The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”

 The thing about the first two Percy Jackson books is, and this is totally my take on them, that they’re more careless and funny than the ones which come after. I think it might have to do with the fact that in these two the characters are still very young and haven’t yet experienced the most difficult trials that await them; it’s kind of a similar feeling I get from the first three book in other similar middle-grade series such as Harry Potter.

 Having stated that, I can only say I really loved this book. It has the same funny ancient Greek and popular culture clash that made the first one so unique, the same bad puns and rambling internal monologue that is Percy’s mind, and while it manages to maintain the charm of the previous book it also includes new characters and expands the demigods’ world in such an effortless and funny way.

 It turned out to be a very quick read for me this second time around, again I fell in love with the same old character and the new ones, and like all other books on this series it didn’t fail to bring a smile to my face most of the time I was reading.

 I don’t want to say much else, the truth is when I first read this book, back in my high school years I didn’t know much about the plot and it suited me fine, I just didn’t care beyond the fact that it was a sequel and I needed to know what happened to everyone. I hope it’s enough for you too, but if you have read The Lightning Thief and enjoyed it then I guess I don’t need to convince you.

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“I know a thousand different smiles, each with its own nuanced shade of meaning, but I don't know how to reach the few feet away to touch this person next to me. I don't know how to talk to him. Not when it's real.”

This was one of those delightful, yet very rare times when against all odds a book that I didn’t think I’d enjoy makes it to my favourites. These Broken Stars was, very different from what I expected but in the end, I loved almost every minute of it.

The plot is simple, the Icarus, a very luxurious Spaceliner unexpectedly crashes in the middle of it’s journey through space, apparently the only survivors are Lilac, a young heiress whose father owns almost every known planet, and Tarver, a war hero who comes from a modest family. Both are forced to cooperate as they end up in an unknown, deserted planet. Not much happens besides this really, the book is more focused on Lilac and Tarver’s unlikely alliance and the bond they form as they survive their surroundings than action scenes.

At first, I was a bit wary of this because it seemed like the entire situation had been constructed to get the two main characters together, and in a way, that’s the main purpose, but where I was expecting them to fall into each other’s arms at the first realization of their situation, they didn’t. Their relationship starts badly, Lilac tries to push Tarver away, so her father doesn’t make him a target for being interested in his little princess, and she behaves abominably for the first thirty percent of the story. However, there is a certain determination to her that though it doesn’t make up for her behaviour, it does make it a bit understandable.

Tarver on the other side, is a perfect gentleman, probably one of the most decent romantic interests I have encountered in similar books. He stands by this brattish girl and makes sure both he and her survive through their hostile surroundings, where any other would have abandoned her at the first chance. Of course, after a while Lilac does rise to the occasion and becomes the kind of heroine I personally love, determined and strong and yet still feminine. Their romance flows very realistically, they gravitate towards each other not only because of their status as survivors but because of the things the share.

The writing is beautiful and the descriptions, detailed, it brings the story to life and successfully portrays the character’s emotions in a way that makes it very easy to sympathize with them and understand them. Even though it was written by two different authors the story flows as if it was the work of one.

There is, however, almost no world-building and sometimes the plot feels a bit too slow. But when it comes to the romance and its portrayal, the book excels all expectations, and considering this is probably the objective, I would call it a win. I don’t know what else I can say about this book, besides that it has certainly carved a place in my heart.

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The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Survival isn't wrong. You can sell your honor in small ways, so long as you guard yourself. you can pour a glass of wine like it's meant to be poured, and watch a man drink, and plot your revenge.”

I should probably admit that I was slightly sceptical of this one when I first started reading it at the beginning of the year. Sceptical enough to put it aside for a while without giving it much of chance, however, when I picked it again a few days back I was more than just pleasantly surprised.

The book goes like this, Kestrel is a young lady who enjoys a very high position among the nobility of the Valorian empire, which conquered the island in which she lives many years ago and made the former population into slaves. Her everyday life is a succession of balls, dinners and pretty dresses. Everything changes one day when against her better judgement she purchases a slave at an auction, the problem is however, that this boy has his own agenda and plans to use her to destroy her people and save his own.

