Review: Dorothy Must Die & The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

I just realized that I never reviewed both of these books, and I read them a few months ago so... Here we go!

Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of Pages: 452

Synopsis:

"I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.
What happened? Dorothy.
They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission."

Can we just take a minute to appreciate that cover? And I mean the plot? It's literally just shouting, "READ ME NOW!" And it was definitely worth the read.

The plot was really different, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't really remember much about the Wizard of Oz when I started reading it, but everyone knows the general character outline. Yeah, the author didn't follow that at all. And it was awesome. I started hating everyone I was supposed to love which really kept me on my toes throughout the entire book. 

I wasn't too happy about the characters though. I felt disconnected from some of them, especially Amy. But, for a debut book I think the author did really well. Also, the flow of the plot pretty much counteracted that because the plot kind of helped develop the characters anyways.

Also, the romance part of it was confusing. I still have no idea what was going on. Or is going on. What? Why? Ugh.

Overall, I loved the book but it wasn't punch me in the gut amazing. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a different type of YA novel.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

Author: Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of Pages:

Synopsis:

"In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.
To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die...
But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?"

When I picked this book up from Target the first thought that came to my head was, "Why is this so short?" And the first thought that came to my head when I finished the book was, "Why was this so short?"

Seriously. Why?

I mean I still liked the book, not as much as I liked the first book, but I still liked it. I just wished there was more to it. It felt incomplete and kind of unnecessary. The plot was still intense and it kept me on my toes, but I didn't fell like it lived up to the first book. It felt almost like a filler book that was just there to introduce the third book (which I cannot wait for!).

Also, the romance. What? Why? Ugh.

Overall, the book was good, just not as good as I had wanted it to be. But, if you read the first book I would definitely recommend continuing on with the series.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars! 

Waiting on Wednesday #35: The Siren by Kiera Cass

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Number of Pages: 336

Synopsis:

"Years ago, Kahlen was rescued from drowning by the Ocean. To repay her debt, she has served as a Siren ever since, using her voice to lure countless strangers to their deaths. Though a single word from Kahlen can kill, she can’t resist spending her days on land, watching ordinary people and longing for the day when she will be able to speak and laugh and live freely among them again. Kahlen is resigned to finishing her sentence in solitude...until she meets Akinli. Handsome, caring, and kind, Akinli is everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love with a human breaks the Ocean’s rules. But for the first time in a lifetime of following the rules, Kahlen is determined to follow her heart."

Another book by Kiera Cass? Sign me up! Also, the plot sounds so original; I'm so excited to read something by Kiera Cass besides the Selection series.

What books are you "waiting on"?

Review: Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Author: Abbi Glines

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Number of Pages: 352

Synopsis:

"To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.
As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…"

Abbi Glines is one of my favorite authors. I've read almost all of her books (i've still got the last two books in the Vincent Brothers series :/) multiple times. There isn't a book that hasn't torn me apart, made my chest go tight, and clutch the book to my chest in love. Her writing is just so beautiful and creative, it makes everyone fall in love with her characters.

This is her first YA book that she has written after Breathe, and you can really see that. The majority of the book was amazingly written and I did fall in love with the characters, especially Maggie. While I did feel very connected with them, I can't really say the same for the rest of the book. This book takes place in a high school for the most part and I felt very disconnected from the school. There were so many things that happened in this school that would never fly in a high school nowadays. Also, can I just express my distaste for the girls in this book? I don't think there was a high school female character in this book besides Maggie that was portrayed in a positive light. Even the one girl who expressed her annoyance with Maggie's nerdy friend came off in a very petty way. That just really disappointed me. I think that was my biggest reason for not liking the book as much as her other books, but I only noticed that after I read the book a second time. I did notice that a lot of other people noticed the same thing when I was reading their reviews right after I read the book a second time. 

The only other reason I was disappointed was minor issue that arose towards the end of the book. The way Maggie acted was so different from all the other characters that Abbi has written. Then the issue was solved in just another page or two--it felt rushed. Other than that the book was perfect.

The most perfect part of the story was definitely not the characters as much as the relationship that they had. I don't think I would have enjoyed West or Maggie as individual as much as I do when they are together. They are just the type of people that seem like they have to be together or the world will implode. I've never seen a connection between two characters like the one that Maggie and West have. 

She had become my lifeline. I wanted to be hers. I wanted her to feel this way about me, too.

These types of lines just tugged at my heart strings. All of Abbi's characters would go to hell and back for their woman but knowing what Maggie and West went through and how much they would do for each other, even as young as 17 or 18, is what really pulled me in. 

There was no question in my mind that West Ashby had become the most important person in my life.

I read a lot of New Adult books that involve these incredibly heartbreaking romances and not once has touched me the way this one did. I think it was because this story took place in high school. As much as their relationship defies all rules of high school relationships that I have witnessed, they are very much high schoolers. Abbi Glines doesn't attempt to make them seem any more mature or wordly than any other high schooler and I loved that. As much as they had this very mature relationship, they were still very immature in their actual lives. They did stupid things just like other teens.

I'm definitely going to be reading the next book, but I'm hoping that Abbi Glines will take all this and make the next book the best it can be. The only real fault in this book was that I found all the girls to be very superficial and portrayed in a very negative light. Otherwise the general plot was amazing and the two protagonists were phenomenal. 

I do have to leave you all with my favorite quote from the book. This scene was the entire reason I read the book a second time. This scene made me giggle like a little girl and made me so envious at the same time. Maggie...you are one lucky girl. :)

He grinned. "My girl. My fucking jersey."

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars