REVIEW: THE TRAITOR'S GAME BY JENNIFER NIELSEN.

Title: The Traitor's Game
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Series: The Traitor's Game #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: February 27th 2018 by Scholastic
Source: ARC provided by the published
Pages: 400
Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:
Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won't stop her from being drawn back into her father's palace politics. He's the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well -- and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.

The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what -- and who -- it is they're fighting for.

Jennifer A. Nielsen introduces us to an unforgettable new heroine in this epic tale of treachery and intrigue, love and deceit.

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My first book for February 2018 is done and I am glad it's The Traitor's Game by Jennifer Nielsen. I missed fantasy so much and this book quite satisfied the need. It took me a while to finish because WHAT IS BUSY LIFE and some parts just stopped picking up the pace plus there were lines that made me a little bit uncomfortable so I needed to pause. The reading experience was pleasant but I just didn't go crazy about it.

Kestra is a Dallisor - household name and enemy to all. Her father serves the evil Lord Endrick, as if being a Dallisor isn't enough. She was in exile for three year after a group of rebels kidnapped her but her father summons her for a fixed marriage. Her carriage was ambushed and her trusted trainer Darrow was held captive. The Coracks are known to be brutal and in order to save Darrow, she has to play their games. Or will she play them?

I read Jennifer's The False Prince and absolutely loved it. Jen has this amazing spin when it comes to treachery/deception of characters so The Traitor's Game really screamed JEN. But there were just too much plot twists. It is really a good thing because the story won't let you sit properly but there were parts I started getting confused. And this also made easily predict what's really up. Unraveling the mysteries with the characters wasn't that thrilling anymore and I strongly felt I was kinda let down. The revelations/discoveries of secrets was timely in the beginning then it went haywire on the latter part.

Kestra's character was also annoying most of the time. She's such a clever and tough girl but her inner monologues were too much. There were times I can barely tolerate her. But there is definitely character arc and I bet she's going to be way better in Book 2.

Lastly, I don't understand the romance part (though I am glad there's no love triangle *knock on wood). Everything took place within four days, they hated each other, they are enemies by blood then oh so suddenly, the sexual tension was that much?? Good thing Simon's good nature complimented Kestra's. Or else, I would have DNFed this haha

Though both books kinda have the same theme,
The Traitor's Game didn't top my love for The False Prince. I wish it were smoother. Just because it's a title I would not recommend in a heartbeat, doesn't mean it isn't good. Would absolutely pick up Book 2 and hope for the best.

Thank you so so much for the galley, Scholastic Asia-Philippines!

"You are ripping at my heart, Kes. Every time I reach out and you pull back. Every time you offer a smile to someone who's not me. When you doubt me, or mistrust me, or hide your secrets away, it's like a claw that shreds me from within. When we're together, I forget how to breathe, but whne we're apart, I realize you've become my air. I want you to take a risk, but take it with me. Risk yourself with me."

"Life doesn't give us what we want. It gives us what we need and asks what we will do with it."

REVIEW: LUCKY IN LOVE BY KASIE WEST.

Title: Lucky in Love
Author: Kasie West
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: July 25th 2017 by Scholastic
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Pages: 333
Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
Can’t buy me love…

Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

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When I read The Distance Between Us in 2013, I remember I wasn't really that much swooning over it (but my review is raving lol maybe I chose to highlight only the positive ones. Who knows.) There's something about the writing that didn't quite sit well with me. And it happened again in Lucky in Love.

Maybe West and I aren't meant to be.

The gist of Lucky in Love is, Maddie won fifty million dollars in the lottery and rejected the only boy who cared for her because she thought he was only after her money. It was such an intiguing plot but I was underwhelmed. If I won the lottery, I would feel various emotions at once. I guess you would, too. But I didn't understand how I couldn't connect to Maddie at this point. I wasn't really impressed by how she reacted. It felt so flat to me, actually. I couldn't wrap my mind around how calm she was. Or maybe she wasn't but I didn't feel it at all.

Seth Nguyen is my favorite in this book. He's so DREAMY, caring, thoughtful and sweet. I hated how he was treated at the end. He deserved better. He deserved better than Maddie.

Lucky in Love is such a promising novel but it lacked real feelings, it absolutely felt flat. I wished hard that I'd enjoy it but I weren't lucky this time. Too bad.

Thank you so much, Scholastic Philippines, for the ARC!

"We make our own luck."

"Magic cannot be explained. It can only be experienced."

REVIEW: WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU BY LYDIA SHARP.

