Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is centered around one girl named Quin and her destiny of becoming a Seeker, a protector of the world and someone who brings justice to those who have wronged it. Quin is learning how to become a Seeker along with her half third cousin, Shinobu, and her secret boyfriend, John. But, when John falls to pass the final test and Quin and Shinobu continue on, their whole world goes upside. The two cousins learn what it really means to be a Seeker and that everything they have been told is a lie. In this epic and amazing story you journey through Scotland, Japan, England, and more with Quin and a few others to protect our world from tumbling into death and chaos.

Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton was amazing. I absolutely loved every minute of it. The plot was filled with action and a little love; there was never a dull moment. Every character was complicated and fully developed, I feel like I have known these people for years. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was the switching of perspective between the four characters. The reader gets to really dive into how the character thinks, their opinions about a situation; plus the author could make characters be on other sides of the world, and it would flow nicely. The only unfortunate thing about the switching perspectives was that it was hard to see the antagonist of the story, as the antagonist. Because you saw their thoughts and they were so well developed, I almost sided with him sometimes and felt his anger towards the main protagonist as logical. I think that really worked if the author wanted you to feel that way. But if the antagonist was supposed to be a clearly malicious, I do not think that worked. But overall, Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton is so extraordinary and wonderful; I would definitely recommend
it to anyone who likes some fantasy and adventure.

The book, Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman, is set in a different society than the one we know today. This settlement is isolated in the far north and the people believe that they are the only humans left on the planet. Because of this the rules of the settlement are: Honesty, Bravery, and Discovery. The story centers on Emmeline who is stained, meaning her ancestor (her grandmother in this case), broke the laws of their community and became wayward. Throughout the novel, Emmeline constantly breaks settlement rules and eventually becomes wayward herself to discover what really happened to her grandmother and unravel the mystery of her town. With help from a few friends, her new love Kane, and her father she is able to overcome the Council, (rulers over the settlement) lead by Brother Stockham and reunite with the truth.

Winterkill was a fantastic book. The writing was good; I was really put into the setting and felt a part of the entire story. Whether the main character was running through the woods and my heart was pounding with hers, or if she was working her brain trying to think of an answer, my brain was right there with hers. This book kept me turning the page, I would definitely recommend it for anyone who likes mystery and something a little more intense. Something I thought that worked was how the author put pieces of French into the book because some of the characters speak it. I thought it was smart and because the character did not speak French that well, the reader gets to figure it out with her. The one thing I was disappointed about was a little at the ending. I really feel like there needed to be more of a closure point if this is just one book. If the author is intending to write a sequel, then she definitely did the right thing because the ending left me wanting more. In conclusion, Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman is a great book for anyone looking for fierce, page-turner.

Mare Barrow only knows two types of people: Silver-bloods, those with supernatural powers who live like royalty, and Red-bloods, average people who slave over serving the Silvers. As a Red, Mare observes the Silvers with bitterness. While she must act as a thief in order to put food on her family’s table, the Silvers always have a full stomach. However, one day Mare discovers the unthinkable: she, a poor girl with Red blood, has a superhuman ability of her own. To rid people of suspicion, the king and queen give her a false identity and force her to marry one of their sons. Any mistake she makes could have her killed by the king instantly. In a palace filled with power-hungry Silvers, all Mare truly knows is that anyone could betray her at any moment.

The ideas presented in this novel are very original and refreshing. I absolutely loved the creativity, and I am sure everyone else will as well. The author, Victoria Aveyard, has a fantastic imagination, and the magical world that she creates is just as interesting as the strange characters that live within it. Surprising plot twists and killer suspense make it easy for a reader to feel glued to the story. Although many aspects of this book are heart-wrenchingly sad, I was really satisfied with the quality of the book, and I would gladly read it again.

Overall, Red Queen is great for those who are eager for a captivating and imaginative fantasy story. Plus, make sure to look out for the next two books of this trilogy!

Zac and Mia by A.J Betts starts out in Australia during present-day in the point of view of one character, Zac. Zac is currently at the hospital for cancer when Mia, the new cancer patient there, moves into the room next to his. Zac is confined to his room because of recent surgery, but the two still find ways to communicate and slowly become friends. Soon, Mia leaves the hospital and does not return for awhile, and when she finally does Zac is moving out because his treatment is done. A couple months pass without the two talking again, but then Mia runs away from home, and impulsively goes to Zac’s house. Soon, she leaves and the two are back to not communicating for awhile until Zac starts sending postcards to Mia supposedly from the United States. Mia finds out from Zac’s older sister that their family is not in the U.S, but that Zac has been hit with another round of cancer and has decided to essentially give up the fight. Mia travels to his house and is devastated by the pessimistic and depressing friend she finds. Throughout the story Zac had been the one who gave Mia hope and now he has given up on himself. Mia then decides she has to give Zac hope now, he needed her. They go outside and begin to argue because Zac did not want Mia there, let alone trying to be a good friend. In the end of the scene, the two kiss and Zac agrees to continue the fight against his cancer. Sometime later, you get a look into the future where Mia and Zac’s mother take turns being with Zac at the hospital where he is currently being treated and moving towards recovery.

