The Program by: Suzanne Young

Amazon.com

Teen Suicide runs rampant. Depression is a sickness, a virus, it grows deep within its victims and spreads until there is no other choice but Quikdeath. Sloane refuses to let it take her. She's seen what it can do. After her brothers suicide Sloane refuses to follow suit. But, nobody escapes the Program.


The program is a solution, at least that's what the propaganda shoved down teen throats says. You'll come back shiny and new with no memory of your life before. You'll come back better. The program is here to fix what's broken. Sadly, most would rather be broken. The pills wipe away the bad and the good. There is no cloud or backup drive to save you. Once your memories are gone, they're gone. It's Sloane's worst fear and greatest nightmare. One terror she can't wake up from.

While the Program has a plot that would seem to thrill, it focuses more on romance then the dystopian society it has built up. The young adult novel is more focused on romantic tension and bonds rather than destroying an oppressive society. If love amongst chaos is your go to then I recommend this. But, if your priorities lie elsewhere I would not say this is an adventure you would like to partake in. ( 2/5 stars )

Code of Honor By: Alan Gratz

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2 brothers closer than you could imagine. They know everything about one and other too the smallest minute detail. At least they thought they did. Kamran thought he could trust Darius. Until the News Feed came. How could this happen? His brother, his Army Ranger brother, a terrorist. It just wasn't possible. Deep down he knew that it couldn't be true, but how can he prove it. He knew how, and it was farfetched, insane even. A code made so long ago; a code between brothers. Their code of honor. If Darius was still true, maybe just maybe, he could bring him back. Now he just has to convince the US government.

Code of Honor has the perfect blend of heartfelt family, societal issues, and military drama. The exciting twist and turns keep readers hooked. Award winning author Alan Gratz brings about a new perspective on your everyday Armed Forces adventure.

Dark Energy by: Robinson Wells

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Humans have always wondered what lies beyond the dark starry sky. What else is out living and surviving in the universe? What will happen if they find us? Out in the middle of nowhere Iowa, it seems they have. A spaceship larger than a skyscraper has tore through the land killing thousands. The people are enraged, the aliens are silent. For days they stayed locked inside their beaten ship. Until finally they emerge, shocking not just the nation, but the world. When terror and lies threaten to end humanity it is up to a NASA scientist daughter to save not only our world, but theirs too. Friendships formed from the sparks of conflict will grow like wildfires. Whereas dangerous lurking in the dark may hold truths we wish not to know. Events spiral down further and further as new truths are brought to light. Who are these strangers? Why are they here? An who's going to follow?

At first glance Dark Energy may seem as your run of the mill Sci-Fi novel, but i assure you,  Robison Wells has an ace up his sleeve. A rag tag bunch of teens, aliens from amongst the stars, death far greater than ever before, it will draw you in and never let you leave. The story flies right off the page leaving readers itching for more. Hugging the edge of there seat and devouring line after line. No one can get enough of this fantastic new adventure.

Salt to the Sea by: Ruta Sepetys

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A heart wrenching tale of a group of misfits daring escapades during World War 2. Fighting hunger, wounds, language barriers, and persistent russian attacks each wonderful character has his or her own motives. Only one thing brings them all together, passage aboard the Gustloff. Evacuation may be their only chance at survival. Having already braved such hardships the Wilhelm Gustloff appears to be a light shining gallantly through the darkness. Unbeknownst to them this beacon of hope will turn into one of history's greatest maritime disasters. Wills will be tested, friendships strained, alliances broken, and once again death will strike a mighty blow upon his victims.

Ruta Sepetys is a world renowned historical fiction author who is not afraid to show the true horrors of history. Time and time again she has brought the hidden past to light in gruesome yet glorious displays, Salt to the Sea lives of to her fantastic legacy in more ways then one. She wields words like an artist with a paint brush. The scenery and events play like films for all readers. It is with no doubt I can say that any who read this book will find either a lesson to be learned, a thought to be pondered, or a life to be cherished. It is with that I push you, dear reader, to find yourself lost in the pages of this magnificent novel, and simultaneously get lost in time. 

