[Mini Review] Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

Three-Point-Five Stars, Rounded Down to Three

ARC received from Netgalley

Spring Honeycutt wants two things: to ace her sustainable living thesis and to save the environment. Both seem hopelessly unobtainable until her college professor suggests that with a new angle, her paper could be published. Spring swears she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.

“Whatever it takes,” however, means forming a partnership with the very hot, very privileged, very conceited Henry Knightly.

Henry is Spring's only hope at publication, but he's also the über-rich son of a land developer and cash-strapped Spring’s polar opposite. Too bad she can't help being attracted to the way he pushes her buttons, both politically and physically. As they work on her thesis, Spring finds there's more to Henry than his old money and argyle sweaters…but can she drop the loud-and-proud act long enough to let him in? Suddenly, choosing between what she wants and what she needs puts Spring at odds with everything she believes in.

Definitely, Maybe in Love is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice that proves true love is worth risking a little pride.

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{Mini Review} Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Three-point-Five Stars, Rounded up to Four

ARC received from Netgalley. This review is not biased in any way. There was no money, gifts, discounts, or favors exchanged for this review.

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

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{Mini Review} Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

Two Stars

They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. 

And I've always believed them.

Until now.

Now everything has changed.

Now, I'd rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Okay, seriously. Did I read the wrong book? Because most people talk about how amazing Delirim is and how they can just picture everything perfectly. But when I read it, I was just annoyed. It's like the exct same story as other dystopians. People, whatever you do, do not read Matched and Delirium back to back. I couldn't finish Matched because the beginnings were so similar.

The characters just seemed flat. There's basically no character development in the main character, let alone any others

And the insta-love. This had so much insta-love. It was so annoying, and one of my key issues with it.

Maybe I didn't like Delirium because I was expecting a novel where the character fights back against the government. The key word being there is "fight". Yes, there were a couple scenes where there was action, but it just wasn't enough for me.

I'm sure many people will enjoy Delirium, but personally, it wasn't worth the hype.

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{Mini Review} Ghost Hand by: Ripley Patton

Four Stars

Olivia Black just discovered that her ghost hand, a rare birth defect, can do more than light up a room. It can reach into people and pull things out. Things from the darkest depths of the human psyche never meant to exist in this world. Olivia can pickpocket the soul. But she can’t control her ability, or the strange items it extracts, and the only thing between Olivia and the men bent on taking the power of her hand is a boy she barely knows and doesn't trust.

Wow. This was a very interesting read. Olivia was born with a birth defect called a ghost hand, and she finds out she can reach into people's souls. That hooked me in from the start.

Ghost Hand starts out interesting, but soon gets boring. However, it picks up again, which is great.



Even Batman agrees with me.

There were twists that kept me on edge, but some things were predictable.

I really liked the way Patton wrote the story. It seems like I was in Olivia's head, the mind of a sixteen year old.

The world building seemed professional. I could picture what Olivia was talking about.

Ghost Hand is a great read, and I can't wait for the next book.

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{Mini Review} Divergent (Divergent #1) by: Veronica Roth

Five Stars
 

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series--dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

One of my most favorite things as a reader is finding good books. One of my least favorite things as a blogger is finding good books. Why? Because for one star books, I can rant and complain. For five star books, it is impossible for me to find bad things. Or its really difficult.

Divergent is one of those books that I can find bad things if I try. But I really like the premise of it. Compared to most of the YA dystopians, this is really good.

I like Tris. At first, I thought she would be one of those wimpy heroines that were being "tough". (Running around swooning over stalker guys.) But she actually learned how to fight and wouldn't be pushed around by anyone.

I really enjoyed the world building. It seems well thought out.

Four is very interesting to read about. Aside from the fact that I don't really think the name "Four" is that sexy or dangerous, Four is a great character. The build up between Tris and Four seems real and not hurried.

The writing flowed smoothly. Everything seemed very vivid.

The plot moved well. There was actually a high point to the story, unlike so many others.

The ending was really good. It wasn't a cliffhanger, thank God, but it left me wanting more.

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{Mini Review} The Athena Effect (The Athena Effect #1) by: Derrolyn Anderson

Three Stars

Country girl Cali has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity. 

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a honest review.

At the beginning, it was very interesting. I loved how Cali saw auras, but didn't complain a lot. She was very interesting to read, since she was an outsider. Add the fact that she liked to read, and I was hooked.

Cal, the love interest seemed a bit uninteresting at first. He wasn't focused on what to do after graduation. However, when Cali came into his life, he pretty became perfect.

There was some insta-love, which was annoying.

Some parts in the book dragged at times.

The writing was overall well done, but seemed forced at times.

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