I'm sure that you all have had that feeling of being a new blogger, and while it is a wonderful feeling, getting into the book blog community and all, I know that it's caused a lot of havoc on my poor Kindle. Ravishing NetGalley and whatever book review groups that I could find on Goodreads has added a nice little pile of books that I have to read and have yet to get around to, so my plan is to join the challenge that Vicky and Celine have started with their Review Copy Cleanup.

There will be weekly challenges and fun giveaways courtesy of Vicky and Celine, who have decided to add some motivation to the process.

The concept of taking on a challenge and having the chance to participate in it with others is something that I'm thrilled to do, so if you're interested in joining, head on over to Vicky's blog: Book, Biscuits & Tea or Celine's blog: Nyx Book Reviews to sign up and join in on the fun. Also, if you're on twitter, join in by communicating with others at the hashtag #RCCleanup and we'll have a fun March getting all of our reviews and readings out of the way!

Review: Forbidden

Title: Forbidden
Author: Megan Curd
Series: The Guardian Chronicles
Pages: 270
Published: 2011

Summary: Levi's job is to protect his human until it's their time to go. That's what a Guard does. He's done it for years on end, and he'll spend his eternity doing the same, mundane thing, following the same, mundane rules.

...Watch from afar.
...Never share your name.
...And above all, never touch a human.

What Levi doesn't know is that his newest human to protect, Hannah, just might be the catalyst to tipping the scales between good and evil, and he will be forced to decide which side he belongs to. Which friends will he side with, and who will he ultimately protect: his human, or the delicate balance that hangs on stopping the heartbeat of the person he has sworn to protect?

And, when you're already condemned, what's there to lose by breaking the rules?

Review: I really wasn't sure what to expect when I initially started reading Forbidden. First off, props to Megan Curd for writing a first person book from a boy's perspective. It's not something that's really intensely seen in novels, so I approve immensely. I believe that I was hesitant to read Forbidden because of the fact that I hadn't been recommended it and I had heard nothing about it at all. The only bit of knowledge that I had about it was from the summary, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to read it at all.

Looking back, I am so glad that I picked up this book. The days that I read it, I had actually fallen asleep while reading it. That wasn't because it was a boring or bad book, but due to the fact that I had stayed up until almost five in the morning, knowing that I had school the next day, just to see what was going to happen next in the book.

Levi intrigued me. I had almost expected him to be a little frustrating and annoying because his initial personality made me assume that he was going to be as such. It was refreshingly surprising to realise that the entire time that I read Forbidden, I didn't find him annoying or frustrating. Instead, I found his character to be one that grew throughout the book and I really enjoyed the way his feelings for his charge, Hannah, changed throughout the book.

My downright favourite character in the story had to have been Ethan. He entertained me and when I feared that something was going to happen to him, I freaked out more than any normal person should ever freak out when it comes to a character in a book. His personality was wonderful, the way he started out with a nonchalant attitude towards the humans and ended up becoming such a wonderful, starting-to-become-kind character. I really hope to see him progressing in the sequel, which I really can't wait to read!

The plot line of Forbidden kept me clinging to it, and I really was glad that it was a book that I hadn't set aside until whenever I was bored. It was a good choice and I would definitely recommend it to someone who was interested in reading a book about angels and rule-breaking from a male perspective, not that it much mattered whose perspective the book was from. It was wonderful and I won't hesitate to reread it sometime in the future.

Rating: ★★★★ 4/5 Stars

Kaitlyn's Review: Cinder

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles
Pages: 387
Published: 2012

Summary: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Review: Cinder. The title is the name of the main character, and it’s obvious that this is sort of a spin on the “Cinderella” story. However, Marissa Meyers takes this classic tale most of us grew up with and turns it into something entirely of her own; something as new as her book.

I adored this book! I know, I know, what book haven’t I adored lately, but the fact is that Rhee filters out the bad books and then lets me read them and then I get to rave about them. But! That doesn’t discredit the fact that Cinder was an amazing, amazing read.

First of all, it’s in third person, which is nice. The reader can’t help fall for Cinder. And as per she’s supposed to, she has an evil step mother. Who still makes me angry just thinking about her! Ugh.

There are aspects of the classic tale that Meyers makes her own. IE: the robot, Iko. Iko is adorable and I have my own predictions about her character (which I won’t say!) but I love her.

I also love the premise of the plague. Well, I hate it, because it’s a plague, but without it the book wouldn’t have that certain something that sets it apart from most other YA novels. I love that Cinder isn’t a typical teenage girl—not just in the fact that she’s a cyborg, but because she’s modest without being a Mary Sue that’s like “I can’t do anything right blah blah blah.” While it’s obvious Cinder doesn’t have much self-worth, she knows she’s the most skilled mechanic and doesn’t try to hide it, even if she is humble, which is exactly one of the best qualities about her. It really is almost impossible not to fall in love with Cinder.