Title: Whenever I'm with You
Author: Lydia Sharp
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 3rd 2017 by Scholastic Press
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 304
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
A missing boy.
A road trip into the Alaskan wilderness.
A week that will change everything...

After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.

So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

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When I first saw Whenever I'm With You's cover, it screamed fluffy contemporary romance to me. (I wasn't familiar with this title until Scholastic sent the galley! Thank you!) I was expecting a friends-turned-lovers-on-a-roadtrip trope in here because the cover felt like a dead giveaway.

Guess what.

I was kinda right.

But also wrong.

Whenever I'm With You is a heavy type of story that revolves around twin's relationship told from a female love interest's point of view. Gabi is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and a well-sought lawyer in SoCal. She and her dad moved to Alaska to get away from her cheating mother and get over the divorce. She feels she didn't belong there. Her glamorous life in SoCal suddenly becomes a "normal" one because they need to lay low. The only thing that makes her sane in Alaska is her boyfried slash neighbor, Kai. When Kai sets off to find his dad without saying a proper goodbye to Gabi, she's worked up about it and seeks Kai's twin brother's help in going after him. Only to learn the truth about what Kai has been keeping from her and his real reason from leaving.

I don't want to really talk much about Gabi in this story or else I would not probably stop ranting. She's a rich kid alright and I totally get why she's angsty and bratty. She grew up with well-off parents so she's not accustomed to so many things that are normal for regular people. There was just this part where she had too use a squat toilet and she said she became an animal in Alaska. Like, girl. Calm yourself and be respectful because that's the least you could do. Off all the annoying things she's said and done, that's what really made me angry. Just because you're rich doesn't give you the right to say awful things like that. Her character eventually starts to mature (she's proud she's finally doing the dishes, I'll give her that) and I think if she's given some more time, her character would develop but I just couldn't erase her hurtful comment in my head.

But to me, the story wasn't really about Gabi's life problems but the twins'. To tell you honestly, eighty percent of the story is about Kai and Hunter. It just so happen that Gabi was narrating it. I couldn't remember the best sibling story I've read but this book would have been waaaaay better if romance wasn't the key factor in getting this book to sell. Kai and Hunter's bromance was one of those stories that leaves a mark. The feels would just keep tugging your feels. It was honestly surreal that I wanna hug my sibs right now. Their love for each other led them to make choices, choices they thought would benefit the other. But the choices also led them to lose so much time. They could have talked but they spared each other pain. This story is about them figuring out what happened to their dad, how much they shut each other out, how they messed up by keeping to thmeselves. In short, Whenever I'm with You is Kai and Hunter's relationship as brothers told by Gabi. Such a bunpy reading experience this one.

Then there's the Tlingit rep that according to an Alaska Native reader Debbie, wasn't represented correctly which is offensive. Here's the review - click me. In my opinion, the narrator sees everything from an outsider's POV. I believe that she learned to love Alaska and everything about it at the latter part.

Whenever I'm With You is likeable. But it would have been an unforgettable one if the execution isn't that of a let down. Giving it three stars for the attempt to show different sides of relationships which I appreciated and for the potential of the characters to see more of the world than just themselves.

Thank you, Scholastic Asia (Philippines) for the galley!

"Remember how it takes your breath away- remember that this is how I felt the first time I saw you, and how I've felt every day since then, whenever I'm with you. This is my version of heaven."

SCHOLASTIC WAREHOUSE SALE 2017.

*I drafted this last night*

I literally just got home from Scholastic Warehouse Sale and damn son, I am the epitome of sticky sweat right now. It's summer (feels like all year long though) here in the Philippines so the heat and humidity are *gaaaaaad* almost unbearable. Imagine walking to the bus station  (well, I rode a van at the bus station) at 3:45 in the afternoon with 41°C heat index and 736261719915251% humidity, that leaves you with such nasty attitude. I mean, it's fucking hot. So yeah, arrived at the warehouse after around 45 minutes.

HELLO, BOOKS!

Seeing the room jam-packed with people is a view I have anticipated. Who would pass up the chance to hoard from a "book buffet" table for only 799php (9$) right? I can get books from the "buffet table" as long as the books do not overflow from the box. But hold your horses, that isn't what happened. Apparently, I can only get from the table full of children's books and not from the shelves with YA. Okay, fine, I don't mind. But the shelves are bareeeeeee!!! I mean, there are YA books in there but 97% of them are YAs I never heard of and are paperbacks (lucky you paperback collectors, this sale is for you! Drop everything and go there right away). As a hardbound collector perspirating 3738262181 miles per second, I am starting to get ticked off. So okay, again, probably they wouldn't display the nice ones today since it's just the first day of a month long sale.

