Proof of Lies by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

*I was granted this ARC by the author but all opinions are my own*

Title: Proof of Lies

Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery

Date of Publication:March 7th, 2017

Publisher:Entangled Teen

Description: Some secrets are best kept hidden…

Anastasia Phoenix has always been the odd girl out, whether moving from city to international city with her scientist parents or being the black belt who speaks four languages.

And most definitely as the orphan whose sister is missing, presumed dead.

She’s the only one who believes Keira is still alive, and when new evidence surfaces, Anastasia sets out to follow the trail—and lands in the middle of a massive conspiracy. Now she isn’t sure who she can trust. At her side is Marcus, the bad boy with a sexy accent who’s as secretive as she is. He may have followed her to Rome to help, but something about him seems too good to be true.

Nothing is as it appears, and when everything she’s ever known is revealed to be a lie, Anastasia has to believe in one impossibility.

She will find her sister.

---

In the first book of Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s upcoming series, she sets the stage for a story of excitement filled with intriguing characters. Proof of Lies gives the series a promising appeal. Also, this series opener allows readers to become immersed in the story that Wallach is creating.

As a reader who mainly focuses on fantasy and contemporary books, I was nervous to read something out of my comfort zone. However, I welcomed Proof of Lies with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised. Based on this outcome, I believe that Proof of Lies is a great book for all genre-lovers.

The plot of Proof of Lies is different from your stereotypical mystery novel. Instead of the story leading us to the person who is guilty, readers are caught trying to decipher clues through conspiracy theories.

In the beginning, the book has a slower pace which made it hard for me to get interested in. A vast majority of the first half of the novel was detailing of Anastasia’s struggles and feelings which could get tiresome at various points. However, once the plot thickened, the story was addictive. I couldn’t put the book down. Readers will become invested in the story and will be on the edge of their seats while trying to uncover the mystery.

The characters in the story were written in a remarkable way. Wallach has a talent for making her characters dynamic and realistic without damaging how they are perceived by the audience. The main character, Anastasia, was a sympathetic character. Readers learn about her and the struggles that she faces in a deeper way.

Finally, I greatly enjoyed Wallach’s writing style. The author has the ability to naturally tell a story. This talent makes the story feel realistic while entertaining the audience.

Overall, Proof of Lies  is a must read for young adult lovers. Readers will greatly appreciate this debut to the series. I believe that this story will create a massive franchise. I cannot wait to see what is left for Wallach to create.

True Born by L.E. Sterling

*I RECEIVED THIS NOVEL FROM ENTANGLED TEEN. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN!*

Title: True Born

Author: L.E. Sterling

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Dystopia

Date of Publication:May 3rd , 2016

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages:Hardcover, 304 pages

Summary: Welcome to Dominion City.

After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

And then there’s Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?

As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.

Purchase Here: http://amzn.to/1WFacxn

---

In every book bloggers career, there comes a time where she/he is asked to review a starter of a series, This is my third time and it is torture! I need the rest of the series now!

As I state every time I read a fantasy or science fiction novel, I am not a huge fan of those genres. It’s not that I dislike those genres, I just prefer contemporary reads over them. However, when Entangled Teen sent me a box with True Born and an adorable mug, I could not help but be excited about this book.

True Born is about Lucy and her twin sister, Margot, who were attached at birth. In Dominion City, there is a plague that occurred and damaged the genes of all citizens. Splicers and Lasters have no hope of their genes not self-destructing. However, True Borns are evolved to not be affected by the plague.

On a person’s eighteenth birthday, the young adult has a party to reveal whether they are True Born, Splicer, or Laster. If they are True Born they are shunned and disowned from their family. The twins are a part of the Upper Circle, the high society of Dominion City. That being said, being True Born would disgrace their family. Just their luck, their test to decide what group they are a part of are inconclusive. The pair has to face problems of people after them, possible romance with potentially dangerous men, and a battle of themselves as they try to find where they belong.

The first part of the story is primarily the world and character building. Readers get a glimpse of what it means to be labeled into each group. The main reason for the first half of the book was to shed light onto Lucy and Margot’s character.

Lucy is someone who would do anything to protect her sister even if it meant she had to face the consequences. The author stresses how Lucy feels she is not as important as Margot is, “And when Margo walks into a room, she commands all eyes while I, the sparrow, sit unnoticed and observe. Margot is fire: bright and ready to burn out of control. I am the less exciting twin, the responsible twin” (Sterling, 2). The author emphasizes the bond between the twins throughout the story. She often states the connection and bond they share as well as how much she references Lucy’s big toe, where Margot and her were connected. Lucy is a very sympathetic character. Readers will want to reach into the book and yell at her for not living life for herself. Lucy developed immensely throughout the story and you begin to realize how badass she is.

