Matched - Ally Condie

I would really give this book 3 1/2 stars. I liked the characters Cassia, Xander, and Ky and the whole forbidden romance sort of plot but I got confused and a bit bored reading this. I still don't know if the character are more human or robot so I really wish the author would have confirmed that for me so I am not left wondering. The idea of the Society matching you up around the age of 17 and not giving them free will to choose their own future and mate was interesting but the way it was written was a little boring for me. I will be honest and say that around page 80 I started skimming through the book and reading just the quotes of the characters so that I knew what was going on. I was still able to keep up with the story doing this and became invested in Cassia's conflict with her 2 "matches" and how she was falling in love with Ky when she knew that she was supposed to be with Xander, her true match and lifelong friend. The Society are people that take away your ability to do what normal humans would do. They have to eat when they are told and what they are told, and they have to work, sleep, be inside at a certain curfew every night. To make matters worse, the elders all die at the age of 80, they don't know how to write and if they are caught, they would get an infraction against them. This book would be an example of what would happen if we didn't have our own free will to do and be with who we want and that is not a world I would want to live in.

Sisters Red - Jackson Pearce

Scarlette and Rosie March hunt werewolves called Fenris. It all started when a salesman came to the door selling citrus. Oma March, their grandmother, knew automatically the salesman was a wolf by the arrow tattoo on his wrist. She tells Scarlette and Rosie, just tiny kids at the time, to run and hide. Scarlette can her her grandmother's last moments before she dies and realizes its up to her now to save herself and her younger sister. Seven years later, Scarlette and Rosie are still hunting the Fenris in their home of Ellison, GA. Now Rosie feels she owes her sister her own life for protecting her and saving her years ago. Scarlette was severely scarred that night saving her sister's life and also lost an eye from the beast that wanted to devour them. Rosie, Scarlette, and Silas- their hunting partner now back after being gone a year- hunt the Fenris in the park in the town of Ellison. More Fenris are showing up in town and they need to figure out why. So they travel to Atlanta. There is only one problem- Rosis is falling for Silas. She is seeing this boy that she's known her whole life in a whole new light, and she's afraid that Scartlette won't understand her new found feelings.
This is a great story with a lot of creativity put into it. Sisters Red is a modernized version of Little Red Riding Hood with a twist. The sisters even wear the red cloaks to attract the attention of the Fenris, which I think is really cool. I love the way Jackson Pearce took a well known fairy tale and turned it into something even better. I wasn't expecting the ending, so I did cry a little, so you might want to have a tissue ready just in case. Overall, I love the twist to the story and would recommend this book for sure.

Halo - Alexandra Adornetto

Three angels are sent down to earth on a mission to do good in the town of Venus Cove. Gabriel is the warrior, Ivy is the healer, and Bethany is the most human of the three. Bethany starts making friends and soon learns of the dark forces that have been at work causing accidents and deaths all over town before they arrived. Bethany most of all starts being attracted to a human boy, Xavier. She loves spending time with him and soon starts falling for him. Gabriel and Ivy, her brother and sister, soon worry about Bethany and how far she is taking her human emotions. They worry she won't be able to concentrate on her mission if she is involved with Xavier. Bethany can't stand lying to Xavier so she decides to be honest with him and reveal herself to him and show him her true identity.
This is the best book I have read in a long time. I love the actual "goodness" of the characters and what they can do to help the town of Venus Cove. A lot of people who read this book could really learn ways to help in their own community by following examples of the angels. I craved the growing love of Xavier and Bethany and their struggles to stay together, the intensity and trust of their relationship proved that romance could work between a mortal boy and an angel, even if there are dark forces trying to tear them apart. I can't wait for the second book of the trilogy to come out. THIS BOOK ROCKS!!! I recommend this book to everyone who loves romance with a little action and drama added in the mix. If you have a chance to read this, take it and you won't be disappointed.

Glimmerglass - Jenna Black

Dana Hathaway is fed up being embarrassed and covering up for her alcoholic mother when she comes to her recital drunk. Dana has never met her father and has been in her mother's care since she was born. She realizes that it is time to take her life into her own hands cause she has been taking care of herself since around the age of 5, so she contacts her father and flies to Avalon hoping for a more normal life. The thing about Dana is that she is part human and part faerie, and Avalon is the crossroads between the human world and Faerie.
When she arrives in London, her father's friend is not there to pick her up to take her to Avalon. She waits and waits then decides to get a cab to take her there. Once in Avalon, she is going through a checkpoint through customs and is called over to another area by a woman who ends up being her aunt. Well Aunt Grace takes Dana to her house and tells her that her father, Seamus Stewart, is actually in jail right now so that is why he didn't meet her there. When Aunt Grace leaves Dana locked in the bedroom, Dana realizes she is a prisoner and it may not have been such a good idea to leave home after all. Then Dana is moved from the bedroom to a cell. While asleep in the cell, she is rescued by Ethan and Kimber. Dana was instantly attracted to Ethan and his tall, slender frame with long blond hair, but that doesn't mean she can trust him. They later take her to perform a test. She looks out over the distance of the mountain and feels dizziness and nausea. What she is seeing is called the Glimmerglass- the window that looks out into the mortal world and Faerie at the same time. Dana realizes she is a Faeriewalker who can travel from Avalon into Faerie or into the mortal world and she is the only one.
The first half of the book was 5 stars. The moment Ethan enters the story, I didn't want to put it down. The romance, action, and magic kept me interested. The 2nd half of the story wasn't as great in my opinion. Here, I was reading up on this great building romance and then the author just takes a turn, for the worse, I might add, and has them fighting the main rest of the book. I honestly can't wait to read book 2 in the series to see what happens, because overall the story was inventive, romantic and the family issues involved will help teenagers in the same situation relate to Dana. The main moral of the this story I believe to be: The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves

Hanna Jarvinen runs away from her home in Dallas, TX where she stayed with her aunt after her father passes away. Her aunt wants to have her put in the nuthouse so she listens to her dead father and heads to Portero on the guidance of her father on how to get there. Her mother Rosalie, doesn't want her to stay but she finally makes her a deal and says if she can make friends and fit in within 2 weeks, she can stay. Hanna thinks no problem until she realizes that this town is weirder than her aunt thought she was.
This book contains a lot of a sci-fi feel to me. There are some explicit sex scenes and hard violence and gore that I wouldn't recommend to younger teenagers. With things like lure- which call you to the window and suck out all your juices and organs and leave this glass shell statue behind, and flying leeches, swans that literally come to life and peck your flesh from your face and other stuff like magic color cards and hidden doors that take you around town, you'll see why I think that this book is a little out there in my opinion and a bit unbelievable.
I came into this story expecting this great paranormal romance but was left with this feeling that I just read something that was far-fetched and a little disappointing. I think if I were to read it again, not that I want to, I might be able to enjoy it more now that I understand everything going on in the plot, but I really don't recommend this title. I only continued reading cause I wanted to know how it ended.