BOOK REVIEW: All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It begins in the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut, where everything seems picture perfect. Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, struggles to pretend this horrific event did not touch her carefully constructed world. As Tom and Charlotte seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion. As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.

If you experienced a traumatic event, would you want your entire memory of it to be replaced? That is the very hard decision that Jenny's parents have to make for her and they are not prepared for the consequences. Jenny is sixteen years old when she is brutally raped in the woods during a party. The description of this rape is told in a very clinical way, but it's still brutal. The rape lasts for an hour and the description and the injuries are enough to turn anyone's stomach. At first glance, this miracle memory erasing drug seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. If I went through an attack like that, I would love to be able to just forget. The parents have to make this decision very quickly because the drug HAS to be administered right away for it to work. Jenny gets the drug and she is told about the assault, but she tries to go home and pretend like nothing happened. The problem is that her dad becomes obsessed with finding out who committed this crime and of course, no one thinks about the emotional memory that Jenny has about the rape. I appreciated the way memory was discussed and the scientific explanation of why Jenny's body might still appreciate the assault, even when her mind couldn't remember. 

The problem I had with this story was the narrator. The narrator was the therapist that Jenny's parents eventually send her to so she might recover her memories and move past the assault. The first half of the book was written EXACTLY as if it were written by a therapist and that is not a good thing. All of the details regarding the assault and Jenny's parents and Jenny's suicide attempts were described as if a therapist were just making case notes. It was so detached and emotionless. The therapist also talked about things that seemingly didn't have anything to do with Jenny, like other patients and background for Jenny's parents. These things don't seem to connect with Jenny, but they eventually do. The premise said the conclusion was a shocking one and that is very true. But the rest of the story is just so slow and it takes so long to reach any action.

The first half of the book details how Jenny comes into the therapist's care. After about halfway through, there is a little more emotion from the narrator but that isn't what saves the book: it's the actual plot that saves this book from being so incredibly boring. I really wish this had been told from Jenny's POV, but then again, I am not sure the conclusion would have worked in the same way. Another issue I had besides the narrator was the focus of the story. I wanted it to be MORE about Jenny's memory and the trauma she was experiencing even though she didn't remember anything. Instead the focus was on finding Jenny's rapist. I understand that, I just wanted more from the whole memory aspect of it. I can't give away too much about the plot that bugged me without giving away spoilers, but I can say that it is twisted and shocking. It just moved way too slowly for my taste.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow this one. The first half is very slow, but if you can get past it, the conclusion does make it worth it. 

BOOK REVIEW: Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision-one lie to cover for her boyfriend-and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High. Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

I am typically a huge fan of Miranda Kenneally's work. I have read most of this series and I have adored just about all of them. I still can't quite put my finger on what bothered me about this one, but I just felt it was missing something. Taylor was a great character and I could relate to her in so many ways. Granted, I was NOT born to a wealthy family but I could relate to her need for perfection. Taylor put so much pressure on herself and felt like she had to work herself to death to get into Yale and fulfill her parents' expectations. Been there, done that. (Not the Yale part, but the trying to fulfill other's expectations part.)

Taylor does something to get herself expelled from boarding school and so she is back to regular old high school at Hundred Oaks. I think part of my problem was how much she whined about the consequences of her actions. Even though part of what people thought about her was wrong, there was still an element of truth to it. But Taylor just blamed everyone else. She took the blame for something her boyfriend did. She wrongly assumed that her dad would bail her out. When he didn't, she got pissed at her boyfriend for not coming forward, even though it would mean him losing his scholarship. She kept mentioning that fact over and over and over. Honestly, I thought she was a bit of a martyr about it. 

