Stolen Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    Hehe, I didn't know the title would be so funny. This is a review on the novel Stolen by Lucy Christopher. The synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him.

This is my story.

A letter from nowhere. 

Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back?

Reference:

  I'm having difficulty remembering where I first heard of this book. I want to say I heard from booktubers, but I've seen this book on shelves when browsing.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

   Okay it's 7am, I just finished this book after reading for 8 hours straight. I could not put it down. This is an epistolary novel told in second person written by the narrator and victim Gemma to her captor Ty. Now I haven't read many kidnapping stories but this plot just stuck out to me, how many times do the victims write out their experiences to their captors?  

   It's difficult to express feelings that are so tender and to be frank, emotional. Very, very emotional. I would place this in the same range as just finishing a TV show I deeply love (ex: Doctor Who). Meaning, I don't know what to do with my life. I wanted to write this review fresh from finishing it because I think I'll better grasp how much this book moved me. From the very first page—the first line: "You saw me before I saw you," I was automatically drawn in. I figured that this would have the same whiny voice that many other contemporary young adult novels seem to gravitate toward but I felt like Gemma was portrayed as a normal 16 year old girl. And while remaining true to herself, she developed into a mature young woman who had to decide for herself how her kidnapping was going to change her, and not let doctors or her parents or Ty or anyone tell her what she should take from it. I think the author just did a fantastic job with Gemma and the ending which I'll talk about below and I would definitely be interested in looking out for other works from this author.

   What is most refreshing from the ending that made me love it so much is that it isn't necessarily resolved. Gemma didn't flat out make a decision leaving the reader with nothing to ponder on. Because I am definitely reflecting on this story. I'm pretty sure this story is going to stick with me. It has the same reaction that I had with Every Day by David Levithan, whereas Every Day is a paranormal-fantasy and this book is strictly contemporary teen. I probably enjoyed the ending even more because I took my time reading it, really soaking in the story and everything Gemma went through.

   Something incredibly difficult to pull off is to have a story revolve around characters in a fixed place. What's even more difficult is to have a story with only 2 characters in a fixed place. But what's even more difficult is to have only 2 characters in a fixed place in the middle of a wilderness! As you can imagine, I have quite a lot of respect for the author and how she was able to pull this story off. 

    While I feel like Gemma and Ty weren't my favorite characters of all time, I found some flaws that I just thought were a little fishy, I think they are strong characters. And since this is a stand alone and we can only rely on this one book, I think that Christopher did a great job giving each character skin, a past and a story to lean on. I liked Gemma since she is just a strongly grounded, positively minded (mostly) person and in YA I feel like it's fabricated more than really defended. Gemma was able to find Ty who resembles a certain part of herself that she doesn't like to acknowledge and that really questions whether if the real Gemma is the clandestine true self or the society-accepting self that does what's expected of her.

   I want to talk about Ty for a bit. He is a very clever and conflicting character. Probably one of the most craft and tricky and conflicting (yay repetition...) character I've read. A lot of characters in novels have a list of traits that they more or less stick to. They can develop throughout the story sure, but more or less, they don't do the unexpected. And yes, Ty isn't one of them. He made me feel one way but the more I read I began to reconsider my initial thoughts, like hmm, maybe he isn't the bad guy after all. I should look at it from his standpoint, like how was his childhood, what has his life been growing up? And then that ending! It just made me re-evaluate what I was reconsidering. TWICE! That is hard to understand probably and I'll try to explain it a little better, but in the ending, Gemma does something that really questions herself and the reader. Kudos to Christopher yet again! 

   If you're not game for emotional reads, I advise skipping this one. Because this is the second out of two books that have ever made me cry (the other being The Summer Garden). And honestly I don't think the first one should have made me cry since that was part of a series that totals about 2,100 pages vs. this stand alone novel that is almost 300 pages. I haven't been this emotionally drained since then, and I know it's due to the realistic and conflicting struggles Gemma and Ty have in this book. The land, their relationship (well from his standpoint since she's only the victim), time, survival, possibly a search for her, there's so much that pushes the story along and I couldn't find a moment where I got bored. 

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“Lets face it, you did steal me. But you saved my life too. And somewhere in the middle, you showed me a place so different and beautiful, I can never get it out of my mind. And I can't get you out of there either. You're stuck in my brain like my own blood vessels.”

― Lucy Christopher, Stolen: A Letter to My Captor

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

    I'm not going to have much to say in this section because there isn't much to reveal about this book that I have much thoughts on other than what I've said in the review. However that ending, seriously blew my mind. Lately I feel like many endings to books are merely good, on a 10 point scale, they're 7 or 8s. I give this book a 10. Judge me all you want but for a stand alone I think that's really hard to do, to keep with the pace of story and the tone and with the plot, I feel like it wrapped itself up beautifully. I didn't give much thought as to how I thought this was going to end, but I like that it's open-ended. Gemma did love Ty and because of this she was able to admit that she considered lying to save him. But it was her morally grounded character that showed who she truly was, and that she was an honest person who deserved better, and who shouldn't be someone weak— someone forced to love out of mere circumstance. Who was to say they could've met out in the real world and still fallen in love? I know that Ty has this weird mental instability with the world thinking that modern society is living a lie, but it didn't mean that he had the right to kidnap another person, forcing them to believe that they were like him. It's probably something I really adimire about Gemma, that she can look at what's best for herself in the long run, not needing to fear in her future she made the wrong choice.
   That is to say, I do feel really bad for Ty. Especially in the moments when he'd cry when she would constantly try to escape from him. But it's just my ambivalent feelings since he's a sweetheart. Though a sweetheart with problems.
   Also I wasn't annoyed by any lingering questions like I have had in my previous review (The Last Olympian). The story just continued on, with no predetermined twists like in many series nowadays. This was purely survival against the elements are her captor. What happened happened.  
    Also I need to talk about Stolen, aka Wobbleguts, aka the camel. At the end when they left it to take the car to speed to the mine site, I was on the verge of tears. I don't know why I typically am more emotional about abandonment or abuse or even murder when it comes to animals over people in books, movies, real life. Especially when that animal shows some sort of devotion or loyalty to their master, it makes it all the worse. Ty takes this camel from its herd to use it for transportation, milk, even medicinal purposes and it all ends with it being deserted once again. Anyone else feel so sad about that?
   In page 14, I don't know why, but I wanted to guess that maybe Ty kidnapped Gemma for reasons like her parents paid money for him to do it. Ha— me trying to be smart. That so  did not turn out to be right. I'm only sharing because I felt I had to. xD

