I've started doing something new where I highlight all of the Indie/Small press books I've picked up to read on my Kindle. I will post mini-reviews of the titles each month.
The top 2 books from this month were Bully by Penelope Douglas and Lick by Kylie Scott!

Bully by Penelope Douglas
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Review:
OMG, I need about 10 more books just like this one! Bully was one of those"enemy to lovers" stories and I devoured every single word! Tate and Jared were best friends and then he changed and started treating her like crap. Yes, this makes Jared a bit difficult to love but I just couldn't help myself!! Over time, I could see how he was hiding his feelings. I also loved the fact that Tate was a really strong character. She was tired of putting up with his crap so she made sure he knew it. I loved the ways she'd get back at him. They had a lot of great interactions. I'm just sad that it's over: ( I want to re-read this one very soon!!

Lick by Kylie Scott Add to Goodreads

Review: Ahhh, love! This book was a surprise for me. I'm not wild about the cover but I heard it was great so I picked it up. Plus, waking up not knowing you married a rock star? YES PLEASE! I ended up loving this story so much! Evelyn wakes up with a stranger next to her, David, and she has no earthly idea who he is. After dealing with a killer hangover, and going back home, the press soon figures out what happened and she has to run back to David to get the situation fixed. But things happen and they then start to get to know each other. Evelyn gets small pieces of the night back and.*happy sigh* it was just wonderful! This is another book I want to read again! Both characters were fantastic and had amazing personalities! I highly recommend it!

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Rose Ivy
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Review:
This was a fun read. Pretty light and, while it does take a look at a controlling relationship, there's much more to the book. Juliet has had her eyes on Dylan for a while. They"hook up" and it turns out to be horrible but Juliet still dates him. At school she tries to have a good relationship with Dylan but he is really controlling. She finds a friendship with a guy named Reed and they were terrific together. I really wish I had a friend like Reed.: ) He was such a good guy and he really cared for Juliet. Their bond builds slowly, which was nice. As far as"first college experiences" go, this was a super fun book.

Dark Summer by Lizzy Ford Add to Goodreads
Review: I picked up this book knowing nothing about it. It was free on amazon but I'm so glad I took a chance with it! Summer has been to a lot of boarding schools but they always fail. Now, she's trying a new place and it's finally somewhere that she fits in, sort of. There are many people who don't like Summer but she still builds some great friendships and connects with twins Beck and Decker. At age 18 each person is turned either Light or Dark, but that doesn't really mean they have to be evil. We learn this after hearing about Decker and his fate. The whole world behind this book was enjoyable and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren
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Review:
I actually wasn't sure if I would enjoy this one. The blurb didn't really grab me but I was happy to see that the book was better than I expected. Emerson is known as the slut in school and she's sort of okay with that. She wants nothing to do with relationships but she is surprised by her feelings with Jaxon, one of her best friend's new roommates, comes to town. She finds herself breaking a few of her strict rules about guys. She tries to hide away due to heartache but soon realizes what she is missing out on. I had fun with this one. It's nothing too deep or original but it was still a nice read.

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken Add to Goodreads
Review: Wow, what a book. I had no earthly idea what to expect with this book. I wasn't sure if it was dystopian or just a whole different world, or if it was something paranormal. I was a bit surprised by the"surprise" of it all. Trace wins a scholarship to an elite school and she is immediately faced with the complexity of the school structure. She's shocked to find out that a student, Nixon, is in charge and that he seems to completely hate her. There are some things Nixon does that are just so unforgivable but then I ended up liking him anyway? GRR! Trace was great and I enjoyed finding out more about her. The friends (semi-friends) she makes along the way range from nice to deadly and the twists and turns are unimaginable! It's really hard to even describe this book so I'll just say, if you are looking for something completely different, with a big twist, get this one!

A Matter of Fate by Heather Lyons
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Review:
I was reluctant to pick up this book because I'm not a huge fan of Magicals. In the end, I was happy I had read it and I do plan to read the second book soon. Chloe is a Magical but she knows very little about herself. From the start we learn that she's had dreams about a guy since she was young and then he is suddenly there in her school. This leads to a crazy love triangle though but it was pretty well done. I was a bit confused at times by all the Magical knowledge we get at once, but it was pretty unique. If you are a fan of paranormal books that have a very unique world, get this one!

