Defy by Sara B. Larson

Title: Defy
Author: Sara B. Larson
Format: e-book provided by Net Galley
Release Date: 1/7/14
Pages: 336 pages
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Additional Information: First book in a series with at least one sequel
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

This book had such great potential. I mean, who does not love the premise of a girl disguised as a boy who is a bad ass fighter with magic involved? 

However, this book was a huge disappointment for me. I highlighted many, many parts of this book that I just found myself gagging at. Alexa was...slutty. She only seemed to care about Damian and Rylan's abs.  That got tiring to me very quickly. Also, we have a case where the girl thinks that she is ugly, although everyone one around her thinks that she is the most beautiful thing to have passed them since they were born. This was the author's attempt to make her main character seem humble, however it just did not work for me. Also, I HATE LOVE TRIANGLES. Alexa seemed to want to drag Rylan along just for shits and giggles, excuse the swearing. To me, it was a very poorly executed love triangle, which also had a case of insta-love. 

PLEASE.

JUST.

STOP.

IT.

Please?

Insta-love has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I know that Alexa has worked with Rylan forever and that she works for the prince, but they were suppose to think that you are a boy, my dear, and staring and drooling and blushing certainly does not help you.

I know that I should get into more details, but I am so annoyed right now that I cannot even get a full detailed review out. Sorry. 

Impostor

Title: Impostor
Author: Susanne Winnacker
Format: e-book provided by Net Galley
Release Date: for this edition, 1/7/14
Pages: Around 320
Rating: 3 stars out of five
Additional Information: First book in a series, already published under a different cover in hardcover by Razorbill, this edition will be published by Hodder Children's Books

Summary (taken from Goodreads)
Tessa is a Variant with extraordinary abilities. She could be a hero, but all she wants to do is fall in love ...

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she's spent the last two years with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. There she trains with other Variants, such as long-term crush Alec, who each have their own extraordinary ability.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor - the stress, the danger, the deceit - but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she'd do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.
Tessa is a Variant with extraordinary abilities. She could be a hero, but all she wants to do is fall in love ...


I had been interested in this book since the first time I had heard of it, when it was published by Razorbill back in May. However, I had too many books higher on my TBR pile and never ended up getting to it, so when I saw it on Net Galley, I figured it would be my chance to finally read it. They accepted by request, and I am glad that I got a free copy of this book.
This probably would have been a four star rating if it was not for the beginning. We have our main character Tessa, who can shift into different people (like from the Infernal Devises trilogy, but that Tessa's powers were stronger) and who was helplessly in love with her friend Alec (a character from The Mortal Instruments, noticing a theme?), who had a girlfriend, Kate.
I do not understand why Tess and her friend Holly hate her so much. So what, she is dating Alec? She is referred to as the "bitch" several times, and yet Tessa gets offended when Kate says one mean thing to her. Also, when she first starts this mission, she whines and sulks, which I can understand to a point, but she also finds a way to draw everything back to herself, which I found annoying.
Okay. Once we got further into the story and Tessa got over herself, I found myself starting to like it. Sure, it was easy enough for me to guess all the big surprises in this book, but I thought that the plot was interesting and some of the struggles Tessa had with her ability and the fact that she is lying to a dead girl's family was interesting. I also liked the relationship she adopted with some of the people Madison knew in her life.
Overall, I am not extremely excited for the sequel, but I would read it given the opportunity.  I am not a big fan of the main character being this different and super valuable she just does not know it kind of thing, but there are cases where it is played out beautifully, and I would like to see how that turns out in the next book. If you are considering reading it, I recommend at least making it to the second half of the book before deciding to put it down.

Into The Still Blue

Title: Into The Still Blue
Author: Veronica Rossi
Format: ARC (uncorrected proof)
Pages: 389
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Rating: 4/4.5 stars out of 5
Additional Information: Last book in the Under The Never Sky Trilogy

Summary: (taken from Goodreads.com) Spoilers for the first two books in the trilogy.
The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.

The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.

Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.

Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.

In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

Quotes: (note that since this is an uncorrected proof, these are subject to change.)
"Aria lurched upright, the echo of gunshots ringing in her ears."
"'Perry?" "Right here. I'm going to get you out of here.'"
"'I promise you," he whispered. "We'll both get there, and I'll find you." He would do it. If he survived."'