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    This is Rick Riordan's final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Last Olympian. The synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

 All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows. 

In this momentous final book in the "New York Times" best-selling series, the prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Reference:

   This is the fifth and last book in the series, and I heard about the series from the movie. 

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

   Starting this book I knew there'd be fighting, but I wasn't expecting it to be most of the book. And while at first I didn't mind, I loved all the action, eventually 200 pages in or so I got bored. And the trouble is I don't know if it was because of incessant fight scenes or just that I had been reading for 4 days straight, but it was getting a little overwhelming. In the prior books Percy and friends went on quests and visited different places and met new people so it didn't feel so fast-paced. Another issue was something I encountered in the first book which was Percy asked questions and no one answered him. I understand not answering immediately to bring up the solution later, but the questions kept coming and stacking up. The second, third and fourth books weren't so bad, but in this book I remember 6x back to back, Percy would ask for the meaning or explanation or the story about something and Annabeth or Chiron would just leave him standing, well to be frank, answerless.

   Last thing I didn't really like was the ending. And it wasn't a big thing. I think that Riordan ended the series on a brilliant note, but I also felt like all the work he put into the series didn't get the ending it really deserved. 

   But aside from that, there was a lot I loved about this book. One being that Riordan intertwined characters and storylines from past books and made them come together to make sense. While each book had it's own separate quest, throughout the series there's been an overlying prophesy or destiny that involved so many characters-- it's astonishing to believe that it all started with a monster attacking twelve-year-old Percy when he went on a field trip. We discover who the spy is in the camp, and who is really loyal to who, and even those that are still on the fence on true allegiance. We find out who Rachel Dare truly is (which I called it, I knew she was going to be important ever since the third book), and who Camp Half-Blood wins and loses. 

    What drew me to this series, aside from the great reviews, was that they dealt with ancient Greek characters. The mighty gods of Olympus, the Titans of old, the legendary heroes, the terrifying monsters, and even creatures and gods we normally don't read about. Minor gods or forgotten monsters, Riordan gave them the breath of life again and I hope he does this in the Heroes of Olympus series. I'm excited to see gods play in that series with new heroes.

    

I give this book 4.5/5 stars. 

I give this series 5/5 stars, because, it's Percy and the Olympians. It would be hubris if I didn't. I highly recommend to anyone. :)

Author's Quote:

"The world will fall, the gods will die, and I will never achieve a perfect score on this stupid machine."

—Dionysus [regarding the Pac Man game], Rick Riordan, The Last Olympian

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   I was so surprised to learn that Selina was the spy. I can't remember if she was introduced in the third book or the fourth, but I was surprised when she revealed to have the necklace.

   Yayy!! Annabeth and Percy are together! Hehe, like I said in my review in the fourth book, I like Rachel, but Annabeth is the one meant for him. They're just perfect for each other. While I thought it was hilarious in the scenes where Rachel was there and they got all awkward, or when Luke was there and things got awkward. I was like, these are my people! Haha xD But no, I think it was meant to be cute since this is for middle-schoolers. 

   I felt the ending wasn't as mind-blowing as I thought it would be. The last line actually just confused me. Apparently Percy didn't look back after chasing Annabeth? I didn't really get it, so now I just wonder if I missed something in the previous books (and I just finished reading them so I guess my memory is getting real bad now). Another thing I was let down was dealing with the final "choice" that Percy had to make. I figured it was going to have to do something to do with Pandora's jar, since why make an entire chapter about it if it wasn't going to be important. But then it was just Percy giving the knife so Luke can kill himself. In a way, I like how it fulfilled the prophesy but I was just expecting more.

   

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    Completely unrelated to anything, but I started this review before finishing the prior. Hehehe. This is the fourth book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, The Battle of the Labyrinth. The synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

 Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical. 

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

Reference:

   Thee first three books mentioned something about another book. xD

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this review yet)

   Okay, this series has to stop being so freakin' amazing! (Please next book don't take my words to heart.) This book dealt mainly in the labyrinth and while I was afraid I was going to get a little bored with the repetitiveness of mazes in general (we took a right, we took a left, we took so many turns I was lost), I felt the suspense intertwined with it that I didn't even notice they were in a labyrinth at times. This book continues with Percy facing a bunch of new monsters and other ancient Greek creatures and Titans. 

   I don't have much to say about this book, other than I'll say this book is second to The Sea of Monsters as my favorite in the series. I don't know why, but I just felt myself loving the concept of the Labyrinth and I loved all the monsters and places Percy visited. I had so much fun learning of even more creatures (and yes every time a new one is introduced I look it up) and while I undoubtedly am no expert in Greek mythology, I loved learning how many more that I never heard of. Most of the Greek stories I hear about get quite repetitive with monsters and heroes (Hercules, Theseus, Medusa, Minotaur, etc), but we also read in this book of other important historical Greek figures.

