From Goodreads: "Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. This is the story of what happened first…
Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.
Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.
They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices."

This book was everything to me and I will cherish it forever.

"She had tried to make sure they knew that there were a hundred, a thousand, a million different ways to be a girl, and that all of them were valid, and that neither of them was doing anything wrong. She had tried."

Plot:
Remember Jack and Jill from Every Heart a Doorway? This is the story of what happened first. Down Among the Sticks and Bones follows Jack and Jill as they grow up in a household that doesn't really seem to care about them but rather the idea of them and how their parents want them to be. You get to see how they were before the Moors. How Jack always went by Jacqueline and wore things that made her look like a princess. How Jillian was the more adventurous one, the tom-boy thrill seeker. It was so different from the characters that you know from Every Heart a Doorway but I absolutely loved getting to read their origin story, so to speak. This was a book that I was highly anticipating because I absolutely fell in love with Jack in the first book and was so eager to learn more about her and the twins time in the Moors. It was just as creepy and wonderful as I was hoping it would be and I could easily read a million more pages about these characters and the world they traveled to.

I loved basically seeing Jack and Jill grow up and become the characters that we're already familiar with. Obviously you already know who is going to end up where (Jack with the doctor and Jill with the Master) but that's only part of the story. You get to see how the two adapt to their situations and how Jill actually begins to resent Jack because she feels like she left her. It's part horror, part growing up, but it's all incredible. Everything from start to finish is more magical, creepy, and enchanting all at the same time and the ending is sure to break your heart into a thousand pieces. But it's one of the most beautiful horror stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading. The writing will absolutely draw you in and make you feel like you're walking the foggy, dangerous roads of the Moors with Jack and walking around the castle in princess dresses with Jill. It's a story that once you start, you won't want to stop.

"If they didn't find a way out, they were going to become paper dolls, flat and faceless and ready to be dressed however their parents wanted them to be."

Characters:
Jack is still easily my favorite. She's just such a wonderful character to read about and I can totally relate to the more tom-boy way that she acts and dresses. It was such a trip when I was reading the beginning and seeing just how different they were as they were growing up. Jack was the more girly one who always wore pretty dresses and hated to get dirty and that was not something I was expecting because, well, she works with Dr. Bleak and gets dirty a lot. I did love her little quirk of wearing gloves everywhere because she retains the fear of getting dirty and I thought that was a cute little unique thing she did. I also adored her relationship with both Dr. Bleak and Alexis. She was definitely the better of the two characters and I just could not get enough of her! The ending is truly heartbreaking for her character, though, but I still hold to my statement that this book is one you won't want to put down once you pick it up.

Jill, while she is Jack's twin, was not my favorite. Once she got to the Moors and was with the Master, I watched her transform into a spoiled princess. She was always so angry at Jack and would watch her from the castle with, at least I would assume, hatred in her heart. The Master would give her anything she wanted and basically required her to be his little princess until she turned 18, at which time he would make her like him. Jill was evil (and did I mention spoiled?) but it was great to read about how she became the way that she was in Every Heart a Doorway and to really get to understand her more than I did in the first book. I certainly wouldn't object to another story about what happens to them after Every Heart a Doorway!

"Some adventures begin easily. It is not hard, after all, to be sucked up by a tornado or pushed through a particularly porous mirror; there is no skill involved in being swept away by a great wave or pulled down a rabbit hole. Some adventures require nothing more than a willing heart and the ability to trip over the cracks in the world."

Writing:
Seanan McGuire has an absolutely magical way with words. I've woven some of my favorite quotes throughout this review, but there are so many more I'd like to include below:

Governments fall.
Lives are lost in a desperate war...one the Rhodi are losing.

The world has been devastated by the tyranny of the Red Huntress. To save Crescentia, Dylan and Devin attempt to decipher the mystery of the ancient letter their ancestors left behind, the only hope of salvation for their kind. Dylan continues to fight foes both on the battlefield and within her own mind, all while wrestling with the confused feelings she has for Enfys, the alluring spy who has become devoted to her cause.

In the epic conclusion to the thrilling Rhodi Saga, one brave warrior will stand in the way of corruption, to take place before her destiny…or her death."

Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours, Megan Linski, and Gryfyn Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review!

I never thought that I would be unable to form a coherent sentence after finishing a book, but Rhodi's Lullaby has done just that. I have been laughing, screaming, crying, cheering, and hiding-but-still-reading-through-my-fingers throughout the last few chapters of this epic tale and I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it's over. Follow along as I try to piece together all of the feelings I am feeling and write a review on the best ending to a trilogy I've ever read.

