Book Nerds Across America

Book Summary
When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine. 

Flo's Review
Ack, this is so hard! So much of what I want to say is straight spoilery! I'm going to need you all to read this as soon as it comes out so we can go ahead and dish about certain characters, and also about predictions for the next book or two. (I'm not sure if this will be a trilogy or duology?)

So let's see what I can say...

I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this. Once I hit a certain plot turn, I had to keep going. Like, I couldn't put the book down and just go to bed. Also, the action picked up and everything happened pretty fast so I was just flip, flip, flipping the pages.

It was comfortingly Kiera Cass. Kiera Cass is basically royalty in her own right. You know what type of book and story your'e going to be getting when you open one of her books and that's why you love her. This one did not disappoint. I expected a certain type of story, of read, and it was comfortingly what I got. Her stories are like that old, worn blanket you haven't used in a few months, but then you pull it back over you and go, "Ahhh....yes....this is nice."

America and Hollis aren't exactly alike, but...they'd be good friends. They'd definitely understand each other.

Cover love. I mean, seriously. Have you seen it? It's literally all gold and shiny!

The Betrothed publishes May 5th from HarperTeen.

Book Summary
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

Flo's Review
Wow. I don't know where to start with this book. I really enjoyed it. I think one of my favorite parts about it was how invested all my Goodreads friends were with my status updates. I've gotten more likes and comments on updates for this book than I have for any other in a long time. I think it's because this book has been heavily hyped.

And let me just say -- worth the hype! The many details and intricate plot points were impressive. It seemed to me that this book really took a lot of thinking and plotting to pull it together. On top of that, it was just fun. I immediately loved these two together, and so I was rooting for them all the way through. That made me feel the range of emotions for them and their relationship as I read. 

I also really enjoyed some of the secondary characters, especially Ansel and Coco. It's a little random, but Ansel is just adorable and I love him. I hope I get to see more Ansel in book #2. Speaking of book number two -- some major reveals at the end of this book! I won't give anything away, but a major reveal about one the characters has me already anticipating book 2. And that last sentence left me questioning and wanting answers immediately.

Serpent & Dove comes out September 3rd. 

On a side note, I am so excited to meet Shelby on the Epic Reads Tour next month and gush with her about it!

Flo's Spoiler Free Review
I'm opting out of putting the book summary up as usual because this is a sequel and the summary is completely spoilery for book #1. 

Because I'm trying to be spoiler free, this will be a short review. I am fascinated by this world. I love reading about the characteristics of the Seasons and the Rhythms, and their interactions with each other. In this book, Meira and her crew travel to another Season and two Rhythms, and I really enjoyed the immersion into their worlds.

Unfortunately, I continue to not like Meira. I just can't with her. But I don't want to be talking bad about the girl so I'll just say this: it's definitely the world building and the plot that are keeping me going with this series.

There was a twist at the end of this one that I wasn't expecting, and it left me with so many emotions. Though I'm going to take a little break from Primoria right now, I am looking forward to reading the 3 POV finale for this trilogy, Frost Like Night.

Reviewer's Note
I won't post the book summary for this one, as it's the final book in the series. That being said, I will not reveal any spoilers for Five Dark Fates or any other of the books in my review. If you're not up to date with the Three Dark Crowns series, you have plenty of time to get caught up before this final installment comes out on September 3rd!

Flo's Spoiler Free Review
Five Dark Fates was one of my most anticipated, if not my most anticipated book of this year, so I was beyond the moon to read it. I am so, so happy to report that it did not disappoint! I flew through this book in under 48 hours. This series is just so compulsive readable. You find yourself flipping the pages because the pacing is so strong and steady, while it builds and builds to the conclusion.

I definitely had a book hangover this one and had to step back for a few days before writing my review so I could process my thoughts. In a nutshell: Five Dark Fates is a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to a fantastic YA fantasy series. Each one of the queens has a fulfilling role in the fate of the island. That's not to say that my heart wasn't wrenched out a bit, so be prepared! But each queen's story ended in a way that was true to her individual character. I can honestly say that I understood each queen's arc and where it led her. They were realistic, and I really enjoyed following their journeys from book one to book four.

The best kind of ending for a series is one where you set down the last book with a bittersweet feeling in your heart: you are sad to leave the world and the characters, but you are also so proud of them and you know that they will be alright. I definitely had this feeling for Fennbirn at the end of Five Dark Fates.

I will end by reiterating what I said above -- if you haven't read this series, I highly, highly encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed! Kendare Blake has given us such a fun roller coaster of a fantasy ride. Pack your bags and head to the island.

If you have read the series and are eagerly anticipating this conclusion -- you will not be disappointed! Pick this one up as soon as you can.

Book Summary
On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . . .

Flo's Review
I don't want to say too much about this book, because I went in knowing next to nothing about what to expect -- and I think that's one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. Every time a new aspect was presented I kept thinking, "How creative! How clever!" I really enjoyed the Project Scrooge storyline. It was just so interesting to me to see how the whole operation unfolded.

This was also a delightfully easy and addictive read. I literally read it in two sessions. Usually I don't do well with unlikeable protagonists, but I was just so intrigued with the story that I didn't really mind Holly. I just took her as she came. And, of course, her attitude was in line with the story.

The Unearthly trilogy by Cynthia Hand was one I really enjoyed (Team Tucker! Who's with me?!??), so I was definitely happy to pick up another one of this author's works. I checked this book out from the library, but I just might have to buy myself a copy. This is one I could possibly see myself enjoying in my Christmas To Come.

Throwback to my review of Unearthly: http://www.booknerdsacrossamerica.com/2011/02/in-beginning-theres-boy-standing-in.html.

Book Summary
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

Flo's Review
I cannot wait for this on Netflix! It is going to translate so well to film. I look forward too seeing Willowdean's house with the broken front door, all the people in their Harpy's uniforms, and the insanity of everything around the pageant. 

Dumplin' was one of those books that was a cute and fun read, but also brought deep issues to the forefront in a relatable way. Willowdean is such a great character. Her thought spirals are so real and honest. There's kick-ass in there, but there's also doubt and vulnerability. There's toughness, but also fragility. This reads to me like the thesis statement of the book and is spelled out pretty well toward the end when Willowdean thinks:

Sometimes figuring out who you are means understanding that we are a mosaic of experiences. I'm Dumplin'. And Will and Willowdean. I'm fat. I'm happy. I'm insecure. I'm bold. 

Amanda, Hannah, and Millie were all fantastic secondary characters and I loved watching the friendship build among them. The narrator was also 100% on point. I flew through this audiobook in no time and am looking forward to continuing the journey in Puddin'.

Book Summary
Arthur is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it.

Ben thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things.

But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated.

Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited.

But what if they can’t quite nail a first date . . . or a second first date . . . or a third?

What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work . . . and Ben doesn’t try hard enough?

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?

Flo's Review
I apologize in advance for this review, which is basically going to be a big, gushy mess. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH, Y'ALL. I think it's my favorite book I've read this year. Because I was 18% into it when I started reading it again last night and I literally couldn't put it down. I stayed up until 2 a.m. when I turned the last page with a huge smile on my face. The last time I remember a book having quite that effect on me was the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. (I stayed in one weekend and just read books 3 and 4. Like, that's all I did all weekend. Zero regrets.)

But this book. Oh my goodness! First of all, I love both of these characters so much. They are fun, smart, sassy, vulnerable, loyal, and brave. I wasn't to hug them both and then start a group hug with both of them. I want them to be my friends! I would have so much fun talking Hamilton and writing and pop culture with them.

I love how Arthur's ADHD was presented as part of him that he and everyone accepts and it's not stigmatizing. I love how the reality of ignorance and hatred is in there, honestly, as a little reminder that wow, it's 2018 and some attitudes and hearts can still open and grow more. I love how Ben is proudly Puerto Rican and calls out someone he loves on it from a place of wanting them to be better and not from a place of judgment. I love Dylan, but that guy is crazy! I loved seeing New York through Arthur's new eyes and the East Village through the eyes of Ben, who grew up there. I love that both boys had real and open relationships with their parents. I loved the scene where Arthur reads Ben's story and Ben listens to Hamilton for the first time -- the writing there, the wordplay, is so well done. I loved the reality in the way  all the relationships -- the romantic ones and the friendships -- grew, developed, and morphed as time went on. I laughed out loud at several parts, and I wanted to cry at a few as well. 

I could go on...and on...and on.

This book filled me with the same level of happiness of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and The Upside of Unrequited -- if not more. I definitely need to read all Adam's other books now. 

What If It's Us comes out October 9, 2018 and oh my gosh, guys. In case you didn't get the gist of my review -- I love it so much! Get thee to the bookstore or the library and get your copy ASAP!!

Note
To keep this review spoiler free, I will not post the book summary, as it may be a spoiler for Three Dark Crowns and One Dark Throne.

Flo's Spoiler Free Review
I have had so much fun binging this series over the past weeks! I was spoiled to receive Two Dark Reigns early for review, and I've loved every moment of my three book journey.

Like its predecessors, Two Dark Reigns brought non-stop action and surprising twists. However, not as much as the first two. I wasn't in love with the Blue Queen story line. I understand why it's in there in that I see what it had to accomplish for the characters to set up the end of the book, but it didn't feel connected to the main story. I also had trouble with Arsinoe in this installment. Her stubbornness came off as rude, and her independence just put everyone around in danger without her consulting them about it.

But in this series, "not as good as the first two books" is still so good! I had an e-book of this and it made me want to go to the gym so I could read it on the bike! And last night I stayed up past my bedtime because I had to finish it. If you've been following the series thus far, you will enjoy the story's continuation.

If you haven't -- dude, get on that! Three Dark Crowns is one of Barnes and Nobles' Book Haul Blowout, so you can get it for like $5!

Two Dark Reigns publishes on September 4th, 2018.

Book Summary
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love—she’s lived through it twenty-six times. She crushes hard and crushes often, but always in secret. Because no matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly’s totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie’s new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. Will is funny and flirtatious and just might be perfect crush material. Maybe more than crush material. And if Molly can win him over, she’ll get her first kiss and she’ll get her twin back. 

There’s only one problem: Molly’s coworker Reid. He’s an awkward Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there’s absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Book Summary
A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent. 

Flo's Review
This book spoke to me on many levels. Mostly, as a poet. It has been awhile since I've done so, but I used to write a good deal of poetry. Xiomara's story took me back to the summer between high school and college, when I finally felt confident enough to actually share my words for the first time. It was slam poetry, but I did read a poem aloud. So as I was reading about The Poet X, the Poet Flo was relating.

 I love poetry because of the beauty in the assembly of words. With a poem, you can have no idle ones -- every word counts. And when you read them aloud, how they come together, the rhythm they make, counts too. This is an entire book of verse and I was here for it for 100%.

Especially the audiobook! The audiobook is read by Elizabeth Avecedo, so I really felt like I was hearing things the way she heard them when she first wrote them down. Want to see what I mean? Elizabeth Acevedo came to my favorite local bookstore Books & Books and I snagged this video of her reading from The Poet X. Enjoy!

Happy book birthday to Where I Live by Brenda Rufener! This one sounds unique and powerful, and I'm looking forward to checking it out.


Linden Rose has a big secret--she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar and moving forward.

But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea's life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing she needs.

Linden knows the only way to put a stop to the violence is to tell Bea's story and come to terms with her own painful past. Even if that means breaking her rules for survival and jeopardizing the secrets she's worked so hard to keep. 

Movie Summary
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for Simon it's complicated: no-one knows he's gay and he doesn't know who the anonymous classmate is that he's fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, scary and life-changing.

Flo's Review
I love Love, Simon. I recently made a point of reading the book Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda so that I would be ready for the movie. Man, did I love that book. (Read my review here.) 

Last week, I was lucky enough to see an advance screening of the movie! It looked my expectations in the eye and said, "Oh, you think you know how good this movie will be? Hold my beer." I had hoped going in that it would be adorable like the book was adorable, but I honestly didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I seriously loved it so much! 

Yes, it met the Adorable factor I was hoping for, that was in the book and raised it a level. But it was also really funny. I didn't expect to be cracking up as much as I was. I laughed and I cried and it made me nostalgic for my group of high school friends. You know, the ones that you'd just drive around town with listening to music and talking? The ones who knew you better almost as well, if not better, than you knew yourself? Simon's friends were all amazing in this and their relationship was perfect -- it felt genuine and not forced in the slightest. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel as Simon's parents were also killer.

I think if you've read the book and you liked it, then you will like this movie. It did a good job of sticking pretty closely to the book. But I also really think this will be one of those book-to-movies that can stand on its own. I think it will be able to attract fans and viewers outside of those who have read the book, and that these fans will come to know and love the book through the movie first.

Love, Simon comes out March 16th in the U.S. and I already told a friend I would go with her and see it again. And I already can't wait. 

Book Summary
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.


Flo's Review:

I'd been itching to read this one since I first heard about it. Interestingly enough, I was able to pick this up from the library at the same time I got I See London, I See France, so I read two books about traveling around Europe back to back.

It's taken me a few days to write my review, because I'm not exactly sure how I felt about it. I always have trouble with books where I don't like the narrator or MC. Monty is a character, for sure, but the first part of the book just felt like a lot of, "And here's a scene with Monty being ridiculous. Followed by another scene with Monty being ridiculous. Then, Monty will continue being ridiculous." By the time I got to the scene about the party where Monty went full monty, I was kind of over him. I continued reading, but not so closely. It was more like a skim.

The thing that kept me going on with the story was Percy. Ohhh Percy! I adore that boy and see why Monty does. Felicity also kicked @$$. As the story went on, we got to see more of Monty's past and understand the burdens he's living with that make him the way he is. And it was nice to see his character growth. 

Jacque's Review:

Book Summary
Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

Flo's Review
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this and have it signed at YALLFEST back in 2016. I made sure to choose it from the HarperTeen table because I heard it was the "Black Lives Matter" book and I was intrigued.

I then sat on it for almost a year.

But I have been seeing it sitting pretty on the New York Times Bestseller list for weeks now. When I discovered that my local library had an audiobook copy on CD, I jumped on it.

My Goodreads post after finishing? "Officially my favorite book of 2017." There was so much to love about this book:

1. I laughed: I was seriously laughing out loud at "breadcrumbs"! And Starr's reactions to parents at several points is great, as are her interactions with her brothers.

2. I cried: So much though! This was interesting to listen to on audiobook, because I spent so much of it legit crying. I've basically been driving around town crying for the past few weeks. The movie is going to destroy me.

3. I related: Was my upbringing like Starr's? It wasn't. But there were definitely some things she felt and was going through that I totally went through myself. She would describe a situation and I thought, "Preach!" They were things I felt and was going through in high school and my teenage self would have really liked to read this book at that time.

4. I learned: There were some good history tidbits and things I didn't know that Maverick and Starr educated me on. 

5. I want to recommend it: As I was listening to it, I was already thinking of a friend of mine that I'm going to recommend it to. (Not a YA reader at that!) 

In conclusion: I'm going to recommend it to YOU! Go read this book! Don't wait, like I did! 

Book Summary
I see London, I see France, I see Sydney’s underpants.

Nineteen-year-old Sydney has the perfect summer mapped out. She’s spending the next four and half weeks traveling through Europe with her childhood best friend, Leela. Their plans include Eiffel-Tower selfies, eating cocco gelato, and making out with très hot strangers. Her plans do not include Leela’s cheating ex-boyfriend showing up on the flight to London, falling for the cheating ex-boyfriend’s très hot friend, monitoring her mother’s spiraling mental health via texts, or feeling like the rope in a friendship tug-of-war. 

As Sydney zigzags through Amsterdam, Switzerland, Italy, and France, she must learn when to hold on, when to keep moving, and when to jump into the Riviera…wearing only her polka-dot underpants.

Flo's Review
Anyone who knows me knows that I love to travel. I don't believe in living your life with regrets, but if I did have one it would be that I never did the whole "backpacking through Europe in your 20s" thing. I went straight from high school to college, college to grad school, grad school to my first job. And now I think I'm past the time in my life when I could feasibly take a trip like this. 

So I was happy to live vicariously through Syd and Leela! :)

This was also fun because I have been to a lot of the places they visited in the book, so I knew exactly what they were talking about. And the descriptions were great for everything: I want to go see the places that I haven't been, like Monaco and Juan-Les-Pins. I commented early on when I reading that this book made me want to have an adventure with a group of friends. I looked forward to picking it up and seeing where Syd and Leela were heading next.

It almost seemed like too many cities, though? I started to feel a little weary toward the end, as if I was the one on the trip. I think the story would have just as fun if they had gone to a few less places and spent more time. And then there was the ending. It was just abrupt. Like  the author couldn't decide how to end it so she just stopped writing. I did later discover that there will be another book, so that makes a little more sense. I'm curious to see if the next book follows different people through different places? My travel loving self will probably pick it up.

Final verdict: If you want a light fun read while you travel, or one that you can read on your couch that will make you want to travel,  I See London, I See France will hit the spot!

Book Summary
New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner spins a thoroughly thrilling Beauty and the Beast story for the modern age, expertly woven with spellbinding romance, intrigue, and suspense that readers won’t soon be able to forget.

Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering its secrets. So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.

Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

Flo's Review
Happy book birthday to Hunted! This is going to be an interesting review to try and write without giving away any spoilers, but here goes. Hunted is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that is just so creative. Certain elements of the story were pretty much as they are in the fairy tale we all know and love, but some elements were changed to add richness and depth. Even more elements were created to wrap the story into a whole new world (see what I did there?!?) that was powerful, magical, and unique. This story had its own skin around it, and I am really impressed with how Meagan Spooner did that. It made the story more realistic, honestly. Because, as one of the characters tells Beauty towards the end, things do not just have one nature. Okay, let me pull a quote that might help that comment make more sense:

"The world of men is so strange. For you all things have one nature. Winter is cold. Death is a tragedy. But even in the world of men, this is not true. Your warmest memories are of winter, and the times spent near hearth and home. For the sick and the old death can be gift. And yet you insist on seeing only the face of things. I am a woman. I am a dragon. I am these things all the time, and I am never one but not the other."

With this story, there is always the question of Stockholm syndrome, and I love that Meagan actually addressed this question head on in the story. Because for this story to work, we need to believe that the Beauty was not struggling with this condition. Yeva was not. She sees the Beast for what he is and what he did: he treated her wrongly. But she also treated him wrongly. For this story to work, we need to believe that there is a HEA of two equals, and here there is. Yeva and the Beast are the same in a way, in an important way, that becomes clear by the end of the novel.

This was truly an enjoyable read, and I suggest you pick it up if you can!

Book Summary
This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

Flo's Review
I actually was lucky enough to get an ARC of this one and have it signed by Victoria shortly after it was published. However, I heard a mediocre review from a good friend and so it fell a little bit down on the TBR. And in my world, if it's not on the top of the TBR, it's kind of out of mind.

...until I discovered that my library had the audiobook on CD. This is my preferred audiobook method, since I don't have an auxiliary cable in my car or space on my phone to download the digital versions. So any book for which I can obtain the audiobook on CD get catapulted back to the top of the TBR. This audiobook was 10 CDs long, or almost 13 hours. I enjoyed the narrator, but ultimately it just felt really long to me. It seemed like I was listening to this story forever, and that affected my feelings toward it.

I thought Red Queen was a good story. I enjoyed Mare, Maven, and Cal, and loved to hate Evangeline and the Queen. There were several moments where I was at the edge of seat and breaking a sweat because I was so nervous for Mare. I'd be sure she was going to get busted or exposed, but then she pulled through. 

I remember hearing Victoria talking about the book and explaining how she crafted it similar to how she would craft a screenplay -- three acts, with definitive things happening in each act. That stuck with me from when I heard it two years ago, and I recalled it while listening to this book because it did feel a little formulaic to me. I figured out one of the plot twists, which made me proud because I never figure that stuff out! (I didn't figure it out because I was clever and saw through it, but only because I've read so much YA dystopian that I know to be skeptical of some things. Lol.) I didn't, however, see the big twist, and when I heard it, I mentally kicked myself. She dropped so many clues and hints, but I didn't put them together. It broke my heart the way it broke Mare's, and that is a sign of a good book right there.

Red Queen is the first book in a series, and while I enjoyed it, I don't necessarily feel like I have to go running to read book 2, Glass Sword. Maybe if I can locate an audiobook CD I'll give it a go.

Book Summary
In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Flo's Review
Aww, this was adorable, of course! The progression of Autumn and Dax's relationship is believable because they don't hate each other at first; they are just working off of what they've heard and what they perceive. But then they get to know each other, the friendship develops, and then the romantic chemistry becomes harder and harder to dismiss. 

I adored Jeff and found myself thinking at one point, "Aww, I love them both!" But don't worry -- this book didn't have the traditional "love triangle" feel to me. But there were several struggles going on: Dax's life situation, Jeff and his situation, Autumn and her anxiety. The odds were almost against the two of them and so that made this that much more poignant. 

I must have skim-read the summary because the plot unfolded differently than I was expecting. This ended up being a good thing, because I don't think a whole book of what I pictured would have been sustainable. This was a fast read; I was able to read it during my travels home from Christmas break.

Kasie West fans will definitely enjoy her latest offering, as will anyone looking for a charming and lovely contemporary YA romance, By Your Side publishes January 31st.