My Library in the Making

(View this review on My Library in the Making.)I started reading Belonging just a day after finishing Temptation, so to say that my mind has been wandering around in Hopkins' world for days now is an understatement. These characters already feel like friends and family, and my emotional investment in their well-being has me questioning my sanity—not that that's anything new.The stakes were clearly heightened in this sequel; Rose and Noah weren't anymore risking getting found out—they're risking their chance at a happy-ever-after. Rose's determination to be accepted into the Amish community and be with Noah was nothing short of admirable. She knew what she wanted, and although she sometimes had the inevitable doubts, she did everything to get it. Some readers might question them, saying what they had was just puppy love gone havoc, but I truly believed that they're meant for each other.In Temptation, Rose and Noah had overcome the Amish issue by her trial-joining them, but they hadn't taken into account Rose's family and how they'd feel when she joined them for real. They were accepting at first, thinking she'd soon come running home begging to have her old life back, so they definitely didn't approve of her resolve. I totally understood where they were coming from, but they certainly could have handled it better.Rose's new life introduced us to a handful of colorful new characters, but we still saw a lot of her old friends—and old enemies. As if the pressure on her and Noah to be good wasn't enough, they still had to watch their backs for sabotage and worse, and the suspense was a constant.My only qualm about this book was the lack of character growth. Sure, Rose and Noah were smarter and more responsible, but all that maturity jumped out the window when trouble found them. I can't elaborate without being spoiler-y, I'm afraid, but know that I almost pulled out a good chunk of my hair from frustration.This crazy adventure of a book ended with a bang, and although I'd known about it in advance because I had read the blurb for the third book, my jaw still dropped. Now to wait impatiently for Forever!MY FAVORITE PART is Rose's night-out with her Amish friends.

Actual rating: 4.5(View this review on My Library in the Making.)The story of the star-crossed lovers has never failed to fascinate me. What hurdles are standing between them? Will they end up together? These questions propel me to keep reading, and my eyes were certainly glued to Temptation.The immediate attraction between Rose and Noah was really cute. Some might see it as insta-love, but these characters were smart enough to avoid just that. But with every stolen glance and touch, the feeling of foreboding increased. Them being together forever seemed impossible, but their circumstance just made me root for them all the more.Learning about the ways of the Amish is an inevitability with this book, what with that being the biggest obstacle between Rose and Noah, and I now know enough to be able to say that I would never want to be one. Sure, it's nice to live simply and unwind every once in a while, but to completely rebuke technology forever? Never happening for this city girl.Even with their lack of experience in relationships, I certainly appreciated how Rose and Noah were both smart and mature, knowing just what they'd be giving up by being together. On one hand, if Rose decided to become Amish, she'd have to leave behind the comfortable life she'd been accustomed to. On the other, if Noah were to turn his back on the Amish ways, he'd have nowhere to go, no education to rely on, no family to run to. The odds truly weren't in their favor, and they both knew that their love wouldn't keep them alive, that huge sacrifices had to be made.But them being teenagers, they were bound to make me facepalm at least once. Rose had a "Bella during New Moon" phase, and Noah had bouts of possessiveness that had my—and, thankfully, Rose's, too—feminist hackles up, but they were brought about by his upbringing so I let that slide.Family is also a big part of this story. Rose's and Noah's relationships with theirs were endearing and heartwarming. They weren't perfect, as no family truly is, and that just benefited the story, teaching us that for better or for worse, family is family.Sweet, sexy, and romantic, Temptation isn't just a love story. It's also a coming-of-age story, but one that's far from being finished, because there's still plenty of growing up for the characters to do in the sequels.MY FAVORITE PART is Rose and Noah's first secret ride together ♥

