The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan was well done, and one of the very few zombie books that I actually enjoyed. I'll give it a 3 out of 5 however because I believe that there was still more that could be done with this book. Mary grew up in a village that has a secluded, old time feel to it. The Sisterhood protects the villagers, the unconsecrated (zombies) are the enemy, and the Guardian's powers are their way of life. This is all put into question.

Mary dreams about seeing the ocean, and she truly believes that there is life outside of the walls. Choices are presented to her, a love triangle is formed, and then she's forced out of her only home. She goes with those she cares about, fighting the zombies all along the way. Mary just hopes to see the ocean. That is the main plot to this story, a trip to the beach. It bothers me entirely. That's why I'm giving 3 stars. Most everyone will end up dying for a trip to the beach. 

I don't care what people say it really bothers me. A lot. The story is beautiful, the zombies instead of bringing simply fear bring tears to my eyes because of the sadness. Those they love are forced out, forced to walk the earth with no peace, to crave flesh. 

That doesn't matter in this book. The zombies must die. Humanity has fallen, and this book is full of suspense. Despite the lack of plot, I couldn't put this book down. I loved it until the very end, where I was disappointed. That is why this book gets 3 out of 5. It's beautifully written, but it's still slightly lacking. 

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter I'd give 3 out of 5 stars. It's a good book, but I feel like it brushes over important detail and topics.  There are many girls across the world that know despair, abuse, and rape. When Luce, at the age of 14, is assaulted by someone she trusts one night, she gives into despair, falling into the icy waters at the bottom of the cliff, but she does not die.

It's not a happy event. There are others like her, girls who have given into the ocean despite the will to live, despite despair. They will live like this, now. Sinking ships and being together, surviving in the ocean's depths.

All but Luce feel no guilt for doing what they did. The abuse they've suffered has hardened them. They are now killers. They are now loving only to each other. They feel very little towards humanity.

Luce is different because she still feels guilt for what she's doing. The book is beautifully done, but brushes over important topics when I believe more time should be spent on them. It's saddening because I believe this book had a lot of potential. The characters don't seem to grow, and very little is said about Luce's thought process. I believe the author could do so more with a concept like this, and I hope to be able to rate the sequel a lot better.

Harbinger: Ending the World...with confusion...

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne is a book that is about the end of the world. I found it plain confusion, 1 out of 5 stars at best. Honestly, I had a hard time getting through it. The real reason I had a hard time getting through it because it's just ...

I know that it was trying to be a psychological thriller, but it fell so far short that it was almost comical if I didn't feel like it was killing my brain cells to try to read it.

That's pretty much how I felt throughout this entire book. The main character has some sort of powers to end the world. A world which the book decides to tell you very little about. From what I can understand it's supposed to be our future where pollution has truly ruined everything. I think that there was a moral here but it was hidden behind such bad writing and character development that I couldn't tell if it was accidental or purposeful. The main character's name is Faye and she struggles internally to come into her powers, find out what is going on with her as she's left at a boarding school for troubled kids, and trying to figure out if she should destroy the world or not. What's worse? The weight of this world is in the hands of a character that has NO character development. She doesn't change.

Overall this book didn't build on itself. The psychological thriller turned into something that literally had a plot line lost in the head of a deranged girl. It felt like someone wrote this during a sleepless night and never edited it. It follows Faye through her time at this school and her decision on to destroy the world. They're forced into "families" and the kid she's paired with don't grow as people during it either. They had a small development later on in the book, and if you read it you'll see, but truly it's a waste of money and time.

So my overall opinion?

Graveminder: Death, Responsibility, and Intrigue

Graveminder by Melissa Marr is a beautifully written story about minding the graves of the dead. I'd have to give it 3 out of 5. I believe a lot of questions go unanswered, but it's still excellently done. I feel there's no need to talk about the main characters in any length, because they are forgettable when the story is not. Respect for the dead is something I believe society has lost. We no longer go to keep our dead company, and we certainly do not tend their graves. 

