Fantasy is changing (for the better) | Takeaways from Children of Blood and Bone

5 Takeaways is a feature here at Crazy for YA designed to exalt some books that deserve more than just a review. You can see the other posts in this feature here. 

This feature is specifically for books where I decided that a review was kind of pointless. Almost everyone knows about the book and its pristine reputation. You don't need another person screaming at you to read this book (no matter how amazing it is). It is a given that this book received five stars and that my review would never do it justice. 

To me, the signal that a book is truly great, unforgettable, and absolutely worth reading is that it taught me something. Or even in rare cases, more than one thing. The real power of Children of Blood and Bone not only lies in its good story, but the ideas it leaves with the readers.

The Feels of a Five-Star Book | Queen of Chaos by Kat Ross

Queen of Chaos
By Kat Ross
The Fourth Element #4
Published on January 18, 2017
Fantasy, Young Adult, Diverse
308 pages

This book was provided to me from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I swear on my bookshelf that this has not affected my opinion of the book.

Persepolae has fallen.
Karnopolis has burned.
As the dark forces of the Undead sweep across what remains of the empire, Nazafareen must obey the summons of a demon queen to save Darius’s father, Victor. Burdened with a power she doesn’t understand and can barely control, Nazafareen embarks on a perilous journey through the shadowlands to the House-Behind-the-Veil. But what awaits her there is worse than she ever imagined…
A thousand leagues away, Tijah leads a group of children on a desperate mission to rescue the prisoners at Gorgon-e Gaz, the stronghold where the oldest daēvas are kept. To get there, they must cross the Great Salt Plain, a parched ruin occupied by the armies of the night. A chance encounter adds a ghost from the past to their number. But will they arrive in time to avert a massacre?
And in the House-Behind-the-Veil, Balthazar and the Prophet Zarathustra discover that they have more in common than meets the eye. But is it enough to redeem the necromancer’s bloodstained soul and thwart his mistress’s plans?
As a final showdown looms with Queen Neblis, the truth of the daēvas’ origins is revealed and three worlds collide in this thrilling conclusion to the Fourth Element series.

Amazon

Luckily for you, the first book in the series, The Midnight Sea, is currently FREE on Amazon. Now you can start your addiction to this series at no cost!

The Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection | Crit Your Faves

This post is a part of the #CritYourFaves event Aentee from Read at Midnight.

(P.S. There will be spoilers for the Divergent series by Veronica Roth in this discussion. You have officially been warned.)

Perfection is abundant in YA, or at least at first glance, it seems so. There is always the stunningly handsome love interest who is somehow smart, funny, popular, and well, perfect. There is always the "flawed" main character who can ace her classes, fight monsters, all while still getting the boyfriend at the end. Perfection has become a standard in YA, and one of my favorite book series is a major culprit. 

5 Lessons I Learned Reading Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I am sure that you have heard of Six of Crows before. I am sure that you know who the author is and the names of all of the main characters. This is definitely not the first post about the books that you have read. In fact, a lot of you probably have memorized quotes and dedicated a lot of time to proclaiming the praises of the story. 

I decided that a review was kind of pointless. Almost everyone knows about the book and its pristine reputation. You don't need another person screaming at you to read this book (no matter how amazing it is). I will tell you that I loved everything about it and I am begging the universe to somewhat get me an early copy of Crooked Kingdom. My words cannot do this book the justice it deserves.

So, I decided to do something a little bit different for a book that deserves so much more. To me, the signal that a book is truly great, unforgettable, and absolutely worth reading is that it taught me something. Or even in rare cases, more than one thing. Six of Crows is so awesome, that it taught me dozens of things about people, life, writing, and the world as a whole. I thought that I would discuss five of the lessons that Six of Crows taught me that I will not be forgetting anytime soon.

Crazy for YA Awards | Our Favorite Books of 2015

Nothing is scarier than a new year. 365 more days (or in this case 366 days) to fill. New resolutions, new people, and new things to stress about. 

But, today we are focusing on the happy and the exciting, a flashback on our favorite books of 2015. (And yes, you heard correctly, I said our. Max has so kindly agreed to join in this celebration!)

So, welcome to the first ever Crazy for YA Awards!

BookBlogWriMo | Favorite Childhood Books

Welcome to Day 6 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today we will be taking you into a trip back in time to when we were just little bookworms. As we all know, reading is a lifelong addiction habit. Most of the time it starts when you are young and slowly progresses until you are digging yourself out of an avalanche of books.