BOOK BUFFET TABLE

So I tried searching for the titles I really came there for. I have been holding off purchasing my hardcover set of Harry Potter thinking I could get it there way cheaper. (Scholastic published HP, they should have it there, right?) So after like 20 steps, I was able to literally inspect the shelves and I saw HP1 3 and 4! Yaaaay! But wait for eeeeeeet!! THEY ARE ONLY ON 10 FUCKING PERCENT OFF!! LIKE, UGH WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO MEEEEE! I didn't get them. I can but I won't because I am stingy like that haha, or practical? Because I could get them cheaper from online stores selling pre-loved copies IN A VERY MINT CONDITION compared to what they sell at the warehouse. I was fuming and legit, my irritation and disappointment started showing!

PAPERBACKS ON 10 TO 20 PERCENT OFF

So I asked the people there. They told me like, a few years back they did sell HP sets in bargain price (ughhh where was I). Okay fiiiiiiine, I was trying to tell myself calm the fuck down, Kate. I tried again to search for the second book I came there for but they don't fucking have it either!! I mean, Scholastic published The Hunger Games so why aren't they selling it? At this moment, I admitted to myself that I was cheated on. HAHAHA sorry but bruh, I expected so much haha! So I settled for a battered copy of The Red Pyramid at 25% off price just so I have something to go home with.

BOOK BUFFET TABLE

Someone came out of the office and was kind of manning the staff. I asked him if they have atleast The Hunger Games. I was told they don't have yet but they will replinish the stocks the next day. So I asked him politely if they atleast have one available because I came all the way from Makati just for it. He went back inside for me and gave me a copy. He wasn't supposed to display it but I guess he wanted to make me happy so he did it for me. I mean, guyyyys, that's one of the best customer service ever! My shitty trip to the sale became worth it because of what he did for me! So thank you ever so SO much, Ezekiel of Scholastic Philippines! I truly appreciate what you've done for me today! THANK YOU!!!

MY HAUL!

I can't promise that I'd be back there this season but I was assured that they will keep displaying newer titles and replenish stocks every day! Overall experience: 4 over 10 (to justify this, I collect hardbound books and this is just me guys! I might have just gone to the sale on the wrong day!) Overall customer service received: 11 over 10.

REVIEW: VENDETTA BY CATHERINE DOYLE.

Title: Vendetta
Series: Blood for Blood #1
Author: Catherine Doyle
Edition: Paperback
Publication: Chicken House Ltd / February 24, 2015
Source: ARC sent by the publisher via National Book Store
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Trailer: Not available.

Synopsis:

When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication.With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into a criminal underworld governed by powerful families. As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. She must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break.

*Some spoilers.*

I was rather confused about my own judgement after reading Vendetta. I couldn't figure out if I loved it or didn't. Balancing the pros and cons plus the feels made it a little bit complicated for me to give it a rating. So days later, I settled for what I thought was the best rating for it - three stars - and decided I enjoyed it.

Vendetta was a light read and easy to go through. I liked how right the pacing was and the story line held its mystery in a way that would keep you going. It was a breath of fresh air for me despite those moments I cringed because of how some parts sounded so ridiculous to me. It was all in all an enjoyable read.

I decided to also just bury the parts I didn't like at the back of my head so I could focus on what made me like this book. However, am still going to enumerate them just to clear the air.

I will go ahead and jump right at the unfavorable parts of Vendetta:
- Sophie saw Nic and talked to him briefly in three separate occasions and then 85 pages later, she admitted she's developing feelings for him. Insta-love is and will always be a huge no for me.
- Sophie was just absolutely naive. (or am hoping that she's THAT kind to consider everything and everyone a good seed.)
- I was turned off by the way the plot twist kept being delayed. I want a book to surprise the hell out of me and not give me hints.
- Nic said things that were obviously what someone wanted to hear. It felt scripted.
- The honey jar took too much attention, seriously.
- How Nic suddenly changed his ways for Sophie. I mean, he's been like that for so long and he said that's the way they live/that's who he was but for Sophie who isn't even his girl friend, he broke their family's code.
- There's a similar line from Twilight.
- The Mafia was thrilling. But the execution? Bleh.

