How did it go: READ-A-THON | Bout of Books 7.0

So, how did my read-a-thon go?
Really really really well! I finished all the five books that I wanted so I'm very happy about that! I have participated in some challenges, you can see one of my entries as a previous post and I have been uploading and update each day on Youtube (sorry I forgot to put a link down here!). If you want to take a look: http://www.youtube.com/user/ReadingMissFroggy.
And now that the read-a-thon has ended I will resume back to my normal pace though I have to mention this: I have school until the end of June and this period will be very busy so there will be less reviews until than. But afterwards I will go back to my normal pace!
So if you have been participating let me know how it went for you!

Until the next time!

Bout of books challenge: resummarize a cover

So here I am with a entry for one of the challenges that are held during the bout of books read a thon. You have to resummarize a book that you have been reading for this challenge and here is my entry for Vanish, book two of the Firelight trilogy written by Sophie Jordan (and yes I have picked the Dutch cover version since that is also the one that I own)


Jacinda, the only fire draki in her pride, is back at home.
Even though this was the thing that she longed for the most when her mother ran away with her and her sister from the pride she has a hard time adjusting.
She misses Will, the draki hunter that stole her heart while she was out in the human world.
He knows who she is and he accepts her but do to a terrible accident his whole draki hunting family now knows one of the greatest draki secrets.
Jacinda does her best to forget Will, to get accepted once more in the pride.
But it's not easy, especially if the one she is trying to forget searches for her...
And finds her.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon

Hi Guys!

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm going to participate in the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team!

I actually have internship and school next week but I'm still going to try to read as much as possible. I have selected five books that I definitely want to read and hopefully I can squeeze in some more. The five that I want to read next week are:

* Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
* Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
* Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder
* Vanish by Sophie Jordan
* My so-called Afterlife by Tamsyn Murray

I will post an update every day to let you know how I'm doing and I hope that you will participate with me and lots of others!
So let me know, are you going to participate? And if so what books do you want to read?
Good luck everyone!

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena is a survivor. Kidnapped as a child, held prisoner as a teen, then released to act as a poison taster, she is now a student of magic. But these magic skills place her in imminent danger, and with an execution order on her head, she has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth. But nothing in Sitia is familiar. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her powers, a rogue magician emerges - and Yelena catches his eye. Suddenly she is embroiled in a situation not of her making. And once again her magical abilities will either save her life... or be her downfall.

Pro's/Con's
I enjoyed Magic Study a lot though not as much as Poison Study. Why? Two reasons:
One: less Valek/Ari/Janco. They brought a certain charm to Poison Study and when they finally did return in this book I loved it just an eensy weensy tiny bit more. 
Two: the tension. In Poison Study there is a constant tension with the poison tasting and the enemies of Yelena who are always behind some corner. I somewhat missed that in this book until the antagonist revealed himself.
But I still very very very much enjoyed this story. For starters: the new characters. I loved getting to know Yelena's family. I found them all very charming and funny and they left a huge impression on me. Essau is very sweet and relaxt, Perl is very sweet and caring and Leaf... Well Leif is just very awesome and cool. And I can't forget Cahill and his troops oh and the other master magicians beside Irys! And then there is also Tula, poor Tula, and strong Opal. I literally can keep going on and on and on about all these new characters, I loved them a whole lot.
My next point is the antagonist. Omg, he is probably one of the scariest I have ever read about. He gave me goosebumps, literally. He is very creepy and very mean and I feel so bad for all his victims. He is definitely not someone whom I want to bump into in some dark alley.
My last point is the story and the plot. I loved it a whole whole lot. I love the journey through Sitia with all the cultural stuff and the clans, all the lessons Yelena has to follow and how the plot takes off and develops. There is a lot going on, a lot is found out and even more questions arise.

Recommend it?
If you have enjoyed Poison Study yes. If you have yet to read Poison Study pick it up now. There might be a little bit less tension in this installment but in the end I was very satisfied. Like I said: there is a lot going on, a lot is found out and even more questions arise at the end of this book. This is definitely one of my favorite series ever.