    What makes this series so far so epically (I know that isn't a real word but I can't think a better word) fantastic is that Riordan has taken what we already know of our favorite ancient Greek heroes and gods and monsters and just twisted them to better situate them in a contemporary world. "Obviously!" some of you may be thinking, but hear me out. These are gods who live in America, that still control (to an extent) the world but no longer emphasize blind faith and sacrifices from mere mortals. They still have children to this day, and these kids are like the heroes of old. Only, these heroes are unique people themselves, and need to prove themselves different from their ancestral counterparts. And they need to continue in a modern America, living by modern means but needing to still abide by and live by older ways as well (the sacrifices to their parents, allegiances to their parents-- if they're good, being trained and studied in all the classical fighting and histories). I mean, they even live alongside centaurs, satyrs, nymphs, and even for this century alongside one of the twelve Olympians, Dionysus. This world is just so unbelievably mind-blowing, I have to applaud Riordan in thinking of this world, parallel and ever so present to our real world. (Sorry for saying world so many times in one paragraph, and saying it again even now.)

    The characters become even more diverse and complicated in this book, and while they haven't before (because they have each book following the next), this book really began to show true feelings for several characters and it is a perfect set up for the next and final book in the series. I simply cannot wait to see what Riordan has in store!

    Nico is possibly my favorite character in this book, because not only was he revealed to be the child of Hades, but he just became a beast. (No, it has nothing to do that he has the first four letters of my name ;D ) He is so incredibly powerful and I can't wait to see what role he plays in the next book. Seriously, Nico is going to be possibly the key player in whether the Olympians win or not. I'm calling it here and now. It's going to be him. He's going to reveal something or know something that is going to blow this war into another level of epic. Ahhhh! Okay, Ill calm down now. xD

    Well, after this: Annabeth and Percy. *sighs* If you read my review on The Sea of Monsters, you know that I wanted to see their relationship develop. Whether for good or bad, I wanted them to confront their feelings and I'm glad they did a little in this one (because they sure didn't in the third book). I really can't wait to see how these two work it out (or not, I haven't read the next book yet) and see what the future holds for them. (If they win at all, but I'll take a shot in the dark, they will.)

    There were a couple moments that I forgot some characters names, like Janus and some other name I can't recall that starts with T (Typhon or something like that-- and no it isn't Tyson). This monsters keep piling on top of one another and most have only one chapter when they're no longer mentioned again. It can get slightly overwhelming, not in a bad way, but just in a way next time I'll take to writing down everyone's name.

    Probably one of my favorite things about this series is the prophesies. They continue to reveal that nothing is what it first seems and to never expect an easy answer for them. They are riddles in a way, so I should treat them with more respect than what I usually do. Most prophesies I read in books (there aren't a lot), but sometimes I feel a little let down when I learn what they are, and I'm very satisfied with Riordan's renditions.

    Alright, this ending was quite-- something. It wasn't as cliffhanging as I thought it would be, because I think the second and third book did excellent job with preparing for the next book. And I do like this ending, (seriously the last chapter overall was great) however I was expecting a little more, especially that it's the last book before the big finale. But yes, stuff definitely happened that I wasn't expecting. (Check spoilers below!) :)

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

I shifted umcomfortably. "What about you? What do you do normally?"
Rachel shrugged. "I paint. I read a lot."
Okay, I thought. So far we are scoring a zero on the similarities chart.

That's when I ran. There wasn't even any thought to it. No debate in my mind about—gee, should I stand up to him and try to fight again? Nope. I simply ran.

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

    Oh holy gods! (Hehehe) So many gods introduced and I love love love it! I'm a little scared Riordan will do it again in the next book. ;D

    Okay, where to even start? Nico, clearly developed and grew. We see him at his worst, then at his best. I love him so much, it makes it even sadder to see him missing his sister so much. And even though it was in the third book that he backlashed on Percy and called him a liar and traitor and such, in this book we see more into his despair and more into his life. I think while the third book was for Bianca, this book is definitely for Nico and I like what Riordan did with him than with his sister. 

   Oh yeah, and I called it in my review on the third book. Rachel Elizabeth Dare did serve an important role in this book. I wonder how she's going to play in the finale. I don't understand why, because I love Annabeth so much and want her to end up with Percy, but for some reason that she doesn't (like she ends up with Luke maybe (eww no I hope not) or even maybe dies in the final battle), I want Percy to end up with her. She's like Percy's mom, she can see through the Mist and not only that, but she cares for Percy. She clearly does, I mean Riordan just shows it so innocently and sweet, unless you're a major Team Annabeth, you probably are thinking the same thing. Sure, they're different, but hey they complement each other. Not everyone can be with someone who's just like them. Plus that's not a challenging life if we always agree with the loved one. Life and love is challenging, so I think they would do that for each. (Sorry I look way too much into my character's lives.)

    When I was reading the "Lost god speaks" chapter, I stupidly had to think who that was. I mean, who else right? Grover's been searching for Pan since the first book, and here I was wondering who it could be. Though-- in my defense, there were a ton of god and Titan names thrown at me. One thing I was a little confused on was why then for so many centuries satyrs searched for Pan in the Sea of Monsters when that is no where near where he was. I figured it might have been close then if so many satyrs died there, but it turns out he was in the Labyrinth somewhere in New Mexico. Yeah, a couple thousand miles off the target, I'm sure any one could be confused by that.

   Annabeth and Percy kiss! Yay! Haha, thank you romantic side of Nicole... It isn't much, but after reading so much tension between them and neither acknowledging their mutual feelings, and finally one of them acted on it, I was just happy. Happy for fictional characters. Because who else in the world is going to care about them as much. Oh, I think it's obvious I need to take a break from reading.

    Maybe another day! Until then...