Taylor's family just drove me crazy. She makes ONE mistake and everyone turns on her and acts like they are embarrassed of her. Annoying. He did seem to care at points though and I liked the resolution between them. The romance was just kind of meh for me. I don't really understand why she was so heartbroken over Ezra standing her up years before. They had never gone out before and it just didn't seem like that big of a deal, especially since it wasn't really a date. Then their relationship just moved too fast and there was a lie Taylor was keeping from him and I knew how that was going to turn out Maybe that's part of the reason I wasn't super impressed with this one. Aside from Taylor's whining, it was kind of predictable and the romance was boring. One thing I do appreciate with Kenneally's books is that she isn't afraid to talk about a teenage girl's sexuality. Yes, girls want sex too and no, they don't always have to be in love to have sex and that's okay. And of course, it's always appreciated when they use condoms. In my opinion, this wasn't one of my favorites of the Hundred Oaks series but I can see why others probably enjoy it.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow this one. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Siege (The Six #2) by Mark Alpert

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

Adam gave up everything for a new chance at life. Now with a cutting-edge digital mind, he is smarter, faster, better than a normal teen. Except Adam is anything but invincible. He's indebted to the government program that gave him this ability-and freedom comes at a price. Adam and his teammates, the six Pioneers, swore to defend humanity against Sigma, the most ruthless artificial intelligence program ever designed. The Pioneers are all that stand between the AI and world domination. But Sigma has an advantage. It has learned about human weakness, and its new weapon? Betrayal. In this war between good and evil, the battle lines have been drawn...but someone is about to switch sides.

This book is kind of hard to review. I am still not sure how I feel about the characters because, well, they're robots. They don't feel things the way most people do and yet, they do. Because all of their memories were implanted in the machines, they are like a weird hybrid of robot and human. This was so hard to get used to. I didn't really get the romance thing between Adam and Shannon. How can robots even have a relationship? That part was so weird and honestly, I would have liked that part to be explored a little bit more. Shannon does get upset at something Adam does pretty early on and she ends things with him. I wish more of the book would have been spent on exploring that relationship and what it means.

But I get why a lot of time couldn't be spent on romance . . . the Pioneers were still trying to destroy Sigma and there is a traitor in their midst. I did find that part of the storyline a little predictable. Maybe it was because suspicion was deliberately thrown towards someone else, but I figured out who it was. In the last book, I thought the battle scenes with Sigma were so intense. This time, I was actually a little bored. It was hard to follow sometimes and it just didn't seem as action packed. Actually, the pacing of this book was a little on the slow side anyway. The final battle at the end was a bit anticlimactic. I just wasn't excited by it. There was a twist at the end that I did not see coming. I am interested to see how this series ends.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will enjoy this one too. It's not my favorite series, but it is still very entertaining. I would say you should borrow this one.

BOOK REVIEW: Red Queen (The Chronicles of Alice #2) by Christina Henry

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The scheduled publication date for this book is July 12, 2016.

The land outside of the Old City was supposed to be green, lush, hopeful. A place where Alice could finally rest, no longer the plaything of the Rabbit, the pawn of Cheshire, or the prey of the Jabberwocky. But the verdant fields are nothing but ash—and hope is nowhere to be found. Still, Alice and Hatcher are on a mission to find his daughter, a quest they will not forsake even as it takes them deep into the clutches of the mad White Queen and her goblin or into the realm of the twisted and cruel Black King. The pieces are set and the game has already begun. Each move brings Alice closer to her destiny. But, to win, she will need to harness her newfound abilities and ally herself with someone even more powerful—the mysterious and vengeful Red Queen

Another reviewer had mentioned that they felt like they were reading a completely different story with this sequel and I have to agree. The first one was so much darker than this one. There was also a little more focus on romance with this one between Alice and Hatcher. I don't actually have a problem with the romance part of it. In the first book, there was so much support and friendship and protectiveness between Alice and Hatcher that it seems natural they would start falling for each other. It wasn't really an instantaneous thing. I loved the relationship between these two. Both Hatcher and Alice have their demons and because of that, they understand each other and they have each other's backs.

The book starts with Alice and Hatcher trying to make their way through the Old City to find Hatcher's daughter. The journey takes them deep into a forest where there are fearful townspeople and gentle giants who are stuck under the spell of the evil White Queen. As usual, Alice's love of food and her sweet tooth totally endeared her to me. I love people who love food. I loved the character development of Alice. Maybe it was because everything that happened to her in the last book, but she became less naive and more proactive. She was willing to jump right into things and fight evil without waiting on someone to tell her how to do it. She also spent some time struggling with her magic powers and how to use them. That was another plus in my book: I liked that she wasn't automatically a genius when it came to magic and the author didn't write it as something that came naturally to her. 

As usual, Christina Henry takes a well loved story and adds her own twist to the story we know so well. Yes, there was a Red Queen but there was also a White Queen and a Black King. The story of the dynamic between the three of them was intense and surprising. I won't spoil the book by mentioning which characters were evil and which ones were good, but I will say there were a few twists to it. 

So what did I not like about this book? Mainly the pacing. This book moved so slowly at parts. There is also a time when Alice and Hatcher get separated because of the White Queen and they spend a majority of the book apart. Since I loved their relationship so much, I wanted more of them. There were long periods where not much happened at all, except for some encounters with giants and townspeople. I wanted more darkness and more magic and more of the Queen. Even though I loved the story of the two queens and the king, I wanted more. The author told the story and Alice had to rescue some children, but there was actually very minimal interaction with the Queens themselves. That was another surprising twist.

All in all, this book was a good finale to this story even if it did have a few issues. 

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow this one. It is worth the read, especially if you read the first one. I just don't think it was as good as the first one.

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Underrated Books

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic is my favorite books that have under 2000 ratings on Goodreads. 

1. Forever and One Week (Spirits of Saoradh #2) by Caroline Cairn - I received this book directly from the author and it was so incredibly good. Think of it as kind of a sexy and dark retelling of Aladdin. The chemistry between the two characters was hot and there was so much emotion in the storyline. And even though it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

2. On The Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis - The main character is dealing with the inevitable disaster that will result after a comet is supposed to hit the earth and her drug addicted mother . . . oh and she's autistic, which just adds a unique twist to the usual dystopian storyline. 

3. Dismember by Daniel Pyle - A boy survives a car accident that kills his entire family. He grows up and wants to replace the family he lost and he starts by kidnapping a little boy from a shopping mall. Here's a tip: DON'T READ THIS ONE AT NIGHT! I read it during the daylight and it still scared me. I read this one in one sitting because I just could not put it down. If you like thrillers, READ THIS ONE.

4. The V Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser - These stories were hilarious and so relatable and honest. There were also so many people represented here: lesbians and straight women and transgendered women who waited until their wedding night and women who just wanted to get it over with and even sexual abuse survivors experiencing their first consensual sexual experience. I wish I had had this book when I was growing up. I absolutely adored it.

5. How It Ends by Catherine Lo - I loved the realistic portrayal of a friendship between teenage girls. Yes, there was a little romance but the primary focus was on the friendship. I loved that!!

6. Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor - This is one of the most beautiful books I have read this year. How does it have so few ratings?? People need to read this book, especially because the publisher is waiting to see how this one does before making a decision about a sequel. READ THIS BOOK!!

7. Fearless by Rafael Yglesias - Granted, it has been more than two years since I read this book, but I do remember that the story of two survivors of a plane crash moved me. Just don't read it when you are about to go on a plane. The description of the plane crash was uncomfortably vivid.

8. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison - Yeah, I know it seems like there are just so many dystopian novels out there (and there are), but this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR. It's the story of a plague that wipes out most of the world's population and it kills women way more than men. This one was addicting.

9. Wives and Sisters by Natalie Collins - This one is about a girl questioning her faith and her devotion to the Mormon church after a friend disappears at a young age. Love the mystery, as well as the cult-like atmosphere of the church in this one.

10. Whisper To Me by Nick Lake - I wish this book got more love! It has a murder mystery and PTSD and mental illness and just a little bit of romance. It was such a moving book and so different from what the premise said.

11. Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen - This is the only book written in verse that has ever made me ugly cry. I just love this book so much. It's beautiful!

12. You Were Here by Cori McCarthy - This was such a moving story about a girl still grieving for her brother. The best part of the book was that a few of the POVs were actually drawings instead of the typical narrative. I loved this book!

13. Seed by Lisa Heathfield - Am I the only one who loves books about religious cults? Maybe. This is the story of a fifteen year old girl who starts questioning everything she has ever been taught. I adored this one, 

What are a few of your favorite underrated novels?

The Totally Should've Book Tag

I first saw Lyn @ Great Imaginations do this tag and I thought it looked like fun.

1. A book that totally should've had a sequel

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

This book didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, but I know there was more that could have been told. This book was so creepy. I want more!

2. A book or series that totally should've had a spin-off

Room by Emma Donahue

I would love to see how Jack turned out as an adult.

3. An author that should totally write more books

Katja Millay

I freaking loved The Sea of Tranquility SO MUCH. It is one of all all time favorite books. I am not ashamed to say that I have stalked Katja Millay's Goodreads page more than once with the hopes that she is coming out with another book.

4. A character who totally should've ended up with someone else

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Of course this series hasn't ended yet, but the chances of Jess ending up with someone other than Morgan are close to zero. After reading this one, I fell in love with Glain a little bit. She is a total bad ass and I love her relationship with Jess. I really wish he would go for her instead of Morgan, who is kind of boring.

5. A book that totally should've ended differently

Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova 

This book was so beautiful and made me ugly cry more than once while reading it. The ending was a total cliffhanger though. I do understand why the author made the decision to end the book the way she did, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!

6. A book series that totally should've had a movie franchise.

Daughter of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor

I have only read the first book in the series (so far), but I am in love with it and I think it would make an excellent movie!

7. A book or series that should've been a TV show.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

I have only seen the first two movies and while they are good, I hate that they had to leave out certain scenes and information so it wouldn't be a crazy long movie. I think a TV show would have made the series come alive just a little bit more.

8. A book that totally should've had one POV

The Wrath and the Dawn series by Renee Ahdieh

I absolutely loved this series, but I feel like the author should have stuck with Shazi's POV and left it at that.

9. A book or series that totally should've had a cover change.

The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand

I really loved this book, but the cover was just so boring.

10. A book or series that totally should've kept the original covers.

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Okay, I don't really hate the cover on the right, but why did they have to change it?? I like the cover on the left so much better!

11. A series that totally should've stopped at book one.

The Waverly Family series by Sarah Addison Allen

I loved Garden Spells, but First Frost was just kind of meh. It took place years after the first one ended and not a lot happened. The author really should have stopped at the first one.

I tag anyone who wants to do this one!

June Wrap-Up

I am linking up to both the Sunday Post @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer and the Sunday Post @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

June was a good month, especially since I left for the States in the middle of it. I went to Florida to visit my best friend, went to Georgia to see some family and went to Alabama to visit the in-laws. It has been a whirlwind and I love it. I still have another week left here. June was mild, temperature wise in Italy but summer is in full force in the South. I forgot how hot it was here. I got a mild sunburn when I went to the beach in Florida because I didn't rub my sunblock in all the way. I looked like a blotchy lobster. D'oh! I have also been a bit MIA in the last couple of weeks because of my trip. Yes, I have published blog posts (written ahead of time), but I am way behind in reading the blogs I follow and responding to comments. I will catch up soon, I promise!

I read 25 books this month. Even though June was great in terms of the quantity of books I read, it was kind of disappointing in terms of the quality. I read a couple of really good books, but most of the books I read in June were three or two stars. Most of the books were just blah. Hopefully that will change in July.

Favorite Book of the Month

This was my only five star book this month so that must mean something. This book totally broke my heart.

Most Disappointing Book of the Month

I had been looking forward to this book for so long, but it was just so blah.

Reviews Posted

Break Me Like A Promise (Once Upon A Crime Family #2) by Tiffany Schmidt
With Malice by Eileen Cook
Julia Vanishes (Witches Child #1) by Catherine Egan
Empire of Dust (Blood of Gods and Royals #2) by Eleanor Herman
Read Me Like A Book by Liz Kessler
First Comes Love by Emily Giffin
Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine
The Memory Book by Lara Avery
Twisted by Hannah Jayne
Sequel Love: A Court of Mist and Fury and The Rose and the Dagger

Top Ten Tuesday Posts

Top 2016 Books I Am Drooling Over 
Top 2016 Releases (So Far)
Top Literary Characters I Would Totally Name My Children After

Other Posts

DISCUSSION: Signs You Have A Crushing TBR Pile
DISCUSSION: Easier to hate than to love
DISCUSSION: Finding Time To Read
I signed up for the Make Me Read It Readathon!

Feel free to vote for the books I should read during the readathon!

How was your month? What was your favorite book read this month?