Freak of Nature Review

Title: Freak of Nature (IFICS #1)

Author: Julia Crane

Publisher: Indie Inked

Publication Date: January 9th 2014

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Romance

Pages: 284

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

Donate Body to Science. Check.
When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.


The story follows Kaitlyn through her new life. She has no idea what happened to her before she became a cyborg. As the story goes on she learns more about her past and who she used to be. She has a best friend who helps her feel more human and a doctor who she loves. The doctor she loves is Lucas and we find out that he loves her to, but he believes that she does not feel human emotion anymore.

The story is in Kaitlyn and Lucas' p.o.v. I liked this, because I wondered what it was like for Lucas at some points and as a reader that curiosity was filled with the writing. I found myself losing focus throughout the book. it was a good book, but it did not jump out at me and it was just another read to add to the list. I liked the idea and some of the writing, but I found that it was not grabbing my attention like a book should.

At times I found the book to be a little cliche and that turned me off of it as well. I also found myself hating the main character at some points as well as Lucas.

Kaleidoscope Review

Title: Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain #6)

Author: Kristen Ashley

Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)

Publication Date: February 4th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance/Contemporary

Pages:  416

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

When old friends become new lovers...anything can happen.

Sexy, gifted, and loyal, PI Jacob Decker is a tall, cool drink of perfection who had Emmanuelle Holmes at "hello." His relationship with Emme's best friend kept them apart for years, but things have changed. Now that a case has brought him to Gnaw Bone, Colorado, the road is wide open for Emme and Deck to explore something hotter and deeper than Emme dreamed possible. So why is she sabotaging the best thing that's ever happened to her? 

It isn't easy to catch Deck off guard, but Emme does just that when she walks back into his life after nine long years. The curvy brunette had her charms back in the day, but now she's a bona fide knockout . . . and she wants to rekindle their friendship. Deck, however, wants more. Emme's always been the one; she excites Deck's body and mind like no other woman can. But a dark chapter from Emme's past overshadows their future together. Now only Deck can help her turn the page-if she'll let him . . .

This story follows Deck, a.k.a Jacob, and Emme, a.k.a Emmanuelle. They were acquaintances 9 years before because Deck wen out with Elsbeth who was Emme's best friend. As the story unfolds the reader learns that they had a special relationship that Deck did not have with Elsbeth. Deck and Emme connected in a spiritual way and they constantly challenged each other in ways that no one else did. Kristen Ashley goes more in depth to the reason why they broke off contact and that made me root for them even more than I was.

The story picks up 9 years after the last time they spoke and I found myself a little confused in the beginning, but I was brought in the clear very fast. At first I thought Emme was just an easy girl that did not care if she had a boyfriend or not, but as the conversations between her and Deck become more developed, you will see that is not true.

This book is an amazing read! I found myself relating with the characters and I grew emotionally connected with them. The character growth was exceptionally done and I appreciated the way she did it, and was so happy to see them grow. Kristen Ashley's writing is very beautiful and it keeps you reading. This book and the writing reminds me of an adult version of the Pushing The Limits series by Katie McGarry. As I was reading I could see the similarities, but I did not mind because they are both different at the same time. I would recommend this to any woman/girl looking for an amazing romance novel for Valentines day and also to fans of Katie McGarry's series that are looking for more new adult books.

Impostor Review

Title: Impostor ( Variants #1)

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: January 2nd 2014

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance

Pages: 320

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

Tessa is a Variant with extraordinary abilities. She could be a hero, but all she wants to do is fall in love ...

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she's spent the last two years with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. There she trains with other Variants, such as long-term crush Alec, who each have their own extraordinary ability.

When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. Tessa hates everything about being an impostor - the stress, the danger, the deceit - but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she'd do anything to keep.

Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

The main character is Tessa and she is a Variant. A Variant is a person who has gifts that others do not. Some can read peoples' minds, shape shift,  inhuman strength, etc. Variants work for the FEA ( Forces with Extraordinary Abilities) and the FEA helps them control their abilities, so they will under control when they are put on the field. 

Tessa has the ability to shape shift into anyone she meets. She absorbs their picture into her brain and when she focuses on them, she becomes them. This makes Tessa a very valuable Variant and puts her into a mission before her friends. The mission is to shape shift into Madison, a dead girl who has attacked, and find out who the killer is. The FEA thinks it maybe a Variant, and that puts a higher risk on the mission.

The main character is very interesting and I never found myself hating her. Throughout the book you grow attached to Tessa and start to relate very easily with her. There is fantastic character growth in this book and it made me happy to see her grow as a person. At some points it did remind me a lot of X-Men, but I did not mind, because that is one of my favorite movies and idea of all time. 

 I loved the whole aspect of this story and cannot wait to pick up the second installment, because of the way the book left of.  I recommend this book to anyone who loves YA Sci-Fi, paranormal, and mystery. Be warned that there is romance in this book, and in the beginning i thought it to be to much but then it eased down and was the perfect balance.

A Single Girl's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Title: A Single Girl's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Author: JT Clay

Publisher: Momentum Books

Publication Date: November 1st 2013

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Post Apocalyptic

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Synopsis: 

It's the old story. Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Zombies attack.

