Book Review: Pandora Jones: Reckoning (Pandora Jones #3) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description: 

Pan blinked. Something strange was happening to her mind and body. She felt relaxed, but at the same time, acutely aware of everything. She remembered the Professor's words: she was the cause of the destruction of humanity. And she felt the truth of those words.

Pandora Jones's problems appear insurmountable. She must convince her team that nothing is as it seems and that they must escape and expose The School to save the world from the plague she unwittingly inflicted on it. The only thing Pan has on her side is her gift of intuition, and her belief in the people she cares about.

But with the clock ticking, can she find a way to stop the plague, and should she do it at any cost?

Pan and her friends face off against the might of The School as the final pieces fall into place in the hugely compelling Pandora Jones series.

Title: Pandora Jones: Rekoning
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback
Pages:312 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: ARC was received in exchanged for an honest review from the publisher

Warning: This review might spoil evens from Book 1: Admission (Review Here) and Book 2: Deception (Review Here).

This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and like every last book in a series I'm excited yet scared on how its gonna end and thank goodness Reckoning did everything right on ending a series!

The third and final book of the Pandora Jones series picks up immediately where we left off in Deception. In this book the truth behind the school, Pandora and her friends reason for being there and most importantly where did Pandora's powers come from is revealed.

I savored the story not wanting it to end yet wanting answers for all the cliff hanging questions in the previous book and this book delivered, tying in all the loose end in ways i didn't expected with a nice little bow. While I still was not a fan of Pan's inner captain obvious thoughts, I'm now at a point to where I'm used to it so it didn't bother me as much as it did in the previous books. The pacing in this book was slightly slower pace but I preferred that as it gives me a breather to process what's going on. Also like the previous books the action and suspense were nothing but nerve wrecking and epic to the point I'm on the edge of my seat hoping they'll be okay (spoilers... not really).

The scientific element is wicked and easy to follow and I also like how they talk about the ethics and morals of science and health. Lastly the way the book concluded was fitting and perfectly done! Prior to the released of the book my over thinking theory brain could not think of a 'happy' and satisfying way for this series to conclude but gosh did the author did a great job of summing up the series!

The character and relationship building in this book was probably the best in the series where we not only explore more of Pan and Jen's friendship that was established in the previous book but we also get to know more of the other characters aka their group mates like Wei Lin, Sanjit, Sam and Karl where in the short time we manage to get more of their backstory and their strengths, weaknesses and secrets which will all be important for the later part of the book. Mostly I enjoy how this diverse cast of characters interact with each other as they work together to try and crack down the secret behind the school.

Pan's relationship with Nate was surprisingly bittersweet and though Nate was such a hit/miss character for me through the series, his fate was the saddest part of this book. I seriously was rooting for Pan and Nate to be together especially with how he redeems himself ( comparing him to Theresa in Maze Runner AT LEASE HE TRIES TO REDEEM HIMSELF which got me to emphasis for his character) and the surprise of his relationship with a certain school faculty member.

Lastly the truth behind Pan's powers was kinda confusing but surprising. I had to re read that whole scene a couple of times but I like what they did with her finding out the truth and also answers some questions I had of another character in the previous book. Also from what I gather, Pan 'unlocks' a new level or ability with her power in each book which is really cool as we get to see her developed and adapt to her 'gift'.

Overall the Pandora Jones series is seriously one of the best and unique apocalypse/sci-fi theme YA I've came across as well as one of the more underrated Aussie YA out there. I highly recommend this series for its diverse cast of characters, epic and fast pace action and plot twisting story line.

Book Review: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Goodreads Description: 

A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process. 

Title: Hello, I Love You

Author: Katie M. Stout
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, YA,
Format: ebook, ARC

Pages: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 
Source: ARC was received in exchanged for an honest review from NetGalley

Oh gosh my head is up in the air of how do I rate this book...

Grace goes to an international boarding school in Korea for her final year of high school after tragedy struck her family. She's the daughter of one of the biggest country music mogul and producer as well as the sister of one of the biggest country singers around. There in Korea she befriends with her roommate Sophie and be enemies with her twin brother Jason who is one of the newest K-Pop star in the industry.  While adapting to her new life in Korea and avoiding the problems back home, Grace finds herself falling for Jason even though she sworn off being associated with anyone in the music industry.

When I first heard about this book it reminds me of Anna and the French Kiss meets Korea Drama and I don't know if any of you guys watch those drama but they are the most cringe worthty, dramatic, cheesiest and cliches things my eyeballs have ever experience and but they are also additively and laugh out loud hilarious thing ever! That was my experience with this book! I cringe at the cheesy dialogs and rolled my eyes at the cliche things the characters thinks/ does but still at the end of the day was addicted to the story and enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. It was a hard to get into book especially since the MC was already pissing me off in within the first 10% of the book with racist chopstick remarks (and FYI in case any of you guys don't know I'm Chinese Malaysian). But after pushing myself trough I found myself forgetting why I mad and carrying on what happens next.

I liked the pacing of the book even though I was not a fan of how the relationships were build. Though it was predictable, I did like predicting the mystery surrounding Grace's brother

Grace was not my favorite MC but is not the worst. She's going trough a hard time with her family especially her mum at home, hence her moving to Korea. I don't dislike her as a character and do empathise her especially when you learn why she's 'running away' from home for but I hated how she handled some of the situations.

I adored Sophie! I really like her as a character and her relationships with both Grace and the brother Jason.

Jason was a love hate character for me as his cold and moody attitude put me off while I did like his passion for music.

Now some (or should i say a long list) of things I was not a fan of the book. Firstly like Grace I went to a boarding school for my last year of high school overseas and lived in a dorm filled with international students mostly from South East Asia. I was cringing at Grace's remark about how the dorm only have chopsticks. I'm pretty sure they'll have provided forks and knife no matter what. Another thing that made me cringe and almost flung my reading device was her going all 'love at first sight hottest Korean guy' remark as the insta love siren in my head beep. keep in mind this is just the first 10% of the book. There are more cringe cliches and inaccurate facts about Korea in the book that made me roll my eyes, but instead I'm not gonna turn this into a negative review (as I did enjoy some things) but focus on the positive.

I enjoyed reading the sibling relationships in the book especially Sophie and Jason's. It was real and fun to watch their sibling bantering.

My favorite thing about this book is THE ROMANCE! *Play Katy Perry Hot and Cold* No joke the one thing I feel the author nailed is the love hate relationship (which is my cream de la cream of all love hate relatiohship)! Grace and Jason's relationship also reminds me a bit of the relationship between Tessa and Hardie in the After series where one moment they are cold towards each other and the next they are the sweetest thing ever! Also I enjoyed that they bonded over music and their common ground of parent/family problem.

Overall this is not the best thing I've read but its definitely not the worst. I keep thinking this as a polished wattpad story or a K-pop fanfiction.

This is probably the most disappointing book I've been anticipating of 2015. It had potential to be a new favorite book though sadly it had A LOT of flaws and in accurate facts not to mentioned PISSING ME (and probably the WHOLE of ASIA) within the first 10% of the book.
 

If you have read Anna and The French Kiss... Skip this, If you have NOT read Anna and the French Kiss also SKIP this as that's better in story, characters and overall.  If you are curious, bout the book read a sample or check it out of the library before checking it out.

Book Review: A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

Goodreads Description:

A hint of "Recovery Road," a sample of" Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," and a cut of "Juno." A Really Awesome Mess is a laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching/heart-warming story of two teenagers struggling to find love and themselves.

Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.

Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom.

Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook.

Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends.

Title: A Really Awesome Mess
Author: Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age, Mature YA
Format: Paperback

Pages: 288
Publisher: Egmont USA
Source: Purchased from Boarders Malaysia

This book is so true to the title... one of the biggest EFF UP MESS UP book I've read and IT WAS AWESOME!

It follows a duo narration of Justin and Emmy, two newly admitted students at Heartland Academy, a reform boarding school and therapy unit to help teenagers sort out their eff up lives from addiction to depressions.

Justin has depression and was caught in a situation by his dad that got him diagnose with Sexual deviant. After a suicide attempt, it got the attention of his parents to send him to the facility.

Emmy's was adopted from China and always felt like she never fit in with her very tall blond family. She suffers low esteem and eating disorder as she diets to fit in. Things get worse when she gets caught in the middle of an internet prank which got her suspended from school.

Both characters are enrolled to the facility by their family in the hopes of helping them with their problems, wants nothing to do with Heartland and want's out as soon as possible.

Things start to change when they meet four other students in an anger management class and it might involve a piglet.

All the characters in the book are very mess up! Even so they made the book for me. This is one of the best and most diverse cast of characters I've encounter in a book! They were all well written and developed characters, each with a different personality yet compliment each other really well.

