Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

At seventeen, Lain Fisher has already aced the Institute's elite training program for Mindwalkers, therapists who use a direct neural link to erase a patient's traumatic memories. A prodigy and the daughter of a renowned scientist-whose unexplained death left her alone in the world-Lain is driven by the need to save others.

When Steven, a troubled classmate, asks her to wipe a horrific childhood experience from his mind, Lain's superiors warn her to stay away. Steven's scars are too deep, they say; the risk too great. Yet the more time Lain spends with him, the more she begins to question everything about her society. As she defies the warnings and explores Steven's memories, it becomes clear that he's connected to something much bigger…something the Institute doesn't want the world to discover.

Lain never expected to be a rule breaker. She certainly didn't plan on falling in love with a boy she's been forbidden to help. But then, she never expected to stumble into a conspiracy that could ignite a revolution.  



A graduate of Columbia University in Chicago, A. J. Steiger majored in Fiction Writing, and from the impeccable writing skill within this debut YA novel it was well worth the money. Now, I feel forced to mention that YES! This is a series, but of only two books. BOO! The first book Mindwalker is not simply another dystopian novel trying to make a quick book. This book is a true testament to the genre. YA can so often be passed off as frivolous, less crafted form of novel writing. I have always full-heartedly disagreed, and books like this one are the reason why.

With the upsurgence of positive representation of mental illness currently circling the media, Mindwalker is the perfect book, published at the perfect time. Mindwalker may seem like a typical "teenage girl out to save the world from evil corporation" type book, but in fact, this is novel about depression. This book is about psychology and the world's reaction to it, when the psychological state of someone is not "normal". The protagonist Lain herself has suffered depression after the death of her father, this leads her to require 'conditioning' purging her off "abnormal" thoughts. In a society that treats mental illness as a plague, they label each person according to the strength of their mental psyche. After conditioning Lain gets her number back up to her number, she begins her apprenticeship as a *wait for it* mindwalker! (It's the name of the book, geddit? It's a job)

This career entails in her, removing the memories that scar like daggers. PTSD, sexual abuse and anything else you can think of. She lives the memories and then removes them, what amazing technology! But what happens when she meets a boy who has no memory of his past? Well, I'll tell you what happens. SHIT GOES DOWN! She secretly helps Steven, going through his memories in order to delete them, then she notices something odd. His memories aren't real, he was conditioned to believe false truths...and so the journey begins.

I'll admit, not the most original idea, but then again, are there any original ideas. I think the more important thing about this novel is Steiger's fresh voice. Her voice, her thoughts are what make this narrative so compelling. I am with Lain, on every page through every twist and turn and I am very upset that there are only two books. It is funny and moving, and Lain has this endearing heroine quality in which she isn't violent or coincidentally equipped with amazing talents. Lain is a normal girl trying to do the right thing, and it is so refreshing. You're often taught on writing courses that if your character is good enough, you don't need to worry about a narrative and I think if there was no plot to this story, it would still be compelling because Lain is compelling. Lain and Steven are partners in crime that are here to cause trouble, and you are gonna want to read this book before Mindstormer comes out in 2016.


FAN OF SLATED? THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Happy Reading

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

I had picked this book up several times attempting to read it since its publication. I then decided I never would and got rid of the book, only to buy it again a few months later. Now having read as far as humanly possible, I have to say it. So much potential just lost and scattered to the wind.

Don't get wrong, the first 200 pages I flew through. I couldn't figure out how I'd been missing this book for so long. Eva and Addie were such an antithesis and there development was great to read. I adored the slight love story and Hally! My god Hally, Her and Lissa were just the coolest, the way the switched back and forth and gathered people to rebel and change the world quietly. I was loving it. I was pumped! 

Then they get taken to well, wherever the hell they were taken and I stuck it out as long as possible. It just got monotonous,  Nothing was happening, and if it was happening it was so unrealistic I just fond myself scoffing and muttering 'pfft sure' under my breath. 

The part that finally made me shut the book and never turn back, was the phone call to her Father. It made me mad. He promises not to let her stay there and that he'd come with her, I liked the idea he would try but something terrible would happen but so on so forth. But instead they use Eva and Addie's life as leverage to get there son a kidney. I'm sorry, even if he is ill, no decent parent (as we are led to believe they are) would let one child die to improve the life of another. Her brother isn't dying this isn't like a 'he needs this now or he will die' situation. This is a ''dialysis is really not ideal' situation and it was so ridiculous and made me so mad, I threw the book across the room. 

I don't care what happens. 
I literally just don't care and I should not feel that way about reading a book. I want to follow the charaetrs to the end, even if it isn't well written. There has to be something dragging me in, but there wasn't.