    I don't know why but I feel like I didn't care that much for Calypso. Her story was sad, yes, but I felt like the love card was pulled too quickly and too out of nowhere. I don't know if maybe Riordan was trying to make a mini "love triangle" with her and making it seem like Percy was tempted to stay, but I didn't get that. In fact, I think Rachel was more of the other point to the love triangle since she's more of a threat to Annabeth because she's simply a mortal and doesn't really possess much. But Calypso's punishment is really harsh. I'll give that to the girl.

    There's so many monsters in this book I don't even want to attempt discussing them all. But I'll end with the hellhound Mrs. O'Leary. I wish I had her as a pet. I mean, she'd be the perfect protective dog and she's undoubtedly loyal and adorable. I think Riordan described her as a mastiff, and while I don't know if that was just an expression or not, but I think I fell in love with that dog now. Please tell me I'm not alone. Any other people love that scary furball?

    The Labyrinth like I said earlier was probably the thing that stood out the most as to why I loved this book so much. I love mazes and the puzzle of trying to find your way out (though the mazes I've been in have maps I follow instead of blindly walking around), so this book was just so much fun simply because of that. Plus the fact that distance and time have different rules when you enter, so when you exit the labyrinth, who knows where you'll be and how long you would have been gone? Yeah. Fantastic idea. (Though I was waiting for the Minotaur to appear out of no where.)

    That ending was jaw-dropping. I don't know why I was so shocked to see Poseidon. But when I read his name, I was probably more surprised than Percy's mom. (Which by the way, I knew Paul Blofis (hehe what a name!) was going to ask Percy if he could propose to her.) But him showing up after who know how many years, I think it was all of Percy's life so 15 year, I couldn't believe it. And while I know nothing can happen between him and Sally, I'm glad that Sally has moved on. But when Nico showed up at the end, I was expecting a little more information that would make me stop what I was doing to pick up the next book. Which, I mean isn't going to stop me from doing it now. Review will be up tomorrow! :)     

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   This is the third book in the Percy Jackson series, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. The synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

Reference:

    This is the third in a series and I own the box set, so the first two books! :)

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

   I'm determined to finishing this series before returning to school, and these are easy reads so I'm quite confident I will. And I'm loving this series so much, while I can't wait to see how it all ends, I'll be a little sad to say bye to Percy and Annabeth (who I keep calling Annabelle, woops!) and Grover and everyone at Camp Half-Blood. But no more sappy Nicole, on to the review!

  While I enjoyed the story more or less, I found this one to be a bit slower paced. I had so much fun with the second one, and this one I was a little disappointed for a slow start. But, I'm never a fan of beginnings, so it's just a personal issue. However, this book absolutely doesn't disappoint with adventure and action and new monsters! Also we meet some new characters in this book that just blows this series even more out of the spectrum of epic, I seriously cannot see how Riordan can keep the ball rolling. 

   And while I liked the adventure, it was simply liked, not really finding any favorite moments until the end. The humor in this book wasn't as omnipresent as the preceding ones. Actually, in a way this one was a little sadder (no spoilers!). 

    And I don't remember why or when, but all I know is when reading this story, I truly began to appreciate how cool Riptide is. It's probably the coolest weapon ever to exist and if I were a half-blood, I'd want one. Heck, I want one now! Just the fact that you can throw it to your enemy or lose it and BAM it'll return to you. It's like a never ending ammunition sword, which doesn't make sense but I swear it does in my head. xD

    There are more characters that are introduced, gods, half-bloods, monsters, titans, perceptive mortals, this story gives a new meaning to family and friendship. I'm beginning to get suspicious about certain character's motives, and I wonder how Riordan will play them out. And I loved the black pegasus, Blackjack. Every time he said boss, I just heard it in a Boston accent-- please tell me someone else did, or another accent maybe?

    Just like the second book, the ending reveals some important stuff for the rest of the series and is continuing to set the stage for the finale and Aghhh I can't wait! I'm pretty sure that Riordan isn't going to disappoint and can't wait for the Heroes of Olympus series to all come out so I can get the boxed set and also read the Kane Chronicles which revolves around Egyptian gods and such. :)

    Out of all the books, I have to say this book cover is my favorite. Followed by the second one, The Sea of Monsters and the fourth one, The Battle of the Labyrinth. The first and last covers are all right. 

I give this book 3.5/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

“Boys are usually forbidden to have any contact with the Hunters. The last one to see this camp…” She looked at Zoe. “Which one was it?”

That boy in Colorado,” Zoe said. “You turned him into a jackalope.”

Ah, yes.” Artemis nodded, satisfied. “I enjoy making jackalopes…” 

― Rick Riordan, The Titan's Curse

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   Okay, starting this book I was so excited, so when it had a slow start I was painfully waiting for the story to pick up. It sort of got interesting when Artemis was introduced, but I didn't know that she and her Huntresses would play important roles throughout the remainder of the story. Especially Zoë. Yeah, when she died I was really sad. But I think her final words, that scene overall was really beautiful, definitely one of my favorite moments in the series.

   When Bianca di Angelo died, I was a little caught off guard. I was waiting for her to miraculously return somehow, and maybe she will. But now, unless I see the breath be stopped like Zoë, I don't really believe the death. I mean look at Luke. Honestly I was more sad at his death than Bianca's, I believe like Hermes, Annabeth, and Poseidon (I think it was him) that still believes that he has good in him and can be redeemed. Luke is just hurt because of the neglect from his father, he doesn't have a pure pit of evil residing inside him. 

   When Percy realized that Nico and Bianca were Hades's kids I was so completely surprised. Well, not so much after Percy knew the little statue Bianca wanted to give Nico was Hades, but still when he revealed it: me= shocked. I'm curious to see how Nico plays out in the next two books nonetheless.

