ARC Review: The Lifeboat Clique - Kathy Parks

Title: The Lifeboat Clique
Author: Kathy Parks
Pub Date: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 336

Some people might say that Denver had a death wish. Why else would she have dared to sneak into a Malibu beach party where she’d be surrounded by enemies, namely including her ex-BFF Abigail?

Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years he’d ask her out, but who was she to question this miracle of fate? Well, that wasn’t the only surprise fate had in store.

During the party a tsunami hit the coast of California, wiping out everything in its path. Denver and a handful of others escaped death by holding onto the roof of the house and were swept out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways was none other than Abigail, who could barely stand the sight of her.

Now that she’s floating in the ocean, stuck on a small boat with the most popular kids in school and waiting to be rescued, Denver wonders what might kill her first-dehydration, sunstroke, or the girl she used to think of as a sister?

A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Park’s irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

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Pitched as "Mean Girls meets Life of Pi," how could I not want to read this? Admittedly, its a quirky combination but it worked so well! - Nova @ Out of Time

The plot follows a girl named Denver who's stuck in a boat with a bunch of the popular people in her school. I want to say, before you read this, keep in mind that it's meant to be satirical. A lot of it is stereotypical and in any other situation, it would be a complaint but I found it humorous in addition to the plot.
Denver is a lot like me so I was able to relate to her. She has a very sarcastic personality but she uses intelligent sarcasm [like metaphors and SAT words] so the meanings usually go over peoples' heads when she makes fun of them. I wonder what it says about me that I usually have the same problem. Denver is probably one of my all time favorite main characters because I was able to relate to her so well.

If you've seen Mean Girls, the dynamic between outcast Denver and mean girl Abigail was like Regina George and Janis Ian [only that no one gets hit by a bus and there's a lot more interaction between the two.] The plot also jumps around from present to past, each past memory giving more context to the reason Denver and Abigail's relationship went south. It wasn't anything shocking but it also wasn't something I'd be able to guess. The reason I really enjoyed that part was because it wasn't a misunderstanding in which no one was guilty. I hate those. In this book, someone was guilty and I loved that because it showed fault to the characters.

There are some moments of this book that I felt were unnecessary. For example, one/two characters that were offed for what I feel was no reason. The problem is that the story is about Denver and Abigail. Every other character was irrelevant. While there were five on the lifeboat, the other three provided entertainment and the occasional banter but not much else. The story would've gone on with or without them.

The other part of the story involved their chronicles of survival. This included eating stuff that would make me green. Weird part is that while I was reading, I didn't really get that "grossed out" feeling. I've seen Life of Pi so that aspect was pretty similar. They were pretty resourceful, though - using an earring as a fishing hook. The survival part wasn't very large, though. It was just there to make the story more believable, as most of it wasn't even set on the book, it was set in the past.

Despite all of this, I did enjoy this book. I loved reading about Abigail and Denver and more importantly, I enjoyed the ending. It was real. In a book like this, in a movie like Mean Girls, I expected the ending to be something like an ABC Family special. Listen guys, I can take satire but I don't think I can take the amount of cheese that I thought I'd be getting. Instead, the author surprised me by giving a realistic and funny end to a story.

If you want something just for fun that you don't have to take too seriously, give this one a try! If you like sarcastic main characters who don't fit in with the "popular crowd," you might connect with Denver. Also if the idea of Life of Pi and Mean Girls made you laugh, caught your interest, trust that interest!

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Book Review: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart - Jenn Bennett

Title: The Anatomical Shape of a Heart
Author: Jenn Bennett
Pub Date: November 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Page Count: 304

Artist Beatrix Adams knows exactly how she's spending the summer before her senior year. Determined to follow in Leonardo da Vinci’s footsteps, she's ready to tackle the one thing that will give her an advantage in a museum-sponsored scholarship contest: drawing actual cadavers. But when she tries to sneak her way into the hospital’s Willed Body program and misses the last metro train home, she meets a boy who turns her summer plans upside down.

