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.

Some of my favorite books are on sale right now!

Hey guys,

There are some great e-books on sale over at Amazon right now. Head on over and feed your reader before these deals expire!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, Of Triton by Anna Banks, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs are  on sale for only $3.99 each. Click the links below to purchase them:


Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, and The Distance Between Us by Kasie West are only $4.99:


Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi, Seige and Storm by Leigh Bardugo, and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins are on sale for only $5.99!


My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is only $5.43:


A ton of JLA books are on sale:

Wait for You is only $1.99:


 White Hot Kiss and Obsidian are only $2.99


Opal, Onyx, and Origin are only $4.99:


Half-Blood is only $3.99:


The rest of this series is only $5.99 each:


Storm by Brigid Kemmerer is only $3.82:


Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins is only $4.99:


The Collector by Victoria Scott and Cinder by Marissa Meyer are only $2.99!


Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard, and Eve by Anna Carey are only $1.99!


Becca's new book, which I've yet to read, Black Ice is only $2.99 to pre-order:

Stacking the Shelves #36

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by  Tynga's Reviews! This meme showcases the books received, bought, or checked out from the library over the past week. 

For Review:

The Jewel
By: Amy Ewing
A big thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss!
Release Date: 9/2/14
Synopsis:
The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Blackbird
By: Anna Carey
A big thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss!
Release Date: 9/16/14
Synopsis:
This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

From the Library:

Frozen
By: Erin Bowman
Synopsis:
The Heists were only the beginning.

Gray Weathersby escaped from the primitive town of Claysoot expecting to find answers, but what he discovered shook him to the core: A ruthless dictator with absolute power. An army of young soldiers blinded by lies. And a growing rebellion determined to fight back.

Now Gray has joined a team of rebels on a harsh, icy journey in search of allies who can help them set things right. But in a world built on lies, Gray must constantly question whether any ally—or enemy—is truly what they seem…

Feature and Follow #42

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Please state in the post if you're a new follower or old follower. Also, be sure to leave a link back to your blog, otherwise I won't know where to go to follow you! Thank you.

I'm at work, so I can't share a funny YouTube video since the site is blocked. :( Sorry! 

Waiting on Wednesday #38

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I'm waiting on this Wednesday is Captive by Aimee Carter.

Release Date: 11/25/14

Synopsis:

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Why I'm Waiting:

While I was a fan of Aimee Carter's The Goddess Test series, I wasn't sure how her Dystopian writing would be. Let's face it, Greek Mythology and Dystopia are to very different genres. I was pleasantly surprised by Pawn. It was unique and refreshing, and it ended up being one of my favorite books of the year. Therefore, I can't wait to read Captive. The synopsis sounds amazing, and I love the cover!

What book are you waiting on this Wednesday?

SENTINEL by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rating: B+
Synopsis:
It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

My thoughts on the book:
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely adored Sentinel, and it is probably my favorite book in the series. That being said, I had to knock a letter off because apparently there was a copy editor strike during the printing of this novel. There were tons of glaring mistakes, and that kept pulling me out of the story. The narrative itself was outstanding, and the character growth was fantastic. The ending was satisfying and unique, and the pacing was spot-on. This book would have been perfect had there not been so many typos and grammatical errors. 

Alex really grows up in this book, and I really enjoyed seeing who she became. She becomes very strong, and even though she feels broken for a good part of the novel, she still does what she can in order to make things right. I really grew to respect her a lot. Aiden also completely won me over. His loyalty and dedication to Alex were beautiful. Seth surprised me a few times as well, and so did Apollo. I also enjoyed seeing a little bit more of Alex's dad. 

The pacing was spot-on, and I flew through the pages of this book. I wasn't bored once because it was non-stop action, adventure, and romance. Alex's POV, as usual, is humorous, and I found myself laughing, even at inappropriate times. The world-building continued to be fantastic, and the book has a nice balance of emotions. The ending is unique and satisfying. I never would have thought that things could have ended that way, and in my opinion, everyone go the ending he or she deserved. My only complaint is the fact that there were so many grammatical and typographical errors. I don't blame JLA for this because it's nearly impossible to flawlessly proofread your own work, but I hope that Spencer Hill has a copy editor go over the book before they print more copies. As it stands, I'm not sure I want to buy it because of the errors (I checked out a copy from the library). 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and series to anyone who wants a unique spin on Greek mythology. JLA gives the gods hilarious personalities, and as with all of her books, you'll be hooked from the first page. Give this series a try, if you haven't already. You won't be sorry.

Buy Sentinel today!

Check out these deals from Becca Fitzpatrick's blog!

Becca Fitzpatrick: HUSH, HUSH and BLACK ICE Promos: Hey guys, There are some exciting promotional deals going on right now with HUSH, HUSH and BLACK ICE. Now through July 31, the HUSH, HUSH ...