Please be aware that there may be spoilers for the Rhodi Saga ahead!

It's hard to know where to begin, but I suppose I can start with my favorite topic: Dylan. Boy oh boy does Dylan absolutely shine in this book. Not only does she grow as a Rhodi, but she also grows as a person. Throughout the entire book, she struggles with the threat of Rachel taking over all of Crescentia, and because of April Mae's prophecy, feels like the fate of Crescentia has fallen on her shoulders. Not only that, but she has to deal with her feelings (or not feelings, as she tries to tell herself all book long) for Enfys. As the book progresses, you discover that Dylan has still been self harming, but thankfully not as frequently. More towards the end of the book, she finally makes the decision to give up self harming for good, and I must admit that I teared up quite hard. Dylan has been through so much through these three books, and her decision was certainly not an easy one. I was so proud when she was able to rise above the need to hurt herself and chose to never do it again! By the end, I was in tears with how proud I was of Dylan and her journey, and the ending left my imagination running wild about what happens in her future.

Also, I absolutely adored the relationship that she develops with Saffron. I did not expect them to ever be anything but enemies, but Saffron easily became my second favorite character once she came around. I loved that when it came down to it, Dylan couldn't leave Saffron behind, and her compassion helped Saffron become a better person and even though she's still crazy, it's just no longer directed at Dylan. Her dedication to Dylan and keeping her safe just tugged at my heart and I could not resist loving her!

There were so many moments in this book that I will never forget. Most of them have to do with Dylan and Talidin, but who can say they're really surprised, right? My absolute favorite has to do with Talidin attempting to give "the talk" to Dylan and it goes from Talidin trying to be a good father to an incredibly awkward moment. I was laughing so hard there were tears streaming down my face! I really enjoyed watching Talidin try to be a good father and have it backfire and turn into an awkward father/daughter moment between the two of them! I also loved each and every moment that Dylan and Enfys had together, good and bad, and was so happy with how their relationship ended.

As with the other two books, Rhodi's Lullaby had a plot that kept me reading until the very end and even going back and re-reading some parts. The group finally decides to take a stand and try and defeat Rachel once and for all. With the help of Saffron and her ability to remove veils, they discover the letter that Odon had been trying to decipher was actually a map. As they make their way through the desert to the destination marked on the map, they discover the city of Rhodi-An. Talidin and Tavana are shocked to learn that the city they had thought was destroyed years ago is actually thriving and filled with Rhodi. But all is not perfect, despite what they have been shown. The king of Rhodi-An, Oruchan, is allowing Rachel to take over Crescentia and refuses to lend aid to the small but mighty group of Rhodi willing to fight back. The final battle that takes place in the city is one of epic proportions, and it had me yelling in shock and crying for those that are lost. Not only is there an incredible final battle, but there is also a huge plot twist involving certain characters and let me just say, this twist does not disappoint. I was screaming when I read it and was in shock for the rest of the book! Well done, Megan Linski, well done!

This was the longest book out of the trilogy at 314 pages and I was so happy to be able to have that much content to read, as this was the last book and there was so much that had to be resolved. The book actually spans quite a long time, and there is so much that happens and every single bit is wrapped up by the end. The writing in Rhodi's Lullaby was by far the most beautiful, and I can safely say that this was my favorite book in the trilogy. There was so much to this final story, and none of it was just glossed over like it didn't matter. With every page, I was amazed at how beautiful the story was becoming. There is so much detail written in every scene, and it's so easy to lose yourself in the world of the Rhodi and really feel like you're there, fighting alongside the twins or flying in the air with Saffron. I could feel the emotion, love, and dedication that was put into this final book, and it all wrapped up into one perfect conclusion.

Through the last handful of chapters, I was on the edge of my seat and did not want to stop reading. The big battle at Rhodi-An was one that I thought I was prepared for, but the author made absolute sure to remind me that at any moment, something crazy could happen. There were several moments where I was crying, some where I was literally screaming "WHAT WHAT NO NO NO" and some where I was so overjoyed I was bouncing up and down in my seat. I haven't encountered a book, let alone a series, where I was so emotionally involved that I was visibly showing emotions as I read. I have become so invested in this world and these characters that I just was not prepared for the things that happened, and I am certainly not ready to let them all go just yet. Megan Linski has created a world that is so easy to fall into and find yourself lost in, and it's one that I don't plan on leaving any time soon!

As I stated before, Rhodi's Lullaby is my favorite book in the series, hands down. The story line of all of the characters that we have come to love is wrapped up and tied with a neat bow, and it really allows your imagination to run wild with all of the possibilities. With everything that happens (and there is SO MUCH that happens) the ending leaves you feeling happy and very satisfied. There are happy moments, and plenty of sad moments, but all in all, Rhodi's Lullaby is the perfect ending to an epic trilogy that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Be sure to pick it up, along with the other two books in the series, on 04 September 2016!

Thank you to Crown Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review!

Blake Crouch has crafted a book like no other with Dark Matter. As a blurb by Joseph Finder on the back of the book states, this is the kind of book the word thriller was coined for. When I first began the journey of reading Dark Matter, I had no idea what rabbit hole I was going down. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was over 100 pages in on my first sitting with this book, and I wasn't ready to stop. Once you sit down and read this book, you won't want to put it down. This book has everything you could ask for in a science fiction/thriller novel and then some.

It's hard to know where to begin with this book, as there are an infinite number of starting points that I could choose.

"We all live day to day completely oblivious to the fact that we're a part of a much larger and stranger reality than we can possibly imagine."

We begin our journey with Jason Dessen, a college professor who married an artist named Daniela and had a son named Charlie. Jason is seemingly happy in his life, but he's questioned "what if" now and again. What if he had taken a different path in life? Where would he have ended up? When he gets kidnapped on the way home one night, his masked abductor asks him a simple question before drugging him and knocking him out: "Are you happy with your life?" Once Jason comes to, he is surrounded by people he doesn't know and a man who says, "Welcome back, my friend." He realizes that he has woken up in a world that is not his own, with no wife and no son, where he is a scientific genius who has created the impossible. The question is: Is this life real, or a dream? The paths to his discovery are infinite, and the journey to answer the question is unforgettable.

This entire book is basically a science lovers dream come true. As a science nerd myself, I was absolutely dying over all of the intricate scientific details wound throughout this book. It's difficult to say more without spoiling anything, but just trust when I say that if you love books with science woven in to the plot line, then Dark Matter is the book for you. The theories presented actually had me thinking and wondering if any of this was actually possible in the world we live in today. Could we make a scientific breakthrough as monumental as the one Jason made? If so, it would change the course of human history as we know it. Again, spoilers, but it's really amazing the amount of detail that this book goes into in regards to the scientific aspect.

Let's get to something non-spoilery, shall we? Jason Dessen, our main character. We follow his journey to the truth through all 352 pages and boy, does he take us on a ride. All Jason wants is to get back home, to his home, and his absolute dedication to returning to his loved ones was incredible. No matter how deadly, brutal, painful, or terrifying the obstacle was, Jason overcame each one in the hopes that he would be able to learn the truth and see his wife and child again. Because he's a scientist, he approached each situation he was presented with as if it was a scientific problem he had to solve. He broke it all down in stages, from most detailed to most simplified, and started at the most simplified problem he could deduce. Jason was incredibly smart, and so incredibly passionate about not being deterred from his end goal. Throughout the book, he is present with some pretty intense situations, and while he's not made of stone and does break down once or twice, he's able to learn from each experience and brings himself one step closer to his goal each time. He was such an interesting character to follow and without a doubt one of my favourite characters in any book I've read.

Not only was the main character amazing, but so was the writing. Blake Crouch has a way of painting a masterpiece with his words. His descriptive, beautiful writing allows you to almost insert yourself in the story alongside Jason and follow him as he tries to find his home. The only word I can think to use to describe his writing is magical. I found myself able to fully immerse myself into the world of Dark Matter and emotionally attach myself to Jason as well as the settings. With each page, I could paint a clear picture in my mind of where the characters were, what things looked like, and even how things felt at the time. In times of intensity, I was on the edge of my seat flipping pages like a crazy person. In times of distress, I found myself wanting to help console Jason and was so upset for him at some points that I felt like crying for him. By the end of the book, I really felt like I had gone on the journey with Jason, and felt a sense of relief as I read the final page. My feelings for this book are so intense and I cannot wait to go back and read it again.

Dark Matter is an adventure that everyone should go on at least once in their life. It has action, suspense, a bit of romance here and there, and some pretty awesome science mixed in to make one beautiful piece of work. It will suck you in from the very first page, and won't let go until you've read the very last word. If any of this interests you, then be sure to pick up Dark Matter on July 26th, 2016!