The Five Star Spotlight - Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.  But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Visit the website of Stephanie Perkins Anna and the French Kiss on Goodreads Rating - 5 Stars Major Pros - Writing, Setting, Character Development and Interaction, Plot Development Major Cons - Minor issues with some supporting characters Continuing on with the series? Absolutely! How I Read It - Purchased Today's review is going to mainly consist of me talking about my love for this book. I struggled trying to find cons to put in the quick info above. So, before I start, let me say that Anna and the French Kiss is absolutely wonderful, creative, and sweet. I didn't put this book down. I mean that literally- I read it in one sitting, except for the last few chapters which I saved for later so I wouldn't have to say goodbye. I fell in love with this book. It completely pulled me in and I was sitting there with Anna, her group, and of course Etienne St. Clair. For me, this was one of those books that swept me away. I needed a light, happy read and this book was absolutely perfect, but it didn't read as overly cutesy with no substance. These characters were developed, and they didn't have perfect lives, which added depth to the story. Let's talk about the setting, Paris. The writing that portrayed Paris was inspiring- it didn't focus on cliche things, and it brought lifelike detail to the city. I truly loved how Paris was portrayed, and I think it was well done and expressive. The characters were also fantastic in this novel, although some of the side characters were a little stereotypical mean high schoolers without much dimension, the vast majority of the characters in this book were unique, layered, and developed. I loved how we not only knew Anna, but we got to know her friends and the people around her. There was wonderful characterization throughout, and the romance was never obnoxious. I personally don't read many contemporaries because I'm not the biggest fan of overly romantic stories, but Anna and the French Kiss was beautifully written and done. I recommend this book. That's an understatement, to be honest. I think there's something in here for everyone to enjoy, and this is a marvelous story with truly memorable characters. Reading it, I could tell that this is a novel I'll treasure and reread any time I need another heartwarming, beautiful story. From the paper world, V

The Five Star Spotlight - Champion by Marie Lu

*this is a review for the third book in a series, so there will be spoilers for the first two. see the first book 

here*

Today's review is actually going to be my first for Fiktshun's Don't Let It End reading challenge, which focuses on series ending books and finally getting around to saying goodbye. As you can tell, I loved this series ending book and found it to be pretty spectacular. Today, we're talking about Champion by Marie Lu.

This was the conclusion to the Legend trilogy, which I thoroughly enjoyed even though I am not typically a fan of dystopians. The conclusion of June and Day's story was phenomenal- there was action and danger, as well as emotional turmoil and sacrifice. I think that this was the best book in the series, and it's definitely an epic conclusion that made this series shine.

The action in this story was fast paced and well written. There were scenes where I couldn't stop reading because I had to follow along and find out how that part would resolve. Day and June are facing some of their biggest challenges yet, and there's a lot happening throughout. However, there's still a really wonderful plot and story line that are not overtaken by the action.

Another fantastic element of this was that it allowed for the characters to shine as well. This is the end of our journey with Day and June, and while I was really sad to see the series end, they've developed into lifelike, dynamic characters. They have to sacrifice and work together, and I liked that their relationship isn't necessarily insta-love that can be found in many YA novels. The ending showed a lot about who they are and their relationship, and I really appreciated how Lu avoided cliches and created something unique in these characters.

Now, because the Don't Let It End challenge is about tackling those series ending books you've been dreading to finish, I want to mention why I was worried about picking up this last book. The honest answer is that I was not a fan of Prodigy. Day's character really annoyed me in that installment, and by the end I wasn't as excited for Champion. But I am so, so glad I finally read this conclusion. It's epic, emotional, and memorable, and while I'll miss the Legend trilogy, I can definitely see myself rereading it sometime, and continuing on with Marie Lu's next book, The Young Elites, which is on my 'can't wait' list!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

*this is a review of a sequel, so there may be spoilers for the first novel. You can find my review of the first novel in The Arcana Chronicles, Poison Princess, here.*

Shocking secrets.
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

Endless Knight on Goodreads                 Visit the Author's Website

It's time for yet another Five Star Spotlight, and today's is on a sequel that I read in February and loved. Endless Knight is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. The first book, Poison Princess, is one I read within a day or two because it was so fast paced and interesting. I immediately picked up the sequel and this book was even better. This is a really unique series, and as I've already reviewed Poison Princess I wanted to share my thoughts on its sequel.