(View this review My Library in the Making.)If you think The Guys Are Props Club sounds like a unique NA book, that's because it is. The premise is something I haven't encountered before, and although I disliked the idea of the club in the book, it sure made for a really fun read.Despite her initial pushover tendencies, Maddie was an okay character. Smart, independent, and driven, I started liking her when I learned that she was already enlightened as to how wrong their little club was, how their Plays made them just like the men who'd broken their hearts. But beneath Maddie's composed exterior was a girl who'd been traumatized by love, and I really pitied her when I realized just how scared she was to love again.Fortunately, Sebastian was the perfect guy for a broken heart, like ice cream on a bad day. At first, I couldn't see his charm, but soon enough... wow. This guy had sexy down to an art, and he wasn't even trying. He's honest and straight-forward without ever being disrespectful, and Maddie's best friend Jessica was lucky that she's a character in this book - I'm sure most NA guys would've told her to shut the eff up. Or ogled.Despite their mad attraction for one another, Maddie was reluctant to get into a relationship with Sebastian, so he got his moves on which turned me into a puddle of goo. Then they soon decided to take it slow instead of jumping each other's bones, and this actually made them more realistic and well-developed. Short and fast-paced yet still sweet and sexy, there was no shortage of character growth here in The Guys Are Props Club. People looking for a non-formulaic NA read - or guy, because Sebastian really is something special - will not be disappointed, and might even ask for more.MY FAVORITE PART is the last scene ♥

(View this review on My Library in the Making.)Ten Tiny Breaths is currently one of my favorite reads this year, so I just freaked out when I learned that it would have a sequel. Unfortunately, One Tiny Lie has left me underwhelmed and disappointed.Livie Cleary is starting her freshman year in Princeton, and her sister Kacey, the MC in the first book, is hellbent on pulling out Livie's inner beast from underneath the perfect good girl. One night at a party manages to do just that, and she wakes up in her dormroom the next morning with a tattoo and a very hot, very naked guy: Ashton Henley, captain of the rowing team slash manwhore.I thought Livie being too good to be true would be my only problem with her, so I decided to overlook that, thinking "Hey, if that's how the author wants it. *shrugs*" Soon, though, that turned out to be the least of my issues with her as she had me raising an eyebrow more times than I'd have liked.First, when Ashton asked her to keep on the hush their night of debauchery, Livie thought something was wrong with her, not him. I also couldn't fathom how Miss Prim and Proper took quite long to realize just how wrong it was to date a guy when she was obviously attracted to his best friend. And lastly, she was so passive that if not for the other characters, this book wouldn't have progressed at all.Now for the manwhore. Was Ashton hot? Yes. Was he a douche? Definitely. Normally, I don't even notice douchiness in books, so this says a lot about him. The way he pushed then pulled Livie made me suspect that he was bipolar, and in true Ten Tiny Breaths fashion, the dude had his own issues. Unfortunately, I don't believe they justified how he'd treated Livie.So yes, One Tiny Lie didn't amaze, and it didn't even amuse for the most part, but there is significant character growth so it's still worth a try. The ending saved this for me because only God knows how good K.A. Tucker is at writing them, and I'm really excited for the next book, Four Seconds to Lose, which will be Cain's story!MY FAVORITE PART is"Hello!" Kacey waves dramatically at them as she does every night, clearly enjoying the fact that her man is being drooled over. She points at Trent. "He's five hundred for two hours!" Swinging her hand Ashton's way, she adds, "Seven-fifty for him because he's young. You should hear how he makes my sister scream!"Jesus Christ =))

Actual rating: 4.5(View this review on My Library in the Making.)I don't get to read lots of them, but I have mad love for high fantasy. I think of them as the summit of fiction because their setting takes the story to a whole new level of unreal, and The Oathbreaker's Shadow is definitely a great addition to the genre.What first stood out for me was the seamless introduction of the characters and the world, which is what most high fantasy books have trouble accomplishing. We learn what we have to when we have to, so no info dumps or whatsoever in here, people. Amy McCulloch's richly-imagined setting is easy to envision, and the idea of the oath-binding knots is very original and, in Raim's world, very dangerous.Raim initially came across as such a pushover when it came to Khareh but, his best friend being the future king, who could blame him? Their friendship was endearing and questionable at the same time, and it wasn't until their parting that they realized their true selves. Character growth was prolific in this book, and it wasn't just Raim's, although, being the main character, we see most of his as he grew into the person he wanted to be by being the thing he despised the most.The mystery behind the knot on Raim's wrist and just what oath he had broken kept my eyes glued to the pages, but that wasn't the only thing that drove the story forward because Raim wasn't the only one who was experiencing or doing something life-changing. The other characters were all significant and had their own equally compelling story arcs, and this book is a brilliant tie-up of all of them.Plot-wise, The Oathbreaker's Shadow is an astonishing work of art, and it's so fast-paced that Raim never seemed able to get a break. Full of shocking twists, unexpected allies, and surprising enemies, this is a story of loyalty against ambition, and I can't recommend it enough.MY FAVORITE PART is Raim and Draikh's friendship, particularly their bickering :))

