Unbreakable (Unraveling #2) Review

Unbreakable (Unraveling #2)
by Elizabeth Norris
Genre: YA sci-fi thriller
Format: ARC I received from Authors On The Web. All thoughts, opinions and snark expressed in the review are my own.
Midnight Minute: From practically the first page, Janelle is once again in a race against time and parallel worlds to rescue the people she loves the most.
From Goodreads:

Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?

Midnight Thoughts:

~ This is one of those books where it probably would have helped if I'd flipped through the first book again before starting the sequel.  Of course me being me, I didn't.  Luckily, I remembered enough and Norris does a good job of introducing past events without doing that info dump thing that I hate (remember Sweet Valley High books, and how they explained in the first few pages of every book what the twins looked like, their differing personalities, and the fact that they had to share driving privileges of their convertible Spider Fiat? Even at 11 it made me roll my eyes.).
~ Like in the first book, each chapter is a countdown of time left before some bad shiz goes down. I find this slightly thrilling. 
~ San Diego, where Jannelle resides, is in ruins, along with the rest of the world, after a series of earthquakes and general Day After Tomorrow-ness. This is why jumping through worlds should be left to the experts. 
~ Because this series deals with parallel worlds, Janelle runs into the version of her love, Ben, that exists in this world.  He's just not her Ben.  So bittersweet.  But this does raise the possibility that somewhere in a parallel world, Johnny Depp is waiting patiently for me. 
~ The series references X-Files quite a lot, but I think the author might have given a shout out to Alias and here's why: Janelle and her friend, Cecily, are helping people gathered in a large stadium.  People are going missing.  The newest missing person is Renee Adams, and she disappears from Section 47.  47 is a very important number in the Alias mythology and was featured at least once in every episode.  My inner tv nerd was completely satisfied.
~ It takes no time for things to get tense.  Janelle is living in a very different America now.  Martial Law scares the crap out of me, and fuels dystopian nightmares. 
~ Because of the state of the world, Janelle was able to join the FBI as a trainee.  Sigh, if only there'd be a world disaster when I was a teen and was convinced I was going to be the world's next Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs. 
~ Agent Barclay is back!!!  I'm sorry, but I love him.  I'm Team Barclay, but I want him for me.  Janelle can keep Ben. 
~ So, it turns out there's a lot of missing people.  And that they're being stolen from our world.  Also, Ben's missing and is suspected of being the one responsible for all the stolen people. 
~ I was intrigued be the idea of the missing and where they go when they disappear without a trace.  
~ Barclay, Mr. Straight and Narrow, is now going all rogue to solve the case.  And he wants Janelle's help.  Also, he calls Janelle by her last name, Tenner.  Which I much prefer. He can call me by my last name any day of the week too. 
~ Elizabeth Norris: not afraid to go all George R.R. Martin on her characters.  Just so you know, if you didn't remember who she killed off in the first book, don't assume anyone is safe. 
~ Janelle is torn between going with Barclay and helping to find Ben and solve the mystery, and between staying and protecting her little brother. 
~ But then someone she loves is taken and J's inner Liam Neeson is set loose!  Because Janelle has a particular set of skills... ;)
~ There is a strange kind of chemistry between Barclay and Janelle and I like it.  It helps that I picture Barclay as particularly yummy.
~ Also, Barclay brews and serves cinnamon tea. Shirtless. I seriously bought some the next day. 
~ The action in this book is almost constant and brutal at times. Janelle may not be as physically strong as some of her attackers, but the girl has some amazing mental skills.  I'm a firm believer that a strong mind is the best weapon. 
~ I tell you what, midnighters, if I could open portals into parallel worlds, I'd be breaking into vaults and grabbing gold and diamonds.  Then I'd break into some libraries and steal some books.  Because just think about all our favorite authors and the books they might be writing in alternate worlds.  Maybe there's a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird where Scout becomes a kick ass civil rights lawyer, or where Stieg Larrson is still happily churning out Lisbeth Salander novels.  The mind reels, people!  I would be the world's richest nerd and my library would be ENORMOUS!! I'd buy either North or South Dakota and fill it with libraries and coffee shops and it would be our very own Disney World.  And you could all come and stay as long as you kept it secret, okay?
~ Elijah provides some comic relief- totally needed in a novel where things have gone just as wrong as they possibly could for Janelle and Ben. 
~ I wrote a ton more notes I can't share without spoiling everything!
~ I liked Unraveling quite a lot.  I remember that the first book lost a little steam at the end, Unbreakable does not.  Norris keeps the pace up and keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat.   Some things that happen at the end might make some readers unhappy, but I'm trusting Norris to keep me reading.

Timeless Characters:

Janelle- our heroine and junior FBI badass.
Ben- Janelle's love from book one, now on the run.
Agent Taylor Barclay- Interverse Agent, back off, midnighters, he's mine.  'Nuff said.
Cecily- Janelle's friend.
Jared- Janelle's little brother.
Struz- Janelle and Jared's guardian.
Renee Adams- among the missing.
Hayley- Barclay's ex. She had better stay that way.
Elijah- Ben's friend.
Derek- Ben's brother.
Meridan- brutish bad guy.
 

Midnight Moment:

The prison break! Holy crap, I must have held my breath for pages and pages!  Seriously, some tense Die Hard shiz.

Stop The Clock:

This is a series I'm invested in, and I think if you enjoy X-Files, anything J.J Abrams, and sci-fi mixed with your YA, then start reading these books!


Elizabeth Norris— Website |liz norris

Unbreakable *(Unraveling #2) gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

The Book of Broken Hearts Review

The Book of Broken Hearts
by Sarah Ockler
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review, I do get to keep a copy of the book.
Midnight Minute: The summer before college Jude isn't acting in a play or hanging out with her friends, instead she's taking care of her beloved Papi and being tempted by the one boy she's sworn to hate. 
Expected Publication: 05.21.13 (the day before my birthday. Coincidence? I think not!)
From Goodreads:

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Jude is the youngest of four girls, and the only left at home. I loved the relationship she had with her sisters and her parents, how close they all are despite the differences in ages.
~ Papi has early on-set Alzheimers, which is heart-breaking, and especially meaningful to me because I work with so many clients with cognitive impairment.  I'm so glad to see it featured in books, because I really feel that it's easy to dismiss people who suffer from this disease.  Ockler does an amazing job of making Papi a real person, and not just a caricature. 
~ Jude's parents are originally from Argentina, and it's very much a part of this novel.  It made me realize how rarely I read books that deal with different ethnic backgrounds.  I kind of fell in love with the Hernandez family.
~ Oh, the Book of Broken Hearts, it's the real deal!  The whole scene with the sisters, and the pledge they make against the Vargas boys felt very Practical Magic-ish and I loved every minute of it.  I would die for a peek of this book!
~ Jude and Papi call his disease El Demonio, which is the perfect way to describe it. 
~ Although this book does deal with Jude's evolving feelings for Emilio, it's so much more than a romance.  It's really more about Jude coming to terms with her father's illness and her identity separate from her sisters. 
~ Emilio won my heart when he helps Jude calm Papi down during an episode.  He's not afraid or embarrassed by Papi's melt down, and it was wonderful. 
~ LOL moment: when Jude says that the Vargas boys were like Hernandez Lady Kyrptonite.
~ Sad moment: How in denial Jude is in the beginning about her father's illness.  Although it's completely understandable, wanting your loved one to beat an incurable disease.
~ A girl teaching a guy to drive stick shift is dead sexy!
~ My favorite line in the book is about family tragedies, how they smash everything up, but glue it back together at the same time.  It was so true that it made me tear up. 
~ I only have brothers, but everything I know from friends and books only confirms that sisters are extremely complicated.  I both envy and am scared of Jude's relationship with her sisters.  Mostly afraid. 
~ Early on-set Alzheimers is genetic, and there are tests that can determine if you carry the genes.  Jude and her sisters have a 50/50 chance of getting the same disease.  I wish this storyline had featured a bit more, but I get that it would have definitely changed the tone of the book. 
~ I also wanted more of the Vargas boys.  I wanted to know what Emilio's older brothers were up to, but we don't really get to see them.  I wanted to know the reasons behind their decisions to break the Hernandez sister's hearts.  
~ The cover of the book is cute, but a bit generic.  I think showing an actual beat up book with the title of Broken Hearts would have been better.  However, this current cover should appeal to all us book lovers, right?
~ The ending was so good, bittersweet, but so good.  I would love to see a sequel a few years down the road to see how the Hernandez family is, but if I don't get it I won't be upset.

Timeless Characters:

Jude- youngest sister, best daughter imaginable.
Emilio- hot Vargas brother, knows his way around a motorcycle and melts hearts on a daily basis.
Papi- an amazing man losing his memories.
Rita- Jude's wonderful mother.
The Hernandez Sisters: Lourdes, Araceli and Mariposa.
Pancake- Jude's golden retriever, her interpretations of what he's thinking are a much needed comic relief. 
Zoe and Christina- Jude's friends, living the summer Jude thought she'd be having too.
Duke- Emilio's boss at Duchess Custom Cycles.
Valentina- Papi's bike.
Samuel- Emilio's friend, he calls Jude a drama llama, which cracked me up.
 

