Title: Awaken
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Children's
Published: May 23, 2011
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Source: Cornucopia of Dystopia

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

Maddie lives in a future world where everything is digital. School, friendships, relationships and life, in general, are all lived out through computers. The real world people once lived in is an inconvenience, and Maddie's content to obey her father's rules and the world she's used to. Justin comes into her life though, and makes her wonder what she might be missing because he loves the tangible world that's so foreign to her. And Maddie starts to wonder if there's something to be said for real life...and she has to decide if it's something she wants more than the virtual world.

I love the premise for Awaken. We live in a society where technology really drives our culture. I mean, seriously, people vie for the best phones, best television and best computers all the time. The more we communicate via these means, the better. Author, Katie Kacvinsky, has taken what we see in society and made it the entire backbone of the future. It's a scary world where nothing is done together, but rather all virtual, and it makes you wonder what will happen if continue on this path. Thought-provoking and eerily believable, Awaken made me uncomfortable but intrigued.

That's all fine and well, but I have to admit that I really struggled to connect with Maddie and Jason. I liked that Maddie wasn't a pushover in Awaken, but I felt that Jason was just so incredibly preachy that it was off-putting. The theme of Awaken was powerful, but I also felt it was really, really in-your-face if that makes sense. I knew two pages in that the message was that we don't really live if we live in a virtual world, but I felt it was a bit bland because it was just beating me over the head with it. That's not to say the message wasn't strong or powerful in and of itself, but I guess I wanted to see more of a visual from Awaken, and all I saw were words.

Awaken is a rich story with a good, moral message despite its flaws. In a world of dystopian fiction, it takes a unique approach and simply advances on the world we live in today. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA books and dystopian fiction.

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Today is day 8 of The Long Weekend Blog Tour! Be sure to check out today's tour stop over at Tara's blog, Hobbitsies! She's got another amazing review and interview lined up for you, plus another chance to win!

Title: Dark Mirror
Author: M.J. Putney
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: March 1, 2011
Genre: YA, Historical
Pages: 306
Source: Publisher

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

Tory has possessed magic her whole life, and she's fought to keep it hidden for the sake of her future and for the reputation of her family. Magic isn't a gift in her world, but rather a curse. Unwillingly forced to use it one day though, Tory is shunned to a school with others like herself where she will, hopefully, be taught to control it and learn to manage her powers so she can rejoin her family and rightful place in society. But Lackland Abbey is a whole new world of hidden doors, different times somehow within reach and world of possibilities Tory never thought possible. Should she look back, or is this her future now?

I have a bit of a penchant for histfic, and we all know that magic is a huge theme in the books I read - anything supernatural, really. Dark Mirror promised all of the above, and it most certainly didn't disappoint. Drawing me in with a tale of magic, time travel and powers beyond my imagination, Dark Mirror wove a new niche into a crammed paranormal genre. M.J. Putney created a story with a unique take on powers and blended them into a fast-paced plot full of action, twists and turns.

Dark Mirror, while definitely intriguing wasn't without its faults. Yes, it was fast-paced, but there were times when I felt it was too much so. The characters seemed to have an innate ability to do exactly what they needed/wanted to do with little or no resistance in a matter of pages. Colour me crazy, but while I like fast paced books, I also like fleshed out tension. It adds to the story. I also felt that the characters weren't too well-rounded. I "met" Tory, and I knew what drove her in a sense, but I never felt any deep emotion for her. All that said, I do like that the plot wrapped up nicely, giving closure and ending without a cliffhanger (halle-freakin-lujia). I also loved the time period - the descriptions and setting, in and of itself, was brilliant.

All in all, Dark Mirror was a fairly good read, and it was a nice start to a new series. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy the supernatural, paranormal and historical fiction genres.

I received this ARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Summer (Beautiful Dead #3)
Author: Eden Maguire
Publisher: Hodder Children's
Published: May 6, 2010
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 274
Source: Publisher

Six months have passed since the last Ellerton teenager died, but Darina is still traumatized by the stabbing of her own beloved Phoenix. But there's work to be done as Darina must now turn her attention to the shooting of Summer Madison - the beautiful and gifted, singer-song-writer with a heart of gold. It's been nearly a year since the random shooting in a shopping mall caused Summer's meaningless death.