Suffice to say that Rebekkah is stuck tending graves like her grandmother before her, and she finds out there is a reason for it. If she does not give them story, drink, and food then the dead will rise again to take the living equivalent of flesh, blood, and breath. They will become zombies and killers at that. Rebekkah is the graveminder, the person set to go between worlds. The land of the dead isn't what you expect, they still move around as if they're alive, just waiting on the other side for us..and they can still do this...

Though, this is a somber book about responsibility and keeping the dead and the living seperate, it has it's funny moments. I was captivated by the handsome Death, and look forward to seeing more of him. Sadly, I haven't heard of a sequel yet. So, even though I've only given this 3 stars, I'm hoping a sequel will come to fill in all the burning questions it left me with. However, I'm giving up hope. If anyone has any news of one, please do share. 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns: Challenging what a princess is

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson is a beautifully written novel that has wonderful character development. Truly, for me it was the most striking feature of the novel. We all hear wonderful stories about princesses who are beautifully, model thin, tall as the heavens, with long flowing hair, well...not this main character. Elisa, the youngest of the two princesses, is a heavy set girl who's considered homely, but she's the chosen one. She has a god stone in her belly, saying she'll accomplish great things. However she feels like this...

Elisa is a wonderful girl, but she is a princess that lacks beauty nonetheless she is a princess. We all know that a princess has a duty, which most books would like to overlook, but this book does not. Elisa is married off to a handsome king for the sake of relations.

I think both of them feel this way. However, this isn't the worst of dear Elisa's problems. She's unhappy, and she's hunted. She has the god stone and people with dark magic are looking to use the power she has, though she's no idea how it can help anyone.

(wrong book but you get the idea)

So, I won't tell you how or why our dear Elisa changes, or what will happen to her dear husband, who's lands are also in turmoil. Suffice to say, she does. She goes from an awkward girl to someone who is strong and a wonderful female lead. The character growth in all the characters are remarkable, but hers is by far the best. I love the book because of it's settings and it challenges the idea of what a princess is or should be. It also helps that our dear Elisa goes from the overweight girl she is to something like you see below, but she does it by no magic but hardships and determination.

Timeless: Is love strong enough to bridge the gap of time?

Timeless by Alexandra Monir is a beautiful romance novel that leaves you yearning for more. I found it captivating on a level I haven't felt for quite a while.  Michelle has to deal with the loss of her mother while moving in with grandparents she barely knows, rich grandparents. There are key facts missing about her past and things start to line up when she starts to travel to the pass, meeting her ancestors. All of this is a beautiful mystery until she meets a man with striking blue eyes that she's dreamed about all her life. When she falls in love time will tear them apart...

Each time they are pulled apart it's breathtakingly sad. You wonder just how long they can keep up this charade. This book is about love, and about being selfless about it. They have to let each other go, but can they? If they do... can the love they feel really bridge time? Every time they're ripped apart I feel like this..

This book will leave you breathless and it questions if love truly is timeless.

The Devouring: A Thrilling tale of Fear itself

The Devouring by Simon Holt is a chilling novel. I have to say I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's good, but it doesn't quite explain everything I want it to. However, I do know I couldn't put it down, from both fear and anticipation. Reggie doesn't believe in the Vours she finds written about in a book, creatures that take over a person's body on the winter solstice, pushing their souls into a fearscape (a world made from their worst nightmares) until they can never return. However, when she reads a loud on Sorry Night (winter solstice) she starts to believe when one takes over her little brother, Henry. This book was terrifying and exhilarating

...
That is pretty much how I felt after reading this book. I don't like the dark, and these creatures are the very essence of why! Let me put it this way, this is what I found on the back of the book that made me read it:

“When dark creeps in and eats the light,
Bury your fears on Sorry Night.
For in the winter's blackest hours,
Comes the feasting of the Vours, 
No one can see it, the life they stole,
Your body's here but not your soul...” 
― Simon Holt, The Devouring

Needless to say, I pretty much read the book like this...just hoping our little Heroine wasn't too late...