery so I won't include the actual text but just- ALL. THE. FEELS. 

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

No spoilers for you! Let me just say that my. Mind. Was. Blown.

That is all. 

Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta

brb crying because of the beautifulness

On the YA Crush Tourney and Comic Con

Some of you may know that during the 2012 YA Crush Tourney, my boy, Will Herondale, made it all the way to the finals just to lose by 30-some votes in the last half hour to Adrian Ivashkov.
It was traumatic and heart-breaking and just talking about it is giving me traumatic flashbacks so let's not.

And as if that weren't bad enough, the same thing basically happened this year as well!

grrrrrrr.....

Richelle Mead totally threw down the gauntlet and promised a Dimitri-POV scene from book 1 if he won. Cassie Clare followed up by promising the cave scene from CP2 in Will's POV if he won.

But. He. Didn't.

Bitter? Who? Me? YES.

Darn you, Richelle Mead and your tempting temptations. To all the people who didn't vote for Will: imagine me giving you the Look of Disappointment. Uh-huh. I hope you're happy with yourselves. *hisses*
Dimitri had a constant lead of about 500 votes so it wasn't like the loss came out of nowhere and I didn't see it coming. BUT STILL.
U G H
My poor shadowhunter baby.

If it were any other fictional boy that Dimitri had been up against (and really, I mean any other character at all), I would not be this upset.
But- Will Herondale. You guys know how protective I get of him.

So. Congratulations, Dimitri. I guess.

still bitter.... I am a bittermelon

All I can say is that the extra POV scene better be good......
I'm still holding out hope for next year, though! I WILL SEE WILL HERONDALE WIN THAT DARN CRUSH TOURNEY IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO.
And they do say that the third time's the charm. *fingers and toes crossed*

-End Part 1 Rant-

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT COMIC CON.

AGAIN.

This year's SDCC is probably the best one that I've never been to. Let's list the reasons why, shall we?

• X-Men Days of Future Past entire cast
• Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss (the trolls....) + A SHERLOCK PANEL
• Benedict Cumberbatch's adorable video (brb sobbing)
• TMI PANEL (aksjdhflaksdjhf)- EVEN GODFREY GAO WAS THERE
• Robert Sheehan being his adorable geeky self and his camera
• Game of Thrones cast
• New Catching Fire trailer!!!!
• Colin O'Donaghue being his perfect Irish self
• Veronica Roth + Divergent cast
• Karen Gillan shaving her head! O__O
• Avengers. Avengers. All things Avengers
• Superman and Batman in a movie?!?!!?
• HUGH DANCY IN A FLOWER CROWN (way to go, Tumblr! #fannibal)

If you have no idea what I'm talking about in the bullet points then chances are you haven't been shamelessly stalking the internet for Comic Con updates. Good for you. I don't recommend doing this because it is literally painful each time you see something awesome that you're missing out on.

But here's the thing: just as I was starting to accept the fact that I'm not at this super awesome event, THIS GUY SHOWS UP:

LOOOOOOKI!!!

........

Tom Hiddleston shows up in full Loki attire to introduce new Thor 2 footage...

1. No

2. No

3. N o

4. NOPE

5. NOoOOOOOoO

I. Will. Never. Get. Over. This.

Goodbye, cruel world.

*crawls into a corner and sobs*

-End Part 2 Rant-

What I've been up to....

I... have been a very bad blogger.

Many apologies, my lovelies, for being so absent the past two months. A lot has been happening and I just wanted to give you all an update on my life. For one, I graduated high school!!

Aw yiss

I graduated at the end of May and just recently got back from my college orientation. I've got a tentative schedule all set up, met my roomie, toured my future dorm, and I am just super excited!
~Ahhhhh, college life, here I come!