Summer left behind recordings of her wonderful songs and a deep sadness amongst high school friends. Now Darina must act as Summerās agent to track down the psychotic killer in a clear search for justice. With the sound of Summer's music constantly playing inside Darina's head, recalling the wonderful months when she was alive and performing her first gigs, Darina, Phoenix and the Beautiful Dead are determined to catch the crazed killer. And all the while Darina's love for Phoenix continues to beat ...

Summer is dead, and she wants to know why. Brought back from limbo, she’s on the track to solve the mystery surrounding the random shooting that killed her in her prime, but she’s frustrated, and it seems like every time she thinks she’s getting close to figuring out the truth, something else pops up and throws a wrench in it all again. As Summer begins to fade into an everlasting limbo, Darina must discover the truth about Summer’s death at all costs, but it might be more than she was expecting, and without a clear suspect or even a place to start, discovering the truth about Summer’s death might just be too much for the Beautiful Dead this time.

Ok, if you haven’t read the series, Summer is book three in the Beautiful Dead series about the Beautiful Dead, souls chosen to return from limbo, marked with angel wings and given unique powers, to discover what happened to them and why they died. Following the same general premise as the first two books, Jonas and Arizona, Summer starts with a bang – literally picking up with Summer’s sudden death. Eden Maguire has created a rich series with an interesting and fluctuating cast of characters that adds depth to each installment of the Beautiful Dead story.

I read the first two books in the series a good while ago, and I quite enjoyed them, so I was excited to tackle Summer. As with the previous books, I enjoyed the dynamic between Darina and Phoenix, her (un)dead boyfriend, but I have to say that Darina’s voice got to me a bit this time. She was so jealous all the time, and I felt that almost hindered the story of Summer. I wanted to know what happened to Summer, but I felt it was weighted down by Darina’s insecurities. That said, I do love that the plot wasn’t so cut and dried this time. I enjoyed the twists and turns that came with a lack of a suspect in Summer’s shooting, and I thought that really propelled the mystery of Summer forward.

All in all, Summer is a good third installment in the Beautiful Dead series. It definitely kept me guessing despite my issues with Darina this time. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to YA fans of the series (you should read books one and two first, or you’ll be lost), as well as those who enjoy fantasy and paranormal novels.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: Across the Universe
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: January 11, 2011
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Pages: 398
Source: Personal Copy

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Amy is just a mere piece of the puzzle and cargo on board the Godspeed, a ship of hundreds of people held in a cryostatic sleep until they reach a new planet for their new lives 300 years in the future. Something goes wrong though, and Amy wakes up, far earlier than she should have. It’s supposedly a computer malfunction, but it becomes apparent that someone was actually behind it. She wasn’t meant to live. She was supposed to die. Now Amy’s on a ship of thousands of inhabitants with a life or death mystery on her hands. Someone’s after her, and they might be after her next. Who can she trust, and how will she know she can trust them?

Across the Universe is one of those books that has been hyped from day one. I’ve heard SO much about it, and part of the reason I held off reading it was because I didn’t want it to fall short of the rave reviews. Beth Revis has created a gorgeous, haunting and oddly beautiful and terrifying world within Across the Universe. She has a flowing writing voice – easy to follow and fluid, taking you from event to event in a harrowing plot filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing the whole time.

While I definitely agree that the world within Across the Universe is incredible, weaving an amazing background into the forefront of the story, even though it’s in a future and somewhat sci-fi realm. I felt like I was onboard the Godspeed with Amy, and I loved that I could put myself in her shoes. She’s definitely a relatable character. I also really enjoyed the dual perspectives between Elder and Amy. It let me so the story from two angles, providing more depth and adding tension to the mystery. I also really appreciated a hint of humour that was added by Harley, adding a nice lighthearted touch. That said though, I guess I was expecting a little more romance in Across the Universe, and I felt that it was pretty flat in that department. I also felt a little unsatisfied with the end – in fact, I kind of felt hollow when it was done.