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Alison, Aria, Emily, Hanna and Spencer were best friends, until Alison disappeared. Three years later, the remaining girls, now juniors at Rosewood Day, are leading separate, but charmed lives.
But in Rosewood, appearances are deceiving, and when the girls start receiving mysterious texts signed by someone named A, the past threatens to ruin their perfect present. A claims to know all of their secrets—but who is A? How much does A really know? And what can four pretty little liars do to protect themselves from the truth?

Pro’s/Con’s
The con for me with this book was the beginning. You switch so much between all the girls that I had a hard time remembering who was who and who did what.
But after I got that down it was an enjoyable read. I like the fact that you get answers to your questions yet there are still a lot of questions adding up to the pile and after finishing this book I still don't know a lot of stuff. Like Alisons killer and some other things that must have happened before A started to message the Pretty Little Liars. 
Another thing that I really liked was the switching point of view. In the beginning it might be hard but after that it gives you a lot of information and it makes it a better read if you ask me.
The last pro thing that I would like to mention is the tension. I think Sara Shepard has done an amazing job with building up and keeping up the tension. Whenever I felt that something must be it, it would be something totally different. And when something seemed so ordinary it turned out to be a whole lot more then that. Overall a job well done.

Recommend it?
Yes, I would. Don't worry if you think this might be too chicklitisch for you, I in general do not like chicklit but this is something different than pretty girls fighting over a pretty guy while one of their friends disappeared. And that's all thanks to A. It's exciting and you will want to read more after this. So pick this up on a rainy day (or sunny it doesn't really matter) and let yourself drown into the world of the Pretty Little Liars. One warning: you might not trust your friends anymore after you have read what these little friends kept from each other...

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey —ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Pro's/Con's
You know, I still think that Meghan was a bit annoying and obsessive about the Ash in this book, a bit whiny in the beginning and such but after the first few chapters she got her stuff together and was ready for some action.
I really enoyed the beginning and ending of this book. They were filled with action, so much action, that I was just sitting at the edge of my chair (and almost falling off at times). The middle part has some lesser action but still is a lot of fun the read.
One of the things that I enjoy the most in this series are the characters. They are all so different and unique I just love them. And all my favorite ones are back in this second part! Meghan, Ash, Grimm, Puck and Ironhorse are all there to join the party and make it an awesome story. The couple of new ones that are introduced in this part are also very cool. I especially love Leanansidhe, I hope that she will return in some of the other parts in this series!
The antagonists in this book were very interesting, I like that you get to see more of them then the Ironking in the first book and I was somehow much better able to form a mental picture of them. They also seemd to be somewhat more evil then the Ironking, with all the things that they have done I find them pretty scary myself. Not someone I would like to meet in a dark alley at night, not at all!

Recommend it?
Yes, if you have read (and withstand Meghans whining) the first book you will love the second one. It has all those awesome characters and a lot of action and some revelations! Personally, I can't wait to read the next book!

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of... Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Pro´s/Con's
What I love the most about this book is the fact that it showed me Warner from a whole different perspective, you get inside his head and it's very interesting to see what he is thinking about the world and Juliette. You understand him a lot better after finishing this story and it makes it a lot harder (for me at least) to pick a favorite between Adam and Warner). After finishing Shatter Me I just preferred Adam a little bit over Warner but after reading Destroy Me I didn't have any preference anymore. Mafi has done such an amazing job with changing my view with just a little bit less then 130 pages, it's just amazing.
What I also truly enjoyed is that Mafi has written the story down in a very different way then Shatter Me, the voice and the way Warner is thinking is very different from Juliette which makes it very easy to slip into his head. I didn't think for even one second that I was in someone's else's head then that of Warner.
The story in this book is, while short, very good. In two weeks some things happen and they might not seem large at first but you know that it will mean something in the next book. Update: now that I have finished Unravel Me I can say for sure that the little things that happen in Destroy Me do actually have an effect in Unravel Me. It's amazing and awesome to see how it all works out!
Last note: I love the cover, it matches very nicely with Shatter Me and I can't wait to see the whole series standing next to each other.

