Sophie Reads YA: MIRA Ink

2022 Beat the Backlist challenge

ARC Review: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

10:00

The Problem with Forever
Series: None
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published June 1st 2016 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
From #1 NY Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a deeply powerful and emotional story about struggling to overcome your past and find where you belong.

When Mallory was a kid, she was bounced from one horrible foster home to another. At thirteen, a terrible accident got her removed from the group home where she was living to a hospital where she met the parents who would adopt her. But when she starts a new school and encounters an old friend from the foster system sparks start to fly.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Mallory found her home when she was thirteen and adopted by loving parents. Moving from a horrible and abusive situation, to a caring and loving one was a big shock to the system, and one which has taken time to get used to. Now entering her last year of school, Mallory is ready to try mainstream education, rather than being home schooled. But on her first day, she finds her old knight in shining armour, Rider, who she thought was lost for good. Once everything to each other, after the events which lead to them leaving their old foster home, they've been separated, and the years haven't hidden their connection.

When I first started reading this book, I didn't look at the synopsis, so didn't really have a clue what it was about and was a bit shocked by how deep and dark it got. Honestly, I sort of expected a cutesy contemporary read, with a bit of angst, but not much substance. Instead, we see topics such as child abuse, gangs, drugs, death, and so much more. Mallory and Rider faced so much in their time in the foster system, and though they were in good homes now, their past had left it's scars - both physical and mental. I enjoyed this book, but don't know if it's right to say I liked it. I found I had to keep putting it down at times to digest the material, and focus on something more lighter, but all in all, I'm glad I read The Problem with Forever.

Dates Read:
October 2-6, 2022

Rating
3 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) by Katie McGarry

10:00

Walk the Edge
Series: Thunder Road #2
Author: Katie McGarry
Published March 10th 2016 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Also see my review of book 1, Nowhere But Here.

Nowhere But Here was the first book of McGarry's that I read, but I knew I was hooked. When book 2 came up on NetGalley to request, I jumped at the chance to read it.

In Walk the Edge, the main characters are Razor and Breanna, who are so unlike each other, it's unreal. Breanna is counting down the minutes until she can leave town, and is hoping her parents will let her take an academic scholarship to complete her senior year at a prestigious school, guaranteed to get her out of town, and give her some sense of self identity - she's not only the 4th of seven children, she is her own person. Razor, on the other hand, knows what he wants - to be a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club. He has absolutely no intention of leaving town.

When they meet after senior orientation, they form an unlikely alliance - Razor will be Breanna's bodyguard, something that becomes serious when she starts to be blackmailed. They both fall for each other, and would do anything to protect one another. They try to keep their relationship a secret for some time, as Breanna's family, especially, hates the motorcycle club, and won't listen that Razor is not a bad person.

I really enjoyed both PoV's in this book. They seemed really different from Emily and Oz, from book 1, and I liked how unique they were. Breanna was my favourite of the two, and I really felt her loneliness when reading her chapters; even with her having 6 siblings, she never really was close to any of them, and for this, Razor was a godsend. He saw her as her own person, and listened to her whenever she needed to talk. Even Breanna's own parents didn't do this, they always seemed to care more about one of her brothers or sisters, than her.

Razor was a bit rough around the edges, but that was to be expected, to be honest. When he was with Breanna, he was like a type of gentle giant, but could be quite scary when he was in 'Razor' mode. I think it was a bit of a persona he had to put on, to show his worth to the MC, and when he was with Breanna, he could be himself, he could be Thomas.

The romantic aspect of the book was wonderful. I swooned so much reading this, even during the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep on holiday. Like I said, they could be themselves around each other, and didn't have to pretend to be strong or anything. The love they had for each other just jumped off the pages. Even with how much I loved Emily and Oz's romance, I think these two may be even better.

The plot lines were intricate, but not so much that you would get confused. They worked in parallel with each other, and even when they came to a head at the end of the book, it was easy to keep track of everything. It was a bit predictable at times, but I find that a lot with YA contemporaries, but, to be perfectly honest, I don't care about predictability. I read these types of books for the 'fluff' aspect, and normally when I don't want something heavy to read - perfect for summer time reading.

If you've enjoyed McGarry's other books, or simply like cutesy, fluffy contemporaries, with a good plot line, this is a book for you.