All in all, Across the Universe is a well-written debut with great characters and a plot that moves well – all of which temper the pretty significant flaws. I enjoyed it for the most part, and I give it a high 3.5 out of 5. I’d recommend Across the Universe to fans of YA, sci-fi and dystopian stories.

Title: Amaryllis in Blueberry
Author: Christina Meldrum
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: February 8, 2011
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 384
Source: ARC Gift

Told through the haunting voices of Dick and Seena Slepy and their four daughters, Christina Meldrum's soulful novel weaves together the past and the present of a family harmed--and healed--by buried secrets.

"Maybe, unlike hope, truth couldn't be contained in a jar..."

Meet the Slepys: Dick, the stern doctor, the naive husband, a man devoted to both facts and faith; Seena, the storyteller, the restless wife, a mother of four, a lover of myth. And their children, the Marys: Mary Grace, the devastating beauty; Mary Tessa, the insistent inquisitor; Mary Catherine, the saintly, lost soul; and finally, Amaryllis, Seena's unspoken favorite, born with the mystifying ability to sense the future, touch the past and distinguish the truth tellers from the most convincing liar of all.

When Dick insists his family move from Michigan to the unfamiliar world of Africa for missionary work, he can't possibly foresee how this new land and its people will entrance and change his daughters--and himself--forever.

Nor can he predict how Africa will spur his wife Seena toward an old but unforgotten obsession. In fact, Seena may be falling into a trance of her own.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is the captivating tale of a family ripped from their hometown in Michigan and forced to plant missionary roots in rural Africa. Worlds away from their former lives, Dick and his wife, Seena, must somehow bind their family of four daughters, Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, Mary Catherine, and Amaryllis, together once again. They were lost in a world where they were held together by society, but the lack of a set society might just be what they need to find each other again. But the change in life prompts unexpected changes in Seena and propels their unique little family on a journey of discovery, loss, and ultimately truth.

I received Amaryllis in Blueberry from a fellow book blogger to review, and while this isn’t my normal type of book to review, I was captivated by the story of this strange family and the pseudo-black sheep, Amaryllis. Amaryllis has this unique ability to sense the truth in a sea of lies and to see a bit of the future and the past all at once, making her into a little web of mystery in a story of this family’s journey to discovery. I have to say that Christina Meldrum has an absolutely stunning writing style. Fluid and melodic, she weaves the reader into a world of magic and mystery, showing you slivers of truth along the way and compelling you to keep reading.

While I loved the premise of the story, and the author’s writing was exceptional, I have to admit that the descriptiveness got a bit heavy at times, jarring me from the story, itself. Furthermore, while I loved reading about the family as individuals, I felt that the motives that led Dick to move his family from their Michigan home were a bit too light in the context of the story. All that aside though, the portrayal of two vastly different worlds and lifestyles in Amaryllis in Blueberry was exceptional, and was probably the highlight of the book for me. I simply would have liked a bit more tension, I suppose, to propel the book towards the climax.

Amaryllis in Blueberry is definitely more adult than the books I normally read, but I’m trying to broaden my literary horizons and open this blog up to a bit more. All in all, it was a good book, and one that I’d highly recommend to those who normally enjoy adult novels. I give it a 3.5 out of 5, and fans of contemporary fiction are sure to enjoy it.

Title: Shrouded Secrets
Author: Joel McGrath
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: December 2, 2010
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Pages: 400
Source: Author

When a teenage brother and sister inherit secret metaphysical powers, they are unknowingly hunted by a group of clandestine immortals. While one of the siblings will reluctantly choose the path of righteousness, the other will defiantly dabble with the promise of true power and the darkness that accompanies it. As David James begins his freshman year of high school, he learns that his older sister Danielle's popularity isn't genetic. However, their lives change dramatically with the discovery that they possess power which grants them vast unearthly abilities.