Margot is a character that is harder to enjoy. Despite her love for her sister, Margot was careless throughout the story. The author constantly mentions her carelessness. Many times, her ability to not look out for herself affected many people. She develops slightly in the story.

Jared is a hot and cold character. As Lucy’s potential love interest, he shows up and she is automatically charmed by his looks. Like many stories, Jared is shown to be a jerk who then becomes likable. In the end, readers will ship the two together. Being True Born, he faces a lot of problems that make him irritable. However, his protectiveness over Lucy is what makes his character admiral. Jared often confronts Lucy about her focus on keeping her sister safe. In fact, he helps Lucy understand that she is allowed a life outside of keeping her sister safe. I cannot wait to see how he evolves in the rest of the series.

A slight problem I had with the book was the writing style. I believe the author has a beautiful and poetic style but it sometimes felt sloppy. Parts of the story felt rushed or overshadowed. I know that the major concepts of the story were the plague and the groups. I felt that it jumped back and forth when focusing on each and it felt awkward.

The overall plot was awesome. After the world building, we got into all the action! Also, the slow building of sexual tension between Lucy and Jared was perfect. I kept wanting more scenes between them. Readers will be faced with a few crazy plot twists. The story held me until it was over. I finished the book in five hours and still have a massive book hangover. I. NEED. THE. NEXT. TWO. BOOKS!!

Overall, I loved this book! One of the best books that I have ever promoted. I need the rest of the series now. Entangled Teen is killing me with these series starters! They are so incredible. I highly recommend.

The Society by Jodie Andrefski

Title: The Society

Author: Jodie Andrefski

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Date of Publication:May 3rd , 2009

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages:Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Summary:Welcome to Trinity Academy’s best-kept secret.

The Society.

You’ve been handpicked by the elite of the elite to become a member. But first you’ll have to prove your worth by making it through Hell Week.

Do you have what it takes?

It’s time to find out.

Samantha Evans knows she’d never get an invite to rush the Society—not after her dad went to jail for insider trading. But after years of relentless bullying at the hands of the Society’s queen bee, Jessica, she’s ready to take down Jessica and the Society one peg at a time from the inside out.

All it’ll take is a bit of computer hacking, a few fake invitations, some eager rushees…and Sam will get her revenge.

Let the games begin.

---

The Society is not a book that captivates you from the first page. In order to enjoy the book, you have to get past the first few chapters. The story centers around Sam and her plan to get revenge on her ex-best friend, Jessica.

Honestly, the summary really drew me into the story. The idea of the book was great and the plot could have been strong if the romance was not as dominant in the plot. It was hard to focus on the actual storyline when the main character could not stop talking about Ransom and Jeremy. I did enjoy Jeremy and Sam’s relationship but I would rather read more about her revenge.

Sam was too harsh when punishing Jessica. I understand that Jessica was a bully but her plan was destructive to a lot of people. A lot of casualties could have been seriously affected by her plan. She was whiny and self-centered.

The Society didn’t focus on the actual society as much as I had hoped. The bullying and other serious topics help overshadowed. I wanted to read more about the society and her problems with Jessica. Maybe if I was informed of more problems that Sam faced, I would understand her motives. The plot felt very rushed at times, too.

I did enjoy the relationship she shared with the characters. I felt that the author added a lot of life into the relationships. I thought that the writing style was good. It has a nice flow to it for most of the story.

Overall, it was an okay read. I wouldn’t recommend it greatly but it was not bad.

Love Me Never by Sara Wolf

***I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM ENTANGLED TEEN IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN!!***

Title: Love Me Never

Original Title: Lovely Vicious

Author: Sara Wolf

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Date of Publication:April 5th 2016

Publisher:Entangled: Teen

Pages: Paperback, 304 pages

Summary: Don’t love your enemy. Declare war on him.

Seventeen-year-old Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, nine weeks, and five days, and after what happened last time, she intends to keep it that way. Since then she’s lost eighty-five pounds, gotten four streaks of purple in her hair, and moved to Buttcrack-of-Nowhere, Ohio, to help her mom escape a bad relationship.

