Review: The One by Kiera Cass

"Break my heart. Break it a thousand times if you like. It was only ever yours to break anyway." - Kiera Cass, The One

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SELECTION, AND THE ELITE. (AND ALSO MINOR SPOILERS FOR THE ONE BUT I MEAN THAT SHOULD ALMOST BE OBVIOUS.)

Hello, friends! As mentioned in last week's review, this week's won't be as detailed as I might like, simply because it's been a full month since I read the two books back-to-back, and they kind of almost blend together. If you haven't already read the review for The Elite (or for The Selection, for that matter), you can do that here and here. Otherwise, buckle up for the ride!

America Singer almost got herself kicked out of the Selection--but she's back, and she's not ready or willing to lose to anyone. It doesn't matter that the king is out to get her, or that Maxon might have finally lost patience with her, or that she has suddenly found herself competing furiously with another girl for his love. She has made her decision. She is determined to win Maxon back.

But the country is getting restless, and with rebel attacks becoming more frequent and more dangerous, it's not just her heart on the line anymore--it's her life.

Probably my biggest source of relief for this book was that America finally chose a guy. Hallelujah! Now, the fact that she took the entire book to inform a certain someone of her decision was still frustrating--but it was a new frustration, so I'm okay with that.

I loved meeting the rebels in this book, and learning more about the differences between the two different rebel groups. The problem is, I don't think this book was really long enough to properly delve into it--I don't think we got the full potential of what could have been done with those story lines, and I'm really disappointed that the rebel characters didn't have more of an impact on the story.

ALSO. I was all for the four Elite girls becoming BFFs, but I felt it all happened rather...quickly. I loved Celine's change of heart, and getting to learn a little more about her as a character. But the shift that started slowly was rushed to completion halfway through, and I couldn't really appreciate the otherwise fantastic bonding scenes between them quite as much as I would have had the shift been more consistent throughout.

Overall, I loved a lot of things about this book, but none of them were done as well as I thought they could've been. I still gave it a solid 5, simply for its inability to be put down--and also the epilogue.

Final rating: 5 stars.


Until later,

- Justyne

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

You know that you’ve found something amazing, and you want to hold on to it forever; and every second after you have it, you fear the moment you might lose it. - Kiera Cass, The Elite

ALRIGHTY SO HERE'S THE DEAL. This book, along with its successor, may not contribute as detailed reviews as I would like. Why? Because I read both of them almost a full month ago, back to back, in like one day, so they almost kind of blend together.

So Justyne, why drag this out into two reviews? Why not just condense them and save us time and you effort? 

Because, dear reader of mine, they both have completely different ratings for completely different reasons, so shut your trap and let's get started.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE SELECTION. 

When America Singer entered the selection, she was still heartbroken over her first love, and completely set against marrying into Illéa's royal family. She never thought that she'd make it into the Elite, the final six of the competiton. She never thought that she'd actually find herself falling for Prince Maxon. She never thought that Aspen would wind up working at the palace, begging for forgiveness, and presenting her with an impossible choice.

The moment that America's decision seems obvious, tragedy strikes that forces her to see her future, and her options, in an entirely new light. With fewer girls competing, the stakes are quickly rising, and her chance to choose is about to slip between her fingers. 

What you'll quickly notice about the first three books in this series is that it does a very low dip--I rated The Selection five stars last year, and (spoiler alert) I rated The One five stars, as well. It's not that this one wasn't good, it was just...frustrating.

So here's what I liked, in a nutshell: I thought it did a decent job of spreading out in the world, of giving a new light to the royal family and their history, as well as giving a better insight into how the societal system was created in the first place. In that regards, it did a good job of expanding on the foundation the first book laid out.

What I didn't like, however, was the complete and utter indecisiveness of our main protagonist.

This is a common complaint, from what I've heard, and it's one of the reasons I was almost scared to continue with the series. She flip flops from one guy to the other so fast it gave me whip lash, and I honestly felt that she was often being unfair to Maxon, and not giving him any of the time or patience that he's always been so willing to give to her.

