Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Hey, guys! A lot of long-awaited last books have come out, and we have been greedily devouring them all while trying to forget that there are things we desperately have to be doing. (We've realized we might need an intervention.) So, today's review is for "Allegiant," by Veronica Roth, last book in the Divergent trilogy.

Cover: the colors are impressive, and this time, the symbol on the cover isn't a faction symbol. I wasn't sure what it was until I started reading, but it makes sense now. I approve of this one's motto: "One choice will define you." The word "will" instead of "can" portrays a sense of finality that this book definitely provided.

Characters: I'm sorry to say, the characters didn't have the same effect on me as usual. Four, especially, seemed completely different in this one. He mistrusted Tris, succumbed to his fear (the one thing the old Four absolutely refused to do, one of the main things that defined him), and he made mistakes the Four we knew never would have done. As for Tris, thankfully, she was her typical self. She grew even more in this book, and stayed true to herself until the very end. We get to see Caleb in a slightly different light, although I can't say I like him. What happened to some of the characters was heartbreaking, whether alive or dead. Unfortunately, even while I was reading, I found myself dearly missing Divergent.

The plot: I'm not sure why the plot progressed the way it did. It wasn't terrible, and it made some sense because they were now both inside and outside of the faction city, but having two plots run parallel and then solve one in the middle and the other towards the end just didn't have the unity that the first two books had, especially the first one.

The ending: I can see what Roth hoped to accomplish by this, but it was completely unnecessary and deserves an entire star deduction for it. It shouldn't have happened. There are circumstances when this would have made a book stunning, but this is definitely not one of them.

Overall, I can't believe I'm saying this, but this book was a disappointment. I can't bring myself to give it a high rate, because of how much more I have come to expect from this series, but I can't bring myself to give it no stars, because I loved Divergent. Letting a series I love go is usually painful, because I can't come to terms with the fact that I won't ever see these characters in the future again. This time, it was painful because it disappointed me, and I can't put the series as a whole on the altar I thought it would deserve. It was really disappointing. :(

1.5 stars.

Breakable by Aimee L. Salter

Hey, guys! So, we kinda died there for awhile, but we're alive and back now, so, sorry for the break. This review is for "Breakable," by Aimee L. Salter, and it is completely honest and no money was exchanged for this review.


The cover has meaning so don't write it off just yet!!!


I'll start off by saying that this book surprised me in a very good way. Reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure what to expect, but once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. It was engaging and unique, and I finished it in one sitting. Chick-lit isn't usually a genre I love, so congrats to Aimee L. Salter for that.

The characters: the main character, Stacy, is as expected an insecure teenage girl. Normally girls with excessive insecurities annoy me, but it added to the story. It was understandable, the way she accepted it as a fact. The thing about writing an insecure girl is how easy it would be to make her just like every insecure character out there. But a version of her future self in the mirror? That sets the story apart. Mark was the average best-friend-hot-crush guy who was apparently perfect in every way and could do no wrong. What made him not detract slightly from my opinion of the story was the fact that Stacy later realizes that he isn't perfect in any way, not even close. That's exactly what she says: "not even close". There were the typical mean guys and mean girls that I successfully hated - nothing special. But there was also the ex-boyfriend, Dexter, who was very interesting. he could be described with vivid diction. That's all I can say without a spoiler. Stacy's character developed a lot, and the ending bit with her conversation with the artist made the ending a good one.

The plot kept me engaged. Obviously, in a story about character growth, the characters should be your favorite part of the story. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the plot just as much. It was paced well, and never missed an opportunity to shape the characters.


Story telling: I liked that it was told by Stacy as her accounts to a therapist. It was interesting.

However, I was confused for a while towards the end, with the whole old-me/current-me changing thing. that confusion wasn't resolved until the very end, and now I'm fairly sure I understand what happened. But while I was reading it, it was difficult to keep up.

This was a good, engaging story that I found impossible to stop reading. It's not one I would keep visiting and read a hundred times over the years, partly because this just isn't my genre. If I could sum it up in one word, it would definitely be "unique", as I've mentioned several times.

So, 3.5 stars. Would I recommend it? YES!!! Gabby likes it more than I do, but even I agree that it was a great read.

Aimee was kind enough to do an interview for Gabriel and I, so here it is:

Who is your favorite author?

That's a really hard question! Mainly because it changes depending on my mood. But in terms of my favorite book of all, it was written by Katja Millay. She's an incredible talent AND a really nice, funny person. So if I have to choose, I'd say her.