The more they strive for reasonable normality, the more unstable their powers become when combined with the stresses of high school teenage life. While jealously, love, and anger unhinge their once typical lives, temptations to abuse their newfound gifts are manipulated by a shrouded and unyielding adversary who seeks to cast earth into a modern dark age. Soon secrets will injure the ones they love as the burden of true power begins to isolate them. Not even the ominous prospect of a crumbling world matters when each of them finds that they are helpless to control their own desires.

David and Danielle James are your average, ordinary, everyday teenage brother and sister, or so they thought. They soon discover an incredible secret though, and it’s deadly. The two have an extraordinary amount of powers, leaving them either destined for a path of greatness or one of destruction. Desperate to learn the source of their power and their new destiny, David and Danielle have enough on their plate without a new force entering, hell-bent on acquiring their abilities. Can David and Danielle find balance when their world begins to fall apart, or will they go down with it?

How many of you have heard of Shrouded Secrets? Nobody? I’m not surprised, to be honest. There is pretty much zero hype surrounding the book, and when the author, Joel McGrath, asked if I’d be interested in reading and reviewing his book, I decided I had to do my research first. Shrouded Secrets is your classic untimely superhero story with a brother/sister twist, sending you on a journey with two teenage siblings as they try to comprehend the meaning of their lives, and their powers. Part superhero saga, part comic relief, Shrouded Secrets is a bit of a hidden gem in a sea of stories about uncommon heroes.

Shrouded Secrets was a bit of a wild ride, to be honest. The story kicks off in the first few pages, hooking you and connecting you with David and his sister, Danielle. You can feel David’s quirkiness and it resonates, balancing Danielle’s superiority and popularity. The introduction of powers feels perfectly untimely, if you catch my drift, throwing a wrench into the plot and propelling it forward. The great characters mesh well with a well-rounded plot, giving the reader something to immerse themselves in. I will admit, however, the plot did have a series of lulls and highs though, and there were a good amount of punctuation errors scattered throughout. However, they didn’t really detract from the overall story of Shrouded Secrets.

All in all, Shrouded Secrets is a nice start to a new superhero series, and I was pleased with the outcome – especially because there is a definite lead in to the next book without leaving us with an absurd cliffhanger. I give Shrouded Secrets a high 3.5 out of 5, and I’d recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy a rich blend of fantasy and sci-fi, and those who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Title: The Mind Readers
Author: Lori Brighton
Publisher: Smashwords
Published: December 7, 2010
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 170 Pages (eARC)
Source: Author

Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows that Cameron can read minds. When Lewis Douglas arrives, he tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a place where she meets other Mind Readers. But when the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs.

Cam is your typical small-town girl living in Maine, but she has a dark secret. She can read minds. Trained from a young age to shove her gift aside rather than draw attention, Cam knows she can never use her gift to help people in danger - even if she desperately wants to. Then, unbeknown to Cam, she discovers other mind readers and the possibility to be herself for the first time in her life. There's only one problem. Cam is powerful, and perhaps more powerful than any of the other mind readers. Is she finally finding acceptance, or is she being used?

I've never read anything by Lori Brighton before, but I know she's a fairly prominent adult author, so I figured I would check this one out when the author sent eARC to me. The Mind Readers is a fast-paced paranormal story blending romance, intrigue, and a secret dangerous threat that fuels the story throughout. With strong dialogue and a balance of descriptiveness, strong characterization and clear plot points, The Mind Readers easily sends the reader on a journey into a world within the story.

I have to say that while I enjoyed The Mind Readers, I had a really difficult time with Cam at first. She has this incredible gift with amazing power, and she seemed so...whiny...and annoying. However, she began to progress through the story, and she grew as a character, becoming strong and more self-aware. Lewis, one of the secondary characters and the love interest, is a character I would love to meet. (Seriously. Can I meet him?) He's sweet, well-rounded, and the perfect balance to offset Cam's personality and keep things balanced. Some of the other secondary characters, namely Annabeth, threw things off for me though, which made things a little bit more difficult.