To get to the point, today's topic is....

Favorite Childhood Books

Max

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter books and movies were basically my entire childhood. I remember reading the books as an elementary schoolchild and wishing I was a part of something as exciting as the Wizarding World. This series really opened the door the adventures books can take you on, and for that I will be forever be thankful.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams



I honestly do not remember much about this story beside the fact that it was so utterly heartwarming and wonderful. I think this is one of those books that everyone should read as a child, it's just so beautiful and touching.

Tessa

The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

This sassy kindergartner was my idol from first grade to second grade. She was soooo obnoxious funny. I also loved that she kept a journal. Now that I think of it, Junie B. might have been the first to inspire me to be a writer. I loved reading her journal, especially seeing her mistakes. I mean, if Junie B. Jones could make mistakes, then it was okay if I did. 

The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osbourne

These books started my love of time travel and history. I loved all of them and I always thought that the titles were so catchy (alliteration is awesome). These books taught me that even the most mundane things, like a treehouse, can be magical. Also, I learned that books can transport you where ever you want to go.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

I read this books later in my childhood, and I still enjoy them today. This series was my first adventure into the realm of fantasy, and I have never looked back since. 

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Picture Courtesy of Goodreads

The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner
Series: The Maze Runner #1
Release Date: October 6th, 2009
Pages: 374
Review by: Tessa




"If you ain't scared, you ain't human."

The only thing Thomas knows is his name and that he is so scared that he might need another pair of pants.
His memory is gone, but things are even worse when he stumbles out of the black pit he was in.

Welcome to the Maze.

For two years, boys have been sent to the Maze through the same box Thomas just escaped. All of them are stuck together until the Maze is solved.

We are not talking about a regular corn field maze here. Every night, the maze rearranges itself to a brand new source of torture. While the Maze is in its nightly construction, dangers run amok.

Without their memories to guide them, the boys rely on each other to live through every night, but everything changes when the first girl arrives.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars

Picture Courtesy of Goodreads

Author: Frank Beddor
Series: The Looking Glass Wars #1
Release Date: September 26th, 2006
Pages: 364
Review by: Tessa




Everyone knows the beloved story of Alice and Wonderland. The caterpillars, singing flowers, and a certain smiling cat make this mysterious land even more wonderful. But, we heard the wrong story.

Alyss Heart, as her name is truly spelled, is the adored princess of Wonderland. She is almost the complete opposite of her lunatic aunt, Redd Heart. Alyss has been safely living the glamorous life of a young princess in Wonderland, while her scheming aunt is locked away. Alyss' potential as a queen is growing, as is her pure imagination. But another Heart is anxiously awaiting her chance to rise to the throne, and her intentions are far from innocent.

Hardcover to Hollywood: The Fault In Our Stars

*Drum roll please* 

Ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, we here at Crazy For YA present to you, the first Hardcover to Hollywood Chat!

 *applause* 

Alright, the first one is about The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. Forewarning to all of you: we saw this movie together, so there may be some references to things we may have said or some jokes that someone *cough cough Max cough* made about Divergent. Also, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So if you haven't read the book and seen the movie, I suggest you don't read this. Thank you! The moderator for this Hardcover to Hollywood is Tessa. Without further ado, enjoy!

Tessa: So, how did you prepare for the movie? I mean how many boxes of tissues did you buy?

Max: I re-read the book the week the movie came out and lowered my expectations.

Cassia: Well I just read the book a couple months before so I did not re-read it.

Tessa: What do you think about the casting?

Cassia: Woodley could’ve been better. Her crying was okay but it was fake if you ask me.

Max: Not a big fan of Ansel--he just looked funny. His acting was okay, I guess. Shailene was better but I like her better in Divergent.

Cassia: I thought Ansel was cute. I didn’t during Divergent but maybe I just thought that this time because he was playing Augustus. Oh my gosh, his running in Divergent was hilarious.

Max: He wasn’t cute in either.

Cassia: Yes he was!

Tessa: Personally, I did not like Woodley in either Divergent or TFiOS.

Cassia: She was definitely better in Divergent.

Max: I thought her voice was fitting for the part but not much else.

Tessa: How accurate do you think the movie was to the book?

Cassia: The parts they included were pretty accurate. Loved the gas station scene.