    So many characters I loved in this story, let me try to think of them all: Blackjack, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Annabeth, Percy of course. Listing them out, I feel like they weren't as much as I thought hehe. Some characters I wished I liked more though are Thalia, Bianca, Zoë, Luke, and Grover. The one disappointing the most has to be Thalia. And no, it wasn't because of the ending (her joining the hunt in the place of the recently deceased Zoë), it's because I imagined her in my mind to be the female Percy, and yet she was more resentful and a little more ruthless like Annabeth, but I like Annabeth more than her. My feelings, I wonder if they'll ache soon. 

    I don't know why, but I found myself becoming distracted from this adventure. Like I said in the review above, this one is slower paced, and honestly I think it has to do with the absence of Annabeth. Apparently in each book someone is kidnapped and missing, so now I'm wondering who will be kidnapped in the next two.

    I wonder if Rachel Elizabeth Dare will somehow return in the next book or maybe the last one. I mean, why would Riordan give her a name unless maybe she was to be mentioned again? I don't even know Annabeth's last name and she's a main character. I would even forget Percy's if they didn't mention it so much, or the series be called after him. xP

    Okay, I have to say my favorite chapter was the Dam chapter. Seriously, I was cracking up so much when Percy and Thalia and Grover were making jokes and Zoë was so genuinely confused. I could imagine myself elbowing Percy or Grover and being all, ooo look at all that Dam food or check out my new Dam shoes and I wonder if this is a fine Dam day or what? 

   I would like to say, I guessed that the hero that betrayed Zoë millenia ago was Hercules. I don't know if it was the apple task that gave it away, but I just automatically thought it was about Hercules. When I learned I was right, I proudly jabbed my fist in the air and brought back down with so much win.

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    This is the second book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. The synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

 The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Reference:

   The first book told me something about a second. ;)

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

    Honestly, I should be reading Stephen King's Under the Dome, but it was so hard to stick with, I decided to take another break. And I'm so happy I did because I needed to continue on my journey with Percy and his friends. Because, amazingness! Purely amazing. These are intended for middle schoolers, and reading mainly young adult and adult fiction, I easily forget that this isn't meant for me. So putting expectations of anything aside and just reading to go on an adventure is what I feel I should've done in the first book so I could have enjoyed it a lot more. And it maybe is because I saw the movie first, but I needed to read this one before I saw the movie to avoid the same feelings. 

    Okay, I'm back in this world with half-bloods and Percy and his shenangins and now I have a good idea how this world is structured. I'm more or less used to the writing style and Percy's ubiquitous voice in my head and I just enjoyed the ride. From the beginning there's action and adventure and I love that it never slows from there. 

    Probably my favorite thing about this book was the relationship between Percy and Tyson. It was in this book I really saw their relationship bind them together to calling each other friends to family, whereas in the first book we're merely told that Grover is Percy's best friend and don't really feel much against Grover but comradeship. In this book, we struggle with Percy trying to accept Tyson alongside him and we experience both of Percy's conflicting feelings toward him as the story unfolds. Especially since Tyson doesn't act how he looks, it helped to show how Percy was compassionate, a trait he got from his mother who we know sacrificed so much for Percy.

    And just like the first book, this one is hilarious. I absolutely love Percy's wit and I only wish he were real because I'm sure we would hit it off well. Some have told me I'm funny and  a little sarcastic too, so I love to find characters that resemble me in that way. I'll put some quotes that I laughed aloud to in the appropriate section below. :)
    Something also I really enjoyed in this book as well as the prior is that I'm traveling across the country. I'm more or less familiar with some of the landmarks or of the locations mentioned, and while I don't live in any of them, I feel like I've been somewhere Percy has. And yes, that completely rocks! Going to the same place a fictional character, who wouldn't brag about that! ;)

    By the way, that ending! Oooo while the first book wasn't much of a cliffhanger, this one sure is. I'm just glad I bought the box set so I don't have to wait a year. I was genuinely surprised and I haven't read one in a long time. (Meaning I didn't even predict that could happen which I love to predict the endings of most books I read.)

    I love this series so much and I wish it came out when I was a youngin' so I could have been encapsulated by this purely fun and imaginative world. This is the kind of book I like to read now and I know I would've liked it when I was young. I would definitely recommend this series if you're a fan of Greek mythology, because who cares if it's for middle schoolers, the adventure is ageless. You can be 10 or 80, any one can enjoy Percy and his legendary quests. 

     

I give this book 5/5 stars.

Author's Quote:

"Would this be the super-dangerous prophesy that has me in it, but the gods have forbidden you to tell me about?"
Nobody answered.
"Right," I muttered. "Just checking."

"What if we could do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework."
"I'm listening."

-Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan, The Sea of Monsters

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

    Okay, the ending, I didn't really know what it meant by the fleece worked too well. I really thought about what that meant instead of just reading on-- but when it said it was Thalia, I was like "oh my gosh!" I figured that girl would be important but I didn't register it with anyone and definitely not with her. (I read the first book a while ago and forgot what she looked like.)

    When Tyson "died," I was 99.9% sure he was going to come back. For one reason, this is a middle school book and I don't think author's of kids books are open to killing off characters, let alone characters that have the mental capacity of an eight year old. It's cruel and sad. I mean, how sweet Tyson was-- it would've sucked if he was the one to go. (While I'm not saying it's impossible, but in the first book he's introduced, that'd suck for him to leave so quickly.) So when he came back and explained how Rainbow the hippocampus saved him and had helped him find the Sea of Monsters, I was a little befoddled at myself for not predicting that earlier. I mean, the hippocampus's had to have come back sometime later, they're too unique and important to be introduced once and then never again. So-- my bad. 