She also made some VERY QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS about who she spent her time with and what she told other people, which lead to some VERY AUDIBLE SCREAMING on my part, because far too many people were lacking common sense in this novel for my liking.

And yet, I still jumped immediately into the next instalment.

Anyway. Final rating: 3 stars. Stay tuned for the next one!

Until later,

- Justyne

Most Anticipated Book Releases in 2016

HOLY CRAP GUYS I AM SO EXCITED.

I don't think I've ever had so many upcoming book releases that I've been so excited for ever in my life. 2016 is going to be an absolutely incredible reading year for me.

And so, in chronological order, we have:

The Siren by Kiera Cass

RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 26TH 2016

This may be first on the list due to its nearby release date, but this was a very last minute addition--as in, I only just discovered its existence when I was looking up the official release date for The Crown (mentioned further down the list). 

But sub-par title aside--because, believe it or not, titles are capable of being something other than "The _____"--just reading the synopsis caught my attention. It sounds super interesting, and given how much I enjoyed The Selection, I'm more than willing to give it a go!

Lady Renegades by Rachel Hawkins

RELEASE DATE: APRIL 5TH 2016

The last book left me in tears. Tears! And no one even died!! I am super duper excited to read the conclusion to this series--Hawkins hasn't disappointed me yet! (*knocks on wood*)

The Crown by Kiera Cass

RELEASE DATE: MAY 3RD 2016

Confession: I've only read The Selection. The last book in this series is coming out in May, and I am so excited, even though I have yet to catch up on what is already released. (Which is good, right? Makes the wait a little easier. Hopefully.)

I was super duper hesitant about The Selection when I first picked it up. I had heard equal good things and bad things about it, and the synopsis made it seem a lot like The Bachelor on steroids, which I am no particularly a fan of.

And I mean, yes, there were definitely some Bachelor-esque aspects about it--but overall, I was pleasantly surprised me and ended up thoroughly enjoying it! I already have the other books purchased, ready for reading from start to finish! 

Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins (Ed.)

RELEASE DATE: JUNE 14TH 2016

Waaaaay back in 2014, twelve authors wrote twelve short holiday-themed stories, which the great Stephanie Perkins (author of Anna and the French Kiss and its companions, all of which I have read and hold dearly close to my heart) edited together in My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories.  I never wrote a review for it on this blog, as that was before my reviewing days, but rest assured that the majority of the stories included in the collection were lovely and well written and ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.

Now, Perkins has rounded up twelve new authors (okay, more like eleven, since she's the only returning author from the first collection) and is releasing a similar collection of stories, this time taking place in the summer!

Like the last collection, this one contains a mix of people I've heard of (like Cassandra Clare and Libba Bray) and are unfamiliar with (Brandy Colbert, Tim Gederle, Lev Grossman). Also like the last collection, there are only about two or three authors included that I've actually read before, which of course gives me the wonderful opportunity of reading some new (to me) writers and seeing what they've got.

My only wish for this book is that they do another absolutely beautiful hardback edition like they did in the UK. (Not that there's anything wrong with the US edition, of course, but come on.)

//INTERNAL SCREAMING

A photo posted by Justyne (@shteen101) on Oct 15, 2014 at 9:47am PDT

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 25TH 2016

Do you remember Hyperbole and a Half? The book that had me struggling to compose myself on public transit, lest the city of Winnipeg think I'd gone mad? Well, Lord help me, there is going to be another book.

Oh, what I wouldn't give to read this book early! It was originally slated for release last October, then was pushed back to April, and now to October 2016. I knew there was another coming almost immediately after I finished Hyperbole and a Half, and the extended wait has just been KILLING ME. For a while I was concerned that it wasn't even going to happen, as the (original) release date was approaching and nothing had been revealed yet--synopsis, covert art, not even a title! But now that all three are satisfyingly available on Goodreads, I think it's safe to say that it's actually, really, finally going to happen!

A Million Worlds with You by Claudia Gray

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 2016

Words cannot describe how excited I am for this book, and we know next to nothing about it--no final release date, no cover art, no synopsis....just a title. But good lord, that is a good title!