Q, a trainee kindergarten teacher and martial arts expert, wants to woo beautiful vegan, Rabbit, but doesn't know how. Her luck turns during the zombie outbreak. She teaches Rabbit and his hippie friends how to make war, not love, and does her best to save him from the living dead. 

But can she defeat evil ex-girlfriend, Pious Kate? And can love survive the end of the world?

This book was hilarious. The way that the main character, Q, acts will make this book worth while to anybody who reads it. I was hooked from the first page and I love this book. 

This book follows Q through her 'average' life. I put average in quotes, because Q is the most unaverage girl you will ever met. By day she student teaches a preschool class, and by night she teaches the girls in that class self defense. Q is a very outspokenly weird person that s just one of a kind. The things that Q says will make you laugh out loud and definitely remember her character. 

This book may seem a little cliche, but it isn't. It is a bout an independent girl that tries to get what she wants, and eds up with a bunch of hippies in the middle of the woods. I loved this book and I would recommend this to anyone who likes zombies, gory or not gory, and a hilarious book that is extremely well done.


GoodReads Account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7888830-francesca

Scarlet Review

Cinder Review Found Here

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: February 5th 2013

Genre: YA Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Pages: 454

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

This book is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, and it is a continuation of the 1st book in the series. There are 4 point of views in this book, and that gives more input into the story as a whole. The story mainly focuses on Scarlet's side of the story, but includes Cinder, Prince Kai, and Wolf's p.o.v. 

In this book we follow Scarlet who lives on a farm with her grandmother. She finds that her grandmother is missing and the reader is told that it has been two weeks since she was taken. The reader sees how Scarlet is a brave open-minded person who is very like-able  As I was reading, I found myself being able to relate with the things she chose to do and that made the story better. 

There were many twists and turns in the story that were shocking, compared to Cinder. I found myself comparing the story, as a whole, to Cinder and that made me not love the book as much as I loved Cinder. I found this book to be harder to get into, but it was a great continuation of Cinder in my opinion.

Cinder Review

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publication Date: January 3rd 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Genre: YA Sci-Fi, fantasy

Pages: 387

Rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

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.

This book is loosely based around Cinderella, but don't let that stop you. The only similar things between Cinder and Cinderella is a mean step-mom, a prince, and a ball. Everything else is completely different and amazingly creative. The main character, Cinder, is an empowered person who does what she wants, except for things dealing with her step-mom, and she is just an amazing character. The prince, Kai, is the regular male lead in a book, but that does not make the book less interesting. 

Cinder is set in New Beijing, a futuristic dystopian world, and it is ruled by the king. The citizens are mixed with cyborgs and robots, and think very low of them. Cinder is a cyborg that is friends with her family's robot, Iko, and Cinder is a mechanic to the people who need help. That is how her and Prince Kai meet. At first Kai does not know Cinder is a cyborg and that makes the reader want to stay and read to see how he reacts when he does find out. The story line has so many twists and turns that there is never really a boring part. The main problem, that was my favorite in this book, was with the Lunars. Lunars are the moon people, and the queen wants to marry the prince and rule the world. I loved the Lunars background and what they added to the story. 

I loved this book and will be posting a review of the second book, Scarlet, very soon. I recommend this book to anyone who loved the idea of Cinderella and for those who really love fantasy and sci-fi books.


GoodReads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7888830-francesca

Crash Into You Review

Title: Crash Into You (Pushing The Limits #3)

Author: Katie McGarry

Publication Date: November 26th 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA Contemporary, realistic fiction

Pages: 474

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Synopsis: (Via GoodReads)

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

This book was an amazing Contemporary read. The reader follows Isaiah, the typical bad boy who is a sweetheart, and Rachel, a good girl who does what she is told. The two characters meet because of Rachel's love for driving. When they met there is an instant connection on Isaiah's part and a little on Rachel's part because of her being so innocent. 

Rachel is in a wealthy put together family and is going through a hard time. She is basically her moms back up child. She was conceived when her older sister dies of Leukemia. Rachel lives her life trying to make her mom happy by being her late sister and doing whatever her mom wants. This causes Rachel to feel the stress of being perfect and it drives her insane, and this can be related to many teen girls. In society there is major pressure on being perfect and Rachel is the character that displays the emotions of this so well. She is a very relate-able and like able character.

Isaiah is the typical bad boy. He has a troubled past, parent issues, and a love for mechanics. Even with this it does not make you love his character any less. He does not want to do bad, he just wants to be good. He wants to make something of himself and get out of his life. He also has a heart, which the reader sees in his chapters. Isaiah is just that bad boy that every girl wants and needs, but he is the bad boy that will stay.

The author's writing was beautiful and made the story and characters more realistic. The underlining themes of everyday life were placed amazingly throughout this book and in a way that many teens can relate to. Even if this sounds like it could be a cheesy contemporary, it is not. I thought that this book was the average lovey-dovey book, but my opinion was changed quickly. I am very happy I read this book and you will be to. I believe that every contemporary lover will fall head over heels for this, and even if you are not a big fan of romances you should still check this out.