Max: Some parts were missing--Gus’s sisters weren’t in it, he didn’t have a dead ex-girlfriend, and there wasn’t a second video-game scene.

Cassia: OH MY GOSH THAT WOULD’VE BEEN SO COOL!!! The blind video game, I mean.

Tessa: I think that they missed a lot of scenes with Isaac.

Max: Some of the extra dialogue they added was great though. Usually when movies add in dialogue and scenes into well-loved book adaptations, people complain about how they’re not sticking true to the movie or whatever, and I didn’t really see anything in the movie that wasn’t in the book that I didn’t enjoy.

Tessa: What did you think of the secondary characters that we did not get to see much in the book? Like Isaac, Hazel’s parents, etc.

Max: Oh, they didn’t have Hazel’s one girl friend, either! The weird one? Do you remember her?

Cassia: Kaitlyn, or something? I don’t know I wasn’t too fond of her. She meant well, but I didn’t like her.

Tessa: I like Hazel’s parents in the movie more than her parents in the book. They seemed quirky in the movie, like Hazel.

Tessa: What did you think of the setting? Amsterdam and such.

Cassia: It was so pretty. Amsterdam was, I mean. Did they actually shoot it in Amsterdam?

Max: Yes. And the rest was in Pittsburgh.

Cassia: Oh okay that’s good. Am I the only one that didn’t find out everything about this movie?

Max: Yes.

Tessa: Real fangirls do their research.

Cassia: I am a fangirl. 

Tessa: What is your opinion on the music?

Max: NEVER ONCE IN MY LIFE HAVE I ENJOYED A SONG BY ELLIE GOULDING, let alone any of the five million times they were played in the movie.

Tessa: I do agree that there were too many pop songs, but I like the Charlie XCX songs.

Cassia: Yeah. I loved the violinist they had when they were in Amsterdam that was the best music in the entire movie. :)

Max: Oh, on the topic of the music---the Swedish hip hop scared me

Cassia: Definitely that was so weird.

Tessa: Did watching the movie change your perspective on cancer?

Max: The gas station scene actually gives you kind of perspective into Augustus’s head when he’s later into the stages, how he felt about not being able to do anything ever and that made me really sad for all of the cancer patients that feel that way.

Cassia: I agree. I don’t think it changed my perspective, it just deepened it.

Tessa: For me, it made me realize the reality of cancer. There are actually people who have to deal with this everyday and this is not fiction for them. Seeing the Gus literally fall apart had more effect on me during the movie than in the book because I could see it and Hazel’s reaction.

Cassia: Exactly. It makes me hope and pray for a cure now more than ever. That was the point I started to lose it. It was a very well-done scene.

Tessa: What was your favorite part of the movie?

Max: My favorite part was just getting to see the characters and the plot all happen instead of just reading about it.

Cassia: This is gonna sound weird, but the gas station scene, the egging Monica’s car scene, and just Ansel in general.

Max: I really did like that scene and all of the others with Isaac in them.

Cassia: Who played him? Because I really liked the way he did that.

Max: Nat Wolff.

Tessa: My favorite part the Anne Frank house scene. I loved how it emphasized Hazel’s determination and Gus’s willingness to help Hazel. Also, it was one of the few happy scenes before Gus’s big reveal.

Cassia: I liked the gas station scene. Wait, I already said that didn’t I? Next question please!

Max: I really liked the tagline “ONE SICK LOVE STORY."

Tessa: How would you rate TFiOS in comparison to other book-to-movie adaptations?

Max: Better than the Percy Jackson movies. Then again, getting my head bashed in a car door would be better than the Percy Jackson movies.

Cassia: I haven’t seen them yet. I’m guessing that’s a warning? The best I’ve seen besides this one is I Am Number Four.

Max: It was also better than the City of Bones movie. Much better casting in comparison, also.

Tessa: I agree. I think it is right in league with Divergent. Nothing phenomenal, but the fandom is relatively pleased. Not as good as the Harry Potter movies, which are the top of the scale for me.

Cassia: Still haven’t seen those or read the books. The fandom’s gonna kill me aren’t they?

Max: You just haven’t lived yet.

Tessa: This is why you are not a proper fangirl.

Cassia: Have you seen my Pinterest?

Tessa: Les Mis does not count.

Cassia: We have the best fandom in the world. And by the way, that is the best book to movie adaptation of all time. This one is nowhere near that.

