Reviews written by Alison Hong

YA Contemporary and Chick-lit, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US majorly focuses on a sweet and blossoming romance between Caymen Meyers of the lower class and Alexander "Xander" Spence of the upper class. Though this cheesy tale has been told many times over and over again, somehow Kasie West manages to make...

Rook, the word on the title, has nothing to do with chess as one might think. It is likely refers to the bird, thus the feathers on the cover. The feathers are dipped in red paint, which completely explains the color and appearance of it. The book is set in...

Please note that there are some spoilers in this review. Schizophrenia is never an easy disease. It eats away the mind, and it is simply horrifying. It is like a parasite, eating people (their souls) from inside out. From the brief Internet search, it seems Leah...

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is the first book of the series. Although there are no substantial evidence that this will be a trilogy, one can certainly hope. The second book is apparently being picked up by the publisher, and it seems we'll be getting more of Laia and Elias....

YA Contemporary, JESSE'S GIRL is perfect as a standalone. The title of the book totally reminds me of a song I frequently hear on the radio. "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield. Although there is a difference between Jessie and Jesse, I can't help but be intrigued by the similarity. Anyway,...

THE BODY ELECTRIC makes a lot of references to Beth Revis' trilogy (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), and I absolutely love all those easter eggs. It brings back great memories and tempts me into reading those books all over again. Ella Shepherd is desperate to hold onto her...

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL is the first book I'd ever read from Suzanne Young. I have to admit that I wasn't a big fan of A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, but I'm definitely a fan of THE REMEDY. What can I say? Suzanne Young gets better with time. THE REMEDY is...

YA Dystopian, AWAKENING brings a world where everyone is required to use a dreaming machine (called Dreamscape) to sleep. Now, many of us take sleep for granted. Many of us don't have insomnias, parasomnias, hypersomnias, and everything in between. But I find Duffy's approach greatly interesting. I'd seen hunger, water,...

YA Mystery with an excellent touch of suspense, THE STELLOW PROJECT is a story of Lilah Stellow who is running from a storm. Once she has taken shelter with Flori (her younger sister) at her father's cabin and the storm dies away, a lot of drama follows. Lilah is desperate...

BETTER THAN PERFECT is YA Contemporary. Recommended for 13 and up, this novel is definitely re-readable. I simply want to read it again and again. Now, I haven't read anything by Melissa Kantor other than "If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" but I can tell that I...

THE REPLACED continues where THE TAKING left off. In THE REPLACED, Kyra is on her own journey to find Tyler and her father. A Paranormal/YA Science Fiction book, THE REPLACED turns dark and unfolds the desperate search Kyra makes. THE REPLACED is fit for young adults (14+), and it will...

A YA Thriller, ENDANGERED has a deadly hunt for a killer. It centers around a dangerous game between cat and mouse, a power play that always shifts (almost) never in favor of the mouse. The mouse, Panda (real name: Lauren Daniels) is the "superhero" (with no special powers other than...

Best for older or mature teens, WRONG ABOUT THE GUY is YA Contemporary. We have a nice and subtle romance and a complicated drama with so much drama. (A drama with drama. Yes, I do realize how redundant that sounds, but there is no other way to put it.) Set...

There is one thing you don't do with this book. That is to read FAMOUS LAST WORDS right before going to bed. I read the first seven chapters before jumping onto the mattress. While snuggled underneath my blanket, I kept on thinking the worst whenever there was a simple creaking...