Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Arc of a Scythe book 1)

“Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I have known about this book since November 2014 and was excited to read it since I had just finished the Unwind quartet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t out yet and I don’t know why I have waited so long. The only good thing about this is that the second book is due out in a month and I cannot wait. I LOVED Rowan and Citra’s story and the world building where everyone is immortal until a Scythe decides that it is your time to be gleaned. I was sucked into this story and couldn’t put it down. I wasn’t expecting the ending and my imagination is limitless as to where this story will go.

The story continues with Thunderhead on January 9, 2018.

Visit Neal Shuterman’s website.

Geekerella by Ashley Poston

“Anything can happen once upon a con…

When geek girl Elle Wittimer sees a cosplay contest sponsored by the producers of Starfield, she has to enter. First prize is an invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. Elle’s been scraping together tips from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck behind her stepmother’s back, and winning this contest could be her ticket out once and for all—not to mention a fangirl’s dream come true.

Teen actor Darien Freeman is less than thrilled about this year’s ExcelsiCon. He used to live for conventions, but now they’re nothing but jaw-aching photo sessions and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Federation Prince Carmindor is all he’s ever wanted, but the diehard Starfield fandom has already dismissed him as just another heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, closet nerd Darien feels more and more like a fake—until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I don’t think there was anything that I didn’t love about this book. An interesting twist on the fairy tale of Cinderella, Danielle Wittimer is left with a cruel stepmother and two stepsisters who really never take the time to understand her. A lover of all things Starfield, a defunct television series that resembles Star Wars and Star Trek, it is the one connection she still has with her deceased parents. With a reboot of the Starfield world set to take place on the silver screen, Elle’s voice of her displeasure over the casting of the lead character to a popular teenage actor takes off. With a grand prize of attending the red carpet premiere of the movie at stake, Elle dreams of being in the cosplay contest at the con her father started.

Darien Freeman is a closet Starfield fan and playing Federation Prince Carmindor is a dream come true. When backlash over his casting by fans of the old TV program hit the Internet, he is driven to play the character that diehard fans want to see. Overwhelmed by the all the commitments his father/manager have placed before him, he tries to back out of several events at ExcelsiCon so that he can participate as a fan. Trying to reach the person in charge and failing, he begins to have text conversations with an unknown fan, who turns out to be his biggest critic, Elle.

Told in alternating voices between Elle and Darien, readers will race to the end not only to see how the story plays out but how the author will seamlessly insert her version of the beloved fairy tale. A definite read!

Visit Ashley Poston’s website.

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau (Dividing Eden book 1)

“Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure.

But appearances—and rivals—can be deceiving. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. With a ruling council scheming to gain power, Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom.

As sister and brother, Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—from their secrets, from the court, and from the monsters lurking in the mountains beyond the kingdom’s wall. But the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family.

With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I loved the beginning of this duology. Mystery, action, and betrayal are throughout the story. Twins Andreus and Carys’ lives are turned upside down when their father the king and their older brother, the Crown Prince are murdered. To make matters worse, their mother is unable to take over the throw since she went mad over the deaths of her husband and oldest son. Both of the twins are hiding secrets from everyone that threatened to be revealed when they are pitted against each other in a competition to see which one will be the next ruler of Eden. As the competition moves forward, the twins are pulled apart.

A few questions are answered but plenty of mysteries are still left to be revealed.  Eden Conquered, the second and final book is expected to be published on June 12, 2018.

Queen Betrice’s backstory is revealed in an ebook novella, Into the Garden.

Visit Joelle Charbonneau’s website.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

“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.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the book that everyone should read! I listened to the audio version and when I started I didn’t know if I could get into Starr’s dialect, but it didn’t take long for me to be invested in her story. The author was inspired to write this story by the Black Lives Matter movement. As a reader, I dove into Starr’s story and learned more about various cultures and challenges than I dreamed possible. Ms. Thomas didn’t skip any punches in this book. The one part where Starr’s white boyfriend asked a question about names caused me to chuckle and think about what was said. Towards the end, I was on pins and needles hoping that Starr and her family would come their this ordeal unscathed. Definitely a book worth reading.

Visit Angie Thomas’s website.

Before She Ignites by Jodi Meadows (Fallen Isles trilogy book 1)

Before

“Mira Minkoba is the Hopebearer. Since the day she was born, she’s been told she’s special. Important. Perfect. She’s known across the Fallen Isles not just for her beauty, but for the Mira Treaty named after her, a peace agreement which united the seven islands against their enemies on the mainland.

But Mira has never felt as perfect as everyone says. She counts compulsively. She struggles with crippling anxiety. And she’s far too interested in dragons for a girl of her station.

After

Then Mira discovers an explosive secret that challenges everything she and the Treaty stand for. Betrayed by the very people she spent her life serving, Mira is sentenced to the Pit–the deadliest prison in the Fallen Isles. There, a cruel guard would do anything to discover the secret she would die to protect.

No longer beholden to those who betrayed her, Mira must learn to survive on her own and unearth the dark truths about the Fallen Isles–and herself–before her very world begins to collapse.” taken from Goodreads.com

I’ll be honest. It took me awhile to get into this book. The story flips between the present and the past as the reader tries to figure out why Mira has been arrested and thrown into the Pit. The author slowly reveals what Mira knows but plenty of surprises occur and mysteries continue. This is a good start to this trilogy as the story will continue in book two, expected in 2018.

Visit Jodi Meadows’ website.