Let Love In by Melissa Collins Add to Goodreads This is another brand-new-to-college book with a character who has a tragic background. Not a new idea for a book but still well-written. Maddy lost her parents when she was young and it has made her fight against falling in love. She meets bad-boy Reid at school and their relationship begins. They both have went through a lot so this made for two stubborn, slightly frustrating characters. A lot happens in this book between the two and some decisions I didn't quite understand. It's still a pretty enjoyable read. Nothing too surprising inside but nice.

Delayed Penalty by Shey Stahl
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Review:
This story has a very emotional start. A young girl is found by a hockey player in an alley after a brutal attack. It's obvious she would have died there if he hadn't brought her to the hospital. The book started out a bit stronger than it ended for me. For some reason, even though I should have felt terrible for Ami, I just never really connected with her. On the other hand, Mase was fantastic. I loved his character and POV. He had a wonderful family and great teammates. I just felt that if Ami would have been a slightly better character, and not so dry, I would have enjoyed it more.

Trying Not to Love You by Megan Smith Add to Goodreads
Review: This is hard for me to review. The actual story idea is amazing. I loved that Kenzie and Hunter had a relationship going back to childhood. I loved the family dynamics and the role of her best friend. But the writing brought it down, IMO. I don't think teens speak to each other like"I do not know why he was not there." (this isn't an actual sentence from the story but it shows what I'm referring to). It just messed with the flow of the story and the actual dialogue itself. It's robotic and caused me to pause quite a few times. I've seen another reviewer get comments because she said it bothered her while reading and yeah, it totally bothered me too. Big time. It took something away from the characters and made it more difficult for me to connect with them and believe them as being young adults. I really wanted to feel bad for Kenzie during parts of the story but I didn't feel a lot for her. Maybe it was mostly due to the language or feeling like I was just being told what was happening instead of really feeling the emotions behind it.
This book ends on a huge cliffhanger, which I'm not a big fan of honestly. I do think I'll read the next one when it comes out.
I know this story has a ton of fans already and everyone is entitled to their opinions on it.

Hey again street teamers! We now have 110 members. WOW! That's so incredible. Thanks to everyone again for your tweets and blog posts. We really appreciate it! Still want to sign up? Just USE GOOGLE!

Do you want to show off your DAUNTLESS spirit on facebook? There are new graphics you can check out here. Just click and download!

Last week's challenge is complete and 2 brave members created vlogs talking about"What it means to be Dauntless". We are so proud of them! Since this was a hard challenge, BOTH people will get swag packs!

Here are the links to their vlogs. Steph's Book Corner Lover of Paranormal
Now, for new business. First make sure you check out the information for FREE FOUR. If enough people pre-order INSURGENT, we will get to hear from FOUR's point-of-view. Amazing, right?!

We promised we would share answers from the street team members on why each person wanted to join the Dauntless faction. We are going to share the answers from the first 30 members. More will be posted next week.

I completely identified with Tris's decision in Divergent and love the fearlessness behind the DAUNTLESS.
— Sara's Books and Life

I want to stand tall and not be afraid. I want to live on my will power and not be a coward.
- Beata M.

Because I'm fierce, I love adrenaline rushes and good tattoos.
- JustJmac's Facebook

Living Dauntless is to face life's fears and obstacles and cleverly overcome them. There is no better way to live!
- Fiction State of Mind

I honestly wasn't sure I was Dauntless until I re-read Divergent and I realized that I loved surprises and I would be the kid who is scared of nights but would jump off the building anyways. I'm a strong person and once I get something stuck in my head, I'm determined to see it through.
- Reading the Best of the Best

I've lived my life trusting my instincts to survive and overcome many things. I intend to continue in this manner. I trust Tris and Four's example of choosing DAUNTLESS and believe that DAUNTLESS is my faction as well.
- Novels by G. Donald Cribbs

Because I believe in facing your fears and living in the moment like the Dauntless do. Don't be afraid to live life to the fullest; don't let your fears keep you from doing what you want.
- Paranormal Dystopia

I try to be brave. I don't want to be afraid anymore.
- Stephanie Diaz

Because I'm into tattoos and piercings: P
- Fighting Dreamer

I am the old Dauntless. The one who cherishes strength and bravery. Not being a bully and standing up for what you think is right. It's where I belong and where I could find myself.
- Paper Cuts