The last book was very interesting and fast paced, and this book continued on that trend. Evie's journey is filled with action, danger and intrigue. The story develops and this installation adds a lot of intrigue as we learn more about the characters and their histories. The histories of these players goes back further than we'd seen in Poison Princess, and there's a lot of reveals that are going to impact the rest of the series. The story went in a unique direction, and I loved how this story was different from the first book. I really liked how this book developed with more intrigue as the characters developed.

Speaking of character development, this book was fantastic in that area. Evie faced a lot of internal conflict in the last book, and while that was still present it wasn't overdone. Instead, this book reveals more about Death, and he is probably the most interesting character in the book to me. These two characters were really interesting in their interactions and story, and I'm curious as to how their characters will be in the next book. I wasn't a fan of Jack in this book, even less so than in the last book, but all of the characters grew in this story, and it was great to learn more about them in this sequel.

This is a fantastic sequel to a series that's very engaging and interesting. The plot has definitely grown even more complicated, and the ending leaves a lot of conflict to be resolved in the next book. Evie and Death particularly had some amazing character development and interactions, but overall every character grew in some way. After this book I can't wait to read the third book, Dead of Winter, and this series has books that are quick reads and well developed characters. I hope this is a series and not just a trilogy, because I love reading about this world and these characters! 

Have you read The Arcana Chronicles? Let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Fangirl on Goodreads                  Author's Website

Today is a Five Star Spotlight on a contemporary novel that has been talked about for quite awhile- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell! I finally picked this book up in February, and I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure if I was going to love it as much as everyone else, since I'm not a fan of contemporary, but I was impressed by this novel.

To begin, the main character Cath is written to be very life-like. Cath suffers from social anxiety and reading along in the beginning was even making me nervous for her! All of the other characters are written in such a way that the reader connects with them as well. They are interesting, dynamic, and don't have the cliches that I see in many contemporaries. There are problems in Cath's life, and they aren't perfectly resolved by the end of the novel. 

The book is very fun and lighthearted, but it's not all fluff. Cath really develops as a character in this book, and her sister does as well. Cath and her love interest don't have a perfect romance, but again it stays away from cliches. This really is a story about Cath, and who she is. Although there's romance, family drama, and other difficulties that come up in life, Fangirl shows how Cath learns and grows from these. A major aspect of this is also her writing, which was fun to see glimpses of and also what inspired it throughout. This book was so wonderful and unique that it was fun and romantic without being overbearing or overdone. Even if you aren't a fan of typical contemporary like me, I would still suggest you try reading this book. It's fun but with realistic characters, and I throughly enjoyed reading it!

Have you read Fangirl or Eleanor & Park? I've yet to read the latter so let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Cress by Marissa Meyer

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

Cress on Goodreads       The Author's Website

*Spoilers for the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles in the following review!*

This is a spotlight on a book that I fell in love with. Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series, and I just want to show you how my feelings for this series have changed with each installment I've read.

Cinder - hey, this is a unique idea. I like this book.

Scarlet -  wow, this series is pretty interesting, I'm really enjoying myself!

The Little Android (one of the short stories) - this writing is beautiful, I can't wait to read more.

Cress - THIS SERIES IS AMAZING! 

So, this is going to be a very positive review of Cress. Honestly, though, I've loved it. This was a book that I didn't expect to completely fall in love with, but I'm so happy I did. Everything came together in this book. 

I'll start as I normally do, by talking about the characters. As each book comes, I find that each new narrator is better than the last. Cress is really fantastic. She brings a really good balance to the group, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective because everything was new and exciting. Also, we get to read more from Thorne, and he is now definitely one of my book boyfriends. Thorne is sarcastic, charismatic, and wity, but he does have a good heart. The combination of snarkiness but with depth as well is what makes a book boyfriend for me. Thorne and Cress are two characters that have a really great dynamic between the two, and seeing both of them in the group was really great. 

The group was one element that I really appreciated in this book. Scarlet was more of two paralleling story lines, and while that worked for her story, I was glad to see more of a group dynamic in this book. We finally get some of the ensemble, where there are multiple narrators and everything is interesting. In general, I just really loved how all of the characters interacted. Each is unique and memorable, but work so well together that the conversation is always interesting and the story never drags.