All the girls in her new school want one thing—Jack Hunter, the Ice Prince of East Summit High. Hot as an Armani ad, smart enough to get into Yale, and colder than the Arctic, Jack Hunter’s never gone out with anyone. Sure, people have seen him downtown with beautiful women, but he’s never given high school girls the time of day. Until Isis punches him in the face.

Jack’s met his match. Suddenly everything is a game.

The goal: Make the other beg for mercy.
The game board: East Summit High.
The reward: Something neither of them expected.

I have no idea how to put my emotions into words for this book.

When reflecting on this book, I cannot tell you whether I loved it or disliked it. Honestly, I am leaning more towards loving it. Even though there were times where I was extremely frustrated, this may be my favorite Entangled Teen book. In fact, I am dying for the next book.

The main problem that I had with this book was Isis. She was insane. Despite knowing why she was hurt, I feel like she took her revenge towards Jack way too far. Yes, he was rude to Kayla, your friend that you only knew for a chapter. However, you punching him was enough payback. Even Kayla said Isis was going too far. Her motives to destroy Jack in their petty war were psychotic and would hurt him way worse than he hurt Kayla. Also, she had a weird fixation for Kayla. She continuously attacked Jack because he did not apologize to Kayla. Not to mention, (spoiler) Isis paid Jack $200 to make date her so that Kayla was happy (spoiler end). Finally, she rambled on way too much. Half of the story consisted of whole paragraphs of her saying stuff that made no sense. Half of the time, I skipped through her rambling dialogue.

My next problem was Jack. Jack was the epitome of jackasses. He treated everyone like they were dull and he was full of life. Half of the story consisted of him making fun of people for being themselves. He said everyone was boring when, in reality, he never gave anyone a chance. He was a moody, stuck up jerk who needed to be put off his extremely high pedestal.

Finally, parts of the plot were put together sloppily. I feel like the ending came rushed and random. I know, it was supposed to be a “major plot twist” but it felt like it was not needed in the story. If the author wanted to make the event more logical in the story then she should’ve foreshadowed it.

I did enjoy the relationship with Isis and Jack once they became less annoying. I like how Jack changed when Isis arrived in his life. The whole development of Jack created the basis of their relationship. The scene with Jack and Isis at the Halloween party made me want to scream. I had so many emotions!

Another aspect of the book that I liked was how captivating the plot was. I could not put the book down. I spent three days with it attached to me at all times. The story was fast paced and extremely captivating. The writing style was beautiful and intriguing. WHERE IS BOOK TWO?!

Overall, I enjoyed the story. If you had noticed, the faults were small and affected my view of the story barely. I am so happy that Entangled Teen sent me this amazing series starter.

Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

*I received this book from Entangled Teen. However, all opinions are my own!* 

Title: Romancing the Nerd

Author: Leah Rae Miller

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Date of Publication:April 4th 2016

Publisher:Entangled: Teen

Pages: Paperback, 352 pages

In all honesty, I did not care much for this book. 

Reading the description of the story, I had high hopes for Romancing the Nerd. However, the hopes feel flat. The story felt very similar to movies and books I have read before. And though I love stories that follow the premise of the plot, I didn’t feel that way with this book.

The major problem I had with the story was the writing. This book featured outdated fads that weren’t relatable to me. In my opinion, I feel like the author should have used fewer fads. Instead, I think she should have created fake apps, brands, and other things so they didn’t end up seeming outdated to the author’s audience. Also, the author used terms like “drama-ramma” which personally, I didn’t particularly enjoy. If the author used the word “drama” in the text, I feel like the book would have been a better read. Terms like “drama-ramma” felt somewhat cheesy.

Another problem that I had was Zelda. I admit, I am stubborn and at times, I do overreact. However, that girl was crazy. Yes, Dan did ditch you once and ACCIDENTALLY hit you in the face with a basketball. Yes, it sucked but to go to the extent where you create a fake account to catfish him to the point of embarrassment is extremely bitchy. Zelda is somewhat crazy and petty.

Finally, the last problem that I had was the whole scheme that Zelda initiated. The plan is used frequently in books and movies. I did not feel that this story complemented the plot. Also, (spoiler) why would Dan end up with her after he realizes her crazy scheme?! I would be running as fast as I could to get away from her (spoiler end).

The book was easy and fun to read. I did not have difficulties getting into the story. Most characters are fun to read about. Also, they have great depth to them. Overall, the book was not something that I enjoyed but it could just be me.