OH MY RED HOTS! It's The 'Red Queen'!

Hey Sweeties!

I am sorry for the late post! This past week has just been too hectic! I've been just working on my schedule and working in my classes. So I have just been busy! But luckily I have some time today to write a review on a book that I have been hearing EVERYWHERE! I mean on Instagram, Goodreads, and everywhere else you can hear about books! I decided that since it's one of those popular YA's, it would be great read to try. So let's get into the Review!

This Book is About...?

Red Queen is about a girl named Mare Barrows. She's a red girl living in the "slums" aka the Reds and under the thumb of Silvers. In this world the silvers and the Reds are enemies, both fighting an endless war. Suddenly, Mare is yanked out of her home and her impending doom at becoming a soldier stuck in the battlegrounds. Instead she is placed in the palace. Inside a castle with glass walls and cold blood. She must act like one, even worse, she will become their princess. As she lives with the Silvers she learns things that the Reds will never truly understand. She learns secrets, mysteries, and the true downfall of an already doomed kingdom.

What I Thought slash Rating:

Red Queen was like a cross between Hunger Games and possibly Throne of Glass. Although, they are really good books, this one didn't quite meet their standards. Out of five stars I am giving this sweet read a four. It didn't have that thing that truly reels you in, that spark, that connection that connects you to the character, but it did have an interesting story.

Another reason why I didn't give it a 5 star is because I feel like I felt more cons about Mare than pros. I feel like the reasoning for Mare's decisions weren't justifiable or clear. I don't want to spoil anything, but I just felt like she wasn't doing things for the right reasons. except maybe when she was doing things for her friends. I just felt like they were more selfish reasons than for the goodness of others. And I guess when I read books or even when I watch movies, I try to find stuff with protagonists with character. Morals. Rules that they live by even if they start out for the wrong reason, it ends up being for the greater good and becomes for the greater good. In other words...Character development.

This book didn't have much of that. It had some fighting, good people, and a lot of blah. There was just soooo much politics and craziness and I feel like I'm still wondering about some parts. Then again it was a great book in the sense where it kept you going. I mean I didn't DNF it and I have to say after a certain point there was no going back. I was invested and curious on how Red Queen was going to end! In fact, I was even blown away by some of those twists.

 Overall, it was a good book and even though I found some similarities to The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass, it was a pretty original story with twists that were pretty surprising. And I know it was surprising to many others too, by the reviews that I had read.

Who Should Read It?

Red Queen would be a great book for those who LOVE books with lots of different aspects and genres. It did have a lot of fighting (war), politics (between reds and silvers), and even a lovely Love Triangle. Yep ladies and gents, if you don't like love triangles (like me) this book isn't for you. It wasn't as strong as other books, but it is there. Those who love a strong romantic connection from beginning to end, this isn't for you. There is romance elements, but it's not like a connection that grows throughout the story (in my opinion). But the romance is still there! I know I'm being confusing, sorry!

Alright guys! I think that's about it. I did like this book and I hope you guys did too! What are you guys reading? Are any of you reading anything off the list I put in my update? If so, tell me about it in the comments below. :) I'd really like to hear from you guys so don't be a stranger!

~P

August Update!

Hi Sweeties!

Here's another August update! I wanted to post this as close to the beginning of the month as I could and since the month is already half way through! I can't believe it! Fall classes will be starting soon and I could have sworn that the summer had just started. I guess my brain needs to catch up with the times huh :)

As usual I do want to say that since Fall session is coming up. This doesn't mean I stop reviewing or posting. Even on my busiest months, I at least try to have an update ready for you guys. I just want to say...er...write this because it's just an update on my schedule slash life, lol.

So without further or do, I'm going to tell you what's coming up next! Basically, I had promised you all plenty of reviews this month and I had even created a new schedule and everything! And while I did post some, I hadn't posted as much as I wanted to. So this means that I'll just have to keep hoping to step up my game, or in this case my blog. ;) Okay cheesy jokes aside, I want to also add a little spiel about the books I'm reading now, pending a review (THAT WILL BE POSTED). Also the reason not all of the reviews went up as planned.

First off, I will explain my mishap in reviews this month! When I had planned the July/August TBR list, I seriously had planned on writing the reviews as numbered on the list. The reason I didn't was my own fault entirely! Obviously. *rolls eyes at myself* I didn't do this because I was feeling a little iffy about the books on the list to begin with. I didn't hate the books on the list, but I wasn't itching reading them either. Also most of the books that I had put on the list were rereads, which I am working on not doing anymore, unless truly feel the urge to. I mean, who can resist a really good reread every once and a while, right?

As for what I am currently reading, I have started a book called Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Right now, I'm kind of in the middle as far as feelings about this read goes. I am not exactly "in love" with it and I am not disliking it either! So that's a plus. :) I guess I like it because I am starting to understand the character and her decisions, but I don't love it yet because I wasn't in love with her in the beginning. I don't really want to explain more than that because this isn't the review, yet ;) But I am planning on doing one for this book sometime this week! You will get the full aspect of my feels then.

So what's next on my list?

