FIRE & HEIST by Sarah Beth Durst

Rating: A-
Release Date: 12/4/2018
Synopsis:
In Sky Hawkins's family, leading your first heist is a major milestone--even more so than learning to talk, walk, or do long division. It's a chance to gain power and acceptance within your family, and within society. But stealing your first treasure can be complicated, especially when you're a wyvern--a human capable of turning into a dragon.

Embarking on a life of crime is never easy, and Sky discovers secrets about her mother, who recently went missing, the real reason her boyfriend broke up with her, and a valuable jewel that could restore her family's wealth and rank in their community.

With a handpicked crew by her side, Sky knows she has everything she needs to complete her first heist, and get her boyfriend and mother back in the process. But then she uncovers a dark truth about were-dragon society--a truth more valuable and dangerous than gold or jewels could ever be.

My thoughts on the book:
Fire & Heist is a really cute and fluffy read. There isn't a whole lot of depth to the story, and the characters are pretty run-of-the-mill, but Sky's snark really saves this novel. I haven't read any of Durst's work before, but she has a strong voice as an author, though some of her world-building and descriptions were lacking. I got more than a few chuckles out of this story, though, and when I finished the book, I felt lighter than I had when I started it, so it is a good "pick me up" type of novel. 

Sky is a decent female lead. She's funny, a bit stubborn, and she has more depth than she gives herself credit for. She's a good weredragon, and she really cares about the people in her life. She's smart and witty, though a bit whiny at times. She came across as a real teenager, which is rare in YA novels these days. Ryan is a good love interest, and instead of being some broody, narcissistic, emotionally abusive jerk, he's actually a sweet guy. I appreciated Durst having a healthy relationship in her novel. Most of the secondary characters are cookie cutter... nothing really special about them. The dad won't listen to anything his daughter says. The three brothers are each some male prototype (one is overly built, one likes explosions, and one can't decide what he likes). The villain is like a cheesy comic book villain almost, but at least they didn't do a monologue. It's fine, though, because they aren't really the focus. Ryan and Gabriela (who is my favorite fictional person in the world now... I LOVE YOU, MY FELLOW RESEARCHER) are a lot more developed. Everyone grows throughout the course of the novel, so that's also a good thing. 

The plot twist surprised me a little, and then it took a sharp right. It made sense for the story, but it was a little jarring. The world-building and descriptions for this second setting didn't really paint a picture for me. I felt like I had a decent grasp of the first setting, but the second setting just didn't work at all. However, this is a standalone book, and I can't imagine trying to develop two worlds in one novel. The writing, aside from that, is pretty strong. The plot made sense, and there weren't really any holes. The humor is really what made this book. It was lighthearted and serious. It pointed out flaws in our society and in other societies, showing that nothing is perfect and we should always work to better ourselves and the world we live in. The ending was a happy one. The pacing is super fast, too, I flew through this one.

Overall, I'd recommend this novel to anyone who wants a light, fun read. It's an action-packed and fun-filled fantasy that promotes healthy relationships. It doesn't get much better than that. 

EVERLIFE by Gena Showalter

Grade: A-
Synopsis:
STAND TOGETHER OR FALL ALONE.

THE FATE OF THE EVERLIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE.

At seventeen years old, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood had to make the ultimate choice—where to live after she died. Loyalty to her selected realm has not wavered…until now. She is out of time. Sacrifices must be made, and a terrible price must be paid. But is she too late? 

As the Everlife descends into darkness, a single truth becomes clear: Troika and Myriad must unite—or perish. In order to bring sworn enemies together, Ten must enter forbidden territory…and destroy the powerful Prince of Ravens. But there’s only one way inside—bonding with Killian Flynn, a deadly rival who sets her blood aflame.

When nothing goes as planned and betrayal leads to the edge of utter defeat, Ten and Killian will have to rebuild trust from the ashes of their hearts. Victory seems impossible, the odds stacked against them. In the end, how far will they be willing to go for the sake of their realms and the Everlife?

My thoughts on the book:
Everlife is a very uplifting conclusion to the series. The characters all grow in this last installment and become who they were meant to be. The novel is an action-packed rollercoaster from start to finish, and the writing is well done. There were still some things I didn't like about the book, and the series, but overall, I really enjoyed this novel. 

Ten, our leading lady, switches between mature, capable, and strong to annoying. I really didn't like her number obsession and recitations that she kept doing, but at least there were fewer of those in this novel than the previous one. For the most part, she was a strong and selfless character, and I enjoyed watching her grow. Killian disappointed me some in this book, but he disappointed himself, so I guess I can forgive him. None of the other characters really stood out to me, aside from Biscuit. I effing loved Biscuit. The guardian animals were my favorite addition to the storyline. 

