The One

Title: The One

Series: The Selection Series - book 1

Author: Kiera Cass

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Number of Pages: 323

Publication Date: 2014

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary: When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown - or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose - and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.

This book is definitely my favourite of the series. In the first book, America whinged too much, and in the second book between America and Maxon's lack of communication and lack of information about the rebels, I am kind of surprised I kept going with this series. 

There was some serious character development in The One. America in this book finally learnt to let go of the past, to stop living life with a safety net. America does a lot of growing up in this book, she learns to stand and fight for her beliefs and even when intimidated and powerless to not lose who she is. This was a refreshing take on the girl she was in The Selection and The Elite. 

I would like to have seen a bit of America's strength in Maxon, especially when it came to his overbearing father. I think that if Maxon had a bit more strength and fight for what he believed in, then his and America's relationship would have had been stronger and would have had something that they had in common. While their ideas for the future of Illea are something that they share, these ideas are restricted to freeing the caste system and helping the poor but never looked at in great enough to detail to unify these two as good couple. Sometimes I felt that these two simply loved each other because they were written to do so.

The thing I loved most about the final book of Maxon and America's story was that we got answers on who the rebels were and what they wanted. FINALLY! The first two book have hinted greatly at the importance of the rebels and yet it is only in this final book that we get answers and then it's all over. For the first time we get to see how the two rebel groups really differ and the two things that are fighting for. 

I don't think that I will continue on with the rest of the books in this series, I'll just stick with reading the original three books. I don't think I could go and read about new angst filled characters. Cass' just creates a little too much angst for my tastes.

The Selection

Title: The Selection

Series: The Selection Series - book 1

Author: Kiera Cass

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Number of Pages: 327

Publication Date: 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary (from the back of the book): In a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels The Selection is a chance of a lifetime: to compete for gorgeous Prince Maxon's heart. But for America Singer it means turning her back on her secret love, and leaving home for a prize she doesn't want.

The America meets Maxon and all her plans start to crumble. Can the life she's always dreamed of compare to a future she never imagined?

This book is definitely one of a kind...it's like a dystopian meets the bachelor. Unfortunately it was this unique idea that was the only really interesting thing about this book.

As a character America Singer annoyed me. For one: she seemed to be happy living a life with no where to go, she was totally unambitious. She just wanted to keep living her life the way it was and not try and improve it. The second thing that I didn't like was that I found she came across as a very simple character, especially in the beginning of the story .However, as the book progresses America does slowly develop into a more substantial character.

The second thing that annoyed me was that the characters seem to do a lot of waiting around. There are a few occasions where America spends time with Maxon but mostly I kept getting caught up in the whole waiting for something to happen vibe.

Then when something does happen, this something being rebels its anti-climatic. Very little is said about the rebels except for there are two groups, one more dangerous than the other. Nobody knows what the rebels want, or why they come and despite the supposed frequency of the attacks no body really seems concerned with this. I'm starting to think that the characters in this book have a problem with doing anything or taking action. They all seem to be quite content to stand around and see the world go by.

But there is always that intriguing idea of selecting the future queen through a bachelor like process. I mean they even televise the event. Despite the few holes in the characters and the plot I actually really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, light read that was entertaining. 

This book is something that I would recommend you read before, not after, an intense or long book. It would probably also be good to get out a of reading slump.

Ignite Me

Title: Ignite Me

Series: Shatter Me Trilogy - book 3

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 4

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia Sci Fi

Number of Pages: 421

Publication Date: 2014

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary: With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn't know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won't keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world...but that's not all he wants with her.

What a fantastic conclusion to the Shatter Me Trilogy. This final book is action packed, fast paced, and brings the series to a nice close. By the end of this book I had well and truly fallen in love with the characters and was sad to know that their story had come to an end.

May contain spoilers...

The character development in Ignite Me was perhaps my favourite part of this book and this series. I originally found the characters to be very two dimensional and I couldn't really love them. But by the end of this book I found myself understanding who the characters were and the difficult decisions they were making. Juliette had a huge amount of character development in this book. When I read Unravel Me I thought that she was finally the character she was meant to be, but after Ignite Me I realised that only the surface of the strength and determination she possessed had been revealed.

Warner also makes huge changes in this book. While in the previous books and novella we have slowly been revealed to the human side of Warner, it is in Ignite Me that I fell in love with him. In the previous books Warner, while having genuine and redeeming qualities, had ultimately done what he needed to survive. But in Ignite Me he learns to be a strong individual who not only does the right thing, but isn't scared to do so. Warner also learns to do things for others, and I don't just mean doing things for Juliette because he likes her.

The character development that I loved the most, however, was that of Adam. Why?.. because he went kinda backwards. I loved seeing the petty, angry and not-so-perfect side of Adam. Previously I had found him to be too perfect, too flawless and lacking any realistic dimensions. But seeing him crumble and failing to be this perfect crutch that would help Juliette and the rest of the world onto the right path was a refreshing sequence of events in the book.

