Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers.

All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara’s home life was not ideal. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure.

But some questions are better left unanswered.

After months of research, Sara locates her birth mother—only to be met with horror and rejection. Then she discovers the devastating truth: her mother was the only victim ever to escape a killer who has been hunting women every summer for decades. But Sara soon realizes the only thing worse than finding out about her father is him finding out about her.

What if murder is in your blood?

Never Knowing is a complex and compelling portrayal of one woman’s quest to understand herself, her origins, and her family. That is, if she can survive…

Summary taken from Goodreads

Never Knowing was so beautifully written. At the end of all the chapters, there were phrases I reread four or five times because they were so insightful and mostly heartbreaking. Above all that was my favorite part of this book. Her writing drew me in so completely, I'd be reading for hours and it would feel like ten minutes.

Stevens' second book was another thriller that kept you guessing. Every time I thought I had it all figured it out, she turned me upside down and made me look like a fool. I was able to figure out a couple of things but had some very important details wrong.

The Campsite Killer was soooo creepy. Through his relationship with Sara, I went further into a murder's head then I ever wanted to. There was some parts I even felt sorry for him, but then he would remind me of just how horrible he was and I felt sick for feeling like that. That was something I got to experience right along with Sara.

But here is where we get to my complaint. Other than the brief moments I described above, I had a hard time connecting with the main character. Sometimes it was hard to feel sympathy for her when she kept saying one thing then doing another, especially when it put those around her in danger and disregarded any one's feelings but her own.

It's very possible I wouldn't have felt this way if it hadn't been for Stevens first book, Still Missing. That book made the bar for this one incredibly high. In her first book, you went through every horrible thing that happened right beside the main character. You hurt so badly you thought you'd break, you cried with her, then you got to experiencing the healing, the sliver of hope. In Never Knowing though, the worst things happened around Sara instead of to her. I connected more with her birth mom and Evan then her.

Don't get me wrong though. The good far outweighs the bad. If you haven't checked out Still Missing, oh my lord do it right now. And make sure to catch this one when it releases in July. I will definitely be on the lookout for even more books by the author. And you should too!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

Summary taken from Goodreads





This book was so adorable. I fell in complete love with it right away. Which is a big deal for me, I don't read much contemporary YA.

Anna was a interesting character. I loved her intense love for films and her strange dream of being a film critic. Little things like that made her a very 3D character. Even the side characters were very well done. Her friend Meredith was my favorite. She was a lot like me in a few ways.

St Claire. Oh man that boy was perfect. And super dreamy. There was a couple parts where the on and off between Anna and him got a little repetitive, but it was worth it. Their relationship was just so cute!

This is the kind of book that makes you want to book a flight and head off to a completely different place to see new and wonderful things. And maybe find a foreign hottie of your own...

Five stars. I can't wait for the next one!

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.

Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels

Summary taken from Goodreads


I am going to try my hardest to make this an actual review and not just the insane ravings of a fan girl.

But no promises.

If for some reason you haven't read this series then I have one thing to say to you.... what the hell is wrong with you??

Ahem. Anyways...

Cassandra Clare has a way of pulling you in, hard, and never letting go. I tried my hardest to read this slowly. To savor every word. In the end, that meant reading it in two sittings instead of one. It couldn't be help. As soon as I set the book down, it called to me again. Begging me to devour it. I just had to. Clare's characters and descriptions and her writing style is just wonderful.

I loved watching Clary becoming a bit braver, fighting even harder to protect the people she loves. Her and Jace... I don't even know where to begin. They are memorizing. Their love for each other is so real. Their story is one I don't think I will ever forget.

And can I mention the alley scene? *Shivers* I don't think I have ever read a scene that hot in a YA book before. I reread at least three times. Or, you know, seven.

Simon's story was interesting, but it just didn't hold sway over me like Jace and Clary's did. That may or may not have something to do with the fact I am completely in love with Jace. But I still liked getting to see him get used to being a vampire and everything that entailed. Though I did have to force myself every now and then to not just skip ahead when Clare left us hanging on something between J&C. Which she did. A lot.

