Komal

When I was reading the 4 prequel novellas, I had extremely high hopes for Throne of Glass. I wanted to love it. But it turned out to be a massive letdown. 

- Celeana is an arrogant bitch. I couldn't stand her and wanted to kick her most of the time. I understood why she was arrogant (even though it annoyed the hell out of me) when she was still working with Arobynn in the novellas but I was expecting her to tone it down a bit after spending a year in Endovier. But no, she's still the same ungrateful, smug bitch that she was before she was sent there. Not only that, but I feel like the author shows every woman that's not Celaena in a bad light. In the novellas, there was Lysandra. In this novel, it's Katlain and the Queen.

- The book goes on about how Celeana is a feared, ruthless assassin. Yet, she doesn't assassinate anyone in this novel. Also, we would expect her to be careful when there's a killer on the loose in the castle but when she finds a bag of candies on her bed, she eats up all of them, not even thinking that it could be poisoned or whatever. That is Adarlan's most notorious assassin?

- The book is about a competition with various Tests which Celaena must pass if she doesn't want to be sent back to Endovier. Yet, we are not given any details of the Tests, except the poison one, and the last battle in the end. It's like they are completely unimportant.

- The world building was flimsy and lacking in substance. 

- I am not exaggerating when I say that the romance takes up more than half of the book. There's not enough tension about the competition. Instead, the book goes on and on about how Prince Dorian is strikingly handsome and how it would feel to kiss him. It was pure insta-love. As for Chaol, it wasn't really insta-love and I would've rooted for him had he not been an insufferable jerk to Celaena for half of the book. 

Overall, I didn't hate this book but it was ok. I expected a lot because I liked the novellas enough to be excited about this one but I was disappointed. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who'd want an original YA Fantasy read but most people gave it 4* or 5* so you'll probably enjoy it more than I did.

As many people say, the hype always lies.

Before reading the book: OMG look at that cute cover! Definitely looks like a nice, enjoyable summer read!

After reading the book: 

 

 

 

I was warned that Waiting For You was ridiculous. I was even given examples of the ridiculousness. But my curiosity and that too-pretty-for-its-content cover forced me to read it despite that. As soon as I read the first few pages, I knew I had made a mistake by picking this up.

Let me explain.

The characters 
Bailey.
What to say about her? At first, she seemed to be a relatable MC. She has overly strict parents, a Dad who's a mayor so even more pressure, has had a lot of restrictions all her life, always gets perfect grades, and one day she's got of enough of all that and decides to 'rebel' and speak up. Fine, okay till now. Typical teenage behaviour. However, things became not fine when we found out that her way of rebelling is todrive off with a guy to whom she hasn't spoken in 8 years, and leaving everything behind her without a second thought. 

 

 

 

I get that she wanted to 'rebel'. But she's 18. You'd think that being mature, she would sit down and have a conversation with her parents like an adult, but no, she has to throw a tantrum during her valedictorian speech, drive off with some stranger and mess up her life. I found it unrealistic for both her and Dylan for throwing away their scholarships as if they were old socks. I don't care if they were best friends when they were 3, or if they secretly liked each other even when they didn't have any physical contact at all during 8 freaking years, but running off with some weird creep who can't even remember how many times he got arrested, smashed people's car countless times, and is aggressive towards people who try to talk to him? NO NO NO, JUST NO. 
That's not the only problem I had with Bailey. She was whiny and kept thinking about sex all the time, and sometimes I thought that she was purposely provoking Dylan just to get a reaction. She was just plain annoying. There was nothing likeable about her, except her spunk sometimes but it was barely noticeable among all her other shortcomings. 

Dylan.
Don't even get me started on that self-centered jerk. The banter between Bailey and him was funny in the beginning but he soon turned into a possessive bastard and instead of starting to like him, I decided he was a complete douche. Freaking out and becoming violent when the girl you like is only dancing with someone and having a good time is pure, irrational jealousy. Not only that, but he also beat a guy to a pulp when he caught him kissing Bailey when he, himself was previously checking out a married woman in front of Bailey. He actually scared me at some point, and although the 5* ratings say otherwise, I personally think that this book is an example of how an abusive relationship is okay when it's not. It made me want to bang my head on a wall when they would fight, say horrible things to each other aiming just where it would hurt, and then go back to their lives as if nothing happened. Their only solution? Have sex, sex and more sex. How realistic. 
OH, and the most important part? There's a scene near the end bordering rape. Yes, rape. (SPOILER:Forcing Bailey to give him a blowjob just to see her suffer was just appalling behaviour.) There are so many things wrong about that guy, it's just UGH.

