Review: The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass

Published: April 24, 2012 HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Dystopia
Format: ebook
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

"Yeah, Mom, I'll just keep telling the prince that he has absolutely no shot with me and offend him as often as I can. Great plan."

For me, it was a very quick read and one I enjoyed a lot.

The Good

For whatever reason, this book was the right one for the moment. I read it so quickly and enjoyed every minute of it. What was so great about this book for me is how unexpected the main character, America, is. I thought it was fantastic that she didn't really want to be a part of the Selection.

To me, it's a mixture of Cinderella and The Bachelor. Take that as you will. The world is broken out into castes based on who your ancestor was when the castes were created. The 8's are basically destitute. The 1's have the money and power. America is in the middle. When a letter is sent to girls within a certain age-group that Prince Maxon is holding a Selection in order to choose a bride, America really wants no part of it.

She is stubborn, intense, caring, and speaks her mind. I love her. I also like the girl that she befriends, though you can tell there is a secret hiding there. I hope we find out what it is in the second one. Maxon is such a great character to me as well. America was expecting a stuck-up, stiff-necked tool, but what she got was someone who truly cares about others and wants to understand the world around him.

The characters really drove this story for me. In addition, the rebels were an odd twist that I found I liked. She's in this palace with more luxuries than she can image around her, too bad she was to fear for her life in the form of rebel attacks.

The Bad

I really don't understand the driving force for America to compete in the Selection. It didn't make sense to me. Also, I was not a fan of the conflict that was Aspen, though it did cause America to be a better character overall due to his presence. My main gripe is that Maxon is so wonderful, and Aspen I didn't really care for. This love triangle is not one for me.

The Romance

Well, America has a boyfriend. Or, rather, had a boyfriend. His name is Aspen and he's the dreaded love triangle. I say that because I don't understand his actions, and he gets on my nerves a little. The song "Single Ladies" by Beyonce plays through my head while reading. "If you like it, then you should've put a ring on it." Maxon forms a relationship with America that is so sweet and not overly romantic, but I can't help but love him.

Conclusion

The story flew by while I was reading. Such a quick, light, and fun read. I am really looking forward to the next one in this series.

Excerpts

The idea of being entered into a contest for the whole country to watch as this stuck-up little wimp picked the most gorgeous and shallow one of the bunch to be the silent, pretty face that stood beside him on TV...it was enough to make me scream...

"Honestly, I don't know. I think that's the beauty of the Selection. No two women who enter will be exactly the same - not in looks or preferences or disposition. And through the process of meeting them and talking to them, I'm hoping to discover what I want, to find it along the way." Maxon smiled.

"Enjoy your last night as an average girl. Tomorrow, no matter what, your life will be different forever. And it's old advice, but it's good: Be yourself."

"Actually, that was unfair. They're fighting over two things. Some fight for you, others fight for the crown. And they all think they've already figured out what to say and do so your choice will be obvious."

Review: Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Published: February, 2014 Fiewel & Friends
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Fantasy
Format: ebook
Source: Purchased

Goodreads Summary

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

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had 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 of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

"You can help me pick out a tiara when we're done saving the world."

This is one of my favorite series, and it just keeps getting better and better.

The Good

So I already read the intro story to Cinder, the character that is a play on Cinderella, and Scarlet, the character that is a play on Red Riding Hood. This one centers around the intro story to Cress, a character based on Rapunzel. When I met her, she blew me out of the water. She couldn't be any more different than the two hard-core heroines I've already met in this series. She is a damsel in distress, and she knows it. She is so naive and innocent, and she has all these fantasies about what life will be like outside of her prison. It was a lot of fun watching her come into her own, to discover her intelligence and adaptability. She also handles being let down so well.

I love the alternating POVs. Due to all the events that unfold, it was important to follow all the characters around. Unfortunately, there were circumstances that caused them to be torn apart, and thrown together, and then ripped apart. It had my heart racing to find out whether everything would work out between all these characters so they could continue the story as one unit. There are so many turns in this one, and a lot of revelations that I didn't see coming.

I think this story is headed to an amazing conclusion. Based on how everything goes in this book, I'm up for quite the adventure in the grand finale. I got a little glimpse at Winter who is to be the character basis for the next book. She is a bit loony, sweet, and unpredictable. I'm looking forward to learning more about her.

The Bad

Nothing. I felt like this book went exactly as it should have.

The Romance

Each of these main characters has their own romantic interest in the story. Scarlet has Wolf, Cinder has Kai, and Cress has a crush as well. The romance is handled so well in The Lunar Chronicles. Everything is slow, the build-up that I love, and sprinkled with just enough moments to be very enjoyable. I also truly feel that each of these pairings fit together so well. There's no triangles here.

Conclusion

A story unlike any other. The combination of old-school fairy tales with a dash of paranormal and sprinkled with science fiction, the roller-coaster that Cress took me on was without a doubt one that I enjoyed. Recommended to YA Paranormal/Science Fiction lovers.

Excerpts

"I have a suggestion," said Iko, replacing the news story of the Lunar operatives with an ongoing report for the upcoming wedding. "If we're going to be sneaking into New Beijing Palace while Levana is there, why don't we just assassinate her?"

Kai bit the inside of his cheek, These were the same arguments he'd been repeating to himself. He was doing the right thing. He was saving lives. He was protecting his people.

Cress was buoyed by giddiness. It was happening. There were really coming to rescue her.

"Since we have a few minutes," said Scarlet, "maybe we should talk about how to handle this girl. If she's been stuck on a satellite for seven years, with no one to talk to but a Lunar thaumaturge, she might be...socially awkward. 

Sunday Cover Scramble [75]

Let's have some fun! I am going to post covers on here every Sunday that are scrambled up graphically, making it hard to tell what cover it is. I would like your guesses on what cover you think I've posted. I won't answer you until I'm posting the next one to let you know if you are right, allowing others to guess as well. Some will be hard, and others may be easy. Let me know in the comments if you'd like some more hints and I'll offer some more if no one guesses it correctly.


I'm changing up the format a little bit! I am going to be pulling covers off the Most Popular Page on Goodreads.

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Sidekick Showcase [84] - Royally Hot

Sidekick Showcase, previously known as Sidekick Saturday, is a weekly bookish meme, hosted here by Jaclyn at JC's Book Haven. There are many secondary characters that are as great as the primaries. In some cases, the sidekicks actually steal the show and you like them better than the heroine or hero. Maybe they didn't have enough page time for how great they were. Anyone can play along! I will post my Sidekicks on Saturday, then whichever day during the week that you would like to post yours, you can put your link in on my page. Just do the following:

• Choose a sidekick *or someone other than the hero or heroine* that you would like to put in the spotlight that fits in the week's topic
• Share a picture (if you can) and information about the character
• Give the title and author of a book the character can be found in
• Please don't include too many spoilers when describing why the character is such a great sidekick
• The day of your post, put your link in below and grab the code for your post so you can see the others that post their's throughout the week as well

Topic ideas for July:
HOT, Patriot, and Red-heads.

My choice is Maxon

The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

Maxon picture created by Jaclyn Canada

Prince Maxon is described as looking "like summertime" so I felt he really fits this topic. I've only read the first book in this series so far, but I have a hard time figuring out what there's not to like about Maxon. He's a gentleman, he's thoughtful, he's brave, and he's intelligent. Not to mention, he's not too bad to look at. In the first book, America is expecting him to be a stuck-up, arrogant, and stiff guy because he's a prince and that's the way he's seemed every time she's seen him on t.v. However, he turns out to be very caring, truly worried about other people's feelings. He is constantly giving people presents to brighten their day, and he protects the people around him from the rebel attacks. I gotta say, he is H.O.T.

My review for The Selection will be up next week.

Quotes:

“If you don’t want me to be in love with you, you’re going to have to stop looking so lovely. First thing tomorrow I’m having your maids sew some potato sacks together for you.”

---

“Is this a good time to pat your shoulder?”

---

“Need someone to talk to? I could tug my ear right now.”

---

"Is that really what it's like? Out there... does that happen? Are people hungry like that a lot?"
"Maxon, I..."
"Tell me the truth."
"Yes. That happens. I know of families where people give up their share for their children or siblings. I know of a boy who was whipped in the town square for stealing food. Sometimes you do crazy things when you are desperate."
"A boy? How old?"
"Nine."
"Have you ever been like that? Starving?
...How bad?"
"Maxon, it will only upset you more."
"Probably, but I'm only starting to realize how much I don't know about my own country. Please."

---

“You ask for such simple things, I can't deny you.”