Midnight Moment:

4th of July, Jude and Emilio's walk in the woods and the butterscotch scented trees.

Stop The Clock:

I own Twenty Boy Summer but haven't read beyond the first chapter, but I already knew I loved her writing, and this book only confirmed that love.  I can't imagine anyone not liking this book!


Sarah Ockler— Website | Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Rush (The Game #1) Review

Rush (The Game #1)
by Eve Silver
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Format: ARC from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.  I do not get to keep the books.
Midnight Minute: Miki is enlisted to play a game, with very real life and death consequences.
Expected Publication: 06.11.13
From Goodreads:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ I absolutely love the concept of this book.  It's like Tron meets Starship Troopers meets YA.  
~ But I had a hard time with some of the characters.  It took me almost half the book to really connect with Miki and Jackson.  
~ Miki starts off the book hearing voices, which we know from Harry Potter, is not normal for muggles or witches.
~ The voice she hears actually gets her to save someone, instead of killing someone, so that's new.  
~ So, Miki saves a kid and takes a truck to the body, wakes up in a weird, forest-y setting and is told that she's been recruited for a game.  
~ Miki already knows one of the game players, her old friend and classmate Luka.  There's also a mysteriously hot guy who wears sunglasses.
~ Seriously, Jackson wears sunglasses all the time.  I am not going to make a Corey Hart reference, because I think I've referenced him more times on this blog than is healthy.  But I know immediately that he wears glasses to hide his special eyes.
~ Miki also has special eyes.  Sorry, normal eye colored people, you're lives are destined to be mediocre.  On the bright side, you don't have to battle aliens!
~ Everyone is all cryptic about the game and it's stakes.  Which I find mildly annoying.  Most video games come with some kind of manual!
~ Miki finds out that she's on borrowed time.  As long as she plays the game and doesn't die in it, she gets to stay alive in the real world too.  So the book deals with time travel as well as Scientologist like aliens. 
~ Miki somehow survives the first part of the game despite the fact that she's given very limited information on how to battle the aliens.  This is partly because even though Jackson is a lone wolf bad boy, he can't help but break all his cool boy rules for Miki. 
~ Back in the real world, Miki is struggling with a suddenly bitchy best friend, her widowed father and confusion and mind effery that is the Game.  She keeps getting pulled from her real life to play a game that quite frankly isn't any fun. 
~ Part of the reason that I had some issues connecting with the characters is that we're told things but not shown them.  We're told what a great friend Carly has been to Miki, but she's incredibly wenchy 97% of the time. We're told that Jackson is this loner danger boy, but he immediately treats Miki differently.  
~ The aliens are all scary and less Alf and Mork from Ork-ish. The other-world building history that Silver creates is interesting.  
~ Jackson eventually tells Miki that their missions in the games not only effect whether they live or die, but all of humanity.  And you thought studying the SAT's were tough on teenagers!
~ One of the best aspects of the book for me was Miki's complicated relationship with her father.  Her mother died of cancer, and her dad quit smoking but took up drinking.  He's not quite at alcoholic levels, but it's a problem.  Still, there's a lot of love there, and he felt like a real person and not the usual absent parent that is the bane of most YA. 
~ Miki does a lot of victory dances, for doing things like resetting the computer modem or using a search engine.  I think it's important to celebrate our selfness. 
~ I thought the book was going to be more of a love triangle, because I really liked Luka from the start, but it didn't really happen like that.  Which is kind of refreshing.  But I still want to know more about Luka. 
~ It turns out the Drau (the bad aliens) steal girls, eat their brains and turn them into mindless clones. In otherwords, MTV uses the Drau army clones to cast their reality TV shows. 
~  After awhile, Jackson grew on me.  Plus he reads.  And he and Miki are kind of steamy together. 
~ Miki also grew on me, because I realized how tightly wound she is, and it's hard not to feel for her in this impossible situation dealing with these things she can't control.  
~ Jackson pulls the "I'm no good for you, baby" card, and Miki actually calls him on all the mixed signals he gives her.  I loved that!
~ The ending surprised me, and I think it sets up the next book nicely.  I'm not sure it's a series I'll continue with... but Eve Silver will be at BEA and I'm sure if I meet her I'll like her, and then I'll want to read the rest of the series. ;)