Jack is charming, wildly attractive . . . and possibly one of San Francisco’s most notorious graffiti artists. On midnight buses and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who Jack really is—and tries to uncover what he’s hiding that leaves him so wounded. But will these secrets come back to haunt him? Or will the skeletons in Beatrix’s own family’s closet tear them apart?

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Despite my thoughts on the fast pacing, this book touched my anatomically shaped heart with it's cuteness and family values. - Nova @ Out of Time

This book is about art. AAAART. Perhaps that's the initial reason I opted to read it. I honestly have no idea anymore but it doesn't matter because this book was a total hit. As an art person myself, I find a weird fascination about reading those kinds of books. I also like reading about visual arts because I can barely hold a pencil and the way artists feel about their work is the same way I feel about my music so even if I hate the character, I still feel a weird sense of familiarity.

I didn't hate Bex, the MC. I didn't particularly agree with her decisions all of the time but I didn't hate her. Her fascination with drawing dead people and macabre things was something I could overlook. I went through a phase in life where all I would write was depressing poetry and I loved it. Who am I to judge, right? The reason I got a little annoyed with her has to do with the pacing of the plot. Because of the pacing [which I will get to], it made Bex seem like she was devoting her life to the male lead, Jack. In the end, she had to choose between something and him and she picked him even though the "something else" seemed by far more important. Not to worry, though because in the end, she actually got both the things - which also felt like a cheesetastic ending. But hey, it was cute, I had feels and this proves that sometimes, with hard work, you can get what you want.

The plot felt insanely quick to me. It's a boy meets girl in three hundred pages and in those pages, they proclaim the L word, get separated by the parentals, do the sexy things ;) and basically just act as cute and couple-y as possible. Not in that order, though. Anyway, I don't really know what it is but it felt fast. It could be the way I read or maybe because of the crazy amount of things that went on. Every chapter, it felt like there was some new revelation or something exciting that Bex and Jack do. It feels even faster when you realize that this takes place over the course of a summer. If you're looking for a slow burn romance, this isn't really for you. But if you want something that's filled with passion, art and beauty, I would recommend this. I'm a little split down the middle because I kind of wanted both but in the end, I think that this book made me happy.

You know what else made me happy? Jack. What a cinnamon roll. Within the first chapter, Bex discovers Jack's secret identity and they proceed to keep meeting each other. Jack isn't complex in a misunderstood kind of way. Rather, he's very honest and kind about himself and the way he treats others. I loved seeing those kinds of values in him. Basically, he's a genuinely nice guy who is really good at graffiti. I would've been angry at Bex for sacrificing so much for Jack but the gestures are reciprocated which makes everything okay. Jack cares for Bex - like he really does. He's the kind of thrillseeker that dances the line between safe and [questionably] illegal.

This is a quick read penned by a perfectly capable author. The [metaphorical, since I read this on kindle] pages were flying with this one. I made pterodactyl noises sometimes because of Bex + Jack's interactions and I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for something cute with parental figures who are actually involved in the lives of their teenage kids.

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Jenn Bennett is an artist and RITA-nominated author of the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series (Kindling the Moon) and the Roaring Twenties romance series, including Bitter Spirits, which was chosen as one of Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2014 and winner of RT Reviewers' Choice Paranormal Romance Book of the Year, and Grave Phantoms—which was awarded RT's Seal of Excellence. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart, (aka Night Owls in the U.K.) is her first YA contemporary romance. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two evil pugs

 

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ARC Review: Most Likely To Succeed - Jennifer Echols

Title: Most Likely To Succeed
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pub Date: Simon Pulse
Publisher: August 4th, 2015
Page Count: 352

In this sexy conclusion to The Superlatives trilogy from Endless Summer author Jennifer Echols, Sawyer and Kaye might just be perfect for each other—if only they could admit it.

