Lair of Dreams

Goodreads Synopsis:    The longing of dreams draws the dead, and this city holds many dreams.

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. With her uncanny ability to read people’s secrets, she’s become a media darling, earning the title “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” Everyone’s in love with the city’s newest It Girl…everyone except the other Diviners.

Piano-playing Henry DuBois and Chinatown resident Ling Chan are two Diviners struggling to keep their powers a secret—for they can walk in dreams. And while Evie is living the high life, victims of a mysterious sleeping sickness are turning up across New York City.

As Henry searches for a lost love and Ling strives to succeed in a world that shuns her, a malevolent force infects their dreams. And at the edges of it all lurks a man in a stovepipe hat who has plans that extend farther than anyone can guess…As the sickness spreads, can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld to save the city?

In this heart-stopping sequel to The Diviners, Printz Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray takes readers deeper into the mystical underbelly of New York City.

My Thoughts:

-    I thought the first book was creepy. This book takes creepy up a notch. It was fun though. While I was creeped out at night and sometimes afraid to sleep, I enjoyed the ride.

-    I love the story, but the book is really long. I don't know what parts could be cut out though. There is a lot of good stuff happening, but the book is too long.

-    The ending is one heck of a thrill ride! I loved it!

-    I loved how Libba addressed the segregation and racism in America in the 20s. She wasn't pushing a message and didn't call it out, she just told the honest truth from a Chinese girl's perspective and a black boy's perspective. Thank you!

-    I liked that I got to know different characters and their backgrounds in this book. In the first book, it focused on Evie and a couple other characters, and this book was more for Henry and Ling. I liked that different characters got to shine. 

-    I can't say enough about the setting. Libba really outdid herself. I felt so immersed in New York in the 20s. I loved it. I love all the finery, jazz, and jargon. It's so much fun. 

Previous Book in The Diviners' Trilogy:

Ketchup Clouds

Goodreads Synopsis:    Dear Mr. S. Harris, 

Ignore the blob of red in the top left corner. It's jam, not blood, though I don't think I need to tell you the difference. It wasn't your wife's jam the police found on your shoe. . . . 

I know what it's like. 

Mine wasn't a woman. Mine was a boy. And I killed him exactly three months ago. 
Zoe has an unconventional pen pal--Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other. 

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe's letters, but at least somebody will know her story--somebody who knows what it's like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance. 

My Thoughts:

-    I enjoyed this sad and somber story. It had some funny and heart felt moments, but it was pretty darn sad.

-    I didn't like how the story ended. I wanted a different resolution, but I can understand how "Zoe" couldn't be with a certain someone.

-    "Zoe" had a lot on her plate, almost too much in my opinion. Her home life is unstable, her younger sister is deaf, plus all the crap with the boys! I'm surprised she wasn't bogged down from everything. She kept going, and even after the horrible incident, she still kept going. I admire that.

-    There were some sensual moments. A couple were a bit too descriptive for my taste, and why would you write stuff like that to a guy on death row that you've never met? I don't buy it.

-    I like how the story was written with letters. "Zoe" was pouring her heart out to a complete stranger. That would be nice to do sometimes.

-    I love the title of this book, and I'm going to call red clouds ketchup clouds from now on. 

Sisters Red

From Goodreads:    Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

My Thoughts:

-    It was interesting, but then it got DUMB!!

-    I liked that one of the heroines was marred and scarred. It was different, new, and fun to read about a girl who isn't hot. I liked it. She was a hardened warrior, but was insecure about her looks. 

-    I really love the cover! It is fun and funky. I stare at it a lot.

-    I liked the contrast between the sisters. They were so different, but they really complimented each other. I liked how much they cared for each other and took care of each other. I was kind of a mean big sister, and I teased and picked on my little sis. I wish our relationship had been more like this, but I suppose that is what horrendous experiences does to people.

-    There was some heavy language, not frequent, but there were some f-bombs.

-    It took me a few chapters to really catch on to the time period. I knew they were in the now, but I kept picturing an old village from the dark ages kind of thing. Rose and Scarlett wore red cloaks, and hunted with axes and knives. Wouldn't people notice and gawk at that? Why didn't they hunt with guns? It would have been more proficient, and they wouldn't get cut up so much.

-    I didn't like how young Rosie was. The things she was doing and stuff. I wish she had been 18 and Scarlett 20, instead of 16 and 18. I especially didn't like Rosie's relationship with Silas because of the age difference. He was 21!! Hello!! That is illegal!! He shouldn't be going after 16 year olds! Gross!

-    The book was predictable, and I really don't like it when the story is predictable.

-    The ending was LAME!! I felt like it was a cheap Hollywood trick type of thing! It could have been handled differently. I was really disappointed!