   I'm a sucker for romances, so I'm starting to wonder when Percy and Annabeth are going to start liking each other. While I absolutely don't mind that the book doesn't concentrate on that, I think they'd be cute together. Starting off as "enemies" then becoming a couple is a cute story to tell the grandkids one day. ;D

   With the revelation of a prophesy that has something to do with Percy when he's sixteen (conveniently about the age he'll be in the last book of the series), and with having to do with a child of the Big Three (which he isn't alone due to this cliffhanging ending!), this book really opened the rest of the series for a massive case of epicness. I'm without a doubt starting the next book very soon! :)

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

The Summer Garden Book Review

Rawr Reader,

   I read a review saying this was the most emotional of the three to read. Hold on let me grab my box of tissues. Okay I'm back. Let's do this. *sniffs*

   This is the final book in the Bronze Horseman trilogy by Paullina Simons. The Summer Garden's synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

Through years of war and devastation, Tatiana and Alexander suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. Miraculously reunited in America, they now have a beautiful son, Anthony, the gift of a love strong enough to survive the most terrible upheavals. Though they are still young, the ordeals they endured have changed them--and after living apart in a world laid waste, they must now find a way to live together in postwar America.

With the Cold War rising, dark forces at work in their adopted country threaten their lives, their family, and their hard-won peace. To regain the happiness they once knew, to wash away the lingering pain of the past, two lovers grown distant must somehow forge a new life . . .or watch the ghosts of their yesterdays destroy their firstborn son.

Reference:

   The first and second books in the trilogy. I first heard of the first book by the booktuber Littlebookowl. The first two books have reviews and can be found in May's reviews.

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

    Wait a second. Wait-- what? Is that tears? Holy crap, I never thought a book could make me cry. And here I am. Ugh, I'm such a baby. No, seriously, the emotions from this book are too much for me to handle. I'll come back in a little while I wait for the story to sink in.

     Alright, after a couple hours I'm back, and yes, the emotions were too much. While I took a break following the second book after immediately starting after finishing the first book consecutively, I needed a break. While the books for the most part aren't sad sad, they can be a little overwhelming and emotionally stick with you. So, I needed a break before I finished this epic love story. And I'm so happy I did, because the ending was just what I hoped for-- a simple, straightforward ending.
     In the weeks it took me to read through them, I've lived a lifetime with them, growing and loving this couple so much. They have their flaws, both of them, but with these flaws are just what made them have flesh, have scars, have wounds, have memories. These memories made their lives extend, tearing down the fourth wall and charging into the real world. Out of all the books I've read, I've never been so completely flummoxed because everything I read about was fictional. This charming Alex and loyal Tania aren't real. They fought against war, winter, starvation, against years of separation, against post-war scars, against governments searching for them. 
    Something I had the most trouble with was the dialogue for the children. At first I didn't quite catch it, but this book is very long and the more I read the more I began to notice it. While I believe Anthony to be a smart young boy, in the beginning he was only 4 and I thought he was very smart, he spoke to articulately for his age. Speaking in grammatically correct sentences and was so perceptive like he was ten years his age. I don't know if it was just a nit picky thing, but it bothered me until he was older and it was more natural.
     I can definitely understand why I've read this book is the most emotional. After the first and second book, where they meet in the first and then are separated in the second, the third one they are reunited and need to function by raising their four year old. The first couple years are rough since they need to adjust, especially Alexander since he was in the middle of war for years and was pretty scarred by it, but their love prevails and against all odds they fight to stay together. Yes, there are moments where their loyalties and affections are tested, and I won't spoil what happens, but they are definitely suspenseful, very emotional moments. 
    While the first book is set in a time frame of a year and a half, the second is set in a frame of about four years, but this one transcends past a handful years, beginning from when Alexander returns to America and follows their lives for years onward. A lot of years.
    But no matter by the end of the book, you'll have grown with Alex and Tania and be as perplexed at I am at how the author was able to create this world. While yes, is the same world as our own, but it's a world where our protagonists are so closely affected and involved in wars and movements in the 20th century. And how they grow with them, how they're changed by them, and if they choose whether to choose their love over the turmoils of life.
    

I give this book 4/5 stars. I like the first book the most, but I still really liked this one.

I give this amazing love epic 5/5 stars. (I'm just ignoring the second book even if it is important.) :P

Author's Quote:

"Tatiasha, I know you won't believe this, but if I'm looking at the sheets when I'm making love to you, we've got a bigger problem than what damn color they are.” 

― Alexander, Paullina Simons, The Summer Garden

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

finish Under the Dome by Stephen King
Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

    Guess which part I teared in? I'll give you a hint-- it wasn't when Alexander was trying to save their marriage after cheating on Tatiana (though that was a very suspenseful chapter)-- it was at the end. I absolutely love the ending, the author was so smart to loop the ending with reenacting their first meeting. Not only was it adorable, it 

    As the story progressed from the beginning, I want to guess not 100 pages, I really felt bad for young Anthony. Maybe because the author focused mainly on Alex and Tania, but I felt like they neglected Antman most of the time. The only time we really spent time with him was when Alex and Tania were fighting, or when he was trying to separate them when fighting, or when he walked in on them having sex. Which I found as hilarious as awkward. Even when he defended his mom from the strong father, she still sided with Alex.  

    I know that I live in the era where the right for people to speak and express their opinion is openly and encouragingly practiced, so it was really hard for me to grasp why Tania never spoke up for herself. Every time I wanted her to argue with Alex or defend herself, she would just stay quiet. What angered me even more was when the author would blurp a chapter in Tania's youth where she would be living with Dasha and Pasha near Lake Luga I think it was, and she would show Tania standing up for herself. It really just showed how submissive, almost how easily submissive she was to Alex and I felt myself disliking Tania so much throughout the book. Actually books, but particularly this book. Because apparently all Alex had to do to shut Tania up was have sex with her. Like seriously, making us women look bad to the men folk! :P

     While at first I didn't understand why the author kept blurping chapters from Tania's youth several times in the book, by the end when she told the story of Tania lost in the woods for several times it made sense. And unlike the chapters earlier, I was curious as to what happened that almost cost Tania her life. In fact, I remember detesting the chapters in the second book too because so many chapters were blurps of Alex's youth and sometimes Tania's and they seemed very irrelevant. But in this book, I didn't mind as much.