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers, and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school—student government, cheerleading, stellar grades—has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate—and their friends—keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge to themselves…

As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it’s finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed—or will it be their favorite mistake?

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A really fun contemp that holds great morals about the future and where love fits in that equation. - Nova @ Out of Time

The first thing that stuck out to me was Kaye's character. She is the complete opposite of me. She's got some serious skills in terms of how hardworking she is. She's passionate about school and pretty much has her future mapped out for her. At least, that's how she seems. Rather, as we get to know her, Kaye's got her own set of issues and while I couldn't relate to her basic personality, her character development made a whole lot of sense to me. Also, Kaye is poc and that matters a lot to me because it was acknowledged in the book and I don't usually see that in YA! WHOO YES!

I related very well to Sawyer, instead. Kaye's love interest was the complete opposite of her and therefore, my spirit animal. He knew how to be fun and let loose and everyone had this idea that, "oh he must be an idiot." But really, his grades rivaled Kaye's and I liked that sense of being all-rounded.

However, something that threw me off was that I didn't hate any of the characters. Really, I loved them all and what they had to bring to the table. Even the particularly awful ones and there were a few!

I haven't read the other books in the series but I was able to read this without a problem. The basic plot made a lot of sense and even though it was mainly character driven, I was completely invested in the story.
Also, the romance was so great! I had such an awesome time squealing about Sawyer and Kaye. Their story was pretty cliche but I loved the twists that made it unique. I wasn't a big fan of the "I had a crush on you so I was mean to you" idea because it never seems like a good idea in the long run but Where can I get my own idiot who dresses up like a pelican [who is actually really intelligent]? Also, he's a vegan bad boy and doesn't wear a leather jacket. I felt the need to put this in my review because I could not stop laughing.

Kaye's issues lied mostly with her mom and I wasn't completely happy with the way things ended but I thought it was good. Her mom has some seriously different views on how Kaye should do things and I found myself so angry the whole time. As the story went on, however, I just got more angry, rather than understanding. But if it ended in HEA, it wouldn't make sense. The sense of realism disappointed my inner little girl [who likes happy ever afters] but made me respect that there should be realism in the stories we read.

Overall, this was a well-voiced story by Jennifer Echols. I loved the idea of the superlatives [even though my own yearbook didn't have it] and how it changed these two wonderful characters lives!

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Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

 

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ARC Review: The Revenge Playbook - Rachael Allen

Title: The Revenge Playbook
Author: Rachael Allen
Pub Date: June 16th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 368

In this poignant and hilarious novel, Rachael Allen brilliantly explores the nuances of high school hierarchies, the traumas sustained on the path to finding true love, and the joy of discovering a friend where you least expect.

Don’t get mad, get even!

In the small town of Ranburne, high school football rules and the players are treated like kings. How they treat the girls they go to school with? That’s a completely different story. Liv, Peyton, Melanie Jane, and Ana each have their own reason for wanting to teach the team a lesson—but it’s only when circumstances bring them together that they come up with the plan to steal the one thing the boys hold sacred. All they have to do is beat them at their own game.

Brimming with sharp observations and pitch-perfect teen voices, fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Mlynowski are sure to fall head-over-heels for this sharp tale—by the author of 17 First Kisses—about the unexpected roads that can lead you to finding yourself.

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The Revenge Playbook sounded interesting and I totally requested it on impulse. I was in the mood for a good story, one where friendship is very important and strong message. I got it. For sure. - Nova @ Out of Time

I don't go to a school where the football team is worshiped by the faculty and student body, however, I feel like that situation is only an example of what happens so often. There's a double standard in a lot of things we do. I know that sometimes, teachers are "easier" on me not doing homework because I have good grades and it isn't fair when I was being lazy whereas when someone who's getting average grades doesn't do their homework, they get in trouble.