Recommend it?
I (very obviously) recommend this book to everyone who has read and enjoyed Shatter Me. It doesn't matter if you prefer Adam or Warner, this book is a very interesting. You should read this before starting Unravel Me because it changes your view of Warner and it gives you some explanation for the things that happen in Unravel Me.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create. Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Pro's/Con's
I honestly was a little bit dissapointed with the fact that they rushed through visiting all the districts with the exception of District 11. I was actually really looking forward to reading about all the different districts so I was a little bit disappointed by that.
My next, and last, negative point for this book was that the beginning was a little bit predictable. I won't spoil it for the people who have yet to read it but it was kinda obvious that something like this would happen to Katniss and Peeta. I'm still not sure how I felt about it, if I was happy with that or if I would prefered something different but after finishing this book I don't really care about it anymore since this book is a worthy follow up on The Hunger Games.
I loved the tension in this book. There was a lot of it which is very logical with all the things that are happening. The people who are starting to rebel once more, the new Hunger Games, president Snow and his threats. A lot of tension which was really well written down, I was sitting at the edge of my seat when I was reading this book.
And of course the characters, I love them so much! I love Katniss' character just as much as I did in the first book, she is still very awesome, very smart and very handy. I also liked Peeta a little bit more in this book, I found him a bit useless in the first but in this one he is more active. I still liked Gale, I understand his point of view and the reasons for why he acts as he does. But I must convess, even after reading the second book I still can't say if I'm Team Peeta or Team Gale so I will stick with Team Katniss just like I did in the first book.
Next thing that I liked was the plot and especially the ending. The plot is awesome, like I have said there is a lot of tension which just let me fly through the book at a very fast pace. I loved it. And the plot at the ending was just perfect! You know, when I read Sherlock Holmes I just love the last chapter because the vilain explains how he has done it all and something like that also happened at the ending of this book and I found it very awesome and very witty and smart of them.

Recommend it?
Yes, the book overall is just a very enjoyable read. Even though I was a bit disappointed that you didn't get to read about Katniss and Peeta visiting all the other Districts I still enjoyed it a lot. The characters are awesome, the new and the old ones, and the plot is just fantastic. It is filled with a lot of tension which will help you fly through this book at a very fast pace.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

After a horrible accident claims the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever Bloom can see people's auras, hear their thoughts, and know someone's entire life story by touching them. Going out of her way to avoid human contact to suppress her abilities, she has been branded a freak at her new high school — but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste. Damen is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head - wiedling a magic so intense, it's as though he can peer straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. And she has no idea just who he really is - or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is that she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

Pro's/Con's
I got this one as a present from a friend of mine. We saw it lying around at a shop and she said that the book was awesome and that I had to read it. I thought ''heck why not'' and then she bought if for me as a present.
I started with it, expecting something simple and kind of a ''been there, read that, got the book on my shelf'' type of book but it actually surprised me. The story might not be the type that you will never forget or that you will never read in another book but it was interesting. When was reading it and I looked up it was three hours later and my dad was mad because I didn't came downstairs for dinner. That's the type of story that it is, you start reading it and you can't get out of it until someone either tickles you or until you have finished the book. The story grabs you right away and the characters are very interesting. 
The reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that I didn't really see the growing relationship between Ever and Damen and Ever was a bit of a pain in the ass sometimes. I would think that she would have been a lot nicer to Riley after everything that happened! Because of that I sometimes had a bit of a hard time to feel compassion for Ever.

Recommend it?
I guess that I do, as long as you don't expect fireworks this book won't let you down. The book is fine, it grabs your attention but it has some lesser points for me, like Ever, which is sad because she is the main character. Pick it up on one of your free days and I think that you will be entertained for a couple of hours.

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance. She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost, 
time for war.

Pro's/Con's
I loved Unravel Me a lot but I noticed that reading this was going a lot slower then Shatter Me and part of that was because of the story. It is a lot heavier then Shatter Me and I think that Juliette is the main reason for this. She is crying, a lot. And then she also has some trouble with Adam and Warner and with choosing between them. And Adam and Warner were acting like jealous high school boys. I'm not saying that this is a negative point but I would have liked it if Juliette would have cried a little bit less and would have acted out a bit more and chose for one of the two and then be done with it.
Some things that I actually really really really liked were the revelations in this book. There are revelations about Adam, about Warner, about the world, about Juliette and about Omega Point. I love getting to know characters and worlds better and because you already have got a good picture of them in the first book the second book gives even more depth and insight into it all and I love it very much.
The characters are all still very awesome. I love the twins, I hope that they will return in the next book. I also love Adam and Kenji and I'm very happy that we have got to get to know them a little bit better and of course Warner too. I think that reading book 1,5 has changed the way I looked at Warner and has also influenced how I feel about him while reading this book. I definitely recommend reading it before you start with this one.
And one thing that I will tell everyone who considers reading books by Mafi: her writing style if fantastic! There are less crossed out lines in this one but the poetic style is still there and I love it a lot! She just knows how to grab you and pull you inside a story and she won't let you go until you have finished reading it. And even after that you will want to read it again and again and more. I know that I can't wait to read the next installment.