I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this was most likely my favorite out of the three. It had everything that fans of Aria and Perry loved from the other books. Even though this is the end of a dystopian trilogy, Ms. Rossi did not feel the need to have a heartbreaking and/or bad ending, and I appreciated that greatly. The ending was not overly happy, either. I liked the way this trilogy ended.
There was a good amount of action in this book, and some twists and turns that made you wonder whether or not some of the bad guys are actually bad guys. It was not super unpredictable where you had absolutely no idea  what was happening but still managed to surprise me in a few places, and I know it will surprise people after this books comes out. 
Another thing I loved about this book and this trilogy as a whole is that the author had the option to make a love triangle with Aria Perry and Roar but didn't, keeping Roar and Aria's relationship at  a friend status. This sort of thing is becoming very, very rare in the young adult world. It is mostly seen in middle grade books or books at an even lower age level than that. They were so close, and Aria trusted her life in her friend's hands as well as Perry's.
The third thing I liked about this book is Cinder. (spoilers in this for the second book) I enjoyed how neither Aria nor Perry was their only hope from escaping the Aether. I find myself becoming bored with the main character being one of a kind and the hope for all humanity. It was nice to see a secondary character have that role, and it was just another thing that made this book differ from all the other YA books out there.
Also, I loved seeing the growth of these characters. Almost all of them changed in some way. Aria grew closer to Outsiders, which she used to loathe, and the opposite happened for Perry. They became stronger people because of their situation and because they had each other when things got really bad in the world that they live in. Even the younger characters knew how to live in these conditions. In this book, new characters were introduced and they also had some growth to them, and I admire how Ms. Rossi managed to do that without it seeming unrealistic.
Overall, I enjoyed these books very much. Unlike a lot of series these days, I felt that each book got better and better and encourage you to pick this book up when it comes out, even if say you thought the first book was okay or the second was good but not great. This one is better.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

You wake up with no memory of the last few days.
Your friends were killed in an accident that you miraculously survived.
Your family has to move to another state to escape the fallout.
You meet a mysterious boy who seems to know more about you than you do.
You start seeing things that can't possibly be there.
You are afraid you are losing your mind.
Can you keep it together?
Mara Dyer is about to find out.

This book is the first in a trilogy.

OH MY GOODNESS. This book was simple amazing. It was so creepy, intense, depressing, funny, romantic, and so much more. Mara wakes up in the hospital after an old building has collapsed on her and her friends. Mara was the only one that survived, and her family moves to Florida to help her get over her grief. But soon, she starts to see her dead friends everywhere she goes and imagining things that are not actually happening. She meets Noah Shaw, a boy who has slept around, and feels drawn to him. But is she really going crazy?

I loved this book. This book spans over months (I think!) and while Mara's romance with Noah at first seemed like it would be another case of insta-love, it really wasn't. It would have been so easy fro Michelle Hodkin to make it that way, and I give her credit for not giving in. There were so many twists and turns in the story line, and it kept me on edge. It is not a horror story exactly, but there are some pretty heavy things in this book, but they are well passed with the happy, sexy, and funny moments. Overall just a wonderful story, and cannot wait to get my hands on the other books.

Sorry

Hey! I know that I've been a sucky blogger lately, and I just wanted to give you a quick update on what has happened.
So the book I finished recently is The Maze Runner by James Dashner, and expect a review soon. Still reading DOBAS, plus Dear Teen Me.

Anyway, also wanted to say that Midnight Frost, book 5 in the Mythos Academy series, comes out tomorrow! I am so pumped for this book! Be excited!

Have to go, but I hope to be back soon!

Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver

I really loved this trilogy. Oliver has such a beautiful writing style that really brought everything to life for me and her characters were amazing. I also really like that she took a chance with Requiem and gave it an open ending, which I thought suited this trilogy well as far as endings go.
In this world, love is treated as a deadly disease that can kill you, and when you turn eighteen, you are operated on and given the cure for this disease. Our main character, Lena, ends up falling in love in this world where it is so dangerous to do so. I loved the premise and was not disappointed.
I'm sorry this review is so short, but I tried to keep it spoiler-free and I have to go in about a minute! Maybe I'll do a spoilery review...i don't know
I give this trilogy 5/5 stars.

Penguin's First To Read program

So, Penguin (the book publishing company) has a program where every month, they have a certain amount of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies, see the post before this for a brief explanation) that if you are a member for this program, called First To Read, you can put in requests for these ARCs, or even if you have the points for it, guarantee yourself one of the ARCs. Cool, right?

First To Read

I'm leaving the link above to their website, you should really check it out! AND even if you don't win the ARC, you still have access to exclusive experts and some other cool things!

ARCs

I am taking a minute (and a post) to talk about an ARC, or an advanced reader copy. I don't believe all books have these. They are printed before the finished copy is 100% done, and the publishers will give some away for review, and will also give the authors some, who will usually host a giveaway for them.
ARCs will most likely have a sign on them saying what they are.