In YA I also love Kody Keplinger (especially for "The Duff"), Jay Asher, and Sarah Dessen.

For adults my favorites are Diana Gabaldon, Julie Anne Long, and Mary Brown.


2. What is your favorite genre/book and is your book similar to your favorite?

That's another one that depends a little on my mood. The genre I read to "escape" is historical romance, so that's nothing like what I write. But in terms of what I read the most, it's YA. In that I read more contemporary than anything else now. But I've always had a love for those stories that you felt could be real, but were just a little magical. So I guess I do write what I love most...it just doesn't really fit a single genre!


3. What is your favorite part of Breakable?

The kiss, without a doubt. And the twist at the end.

I love the kiss because it takes me back to that romantic ideal I always had in high school (but only lived out once), where the seemingly unattainable guy turns out to be...attainable. It's a fun moment, and fairly deep for Stacy (the main character in BREAKABLE).

I also love the twist at the end because it's the thing readers always get excited about. "That ending! I love it!" As a reader I love it when I get what I call the "Aha moment". So it was fun to deliver one in my book.




4. Do the names of your characters have meaning?

No. I just choose names that "feel right" to me as the writer and I have no idea why they do. There have been times when I haven't been able to find the right name for the first draft or two, and it ends up bugging me every time I have to use it. I'll admit to having sorted through baby name websites before, working on names by definition until I find something that suits the personality of the character. But none of these characters were named that way.


5. How have your personal experiences affected your writing?

With this book my personal experiences have been quite crucial. I was very passionate about art in high school, and I was bullied (though I didn't realize that until years later - I just thought I was unpopular). So I was able to draw on my own experiences in that sense. But as a rule I don't depict actual events that happened in my life. The main character is very different to me, so it wouldn't work to try and do that anyway. I just know what kind of tone to set, or what is a realistic interaction between characters because I lived through similar things.


6. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I remember wanting to write books when I was very young. Seven or eight. But I didn't identify that as a "career choice" until I was about ten. And I didn't believe when I was young that I could do it. So I didn't start seriously writing with the goal of trying to get published until I was in my thirties. It's been a long journey from wish to reality for me!

7. How many hours a day do you spend on writing?

Right now, about twelve. Every day. There's A LOT of work in putting out a book. Normally I'd give 20-30 hours a week to it, depending on the week, and what other responsibilities I have. When I'm drafting a new book I tend to write for 2-3 hours solid, once or twice a day, depending on whether it's flowing easily or not.

8. Who or what inspired you to write your story?

Well, there's the well-documented "inspiration" behind BREAKABLE: that I was reading the Dear Teen Me website, in which authors write letters to their teenage selves. That inspired the core premise.

But the story came on a much more personal level. Stacy deals with ruthless bullying at school and at home. I didn't have it in my home life, but life for me was awful at school through junior high and up until about 11th grade. So once I got the story going and realized bullying was going to be a big part of Stacy's journey too, then I was determined to make sure those aspects of the story were really authentic. I drew from my experience, and from the stories I heard from my nieces and other young people I love.

9. Any ideas for self-publishing authors?

If you want to do it right you can't do it on a whim. You've got to try and replicate the process of a publisher - and no one else is going to do it for you. Be prepared to work really hard, for long hours, and potentially little financial gain. But if, like me, getting the story out there is more important than getting a ton of money, then do it and don't apologize.

Don't put more money in than you can afford to lose. Don't give in to the temptation to cut corners. And don't question your vision. No one knows your story like you do. Follow your dream!

10. Any advice for aspiring authors?

Learn the craft of fiction. I can't stress that enough. When you're in the trenches it feels like a lot of time given to something that isn't productive. But when you come out the other side and your voice is developing because your brain knows how to communicate it effectively, and your draft is flying, and you can see that you haven't stumbled down 15 rabbit trails on the way, you'll gladly give those hours twice over. It's worth it!

Thanks for having me, Gabrielle. I really appreciate all your support!
No Problem Aimee! Thanks for the ARC, I really enjoyed it.

Breakable by Aimee L. Salter

Breakable by Aimee L. Salter


When seventeen-year-old Stacy looks in the mirror she can see and talk to her future self. "Older Me" has been Stacy's secret support during the ongoing battle with their neurotic mother, relentless bullying at school, and dealing with her hopeless love for her best friend, Mark.

