Review - Sink by M.E. Rhines

Sink (#1)
By M.E. Rhines
Published July 31st, 2017 by Clean Teen Publishing

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

Find this book here:
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
IndieBound

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Obedience has always been a matter of survival for sixteen-year-old mermaid princess Pauline. Her mother is the tyrannical Queen Calypso, who rules the kingdom of Atargatis with an iron trident. To utter one word against her would mean banishment--or worse--so Pauline bites her tongue and minds her manners. But on the eve of her sister's merling-shower, all of that is about to change. Confronted with the truth about what happens to the human men who are betrothed to the mermaids of Atargatis, Pauline realizes she can stay silent no more.

Determined to end the queen's dark tradition, Pauline goes along on a search for shipwreck survivors, secretly planning to free them. But things get complicated when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to one of the men. Before she realizes what's happening, she has kissed him--and a kiss from a mermaid is not without consequences. Now Pauline will have to risk everything if she is to save the young man and thwart the queen's dark plans... 

Review - Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows #1) 
By Sophie Jordan 
Published February 9th, 2016 by Harper Teen 
304 pages

Find this book here:
Goodreads
Barnes & Noble
Amazon 


Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best.

Review - The Victoria in My Head by Janelle Milanes

The Victoria in My Head
By Janelle Milanes
Published September 19th, 2017 by Simon Pulse
400 pages

*I received an e-arc of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

Find this book here:
Goodreads
Amazon 
Barnes & Noble

Summary from Goodreads.com:

Victoria Cruz inhabits two worlds: In one, she is a rock star, thrashing the stage with her husky voice and purple-streaked hair. In the other, currently serving as her reality, Victoria is a shy teenager with overprotective Cuban parents, who sleepwalks through her life at the prestigious Evanston Academy. Unable to overcome the whole paralyzing-stage-fright thing, Victoria settles for living inside her fantasies, where nothing can go wrong and everything is set to her expertly crafted music playlists.

But after a chance encounter with an unattainably gorgeous boy named Strand, whose band seeks a lead singer, Victoria is tempted to turn her fevered daydreams into reality. To do that, she must confront her insecurities and break away from the treadmill that is her life. Suddenly, Victoria is faced with the choice of staying on the path she’s always known and straying off-course to find love, adventure, and danger.

From debut author Janelle Milanes comes a hilarious and heartfelt tale of the spectacular things that can happen when you go after what you really want.

Rating: 

So, it has definitely been awhile since I have typed up a review for this blog and I'm honestly feeling a tad bit rusty. :) Let's see how this goes though. 

The moment I saw the cover of The Victoria in My Head I knew I had to have it. The one thing that I love just as much as books (if not a tad bit more) is music. When I find a book about music? AMAZING! So I knew that I was going to want to read this before I even read the synopsis. When I found out that this book was about a girl named Victoria Cruz and how she dreams of being in a band I knew that I was going to fall in love. 

I wasn't wrong. The Victoria in My Head felt like a retelling of my own life. I could relate to Victoria in so many ways and I loved that! Victoria is Cuban American and while I'm Mexican American, there were so many similarities between her family and life and mine. And the main thing that I could relate to was her dream to be in a band. I absolutely LOVE to sing but I am dreadfully afraid of performing live so Victoria's journey was an inspiring one for me. 

But enough about me and more about how awesome this book was for being a debut for this author. This book was relatable (obviously) and it was real and fun. Victoria sounded like a real teenager and acted like one. She made mistakes here and there but they were normal for someone her age. I honestly had no problems with her character because I enjoyed watching her grow and gain confidence in herself. Her best friend and new friends were awesome as well. They were all unique and supportive when needed. 

The music aspect was just plain awesome but I'm sure you knew I'd say that. I loved watching Victoria and the band practice and grow together musically and as a group of friends. I felt like I was there watching them perform and like I could imagine performing myself. 

I was also pleasantly surprised with the romance aspect of this book. In the beginning, I thought I knew where it was going and then it changed course. 

If you can't tell, I really enjoyed this book! The conversations were witty and entertaining as was the whole book. The characters were great and I enjoyed the growth that they went through. I also enjoyed reading about Victoria's relationship with her family and the way they interacted. It reminded me at times about my family which is wonderful to see in books. And any book that has all of that AND music is an A+ in my book. :) I definitely recommend this book to music lovers and basically anyone in need of a pretty great read! 

Vanessa

Monthly Wrap Up - June 2017

Happy July! I thought I'd try and type up a June 2017 Wrap Up for you guys and hopefully make it a thing for myself to continue. To be honest, I'm kind of just typing this up as I go so I'm not quite set on the structure yet. Nonetheless, I thought I'd let you guys know which YA books I read this month as well as a few random favorites of the month. If you'd like to know which New Adult or Adult books I read this month, then head on over to Night Owls! 