The story itself had some moments where I couldn't achieve willing suspension of disbelief. They were just too far-fetched. For the most part, though, the story and the world were believable. The pacing was a little slow, and there were some over descriptions, but things moved relatively smoothly. The action was pretty much nonstop, so that kept me engaged. It was tragedy after tragedy after tragedy for poor Ten. The ending was bittersweet. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to people who are looking for a squeaky clean YA read filled with mythology and fantasy and that discusses important topics such as free will and morality. 

THE INVISIBLE LIBRARY by Genevieve Cogman

Rating: B-
Synopsis:
Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently...

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake. 

My thoughts on the book:
The Invisible Library is a unique and intriguing read. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, especially after seeing mixed reviews, but I actually enjoyed the book as a whole. It wasn't perfect, and the world and characters weren't fully developed, in my opinion, but it held my interest enough that I liked reading it, and I'm looking forward to the sequel. It is a well-written, genre bending book. I hope I get to learn more about the characters and the world in the next installment.

Irene grew on me, even though her emotions were kind of stifled. I know she was meant to be portrayed this way, but because of that, even though the POV was third person, limited, we didn't get to see any of the emotions of the other characters, either. I mean emotional reactions were mentioned some, but there was a lot more that could have been done. However, the story, and Irene herself, wouldn't have been as prim and stereotypically librarian if that had been the case. Kai was interesting, and I really want to learn more about him. Vale was super fun, and I look forward to seeing him again as well. The big bad guy of the story was kind of vague. I would have liked a bit more from him. 

Like the characters, the world-building was a bit vague. I'm not sure I 100% understand the rules of the world, why the Library exists, and what all of the implications are. This may be intentional, because part of the underlying themes in this book is should you question old institutions if they are doing no harm. However, it did make it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. The plot was intriguing and fast-paced, but the romance was a bit dull/non-existent. I'd like to see a little more romance in future installments. The writing was pretty well done, and the dialogue was fairly realistic. There was a lot of action going on, but the action/fight scenes were never described in a way that made me completely absorbed in them. I felt that a lot of stuff was glossed over more than it should have been. The ending tied up a lot of loose ends and set the next book up well.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to someone who is looking for something unique to read. I enjoyed the novel, and I am looking forward to the sequel.

ALTERED by Gennifer Albin

Rating: D
Synopsis:
Life. Possibility. Choice.
All taken from Adelice by the Guild—until she took them back.

But amid the splendid ruins of Earth, Adelice discovers how dangerous freedom can be. Hunted by soulless Remnants sent by Cormac Patton and the Guild, Adelice finds a world that’s far from deserted. Although allies are easy to find on Earth, knowing who to trust isn’t. Because everyone has secrets, especially those Adelice loves most. Secrets they would kill to protect. Secrets that will redefine each of them. Torn between two brothers and two worlds, Adelice must choose what to fight for.

In this thrilling sequel to Crewel, Adelice is about to learn how tangled up her past and future really are. Her parents ran to protect her, but nothing can save her from her destiny, and once she uncovers the truth, it will change everything.

My thoughts on the book:
I'm not sure what I expected from this book, but I know I thought it would be much better than it ended up being. Crewel was a good read. The idea was unique, and the world was intriguing. This post-apocalyptic/perhaps past/alternate reality planet earth was dull and lifeless. The world-building itself was fantastically done, and Albin's writing was top notch, but the setting and characters just fell flat. Things that should have grabbed me didn't, and by the middle of the book, I just didn't care what happened. I kept hoping it'd get better, but it just got worse. I don't think I'll be continuing this series. 

All of the characters got on my nerves really bad in this novel. Adelice needs to grow up. In some parts she shows her strength, but in other parts, she's just a bratty teenager. I feel like she could have been a bit more complex and intelligent, though she did impress me a few times. Erik was okay, but nothing to write home about. Jost was such a whiny brat. I couldn't stand him. Dante wasn't half as mysterious and intriguing as he had the potential of being. Kincaid wasn't as creepy as he could have been, either. The characters were just a big let down. 

Adelice's cavalier attitude made me feel like there was no urgency to the situation. She just frolicked off into every stupid thing she could find, not worrying about the consequences. Because of that, and the fact that her stupidity repeatedly got them out of problems she'd gotten them into in the first place, I didn't feel any suspense while reading this book. Everything would be fine because that's how the author wanted it to work out. I felt that the previous installment had much more dire consequences for Adelice's actions. The pacing of the book was super slow, and for the majority of the novel, Adelice and company are safely locked away in an estate. Scary, huh? The ending was slightly better than the rest of the book, but not enough to make me want to continue the series.

Overall, this book was a let down. It wasn't terrible, and there were some good things about it, but it didn't hold my interest very well. I'd say only read this one if you were absolutely in love with Crewel.