Speaking of the plot, this book reads like an epic movie. It's one that I couldn't put down, and I ended up reading this in two days. The story line has two different settings- wonderful moments of the characters interacting and a lot of interest in what's going on with them, and then so much action and plot development that you have to read on. In short, the story never drags. However, the action and intense moments are never confusing- all of the narrators work really well together and as a reader I never felt like I was confused or unaware of what was going on.

The romance in this book is adorable, and I love how all of the characters act in general, but if you're looking for a dramatic love triangle or anything like that, this series is more about the characters and the overarching story line. To me, I liked stories like this, where if there is romance it's more a side story to the main conflict, so I appreciated that about this series. 

This is by far my favorite installment to The Lunar Chronicles. While I had enjoyed the series before, this book solidified its status as a favorite. I am so excited for Winter, and I think that this series has some of the best characters I've read, as well as some epic action and a main conflict that I can't wait to see resolved in the conclusion.

Have you read this series? I'm in love, so feel free to comment down below, or tweet me about it!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Unhinged by A.G. Howard

It's always a good post when it's a Five Star Spotlight. After all, these are books that are favorites and wonderful, spectacular reads. This series showcases all of those books, and today we are talking about a series you've probably seen mentioned on this blog once...or twice...or every other post. Well, now I'm going to be adding another book from this series. That is Unhinged by A.G. Howard. Unhinged is the sequel to my favorite book from 2013, Splintered. Splintered is a retelling of Alice in Wonderland, and how generations later, Alice's descendant Alyssa finds herself drawn into Wonderland as she tries to help Wonderland after the destruction left by Alice. Alyssa is joined by her Wonderland guide Morpheus, who is probably smugly seated in the Top 10 or 5 of my favorite characters (let me know if you want a post on my favorite characters, by the way) and Jeb, Alyssa's best friend. If you haven't yet read Splintered, this review does contain spoilers for the first book. So, I'll link you to Splintered on Goodreads and you can start there and read that book. I would definitely recommend this series- it's one of my favorites in YA, and arguably my favorite YA series aside from The Mortal Instruments. So, definitely check out Splintered (it has an amazing cover!).

I'll include Splintered's info here before the rest so that if you haven't read the series, you can view it and add it on Goodreads. And see the pretty cover!

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

And now, if you've read Splintered, let's talk about Unhinged.

The 5 Star Spotlight - Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

A little while ago, I participated in the Christmas BooktubeAThon, and Sisters Red was the second book I read for this ReadAThon. This was a comparatively slow read for me, since I was aiming to read about a book a day for the readathon but this book took two days. Which isn't long for a book, but in a readathon and with a 324 page book, it surprised me. Regardless, I wanted to take my time and enjoy this book, and by the title- it is a 5 star book obviously- I wanted to share my thoughts about a book that I really enjoyed.

The Five Star Spotlight - The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Today's Spotlight is on a book that is new, different, and thrilling for the YA genre. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a crime solving mystery that is completely different for YA. I hadn't read anything like this before, and while it can seem reminiscent of adult murder mysteries, this is a good, mature YA version that I prefer- it's fresh, the narrator is interesting, and I liked most of the characters and I loved the overall dynamics between them all. This book is 5 stars because it's new, exciting, and there are a lot of great qualities to it!





Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

See The Naturals on Goodreads          Visit the Author's Website


Now, I knew pretty early on this was probably going to be a 5 star book. At the beginning, I'd read 14 pages, and then the next time, I picked the book up and didn't put it down again until I finished all 308 pages. So, it's not a long book, but it was so engaging that I wanted to keep reading. Initially, I thought The Naturals was a paranormal about kids gifted with supernatural abilities. However, that's not really the premise of the book. Sure, Cassie and cohorts are exceptionally observant and this leads to them being able to see things and make connections and solve crimes. However, there is no supernatural cause that is expressly discussed in the book. Instead they are known as Naturals- naturally gifted in observation and mentally in different areas that are beneficial to this new, select program in the FBI to fight crime. Cassie is a profiler- she can take details and little quirks about people to reveal entire back stories and personalities. 

