I was happy to see how the series finally ended. I’ve enjoyed Maxon and America’s love story from the very beginning and was pleased to see how the series finally came to a close. Although I felt it was very predictable and I realized that I knew the ending from the very beginning of the series. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed these books, other people may not. It’s a cute idea and will appeal to those who watch the TV show “The Bachelor/ette” but other than that there is not a lot of content to the story. Kiera Cass tries to make it a dystopian society by adding in rebel attacks; however it is never explained in depth and the reader is left with an unclear ending on what happens to these rebels. Because of this, the story is truly centered upon who will be the next princess and marry the prince. It is a romance novel with a love triangle and nothing more. I’m telling you this now, if you think this will be like The Hunger Games or the Matched trilogy it’s not. I don’t want to degrade the story but I also want to be truthful because not everyone will enjoy this story the same way I did. Therefore this final Selection book deserves 3 out of 5 stars.
In the final book of the Selection series, America is one of the four final girls competing in the competition. Thirty-five girls entered the Selection and only one can become the next princess. These girls have forged friendships with one another and relationships with Prince Maxon. However, the king still does not approve of America and her actions; and is pushing Maxon to choose anyone else for a wife. Throughout the entire series America has been uncertain who she wants to pursue a future with, Aspen or Maxon. But now with rebel forces threatening the power of the crown, Maxon is forced to choose a girl who can help him bring the country of Illéa into a new light. America never dreamed that she would make it this far in the competition or fall in love with Maxon. And as the threats from rebels become targeted at the girls of the Selection, America realizes how much she stands to lose and what she must do to save their people and her loved ones.
I was happy to see how the series finally ended. I’ve enjoyed Maxon and America’s love story from the very beginning and was pleased to see how the series finally came to a close. Although I felt it was very predictable and I realized that I knew the ending from the very beginning of the series. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed these books, other people may not. It’s a cute idea and will appeal to those who watch the TV show “The Bachelor/ette” but other than that there is not a lot of content to the story. Kiera Cass tries to make it a dystopian society by adding in rebel attacks; however it is never explained in depth and the reader is left with an unclear ending on what happens to these rebels. Because of this, the story is truly centered upon who will be the next princess and marry the prince. It is a romance novel with a love triangle and nothing more. I’m telling you this now, if you think this will be like The Hunger Games or the Matched trilogy it’s not. I don’t want to degrade the story but I also want to be truthful because not everyone will enjoy this story the same way I did. Therefore this final Selection book deserves 3 out of 5 stars.
0 Comments
In the final book in the Syrena Legacy series, Emma and Galen decide to get away from the ocean and visit the small town of Neptune, deep in the Tennessee mountains. But their road trip is nothing that either Emma or Galen expected. Here they meet Reed, an extremely friendly Half-Breed who has taken a deep liking to Emma. They also learn that the entire population of Neptune consists of Half-Breeds, Syrena, and humans all living together. Then, Galen mysterious disappears leaving Emma all alone in town with, of all people, the affection Reed. Now Emma must uncover secrets about Neptune’s past in order to make it back to her family and save the kingdom that just spared her life. But with Galen not there to protect her, Emma seems to find more trouble than she does eliminate it. In the thrilling conclusion to Anna Banks’ trilogy, readers will finally get the answers they are looking for; while saying good bye to a wonderful cast of characters. Of Neptune was a great end to the Syrena Legacy series. Anna Banks has once again out done herself in crafting a new adventure for both Galen and Emma. However I am sad that I have to say good bye to these characters. Galen and Emma’s love story was one of the best I have read lately. There were good moments and then the not so good ones; and that’s what makes this story so wonderful. Because Anna Banks didn’t write about all the fluff of romance, where everything is always perfect and the characters are only doing good things, she wrote a story with strong characters that had rebellious minds of their own but also were able to accomplish the end goal. I think had Anna Banks made Emma less rebellious the story wouldn’t have been that great. Because Emma would have listened to everything Galen told her and obeyed his orders. Instead, she herself became a heroine in the story because she was able to achieve the same things as Galen in her own stubborn way. In the end, these books were some of my favorite to read and I hope that anyone who enjoys a good story with strong characters will read these books. And of course, Of Neptune deserves 5 out of 5 stars for everything but most