(View this review on My Library in the Making.)When I first saw the cover and read the blurb of Prep School Confidential, I thought it was going to be a crazy mix of Nancy Drew and Gossip Girl, and I knew this book would be a sure-hit with me. And how right I was.I liked Anne right from page one. She's smart, sarcastic, and sassy (yay for alliteration!). Her mention of being the Queen Bee only nailed my earlier comparison of her to Blair Waldorf. She indulged in her gutsiness while still being constantly fabulous.I never run from trouble. Trouble is like a dog that wants to rip your throat out: If you stare it down, you have a better chance of saving your ass.When Anne arrived at Wheatley, the students there had already heard of her accidental arsonist stunt... and feared-slash-respected her for it. The popular kids welcomed her into their group—all of them, except for the previous Queen Bee. The amount of adversaries that she had only increased from there, but Anne knew how to choose her battles. She was good at prioritizing, never worrying about everything all at once.The mystery surrounding Anne's roommate's death built up slowly but surely, and soon enough, everyone was a suspect in my eyes. And while Anne was by no means the next Sherlock Holmes, her methods of deduction were a lot smarter than I'd expected from someone who was living such a privileged life.And oh, love triangle alert! Ha, not really. Like I said, Anne knew how to prioritize, so she knew solving her roommate's death was more important than her love life. The two equally cute and mischievous boys certainly didn't distract from the mystery. Fast-paced and a true page-turner, this first book in a new series was wrapped up very well in the ending, and yet still managed to provide the build-up for what will come in the sequel. Wicked Little Secrets can't come fast enough!MY FAVORITE PART is probably every time Kara Taylor's witty characters made me laugh. To give you an example:"Brent, does something seem off about Sebastian to you?"Brent shrugs. "His new moustache makes him look like a sex offender, I guess."

(View this review on My Library in the Making.)I have history with Shattered Illusions. September of last year, I restarted my blog, and Leigh was the first author to contact me for a review. Back then, the book didn't even have a cover or release date yet, so I really watched this book grow. And wow, how finely it aged, indeed.Leigh's captivating prose immediately stood out along with the obvious question of how four people, our main characters, got involved with the homicide. There were, admittedly, times when the story became too vague; one might even consider those parts unnecessary to the plot but, unclear as they were, I actually liked reading those because they tended to be the most descriptive bits and they added a lot to the overall mystery of this book.What surprised me was how Shattered Illusions isn't a mystery novel so much as an exposition of our main characters' lives that diverged and culminated in Sam's killing. Even then you'd think the whole book is like listening to a new friend's life story, but no—I felt like I lived every moment as Ella, Danny, Sarah, and Marco. Shattered Illusions is dark, gritty, and emotional, just like how it truly is inside a human mind.There couldn't be a group of four people with more different lives, yet at the heart of them laid one stark similarity: depression from taking the blame for another person's action. But one of this book's very few faults is the lack of distinction in the characters' voices despite their overall differences. Take out the essence of their thoughts and they might very well be the same person. Or maybe that's just a way of showing that suffering identifies with everyone.A bleak story with lots of lessons to offer, Shattered Illusions is a very unique novel. It's not a simple thrilling mystery, and people looking for something straightforward and easy to read might find themselves easily distracted, but the right readers are surely in for a treat.MY FAVORITE PART is the realistic ending.

