NetGalley --- Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

A dystopian story where everything is frozen. It’s an original one (based on what I have read about dystopian stories) and there are humans, magical creatures, military, marked ones, all living in Vegas where there are casinos playing poker. Okay, that part is a bit scattered. It could have been a great plot if not for the weak background. It wasn’t explained how the earth ended up frozen, and yet there’s the sea where they were able to travel. It wasn’t explained why the government ended up being overly-strict to its citizens and how people with “marks” came out to be and persecuted. It’s like the authors assumed that the readers would already know these things. And the characters, I find them detached. The characters have potential but… (there’s always the but.. I’m sorry) but as a reader, I couldn’t reach them at all. There’s no emotions. It’s like watching a movie performed by very bad actors, by uttering their lines in a monosyllabic way.

 

To make it fair, I like the idea of the story, it’s something you could realize, some of it could might happen (I hope not) in a very far future if humans won’t be responsible enough on the future and on mother earth. Garbage everywhere, poisoned water, people too dependent on gadgets that they forgot the importance of education. I found myself laughing hard with the “textlish” that was introduced here. It’s like what we call “jejemon” in our country. It’s a way of texting which is kind of funny. And for it to be spoken… really? So hilarious.. haha!

At first there’s this big deal about the “marked” ones and Nat being the center of it all, so how come I never get to see anything elaborating the extent of her power, and then at the end. I just feel like this story is full of inconsistencies. Soon, I found myself comparing this to the “series of unfortunate events” with all the things they encounter and escaped smoothly. And with all that, I didn’t feel panic, thrill or excitement. As I’ve said, the story kind of detached.

But still, I will give this 2 stars for its potential, I hope the authors will still have the time to do something to repair some of the inconsistencies and work with content more to make it stronger and detailed.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

From this book comes a very unique dystopian. It would be confusing at first with all the unfamiliar terms. To be honest, I didn't like the story much until I have grasped what is the setting of this story.

A dystopian story where humans are classified into two, due to a history you could find out yourself. At first, there are the Reduced and the Luddites. Reduced are the punished ones (for wanting to be more powerful than God). They suddenly can't talk ( could only utter syllables thus they have names with only one syllable) and they are believed not to be smart enough to do smart stuffs anymore. The Luddites are the unpunished ones and remained normal and became the caretaker of the world and the reduced. In time, Luddites feared the changes,especially when the CORs came. the children of the reduced, who were born normal, just like the Luddites. They prefer being called Post short for Post reductionist. Post wanted to be treated normal, but Luddites, having used in the superiority from reduced won't agree. 

From here, came our story. A Luddite and a post being friends and falling in love. But how can a Luddite, afraid of change and a post, who all his life wanted change... be together?

A very nice and unique novel that won't let you stop reading even if you wanted to. This book made me forget my work, my laundry and even my food. It's nice to finally find a book that would make me feel like this again. It's been a long time and I'm glad I happen to come upon this book. 

I love Elliott's character. She's one of the few female lead who doesn't need saving, who can stand up on her own and has her own decisions not blinded by love or anything else. She strongly believe on what she was taught while growing up but still know what's right from wrong. She's very responsible but still knows hoe to break the rule, if it means saving lives. Elliott is very outspoken, and a what-you-see-what-you-get type of girl.

On the other hand, Kai is the mysterious one. I still could not understand the depth of his anger o Elliott. Is it because she did not ran away with him, or there's something else, something that Elliott have said. It made me wonder, with the scene where he said "Luddites (pertaining to Elliott) cannot be trusted. Still he returned to Elliott's place, was it for revenge or for the sake of love? I would like to believe the latter. :D

It has been a very complicated journey for both Kai and Elliott. They have their own beliefs that they are trying to surpass to be together. But belief is the most difficult thing to beat. The belief you grew up to, the fear of change and the fear of history repeating itself. I salute Elliott on her decisions. She became very responsible and very selfless. Even if all throughout, Kai hated her for her decision, Elliott did not waver, believing that what she's doing is right. She never wasted her time crying and used the pain she's feeling in working and proving that her decision is right. 

____SPOILER ALERT______

So what's the difference of the changes done that caused punishment to the new changes done by Kai's fleet? How come Gavin and Carlotta were punished but Kai's team weren't when they were doing the same thing? It's something that should have cleared. In my part, as long as it's meant to save a life, there's nothing bad to it. If it's for the goodness of people or if it's intention is not malicious or are not meant to harm others, why not? The "superhuman" abilities gained by Kai, I did not agree much, it's the same thing Carlotta and Gavin did, but they were punished. So I didn't got the idea of that... or maybe, Gavin and Carlotta's are just experiments gone wrong and they were not really punished by God at all. It's just the Luddite way of being superior. Well, I'm not suggesting anything, just my opinion and on how I saw this story.

All in all, it is really a very good read. It's something I could read over and over again. 

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

 Summary from Goodreads

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17788403-maybe-someday?from_search=true

My Review

A very unique love story that got me confuse on what is right and what is wrong when it comes to love. Lots of surprises that made me stopped reading to reread the last few lines to confirm if I read it right. It's not a typical love story of a girl and a boy. 

Colleen Hoover has once again captured my heart with this one of a kind love story. It has his lightness and heaviness at the same time. It made me smile and teary-eye at the same time. It made me root for Sydney and Ridge but part me feels not right. Talk about confusing huh? Their love story is so complicated that it made me wonder? Is it okay to cheat when your heart says so? But as the story goes... it made me realize what these two made right that others didn't. They are honest with their feelings, but they chose to do what is right and wait for the right time. Thus, Maybe Someday.