The example that sent me into rage was when Peyton wanted an extension because of her IEP [which is what she deserves] and didn't get it because the teacher happens to be the football coach. Next thing you know, the star football player asks for an extension without a reason and gets it in a blink of an eye.

This book sends a strong message of how the system in the school was completely unfair and how four girls sought to change that. This seems to be a problem in other schools but since my school isn't just a football school, we don't have that problem. I'm glad that it raises awareness of what's going on in other places, though. Just because it isn't happening to me doesn't mean that I don't need to know about it [which I do.] I really enjoyed how this book made me feel. I felt... empowered and all excited because it's the nature of these types of books.

It also reminded me a little bit like All The Rage because in one scene, a girl confesses to the guidance counselor that she may have been raped. The counselor say something like, "are you sure? The person you're accusing is on his way to getting a football scholarship. You should keep this to yourself so his career doesn't get damaged." I don't know why that sent me into a rage so much but the idea of a counselor advising that to a scared girl is sickening.

I wasn't sure about the four different perspectives. It was a little difficult at first because I thought there were five characters [one has two names.] However, they had their different personalities and Allen was very versatile in writing them so I could tell them apart. Also, the change in font was really helpful. Just a personal thing, but I love it when books with multiple perspectives do that.

Something that wasn't so good was that is was very predictable till the very end. I knew what was going to happen the whole time and while there were what seemed like twists, I just skimmed over feeling completely the same. And I know this isn't a thriller book but I would liked it if there were things that shocked me. It was cliche and cute but cliche nonetheless. Also, I did end up LOL-ing multiple times because some of the dares they had to do were so unbelievable and the way they were done was fabulous.

In essence, The Revenge Playbook got me feeling some type of way. My heart went out to the girls who had been victimized by the boys in a place where the adults wouldn't do anything about it. It was predictable but as a story, I would definitely recommend it to someone who wants a fun contemp with some great messages.

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Rachael Allen lives in Atlanta, GA where she's working furiously on her PhD in neuroscience. When she's not doing science or writing YA, you can find her chasing after her toddler and her two sled dogs. Her debut YA novel 17 FIRST KISSES, is forthcoming from Harper Teen. Rachael may or may not have had 17 first kisses...luckily she doesn't kiss and tell.

 

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ARC Review: Crash - Eve Silver

Title: Crash
Author: Eve Silver
Pub Date: June 9th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 368

A thrilling action/suspense novel for fans of The Fifth Wave about contemporary teens pulled in and out of an alternate reality where battling aliens is more than a game—it's life and death.

Miki’s life is falling apart around her. Her dad and best friend are lying in the hospital. The Game is glitching, making missions more frequent and more deadly. And someone close to her is waiting for the right moment to betray her.

Miki feels like she’s hanging on by a thread and the only thing keeping her tethered is Jackson’s hand in hers. Yet telling him how much she needs him, how much she loves him, feels like the biggest challenge of all. And if Miki really wants the missions to end for everyone, she’ll have to let go and be ready to fight when the walls between the Game and reality come crashing down. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that she’s got a whole lot left to lose.

Crash is the pulse-pounding conclusion to the Game trilogy fans won’t want to miss.

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Though the first two books were very on the fence for me, I'm so glad I stuck with the series because this last installment was everything I wanted in the other two. - Nova @ Out of Time

If you've read my reviews for Rush and Push, you'll know that I had a fair share of issues with each. However, since I'd read both already and I kept seeing potential, I knew I was going to pick up Crash. While Crash had it's own [smaller] set of issues, I really enjoyed it. It didn't hold any of the complaints the other two did, which is amazing!

In Crash, there was pretty much nonstop action. While the other two held a lot of dragging, Crash was all go and no stop. It starts right with a bang and continues to keep the fast paced action that worked so well in relation to the plot. Most of the pacing was so awesome but I wish this book would've been longer. The really heavy events only happened around 80% of the book, making the ending look almost... random. It wasn't rushed, per se, but it didn't feel right because the build up didn't feel as steady as I felt it should've.