Now the favorable ones and my favorites:
- I realized it was better that the story was told in Sophie's point of view because it was nice to start off on a clean slate. It would have gone too strong it it were Nic's.
- Easy to read.
- The punch lines were hilarious.
- Luca. He's scary but loyal to the bone. Also, brave and logical.
- I liked the emblem of the family.
- I enjoyed how this is something different from any other YAs I've read. At first I thought it was Paranormal but it wasn't. I was surprised that something as unique as this is already out there in the wild.
- Luca.
- Luca.
- Luca.

Thrilling and oozing with danger, Vendetta isn't only a distinctive read but it's loaded with conspiracy and hilarity! I'm excited to read book 2!

Thank you Chicken House, Scholastic PH and National Book Store for the review copy!

"This life is so complex that we rarely get to be the people we are truly meant to be. Instead, we wear masks and put up walls to keep from dealing with the fear of rejection, the feeling of regret, the very idea that someone may not love us for who we are deep in our core, that they might not understand the things that drives us. I want to study the realness of life, not the gloss. There is beauty everywhere; even in the dark, there is light, and that is the rarest kind of all."

"You can't avoid the inevitability of death. It comes at you one way or another, and takes us all to the same place in the end. To apologize for it is to apologize for the sun shining or the rain falling."

"Some memories hurt when they hit you."

""There are certain mistakes I can afford to make," he replied evenly. "And certain mistakes I can't.""

REVIEW: THE RUNAWAY KING BY JENNIFER NIELSEN.

Title: The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2)
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Edition: Hardbound
Published: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 331
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Romance, Fantasy
Trailer: Not Applicable.

Amazon ▲ Book Depository ▲ Goodreads ▲ Barnes and Noble ▲ Fullybooked

Synopsis:

A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Find out in the highly anticipated sequel to Jennifer A. Nielsen's blockbuster THE FALSE PRINCE!

Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. Rumors of a coming war are winding their way between the castle walls, and Jaron feels the pressure quietly mounting within Carthya. Soon, it becomes clear that deserting the kingdom may be his only hope of saving it. But the further Jaron is forced to run from his identity, the more he wonders if it is possible to go too far. Will he ever be able to return home again? Or will he have to sacrifice his own life in order to save his kingdom?

The stunning second installment of The Ascendance Trilogy takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of treason and murder, thrills and peril, as they journey with the Runaway King!

I started reading The False Prince's second installment, The Runaway King, November of last year. I was halfway through when an unforeseen burn out came in the way that I had to take a long break from the blogging world. I haven't touched a book in a month at all. But since the break is over, I know I have to finish this. I thought it would feel like a chore. Like am just going to force myself to finish it. But Nielsen's writing lifted my spirit and the story about Sage and his fight for his country seriously motivated me to go back and do what I love best -- reading.

After Sage or Jaron was crowned King, his enemies didn't stop to torment him and threaten his kingdom. In the amid of an upcoming war against Carthya, Jaron needed to act fast. The King of Avenia and the Pirates were allies in bringing Carthya down. So Jaron, as a King, needed to protect his country and did what wasn't expected at all -- he went to the beast's belly to become a pirate.

Sage/Jaron definitely matured in this installment. I loved how his sarcasm progressed and lead me to believe he was just bluffing a lot of things. I adored his overall personality that even though sarcasm is a negative trait, it made him what he's supposed to be. Courageous, loving and selfless King he is and I know he would succeed. Humility wasn't what I expected him to learn but Nielsen didn't forget to teach him a lesson! His character made such amazing impression on me in The False Prince and he carried that impression till the second book. What I loved most is that no matter how boastful he is, he finds ways to back up whatever he says. Like the word humiliation didn't exist in his vocabulary. At his young age, it is truly impressive. As a King, it is truly respectable.

It pains me to think of what happened to Jaron and Imogen. I know how deeply Jaron cares for her but just because she isn't royal, they couldn't be together. Selflessness again took over because Imogen understood her stand and Jaron accepted their fate no matter how much it ripped him. I am hoping that eventually, in the last installment, their love would find hope because they pretty much belong together, they compliment each other beautifully.

Nielsen never disappoints. Not in any aspect of the book. The plot was stunning, the writing was witty and "accent" sexy, characters are all well developed and thought of and the twists of every event leads to discoveries not only of secrets but motives and truth. The Runaway King deserves so much that I couldn't type and collect the right words to explain how satisfied I am with the story. Truly mind blowing. One of a kind. Magnificent.

 "Everyone gets scared at times. It's only the fools who won't admit it."