Resistance by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky

Release Date: January 30, 2017

The Announcer calls my name, but she does not speak to me. This macabre spectacle has nothing to do with me. And everything to do with them. This is all for the thousands below – the compliant citizens of Otpor, the witnesses to my Execution, the silent and transfixed. This is their moment. Their reconditioning. 

In a future post-apocalyptic Paris, a rebellion threatens to upset the city’s perfectly-structured balance and plunge its citizens into anarchy. 
Two generations after the Execution of Kane 148 and Otpor’s return to Orthodoxy, forbidden murals are appearing on crumbling concrete walls – calling citizens to action. Calling for Resistance. 

The murals will change the utopian lives of all citizens. But, for Anaiya 234, they will change who she is. 

A Peacekeeper of the uncompromising Fire Element, Anaiya free-runs through city’s precincts to enforce the Orthodoxy without hesitation or mercy. Her selection for a high-risk mission gives Otpor the chance it needs to bring down the Resistance and Anaiya the opportunity she craves to erase a shameful legacy. 
But the mission demands an impossible sacrifice – her identity. 

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With this accomplished debut offering, Kopievsky presents a dark dystopian tale with complex characters, exquisite world-building and high tension. Divided Elements (Book 1) - Resistance is a welcomed addition to the intelligent speculative fiction tradition of dystopian literature.

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3.37 stars

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"Control the fire."

Resistance follows a dystopian society where everyone is assigned an element when they're four years old, and raised to be a working member of society within that element. WARNING: THESE PEOPLE APPARENTLY DON'T HAVE ELEMENTAL POWERS. Not gonna lie, I was kinda disappointed.

Fire: the ruthless, emotionless peacekeepers of the world. They seek order and orthodoxy no matter what it takes.
Air: the artists, basking in all forms of emotion whether it be through music, feelings, or resistance.
Water: the scientists, desperate for improvement and basking in research rather than emotions.
Earth: the workers, forced to do the labor of the world and seen as heathens by others for their lack of intelligence and skill.

My favorite part of this was definitely the character development Anaiyah faced. Born as a fire element, but forced to be genetically altered into an air element, she faces a lot of inner turmoil. Her inner dialogue is constantly going between the air and fire mindsets. It's so prominent that even the writing changes during her shift.

The writing style goes from the clipped, cut tone of the fire element Anaiyah is aligned with in the beginning to the confused emotions and new sensations she experiences as an air elemental. While I definitely think the way her own inner turmoil is written is interesting, but I still had a hard time reading because I freaking hate present tense.

The tense isn't the only thing that caused this book to feel slow to me. The beginning and middle were very difficult to be interested in. Not only was it boring, but I felt like I was reading Divergent again. Then, when the middle came around, I was just constantly in a state of "I know this plan is going to go bad because 1. you're lying to everyone and 2. this is a dystopian novel." The last 10% was the most interesting part for me. It sets up the sequel well and stirs emotions that have you dying to know what happens next.

"Sometimes I get lost in being me that I forget who I actually am."

The idea of how society suppresses one's identity is there, but it's always there. To specify, that's always a theme within these dystopian novels. Resistance doesn't bring anything to new to the genre (other than a beautiful cover). I found that not only was the plot predictable, but the overall idea of a divergent main character stuck in this new environment, finding out that the world is not the way she thinks is so overused.

Throughout reading, I was constantly reminded of Divergent and The Maze Runner. Resistance has similar ideas to Divergent with factions, but it also is kind of... ok barely unique in the types of segregation is there. Within this divided world though, there was a lot of strange new slang that was never explained. In fact, a lot of aspects of the world are barely explained.

The world building could be a lot better. Kopievsky's opened this whole world while only revealing a small fraction of it. The other factions are not delved into, nor are the real persecutions everyone faced. For me, this lack of information made it difficult for me to sympathize with the Revolution.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

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The Thing About Love by Julie James

Two undercover FBI agents can hide who they are from everyone but each other in the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly One Summer. 

FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.

For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .

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3.47 stars

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If you've loved Lauren Layne or Julie James's other books, then you'll love this quick romance. The Thing About Love follows two FBI agents who have to partner up for a undercover operation. These two have a love/hate relationship since the last time they saw each other was six years ago when they were competing in the academy.