What Waits in the Woods By: Kieran Scott

What Waits in the Woods on Amazon

Jeremy, Penelope, Lissa, and Callie all venture into the woods. 4 nights, that's all it should be, then Callie will be home. Shopping in New York, with her mom. 4 nights in the woods, how bad can that be? She tries her best to stay positive but a mysterious laughing man, ghost stories, and a tumble of a bridge begin to shake her confidence. Lost and drenched the groups seeks refuge with a new comer, Ted. With friendships and relationships dwindling they follow their new guide skeptical, but trusting in their time of need. Foundations begin to shake when  it seems that an outside force is threatening their lives. What will it take to survive in the woods? Who will have strength to survive? Hidden secrets and lies may be the end of our protagonist. We may not want to know what waits in the woods...

The classic horror story for all those who absolutely love them. Filled with a wilderness adventure, lore like no other, and an exciting plot twist that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While I may not have loved this book, mostly because i'm not into horror, I just know you guys out there with an eye for the spooky sides of things will devour this new novel with a passion. 

All Fall Down By: Ally Carter

All Fall Down on Amazon

The first book in the thrilling Embassy Row trilogy focuses on the return of Grace Blakely to Adria, home of Embassy Row. Grace is not crazy, despite popular opinion. Her mother was murdered, it wasn't an accident. The scarred man killed her, and now he's going to kill again. Grace pulls out all the stops to discover the Scarred Man's conniving intentions toward some important employee on Embassy Row. With the help of Noah the classic boy next door and official best friend, Megan the tech wiz, Rosie the acrobat, and Alexie her brother best friend since forever, she plans to foil the plots of the Scarred Man. But with secrets better left untold hiding in the shadows, danger lurks beyond ever cornor for our slightly insane protagonist. A past of loss, and a future not yet foreseen, what lies a head may be the downfall of Grace Blakely once and for all.

Full of colorful twist and turns All Fall Down is a classic government adventure novel. With a plot that engulfs the reader into a world full of corrupt politicians and unlikely alliances, you'll never want to put it down. Ally Carter does it again with this wonderful new edition, that is at home in any teen readers bookshelf.

The 39 Clues: Doublecross: Mission Titanic by Jude Watson

This book is in the mystery and adventure genre. 

Amazon.com

Amy and Dan Cahill are no longer the heads of the Cahill family. They wanted a life without all of the stress, and they got their wish. Ian Kabra, Lucian, has know taken over at just seventeen years old. He has connections to the most important and powerful people in the world. Ian has been waiting for this for years.

And he has already screwed up.

An old member of the Cahill family has invaded the organization, calling himself the Outcast. The mysterious man has given Ian a test. Four of the world's greatest disasters are to be re-created, and Ian has to stop them. If he doesn't stop them in time, thousands of people will die. But Ian can't do this alone. Back from their vacation early, Amy and Dan have come to help.

What I like about this book is that it had a lot of humor that a lot of the other books didn't have.

I don't really have anything that I didn't like about this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Angelfall by: Susan Ee

Angelfall

The apocalypse has settled on Earth. The Angels have come and the world is taken into their deadly grip. Death and destruction reign true as humanity slowly slips into darkness. What the world needs is a hero but that's not who Penryn is, she is just a daughter of man, a human girl trying to survive. If life wasn't hard enough before the apocalypse it might as ell be hell now (literally). Her schizophrenic mother crippled her sister when they were very young. A disability like that gets you killed now-a-days. How is Penryn supposed to protect little Paige from Angels and Demons if she can't protect her from their own mother? That's one of the many questions Penryn asks herself when Paige is stolen by Angels. SHe must team up with a wingless vengeful Angel named Rafe to save her sister, and maybe just maybe the world in the process. But will she get there in time.

