Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Wishlist

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So this week we are supposed to think of the top ten bookish (non-book) things that we wish we own. So without further ado, here's my list!

1.) Funky Bookmarks
I'm particularly partial to the one that looks like it is dripping blood. Imagine the looks of confusion you would get from people sitting in public while your book looks like Harry stabbed it with a basilisk fang 

2.) Classic Book Covers Scarf
I love scarves and this one is so cool with all the different book covers (the pink one on the bottom right is Little Women, one of my favorite books) 

3.) Map of Westeros and Essos
We all know I love maps, I've done a whole Top Ten Tuesday post with maps. They're so pretty and I want to wallpaper my house with them. The tiny little maps of Westeros and Essos that came with my Game of Thrones DVDs are not cutting it, I want something bigger and more hardcore!


4.) The Marauders Map
While we're on the subject of maps what carophile (it's a word) and Potterhead wouldn't want a Marauders Map? I totally do. I mean it's an awesome map of Hogwarts and I can say things like "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" to it!

5.) Harry Potter Snuggie
And on the subject of Harry Potter, my best friend has a Gryffindor robe snuggie and I want one so bad! Look how fun it is. I used to be super against the snuggie, it seemed pointless but then I used one and realized they are glorious and I am not ashamed.

6.) Game of Thrones Snuggie
On the subject of snuggies, let's be real. More than anything else I want a Song of Ice and Fire snuggie. I want a House Stark snuggie because, you guessed it, Winter is Coming. Sadly if these exist I have never found one.

7.) Wonder Woman Tee
I have a collection of what I affectionately call "nerd shirts."I know it's cliche but I love a good humorous tee. No nerd shirt collection is complete without a superhero tee. As person who loves a strong female protagonist, I gotta go with Wonder Woman.


8.) Litograph Tee
While we're on the subject of tees, I have been obsessed with litographs for such a long time. I was going to buy my brother-in-law one for Christmas but I couldn't decide which one. I also want to get myself one but I can't decide. The current frontrunner is The Last Unicorn.


9.) Bookish Cell Phone Cover
Book Books are pretty gorgeous! I've seriously considered getting one but they seem a little clunky to me and I know a few people who actually take their phones out of the case to use them. BUT THEY'RE SO PRETTY!


10.)  A Kindle Fire.
So I admit, I just got into ebooks. I prefer traditional paperbooks but for trips and commuting it is so much easier to use the kindle. I have the kindle app on my phone but it takes up so much memory on the phone. So I've entered the 21st Century and decided, I want a Kindle.

And of course...


11) A Wall Full of Bookshelves
And of course... This is the dream! I mean a library is the dream but realistically, this is the dream!

What is on your bookish wishlist? Do you want any of these items? Leave me a comment. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line

Title: Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line Series: Veronica Mars #1 Author: Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham Published: March 2014 by Random House Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:  From Rob Thomas, the creator of the television series and movie phenomenon Veronica Mars, comes the first book in a thrilling mystery series that picks up where the feature film left off. Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case. Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined. In Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas has created a groundbreaking female detective who’s part Phillip Marlowe, part Nancy Drew, and all snark. With its sharp plot and clever twists, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line will keep you guessing until the very last page.

So before I go any further, a confession. I'm a huge fan of Veronica Mars, and I mean HUGE! I started watching the show when I was in college and it was on season 2, after a few episodes I was completely hooked. I've seen every episode more than once and list Veronica Mars as one of my top TV shows of all time, if not my absolute favorite. Anything and everything to do with Veronica Mars I totally love, so I may be a little biased, but this book was no exception. This book made me feel like a junkie, I needed my next fix on Veronica Mars and that's just what I got. Throughout most of the book I was flailing and fangirling more than even the movie. Maybe that's because the movie rekindled my love for the series and reopened up those old wounds that never completely healed.

Maybe I loved the book so much because I got more of my favorite characters. There were a few

obscure secondary characters who came back in the book including one person from Veronica's past that she hasn't had contact with in a long time and things did not end well for them. But there were also some characters that I would have thought would have bigger parts and didn't. Be warned Logan is barely in the book and so is Dick and Weevil. I kept waiting for those two to come back into the story, it seemed so perfect for them to help with this particular mystery. But what we did get in the book was more time with people like Kieth, Mac, Wallace, and Sherriff Lam.