Then Stacy discovers Older Me is a liar.

Still reeling from the betrayal, Stacy buries herself in her art. But even that is taken from her when her most persistent tormentor uses her own work to humiliate her - and threaten her last chance with Mark.

Stacy's reached breaking point.

Literally.

Recently, we have received a electronic copy of Breakable by Aimee L. Slater and we will be publishing a review shortly.

If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say? If an older version of yourself could reassure you about the future - only to be revealed as a liar, what would you do?

Breakable, by Aimee L. Salter, is a promising novel centering around a girl who is offered just that. It is unique and interesting, and if it seems like the type of book you'd like to read, it releases on November 4th for Kindle, Nook, and in paperback.

Aimee L. Salter  is the author of a popular writing blog at www.aimeelsalter.com and can be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@AimeeLSalter and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AimeeLSalter

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass

Today, we're reviewing "Crown of Midnight," by Sarah J. Maas, the sequel to "Throne of Glass" and a book we've been eagerly awaiting forever. Every time I look at the book, I have to resist the urge to rub my hands together and let out an evil laugh. This is a fantasy epic about an empire called Adarlan and centers around Celaena Sardothien, the best assassin in the empire and the main protagonist.


So, the cover: there's a lot to like about this cover. A girl wielding two sword, and fiery colors. I really don't think the colors suit the book. And Celaena looks a bit like a guy...

And now to the good part. . . the characters: Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's Assassin and now King's Champion - I absolutely love her. She's really arrogant and has a very short temper, she's too stubborn to listen to certain people trying to protect her, she's too curious for her own good, and she's brave, strong-willed, and can kill anyone she wants to. In this book, Celaena showed a ruthless side to her that's dark and frightening, and she also showed an inherently good side to her. Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard, improved a lot too. Obviously, he doesn't try to be broody and might not even be aware of it. He has a sense of humor that's different from Celaena's dry, sarcastic wit. And he's in a very hard position as to where his loyalties lie, and he seriously needed a hug towards the end. (It's okay we offer free hugs.) As for Dorian, Crown Prince of Adarlan, one of the twists about him didn't really surprise me, because there was a lot of foreshadowing leading up to it. And he grew, too: "So Dorian closed his eyes, and took another long breath. And when he opened his eyes, he let her go." These three characters, although the main ones, aren't the only ones that were written this well. Nehemia, Archer, even Ress. The writing of these characters exceeds that of almost every other book I've ever read, even those I love just for the characters, because I can imagine Celaena and Dorian and Chaol in our world, as real people.

Normally, for me, one element of the story is the best part, but I have to say, I enjoyed the plot as much as the characters. At the beginning of the book, it was ordinary, engaging Sarah J. Maas writing. Then, as the book progressed, there were plot twists and secrets and things we knew and things we didn't know, but they were so enthralling. Another writer with the same idea could easily have written it to be unmoving. The last half of the book, though, is what made me absolutely love it. Especially the ending. . . I suspected what Celaena told Chaol, but I didn't think it would actually happen. It was more of a fantasy formed by the slight foreshadowing. And then a certain something happened, and I never expected it, and I'm dying to know how it's carried out. When I finished the book, I wanted to scream.

I understand now how this is a fantasy epic and not just a fantasy. The next book will definitely be very interesting: "And she didn't know how she would do it, or how long it would take, but she would see it through. Because it was time."

Recommended for fans of Kristin Cashore's "Graceling" and "Fire." If you haven't read "Throne of Glass," read it. And then read "Crown of Midnight." Because this is one of those rare occasions where the second book surpasses the first by leaps and bounds. I finished it in one day, staying up until 2:00, and it was worth it.

This book earns the rare and well-deserved 4 stars.
 

Endless by Jessica Shirvington

  "Even the greatest bringers of justice will only find salvation in surrender."

We got a recommendation for The Ghost and the Goth, but we couldn't find it, sorry!
Instead, we decided to do "Endless," by Jessica Shirvington. It's the fourth book in the Violet Eden Chapters, for those of you who've never heard of the series. Please note that this review may contain some spoilers for those of you who haven't read the past books. Violet Eden is a Grigori, part angel and part human. She's juggling a billion different things due to plot twists in the previous books.

Cover: The cover was a picture of Violet so I can't really judge that. It looks pleasant.

On to the characters, would it be bad if I said my favorite character was Phoenix? Because honestly, he's one of the best written character I've ever read. He wasn't a flat cardboard image with one side. He had reasons for being the way he was and an actual character that had different faces to it. I've always really liked him, but after reading this  book, I absolutely love him. Violet toughened out a lot in this one, too. In the first book, I didn't like her all that much, but she shows depth and strength in this one, as well as an understanding most YA female leads don't have: 'Nothing is endless.' As for Lincoln - I've never really liked Lincoln. He's an okay person, but I can't really tell anything about him. All I know is that Violet loves him, but why? I can't help but think that was only because of their - I don't want to spoil anything - connection. He wasn't a well-written character. I liked Spence a lot, although he wasn't original. Griff, Steph, Salvatore, and Zoe, were all the supporting characters and they were written well too, if not amazing. Phoenix, Lincoln, and Violet mostly pulled the story, though. The other characters weren't as much involved in this one. And the plot was good, but I think this story mostly revolved around the characters.

The ending was amazing. I loved it! I'm sure a lot of people will be unsatisfied with it, but it was original and had a sense of finality and I'm afraid it's going to be undone and all those unsatisfied people.


Now just give me a second to say, Oh, Phoenix. Why?

So for those of you who gave up on the third book because it was unoriginal and rather boring, push on! You will be rewarded! And for those of you who've never read the series, read it. You'll be rewarded, too, I promise. There is a reason this book was given a 4.7 star rating on Goodreads, people. It's by far the best book of the series.

So, while the plot was unremarkable and the setting wasn't anything special, this is a story about the characters and for that, we'll round it up.

  3.5 stars-we recommend this to fans of Supernatural and YA fiction.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will."

For a classic, this book was good. Great plot but it was a little slow with the plot line, but that is to be expected for a classic.


Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed. -Goodreads summary

For some reason, I had this urge to read a classic book. As recommended from one of my friends I decided on Jane Eyre. I didn't enjoy this as much as other classics I have read-mainly because of the slow plot line. One of the good things was that it wasn't as verbose as most classics. Jane Eyre was amazingly written with great in-depth characters. Some people argue that this book wasn't a romance novel because the book was about Jane's life but I believe that it is a romance novel because all the things that happen in Jane's life lead or relate to her romance with Mr. Rochester. For instance when she was young she misbehaves so she is put in a room where she sees a ghost and when she is with Mr. Rochester she sees a "ghost." 

Cover: It wasn't that bad! Keep in mind the book was a classic. 

The setting: I could truly feel as if I was there in the Rochester manor with Jane. It was written so well! The mysteriousness of the house was a great addition to the plot. 

The plot: Usually I can guess the plot of most of the books out here today. But the thing I love about classics is that it is really hard to. I couldn't guess the plot and that's what made me like this book. The plot twists were great even though there was a lot of time between them.

The characters were the best part in the book. It was great always knowing how they felt because they were all easily readable (other than Rochester.) For both of us, we had a strong disliking for Mr. Rochester *Spoiler* because who a) locks their wife in a attic, b) never tells the love of his life that he even had a wife? *End spoiler* He was also very moody and that was annoying because he wasn't readable so you didn't know what he was thinking. And his moodiness did nothing to help the book. He was written well and his character was thought through. As for Jane, she was very sensible and she was a strong female character for realizing that a) bigamy is illegal and b) leaving Rochester because of it. One thing that bugged me was when Jane got inheritance from her uncle and she was ok to stop working and live a carefree life. I know that's what they did back then when they were rich, but it rubbed me the wrong way. Jane didn't do anything to get the money, (yes she did deserve it) and then she uses it like Monopoly money. She could have donated it to the school she attended (it was funded by donations) or done something useful with it. After all, she knows what it's like being poor. 

So,  I did enjoy the plot twists, the main characters and the writing style. The long, sometimes boring plot was disappointing. So would I recommend this book? Yes, I give it a 3 star rating. 

Expressing our thoughts

At DansLesLivres it is important to us that you have the ability to talk about books. You can use our Chat About Books tab to discuss what is happening in your book currently, recommend a book, discuss characters or to just talk. You can also invite others to join in. So if you're looking forward to any new books and need someone to fangirl about them with, speculate about possible plots, gush about characters, rant about things authors do to their poor readers, or just express excitement that would be frightening to others about upcoming books, talk to us! We understand book-caused insanity and partake in it daily.  You need a Chatroll account to chat, if you don't have one they are free to make!