However, something that I've always loved are the characters. Miki and Jackson were pretty much unstoppable in Crash. I really saw them grow and I've come to love them as a couple and as a team so much. Plus, characters that were introduced in Push returned better and even more bad ass than before.

Crash was also where the answers to all my questions were found. Since so much of the plot is a mystery, I'm glad that this book made everything make sense.
Although, I didn't like the way it was presented. The explanation was all a big info dump three quarters into the story. Basically, one character was telling the other characters what had been going on [with the Committee, with the Drau] in one chapter. It felt like an information overload, plus a really unoriginal execution. It isn't too big of an issue but I feel like with her talent, Silver could've totally done better.

But the main reason this book stood out from Push and Rush is because of how it made me feel. The other two felt lacking in the empathy department but everything in Crash hit me like the pranks pulled in Home Alone. There will be sadness, there will be happiness and [I hope,] this last installment will make you feel as much as it made me.

So even though I had a rocky relationship with the first two books, I am so glad I decided to continue with the series! This book is so awesome, I definitely recommend it, especially if you weren't as satisfied with Push as you wanted to be! Do what I did: don't give up with this series just yet.

It's worth it, I promise.

 

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Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

 

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Book Review: Rook - Sharon Cameron

Title: Rook
Author: Sharon Cameron
Pub Date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Page Count: 464

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse.

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Un roman que j'adore! Il y a d'action, d'amour et je m'identifier avec la personnage principal. Aussi, j'aime que je peux comprendre les mots en français en ce. - Nova @ Out of Time

Considering this story is set in a dystopian France, I figured I'd write my blurb in French [I didn't Google translate.] I finished Grade 9 French [which is technically grade 5 because we start at grade 4] Sorry French speakers, I'm still learning so if I majorly screwed up, please correct me.
To those who don't speak French, I'd love to know what you THINK the blurb says [don't google translate it!]

Anyway, the first thing I want to bring up is how I've always noticed that in dystopian novels, it's mainly about the US. For example, Divergent is set in Chicago and you can't help but wonder, "where is the rest of the world?" And this happens with a lot of dystopians so I admire and appreciate Sharon Cameron for writing about a different setting.
France is one of my favorite settings. I'm in love with the language and the culture and one day, I hope to go there. So this book held my attention in terms of worldbuilding. I thought it was so fascinating how there was a "Sunken City" and how people resorted into using such methods like the Guillotine. By the way, this novel made me realize how scary that device really is.

We figure out who the Rook is very quickly. I wasn't really sure what to expect about this novel but it certainly isn't a mystery. Even though the book is written in 3rd person, we're pretty deep into Sophia, the main character's head. In fact, there isn't much suspense in this book until a while later. What I could never really predict was Rene.

Sophia is to be married to Rene Hasard [yes, there's an acute accent on the second e but I can't be bothered to look it up and insert it each time I use Rene's name.] and she assumes him to be another dumb Parisian Upperclassman. So imagine her surprise when he counters everything she says. In my mind, it reminded me so much of Arin and Kestrel's relationship from The Winner's Curse. The only thing that was different is that Rene is the one of the most charming bastards I've ever met and would give all the other bad boys a run for their money. That's right, fall hard for this silver-tongued, swoon-inducing character. He's intelligent, strategic but still has enough flaws and emotions to make him human. And once Sophia and Rene come to terms that the other is not what they expected, that's where the real thing happens because as a team, they're a force to be reckoned with.

And I love that.

The only thing that really bothered me was the pacing. A lot of this novel was description and building. It's almost five hundred pages and I have no idea what do with that info! I was skimming by 300 because I loved the story but it was moving so slowly, especially because the date of the big event seemed pretty imminent - it was more like a week than a year, so the pacing didn't make much sense.

Overall, this novel was awesome! I really enjoyed the plot and the writing too [especially the dialogue, hehe]. The only thing that lessened my enjoyment was how it got boring for a hundred pages or so. I felt like it could've been condensed but still, an amazing read and I really recommend it.