of all… its happy ending. In the second installment of the Syrena trilogy, Emma has just discovered that she is a half-breed (half-human and half-Syrena) and that her mother is Nalia, the long lost Poseidon princess. But with her mother’s secret uncovered, Nalia feels threatened and kidnaps Emma, with her, into hiding. Now Galen must work to uncover the past in order to save his kingdom from being overthrown by a powerful merman who claims Nalia is a fraud. And there is also the problem of Emma because according to the Syrenan law, half-breeds are abominations. So how can Galen save his kingdom while also protecting the one person that he loves most in the world? Anna Banks answers these questions and more in the thrilling sequel to Of Poseidon. I cannot express how happy I am to have brought and read Of Triton. Anna Banks is a marvelous writer. I absolutely love the way she put together the puzzle pieces of a story; with just the right amount of swoon worthy moments, action, and adventures. However I was surprised by how the book ended. It had such a large idea that was crammed into a small number of pages that it left me wanting more. However, the story ended on the perfect note; which surprised me given that there is a third book. But now the less, Of Triton is a great book that I recommend to any fan of Twilight (because even though the books look mediocre they are a-m-a-z-i-n-g!). 5 out of 5 stars for Anna Banks’ Of Triton. In the sequel to Also Known As, Maggie has continued to stay in New York being both a spy and “normal girl”. But no matter how much Maggie enjoys the company of her best friend Rue and boyfriend Jesse, she can’t help but wish that there were more assignments for her to complete. And it isn’t until Maggie’s parents are accused by the Collective of stealing evidence, that Maggie becomes knee deep in spy work once again. Only this time, she is working to save her parents and cannot consult them for help. It seems that the Collective is upset that Maggie was able to prove that there are double agents and bad guys within their agency; and the Collective will do anything to show her wrong. Now, Maggie must work with only her family friend, and of course spy, Angelo in order to find the mysterious gold coins that the Collective is accusing her parents stole. And what could possibly go wrong? We’ll see as Maggie works against the agency that always provided her with everything she ever needed to complete an assignment. Going Rogue is the perfect companion to Also Known As. The reader sees how Maggie is thrust into a new and foreign situation and has to work completely alone. Once again Robin Benway has written a hilarious book with friends and a boyfriend that we can all relate to. And with this new assignment, Benway has also incorporated greater danger and intensity than seen in her first book, Also Known As. This series is perfect for any fan of Ally Carter and someone looking for a good pool side read (or the beach!). Therefore I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars for the richer plot than Also Known As and surprising ending to Maggie’s mission. Sixteen-year-old Maggie has a secret bigger than any high school gossip. She’s an international spy and the best safecracker her agency, the Collective, has seen in their existence. But being a spy isn’t easy. With her family moving across the world for different assignments, it’s hard to make friends and go to high school. But it isn’t until Maggie given the chance, with her first solo assignment, that she learns how hard it really is to keep one of her biggest secrets. That’s how Maggie ends up going to a private high school and falling for the hottest boy, Jesse Oliver, while trying to steal information on the Collective and Maggie’s family from Jesse’s father’s magazine. Now Maggie has to deal with her love life and friendship with her best and only friend Rue all while lying to the people she loves most. Also Known As is a must read for any fan of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series. Here we see Maggie troubled with the problems of trying to be a normal teenager girl while also having to hide the fact she is an international spy that can crack any lock on a door, locker, or safe. I came across this book when I had too much time on my hands and was browsing the Barnes and Noble store. I was super excited to learn that, even though Ally Carter’s series on spies has ended, there was another series out there which happened to be very similar. Robin Benway is able to appeal to any teenage girl with Maggie’s hilarious encounters with girls and boys alike throughout her entire attempt to defeat the bad guys. With these thoughts in mind, I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars for the interesting twists throughout the story but only a 4.5 because the relationships that Maggie builds are pretty predictable. Galen is the prince of the Syrena (mermaids and mermen) who was sent to land in order to find a girl who can supposedly communicate with fish. That’s when he encounters Emma, while she is on vacation in Florida with her best friend Chloe. But it isn't until Chloe is attacked by a shark that Galen begins to believe that Emma has the Gift of Poseidon and can communicate with fish. Now Galen must pretend to be a human all while trying to convince Emma that she too is Syrenan and holds the key to saving his people. However this proves to be difficult with Emma’s temper and the feelings