How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: February 21, 2013

A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.

Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.

Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

How to Lead a Life of Crime was nothing like I expected - I'll admit that I've heard some bad things about it, and I just wanted to see if they were true. And in my opinion, they weren't true at all. I thought that it was really gritty and interesting; and the world was just as well done. This was a crazy book, truly.

Our main character, Flick, was a good guy. He may be a pick pocket, but his moral compass points straighter than some I've met. He was loyal as all get out, and really, he just did what he had to do. No one should really blame him for that. And in that school, he may have been one of the only remaining sane people.

How to Lead a Life of Crime was a conspiracy theory and a half - with a crazy scientist, an underground school, and lots of psychopaths. And a few sociopaths, to keep the mix interesting. I liked it. I liked it a lot. It was an amazing read, in a psychotic thriller kind of way.

And some of the side characters? Whoa. Gwendolyn's back story was freaking insanely well crafted, and just like most of the events throughout this read, it was crazy. I loved the fact that the author could create characters that even as teenagers could be seen as psychotic.

The imagination used to create this book was great - I never expected it. It was a tad bit slow, but it definitely makes up for it in the end - I really liked the ending.

How to Lead a Life of Crime shows that no matter how psychotic you are, or how bad people think you are - everyone has a capacity for goodness inside.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, #3
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 8, 2008

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.

But when you're the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive...

I'm going to come right out and say that The Titan's Curse was probably my least favorite of the series. I think I have a little something called "third book syndrome" because the third is always my least favorite. I mean, it would make perfect sense. I skipped the "second book syndrome" gene... I got something much worse. But enough about me and my genes.

We came here to talk about the book, so I'll begin. Probably my biggest problem with this one was that there was no precursor. I felt like the beginning was lacking - just thrown into a secret mission I know nothing about? Jeez, I'm confused now. All of the others at least had some hint of what was going on. Not to mention the fact that Annabeth goes missing about a chapter in... and Percy without Annabeth? Well, he's a little bit off. I think that Annabeth really balances Percy out, so without her around to mediate, he was kind of... impetuous, but also... a bit sad.

And I just missed Annabeth - she's a big part of the books for me, so with out her there it kind of fell apart. I did like the introduction of new characters, though. Nico, Bianca and Thalia all have a great part to play, and each has a distinctly different personality. I enjoyed Thalia's fiery attitude and headstrong ways; a few times I was even sure that her and Percy were going to outright battle over something!

There were several unexpected twists, and a few expected ones. I had my suspicions about Bianca and Nico - it turns out that in the end, I was right. All in all, The Titan's Curse is my least favorite of all the Percy books, but obviously it holds information that is important to me.

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians, #4
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: March 6, 2008

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.
In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn

So, The Battle of the Labyrinth. I'm sure you're all expecting me to have something either completely bad or completely awesome to say about this one, considering the fact that this was one of my personal favorites of the series - but words... fail me. I don't even really know what to say! I was going to say that this was my ultimate favorite of the series, but since I've already read The Last Olympian, that's not true. I think that they're tied for my favorite.

I really loved the beginning of this one - it somehow made a bigger impression on me than all of the others - there was immediately something big going on. It was interesting to have Rachel back, after the part that she played in the third book, but I wasn't really sure what to think of her. (By the fifth book, though... I didn't want her around. PERACHEL SHALL NOT HAPPEN ON MY WATCH!)

Since that little outburst is out of the way... I was feeling kind of... I don't know. Sad because I knew that there was no way that everything I wanted could happen in the last two books? It was making me nervous. But in spite of all that, I REALLY love this series.

The Battle of the Labyrinth was the first book where Percy started to realize that Annabeth was a girl - and OMG, I almost died at the adorableness of that! There was some new developments between Annabeth and Percy, with a little bit of tension and GAH it was amazing.

I love the fact that as Percy gets older, it's shown in the books. He makes more mature decisions, and he has an older voice. I like that. It's not something that really happens very often.

I really liked the new twists and plot devices - there's always something super fun going on in this series, and I LOVE IT. Everyone had a part to play, and it was lovely to see everything playing out. I didn't see the ending coming, and it kind of left me stunned!

All in all, The Battle of the Labyrinth was a great continuation of the Percy Jackson series, and since I've read the fifth book, I can tell you that I'm sorry to see these characters go. (Especially Percy and Annabeth! And Nico. I have a soft spot for the little guy.)

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians, #2
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 1, 2006

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come

My happiness with this series continued right into this book - once again, we start out with a wonderfully action-packed beginning that thrusts us right back into Percy's world. And I loved it! Immediately, stuff was happening and the plot was twisting and Percy was Percy...

Speaking of Percy, I really do like him. There's something sweet about his personality, and I like the fact that he's so loyal to all of his friends. He would do anything to save them all, and I just think that he's a brave boy. I also like that he seems older in this one - he's growing throughout the books, and there's nothing better than that in my opinion.

I also liked that we get to meet a new character in this one - be prepared for Tyson, y'all. You will fall for his sweet little cyclops self. He's just so precious! There is a bit of drama associated with him, but believe me it's barely a blip - and he overcomes it with his adorable big puppy dog-ish-ness.