Now, I hadn’t read many reviews before I started it and what I heard, about the whole slave-master situation kind of creeped me out, I mean, ninety-nine percent of the time that is stuff of creepy romantic novels… But in this case, well, it’s very different.

As you must have guessed from above, this book is a romance book, which also happen to have a political background. The relationship between the two main characters is very nicely developed, the first portion of the book is practically devoted to that while the second one is dedicated to the consequences. Kestrel and Arin’s interactions are full of careful banter the realization that the other is not quite the expected.

I really like Kestrel as a heroine, she’s kind, smart and strong-willed but not a warrior as many other main characters tend to be in similar novels. She wins her fights with her brain instead of her muscles. There is also a soft side to her despite her exterior, there is her wish to please her father and gain his respect, even though they’re worlds apart, and a bit of loneliness that makes relating to her very easy.

In the end I found The Winner’s Curse to be a very satisfying and quick read, and the ending, oh that ending, I can’t wait to pick up the second book.

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The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Winner's curse," [...] "Where the victor gets exactly what he wants, only to find that it isn't quite as he expected."

 Alright, hear me out, when I first came across The Thousandth Floor I didn’t think much of it. I liked the cover and though I was considering adding it to my never ending TBR, the mixed reviews convinced me otherwise. However, from time to time my heart craves a bit of a chick-lit respite from the more serious reading I tend to do; and so, a few days back I decided to pick it up just for entertainment and boy it was a ride.

 The story revolves around a group of teenagers, some rich, some not, who live in a futurist version of New York where the entire city is contained in a single, massive tower, a thousand floors high. The book opens with a prologue describing a girl’s tragic descent to death as she falls from the highest floor of said tower, and then rewinds to follow the kids’ separate stories some time prior to the incident and how it came to be. There’s enough drama and secrets and scheming to keep the pages turning fast, even though the characters may not be very different from the usual type populating this kind of novel, like the golden girl, the forbidden love interest and the crazy bitch, there’s even a lonely boy, if you know what I mean.

 It’s achingly similar to Gossip Girl most of the time, which I’ll admit, was one of the things that caught my attention at first. The setting on the other hand, felt vey unique and it did not disappoint, adding a unique edge to a story that wasn’t terribly original.

 Now I’ve read reviews complaining about one thing which you should be warned about, because it could be a serious turn off for some people, and that is that one of the main characters is head over heels for her step-brother. I know, ick! But surprisingly even though I was expecting a different reaction from myself I must admit it didn’t bother me all that much in the end, it just wasn’t that important to me I guess.

 So finally, did I like The Thousandth Floor? Yes, very much. Did I think the writing style and the characterization was on point? Probably not. Was it one of the best books I’ve read this year? Definitely not. But was it enjoyable? Yes, one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read these last weeks.

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Bunheads by Sophie Flack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"The company is a collection of one hundred very different people, from all over the world, but we all believe in the power and importance of art. That's what binds us, keeps us together, through the effort and the intensity of the competition."

 If there’s something you should know about me, it’s that I love ballet. I love it more than cereal or Netflix, or sleeping on a bed. And it’s not often that you come across a realistic portrayal of it, most TV or film incarnations are overly dramatized (I’m looking at you Black Swan) and focus on unimportant things, probably because they’re written by people who are not part of that world, have never taken a class or experienced it as anything more than entertainment. Bunheads on the other side, is honest and raw for a change.

 Nineteen-year-old Hannah is a corp de ballet member in one of the most prestigious companies in the world. She has dedicated her life to her trade, training everyday and neglecting both her familiar and social life for the chance of a lifetime at dancing surrounded by the best dancers and choreographers in her country. She loves what she does, the rush of entering the stage is like stepping into a different world, and those fleeting moments when every step is precise, when her body forgets exhaustion and pain, and just glides over the stage make all the hard work worth it. But then Hannah meets Jacob, whose life as a musician couldn’t be more different than hers if he tried. Him entering her life challenges everything she believed is important and makes her wonder if her love of dancing is enough to make up for what she’s been missing on the outside world.

"My body arches over his. I see the rows of lights spinning overhead, and I feel like I'm flying.
Suddenly I forget that I'm not wearing stage makeup and that I wasn't even warmed up. I lose myself in the music."

