The Vampire Diaries 4: Dark Reunion

The town of Fell's Church has been rocked by another tragedy. The citizens are trying to cope, but strange things keep happening, and no one is able to move on. This goes especially for Bonnie, whose psychic powers are going to be exercised more than ever before, because it's up to them now. With Bonnie's visions leading the way, Stefan, Damon, and Meredith have to save
Fell's Church as two worlds collide.

I want to say, first of all, that if you haven't read #3, GO AWAY! Because the ending is shocking, and I'm going to give it away in the review.

Next, I thought it was unique and brave of L.J. Smith to continue the series after Elena passes. It's a side of the story a reader rarely gets to see: what happens after. The main character is gone forever (or is she?), and it was a weird feeling, that the story has to move on, because that's how life works, but rarely books.

I loved being in Bonnie's pov. She was always fun to read about, and I like her character. Meredith still freaks me out, I'm not sure what to do with her, but I respect her coolness.

Stefan is a little whiney, but handles it well, considering. I mean, they had only been together for a few days before tragedy struck, and kept striking, and she finally died for good. They didn't get to be a happy couple at all.

Damon is surprisingly helpful in all this. I liked that he was a bigger part of the story now. I always knew there was supposed to be some sort of something between he and Elena, but never got that feeling from him. Now it's nice to get to know him better, because he's a witty dude, and a bad-A. You even get to have a little of his point of view.

Dark Reunion was, well, dark. Darker than the others, with a lot of blood and spiritual warfare going on. A couple of the scenes were pretty horrific. Nothing was overdone, it didn't take from the book, but it was icky.

The villain kind of came out of nowhere. He/She didn't really have any motive, but they were mercilessly killing the whole town. I didn't really understand what they wanted from Bonnie or Elena or Meredith...maybe they wanted revenge on Damon or Stefan, but I don't really remember it being expressly mentioned.

Oh, and side note: Stephenie Meyer totally stole every idea she ever thought she had, from L.J.

The book was good. I think I read it more quickly than any of them. I was really surprised to find that I was excited to read the next one. I started off this series with little expectation, and actually grew to love it and care about the characters and plot.

Elena still isn't my favorite. She is strong and very smart, and I appreciate that. But I think I liked her being a vamp. Now that she's dead, she's not as involved in the plot, but she's still there. Bonnie is my favorite!

This is the last book in the Vampire Diaries, but L.J. also write a new series called The Return. She wrote it the previous series in the eeeeaaarrrrly 90's, and wrote The Return in 2009, I think? But it is a continuation of their story. I picked it up as soon as I was done Dark Reunion, and I've already started...review coming soon!

The Vampire Diaries 3: The Fury

*Note: I used the Brazilian cover I think, because it was so cool*

The Fury is book 3 of The Vampire Diaries series, which I have been reading a enjoying, to my surprise. Since I read the edition in which both 3 and 4 are combined into one book, I'm going to try and keep my stories straight. Caution: If you haven't read the Vampire Diaries 1 and 2, there will be spoilers...

Elena was the "golden girl," who had everything and could do anything. But in The Struggle, book 2, she became more than an average teenage girl: she became a vampire, like her true love Stefan. However, Elena is all too mortal, and the town is thrown into chaos and danger when a new power comes to threaten them.

This book was very similar to the previous, with the same characters and feel to it, but there were a lot of changes that I liked. For one, Elena rocks. She's not just a petty high school girl in love; she's a friggin vampire! And she's bloodthirsty and crazy at first, even mistaking Damon for the one she loved. It's great, and I like her a lot better as a vamp.

The new danger is a good mystery-- I didn't feel like I had to yell "duh!" at the book when the characters solved the clues. I was trying to figure it out myself. The book was written in the same style, mostly from Elena's pov, but it had some darker undertones.

When they finally figured it all out, I was impressed. The characters were strong and it was a nice twist. The ending...ouch! There was a lot more emotion in this one, I found myself more strongly attached to the story than I thought.

Honestly, that's all there is to say. Much like the first two, it was a quick read, and probably even better than its predecessors. So far, it's been my favorite.