In the mean time, I've been busy with a summer job and when I'm not working, I'm usually binging on TV shows, ranging from angst-filled Chinese dramas to trashy reality TV to the emotionally crippling Game of Thrones and Supernatural.
U G H
I can't even talk about GoT yet because it's still too soon after the-event-that-must-not-be-spoken-of, also known as that-episode-when-George R.R. Martin-ripped-my-heart-out-and-ate-it.
However, I can tell you this: Supernatural. Is. Ruining. My. Life.
Stupid Winchesters with their stupid bromance and their stupid self sacrificing and I JUST CAN'T

I am obsessed.

That being said, I have been in a horrible reading and blogging slump. I actually read a ton of books before I fell off the radar and I have rough outlines for reviews written, but I just never really got around to finishing them because those books were all spectacular and everyone knows those are the hardest reviews to write. So.... I just didn't. Yes, shame on me. 

Anyways, the point of this post is to give you guys an update on what I've been up to and to be a jump start back into blogging. I'VE MISSED YOU ALL SO SUPER MUCH. And I can't wait to start catching up on what I've missed!

Alrighty then, dear readers, until my next post! 

*Mwah!*  <3

Frigid Pre-Order Promo and Chapter Reveal

Today is an exciting day - we have FOUR HUGE SURPRISES for you! Jennifer L. Armentrout's (writing as J. Lynn) FRIGID is set to release on e-book at the end of July. If you're anything like us, you're probably on pins and needles and just cannot wait to get your hands on a copy of this book.

FRIGID has already been given the honor of being named a Romantic Times Top Pick and we're super excited for you to be able to read it as well!

Well, there's good news! Are you ready for those four awesome surprises? Here we go!

1. Due to all the excitement surrounding FRIGID, we have decided to run a special e-book pre-order promotion. We have worked out a deal with the distributor to release FRIGID a full two weeks early -- on JULY 15th!!! -- if we meet our e-book pre-order goal. EEEEP! That's right, if you are like the rest of us and want to be able to read FRIGID in its entirety before its original release date, all you have to do is PRE-ORDER THE E-BOOK NOW! What are you waiting for? GO! Pre-order it!

Pre-Order Links: Barnes & Noble / Amazon

2. Need something to hold you over until FRIGID releases? Well, starting right now, you can read the first three chapters of FRIGID for free! Just read below! 

Frigid Sneak Peek

LINK

3. Can’t get enough of the hot FRIGID cover? Want to see some behind the scenes photos that are sure to make you swoon? You’re in luck! Below you can watch a slideshow of all the behind the scenes photos from the photo shoot! Go on and watch it. We’ll wait, because there is still one more great surprise! 

LINK

4. And last but not least, if you live near Philadelphia, PA, you're in for a very special treat -- Jennifer will be in Philly in November signing not only FRIGID but also the last book in her immensely popular COVENANT series, SENTINEL! But that's not all, Adam, the super hot cover model from FRIGID will be there as well! So, yes, you'll get to meet Jennifer and Adam! Plus, there will be other great prizes that you seriously won't want to miss out on (dinner with the author and model, perhaps?)! Stay tuned for more details to come!

We hope you're as excited as we are! So now....Go pre-order FRIGID! Go read those chapters! Go watch that slideshow! And Enjoy!

Review: Eleanor and Park

Title: Eleanor and Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publication date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Rating: 5 stars

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Bono met his wife in high school, Park says.

So did Jerry Lee Lewis, Eleanor answers.

I’m not kidding, he says.

You should be, she says, we’re 16.

What about Romeo and Juliet?

Shallow, confused, then dead.

I love you, Park says.

Wherefore art thou, Eleanor answers.

I’m not kidding, he says.

You should be.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.

Eleanor and Park is one of those books that took the blogging world by storm and it seemed that no matter where I went, someone was raving about how wonderful the story was. Once I read this book, I understood why.

Eleanor is the new girl. Fiery red hair. Overweight. Mismatched second-hand clothes. She's impossible for the kids on her bus to ignore, and I don't mean that in a good way. That first day on the bus, everyone else looked at her with scorn and no one would offer her a seat. Except Park.