One thing I also love about this story is the character of Ridge. You'll believe he's normal, he acts normal and never did he consider his hearing a disability. He worked around it and excelled. No matter how life made it hard for him to survive with his disability, nothing stopped him from doing what he love and protecting his loved ones. 

I also love the songs that they are composing, but I just wish I could here how it sounds as well.

Broken and Screwed 2 by Tijan

Summary from Goodreads

New school. New friendships. New life. 

Not so much. 

Alexandra is pissed about her parents abandoning her. She's beyond pissed that her friends did the same. She's enraged because things are unclear about her brother's death now. So her first stop is at Jesse's house to demand answers. She wants to know why her brother was friends with the criminal crowd before he died and she knows he holds the answers. But when she sees him, she doesn't get the answers she expected. Instead, she finds out that their chemistry never faded and soon heats up again! 

Some habits die hard. Soon Jesse and Alex are back to their ways of sneaking around. He's a near-celebrity at school and she doesn't want to deal with the backlash of being his girlfriend. Alex is tired of being hurt so she's learned the lesson not to confide and lean on others. However, she can't seem to help herself when it comes to Jesse Hunt. The big question isn't if she will survive if their relationship goes public, it's if she will survive when the real truths about her family and brother come out? Or when she learns that Jesse knows more than what he's told her?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/987542867?book_show_action=false

My Review

This book is kind of frustrating. Too much secrets even after all what went through on the previous book. There are lots going on in the story and the only thing that's holding them back is the secrets of both Jesse and Alex. 

I'm frustrated with Alex because she knows there's something wrong with her. I believe she needs some therapy after all she's been through and her current state. I am agreeing with her that she's a nutcase. She could admit to herself how broken she is but still, she never asked for help. She has this fear that everyone will leave her, which is what happened before so I understand a bit. But if only she could open up... I think that would help a lot. But when bits of revelations are made in the middle, I kind of understood her better and lessen my frustration to her.

I'm frustrated with Jesse. I don't know if I love him for being very loyal to Ethan, but to the point that she could sacrifice his relationship with Alex for this loyalty, I am confuse. 

I'm frustrated with the story, because there's lot of going on and I'm almost at the end and I can't see the revelations yet and the story even had the time to introduce new characters which I ma guessing will be the focus of the third boos *sigh... 

And the most frustrating part is even though I am so emotionally pissed with what's going on, I can't stop reading , because I am hoping for a very good ending. The couple deserve that so I didn't stop. At least at that part, I wasn't disappointed. :)

Broken and Screwed 1 by Tijan

 Summary from Goodreads

Alexandra's older brother died the night he graduated. That day changed everything for her. No longer was she the party girl. No longer did she care about being popular and no longer was her family the happy unit she always thought existed. The only person who could help her heal is the same person who loved her brother as much as she did, his best friend. She only hopes to keep her entire heart from breaking when Jesse will move on, and she knows he will. 

After Ethan died, Jesse excelled at basketball, partying, and girls. He used it all to turn his emotions off, but the irony was that Alex was the only person who could do that for him. She helped him forget, but she was the one person he shouldn't be with because the secrets he knows could shatter everything. They could shatter her.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17344385-broken-and-screwed

My Review

Here's one messy character. Broken and Screwed fit perfectly for Alexandra... and to Jesse Hunt as well.. I guess. 

I kind of get the whole point of the story. It's a simple plot with lots of complications. Too much complications that I am wondering if these all makes sense. I could feel the grief, sadness and even the desire of the characters. It's not a happy story actually. But I've expected that with the death of Alex;s brother being in the center if this all. 

But I just feel that this book is so one sided and incomplete. It started and ended with Alex being in the same state - broken and screwed. There were no revelations and what's really happening behind the story. No explanations of Jesse's feeling ad characters, Marissa's and Alex. It's quite confusing but it has the pull as other mysterious books has. 

It has a good plot but I feel like the book could e better if it ended with some bits of enlightenment on what is really happening. Hoping the next book would give much details.

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Summary from Goodreads

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16045296-racing-savannah

My Review

I'll rate this second best after Catching Jordan. It is a simple and easy-to-read story about teen struggles, life, dreams and of course love. There's not much complications here, just a cliche story of a poor girl meets rich boy. The good difference is that poor girl is not the type of girl that feels like she needs to be saved by the rich boy. She has her strength and she can stand up on her own.

I must admit, I enjoyed reading the other characters from this series as well, especially Jordan and Sam Henry which are my favorite character of all. But I enjoyed Savannah's story as well that I didn't realize I have already finished the story.

Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

Summary From Goodreads

There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation.

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet.

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care.

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot.

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.  

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1672727.Two_Way_Street

My Review

The story is a bit confusing at first. Courtney's character loves to ramble and I'm really getting lost everytime she does that..which is always. But I realize it adds spice to the story. I even think we think the same. There are lots of going on inside my head as well,even if I'm really focused on something, I find myself later on thinking of something else. Also, the way Courtney handled her break up with Jordan I belive is a typical teen break up. It's what I din before as well... uhmm.. not on the lying to make him jealous part, but me being conscious on what's going inside his head and everything.

Anyways, as I am saying, Courtney and Jordan's POV is like the real thing. It's the way I expect them to think and act. The story is a bit fast, knowing they are on their road trip. Mostly, it's all about what happened to their relationship and all, but I find the plot to be unique and I'm amaze that other parts of the story can still be included in the script, like Jocelyn's.

This is a simple and easy-to-read story that can make you relaz. It has heavy topics as well, but the author made sure that it won't make the reader feel heavy or bad about it. Even if I should be actually.. haha!