Sharon's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Sharon Cameron was awarded the 2009 Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her debut novel, The Dark Unwinding. When not writing Sharon can be found thumbing dusty tomes, shooting her longbow, or indulging in her lifelong search for secret passages.

 

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Book Review: Midnight Thief - Livia Blackburne

Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Pub Date: July 8th, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Page Count: 376

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

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Midnight Thief drew me into a world that interested me. I anticipated Kyra's every move with intrigue and excitement. - Nova @ Out of Time

The main thing that I enjoyed about Midnight Thief was Kyra, or all the characters in general. I felt they made sense to the story and also brought it to life. Even the characters that only had appearance in one scene made a difference to the other characters' lives and though that's how (I feel) it should be, not all novels are like that.
Kyra and I instantly clicked. I felt how undecided she was at her lifestyle but still needed to do it. She was constantly flipping between her morals and though that's usually something I get irritated at, I extended understanding towards her character. She wasn't stupid, no, but she made mistakes, had her faults and grew from them. That made her a very good heroine which suited this book. Although a lot of the book was focused on her development, the ending left a lot to be considered. I only hope there will be a satisfying sequel.

Something I was iffy with this book was its topic. When I first thought about this book, I thought it would be like a historic girl who gets involved with a gang story. And that was what I was prepared for. This story gave me that, which was great. However, I also got something that made me pull my eyebrows together.
The idea of "demon cats" was a bit much for me. I knew there would be a supernatural element, but it was introduced like 60% in the book and that didn't make sense to me. There was foreshadowing about the topic, but I felt like it was a last effort to make the book interesting. It seemed like a "half" story of sorts; where it lacked development and depth. If Kyra's meeting with the demon cats was quicker in the book, it would've left time for it to develop.

Just like with a lot of books, dark evil guys who have a certain allure are my weak spots. As with the Darkling (The Grisha Trilogy), I wanted James to redeem himself. I didn't necessarily ship him with Kyra, but I definitely didn't ship her and Tristam. The romance between Kyra and Tristam, though very little, wasn't needed. Why can't a guy and girl just be friends for once?

Midnight Thief made me question the morals in the book. It had interesting views on what was right or wrong, murder or survival and in such a harsh world Blackburne created, these questions have to be asked. I felt enlightened to be thinking of such things while reading about a kickass main character who (again), I loved! Overall, it was a great story with a refined prose that kept me turning the pages.

Livia's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website |

1. I write fantasy.  Most often YA fantasy, but sometimes I branch out.
2. I was born in Taiwan, raised in Albuqurque, and spent my twenties in Boston, where I studied biochemistry at Harvard and neuroscience at MIT.
3. I started my debut novel Midnight Thief in high school, because writing a novel was the only way I could get out of the mandatory camping requirement.  I finished about 60 pages.  They were 60 awful, awful pages.
4. I finished Midnight Thief 12 years later, because writing a novel was the only way I could keep my sanity while conducting my doctoral research.  This time, I got to 370 pages, and they were much less awful than the initial 60.
5. I write a blog about psychology and neuroscience for writers.  You can check it out here.
6. Like every good Asian kid, I played the piano as a child.  I don’t do that as much anymore, but I still love to sing and dance.
7. I’m horrible at any sports that involve fast moving projectiles, and I dislike most sports that involve highly repetitive movements (running, swimming, biking, etc.).  This leaves basically dancing and martial arts.
8. When I wanted sweets as a child, my mother would give me one M&M.  I thought that was normal, and to this day, have very low tolerance for sweets.  One bite of chocolate bar, half a scoop of ice cream is about all I can take.
9. If I had to choose one author with the biggest influence on my reading and writing development, it would be Tamora Pierce.
10. Some of my favorite books:  Graceling by Kristen Cashore, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Plain Kate by Erin Bow, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

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