What Lies Around The Bend...

"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . . A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first." Review: This was definitely an interesting read. A team of criminals out on a heist with a prize that could set them all up for life. But each of the Six of Crows has a complicated story with strings attached. By far the biggest strength of this story is the team. Every chapter switches point of vie...

“Everyone said the Graces were Witches. Fenrin Grace is larger than life, almost mythical. He’s the school Pan, seducing girls without really meaning to. He’s biding his time until someone special comes along. Someone different, who will make him wonder how he got along all this time without her. Someone like me. Fenrin’s twin, Thalia, is a willowy beauty with rippling, honey-colored hair. Wherever she goes, Thalia leaves behind a band of followers who want to emulate her. She casts spells over everyone she encounters, just like Fenrin - even if they both deny it.  Then there’s Summer. She’s the youngest Grace, and the only one who admits she’s really a witch. Summer is dark on the outside - with jet-black hair and kohl-rimmed eyes - and on the inside. It was inevitable that she’d find me, the new girl - a loner with secrets lurking under the surface. I am River. I am not a Grace. But I’ll do anything to become one.” Review: Good things must come in threes be...

“Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Fire Queen, was murdered before her eyes. On that day, the Kaiser took Theodosia’s family, her land, and her name. Theo was crowned Ash Princess - a title of shame to bear in her new life as a prisoner. For ten years Theo has been a captive in her own palace. She’s endured the relentless abuse and ridicule of the Kaiser and his court. She is powerless, surviving in her new world only by burying the girl she was deep inside. Then, one night, the Kaiser forces her to do the unthinkable. With blood on her hands and all hope of claiming her throne lost, she realizes that surviving is no longer enough. But she does have a weapon: her mind is sharper than any sword. And power isn’t always won on the battlefield. For ten years, the Ash Princess has seen her land pillaged and her people enslaved. That all ends here.” Review: Another AMAZING book. I swear towards the end I was actually SWEATING with nerves and anxiousnes...

“One boy is dead One boy is injured. And it’s all Kayla’s fault. At least, that’s what everyone thinks. No one knows the real story about why she got behind the wheel that night in the first place, or about the promise she made to her friend Bean. The truth is, Kayla saw something at the party that she wasn’t supposed to, and she hasn’t told anyone. Kayla fled her small town to escape the stares and accusations. But now she’s coming home for her senior year. If Kayla keeps quiet, she might be able to get her old life back. If she tells the truth, she was losing everything - and everyone - she ever cared about.” Review: WOW. I tore through that book in a matter of hours. Within the first 100 pages, my heart was beating with adrenaline, my face was flushed, and it seemed like everything was going to explode at any moment. It was captivating. The story is split into two time frames - Spring and Fall. And each chapter alternated between the two. We get glimpses in the past s...

"Miriam's family should be rich. After all, her grandfather was the co-creator of smash-hit comics series The TomorrowMen. But he sold his rights to the series to his co-creator in the 1960s for practically nothing, and now that's what Miriam has: practically nothing. And practically nothing to look forward to either-how can she afford college when her family can barely keep a roof above their heads? As if she didn't have enough to worry about, Miriam's life gets much more complicated when a cute boy shows up in town . . . and turns out to be the grandson of the man who defrauded Miriam's grandfather, and heir to the TomorrowMen fortune." Review: This was a heartwarming read. Ah, young love. Mir and Welden are too cute. I loved that it was more than just a love story. It was about family and rivalry, yes, but also the future and friends. I loved Mir’s relationship with Evan, because with him she was never truly alone. He always had her back. And I lov...

"The only way to grow up is to survive. London has been destroyed in a blitz of bombs and disease. The only ones who have survived the destruction and the outbreak of a deadly virus are children, among them sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling and her younger siblings, Joanna and Mikey. They spend their nights scavenging and their days avoiding the deadly Marauders—the German army led by the cutthroat Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer. Unsure if the virus has spread past England’s borders but desperate to leave, Captain Hook is on the hunt for a cure, which he thinks can be found in one of the surviving children. He and his Marauders stalk the streets snatching children for experimentation. None ever return. Until one day when they grab Joanna. Gwen will stop at nothing to get her sister back, but as she sets out, she crosses paths with a daredevil named Pete. Pete offers the assistance of his gang of Lost Boys and the fierce sharpshooter Bella, who have all been living in a city...

"I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know? Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road—but even that's crumbling. What happened? Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight. And I have a mission." Review: OMG I AM SO FRUSTRATED. I d...