He did it grudgingly, mind you, but he offered the strange, new girl his seat. And despite their initial apathy towards one other, through comic books and mix tapes, apathy becomes curiosity, curiosity becomes friendship, and friendship becomes something more. Their little daily interactions on the school bus set in motion a slow-building and beautiful love story between two very unlikely people.

First off, I would just like to applaud the author for creating a heroine who's not the girl that everyone falls over themselves for. As much as I like reading about kickass female warriors, I also appreciate it when an author creates a girl who isn't perfect. Not personality-wise. I mean physically. In a world where 99.99% of literary heroines are either wiry and lithe, athletic and toned, or slim yet curvy, it was so refreshing to have a girl with weight issues that a lot of readers can empathize with.

Eleanor and Park together... those two are like my babies. And I swear I do NOT mean that in a creepy way. I just feel protective of them. Like I want to carry them around in my pocket and hide them from all the bad things in their lives. Because there are bad things. While Park's life is considerably normal, blessed with relative popularity and parents who love him and are in love, Eleanor's is a broken mess. The disparity between their home lives was heart-breaking and it made me all the more protective of their budding relationship which was the one bright spot in their lives.

This book was romantic, beautiful, and disarmingly real. There was nothing clichéd or typical about Eleanor and Park's love story. There are some books that you read and you fall in love with the characters - meaning you fall in love as they do, you feel what they feel. This is one of those books. And that's what makes it so powerful. 

All in all:
I had a hard time writing this review because this is one of those stories that leave your heart a little tender and bruised. It was beautiful in a way that made me ache a little because I had fallen so deeply in love with the characters. Eleanor and Park is a book that demands to be remembered not only because of its gorgeous writing or poignant story but also because of how it brings attention to issues that will always be important.

Cover Reveal: Allegiant

Allegiant (Divergent #3)

by Veronica Roth

To be published October 22, 2013

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

My thoughts:

It's so weird to have months and months of fan-made covers and now be presented with the real one...

There were some fan-made ones that were really good. Like, ones I think I like more than the actual cover. Actually, to be honest, seeing the real cover has been a little anti-climactic for me. But nonetheless, I do think the cover is really pretty- the background colors are gorgeous!- and I'm super psyched for more Tobias scenes this book to come out.

Review: Quintana of Charyn

Title: Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3)
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publication date: April 23, 2013 (U.S. edition)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5 stars

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Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles coalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

Me before I read a Marchetta book:

Me after reading a Marchetta book:

Melina Marchetta (authoress divine) is one of those rare authors whose writing is constantly improving, constantly pushing the limits of how much I think I can love a book. When I read Finnikin, I felt like I had found The Best Book Ever (aside from Jellicoe Road, of course). But then she wrote Froi and now Quintana and I just have no words. At least, none that I haven't said before.

Quintana of Charyn is, undoubtedly, a conclusion. All the loose ends are tied up and the reader is left in a satisfied place. Actually, it's a rather heart-wrenching place because it's The End, but nevertheless it was a good stopping place. The characters' struggles have been resolved. You know that they're going to be okay, yet there's still an open-endedness that comes with knowing their lives will go on and they will continue to learn and grow.

With most fantasy books, the authors focus on explaining the world-building. What was great about this series was that yes, Marchetta explained the ways of the Lumaterans, Charynites, and co. But she never took the focus away from the characters and their relationships. At the end of this series, you know these characters: their hopes, their fears, their love of country, and their love for each other. You know their hearts- their very essence. And being so close, so darn attached to these characters made me feel ALL of the feelings.

While reading, I had the sudden and overwhelming urge to just take all these beloved characters and, I don't know, hide them in my pocket or something. Just snatch them from the pages and tuck them somewhere safe so that they could stop hurting. Maybe that's a little silly, but these characters have just gone through so much in just Quintana alone, let alone the entire series. There is pain, devastation, loss, grief, and heartbreak. Yet more powerful than all of that is the undercurrent of hope and love that has been there even in the darkest of times. That is Marchetta's true talent—besides the ability to make me want to curl up into a fetal position and sob— she has the uncanny ability to craft these masterful stories of broken people and their broken relationships and somehow make it a story of redemption and love. 