As for the love interest, Prince Kai, just let me say there were so many “NOW KISS!” moments that I was groaning and whining at the book. Those really are the only moments when the reader wants to yell at Cinder because she’s being a doofus. Even if she has her reasons!

The premise of the “Lunars” is very interesting. It’s like Marissa Meyers mashed the thought of fairies and aliens and humans into one being. They’re scary, and I hope they never, ever exist, but it’s interesting and once again, adds that unique twist to the book. The book also will make you laugh. Meyers writes with a flow and grace that’s hard to ignore. The book will just flow and you won’t want to put it down, I promise.

If you’re looking for a book that’ll have you on your toes, feeling all the feelings, and leave you with such a cliff hanger that you will cry when you remember the next book doesn’t come out until 2013… then Cinder is for you! I completely recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★ 5/5 Stars

Review: Between the Land and the Sea

Title: Between the Land and the Sea
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Series: Marina's Tales
Pages: 248
Published: 2011

Summary: Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep waters off the coast of Aptos, California. A few weeks after moving to the charming beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her... And maybe even find true love along the way.

Review: To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I first requested a copy of Between the Land and the Sea to read. I feared that it was going to be like all the other young adult books out there which all seem to have the same sort of plot line that drags on and on and on and ends up with the boy and the girl together and everything's perfect in the end. While it doesn't fully deviate from the normal expectations of YA books, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I ended up liking the book more than I thought I would have.

Starting off, I felt like this was going to be a novel that I rushed through just to get it over with. I had a feeling that it was going to be adequate in the terms of a novel, and it would be something that I wasn't impressed by in the slightest. I think a lot of that came with the fact that initially I didn't like Marina at all. I was bored with her character and was much more interested in the side characters rather than her.

It wasn't until somewhere around a third of the way through the book that I realised that I really did like Marina as a character. She seemed well-rounded. Foolish, but well-rounded. She had a wide variety of feelings and they weren't too intense nor timid. She's a good character, and I really like the way that we got to experience the story through her eyes and yet still got a feel of what was happening around her. Most first person novels that I read have a tendency to completely forget that there's a world outside of the main character, and I was glad to know that Between the Land and the Sea wasn't like that.

My downright favourite character was Cruz. He is absolutely adorable and I want one for myself so that I have someone to design amazing clothing for me. Plus, fashion designer cousins are always a wonderful concept.

Between the Land and the Sea was a pleasant read, and I have a feeling that I might read this book again in the future. I greatly enjoyed it, and I hope that others will be able to enjoy it the way that I did. If you're looking for an interesting tale of mermaids and wonderful cousins and friends, then this is a book for you.

Rating: ★★★★ 3.5/5 Stars

Upcoming...

Kaitlyn and I have been ridiculously busy between school, life and all the other ridiculousness that comes between those, and that's clearly been affecting our abilities to read and review all the wonderful books that come our way. We do apologise for that and will be fixing that shortly.

But to keep you guys excited (and potentially interested in continuing reading our blog) we do have some reviews planned.

Sunday, February 19th: Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson
Monday, February 20th: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Wednesday, February 22nd: Forbidden by Megan Curd
Friday, February 24th: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Saturday, February 25th: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Sunday, February 26th: Tainted Soul by Sam C. Leonhard

Those are the reviews we have planned for now. On Saturday, March 3rd, we have two authors guest posting for their respective novels, surprises for now (of course!) as well as reviews. And hopefully we will be having a giveaway in March! Stay tuned for more information and exciting reviews along the way.

Review: Bittersweet

Title: Bittersweet
Author: Sarah Ockler
Pages: 378
Published: 2012

Summary: Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life…and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…

Review: This novel was downright adorable, but I have to warn you before you even get started, make sure you are either a. Full and have just eaten, or b. Have an entire plate of cupcakes or something sweet next to you to eat while you read the sweetness of this novel.

Some of the cupcake recipes in this novel...I had to stop and salivate over the beginning of almost every chapter because the downright deliciousness of each cupcake description, and if the sweetness of the cupcakes weren't enough, the novel itself made me develop cavities upon cavities.

I really liked the way that Bittersweet started off with a dramatic moment, with Hudson discovering how her father had cheated on her mother and how that threw off everything for her and her family, and I really like the way Sarah Ockler allowed us to see a little bit of the girl's life before we went into the present day.

Hudson's current life is nothing like her past, and she's gone from being an almost-professional ice skater to a nobody hiding in the back of her mother's diner and trying to bury herself in cupcakes. She's lost all of her past friends and only has her best friend, Dani, left, aside from her mother and her brother, Bug (who was my downright favourite character in the entire book. So adorable!). And then we discover this whole new idea that Hudson is secretly skating again, which is where we run into the absolute and wonderful Josh!