 

The plot 
The story started fine but went downhill as soon as it shifted to Dylan's POV. I was under the impression that Bailey would finally see sense somewhere in the story and go back to her family and set things straight, but no, Dylan had already gotten to her. And that plot twist near the end? I didn't see it coming, but Bailey's reaction to it was unbelievably pointless. (SPOILER: I don't understand why she was feeling 'betrayed' or having any strong negative feelings towards Dylan. It was HIS mother who died, and HER father who killed her, not the other way round. I get that she would be pissed at her father, but pissed at Dylan for 'using' her? Yeah he was totally using her, but she doesn't get to be pissed because her mom didn't die. She was the idiot who agreed to go with him.) 

There were also a lot of grammar mistakes that made me want to pull my hair out. Some of them were so damn stupid that even an 8 year old kid would be ashamed of him/herself. Some scenes were really unneccessary too. There were too many almost-sex scenes with Bailey begging for sex each time and they got old pretty quickly.

 

However I think this book deserves 1.5 stars because despite the negative points I mentionned, there was some meaningful writing in there. Some paragraphs really make you think about life even if Shey Stahl didn't deal with the sensitive issues present in this book properly. I hate to say that, but I don't recommend this book to anyone. The moral lessons aren't worth the torture. Maybe some people will like this better than I did (and I'm sure of it considering all the 4* and 5* ratings) but this book was not my cup of tea.

As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to kick myself for not reading it sooner. Prodigy is brilliant. It managed to exceed my expectations and I absolutely loved how Marie Lu solved the mysteries and questions arising through both Legend and Prodigy, in a way that makes perfect sense.

One of the reasons I couldn't put down this book is because of the characters. Day and June are separated from each other for quite some time in this novel and they both start doubting each other, which is totally normal considering how hard it was for June to up and leave her whole life behind her in Legend. Both Day and June are flawed and this is what makes them so real. This turmoil that they're both going through is so tangible that it's easy to sympathise with their inner struggles. The way they trust each other, even in times of uncertainties, is astounding. I loved how calculating June was, always trusting her instincts (and her genius brain for that matter), her mind never wavering from her responsibilities. 

I also started seeing Kaede differently that I did in Legend. She is determined, full of spunk and not afraid of taking risks. Anden was equally interesting. Charming, polite, smart, and so hot. I really look forward to getting to know him more in Champion. But I don't want him and June to be a couple (SPOILER:even though I'm sure this will happen in Champion until Day is, obviously, cured). I'm wholly invested in Day and June together because they're just so:

 

 

 

As for the flashbacks involving Metias, they were so touching and sad and I just wanted to curl up in a ball because he didn't deserve to die that way. (SPOILER:And the fact that he was in love with Thomas? So unexpected. I hadn't thought of things that way before.) 

 

In terms of world building, this book outrules its predecessor. We learn more about how the Republic was formed, how the Trials came to be, what happened to other continents (Antartica's story was fascinating! Can you imaging speaking Antartican?) and what happens outside the Republic. 

Now, let's talk about the love square. Marie didn't develop it and turn it onto a drama-filled, complicated love square (thankfully) but there were a bunch of hints now and then, which annoyed me quite a lot mainly because of Tess' attitude.  

 

 

 

She changed so much in the space between the two books and is now a lovesick, jealous teenager with a crush on a guy who obviously doesn't feel the same way. I get that she'd be a bit jealous of June because Tess was the one who grew up with him and all, and then June came into the picture and BOOM. BUT, that's not an excuse to behave childishly and selfishly manipulate Day into thinking of June negatively. The arguments between Day and June could have been avoided had Tess not planted that seed in Day's head.