     When Anthony was reported missing, I had a feeling at some point it was going to be Alex who would leave to go find him. And then it happened! I felt so smart. And I was plunged back into war again. I followed most of the action, until they were running away from the Kum Kau village and back to a helicopter I became confused. Although not as confused as when the men were standing around kitchen island and discussing Anthony taking the President's offer. Stuff about SDI and space signals and I was so lost. Which brings me to something that wasn't explained-- Anthony said he had good news and bad news, but we only heard the bad.

     Another thing I didn't really understand that was not fully explained was the inclusion near around page 200, when Dennis Burck told Alex that his mother was still alive. I figured, oh great, Alex is going to go back to Russia to look for her. But then 50 pages and nothing. 100 pages and nothing. 200 pages. After which, many years has passed and I just figured that he just wasn't going to go. Sad yet it wasn't wrong, why should he trust the man who wanted to send him back to Russia in the first place, the fact that it might be true was hard to ignore-- since it was Alex's mother they were talking about. The mother who saved $10,000 which opened the doors for Alex ever since he learned of it (from Dimitri helping him, buying land which in the future became a good investment, allowed Tania to begin a life with their newborn son). I felt the mother was probably the most player who allowed so much for her only son, and she was dismissed so easily. I thought maybe Alex would ask around, but he didn't. I can see why Tania would be so dismissive of it, even if it was from a guy like Burck, but still, without the mother there wouldn't be an Alex and there would be no Bronze Horseman trilogy. And that would be a sad world indeed.

Until Next Time,

Nicole Ciel

Sirens Book Review

Rawr Reader,

    1920s here we go! Something not many people know about me is that I love the 1920s. America 1920s, Europe 1920s, maybe somewhere else I just don't know much about, I would love to visit this era. At first it would be the decade I would want to live in if given the choice, but after several years of learning more and more about this decade, the more content I find myself in this era. (Laziness for the win!) Nonetheless, I've wanted to read a book based in this time and now I finally got one that's young adult! I will soon be acquiring a copy of The Diviners by Libba Bray which is another young adult based on the 20s, and am excited to start that one too!
   This is Sirens by Janet Fox and the synopsis is provided by Goodreads:

When Jo Winter’s parents send her off to live with her rich cousin on the glittering island of Manhattan, it’s to find a husband and forget about her brother Teddy’s death. But all that glitters is not gold.. 

Caught up in the swirl of her cousin’s bobbed-hair set—and the men that court them— Jo soon realizes that the talk of marriage never stops, and behind the seemingly boundless gains are illicit business endeavors, gangsters, and their molls. Jo would much rather spend time the handsome but quiet Charles, a waiter at the Algonquin Hotel, than drape herself over a bootlegger. But when she befriends a moll to one of the most powerful men in town, Jo begins to uncover secrets—secrets that threaten an empire and could secure Jo’s freedom from her family. 

Can her newfound power buy her love? Or will it to ruin Jo, and everyone around her?

Reference:

   I heard about this book from a booktuber who's name escapes me! She was a little younger than me, so I was iffy about thinking I'd like this book, but it's 1920s, I figured why not at least give it a shot. :)

Review:

(safe for those who haven't read this book yet)

   Okay, I didn't want this review to go this way, but here I am, about to rant. *Rubs temples in frustration* To be fair, initially I wasn't going to. I was about to sit here and talk on and on and praise every single thing about this book. But I'll start with my problem, since there's honestly only one. And that is...

   THAT ENDING! I feel so cheated. Please don't misunderstand, I don't feel like I was cheated completely out of my money's worth in the book, it's only that I was not expecting that ending to be so disappointing. Maybe if I knew if there would be a sequel to further explain some loose details, or no I don't even need that, the author or the editor should have questioned it before publishing. And even if they did, they should have known that anyone reading this would be just as demanding for answers too. Or am I the only one? I don't like my stories to be open-ended and this one is. 

   My emotions are still a little raw, I want to bash and mock and taunt this book because the ending just infuriates me so. But that's it, the first 345 pages of the 369 page book I thoroughly enjoyed. If I didn't want to live in the era before, I certainly do now. Or if not live, at least visit! The people in this book seemed so real, from the main characters to the strangers. They had pleasantries, they had personalities that appalled me, they disappointed me and sometimes surprised me but not really shocking. All the characters stood out to me and none disappointed. And how Fox wrote their actions, it was vividly written and I could imagine it as easily as imagining their accents and idiosyncrasies.

   We have the headstrong Jo Winter, who is determined to be independent in this transitioning decade where women are having more and more of a voice, and she herself determined to join them and pursue an education. But also Jo who is vulnerable because of the disappearance of her brother, believing herself to be the only one who knows he's alive. And then she meets Louise O'Keefe, girlfriend of Daniel Connor, the notorious gangster who replaced Al Capone when he departed for Chicago. Lou, as the alternating chapters are titled that switch between Jo and herself, is a different kind of strong than Jo. She isn't independent like Jo, but she really admires her until Danny comes into the picture. Then their seemingly amiable friendship begins to slither back and forth between genuine and fraudulent. It is only as the story unfolds further and further we see how Lou's mind works, and where her mind will end up.

   And I'd say anyone really interested in the 1920s or in a murder mystery will be immediately drawn into this world from the very first chapter. Fox just has the magical, airy way in her writing that really takes me from my world and into the one in pages. I genuinely felt like Fox was writing from her experience living in the 20s herself! She masterfully unraveled the mystery slowly yet beautifully all the way until the end. (Ugh-- the end!....) However, I would be more than happy to see where she went with this story if she were somehow to continue.