I liked how the book is told in alternative POV between Justin and Emmy as we see a different perspective of what they are both going trough in the facility. Its cool that we get the perspective of a guy and a girl. At the start both of them were very angry and rude on the idea of going to the facility but as the book progresses we see a lighter side of them where they are laugh out loud hilarious and sarcastic remarks come in place. Also they are both admitted for different reasons so its great seeing the different therapy classes they are taking and their reactions. Between Justin and Emmy I personally like Justin more as he has one of the best and sassiest humor I've read but also cause I like how they handle his problem. Emmy was okay but I was not found of her avoiding her problem and her purpose of being in Heartland whether she liked it or not.

Each side characters are more than meets the eye. They all suffer from some sort of problem whether its PTSD to an unlikely addiction, they all have layers upon layers and the more I read about them the more I like and care for the characters. I wanted them to get better and get the hell out of the facility.

My favorite side character is Jenny cause though she suffers a traumatic past and is the youngest in the group, she's the toughest and grungiest and is practically the 'leader' of the group. Also like Justin she has some of the best and sassiest lines in the book.

While the romance between Justin and Emmy sweet, it felt rush. I prefer the friendship they made in the facility as well as them mending their relationships with their families.

Though this book is laugh out loud hilarious while being grudge and full of teenage angst, it still has it serious note where they don't sugar coat the situations the characters are in. The situations feels real where there is consequences for their actions from Emmy stubbornly dealing with her eating disorder to saving a piglet. Also the ending is bittersweet (NO ONE DIES DON'T WORRY!!! LOL sorry but I just have to assure that) and also freaking awesome on how the book nicely wrap up with some really smart and mind blowing schemes that friends did.

I highly recommend this book if you are in the mood or like really snarky and sarcastic angry teen narration that is also a really quick read light hearten reads.

Book Review: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

 Goodreads Description:

The astonishing first book that kicked off the international bestselling series.

ONLY A TRUE BEST FRIEND CAN PROTECT YOU FROM YOUR IMMORTAL ENEMIES . . .

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princes – a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi: the fiercest vampires – the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden deep in the forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger . . . and the Strigoi are always close by.

Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever . . .   

Title: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)
Author: Richelle Mead
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy
Format: Paperback

Pages: 332 pages
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Source: Purchased from Target

Guys... I finally did it... I finally read the Vampire Academy... 

AND IT WAS SO.FREAKING.GOOD!

I pick up VA which has been sitting in my TBR pile for almost a year and marathon the book during a road trip.

This is a intimidatingly huge series to commit to and was afraid it will not meet my expectations. 6 books in the main VA series and another 6 for the bloodlines spin-off!, yah 12 books is alot to take in.

Also I am not a fan of paranomal-ish stories and have NEVER read a vampire story (okay I attempt to read twilight in Form 4 around the peek of its hype but fell asleep about 10 pages into the book at Kinokunia... #EPICFAIL... sorry twilight fans.. I just can't and that failed attempt does not count) in my life so this is a first...

The book follows Rose and Lissa who are best friends and vampires in training on the run after escaping their boarding school has been captured and dragged back to the academy. There the both of them have to re-adjust to the life they left two years ago.

Rose catches up with her classes and training with Dmitri, her mysterious and moody yet irresistible trainer while keeping her and Lissa out of danger and the Strigoi. Lissa tries to fit back into the elite vampires.  

~PLOT/WRITING~

I was hooked into the VA world from page one! Thrown straight into the game, we are introduced to the race/types of Vampires:

1) Moroi - mortal vampires with a magical ability to manipulate elements like water, earth, fire and air (okay this is starting to sound like Avatar but its NOT, I promise), believe to use their magic for kindness or something positive.

2) Dhampirs - half vampire,half human who are trained as 'bodyguards' to protect the Moroi from the Strigoi. They have enhanced ability like reflexes, speed and strength. 

3) Strigoi - immortal vampire aka the one that will kill you and are EVIL.

I like the world building of this Vampire world. It was straight to the point and easy to follow without feeling lost or overwhelmed.

Though plot was gripping and fast pace with the thick air of suspense and mystery it was still predictable as I had my conspiracy theories and predicted all the foreshadow from the start. There were some high school drama and cliché thrown into the mix but it was still an addictive read!

My only complain was the action sequence. Though it was fun to read (especially that ONE part Dimity is training Roes and literally knock her off her feet! HA! That sexual tension!), it was not engaging enough. Maybe I've been spoiled with James Dashner's 'Maze Runner Series' or Rachael Craw's 'Spark' well paced, gripping and nail biting action sequences that makes me have trust issues and shout 'WTF IS GOING ON' every 5 seconds that I found most of the action moments in the book very bland and predictable.

Also there is a sub issue on mental health. In my review for 'This Song Will Save Your Life' I mentioned that I am not a fan of books that goes into too much detail on the issue of self harming so it was hard for me to read that part as it was graphic.  