The ending. Oh God, that freaking ending. Mari Lu, how could you do this to me? I was in denial at first and was all like, "That did so not just happen. So freaking not." But then 'reality' came crashing down on me and I wanted to hit something hard because WHAT. WAS. THAT. ENDING. 

 

 

 

 

So, if you haven't read this masterpiece yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? This captivating, action-packed, well-written sequel will leave you breathless. Fortunately, I read Prodigy late enough to have only two months to wait for Champion. Only two months. But two agonizing months nevertheless.

I've had this book in my kindle for a year and despite the numerous recommendations and 4*/5* ratings, I was never eager to pick it up until recently when I decided to make it a buddy read. 

The Opportunist is a book about life and its choices/mistakes and the emotions they bring along: love, joy, angst, frustration but mostly a profound regret about things that could have happened but didn't as a result of those choices.

Opportunist: Someone who takes immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit.
And boy isn't this word the most accurate one to describe our dear characters. 

 

Olivia 

"I am Olivia Kaspen, and if I love something I rip it from my life. Not intentionally...not unintentionally either. 

Self-destructive, manipulative, shy, Olivia is a broken girl hiding behind the tough image she's created for herself. She's hostile to people and doesn't let anyone in easily. She did some pretty horrible and unforgivable things but I couldn't help but love her despite the lies that flowed so easily out of her mouth. What I liked about her was that she acknowledged the fact that she hurt people and she hated herself for it. The author wasn't trying to make us feel sorry for her, she was urging us to feel what Olivia was going through, that is, living in this self-created prison.

"I was a relationship retard. I kicked shoved, and punched people out of my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me." 

Caleb 

"I will love again, Olivia, you will hurt forever. What you've done is...You are worthless because you make yourself that way. You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away." 

Caleb Drake. I immediately fell for him during his first meeting with Olivia, because how can you not when the girl you like has a witty retort to each of your flirting attempts? However, as the story progresses, we learn that he's no angel compared to Olivia. They both are just the same. I don't blame him for trying to move on with Leah after the way things ended with Olivia. Nevertheless, he was a pretty good BF when he was dating her; he didn't give up pursuing Olivia and stood up to his mother when she made it clear that she profoundly disliked her.

Leah 

The perfect actress, incredibly self-centered, and overly dramatic bimbo who's there to screw up Caleb and Olivia's relationship even more. I hated her during the whole read, and it was not until I finished it and started reading Dirty Red that I realised that she may be conceited, smug and egoistic but she's no better than Olivia and Caleb. The latter may be playing a never-ending lying game with each other but Leah just uses her acting skills and her bitchy ways to get what she wants. In my opinion, the three of them are big, fat opportunists in their own ways. 

Noah 

 

 

"I’m saying that you don’t love him as much as you love yourself." 

He comes in towards the end of the book but I'm grateful that Olivia met him because he was like an eye-opener for her. His conversations with her were especially moving because Olivia was drowning herself in self-pity and pain because she knew she would never get Caleb back. In a way, he was the one who gave her the force she needed to, not completely let go of him, but just enough so that she could go on her with her life without feeling any remorse. 

 

SPOILER:

 

Now, about the confession scene in the end and the fact that Caleb overheard Ovilia finally admitting to loving him. I have mixed feelings about that scene. I didn't particularly like the fact that Caleb just happened to be there when she confessed but I didn't dislike it either. I knew that there was no way he would divorce Leah when he heard she was pregnant so there was no point in him hearing it but I wanted him to hear it because he needed to. Because she wouldn't say it when they were together in college, and that made it more heartbreaking. Her finally saying it when they both knew they couldn't be together, that is.
And for the amnesia thing, I find it surprising that most people never guessed it was fake but I had my suspicions in the beginning. I couldn't digest the fact that Caleb would tell his amnesia story and girlfriend issues to a complete stranger just because he liked the music she suggested he listened to. Also, he kinda blew his cover by calling her Duchess. 

 

 

All in all, The Opportunist was a brilliant story, cleverly put together and very well-written. The long year gaps never bothered me and I honestly think that Tarryn Fisher tackled them perfectly. The pacing is excellent and the Past and Present chapters fit together really well and I didn't find myself skipping a chapter just to be able to read either the Past or Present one because both of them were equally endearing. I recommend this to anyone who'd like to read an original, intense and alluring contemporary book. I was pleasantly surprised by it and I hope you will too, if you haven't read it yet.