The Lumatere Chronicles has given me more heartache than I thought possible, yet I always crawl back for more. And, to be honest, I would sooner swear off of chocolate than say goodbye to this series and its magnificent characters. I hate goodbyes. I hate the knowledge that once I finish a book, I will never get to know more about a character's life. But knowing that everyone I cared about in this book ended up okay made saying goodbye just a little bit easier

All in all:

There's really only one thing to do now:


I'm just kidding. No. I'm really not.

Good books give you a beautiful happily ever after. Great books pierce your hearts with sadness and linger on your mind long after you've finished. And then there are the rare, phenomenal books that manage to utterly shatter your heart, then somehow heal you at the end and claim an eternal place in your heart. Quintana of Charyn is one of those books.

Waiting on Wednesday #40

WoW is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine

Legend Unleashed 

By M. Latimer-Ridley

Publication date: October 26, 2012

When an infamous criminal is unleashed from his prison, it has consequences for everyone in Carwick. Temperance Levinthal in particular…

Temperance is satisfied with her ordinary life. Dealing with her eccentric, childlike parents is all the excitement she needs. That changes when Alastair Byron returns home.
After a failed matchmaking attempt by her father, sparks fly between her and Alastair-just not the good kind.
They are forced together though, when they are implicated in a grisly murder. Their search for the truth leads them to a secret world beneath Carwick, filled with werewolves, wizards and other magical faey.
However, uncovering the truth is far more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.
There are secrets within secrets.
Even Alastair may be more than he seems…

My thoughts:
I know this book came out last year, but I just recently heard about it and I'm really intrigued. With paranormal creatures and murder mystery, how can I resist? Plus I've found that I really like stories where characters (potential love interests?) start out hating each other. 

What are you waiting on this week? Feel free to leave me a link or just tell me in the comments! 

Review: Clockwork Princess

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publication date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Rating: 5 stars

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Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

*WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS*

“You know that feeling,” she said, “when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you can feel the cold and darkness coming, see the net drawing tight around the characters who live and breathe on the pages. But you are tied to the story as if being dragged behind a carriage and you cannot let go or turn the course aside.” 

What better way to start this review than with the above quote by Tessa? Her words exactly described my state of mind when I began reading Clockwork Princess because deep down, I knew that it was highly unlikely that each character would escape this last book unscathed, in the physical and especially the emotional sense. And that scared me.

This review has probably been one of the hardest ones I've ever had to write. God knows I have put it off long enough, hoping to try and find the write words. The story has left such a large emotional impact on me and I am at a loss as to how to convey that into words. This review is probably going to be a bit long so go ahead and get yourself some popcorn while you read. I'll wait.

....

Okay. I can basically sum up my reading experience with this gif:

You will cry.
You will. If you think that you can finish this entire book with dry eyes, then you are lying to yourself.

This book is, by far, the best book that Cassandra Clare has written. As much as I loved the first three books of TMI, the writing in CP2 is just... phenomenal. I can't even describe the writing, but the story, though absolutely heart-breaking at times, is still shot through with Clare's signature wit, resulting in me vacillating between two states while reading:

These characters. These freaking characters.

I think that TID will probably go down in history as having the greatest love triangle of our generation, and while that geometric shape of evil was central to the story, CP2 really placed more emphasis on the unbreakable parabatai bond between Will and Jem. Their relationship in this book broke my heart. Broke it into little miniscule pieces.  Their parabatai bond is indescribably powerful, the love between the two equally so. I can honestly say that I enjoyed reading about their friendship and brotherhood much more than I did the love triangle. And by the Angel, when Will and Jem said their parting words at the Institute, I bawled like a baby. Messy, ugly sobbing.