4.6/5

Splendor (The Luxe #4) by Anna Godbersen

In the conclusion to The Luxe series, all of the characters have been fighting for a happy ending. Now it's time to find out who will get it. Will Diana ruin Penelope's plot to keep Henry? Will Elizabeth recover from her husband, Will's, death and have their child in a safe home? Will Penelope get her prince? And will the once maid Carolina convince the world of her worth and capture the man of her dreams?

Ouch. It's over, and I'm sad. I loved loved the saga of all of these mad New York society folk. It was a whole new world, full of very believable emotion and a whirlwind of drama. Anna Godbersen is an artist, let me tell you! It was like she was there, describing it all in detail. So much research must have gone into these novels.

Diana was always my favorite, of course. I was dying for her to finally get Henry! I thought theirs was the one love that might be real. I hoped against hope for them. We catch up with the two in Cuba, where Henry is pretending to be a soldier and Diana is searching the world to be with him, unbeknownst to New York's high society. I thought this part was great, Diana really shines in this part of the world, where she is free to be as bold as we know she is. And again, Godbersen made me feel like I was there.

Elizabeth is still in pathetic shape. However, in this book she actually starts to shine again. In Rumors, #2, I started to get a feel for the real Elizabeth, the strong woman who actually thought for herself. In the middle of this book, I started to see her emerging again, much to my relief. I knew it, though. I knew how that would end. Although, she is probably the best off of the characters at the end of the day.

Penelope was really annoying in #3, a petty wife trying to make Henry love her. In the beginning of Splendor, she starts that way again, ugh. But finally, with Henry gone, she finds the old Penelope and says "Screw you" to society again. It's fun for awhile, although I kept wondering when it would come back to bite her in the end...

Carolina has undergone the most drastic change. She is finally an independent heiress, but comes to realize it's not what she wants most anymore. What she wants is Leland, the handsome rich guy she so happens to now live beside. I wanted her to have him, the poor girl. But she went about it the worst way possible. I kept cringing at her behavior, because I wanted her to succeed. She was a likeable character, unlike before, when I hated her a little for being such a petty, evil, and selfish creature. Now, I loved her, and wanted the best for her.

The endings were bittersweet. I was left feeling a bit incomplete, but I know it was how it had to be. It was a simple, but sad ending to the complex Luxe series.

I just cannot get over how well done these books are. She puts so much thought into them with the snippets from the columns and books at the beginning of each chapter. There were so many twists and turns as well. That, with all of the minute details she added to the story, really impressed me. I highly recommend picking this series up if you like romance, era novels, or the gossip girl feel. I'm truly sorry to see the series end.

4.6/5
but 5/5 to the series as a whole!

Shay-la

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

In a world not so different from ours, science has made a breakthrough. The greatest threat to society is Amor Deliria Nervosa, a disease once celebrated as man's greatest gift. Now, scientists have cured the condition known as love. At eighteen, Lena is excited to be so close to freedom. Her cure date is set, and she can't wait. Because the government knows best, and she can't stand the fear of falling prey to the danger of the Deliria. As an orphan, Lena only wants safety, comfort, and security. That is all the cure promises for her. A nice life free from the toils of emotion and stress.

But what if...? And suddenly, Lena's life is different. She finds something worth holding on to, and begins to think that safety isn't worth the sacrifice anymore.

Oooh I was hyped for this one. Don't worry, it didn't disappoint! It was a great book! I thought I knew what the book was about, but it completely blew my ideas away. It wasn't what I expected. Most of all, there was more depth. There was so much more to the society than the "no-love" laws. It's a different world in which the government is not to be doubted, and most don't even want to resist.

Oliver really made me love the characters. The best friend, Hana, was perfect! I always love the best friends, I think sometimes authors actually put more thought into secondary characters like Hana than the narrators, like Lena. I don't know. I loved Hana, she really stuck out next to Lena, who described herself as ordinary, nondescript, and in-between. I think this made Lena relatable, but maybe a little boring. What was beautiful was Lena's development. She changed completely throughout the book. It was great to see her change from a plain, unambitious girl into a bold, strong, and secure woman. Her perception of herself and the world brightens, and suddenly she's a great main character. Alex is pretty great too. He remained shrouded in mystery much of the time, but not in that annoying, on-purpose way. It fit him so well. When you get to know Alex, he makes sense as a character, like someone I might know. He's realistic and imperfect, but also recites poetry <3 !