Timeless Characters:

Miki- health nut, our heroine is all kick ass and in control.
Jackson- he wears his sunglasses at night, and day, and bedtime, and Sundays.
Luka- cutie patootie
Richelle- fellow gamer chick, very cool 
Tyrone- gamer dude, brings the humor
Carly- Miki's bestie
Deepti, Sarah and Kelley- Miki's other friends
The Drau- bad ass aliens, best not look them in the eye!
Maylene- girl that Miki tutors
Lizzie- the girl Miki dreams about
Kendra and Lien- gamers

Midnight Moment:

Definitely when Jackson takes off his sunglasses, and also when his past his revealed.

Stop The Clock:

While this wasn't my favorite book, I think there's an audience for it.  I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, and I probably would have found the gaming aspect better without aliens.  But, aliens are the new zombies, right?


Eve Silver — Website |Eve Silver

Rush (The Game #1) gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

You Look Different in Real Life Review

You Look Different in Real Life
by Jennifer Castle
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours, in exchange for my honest review.  I do not get to keep the books.
Midnight Minute: Justine deals with life, fame and friendship, and finds her place in front and behind the camera.
Expected Publication: 06.04.13 from HarperTeen
From Goodreads:

For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they're real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There'd be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn't feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what's on film. They've all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else's eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what's personal and what's public aren't always clear.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ This book surprised the heck out of me- I loved it!  I want to say that up front, because reviews of books I really like are so much harder than any other reviews I write.  So, you can skip everything else and just go ahead and put this book on your To Be Read pile. 
~ Justine, the main character and narrator, has taken part in two documentary films- Five at Six and Five at Eleven that have followed her and four other kids in her school at those ages.  Now they want to make a Five at Sixteen, but Justine is unsure she wants to go through with it. 
~ One of the things that I love is that Justine is not thin.  She's not the type of character who can eat anything she wants and never exercise and still not gain weight.  She's not even a character who just never eats.  Granted, she's only 20 pounds overweight, but I loved how she was disappointed because she thought by age 16 she would have lost the weight, because that's something I can easily identify with. 
~ Justine has a great family, in particular her older sister, Olivia.  Families don't have to be super effed up or absent to make a character compelling. Yes, her parents are divorced, and her dad still comes over once a week for dinner and the occasional sleepover (ew!), but it feels real and honest.
~ Justine has flaws, and she's mostly aware of them.  She's funny and snarky, and she makes mistakes.  I seriously adore her.  
~ There is so much tension between the five main characters, but particularly between Felix and Nate, and while I guessed some of the stuff about Felix, I was surprised by the layers of complications to all of their relationships.  
~ A big issue in this book is how much of Justine, who she really is, is captured, and how much of who Justine and the others are is because they're on camera.  Trust me, I could not just be myself.  I'd either disappear or I'd be ON like a drunken comedian on acid.  Plus, my voice would probably be pitched so high that only dogs could hear it. 
~ We get to "see" scenes from Five at Six and Five at Eleven, which just made me love all of the kids so much!  I don't know if ya'll have seen the HBO show Kindergarten, but that's totally what it reminded me of!  I'd love to see those little ragamuffins as they are now. 
~ Ian has a friend named Dashiell, which I loved.  Can we all just agree to give our future kids cool, literary names? Even if it means we'll have a lot of Darcys, Fours, and Anna-Dressed-In-Bloods running around?
~ It took me awhile to warm up to Felix, but making friends with apple-cider donuts?  I can be friends with someone like that!
~ Justine's past friendship with Rory is complicated, but again, it felt true.  Sometimes we outgrow friends, or we want to hang with new friends, and sometimes we are even the friend who got left behind. 
~ Kiera's dad is a complete snobdouche.  You'll understand why when you get to the part of the book where he purposely lets a scene play out for the cameras.  
~ Seriously, I felt the pressure that Justine feels to be interesting for the camera, especially since it was so easy for her when she was a kid. 
~ These kids!  Just, wow.  They are so separate from one another now, yet so tangled together.  This book highlights the power friends have to wound us.  
~ I mentioned the HBO show, but now I'm digging deep for Bravo's show called The It Factor that followed struggling actors.  It featured Jeremy Renner before he hit it big, and because of that I've always felt like I had some kind of "I saw him first" claim on him.  And it reminded me of the book, because Justine and Nate are kind of the stand out stars of the movies.
~ In order to keep the film going and to get the kids together, they have to go to one of those trust building camps with work shop leader, Pam, who Justine says is paid to make people uncomfortable.  I did not know I could get paid for something I do so naturally!
~ I think all the flashbacks made me love these kids.  I wonder if we could all see how we once were as kids, we'd like each other more?
~ 'Bouldering' sounds hellish.
~ The character of Rory, and how the others interact with her, was pretty wonderful to read about.  
~ Felix and his future struggle with his family is heartbreaking, but again, some families are exactly like his.  Poor Felix.
~ I want to hug this book.  I also want a rabbit.  Aaron, in case you are reading this, you might want to just build the rabbit hutch now, because when I say I want a rabbit, what I really mean is I'm going to get a rabbit. 
~ So much love for this book!!!

