I LOVED the first 3 books in this series and I'm wishing right now that the author had stopped there. I'm posting this review about a month after I read the book and I can't remember a darn thing that happened. I don't have a bad memory. That's just how unremarkable this book was. It breaks my heart 2 give this book a 2 star rating but Ms. Mafi needs to get back to the original writing style that had me glued to the pages of the first 3 books or just let these characters and this story line rest in peace.

Interesting twist on the Cinderella fairy tale. This isn't my favorite book in this series but it was still an interesting read.

In Phase 2 of Project Nemesis, a lot of kids are going to die - really die. The Guardian has laid down a new set of rules and only a certain number of the survivors are going to make it to Phase 3. The problem is that no one knows how many and the kids of Fire Lake are determined to do whatever they can to make sure they're on that list.

Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for Min and Tack - they do. But, they also find a whole new set of allies from the strangest place. This sequel to "Nemesis" is an action-packed, gory, mess but I loved it and I can't wait to see how the story wraps up in the next book.

When Everly is thrown from the real world into an alternate fairy tale universe, she spends her time trying to determine whether or not she could be the evil queen but so could every other female character that she encounters - given the right set of circumstances. Add to that a handsome prince, an evil step-mother, and a host of villains, and this fractured fairy tale about the Evil Queen from Snow White had all of the elements needed to be a good book.

But, something was missing from this book that unfortunately kept it from missing the mark. The plot was extremely slow-paced at several points throughout the story and our MC was sometimes a bit annoying. This wasn't a great read but it was entertaining enough to keep me engaged.

When Jase and Kazi return to Tor's Watch bearing good news from the queen, they are dismayed to find things are not quite how they left them. They are soon separated by a sneak attack, the kingdom is reduced to rubble, the Ballengers are in hiding, old allies are now enemies, and a fool is behind it all. Once again Ms. Pearson spins a web of intrigue, suspense, and betrayal that will once again have readers guessing who is really playing who.

I enjoyed watching Jase and Kazi's story unravel in "Dance of Thieves" and this sequel does not disappoint. It's the perfect blend of action, romance, intrigue, and wit.

The Lunar Chronicles is one of my favorite series and I enjoyed Marissa Meyer bringing them to life in Iko's story!

Maddie and Logan are childhood best friends who are separated after an unfortunate incident. Years later, when Logan shows up on Maddie's doorstep she isn't exactly happy to see him. But the two must work together to sort out their feelings and to survive when once again, a threat emerges that could cost them their lives.

I love Maddie's wit and the undeniable chemistry between these two. This is a fast-paced, action filled, survivalist story that you won't want to put down.

This book represents so many characters and issues that everyone can completely relate to our MC's story. Great book that deals with realistic issues in a completely realistic and relatable way.

4.5*

Jason and his friends are back again to battle the evil Jin after he steals a valuable object and targets another one of the group. Their plan to make things right relies heavily on Daiyu but Jason is the only one who really trusts her. This story gives us a more in depth look at all of the characters and how differently grief affects each of them.

I loved the futuristic setting, world building, fast-paced story, character development, and camaraderie between these friends. This is a strong story with a well developed plot and a suitable ending to this group's story.

I struggled with rating this book just as I struggled to read it. It wasn't a bad book but it just wasn't the type of writing that I've come to expect in Bardugo's work.

I absolutely loved Nikolai and Zoya's story line - except for the detour they took. If this book had truly focused on Nikolai's story, I know that I would have enjoyed it more. Most of the chapters containing these two were engaging. But it didn't...and herein lies the problems with this book. This book also features the POV's of Nina and Isaak, as well as a few characters that only detracted from the plot. The brash and bold Nina that I came to love was absent in this book and her chapters in this book were confusing, slow paced, and unnecessary.

I will read the next book and hopefully Bardugo'e style will re-emerge to finish this story.

I initially had a problem with the pacing, the plethora of details, and Sev's story line in this book. I found myself wanting to skip through the pages to get back to Veronyka or Tristan's story, but just hang in there because this book definitely gets better.

This author does an excellent job of world building and drawing the reader into whatever scene is taking place in the story. As the story progressed I became vested in character's lives that I really didn't care much about in the beginning of the book and when all of the details fell into place, this book really ramps up. Crown of Feathers is filled with action, complicated relationships, likable characters, and a twist at the end that you will never see coming.

Raw, gritty,and real. Loved it!

Walt is "hands down" my favorite character in this book. His philosophies on life, his love of jazz, and his positive, can-do attitude are infectious and he ultimately motivates his best friend Noah to go after what he wants in life. This is a realistic coming-of-age tale filled with ambition, love, and loss. My only complaint is the ending, while heartbreaking, felt contrite and really didn't mesh with the story.

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are investment bankers and elite members of Wall Street's rich and powerful. They have what it takes to blend into the ruthless and cut throat world of high finance, including the capacity to turn the other cheek on misconduct and to do anything to get their next big bonus.

But the tables are turned when they receive last minute invitations to a team-building escape room activity, and they slowly begin to realize that the clues in this room are a bit too personal and deadly. True to form, they turn on each other and go into self-survival mode as they race against the clock to solve the clues and save their lives.

This is an intense psychological thriller with ruthless characters, fatal secrets, and a riveting plot from start to finish.

Larkspur House is dying and it's looking for some more children's souls to feed upon. But this time around it devises new and surprising ways to lure children into it's deadly clutches. This time, the kids have a little help from a surprising place and Larkspur might just be closing its doors forever.

Definitely not as good as the other books but the new twist made it interesting.

Hated and feared by her own people for practicing blood-magic, princess Aurelia flees her kingdom to the safety of the home of her betrothed. But things don't exactly go as planned on her journey, and she soon finds herself alone in a foreign land. After surviving two failed assassination attempts, Aurelia must hide her true identity in her new home and she bides her time until she can retake her kingdom by honing her magical talents and developing new allies.

The world building, character development, and relationships in this story will have you intrigued from the opening chapter and the surprise twists and action will keep you glued to the pages until the jaw-dropping finale. I can't wait to see how Aurelia and Valentin rally their supporters to win their kingdoms back in the second book.

When Amani is stripped from her family and taken to serve as a body double for the cruel Princes Maram, she is introduced to a new world where one wrong move could be fatal for her and her family. While in captivity, Maram can't help to hope for an end to the tyrannical princess' rule and when she is approached by a rebel faction, she believes her dreams will be answered. But she soon realizes that her actions might cause harm to not only her family but the man she has come to love and the princess she has come to understand.

This author does an excellent job of world building and drawing you into Amani's life in this fast-paced novel filled with intrigue and deception.

3.5*

While Death's estranged daughters, Sybella and Genevieve have grown up leading two very different lives in two different parts of the kingdom, they soon find themselves with the same purpose. Desperate to keep her two younger sisters safe, Sybella pledges herself to protect the Duchess and grief forces Genevieve to undertake a mission that soon finds these girls on the same path.

Genevieve's story is quite predictable but I absolutely love Sybella and Beast's love and devotion for themselves, Sybella's younger sisters, and their friends. Surrounded by unscrupulous enemies and a nefarious brother who all mean to cause Sybella harm, she races against time to find the one person who can either help her or destroy everything she has worked so hard to save.

I liked this book a lot more than the first one. It was loaded with action,plot twists, and an ending that leaves you hanging at the edge of your seat. The entire story has the true feel of the old school Batman-type story feel so here are the questions that I have for the final installment:

Will Max survive??
Will Ace Anarchy and the Anarchists reign again??
Will Nova/Nightmare finally be outed??
Will Adrian/ The Sentinel be able to crush Nightmare??

Stay tuned....

When Ellery and Ezra's mother Sadie suffers a mental breakdown, they are forced to live with a grandmother they barely know in the infamous town known as "Murderland". Young girls keep turning up dead in Echo Ridge and when Ellery comes to town, she becomes the focus of a new threat. In a town where everyone has secrets and everyone is a suspect, Ellery races against the clock to unravel this mystery before she becomes the killer's next target.

This book has layer upon layer of suspense and intrigue and a plot developed so intricately that by the time the mystery is unraveled, you're looking for the killer to the right but you ultimately get blindsided from the left. This is an enthralling psychological thriller with compelling characters and a "whodunit" you will never see coming.

Three princesses who are raised separately are vying for one crown....sound familiar?? It should, it's the basis for the plot in Three Dark Crowns . But honestly, that is where the similarity between these two books ends. Rule is a book to be reckoned with. When three girls form different parts of the kingdom are summoned to the throne by the reigning king, they all think that the sins they have committed against the crown have finally come back to haunt them. But when they find out that they are all illegitimate children of the king and are vying for his throne, the games begin. They all have a dark secret to hide that could force them to lose the throne and their lives.

I loved this book! It was filled with thrills, betrayal, espionage, and suspense. You really don't have any idea who is behind the threats that the girls are receiving - I was so wrong with my prediction - and the twists and turns keep coming at you until the very end. I can't wait to read the next installment to find out which one of these girls, if any, gets to claim the throne.

