Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: May 8, 2012
For Fans of: Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
My Rating: 5 Stars
Summery:
"Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned mydelf to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... Until I spotted my hot neighbor, with this looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get a long. At all."
In case you haven't guessed, that was not all of the summery. I highly recommend going into this book blind. It will be 100x more enjoyable for you that way. This book is one of my all time favorites (despite it's awful covers) It is action packed and the characters are amazing.
My favorite character was by far Katy, she is one of the most relatable book characters I have ever read. She is a book blogger and she loves to read, so I'm guessing she is a lot like most of you reading. Her relationship with Daemon is slow-burning, which is a good thing. I have read so many books with insta-love in them that its getting to be ridiculous.
The story itself is very compelling, and luckily there are 5 books in this series. The only thing about it is (and this is more in the 2nd and 3rd books) It can wear you out pretty easily, I would recommend taking a break in between books of this series.
The bottom line is, you should read this book, you wont regret it!
Titles: The Selection, The Elite, and The One
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Dates: April 24, 2012
April 23, 2013
May 6, 2014
For Fans of: Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi, Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer
My Rating: Five Stars
Summery:
"For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But to America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."
Let me start off with this: This Selection was a re-read for me. I read it when it first came out and loved it, and waited anxiously for The Elite to come out. By the time it did though, I had forgotten most of the first book and never ended up getting around to reading it. Nevertheless, when The One came out, I couldn't stop myself from adding it to my collection.
I ended up picking them up again this past Wednesday simply because the TV show The Batchelor had just premiered and had reminded me of these books, and trust me, I couldn't be happier I did. These books may sound very cliche to many people, but the story on the inside is enchanting and suspenseful. The world-building is wonderfully detailed, and the caste system is fascinating. This novel takes place in a future where The United States of America has been destroyed and turned into an entirely new country called Illea. There are eight castes, the Ones being the royal family and the Eights being homeless people and beggers.
Our main character, America Singer, is a Five. Her and her family make a living by creating art, playing music, and singing. We find out in the beginning of the novel that America has been dating a family friend named Aspen. Every night they sneak out of their houses to meet with each other, they have to keep their relationship a secret because he is a caste lower than her (When a girl gets married, she adopts the caste she marries into) Eventually her mother convinces her to enter into The Selection, and she complies to make her mother happy, thinking that she would never be chosen. When she does she doesn't want anything to do with it, or Maxon. The only thing keeping her there is the check that her family is getting, but the Prince is infatuated with her, and refuses to give up on her.
America Singer is probably one of the most frustrating characters I have ever read, strictly because of her indecisiveness and frequent bad ideas. And in my opinion, she leads both of the guys on way to long. At the same time she is passionate about what she believes in and very determined. I am 100000000% team Maxon. He is absolutely adorable and sweet, and completely made up for America's stupidity. Please don't even get me started on Aspen.
The bottom line is, this book is a cute series that you will literally fly through, and if you are debating reading this, you are only inconveniencing yourself. Pick it up.