Of course we also get more of our illustrious heroine. This book felt like the return of the classic Veronica that we know and love. She's brash, she's reckless, she's stubborn, and she acts before she thinks. All of this causes Veronica to find herself in a lot of trouble. But she's also sassy, smart, dedicated, and damn good at solving mysteries. There were so many instances during the book that I couldn't help smiling thinking about all the times Veronica found herself in such similar situations during the TV show and movie.

Or maybe it was the mystery that made me love this book so much. It was all very noir and harkened back to similar mysteries from the show including the very first one that got Veronica into this racket in the first place. This book was definitely full of action and intrigue that keeps you guessing till the last minute. I learned a long time ago with these mysteries that I was probably never going to solve them completely but that never kept me from trying. In the case of this book I did solve about half of the big reveal, and I was really proud of myself. There are some weird plot points that seemed unimportant and left me very confused when the book was over, but I will let them slide. Maybe because I'm biased or maybe because they were red herrings or setups for later books (yes friends there will be two more books). Either way the mystery of the book was fantastic and definitely one of my favorite parts. 

Or maybe I loved it so much because I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars herself. Few people understand this world and these characters better than Kristen Bell. Her voice seemed to ground the book and give it more credibility, as weird as that sounds. Just like the movie it felt like catching up with old friends. Not to mention that Kristen's voices were fantastic. They were hilarious and often scary accurate. The audiobook was an excellent choice.

All of these things combined made for a truly fantastic book. This is definitely a book for fans of the series. It is a return to classic Veronica and I personally couldn't be happier about it. The book does have spoilers for the movie so if you have not seen that yet definitely do that first. And if you haven't experienced Veronica Mars at all, WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS! Kidding! But seriously go do that! Watch the show, the movie, read the book, and then come back here and fangirl with me!

I give Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham a 9 out 10

If you have read the book leave me a comment with your thoughts. Did you love it as much as I did? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Feature and Follow Friday #21 - I'M THE FEATURED BLOGGER!

A weekly meme hosted by
 Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you visit the blogs of our illustrious hosts and leave your name on the post using using the linky tools, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas (this week it's me and Book Club Sisters). Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed. 

Interview Questions

As the featured blogger for this week I included my interview questions. So if you're a first timer here get to know me a little bit and have a look around at some of my reviews and features.


1.) When did you start blogging?
Originally four years ago but very irregularly. I would stop back maybe a few times a year and update and tell myself I would keep it up but never did. This most recent foray happened about six months ago and it seems to be sticking.

2.) What's your favorite part about book blogging?
I think the best part so far has just been learning about amazing new books and being able to join in on the conversation with like-minded people about books that I enjoyed. I have found some new favorites through recommendations from fellow bloggers

3.) What types of books do you mainly blog about?
I have pretty eclectic taste in books. I try to mix in Classics with recent fiction and YA. In terms of genre mostly fantasy, historical fiction, and contemporary. Since I started back up in October I've been doing themed months where each month I read a certain genre or theme. I like doing that cause it keeps me focused and reels in my choices of what to read next. 

4.) What are your favorite books?
There are so many to list. My current five favorite standalone books are The Historian, The Alchemist, Wuthering Heights, The Heart is A Lonely Hunter, and new fave Attachments. My five favorite series are Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Wicked Years, The Luxe Series, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

5.) What has been the best thing that happened to you because of book blogging? 
The best and most tangible thing that has happened to me since blogging is probably that my reading has become much more critical, and it has has become much more frequent. I feel like I'm reading a lot more and I'm pushing myself to read a lot more. Maybe it's just my competitive

 This Week's Question:

Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it (as nicely and respectfully as possible)

This Week's Answer: 

 I recently blogged about a book I didn't like, check it out here, so I'm going to pick something different. Sadly most of the books I dislike are classics. I'm usually pretty good about picking recent fiction that suits my style. One of my absolute least favorite books is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I had to read it for a class in college and just didn't enjoy anything about. It was basically an entire book about symbolism. Everything was a damn symbol for imperialism and I got the idea within the first 50 pages, the other 150 or so were just overkill. The plot was slow and like his contemporaries Conrad drones on and on making something that could be interesting boring. However Apocalypse: Now, the movie that is based on this book, is phenomenal! 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my post. Don't forget this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see give me a follow. I am indifferent to the way that you follow so pick you poison: GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY FF!