Tessa is a wonderful heroine, as always. She's grown so much throughout these three books and, though I try not to compare TMI and TID, I like her so much more as a protagonist than I do Clary. I love how resourceful and smart Tessa is; she thinks things through and doesn't make reckless, rash decisions. And after everything she's been through in this series, this book especially, it is impossible to not realize how strong she is as a character. 

One of the things I really enjoyed about CP2 was that all the side characters from the earlier books have a much larger role in this one. There are more chapter devoted to Charlotte and Henry, Gabriel and Cecily, and Gideon and Sophie- and speaking of Gideon and Sophie, THE SCONES. OH MY GOSH THOSE SCONES. That scene just had me cracking up. And who knew that hidden beneath Gideon's calm facade was a comical genius? His letters throughout this book cracked me up. 

Now as much as I enjoyed the entire ensemble of characters, can we all just take a moment to appreciate the literary perfection that is William Herondale? Because good god, with this character, Cassandra Clare has forever ruined me for real-life boys. I adore Jem's character, I do, but like Will said, Jem is nothing but goodness. It is literally impossible to hate Jem. Will, on the other hand is beautifully flawed- he has had moments of being a complete jerk, seemingly irredeemable. But then he shows this side of being so incredibly selfless even when it caused him agony and I just- I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELS, OKAY? I've enjoyed the evolution of Will's character throughout this series even more than I have Tessa's. I can honestly say that I don't think I'll ever be able to love a character as much as I love Will Herondale. 

*Rocks back and forth in fetal position, sobbing*

The Plot:

As far as plot goes, CP2 had me on the edge of my seat. The situation for the shadowhunters seemed so desolate, their chances of triumphing so minuscule that I got seriously worried. However, the way in which Mortmain was defeated was ingenious. Totally unexpected and just plain brilliant. But even so, I felt like the big climactic fight scene was lacking; it didn't quite satisfy me. Perhaps it's because it was over too quickly or I wanted the actual triumph to be more grand than it actually was. Either way, though I did enjoy the climax, once it was over, I was left a little dumbfounded, as if I was waiting for more to happen.

The Epilogue:

The epilogue has had a rather controversial response in the fandom, so here's my two cents:

As I neared completion, I had thought that I couldn't possibly withstand any more emotional trauma at the hands of this book. BUT I WAS WRONG. The epilogue pretty much shattered me, and then tried to put me back together again, though I'm not sure if it quite accomplished that. Reading about Will and Tessa's life together was.... everything I had hoped for since the very beginning. Reading about Will's death was everything that I never wanted. It was beautiful. And indescribably heart-breaking. Ultimately, he lived a great life, a long and happy one. But even so, my heart is still trying to cope with his death.

As for Wessa and Jessa both being "endgame," I have to admit... I wasn't crazy about it. It left me with lots of conflicting emotions that I don' know how to make sense of. On the one hand, the ending was the best thing that the fandom could have hoped for, regardless of which pairing you supported. Literally everyone got their happy ending and that was....unexpected. I should be happy because it was pretty much an ideal ending. However, I can't because it feels like everything wrapped up too perfectly. Like maybe it was a cop out. It's not that I hate the fact that Tessa is with Jem, it's not that at all. I'm happy for them- especially because Jem of all people deserved a happy ending. But at the same time, my heart is still despairing at the fact that Will is just gone and that makes me feel conflicted. I didn't expect Tessa to just be alone for the rest of her life, but I also didn't expect Jem to suddenly not be a Silent Brother anymore and ride of with Tessa into the sunset. 

Some people adored the ending. Others, not so much. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm still trying to make sense of it. 

All in all:

An epic end to an epic series. This book made me laugh, made me weep uncontrollably cry, made me despair, and made me hope. All I can say is that my poor, poor heart was wholly unprepared for the emotional journey this series took me on, but I will never regret picking this series up.