Dates Read:
March 20-21, 2016

Rating
4 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: The Stars Never Rise (The Stars Never Rise #1) by Rachel Vincent

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The Stars Never Rise
Series: The Stars Never Rise #1
Author: Rachel Vincent
Published June 18th 2015 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Nina Kane should be worrying about her immortal soul, but she's too busy trying to actually survive. Her town's population has been decimated by soul-consuming demons, and souls are in short supply. Watching over her younger sister, Mellie, and scraping together food and money are all that matters. The two of them are a family. They gave up on their deadbeat mom a long time ago.
When Nina discovers that Mellie is keeping a secret that threatens their very existence, she'll do anything to protect her. Because in New Temperance, sins are prosecuted as crimes by the brutal Church and its army of black-robed exorcists. And Mellie's sin has put her in serious trouble.
To keep them both alive, Nina will need to trust Finn, a fugitive with deep green eyes who has already saved her life once and who might just be an exorcist. But what kind of exorcist wears a hoodie?
Wanted by the Church and hunted by dark forces, Nina knows she can't survive on her own. She needs Finn and his group of rogue friends just as much as they need her.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Wow, this book was perfect in every single possible way. The Stars Never Fade tells the story of Nina Kane, a 16 year old living in a dystopian world unlike any I have ever read before. Over 100 years ago the Demons ravaged the world, leaving only a few settlements intact, though they had consumed the souls of many who'd perished. As such, there is now a severe shortage of souls, leading to many still born pregnancies. To combat this problem, the Church have taken control, and a whole multitude of sins are severely punished in order to ensure that the remaining population are pure and worthy of the souls they use.

Considering I have read a lot of dystopian novels, I was quite pleasantly surprised to discover how unique and fresh the concept was in this novel. I'm not a religious person, but to see the controlling nature of a society run wholly by ecclesiastics was a definite shock to my system. As the book progressed, the church government became an even larger part of the plot, and there were twists and turns at every moment. The biggest plot twist involving the church was so shocking that I definitely hadn't seen it coming, which is a nice surprise.

Nina was a perfect teenage protagonist: strong, a little angsty, and imperfect. There was definite character development with her, and I can't wait to see how she progresses in further instalments. Finn was a great male character; whilst he was a love interest for Nina, that's not all he was. There were layers to his character, which is shown throughout the course of the book, and he, and the rest of the group, were there for Nina when she needed them.

Overall a really enjoyable novel, and I would definitely recommend it to lovers of YA dystopian/fantasy.

Dates Read:
April 2 to 7, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

ARC Review: Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) by Katie McGarry

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Nowhere But Here
Series: Thunder Road #1
Author: Katie McGarry
Published June 4th 2015 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.
Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.
No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Nowhere But Here is my first Katie McGarry book, but I can definitely say it won't be my last.

In Nowhere But Here we meet seventeen year old Emily, who is visiting her biological father's family for the first time ever. All her life she thought her father never wanted her, that her whole paternal family didn't want her, and she is now faced with the knowledge that there's a whole other life she could've had. Throughout the entire story Emily discovers new aspects to this world, a lot of which concern her. I especially loved the character development we saw in the majority of these characters, but especially Emily's development - I can't wait to see how she grows further in further instalments of this series. Emily was not the only memorable character though. Out of the whole cast, I especially loved Oz and Olivia, particularly the way they act towards, and around, Emily, who was, quite understandably, terrified to be thrust into a new world.

I've heard so many positive things about McGarry's writing, and especially her romance, and I was in no way disappointed here. I don't read many Contemporary YA's, or chose OTPs easily, but I can safely say that Emily and Oz are definitely my newest OTP. Their interactions were cute from the first meeting, and the intimacy just blossomed the more they were together. I ultimately loved the fact that it was not an "insta-love" situation here, that we could be there with the characters as their feeling grew - it undoubtedly made the book so much enjoyable, as if we were actually a part of the story.

I've never read anything to do with motorbike gangs before, nor seen Sons of Anarchy, which this book has been compared to, but the detail in which McGarry went to fully immerse the reader into this world was outstanding. Though I was scared at times of the craziness of gang, I loved that they were definitely close, they were a family.

The fact that it took me less than two days to basically devour a nearly 500 page book is testament to how amazing the plot line was, and how the writing just flowed, and was so enjoyable to read. I desperately can't wait to read book 2 (and books 3 & 4), and would encourage everyone who loves YA Contemporary novels to definitely try this book!

Dates Read:
April 8 to 9, 2015

Rating
5 Stars

4 Stars

ARC Review: Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa

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Rogue
Series: Talon #2
Author: Julie Kagawa
Published May 7th 2015 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
Deserter. Traitor. ROGUE. Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day...or start an all-out war?
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Rogue picked up right after the events of Talon, and I loved the way we dove straight into the action. In this book we were lucky to have the opportunity to see into the minds of four characters: Ember, Garret, Dante, and Riley. I really enjoyed the differing PoV's, though my favourite still remain Ember's and Garret's (who are by far my favourite characters in general).

Though I had really enjoyed Talon, this book blew it out of the water. I feel as though Talon was more of an introductory book, and Rogue wasted no time in getting straight to the point, and being as action packed as possible. I actually felt as if the book was in two parts at time, there was that much happening. The Rogue network/underground was really interesting, as was seeing more of the Talon hierarchy through Dante's eyes. I'm really looking forward to finding out more about both of these groups, as well as about the Order of St. George in book 3, and subsequent instalments.

Those who have read Talon will understand what I mean about the love triangle between Ember, Garret, and Riley, and it was further explored here. Personally, I ship Ember and Garret, though I can understand why some would enjoy the relationship between Riley and Ember. The romance, though not central to the plot, was definitely a large part of the novel, and for the most part I enjoyed it, as it never detracted from the seriousness of the events.

Overall, Rogue was the perfect follow up to Talon, and I thought it set up the action for book 3, Soldier, perfectly. I'd definitely recommend this book to those who loved Talon, and for anyone who is a fan of YA Fantasy.

Dates Read:
April 21 to 27, 2015

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

Review: Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

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Talon
Series: Talon #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Published January 15th 2015 by MIRA Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
‘There are a dozen soldiers hiding in that maze All hunting you. All looking to kill you.’
To the outside world Ember Hill is an ordinary girl, but Ember has a deadly secret. A dragon hiding in human form, she is destined to fight the shadowy Order of St.George, a powerful society of dragonslayers. St. George soldier Garret is determined to kill Ember and her kind. Until her bravery makes him question all he’s been taught about dragons.
Now a war is coming and Garret and Ember must choose their sides – fight to save their bond or fulfil their fate and destroy one another.
Goodreads

Review
Seeing as I was approved for an eARC of Rogue, I though it was time to give Talon a go, and I wasn't disappointed.

Talon tells the story of Ember Hill, a female shape-shifting dragon (dragonelle) who is tasked with blending in with the humans for the summer in California. Whilst there, she faces many difficulties, including falling for a human (a big no no), and becoming close to a Rogue, a dragon who has left the Talon organisation (an even bigger no no).

Talon is a secret society, a secret dragon society, who has to blend in with humans in order to avoid detection from the Order of St George, whose sole aim is to eradicate the world of the dragon problem. The problem, however, is that the member of the Order sent out to kill Ember, also happens to be the human she falls for, and who falls for her just as hard.

This is my first book by Julie Kagawa, and her writing was fantastic. I really enjoyed the various plot twists, and especially the changing PoV's, making the story pace very well. Ember was a wonderful protagonist, though at times very, very naive. I definitely liked her character development throughout the course of the novel, especially with her beginning to question the organisation she belongs to, and their treatment of the human race. Her relationship with Garret was so sweet, and although I knew it would all end badly, I was on tenterhooks between each of their scenes.

With the way Talon ended, I'm so glad I'm able to dig into Rogue straight away, and I'm sure that will be as enjoyable, if not more so, than the first book of the series.

Dates Read:
April 15 to 20, 2015

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

Review: Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter

21:29

Pawn
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
Author: Aimee Carter
Published January 3rd 2014 by Mira Ink

Goodreads Synopsis
Are you more than the number on the back of your neck?
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered. The same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.
Goodreads

Review
This is my first book by Carter, and I'm in love with her writing style.

This book is the story of Kitty Doe, a seventeen year old who has just been classified as a III. The society in this world is made up of levels ranging from a I to a VII, with VII being the highest level, only awarded to members of Prime Minister Daxton Hart's family. As a III, Kitty has next to no opportunities to better herself, or earn enough to live comfortably. However, she is bought by the Prime Minister to be Masked, to become his niece, Lila, and a VII.

This book explores Kitty's difficulties in first becoming a lowly III, before replacing a sophisticated, educated VII, taking on her mannerisms, language, friends, even her fiancé. This in particular is a big problem for Kitty, as she had a boyfriend, Benji, who she couldn't forget, though she was definitely drawn to Knox, Lila's fiancé. I personally preferred her interactions with Knox over Benji, though I saw the appeal in both.

As the series name suggests, the topic of rebellion is integral within the plot. Personally, I loved the way it was touched upon and explored within this novel, only showing enough to tease readers, and leave them with question that will hopefully be answered in the subsequent books. The way in which all the characters are shown to be involved in the rebellion in their own way excited me, and I definitely can not wait to see more from certain characters, in particular Greyson, who I can see being very important in upcoming events.

The world building and characters in this series are amazing, and I loved the complexity hiding underneath the surface. This book ended in such a way that I am desperate for the sequel, Captive, but at least I don't have long to wait. I would recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of YA dystopian novels and I can not wait to read Carter's Goddess Test series.

One of my favourite 2014 reads!

Dates Read:
September 20 to 23, 2014

Rating
4 Stars