ARC Review: Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott

320 pages

Expected publication: February 25th, 2014 

Published by: Scholastic Press

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own. 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything. 

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race. 

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

I have a confession to make: I really wanted to get my hands on this novel. As soon as I got approved for it on NetGalley, I sent it to my Kindle and opened it right up. My expectations were a little too high so I ended up feeling let down during the first half of the book. I had a really hard time getting into the Hunger Games style of the novel. However--I don't know when it happened but probably around the 50% mark--everything fell into place and I understood why so many people are raving about this one.

The main character, Tella, receives a mysterious hearing aid type of device that tells her she has been chosen to participate in the Brimstone Bleed, a competition where the prize is the cure that will save her brother's life. Tella, being the teenager that she is, doesn't think twice or takes any time to consider the dangers of this quest, and sets off to take part in the race. You find out all of the details of the Brimstone Bleed along with Tella so everything is a huge puzzle until you the very end.

One of my main issues with the first part of the novel was the main character. She is a mixture between an obnoxious teenager and a girly girl. At one point she was more concerned about her appearance than the fact that she is in a race, which means that taking the time to fix your hair is a luxury rather than a right. I had no idea how this girl was going to stay alive long enough to see the end of the novel. After a while I began to laugh at Tella's inner monologue and that's when I noticed that Victoria Scott's writing is brilliant. She wrote a character who represents a good chunk of teenage girls. If you think about it, many of them won't behave like a Katniss. They'll whine and think about trivial stuff and probably act silly until they grasp the severity of the situation. That character development took me by surprise and I am a little bit ashamed to say that I grew to really like Tella. Her hidden inner strength paired with her girly ways felt refreshing and realistic.

The concept itself has some flaws but I enjoyed the unique aspects of the story.  I couldn't help but draw some parallels between The Hunger Games and Fire & Flood but I shouldn't have and you'll be better off if you don't fall into this trap. Fire & Flood has a different feel to it. Even though they are plenty of life and death situations, the story itself isn't written in a serious tone. It isn't afraid to be silly and I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud a couple of times. However, I had a huge issue with the "no rules" policy. What the heck is up with that? How can a race that will last three months and takes place across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain not have any rules? Like, at all?! I find that hard to believe. Lack of structure aside, I love the idea of the Pandoras. Each of the contenders receive an animal companion, called Pandoras, and they are engineered to have special powers and to protect their masters. I really liked this aspect of the novel and I'm really excited to keep learning about them and their abilities in the upcoming books.

The story has a couple of interesting surprises, which will not only shock you but they'll also keep you reading until the very end. And that ending. Oh. My. Goodness. I'll just say that my jaw nearly hit the floor when I got to the twist at the very end. You'll want to get a copy of the second novel in the series ASAP. Take my word for it.

Note: I received access to the eARC of this novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

288 pages

Expected publication: February 25th, 2014

Published by: Point

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

Do you love Jane Austen's Emma? Then you'll love this new novel by Elizabeth Eulberg. Adorable doesn't even begin to describe this story. It is full of heartwarming and laugh-out-loud moments, which left me craving more of Eulberg's writing. 

I couldn't get enough of the characters and the tension between them. You get to see them grow up, which means that you are part of the development of their relationship and the moment where everything changes. The bickering between the two main characters, Levi and Macallan, is AMAZING. I loved their friendship from the very beginning. Their chemistry is so well written that the scenes they have together are really natural and so fun to read. Since this novel takes place during many years, you can see the characters growing up and how their personalities changes throughout the years. The many stages of Macallan's relationship with Levi gave the story an interesting and unique feel while it also kept it from becoming repetitive. While I felt like the book is aimed for a younger demographic, I had a blast from the very first page and finished it quickly. 

While the plot is very basic and the concept isn't new, it was executed well. It is a charming novel; completely satisfying and ridiculously fun to read. It is the kind of novel that you pick up when you're feeling down and want to shut down your brain for a few hours. It makes your heart melt and gives you that romantic fix that you might crave for time to time. Better Off Friends is one of the cutest novels I've read in a while and very reminiscent to Meg Cabot's early novels.

It is light and fluffy and everything that's right in this world all in one book. If you like adorable and romantic books, this one is perfect for you!

Note: I received access to the eARC of this novel through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender

Published: September 24th, 2013 

Publisher: Scholastic Press

304 pages

Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.

Based on the cover alone, I expected heart-pounding action and maybe some terrifying elements to be present throughout it. Unfortunately, I didn't get that creepy factor. I'm not sure if it was the writing (as far as how the scenes were described) or if it wasn't intended to feel that way.

I want to say that I liked the characters but I really didn't care for them at all. Our main character, Colette, does develop quite a bit but I feel like I've read her story before. Obviously not the "the ghost of Marie Antoinette is after me" element of the story but more of the "every day girl molding herself to be like her popular friends so she can stay in their circle" story arc that we are all familiar with. She's really passive and suppresses every aspect of her personality. I found her friend Hannah to be extremely annoying and shallow. She's also your typical rich mean girl, which I didn't particularly cared for. The only characters I actually liked are Jules and Audrey but I don't feel like I know much about either of them.

The supernatural aspect of the story was good. I found the reason behind the murders to be really clever and interesting. I do feel like the ending was rushed, though. I wanted a little more from the final confrontation. I might be a little biased (I absolutely adore anything and everything set in France) about this but I love that this novel is set in Paris. The settings were beautiful and worked really well with the tone of the novel.

If you're looking for a fun and light read then Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer is for you. At 304 pages, it is a very quick read so this will be perfect if you're behind on your reading challenge.

Note: A copy of this title was provided to me for free via NetGalley.