As soon as the agent mentions serial killers, and then the term UNSUB came into the book, I was thinking about Criminal Minds. If you're not familiar, Criminal Minds is a television show that predominantly focuses on serial crime and a team of FBI profilers that draw conclusions about the criminal based on the crimes and then solve the crime. It's a rather dark series because it also shows the criminals and their stories as well. The Naturals also does this, and there are sections with 'You' point of views that are disturbing and are from the criminal's point of view. At first, I was confused as to what reason there was for putting these in 2nd person instead of in another 3rd, but this is explained within the context of the book.

The characters in this book are really great together, and I liked most of them individually as well. Cassie, the protagonist, is a good narrator. She's interesting, especially with her observational abilities, and yet she also has a lot of character development. Cassie is different from the typical YA girl, and I appreciated that because she is such a big component of the story. The other kids in the program were good, as well. Sloane wasn't as big of a character, but I liked her contribution to the group's dynamic and how she was quiet yet spunky at points and added to whatever scene she was in. Dean and Michael were also good characters. Neither was the typical brooding 'bad boy'- they both have stories that aren't fully explained, but enough to understand more about them. Also, yes there is a love triangle, but I can't say for certain if I preferred one to the other, as each developed so well in the book and there was never a moment of clinging on to Cassie and declaring their insta-love. Instead this book took the time to develop them all as individuals, and I really thought that added to the world and also will benefit in the long term series development. (it isn't listed on Goodreads as a series, but the author mentions this on her website, and I'm really excited for more of these books!) I liked Dean and Cassie's relationship and how it developed, but there's a lot to Michael as well that happens in the book. What was really special about this was that no obvious choice was forced upon the characters in the beginning of the book- there's other books in the series to develop any sort of relationships, and that was a refreshing change to a romantic development in YA. In a first book, no clear choice should be made if they're all still meeting each other, and The Naturals was fantastic in avoiding classic YA love triangle tragedy. 

The only character I disliked in this book was Lia. Honestly, she reminds me of Isabelle Lightwood, and I never liked her character overmuch in The Mortal Instruments, and Lia takes Isabelle's more irksome traits and highlights them. However, I would say that her character is necessary to the kid's group dynamic overall, and that's noticeable in several scenes. So, the characters were all well made to fit their roles, and I think they had the perfect amount of development for a first book, and I can't wait to see more of them.

Now, let's talk about the plot of this. The story moved along very quickly, and as I said it was difficult to put down. So much happens, and things are very intense and suspenseful as Cassie is drawn into this world. There's the classic mystery plot twist, and it went two different ways. The first twist had me gasping out loud and being totally shocked. Then, the rest of the plot unfolded and while it wasn't as shocking, I think it contributed to the story line and characters more, and it was a good development. I don't want to talk too much about the plot because, as it's a crime solving mystery type, it's something the reader has to discover as they read along, but this was definitely well done. It's never too slow, which can be a complete loss for a mystery and crime book. It's well paced for a first book, and it was developed to really be a great first book without losing anything in character development or plot.

I think that this is a great read. It's new and different for YA- a psychological, crime solving mystery. There's an awesome cast of characters, and a well thought out plot. It's a stand out book and there's a lot of it that's new and exciting. I can't wait to see more of this series. The only disclaimer I would say is that it might be a little more dark of a YA read- it's psychological like the Mara Dyer trilogy and the scenes with the serial killer point of view are disturbing. I would just say that to warn ahead-this is not a light novel. It's dark in the sense of a lot of criminal psychology- very reminiscent of Criminal Minds. 

Overall, this is a great start to a new series. It's really different from anything I've read in YA. The Naturals is a really intense, psychological thriller. The characters are all different and well developed, with nothing too instantly characterized for a first book. I would recommend this, and I think that there's going to be a lot of awesome developments in this series.

From a paper world,
V

The 5 Star Spotlight - Splintered by A.G. Howard

Today we are going to be talking about another book that I enjoyed. Splintered by A.G. Howard is an Alice in Wonderland retelling unlike any other I'd read. This darker interpretation is filled with magic, intrigue, and characters that you love and yet can't trust. This is my favorite book that I've read in 2013, and it definitely had some amazing competition for that. However, Splintered takes the cake, and read on to see why!

The 5 Star Spotlight - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.