I loved the new quest - it seems like every book is going to have a different quest, and I'm not gonna lie - I'm super excited about this! It's like the perfect blend of nerdiness + fantasy for me. I mean, Greek mythology AND quests? There will never come a time when that isn't awesome!!

Let's talk about Percabeth, though. Let's really talk about it - nothing has really happened, but OMG. I want it to happen so bad, it's like I'm dying for it! I definitely definitely ship it, and I'd be the kind of person to push it on them. IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. Like, really.

AND THE ENDING. It's a cliffy, y'all. Be prepared to immediately reach for the next book, because you're going to need it!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Source: Bought
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: March 21, 2006

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I'm not going to lie here - the reason that I put off Percy for so long was because of the hype surrounding this series - I mean, we have buckets and buckets of fans. I don't even know if there's any haters, and let's be honest here - I tend to be a naysayer. But I'm super happy to tell you that I actually really enjoyed The Lightning Thief! But first, a quick backstory: Nitzan has been trying to get me to read Percy FOREVER. She was just telling me how awesome it was and everything else - and then, suddenly, whenever I looked at Pinterest, there were headcanons for Percy everywhere. And there were words on them, so I HAD to read them... and I became slightly obsessed. Then there was a discussion on Twitter, and the #PercyPowWow was born... that is the story of how I came to read Percy Jackson.

Now that I've cleared things up with y'all, let's start back at the beginning. I liked this more than I expected to! For some odd reason, I had this idea that I wouldn't really care for Percy as a character. Maybe because he's a guy, or because he's a pre-pubescent guy... whatever. Turns out that he's really great, though! Percy is just so snarky and lovable.

He loves his mom, and I actually think that he seems pretty smart. Flighty, yes. But still smart. I liked that he read like a twelve year old boy - it was nice that he matched up, and wasn't too mature or immature. I also liked the relationships that he formed with the other characters throughout. I loved his friendship with Annabeth & Grover, and I can't wait to see where those relationships will take him in the future!

Another thing that I liked about The Lightning Thief was the ridiculous jokes and the over-the-top plot twists throughout the book. I laughed out loud (hysterically) a few times, that's for sure. And every single plot twist - as ridiculous as they were - somehow made sense. Anyone who can fit pieces like that together most definitely gets my vote.

I liked the never-ending presence of the Greek gods, and the explanation for how they came to be in America. I, for one - have pretty much questioned every myth retelling ever, because of the fact that they all take place in America. It was WONDERFUL to have an explanation for once!

All in all, The Lightning Thief really was a fun read. I'm enjoying the series so far, and I can't wait for shipping Percy and Annabeth. Also, can't tell you how disappointed I am in the movie now.

Click to Subscribe by L.M. Augustine

Click to Subscribe by L.M. Augustine
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: May 9, 2013

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I *heart* Sam Green t-shirt.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

The only reason that I'm giving this book three-point-five stars is because it's not deep deep deep. Enjoyment level, it's probably four, but as far as a deep premise, it's more like a three. But in spite of that, it's a really good read that's fun and fluffy.

West is such a funny, dorky, teenage character. I loved getting to read through his eyes, and I loved how he was able to poke fun at himself. He's just so dense, though! Ergh...I can't believe he can be best friends with Cat, and be talking to this "Harper" girl and never connect them together...I mean, wow. You think you know somebody and then...BOOM. Turns out they love you and you never even noticed. That is what I call being dense, y'all. Not only is he just dense, turns out that he's also kind of a jerk. Once he finds out that Harper is really his best friend (...) he freaks out. I can understand that, but he kind of led her along. Probably unknowingly, but still.

On the other end of the spectrum, Cat was awesome. I thought it was so adorable how she fell in love with her best friend, and I totally liked their chemistry together. I was mentally kicking West throughout the book, I'll have you know. I loved the little snatches of background that we get through her stories, and that she seems to be fighting for "them".

All in all, Click to Subscribe was a really, really cute read. I loved the romance between the two lead characters, and the ending was everything that I had hoped it would be.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Series: N/A
Source: Traded for
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: February 16, 2012

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Bev says when she's onstage she feels the world holding its breath for her.

I've been wanting to read The Disenchantments for a while before I picked it up. I hadn't heard much hype (always a good thing), so I was super excited to read it and form my own opinions on it. So I opened it. And I ended up loving it to death.

I was immediately surprised, though, because for some reason I had it in my head that Colby was a girl...where did I get that idea? Is it the decidedly girly cover? I think that it is. But after the initial shock had worn off, I really grew to love Colby for who he was. He really is a sweet guy, and he does talk about art like it's in his soul. It was nice to switch it up by reading through a boy's eyes, though.

It was quite honestly a fun read. I loved getting to meet all of the awesome secondary characters that they met on their road trip, and I just loved all of their personalities. Each one of them has their own thing going on, and I totally respect it. My only real character issue had to be Bev. She was being really selfish towards Colby, and he was just taking it. His heart had to be hurting ridiculously.

The best word to describe The Disenchantments would have to be vibrant. Everything, every part of it, every scene was vibrant and crazy and real. I loved every moment of it, just like I loved the complex character relationships, and just like I loved the writing. The only reason that this isn't getting a five star rating is Bev.

All in all, you should really check out The Disenchantments. It makes a good read, and the characters are fabulous. If nothing else, you should enjoy the vibrancy of it!