Stitch - Samantha Durante (Stitch Trilogy #1)

Stitch

Samantha Durante

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees - and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell - Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn't figured out yet is that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface...

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I would love to just hand someone this book and have them read it because the genres it's listed under totally give it away (don't read the tags on this post if you want to be surprised) I'm not a big fan of the cover for some reason that I can't put my finger on.

At first I thought this book was kind of boring but as time went on it started to get more exciting and I really started to enjoy it and all of these little details earlier in this book just clicked and really added to the story.

It's hard to review this book without giving it away! Let's just say it's a genre mash up full of amazing-ness.  Will I be reading the sequel? YES!

Pages: 314

United We Spy - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #6)

United We Spy

Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

*~*~*~*~*~*

First off the cover is much more pink than I thought it was going to be and I love how they put the GG crest (logo?) on the diploma. I thought it was sweet how Ally Carter dedicated it to all of the Gallagher girls past, present, and future.   Some people might find it annoying but I like how Tina Walters always asks for gossip at every welcome back dinner. The B&N hardcover has the special epilogue at the end (the cover just says extra short story or something like that) and I accidentally saw the title of it before I actually got there and OH MY GOODNESS I was so excited to find out who was getting married (and they went with periwinkle!). There were so many plot twists and I am really sad to see this series end (I almost cried during their graduation.) And I would love to be able to thank Ally Carter in person for writing the series I have grown up with have read and reread over and over again. Bex seemed more British to me in this book.

Pages: 304

SPOILERS!!!!!!

HER MOM GOT ENGAGED!! I was actually hoping it would be Cammie getting married in the future. Holy guacamole Townsend is Zach's dad!!! 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1)

Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I love this cover! Just everything about it fits the book perfectly.

What i loved most about this book is how unpredictable it is.  You would think it would go one way and it would go in the complete opposite direction or you had no idea at all where it was going to go!

I wish the author would have picked a better word for the nephilim tattoos than 'marks' I just thing she could have done better and come up with something more creative than that.

It almost seems like multiple stories crammed into one book but instead of it being crazy and unorganized it just works.

Would I recommend it? Most definitely!  Am I going to read the sequel?  I don't think so, not any time soon anyway. 

Pages: 479

Classified Information (Gallagher Girl 4.5) Out of Sight, Out of Time - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girl 5)

This is a double review so the first book is

Classified Information

Ally Carter

Only Ally knows the secrets that lie within the world of the Gallagher Girls.

And the biggest secret of all? In Out of Sight, Out of Time, the fifth installment in the Gallagher Girls series, Cammie “The Chameleon” Morgan has awoken in an alpine convent with one very important thing missing — her memory. So what happened to Cammie over the summer? Did her friends manage to find her before it was too late?

Click here to access a classified short story from Ally Carter, broken into ten parts. We’re releasing a new part each week, so keep coming back to get the full scoop, for Gallagher Girls eyes only!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If you don't know Ally Carter made a website after GG 4 that was updated every week (I think) leading up to GG 5 and it changes POV every 'chapter' and I don't have too much to say about it but I thought it was really cool.   All you have to do is make an account to be able to read it.

Pages: We will just say 10 since there's 10 entries.

Out of Sight, Out of Time

Ally Carter

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan-an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers that months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie's summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It's a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To start off this is probably my least favorite cover.  I just don't like the colors (I think it may be the red) and her boots.  I actually got emotional while reading about how Cammie thought she was losing her friends because I know exactly what that's like (i'm sure a lot of us do) but I still think Zach and Bex still seem suspiciously close. Ally Carter will not let Cammie get seriously injured (Every time there is a chance for serious or fatal injuries someone else takes the hit!) and in the next book I really just want her to get shot or something not because I want to see Cammie hurt but because I think it's her time considering how many people have gotten themselves seriously injured for her.  When I first read this book I could have sworn the covenant parts were way longer (now it was just like three chapters if that)  I wish Ally Carter would have taken a more personal and in depth view on Cammie's feelings (like after the gun incident) because I felt like there could have been a lot more said.  The whole music thing was really bothering me and I didn't think we would find out why she would randomly start hearing/singing/humming music but once we found out HOLY GUACAMOLE that was genius.  

A lot happens and if you compare the early parts of the book with the last its like 'wow a lot happened' and they almost seem like different books and some scenes were short and some people might think it moved too quick or didn't go into enough detail but I didn't think so.  I still don't feel any differently about Zach (but I didn't dislike him as much) and I was just putting up with him the whole book.

I Have so many questions about this book that I don't' think will be answered like

how did Cammie first get into the safe deposit box?
HOW DID SHE GET INTO THE RIVER TO WASH UP AT THE CONVENT!?
They said that Cammie did the gun thing to herself but HOW?