(View this review on My Library in the Making.)I admit that, judging from the blurb, I thought Catching Liam sounded both "been there, done that" and "hey, that's new". Well, I can tell you now that it's more on the fresh side and that you'll definitely regret not reading this—because I freaking loved it! When I started reading this, the first pressing question that I asked was "Why is Jillian so bent on avoiding a serious relationship with a guy?", and I imagine that'll also be the case for most readers. I assumed she was just another one of those NA girls who've been burned before yada yada yada so I was irritated when she started shooing off Liam, but oh no, that's not the case at all. Seriously, if her initial attitude is what will turn you off from this book, just hang in there. You'll thank me later. Now let's talk about Liam McAvoy. Oh, Liam. I don't think I know a guy from a book who's a more perfect balance of sweet, sexy and gentlemanly than he is. He's the boy who makes moan-inducing waffles and saved his name in Jillian's phone under the name "Waffle-maker", and he's also the boy who defends kilts and can give Christian Grey a run for his money but is too polite to do that. If you ask me who's my top bookish crush right now, I'd scream-squeal his name for sure. Jillian and Liam's romance make up most of this book, but not all of it. We also get totes of family drama, friend drama, I-don't-know-what-I-want-to-do-with-my-life drama—just drama all around. Drama can be boring, but never in Catching Liam. It actually lets us know so much more about the characters and the many layers to them. Smart, funny, and sexy, Catching Liam sure stands out in the NA crowd. There's a particular twist that I certainly didn't see coming and brings this book up a notch in the uniqueness factor. I liked how just enough, not all, loose ends were tied up in that realistic ending, and I sure can't wait to read the sequel! MY FAVORITE PART is Jillian and Liam's first date. Oh, the swoon~

(This review is originally posted at My Library in the Making.)Prior to reading Starry Nights, I hadn't heard a lot about it; it's also my first Daisy Whitney book so I didn't know what to expect. But it sounded a lot like Night at the Museum, a movie I really enjoyed, so I looked forward to reading it.And, holy crap, was it good.This book is like a modern fairy tale. Magic oozed from its pages, and I was simply captivated. Daisy's lyrical way of writing transported me to the city of love, right alongside Julien as his new "talent" paved the way to a crazy adventure filled with art in all its forms, master painters, and their iconic works. I felt like I was witnessing firsthand Julien's every triumph and downfall with his eccentric group of friends.And what is a fairy tale without romance? I believe this is where Starry Nights excels the most. Julien and Clio's romance is so dreamy, fluffy as cotton and sweet as candy. Given their real identities, an ominous feeling is a constant in the book, yet I still couldn't help but revel in the beauty of their love.It was my everything. It was all my days and nights, and I am ruined for anyone else. Because there is only her. She was a revolution and she staged a coup d'etat in my heart.Julien, our main character and narrator—yes, a male POV!—is very different from most YA heroes. He's Parisian, a romantic, and knows enough about art to give museum tours. Swoon-worthy? Absolutely. But, and this is just my personal opinion, I feel like his character doesn't aim to make you attracted to him. Instead, you'll want to be his friend, his confidante, his partner-in-crime. I don't know, I just feel like I have to get that out here.The only qualm I had about this book is the ending. It's not that big of a deal, actually, and I can't say much or I might give a spoiler, but I'll say that it's not the most realistic path that I thought of for the story. Like I said, it's just a minor thing and I imagine most people would actually love it; I'm merely being particular here.An enchanting, fast-paced book, Starry Nights totally blew me away and is unlike anything I've ever read. All the twists made relating to art history and mythology were unique, and now I am completely dying to visit Paris, if only to try to experience part of this story in real life. Starry Nights is the newest addition to my top 2013 reads and I definitely recommend it to everyone!MY FAVORITE PART is Julien and Clio's "Save the Art!" James Bond-ish mission. It was heartbreaking but it also really showed what Julien's made of.

Actual rating: 3.5(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)When I first read the description for Losing Francesca, I knew I was signing up for a unique book. It sounded that plus odd, and it ended up being those but with a lot of feels and surprises.Francesca Sabatini never thought her vacation to America would end up with her being made to live with another family—one that claims she's their daughter who'd gone missing twelve years ago. I sympathized with her when she kept on insisting that she's not Fiona Sullivan, because how can you not know who you are, right? It was either selective amnesia or lying. Soon enough, we learn that she's not downright lying; she just believes a whole other truth with all that she has.Francesca (I'm gonna call her that because 'Fiona' only makes me think of Shrek's wife) was a likable main character. She had a weird-ass life in wherever the hell she came from—I know where, of course, but I'm avoiding spoilers here because that would totally ruin the book—but she was headstrong, brave, and realistic.And then there's this boy, Brody Mason. At first I thought he was the typical local bad boy, but he was actually Fiona's childhood best friend, and he never stopped loving her when she was gone. He also never stopped believing that she'd come back, so I just wanted to give him a hug when Francesca kept saying that she's not Fiona.Although it's not the only reason, the constant mystery of who Francesca's "father" kept me reading—flying through the pages, to be exact. He was always present in her thoughts, even when she was already starting to like being Fiona. I'd also be guilty if I were her because this father obviously gave her a life filled with love and luxury. I had a few theories about him, and one of them ended up being correct.Losing Francesca wasn't all about romance, and I liked that. It also focused on family and blurring the line between right and wrong. It wasn't anything mindblowingly amazing, but it's a book that I will definitely pick up again.MY FAVORITE PART were her "foot picture" moments. What they meant were both saddening and heartwarming.

