The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop by Kate Saunders {Review}

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: March 12, 2013

Source: ALA for honest review

Goodreads

Pages: 304

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Welcome to the most magical house in London.
The family of eleven-year-old twins Oz and Lily have inherited it, together with the mysterious shop downstairs. Long ago, the shop's famous chocolate-makers, who also happen to be Oz and Lily's great uncles, were clever sorcerers. Now evil villains are hunting for the secret of their greatest recipe. The terrifying powers of this magic chocolate have the ability to destroy the world.
Soon, Oz and Lily are swept into a thrilling battle, helped by an invisible cat, a talking rat, and the ghost of an elephant. It's up to them to stop the villains and keep the magical chocolate recipe out of harm's way. Their family and the world depends on it.

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop is cute and whimsical, but also has a bit of a dark side.

It seems to me there's not a lot of murder in middle grade. If there is, then I'm totally missing it or forgetting it so it surprised me. And not exactly in the best way. I mean, sure, things end up pretty well, but I just kept thinking about how this character killed in cold blood. It was a little unsettling.

I enjoyed the characters, but it felt like I didn't really get past the surface with most of them. So, while I enjoyed them, I feel like I didn't really get to know them and couldn't care about what happened to them all too much. Plus, I know she's eleven, but Lily's constant need to cry started to get to me.

I liked the story overall, but I'd been hoping for more magic chocolate. Most of the use of magic chocolate happened in the past, so it's just stories about magic chocolate instead of first-hand experience. The stories are imaginative and entertaining, yes, I just hoped it would have a bigger part in the present.

The adventures Oz and Lily get to go on are pretty great. There's everything from scuba-diving to cave dwelling to helicopter rides. Not to mention the romp around town with a giant cat.

The Nutshell: Despite the fact that my review makes it seem I didn't like The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop it was a cute, quick read. I didn't get as attached to the characters as I'd like, but the talking animals, and awesome adventures made it worth the read.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans {Review}

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: January 15, 2013
Source: Library
Goodreads
Pages: 281
Series: The Memory Chronicles #1
Rating: Near Miss

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.
Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.
Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

You know how sometimes you really want to like a book or just kind of expect that you will because everyone likes it and it's full of things you enjoy? That was me and Level 2. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it.

First of all, I didn't especially care for any of the characters. I was kind of rooting for Felicia, but not in a way that made me feel like I was connected to her and her story. When the climax comes and she needs to make a decision I just kind of felt like “Eh, I'm good with whatever you choose.”

I had this inexplicable hate for Neil almost from the moment he was introduced. Maybe it's because Felicia talks him up too much or that he's strangely moody. I really don't know, I just didn't like him until very near the end of the book. I gained some respect for him when he said '“But you don't have to naked for that,”' though, because it was true (yeah, I know you're wondering what that's all about, but you'll either have to read it or have someone else spoil it for you :P)

Then there's Julian who just felt kind of. . .slimy to me. Yet, I didn't really hate him. I find this amusing because when Felicia introduces him into the story, she makes it clear she doesn't like him. He's definitely not the best guy ever, but maybe I was just feeling like rooting for the underdog this time around.

I found the setting incredibly unique and interesting. I mean, a stop-off between Earth and What Comes After isn't a new thought, but Appelhans spruces it up and gives it a whole new feel. I especially like that there's unrest in Level 2 and it's not just some place people go to settle unfinished things on Earth or what have you. I'm still not completely sure if there was some bigger reason Level 2 was modeled after beehives and why they were in the story so much (I can be a pretty surfacey reader,) but it doesn't unnaturally shoved into the story.

I enjoyed the back-and-forth between memories and Level 2 Felicia for a while, but at somewhere in the middle it just started bogging me down and I only cared about Level 2 Felicia. When things really started to build towards the climax and answers were coming from Felicia's memories I was able to get back into it again.

The last 50ish pages started getting a little strange for me. I think it started about the time Felicia is “watching” her memory instead of living it. The story-telling does make sense and I see where Appelhans was going with it, but it just pulled me out of the story. Then things start happening really fast and Felicia's not really in her body and then BAM the climax happens and it's basically over.

I do have to say I like how it ended and I'm curious to see how future installments will go.

Also, I couldn't picture the Morati as anything but glowing Weeping Angels.

The Nutshell: While I can appreciate Level 2's fresh writing and ideas, it wasn't my favorite read. I didn't hit it off with the characters, I got a little bored in the middle, and the ending felt weird. However, I found the world intriguing and liked the way Appelhans wrapped everything up. If like a good afterlife story with scifi-vibes then Level 2 is still worth a look.

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza {Review}

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publish Date: March 12, 2013

Source: Publisher for honest review

Goodreads

Pages: 480

Series: Mila 2.0 #1

Rating: Near Miss

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past -- that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people will never do.
Now she has no choice but to run--from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila's becoming is beyond anyone's imagination, including her own, and it just might ave her life.

I haven't heard anything bad about Mila 2.0, so I was a little disappointed when I found myself trudging along through the first half. However, it did pick up in the second half and I ended up enjoying the book overall.

Let's get my dislikes out of the way first.

