Heartstrings and Loopholes

Goddess by Josephine Angelini

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Songs for this read: More Than I Should by Hunter Hayes, Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab, Birds of a Feather by The Civil Wars

I'm so sad right now. But it's a good kind of sad... if that makes any sense. I'm devastated our journey with Helen and those beautiful Delos boys is over. But I'm so happy that I'm sad about it. You see, it seems recently ending Trilogies and series have left me more upset, angry and down right frustrated with the final chapter. So to get to be sad, and yet content with the ending is the best feeling. Reading the end of this story only made me want to read them all over again.

Its the end of a trilogy so there is not much summarizing or explaining I can do without revealing everything, so enough to say that this book was just about as close to a perfect ending as you could hope for. I loved everything about it, despite the losses throughout, everything turned out for the best, for the most part. And I for one and going to dare to dream about the tempting little loose ends left dangling at the end there. I would appear to me Angelini left the door open for the legacy to continue if she so chose.
Fingers Crossed!!

In closing I just want to give a shout out to Hector Delos. Lucas is amazing and perfect for Helen, but Hector will always be my favorite Delos boy  man.


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"Dedication Takes a Lifetime but Dreams Only Last for a Night"

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Songs for this read: Simple Distance by The Workday Release, Falling to Pieces by Junior Doctor, Running From Lions by All Time Low, When I Go Down by Relient K

Sequels in a trilogy always tend to be the ones that mess the most with ones emotions. And never in a good way. Because of this they are given a bad name and notorious for being readers least favorite of a series. And usually with good reason. The middle book is always where the author decides to mess with everyones heart strings and keep the two favorites as far apart as possible so it seems hopeless. Or even worse, insert a love triangle. Yeah who would really want to read that? Deeeepressing. And while I must say I am guilty of holding grudges against certain middle books for these exact reasons, I think it's important to focus on the vital role a middle book plays in the overall plot arc of a trilogy.
As a middle book, Dreamless is more or less obligated to involve At least some of the story elements mentioned above. I used to believe trilogy authors did this simply to keep readers holding on to the next book to see if the lovers would get back together because they had some idea in their head that readers ultimately get bored seeing the couple happy and functional. Don't get me wrong in a sense this theory has complete credibility but this alone isn't enough.
While reading dreamless I realized just how much crucial character and plot development occur in the story line of the second book in a trilogy. While it is all being set up in the first and resolved in the last, the middle is wear you really find out who these people are. And that is why so often something huge drives the couples apart. Not purely to keep readers biting their nails but to let's them get to know the. Characters separate of each other. To get readers to love the characters as individuals that then make up a duo (hopefully) in the next installment.
Ok I really didn't set out to write all that but it just started flowing on the keyboard. Tying this back to this great book I read, dreamless does a great job establishing really just where all the game pieces lie in this plot. The mysteries of the first book are expanded and the epic battle royale has been properly introduced,
The love triangle is in full force and sides have been marked like lines in the sand. And while the second book curse succeeded in making me hurt for Helen and Lucas being so distant, you know the book is a keeper when you don't want to kill the girl when she isn't with her boyfriend. It is a rare thing these days ( at least for me) to find a book where you genuine like the heroine and don't just out up with for her boyfriend.
It's still a middle book so I'm not going to tell you I am in live with this book. But I will say I wasn't disappointed and that I just know the finale will be even better than both the first two combined.



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Ohana Means Family...

...Family means no one gets left behind. 

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Songs for this book: Hey Summer by The Bigger Lights , Only Place I Call Home by Every Avenue, Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin


Wow, so how to write a review after an ending like that?

So at first I didn't know how I felt about Helen. In the first chapter she was so shy and self conscious it was so irritating. The the next few chapters she was a bitchy, self contained, zombie girl and that was probably even more annoying. Then we finally found some middle ground when Lucas stepped up to the plate. Let's all take this time to take a large inhale an then let it out in a gigantic group sigh for Lucas. Ready? Ohhh Lucas! *sigh* he is quite the dream boy.
But it's not jut Lucas I'm in love with I adore the whole Delos family. honestly I'm infatuated with this family. Ari is the kindest person, Jason is all sauve but so gentle hearted, hector had to grow on my bit he is kinda the perfect older brother. Cassie also took some getting used to but she just loves her brother and doesn't want to see him get hurt. Plus she has got a lot on her plate for 13 years old.
This whole story is pretty heart wrenching. But kinda in the best way possible. The story is full of ups and downs which give it so much dynamic you can never be bored. Once you finish this story it is so difficult to then look back and see that the beginning is the same book. The characters grow so much. I also want to give kudos here, this book must have taken so much research and it shows. Really a killer job.
As with any good book of this genre, the ending left me hanging on to the tiniest sense of hope, City of Bones style. In the awful way where part of you wants to throw the book against the wall in frustration ( which would be a bad idea since I read this on my kindle) and the other is immediately scanning the Internet for the release date for the next book and any kind of spoilers you can find. All that said it truly was a beautiful ending, and while I didn't see it coming (should have paid more attention to my percent finished tracker), Where it ends only makes me all the more excited in anticipation  for the coming book. I have been trying to think of possible outcomes and loop holes and coming up blank. I can't wait to see what ends up coming to be.
This book definitely made it on my favorites for this year, I completely recommend it. But if you don't handle cliffhangers very well, suffer from fiction boyfriend obsessions, or are a really impatient reader when it comes to sequels, I suggest you proceed with caution and anticipate your possible side effect from reading this book. But read it cause it's totally worth it!


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