Prodigy by Marie Lu

Goodreads
384 pages, YA Dystopian
Legend #2
My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. 

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

My 2 cents

This was a really good sequel.  I liked it just as much as Legend, which was a huge relief for me! I'll try not to give away any spoilers for Prodigy, but there will be spoilers for Legend!

Just like Legend, Prodigy is told from a dual POV between June and Day.  In this book, Day's type is black and June's is blue.  I liked June's POV better than Day's in this story.  June is just so gosh darned SMART, and she's a pleasure to read.  In Legend, I didn't enjoy her side as much because she was so in the dark on what was really going on.  Not anymore!  In fact, I think in this story, its Day that is in the dark!

June and Day throw their trust and lot with the Patriots.  The Patriots will only protect them if June and Day agree to the Patriot's new plan: assassinate the new young Elector.   June and Day agree, and are immediately split up to work the "plan."  I knew right away that separating June and Day would be a huge mistake.  Not to mention all the questions I had for the Patriots.  They really didn't have a very concise plan.   There was obviously things they weren't telling June or Day.

So June spends her time trying to get close to the Elector.  She learns lots of things in the process, and starts to wonder....is it the Elector whose bad? Or the government itself?  Day spends his time making life hell for the government...stealing food, ambushing trains, anything to make his mark and get more support from the people.  He also gets to be with Tess, but comes to find out their relationship has turned complicated.

June and Day both make some mistakes in this story, but they stay true to themselves, which I loved!  Their loyalty to each other is tested throughout the book, which made for a nail biting read!  The ending was completely unexpected for me, and I don't know how I'm going to wait a year for the next book! If you love a good dystopian, this series is amazing!

The Reece Malcom List by Amy Spalding

Goodreads
352 pages, YA Contemporary
Standalone book
My rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

My 2 cents

Overall, this was a really fun read!  It struck a nice balance between light and funny with a mix of teen angst and self confidence issues.  I really loved the main character, Devan.  She and her mother, Reece, were the most developed characters of the story.

So Devan has a pretty messed up life.  Her father, who was married,  had an affair with a teenager, and Devan is the result of it.  Reece, her mother, doesn't want to raise a kid, so she gives Devan to her father.  As a result, Devan feels like an unwanted child.  Her stepmother can't stand her, her father ignores her, and her mother has never tried to contact her.

Then, Devan's father dies, and Reece inherits Devan.  The story starts out with Devan on the plane to L.A, 3 months after her father's death.  She moves in with Reece and Reece's boyfriend, Brad.  Brad is the other standout character in the story.  He actually becomes one of Devan's best confidantes!  

At first it seems that Devan could have all she ever wanted.  Her mother's house is spacious and gorgeous,  she is enrolled in a private fine arts school (a dream come true since all Devan loves to do is act and sing), and her mother takes her shopping for all new clothes, furniture, computer, you name it!  Devan seems to have no problem making new friends at her new school, and she is accepted into the top choirs of the school.   But none of that seems to make up for the fact that Devan doesn't think Reece can stand her at all.

The best parts of the story was the relationship between Devan and Reece.  I think the story would have been better if it had focused more on that aspect.  A good chunk of the middle of the story is about seemingly unimportant teen details with boys, clothes, and friends.  I was actually kind of bored for about 100 pages or so.  I think the author was trying to throw in things that teens like to read about, but it took away from the story arc of the mother and daughter too much for me.   I did enjoy the ending, though.  This was a nice easy contemporary read!

Crescent Chronicles Book Blitz + Giveaway!

Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy  (The Crescent Chronicles #1) - Publication date: August 2012
Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13570162-flight
Purchase:
--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flight-alyssa-rose-ivy/1112483612?ean=2940014873161
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Flight-The-Crescent-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B008XL12IW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359040857&sr=1-3

Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy  (The Crescent Chronicles #2) - Publication date: January 31st, 2013
Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15781433-focus
Purchase:
--Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Focus-The-Crescent-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00B55WWV4/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359040962&sr=1-8

AUTHOR BIO
Alyssa Rose Ivy
Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

--Author Website: http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/
--Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5047249.Alyssa_Rose_Ivy
--Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaRoseIvy
--Twitter: https://twitter.com/alyssaroseivy

I am giving away an eBook copy of the first book in the series, Flight!  Enter on the Rafflecoptor below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox #21

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.  Us bloggers feature any new books we've received in the past week, either bought, borrowed, or received for review.

eBooks I bought

I also bought Love, Tink New York, New York (Episode 2) by Elle Strauss, but I'm having technical issues with the pic!

eBooks from Netgalley

Now onto Physical copies!

Received for review from the publisher

Borrowed from the library

Received from trade with other bloggers

Received some RAK!

And finally, I won me some books!

I won The Story of Ireland from The Secret Writer and

The Faerie Ring from Book Stacks on Deck!

Thanks to both of you!!!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Goodreads
330 pages, YA Paranormal (Witches)
The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1
My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

My 2 cents

I absolutely LOVED this book!  I really wasn't expecting to love it that much, but the story was beautiful! The setting is New England in the 1890s.  In the small town of Chatham, the Brotherhood exists as a governing body on religion.  Their main mission is to find any hidden witches and arrest them.  Women are meant to be obedient, chaste, and meek.  If anything at all seems outside the norm, they are accused of witchery.

The three Cahill sisters are most definitely witches.  They hide it as best they can from everyone, but Cate is worried.  When a young woman turns 17, she must either marry or join the Sisterhood.  Time is running out for Cate.  She is terrified of being separated from her sisters.  If she decides to marry, she must find her own suitor, or the Brotherhood will appoint one for her--and he will probably be one of the few old widows in town with lots of children.  Yuck!

So at first in the story, it seems her love interest will be Paul.  He's lived next door to her since they were children, and they were always good friends.  Paul has just come home from university, and he's definitely pursuing Cate.    But Cate doesn't feel butterflies around him...she feels them around her gardener, Finn Belastra!

The story is great!  Not only do we have this turbulent romantic problem, but Cate is trying desperately to dispel any notions of her sisters and herself being witches.  The Brotherhood is going crazy, arresting young girls left and right, and it seems to be focusing on sisters!  I loved the magic, suspense, and romantic angst in this book!

I loved Cate.  She was a wonderful, stubborn, strong-willed herione!  I also fell in love with Finn.  He doesn't seem like much at the start of the book, but he is also very strong, and incredibly smart.  I also loved the youngest sister, Tess, she was so cute!  I really didn't like the other sister, Maura all that much.  She seemed pretty immature and selfish to me.  

The ending had me screaming in my head, "NOOOOO!!!"  I knew things probably were not going to turn out to favorably for Cate, but I had really hoped for it!  But the ending did set it up nicely for the sequel!  The next book in the series, Star Cursed, comes out in June and I can't wait to read it!

What Are You Reading Monday #16

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Book Journey, where us bloggers highlight our book reading week. 

What I read last week

My Review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone

My Review of Hooked

My Review of Til the World Ends

My Reading List for Next Week

Blog Schedule
Monday--What Are You Reading Monday?
Review of Prodigy
Tuesday--Review of The Reece Malcolm List
Wednesday--Wishlist Wednesday
Review of Where She Went
Review of The Diviners
Thursday--Review of Keep Holding On
Friday--Feed my Reader Friday
Review of the Moon Dwellers
Saturday--In My Mailbox
Sunday--Catch up on any other reviews

What are you reading this Monday?

January RAK Wrap Up

Random Act of Kindness is hosted by Book Soulmates.  How big is YOUR RAK?

I didn't receive any books this month :(

But I did send out a few, which, I'll be honest, is more fun for me to give than get anyways!

I sent an ebook of Hollowland to Vonnie@Vonnie's Reading Corner and

I sent a hardback copy to Melissa@Must Read Faster.  This is the second month in a row I sent her a book, we have very similar tastes in books!

I can't wait for another month of RAK!