The Winner's Curse

Hey y'all. It's summer which means plenty of time for book reviews (hoorahh!).

So without further ado, here's The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski. 

GAHH! What a gorgeous cover *_*

Summary:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

HMMM pretty intriguing right?

Here's my review (2/5 stars):

To be honest, this book had a lot of potential. The world Marie Rutkoski has crafted is quite interesting and the writing is beautifully written. And yet, this book couldn't hold my attention (I stopped 2/3 into the book and skipped through the rest). 

The story is set in a world where the Valorians have conquered and enslaved the Harrani people for several years. Kastrel, the Valori general's daughter, is smart, witty, stubborn, and strong. She's also a rebel at heart and refuses to adhere to society's constraint. Contrary to her father's expectation, Kastrel doesn't want to join the army. She's more of a strategist and music lover.

One day, Kastrel takes interest in Arin, slave up for auction, and buys him. Arin hates the Valorians for taking over his people's land and we later learn that (view spoiler). Over time, Kastrel and Arin slowly develop a relationship that obviously crosses the 'friend' boundary. However, both are in denial of their feelings for one another. 

And then there's Ronan, a sweet and caring nobleman who loves Kastrel and wants to marry her. Kastrel, however, brushes him aside like a fly on a wall because of her strong feelings for Arin. There's also Jessie, Kastrel's loyal best friend who loves dressing Kastrel up for glamerous balls and social gatherings. 

Overall, I liked the idea of The Winner's Curse, but the plot felt so draggy. There was a lot of talking/description but not a whole lot of action. I found myself constantly skimming through the small details. I think one of the reason I wasn't really drawn into the story was the alternating chapters from Kastrel to Arin. There was no element of surprise because the readers already know Arin's secret even though Kastrel was totally oblivious. Although I didn't mind the romance and love triangle that much, there was too much emphasis on the romance aspect of the story. I expected fight scenes and heart-stopping plot twists, but instead I got a forbidden love relationship and a whole lot of fancy parties with sparkling tiaras and ballgowns. 

****I definitely do not discourage anyone from reading The Winner's Curse. It might not have been my cup of tea, but I know many people will think differently.

The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically. 

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest. 

I LOVED this book!  *jumps up and down*

 I don't even know what to say....

....except that you should read it because it makes you feel all giddy inside after you're done! 

Okay, this would be an awful post if I just said you should read the book and use cute little onion heads to persuade you so here's a list in no specific order of character descriptions/why you should read this book/ what I liked about it/ and whatever else I feel like saying. 

1. Avery- the main character, the heart of the story, the girl who gets the guy, the...yeah I think you get the point. She's quirky, funny, insecure about herself (finally someone who's normal), and proud to be a science nerd. 

2. Grayson- hot, gorgeous, popular, protective and so sweet. He doesn't realize his feelings for Avery until she jumps into the shower with him (he's not shallow, I promise). Throughout the book, all he tries to do is get Avery to forget his jerk brother, Aiden. He's willing to introduce Avery to the popular seniors, join the science club, and hang out with the nerd group. This guy is willing to sacrifice anything to see Avery happy.

3. Aiden- Jerk, heartbreaker, enough said.

4. What drove me crazy was that Avery couldn't see how lucky she was to have Grayson!!! I wanted to  hit my head against the wall everytime she cried over Aiden in front of Grayson. JUST FORGET ABOUT AIDEN ALREADY GEEZ *exasperated*

5. I enjoyed reading both Grayson and Avery's point of views. I loved knowing both of their thoughts and emotions. 

6. All in all, this book was hilarious and heartwarming. The whole science experiment to cure a broken heart was very cute. Loved it!!

Top 5 Books by Sarah Dessen

Most of you have probably read one of Sarah Dessen's books. They are some of the best ya realistic fiction books around without the usual drama and angst. Reading a book by Sarah Dessen is like savoring the taste of cotton candy as it melts on your tongue. The characters are normal, the emotions are real, and the plots are beautifully intertwined. 

Here's my top 5 favorite books + my favorite quote from each courtesy of Goodreads:

1. Along for the ride

"Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existance.” 

2. Lock and Key

"What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it.” 

3. The truth about forever

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda. It's so easy in the past tense. ” 

4. Keeping the Moon

“You should never be surprised when someone treats you with respect, you should expect it.”

5. What happened to goodbye

“Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go.” 

Falling in love (with angels that is...)

Angelfall by Susan Ee

I recently had time to sit back and relax (aka: read). And boy was I glad I found this book because it was beyond incredible. Here's the cover (isn't it gorgeous?):

And the summary: 

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again. 

What I thought:

1. This book has it all! By that, I mean awesome fight scenes, horror, suspense, and romance. 

2. Penryn is not a damsel in distress and she is willing to go all the way for her sister. This girl can fight and kick your ass any day.

3. Apocalypse + Angels = YES PLEASE! 

4. Raffe!!!! (*drools*) need I say more?

5. Just read it! I don't want to give anything away because this book is just too good to miss.

6. Oh and a movie is being made for it! AHHHHHHHHHHHH