For Not A Drop To Drink, the side image has the release date on the top of the spine.

For Antigoddess, there is a circle on the front of the cover.

Across The Universe by Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder. 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
taken from Goodreads

I have finished the whole trilogy, but for now, due to a time crunch I will only be reviewing the first book.
Non-Spoilery
I gave this book four stars. I really enjoyed the world building and didn't have many questions about why things were the way they were, and trust me, they were answered in the second and third books. Amy was really defiant and rightfully questioned everything that was different in this new environment she was in after she was melted and woken. She seemed like the strong one in this couple, and it was refreshing to see the heroine take the lead. Elder was hesitant to question Eldest, and understandably so, however, I feel like he could have argued less with Amy. The whole sci-fi idea of this spaceship, Godspeed, traveling to this new and pretty much unknown planet with the shipborns and the Sol-Earth people frozen beneath (I am almost positive  that they call our Earth Sol-Earth) the main levels of the ship. Also, the mystery aspect of this book was really interesting and although I had a list of suspects (with the person who actually did it on the list) I was very surprised to find out the reason the frozens (like Amy) were being unplugged. If you haven't read this book, you should! Even if sci-fi or mystery aren't your things, like they aren't mine, you will still find yourself really liking this book.  

Summer Reading

Over the summer, if you are attending a school, usually it makes you read a book or two and then do a couple of assignments to do along with the book.
So at my unnamed school (just in case any of you are stalkers) I have to read two books, Dear Teen Me, and then a choice book, for which I chose The Fault In Our Stars, which I have already finished and reviewed. For DTM, there are just a few thinking activities, and then for the choice book, I have to pick three passages from the book (i have twenty three, have to narrow it down, ugh) and explain in a paragraph or two for each why it is so important and how it reflects the book.

I will give more information on my summer reading the further I get into  it

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

FEELS!
This book...gosh. I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen, and I was right, but the way John Green did it, I died.
The main character, Hazel, was so utterly believable. I could understand every action that she made and every feeling that she had. Augustus, the other main character, had flaws, so it wasn't the whole idea of a literally perfect man, and I liked that a lot. And after...that...happened, I cried my eyes out before finishing the movie to cry all over again.
Hazel and Gus both have cancer, and both seemed to handle it differently, along with Issac, who was another character I loved, and he made one really hard choice that made me really admire him, and I know constantly that Hazel always said that you shouldn't talk about how brave and how much courage cancer patients had, but I think going blind to remove your cancer is really a hard thing to do. ANYWAY, Hazel and Gus had to be one of the cutest couples I have ever read about or seen.  The only complaints I have about this book was the big...thing (though I understand it) and the fact that it ended way too soon.

8,000/5 stars, you need to read this! hopefully it will be a movie soon! 

Also: Over the summer I was assigned to read a choice book and one that they are requiring everyone in the school to read, and this was my choice book, and I had to mark at least three passages, and I HAVE TWENTY-THREE

June Book Haul

So. This is my first official book haul! Yay! Today I have seven books to share with you guys.

The first two books are books two and three in the Bloodlines series, The Golden Lily and The Indigo Spell.


Dark Triumph book two in the His Fair Assassin trilogy


The Hunger Pains, a spoof of THG


The Riddle, The Second Book Of Pellinor


Across The Universe, first in a trilogy, with the newest cover change ('cause like each book has a new cover, but as far as I know this should be the last one)


And, finally, The Fault In Our Stars exclusive collectors edition

Wake by Amanda Hocking

Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

This is the first book in the Watersong series, with the first three out and the last book coming out soon. 

I loved this book. The mythology was really interesting, and Gemma and her sister Harper were really strong characters. Even though Gemma was pulled into a tough situation, she knew what she had to do to keep her family safe after what happened with Penn, Lexi, and Thea. I also loved the sisters love intrests, Alex and Daniel.  The writing was really good and overall this was just a fantastic novel. Sirens are fading in pop culture with all the demons and demon hunters and werewolves and vampires, also the new dystopian phase (which I love), and it was nice to see Miss Hocking bring a more...ancient version of these creatures, like she did in her Trylle series, about trolls. You should really check both these series out, since I have almost no complaints. One of my favorite books, and I can't wait to read the third book.

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better—the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.