Such a shame because the premise really excited me and the first 200 pages were promising. This book was such a disappointment. Two stars!

Series are an important member of the YA family. We love a long story that keeps going and gives us as much as possible. When you love a story there is nothing better than finding out there are more books, although that being said, some series are better than others. This is the countdown of my CURRENT favourite top ten

10. Dust Lands Series by Moira Young

Amidst the wreckage of a ruined civilization, Saba must fight to save herself, her family, and maybe her whole world.

The Dust Lands Series by Moira Young makes my top ten because of the first and second books in the trilogy. The final book was admittedly a disappointment but Saba is a strong protagonist and it's hard not to fall in love with her and her journey. The relationship development between her and her siblings is beautiful and the final chapter of Raging Star is really quite lovely.

9. Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver
Lena and Alex, two teens battling against the controlling government that believes that love is a disease and forbids it from their community.

Delirium is one of those trilogies that people were let down by the ending but Pandemonium is one of the greatest books I have ever read, the structure is just genius. And much like Veronica Roth's Allegiant, the ending becomes better and more able to cope with in time and after a re-reading. 


8. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Enter a future world where every year two tributes from each district are thrown into an arena expected to fight to the death or get knocked out by other means. Only one can survive.

A classic YA fave, The Hunger Games needs no explanation as to why it deserves to be in my top ten. Although I will say that despite how controversial. I loved Mockingjay. 



7. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
The mysterious "Kid-Killer" affliction has left most American children dead, but Ruby is not one of them-she's one of the dangerous ones, the ones who lived. 

The Darkest Minds is by far one of the most interesting concepts I have ever read. I adored the first book and the second one was just as good. Ruby is delightful as is Liam and the characters development throughout this series is phenomenal. The final book in the trilogy In the Afterlight is out this year. I highly, highly recommend.
6.  Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
 Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."

Another YA classic, Divergent is a wonderful trilogy with a shock conclusion. If you haven't quite got over Allegiant,I recommend reading Veronica Roth's blog. Her post about her plot decisions is beautiful and really helps to understand the authors point of view. 


 5. Harry Potter by J. K Rowling






Need I say more.  






4. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is a 17-year-old trying to make her way in an Atlanta plagued by marauding demons and scheming necromancers. With each passing day, Atlanta is becoming the latest battlefield between Heaven and Hell.

This is one of the most consistent series I have ever read. Each book is as good and as satisfying as its predecessor. Riley is badass, Beck is just...great! And the narrative is full of twists and turns. You will fall in love with this series. 


3.Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
The series revolves around The Edison Group, a team of supernatural scientists, and the subjects they have experimented on. 

An incredibly absorbing trilogy that follows Chloe Saunders. Her inner struggle to control her powers and find out who she is will surprise and enthrall you. Armstrong is a well known horror writer and brings aspects of this into these novels to give it a great, scary edge.




2. Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer   
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Follow Cinder as she tried to take down the evil Lunars in these wonderful novels based loosely (incredibly so) on fairytales. The final book Winter is scheduled for release and I am so excited for it, I am going to pee my pants. 


1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

   
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. 

 I initially read these books last year on a random whim after grabbing it at Waterstones and I never just buy books without researching first. But I was really glad I did. A year later I have just reread them after the release of The Assassins Blade (Throne of Glass Prequel Novella Bind Up) and it occurs to me that this may be my favourite fantasy series EVER!

I love Celaena so much, in a way that I've never connected to a protagonist before, she isn't simply kick-ass and hard and cold, shes also soft and sweet and goofy and she's real person in the greatest way that a collection of words can be a person, she is so incredibly complex that it doesn't seem possible for her not to be a person. Then there's Chaol who is the weirdest love interest but also seems so incredibly right, Dorian isn't just the typical kind of 'here he is, prince charming' fantasy that people love to read in books. But Chaol gives off the idea of what it's really like to be in love, he is the reality of love rather than the fantasy and I adore that. Sarah J Maas has created real life on the page. I often forget it's constructed and that none of this has actually happened.

The world is beautiful it's like Game of Thrones meets modern day and the way it feels natural to move through. And I normally hate books about Fae, I avoid them because I can't stand them and after I first read this book, the Fae part seemed not that important, it was more to do with how great the story was. The percentages of the book focusing on each narrative felt really good, really natural, it wasn't all about the competition or Elena or the love story or even this kind self acceptance and misery Celaena goes through story, they all flowed naturally and felt like that was how much time should have been spent on each part. I love this book in the weird way that I can love something that isn't real, something that was made up. 

The third book Heir of Fire is out September and luckily there are to be six novels within this series. 


 It's beautiful right! 

I honestly implore you, if you haven't read this series, pick it up. You will not be disappointed, it makes me all ...
 on the inside.