Tessa: The Percy Jackson’s were better just for the sake that there was no music.

Overall, we enjoyed the movie. It was a good representation of the book, but the music and casting left something to be desired. Another job well done, John Green.

The One by Kiera Cass

Picture courtesy of Goodreads

The One

Author: Kiera Cass
Series: The Selection #3
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 336
Review by: Tessa

America Singer was just a humble Five who was happy to go through life with her instruments for company. But that was before the Selection.

Now, America is one of four girls left in the competition for to marry Prince Maxon, and to win the crown.

While the tensions inside the castle are heating up, the conditions outside are too. Rebels are a constant threat and the revolution cannot be ignored any longer.

America has made her choice, so all she can do is fight for her love.

Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Hey everybody! Cassia here! I figured it was time for another review, so here you go! Enjoy!

WARNING: This is the second book in the River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. I highly suggest that you read the first book, Waterfall, before reading this review. Thank you!

Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Now that Gabriella knows that she is in love with Marcello Forelli, she must convince her mother and her sister to come and stay in medieval Tuscany. With her mother starting to get used to the time period and Lia liking it more and more, Gabi and Macello fall even more in love with each other as they try to avoid war between Siena and Florence. Now that they are fully reunited, Gabi starts to wonder just what the tunnel is capable of, and if she can stay with Marcello forever…

If you’ve read the review of the first book in this series, Waterfall, you know that I love love love this series. While I didn’t like this book as much as the first, it was still amazing. It was not as fast-paced as Waterfall, but there was a lot more romance, which made me happy. Gabi knows that Marcello holds her heart, and she his. So, that makes it more interesting as far as their relationship goes. You get to really know Marcello, which is really nice. This book focuses more on the politics between Siena and Florence, and even the politics between families (*cough* Rossis *cough*). Lucky for me, Bergren makes these politics easy to understand.

For my thoughts on Bergren’s writing style and stuff like that, you can read my review of Waterfall here.

The characters are mostly the same, with some new additions. Well, one, really. Maybe some minor ones, but only one big one: Lord Rodolfo Greco. (Isn’t his name awesome? I like that name, Rodolfo.) He’s the exact opposite of Marcello: Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Not that Marcello isn’t tall and handsome, it just sounds cool. Rodolfo is dark and mysterious, and Gabi cannot figure him out. *****SPOILER***** Later in the series, he sort of kind of makes it a little bit of a love triangle, adding some drama for Marcello and Gabi. But only a teeny tiny bit. He has good intentions. *****END SPOILER***** I really like him, but I like Marcello better. Rodolfo made some choices that I personally think he shouldn’t have based on his position, but you can’t blame him. Gabi has changed a lot, and it is for the better. She has realized some things about life, and has turned to God to guide her in her new world. (That’s another reason I love these books so much: Christian fiction!!) Marcello has changed a little bit, but it may be one of those occasions in which you just come to know more about the character so it appears that they have changed when they really haven’t, you just see some qualities that were there all along but just became apparent. Frankly, I love when characters change, especially when they change for the better, and Bergren has done it here, and done it well.

Bergren continues Gabi’s story in a thrilling sequel that gives both action and romance to satisfy every reader.

Five stars!

Goodbye for now,

Cassia

Review | Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Waterfall

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Series: River of Time #1

Release Date: February 1, 2011

Pages: 369

Review by: Cassia

Gabriella’s life hasn’t been all that interesting. Except for the fact that, you know, her parents are archeologists. Their home is in Colorado, but they’ve made a second home in Italy, where her parents search for Etruscan tombs during the summer. While her and her sister Lia love Italy and think it’s beautiful, they do not like spending their summers at digs. Their summer is just like any other--boring--until Gabi discovers two handprints in Tomb Two. They match her and her sister’s handprints exactly. When they touch them, they get thrown back in time. In another time period (literally), Gabi is drawn to young Marcello Forelli. He has been promised to another since birth, and she knows she can’t get between them. Yet she can’t stop thinking about him…

I loved this book. Yes, I know, I say that about a lot of books. (I just love books in general, so I naturally like a lot of books, but if I don’t like it, or even one thing about it, you’ll know it.) But...this one has quickly become one of my favorites, for many reasons: (1) it’s historical fiction, (2) it’s set in medieval times, (3) it’s very well-written, and (4) it has a great cast of characters. Oh, and it’s fast-paced.