Timeless Characters:

Justine- our pink-streaked, snarky heroine!
Rory- wonderfully unique!
Felix- has personality and talent out the wazoo!
Kiera- the smart, pretty girl with real issues!
Nate- golden boy with real issues and a thing for bunnies!
Ian- loser who dumps Justine, but starts sniffing around once the new film begins production, he's a tool.
Leslie and Lance- filmmakers, I actually began to like them too!
Olivia- Justine's cool older sister (who won't be in the new film because in the Five at Eleven she was a bitchy, whiny teenager).
Dashiell- Ian's friend.  Only on this list because I like his name.
Kenny- the sound guy. 
Pam- work shop leader, I want her job!
Doug- friend of Nates's, now in college.
Ratso, a New York bunny rabbit.
Brennon/Brendon/Brandon- or whatever his name was. 

Midnight Moment:

There's several: Justine and Leslie switching roles, because I think that was a big moment in Justine's life.
How the gang deals with Rory and her needs.
Justine and Felix on the bench in New York City.

Stop The Clock:

This is another book I just want everyone to read.  You, read this now!  Or, wait until June 4th, when it comes out for sale because I get that it might be hard to get your hands on a copy before then.  But after June 4th, no excuses!  I want to see the blogging world lit up with reviews and hearts and flowers for this book. ;) 

Jennifer Castle — Website |Jennifer Castle

You Look Different in Real Life gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Fragments (Partials #2) Review

Fragments (Partials #2)
by Dan Wells
Genre: YA Dystopian
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.  I do not get to keep the ARC.
Midnight Minute: Even with the cure for RM at hand, Kira is in an even more perilous situation, as both the humans and the Partials fight to survive.
From Goodreads:

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means--and even more important, a reason--for our survival.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ I forgot a lot, so it took me several chapters to remember who everyone was and what had happened.  I would have re-read Partials, but seeing as Fragments is close to 600 pages, I just didn't have the time.
~ That said, it didn't really matter that I couldn't recall everything that had happened in the first book.  You know how, especially in dystopian tales, book 2 can get all wonky and kind of suck?  No suckage here!  Fragments was an awesome book, and I'm telling you, those 550+ pages flew by. 
~ I can't remember if Partials featured Samm's pov, but he opens the book in Fragments and I quite liked his voice, although I probably enjoy Kira's voice a bit more.  If I had a choose.  Like, if you held a gun to the book and were threatening to shoot the book if I didn't pick my favorite character.  Actually, I might pick Marcus.  
~ Speaking of Marcus, I had no real love for him in book 1.  He and Kira had a good, mutually respecting kind of relationship, but he was just kind of blah to me.  I loved his story in this book, loved that he respected and believed in Kira, and was able to deal with the shiz going down back home.  Despite the fact that he's technically Kira's boyfriend, there's not really a love triangle, and any real romance between any of the characters takes a back seat to survival. 
~ Basically the Partials are freaking out because most of their Partial leaders are expiring as they reach the old age of 20.  The humans in Long Island are freaking out because they've only managed to save one baby and can't replicate the cure without getting their hands on some Partials.  Neither side is interested in teaming up and helping each other. 
~ I know that genetically enhanced humans are a bad idea (seriously, has science fiction taught us nothing?), but MyDragons?  Those sound awesome!
~ Again, I don't remember thinking that much of Heron in the last book, but she's a real stand out in the second installment.  Like Kira, she's tough, unlike Kira though, she's realistic.  
~ I love the term 'Plague Babies'.  How is that not a band yet?
~ I love that the subways of New York have become underwater lakes and that Central Park is now a jungle (complete with wild animals).  I love that imagery. 
~ While Kira, Samm, Heron and messed up Afa try to head West and find information on the mysterious Trust, Marcus and the rest of Long Island are dealing with a Partial invasion.  Both stories were compelling and the book has a lot of action.
~ Humorous moment: Kira says that saving the world would be a lot easier if the people they were trying to save would stop killing each other.  Sadly, it kind of applies to our world today.
~ Genetically altered animals, smart enough to speak, plot and kill scares the crap out of me.  Maybe I shouldn't be a cat owner after all...
~ There's not a lot of funny, light hearted moments in dystopian novels usually, but I cracked up when Samm said, " Did that dog just call me a bastard?"  
~ I remember in the first book being put off by how smart all the Plague Babies were, but it makes sense in light of who Kira is, and the fact that most of the human kids had gene modification. 
~ I really think Arial and Heron could be bffs. 
~ I love how little race factors in to current world, but now Partials vs. Humans has taken it's place.  There is something in us that feels the need to judge others and feel superior. 
~ As Kira travels, she comes across a library.  Kira reads a thriller that sounds an awful lot like it could Dan Well's John Cleaver series. ;)
~ So much tension throughout the whole book!  You wouldn't think you'd be able to keep the plot exciting over hundreds and hundreds of pages, but Wells does it.  I may need a nitro-glycerin patch when the last book comes out!
~ At some point in the book, Samm says the world hasn't ended, it's reset.  Usually when we talk about destroying the planet, what we really mean is destroying the life on it, including our own.  But the earth will survive us, it's us that we might not survive. 
~ Kira's life is rapidly becoming a walking nightmare: attacks by superior Partials, talking dogs and acid rain.  I just wanted to give her a chocolate bar and a quiet place in which to cry.
~ The last part of the book made my head spin.  My head was spun, people!  I can't tell you why, because it's all spoilers, but I did not see a lot of that coming. 
~ Oh, Mr. Wells, you and your moral dilemmas!  What would you choose, dear readers?  The comfort of being morally right while people all around you die, or would you sacrifice the few to save the many?  Like most people, I'd choose the sacrifice... as long as I wasn't one of the people chosen to be thrown in the volcano to appease the gods.
~ The ending is kind of holycrap,holycrap!  As much as I want another John Cleaver novel, Mr. Wells had best be working on the next Partials book!

Timeless Characters:

Kira- our heroine, seeking answers about her origins, and trying to save what's left of her world. 
Samm- renegade Partial with feelings for Kira.
Marcus- the boy Kira left behind, doing his part to help the world.
Heron- kick ass Partial.
Afa- extremely paranoid and messed up human.
Dr. Morgan- mad Partial doctor, kidnapped Kira in the first book.
Nandita- the woman who raised Kira after the Partials war, and now everyone is looking for her. 
Isolde, Haru, Madison, Xochi- friends of Marcus and Kira's back in Long Island.  Madison's baby Arwen is still alive and thriving, and Isolde is pregnant. 
Ariel- one of Nandita's foster daughters, teams up with Marcus. 
Calix- human girl that crushes on Samm.
Dr. Vale- possible member of the mysterious Trust, he also leaves Kira with a difficult dilemma. 
And a billion other characters, both Partials and human, but I don't want to break my computer.  Fortunately I do have the notes on them to read over for Book 3!

Midnight Moment:

Honestly after the first 50 or 60 pages, everything is kind of a Midnight Moment.  What happens on the way to Colorado (a certain death) was completely unexpected, so I have to give that points.

Stop The Clock:

Fragments is a roller coaster of action and thrills, but Wells still manages to grow the reader's interest and connection with the main characters.  If Partials was the appetizer, than Fragments is the deliciously spicy main course.  I originally only going to do 4 and 1/2 stars, but it's been almost a week since I read it and it's still with me.


Dan Wells — Website |The Dan Wells

  Fragments (Partials #2) gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Towering Review

Towering
by Alex Flinn
Genre: YA Fairytale Retelling
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours, in exchange for my honest review.  I do not get to keep the book.
Midnight Minute: Rachel is placed in a tower, told she is in danger from people who would harm her.  Will true love and super long hair save her?
Expected Publication: 05.14.13
From Goodreads:

At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.

Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.

Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Alex Flinn knows her fairy tales, and Towering is her most mind-bending interpretation yet. Dark and mysterious, this reimagining of Rapunzel will have readers on the edge of their seats wondering where Alex will take them next!