I want to join the DAUNTLESS faction because I feel it is where I belong. I am a strong, independent person who is fearless when it comes to the tasks at hand. I think I would make a great addition to Dauntless.
- Steph's Book Corner

Because for so long I've been selfless and taught to do such. I want to be brave and learn to face fear head on. To come out completely out of the shy shell I used to live in.^^
- The Dauntless Writer

Bravery before brains, bravery before blood, bravery for beliefs.
- Misty's Book Mess

The Dauntless aren't afraid to march to the beat of their own drum. Having the guts to be who you really are is true courage.
- Starting the Next Chapter

Short and simple: because Tris is amazing and the strength she gains by being a dauntless is fantastic. I want to learn to face my fears like her!
- The O.W.L

I want to be in the Dauntless faction because I believe that a person must have the determination and will to learn. To do great things you need to perservere and step out of your comfort zone and that is what makes up courage. It's not how strong you are or how tough you look but it's how far you're willing to go for the faction or anything else. I want to be in the Dauntless faction because I want to experience what it's like to explore new things and be able to face trials and obstacles head on. I want to be brave and I know I can do good.
- Soul Sisters

I've been fearless my entire life. It's about time I flaunt it!!
- The ParaHangover

Joined Dauntless for the knowledge that I could face anything and come out on top.
- 600 Sugarcubes

I was born to be Dauntless, it's in my blood.
- tanemax

Knowing me, I would be born into Dauntless. I have always be"encouraged" to try everything and anything. I'm a natural fighter, but as well as intelligent. But I'm not cocky like those Erudites; D. Naturally I belong in Dauntless; D
- The Reading Fish

I would want to join the Dauntless faction because I want to face my fears head on and I wish for my life to be exciting and to live life to the fullest and I find that would be fulfilled best in the Dauntless Faction. Plus I always wanted to use moving trains as my transportation.
- LifeOffTheRails

The Dauntless are brave regardless of the circumstances that they are faced with!
- TwiWildflower

Because I am DAUNTLESS! oh and Yara asked me too=)
- A Book-Lovers Review

Hummm… Why the Dauntless faction? Was there ever even another option? We ROCK! Hands Down! Enough Said!: )
- Lover of Paranormal

Dauntless gives me the option to do things that I've always wanted to do but never could. I try to be this good kid all the time, but every now and then I'm just not. I am really proud when I do something that normal people wouldn't think of doing because it could ruin an object or hurt them. I've started to becomem very brave and bold, and I want to be free to do that.
- Brooke R.

Dauntless are afraid, but act anyways.
- Books Were My First Friends

I was to be a Dauntless member, because I want to learn to master and conquer my fears! Also jumping on and off of trains is rather appealing! PLUS the dauntless don't hide they face everything head on with no nonsense!
- Moonlight Book Reviews

I love to read and support authors.
— Tamara

- The Magic Attic

Assignments

1. This week's hashtag will be #FaceYourFears.
- Tweet, or blog, telling us about your fears or one that you have faced lately.
- It can be anything, big or small. Being Dauntless is just having the courage to face what you are afraid of.

2. Keep spreading the word about the Dauntless links.
- Make sure you visit them yourself. There are new things added to the Dauntless tumblr site each day.
- Use the hashtags #TeamDauntless, #DauntlessFaction, and #DivergentNation with the links http://bit.ly/dauntlessfaction and http://bit.ly/choose_dauntless

3. Another email will be sent to street team members on Friday.
- We have a surprise in store and we need your help with it!

4. There are some huge giveaways going on now.
- You can still enter to win a NOOK with an ebook of INSURGENT.
- Our big giveaway this week was for a Breaking Dawn poster SIGNED by Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and a Mockingjay pin from Comic Con!
- Remember: You can enter these 2 giveaways each day.

Challenge

This week, we are asking members to blog about all-things DAUNTLESS. We have 3 topics to choose from. Post your answers and leave the link to where we can find the post.
Here are your 3 choices:

• Movie Night: List of movies that would be shown for a Dauntless movie night.
• List of actors you want to play in the Dauntless faction
• Dauntless required reading

This challenge will be open until next Tuesday, April 17th. Make sure you put your link in the linky tool below!

"The characters in Courtney Summers' new novel are individuals and real. The plot is intriguing and fast paced. I couldn't put this book down." — Miss Remmers

I won this book from GoodReads! Thank You!

From Amazon.com...

"Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be. "

"Some Girls Are" is such an honest read, much like "Cracked Up To Be. " At first, I had a hard time reading it because of it's honesty and how real it was. I felt for Regina, Liz, and Michael. At times, I had to shut the novel for a minute in order to remind myself that it is fiction. The characters are individuals and real. The plot is intriguing and fast paced. I couldn't put this book down. The themes of the novel are all directed towards young adults: friendship, bullies, sex, alcohol, drugs. These themes add to the realism of the novel.

If I had to pick something I didn't like I would have to say the ending. The climax was coming and then all of a sudden nothing happened, all was good, and the book ended. I mean really, the climax, resolution, and conclusion (plot line) happened in about seven pages.

I'd also mention that "Some Girls Are" is very similar to "Cracked Up to Be" in regards to characterization. Both protagonists were 'popular'; Regina was 'froze out' of the popular crowd and Parker tries to isolate herself from the crowd. Both books have an underlying theme of rape. While these coincidents didn't detract from either novel, I still loved both, and the plots were different, at times I found myself forgetting what book I was reading and what had or had not happened.

I highly recommend "Some Girls Are" to struggling recreational readers. I will definitely be keeping this copy for my own classroom.

"Some Girls Are" will be released tomorrow, January 5th, 2010. This is a book to own!

Back in May when I started planning the"Stand Up Against Abuse" feature, I talked often with Deb Caletti. She is so fantastic in so many ways but it really amazed me how honest and open she is about her own personal struggles with an abusive relationship. While reading her story, and seeing the list of"warning signs" she had posted, I was brought to tears several times. This was a list formed for the book The Secret Life of Prince Charming and Deb was kind enough to let me post this list here.
This list is so helpful! If you think your partner may be abusive, or if you know a friend who you suspect may be going through abuse, please take time to read this list. I've had a few instances of relationship abuse, one personal, and one through watching a friend go through it. I've seen how it can tear a person down. I've seen how it can turn from loving to obsessive and how that obsession can turn into a deadly situation.
I hope that the interviews from this week, and this list, will help the readers see how abuse can take over and truly destroy so many lives.

Watch Out!: Mom’s “refrigerator list” from The Secret Life of Prince Charming, by Deb Caletti

He has a victim attitude
The rules apply to everyone else, not him
He wants to get involved too fast.
He belittles you or your accomplishments.
He has big dreams but no real plans to back them up.
You have a sense that something’s wrong, but can’t quite figure out what it is.
He criticizes what you wear.
He uses phrases like, ‘Women are always… ’ ‘Women never… ’
He’s a thrill-seeker.
He’s a perfectionist, tells you how things should be done.
He’s moody or intense.
He tells you about his terrible childhood, or you feel sorry for him.
He’s a dirty, rotten liar.
He tells you you’re lucky to have him.
He says you’re too sensitive.
You feel you need to pay a private detective to get the truth about him.
He blames others for his actions.
He competes with you.
He tells you you’re perceiving a situation wrong – negates instead of validates what you
feel.
He’s explosive.
He nitpicks.
You feel he’s never experienced real love and so you want to save him with yours.
He often feels rejected by you.
He’s jealous or watchful — you feel suffocated.
He is mistreated or misunderstood.
He has either a very low opinion of himself, or a very high one.
He has strong black and white thinking about morals, religion, sex, you, and feels morally
superior to you and others.
He calls you names.
You get the feeling that you’re only getting part of the story.
You begin to think your feelings are wrong, you’re not seeing clearly, or you begin to
make excuses for him.
He thinks there is a right way to do everything. He denies being controlling – he states
he is only helping you do things “better.”
He says something didn’t happen that did happen (“gaslighting”).
He criticizes your friends or family and tries to isolate you or dominate your time.
He controls how the relationship goes – where you go out, what you eat, when you are
done talking.
He believes or acts as if he is more special than other people.
His words twist and turn in an argument or otherwise – he’s manipulative.
You hear him lie to other people or excessively exaggerate.
He treats you like you’re stupid or crazy, or tells you so.
He drops names or his accomplishments or things meant to impress into conversations
whenever he can.
He has ardent, narrow and very traditional views of men’s and women’s roles.
He’s overly sensitive, and reads things in to what you say. He’s always getting his
feelings hurt.
He extremely interested in his appearance or his body.
He still throws tantrums.
He has a family background that involves alcoholism, violence or mental illness.
He is distant and cold one minute and then warm and loving the next.
He withholds his love and affection when he’s angry, instead of talking with you about
what’s on his mind.
He thinks the rules don’t apply to him.
He thinks he deserves only the best, and doesn’t like to settle for less.
He does not admit to or recognize mistakes, or his part of a problem.
He ignores you often or is often distant.
He does poorly at school or work; he has trouble getting along with those in authority; he
quits jobs often or spontaneously.
He uses drugs or has had numerous sexual partners or has legal or financial problems.
He is an outrageous flirt.
At the start of your relationship, he uses excessive flattery and tells you just what you
want to hear.
He doesn’t admit to being angry, even when he’s yelling.
He needs excessive approval.
He’d dependent on you.
He’s a loner.
He thinks rules were made to be broken.
He’s aggressive, or a bully.
He is in any way too forceful or does not respect your boundaries.
He’s always in the spotlight.
You’ve given up telling him how you really feel – there’s no use.
No one but you sees his bad side.
Everyone but you sees his bad side.