Other than that I like the writing and was captivated from the start of the book leaving me wanting more of this awesome world!

~CHARACTERS~

Rose is my favorite character from the start! I love reading from her point of view with her snarky and sassy narration. Rebellious, strong, feisty and independent with a hint of temper and recklessness, Rose is everything I like in kickass heroine! I kinda pictured her as the Ellen Page sarcastic girl next door type when reading her. Even with everything going on, I like that she still acts and thinks like a teenage girl on stuff like lip gloss and boys. A Dhampirs in training to protect her Moroi best friend, she's protective, loyal and caring to Lissa and its where her soft side shows. She's also determine and responsible to her duties as a Dhampri to look out for Lissa even if it means putting fun aside.

Lissa was a character I love the more I read about her! Sweet, classy, caring and a total opposite to Rose's personality, A Moroi royalty in training, destine to rule the vampire world someday. She has dark past which triggered her into depression. Though it sounds like she is both physically and mentally unstable, she's not! Lissa a strong character who know how to stand up for herself and what is right for both her and Rose.

  

It took a while for me to warm up to Dmitri as he was very bland and moody at the start but the more I read about him the more I like the badass, no nonsense trainer and mentor, finding myself swooning over him. Basically he is the Tall, Dark, Mysterious kickass mentor that EVERYONE in the VA fandom are raving and drooling over!

BTW not related to the book VA but is it me or does the actor for Movie Dmitri look A LOT older than pictured in the book... anyone?!?! 

Christian was another guy where the more I read about him the more I swoon over him! Dark, emo, lonely outcast, didn't like him at first (okay I actually liked a bit of his 'emo-ness' but that's it) as I thought he was a bit weird but the more I read about him the more I feel bad for misjudging him. He is an intriguing character that I'm looking forward to reading more about in the future books.

The side characters were where I have my suspicions especially on Natalie being overly friendly and Mia whom I HATE with a passion!  I did like Mason and am looking forward to reading more of him.

~ROMANCE/FRIENDSHIP~

I love the friendship between Rose and Lissa! I see now why everyone says its one of the best friendship in YA as it is!

They share close and unique bond and are almost like sisters, looking out and standing up for each other. I kinda find it funny reading about Rose being overly protective at Lissa at times as it sometimes look like an overly possessive boyfriend  but still she meant well.

Rose and Dmitri's romance was well paced out and though I'll usually cringe at the 'student/teacher' romance, it somehow works here! As mentioned above that THAT one training moment was where I saw the sparks fly between them! Only complained... NOT ENOUGH OF THEIR ROMANCE though that might be because I have like 5+++ books to look forward to... better start planning my next trip to the bookstore...

As for Lissa and Christian's relationship was sweet to read and the the more I read about them the more I love them as couple.

~ENDING/OVERALL~

As mentioned it was very predictable but it was also well wrapped up. I like how it ended as it left me wanting more of this VA world and characters!

Overall this was a great solid start to the series! Those of you who were intimidated with the book whether its the super long series or its a 'Vampire romance', I say give the first book a shot and if you like it commit to the series as they say it gets better as it progresses! 

I am definitely continuing the series and picking up the next book which I've been hunting around bookshops in Kuala Lumpur for and not ONE bookstore has FROSTBITE! Yah I probably should have gotten the box set... or get it when I get back to Melbourne.. 

Also shout out to Penguin Teen Australia where at  PTA LIVE they sold the book as 'Vampire that does not sparkle' which was one of the main push that got me to reading this!!!

Still not convinced on starting this series even after my tangent of how the first book is great? Check out their blog The Vampire Academy Series - 8 Reasons To Stop Avoiding It! as that too had me convinced on me picking up the first book!

Now to get my hands on FROSTBITE!!!

ALSO if you like the  'Best friends bounded to protect each other' concept of Vampire Academy but minus the vampires, check out Spark by Rachael Craw (Review Here)!!! 

Book Review: On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

 

Goodreads Description:

I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs - the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

The moving, joyous and brilliantly compelling new novel from the best-selling, multi-award-winning author of Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca.

Title: On the Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
Genre: Contemporary, YA, Coming of age
Format: Paperback

Pages: 300 pages
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Source: Purchased from Dymocks

The first 100 more or less pages were the hardest. Its very confusing but get past those pages and the story picks up and gets better. 

On the Jellicoe road is a provoking, emotional and beautiful coming of age story! It takes a while but its worth the wait.

