Crash (Crash #1) by Nicole Williams

Crash by Nicole Williams

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

Three/five stars

Uh, I feel so conflicted. I do not know if I liked this book or not. It reminded me of a really crap, high school version of Beautiful Disaster. The characters were totally cliché, the plot was all over the place and the writing was... I don’t know how to describe the writing. It just didn’t work for me. Apart from that, Crash was kind of intense and suspenseful and sometimes even a little bit romantic. 

When money becomes scare at the Larson household, the family packs up their belongings and moves to their beach house right before Lucy’s senior year. In the beginning of the book, Lucy admits she is a romantic at heart and wants to find the love of her life, or at least a boyfriend. When she locks eyes with a gorgeous boy at the beach one day, Lucy knows there will be no turning back. Unfortunately for Lucy, the gorgeous boy, Jude, introduces himself as, point blank, a man-whore. “The name’s Jude Ryder, since I know you’re all but salivating like a rabid dog to know, and I don’t do girlfriends, relationships, flowers, or regular phone calls. If that works for you, I think we could work out something special.” Lucy, ever the romantic, turns Jude down and continues on her way. But she can’t stop thinking about him; and he just can’t leave her alone. How on earth will this relationship work?

Crash was disturbingly similar to Beautiful Disaster, in that there was a “boy with beautiful eyes and an ugly past”, actually, isn’t that in most contemporary books now? I was really looking forward to reading this book because it was so hyped! I was also looking forward to reading the dance side of the book, but I was bitterly disappointed. There was mention of dance, and the emotions regarding it, but there really was no connection with ballet, which made me sad. I don’t dance anymore, but I did for a long time, so it means a lot to me and I love reading about anything dance. The girl on the cover is dressed in dance clothing, complete with pointe shoes, and there were mentions of Julliard, but I didn’t get my ballet fix from this book. I was also interested in the Julliard side of things because I’m a musician and Julliard would be amazing. There wasn’t much about Julliard in Crash, but I’m sure there will be in the next book, or I hope there will be. I was definitely disappointed in this book.

At first, Lucy didn’t bother me at all. She was a fine character, neither good nor bad. She was just… average, with years of practiced discipline from dancing. She had an abnormal family (surprise, surprise), ripped apart by grief and a shitty relationship with her mum. When Jude came into her life, Lucy just lost it. She wasn’t herself, she was dictated by men. It was annoying. She needed to be herself and not someone’s “girl”. The only thing I liked about her was her addiction with dance and her name. 

I felt absolutely nothing for Jude. Normally, I’d be fangirling or something like that over most book boys (I even had a soft spot for Travis from Beautiful Disaster), but not Jude. He was unlikable, emotionally unstable, angry, controlling, and arrogant. I did not like him at all. He was always ready for a fight and had huge anger issues. From that alone, Lucy should have left him straight away. Although he did show some soft spots for Lucy, he usually just left her, high and dry. He continually went back for her, and led her on, only to tell her he was “cancer” and that she should “stay away”. I hope to see a nicer, more devoted side of him in the sequel. 

The writing annoyed me and I don’t know why. The sentences were way too long and they just lost me. It was all very… cynical and there were lots of riddles too. Also, stupid metaphors and similes that just went over my head. I know that is all part of creative writing and stuff, but I think Williams went a bit over the top, and most of it didn’t even make any sense. Sometimes the writing and the dialogue was witty and humorous and had me laughing out loud.

“This is Luce,” [Jude] said, tipping my chin up with his finger and pressing the sweetest kiss I’d ever been give onto my lips.
“She’d have to be if you’re with her.[Allie]”

The plot wasn’t hard to follow, but I always felt like there was too much going on. There were lots of irrelevant things happening too. And lots of things were repeated. It just frustrated me! Seriously, sort ya shit out and grow up Lucy and Jude.

Crash was… eventful. I don’t really understand why the book is called "Crash". Is it because of how they met? Hmm, I don’t know. But anyway,Crash was interesting. I didn’t enjoy it very much, but the drama kept me entertained. I will be reading the sequel, just to see how everything plays out.

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
Five/five stars!

*This isn’t really a proper review because I honestly have no idea how to review this book*

I loved reading because I am continually introduced to some amazing books. Books such as the Vampire Academy series leave me stunned and in loved. The third book, Shadow Kiss, was amazing. In my opinion, I think it is the best VA book, so far. It was intense, romantic and perfect. I loved every second.

Things I loved:

• Dimitri
• Rose
• Rose and Dimitri
• Lissa
• Adrian
• The epicness
• The fighting
• The humor
• Janine Hathaway
• Everything

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
Five/five stars!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

This was such a kick ass book. God, why didn't I read it sooner?!?!  It was absolutely brilliant. It had me laughing, cringing, sighing and sitting on the edge of my seat.