Actual rating: 3.5(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)Charlie Horologe had been ignored his whole life. Worse than shunned, he was always being forgotten. Even his own mother couldn't remember his name. One day, he snuck out of a boring museum field trip—no worries, his teachers would notice the missing student but wouldn't even think of him—and got attacked by a man who ran on clockwork, gears, wheels and all. That alone was weird, but falling into a hole that brought them back in time sure took the cake.Untimed is the book that all the 'How to Write a Novel' guides I've read were talking about. Immediate conflict? Check. Interesting main character? Check. Memorable setting? Well, Untimed had more than one and, in the characters' perspectives, it changed from 1725 London to new-modern Philadelphia to altered China in less than a minute. It couldn't get more memorable than that.Reading Untimed was like going on one crazy adventure. Remember when Harry and Hermione had to go back in time to save Buckbeak and Sirius? It was like that, but with the future of the entire world at stake and more than one Time-Turner because in here, there were whole generations of time travelers, thanks to the time-travel gene being hereditary.Like I mentioned above, Charlie was an interesting main character, but he wasn't just that; he was also endearing. I couldn't help but root for him to succeed against his numerous adversaries because he had a kind heart and a sharp mind. He was sometimes rash and impatient like most kids his age, but he always had good intentions behind every action.The one thing I didn't like was the bit of insta-love that Charlie had for Yvaine—just a bit, because she didn't reciprocate his feelings at first, which made Charlie even more like a lovesick puppy. He thought she was special because having been used to being constantly unseen, she saw him, when he knew very well that that was a time traveler thing. But don't worry, it got better soon enough.The writing was atmospheric and straight-to-the-point, making the book descriptive yet fast-paced. I loved how the author put a lot of unique twists to time travel while keeping his historical facts straight as much as possible. And although harsh and action-packed, Untimed also had me laughing with its humor.Yvaine stands. "The first time is the hardest." She points right at my crotch.I glance down. Truth be told, I'm pretty sore—She punches my shoulder. "Openin' a time-hole, you dolt."And did I mention it's quite sexy, too?Between this real page-turner, there were several lovely illustrations that solidified the visualizations in my head and gave more life to the story. But damn, I would've loved to see Charlie's face during the ending, which was satisfying but left me wanting more.MY FAVORITE PART was, hmm, this is hard... but I'll go with the ending just because it really surprised me!