Book Review: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade Series: The Darkest Minds Book #2 Author: Alexandra Bracken (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis:  Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children''s League call Ruby "Leader", but she knows what she really is: a monster.  When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children''s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America''s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn't recognize her.  As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

This is the second book in the Darkest Minds trilogy and after that book I was left emotionally scarred and in a desperate need of reading this book to find out what happened. This review may contain spoilers for this book and that one (I tried so hard to make it spoiler free). While this is a wonderful book and thoroughly entertaining I didn't quite enjoy it as much as The Darkest Minds.

The best thing about this series is the characters. I'm a huge fan of Ruby. In the first book she was a reluctant hero who is terrified about using her powers but in this book she is using them all the time and is becoming a huge badass because of it. In this book it's more of Ruby learning the consequences of her powers. She's terrified that the more she takes over people's brains the more she will lose herself. We also get to meet some fantastic new characters at the Children's League. My two favorites are Jude and Vida. Jude is the most adorable and naive character. He's a lot like Zu, even going so far as being a yellow. But my favorite new character is Vida. She is very Johanna Mason. She's snarky, tough, and abrasive but she has a good heart and is totally Team Ruby. We also get to spend more time with some other favorite characters from the previous books. For a lot of the beginning of the book I was more curious about what happened to Chubs and Liam and we get to find out in Never Fade. 

I also loved the continued exploration of the good versus evil that this series does so well. As I already said there is the personal idea if whether we are good and evil and whether power corrupts. Ruby has so many examples of how power can turn a person into a coldhearted selfish jerk but in this book we get see more people who use their power to help people, you know they use it for good insead of evil. But that being said, there are so many villainous people and organizations in this book that it's hard to say who is the real villain of this story is. We get to spend more time with the odious Children's League in this book and it confuses things even more. There's also some further exploration of the two shady government entities operating in the United States and President Gray. Nothing and nobody in this book is purely good or evil.

As far as the plot there is just as much action and surprising twists in this book it's a very different kind of story. I was much more anxious and nervous in this book despite the fact that it is not as much of an escaping for your life kind of adventure. There are those elements but what Never Fade does is explore more of the world and the disease that is affecting these children.  Because we get to explore more of the disease my confusion and lack of clarity on the powers (particularly greens) is gone. There is more than one crazy twist at the end of the book that really turns everything that you think about IAAN and Psi powers on their head. 

But despite the fact that there was so much good about this book I didn't enjoy it as much as The Darkest Minds. It wasn't quite so emotional. In the first book Alexandra Bracken ripped my heart and left me emotionally damaged. Maybe it was because I was hardened by the previous book or maybe it was just not as sad. Of course I cried, I'm not a monster, but it was a different kind of sadness. Everything about this book was slightly different and less excitingly unique. I think that I finally understand what people mean when they complain about second book syndrome. Things took a different turn and I'm not sure how I feel about where the series is going. I cannot wait to see where this will end in the final book of the series. I'm both excited and nervous to see how it will all end. I fear that we will get an Allegiant type ending, but only time will tell.

BOOK 3 HAS A NAME! DID YOU KNOW? 

Check out these two videos from BookTuber Christine aka polandbananaBOOKS where she reveals the cover and chats about the third book.

Title Reveal

Book Chat about Book 3

I give Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken an 8.5 out of 10

Have you read Never Fade? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Discussion Post: Reluctant Heroes

As I was reading The Darkest Minds a few weeks ago I was totally loving the main character Ruby and her struggle to come to terms with not only her power but her role as a hero. It got me thinking that a lot of my favorite MCs are very similar in that they don't want this role of hero or savior that has been thrust onto their shoulders. So that gave me the idea for a discussion post explaining why exactly I like a reluctant hero. 

As the name may lead you to believe we're talking about those characters that don't want the responsibility to save the world as they know it. They may have these extra special powers that give them this role or their circumstances have thrust them into this role. Throughout the course of their story they come to terms with their role as hero and either realize what it means to be a true hero or fall into antihero territory. Either way I am Team Reluctant Hero and here's why.

1.) Much easier to empathize with. I mean who likes responsibility?

 PUT YOUR HAND DOWN TAYLOR! The answer is no one! Well maybe some people. I definitely don't like responsibility. It gives me so much anxiety. I'm always afraid I'm going to fail. Add that fear and anxiety to something as high stakes as saving the world, then my choice would be to hide under my covers until the world ends. When I'm reading these epic kinds of stories I always think, "how would I respond?" And I assure you I would not willingly accept this role as hero. So when I see a protagonist nervous or complaining how they have been thrust with an impossible task I think "I feel you!"

2.) Much more realistic!

This is much of the same reasoning but it seems completely unlikely to me that a person will willingly accept their role as hero. If a character is given all kinds of crazy powers and/or all kinds of crazy responsibility and they give in without a fight not only are they a cocky little jerk but they also feel unrealistic to me. I mean one does not simply walk into Mordor so why is Frodo all "yeah sure, whatever, NBD."

3.) Reluctant Heroes are far from perfect and that's pretty cool.

They make all kinds of mistakes. They probably fail miserably at least the first time they try to do anything heroic. They're not the strongest or the smartest. Reluctant heroes are usually the everyman types. They're Arthur Dent and Peter Parker. They don't want or understand this burden that has been placed on them and this causes them to do the wrong thing more than once. Not only does this make them likable and realistic but it's so much more compelling. If it's so easy then everyone would be a hero!

4.) They're character arcs are so much more interesting

Okay so they made their mistakes, they failed, something bad happened but like all people reluctant heroes learn more from their failures than their successes. They come to grips with their role and responsibility and they have that aha moment that not only can they do this but they don't have a choice. Something shifts in their minds and they become this amazing and badass character. You've already connected with them and are rooting for them to succeed so now you're all "HELL YES!"

I know this just another played out character archetype but it works for me. Along the heroes journey it's much more interesting to me if you refuse the call to adventure and learn the hard way that adventure chooses you!

Some of my favorite reluctant heroes (besides the ones previously listed)

-Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (also Neville): 

How many times does Harry whine about being "The Chosen One" and how he alone can defeat Voldemort? Answer: a lot!

- Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins:

She doesn't want to go back into the arena, she doesn't want to be the Mockingjay, she doesn't want to bring down the Capital

- Quentin Coldwater in The Magician King by Lev Grossman: 

He's not at all up for finding these keys. He just wants to do magic and get drunk!

- Cinder in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer:

No spoilers but she's got a lot of responsibility that it took her three books to come to grips with.

-Alina Starkov in the Grisha trilogy:

The sun summoner is the only one to save Ravka apparently but Alina doesn't want to be the savior or the saint they're making her out to be!

What are your thoughts on reluctant heroes? Do you also find them more likable and compelling? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and who your favorite reluctant heroes are.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Unique Books

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks prompt is to think of the top ten most unique books we have ever read. When thinking about this topic what immediately came to mind was a list of books where they were not what I expected or books that started off one way and changed into something truly unique as the plot and story developed. 

1.) Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
This book was such an interesting spin on not only the contemporary genre but also the typical cancer story. The MC was not very likable and the different timelines make this book truly unique.


2.) The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
This series not only has one of the most unique and interesting worlds I've ever seen but is a truly creative fairy tale retelling. I mean Cinderella as a cyborg? And don't get me started on the big bad wolf! Plus Marissa Meyer does an amazing playing on the fairy tale tropes!

3.) Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
You basically only meet two of the three main characters by reading their emails. The format of this book is extremely unique and extremely fantastic! This book also restored my faith in the adult contemporary genre. It's not your usual chick lit romantic comedy.

4.) This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
What made this book so unique is that it's written in second person and alternates perspectives. I didn't quite connect with the story but it was really interesting especially as an audiobook that had music to divide the sections.

5.) These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
I though this was going to be a more classic space opera and have lots of travel montages but that's not what it was at all. It was so mind-blowing I cannot even put it into words!

6.) Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith
This is not your parent's biblical story. It is gruesome, gory, and a historical retelling. The main character is a thief with a heart of gold and there were so many interesting twists, it was unlike anything I have ever read. Seth Grahame-Smith does an amazing job of making classics into horror stories.

7.) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
This book started out as a classic WWII historical fiction but things took a unique turn as the characters got involved in the golden age of comic books. There were fun an interesting geek and pop culture references making this book much more interesting than I expected.

8.) The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier
Another one I expected to be more cliche and like the Historical Mystery that I'm used. I got that and more. This book read like a retelling of The Iliad and was one of the most unique historical mysteries I've read in a very long time!