What am I supposed to follow a book like this with? How are you supposed to recover from such a strong emotional experience?

This isn't really a review because I can't even begin to express myself at how much of a masterpiece this is, and I won't be objective at all. 

Conor's mother is sick. Terribly sick, and at the point of dying. He's known this for a while. His parents are divorced so Conor and his mother are on his own, except for his grandmother, who he isn't very fond of. He has nightmares about some kind of monster and one night, a monster appears from a yew tree by Conor's house. However it's not the one from his nightmare and he isn't scared at all. It tells Conor that it will tell him three stories and Conor will tell him the fourth; which will be the truth.

Oh my God. This book. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is how you write a book. This is how you deal with loss, pain, the battles of life and come to accept them. This is how you reduce your readers to nothing but puppets you can control with only a few pages of meaningful writing. A Monster Calls is one of those books out there that will make you think, experience something that you will never forget, break your heart in the most devastating and honest way, and blow you away. I've never cried this much after reading a book. And this is coming from a person who practically never cries when reading. The story was so poignant, the writing so beautiful, powerful, raw, and full of emotion that this book resonated with me so deeply. I have to say that I highlighted most of what the monster said. His stories were inspiring and true. His cryptic answers and ability to discern what is right or wrong is what made him such an amazing character. The illustrations are also perfectly done and are worth buying a physical copy for.

If you haven't read this, I don't know what you're waiting for. Grab it, devour it, feel it. 

As soon as I finished this book, I wanted to kick myself for not reading it sooner. Prodigy is brilliant. It managed to exceed my expectations and I absolutely loved how Marie Lu solved the mysteries and questions arising through both Legend and Prodigy, in a way that makes perfect sense.One of the reasons I couldn't put down this book is because of the characters. Day and June are separated from each other for quite some time in this novel and they both start doubting each other, which is totally normal considering how hard it was for June to up and leave her whole life behind her in Legend. Both Day and June are flawed and this is what makes them so real. This turmoil that they're both going through is so tangible that it's easy to sympathise with their inner struggles. The way they trust each other, even in times of uncertainties, is astounding. I loved how calculating June was, always trusting her instincts (and her genius brain for that matter), her mind never wavering from her responsibilities. I also started seeing Kaede differently that I did in Legend. She is determined, full of spunk and not afraid of taking risks. Anden was equally interesting. Charming, polite, smart, and so hot. I really look forward to getting to know him more in Champion. But I don't want him and June to be a couple even though I'm sure this will happen in Champion until Day is, obviously, cured. I'm wholly invested in Day and June together because they're just so:As for the flashbacks involving Metias, they were so touching and sad and I just wanted to curl up in a ball because he didn't deserve to die that way. And the fact that he was in love with Thomas? So unexpected. I hadn't thought of things that way before.In terms of world building, this book outrules its predecessor. We learn more about how the Republic was formed, how the Trials came to be, what happened to other continents (Antartica's story was fascinating! Can you imaging speaking Antartican?) and what happens outside the Republic. Now, let's talk about the love square. Marie didn't develop it and turn it onto a drama-filled, complicated love square (thankfully) but there were a bunch of hints now and then, which annoyed me quite a lot mainly because of Tess' attitude. She changed so much in the space between the two books and is now a lovesick, jealous teenager with a crush on a guy who obviously doesn't feel the same way. I get that she'd be a bit jealous of June because Tess was the one who grew up with him and all, and then June came into the picture and BOOM. BUT, that's not an excuse to behave childishly and selfishly manipulate Day into thinking of June negatively. The arguments between Day and June could have been avoided had Tess not planted that seed in Day's head.The ending. Oh God, that freaking ending. Mari Lu, how could you do this to me? I was in denial at first and was all like, "That did so not just happen. So freaking not." But then 'reality' came crashing down on me and I wanted to hit something hard because WHAT. WAS. THAT. ENDING. So, if you haven't read this masterpiece yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? This captivating, action-packed, well-written sequel will leave you breathless. Fortunately, I read Prodigy late enough to have only two months to wait for Champion. Only two months. But two agonizing months nevertheless.