I was also pleased to see a more active role of the Reestablishment in this book. This series is meant to revolve around the destruction and corruption of the world and the Reestablishment, but in many ways it was lacking in the first two books. There was a lot of talk of the Reestablishment but no real action. While a large portion of the beginning of this book did continue in this same fashion, the big epic battle at the end did make up for this. 

Unravel Me

Title: Unravel Me

Series: Shatter Me Trilogy - book 2

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Number of Pages: 461

Publication Date: January 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary (from the back of the book): Juliette is still haunted by her deadly touch. But now she has teamed up with other rebels with powers of their own, she'll be able to fight back against the Reestablishment to save her broken world. With the help of these new allies, she will learn the secret behind Adam's-and Warner's-immunity to her killer skin.

I didn't particularly like the first book in this series but I had heard that it gets better as you go along so I picked up Unravel Me and I'm really glad I decided to. Everything that I didn't like in Shatter Me seems to get sorted out in this book and everything that I was uncertain of, was cleared up. It's not often you come across a second book in a series which is the one that holds it all together. 

The main thing that I disliked in the first book was the relationship between Adam and Juliette, and Warner and Juliette. It all felt a little forced. After reading this second book and watching the characters develop I began to understand why the characters came across like this. In Shatter Me all the characters seemed to be going through the motions, doing what they thought was expected of them. But in this book they start to see that maybe they need to think a little of themselves and do what they want. But not quite as much as the reader realises how much they need to rethink a few things.

I was also glad that who the Reestablishment was and their goals were brought more into this story. Once again I did, however, find that the role of this corrupt group did play a slightly less significant role than Juliette working out who she is and what her abilities are, and her boy issues.The ending of this book has set up the Reestablishment to play a huge role in the final book and I hope I won't be disappointed. 

Que some minor spoilers....

In this second book we learn why it is that Adam and Warner are immune to Juliette's powers...but more importantly we see Adam stop being immune to Juliette's power. Something which brings a staggering amount of reality into the story. When Juliette and Adam realise that he is not quite as immune to her powers as they thought, they are forced to seriously reconsider their relationship and whether or not it is wise for them to keep seeing each other. When Juliette pulls away to protect Adam, we also get to see a darker side of Adam. Especially when he is put in situations involving Warner.

Without Adam acting as a crutch on reality for Juliette, she is forced to be a little more independent and we begin to see her learning to live and not just existing. Juliette begins to make friends and with Warner a prisoner at Omega Point, we get to see her interact with someone who actually understands what she has been through. It is through Juliette's interactions with Warner that as a reader you begin to understand how badly Juliette has been forgetting to live her own life, how much she has been relying on others and doing what she thinks is expected of her. And much like the first book, Warner pushes all her buttons and makes her react and feel. Something that Juliette has spent a large chunk of her life trying not to do.

I found Unravel Me to be the book where the story started. In many ways I have found Shatter Me to simply be the starting point, the book that sets the scene. But now the story has really begun.

Shatter Me

Title: Shatter Me
Series: Shatter Me Trilogy - book 1
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Rating: 3.5
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy/ Sci-fi
Number of Pages: 338
Publication Date:November 2011
Publisher: Harper Collins
Summary (from the back of book): Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong colour. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war - and the Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

The first thing I want to mention is the writing style of this book. You are either going to love it or hate it. Personally I found all the metaphors and crossed out to words, especially in the beginning of the book, difficult to get the flow of. It was a bit too stop and start for me. However, I do understand that this style of writing is essential for the book. Through writing from Juliette's perspective this style of writing provides an incredibly detailed line of sight in Juliette's mind. And the lack of stability that she is experiencing.

The second half of this book is a lot better than the first half, in fact the first quarter of the book almost made me put it down. For the first part of this book I was a little confused as to what was going on, especially the role of Adam and Warner. While I understand that Juliette is confused and therefore so is the reader, at times this caused the story to lack enough insight to hold my attention.

This next part will be a bit spoilery, so if you haven't read the book yet, divert your gaze:

The relationship between Adam and Juliette and even Warner's feelings for Juliette, leave me mildly annoyed and unhappy. To me, I found them both to be quite forced. The relationship between Adam and Juliette happens too fast, it almost insta-love. And I hate insta-love. While later in the book it is established that Juliette and Adam not only know each other from the past, but have always loved each other, this was not developed enough for me, and not developed early enough, for me to loose this feeling of insta-love. At first I questioned whether I had missed a page or two.

The potential for a relationship between Warner and Juliette was also something I struggled with. It is only now as I read the novella following the first book where I have gotten any idea of where a potential relationship between the two stems from. It is only near the end of Shatter Me that it is really hinted at that Warner has been following Juliette's live with interest, border lining obsession. And it is only in the novella that it actually becomes clear what Warner is thinking.

Once again I'm not sure if this is because Juliette thinks this way, so as a reader, so do I (after all, a larger proportion of this book is her internal monologue)...or if the relationships she has with these two boys is just something I find lacking. I will be persevering with this series as I have heard many people claim that the rest of the series is a lot better than the first book. I also feel that Shatter Me is a book you almost need to re-read once you get a better understanding of the series to fully appreciate it. The premise of this book really interests me as well and I am interested it seeing how the Reestablishment side of this series plays out.

