I hate to say it, but this is my least favorite Jennifer Armentrout book. Wait for You felt like a mashup of every New Adult book out there right now. I really wanted to like this, and maybe if I had read this a year ago I might have liked it more. Now, though, the storyline and characters are just so predictable.
3.5 stars. While I enjoyed this story, the dark underworld and Lela's quest to find her best friend, I could not get into the romance. Malachi is the leader of the guards in this particular district (the suicides), and has been for about seventy years. He is dangerous, tough and scary. Or so we are told, because he pretty much falls in love with Lela instantly and she takes advantage of that for most of the book. Instead of leading his unit, he is more involved in Lela's mission to find Nadia, all the while the Mazikin are invading.
Also, what are the Mazikin and why do they need to steal the bodies of the dead? Why are they coming through from beyond the afterlife? Why is Lela so special? I've got a lot of questions and I hope they'll be answered in the next book.
Laken, we're not in Kansas anymore. I really enjoyed Ephemeral. I haven't read the Celestrial series so this world of nephilim and the different factions was new to me. It was a little confusing at first, to be honest. I wasn't sure if Laken had died in the car accident and was now in some kind of purgatory, if this was an alternate universe or she really did fall out of a tree house.
There was just so much going on in this story. Besides all the paranormal stuff, we've got major drama due to the fact that no one at Ephemeral can seem to keep it in their pants. I guess they just can't help themselves because everyone in this book is super model gorgeous. Love triangles galore, with the main one involving our heroine Laken, her first love Wes who had drowned years before and was now also attending Ephemeral, although he also seems to be an alternate version of who she remembers and Cooper, her new friend and the only one who believes she isn't just suffering from memory loss. She has always loved Wes but she is starting to fall for Coop. Laken annoyed me quite a bit going back and forth between these two boys. She would run to Cooper for everything, and right after that she would be professing her everlasting love to Wesley.
Still, this was an entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. I definitely look forward to the next book!
3.5/5 stars
Why did it take me so long to finally read this book?! When I started it, I could not put it down. I devoured it. Set in post-apocalyptic Silicon Valley where angels have come to destroy humanity, this is a dark world where people will do whatever it takes to survive. Gangs terrify those who remain in the cities while nightmarish creatures roam the night.
This was such an exciting, perfectly paced book with a kick-butt heroine and a swoon-worthy fallen angel. There is just a hint of romance, but enough to satisfy this romantic fanatic. I can't wait for the next book!
5/5
Update: Changing this to a 5 star (4.5) because I still can't think about this book and not want to cry.
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After I finished this book, I wasn't sure how to rate this or review it at first. Some books take you on a gut-wrenching journey and finish off with everything tied up in a nice little bow. God-Shaped Hole left me with, well, a hole in my heart.
The bulk of this book is Beatrice's relationship with Jacob Grace, a writer with joie de virve. She is drawn to him before she even meets him, when she comes across his ad in the LA Weekly:
If your intentions are pure
I'm searching for a friend
for the end
of the world
They are meant for one another--
"Here's the thing," Jacob continued, "I feel like we grew in the same womb or something. Like we've been connected from the beginning by blood and veins. Siamese soul lovers, if there could ever be such a thing."
They share the same sense of abandonment from their fathers and the same loathing for LA, where they live and anxiously await the moment when they can flee. They plan their escape: After Jacob completes and sells his novel, they will move to the south. Beatrice wants to settle in Georgia. Jacob insists on Tennessee.
About halfway into this book, I paused to write down the word dread. From the moment she met Jacob, I felt dread. It was this heavy cloud looming over them, the ticking clock that only she could hear. If you've read the little blurb on the cover, (I'll spoiler tag it for those who haven't)
When I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone...
then you have an idea of what is going to transpire. And even though I reluctantly anticipated it, I was surprised at how emotional I was when it happened. Tiffanie DeBartolo has an amazing talent with weaving words together that not only tell a polarizing story, but affect you. You live within these pages, and feel what the characters are enduring.
I liked this book a lot, maybe even loved it (I can't tell yet, my heart is still in pieces). It's beautiful and tragic, and definitely a tearjerker. This wasn't just about the love story of Beatrice Jordan and Jacob Grace, but also about life and filling the void that exists in all of us-- that God-Shaped Hole.
"I put away my notebook, stood up and went back to the car.
I had to keep going."
4/5 stars
I didn't really like this one. It started off promising and then tapered off as the story went along. I couldn't get into the romance between Rania and Hunter. Their connection didn't feel believable to me, with the language barrier (though they managed to learn enough of each other's languages in a matter of a week or so to communicate) and their uncontrollable desires for one another that seemed inappropriate for the situation. At one point Hunter kills one of Rania's johns and not too long after they are making out while the dead body is in the bath tub. There were several scenes like that which were unrealistic. Another part that didn't sit well with me was when two character we thought had died came back to save them and it is not at all explained how they survived.
About halfway through I started skimming pages because of how repetitive some of the chapters were. For example, we'd have a chapter where Hunter is describing the first time he kisses Rania, and then the following chapter it is Rania's side of that exact kiss.
I had hoped for another thought-provoking romance like Vain, and was disappointed. This was a quick read though (I read it in the span of a day), and it wasn't too bad. Where it lacked in depth it made up for in sexy times.
Cinder (book one of the Lunar Chronicles) takes place in a dystopian world 126 years post World War IV. Linh Cinder is a cyborg mechanic in New Beijing, capital of the Eastern Commonwealth. This is where she meets Crown Prince Kai, when he comes in her shop to have his android fixed. There is a mysterious deadly plague called Letumosis that’s sweeping the world, with no known cure. The emperor has been recently infected, leaving the Prince desperate to find an antidote while also preparing to take over as ruler. Things are also tense between Earth and the Lunar people of the moon. The devious Queen Levana threatens war unless they could agree on a peace treaty. The only thing she wants? To be the new emperor’s bride. And the queen has her ways to get what she wants…So how do I feel about this book? Well I am a bit conflicted. I did enjoy it very much but there were some things that didn’t quite work for me.
The good:
-I loved the premise. Cyborg Cinderella in a dystopian future? It’s a very interesting twist on the fairytale classic we all know
-I liked Cinder’s spunk and wit. She could hold her own, and didn’t turn into some lovesick teenager upon meeting the prince
-Iko, Cinder’s android sidekick was probably my favorite character in the book. She’s got a very quirky personality, especially for an android! I wished there was more of her in the story
-The Sailormoon aspects: The Lunar people/colony:
the handsome, good-hearted prince,
evil Queen. I was a fan of Marissa Meyer’s work back in her Aliciablade days, so when I heard about this book I was very excited to read it. It was easy to imagine the characters as characters from Sailormoon– although I’m not sure if that was the intent of the author, or it’s because I’ve read so much SM fanfic in the past-Intergalactic politics- which was only lightly touched on, but I hope we will delve deeper in future installments
The not-so good:
-The secondary characters weren’t fully fleshed out: Evil Queen is Evil, Bitchy step-mother is a big ol’ B, etc.
-If you are looking for a YA Dystopian like Hunger Games or Divergent, this is much lighter on dystopia, with little to no action. I also thought the lack of explanation about the last World War, about the Lunar people and overall world building left more to be desired. I am hoping more will be revealed in the next book.
-It was predictable: I already guessed the twist/reveal as soon as they mentioned the missing Lunar heir.
-The cliffhanger ending. When I first finished Cinder, it left me anxious for Scarlet. I wanted it, like, ASAP. After letting the it soak in for about a day, though, I kind of feel cheated. It felt like the book just ended, right when everything was getting exciting. But maybe I wouldn’t have felt the same if I already had Scarlet in my hands.
Overall: Though I thought this fell short as a dystopian book, it was an entertaining read and kept my interest all the way through. Cinder was endearing as a heroine, and I enjoyed how this story linked to the original fairytale. This was a good opening to this series, lots of buildup that made me crave more. I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Holy love & rock ‘n roll, this book was amazing. I loved every page, every character, every little thing about How to Kill a Rock Star. I already want to read it again– which I’ll refrain from for the the time being since my TBR list is getting out of control– and it’s now on my list of favorite books ever.This book was an incredible journey. It made me laugh and cry, it broke my heart and managed to piece it back together. I really treasure books that can draw out these emotions from me because, well, like this quote from the beginning of the book:
There are so many great quotes. I don’t think I’ve highlighted any other book as much before. Here are some of my other favorites:
It’s such a beautifully written book, and it’s one that really touches you. I seriously did not want to put it down, and even now, days later, I am still thinking about it. I can’t say enough good things about How to Kill a Rock Star-- I don't even know how to write a review that will do it justice. You just have to pick this one up and check it out for yourself.
5/5 (five out of five) stars