After two years on the run, Rose a Dhampir (half human, half vampire), and her Moroi (full vampire) princess best friend Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy. Now that they are back at the Academy, they will continue their education. For Rose that means she will start training again to be a guardian, hopefully Lissa's. And for Princess Lissa Dragomir, that means protecting the Dragomir name and being a perfect Moroi princess and royal. But after missing out on two years, how can Rose possibly catch up on guardian training? Enter super strong, super guardian and super beautiful Dimitri Belikov. He has been hired as Lissa's second guardian and Rose's extra trainer. At first, everything is purely business and bickering, but as their time together grows more frequent and less strained, will Dimitri and Rose be able to resist each other? Will Rose’s guardian job be at risk? And what will it mean for Lissa and Rose's relationship?

Vampire Academy was one of THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. Yes, seriously. It was so wonderfully written and the characters and the plot were amazing. Everything was so well planned and thought out. I was captivated right up til the very end, and even then wanting more and more. This book is just made of pure awesomeness.

Rose was an amazing character. She was hilarious, but serious; thoughtful and kind, yet so bitchy. She had the BEST comebacks, too! Rose rarely did anything for herself, she only ever thought of other people, especially Lissa. Rose and Lissa share a special bond. Not your average friendship bond, but an honest to goodness physic bond. Rose will be the perfect guardian for Lissa because she can gauge Lissa's moods, emotions and thoughts. Rose was an awesome narrator. Her witty humour had be laughing constantly and left me wanting more!

Lissa was a shy little character. After her and Rose are dragged back to the Academy, Lissa was very lonely. As Rose gets caught up in her extra training sessions, Lissa is struggling to deal with her feelings and the constant pressure to be perfect. Lissa has to keep secrets, too. Not from Rose, obviously, but from everyone. No one can help her through her down times because no one understands. I felt so sorry for Lissa. When we got to see what went on in her head through Rose and their bond, it was terrifying. I did like Lissa as a character because even though she was struggling through everything she was still strong and was constantly worrying about Rose and others, but hardly ever herself. Rose and Lissa were perfect, they never looked after themselves, but looked after each other.

Dimitri. Ahh, yes, Dimitri. You aren't a very big part of the story in the first book, which I enjoyed. Vampire Academy was very full on, and I loved that! There was no time for Rose to think about boys and relationships. Dimitri was in the book, but he wasn’t a huge character. There were other pressing issues in the book that Mead focused on. But as I am writing this review, I am up to the fourth book, so my view on Dimitri is a little different. Dimitri was amazing! He was such a strong, admirable character. Everything was business for him and he was constantly risking his life to protect others. He was so lovely. He even tried to protect Rose from her own feelings, which is kind of insane. Dimitri was so sweet when he wasn't in work guardian mode, but he was just as likable when he was. In general Dimitri was such a wonderful character and I loved him very much!!! Team Dimitri!

The story was insane!! The ending, oh my goodness, I was breathless. My heart was in my throat! I was so nervous for Rose, Lissa, Christian and Dimitri. I never thought I could feel so connected with the characters. My heart was racing when Rose’s was, I was laughing when the characters were and I was cringing and just about fighting when Rose and Dimitri were. It was perfect. I felt as though I was in the novel.

Gosh, this was a fabulous book that I would recommend to everyone. I know I am a bit late reading these, but I am so glad I did!!! 

A MASSIVE thank you to Maeghan who let me the first two books, love you! :*

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry #3) by Simone Elkeles

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 
Five/five stars!

To be honest, I had no idea how Simone Elkeles was going to top Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction, but she did. Yet again she released a brilliant book about learning to love, family, trust and loss.

Luis Fuentes is the youngest of his three brothers, and so far the nicest and the smartest. He is working his ass off to get good grades and get into a good college to study to be an Astronaut (sorry, I forgot what the actual study is and I don’t have the book at the moment!). What his family doesn’t know is that apart from the grades and studying, he is very much the same as his brothers; he knows how to play the field and get the girls. He is aware of how he looks and how he affects the girls, but he really has no intentions of getting a girl. He’s studying hard, and playing the field is fun for him. When he meets Nikki Cruz, possible Mexican chica, he thinks he’s in for a good night, until she opens her mouth. She has attitude and is a man hater. She’s going to be a great challenge for Luis.

Nikki Cruz has been hurt before, and doesn’t want to be hurt again. Her first, very serious relationship ended terribly. She thought she loved Marco, she thought that they would be together forever, but unfortunately, he was actually a dickhead. It had only been a short time since the broke up with Marco, so when Luis Fuentes tries to chat Nikki up, she is furious. He is Mexican, cocky, arrogant, everything Nikki is trying to stay away from. But after everything she has been through, can Nikki let her guard down for Luis, or will she be hurt yet again?

