Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

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Scarlet by Marissa Meyer 
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2 
Source: Paperback copy
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: February 7th 2013
Age Genre: Young Adult

This is not the fairytale you remember.
But it’s one you won’t forget.
Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. The police have closed her case. The only person Scarlet can turn to is Wolf, a street fighter she does not trust, but they are drawn to each other.
Meanwhile, in New Beijing, Cinder will become the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive – when she breaks out of prison to stay one step ahead of vicious Queen Levana.
As Scarlet and Wolf expose one mystery, they encounter Cinder and a new one unravels. Together they must challenge the evil queen, who will stop at nothing to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner . . .

You see, I had a plan. I didn't just wait to read Scarlet until now. I had a very meticulous, well-thought out plan that I'm kind of hating right now because it made me delay reading this book. Anyways, the plan was: as Cinder already promised this would become a favorite series, I would just... wait. Until it was over. To binge read. That was the plan.

DID I MENTION THAT I NOW HATE THAT PLAN??

This book... just... asdfghjkl is the best adjective. The feels, man. The feels. Much in the fashion of Cinder, Scarlet doesn't beat around the bush of introducing us to the next duo in the series we're going to adore. Thy name is Scarlolf.

Err, I mean-- Scarlet and Wolf. (BTW, I don't really like their ship name. Can't we have ship names like OUAT for this series? Like Scarlet Wolf sounds way cooler lol)

Scarlet Benoit is looking for her grandma. Remember way when, as Nainsi booted up again mid-sentence and relayed information about the possibility of an ex-military pilot from the EF hiding the Lunar Princess? That's the one. Yeah, I had to rack my brain to remember to. Way to go Meyer.

So, Scarlet was delightful. She's a firecracker, but she's not stupid. She's kind of a hot-head but she's got the brains to make it a deadly combination. And she's really not afraid to shot you. All the girl wants is her grandma, her farm, and peace. Why can't anyone give that to her?!

Now Wolf....

What I Expected

What I got

....

....

....

....

I'M TAKING HIM AND NEVER GIVING HIM BACK! Seriously, what is this adorableness!? I wasn't expecting it! But I highly approve! Wolf is such a sweetheart! Yes, sometimes he shows some of that first gif but mostly he's just a precious cinnamon roll and I love him so dearly and asdfghjkjhgfd

And together??? The shipping is real guys. It's like, Cinder and Kai? Cuties. Wolf and Scarlet?

only with less rage and more heart-eyes

Seriously. Ruining me here Meyer!

Not only with Wolf, but with Cadet Captain Thorne too! Like, I didn't expect him to be in this book. I didn't expect half the novel to be about Cinder and him at all and I loved it. And him. Again, exception versus reality and reality is so much better! He is such a goofball! He made me laugh, and I kind of think Cinder really needs someone like him around *heart eyes*

ALL the males in this world ruin me. Take Kai for example - I was so afraid that he was going to go the bitter "she played me" route, and while he entertains the thoughts (because how can you not) he is not that at all. He still cares for Cinder, still can't think she's anything less than what she showed herself to be. He is listening to his heart and I HEART IT.

Is this a review? Is this a lovefest. I don't even know but I don't even care!

Speaking of things that ruin me negatively - Adri and Levana. I hate them both.

Like, I didn't hate Adri in Cinder (I really, really pitted her existence), but now I'm genuinely hoping Winter has a scene where Cinder becomes empress and Adri tries to mooch of it by saying she's always cared for Cinder and Kai steps up and be all like "remember that time you tried to send her to her death, accused her of all sort of things and said you wanted nothing to do with this aberration? yeah, fun times. GOODBYE BIYOTCH".

As for Levana... she is horrifying. And the scene from her pov? nope nope nope nope nope nope nope. Like, I don't want to read Fairest because that sounds so disturbing but now I kinda feel like I have to??

(BTW - is that wolf soldier gonna have more important meaning later on? I feel like he will)

Also - this book moves from the cutest thing ever to the gloom and doom in like three seconds flat. Be prepared to not be prepared for it coming at all.

FAN LUNAR CHRONICLES FACTS!

Levana in Hebrew means Moon. She is literally Queen Moon.

Ze'ev in Hebrew means Wolf. So Wolf's name is... Wolf. lol.

Nitzan★

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane

Freak of Nature by Julia Crane
Series: IFICS, #1
Source: Bought
Publisher: Valknut Press
Publication Date: February 2, 2013
Donate Body to Science. Check.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

Freak of Nature was a disappointing read for me. I went into it expecting the cyborg girl, Kate, to have some awesome insights and to have real, actual feelings. And while it does say that Kate has feelings, well, I never felt them. She goes about everything so robotically that it was hard to see anything else. She approaches everything as if it's a chore. Which, let's face it, sucks.

I couldn't connect with her on any level, and most of the time her character just confused me. I had no idea where some of her logic came from, and her narration was spotty at best. I was often left wondering how and why I got from one place to the other. Sometimes it was so bad that I went back and re-read, only to still not understand what had happened.

But let's talk about what really got me on this one-- the romance. There was absolutely no build up. It happened pretty dang instantaneously, and to make matters worse, the guy says that it "happened gradually" which was completely untrue. It happened three to five chapters in. It was really hard for me to believe that they even liked each other, and I saw no chemistry in their interactions. No spark.

Nothing, nada, zilch-- I didn't understand the idea that they were in love-- I never really felt it from either of them. Their kisses just felt like a meeting of parts, and don't even get me started on them having sex. O.o

All in all, Freak of Nature just didn't work out for me. I found it hard to believe that Kate as a cyborg had feelings, and I also felt that it all fell into place way too easily. Let's get real, in a top secret area like that; it would be a lot harder to get a new job or escape. (That does not mean what you think it does.)

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross
Series: Steampunk Chronicles, #3
Source: Harlequin Teen Panel
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 28, 2013

In 1897 London, something not quite human is about to awaken
When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives.
With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin.
Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine.
To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...

The Girl with the Iron Touch is a bit of a hard one for me to review. As you know, I've been absolutely loving the rest of the series. But try as I might, this one didn't really live up to it's predecessors. It seemed a bit rushed, to tell you the truth.

It started out interesting-- but a tad bit confusing for my liking. We're thrown right into the story, which normally I love, but I had no clue what was going on! It seems that several months have lapsed in between books-- sigh.

 I did, however, enjoy this installment of The Steampunk Chronicles, even though it left a bit to be desired.
Emily got so much more time and development in this one! Before, she was just a sweet, smart girl. But now we find out that she has some skeletons in her closet, some of which don't even get revealed to us! I'd like to know more about her! I liked being inside her head for once, and getting to see what she thought.

I had hoped that this would be the book where Finley and Griffin would finally figure it out, and while to some degree it was, I still feel like their relationship could be more developed. It didn't seem like anything had happened in the time that we missed, but then it seems like things start happening altogether too fast, which kind of messed with my mind.

You know what else messed with my mind? The plot. It was all over the place, but I mean that in a good way. It wasn't as predictable as the last two books, but I found that there were more loose ends. It irked me. I feel like they weren't all tied up, and that we have too much of an open-ending. I like them all wrapped up pretty, if I may say so.

All in all, The Girl with the Iron Touch was a good continuation to this series, but I feel like maybe this isn't the last book?