3.5 stars.I could say that I didn't like this book. I could say that there's no point to this book because if Allyson had never agreed to go to Paris with a total stranger, none of this would ever have happened. I could even say that Allyson is stupid and should've forgotten Willem the moment she realised Willem had left her, or that looking for him in another continent was an even stupider idea because the odds of finding him were so low. But I won't. Because I was pleasantly surprised but how Gayle Forman, once again, perfectly tackled the emotional development aspect of this book. I have nothing much to say about it, except that I think it's a hit or miss book. You'll either like it or not. This story isn't perfect, but it's honest and real, and will reach inside of you, and change something there. Some things bugged me, such as how travel is portrayed as being easy, the depth of the Shakespeare references -tone the symbolisn down a notch will ya-, the romance was unconvincing at some point, and the choices Allyson made about her life were a bit rushed. But otherwise it's a nice and light read.

3.5 stars.

3.5 stars.

Read along with Leah!

*Read along with Jessie!*I've had this book in my kindle for a year and despite the numerous recommendations and 4*/5* ratings, I was never eager to pick it up until recently when I decided to make it a buddy read. The Opportunist is a book about life and its choices/mistakes and the emotions they bring along: love, joy, angst, frustration but mostly a profound regret about things that could have happened but didn't as a result of those choices.Opportunist: Someone who takes immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit.And boy isn't this word the most accurate one to describe our dear characters. Olivia"I am Olivia Kaspen, and if I love something I rip it from my life. Not intentionally...not unintentionally either.Self-destructive, manipulative, shy, Olivia is a broken girl hiding behind the tough image she's created for herself. She's hostile to people and doesn't let anyone in easily. She did some pretty horrible and unforgivable things but I couldn't help but love her despite the lies that flowed so easily out of her mouth. What I liked about her was that she acknowledged the fact that she hurt people and she hated herself for it. The author wasn't trying to make us feel sorry for her, she was urging us to feel what Olivia was going through, that is, living in this self-created prison."I was a relationship retard. I kicked shoved, and punched people out of my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me."Caleb"I will love again, Olivia, you will hurt forever. What you've done is...You are worthless because you make yourself that way. You will remember me every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away."Caleb Drake. I immediately fell for him during his first meeting with Olivia, because how can you not when the girl you like has a witty retort to each of your flirting attempts? However, as the story progresses, we learn that he's no angel compared to Olivia. They both are just the same. I don't blame him for trying to move on with Leah after the way things ended with Olivia. Nevertheless, he was a pretty good BF when he was dating her; he didn't give up pursuing Olivia and stood up to his mother when she made it clear that she profoundly disliked her.LeahThe perfect actress, incredibly self-centered, and overly dramatic bimbo who's there to screw up Caleb and Olivia's relationship even more. I hated her during the whole read, and it was not until I finished it and started reading Dirty Red that I realised that she may be conceited, smug and egoistic but she's no better than Olivia and Caleb. The latter may be playing a never-ending lying game with each other but Leah just uses her acting skills and her bitchy ways to get what she wants. In my opinion, the three of them are big, fat opportunists in their own ways. Noah"I’m saying that you don’t love him as much as you love yourself."He comes in towards the end of the book but I'm grateful that Olivia met him because he was like an eye-opener for her. His conversations with her were especially moving because Olivia was drowning herself in self-pity and pain because she knew she would never get Caleb back. In a way, he was the one who gave her the force she needed to, not completely let go of him, but just enough so that she could go on her with her life without feeling any remorse. Now, about the confession scene in the end and the fact that Caleb overheard Ovilia finally admitting to loving him. I have mixed feelings about that scene. I didn't particularly like the fact that Caleb just happened to be there when she confessed but I didn't dislike it either. I knew that there was no way he would divorce Leah when he heard she was pregnant so there was no point in him hearing it but I wanted him to hear it because he needed to. Because she wouldn't say it when they were together in college, and that made it more heartbreaking. Her finally saying it when they both knew they couldn't be together, that is.And for the amnesia thing, I find it surprising that most people never guessed it was fake but I had my suspicions in the beginning. I couldn't digest the fact that Caleb would tell his amnesia story and girlfriend issues to a complete stranger just because he liked the music she suggested he listened to. Also, he kinda blew his cover by calling her Duchess. All in all, The Opportunist was a brilliant story, cleverly put together and very well-written. The long year gaps never bothered me and I honestly think that Tarryn Fisher tackled them perfectly. The pacing is excellent and the Past and Present chapters fit together really well and I didn't find myself skipping a chapter just to be able to read either the Past or Present one because both of them were equally endearing. I recommend this to anyone who'd like to read an original, intense and alluring contemporary book. I was pleasantly surprised by it and I hope you will too, if you haven't read it yet.