Let's get started! 

Total Books Read - 11 books

Total # of YA Read - 3 books

Total # of MG Read - 1 book

Total # of NA/Adult Read - 7 books 

Total # of Reviews Posted - 2 reviews

This month I read The Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas.
All three books were 5 star reads for me! 

(Click on cover for Goodreads page.)




The Middle Grade/Children's Book I read this month was The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey.
This book was a 5 star read for me!
Find my review over at The Young Readers!

(Click on cover for Goodreads page.)

My Favorite Young Adult Book of June was A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas! 
This is the 3rd and most recent book in the series, but it is also the last one following Feyre and Rhy's story. This was such an AMAZING book and I had a book hangover for a few days because of it. :)

One of my all time favorite bands is All Time Low and they released their latest album, Last Young Renegade, at the beginning of this month. It was quickly my most favorite album to listen to this month! The lyrics are relatable and so easy to sing along to.  I don't have a favorite song because I love each and every song on the album for different reasons but I really enjoy listening to Good Times. 

If you haven't ever listened to All Time Low, then do so now! I just love them so much! Click on the album cover to visit their website.

I haven't been watching too many movies or TV shows this year so I won't always have an answer for this one. But this month I was able to watch Wonder Woman and it was AMAZING! Definitely my favorite of the month and one of my favorites of the year. So beautifully done, in my opinion! Also, I like looking at Chris Pine... But for real, this movie is awesome and you should totally see it if you haven't yet. Very empowering for sure! 

I am looking forward to a few things in July. 

Lucky in Love by Kasie West is set to release on July 25th and I am ecstatic! I so enjoy reading Kasie West's books and I don't even have to know what this one is about to want to read it. 

But here's the summary just in case you'd like to know. :) 

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. 

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

I'm also looking forward to Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7th! Spider-Man is my FAVORITE Marvel superhero and I have always enjoyed watching each reboot that comes out. I'm a little nervous about this one but I'm excited nonetheless!

So I'm currently trying to decide if I want to read Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett or Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith. Either way, I'll end up reading both of them but I just can't figure out which one to read first! 

Here are some links to reviews/posts of mine that you might like to check out! Later on, I'll try to post some interesting articles/blog posts/videos that I enjoyed and would like to share with you. For now, you are stuck with me. ;)

Recent Reviews:

Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger - Review

Nemesis by Brendan Reichs - Review

Past Reviews:

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West - Review

We Own the Night by Ashely Poston - Review 

Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler - Review

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - Review

Crash into You by Katie McGarry - Review

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer - Review

Thanks so much for reading this far! How was the month of June for you? Did you read any really good books? See any really good movies or listen to an album on repeat? Let me know in the comments below! 

Happy July, 

Vanessa

Review: Follow Me Back by A.V. Geiger

Follow Me Back (Follow Me Back #1)

by A.V. Geiger

Published June 6th, 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire

368 pages

*I received an advanced review e-copy of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/opinions are my own. Thank you!*

Find Follow Me Back here:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Summary from Goodreads.com:

Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.

Review:

Follow Me Back was a definite surprise for me and in a completely good way. I was browsing NetGalley when I came across this book and the cover is what immediately drew me in. I just love the colors! But the synopsis definitely had me curious and when I was approved for this book, I was pretty excited. 

Follow Me Back is a mixture of things. It shows what it's like to fangirl over someone famous and talented. It also shows what it's like to have the complete fear of something because of personal traumas or things seen on the news. It mixes humor, romance, and suspense and does so fantastically. I so enjoyed this book and was hooked from the first few chapters. The ending had me desperately wishing I had the second book so I could find out what happened! 

I don't want to say too much because it's best to figure everything out on your own. You think you know what is happening one moment and then are surprised the next. 

But I can say that I enjoyed the characters, Tessa and Eric. I understood them and I felt for the struggles that they had. They were real and pretty cool. I also enjoyed the way this book had mixed media. The police reports were an awesome touch since I really love all things "Law and Order" like. And the social media really made it relatable since I also use Twitter quite a bit. :) 

There really wasn't much that I disliked about this story. Some of the characters were irritating but they were meant to be that way. 

I so enjoyed this book and was hooked from the first few chapters. It was addicting and suspenseful and just plain exciting. The ending had me desperately wishing I had the second book so I could find out what happened! Definitely, give this one a try! I don't think you'll regret it. :) 

Vanessa

Rating:

Review: Nemesis by Brendan Reichs

Nemesis (Project Nemesis #1)
By Brendan Reichs 
Published March 21st, 2017 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
443 pages

Find Nemesis Here:

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 

Summary from Goodreads.com:

He killed me. He killed me not. He killed me.