Remember to check out THIS PAGE to sign up to win a copy of the books featured during"Stand Up Against Abuse" week. Help spread the word about the links and phone numbers listed on that page.

At the beginning of this school year I realized that I had at least three girls who were severely struggling, not only academically but socially as well. When these girls came into my classroom each day they had this look of defeat on their faces — such a sad look for a freshman. When we started talking about recreational reading and that each freshman would be required to read two recreational books a quarter and that each Friday would be devoted to reading, I heard many of groans of agony I assumed I would receive.

These three girls came up to me after school and said, "Miss Remmers, we have no idea what to read. Nothing sounds good. Nothing is real." I immediately turned to my trusty bookshelf and handed them my copies of "Cracked Up to Be" (review) and "Some Girls Are" (review) . Four days later, each of the three girls had devoured both of these books and were begging for more. I don't have a copy of Courtney's next release "Fall For Anything," so I needed to find something to stall their ferociously growing appetite for YA.

I emailed Courtney's agent asking for an author interview; to my absolute delight, Courtney responded. When I told these girls, which has now gone from the original three to my "Girls Read" thirteen student After-School Book Club, they couldn't wait to put in their questions. Without further ado, I would like to welcome Courtney Summers, author of "Cracked Up to Be," "Some Girls Are," and the upcoming "Fall For Anything," not only to this blog, but to my classroom as well.

You have fantastic characters. They are so honest and real — just like us! How do you come up with your characters? Do you have any inspiration? Do you have a writing process you do for character development?

Thank you! Inspiration varies from character to character. With Parker and Regina, I was interested in writing female protagonists who were not traditionally nice. Parker was inspired by the pressure we place on girls to be perfect, often at the expense of themselves. In Regina, I wanted to write a character who didn't make likeable choices, but I wanted to see if I could make readers understand why she made those choices. I don't do any pre-writing in terms of character development (like interviewing my characters etc.)--once I have their general story in my head, I usually dive right into the book.

While I loved "Some Girls Are," it was almost painful to read it because of the issue of bullies. What was your inspiration for Regina and the other characters in "Some Girls Are"?

As a girl who bullied and was bullied, I had a lot of questions about my own experiences. I wanted to make sense of them and find out if I was alone in them, and that's ultimately why I wrote the book. As I mentioned above, in Regina, I wanted to write a female character who wasn't always nice or made good choices, but I wanted readers to understand why she made them. She's in a very toxic relationship with these girls she has known all her life and thinks of as her friends and she's constantly worried about her own immediate survival within her group. This fear inspires her to act in not always the best ways. But I think that's a sadly common situation girls find themselves in.

We learn in school that we have to practice our craft and setting up a routine is the best way to be consistent. Do you have a routine when you write? Any thing you have to have when you sit down to write? When do you write and where?

It's definitely important to be consistent; that will help you turn your writing into a discipline. I write every night (I'm a night owl) at a desk in my room. Pretty basic! I like to have water or coffee nearby and I absolutely have to have my headphones, so I can listen to my favorite songs while I type.

Parker, from "Cracked Up to Be," and Regina, from "Some Girls Are," were such fantastic characters. I can't wait to read your next novel. "Fall for Anything." Can you tell us anything about the protagonist of that novel?