All in all, The Mind Readers is a fast-paced and intriguing story, despite the few flaws that irked me. I give it a very strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all those who enjoy Lori Brighton's writing and the YA genre, especially those who enjoy paranormal romance stories.

I received this eARC free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

What's in a name? I, Emma Freke is a charming search-for-identity story about Emma―the only "normal" member of her quirky family. Her flighty, New Age mom seems to barely have time for a daughter, especially one who annoyingly spoils her mom's youthful façade.

Emma's well-meaning grandpa is clueless. And her only friends are the local librarian and a precocious 10-year old adopted by the two old ladies next door.Smart, shy, and nearly six feet tall, Emma struggles to fit in at school, so she jumps at the opportunity to "home school" until that too turns into another of mom's half-baked ideas.

Taken from GoodReads.

I, Emma Freke follows the story of tweenage Emma, who has never quite in with her peers. She's too tall to blend, she's more comfortable with customers than those her own age, and she's certain that meeting the rest of her distant family will solidify her status as a freak forever. Along the way though, Emma learns that being a Freke doesn't mean she is actually a freak, and being her own person might be better than fitting in after all.

Remember those horrible in-between years where you wore glasses and braces, and you basically looked like a little wombat in clothes? Ok, maybe that was just me, but we all went through our awkward stages, and Emma is living them out in I, Emma Freke. With moments of cringe-worthy hilarity, sweet sensitivity to Emma's young age and personality, the author, Elizabeth Atkinson, cleverly weaves us along Emma's journey to self-discovery with her. Beautifully written in a tone that all ages can appreciate, it's a story that I really enjoyed reading.

I, Emma Freke is a mildly saccharin-sweet coming-of-age story that I can honestly say I've heard nothing about before. I think it is partially because it doesn't really step outside the box of your typical YA contemporary fiction. It's a very cute story, and it definitely has a message about finding one's true self and owning it no matter what. The plot didn't lag, and there was a definite focus throughout, but I can't fight that nagging feeling that it was missing a little something...different. I think it needed an extra edge of tension to be thrown into the mix to make the climax of the story a little more poignant. In that aspect alone, I, Emma Freke fell a little flat for me.

Nevertheless, I, Emma Freke is a very nice story. Well-written with good values and themes, I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to a lower YA to MG audience, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction, realistic fiction, and drama.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

When Katie Kitrell is shipped off to boarding school by her distant father and overbearing mother, it doesn’t take her long to become part of the It Crowd. She’s smart, she’s cute, and she’s an Olympic-bound swimmer who has a first class ticket to any Ivy League school of her choice.

But what her new friends, roommate, and boyfriend don’t know is that Katie is swimming away from her past, and from her schizophrenic older brother, Will, who won’t let her go. And when he does the unthinkable, it’s all Katie can do to keep her head above water.
Taken from GoodReads.

Breathless is the story of teenage Katie, a talented swimmer with the world at her feet, but she's hiding a dark secret and a painful past. Her older brother, whom she loves more than anything, is schizophrenic, and his disease is slowly consuming every inch of love and care he had for his family – especially his little sister. Katie discovers it's easier to lie about the past and pretend that everything is fine, her home life is normal, and there's no dark secrets hiding under her bed. The problem is that the secrets are catching up to her slowly but surely, and they're about to unravel all around her.

Breathless is one of those stories that I haven't heard much buzz about around the blogosphere. I think I've only read maybe one or two reviews for it, but they were pretty good, and I was already sold on the swimming premise (go figure) and the awesome cover. Breathless is the brainchild of author, Jessica Warman and combines a heart-wrenching tale with flowing prose, rich descriptions, and a setting that the reader can lose themselves in. It was very well-written and didn't lag, which I often find in books I don't know too much about.

I will, however, say that there were a few issues I had with Breathless. While it flowed nicely and had a great pace, I often found that the antics of the large cast of characters almost pulled me out of the story. Katie's personality had me somewhere between hating and loving her the entire time, and there were points where I was just indifferent. Then there's Drew. Drew is a character that I could potentially have loved in Breathless. He's a devout Christian with good morals and a strong standpoint, but I often found that he jumped on his religious bandwagon at only the most opportune moments, which I felt was a bit too convenient. Then, there were times when faith didn't drive his character, and I was left confused as to just who Drew really was.