Gorgeous prose, memorable quotes, real and believable characters, realistic depiction of teenage years. This book is simply magnificent.Review to come.

As many people say, the hype always lies.Before reading the book: OMG look at that cute cover! Definitely looks like a nice, enjoyable summer read!After reading the book: I was warned that Waiting For You was ridiculous. I was even given examples of the ridiculousness. But my curiosity and that too-pretty-for-its-content cover forced me to read it despite that. As soon as I read the first few pages, I knew I had made a mistake by picking this up.Let me explain.The charactersBailey.What to say about her? At first, she seemed to be a relatable MC. She has overly strict parents, a Dad who's a mayor so even more pressure, has had a lot of restrictions all her life, always gets perfect grades, and one day she's got of enough of all that and decides to 'rebel' and speak up. Fine, okay till now. Typical teenage behaviour. However, things became not fine when we found out that her way of rebelling is to drive off with a guy to whom she hasn't spoken in 8 years, and leaving everything behind her without a second thought. I get that she wanted to 'rebel'. But she's 18. You'd think that being mature, she would sit down and have a conversation with her parents like an adult, but no, she has to throw a tantrum during her valedictorian speech, drive off with some stranger and mess up her life. I found it unrealistic for both her and Dylan for throwing away their scholarships as if they were old socks. I don't care if they were best friends when they were 3, or if they secretly liked each other even when they didn't have any physical contact at all during 8 freaking years, but running off with some weird creep who can't even remember how many times he got arrested, smashed people's car countless times, and is aggressive towards people who try to talk to him? NO NO NO, JUST NO. That's not the only problem I had with Bailey. She was whiny and kept thinking about sex all the time, and sometimes I thought that she was purposely provoking Dylan just to get a reaction. She was just plain annoying. There was nothing likeable about her, except her spunk sometimes but it was barely noticeable among all her other shortcomings. Dylan.Don't even get me started on that self-centered jerk. The banter between Bailey and him was funny in the beginning but he soon turned into a possessive bastard and instead of starting to like him, I decided he was a complete douche. Freaking out and becoming violent when the girl you like is only dancing with someone and having a good time is pure, irrational jealousy. Not only that, but he also beat a guy to a pulp when he caught him kissing Bailey when he, himself was previously checking out a married woman in front of Bailey. He actually scared me at some point, and although the 5* ratings say otherwise, I personally think that this book is an example of how an abusive relationship is okay when it's not. It made me want to bang my head on a wall when they would fight, say horrible things to each other aiming just where it would hurt, and then go back to their lives as if nothing happened. Their only solution? Have sex, sex and more sex. How realistic. OH, and the most important part? There's a scene near the end bordering rape. Yes, rape. Forcing Bailey to give him a blowjob just to see her suffer was just appalling behaviour. There are so many things wrong about that guy, it's just UGH.The plotThe story started fine but went downhill as soon as it shifted to Dylan's POV. I was under the impression that Bailey would finally see sense somewhere in the story and go back to her family and set things straight, but no, Dylan had already gotten to her. And that plot twist near the end? I didn't see it coming, but Bailey's reaction to it was unbelievably pointless. I don't understand why she was feeling 'betrayed' or having any strong negative feelings towards Dylan. It was HIS mother who died, and HER father who killed her, not the other way round. I get that she would be pissed at her father, but pissed at Dylan for 'using' her? Yeah he was totally using her, but she doesn't get to be pissed because her mom didn't die. She was the idiot who agreed to go with him.There were also a lot of grammar mistakes that made me want to pull my hair out. Some of them were so damn stupid that even an 8 year old kid would be ashamed of him/herself. Some scenes were really unneccessary too. There were too many almost-sex scenes with Bailey begging for sex each time and they got old pretty quickly.However I think this book deserves 2 stars because despite the negative points I mentionned, there was some meaningful writing in there. Some paragraphs really make you think about life even if Shey Stahl didn't deal with the sensitive issues present in this book properly. I hate to say that, but I don't recommend this book to anyone. The moral lessons aren't worth the torture. Maybe some people will like this better than I did (and I'm sure of it considering all the 4* and 5* ratings) but this book was not my cup of tea.