Midnight Thoughts:

~ I love fairytale re-tellings, and I've enjoyed Beastly and Bewitching, but this book was seriously all over the place. This is not necessarily a bad thing, because I found most of the story quite compelling, but there was one element I could have done without.
~ Flinn plays fast and loose with the timing and setting of the book, but I'm okay with that.  Even though I figured out some of the twists and connections, this was still a fast read.  I wasn't bored, even when my belief was stretched beyond it's comfort zone. 
~ The chapters alternate from Rachel, to Wyatt, to Dani's diary.  Wyatt narrates most of it though, because really, Rachel's in the tower growing hair.  I think the decision to not focus on just the Rapunzel character was a good one.  I would have liked more of Dani's diary though, as she wasn't as fleshed out as Wyatt and Rachel. 
~ The woman raising Rachel, known to her only as Mama, rescued her and keeps her safe from the people who murdered Rachel's real mother.  Somehow Rachel accepts this and doesn't waterboard Mama for information like I might have been tempted to do.  Maybe my sense of curiosity is overdeveloped or Rachel was brought up to be far more trusting and faithful than I was.  Oh, who am I kidding?  Rachel is a better person than I will ever be.  
~ After Rachel encounters a young woman who attempts to yank some of her hair out, Mama moves her to the tower, and cuts her hair off.  
~ I have to give Flinn credit for imagination in her re-telling- the magic that is Rachel's hair is unique and definitely left me questioning what was going to happen. 
~ We are introduced to Wyatt, who is on his way to rural New York to live with a family friend.  He's going to be attending online school, and his past is a bit murky, but there are hints of tragedy. 
~ Wyatt stays with Celeste, who was mother to Dani, friend to Wyatt's mom.  At first Celeste seems like she's going to be some crazy Miss Havisham, still not over her daughter's disappearance, but she's actually really sweet. 
~ Wyatt finds Dani's diary from before she disappeared, and his narrative is interrupted by her entries.
~ There seems to be quite a bit missing persons in Slakkill, NY, which reminded me of the town the boys move to in The Lost Boys, only without the cool boardwalk and hot vampires.  There's a lot going on here, but there are no vampires.
~ According to Goodreads, this book is part of the Kendra series, but I assure you it isn't.  Nothing is mentioned on the author's site, and Kendra does not make an appearance. 
~ Wyatt is reading Wuthering Heights, and at least during that first night at Celeste's house, his story mirrors Lockwood's experience. 
~ Secrets can kill, which is something that both I and Wyatt can agree on.  Keeping secrets when maybe we shouldn't can also lead to a life of regret and sadness. 
~ Flinn has Wyatt visit a local store, because his grandfather taught him to patronize local stores.  This is so true, ya'll.  I love Amazon and everything, but I still try to buy books at local bookstores when I can.  And yes, I know it's possible to buy things other than books.  Sometimes I buy magnets that have book quotes on them.
~ At some point the book mentions something that sounds like psychotic lettuce, which is currently legal in Colorado and Washington.  Just kidding. 
~ Back to Rachel and her tower.  I love that she gets most of her knowledge of the outside world from books.  That's how I learned about pretty much everything when I was a kid.  Of course, my isolation was self-imposed, but still, it counts.
~ I would have really loved more of Dani and Zach's romance in the diary- I really felt that it could have been more fleshed out. 
~ Wyatt keeps hearing a woman singing in the woods, which is creepy.  
~ Rachel's hair is growing again, this time super fast! Also she discovers that she has power beyond the ability to star in a Garnier commercial. 
~ I did enjoy how connected everyone was, although again, I saw it coming.  
~ I did not see the connection to the reason behind Rachel's imprisonment, mostly because I felt that it was too weird.  Yes, even for me. 
~ Rachel is a lot stronger than most fairytale heroines, and does quite a bit of life-saving herself. 
~ Things I loved: Mrs. Greenwood being a big Trekkie, the legend of the singing ghost: a woman murdered my her faithless lover who can only be heard by those who have experienced heartbreak, and Wyatt. 
~ Thing I didn't love: Rhapsody.   
~ The ending was a bit cheesy, but I opened up a bottle of wine and quite enjoyed the two of them paired together, so I'm not complaining. 

Timeless Characters:

Rachel- our modern day Rapunzel.
Wyatt- our tormented hero. 
Dani- a disappeared daughter.
Celeste- Dani's mom and Wyatt's landlord.
Mama- Rachel's guardian, kind of locks her in a tower.
Josh- local friend that Wyatt makes.
Zach- Dani's mysterious secret lover.
Tyler- Wyatt's best friend from Long Island.
Nikki- Tyler's sister, Wyatt's former crush. 
Jerry- local who's daughter disappeared, is a little mental because of it. 
Henry- owner of the Red Fox. 
Carl- Henry's brother, friend of Zach. 
Suzie- Jerry's missing daughter.
 

Midnight Moment:

When we find out what happened to Wyatt's friend Tyler and his sister Nikki.  Gut-wrenching and unfortunately all too realistic.

Stop The Clock:

This wasn't my favorite Flinn book, but it was still a fast, fun read.  I would probably recommend Beastly or Bewitching before this one, but if you can handle your fairy tales re-imagined, then you could do worse than to spend an afternoon with this book. I just wish it hadn't had the one story line and had focused more on Wyatt's past trauma and Rachel's strength. 

Alex Flinn — Website |Alex Flinn

Towering gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Parallel Review

Parallel
by Lauren Miller
Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Format: ARC received through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.
Midnight Minute: Abby goes to bed one night as an actress in LA and wakes up the next morning as a Ivy League student due to parallel worlds colliding. 
Expected Publication: 05.14.13
From Goodreads:

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Abby knows exactly what she wants out of life, right down to the school she wants to attend and the newspaper she wants to write for until:
~ A seemingly innocent class change lands her in Hollywood making a major motion film.
~ Abby is not in love with being an actress, and realizes that it most people would kill to be in her place, and yes, she did annoy me with her self-pity.  Oh poor me, I'm making a movie with hot actors and getting paid good money, but since I want to be a journalist and have wealthy parents none of this matters to me. But I give her points for being aware that she's being ridiculous and ungrateful. 
~A point I would like to make, what is up with YA characters only going to big name schools?  Seriously, to any of my college bound readers- it's okay to get you basic courses finished at your local community college, then go ahead and sell your kidneys to pay for the big name school of your dreams.  Your future debt-free self with thank you. 
~ This book really makes you think about fate and destiny- how sleeping through your alarm clock, or arriving early to work can literally change your life. 
~ When Abby awakens on her 18th birthday she finds her life has changed completely. And literally. 
~ Suddenly Abby has a new, dual memory of what happened the day she had to choose between taking drama and astronomy at the beginning of senior year, and how that one small thing landed her in Yale. 
~ This is just a little side note- my friend Steph has  a feature where she does looks from books, and Abby's use of her pajama top as a dress would work great in it! 
~ I'm really not smart enough for the theory and science behind parallel worlds, but I understood enough, or was able to accept enough, to just go with it. 
~ Caitlin has dyslexia, which still affects her but doesn't stop her from being brilliant.  It's nice to see learning disabilities featured in a YA book, especially something that affects so many people. 
~ Abby has a trick where if she's trying not to cry, she starts coughing.  I'm going to give it a try!
~ Abby starts off kind of spoiled, but having to deal with waking up each day to big changes in her life forces Abby to grow up.
~ I think having a parallel you make decisions that change your whole life should be the equivalent of the Evil Twin. Let's make this trend happen!
~ Oh, please, parallel Kate, learn to love vegetables and exercise so I can wake up tomorrow with the body of Jennifer Garner during her Alias days.  
~ I love the date Michael takes Abby on to the church- from C.S. Lewis inscription to the invisible choir- it gave me goosebumps. 
~ At one point Abby says that we're only a decision or two away from losing valuable friendships and relationships. It bothers me, how true that is. 
~ Just to warn you, Lauren Miller throws in a few mind-effers that will just mess you up.  In a good way.  Or bad, depending on your point of view. 
~ This book stressed me the hell out, but that's why I liked it.  The ending was wonderful!  

Timeless Characters:

Abby Barnes- parallel Abby is messing up her life.
Caitlin- Abby's supermodel pretty genius bff.
Tyler- friend to Abby and Caitlin.
Illana- drama girl, dates Tyler.
Bret Woodward- hottie actor.
Kirby- actress on Abby and Bret's film.
Dr. Gustav P. Mann- ex-Yale prof, comes to Abby's high school to teach, published a controversial book on parallel lives.
Josh- Astronomy boy, parallel Abby meets him.
Marissa- Yale roommate.
Ben- Marissa's boyfriend.
Michael- cute upperclassman at Yale. 
Megan- on the Yale rowing team.
Fiona- Yale drama major. 

Midnight Moment:

I can't tell you what my midnight moment was because it'd be a major spoiler.  But you'll know the scene when you get to it, because you'll be shocked.

Stop The Clock:

You don't have to like science, or understand it, to enjoy this book.  It was a real page-turner!


Lauren Miller — Website |Lauren Miller Writes

Parallel gets a Midnight Book Rating of: