Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson

Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publication Date: March 15, 2022

Source: Edelweiss ARC

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every bookworm secretly wishes to be Lizzie Bennet.

A less acknowledged truth is that Mary Bennet might be a better fit.

For seventeen-year-old Marnie Barnes, who’s convinced she is the long-suffering protagonist of her life, this revelation comes at the end of a series of self-induced disasters that force her to confront a devastating truth: Marnie has more in common with Mary Bennet—the utterly forgettable middle sister—than the effervescent Lizzie.

Determined to reinvent herself, she enlists the help of her bubbly roommate and opens herself up to the world—leading lady style. And between new friends, a very cute boy, and a rescue pup named Sir Pat, Marnie realizes that being the main character doesn’t mean rewriting your life entirely. It’s about finding the right cast of characters, the love interest of your dreams, and, most important, embracing your story, flaws and all.

I ADORED this. It was seriously so much fun to read. The humor in this was just so spot on, with such a fantastic story about finding out who you really are. And if that’s not enough, there was a sweet love story too.

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The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Publication date: September 2019

Source: library

The Plot: Ryn lives in a small village, where she takes care of her brother and sister after their parents died or disappeared. She has taken on her father's occupation of grave digger. There are dead people coming around the village, called bone houses. Ellis is an apprentice mapmaker, who gets lost on the way to her village. After Ryn helps save him from a bone house, they head into the forest together to try to break the curse that is causing people to come back from the dead.

Why I read it: The September Owlcrate box will have an item inspired by it, so I wanted to read it beforehand.

The Characters: I really liked Ryn as a strong female character, and it was nice to see a male character who wasn't necessarily the strong one of the story. They were both likable.

The Setting: This was an interesting world, that was fairly spooky. It wasn't incredibly developed, though, beyond the little village and the forest beyond that pertained to the curse.

A sample of the writing:
"What stories did your parents tell you?"
"Monsters," she said at once. "Dragons. Pwca. Dramatic battles."
"And is that any better?"
"Yes," she answered. "I grew up thinking monsters could be slain."
"Ah," he said. "And I grew up thinking people were the monsters."

Who should read this: Someone looking for a spooky story that's not too scary or gory.

Final Thoughts: I enjoyed this for the most part, but there were too many times where something happened that was just a little too convenient.

Cover Thoughts: I like the cover. I think it would have been nice to have something with a creepy forest, though, as that would have added to the atmosphere.

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Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publication Date: May 2017
Source: library
Reason for reading: Featured in Owlcrate's July subscription box

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen.

That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right.

Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.

This was really fun and enjoyable to read. It was fairly obvious that it was inspired heavily by Harry Potter, but that didn't really take away the fun of it at all, and it wasn't a clone of it or anything. There was never a moment where I was bored, except I will say that during the beginning, before Baz shows up at school gets a little tedious. All it is, is Simon looking for Baz, waiting around for Baz, and obsessing about Baz. It just went on a little too long.

I really liked the characters here. There were times when I didn't love Agatha, but by the end I really liked how her story turned out. There was just a lot to like here, and I will definitely be looking for more by this author.

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Book Review: Winter

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This would have been a lot better at about half the length. The same things kept happening over and over, except with different characters. And constant descriptions about what everyone was wearing and how they looked. And having four different romantic couples was a bit much. And the bad guys were hilariously incompetent.

If you loved the series to begin with, you'll probably love the ending. But if, like me, you're just reading to see how it all ends, you'll probably be annoyed and a bit bored.

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Book Review: Love, Lies and Spies

Love, Lies & Spies by Cindy Anstey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication date: April 19, 2016
Source: Netgalley review copy

Juliana Telford is not your average nineteenth-century young lady. She’s much more interested in researching ladybugs than marriage, fashionable dresses, or dances. So when her father sends her to London for a season, she’s determined not to form any attachments. Instead, she plans to secretly publish their research.