In this very short (but still creepy as hell) installment set just a few weeks after Red Fox, Perry and Dex investigate a hotel, The Benson, that's supposedly haunted by Parker Hayden, who was hanged in the hotel's laundry room.This novella was spooky, filled with tension, and the funny banter between Dex and Perry was enjoyable to read about. Perry is still scared but brave, and in love with Dex, while the latter is still the arrogant bastard he usually is. Sometimes I feel like punching him but the two of them have such amazing chemistry that is almost tangible. Karina also captures the creepy mood of the hotel perfectly, so even if this book was way too short, it's worth giving it a try just for the spooky haunted hotel vibes!

Review to come. Maybe.

I have been looking forward to reading this since I finished Kasie West's first novel, Pivot Point. And she did it again.Caymen Meyers lives with her Mom and grew up poor. They manage a doll store -some of the dolls are really creepy as hell- and they live just above it in a tiny apartment. They both have issues with rich people, coming from the fact that her dad's rich parents gave money to Susan, her mom, to leave their son alone when they learnt she was pregnant. She grew up disliking rich people, and never took the time to mingle with them because she knew her mother would disapprove.Caymen is no doubt the most sarcastic character I've ever come across. Like she says, she's exceptionally sarcastic. She has a witty retort to everything and she never missed a chance to make other people uncomfortable with her incredibly dry sense of humor. She made me laugh during the whole book, even during the serious situations. I also liked how she never complained about her financial situation. She was poor, and dating an awfully rich guy but pratically never felt self-conscious. I mean, she did. Once or twice but she never tried to do anything about it to impress him. She was always like, 'That's how I am and you're gonna have to accept that.' However, there's a big plot twist near the end concerning money, which turned out to have a huge role in their relationship. And the whole plot too.There's one thing you must know about Xander Spence. He is rich. Rich, as in stinking rich. Yes, he is ridiculousy charming. Yes, he is always dressed in designer clothes, and buys $30 socks. Yes, he has 4 four cars and a private jet. But he's actually a down to earth guy and isn't at all pretentious, arrogant like most of the rich kids out there. Plus he's awfully cute. He definitely adds to my book boyfriend list, because he's so considerate and didn't stop being nice to Caymen when she was rude to him. I especially liked how their relationship played out. It was no insta-love thing. In fact her prejudices against Xander gradually changed, when she learned more about him. Their dates were really fun and out of the ordinary and it was cute how Xander didn't complain about the blisters during the grave digging.Some random quotes that I loved:Xander opens the compartment above my knees and takes out a pair of leather gloves. As he pulls them on I can't help but laugh."What?""You have driving gloves.""And?""And it's funny.""Funny adorable?"I shake my head. "If you say so."__________________________________________________________"So Caymen...""So, Xander...""Like the islands.""What?""Your name. Caymen. Like the Cayman Islands. Is that your mom's favourite place to visit or something?""No, it's her third favourite place. I have an older brother named Paris and an older sister named Sydney.""Wow." He opens the bag, takes out a muffin, and hands it to me. The top glistens with sprinkled sugar. "Really?"I gently unwrap it. "No."Sadly, I felt that the ending was rushed and I still had many questions, like who was Matthew, how he was involved with Caymen's mom, if Caymen would ever look for and meet her dad, and how did Xander and Susan's conversation go in the end, and why is her name Caymen??? Otherwise, I'm thrilled that I read this book as it is a good summer read, and you'll no doubt finish it in one sitting. A must-read!