Thank you! The protagonist of Fall For Anything is a girl named Eddie Reeves. She's seventeen and she's VERY unlike Parker and Regina.
She's my first non-mean girl character. Eddie is a very vulnerable and open girl who is trying to make sense of her father's death (he killed himself). She's very single-minded in her quest to unravel the mystery and find out the truth.

What advice do you have for fourteen year old aspiring authors?

If it's what you really want to do, don't let anyone talk you out of it. And always set flexible goals!

What's your favorite and worst high school memory?

My favorite memory of high school is when the last bell went and I got to go home.;) The worst memory was walking down the hall and seeing a boy get publicly humiliated. A crowd had gathered and they were all laughing at him. It was awful.

What songs are on your iPod right now?

Sooo many. Here's a sampling:
Marina & The Diamonds' album, The Family Jewels (fave tracks: Oh No! and I Am Not a Robot)
Florence + the Machine's album, Lungs (fave tracks: Dog Days Are Over, My Boy Builds Coffins)
Lissie's album, Catching a Tiger (fave tracks: Record Collector, Bully, Stranger)

Who is your best friend? How did you meet?

I have a few best friends who have come into my life in different ways... one of them is in the dedication of every one of my books.

Anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you so much for reading my books and for your thoughtful questions! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Thank you so much Courtney for taking the time to talk answer my girls' questions. They were so excited to read your answers and demanded a printed out copy. These two novels not only opened up a world of YA fiction to these struggling readers, but they also provided an outlet and new found community. "Girls Read" meets every Tuesday after school; we are currently reading "Shiver."

"Fall For Anything" comes out December 21st, 2010.

"I wasn't bought at first, but now I cannot imagine my classroom without this amazing series with such depth in both plot and characters." — Miss Remmers

"My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it. This time, there will be no turning back."
Okay, so I'll admit it. I didn't really like "The Iron King " or "The Iron Daughte r." I didn't connect to the characters and I disliked Meghan.
Boy, am I eating my words. I've gone from telling my BFF book friend Button that she shouldn't "waster her time" with this series to calling her while crying and saying she MUST read it! NOW!
Why this sudden change of heart? Simply and obviously put: "The Iron Queen." This was an amazing novel whose characters and plot were both so riveting I couldn't put it down before school, during my lunch, during my plan, after school, after the work out, at dinner, and finally before bed. All I've done today is read "The Iron Queen" — well, you know, besides teaching tomorrow's supposed leaders. When I wasn't reading I couldn't stop thinking about the characters and the seemingly impossible adventure they were on.
And yes, I've warmed up to Ash. In my previous reviews I stated that Ash was basically a bully and downright mean to Meghan 95% of the time — this completely changed with "The Iron Queen." At times there was still a shadow of that icy cold Prince of Winter, but for the most part he was every girl's fantasy (no pun intended) man: a complete gentleman who cares only for you. The romance definitely heated up in this book without it becoming "overly done" or "tasteless." It was definitely the right amount — but it still had me willing for more secret kisses. I felt like Ash's character was finally developed and multi-dimensional. For this reason I am just giddy with excitement for "The Iron Knight" and completely bummed that it's release date is so far away (November 2011).
Despite my new appreciation for Ash, I still think I'm TEAM PUCK. It's nothing against Ash or Meghan... Puck is just more my type of guy and much more like my real guy.:) Puck's character was further developed in this novel as well. As were all the characters really: Meghan, Paul, Grim etc. Grim was a character I didn't necessarily like in the first two novels; he seemed to... wishy washy, like it was too easy for him to change sides. Now I trust him completely. However, I'm still unsure of Lea; we will see the part she has to play in Knight.
This book was absolutely fantastic. The last 100 pages I was glued to my Nook screen; I couldn't pull myself away! I cried more than once, felt my heart break, my body tense, and sighed a sigh of, not relief, but of hope at least. Julie Kagawa, I tip my hat to you. I wasn't bought at first, but now I cannot imagine my classroom without this amazing series with such depth in both plot and characters. This series will definitely be my next book talk.
Random: I love Razor! I want one!!

Originality: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Plot: 9/10
My reaction/enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10
Overall: 59/60 A

To find out more about this series and author, visit the following links:
-Visit Julie around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter
-BUY THE BOOK: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kindle | Nook

To the FTC, with love: Hardcopy ARC and eBook via NetGalley