Pages: 294

IS ANYONE ELSE FLIPPITY FLAPPING EXCITED FOR THE LAST BOOK!?  I have the hardcover pre-ordered from Barnes and Noble so I should be getting that in the mail in just over a week (and I will have the extra little epilogue too!).
Until next time
Baylee

Only the Good Spy Young - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girl #4)

Only the Good Spy Young

Ally Carter

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start during her junior year of high school. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when Cammie faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.

Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most-trusted allies is actually a rogue double-agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers—or even her own heart.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This is probably my favorite cover out of all of the books because I love the colors (it looks brown in the picture but it is actually gray) and the trench coat.  It started of reeeaally slow (much slower than I remember) and felt like a bunch of filler up until the last... 15 or so chapters.   I don't think Townsend and  Headmistress Morgan's talk after the CoveOp trip to the amusement park shouldn't have happened out in the open where the students could hear everything but I understand how upset Cammie's mom would be when she found out about it and how she would really want to tear into Townsend once they got back and on the topic of Agent Townsend he really pushed my buttons up until the second to last chapter (it might have been third to last) and I really didn't trust him the whole book but what he did for Cammie (and 'Mr. S') was so nice and it really changed my opinion of him but that didn't make up for him using Cammie as bait.  It has been hinted around at Mr. Solomon and Ms. Morgan having feelings for each other (like him taking her to the party in Roseville in book two and them holding hands in this book) but I don't think that's the case, they might have some feelings for each other but I think it's more of friendship from back when Cammie's dad was alive and how he was probably there for her after he died.

Spoiler

We finally got a glimpse into Zach's world but the fact that Blackthorne is a school for assassins was such a plot twist! but my question is Zach says that the detention center is their cover so were all of the boys actually needing to go to a detention center or would Blackthorne make up stuff so boys would have to go there?   

Pages: 265

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #3)

Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover

Ally Carter

When Cammie “The Chameleon” Morgan visits her roommate Macey in Boston, she thinks she’s in for an exciting end to her summer break. After all, she’s there to watch Macey’s father accept the nomination for vice president of the United States. But when you go to the world’s best school (for spies), “exciting” and “deadly” are never far apart. Cammie and Macey soon find themselves trapped in a kidnappers’ plot, with only their espionage skills to save them.

As her junior year begins, Cammie can’t shake the memory of what happened in Boston, and even the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women doesn’t feel like the safe haven it once did. Shocking secrets and old flames seem to lurk around every one of the mansion’s corners as Cammie and her friends struggle to answer the questions, Who is after Macey? And how can the Gallagher Girls keep her safe?

Soon Cammie is joining Bex and Liz as Macey’s private security team on the campaign trail. The girls must use their spy training at every turn as the stakes are raised, and Cammie gets closer and closer to the shocking truth….

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I think this is the most important book in the series so far and I like how it focuses more on friendship and the spy side of Cammie's life and not her love life like the past two books have.   One thing I didn't realize back when I was younger and read this book that I realize now and appreciate is Macey and Cammie's friendship.  I love Bex and Liz but Cammie and Macey's relationship seems much more special and unique than with Bex and Liz. Cammie was the first one to help Macey study and catch up in the last book and she is the one who was able to bond with her over the summer.  Cammie really seems to understand, relate, and care for Macey just a tad more than the other two.   I really liked how whatever the girls were learning in class connected with the story and filled in a few missing pieces.    I liked how the plot focused more on Macey than Cammie and goodness WHAT A PLOT TWIST! That ending was crazy.

Pages: 272

Happy reading!                                                                                                                                                                                  Baylee

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #2)

 Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yay we have made it to the second book! 

It was just as well written as the first book and there are so many questions about small details in the book that I have and really want answered.   It was interesting to see how the first time I read it I liked Zach but now I didn't!  He was so irritating and I hated not know if he was actually being honest or not!  Just like it annoyed Cammie so job well done Ally Carter.   Early on in the book they fly to the National Mall for a class assignment and I just really wanted to smack Cammie because it was so obvious what was going on but everyone makes mistakes, even Gallagher Girls.   I really liked how the big action scene is at the end (just like the first book) because I find myself losing interest when books have the climax like 3/4 of the way in and the rest just seems like filler.

Overall it's a fun and light read and I would really recommend reading it if you read the first one.

SUPER DUPER SPOILER AHEAD!!!!

I was SO dissapointed/irritated that Dr. Steve stealing the disk was fake!  I really wanted it to be true because that plotline would be awesome (Having a traitor) and I wanted the girls to save the day and not just pass a test.  So does that mean all of the code blacks were fake? What would Mr. Solomon have done if one of the girls had killed one of the guards? I know that's not really how they do it (they like to knock them out) but if push comes to shove you know the girls know hundreds of ways to kill a man (just with their bare hands)

Pages: 236

Happy reading!

Baylee

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You - Ally Carter (Gallagher Girls #1)

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Ally Carter

Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school-that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it's really a school for spies. Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real "pavement artist"-but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her? 

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she's on her most dangerous mission-falling in love.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The first official Read-a-thon post! I'm so excited! This has been amazing so far (and it's only the first week!) and I can't wait until we get to the other books!

I fell in love with this book all over again!  I forgot how much I enjoyed it the first (and second... and third) time.  There is a reason this has been my favorite book since Middle school (I think that's when I read it but goodness that seems so long ago)

I can never put into words how much I enjoyed every second of this book! There weren't any boring or slow parts and each part really fit in and there wasn't really any filler. The book is supposed to be Cammie's first covert operations report and it feels as if it actually was written by a fifteen year old! I Just love Carter's writing style and sense of humor and she really seems to connect with girls.  I love the little glimpse we get into the life of a spy like 'When you're on a plane home from Istanbul and you have a nuclear warhead in a hatbox the last thing you want to do it write a report about it' it seems like the paperwork would be the hardest/most irritating part! but doesn't everybody hate paperwork?   All of the characters are very relatable and I found I could relate to every one of them in some way, even the little side characters like Tina Walters and Anna Fetterman (Tina's probably my favorite! or maybe Anna... I can never decide).  It seemed like Josh and I have the same mom! But my mother doesn't make 18 different kind of banana bread and make me sample them all.  It was definitely interesting to see how my opinions and views have changed since I first read it so many years ago and I think I appreciate and enjoy the book more now then I did back then!   I think this would be a great book for an adult who doesn't read too much YA but wants to dabble a little bit and I really enjoyed experiencing Cammie's first crush and her first date (and kiss!) with her and I think other older readers will enjoy that too.

I just love this book so much!

Pages: 284

Happy reading!

Baylee

Watched - Cindy M. Hogan

It takes more than a school trip to Washington, D.C. to change fifteen-year-old Christy's life. It takes murder.
A witness to the brutal slaying of a Senator's aide, Christy finds herself watched not only by the killers and the FBI, but also by two hot boys.
She discovers that if she can't help the FBI, who want to protect her, it will cost her and her new friends their lives.

My view on the main character Christy was a roller coaster.  One second I thought she was okay and then the next second I couldn't stand her.  She would make decisions that she knew was wrong but just say 'Oh whatever' of course I mean that figuratively.  Another gripe I had was it seemed like a 13 year old wrote the book with the poor judgment, having two boys like her was very cliché, and those two boys carried her around frequently.

The worst part was I wanted to like this book and I would start to get into it but then something would be said or done and I would feel like throwing my tablet (what I was reading the book on) against the wall.

I couldn't stand Christy sometimes!  Here's a list of the things that annoyed me the most.  Don't forget she's only fifteen.
1.  She went to a club just to impress a guy.  She even pretended to drink alcohol to impress him.
2.  She says the only reason to applied for the trip and fully paid scholarship was to (and this isn't an exact quote) 'get out of the house' and get away from her parents.  She wants change because she was known as a nerd and picked on back home.  But keep in mind when she's explaining to the other kids in her group how she doesn't really care for the political and educational value her roommate who could have used the scholarship and deserved it more than Christine did is sitting right beside her.

I felt like some of the characters lacked substance sometimes.  I would have really liked to learn more about Rick.  Also the book never went into who the 'Ice man' was that watches her though out the book.  I really feel like he should have had a bigger part in the book and he would have been an interesting character if he had.

The grammar is this book was HORRIBLE. I really think the author should have found a better editor.  There was misinformation in the book that kept bothering me.

This was a trip for Juniors in high school but at one part they didn't seem to know there was a HUGE FBI HEADQUARTERS in DC.  That was one of the many face palm moments.  Maybe times have changed but it seemed like Hogan had never been on a youth trip back in her day.  There was a lack of security, and I don't mean security guards but the fact that these kids could just come and go at night without anyone noticing was ridiculous.  I know on my trips there was tape on the doors after curfew and the night hotel staff was on the lookout for teenagers running around.

Now I will talk about Jeremy, one of the FBI agents with the task of watching and keeping Christy safe.  I personally really enjoyed his character and wish he had a bigger presence.

What did you think about the book?

Pages : 349
Genre : Young Adult,  Suspense,  Adventure,  Romance,   Mystery,  Thriller,