that both Galen and Emma develop for each other. Told from both the viewpoints of Emma and Galen, Of Poseidon brings a story of love, sacrifice, and humor as both Galen and Emma try to discover where her gift came from and how she can save the Syrenan. Just recently I brought a NOOK and noticed that this book was one of the books on spotlight and sale. Of course I was curious after seeing this book at my local Barnes and Noble store and once I read the back I knew I had to read it. I wasn't sure what to expect but within a couple chapters I was hooked and finished the book within two days. Just to let you folks know the book is about 380 pages. It was that good! At first I was confused as to what being Syrenan meant and it wasn't until Emma asks Galen if he is a merman that I understand. Other than that the book was amazing. Hunger, lust, and surprises make this a quick page turner until the very end. I would recommend this book to any fan of romance and perhaps even the story of The Little Mermaid or really any fairy tale/fantasy novel. Anna Banks takes the realm of fantasy books one step further with her series about mermaids. Therefore I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. In the second installment of The Mortal Instruments series, Valentine is back and Clary is forced to choose between a normal life and helping the shadowhunters. But her choice is made clear once her new found brother, the gorgeous Jace, is blamed by the Clave for the disappearance of the second Mortal Instrument and to be conspiring with his father against the government. Now Clary must befriend vampires, faeries, and werewolves in order to gather evidence to prove Jace is innocent. However, this proves to be hard with a mother induced in a magical coma and an evil father ravaging on the loose across the mundane world. Not to mention the fact that Clary has no shadowhunter training and nobody believes Jace is innocent. Together Clary, Isabelle, Alec, and Simon must work together, with the help of Luke, in order to bring down Valentine, recover the Mortal Instruments, and save Clary’s mother; all while protecting the mundane world from demons. The City of Ashes was definitely a good read. I absolutely enjoy how Cassandra Clare has incorporated all the mythical creatures into one book series. Throughout this book there were multiple surprises that I was not expecting based on the end of book one. Including the main plot idea where Jace in now being blamed for the actions of Valentine. I will be interested to see where Clare takes the story in the next book. The only thing that I wasn’t a fan of was how this series always seems to end in cliff hangers. I know that there are six books in this series but really? Do I seriously have to deal with five cliff hangers before I get a clear and concise answer of how the story ends? Otherwise the novels are wonderfully written and I appreciate the humorous interactions between the characters. It really reminds me of how my friends and I can behave sometimes...minus the all the demon slaying and life of death situations. Therefore, I give this book another 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to reading the next chapter in this series. Clary Fray is about as normal as a teenage girl can be. With a loving mother, an adoring best friend, and her family friend Luke who is willing to do anything for Clary and her mother; Clary is content with her life. But when she discovers a world of magical creatures and her mother is abducted, Clary is at the mercy of the shadowhunters. Shadowhunters are half-human, half-angel people who protect the human race from vicious demons that co-exist with the humans. And they are shocked to learn that Clary is just like them and can see the demons. With her mother missing, it is up to Jace, Alec, and Isabelle to help Clary find her mother, Joceyln. However, Joceyln cannot be saved easily as she is being held captive by the evil shadowhunter Valentine. Now Clary must use her gift, as a shadowhunter, and fight against the evil Valentine in order to get her mother back; all while falling in love with the mysterious shadowhunter Jace. The City of Bones is a must read! This series is the new Harry Potter and I love how Cassandra Clare incorporates all the fantasy creatures into one book. I discovered this series after hearing my mom talk about a new movie that she had just watched on TV. Naturally I was curious if it was based off a book or not and was happy to find that it was. After obtaining a copy of The City of Bones, I realized that this book was golden, yet also how wrong the movie was. The City of Bones is a must read for any fantasy reader and fans of the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. It includes fights between good and evil, romance, and action adventure. Therefore, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the 2010 Olympic champions in ice dancing but also the 2010 World champions, 2008 Four Continents champions, 2008-2010 Canadian National champions and recently the silver medalists of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. However this is only a short list of their accomplishments. Their path to greatness started at a very young age when both Tessa and Scott began skating at the Ilderton Arena. Scott’s mother and aunt were both instructors here, so it seemed natural for Scott to start his skating career here, under the guidance of his family. Tessa’s story is a little different; in