Actual rating: 4.5(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)Elise Dembowski wasn't quite the normal, awkward teenage girl—she was worse. She had no idea why her sincere attempts to make friends only ended up backfiring, when all she really wanted was to stop being alone and misunderstood.Early on, this book already posed its first, and perhaps most important, question:How do you suddenly make friends with people? It's ridiculous. They have years and years of shared memories and experiences. You can't drop into that midway through and expect to know what's going on. They wouldn't have been able to explain it all to me if they had tried. And they weren't trying.It was only in this aspect that I had trouble fully understanding Elise; I've had friends for as long as I can remember so I've never felt totally alone, and I also don't recall having problems making those friends.Bullying is one of the issues tackled in here. It's the reason why Elise felt the need to change herself so she'd finally find a niche and stop being a target.I left for my next class. Opening the door, I nearly collided with a guy who was running to beat the bell. I'd seen him before, usually recruiting people for the lacrosse team. The only other things I knew about him were that he had beautiful green eyes and seemed to wear Adidas sandals all the time, even in the winter."Watch it, lesbo," he snarled, lunging out of my way and down the hall.Obviously, Elise's lack of friends wasn't from her lack of trying; she was just unfortunate to have teenagers who act worse than five-year-olds as schoolmates. But she wasn't friend-less all throughout the book. She soon had two girls at school who embraced her into their circle, albeit not that well because, unlike Elise's want of friendship, they wanted popularity. Remember, though, that people can often surprise you.During one of her nocturnal walks around town, Elise stumbled upon Start, an underground club that gave her a semblance of freedom and identity. But as much as Start empowered her, that boost faltered when faced with the reality of her school life.So it felt even more magical when Elise discovered DJ-ing, like when Cinderella's fairy godmother told her she could go to the ball. It was heartwarming to see Elise finally have something that she could call hers. Something—and someone. Along with DJ-ing came Char who, swoon-worthy as he was, had me raising my red flags. He was sweet, funny, charming and all, but he didn't want anything complicated like relationships or a rival DJ.That's right. Elise was such a prodigy that Start's resident DJ felt threatened. But somehow, I didn't really sense that she was exceptionally good at it; that's probably because the book was written in first person POV, and Elise wouldn't have believed it if not for the continuous affirmation of the people around her. That proved just how little she thought of herself.Three things made this book as awesome as it is. First, it wasn't too dark and heavy, even with bullying and suicide. It actually provided a lot of laughs."You totally pulled an Irish goodbye," Vicky went on."What's an Irish goodbye?" I asked."It's when you just take off suddenly and don't tell anyone you're leaving," Pippa spoke up. "And it's a racist thing to say."Vicky rolled her eyes. "One, no it's not. Two, you're not even Irish, Pippa. You're English."Pippa shrugged. "They're still part of the empire.""The empire?" Vicky screeched. "Now that is racist!"Second was the music. Song titles and lyrics were in almost every page, and they were used so well that they added to the atmosphere of the whole story. And third was the writing. It wasn't fancy or anything, but Leila Sales has a way with words; I felt each tug of emotion, each of Elise's highs and lows. And when she was rocking out at the Start? Wow. I've never been in a club, but having read this book, I feel like I've been a regular Friday night guest for years.With lots of lessons about friendship, love, and life, I can definitely recommend This Song Will Save Your Life. Once you get past that slow start, you will truly appreciate Elise's true self unraveling right before your eyes, especially when she realized that she needed only herself to reach that happy ending (I swear, this isn't a spoiler).MY FAVORITE PART wasSometimes people think they know you. They know a few facts about you, and they piece you together in a way that makes sense to them. And if you don't know yourself very well, you might even believe that they are right. But the truth is, that isn't you. That isn't you at all.

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)Saving Ben definitely didn't turn out the way I'd thought it would. Right from page one, I was hooked; I flew through this book. The characters were all captivating, particularly Kat's narration, and with that ominous book description, I was curious to know just how bad a situation Ben was in and how he could be saved.I liked Kat. She was smart and strong-willed, and even though she was quite the party girl, she knew when to draw the line and hit the brake. She was also perceptive and had a backbone, which allowed her to see everyone as they truly were and deal with them.So it's no surprise that Kat's the first to see Emma for the &%!*@ that she was beneath that attractive surface. You know that fun, beautiful girl in horror movies who turns out to be the serial killer, a la Leighton Meester in The Roommate? That's the kind of vibe I got from her. As soon as she was introduced, I was wary—wary and curious. Why did she become the person that she was? But soon enough, hatred won over that curiosity. Emma was manipulative, an opportunist, possibly a klepto, and certainly a psycho. I wanted to strangle her and bang her head on a wall. Repeatedly.Yeah, this girl gave me a lot of murderous feels.Even with that title, I'm glad the book didn't just focus on Ben's fixation with Emma. There were a lot of aspects to the story such as family drama, eating disorders, substance abuse, anger management, and even just the plain old New Adult issue of settling into college, fleshing out the characters even more.Overall, Saving Ben was nothing groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but it was a good emotional read that made me appreciate my family even more. The book's unexpected turn of events surprised me even though it felt overdone for someone like me who's watched more than her fair share of telenovelas. Still, I liked how honest Kat dealt with all that happened. Some people are just so bad, not even tragedy can make them forgivable.MY FAVORITE PART was Ben climbing the cliff he'd fallen over.