Here is my schedule of this months TBRs:

1. Winter by Frankie Rose - The synopsis sounds pretty good, but it does sound a little darker than what I'm used to reading. So I'm a little apprehensive about reading this one, but it does sound good, so we shall see.
2. The Story of You and Me by Pamela DuMond - Although this one didn't get the highest of ratings on Goodreads, I'm kind of excited to read this one. From the Blurb, it sounds like a really nice book and I like the idea of the storyline. I'm not 100% sure I'll love it, but that's the whole point in reading it right?
3. Until It Hurts to Stop - This one is completely on my maybe list for two reasons. One is that it got not as great ratings on good reads (3.44 - not that it really deters me) and because it sounds like it might be a love triangle kind of book. I really dislike love triangles and there has only been a very rare few that really get my love :) So we shall really see with this one!
4. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - This will be my very first Dystopian novel so I really really really don't know how to feel about it! I guess in a way I'm pretty psyched to start it because it will be my first. You can't hate something you've never tried before, so yeah...
5. Tattered Love by Lola Stark - I'm liking the synopsis and I hope I like the story!

Well, sweeties, this is what my reading schedule looks like for the next month. It looks like it's going to be four contemporary romances + one Dystopian (which I'm still pretty psyched for!). Now, for those newbies on my blog, this list is very LOOSE! I may read all of these and I may only read half, leaving maybe one or two out! This just depends on whether or not I DNF (don't finish) it or if I get around to it before my next update! Usually, if I don't get to it by the next update, they just roll over or I pick out some new titles depending on how I feel at the time :)

I know this post was long, but I hope it really answers some questions! Like I said before I just want to let you all know what I've been up to and what I'll be doing and reviewing next! I encourage you guys to read along with me if you'd like to prepare for my upcoming reviews :) If you don't that's perfectly okay too! If you do want to, you can pick any one of these babies and hopefully I'll have the review for it up by the time you're done :) Happy reading guys!

~ P

P.S. I just want to say too that I'm going to be trying out something new for my reviewing schedule! I want to try setting up a posting day which will be...Fridays/Mondays! Yup I will try posting something every Friday OR Monday. Even if I don't post a review, I will be posting SOMETHING! I hope this helps guys! For both me and you guys! Alright keep reading and smiling sweeties and I'll be posting soon!! :D 

Sweets, I Darken

Hola Sweeties! Paige here!

So today I wanted to review a recent YA favorite/Newby! It's called And I Darken and
let me tell you I wish I can darken it from my mind. Okay so that's a little bit of an overstatement, but I can't help it.

This book is about...

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

What I thought

This book was good in the sense that I was able to read it at least up to Chapter 15, which was roughly about 45% through. The writing was beautiful in a way, but at the same time, there was nothing really "special" about it. In fact, I was kind of thinking after a while that it was pretty boring. I was thinking to myself, "What's the whole point of the plot". By the time I got to 45% I seriously didn't really get a lot of the terms or what the heck I was reading or why I was even reading it. I mean it was interesting enough, but the story itself was flat, uninteresting.

One thing that bothered me up to this point was the characters. They were great to some extent, character sustenance wise, but they weren't exactly enjoyable. From the summary I thought that the book was going to be similar to Throne of Glass series, but it wasn't. It was far from it! I though Lada was going to be a strong character who was warrior-like, the way Celaena was in Throne of Glass. She wasn't and it burned me up! I was seething because instead of a strong character, I feel like I read about a girl who liked to bully people and sure was "streetsmart" to an extent, but she wasn't using any of her abilities for good. She was very selfish character who looked down on people and was constantly judging others. Where Calaena was rough around the edges, she eventually showed that she had a heart and cared about people, even though she was raised to be the opposite. These are the types of characters that I enjoy to read about, and I though Lada was going to be the same way. Although I understood some of her actions, like her need to not be repressed and married off to a man not of her choice, and who already has wives, I feel like this was understated. Also everything else she did was really rude and obnoxious. It wasn't strength or power.

The only character I can say that I truly felt was respect worthy was probably the little brother. I liked how Radu was respectful and was empathetic, the complete opposite to his sister. I just hated how people treated him and I hated that the author did really make his character more noticeable. Even when it was from his point of view none of his characteristics shined. They were dulled thanks to his sister who was mentioned constantly. I just wish that he stood out more since both Lada and Radu were considered protagonists.

My Overall Thoughts - Slash - Rating

I cannot give this book higher than a 2 star guys. I mean really, I just can't. I didn't like it, I felt that the characters could have been more well rounded and given a better purpose. I felt that they could've also had deeper Personality traits and characteristics. Ones that made them more diverse. Something that made me love them. I was waiting for a character development that never came and that really bites at me. I LOVE character development more than anything in the world of stories. Especially, when you start off hating a character (not too much) and then end up loving them and wanting MORE!

The story itself could've had more development too. I did like the way the author explained the setting and the world the story took place in, but halfway through I was bored. There was no sustenance there either. It was all politics and confusing things that moved too fast. Like Boyous .... I think that's what they were called. Anyways, although the author explained what that meant, I was still in the last scene and by then I was kind of like what the fudge is going on right now.

This is why I must give this book a 2 star. It doesn't mean you guys won't like it, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Still, there were plenty of others who LOVED this book! So please don't be discouraged by my low ratings or DNFs. They are just out there to inform and hopefully you guys can comment on what you guys thought about And I Darken. This would be great for YA lovers and people who like characters that you read from their childhood to their present selves. :) Alright over and out Sweeties! And have a GREAT weekend!

~ P

P.S. By the way, I just wanted to note that I am trying to use a new style of blogging. I want to know what you guys think? Is it making my blog too long? Or should I keep it up? Thanks for keeping up with my blog sweeties! Hope to have more for you soon!