 As I said, I don’t think I’ve encountered a more honest portrayal of what it takes to succeed in the ballet world, where you can’t sleep with the artistic director to get a part, you need to have actual talent. Flack describes life as a professional ballerina in a very detailed way, and she doesn’t shy away from the uneasy parts, but she doesn’t neglect the good either, the opportunity of being part of something amazing, to know all the hard work, sweat, blood and tears will eventually mean something more, to transcend, like some like to say.

 In the end the question isn’t about whether ballet is worth it, but if the protagonist loves it enough to give up everything else in order to become a great dancer.

 It made me nostalgic in the best way possible, I truly loved it.

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Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

She hated hearing her sisters' names, her mother's name, on his lips. Diana raised a brow. "A wise warrior learns from her mistakes." She adjusted her stance. "And you're forgetting who taught me to fight.”

 I'm not quite sure where to start, I guess I should first let you know that I don't read a lot of contemporary, fantasy has always appealed more to me than almost any other genre. That said, when this book first came out I was frantic to get it and when I finally got a copy I must admit I was very excited, I had such high hopes for it, unfortunately it just wasn't my cup of tea.

 The book's narration is split in two, on one side is Diana, my favourite Amazon; however, she is not Wonder Woman yet, this incarnation of her is still a girl, gorgeous and strong and bright but a little insecure, struggling to find her place among her sisters and come to terms with her own existence on Themyscira, the island of the Amazons. On the other side is Alia, the last of the Warbringers, an ancient line of cursed woman destined to bring conflict and war into the world, the first of which was Helen, as in Helen of Troy. The two girls join forces and try to reach a magical spring which will clean Alia of her curse and stop World War Three before it begins.

 The thing is, I was so excited for this book I failed to read the description first and so the setting caught me completely by surprise, because of course this book is basically Contemporary with Fantasy elements. I found myself disappointed from the beginning almost, when I realized that the beautiful island of Themyscira and the world of the Amazons wasn’t going to be explored anymore than as backdrop for the first few chapters, while the rest of the story progressed in Alia’s world, surrounded by Alia’s friends and obnoxious brother Jason.

 And the thing is, I didn’t like Alia very much, she felt very basic and her friends, though funny, failed to reach the category of epic in my mind, unlike in Bardugo’s previous Fantasy works. I should mention though that I loved Diana but felt like her role was relegated to the back and that didn’t sit very well with me.

 Last but not least, I really wished the author hadn’t given Diana a love interest, which was very obvious and more than a bit tedious (even with how everything turned out in the end). All things in consideration, beyond the occasional epic quote, Amazon ass kicking and delightfully feminist air the novel has, the result felt kind of plain and very honestly, a little bit boring.

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The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“I've learned, in my tragic little life, that memories are like water. Not solid, like some people think. Once something happens, it isn't set it stone. It can change. You can make yourself believe anything if you lie to yourself enough.”

 The pretty cover gets me again! I must admit I didn't know very well what this book was about when I first picked it up, and yet still, the content was nothing like what I was expecting or hoping for.

 The story revolves around Katherine, she's the alter ego of Carly, it is never clear if their two-minds-in-one-body situation is the result of a medical condition or a paranormal one. While Carly exists during the day, Katherine functions during the night, they've never met and only comunicate with each other through written messages in a book, but each one loves the other as if they were sisters. The novel is fashioned out of a series of diary entires, transcripted interviews and videos, emails and medical records which are put together as a means to try to explain a mysterious accident in which the two girls had a major role more than a decade before the present day.

“One box, and it holds a whole life of love - almost every letter Carly and I have ever exchanged. Seeing it here, all together, three big bundles of paper...is that all we were? Dying pages, fading ink?”

 Generally speaking there are just as many things I liked about this book, as the ones I disliked about it so I guess it's a tie. For example, the first few pages didn't capture my interest at all, and in a way I felt that though the atmosphere was really good, it took the author way too long to build it. There are pages that feature images that are supposed to add up to said atmosphere, but which are totally incongruous with the story or the characters (those I heavily disliked) they weren't needed or wanted and didn't fulfill their purpose.