   Okay, in almost every young adult book, there's a romance at least in some way or another, and this one isn't in the minority. Charlie is Jo's love interest and yes, he is a sweetheart. I fell for him just as much as Jo did. In fact, it's probably the 1920s that made him even more noble and honorable. Because honestly, most of these characters were pretty black or white, except Lou who'd I say is a very unpredictable character. But yes, Charlie is a sweetie and is on the list of my top 10 favorite literary men. Ooo maybe I should do a list of my top literary men and women. What do you guys think? Yes, no? Alright, you convinced me, I'll get on it as soon as this review is over. ^_^

    And Jo is definitely one of my favorite protagonists. Let me rephrase that, one of my favorite female teen protagonists, because if you're an avid reader you might have some idea that young adult consists 95% on female protagonists that pretty much all sing to the same tune.

   And then this book has a murder mystery in it! From the beginning Jo has a secret. Her brother is alive, the only thing is is that she's the only one that does. Well, until Danny Connor enters her life and reveals that he too knows he's alive and demands that she tell him where he is. The suspense and intrigue just explodes from that point on, unfortunately, it's the ending that doesn't wrap up anything and leaves you open-ended. My feels are still so emotional. I think you can tell.

    Overall, I immensely and thoroughly enjoyed the book and the adventure we embark on with Jo and Lou over about the course of a month. So much happens and it gets better and more intriguing with each passing chapter. It was difficult to put the book down, and I would love to reread it (but I'll probably just skip the ending.)

    

I give this book 4/5 stars. As much as I wanted to give it 3 stars, I enjoyed 90% of the book, I couldn't take off 2 stars just because the ending was disappointing. 

Quote:

"I am so far from being a pessimist... on the contrary, in spite of my scars, I am tickled to death at life."
-Eugene O'Neill

My Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7170636-nicole

Next To Read:

The Secret Garden by Paullina Simons

River Song's Spoilers:

(unsafe for those who haven't read this book yet, so don't read this section)

   Teddy is alive. Teddy is alive. I saw Teddy across the street. I felt his hand on me. I saw Teddy mouth the words: I'll find you. Teddy saved me. Teddy brought the the scarf and medals down from the burning mansion. Only thing is-- Teddy is actually dead through it all. So when Danny was relentless and insistent that Jo's "deceased" brother was really alive-- no, he was actually dead. WHAT THE HELL! Yes, this is what ruined it for me. Even Lou and Charlie saw him outside Danny's mansion. How about that slip up! I don't like my characters to be revealed dead. This is like The Vanishing Game all over again-- except at least in the The Vanishing Game the author made sense of the big reveal. I feel cheated and tricked and so aggravated at the author for making me love a character so much that isn't even real! Ugh, this wasn't supposed to be a paranormal story. I'm really hoping I'm just ranting and I just rushed through the last chapters and completely misunderstood it. Yes, I am going to reread those chapters after finishing this review. Because apparently I missed something and I'm just so completely unsatisfied.
   Also, over the course of chapters that Lou is being interviewed by Detective Smith is held in September-- three months after the crime. Which just confuses me to a T. Is that the phrase? I don't remember, but it just gave me another argument against the ending, since it doesn't make sense why it would take three months to recover from a stab wound.
   However, this did remind me of The Vanishing Game because like in TVG, I traveled around the city and from different public places to find hidden clues to reveal this mystery and what the hidden secret was. Which I will rant on in the next paragraph.
   While I liked how the "big secret" turned out to be that Melody had a kid with Danny's brother Patrick and she was watching him from afar. But, I didn't feel as connected with Melody since she didn't appear in the book that much, and Patrick not even a quarter as much as her. It was sweet, especially when John Rushton revealed to be the boy's adpotive father and secret admirer of his mother, but like the other two, he wasn't in the story that much either. He was only placed in certain moments of suspense and I didn't feel much of a connection from him either, though I do believe he was written well. As were all the characters.
   No, correction, that wasn't the BIG SECRET "big secret," that was just a climatic moment. The big secret was that Danny was involved (in fact the benefactor) of the bombing of a bank which killed Rushton's brother that Teddy was implicated in. Patrick was the bomber (I think?) and Teddy was unknowingly preparing or simply around the ingredients to the bombs. Yeah, I think that's about right. Anyhoo, this was revealed near the end to show that Danny was in fact a bad guy (since he only talked bad and didn't do much himself but charm Jo and take care of Lou).
   Oh, there was one little part that bothered me near the end that didn't involve Teddy. It was when Lou was talking to the detective and was telling him how the story really isn't Jo's story but hers. Like, she kept pushing it in my face that that was the biggest secret in the world and she was making me believe it. Rule of writing: show don't tell. Because honestly I just disagree, I think it was Jo's story (especially when Lou was unable to move when the real stuff went down).
   Alright, let me try to clear this up. Danny held the gun to Jo, about to shoot her, when Jo turns to see wounded Lou standing with the revolver pointed to him (which doesn't make much sense since he has a gun in his hand too) and backs away saying that he "killed" them. Referring to Lou or Teddy? Because sometimes it makes sense that Teddy really is dead, but then that he isn't. But who else could have unlocked her door, fought on the boat with Danny, saved Lou right after Danny stabbed her, returned the scarf and medals to Jo? And if Danny was alone, why was he so insistent on Jo for telling him where the brother was. I mean because if he was dead, he didn't have to worry about Jo knowing. I mean she may have had the journal, but then if she did, why wait a year to start asking questions?? Honestly I just need to reread this so my questions can be answered, already knowing-- for the most part-- how this story was going to play out.

Until Next Time,
Nicole Ciel