Angelfall is a thrilling apocalyptic novel with twist and turns at every page. An amazing cliff-hanger end accompanied by the growing hunger and suspense for what follows keeps readers on their toes awaiting the next book. The way what we know about religion and pop culture blend together to make this wondrous tale is beyond me. It's a swirling storm of family, trust, and daring. A resistance novel mixed with magic and  a moral. Truly fantastic.

All In By: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

All In falls into the romance, action, and mystery category, and it is the third book in The Naturals series.

Amazon.com

There is a new murder, and this time, it calls for a field trip. Cassie and the team are taken to Las
Vegas for the investigation. Someone has been killing people in casinos. The person has also been tattooing a series of numbers on the victim's wrists. While Cassie doesn't want to think about it, Sloane, her teammate, has been acting awfully suspicious lately.

All victims have a series of numbers tattooed on their wrist, and they're going to need Sloane's mathematical gifts to find out what they mean. That is if Sloane is on their side.

I liked that this book a had a lot of mystery in it, but not so much that it made it confusing.

There really isn't anything that I can think of that I didn't like about this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Killer Instinct by: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Dark Faerie Tales

This book is within the adventure and mystery genre with a little bit of romance. It is also the second book in a series. The first book is The Naturals.

Cassandra "Cassie" Hobbes is a Natural. She is part of an FBI organization because she is a natural profiler.Knowing who someone is, what they do, and how they act is what she can figure out with just a few details.  In the organization, Cassie and 4 other teens work on active and cold cases solving them when FBI agents can't. After a thrilling last summer, she wishes that she can just relax with cold cases.

She didn't get her wish.

There is a new killer out there, and they seem to be copying everything Dean's serial killer father did. The five teens just can't resist helping their friend find out who is impersonating his father.

What I liked about this book was that it was unpredictable and simply kept you guessing at every turn. Once you think you are right, you will be proven wrong.

There wasn't anything I didn't like about this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

The Giver By: Louise Lowry

The Giver Site Amazon 

The Giver is a fast paced book full of ideas and theories that touch on some of today's most popular topics. These idea’s really grab the reader's attention and is generally the reason I enjoyed it so much. It’s views on the government, what control they should have over the General Population, can translate easily into what is happening today politically. In the Giver the government completely controls what the public does day in and day out it never stops watching and monitoring them. Once one person steps out of line they are killed to keep their opinions from spreading. While in today's government that may not exactly be the case it is close to it we are always watched by the government they monitor what we do on the internet what we post, what we view, they can see it all. Anything we think and want to share can easily be demolished by the government. If we have an opinion that doesn’t match theirs they have the power to take away our means to share it, lock us away, keep our thoughts contained and not let them run wild. 

Another topic the Giver touches on is the importance of emotion. In the Giver emotion isn’t allowed. It is taken away from the public making them emotionless complying robots with no means to express how sad and empty the really are. This is a pressing issue in today's society. Fear of being rejected or showing any sort of emotion toward something causes people to ignore how they feel and hide their true colors. People are so afraid of what someone might think they let them control how they feel, think, and act. It is important to acknowledge this and start expressing how we feel in a civilized matter. We can’t let the fear of others opinions and reactions dictate our right to emotion. If we do we are no better then the robot like citizens in the Giver. Most books have something that always just picks at the back of your mind and annoys you so much but every once in awhile you get that one book that you just can’t find something wrong with and in my personal opinion the Giver is one of those.

I rate this book 5/5 stars.

Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout

www.notyetread.com

This book is mainly realistic fiction, or it could be placed in the mystery genre. It is also a 2016-2017 Gateway Nominee book.

Samantha doesn't remember. She doesn't remember her birthday. She doesn't remember her mother, her
father. She doesn't remember that she had a boyfriend.

She doesn't remember who killed her best friend.

