The Homecoming Masquerade by Spencer Baum

Summary:(from goodreads) In a posh suburb of the nation’s capital, at the most exclusive high school in the world, the vampires who secretly run the government have created a game for America’s daughters of privilege. Show up to Homecoming in a black dress and you’ve entered yourself in a contest where the winner lives forever, and the loser becomes the winner’s first meal.
Only the wealthiest, most connected students can hope to win, so when new girl Nicky Bloom wears a black dress to Homecoming, everyone assumes she has a death wish. They don’t know that Nicky has her own agenda. As the dance continues into the night, they will find out that Nicky Bloom is far more than she seems.
Review: I had didn't have very many expectations going into this book but was pleasantly surprised. This entire 250 page books takes place over the course of one night. Which might have been a little boring if not for all backstory and world building interspersed throughout it. Now the vampires controlling a city full of humans plotline is nothing new but the one thing that makes this one stand out is homecoming and all the tradition surrounding it. The second half of the book was definitely more action packed and drama filled than the first, but that's usually the case when starting out with a new series. None of the characters really stood out to me that much. I thought Nicky was by far the most interesting one. She very quickly became the focus of the book which was unexpected but appreciated. There were a few surprises towards the end that made me curious to see where the next book will lead. I hope the next books can surprise me even more than this one did.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

This review may contain spoilers of previous books in the series.
Summary:(from goodreads) The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Review: This is the third and final book in the Divergent trilogy and I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure what direction the story would go in after how the last book ended. It was different than what I expected. I liked that there was a lot happening. The plot was well paced but there was also a lot of character development going on. I think that Tris and Tobias both changed a lot over the course of the book. I thought the new plot line introduced in this book was an interesting one but also slightly annoying at times. I am honestly having mixed feelings about how this series ended. There were certain parts I liked. I was happy with the way most of the characters ended up, but there were a few things that should have ended differently. Overall, this is a really great series and I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Summary:(from goodreads) It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own. Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom. If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.
Review: I was interested to see what would happen in this book after reading Graceling and I was surprised to see how different the setting really was. The events in this book happen before Graceling and it was different from what I expected. The plot was interesting and well paced and there were a few unexpected twists to keep things interesting. There was one part of the story that was unexpected and seemed like it didn't really need to be there. Another thing that bothered me was the way it ended. There were a few questions left unanswered and I wish it tied more into the story line of Graceling.  I liked the characters in this books even if some of them were kind of annoying. I instantly loved Brigan and Hanna. Even though Fire was a bit whiny at times I liked her character overall, and she changed a lot over the course of the book. This book was good and I think it made a good addition to the series but I think I liked Graceling a bit more. Certain aspects of this world were a little bit annoying after a while and wished more had been explained about the connections between the two worlds.

Light by Michael Grant

This review may contain spoilers of previous books in the series.

Summary:(from goodreads) It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone. In the time since every person over the age of fourteen disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?  Review: This is the sixth and final book in the Gone series and I am disappointed to see it end. This book was just as action packed and exciting as the rest of the series. The stakes were pretty high and I liked the dynamic had changed a little bit. We also get to see quite a bit of what is going on outside the dome which added an extra layer to the story. I was satisfied with the way the series ended. I liked knowing what happened to the characters. I wish certain parts of the story had been drawn out a little bit more but other than that I was satisfied with where things ended. I don't really have much else to add except to say that I am going to miss this series and will definitely be reading more of Michael Grant's books in the future.

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Summary:(from goodreads) When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
Review: I haven't read that many YA ghost stories. I don't know if that's because they aren't being written or I just don't read them but either way I can count on one hand the number of genuinely creepy ghost stories I have read. This one was really well done. I am a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series and I have been curious to see what these authors could do on their own. There was a lot of new information about this world being thrown out but it didn't bog down the story at all. The plot was well paced with a lot of creepy scenes. My favorite was probably Hearts of Mercy. I was on the edge of my seat during that part of the book. I liked Kennedy as a main character although she wasn't the type of character that stands out, That's what made her seem like a realistic character. Lukas, Jared, Alara and Priest were all awesome characters. Priest was probably my favorite though. His passion about building weapons makes him awesome. I can't believe the way this book ended. It was an intense ending and I need the next book to come out now. The only thing that slightly annoyed me was the uncertainty about Kennedy's family history. I wished we had been given some definite answers. Overall, though I really liked this book.

SYLO by D.J. MacHale

Summary:(from goodreads) Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it,” he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come. It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.
Review: I have been a fan of D.J. MacHale's books for a long time so I was excited when I discovered that he was releasing a new series. This one did not disappoint. There was a lot of mystery and action that had me hooked. I liked the main characters, especially Tucker and Quinn. They were different but their determination to uncover the truth made them strong characters.  The way the book ended made me very interested to see where the next book is going to lead, which isn't going to be released until next year.  There were a few things that happened that I wasn't happy about but I am hoping there will be a better explanation in the next book. This was one of those books where just when you think things can't possibly get any worse for the characters it does. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I am really excited to read the sequel.

Wrecked by Elle Casey

 

Summary:(from goodreads) An ill-fated Caribbean cruise and four teenagers: a nerd, a jock, a mouse, and a beauty queen…an island, a treehouse, some nefarious interlopers…life and death…fear and loathing…love and laughter. Follow Jonathan, Kevin, Candi and Sarah as they find their typical high school lives and their worlds totally WRECKED.
Review: This was just an ok book for me. The plot was pretty typical and I found myself a little bit bored at times. The characters also seemed pretty typical but they did change over the course of the book. My favorite characters were probably Jonathan and Sarah. They were both really interesting and Jonathan's facts were entertaining. I loved how much Sarah developed over the course of the book. She started out as a pretty typical character but I actually really liked where things ended for her.  Candi and Kevin were just a little bit annoying. Especially Kevin, he was probably the one who changed the least. I liked Candi but she wasted to much time worrying about getting in with the cool crowd that it got annoying after a while.  The things that happened on the island towards the end were a little bit ridiculous. I guess it sort of needed to happen but I felt like it could have been a little bit more developed.  I was interested to see that there is a sequel to this book and based on the way this book ended I will be interested to see where it leads.  Overall, this was a fun book and I will be reading the sequel eventually.