The ending left me completely speechless. I just sat there staring. When words did return, they were mostly cuss words. Clare is the master of 'leave them wanting more.'

I would compare my love for these books to something akin to my love for Harry Potter but not which as vast (Sorry Cassie!). But still, just like HP, I have no idea how I am going to make it a year before we find out what happens next. At least I will have Clockwork Prince to help me through this dark time.

Five out of five stars. Another wonderful book from Clare.

I think I literally could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book. But I'll just leave it at this: This series is worth your time. Read it.

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

It has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds.
The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for.

Summary from Goodreads

The Sweet Far Thing was a good conclusion to the Great and Terrible Beauty series. Libba Bray wrapped up the story nicely. Her writing style was beautiful and the detail she put into her research of this time period is evident. The descriptions made you feel like you were there.

I did have a few complaints though. Sometimes, the careless Gemma and the others used the magic really bothered me. Gemma would get flashes of how important it was to use the magic wisely, but then let her friends convince her of keeping it for their own, selfish use. It got repetitive after awhile and almost made me put down the book.

I'm glad I stuck with it though because Gemma's character really redeemed herself in the end. She came into who she was, and not just as a carrier of the magic of the realms but as a woman. She did the right thing, for herself and for the others.

The ending made this book a four star read for me. It was exciting, full of action, and heartbreaking. Yet it left you feeling hopeful.

And can I mention how much I love Kartick? His character was so well done. You could see how torn he was between what he wanted and what he thought was right. He was a great love interest.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves a strong female main character. Though Gemma didn't always make the right decisions, she learned to accept herself and want she wanted and didn't make excuses for either. It was a great series I really enjoyed.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

Summary taken from Goodreads





Okay. I've never written a negative review before so bare with me. I'll try to just say what I didn't like without ranting, I promise.

I was so disappointed by this book. The premise of Angels coming to heaven to try to steer humanity in the right direction really intrigued me. But this book turned out to be... Twilight with angels. The romance overtook everything else and these two fall for each other for no apparent reason. Their love was suddenly each others whole reason for living. Bethany forgot about her mission and everything but Xavier.

The plot that didn't revolve around their relationship was interesting, but what little there was of it completely disappeared.

If you loved Twilight and didn't find anything wrong about their relationship, then I think you would like this book. I was sad that I didn't like it because I had such high hope. Sadly, I only give this book one star.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

Summary taken from Goodreads

Hawkins has me completely and totally hooked on these books. I love them.

Sophie is a great character. She's snarky, funny, and smart, even if she doesn't always makes the right decision. She has her flaws but tries to be better. I love that about her. She felt very real. When she hurt, I hurt. When she was confused and wasn't sure what was right, so was I. I devoured this book in one day because I couldn't stand not knowing how it worked out. All of the characters were three dimensional and I felt like I knew them.

The plot in this one took a darker turn then Hex Hall. Sophie is still dealing with the consequences of her actions in the last book. One of the things I love about these books is that not everything just works itself out with no consequences and sometimes bad things happen to good people. So often in YA books (Twilight, I'm looking at you), things just fix themselves and nothing bad ever happens to the main characters. Which is just not realistic and leaves you feeling cheated.

Anyways, back to the plot. The Eye has starting attacking more and more and are out for Sophie's blood. Her feelings for Archer haven't changed even though he turned out to be one of the bad guys. Neither had mine. I still want them together so badly! But I'm very intrigued by the love triangle that Hawkins started setting up in this book. I love me a good love triangle.

The ending was a tad bit abrupt, but it left you wanting more in a good way.

Four stars for this one.

Sooooo.... When does the next one come out again?!

Well Hello.

Welcome, one and all. I decided to start this blog because I love books and love to talk about books. I don't really read for a living, but I'm hoping to one day!

Just a little about myself. My name is Amanda. I live in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I work at a Caribou Coffee and I love it. When I'm not working I'm either: reading, watching movies, or writing.

I mostly read YA and anything to do with the paranormal. I hope you guys like my reviews and I would love to talk to anyone and everyone about what they thought of the books.

Happy reading!