The relationship between Alex and Lena was so well done! I always hate insta-romance. Love at first sight is romantic, but not believable. Instead, Oliver really developed their relationship from the ground up, if that makes sense. It was slow. They meet a few times before there's even a hint of romance. I loved it, it was so easy to believe, and I fell in love along with them.

The Amor Deliria Nervosa was a constant background presence. You were always aware of it lurking in the corners, but it wasn't the central focus. The book was all about the characters trying to find happiness in a world that discourages it. That wasn't what I expected. There was so much focus on Lena, I felt there could have been a bit more on world-building. I was curious about how the government worked, and how society had changed so drastically, but it wasn't discussed in depth. Of course, it didn't distract me from how well the book was written, and how much I liked it.

I will warn you...I cried. The end was so quick, I felt like everything that had been building up finally snapped in one huge, fast explosion, and then it was done. And I had whiplash.

In short, this book was really beautiful. It made me think so much! It wasn't a book I was absolutely glued to, but I thought about it a lot when I wasn't reading it, which makes a good read in my opinion.

4.7/5

Shay-la

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

In the final book of the dystopian trilogy The Forest of Hands and Teeth, the story of the post zombie-apocalypse world continues...

This book continues the drama of Chaser, Gabry, and Elias as they attempt to find safety in a sea of the Undead. However, a new character is added to the mix: Annah, Gabry's long lost twin sister who has grown up in the Dark City with Elias. At last the two have found each other, but this is nothing like a happy ending. A horde has found the city, and its residents are in a frenzy. Annah, Gabry, Elias and Catcher escape with their lives, but it comes with a steep price...

Yay! I finally got it! I couldn't wait to get this one, but I was almost dreading reading the end. I was NOT ready for this series to be over. It went by so quickly...

The book is from Annah's point of view, and it is definitely refreshing. Annah has grown up in the Dark City after wandering the paths in the Forest with Elias. She remembers the Village and her twin sister, and knows what it's like to be alone, starving, and to work hard. This is my favorite type of heroine. She knows what needs to be done and is tough enough to do it.

There was a TON of zombie action in TDAHP. Maybe more than the other books, I don't quite remember. Especially toward the end, and let me just say...*shiver* it's horrifying. But pretty sweet to read.

The romance was convenient, but that's all I have to say on the negative side. Annah and "he" are a good match, and I really liked him most of the time. It was a good romance with some drama, sorrow, and heat. Nice mix.

The plot moved quickly for the most part. There were some pieces where I was kind of waiting for something more interesting to happen, but those didn't last long. And when something happened, something happened. Something kind of surprising, and maybe silly, but maybe cool. I couldn't decide how I felt about the method they chose, if you get my drift. I don't want to give anything away. I thought it was again, convenient maybe? And unrealistic, but who am I to call a zombie book unrealistic? It was still neat, and I liked the idea.

The only part that really bothered me about the book: the phrase "It was all my fault." Good grief! I'd had enough of that by the time they got over it. They wasted half of the book feeling guilty, not just Annah, every single main character. It got to the point of whiney. I was like "Okay, it's both of your faults, moving on..." But they didn't. Not for a long time. I guess I understand, they were separated for so long and had gone through so much, it's natural to feel guilty, but I didn't enjoy being included so much.

That said, it didn't detract too much from the awesomeness of the dystopia. The drama was awesome, and it was suspenseful, scary, and fast-paced. There was even some love! It brightened the otherwise dark situation that was the apocalypse. So, if you're not sure the doom and gloom is for you, there are glimmers of hope throughout the book!

I loved it, probably the best of the three, although it may be tied with The Dead Tossed Waves. The ending didn't kill me, even if it was the final book. Ryan wrapped it up without making anything final, which I loved. There was some closure, but there was still room for more, if readers dare to hope...?

4.5/5

<3 Shay-la