 The story feels ambiguous at first and almost nothing happens during the first half of the book, the characters are not especially likeable, I have to admit I was even considering dropping the book in that moment... And then, the amazing happened, somehow the story picked up, sucked me right in and had me turning pages at three in the morning like crazy. The funny thing is that the parts that really spooked me were not the parts where in which I was supposed to be spooked I think, all the horror scenes felt a bit corny for me, what got me was the overall feeling of the story towards the end, there's a sensation of helplessness combined with the notion of not beign in control of your own body, that I found really creepy.

 Although for all the good moments there quite a few fails: there are some police reports between the diary entries that make absolutely no sense (and not in the paranormal realm, but in the logical one) most characters are terribly underdeveloped and there's a plot twist I saw coming from miles away. In the end however, as a scary Halloween read it excels all expectations, so if you're looking for something like that, The Dead House has it.

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The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, etcetera. The truth? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!”

 I literally don't know where to start, you know how there are some books that just bring a smile to your face whenever you pick them up? Well these Percy Jackson and The Olympians' books are the biggest smile conjurers in my bookshelves. I hold them specially close to my heart.

 Almost everyone knows the story, whether it's because you've watched the movies (which are terrible, I recommend you drop them right now and pick up the books) or you've heard about these books, or like me, you've already read them. But in case you don't, this is basically it: Percy Jackson doesn't do well at school, he has a hard time concentrating and his dyslexia makes reading for him very hard, on top of that his mother is married to a douchebag and they don't have much money. What he doesn't know is that he is really a Half-Blood, as in half greek god, half human. His real father is Poseidon and a lot of things are about to change for him.

“He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die!”

 I can't point a single thing and name it what I love the most about these books, sometimes it's the characters or the writing style, sometimes it's the hilarious way in which Riodan merges greek mythology with pop culture and sometimes it's the aesthetic. It has some clichés, and I'll admit the first time I read the summary I thought it looked suspiciously similar to Harry Potter. But it's a diferent experience entirely, even though they deal with similar themes.

 I don't want to spoil anything, I can only say, that I loved these books as when I was little and I love them now, I just can't recommend them enough, if you have kids, if you're a kid, if you were a kid you should read them, you won't regret it.

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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“We weren’t ourselves when we fell in love, and when we became ourselves – surprise! – we were poison. We complete each other in the nastiest, ugliest possible way.”

 I really don't know if there's anything I can say about this book that hasn't been said before, but for the sake of organizing my ideas I'll try. However, considering I can't really talk about this book without getting to spoiler territory, I can only warn you not to keep reading if you haven't read the book, or watched the movie (which is really good by the way). So let's get into it.

 Gone Girl is a sharp, sarcastic and ultimately vicious story about a marriage that has gone horribly wrong. I'm asumming you know the story, Nick Dunne lives a seemingly perfect life, until his brilliant and beautiful wife disappears in suspicious circumstances that lead to believe that he killed her. Only to be revealed later that it was actually her who ran away and framed him for her murder. Amy Dunne is a psychopath, she's smart and cold and has been hating her husband for a while now. Pretty much because he decided he doesn't love her anymore, yet still dragged her across the country to live in a house she hates and consumed what was left of her money, and on top of that he's cheating on her with a student of his. So she's also vengeful.

“Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s a cool girl. [...] Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the Cool Girl.

 There's a odd kind of joy in watching these two destroy each other, I must admit I even sort of started rooting for Amy after the Cool Girl monologue, she's so full of self righteousness and hate, it's kind of enjoyable to listen to her calculations. On the other side Nick strucks me as an asshole really, though a likeable one with that strange sense of humor of his. Of the two he seems to be the "normal one" but I think he's the most hateful of the pair. He despises Amy, he's tired of her but won't ask for a divorce because his bar was bought with her money and he fears she would take it from him, besides he doesn't like confrontation and a divorce just seems like too much work.

 I'm not going to pretend otherwise, it's a bit of a f**ked-up book, but a very good one at that. It's fast-paced and loaded with witty, sarcastic writing. Nick and Amy are like metaphors that ask themselves if they really know the person they married, and there's a great deal of critizism for those pretend to be someone else in order to be loved. I absolutely recommend it, but beware, it's not an easy read.

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El príncipe de la niebla by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“He lost himself in the words and images conjured in his mind and for a while forgot ... He found himself flying among stars and planets ...”