Actual rating: 3.5(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)"Every villain is a hero in his own mind." Not quite, Tom Hiddleston. Not quite.Serena Cross was used to the quiet life, the only occasional disturbance being her outgoing best friend, so when Mel cried wolf on the man she was dating, Serena didn't think much of it... until she witnessed Mel's murder in the hands of an otherworldly creature, thrusting her into a dangerous game between the government and two alien races—into the arms of Hunter.If you've read the Lux series, then you know that Arum are evil and ruthless killers—but think again. Apparently, this book has been making people jump from Team Luxen to Team Arum, and I'm glad to hop into the bandwagon! That doesn't mean that come Origin, I'll be wishing death upon Katy, Daemon, and the others, just that I'll have more sympathy for every Arum that I'll come across in the remaining books of the series. Consider me enlightened, knowledgeable (as far I as I know) of the real deal with the Luxen and ArumNow on to the characters. Assuming you've read at least Obsidian, then you've witnessed the sizzling hot fury chemistry between the two MCs in the YA series; well, that's also how it was for Serena and Hunter. Even their first real conversation went very much the same direction: south."I didn't kiss you," he scoffed.For some reason, I thought I should be insulted by the way he said that. "All right, when you put your mouth on mine? Is that clear enough for you?"Hunter's grin tipped higher. "You have a feisty little attitude, don't you?""You're about to get a feisty little foot up your ass," I spat back.Since I've already made the comparison, let me continue. Serena was like the adult version of Katy. She was bold and daring and sometimes downright stupid, but she never let Hunter and his domineering attitude dictate her actions (well, except in the bedroom ;D). Hunter and Daemon, on the other hand, had less similarities. Hunter was straightforward and there was no doubting or questioning him; he did as he said. He was no good guy, but when faced with Serena... well, you can imagine how that went.Obsession is an extraordinary Adult spin-off novel to the Lux series, but read that: it's an Adult novel. So, young readers, while I don't really believe in censorship, you better be prepared for explicit sex scenes. Admittedly, said sex scenes came quite early on in Serena and Hunter's relationship, but who said only teens can have raging hormones? Besides, I enjoyed watching that lust turn into love while they tried to survive all the dangerous action. The ending was well and all, and I'm half-wishing and half-not-wishing for a sequel because I seriously don't want more characters to worry about in this fictional universe.MY FAVORITE PART was Serena and Hunter's second visit to Luc's. Talk about a small world...

Actual rating: 4.5(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)I admit, I opened this book with caution as I didn't enjoy The Bane as much as I'd wanted to, and then there's the issue of Second Book Syndrome. Well, now I say this: I don't think a sequel has outdone its predecessor as much as The Human did. It was more action-packed and fast-paced; I just tore through this book and finished it in less than a day.Even though I read the first book back in April, I didn't have a hard time getting swooped back into this world, which we saw more of as Eve was made an unwilling "tourist". We learn of what's happening on a grander scale, upping the stakes and the excitement.Also, Eve improved drastically compared to how she had been in The Bane—or at least, I liked her better. She sounded less mechanical—explaining further would be spoiler-y, I think—so it wasn't anymore hard to connect with her. Don't worry, that little bump in emotions didn't compromise her kickass-ery.This game was tiring me very quickly and I was having a very bad week. The distrust and anger inside of me quickly flooded my veins.I crossed the room and nestled the barrel of my rifle between her ribs. "Where are you from?" I said.The other two sides of the love triangle in this series had also changed. Avian did so for the better; like Eve, he showed more emotion, and although they were often followed by irrational actions, I think that just made him more real. West, on the other hand, totally turned me off—I rooted for him in the first book, you know. His bitterness was understandable, but that doesn't mean I appreciated it. It was also utterly selfish of him to force himself onto Eve (not in the sexual-harassment kind of way) when he knew damn well that being near him endangered her.Aside from the adrenaline-pumping action, The Human was also full of twists that I'd never seen coming. The ending was insanely good and goosebump-inducing, and the wait for the third book will surely be torture. I'm desperate to know how the explosive revelations will reverberate!MY FAVORITE PART was Eve waking up in a tree and discovering her new "talent".

This is the first of many books that I probably will never review, but know that my lack of speech is the highest praise that I can give to a work of art.