Recommend it?
Yes. If you have read the first book and if you have loved it you will love this one too. It is a little bit more heavier but don't let that scare you away. All the awesome characters are still there, a couple of new ones are introduced whom are all also very nice and who wouldn't want to know more about Juliette and if there is a place for her in this world?!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret, even if it kills her.

Pro's/Con's
I must admit, I had very high hopes for this book. I had heard so much about it and I think that that might be the reason that I feel somewhat disappointed. It is a good book, it really is but I had expected something mind blowing while Fallen is more of a nice read. One of the main things that annoyed me was Luce. She is filled with doubt, all the freaking time. I understand that life isn't easy after all she has been through but come on, pull yourself together! And the beginning of the romance between her and Daniel, it feels more like a delusion from her!
Now that that is off my chest...
I love Fallen.
I love the story, it is amazing. I'm not especially familiar with the bible or anything but I like how well known elements of it return in the story. And while the beginning is starting of a little bit slow the ending is a big bang. And I think that it fits the story very well. Luce is changing from this everyday girl (with some little weird aspects) into the the love interest of a fallen angel. This change is slowly and you don't always directly notice it but when you look at it afterwards you can see it clearly and it fits the story very well. It helps with the slowly growing dramatic, dark and mysterious feeling that the story is having. I just very much love it, the feeling and the plot are making this story a nice read for a free Saturday.
I love the characters, especially the side ones. Luce and Daniel are okay but not my favorite ones ever. But all the other fallen angels and humans surrounding them definitely are. I especially love Ariadne and Roland, if I had to pick two they would be my favorite. I love their attitude, their actions and how they are oh so very sassy. I would love to get to know them in real life.
I love the cover. I really really really love the cover. Even if I would have hated the book I would still have kept it on my shelf just for the cover. I love the mystery of it and it was truthfully the thing that grabbed my attention in the store. I'm hoping that the other books will look just as beautiful as this one.

Recommend it?
Yeah, I would recommend this. Even though I felt some frustration with Luce I still enjoyed the story. It took a while for Luce to find everything out, even though you can feel that most of the characters weren't human. But it still surprised me on what team some characters were. The ending was also surprising and epic and it left me a bit sad. Fallen is a great book for everyone who loves an epic impossible love story. And I can't wait for the next book.

Matched by Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Pro's/Con's
I know that a lot of people have said that they find the pace to slow and that it is a negative point for this book. But personally I thought it fitted the story very well. You get to taste the mood of the story and read about his world in a easy pace. It also gives you the chance to make up your own opinion. It isn't stated in the book that the Union is a bad thing, you can make up your own mind about it. Personally, in the beginning I thought it was a fine system (with exception of the fact that the Union decides when it's your time to die). But when I was reading more and more about it I, just like Cassia, began to change my mind. In this book you get the chance to see this system from multiple points of view which gives you a very nice insight into the system and the positive and negative points from it and I think that by doing this it gives you a fair chance to get your own opinion with a lot of background information.
Another thing that I have read multiple times as a bad point are the characters. Some call them shallow or boring and say that they don't have a mind and opinion of their own. And like my first point, I think that it fits the story very well. I mean, how would you be able to have your own opinion if the Union tells you what is good, what is bad, what you can read and what you can watch? They give the people no chance to rebel or to have a different opinion then the Union. So it fits the characters very well and I also think that Condie has done a great job with the character growth of Cassia and some others. In the beginning they are these mindless little puppets, just doing as they are told and as the story progress they start to rebel, they start to see that the Union hasn't created a perfect world and the way that they deal with it is written down in an amazing way and I have so much respect for Condie because of that. 
Even though the book isn't fast paced the ending is very exciting and very open. You can't say exactly what will happen in the next book, just some minor guesses but nothing concrete. I find that very nice and very frustrating because I want to know and read more! Another thing that you get to realize by the ending is that the book isn't just about romance, even though the title might suggest it. It's also about making your own opinion and daring to share that with the world even though they might not agree with you. I find it a very strong and nice theme for this book.

Recommend it?
Yes! Very much yes! Don't let all those comments of slow pace and shallow characters discourage you. If you take the time you will find out that Matched is a very nice and well thought dystopian novel which is about more then just romance. It's about creating your own personality and opinion and of the need to be free and state them if you want to. A very strong and well worked out theme.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius—and, above all, a criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidnaps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtime stories—they're dangerous!

Pro's/Con's
You can look for as long as you want here but I'm not going to give any negative points for this book so read on and look at all the awesome positive points that I have for this book.
Beginning with: writing style. I enjoyed this very, very much. Colfer writes it down in a very nice and interesting way that keeps you turning pages over and over and over until you notice that you have to sleep/eat/work/get out of the train. One aspect that I especially enjoyed is that you get to read the story from different points of view, human and fairy. This gives you a very interesting view inside the mind, life and traditions of both sides.
The story itself is original and a lot of fun. It is filled with tension, humor and unforeseen changes in the plot. Some things that I especially liked are for instance the way that the fairies combine technology with magic, the way that Colfer has made his own version of the fairies and other creatures, the humor of the characters (very sarcastic or smart in Artemis' case), the relationship between some characters and the solutions and (evil)plans that Artemis makes up.
Last positive thing that I want to say about this book is characters. They are all very different, a lot of fun, interesting and useful for the plot. After reading this book I crave to read more about them, you get to know them a little bit in this book and I enjoyed each and every one of them. And one thing that I noticed is that even though you would say that Artemis is the main character it sometimes feels more like he is a side one. Holly, Rood and Butler are all so much in this book too that I think that it would be better to say that all of them are main characters than to just say that it is only Artemis. 

Recommend it?
Yes I recommend this book! I have read a lot of reviews where people are comparing it with Harry Potter but personally I don't think that you should compare them. You can't compare each and every children's book that has magic and fairies and stuff in them with Harry Potter just like you can't compare each and every dystopian book with The Hunger Games. I enjoyed this book a lot because of its fun characters, awesome story and great writing style. Don't even think that you could be to old to read this, I'm 21 right now and I enjoyed it a lot!

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. Earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Pro's/Con's
Now, usually I'm not a big fan op stories like ''end of the earth'', ''end of the universe'' or ''end of the human race'' but I really liked this story even with all the aliens and stuff! I just had one little negative point... 
The first couple of pages was a bit of a con for me. Now that I have read the whole book and re-read that part I understand it all but for a first time reading it was very confusing. There are usually two options with these kind of first pages: option 1 is the omg-I-am-so-curious-about-it-now type and option 2 is the omg-no-this-does-not-sound-very-good type. Now for a first time reading these first couple of pages were the type 2 but now that I look at it afterwards it's fine.
Now for the positive points, this book didn't get a 5 star rating of me for nothing. Some points that I personally find very important are very good in this book.
Beginning with the writing style, I loved it! Meyer has written it down in a very good way that reads away easy but with a lot of tension. You can imagine how the surrounding and people look like with a lot of ease but there is also room for your own imagination and that's something that I love and is the main reason for me to read a book before watching the movie. The tension that she creates together with the plot is great and makes it such an enjoyable and fast paces story.
Next are the characters. Not only are Melanie and Wanderer amazing main characters but even the side characters steal the show every now and then. Each and every one of them has their own background story, motivations for their actions and their own opinion about Wanderer and how they act around her. This makes each character unique and so very like or unlikable that it just sucks you in right from the start. I have found myself many times talking to myself/the book, saying stuff like ''Don't hurt *name*!/No! Don't go there!/Aaaaw yes!'' and a lot of other stuff. 
But besides that the emotions and personal growth of each and every character is being shown in an amazing way. Because Melanie and Wanderer are in the same body it gives you a very interesting inside sight for the both of them. You get to know Melanie through Wanderers eyes and Wanderer through Melanie's eyes. I find that very interesting and the way that they deal with being in the same body and everything else that comes around with it (dealing with friends, family, love and meeting new people) while living in this world makes their growth and emotions so interesting.