Zac and Mia was a good book in general. It was nicely written and had in-depth characters. I think the main reason I personally did not get too emotionally invested in the book was because I did not like Mia as a character. She is well-written and detailed; I just would not like her as a person outside of the book, so it was hard for me to become involved with her as a character in the book. I do not know if that was purposely done by the author, but if it was that worked. I liked how the author switched perspectives between the two main characters because when they were not talking you got to still see what was happening in each of their lives. The actually writing was decent, there as not any specific quotes that stuck to me, but it was very nicely written.

Over all, Zac and Mia was a good book and if you were looking for a teenage love story with a twist called cancer, then it’s for you. Also, if you have read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and you prefer to not have one of the main characters die, this would be a good book. It’s a good mix of cancer, teenagers, little bit of love, and is good in general.

Atlantia by Ally Condie is set in the future where our air has become polluted and it has caused a new type of cancer. We, as a world, decided to send down our loved ones to an underwater city called Atlantia. The story centers around two sisters, Rio and Bay, who are deciding if they wish to stay Below in the ocean, or if they wish to go Above to dry land. Rio has always wanted to go Above, but one person must stay Below in each family and because their mother is dead only one sister may go up. Bay chooses to go up, abandoning Rio Below. Rio spends time trying to hide the fact that she is a siren and learning about her powers. But she also is trying to find out why her sister has left her, who killed her mother, why her Aunt Maire is helping her, and the general mystery of this city. Rio discovers that her entire society is a lie and that everything she has been told is not what she thought. Rio eventually goes up to the Above with the rest of the sirens because the people Above have decided to not send down food for the people Below. The sirens are supposed to convince the people to spare those of the Below, but instead they kill them all, except for Rio and her friend who knows of her condition, True. The two look for Rio’s sister and True’s friend Fen. In the end, Rio saves the Below and lives there with True who is now her boyfriend. She visits her sister and Bay’s boyfriend Fen whenever she can, but unfortunately they cannot live together. Fen is sick and needs the Above, and because Rio is a siren she cannot stay Above for long. But, the people are working together and the mysteries have been solved.
Atlantia was a really good book. The story was good and I have not read anything like this. It was a little hard to write a summary simply because so much happens in the book, but because of that there really is not a dull moment. The characters were all very nicely developed, I did not become too emotionally invested into them, but they were still good characters. There were not any specific quotes that stood out, but the writing was still decent. In general I think everything really worked in this book. All in all, Atlantia is a very good book and I would definitely recommend it. If you are interested in futuristic, non-stop book I would definitely suggest it.

The strive for perfection is something that many people struggle with in their day-to-day routines. The media constantly hammers standards of what perfection supposedly is, and how it can be obtained. Many people have expressed how sickening the results of the media can be, but one woman, Christine Heppermann, has spoken against it in a very unique way. In her book Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty, Heppermann exposes the flaws of the media’s portrayal of perfection through fifty poems. She addresses many topics, including body image, self-harm, love, and more. The twist, however, is that the poems are written in the context of fairy tales. Additionally, each poem is accompanied by a captivating picture, which adds to the depth of Heppermann’s writing.

This book connected with me on many different levels, and I’m sure it will do the same for others. These brutal, heartbreaking, and occasionally humorous poems are very relatable, which makes them a thrill to read. Furthermore, although this book has some humor, it is quite dark. So, if you’re looking for something joyful and lighthearted, keep in mind that Poisoned Apples isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Still, it is a fantastic read if you want to experience an impactful piece of work. Heppermann’s book does not take much time to read, though, so I suggest to take it in slowly to get the full effect. Otherwise, it’s a great book if you want to read something that’s fast and memorable.

The main audience for this book is teenage girls, but I think people of various genders, ages, and interests can read it and receive pleasure from the poems. For poetry fans, fairy tale lovers, feminists, or anyone looking for a quick yet satisfying read, Poisoned Apples is definitely a great book to check out.

Planet Windsong is in jeopardy. Ever since the disappearance of Princess Snow, everything has spiraled into chaos. Violence erupts as the king and queen of Windsong order a war against the group of people who supposedly kidnapped their daughter. Unfortunately, the fighting shows no evidence of stopping quickly. Although many rumors concerning Princess Snow’s location float about, not a trace of her is found, and the war continues for years as the search for the princess persists. Meanwhile, on planet Thanda, a girl named Essie remains content helping and repairing the seven drones she created to help run Thanda’s mines. However, when Essie decides to help a man named Dane who crashes his ship nearby Essie’s residence, her contentment begins to fade. Dane ends up knowing more about her past than she realizes, and he ends up dragging two of them into the very midst of Windsong’s turmoil.

R.C. Lewis’s futuristic spin on the story of Snow White was definitely something I adored reading. The action is exciting, the plot twists are intriguing, and the references to the fairy tale of Snow White were fun to find. The story is also rather complex, which made stepping into the world of Stitching Snow that much more interesting. However, for the first several chapters, this complexity makes it difficult to absorb what is going on in the story. Although initially it does take a while to stitch together the information about the plot, the book is extremely fascinating from beginning to end, and the story sucked me in the further that I read.

This book is a great find for action, sci-fi, and fantasy readers. It has everything from romance, to drama, to adventure, and much, much more. Stitching Snow is a wonderfully written retelling, and a story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished.