Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

I was a big fan of Lauren Oliver's Delirium series, because of that when she comes out with new material I am always looking forward to reading it.
When I picked up Vanishing Girls, I really had no idea what it was about.  I didn't even read the cover synopsis until just before I started reading it.

Dara and Nick were sisters and best friends.  That was before the accident that scarred Dara and left the two girls on non speaking terms.
Nick has been devastated and she knows she's lost everything, and when she is forced to move back in with her mom and Dara she decides that this is the summer that she is going to make everything all right.

When a nine year old girl vanishes and has the community on edge and searching everywhere for signs of where went and who may have taken her.  The disappearance grabs Nick's attention.  But it isn't until Dara goes missing on her own birthday that Nick starts wondering if the two are connected.

Eventually, this turns into a frantic search and Nick is sure that it's going to take a sisters love to figure it all out.  The only problem is, what Nick is about to figure out, is far more than she ever could have imagined.

I am not going to ruin the ending and twists in this compelling read.  But I will say, when I got to the end, I literally sat back and said to myself, I didn't see that coming.  Seriously, had me wanting to go back and read it all again looking for signs I missed something throughout.
But then I realized I don't think I did, I think Lauren Oliver did an amazing job creating what some have called a psychological thriller.  Or what I call an intriguing mystery of sorts.  Although, I don't think the genre for this would qualify as mystery at all.

For the most part this novel is fairly clean, although if occasional bad language throughout, or talk of teen sex as well as drug and drinking abuse bother you, you may not enjoy this quite as well.
Overall it's a pretty fast read one I enjoyed, and one that I am going to go out on a limb and say, and ending that you too won't suspect.
I actually gave this book 4 stars on my Goodreads review.  Another bonus, this is a stand alone novel:)

Book Review EMERALD GREEN by Kierstin Gier

Anyone who knows me, knows I absolutely loved Ruby Red & Sapphire Blue so much they were my top favorite reads of last year.  I had to wait a year for this final book in Kierstin Geir's trilogy, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to disappoint!
I was right, and let me just say Emerald Green; I loved it, loved it, loved it!

One of the great things about this series is the author writes each book so that the next picks up exactly where the other left off.  Literally to the hour or minute.  So when you pick up the next book, you don't have to spend the first 20 pages trying to remember things, nor do you have to spend those pages trying to get yourself interested in the book.  Instead from page one you are right smack back into the middle of it.

The adventure continues as Gwen is still trying to figure out the secrets of the time traveling society and her purpose in it all.  Additionally, dealing with the hurt that her new love interest Gideon may have been using her this entire time.
One of the things I love about this series are all the twists and new directions the books take the characters on.  Gwen is constantly left wondering who if anyone she knows can be trusted.  She's gradually learning what being the Ruby means and the powers that come with it.

True I guessed a few of the storyline twists, but I think many readers did.  There were still enough intrigue to keep me flipping the pages and reading this one all in one sitting.  I will admit their were a couple of twists that even I didn't see coming, and I think I liked those the most!
Like the other books, this one had me cheering for Gwen and Gideon's romance, loving and hating it (I say hate in a I loved it way) at the same time with all the directions and flips and flops the story kept taking.  Emerald Green still had me laughing.  I adore Gwen's personality and I absolutely love that little gargoyle!  Seriously made me wish I could have a friendly demon gargoyle in my life that no one else could see or talk to but me.  (That would be awesome!)

Did I love this book as much as the others in the series, definitely!  I still pick the 2nd book Sapphire Blue as my favorite of the trilogy. 
If you haven't picked up this series yet, I highly recommend it!  It is so well written, something that is really rare in today's market!   This is one series that will make you laugh out loud, cry, wish, hope and occasionally sigh as Kierstin Gier takes you on a modern day time traveling adventure filled with lots and lots of suspensful deception.
This is a fairly clean series, I recommend this for any age over 14.  But just because it is a YA, don't let that steer an adult away, this is one series that adults will love just as much as youth.  Just make sure when you sit down to read you have plenty of time, because its a hard one to set aside!


Disclaimer: I was not asked to review this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own after reading the series.

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant is the 3rd and final book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth.  My review will not be a spoiler for Allegiant, but if you haven't started the series and would like to (which I recommend) reading my review before reading Divergent and Insurgent will probably spoil a few things for you.

Fortunately because I didn't start the Divergent series until last year, I didn't have quite as long of a wait as others who read it sooner.  But for me, it was worth the wait.  In all honesty, it wasn't what I expected at all and that is not necessarily a bad thing.
I fell in love with the main characters Tris, the girl who chose her own path and has lead quite the action packed year.  Four who is strong and confident, yet has had so many hidden circumstances from his past that has led to him becoming the man he is.

Just like the other books, this one picks up right where the last book left off.  Except the book quickly throws us a twist, as Tris and Four decide to take up with the new Allegiant fraction and set out to see what they can discover.
But the author at this point decided to really throw us a huge twist in the story.  Everything we thought, everything Tris and Four believed was a lie.  There are more ties into this lie than either could have imagined and it really puts both their love and their lives to the test.

What I love about this series is, there aren't any messy love triangles that you already know what is going to happen in the end.  These are two characters with a powerful bond and love, and we get to watch it unfold and be tested time and time again.
Like the rest in the series Allegiant is fully action packed and quite suspenseful, you'll have a hard time putting it down as it throws you for loop after loop.

I would love to dive more into it, but I absolutely hate reading spoiler reviews, and I mentioned long ago I will never write a spoiler review.  So I hope this review still gives you enough to know if you want to read the series or not.
The ending was not at all what I had thought it would be, and after I thought about it, I am very much okay with that.  There is a deeper hidden meaning behind it, that I believe I understand and because of my adoration of the love between Tris and Four I really did like how it all ended.

I put this series on my highly recommended list!  With that said, I am looking forward to the movie, but I still have no idea how they will be able to do the books any justice.  Likely it won't, but it should be entertaining enough for the book lovers of the series!
This is a YA book, but I will go on the record that the entire series has a lot of violence.  Other than that, it is pretty clean.  I do recommend this book for anyone 16 and older who enjoy action packed suspense and great strong characters!


Disclaimer: I was not asked to review this book.  All thoughts and opinions are my own after reading the series.

Book Review FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater

Rarely do I read a trilogy and find myself at the end loving the third and final book most out of all of them.  Generally, it's usually the first book that always tends to be my favorite.  But although I loved Shiver, I have to say Forever was just fabulous and I think I loved it the most.

Forever, takes off right where Shiver and then Linger left off.  Which might I add, Linger was quite a cliffhanger ending.  (Note, if you haven't read the rest of the series, this review from this point on may be a tad of a spoiler.)

Grace, has turned into a wolf.  Sam is human and thought to be cured and waiting for summer and the return of Grace. Cole has taken on more of a main character role at times and has been going through some thinking and life changing.  We watched Cole grow quite a bit in Linger, but in Forever he's still his handsome cocky self, but a much more mature (at times) version.  I even found myself loving his character as much as I love Grace and Sam.

Forever, is a race against time.  First when spring begins to sprout in Minnesota, some of the younger wolfs begin changing early.  But the local town is still in a rage, and when a body of a dead girl turns up and it is obvious she had been killed and attacked by wolves, this sets plans in motion to get rid of the wolves forever.
The wolves aren't the only ones in danger.  All eyes are on Sam since he seems to be the only link to the mysterious disappearances of a few members of the community.  Sam not only has to deal with the accusations, but the pack themselves.

Cole, is searching for a cure.  But it soon becomes apparent that he might not have enough time to find it, especially when a hunt to kill all the wolves is approved.  At the same time, we get a little more involved with Isabel and Cole and a relationship that may or may not ever happen.

Forever, is filled with twists and turns and lots of suspense.  It's a serious page turner, and not as predictable as I thought it would be.  In fact, I absolutely loved the ending!  I won't say much on that, except for this is one trilogy that I finished the last page and didn't wish I could re-write a bunch of it to give it a conclusion.  Forever, left me satisfied and in love with the entire series!  All I could say when I finished, was that it was so great I can't believe it took me so long to finally read!

I highly recommend this series by Maggie Stiefvater, to anyone 15 and older.  The trilogy is fairly clean and a fast read.  The entire series is out in print, so you can just read book after book and not have to wonder and wait to see what happens.  This is one of those unique series that gives you a different spin on things, and lets you sit back, enjoy and escape reality for a little while.  You won't be disappointed picking this series up!

Book Review: Earthbound by Aprilynn Pike

I was a huge fan of Aprilynn Pike's New York Times bestselling selling Wings series, I love it.  It's still one of my favorite all time book series that I have read.  So when I saw that she had a new book series coming out, of course I picked this up quick!

Earthbound  is a modern day story of a girl named Tavia, who happens to be the sole survivor of a plane crash that killed everyone, including her parents except for her.  Luckily her aunt and uncle come to claim her and offer her a chance to come and live with them.  She quickly agree's, and almost a year passes with nothing more than getting past the trama, nightmares and lots and lots of therapy.

That is until one day she realizes she is starting to have visions of a boy she's never met or spoken to.  Little by little things start happening to her, that has her questioning everything.
When Tavia starts looking for answers, she uncovers more than she could have ever imagined.  Before she knows it, her life has been turned upside down again and her aunt and uncle are looking more and more like suspects who are responsible for the plane crash.
Feeling as though the only person she can trust is her best friend Bensen, she takes off on a mission of self discovery and at the same time follows her visions to see where they might lead her.

Earthbound is action packed and is filled with lots and lots of twists and turns.  So many that I don't even want to mention any of them because I would hate to ruin this wonderful story for anyone.  But let me just say, you will like!
I see a lot of similarities with the Wings series, even though the storylines are completely opposite.  Aprilynn is a true romantic, and I love that right from the beginning you know your going to get lots and lots of that.  I also love a great love triangle, and Earthbound definitely has plenty of that too!

This is a well written, fast paced YA that if you are like me will devour in just a couple of sittings!  If your a fan of her Wings series, you will absolutely love Earthbound!
About the only thing I didn't like is, now I have to wait until next summer to find out what happens next.
This is a YA book, however the main character is 18 and all the others are older.  I recommend this book to any age who enjoys a great read!