Max by James Patterson (Maximum Ride series)

Max

Author: James Patterson
Series: Maximum Ride series #5
Release Date: March 16, 2009
Pages: 309
Review by: Max

Warning! This is the FIFTH book in a mostly-great series, so if you haven't read the first four books and are interested in reading the series, I highly recommend you don't read this review and start the series from the beginning! Thanks!

In this installment in the attention-grabbing, thrill-filled Maximum Ride series by James Patterson, the Flock explores the circumstances around a catastrophe involving---you guessed it--millions of fish dying somewhere near Hawaii, relationships strengthen and evolve between two specific characters (insert winks and nudges here), and Max learns some lessons about adults and working with them.

Does it sound like your kind of book yet? Me, neither.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind

Author: Neal Shusterman
Series: Unwind Dystology #1
Release Date: November 6, 2007
Pages: 335
Review by: Max

“You can't change laws without first changing human nature.”

“You can't change human nature without first changing the law.”

It's after the Second Civil war and a heck of a lot has changed.

Unwinding: A completely LEGAL procedure targeting thirteen to eighteen year-olds that basically takes out all of their organs and spreads them out to people who 'need' them.
Storking: Leaving your baby on someone else's front steps. Completely legal as long as the house owner doesn't catch you.

In case you can't tell, Neal Shusterman's future is Fudged. Up.

At least, Connor, Risa, and Lev think so.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Series: N/A
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Pages: 318
Review by: Max

Okay.
Reading the beginning of this review, you're probably (No guarantees here. I'm definitely not a mind reader.) thinking one of three things. You could A: be excited because TFiOS is one of your favorite books or you're dying to hear someone's opinions on it B: Roll your eyes and stop reading approximately...here because you think this book is over-hyped or it's too mainstream for you or maybe you're just a little skeptical about reading it or C: Have no idea who the heck John Green and you've never heard of TFiOS.

This review is directed towards all of you.

Review | The Archived by Victoria Schwab

The Archived

Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived #1
Release Date: January 22, 2013
Pages: 328
Review by: Max

"Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books."

Mackenzie Bishop is stuck.
Both her Da (her grandfather, not her dad) and her little brother Ben have died recently, and frankly, it sucks.
To cope, her mom has picked up her family, or, well, what's left of it, and they've moved to a new home, an old hotel now sold as apartments, so Mac's stuck there, without her best friend or anyone she knows.
Mackenzie is also stuck with a job. A scary one.
Really, her was her Da's job, but he had to pass it on to someone. And that someone is Mackenzie.
Her Da would tell her stories, all about the world that wasn't theirs. Where Histories, the dead who hold the stories of the lives they've led, sleep in the Archive, where only Librarians can read them and the Keepers can hear them.

But sometimes, these Histories wake up and try to escape. And that's where Mackenzie comes in.
Her job as a Keeper is simple (well, as simple as it gets when one's dealing with a  secret world filled with rogue dead people that are kind of like ghosts). She finds the Histories that have woken up, and sends them back to the Archive, where they belong. Simple enough, right?
Wrong.

Review | Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Picture courtesy of Goodreads

Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices #1
Release Date: August 31, 2012
Pages: 479
Review by: Tessa



*Disclaimer* Nothing I can say will fully describe how amazing this book is. It is literally beyond words. 
       It's 1878 in London and everything is normal, Jessamine is walking in the park, Charlotte is writing letters, and Will and Jem are fighting demons. Yep. If any of you have read The Mortal Instruments you are already familiar with this world of angels and demons. But if you haven't read them I strongly suggest reading them first and then coming back to this review.
      Clockwork Angel is the same premise as TMI, demons are getting loose and someone has to fight them. Enter the Shadowhunters. They were chosen by the Angel himself to fight demons and deal with the drama that comes with them. Every one of them as markings on their bodies called runes. They signify different powers, such as healing, night vision, and strength. Shadowhunters are trained from a young age to fight demons because their job is so important. They protect not only other Shadowhunters, but also the whole mortal world from demons. Now, the plot. Tessa suddenly enters the Shadowhunters' lives when they rescue her from the Dark Sisters (I think their name explains who they are). Tessa turns out to be an important piece in a case that is puzzling the Shadowhunters. The quest begins to find who kidnapped Tessa and find out who she really is. While all this is going on, a mystery is unfolding when clockwork machines randomly appear to fight the Shadowhunters. Does this have anything to do with Tessa?