9.) His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman
This is an amazing YA fantasy series! The first book is like classic high fantasy but as the series went on things got more interesting and complex. I don't want to give too much away but things take a serious turn in The Amber Spyglass.


10.) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Most of this book takes place in a virtual reality game where the characters are searching for a hidden egg, already pretty unique. But it's also geeky and full of 80's pop culture references but what really makes it interesting is the fact that it's about friendship in a virtual world!

What are your unique books? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and of course... HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Title: The Darkest Minds Series: The Darkest Minds Book #1 Author: Alexandra Bracken Published: December 2012 by Disney-Hyperion Amazon Goodreads  Synopsis: When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that's killed most of America's children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she's on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her-East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can't risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

When I decided to do dystopia for April the first series I knew I wanted to read was The Darkest Minds. I had heard about this book when it first came out and it sounded fantastic. I have read a lot of really good reviews so there was definitely some hype surrounding this book. It did not however disappoint, if anything it exceeded my expectations.

My favorite thing about this book was the characters. Alexandra Bracken created so many interesting and diverse characters that you couldn't help but identify with. First and foremost we have Ruby who is a fantastic reluctant hero (doing a post about why I love reluctant heroes on Wednesday). At the beginning of the book she was terrified about using her powers and being a hero but by the end she had this great character arc where she becomes incredibly badass. She had a very Rogue in X-Men kind of vibe. She had these powers she couldn't control and they kept scaring her and making her do things she regretted. I felt for her from the very beginning and wanted her to succeed and get what she wanted. Then there are the people she meets along the way like Liam, Zu, and Chubs. Liam is the love interest in this books and boy do I ship this ship. He's caring, supportive, smart, and an amazing leader. I also loved Zu, she is younger than the others and mute. I just wanted to hug her and take care of her, she was just the sweetest. Finally there was Chubs, who is my favorite character. He is Liam's best friend and incredibly smart but also sarcastic and snarky. He was like the voice of reason and more than once he said what I was thinking. And these are just the main characters.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the fact that there wasn't really one clear villain, it's an us against the world kind of story. Throughout most of the book I had a hard time trusting practically everyone because they all seem to have dubious moral codes and ulterior motives. Ruby is learning throughout the book about the gray that exists in the world, and realizing who she can and can't trust for help and with privileged information. She sometimes has to learn this the hard by realizing that someone she trusted and thought was good is actually more of a villain than the person she originally thought was evil. She also learns that sometimes you have to rely on these dubious people and organizations, when you are in a tight spot they may be the only ones who can help you.

As far as the plot and pacing goes this book was action-packed from start to finish. There were all
kinds of daring escapes, car chases, and fleeing for your life kind of moments. Add this to the fact that you have teenagers with telepathic powers and you have the perfect recipe for an action film (again very X-Men). This is definitely the kind of book that I can see made into a phenomenal movie. Every time someone used their powers it was incredible. Zu had amazing powers to control electricity as a yellow, Liam and Chubs with their telekinetic Blue powers, and of course Ruby who can invade people's minds as an Orange. But besides the action the plot of this book was incredibly emotional. Everything built to an epic conclusion that was heart-wrenchingly sad. And when the tears started flowing they couldn't stop. It was one sad moment after another and just when I thought it couldn't get much worse, it did, and I broke out into the kind of ugly crying that Clair Danes would be proud of. I had built such an emotional connection with these characters and to see them go into any kind of turmoil really affected me. The feels in this book were out of control.

My only real criticism was that the world-building was a little confusing at times. It was an amazing and incredibly interesting world but I found myself less intrigued and more confused when it came to the dystopia in this book. It's the catch-22 of tell not show style of world-building where I wanted to know more information. I didn't really understand a lot about the color system, which colors could do what , and how Ruby got to be in the camps until much later in the book than I thought. It made the beginning very confusing and took me out of the story a little bit at times trying to hard to figure out the specifics of this world rather than what was happening in it.

 But on the whole it was a fantastic book with great characters, lots of action and emotion, and an interesting and compelling dystopian world. I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of dystopia particularly series like The Hunger Games and Divergent. I would also recommend this to anyone who likes books with strong female characters, lots of action, and moral dubious worlds and characters.

I give The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 9 out of 10

Have you read The Darkest Minds? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and stay tuned for my review of Never Fade coming later in the week.