The 100 by Kass Morgan

Synopsis from Goodreads: In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.
Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013
Number of pages: 277
My review: Hmmm. Lot's of conflicting emotions over this book. For the first 100 (no pun intended) pages I was bored with the story. But after that things really started to get rolling.
I also had some problems with a few other things, namely; too many switching viewpoints between characters. I was so confused as to who was who, and only started to really grasp it towards the middle/end of the book. But maybe that's my own incompetence.
Also, the names of the characters were all weird so this sort of aided in the not knowing who is who debacle.
Another thing I wasn't a fan of was the fact that there was constantly the switching between present day and then events from the past. I felt it just made everything more confusing. However, I understand and appreciate why it was written that way. There adds more mystery and more for the reader to keep guessing over until the end of the book. Which brings me to my next point...
The ending! What the heck! Such a cliffhanger! I want to know what happens next right now and the book hasn't even been published yet! So unfair.
There were some things I did like though! These include:
Clarke. She is such a badass and is definitely one of my all-time favorite characters. She's so smart! You don't find that very often in YA fiction, and she does what she wants. When her man treats her like crap she has no problem saying "see ya" and doing her own thing for awhile.
Also, I love the premise of the story. Just awesome. And the romance? Hello, love that!
After the staring at the cover for awhile though I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I like it, but then again I don't. Maybe it's the white background.
Anyways, if you're a fan of Across the Universe by Beth Revis then I would definitely recommend this. And give the book a chance it gets so much better towards the middle/end.
See you soon!

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Stacking the Shelves #19

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking the Shelves is a way to show off what books you have received throughout the week (whether they be for review, from the library, etc.)

I am a little behind so here's what I got so far in August.

Received for review:

Game On: A Varsity Novel by Melanie Spring

The 100 by Kass Morgan

Won from a giveaway on Goodreads:

Summer Melody by Toddie Downs

Received from PaperBackSwap.com:

Dangerous Men Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance by New Cultural Studies Series (I had to get this book for a college feminism class I will be taking in the fall)

Purchased from a local used bookstore:

Bennett and Camilla: The Playboy Prince/Cordina's Crown Jewel by Nora Roberts

            

    

What did you get this week? Leave a comment below and I'll come check out your haul!

See you soon!

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Game On: A Varsity Novel by Melanie Spring

Synopsis from Goodreads: Behind every squad, there's a story.Welcome to the world of high school cheerleading.It's fall of their freshman year, and Chloe, Kate, and Emily are excited to take their places on the Northside High JV cheerleading squad. But when newcomer Devin arrives on the scene, she unwittingly shakes up the girls' tight friendship and rattles Chloe's confidence. With regional competitions right around the corner, though, this is no time for the squad to fall apart-building a human pyramid takes teamwork, after all!Chronicling the dramas of best friends, first boyfriends, and freshman year, this spirited series has something for everyone-whether or not you can rock a high pony.Get fired up for the first book in a brand-new series created in partnership with Varsity, the world's leading cheerleading brand.

Date of publication: September 3rd, 2013
Number of pages: 262
My review: As cheesy as this cover looks this was actually a really good book! It had that sort of innocent feel about it since it focused mainly around freshmen high school girls. I like how the book really delved into some issues that girls feel when entering high school (older guys, more homework pressure, juggling extra curricular activities, etc) while also continuously talking about cheerleading.

I myself am not a cheerleader, but you really don't need to be to enjoy this book! It was very cutesy, and extremely fast paced, so you were never bored. Subliminally Game On also taught some good lessons about friendship, teamwork, and high school in general.

I would definitely recommend this to girls who are entering high school, or are currently in high school, and maybe to those kids who have already graduated since it sort of brings back the nostalgia of cheerleaders cheering on your football team. Good times, good times.


The only thing I didn't really like about Game On was the cover! I'm hoping they'll make some changes to it before it's released because it's just too cheesy. I guess it makes sense considering what kind of audience they're trying to target, but if it had a more sophisticated look I think it would be able to appeal to a larger variety of people. Although the cover pictured above is SO much better than the cover that I found on Barnes and Noble's site (see right). The black there makes it look more mature.

See you soon!

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Friday Night Alibi by Cassie Mae

Synopsis from Goodreads: Rising star Cassie Mae introduces New Adult readers to a practical soon-to-be college freshman who seems to have everything—until a special guy shows her what she’s been missing.
In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation. For a generous fee, she will be every trust-fund baby’s dream: a Friday-night alibi, the “girlfriend” or “BFF” that parents dream about. With college approaching in the fall, Kelli’s services are in demand more than ever, which means that her social life is nonexistent. But Kelli is A-okay with that. She’s raking in cash for school. Besides, relationships are tricky, and sometimes very messy. She’d rather be at home on Xbox LIVE, anyway. Then the unexpected happens: She meets college stud Chase Maroney.
Chase isn’t like the preppy, privileged guys Kelli usually meets in Sundale. For starters, he’s twentysomething, always wears black., and he shoots back one-liners as fast as she can dish them out. But Kelli’s attempts to drive Chase away falter when she realizes that he treats her like he reallyknows her, like he cares about knowing her. When Kelli finally gives in to the delicious kiss she’s been fighting for so long, she faces a tough decision: make Chase a real-life boyfriend and risk her heart . . . or keep her clients and lose her first true love.

Number of pages: 233
My review: When I saw this on Goodreads and read the synopsis I was immediately intrigued and knew I HAD to read it. And it was really good!
I enjoyed reading about Kelli and Chase (better known as their nicknames, "Stinky" and "Moron"). The whole novel was just really cute and, at times, quite innocent. Although, other times it did get a little hot and heavy ;)
Oranges have never seemed so sexy.
Anyways, reading from Kelli's point of view was sort of like diving into her diary. The way she explained things was just so blunt and with no sugar coating. And she was honest. I just loved that. In her descriptions of Chase, and the struggles with her parents, she just sounded real.
I also love a book that has anything to do with people being rich, rich, rich so this was perfect! The whole concept of the "Friday Night Alibi" was pretty cool too. Although I would have liked to see her talk about a few other clients. However, her struggles with this one client in particular and all the challenges he brought on, made it more realistic in my eyes.
I believe this is classified as New Adult romance so you should probably be a little older if you want to read this! Or you can ignore my warning altogether and go for the gusto.
See you soon!

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