The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Author: Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Young Adult | Historical
Series: The Winner's Trilogy
Book: 1
Release Date: March 4th 2014
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 11th, 2014

Synopsis
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

My Thoughts
I chose to read this book mainly because of the irresistible cover. Gosh, it was so gorgeous. Besides, based on the blurb, it did sound tempting.

I enjoyed this book a lot at the beginning, albeit the slow pace. It was indeed very interesting and different from other books I have read. I loved the characters, sadly, later on they seemed a bit off to me. I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as I did the first half. Frankly, the pace did get a lot better. Things moved faster and there were a lot of actions and some really messed up events happened. For some reasons, I didn't find those things interesting enough. Maybe it was because of the boring writing. I think the flow made it hard to focus on the story. It was not the kind of writing I'd enjoy.

Overall, the characters and the storyline were very interesting. I had problem with the writing itself, though. It was dragging and rather choppy. 

The Heiresses by Sara Shepard

 ARC provided by the Publisher via Edelweiss

Author: Sara Shepard
Genre: Adult | Mystery
Series: The Heiresses
Book: 1
Release Date: May 20th 2014
Publisher: Harper
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 9th, 2014

Synopsis
The series follows one of the most prestigious and wealthy families on the Upper East Side who have built their entire fortune on the business of diamonds.

Due to a clause the grandfather placed in his will, only his granddaughters are set to inherit his massive fortune…these are the heiresses. After the death of their cousin, the remaining heiresses try to figure out if the family curse is real or not, and if not, who killed their cousin, and more importantly, which one of them is next on the hit list?

My Thoughts
In a nutshell, this book was more like an adult version of Pretty Little Liars, only the mystery wasn't dragged out as it was in PLL.

After have read more than 20 books from Sara Shepard, it wasn't that difficult to identify the trend and guess where this book was going. However, for some reasons, I found this book very entertaining.

The story was told in third person multiple point of view on the lives of the rich and famous Saybrook family. To be honest, it was extremely hard to follow the story at first as there were so many characters being thrown in almost all at once. Later on, though, it got better when the book started to focus on those who played significant roles in the story.

To me, Sara Shepard books have always been addictive. Likewise, I loved the character developments and the storyline of this book. There were 5 heiresses, Corrine, Aster, Poppy, Rowan and Natasha. Getting to know their personalities and mistakes they had made were what I liked about this book. So far, Aster is my favorite.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book. How they came to the conclusion who the killer was and how each dirty secret was revealed were well-done. Even it did share a lot of resemblance with Pretty Little Liars, this book was still very unpredictable and amazing in its own way.

Overall, it was a wonderful read for me. I just hope it isn't going to be a big series as Pretty Little Liars. 

All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Author: Julie Berry
Genre: Young Adult | Historical
Release Date: September 26th 2013 
Publisher:  Viking Juvenile
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: November 13th, 2013

Synopsis
Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

My Thoughts
I don't normally read historical fiction, but if there are more books as good as this one, I'm sure going to read more of this genre.

This book is hauntingly beautiful, and I love everything about it, even the parts that wrecked my heart.

The story was so captivating that I couldn't think of anything else, but this book - how Judith's life was going be, who had done that to her and why. Just several pages in, I wept like a baby. My heart ached for her and what she had to go through. Being shunned and discriminated against even when she herself was a victim was just so cruel beyond words could describe.

This is one of the books that I will find time to reread. Because once is not enough.

(Some) Favorite Quotes
"You are the sun in my world, and how can I endure to watch you set into another woman's arms?"

"If you'd let me, I'd kiss away your fear, and let you rest yourself upon me, and I, I would die beside you and count my self lucky."

"If you were mine I'd comfort you; if you were mine you'd need no comfort."