So, once again, like with Fallen, I was tricked by a beautiful cover. I mean, look at it. 
So, this story focuses more on Emily than on  Chase, because she is the real main character, the only one that stays constant throughout the trilogy. 
So, something bothered me. For one, Emily. She became interested in her best friend's boyfriend, and yet throughout almost the whole time she was being a bitch, she still hung out with the friend. Come on! Chase was just a plain jackass, he didn't play that game.
And the furies were barely real furies in this book. My guess is that each book has one main fury, and Ty was this ones. All she did was be seductive until the climax of the book.
However, I did like some things in this book, like the world building, and how the crimes weren't over the top like full out murder but they weren't petty. However, I do not believe I will finish this trilogy. I had high expectations of this book, and that might have been why I only ended up giving it 1.5-2 stars. When I saw this book, I fell in love with it, the cover and the summary on the back. I started to read it the second I got home. I had looked beforehand at the reviews here on Goodreads, and the reactions were extremely mixed, so I ignored them. In this book, all Emily does is whine about how much she loves HER BEST FRIENDS BOYFRIEND!!!! I mean, come on! And you don't find out what Chase does until the end of the book. And the Furies!! All they did was leave flowers and stare. I mean, one of them actually does something, but at like, the last 50 or so pages of the book. But, I gave this book as many stars as I did because I loved the idea or this book, and the hardcover and paperback covers. This book could have been SO MUCH BETTER!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

So, the other day, I finished reading my copy of Fallen, which I had no intention of reading, but since it was only $4.99, I figured why not.
This is a four book series, starting with:

So in this book, our main character, named Luce, has just been sent to Sword & Cross, a school for...troubled kids who have done really bad things. Her first day, she sees this super hot guy and decides she HAS to be with him, even though he flips her off before she could even say hi. Even after he continuously is a jerk to her, she reaches almost obsession. So basically,  Miss Kate is telling girls that if he is an a** (I'm old enough to swear, thanks :) to you, it means he loves you. Wonderful.
But it's okay, because he only did it to keep her safe...from him. Cliche.

What I liked about Fallen:
I thought the world building was good, if not a little slow. I thought it was an interesting concept and wished it was explained more, but it seems like it will be more in the other three books, Torment, Passion, and Rapture, and maybe in Fallen In Love, which I think is just short stories bound up together. Besides Daniel and Luce, I liked the characters, mostly Penn and Cam. I also really liked the whole fantasy aspect, too.

What I didn't like about Fallen:
Luce and Daniel. He treated her like crap and she wouldn't even breathe without thinking if Daniel would like it. He made inappropriate gestures and  then thought if he acted nice a couple of times it'd be okay? I think the saddest part of this is that Luce thought someone could treat her like that. Obsession from her, abuse from him. **Sigh**

Rating:
2.7 stars. I wont buy the other books, but I'd read them if I got them at the library or something.

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Braken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Coming out October 5th

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

When I picked this book up at Walmart(yes, walmart) I didn't expect to love this book along with Ruby, Liam, Chubs, Zu, and even Clancy. Even though at the end of the book...boy, ISSUES!! I need NEVER FADE and hope it lives up to this book, unlike some other books I can name (cough, cough). I really loved The Darkest Minds. The world building was excellent, if I had any questions about this book then they were very minor. I fell in love with all the characters, like Ruby, Liam, Zu, Chubs, and the characters I didn't like had an important role in the book. (Clance and Cate). Ruby was a broken girl at the beginning of this book, drawing strength from her new friends as the book went on until the very end, which killed me. I am dead. I need Never Fade. Now!

Five stars.

The Caster Chronicles

Today, I will be reviewing the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, consisting of four books and a novella.

Beautiful Creatures
 Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Beautiful Darkness 

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Dream Dark (novella)

When Link joined his best friend, Ethan Wate, on a quest through a mysterious network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, he knew the journey would be dangerous. But returning home to Gatlin, South Carolina was just the beginning...

Wounded during a climactic battle, Link discovers that tending his injuries won't be as simple as visiting a doctor and that healing his arm should be the least of his worries. For being bitten by a Supernatural does more than break the skin -- it changes a person, inside and out, turning Link into someone more and more like the dark creature who injured him.

In this never-before-seen short story by New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, listeners witness Link's heart-racing transformation. Dream Dark is set before the much-anticipated third Beautiful Creatures novel, Beautiful Chaos, and as a special bonus includes an exclusive sneak peek at the first five chapters.

Beautiful Chaos

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What — or who — will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself — forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

Beautiful Redemption

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

So, those are the books. 

In Beautiful Creatures, we are introduced to this wonderful world of the Casters. Casters introduce all sorts of supernatural creatures and put them into two categories: Light and Dark. I really liked this world and the characters, even though this was a long series. I give this series a four out of five in general and hope you check them out.