Since Mila doesn't know she's an android in the beginning the story is just following her daily life which I found to be pretty dull. That's not to mention that all her friends are kind of witchy and annoying.

And then there's Hunter. I imagine he's going to be pretty important as the story goes on, but his and Mila's relationship just felt super weird to me. First off, he's only in about ¼ of the book and yet Mila thinks about him all the time. And am I the only one who thinks it's a little weird that Hunter invites himself over to Mila's house late at night? I mean, I know he was intending to check on her, but they hadn't even spoken all too much before the crash. I honestly spent the whole book waiting for him to pop up and *surprise* betray Mila or be working for the bad guy or something because it felt like his character would make more sense then.

Okay, I know this sounds a little terrible, but I got really sick of Mila's whining. Yes, I know she just discovered she's an android and all that, but I can only handle so much. She does end up growing and accepting herself, so I appreciate that. I don't necessarily wish she accepted it faster, just that I didn't have to hear so much about it. I will give you that it'd be disturbing to stab someone with a hair dryer cord.

Okay, now onto the positive stuff.

I spent most of the second half with my stomach in knots (in a good way) wondering what was coming next. There was just enough action to keep my heart rate up while keeping my heart in the story with twists and emotional developments.

The second half is where we start to move away from “I just found out I'm an android and nothing else matters” to “maybe this isn't so bad, and it can help save the people I care about.” This felt engaging and had me more invested in the story than the first half did; there's a face to the bad guy now, but still plenty of mysteries with more of them popping up right and left.

When the story begins Mila feels pretty blah to me. She's depressed, doesn't have all too much personality, and doesn't really think about anything other than her dead father and the new guy at school. As the story progresses, especially after getting to the compound, she starts to have more complicated emotions and turns out to be a pretty caring person which helped me connect with her.

Holland's a pretty crappy guy. Which makes him a good villain. At this point there's honestly nothing at all to like about him. He doesn't have a sad backstory or any traits that humanize him in any way. He makes it all that much easier to care about Mila and her situation.

The Nutshell: Mila 2.0 wasn't a total hit for me since I was pretty bored during the first half, but the second half managed to pull me in enough to become invested in the story. The entire first half of the book is setup which gets a little old, however, when you get to the point where the setup turns into story it's hard not to get interested in all the action, mystery, and emotion. I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger {Review}

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: February 5, 2013

Source: ALA for honest review

Goodreads

Pages: 307

Series: Finishing School #1

Rating: Near Miss/Hit

It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy properly and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geralidine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's , young ladies learn to finish. . .everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

While I found Etiquette & Espionage to be a rather slow read, it had it's cute moments and I look forward to reading about Sophronia's future adventures.

Let's start with the things I wasn't such a fan of.

Things move incredibly slowly and the plot isn't all that engaging. Sure, there's the larger plot with secretive things going on meant to keep the reader curious, but it didn't really do much for me. The bigger plot point seemed to be Sophronia's growth in finishing school. I enjoyed watching Sophronia make friends and grow a little more, but I spent the majority of the book waiting for some bigger plot point to present itself. I think I might have enjoyed Etiquette & Espionage had I gone in with different expectations.

As I said before, while I did find myself enjoying Sophronia and her friends' day-to-day school life, the entire book felt like one big introduction. To be fair, this is the first book in a series, but I generally want to be sucked into the initial story in order to make me continue on with the series. Etiquette & Espionage only just managed to catch my interest.

The crazy names got to me at first, but I did end up growing used to them.

Now onto more positive things!

Is it bad if my absolute favorite thing about the story was Bumbersnoot? Bumbersnoot is a little mechanical dog who happens to have a lot of personality considering he's a machine. He's just so stinkin' adorable with his storage compartment and mini-furnace. What's not to love about a little dog who can store things for you as well as burn up evidence?

The characters of Etiquette & Espionage are all pretty diverse, and I definitely have some favorites, so I'll just talk about those since there's quite the cast.

Sophronia: I like that Sophronia grew as a person and a lady, but still kept hold of her true self. Sure, she starts learning what dresses to wear and how to act in the presence of men, but she also enjoys the company of the low-class Sooties and doesn't shun them for their lot in life.

Dimity: I found Dimity to be a bit annoying in the beginning. She seems to honestly only care about dresses and pretty things, when it comes down to it, though, she's a great friend to Sophronia.

Soap: Soap is basically awesome. He's a Sootie who immediately takes a liking to Sophronia and steals my heart as well. He has this air of happiness around him that's a bit infectious. He doesn't take himself too seriously, but is still a perfect gentleman. Basically, I ship Sophronia and Soap ;]

Professor Braithwope: I'm not exactly sure what it is about him, but I quite like him. Maybe it's that he's a slightly quirky vampire with gentlemanly ways. Plus, he seems to be the nicest of the professors.

The Nutshell: I found Etiquette & Espionage to be a slow read mainly focused on setting up the rest of the series, but still enjoyable. If you go into it expecting a bit of a slow story with a main focus on school life then you'll likely enjoy Etiquette & Espionage!