It’s been happening since Min was eight. Every two years, on her birthday, a strange man finds her and murders her in cold blood. But hours later, she wakes up in a clearing just outside her tiny Idaho hometown—alone, unhurt, and with all evidence of the horrifying crime erased.

Across the valley, Noah just wants to be like everyone else. But he’s not. Nightmares of murder and death plague him, though he does his best to hide the signs. But when the world around him begins to spiral toward panic and destruction, Noah discovers that people have been lying to him his whole life. Everything changes in an eye blink.

For the planet has a bigger problem. The Anvil, an enormous asteroid threatening all life on Earth, leaves little room for two troubled teens. Yet on her sixteenth birthday, as she cowers in her bedroom, hoping not to die for the fifth time, Min has had enough. She vows to discover what is happening in Fire Lake and uncovers a lifetime of lies: a vast conspiracy involving the sixty-four students of her sophomore class, one that may be even more sinister than the murders.

My Rating:

Review:

I first heard about Nemesis through BookTube as everyone was receiving ARCs. The synopsis and the cover completely captured my attention so I snatched this up as soon as soon as my e-library had it. 

Nemesis is a different kind of book for sure, at least for me. We have these two teens that are being murdered every even number birthday up until they are 16. They don't know why and they don't know if it's truly real until the world breaks into chaos. From then on, it is action packed and filled with exciting scenes. 

I really enjoyed this book and I wasn't sure if I would because I wasn't completely sure what it was about. There were definitely a few flaws but for the first book in a series, it was pretty dang exciting. I had been in a sort of reading slump but this one had me reading page after page. 

The characters and what they faced really drew me in. I LOVED Min. She was such an awesome teen girl and incredibly brave as well. She was strong-willed and pretty damn smart. We get her perspective through most of the book and those chapters were probably my favorite parts. 

Noah was a difficult one for me. There were times when I felt for him and could empathize, but then there were times when he completely frustrated me. I did think it was interesting that he was the main male character but didn't have all the characteristics that usually come with them. He wasn't stereotypically male if that makes any sense. There were times when Min was mentally stronger. It was just great to see two characters handle a similar situation differently and in realistic ways. 

Tack was also a great presence and not the usual book friend. He was humorous but also complex. We get to know a few of the school bullies as well and I didn't care for them at all. Especially closer to the ending! 

The whole reason for the murders of Min and Noah was interesting to learn about. I feel like we haven't learned the exact truth yet so I'm definitely very excited for the next book. 

There were so many scenarios playing out in my head and I was trying to figure out the why's and how's of the situation. The ending was kind of a cliff hanger because we really don't find out too much about these kids and their dilemma. 

Overall, this was a fun and exciting read. I was on the edge of my seat and hoping that Min and her friends would make it through. The whole idea of this story is intriguing and new to me so I definitely a fan! :) 

Vanessa

10 of My Favorite Fictional Mothers/Mother Figures

Happy Mother's Day! It's been awhile since I've last posted but I have a feeling that I'll be able to start regularly posting from now on. At least I hope I will. :) I actually will have some pretty interesting news for you all tomorrow but let's focus on today's post!

Since today is Mother's Day where I live, I thought that I'd dedicate a post to some of my favorite fictional mothers. I have compiled a list of only 10 of my favorite literary, TV and/or movie moms. Now that I think about it, I can't really remember if I have any movie moms in my list. I guess we'll find out together, haha. Not going to lie but it was a tad bit difficult to think of around 5 really great moms (that I can compare to my mom, truthfully) that could be found in the books that I read. I mainly read Young Adult and not surprisingly there aren't too many authority figures present. But, nonetheless, I thought up some pretty great moms. So without further ado, let us get started!

(List is in no particular order.)

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1. Mrs. Weasley - Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

 I thought of good ole Molly immediately! She was one of my first favorite fictional mothers that starred in the books that I read. If you have been living under a rock for quite a few years, then let me tell you about Molly Weasley. Mrs. Weasley is the mother of Ron and the rest of his siblings in the Harry Potter series. But she isn't just a mom to all of her kids! She also takes in Harry and Hermione as two of her own. She's incredibly caring, supportive, and strong. My favorite scene that includes her? It's when she protects Ginny from the horribleness that is Bellatrix. If you've read the last book, then you are smiling in fond memory with me. :)

2. Professor McGonagall - Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling 

While we are thinking about the greatness that is Harry Potter, I thought I'd also mention that I LOVE Professor McGonagall. Minerva might not have had any children of her own but she has been the mentor and authority figure of many students throughout her years. And that makes her a mother figure to me so... 
She is one of Harry's professors at Hogwarts and one that is pretty caring and supportive of her students. I love how she isn't afraid to say what she feels. She also makes sure to fight for the students whenever she can. :) 