A Million Worlds with You will be the final instlament in Gray's Firebird trilogy, following A Thousand Pieces of You and Ten Thousand Skies Above You. I own both, even though I haven't had the chance to read the second one, and the minute I heard this title I just got absolutely OVERWHELMED with emotion. Just reading the first book gives me more than enough context to understand the meaning behind the title of the finale, not to mention give me a butt load of feels in the process.

I almost don't want to read that second book now, lest it absolutely destroy me, and make the eleven months standing between me and this last book that much harder to stand.

What books are you most excited for in 2016?

Until later,

- Justyne

Review: The Selection

WARNING: The following blog posts contain spoilers for the novel under review, ranging from mild to heart wrenchingly major. If you have yet to read this novel and dislike being spoiled, leave now and return upon completion.

If you HAVE read this novel (or just don't give a crap about spoilers), then continue on.

But don't say I didn't warn you.

~~

HELLO, FRIENDS! It's that time of week again! Today we'll be talking about The Selection, by Kiera Cass!

THE PLOT-Y BIT

Prince Maxon has just come of age, which means that it's time for the Selection--a competition between 35 girls to win his heart and, subsequently, the crown. It's the chance of a lifetime; one that America Singer wants nothing to do with. She knows what she wants--a future with Aspen, the love of her life, even if it means spending it in poverty.

Against all odds, she's chosen as the representative of her province, and is whisked into a world of ball gowns, fancy jewels, and life in a glittering palace. Nothing is what she imagined it to be--not even Maxon, who isn't nearly as stiff as he appears on TV. Slowly, she finds herself falling for him, realizing as she does that her ideals for the future are shifting, as well.

THE REVIEW-Y BIT

Do we have a tally going for the amount of books read in one sitting this year? No? Well, we should.

This year is quickly being filled with these kinds of reading experiences, and I am in no way complaining! Stories like these are the reason reading is so exciting! They're never intentional, of course--more of an oops-I-accidentally-read-300-pages-in-one-day-might-as-well-finish kind of experience. But that's also what makes them fun!

To be honest, I was a little iffy about this book going into it. Judging from the premise--a girl who competes against others for the prince's affections--it sounded a lot like The Bachelor on steroids. Still, I had heard good things about it, so I picked it up nonetheless.

Do you ever buy a book, intending to read it right away, only to leave it on your shelf for months, collections dust? And then, when you finally DO get around to reading it, the only thought going through your mind was, "Holy crap this book is amazing WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG??"

That. This book was that.

As cheesy as America's name is (Singer? Really?), I really liked her as a character. She knows what she wants out of life and is more than willing to fight for it. While stubborn at times, she's able to admit when she was wrong. And she's so full of compassion, I just know she would make a great queen. (She and Maxon have to get together. They must.)

Speaking of Maxon--God, how adorable is he? He's so socially awkward, yet at the same time so caring and kind and such a gentleman. He obviously cares about his people, too, judging from his quick actions to enforce a food bank type of system for lower caste families. He and America would / will make an amazing team--talk about a power couple!

I think Illéa's scoiety structure is super interesting. A lot of those dystopian-esque books take place way in the future, and even though this one techincally did (it takes place after WWIV), it didn't seem like it. Their technology was about the same as ours; not too advanced, but not described as a post-apocalyptic wasteland, either. It's just like ours, except...well, slightly different.

But that's what makes it so interesting! It parallels our society in a way that's so simliar that we can easily picture it and relate to it as easily as we can our own lives. It takes the things that are already wrong with our society--we're talking wealth distribution, homelessness, poverty--and emphasises them. It places further rules and restrictions, turning it into a bigger and more obvious problem.

Yes, there's something wrong in this imaginary world. But there's something wrong with our world, as well--all this book does is reflect on it and bring attention to it, in an interesting and compelling way.

STAR-Y BIT

This book earned a 5 star rating from me very quickly. Although it could have used some distance from the traditional topes we're used to in YA dystopians, it was still a great read!


What were your thoughts on this week's read? Be sure to discuss down in the comments!

Until later,

- Justyne