 I first discovered this book back when I was... twelve? This was when I had first encountered the joys of reading (not compulsively like now, but in a healthy curious way) and back then I absolutetly loved it, don't take me wrong, I still like it, it's surrounded by this nostalgic aura and really nice memories. And it had been so long that I decided to re-read it for this year's Halloween Read-A-Thon, so here are my thoughts on it, as an adult now (or sort of).

“Max had once read in one of his father's books that some childhood images become engraved in the mind like photographs, like scenes you can return to again and again and will always remember, no matter how much time goes by.”

 The story revolves mostly around the old beach house Max and his family move in to escape the war, which had previously been owned by a couple whose only son had drowned on the beach just across the street. Once they arrive strange things start happening, the house seems haunted, there's a strange hidden statue garden in the woods behind the house and a sinked ship on the beach with an eerie aura around it. The premise sounds good doesn't it? I liked it as a kid, and I still like it now.

 The finished product is a bit underwhelming. The idea for the story is very interesting I think, but a bit underdeveloped, if it had just been a little more explored... Well it could be a different thing altogether. This is the first book Carlos Ruiz Zafón wrote, which explains why sometimes it's brilliant but lacks a little building. Still for a debut novel I think it's really, really good, and considering his posterior work I'd say he already made it to my favourite authors.

 I'd say the major problem this book has is that it lacks major world building, and though the characters are a bit two dimensional for my taste, I must admit I cared for them a great deal more than I did for others in many hyped YA books. What I really liked was the atmosphere, it very good for such a short book and frames the story perfectly. Overall, I think it works really well as a Middle Grade mystery book, maybe a ghost story for kids. It was nice re-reading it.

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Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**This review contains spoilers**

"Marry me," he said. "Marry me, Tess. Marry me and be called Tessa Herondale. Or be Tessa Gray, or be whatever you wish to call yourself, but marry me and stay with me and never leave me, for I cannot bear another day of my life to go by that does not have you in it.”

 To be completely honest I didn't think the writing style was great and the story didn't really get me either, and there were too many clichés... but the characters, the characters are so good, too good. They're the sole reason I picked these books up again and finished all three in a weekend. So yeah, Cassandra Clare has regained a place in my heart.

 This was actually a re-read, I first picked up Clockwork Angel when I was in school and back then I must admit I didn't really enjoy it. However I decided to give it a second chance because I already had the books and I never finished the third one the first time around (not to mention they have excellent reviews). And having finished them now, I can say I finally understand the hype surrounding them.

 I loathe love triangles in YA books, they're all the same, this one is the only exception. Tessa and Will and Jem have this rare quality that makes the angst between the three of them bearable and actually sad, they all love each other and wish each other happiness, which inmediately erases jealousy and bitterness between them, leading them to sacrifice their personal happiness so the other two may be happy instead. It's a rare thing to find in books of the like, but it makes the otherwise plain story compelling.

 On the things I didn't like, I could list the writing style, it didn't feel very special minus the occasional quotable parts, and the plot, which besides the romace seemed very common and full of clichés. Something I particularly disliked were the chapters narrated from Will's sister Cecily's point of view, I thought they were really unnecesary, as nothing really relevant to the main story happened in them, and in the end drove me to dislike her for this same reason.

 On the ending, oh well, where to start? It kind of felt like a punch in the gut, not the actual ending but the epilogue, the thing about including an entire chapter in modern setting kind of killed the victorian magic for me. And also, I could have lived the rest of my life without the description of Will's death; he was my favourite character by far, and this death though happy, only served to make my heart ache. The epilogue also made him appear like in the end he was only a chapter on Tessa's life in my eyes, which really didn't sit well with me, I don't know if I'm beign unfair or if someone else feels that way... But at least that was how I see it.

 Still with all the things I didn't enjoy about these books, I have to admit that as a love story, it shines. The entire time I was wishing they would all end up together, because it felt like the only solution where no one got hurt. But well, you can't always get what you want, right? Would I recommend it? Yes, but only if you have the time, Clockwork Princess feels pretty long and there's a lot of angst, it'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, but you'll be happy at the end, sort of. So consider yourself warned.

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