This novel has everything you expect from a Julie James novel. Not only are there two strong and highly intelligent main characters, but a great "hate to love" transition. That being said, this isn't the most original idea what with the fact that James has had many FBI romances and it does follow another trope. But, there's nothing to be ashamed about if you like cute romance tropes or cliches. In fact, I found this book not only to be a quick read, but one that made me happy as well with all of the cute fluff.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review to come April 18, 2017.

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You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando

Release date: January 10, 2017

Fighter, Faker, Student, Spy.

Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend she’s ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parents’ footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan.

Now Reagan has to decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life she's always wanted? And does she even have a choice at all?

Find out if you are ready to join the Black Angels in the captivating and emotional page-turner, You Don't Know My Name, from debut novelist Kristen Orlando!

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3.89 stars

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Reagan's been through so many secret identities and innumerable amount of lies that she barely remembers who she truly is. When she finally begins to grow attached to her and her parents' newest home, bad news strikes. Now she has to fight between wanting to be a Black Angel like her parents or giving away that life of danger and secrets.

If you enjoyed The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, I highly suggest You Don't Know My Name. Both deal with responsible and incredibly talented teenagers surrounded by serious government matters. While Cassie solves serial killer mysteries, Reagan is on her way to being a top spy for the Black Angels. Both characters struggle with conflicts like not being taken seriously because of their age, family loyalty, and intelligent villains.

Reagan is undeniably talented and collected. She's been dealt a pretty sad hand in life, but takes it all without complaint. Family is something that's very important to her, to a point where she'll do nearly anything to save them. This is not the same as Tris's (from Divergent) wild and dumb selfless behavior. Reagan is responsible enough to actually listen to others while also fighting for what she believes is right.

Her neighbor Luke is a great character who wants to go into the military when he's older. Luke and Reagan match one another and don't hold each other back. Starting as friends, their relationship grows at a reasonable pace and their ability to comfort one another reveals cute sentimental moments between the two.

I was fairly annoyed with the fact that because of her and Luke's ages, they were kept in the dark about a lot of information. It's just so unfair that they're expected to act like adults when they're still being held in the dark like children. But, this is to be expected in a government/spy book like this.

The plot grows slowly. You're learning about Reagan and the aspects of her life for a majority. It was a really quick read so I didn't have a trouble with any super slow parts. The ending was great with a really good set-up for the next novel. Honestly, I really want will happen next in this series.

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Traveler by L.E.DeLano

To be released Feburary 7, 2017

Jessa has spent her life dreaming of other worlds and writing down stories more interesting than her own, until the day her favorite character, Finn, suddenly shows up and invites her out for coffee. After the requisite nervous breakdown, Jessa learns that she and Finn are Travelers, born with the ability to slide through reflections and dreams into alternate realities. But it’s not all steampunk pirates and fantasy lifestyles…Jessa is dying over and over again, in every reality, and Finn is determined that this time, he’s going to stop it… this Jessa is going to live.

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3.4 stars

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Traveler deals with interdimensional travel in a an interesting way. Starting with the "normal girl Jessa," she finds out that she is actually a traveler, and her favorite main character to write about is real.

Yes, Traveler does follow some YA cliches such as the naive newbie, insta-attraction, and a single and uninformed best friend. But, there are plenty of unique twists like the "science" behind dimensional travel and the conflicts it creates.

I would go into the second book mainly to learn more about the main characters Ben and Finn. Jessa just wasn't as interesting to me as the other two. While she's predictable and slightly cliche, the other two are mysteries, and you don't know what their next move will be.Overall, none made a huge impression on me, but at least they weren't terribly annoying.

While the idea of their traveling is still very interesting to me, I do question some of the logistics of it. And for me, if I think the conflict is being made more complicated than it need be, then I can't focus on the rest of the plot. Besides that, I also found some plot line cliches that I have had enough of.

Since this first novel was setting everything up though, those cliches weren't so terrible. While they were there, they were revealed in the later half of the story. The beginning and middle were kind of slow to me because the overlying plot wasn't really revealed yet. I didn't necessarily fly through the last part of the book, but it did leave me excited for the next installment.


Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

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2 stars

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Maggie struggles with a major competitive complex where she’s constantly comparing herself to others. It was so severe that at a point, I was feeling her self-conscious tendencies and I’m not even in this book. Mainly focusing on coming to terms with herself and her relationship with her best friend, I just wasn’t feeling any of this novel. I personally don’t relate to Maggie’s competitive side or her random “urges” for… uh yeah you get my point. At the same time, I admire Maggie immensely for her passion and self-determination. While she is competitive, she’s also eager to get better and works immensely hard to do so. She’s very upfront about her feelings and literally lets no BS slide by. She deals with matters in an honest and blunt way, to a point where it may even feel a little awkward. Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review to come June 24, 2017. Youtube | Blog | Tumblr | Goodreads

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck (and her dad’s old costume), Elle’s determined to win…unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons—before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

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3.8 stars

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"It's about the characters. It's about the story. The fans. It's about the impossible universe. Geekerella is a quick and quirky contemporary retelling of the classic Cinderella story with a nerdy twist. Danielle is a popular blogger and lover of all things Starfield, an old show being turned into a movie. The lead? Darien Freeman, a young actor (and secret nerd) who no one thinks will live up to his role. The two accidentally start messaging and quickly bond over their love for Starfield, creating an adorable romance that really goes into the world of fandoms. Though Geekerella is undeniably unrealistic, Ashley Poston creates a spot-on relatable story for fangirls and fanboys everywhere. Poston emphasizes ideas such as being a 'real' fan and the power of stories. Throughout the novel, Danielle constantly gets berated for her "unhealthy" love for a TV show. Well, one man's gold may be another man's treasure. What some may think of as a "silly obsession," others may think of as the single shining light in a time of darkness, and Poston does a great way of explaining that. Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review to come March 28, 2017. Youtube | Blog | Tumblr | Goodreads

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling YA adventure.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map—the key to a legendary treasure trove—seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Debut author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling YA pirate tale.

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3.6 stars

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Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review to come February 21, 2017. 

Why are there not more pirate books out there? Honestly! It's literally a whole realm of stories that have barely been explored. Not only are pirates cunning thieves, but they perfectly balance between cut-throat scoundrels and honorable comrades. And, with the whole sea as your setting, there's infinite room for adventure.

Daughter of the Pirate King follows a strong and cunning captain as she purposely gets captured by a rival ship. Not only does she have to hide her many strengths and play the weak prisoner, but she also has to deal with the KINDA ADORABLE first mate, the only one who truly challenges her. With (multiple) knives up her sleeve, this chick is determined to get what she came for.

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Gauntlet by Holly Jennings

Plug back into the dangerous world of virtual gaming, in the next thrilling novel from the author of Arena.

Kali Ling isn’t afraid of dying. She’s been killed hundreds of times in hundreds of different ways. And she knows there are things much more terrifying than death…

There’s a new game in town. A brutal, winner-takes-all, international video game tournament between the world’s most elite players, promising fame, prestige, and unbelievable fortune. But there’s a catch. The game uses new VR pods guaranteed to push digital warriors to their physical and psychological brink—adapting every time a gamer makes a move.

As the first female captain and youngest team owner in VGL history, Kali is used to defying the odds. But as the all-star tournament heats up, her determination begins to waver and the pressures of media, sponsors, and the game itself begin to put cracks in her hard-set convictions.

If Kali’s Team Defiance is to survive, they’ll have to find a way to be stronger than ever before. But battling the system may prove too difficult for even the most hardened of fighters…

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4.6 stars

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"Never bow down to the world. Always make it bow down to you."

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Full review to come March 28, 2017.

Gauntlet is the follow-up book to Arena, a world centering around competitive gaming. This isn't normal gaming though, it's virtual reality where all the pain is real and groups of five fight to reign victorious in front of millions of viewers.

That insanely cool world and plot line are only the surface of this series though. Underneath, Holly Jennings goes deep into the world of drug addiction, relapse, and societal norms. After suffering the death of a teammate from heroine over dosage, Kali (the main character) struggles with her own addictions within this corrupt world. Now, she is not only the first female team owner, but she also has to deal with the publicity, media, and rumors swarming the team.

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