---

“Are you enjoying your company so far?"
"Yes! It's been a pleasure getting to know these ladies."
"Are they all the sweet, gentle ladies they appear to be?" Gavril asked. Before Maxon replied, the answer brought a smile to my face. Because I knew that it was yes...sort of.
"Umm..." Maxon looked past Gavril at me. "Almost."
"Almost?" Gavril asked, surprised. He turned to us. "Is someone over there being naughty?"
Mercifully, all the girls let out light giggles, so I blended in. The little traitor!
"What exactly did these girls do that isn't so sweet?" Gavril asked Maxon.
"Oh, well, let me tell you." Maxon crossed his legs and got very comfortable in his chair. It was probably the most relaxed I'd ever seen him, sitting there poking fun at me. I liked this side of him. I wished it would come out more often. "One of them had the nerve to yell at me rather forcefully the first time we met. I was given a very severe scolding."

---

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DNF: My Thoughts

DNF

dun, dun, dun

Here's where the dilemma comes in. If I'm using my blog as a way to enjoy books MORE, why would I read books that I don't like? Books that exhaust me and cause me to feel like I'm FORCING myself to continue with the story?

The Nitty-Gritty

Most of you know that I work full-time as well as being a single parent, so what it boils down to: I simply don't have time to make myself slog through a read. I know that I'm not the only one that has a TBR long enough to take 15 years to get through. Plus, I'm adding at least 5 - 10 books a week due to seeing something that I HAVE to read thanks to my blogger buddies. Thanks guys!

Therefore, I have no problems with not finishing a book. I even have it listed in my review policy that I will DNF if it's not for me. That way, authors that may not agree with that, can know beforehand so they won't even request that I read their stories.

Don't get me wrong, I have a huge respect for authors. I know that they feel as if their books are their babies. However, if I can't make it through a book, the review is going to have nothing but negative things to say anyway. That's why I don't mind not finishing and moving on. It's also why you are unlikely to see many 1 - 2 star reviews on my blog. I do make sure to create a DNF post so that my readers will know the reasons that I moved on, but I leave it at that.

What you should know is that I'm so picky in the selection process of books that I accept for review, that I hardly ever have to DNF. I try my best to only select books that I feel that I would enjoy.

I have to remain healthy emotionally

I have a hard time reading about sexual abuse, rape, physical abuse, children in pain, etc. There is nothing in my admittedly odd make-up that can handle emotionally treading through these topics. If a book is bringing up sexual abuse often, it's back on the shelf. If I have to read an incredibly detailed rape scene, it's a DNF from me. The one stand-out for me on that is Patricia Brigg's take on it. Believe me, I understand that characters have to have conflict, or there's no story. There are ways that authors can present these types of things to me, but it's all in the delivery. So this one is a 50/50 DNF topic for me, which leads me to my next topic.

I am an ugly-crier

I hate to cry. H.A.T.E. There are many books that I've read sad parts in (Dobby anyone?), but that's not the crux of the story. It's ok for an author to kill a character off or for characters to have a messy break-up. However, I purposely avoid books and movies that I'm sure will cause the snot-enducing tears. I don't like chick flicks, I don't want to be told about a family dog that dies, and I won't enjoy a story that is an extended telling of a person's slow death. So if the book causes me to hiccup-cry over and over again, I'm out. DNF city for these.

Who?

Names are an important part of literature. When a book becomes incredibly popular, those names live on and on. Could you imagine Galdolf being Bladorthin? That's what we were almost left with. Scarlett O'Hara nearly had the name of Pansy. Herimoine Granger could have been Hermione Puckle.

When I can't pronounce a name, I resort to calling it the first letter of the name. If an author has numerous names of characters and places that I can't work out how to say in my head, I'll DNF. I also get really annoyed when the majority of the characters in a story start with the same letter, or when one character has a name that goes with the opposite gender. I'll confuse which ones are male/female characters. DNF folks.

I'm seeing Red

Just because an author has an incredibly creative mind with a fantastic story to tell, doesn't always mean they are the best when it comes to grammar. If I want to break out my red pen and fix all the errors I see, I will DNF. I'm unable to focus on anything but "You need a comma there!"

Here's a list put together at inkspokes with editors for indie authors.

I finished History Classes

If a book takes you through the world-building in the first 3 - 4 chapters with nothing but an info-dump, I will probably DNF it. I never enjoyed History when I had to take it for school, and I don't intend on having history lessons while trying to read a fiction book.

It's. Just. So. Boring.

This one is completely subjective. For whatever reason, I'm not feeling a connection with the characters. I may not understand what the POINT of the story is. I play videos games or watch t.v. instead of reading because I see no enjoyment in getting through the story. I put it down and come back to it numerous times. I'm DNFing.

