Critique | The Sea Witch by S.J. Valfroy

2.75 Teacups

**I received a copy of the book from the author via YA Buddy Readers’ Corner on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review**

The first things about this book that drew me in were the cover, the title, and the synopsis. The Little Mermaid happens to be both one of my favorite Disney movies and fairy tales in general, so this book was right up my alley. I really wanted to know what could possibly have made “the sea witch” evil. Ironically, I’m wearing my Littler Mermaid shirt as I write this. It’s fate!

Critique | The Selection by Kiera Cass

2 Teacups
Date Read: July 13th, 2015 (read it in one day)

Source: Goodreads

I have mixed feelings about this book; I enjoyed it, but not really. The protagonists were annoying, the world was underdeveloped, and the ending was anticlimactic. Not to mention that the writing in and of itself wasn’t all that great. I like reading young adult books that don’t feel like they’re written for a younger audience and unfortunately, this one had that feel to it.

The Characters

First, I just want to say that I want to believe that the characters are smart, but I feel that the author dumbed them down. They’re teenagers, not total morons.

I also do not like America or her name. America Singer, named after the former United States and…you guessed it, she’s a singer/musician!

Come on, all the names in the world, and that’s the one you go with. Not to mention, it really isn’t befitting for her either. She’s “America the Beautiful,” and everyone thinks she’s so pretty, but she refuses to think so. This got old after, oh, the first two times she mentioned it.

Critique | Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Source: Goodreads

2.5 Teacups
Dates Read: August 22nd, 2015 – August 23rd, 2015

I really wanted to like this book, and despite only having a 3 star average rating, I was willing to give it a benefit of the doubt. Then I started reading. At first, I really did not like Nyx. Or her family. It was extremely frustrating to read and I hated the whole, “Why don’t they love me, I hate them” thing…MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

The transition from hating Ignifex to loving him was weird/non-existent. One minute she hates him, the next she’s suddenly in love with him and he with her. It made me feel like she loved him just because he told her the same. However, I loved Ignifex. I thought he was mysterious and charming, despite the fact that he’s supposed to be this evil, deceitful, demon. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t so much. He was actually fairly kind to her despite his namesake.

Matched by Ally Condie

Dates Read: August 9th, 2015 – August 16th, 2016

2.5 Teacups

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. It took me forever to get through it because it just wasn’t holding my attention. The only reason I finished it was because my

Source: Bookequals

loan was about to expire with my library. lol

Nothing really happened in this book. Cassia walked around paranoid pretending to be stuck between two boys, when in reality, she knew who she wanted all along. I wasn’t surprised with whom she fell in love and I don’t like it.

I never bonded with any of the characters, despite the fact that we get a nice backstory for all/most of them. I do have to give it to Ally Condie in that she does some nice world building, however, she doesn’t do anything with it. There’s no real conflict or climax. I think the part where they haul Ky off is supposed to be that climax, but it didn’t really do much for me. I had a feeling that by Cassia placing him in the group she did, something would happen to him, it’s just where the story was heading.

I really wanted to like this book, but it lacked that something extra that I was looking for.

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