As if she didn't have enough problems, Sam doesn't want her old life back. Everything about the old her simply disgusts her now. How could she have been that person? She was the typical mean rich girl of her school. Everybody hates her, feared her, yet people act like they are happy to see her back. What exactly did she do to make everyone fear her? Not only that, but she seems to be developing feelings for Carson, the 'help,' when she supposedly despised him before all of this happened.

Cassie is still missing, and it is tearing Sam apart. How can she regain her memories so she can help them find her? With that, the police seem to have a new suspect.

Sam better watch out.

What I liked most about this book is that it has a lot of suspense and really makes you wonder who actually killed Cassie.

There isn't anything that I can find that I don't like about this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

The Blood of Eden: The Immortal Rules by: Julie Kagaway

 You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the monster you truly fear. This is exactly the case for young Fringer Allison. She has spent most of her life as a lowlife Fringer until a sudden rabid attack changes her view. In the face of impending death she chooses immortal life but at what cost. Her old life is practically erased from her memories. Kanin a vampire who turned Allison will teach her the ways of their kind, but can Allison do it. Does she have the guts to cut of her human ties, to feed off of or eventually kill defenseless humans so she can survive. But when Kanin disappears at the hand of the Masters where will Allison go. Will she find refuge with a ragtag band of humans and their Preacher leader or will she live on her own and take her chances with the rabids. She knows she must save Kanin, but until she can do that, how will she survive.



The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden Book 1)

The Immortal Rules is the first book in the Blood of Eden series by: Julie Kagawa. It is a fantastic story full of relatable characters, exciting plot twist, and perplexing moral questions that even affect today's society. Chock-full of twist and turns it leaves readers excited for its following sequel.
I rate this book 5/5.

Lumberjanes: Beware the Holy Kitten

Image from www.boom-studios.com

As I've posted about before, graphic novels are one of my favorite things to read. When I saw the Lumberjanes comics at Hastings, I knew that I had to get a copy of the first few comic books!

Lumberjanes: Beware the Holy Kitten is the published collection of the first four Lumberjanes comic books. Set at a summer camp for "Hardcore Lady Types," Lumberjanes introduces the readers to an assortment of rad girls: Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley.

From the very beginning of the first chapter, it is clear that this summer camp is not your typical summer camp. Magical creatures and items pop up everywhere, and the girls find themselves in crazy and amazing situations. By using the Lumberjane's motto-- "Friendship to the max!"-- the girls find ways to conquer magical wolves, explore ancient ruins, and solve puzzling riddles. There appears to be something lurking in the forest, waiting to be discovered.

Overall, Lumberjanes has a great story. I also love the artwork that goes with it. Each of the characters is so uniquely brought to life through art and words. I'm very excited to continue reading this series and putting all of the puzzle pieces together.

I'd give Lumberjanes a 5 out of 5 stars.

Everlost-- An Awesome Beginning!

Screenshot taken from Amazon.com

Have you ever wondered what happens after you die? After an unfortunate car accident, teenagers Nick and Allie find out... and they aren't very happy about it.

In Everlost by Neal Shusterman, the two teens' souls are stuck in a state of "limbo" after they are stuck between life and death called Everlost. In Everlost, there are many dangers that the souls of children can face-- monsters from legends that may or may not be real, the possibility of sinking into the Earth if you stand to still, or even the fear of being stuck in Everlost forever.

Determined to find a way out, Allie begins to try out haunting living beings to get clues about how to leave Everlost. Nick begins to think that Everlost is a better place to live that the living world. And the terrifying monster only known as the "McGill" threatens them both.

Overall, Everlost is a great book with a unique view of what it's like to live in limbo. Its interesting and dynamic characters make it a fun and fast-paced read. I really enjoyed the way that it incorporates journal entries and pamphlets from those living in the world of Everlost along with the storyline. It's also part of a series-- though I haven't read past the first one! I'd give the book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Lockwood & Co. The Screaming Staircase

The book that I'm recommending is Lockwood & Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud. (He's my favorite author! Yay!)

Lucy Carlyle, a teenager in modern day London, can hear ghosts and paranormal echoes from the past. Now, you might read that and think, “Oh, she must be so special, then!” Well, you’re slightly wrong on that account. A lot of people have Talents, in fact. And the only people who can properly use them are, guess what? Kids. And teenagers, you get it. Anyways, those Talents of theirs are rather useful, considering the fact that ghosts of all kinds are roaming the street, forever bound to their Source and their everlasting craving for some sort of contact with living beings, whether it be for revenge or finding something lost.

This epidemic, or literally “The Problem”, is tackled by several different agencies, including the up-and-coming Rotwell agency, the snooty Fittes, and several others of a slightly lower rank. In the end, the goal is always the same for all agencies: Find the Source, contain it, and destroy it for the safety of the public. However effective it may be however, there is a corruption that lies under it, and some reasons for that corruption are different then others.

Enter Lockwood & Co., the smallest agency in London, and the only one to be run by teenagers, much to the Department of Psychic Research And Containment's, aka DEPRAC'S, annoyance. It consists of charismatic and mysterious Anthony Lockwood and his pudgy, sarcastic assistant George Cubbins. Lucy decides to take a shot at an interview with them, (she was turned down by the other companies,) and the duo accepts her as a new agent. Together they attempt to solve the mystery of Annabel Ward: an ancient corpse found behind an old chimney breast before a disastrous end to a simple case.


This book is literally one of the best books that I have ever read. The pace is perfect, and the ghosts are terrifying. The dark humor is spot-on, and the overlying mysteries about the Problem and Lockwood's past is always underlying the story. 

It can be a bit complicated at times, though. Not in a bad way, but enough to have you trying to remember the part where they mentioned an important bit of information, and it will turn out that that part was 6 (very long) chapters ago.

I give it 5/5 stars!

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones By: Rick Riordan

Image from Goodreads.com

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan is a fun and thrilling read. It has adventure, romance, action, and mystery.

Grace Cahill has left her descendants a decision. They could either take one million dollars or a clue. You’re probably thinking why they would take a clue instead a million dollars, right? The Cahills are the most powerful family in the world, but the source of that power seems to be lost. There are 39 clues scattered across the world, and those clues will reveal the family’s secret and the source. No one has been able to assemble them. The hunt will commence. Amy and Dan must decide if finding the clues or finding out what actually happened to their parents is more important.

This book is in a series with different parts. The first part is just the 39 clues, the second part is Cahills vs. Vespers. The third part is Unstoppable, the fourth is Doublecross. There is 24 books in the series so far. There is also codes in the books or outside of it that makes it more fun to read.

I liked how you had to think throughout the book, and that is was very unpredictable for the most part.

I didn’t like how pretty much everyone hated Amy and Dan.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Adventures In Funeral Crashing By: Milda Harris

This book is called Adventures in Funeral Crashing: Funeral Crashing Mysteries #1 by: Milda Harris. Obviously it’s a mystery but it does have some romance in it.

Image from www.amazon.com

Kait Lenox is known as the weird girl in the school. Her ex-best friend turned into a mean popular girl and basically told people that she likes to go funeral crashing. What makes it worse is that it’s true. At one of her funeral crashes, she happens to go to the one that Ethan Ripley is attending. He is the most popular guy in school, but instead of embarrassing Kait in front of everyone, he asks for her help. Kait is now caught up in a murder mystery, but the most important thing running through her head is that Ethan actually knows her name! Will they find out who the murderer is? How will Ethan and Kait turn out? Will Kait’s sort-of-stalkerish fantasies about Ethan finally come true?

This is a series of two other books.

What I liked about this book is that the author detailed her emotions really well, it helped you connect to how you would usually feel in those situations.

There is not much that I don’t like about this book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.