Following Taylor who's mum abandons her when she was eleven at a 7-11 On Jellicoe Road, lives at a boarding school in NSW  and is looking for her friend and guardian Hannah who suddenly disappeared.

The book started out very confusing with Taylor having all of this 'dreams' and that it switches between the story and Hannah's unfinished manuscript.

It started out like an inception where you ponder your thoughts on how reliable the narration is as its freaking confusing.

Even so, the story gets better once it picks up. I like how the both stories connects as once it does and you understand the link to what's happening, and see the bigger picture which is its mind blowing.

Taylor is a complex but emotional and broken girl who is trying to find her friend and 'parent figure' Hannah. Along the way questions about the parents starts to unravel. I was not found of Taylor and could not connect to her character till the last one third of the book. Still she has been trough a lot and is strong and independent.

Jonah Grigg is just as emotional and broken as Taylor is and the more we learn about his dark past the more you feel for him. 

I find the characters in the book one of the hardest to connect with. Even so I like how the author written them out as they were all complex with a lot of layers to unravel before you get to their core and you understand and maybe even care for them.

Reading this reminds me a bit of Holes by Louis Sachar where we have multiple stories that connect to a bigger picture but also with the style it was written.

Also when I was done with the book I re read the first 100 pages and it all clicks easier!

Overall its a great story and I see why its names an 'aussie ya classic'.

Pick this up as its provoking, mysterious, sophisticated and breath taking beautifully written book.

Book Review: Pandora Jones: Deception (Pandora Jones #2) by Barry Jonsberg

Goodreads Description:

Pandora and her team are already two members down. The survival of humanity in the post-plague world depends on them. But who can she trust?

It was difficult to know when nightmares ended and the waking world began.

Pan is still struggling to distinguish between her dreams and reality. When she wakes in the Infirmary her mind replays the sight of Nate running along the shoreline and the way his body froze and then flopped after he was shot. But her memories hold more questions than answers and she doesn't know who to trust.

When she forms an unlikely alliance with Jen to try to make sense of everyone's haunting similar memories and the conflicting information about The School, she finds herself with unexpected enemies.

Pan and Jen are determined to seek the truth - no matter what rules they must break or how terrible the danger they face. But can they even trust each other?

Intuition. Secrets. Truth. Courage. Action. Survival.  

Title: Pandora Jones: Deception (Pandora Jones #2)
Author: Barry Jonsberg
Genre: Sci-Fi, survival, paranormal, apocalyptic, YA, 
Format: Paperback

Pages: 288 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Source: Won as a Giveaway Price from the Publisher

'Deception’ starts with a prologue recapping what happen in the previous book of Pandora and her friends returning from a mission. Two team mates down, Pandora makes allies with her team mate and former ‘frienemy’ Jen in order to work out the motive of The School and escape the place.
  

Following Pandora and Jen snooping around as we get to know more about The School and its hidden secrets. Trough out the book we pick up pieces of the puzzle to come out with our own conclusion of The School and the world they are living in now.

There were so many great plot twist that kept this book engaging as you want to know what happen next. The ending of the book was mind blowing as while some parts were predictable most of them I didn't expect at all! My theories have turned upside down thanks to that ending! 

Dang you cliff hanger! I have to wait for 6 months for the next book?!?! Why?!?! Need to know what happens next!

This book was a page turner! I enjoyed the plot development and the themes of the book. I like that this book focuses on the friendship between Pandora and her team mates especially with Jen and Wei Lin. There were some really good adventure moments and better action moments that was epic but nerve wrecking and kept me on the edge of my seat. 

I love the character developments! We got to know a more about Pandora, Wei Lin, Sanjitt and the rest of the group especially Jen! Jen has went from my least favorite character in the series to my favorite! Smart, sassy and bad ass  Jen is everything I love in characters and have some of the best lines! We also get to know more about her including her past. I also love watching Pandora progress trough the book as she developed her strength and talent. While she is slightly wiser and more knowledgeable in this book she still tend to make some really stupid decisions thought not as bad as in Admission. 

I like the pacing of the book and breezed trough the story. I've also gotten used to the writing style which I mention in Admission I was not a fan of at first. I am however still not fan of Pandora's inner thought. There were times where it was okay and there were times where it was really annoying as it was pointing out the obvious.

Other than that, Deception was a great sequel! Like it more than Admission. Very provocation and engaging with great story and character development. Check out the Pandora Jones series for a great Aussie YA and epic apocalyptic adventure series.

Looking forward to 'Pandora Jones: Reckoning' which is coming out in May 2015. 

What was the last cliff hanger that drove you nuts?

Cress by Marrisa Myers! I need Winter!