Maximum Ride: School's Out--Forever by James Patterson

School's Out-Forever by James Patterson
Review by: Max (aka the coolest book reviewer to ever have lived)

Okay, everyone. This book is the second in a series! It might not be the brightest move to read this book first, or even read this review before you read the first book, which I reviewed here: Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment.

Now, onto the review!

School's Out--Forever picks up right where The Angel Experiment left off. The Flock is headed towards Washington D.C, but someone (cough cough, Fang) gets a little boo-boo, so they have to take him to the hospital, or, he'll, like, die. Here, the government finds them. At first, the Flock is all freaked out. They don't trust anyone! But eventually, they come to an agreement with Anne, one of the FBI agents; the Flock will be provided with a home, food, education and such as long as Anne can 'examine them at a distance.'
Sounds perfect, right?
Wrong.
Turns out, someone is secretly working for the School, Max has a clone, and nothing is ever as it seems.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Maximum Ride Book One, The Angel Experiment
By James Patterson

Max isn't normal. Not even close.
In fact, she's only 98% human. What's the other percent, you may be asking?
Avian, aka bird.
But, you might also be asking, what difference does 2% birdy DNA make?
A stinking lot, let me tell you.
Max and her friends, her Flock, as they call themselves, all have wings. All six of them.
The rest of Max's Flock (Gazzy, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Fang) mean everything to Max, because they're all she's ever had. After all, it's probably pretty hard to make friends when you're a bird-freak.
Anyways, Max's Flock means everything to her, and when one of them gets captured by the evil School, the lab where they were created, she's going to save them. No matter what.
Even if she has to fight the 'Erasers', a wacked-out form of werewolves also created by and run by the School, and risk her own life on the line.

Review | Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Hey everybody!  Cassia here!  Finally, here's my review of the last Wicked Lovely book, Darkest Mercy.  I love all the covers--they're so pretty!  I also like the titles--they all contradict themselves, except for Ink Exchange.  I'm a fan of short, catchy titles, so I really like all the titles.  Anyway, here's my review of Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr:

WARNING: Darkest Mercy is the fifth and final book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr.  If you have not read the first four books, I highly suggest you stop reading NOW.  Thank you!

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Bananach is gaining power by the day.
Aislinn is learning to rule the Summer court alone.
Keenan is who-knows-where.
Donia wants to do something, but no one will help her, and she still longs for Keenan.
Seth is ready to fight, and wants to kill Bananach, but Sorcha wants to keep him with her in Faery, where she can protect him and keep him safe.
Irial is on his deathbed, and Niall is losing it, unable to do anything but destroy in a blind rage.

Bananach is ready to take over the mortal world, and nobody can see a solution.  Can Aislinn, Keenan, Donia, Niall, and Seth find a way to control her before she kills them all?


Favorite.  Book.  Ever.  Now, that’s a bold statement.  There are so many YA books out there, so me saying that this is my favorite book...well, you get the idea.  Anywho, so do you remember who my favorite character is?  Of all time?  Yeah, Irial.  Look at the summary again.  I was bawling.  (I don’t waste tears on books at all, so when I say bawling, I mean on the inside, not the outside.)  I was not happy.  This book was very emotion-centered, rather than action-centered, except for maybe the last 15 chapters.  Just a warning, but trust me, it’s still good.  Also, when I picked this book up, I was sad and happy at the same time.  I was happy because I finally got to know what happened, and I was sad because it was the last book, and I wouldn’t get any more.

So, things have gotten pretty bad.  Keenan is MIA, and once again, I wanted to slap him.  You, as a reader, know where he is, but none of the other characters do.  Later, after he finally came up with a solution, I wanted to slap him again.  Mostly because I saw it from the first book, but I was happy with it.  Donia was the same as always: she wants Keenan, but won’t go after him because of her court.  Niall is literally losing his mind, going mad, however you want to put it.  What do I mean by destroy everything in a blind rage?  I mean run around his house like a crazy man, grabbing everything and throwing it into a wall, slashing the couches, etc.  Yes, I know, his lover is on his deathbed, you have to give him some leeway, but I thought his reaction was a little extreme.

In the final book in the Wicked Lovely series, Marr exhibits sacrifice, pushing through all the bad things for others, and, once again, love.
Five stars!
Goodbye for now,
Cassia