I don't understand why so many people had such a strong adverse reaction to this book.l Is the thought of a female-run society really that disturbing? This idea isn't any more far fetched than all of the books with male dominated societies absent of a female presence, for instance Animal Farm and more recently the first book in the The Maze Runner series.

I like the premise of this book and albeit these females have a totally skewed perception of the male species but isn't that would really happen if males or females were totally wiped out and the survivors and future generations had to rely upon the memories, ideals, and perceptions of only a few?

Sure the writing and the plot could stand a bit more development but I genuinely enjoyed this book and River's strength and heart.

4.5*

Jason Reynolds tweeted that Lu was the best book in the series and I said, "I don't know Jason" - in my head of course - "Sunny and Patina didn't reach the level of Ghost" but I have to honestly say that Lu runs a close second. I feel that we get a closer and more in-depth look at Lu, his family, and Coach and this story was a perfect way to end their story.

4.5*

I have a good friend who lived on Jefferson Ave. off Bushwick, so for the authenticity alone in which the author captures the atmosphere and the culture of that particular area, I would have given this book 4 stars. When you add in the realistic portrayal of the characters; the relationships that Zuri had with her family, friends, and ultimately the new kids on the block; the anxiety of what the future holds; the fear of change; and the author's stellar writing, what you get is a relevant piece of work that is authentic and engaging.

When Ellie's grandpa Melvin comes back to town, the two are up to more antics and comedic capers in this captivating and intriguing follow-up to The Fourteenth Goldfish . Melvin is angsty and going through "the puberty" while Ellie is trying to define the terms of her relationships with her new and former best friends. This sequel is a humorous but real look at relationships, friendships, and surviving middle school.

When Dee Guerrera is convicted of a murder she didn't commit, she is sentenced to life on Alcatraz 2.0 where prisoners are forced to participate in a reality show in a fight for their lives. But Dee quickly realizes that something isn't right on this island when she meets a bunch of young, attractive inmates who all also claim to be innocent. Determined to prove her innocence, Dee and her friends decide to change the game and pick off the assassins who are hunting them.

There is something really wrong with Gretchen McNeil's mind...and I absolutely love her for it! Her books always have the perfect blend of horror, mystery, and suspense and her latest work does not disappoint. #Murdertrending is the perfect mashup of Saw and The Hunger Games that keeps you guessing from start to finish!

The Belles was a unique, action-packed tale filled with vivid imagery, solid character development, and a plot replete with intrigue and suspense. This sequel exceeded all of my expectations. As Camille races against time to reunite her sisters, save the Belles, find Charlotte, and stop Sophia's twisted plans, we are once again drawn into the dynamic and captivating world of Orleans and the mysterious Iron Ladies.

Some scenes were predictable, but most plot twists were completely unexpected. Sophia appears to always be five steps ahead of Camille and you never know when or if the tides will turn in Camille's favor. I would have loved to see a little more about the Iron Ladies but this is a solid follow-up to The Belles saga.

Enter the world of Orleans where everyone's desire is to be more beautiful then the next and there are a special group of girls called The Belles who can change everything about you with unique gifts called the Arcana. Every Belle wants to be the "favorite" one who is chosen to serve on the Queen's Court.

On the surface, everything about Orleans seems polished and pristine but underneath the surface lies something dark and twisted as the new favorite Camellia Beauregard soon comes to discover. Belle and her sisters have been groomed all their lives for one purpose and that is to serve the kingdom with their natural talents but they all begin to realize one that something is very wrong.

This is a page-turner filled with intrigue, deception, and heart wrenching betrayals wrapped around a powerful message to everyone about superficial beauty and body shaming.

After G-Baby's mother remarries, she and her sister Peaches are uprooted from their home and friends when they move in with their new step-dad. G-Baby has trouble blending in to this new extended family and misses her former neighborhood and friends. When tragedy strikes her family, everyone pulls together and G-Baby realizes what's really important.

I found this book to be rather slow-paced and the main character was a tad bit annoying but it also had a pertinent message about dealing with blended families and dealing with family illness that would be beneficial to a lot of young readers.

11 year old Isabella deals with blending into two families when her divorced parents remarry and force her to split her time and life moving back and forth between two homes; blending the two parts of her bi-racial makeup into one unique individual and blending into a life where she feels she isn't seen.

I felt this poor girl's struggle throughout this story. The tug-of-war she felt being stuck between two divorced parents who don't get along, being a bi-racial child and not knowing where she fit in, and the racism she had to deal with in her day-today life. This is a moving book filled with relevant issues that Ms. Draper deals with in a realistic and pragmatic manner.