I loved the series so much. This is why I read! I get to fall in love with THREE EXTREMELY HOT BOYS, and not feel guilty. Simone Elkeles has managed to produce another excellent book in the Fuentes brother series. This book was so good, it made me cry. I read it in… oh, about a day or so. I got it in the mail on Friday, finished ALL my assignments and homework then read for hours. I finished on Saturday night. Chain Reaction was so amazing. I can’t even describe it! I was feeling ALL THE THINGS. It was incredible.

This book was obviously Luis’s book, but Elkeles still managed to bring all the brothers together (THANK THE LORD, HOTNESS OVERLOAD #DEAD) for an epic finale.

Ok, so characters… I’ll start with Luis. He was just as amazing as his brothers. He was smart, but still had a bad boy edge to him. He had all the awesome Fuentes traits, such as, cockiness, a huge ego and he was arrogant, but that is what MADE the series. When Luis, like his brothers, sets his mind on something, or someone, he is going to get it, or her. As soon as Luis sees Nikki, he has got to get her. But he really is in for a challenge! He was so sweet and lovely with Nikki; *SPOILER*although, he did stuff it up, typical Fuentes. But overall, he was an amazing character. (Yeah, he was awesome, but Carlos is my favourite, forever.)

All my compassionate feelings went out to Nikki. She was only young but had been through so much in her short life. Hell, in the first few chapters she was a freshman. I’m in Australian, so it’s a bit different, but I’m a freshman. I had to explain the American schooling system to my friend because I was so shocked, and she didn’t really understand why it was a big deal. I don’t know if I could handle what happened to Nikki at my age; the embarrassment and having to deal with the wrath of my family members. At first Nikki pissed me off because she wasn’t even giving Luis a fair go. I understood her dilemma, but still! Luis was different, and he was trying to prove himself. Because I had read Simone Elkeles books before, I wasn’t too worried because I figured out what was going to happen. That doesn’t mean these books are predictable, because none of them were; cliché, yes, predictable, perhaps. But aren’t all contemporary books like that? I really did like how Nikki’s character turned out. She was a solid, strong main character, and I admired that.

The brothers, Alex and Carlos, and their girlfriends/fiancée’s/wives were AMAZING. OHMYGOD. Honestly, not enough fangirling in the world to comprehend how I felt reading the parts with Alex and Brittany and Carlos and Kiara. Within the first 36 pages, I WAS CRYING. CRYING. CRYING LIKE A GODDAMN BABY. And I couldn’t share my fangirling with my friends because they hadn’t read the book. I was a friggin mess, only 36 pages in. Then the scenes with Carlos and Kiara… gosh, this book was so emotional. I loved how the boys’ relationships turned out. I was so proud of my boys :P

The shit that went down in this book was pretty big, but in my opinion, not as big as the first two books. I think Perfect Chemistry was pretty intense with all its shit going down. Chain Reaction wasn’t actually too bad. With all the brothers working together, it almost seemed… easy? But it was still dramatic, typical Elkeles style.

This book was a heart breaker. I was actually crying real tears and laughing out loud. I didn’t want this series to end; I could honestly just read it forever and ever and never get sick of it. I’ll just have to continue to read the Epilogues over and over, because God knows Simone Elkeles knows how to write an Epilogue. 

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Four/five stars!

Unfortunately, school began to get between me and reading, so it looks like it took me FOREVER to read this, but really, I just didn’t have time. Although, I must admit, Blood Promise wasn’t as good as the first three in the series, but it still left me in shock during parts of the book. Blood Promise had my heart racing and breaking throughout the entire book. Richelle Mead has managed to grace us with yet another brilliant book in the Vampire Academy series.

Rose is on the run yet again. This time she is by herself and could potentially get killed. She embarks on an exciting, but dangerous trip to Russia. Basically, Rose is on a destructive path. She knows that she could get killed but she is looking for answers and for her one true love, Dimitri. Rose makes and meets friends and unfortunately, but unavoidably, enemies. She learns new truths about her family, culture and bondmate. I fell in love with Rose all over again, even if she made the STUPIDEST mistakes and I just wanted to kill her. I also fell in love with all the new and old characters along the way. Especially Adrian! SPOILER Strangely enough, Dimitri didn’t really do anything for me this time around. He was too creepy :(

Rose was unbelievably strong yet again in Blood Promise. She was faced with impossible problems and situations but managed to overcome her fear and sometimes love. Rose is one of the best female protagonists in YA, still, even though Blood Promise was published in 2009! I loved her wit and humour; even in the toughest situations she was able to make some sort of joke. Yes, Rose did show signs of weakness, sadly, but she EVENTUALLY came to her senses, realised what she had to do and made a plan! Rose is a fictional character, I know, but I was still so proud of her. She left her best friend, her bond mate, and went to find her love, only to be bitterly disappointed, but she tried and she tried and she tried. So proud of you, Rose.

