Spirit Bound, the fifth novel in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series, was all over the place. After returning from her journey to Siberia, Rose is caught up in the hope of turning Dimitri back into a damphir. Rose recruits Lissa, Eddie, and some unlikely friends to return Dimitri to his original state while preparing to become an ocial guardian. This book was more drawn out than it needed to be; it was especially slow initially; however, things did pick up closer to the middle of the book.
Steelheart takes a realistic look into a world of superpowers. Unlike most traditional stories of superheroes who are role-models that use their powers for good, these superheroes are corrupt, evil dictators who have transformed Earth into an authoritarian wasteland. Called Epics, they were created by a comet which flew over the Earth a few years prior to the story.
The third book in The School for Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani, The Last Ever After, was surprisingly unpredictable. While Agatha and Tedros are transported back to Gavaldon, Sophie is living with the School Master. Although the girls’ story was supposed to be closed long ago, their separation causes their story to be opened once again as evil takes over and old villains return from their graves.
You will find it hard to put down Lovely War by Julie Berry! The book is a combination of historical fiction and myth. The Greek gods Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Ares, Hades, and Apollo appear in the 1940s, as Aphrodite is found secretly meeting with her lover Ares. Stalling for time, Aphrodite recounts what she calls “the love story of the century.” The gods interrupt each other and talk over each other to jointly tell the World War I story of two couples: Hazel and James, and Collette and Aubrey.
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan is a coming-of-age story that follows teenager Leigh Chen Sanders as she deals with the aftermath of her mother’s suicide. Shortly after her mother’s death, Leigh believes that she has been visited by her mother- in the form of a bird. She is convinced that she will be able to see her once again if she journeys to Taiwan to meet her grandparents.
All sixteen-year-old Siria has ever known is darkness. Years ago, the esteemed Queen Iyzabel veiled the kingdom of Terra-Volat in it because the light was too dangerous, becoming a hero to the people. Black hair and pale skin became the popular fashion, and even a slight curiosity in the old days of light is illegal. But Siria, with her flaming red hair and fascination with the sun, has always been considered an oddity, much to the dismay of her parents.
At 40 years old, Linus Baker is a quiet, simple man who lives a solitary, uneventful life. Every morning he goes to the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, where he works as a Case Worker writing report after report, either encouraging or discouraging the continuation of orphanages that serve as homes to children with magical abilities. In the evening, he returns to his tiny house, which is situated in the midst of hundreds of the same identically tiny houses. Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat.
Adelina Amoutera, the White Wolf, has suffered greatly. Her mother? Dead. Her horrible father? Killed by her. Her so-called-friends? Betrayed her. Her sister? Alive, and fleeing Kennetra with Adelina. On a path of revenge, she unites other Young Elites to rid the Inquisition Axis, who killed her love and almost her. Terena Santora, leader of the Inquisition, is hunting her down. The Dagger Society, her former friends? Hunting her down. It’s only a matter of time before she gets caught. However, Adelina is a master of illusions.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is one of my all-time favorites. Jude Duarte and her siblings were stolen by her mother’s ex-husband, after he murdered her parents. Being brought to Faerie land, she learns to adapt to her life despite how unfair it is to humans. Cardan Greenbriar, her furious classmate and faerie prince, sets out to destroy her dreams of knighthood. Jude Duarte soon gets wrapped into the political intrigue of the court and discovers something better and more dangerous than becoming a knight.
After accidentally killing a toddler, seventeen-year-old Juliette has spent the last 264 days locked up. Juliette's touch is fatal. Even though she kills anyone she touches, she does not want to hurt anyone. Shortly before Juliette gets locked up, the Reestablishment takes over. They told everyone that they were going to save the world. They gave them false hope. Even with everything going on in the world, Juliette does not see it. Not until another person comes into her cell.