Spencer Northam is not the average young gentleman of leisure he appears. He is actually a spy for the War Office, and is more focused on acing his first mission than meeting eligible ladies. Fortunately, Juliana feels the same, and they agree to pretend to fall for each other. Spencer can finally focus, until he is tasked with observing Juliana’s traveling companions . . . and Juliana herself.


This book started off really interesting, and I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. It definitely wasn't a bad book, but it did seem to drag a lot in parts. It had the feel somewhat of a Jane Austen novel, which I think was the purpose.

I actually found all the spy stuff a bit boring, and it was my least favorite part of the story. I don't know if I would read more by this author or not. I guess it would depend on the synopsis of her next book.

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Book Review : World After

World After by Susan Ee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication date : November 2013
Source: Netgalley review copy

I didn't like this nearly as much as the first book in the series. It just didn't feel very well written, and if the first book would have been likethis, I don't think I would have kept on with the series. Something about it just didn't work for me. It was still entertaining, so I'll give it 3 stars, and will read the last book, but I just think it was weak, and I hope the next one is better.

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Book review: Deluge

Deluge by Lisa Tawn Bergren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication date: 2014
Source: library

I think the best thing about time travel novels is the fish out of water aspect for the character who did the traveling. We are well past that at this point in the series, so that interesting part was not there for me.

And this book was just extremely slow to start. I was quite bored, and it took way too long for me to get sucked into the story.

I don't remember how the previous books were, but there was a lot of modern slang and references, like The Walking Dead, that jarred me out of the story. I get that these girls were from the future, but it almost seemed like the author was trying a little too hard to remind us of that.

Other reviewers have commented on the similarity in voice of Gabi and Lia. I wish the author had made them more unique, or done away with the varying narration altogether. There were too many times I had to go back and see who was supposed to be narrating.

Besides all that, and I know it seems like a lot, the story did pick up quite a bit, and it was really good and hard to put down at the end.

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Book Review: Legacy of Kings

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: August 18, 2015 by Harlequin Teen
Source: Netgalley review copy

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

I really didn't care for this one. The way the story was told in third person, present tense is not a style I like at all. And then it kept shifting to different characters, and by the time I got back with a character I had forgotten what was going on with them. It seemed like there was just way too much going on altogether. This is not something I'd recommend.

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Book Review: Silver in the Blood

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Publication Date: July 7, 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Netgalley review copy

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

I didn't like this book at all. This was my first book by this author, so I'm not sure if I just don't care for her writing, or if it was just this particular book. There wasn't really one thing that I can point to that I liked while reading this. I hate to be harsh, and I'm sure there is an audience for this book out there. I just found it boring and predictable.

On further looking, I see that I have read another book by Jessica Day George, and I liked it quite a lot, so it's just this particular story that I didn't care for.

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Book Review: The Fixer

The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication Date: July 7, 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Netgalley review copy

Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.

And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.

I'm not sure why I requested this on Netgalley in the first place, since it really isn't my type of book. Something about the synopsis caught my eye though, I guess. After reading, I'm still pretty sure it's not my type of book.

It was interesting enough, but there was nothing that really drew me in, and I found the whole thing pretty unbelievable. And then there were certain aspects of the plot that were really predictable too. I really wish the book had been about her friend Asher, or that he would at least have been in the book a lot more, because he was really the only interesting character for me.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this unless you really like political stuff.

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Book Review: Alive

Alive by Scott Sigler
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley review copy

A teenage girl awakens to find herself trapped in a coffin. She has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there. Fighting her way free brings little relief — she discovers only a room lined with caskets and a handful of equally mystified survivors. Beyond their room lies a corridor filled with bones and dust, but no people ... and no answers.

She knows only one thing about herself — her name, M. Savage, which was engraved on the foot of her coffin — yet she finds herself in charge. She is not the biggest among them, or the boldest, but for some reason the others trust her. Now, if they’re to have any chance, she must get them to trust each other.