3. Ms. McCall - Teen Wolf TV Series 

Jumping on over the small screen for this next incredibly strong mother! Melissa McCall is the mother to her teenage son Scott McCall who also happens to be a werewolf. Lots of fun times! But for real, if you haven't watched this yet, then you are seriously missing out. Scott's mom is one of my favorite TV moms though! She is a single mother dealing with a teen wolf! ;) She takes everything in stride and doesn't fail to stand beside her son and his friends. She's strong and supportive and very hardworking! #MamaMcCall

4. Patti Whitt - Sweet Evil Trilogy by Wendy Higgins 

So I'm not exactly sure if Patti's last name is Whitt but that's Anna's last name so I'm going with it. :) Patti is Anna's adoptive mother and one of my favorite YA mothers out there. For those who don't know, Sweet Evil is a sort of paranormal romance trilogy that is incredibly good. (READ IT!) Let's just say that Anna doesn't live a very normal life once things get going in the series and Patti is such a sweetheart when supporting Anna. She is such a genuinely good person and mothers everybody who stops by. She's strong, firm, and has such a big heart. I just love the relationship and trust between Anna and Patti and it's one of my favorite parts of the series! Mother Daughter duo for the win! 

5. Grandma Frost - Mythos Academy Series by Jennifer Estep

Grandma Frost! For those who don't know, Grandma Frost is one kick-butt grandmother. Gwen Frost is the protagonist of this series and Grandma Frost is her sole guardian. She's quirky, very strong, and an awesome baker. She's always baking cookies just for Gwen (and they sound amazing) and she's always there to support her when she's having a rough time. This grandma is such a great mix of cookies and hugs and fighting those villainous foes! Sigh, I love her. 

6. Lorelai Gilmore - Gilmore Girls TV Show

Annndd we are back to the small screen with the very well known, Lorelai Gilmore. One, I love her name. Two, she's such an awesome mom! Lorelai is so real and it's hard to not love her despite mistakes she might make. Regardless, Lorelai does her best to raise Rory on her own and to encourage her to be herself. Lorelai is supportive, strong, and pretty funny. I also love that she loves to eat and encourages the celebrating of food with Rory. Celebrating around food is pretty big in my family so I feel right at home when watching Lorelai and Rory on screen. 

7. Cassie Nightingale - The Good Witch TV Movies 

CASSIE! I remember when The Good Witch movie first aired on Hallmark. I was watching with my mom since it's kind of like a tradition to watch any and all Hallmark movies. Cassie was not actually a mother in that first movie but she ends up being a supportive female figure for the two young kids in the movie. I just love that she always has wisdom or some interesting line to share with everyone. She's incredibly patient and caring and very supportive of those two kids. :) I just love her! 

8. Nora Tate - Hollywood Heights TV Series

Not many of you probably know who Nora Tate is because Hollywood Heights was an American Telenovela that aired on Nick at Nite in, like, 2012. If you actually watched this show, then you'll know that Nora was pretty dang awesome. I really loved this show and how it had to do with this teen girl trying to make her dream to perform her own songs a reality. I also loved the fact that her mother, Nora, was so supportive of this dream. Nora is another single mother on this list and dedicated to caring and supporting her daughter. She's a great mix of firm and fun. She's just awesome and I wish that show was still around. Le sigh. 

9. Jennifer Honey - Matilda (Movie Version)

I have a small confession to make. I've never read Matilda... :( 
But I have watched the movie version and I absolutely love it! Watching Matilda had me falling in love with Miss Honey! I remember wanting a teacher exactly like her because she was so soft spoken and caring. Miss Honey might not be Matilda's mom but she does a fantastic job at caring for her and really helping Matilda to grow. She's a brave lady and was such a good person despite who she was raised by. And when Matilda gets to stay with Miss Honey forever? I CRIED!

10. Mrs. Garrett - My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

And last but not least we head back to the literary world to gush about Mrs. Garrett. My Life Next Door is a contemporary YA about growing up, finding yourself, and falling in love with Jase. *Cough* I mean falling in love in general. Anyways, Samantha is our main character and spends some of her nights watching the large and happy family next door. Mrs. Garrett is the matriarch of that family and she's really something. We don't get too many scenes with her but her presence is strong. She has many kids that she raises and she still takes Samantha in as her own. Kinda like a Mrs. Weasley of contemporary YA I guess. Either way, she's pretty awesome and patient. :) 

Well, that's my list! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you have a Happy Mother's Day if you are in any way a mother or mother figure to someone else. Pets count. ;) Let me know if you adore any of these mothers too! 

Vanessa