The Elite

Title: The Elite

Series: The Selection - book 2

Author: Kiera Cass

Rating: 4 stars

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Number of Pages: 323

Publication Date: 2013

Publisher: Harper Collins

Summary (from the back of the book): America Singer is one of the Elite and Prince Maxon only has eyes for her. If she wins the competition for heart, she will leave her pre-destined life for a world of luxury. But the outcome is less than certain; the threat of rebel violence just beyond the palace walls is escalating into war and bitter rivals are ready to take her down. And America's feelings for Maxon grow stronger, ex-lover Aspen waits for her in the shadows. Where do her loyalties truly lie?

This book is far better than the first one. The plot in this book is more thought out and the characters have started to develop some depth. One of the reasons that I think this happens is because America is finally invested in the story line. In The Selection America spends much of her time wanting to be anywhere else, to be living a different reality - and reading about a character who doesn't want to be in her own story is hard.

Which is what leads me to the thing I love the most about this book. Kiera beautifully crafted the emotional labour that someone would probably be feeling going through an experience like the Selection. With a premise like this book you end up putting the characters in some pretty emotionally hard places. First there is the love triangle between America, Maxon and all the other girls in the Selection and then as Aspen so nicely puts it: "Sometimes I feel like Maxon and I are in our own version of the Selection...and...Maxon doesn't exactly know we're competing". Naturally anyone put in a situation like this begins to get a little stressed which I was glad to finally see. For a moment I was worried that the situation wasn't going to bother any of the characters, they were all just going to go with the unrealistic flow.

All though this also lead to thing I hate must in any book: angst! I hate angst, it puts me in a really bad space and when I read about it...well I just want to put the book down and walk away. However, I did persevere and I was glad I did. Because having a bit of angst was the only way that Kiera managed to get America and Maxon to finally talk to one another. If I could have reached through the book and shaken these two I would have.

The angst did have one redeeming quality. It gave some really good insight into who America and Maxon were as characters. Obviously from page one it has been clear that America and Maxon come from two totally different worlds. America's family would go without adequate food and sometimes forfeit electricity and Maxon is a prince. There was never going to be a perfectly aligned relationship that these two assumed existed. America's fears are really brought into the light in this book. We see her struggle with not only her relationship but with her questioning if she is actually cut out for some of the hardships of being a future queen. With Maxon we see that being a prince isn't all charm and smiles but can sometimes be a cage of its own. We also get to see a not-so-perfect side of Maxon as well. The side that shows that he is an only child and a prince...so yes he is a little spoiled and good at hiding who he is really is.

The one thing that I would liked this book to have had more of was the rebels. It has been clear throughout both The Selection and The Elite that rebels are going to play some significant role. But as of yet, they haven't. I'm a bit concerned for how Kiera will play this out in the next book as I feel like all of sudden the rebel plot line could take over, when the fundamental story line is the Selection competition. I am also hoping that the next book looks a little more at the creation and structure of Illéa as I think this would give the book something more.

The Queen of the Tearling

Title: The Queen of the Tearling

Series: The Queen of the Tearling - book 1

Author: Erika Johansen

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: Paranormal, Dystopia

Number of Pages: 434

Publication Date: 2014

Publisher: Bantam Press

Summary: It was on her nineteenth birthday that the soldiers came for Kelsea Glynn. They came to escort her back to the place of her birth - to ensure she takes possession of what is rightfully hers. But like many nineteen-year-olds, Kelsea is unruly, has high principals and believes she knows better than her elders. Unlike many nineteen year olds, she is about to inherit a kingdom that is on its knees - corrupt, debauched and dangerous. Kelsea will either become the most fearsome ruler the kingdom has ever known...or be dead within the week.

For the month of June by TBR Challenge was to read a book by a new to me author. So I went looking for an author I had never heard of and I didn't read any reviews, I simply picked the book up based entirely on its summary.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen was a new and refreshing read and is filled with a good dose of realism. The story follows the journey of Kelsea as she becomes the Queen of the Tearling, a dangerous and difficult role as Kelsea is forced to fight for the lives of her people as well as herself.

When and where this book is set I'm not really sure. It is a dystopian world but whether it is set in our world or another I'm not 100% on. But this is one of the reasons I loved it. There is a small amount of paranormal to this book, and I suspect the second book will contain more, but is otherwise set in a medieval type setting.

Another thing I loved about this book was the lack of romance. Yes, that's right, lack of romance! While there is a handsome guy Kelsea likes, her thoughts and feelings and their interactions are only seen in a mere 20-30 pages throughout the entire book.

The main thing I loved about this book was that we got to see the political side of being a Queen, politics being a subject most authors seem to gloss over if possible, because lets face it, politics can go very wrong. But Johansen found a balancing point and managed to write a good deal of detail without causing anyone to drown.

I did have a few small issues with the book though. I felt there were a few incidents and details of the story that didn't seem to match as seemlessly as they could have. However, thankfully these details were usually a part of the back story and easy to overlook.

I look forward to picking up the next book in the series, The Invasion of the Tearling and I hope I can give the second book a 5 star rating as well.