first grade, Tessa insisted on learning how to figure skate before an elementary school field trip to the ice skating rink. Both Tessa and Scott’s love for skating came from very different objectives, but soon their paths would collide when Alma and Carol Moir decided to pair them together for ice dancing competitions. From this partnership, Tessa and Scott would leave home, at ages 13 and 15, in order to receive the best coaching that was available to them. They would participate in numerous competitions and forge a relationship that is stronger than family and love. But, Tessa and Scott’s journey was not a piece of cake. There were times when training had to be put on halt due to injuries or the judges were very harsh at competitions. However, this never stopped the Canadian duo from pushing the boundaries of ice dancing and making themselves one of the best teams to be seen in the figure skating world. Because “at the end of this all it would be really nice if we were just remembered for being ourselves” (Tessa Virtue). Tessa and Scott’s story is so amazing. I understand all the hard work and time they put into their sport, as being a dancer I can relate, but it never occurred to me how much that Tessa and Scott had to undergo in order to achieve the titles that we know them for. After reading this book, I can say that Tessa and Scott have a special place in my heart and whenever I go after my dreams, I am constantly encouraged by these Canadian skaters. Tessa and Scott are two extremely nice and inspiring people that have an amazing story to share with the world. Their book is filled with beautiful color pictures from their childhood to the Olympic Games and a story that I would recommend for anyone interested in figure skating, sports in general, or someone devoted to their own passion that wants to read about others. Therefore, the book Tessa & Scott Our Journey from Childhood Dream to Gold deserves a well-earned 5 out of 5 stars and I hope that you find inspiration from Tessa and Scott after reading their story! Slide Show photo courtesy of: Google Images Above is a video that showcases some of the ice dancing of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.
At last, Cammie Morgan is a senior at the Gallagher Academy, which is supposed to mean more instruction, missions, and adventures to prepare the girls for their lives after graduation. For Cammie, her senior year is something much different. After spending an entire summer oblivious to the fact that her memories were gone and almost being murdered on multiple occasions, Cammie is positive that danger it still lurking around the world. The Circle of Cavan is still out there and killing off some of the world’s most important people; but why? When the MI6, CIA, and Interpol have no good news, Cammie decides it is up to her to track down some of the world’s most lethal people. Now, it’s up to Cammie to be a leader of her friends-Liz, Bex, Macey, and Zach- in order to track down the Circle and stop them from starting something bigger than anyone can imagine. United We Spy is the concluding book in the Gallagher Girls series by the New York Times best-selling author Ally Carter, who brings the series to an end in one of the highest action and adventure books of all time that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat. I started reading the Gallagher Girls series towards the end of my middle school years. I had first fallen in love, with my now favorite book of all time, the Heist Society at a middle school book fair towards the end of my seventh grade year. I can remember sitting on a bus with my best friend reading the book all the way to our NJHS trip in Mackinaw Island. Ally Carter had written a book so different from what I was used to reading; there was action and adventure, romance, and a line of friendship that could only be based upon something from the real world. After this trip, I found out about another series of hers, because at the time there was only one Heist Society book, and so I began to devour her next series. It consisted of the same great elements and qualities, except here, the books were about girls attending spy school and not being the world’s smartest thieves. United We Spy is a great read and end to the much loved series. I remember reading the blog on Ally Carter’s website saying that there was a new book coming out before the end of last year, and as you can guess I was very excited. After reading the entire series and now the last book, United We Spy brings the series to a close without the devastating heartbreak of closure. I would recommend this book to any girl who loves a story with lots of adventures, a romance line, and the undying power of friendship. Therefore, United We Spy deserves 5 out of 5 stars for the amazing story line and literary elements present throughout the story-such as imagery and awesome foreshadowing. Read more of Ally Carter's books!
The Gallagher Girls Series 1) I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You 2) Cross My Heart And Hope To Spy 3) Don't Judge A Girl By Her Cover 4) Only The Good Spy Young 5) Out Of Sight, Out Of Time 6) United We Spy The Heist Society Series 1) Heist Society 2) Uncommon Criminals 3) Perfect Scoundrels |
AuthorHi! My name is Jackie K. and I'm a high school student who loves reading and reviewing books. I'm one of the biggest book worms you'll ever meet and I hope my book reviews encourage you to read as well! Book Titles
All
|