Next week, I'm going to explore the topic of DNFs from author's point of views. 

Please check back then.

How do you feel? Are you a Chronic Finisher? 

Do you also DNF for some of the reasons I've listed?

Harry Potter Moment of the Week [27]

This is a meme hosted by Uncorked Thoughts.The aim of this meme is to share with fellow bloggers a character, spell, chapter, object or quote from the books/ films/ J. K. Rowling herself or anything Potter related! She is picking a topic within HP for us to focus on each week and then if anyone wants to take part feel free! All she asks is to link back to her blog :). There is now a full list of the topics to come here.

Scariest Magical Creature

EEEEEK!

Aragog has to be the scariest to me! I'm freaked about by the regular 8-legged ninja beasts, so this HUGE monstrosity needs to steer clear of me. Where's the giant shoe?? We need one in the Forbidden Forest.

I can't even watch scenes with him on the movie. The second film, I skip right past those freaky pincered crawlers. My happiest day was when he went belly up. Does that make me terrible? Poor Hagrid though.

What do you think is the scariest magical creature in HP?

Author Spotlight - Sherry Soule

Today author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She has published a brand new upper YA book, LOST IN STARLIGHT (paranormal romance with a Sci-Fi concept) with scorching-hot character chemistry and exciting suspense. 

To help promote this interstellar love story, Sherry is doing this fun guest post to share the news with fellow booklovers. 

All about Sherry!

Sherry Soule lives with her family and one very spoiled black cat in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the popular author of the acclaimed YA series, Spellbound and the bestselling paranormal romance novel, Immortal Eclipse. 

Sherry writes thrilling tales of romance and suspense, often mingled with a dash of the mystical and a splash of trendy fashion. Her published novels do not include any graphic sex, explicit violence, or excessive profanity, so that all of her novels can be read and enjoyed by both teens and adults. 

Aside from writing, she enjoys reading poetry, online shopping, digging through flea markets, and exploring old cemeteries and Victorian mansions. She is a major shopaholic and bookaholic, with an epic flair for fashion. Her love of literature began when she was a young girl and it has continued throughout her life.

Sherry’s life changed dramatically when she lost her job in 2009 and was out of work for almost two years. To keep from falling into a hopeless depression, she turned back to her first love—writing fiction. Getting her stories published has been a long journey for Sherry, who decided to go the Indie publishing route after several traditional publishers turned down one of her first manuscripts. Editors and agents loved the storyline, but didn't think it fit the needs of the current market.

Discouraged, but convinced that there was a readership for her work, Sherry published her first novel with a small press and began intensely marketing it on the Internet. Her debut YA novel, BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN was published by Moonlight Publishing. To her delight and surprise, the novel was praised and loved by book reviewers and readers everywhere.

21 Fun Facts about Sherry:

1. Sherry was born in the rural town of Castro Valley, California.
2. She adores her zany, dysfunctional family.
3. Black cats are her favorite animal.
4. She has been writing stories since she was seven-years-old.
5. Sherry loves shoes, and she's a wannabe fashionata. 
6. She is a total Twitter junkie. (Are there any support groups for this?)
7. Halloween is her favorite holiday.
8. She is a shopaholic, who loves bargain hunting for books and the latest fashions.
9. Sherry loves to watch scary movies. (Not to be confused with slasher films)
10. Her last name is pronounced, "Sue-Lay.”
11. Her favorite number is "13.”
12. Sherry is a firm believer that reading has the power to change the world.
13. She loves getting new followers on her blog and twitter. It makes her super happy.
14. She often crushes on fictional characters.
15. Sherry’s snarky with a twisted sense of humor. 
16. She hearts vampires, aliens, and zombies. 
17. Sherry believes in ghosts and real demonic activity. (But she never “meddles” with the paranormal or the occult, other than doing research.)
18. She is a TV fanatic: The Vampire Diaries, Once Upon a Time, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Lost Girl, Bates Motel, American Horror story, The 100, and The Originals.
19. Sherry thinks the Winchester brothers kick butt.
20. And she talks to herself a lot. And the computer. Sometimes the cat, too.
21. “Lost in Starlight” is the fastest book that she’s ever written. 

High school is tough. Romance with a sexy alien—even tougher.

Star reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova. 

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Buy LOST IN STARLIGHT

Amazon US | Amazon UK | All Romance eBooks | Kobo

Eager to read a sneak peek? 

Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Amazon Profile | Official Author Blog | Twitter - @SherrySoule | Goodreads | Facebook