Recommend it?
Yes! Yes I do! Plot = awesome. Characters = amazing. Way of writing = great. What else can I ask for? Even people who normally don't read science fiction might enjoy this, I did!

Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Pro’s/Con’s
No con for this book from me, only pro's.
The first thing that I loved was the writing style by Shannon Messenger. It reads away very pleasantly without making it dull or easy. It's fun to switch from Vane the human/sylph to Audra the sylph and read about what they think, how they feel and especially why.
The second thing that I love is the fantasy elements. It is original and things happened in this book that I was expecting and things that I was totally not expecting at all! This made it a great read to me, it surprised me and had me on the edge of my chair at least once every chapter. Overall a great combination of these two.
And, do you remember those characters that react to supernatural things in a totally non-realistic way? Vane doesn't do this, not any character in this book does that! They all react very realistic to the things happening to them and the way that they feel about it makes is seem as if they could be your neighbor. 

Recommend it?
Yes, yes you should read this. It's a really good read and I enjoyed reading it a lot. I read a lot of Young Adult and Fantasy stuff and this was a really nice combination and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment. Shannon Messenger, you got yourself a brand new fan.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Every girl who had taken the test has died.
Now it's Kate's turn.
It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.
If she fails...

Pro's/Con's
This book was a very good read so lots of positive points from me for this book.
From the first chapter you get sucked in right away. I really felt frustrated after reading the first chapter because I didn't know anything. It made me very curious so I rushed into this book because I wanted to know what they were talking about.
And when I finally found it all out I was just blown away. I loved the story and how the book has used and somewhat changed the story surrounding Persephone and Hades. It's a very interesting way to use it and I also loved all the other gods that were in the story and the whole reasoning for why Henry needs to have a new queen.
And the characters, oh my the characters. They were awesome. I felt really sad and I felt so sorry for Kate for what she has to go through with her mom and also with Henry. She is so strong but she also dares to cry (instead of a lot of other female leads who say ''No, I'm strong I won't cry''). Henry is also lovely, at the end we still don't know that much about it but he seems like a very nice and probably romantic guy.
And the side characters, oh my. They too were awesome. I never expected that the one who has killed all those previous girls was that person! (Indeed, I'm NOT going to spoil this). And then the whole way of how they test Kate and get to know and help her and how they walk around and act and and and. They were all just very awesome. Each one has their own personality and their own role to play in this story, just amazing.

Recommend it?
Yes very much yes! The whole building up of the tension, the mystery and the romance is just perfect! Add some amazing main and side characters and an awesome plot and story and I think that you have a very nice Saturday afternoon read.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

When shy, awkward Helen Hamilton meets Lucas Delos for the first time, she thinks two things: the first, that he is the most ridiculously beautiful boy she has seen in her life; the second, that she wants to kill him with her bare hands.
An ancient curse means Lucas and Helen are destined to loathe one another. But sometimes love is stronger than hate, and not even the gods themselves can prevent what will happen next...

Pro's/Con's:
I have read some very negative reviews about this book before I even touched it but after reading this I just can't stop asking the ones who wrote those: what do you mean?!
Because I absolutely loved this book, it is just amazing!
The concept is awesome. I love the Greek mythology and this book uses it in a very interesting way. It not only uses gods and demigods but also the Trojan war and Atlantis. It has so many interesting points and every page that I turned I found out something new and interesting and that just made me totally fall in love with this book.
The plot is also a very nice and interesting point in this book. The whole idea of Helen wanting to kill Lucas from the moment she saw him is really interesting and I think that it is a very original start for their relationship and the relationship between all the other characters (especially the one between the rest of the Delos family and Helen). A truly amazing plot that sometimes was a bit obvious (but without it being annoying) but also with a lot of surprises. I just totally loved the plot!
And the characters, I loved the characters. They were funny, strong, smart, angry, scared, hurt and so much more and I believed in all of them! Angelini just has a way of writing it all down that makes you believe it instantly. It made me so happy to see such characters and I loved so many of them. The whole Delos family, Helen and her dad and of course Matt and Gig/Claire. They felt real to me and I can't wait to meet them all in book 2. 

Recommend it?
Yes, I recommend this book to you! It's amazing! Angelini has written it down so great that you just want to read more and more and more and more and then suddenly you have finished the book! The plot, myth and characters are all worked out in such an amazing way you will love it.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Pro's/Con's
This book had two negative points for me. One: the love triangle. I don't have a problem with it but it kind of feels like it could have been worked out better. Somehow it just doesn't come out the way it should have been to me. I find this somewhat disappointing, I love Puck and Ash but I believe that Puck should somehow have played a better and more active role in this because it really doesn't work for me.
Second is Meghan. I love a strong heroine who doesn't always need a guy to help her. But Meghan does always seem to need someone, she just can't keep herself safe or speak up her mind when she should. I understand that not all female leads can be strong and kick-ass but I would have enjoyed it if Meghan would have been a little bit more kick-ass, like a tiny tiny tiny bit more.
Now for positive points (this book didn't got a 5 star rating for nothing) here is what I have to say about that:
I had heard about his series but for some reason I never felt attracted to buy the actual books. Now a young adult website was giving away a few copies and I decided to try my luck and I actually won! After reading this I wanted to hit my head against the wall, why didn't I buy this book myself?! For the story is absolutely amazing! It has a lot going on in an really interesting world which grabbed my attention right away. 
The characters are awesome, the main and the side ones. I like how the fey are more then just these cute little things, they are dangerous and I really enjoy that. There are also a lot of different beings besides the fey living in this world, some nice and some not so nice but all very interesting and with their own character traits, I love it! 
Another thing that I really like is how Kagawa has written her story around the characters that are originally from Shakespeare. I have yet to read his work but this book did make me more curious about it. I hope to find out soon if her characters are still similar to the original ones. 
Kagawa has an amazing way of writing stuff down. The way the surroundings are described makes it feel like such an amazing place and I can picture it in my head without any trouble. But she also leaves room for you to imagine stuff yourself and she doesn't describe to much or to few, just exactly right. And her way with words is perfect for this story. It's such an easy en enjoyable read!

Recommend it?
Yes, you should read this book if you are looking for an easy and enjoyable young adult book about faery. It has a great story, nice characters and is written down in a very pleasant way. I personally can't wait to read the next part.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.
And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

Pro's/Con's
Absolutely no con's for me with this book. The story is just way to amazing to have any negative points.
To begin with, I love the cover. It grabbed me right away and I knew that I had to have this book. But I couldn't get it anywhere, not online and not in any bookstore. One of my dearest friends (Lente) got in contact with Maria and she is amazing because she sent a copy with an autograph! Even now I'm drooling all over it, I just can't help myself!
Now that we have had that out of the way, the story is the ''OMG-I-FREAKING-LOVE-IT!'' type. It's really exciting and I have never ever before have read a book about a food taster. The world of Ixia is really interesting, the culture and politics seem so real it's almost as if I was living it myself because Snyder has described it in such an awesome way. She has written it down in so much detail without it getting annoying and that has made me really happy.
The characters too are all awesome. And then I'm not only talking about Yelena (who is kick ass and actually admit that she has killed someone but for a very good reason) and Valek (who is very mysterious and stunning). I'm also talking about Ari and Janco (they are hilarious but also so strong and I just love the whole big brother thing they have going on with Yelena), Irys (she seems to me like a very awesome person), the commander (so much deeper layers within this character!) and all the little kids who live inside the city and help Yelena (very cute, very sassy and very awesome).
And last but not least: the romance. It was perfect! It's not the main theme of the book, not at all! It's all about Yelena and her way of surviving and the romance comes very natural without taking the story over and without being forced upon Yelena. It has been done amazing and I just freaking love this book.

Recommend it?
Have I mentioned that this story has no negative points, that it is the ''OMG-I-FREAKING-LOVE-IT!'' type of story and that I freaking love it? Then you should know I'm gonna say this: Oh hell yes you should read this book! It's freaking amazing! The characters, the plot and way Snyder writes it all down is just so awesome! You will not regret reading this book! Actually, you should buy it. Don't just borrow it from someone/the library. Buy it because I'm sure you will want to re-read this book as often as I want to and that is every couple of weeks. Just so freaking amazing and good and aaaaaaaah!!! Just love it!