Whatever the truth is, she is determined to find it and confront it. If she has to lead, she will make sure they survive. Maybe there’s a way out, a rational explanation, and a fighting chance against the dangers to come. Or maybe a reality they cannot comprehend lies just beyond the next turn.

I didn't like this one at all. I am not a fan of the books where you have to wait until the very end to get any answers, and then even then you don't get all the answers.

The main character was not even a little bit likable. But for some reason they all elected her as their leader. She wasn't the smartest, the most physically strong, or even the most socially adept. There was just nothing about her that would make other people follow her, except for that she decided she should be the leader.

This is not one I'd recommend at all, I'm sorry to say.

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Book Review: Uprooted

Uprooted by Naomi Novik
DNF
Publication Date: May 19, 2015 by Del Ray
Source: Netgalley review copy

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.


I can't believe this book is only 400something pages, because I feel like I've been reading it for a year, and I'm only about halfway done. I'm just so bored. I don't care about any of it. Most of the reviews I've seen of this one are glowing, so I think it's one of those you'll either love or not like at all. If you like very descriptive and wordy books, you'd be much more likely to appreciate this book.

Book Review: Undertow

Undertow by Michael Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publication Date: May 5, 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Source: Netgalley review copy

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen.

This started off pretty slow, and I had a hard time getting into it. I just wasn't feeling any of the plot points. The first 3/4 of the book was probably 3 stars at best (if I was being generous). But the end got really exciting and good, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

The romance wasn't believable for me. I didn't get a big sense of connection between Lyric and Fathom. It's not that it wasn't predictable. Almost every YA seems to have a romance of some type. But the nice thing is I don't think the romance overshadowed the story.

There was a lot of stuff that just didn't make a lot of sense. Like who exactly was making the decisions. Was it the President? If so, why didn't he (or she, I can't even remember if it was mentioned) ever step in when things started going bad?

Overall it was a pretty good book with quite a different storyline than usual. I would recommend it, with the caveat that the reader needs to remember it's a slow starter.

Book Review: Boywatching

Boywatching by Chloe Bennet
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: June 4, 2015 by Orchard Books
Source: Netgalley review copy

The annual joint school dance (aka the Snog Fest) is looming, and Chloe and her three best friends are determined not to repeat last year's disaster, which led to Year 9's top Mean Girl, Maggie, humiliating them online as a pack of sad losers. First they need to figure out just what's going with the utterly incomprehensible yet strangely attractive St Thomas's boys - and so the science of BoyWatching is born...

This reminded me so much of the Georgia Nicholson books by Louise Rennison. I liked those 10+ years ago, but the most recent one I read I didn't care for. So I think this type of book just isn't my thing anymore. There really wasn't any plot here. It was about young teenage girls going to school, hanging out, and talking about boys. That was seriously it. Just not enough to really hold my interest (even though I did finish it).

Book Review: The Fire Sermon

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication Date: March 2015
Source: Netgalley review copy

 They were born together and they will die together.

One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.

The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.

The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.

Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.

The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.

This wasn't bad, but altogether it fell short of being something that I would recommend. Even though the main characters were on the run, and it should have felt very suspenseful, I didn't ever feel a whole lot of urgency. The characters and the story just kind of ambled along until the end.

Kip, the love interest, wasn't appealing to me at all. The love story itself wasn't great, actually. To have your hero have amnesia, and no personality whatsoever, is not a good way to draw your readers in and make them root for the couple.

Overall this book felt very blah to me, and while I may read the next book in the series, it's not something I'm really anticipating.

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Book Review: Inked

Inked by Eric Smith
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: January 20, 2015
Source: Netgalley review copy

Tattoos once were an act of rebellion.

Now they decide your destiny the moment the magical Ink settles under your skin.

And in a world where Ink controls your fate, Caenum can't escape soon enough. He is ready to run from his family, and his best friend Dreya, and the home he has known, just to have a chance at a choice.

But when he upsets the very Scribe scheduled to give him his Ink on his eighteenth birthday, he unwittingly sets in motion a series of events that sends the corrupt, magic-fearing government, The Citadel, after him and those he loves.