Mind Games by Kiersten White {Review}

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: February 19, 2013

Source: Publisher for honest review

Goodreads

Pages: 256

Series: Mind Games #1

Rating Near Miss/Hit

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her -- except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.
Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways...or risk each others' lives by refusing to obey.

Mind Games was a really quick read, but I didn't really feel invested in the characters until the end.

I liked the story and world what with the abilities and all, but I'm still a little fuzzy on all the “rules” of the world. Everyone kind of acts like the abilities are normal, but it also seems as if they don't really know a lot about them, so that has me a little confused. I know the goal of a first book is to set things up, but I feel like nothing at all was resolved an I'm still just confused about everything.

I liked that both Anna and Fia were distinct characters. Fia is an angry, messed up girl who only wants to save her sister. She's not exactly the most likable person since she's so angry all the time, but I can't help but feel for her since she's just so broken inside. And poor, poor Annie just wants to take care of her sister, but is stuck being the one taken care of. I like that she isn't bitter about being blind, it's just a thing that is.

James is...well, I'm not sure what James is. I hated him for a majority of the book because that's the vibe I was getting from Fia, but then things started to get complicated with flashbacks. So, at the moment I'm really not sure if he's a good guy or a bad guy and whether I even like him or not.

The Nutshell: All in all, Mind Games is a solid read, but it didn't suck me in the way I was hoping. Still, if you're looking for a book with a touch of paranormal, strong female leads, and plenty of mystery, then Mind Games is a good choice.

Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum {Review}

This is my new cat, Chuck Taylor.
He thinks the book is tasty.

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publish Date: January 8, 2013

Source: Publisher for honest review

Goodreads

Pages: 272

Series: ?

Rating: Near Miss

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.
Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky -- they live with their parents in a secret community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world -- by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 was pretty middle of the road for me. I enjoyed it for the most part, but there were definitely a few things that kept me from loving it.

Let's start with the good.

Creepy robots.

The idea of machines taking over the world has never really been one that held any particular interest for me, but there's certainly something about creepy about human-like robots. Most of the robots didn't do much for me. I mean, floating sphere robots are cool, but they don't particularly scare me. There were a few, however, that made me want to keep reading. If it weren't for the epilogue and the creepy I-want-to-understand-taste-so-I'll-chew-up-this-steak-and-spit-it-out robot I probably wouldn't have any intention of reading the sequel.

Post-apocalyptic world.

I always love learning about how the world works and Revolution 19 certainly isn't short on interesting details.

Length.

Revolution 19 is somewhere around 260 pages, so it's a quick read. A lot of stuff happens and it even manages to not feel rushed most of the time.

Things I didn't like:

Characters.

I always feel a little heartless for criticizing characters thrust into crazy/new/scary situations, but I had some serious issues with Cass and Nick. They've both mastered the art of jumping to conclusions. “Guys, a bot just turned the corner five blocks away! We've been caught! They're gonna burn us alive! Make a break for it!” That's not a direct quote, if you're wondering, but it sure felt like that. About every other page they thought they were going to get caught and killed and I just wanted to slap them. I mean, I get being scared, but seriously, we have to draw the line somewhere.

And then there's just Nick. “I must sacrifice myself for the good of the cause!” Okay, buddy. Wanting to take care of your brother and sister and rescue your parents is admirable. Being an idiot about it, however, is not. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see how throwing yourself in front of every robot that passes is helpful.

Pacing.

Yes, I did say that it was generally good, but not completely. When they're traveling in the woods it pretty much goes “they traveled for the day” and then “two days later” and I couldn't help thinking a little info on those lost days would have been nice.

The twist I saw coming a mile away.

Seriously, I suspected from the moment it occurred which just happened to be in the first chapter. The twist itself isn't bad, just the fact that it wasn't a surprise to me AT ALL.

The Nutshell: I didn't hate Revolution 19, but it did leave much to be desired. I'm hoping for character growth, a twistier plotline, and more creepy robots in book two.

Edit: I don't actually see any info on a book two from Goodreads, so can anyone confirm this for me?

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: September 18, 2012
Source: Library (which is why I don't have a picture. I forgot and returne it)
Goodreads
Pages: 368
Series: Burn for Burn #1
Rating: Near Miss

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.
Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.
Kat is tired of the rumors, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person -- her ex-best friend -- and she's ready to make her pay.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.
Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

I'm sad to say I'm a little disappointed after finihing urn for Burn. With all the hype surrounding the author collaboration I was figuring on something spectacular. I didn't particularly dislike it, and it was a quick read, but I didn't particularly like it either.

My first problem lies with the revenge itself. The first one exacting revenge didn't even really have a reason. She wanted to “protect her sister,” but I'm not entirely sure from what considering she was relying solely on second-hand information. Plus, the terrible thing that happened to her doesn't really have anything to do with what's going on with her sister.

The other girls' reasons had to do with bullying which is a little more understandable, but I still didn't really have much sympathy for them. Bullying is a terrible thing and difficult to go through, but I just couldn't get on board with the revenge. Normally I love a good revenge story, but you have to really mak me feel the rage and sympathy for it to work and Burn for Burn just didn't.

All that being said, I'll likely read the sequel. Both to see if it's better and simply because it was a really quick read. I'm hoping to see a little more substance and growth in round two (is it still going to be the same characters?) And I really need to know what is up with the paranormal stuff.

Speaking of which, I've seen a lot of people saying that the paranormal stuff was jarring and just tacked on at the end, but it really wasn't. It was there from the start and they weren't trying to hide it from the reader either. I'm a little confused as to how it kind of snuck up on so many people.

The Nutshell: If you're looking for something deep or emotional then Burn for Burn most likely isn't it. However, if you're just looking for a quick read and don't want to get too invested (like a palette cleanser or something) then it's worth picking up.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver {Review}

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Publish Date: October 2, 2012

Source: The lovely Heidi :]

Goodreads

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-loving, and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.
When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The Spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his mind.
She knows, too, that she's the only one who can save him.
To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with litle more thn her wits and a broom. There, she uncvers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids...as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the Spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests -- or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

I’m sad to say I was a tad disappointed by The Spindlers, but I think that’s completely due to the fact that I idolize Miss Oliver. It really was a cute, quick adventure. That’s another thing: it took me a little over two days to finish when it really should’ve taken me a couple hours. Not the book’s fault, of course, but it didn’t exactly add to my enjoyment.

I found the writing to be a bit off at times. It was rather whimsical and childish in the way of repeating and odd grammar choices, but that doesn’t really mean it’s bad. In fact, I often like that kind of writing in my middle grade, but I think I wasn’t in the right mood for it this time around.

I rather appreciated Liza’s commitment to finding Patrick. She didn’t once think “well Patrick can be a bit annoying at times…” or “maybe I’d like being an only child…” She traveled through dangerous situation after dangerous situation to save her admittedly annoying brother. I also quite liked the fact that she went Below scared out of her wits. She didn’t go charging in all brave and awesome (which is cool in its own right, of course) but instead kept pushing on again and again despite her fears.

I definitely have to hand it to Oliver on her crazy world-building, though. The world Below is crazy and wonderful and awesome. I mean, we have creatures that protect us and give us dreams; troglods who are kind of like gnomes but steal little trinkets from homes like socks and glasses; glowworms who act as lighting for the underground world; and of course, the creepy and disturbing Spindlers themselves. I don’t want to go into too much detail and ruin it, but I’m definitely left wondering where Oliver comes up with these things!

The Nutshell: I didn’t enjoy The Spindlers as much as I’d hoped, but I think it’s my fault, really. In fact, I may revisit Liza’s story one day to see if I enjoy it more. And though I may not have enjoyed it as much as I could have I did still enjoy it. It’s a quick, fun read if you’re looking for a fantastically imagined world and a good adventure.

Pages: 256

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss/Hit

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publish Date: October 9, 2012

Source: Author sponsored book tour for honest review

Goodreads

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.
The problem is she landed purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.
Bonesaw.
Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It'll be brutal...and awesome.
But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take -- except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.
Velveteen can't  help herself when it comes to breaking rules...or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

My luke-warm feelings towards paranormal strike again. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy Velveteen, because I did. I just never really got invested in the story.

I liked the idea of purgatory and how dark and dreary it was. Marks manages to shove creepiness into every nook and cranny of the story and purgatory certainly doesn’t escape it. Case in point: souls are all glowy so in order to not run around burning everyone’s retinas, they rub ash all over themselves. Gross, yes? Then we have disturbing descriptions of Bonesaw and what he does, zombies (but, you know, the controlled kind), and even large swarms of flies that eat souls. So, if you’re squeamish, I’d suggest staying far, far away from Velveteen.

Can I just complain about the guy on the cover for a second? You see a guy on a cover and you assume he’s the love interest, yes? Well, that’s most certainly not the case this time. There was a guy introduced towards the beginning who had a similar description as the guy on the cover, but he was said to be in his late twenties (or something like that). So, even after the real love interest was introduced I kept thinking that despite how weird it would be that the other guy would end up being the L.I. since he’s on the cover. I’m here to tell you this is not the case.

Now for the characters. I didn’t really connect with any of them. I admired Nick’s persistence and Velvet’s sarcasm but I never really felt invested in them. It actually kind of drove me nuts how Velvet was constantly pushing Nick away. I just wanted to tell her that you shouldn’t treat guys who are basically throwing themselves at you (in a cute way) that way.

I really liked all the side characters, though. They may not have gotten to be a huge part of the story, but I liked them all. In fact, in the acknowledgements Mark says Velveteen was inspired by a middle grade short story about Luisa. I’d totally love to read a companion from Luisa’s point of view! She was my favorite character out of the whole story :]

Also? I kind of called the bad guy from the beginning.

The Nutshell: While Velveteen wasn’t a favorite of mine, I still think it was good. Paranormal lovers will more than likely enjoy it since it has all the makings for a good paranormal (romance, ghosts, body possessing, mysterious happenings) with bonus gore. Velveteen certainly isn’t your typical cookie-cutter paranormal romance. If you get squeamish, I’d suggest staying far away, though ;]

Pages: 464

Series: Velveteen #1

Review: Near Miss

Beauty by Lisa Daily {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: May 10, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

What's it like to be the most beautiful girl in the world?
Molly desperately wants to be beautiful. And that's what she tells Dharma, the mysterious portrait artist who sketches her face at the town fair just minutes after she's humiliated in front of Hudson, the guy of her dreams. When Molly wakes up the following morning, she's the most beautiful girl in Miracle, Ohio. Babies coo in her arms, her house fills with flowers from dozens of drooling boys, and she's chosen to be a model for the hottest store in town. Best of all, Hudson finally falls for her.
But Molly soon discovers that beauty -- and her wish -- come with a price. She's faced with an impossible choice: Will reclaiming her true identity mean letting go of Hudson for good.

Beauty was a fun read, but our main character, Molly, was constantly driving me nuts. She becomes beautiful and magically transforms from quiet, kind invisible girl to world-class B in a matter of days. I was in a constant state of wanting to throw the book across the room for almost its entirety.

Of course, you can tell simply by reading the description that this is going to be a very moral-driven story, but in the end that’s all I got out of it. Here we have a girl with a good friend and a pretty decent life who thinks being pretty will make everything better. So, she gets her wish and becomes the person everyone is falling all over themselves to please – girls and guys alike. Except, all the people who cared about her in the first place. Those people? Molly just pushes them to the side like yesterday’s trash and I’m sitting here going “excuse me? How can one person be so terrible when they’ve been on the other side of it?” Needless to say, though Molly learned her lesson in the end, I wasn’t a fan at all of how she managed to get there. I couldn’t connect with her at all since I couldn’t justify any of her crappy actions.

Despite all my complaints about the main character and the storyline it’s still a pretty cute read. Predictable and infuriating at times, but still a cute, fun read.

The Nutshell: Beauty is exactly what you think it is: a story about a girl who had a decent life but thought good looks would solve all her problems, but they didn’t. You can easily guess how the story will go, but it’s still a cute, quick read if you want some moralistic fluff (is that a contradiction?).

Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss/Miss

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby {Review}

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she's called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn't mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she's sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett -- teen superstar and the only celebrity who's ever been kind to her -- at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo's dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned's in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

I don’t actually have a lot to say about Shooting Stars, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary, it was a fun read, it just simply wasn’t one of those Stand Out Reads, you know?

Let’s start off with the story. At first I was just kind of moseying along with the flow, not really invested, but still interested enough that I wanted to keep reading. Then there was this twist that kind of came out of nowhere, but raised the stakes enough that I was plenty more interested and really wanted to know how it turned out.

Then there were the characters. Jo wasn’t exactly likeable, but I didn’t really dislike her either. I understood both her quandaries about being a paparazzo (did you know there was a singular?) and her rationalization for it, but man, the girl could get some serious inner debates going. Sometimes I just wanted to be like “I think now would be a good chance to tell the truth, he seems like a pretty understanding guy,” but no, she had to waffle on about it for longer. Her indecision seemed a bit drawn out to me, but hey, I’m a terrible decision-maker, so who am I to judge?

Ned was pretty likeable, but nobody I was all swoony for since he didn’t have much of a personality for a majority of the book.

The Nutshell: Shooting Stars is a cute, quick read. If you want a warm-fuzzy romance then this is definitely something worth checking out. If you’re more into the deep contemporaries, then you probably want to go elsewhere.

 Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Tessa Masterson Will Go To Prom by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin {Review}

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publish Date: March 27, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Lucas and Tessa's friendship is stuff of legends in their small Midwestern town. So it's no surprise when Lucas finally realizes his feelings for Tessa are more than friendship and he asks her to prom. What no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian instead of accepting his heartfelt invitation. Humiliated and confused, Lucas feels betrayed that his best friend kept such an important secret from him.
What's worse is Tessa decides to wear a tastefully tailored tuxedo to escort her female crush, sparking a firestorm of controversy. Lucas must decide if he should stand on the sidelines or if he should stand by his friend to make sure that Tessa Masterson will go to prom.

Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom was a fun, cute read. There were some dark parts, as was expected, but it all still felt a little surfacey. I mean, it was overall a good read, but nothing that really stood out.

Lucas’s feelings for Tessa were just so sudden. I mean, someone actually tells him that he likes her and them, BAM, he decides that he does. I think it’s natural to wonder if a guy/girl friendship could possibly be more, but I feel like Lucas’s feelings should have been eased into a little more. I know it wasn’t the point of the story, but it just ended up feeling like a catalyst, not something realistic.

All the awesome support Tessa got made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the entire book.

Lucas and Tessa both ended up driving me nuts for a while. I think it was pretty crappy of Tessa to never tell Lucas. If she just “assumed he knew” like she repeatedly said then she would have no need to be worried about what he would think. Best friends are the people you share everything with and I can certainly understand why Lucas was hurt and pissed. What I can’t understand is why in the world it took him so long to talk to her again. I know he was scared and whatnot, but I think he really could have just been like “Tess, I’m sorry for how I acted and I want you to know that I’m here for you now.”

The Nutshell: Tessa Masterson Will Go to Prom is a cute, though still a little dark, fun read. It’s a little about love, but a lot about friendship and figuring out who you are. It’s a little surfacey, but still a good read overall.

Pages: 257

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu {Review}

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publish Date: August 7, 2012
Source: Netgalley for honest review
Goodreads

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.
When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.
As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they're caught and deactivated, or worse.

Glitch went a little something like this for me:

[Beginning intro to world] “I can definitely dig this.”

[BAM, romance] “Wait, what?! That came out of nowhere. She’s only known him for a couple hours!”

[Middle of the story] “Well now I understand the superfast romance. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. Or this new guy. In fact, I want to punch New Guy in the nose. When is something super interesting going to happen again?”

[End] “Okay, I’ll admit that I didn’t see that coming. And I’m digging all the awesome action and Gift using and whatnot. Oh, I actually did see THAT coming.”

Bahaha. Okay, if you haven’t read Glitch then you probably won’t understand anything up there, but I had to explain my feelings in a way that would at least sort of make sense. I mean, the story was kind of iffy but I still really liked it. And since that doesn’t really make sense I thought a play by play might help :P Anyway, moving on now.

Let’s start with the romance. As you probably noticed, I mentioned two guys, but it’s not a love triangle. Yes, you heard me: it’s not a love triangle. It’s more of a…circle with a jealous dot outside of it. And I really did not like the stupid jealous dot. I don’t want to say his name since that’d be giving something away, but let’s just say I didn’t like him almost from the moment he was introduced.

I understand why the romance had to be introduced the way it was, but it still felt really awkward in the beginning. I ended up liking it, though.

As for the story itself, I liked the beginning and being introduced to the world of the controlling V-chip and drone-like people. We even got a little background of why the world was in its current state and what happened to the Old War.

The middle just felt kind of bland for me. Even though exciting stuff was happening and the story was developing at a pretty good pace I still wasn’t feeling it. I really can’t pinpoint what it was that made me feel a little bored while reading that portion.

The end, however, I quite liked. I really didn’t see the big ending twist coming at all. I liked seeing Zoe use her Gift and all the action was awesome. Nothing truly heart-pounding but still fun to read.

The Nutshell: Though some of Glitch just felt lukewarm to me I ended up liking it enough to continue being interested in the story. If you like a good dash of scifi with your dystopian then you should definitely check out Glitch. And don’t forget it’s not a love triangle ;]

Pages: 371
Series: Glitch #1

Rating: Near Miss

(Reviewed as part of Dystopian August which you can find out about here)

7 Clues To Winning You by Kristin Walker {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: April 26, 2012
Source: Library
Goodreads

When a humiliating picture of Blythe goes viral, she's instantly the target of ridicule at her new school. To salvage her reputation, Blythe teams up with Luke to win the Senior Scramble scavenger hunt. But Luke is an unlikely ally and potentially can't be trusted.
Perhaps it's his Shakespearean witticisms that reel Blythe in despite her better judgement...or maybe she just craves the thrill of the game. But as the hunt progresses, their relationship heats up. Soon their madcap mischief spirals out of control. Blythe is faced with arrest and expulsion, among other catastrophes -- until Luke shows her what the Scramble (and love) is really about.

7 Clues To Winning You was a really cute book but I found myself volleying back and forth between “awww” and “ugh” for almost the entirety of the story.

The main problem for me was probably Blythe. In the beginning (and then sporadically throughout) she was selfish and snobby and thought she was above everyone else. It drove me absolutely insane how she pretty much thought the whole world revolved around her. She does end up growing beyond that, but something about her self-hating, self(and everyone else around)-destructive mindset in the process of the growth really rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, the way she needed to be smacked over the head with a sign for everything drove me batty. I figured out half the stuff, especially scavenger hunt clues, before she’d manage to come around to the conclusion herself.

Oh, and that “humiliating” picture is of her picking her nose and she acts like it’s the end of the entire world. I mean, really?

Whew. Until I wrote it all down I didn’t realize I disliked her character that much :P But, I’ve said many times before that characters don’t really make or break a story for me.

The plot, however, does, and 7 Clues To Winning You sadly wasn’t my favorite :[ I’d really been hoping to like this one so it truly does make me all sadface. It just seemed a little like there was too much going on. Let’s go through the main and side stories:

1) The family is selling the house. This side story goes really in-depth into the process of selling a house. I found it kind of interesting since I love to just sit and watch House Hunters on HGTV for hours, but it didn’t seem to contribute a lot to the story, especially since it’s told from Blythe’s point of view (as opposed to third person or whatnot) and the house selling process doesn’t really concern her.

2) The mother dealing with some feelings. I can kind of see where this could mean something to why Blythe is the way she is, but it still doesn’t seem incredibly pertinent. This is Blythe’s story, not her mother’s.

3) The scavenger hunt. Nothing to complain about here except for the fact that I wish there’d been a little more focus on it.

4) Luke & Blythe. Nothing to complain about here either.

5) Blythe drifting from old friends. This would certainly be an important and defining moment in Blythe’s life, but the way it was added into the story felt more like an easy way to move the plot along to me.

6) Blythe’s relationship with a pair of old ladies at the nursing home. This side story I completely and utterly approve of but I’ll get to that later.

7) Blythe’s relationship with her dad. I actually found this plot point pretty interesting even if it did get a tad tedious at times (partly because it’s easier to see the adult point of view when you’re older :P)

There’s probably more that I’m forgetting but basically what I’m saying here is that the storyline felt really cluttered sometimes.

Okay, those old ladies I mentioned? They are a RIOT! I freaking loved them to pieces. For once, a side story relationship trumps all the main plot points for me. I mean, these ladies scheme pop can heists and buy porno mags with Blythe. Seriously, that scene with the nudie magazine at the gas station is one of the best things ever. I was reading in bed at about 3 in the morning laughing so much I woke Husband up :P

The Nuthsell: Whewie did that review get long! Chances are you looked at how long it was and just skipped right down here to get to the main point and I don’t blame you! To sum it up, if you just want a contemp read that’ll provide you with a few laughs then 7 Clues To Winning You is definitely for you, but be prepared for large amounts of side plots.

Pages: 317
Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Amplified by Tara Kelly {Review}

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. BYR

Publish Date: October 25, 2011

Source: Gifted/Own
Goodreads

When priviliged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it...

Amplified was a fun read, but sadly not as awesome as I’d hoped. I think I’d been a little setup for failure, though since I’m not quite as big a music fan as most of my blogger friends who gave it rave reviews. Still, it was really fun (and a little weird) reading about a main character who shared more similarities with me than just a name. Besides, you know, musical abilities :P

Jasmine was a hard-headed, stubborn girl, but I didn’t really find it too annoying for the most part. She knew what she wanted and she was willing to do the hard work to get it. Sometimes I just wanted to shout at the girl to ask for/accept a little help, but I completely understand why she was the way she was. I mean, with a father as crappy as hers, I’m sure I’d have learned to do things on my own too.

I really liked the band and how the characters who made it up were really well-rounded. They didn’t really feel like side characters at all, in fact. If any of them were missing I kind of feel like the book wouldn’t have been the same at all. That’s not to say I liked them all. I kind of hated Bryn, actually. He was a big fat jerkwad and I frequently felt like punching him in the face. Veta was spunky and crazy and just plain awesome. She was definitely one of my favorite characters :] Felix was…well, Felix was strange to me. I don’t have a problem with dudes wearing tutus and pigtails, but I just wanted to know why. I’d actually love to read a companion starring him.

Then we have Sean and his and Jasmine’s relationship. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about Sean. He was sexy and snarky, sure, but he was also really hung up on that stupid Amy girl. I get it, I really do, but I wish he could have gotten over her and just went for Jasmine wholeheartedly. If you’re looking for a fresh relationship formula, then you’ll definitely find it in Jasmine and Sean.

The Nutshell: Though Amplified wasn’t a complete win for me, it wasn’t really a loss either. I think most of my disappointment could be attributed to high expectations. If you’re a music lover or like books with music then you’ll probably have a much bigger appreciation for Amplified than I did. If you’re looking for something beyond your typical boy-meets-girl-and-smoochy-smoochy-ensues then you should definitely check this one out. If you love bold, strong characters then give Amplified a try :D

Pages: 293

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler {Review}

Publisher: Dial 

Publish Date: January 5, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. The her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper find herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

I’m sad to say I didn’t enjoy Love? Maybe as much as I’d hoped. It’s still a cute read, but I never really connected with any of the characters. I’m not usually a character person as long as the plot sucks me in, but I found this plot to be a bit predictable. In fact, I’m not even sure what’s a spoiler since the storyline seemed a bit obvious to me. I’ll do my best to keep it spoiler-free, though.

Claire’s cynicism didn’t actually bother me, because if I’m honest, I was pretty cynical of Valentine’s during my middle and high school years as well. My cynical nature was due to not having my own Valentine rather than being hurt too many times like it was for Claire. From an older, outside point of view sometimes I felt like saying “Come on, Claire, it’s not ALL that bad” but I know a younger me would have been right there with her.

I basically called all the relationships from a mile away with one exception and that’s because he wasn’t really in the story. It was difficult watching all the characters be so oblivious to what was happening around them.

My favorite character of all was definitely Jan. He was just really cool in the way that he was somewhat of a father-figure for Claire but he wasn’t pushy or anything. He was just there to tell Claire the truth when she was willing to listen.

I also quite liked Lucy and Dom. They were a fun little addition to the story.

The Nutshell: Overall Love? Maybe was a cute read, but rather predictable. I wasn’t romanced off my feet by any of the characters but none of them bothered me either. I’d say it was a pretty middle-of-the-road read, but if you’re looking for a cute quick pick-me-up, this could definitely do the trick.

Pages: 272

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: July 21, 2011

Source: Library
Goodreads

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love -- again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.
Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

For about 2/3 of Ripple, I really didn’t think I was going to like it. It still wasn’t my favorite read, but Miss Hubbard managed to take just about everything I felt for this book and flip it all upside down within that last third and I ended up fairly satisfied.

Something about Lexi’s sob story of a life kind of set my teeth on edge at the beginning. No parents, no friends, no love. Just a lonely girl wanting companionship but pushing everyone away. I sort of understand why she pushed people away, but on the other hand it doesn’t really make sense. Yes, she was afraid of killing people, but it’s not like she’d go around killing people all the time if she was civil. That didn’t quite make sense to me.