Dimitri, oh god. He was a horror. He showed signs of the old, dhampir Dimitri, but only sometimes, and still that wasn’t enough. He was completely different. I was so shocked and felt very sorry for Rose. Dimitri practically led her on the entire book. I was so sad. He was so different.

I also felt sorry for Lissa. Her best friend left her and the Royal Court was onto her AND she was given a new guardian, then all the issues with Avery, the partying and the embarrassment. She was struggling through so much and only really needed her best friend.

Avery, Reed (her brother) and Simon (her guardian) were interesting. I was wary about them from the beginning because Avery was introduced to Lissa almost like she was going to be Rose’s replacement. In the end, my suspicious were confirmed though. Geez, they were all so creepy.

Adrian, aww little Adrian. In the other books I wasn’t really much of an Adrian fan because of, well, Dimitri, but in this book Adrian really came through. He helped Rose in the beginning, and then helped Lissa; he didn’t want to be Rose’s replacement or a new Christian to Lissa, he just wanted to be her friend and help her. He really was quite amazing and I loved him. Especially at the end, he was just as hilarious!!

The ending left me in shock and I was a mess. God, my night was terrible, the Cowboy's were losing the footy and the ending to Blood Promise almost killed me.

Even though it looks like it took me forever to read this book, it didn’t! It grabbed me and had me thinking about it constantly. I loved Blood Promise a lot, and went out straight away to borrow Spirit Bound.

Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy by Tammara Webber

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Four and a half/five

Easy was a total surprise! When I read the blurb, I did not feel the need to buy and read the book, but when I saw something on Facebook saying Easy was $1 on Amazon, I couldn’t pass it up! I am so glad I bought this book. It was a very addictive book; it grabbed me straight away. I couldn’t stop reading. I was laughing, swooning and sighing in frustration! I loved this book.

When Jacqueline makes her decision to follow her boyfriend, she had no idea it would eventually lead to a break up. Now she is stuck in college, not truly doing what she wants, instead of at a music conservatory. And, to make it worse, she has hardly any friends, as they sided with her ex-boyfriend after the break up. Then, when a boy she has never noticed before becomes her saviour, and she starts communicating via her email and never face-to-face frequently with her mysterious tutor, will Jacqueline realise that her break up is not really the end of the world? And will she risk it all again for a boy?

I really, really enjoyed Easy. It was well written and intriguing. The author twisted several important topics into one book seamlessly. It was beautiful. The story line was very well thought out and I loved it. I could not stop reading this book!!

At first I didn’t really like Jacqueline. She seemed kind of…silly. BUT! She wasn’t. She was actually a very, very strong, brave character. She handled her situations independently, which in some cases, was good, but in others not so. She didn’t seek support from her friends and family, but she left it to herself to work it out, which actually didn’t work out very well for her. She only came to her senses when it happened to someone else. But, in the end I really did like Jacqueline as a character!

Lucas. Maaan, he was awesome!! I really loved him! He was such a realistic character with his deep, dark secrets and personal difficulties. I admired his courage. He had so much to deal with but felt as if he couldn’t talk about it. He was also a very good boyfriend. A bit confusing a first… but that was for… different reasons. In the end he was so perfect. Lucas and Jacqueline were perfect.

Overall, I really loved this story! It was so, so, so sweet and cute. The writing, the characters and the plot were great! I wish this was a sequel.  

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson

Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Four/five stars

Everything Left Unsaid was a beautiful, heart-warming book. I completely fell in love with everything about it. The story was amazing, heart-warming, but heart-breaking. I was laughing and crying. This book was an emotional rollercoaster. It was so unbelievably sad, and I loved every minute.

Juliet and Tai have been best friends for years. Their friendship and love for each other has always been strong. With their mutual love of music, beach-walks and energy drinks, they complete each other. When Juliet finally realises her true feelings for Tai, everything between them just gets better. Their love grows. Then, when the unthinkable happens and Tai is sick, how will they both cope? Is their love strong enough for even this?

Everything Left Unsaid left me a crying, blubbering, emotional mess. Tai and Juliet’s love story was beautiful. Although, there were some times when I could’ve wacked Tai because he was being silly, but I didn’t because what he was going though was enough.

I felt sorry for Juliet. She tried to be strong and bold, but really she just wanted to cry and cry and cry. She was losing the love of her life and no one really understood her pain. The only person she could talk to was Tai, and he was the problem behind her pain. Tai was… alright. I liked him in the beginning, but his illness turned him into something he was not. It was quite painful to read, from his POV and Juliet’s.

Overall, Everything Left Unsaid was a beautifully written contemporary. It was so sad, though. I knew this book was going to be emotionally draining, but I warn you, it is so much more. It’s emotionally draining and so touching. It was beautiful. I would recommend this to everyone. I loved it so, so much!

Also, the author is Australian and the book is set in NSW. That alone is purely awesome.