Now Caenum, Dreya, and their reluctant companion Kenzi must find their way to the Sanctuary, a secret town where those with the gift of magic are safe. Along the way, they learn the truth behind Ink, its dark origins, and why they are the only ones who can stop the Citadel.

Although there were some original elements in Inked, I couldn't help but feel like it was a story I'd read before. There was nothing that really drew me in, and I spent the whole time while I was reading waiting for it to get going. I never warmed up to the characters, setting, plot, or any of it, for that matter.

This might appeal to someone (maybe teenage or younger boys) looking for a book with a male protagonist, but it just wasn't my thing.

Book Review: Storm Siren

Storm Siren by Mary Weber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: August 2014
Source: Netgalley review copy

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

I don't think this story was necessarily bad, but something about it just didn't click for me. I the the plot idea was fine. The characters all seemed well thought out. I just didn't connect with either the characters or the story.

And there were a couple of quirks that the writer had, that once I noticed seemed to happen every few pages and really drew me out of the story. The most noticeable was the counting. The narrator would say something like: I took one, two, three steps over towards him.

Also, this being the second in my recent reading history to be written in first person, present tense, I've realized I don't care for that style of writing.

Still, as I said, this is not a bad book. There are some interesting things going on, and some good twists and turns. It just wasn't for me, and I won't be continuing with the series.

Book Review: This Is Your Afterlife

This Is Your Afterlife by Vanessa Barneveld
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Source: Netgalley review copy

Keira is a high school girl who suddenly has the ghost of a classmate show up in her room. He has been missing for a few days, so obviously they figure out he must have died. Her and the boy, Jimmy, decide that have to find out how he died in order for him to "move on". She enlists the help of Jimmy's brother, Dan, who she has been friends with for a long time.

I liked Keira well enough. She seemed to take the events that came at her fairly well. But as a detective solving a mystery she was pretty horrible. The romance that built up between Keira and Dan was nice, and it was nice to read a YA novel without a love triangle for a change.

This was a very short, easy read, which is nice if you're looking for something that doesn't require a lot of time commitment or brain power. I don't know if I'd seek out more by this author in the future, but I would be averse to reading another of her books if it sounded good.

Book Review: Zomburbia

Zomburbia by Adam Gallardo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: August 2014
Source: Netgalley review copy

My name is Courtney Hart, and I'm here to tell you about things that suck. Being born in a podunk town like Salem, Oregon, for one. Living in a world infested with zombies? That, too. And the meat heads I go to school with? I think I'd actually take the undead over them most days. But I have a plan to get out of here and move to New York. I just have to keep selling Vitamin Z along with your fries at The Bully Burger. The secret ingredient? Zombie brains.

I've noticed things are getting even worse lately, if that's even possible. The zombies seem to be getting smarter and faster. If I can avoid being arrested, eaten by shufflers, or catching the eye of some stupid boy, I should be able to make it through finals week still breathing. . .

There was really nothing particularly special or memorable about this book. It's supposedly a different take on the zombie novel, but I didn't find anything all that different about it. I guess people are supposedly going on with life as usual, but they still have to fight and try to avoid zombies.

The main character is extremely unlikable. She's rude to everyone, including her father (her only family) and her friends. She's hypocritical; at one point thinking badly of one of her peers for buying a bunch of alcohol to serve to underage teens at a party, but then proceeding to drink said alcohol.

There were a couple of excitingish things that happened during the story, but for the most part it was just dull. I kept waiting for the point of the story, and didn't feel like it ever got there. Then realized at the end that this is part of a series, and I have absolutely no intention of continuing on. I wouldn't recommend this one.

Book Review: Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)

Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publication Date: January 2013
Source: Netgalley review copy

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

There was just way too much going on in this book. It feels like the author had 50 different ideas of things she wanted to write about, and threw it all in one book. Some of the ideas were even interesting and would have made a good story, but all together it felt more like a hodge podge, and the story was sloppy because of it.