Lexi and Cole’s relationship just felt so weird and unnecessary at the beginning. I didn’t like him or them together at all. By the end, though, the relationship really grew on me and I was inwardly rooting for the two.

I really liked Hubbard’s take on sirens. It definitely wasn’t your typical mythology and I love when a story can surprise me. Who knew mermaid’s could still be entertaining if they didn’t have tails ;P

The Nutshell: I really wasn’t feeling Ripple for the majority of the book, but I’m really glad I finished it. If you tend to give up on books easily, you’re either going to want to completely avoid this one or convince yourself to stick it out till the end. If you like a twist on your mermaid mythology with a dash of “I DID NOT see that coming!” then Ripple is worth the read.

Pages: 260

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

New Girl by Paige Harbison {Review}

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publish Date: January 31, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

A contemporary young-adult retelling inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspense bestseller Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
They call me "New Girl"...
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that's who I am. New Girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed -- because of her.
Becca Normandy -- that's the name on everyone's lips. Thee girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can't compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it's my fault.
Except for Max Holloway -- the boy whose name shouldn't be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca's boyfriend...but she's gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca's life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she's still out there, waiting to take it back.

New Girl was good, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. For one, I thought it had a little something more going on behind the scenes than a regular contemporary, like a dash of paranormal or something. I’m not quite sure where I got that idea, but I had it and the book, in fact, did not. That’s not what really made it fall flat for me, though, just wanted to clear up anyone else’s expectations in case they had them.

For some reason I didn’t really connect with anyone in the story. I could feel for the main character, but still didn’t really connect with her. I realize Becca was literally sick, but I still hated her. She was just so horrible that it was impossible to like or connect with her. Honestly, I hated Max. He didn’t grow on me at all and I really disliked that the main character wanted to be with him so badly. He wasn’t horrid or anything, but I couldn’t get past the fact that he basically thought it was okay to mess around with Becca and not actually commit to anything. Even if she was a tad crazy.

At times I got kind of a sinister vibe, but overall New Girl didn’t deliver on the creep factor I was hoping for. Basically it was just a double mean girl story. One from the victim’s point of view and one side from the bully’s point of view.

The Nutshell: New Girl was really just an okay read. I think part of what left me so disappointed was my expectations and those are, of course, all my fault. New Girl is a good book if you like boarding schools and mean girl stories, but don’t go to it looking for paranormal or creepy mystery.

Pages: 320

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

Girl Meets Boy anthology {Review}

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Publish Date: December 28, 2011
Source: Library
Goodreads

What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and eganging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories -- he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved. The basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into Girl Meets Boy. I found the concept really intriguing, but was very surprised when I discovered how small it was. I’m very skeptical about short stories, I’ll admit it, but overall I’d say I enjoyed Girl Meets Boy and it’s actually encouraged me to give short stories and anthologies more of a chance.

I won’t do this story by story or anything since that would take forever, but I will say that some stories were very surfacey while others were so deep I was kind of astounded. If I had to play favorites, I’d probably say the first set and the last story. I really enjoyed them both and was surprised by each in very different ways.

Some stories (especially the first set along with the chat-room set) were very intricate and I was amazed by how much detail was captured in such few pages. Other stories had me flipping forward to figure out when they ended, though.

I was also kind of astounded by the amount of sex contained in this small book. I do understand, I mean, half the stories are written in the mind of teenage boys, but goodness gracious did it still surprise me.

The Nutshell: Overall, I’d say it’s definitely worth your time to pick up Girl Meets Boy. Even if you just read a few stories here and there it provides a very interesting look into both sides of a relationship. And the relationships range from lovers to strangers to friends who’ve grown apart.

Pages: 204

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss 

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne {Review}

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR
Publish Date: February 2, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Hollbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, bu what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her -- and the rest of the world, too.

Harbinger was…strange. That’s honestly the best word I can think of to describe it. I’d say it’s a strange that falls onto the side of good-strange, though.

It took a while for me to really get into the story because I knew there was something more than just a regular ol’ boarding school story there. The only indication of that was the red hands, though and the synopsis had already told me about that. I wanted something more and I just wasn’t getting it. Ask and you shall receive, right? Harbinger definitely delivered on the “different” front by the end.

Sadly, though it was definitely different, it still didn’t quite work for me. It felt a bit like the ending was just kind of thrown at me. Like there wasn’t really much easing into it and then BAM crazy ending. I did appreciate the ending to some degree, though. Before reading I’d heard a lot of people wanting to know whether this was a standalone (it is) which usually means some sort of cliffhanger-like ending and I like my standalone endings to be tied up nicely. I needn’t worry, though, because I ended up being rather satisfied with the ending.

The Nutshell: Harbinger is strange. A sort-of good strange, in my opinion, but incredibly strange nonetheless. If you like strange, dying worlds, and/or reform/boarding schools, you’ll find at least something in Harbinger for you.

Pages: 309

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss (this is the first review with the new rating system and the explanation can be found to you right.)