Oh Josh. Where do I begin with Josh? He is adorable and I just want one of him for myself, yes please! Throughout the book he seemed downright adorable and throughout the entire book I was just waiting for him and Hudson to get together, especially since they were absolutely precious as friends.

My favourite bits of the book had to be where the hockey team actually appreciated the way that Hudson worked to help train them and make sure that they were ready and prepared to take on the season, but I wanted to punch Will in the face. I get the way he was trying to fix things in the end, but he was selfish and he managed to try and screw everything up between Hudson and Josh, and almost succeeded.

This book was downright adorable and I definitely know that I will potentially reread it in the future. It was sweet and left a heck of a cupcake craving by the end of the book. If you're looking for a cute, quick read (even though it does get a little bit slow in the end), and are desperate to make some cupcakes by the end of it all, then this book is definitely for you!

Rating: ★★★★ 4/5 Stars

Review: Worlds Burn Through

Title: Worlds Burn Through
Author: Vicki Keire
Pages: 78
Published: 2012

Summary: Chloe Burke has nightmares of a world burned to ash and the strange boy who saves them both.

Underneath the dreams lurks a deeply buried reality; Chloe and a handful of others are survivors of a decade old apocalypse that burned their home world to the ground.

Now their ancient enemies hunt them again. To keep their adopted world safe, Chloe must undergo a ritual of blood sacrifice that will have life-long consequences if she survives. Her lethal protector, Eliot Gray, must keep her alive long enough to do it.

Together they will uncover even more dangerous secrets buried in the past’s deepest, darkest ashes.

Review: Worlds Burn Through was a wonderful little novella about a girl named Chloe and how her life is changing after the death of her father, in mysterious ways of course.

I have to admit that I enjoyed reading Worlds Burn Through more than I thought I would. When I received the ARC from NetGalley, I thought that the premise sounded interesting but would just be one of those books that you enjoy but don't consider continuing with the series. Reading it proved to me that that wasn't the case at all.

Even if you end up reading the book and decide that you aren't a huge fan of it, there's no way that you can deny that Vicki Keire doesn't have a way with words. The way she writes is inspirational and while I was reading it, I could imagine everything so vividly thanks to the description and beautiful wording.

While I'm not sure I'll continue on to read the rest of the series (too many books, not enough time), I do know that I really did enjoy what I did read of it. I hope that whoever picks up a copy of it discovers the wonders of Worlds Burn Through the way that I did, and even if they don't, I hope that they find themselves submersed in the vivid imagery of Vicki Keire's writing.

Review: ★★★ 3/5 Stars

Review: Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Page: 221
Published: 2005

Summary: Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Review: When I initially finished reading Looking for Alaska, I was completely overwhelmed by the end of the novel which involves too many spoilers to count, and I considered it to be an almost 5-Star book. I realise now that that had a lot to do with the fact that it was somewhere around four in the morning and I was not only sleep deprived but in love with the ending that really does make the book worth reading.

I can't deny it. John Green has a way with words, especially when it comes to the ending of Looking of Alaska. He knows how to take a novel and play with it enough to make it sound like an intriguing read, and he also manages to make his stories seem realistic and have just a proper touch of drama that could theoretically happen in life. Despite all of that, I found Looking for Alaska to be just an average teen novel, and while it did have its moments, it did not deserve the 4.5 Stars that I had first given it, so 3.5 is what I'll stick with for the purpose of this review.

There were times while I was reading the book that I was wondering if we were ever going to come to a point where something exciting or dramatic would happen. I am all for novels where the merry band of friends go around and do crazy things like get drunk, party and plan pranks to pass the time, but when there's so much hype surrounding an author, I expected more, and while I did get more, I don't think it was enough.

SPOILER: [I kind of had predicted that Alaska would either get injured or disappear/die/something during the book, but I hadn't expected why she would have. After we got past the fact that she wasn't going to see her boyfriend, the reason behind her leaving was predictable but I have to give John Green some credit. It takes a whole lot of love to leave school at (I think it was three) in the morning to go and leave flowers on her grave. Even if she thought she was the cause of her mother's death, it was beautiful.]

I found the end of the book, not the last scene, to be funny and sweet, but the very last scene of the book, where we were with Miles as he thought about the religion teacher (who I loved. The religion class was such an awesome concept.) and Alaska's question and he came to his conclusions about life and getting out of the labyrinth to be one of the best endings to a book that I've read, and that's why I may or may not have fallen in love with Looking for Alaska.

To be honest, I most likely would not reread it, but I would reread that last scene and I would see a film version if they were to create one. I do hope that other John Green books are as wonderful as the ending of Looking for Alaska and I will continue to read his works.

Rating: ★★★★ 3.5/5 Stars