I guess my verdict on Breathless is as follows. It's definitely not a bad read. I enjoyed a lot of it, and I thought the writing was very well done. While the characters have some flaws in my humble and honest opinion, I'm sure there is a big market for a book like Breathless. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA fiction, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction.

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?
Taken from GoodReads.

Crescendo is the second story in the Hush, Hush series. Following Nora in the wake of discovering she has a guardian angel, has Nephilim blood flowing through her veins, and even the ones she trusts most can betray her, Crescendo chronicles Nora's need to find her true self. She thought things would be peachy-keen when she discovered that she and Patch had feelings for one another, but now she's not so sure of anything anymore. Can she discover the truth in time?

Gahhhh. I'm so split on my review of Crescendo. Part of me loves the story, but part of me is so disgruntled by the turn of events in the story that I'm not quite sure where to start. Let me start with what went right in Crescendo. First of all, it's important to mention that Becca Fitzpatrick is a master storyteller, and she has an incredible way of weaving mysteries. The unfurling of the mysterious elements regarding the angels throughout the story was definitely the highlight of Crescendo for me. It kept me guessing the entire time.

Unfortunately, I found myself downright confused by the characters of Crescendo this time. I felt like any inkling I might have learned about Nora from the previous book was thrown out the window. She became an MC that I simply couldn't relate to, and frankly disliked most of the time. Then there's Marcie...remind me why she's even in the book again? Her character felt so so flat for me. Patch also let me down. I could never tell what he was thinking, or what motivated him to do the things he did. Frankly, he was depicted so aloof that his character was almost superfluous for me.

Despite some pretty decent character flaws in my humble opinion, Crescendo is not a bad read. It's definitely entertaining if you have the patience to weather the characters and fall for the storyline instead. I give it a pretty good 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to fans of YA and paranormal stories, especially those who love angels.

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.

Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.
Taken from GoodReads.

The Lost Hero is the first book in the new Heroes of Olympus series. Following the story of three new demigods, Jason, Piper, and Leo, it details their struggles and triumphs to discover their true identities and their own selves. Jason doesn't know (or understand) anything that's ever happened to him), Piper has a secret that causes great pain, and Leo is the joker of the group, providing comic relief for the trio. With destinies intertwined and a whole new set of obstacles to face, Jason, Piper, and Leo are about to embark on the adventure of their lives.

Ok, it's so secret that I'm probably the biggest Rick Riordan fan and Percy Jackson nut in the world...ok, maybe not the world...maybe the country...ok, fine...I just really really really love his stories and the worlds he creates. That said, I was really worried about reading The Lost Hero because I was terrified it would butcher the amazing story he had already created. I didn't want to see the story beaten over the head by capitalizing on an already-popular series. That said, I was extremely happy to see that Rick Riordan's writing style - fluid, easy, and engaging - is just as fun and enjoyable as ever.

I'm a little divided in my opinion of the actual story of The Lost Hero, though, and I'll explain why. I was so stoked to see Annabeth re-enter the picture, and then I realized just how different her character was in this book than it was in the previous series. She was, frankly, just snide and nasty, and she didn't appeal to me at all. While I love the introduction of a new satyr, I missed Grover's antics, and while I like the basics of Jason's character, I found him rather tedious. Then, there's Percy. We all love Percy. You can't not love Percy. However, if you're going to introduce him in a new series, develop his character more. I don't want to see him whittled down to a stereotype of what he once was.

I know I sound like I'm ranting about The Lost Hero, but the story, itself, is actually quite enjoyable. Despite a few plot hiccups, I thought it was fun and definitely entertaining. I only dock points because I expected more. I give it a firm 3.5 out of 5, and I really hope to see the series continue to improve upon itself with the next installment. I recommend this to fans of MG, YA, and adult books, as well as those who enjoy fantasy.

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