The Dazzling Heights by Katharine McGee
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: New York City, 2118. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible – if you want it enough.

Manhattan is home to a thousand-story supertower, a beacon of futuristic glamour and high-tech luxury… and to millions of people living scandalous, secretive lives.

Leda is haunted by nightmares of what happened on the worst night of her life. She’s afraid the truth will get out – which is why she hires Watt, her very own hacker, to keep an eye on all of the witnesses for her. But what happens when their business relationship turns personal?

When Rylin receives a scholarship to an elite upper-floor school, her life transforms overnight. But being here also means seeing the boy she loves: the one whose heart she broke, and who broke hers in return.

Avery is grappling with the reality of her forbidden romance – is there anywhere in the world that’s safe for them to be together?

And then there’s Calliope, the mysterious, bohemian beauty who’s arrived in New York with a devious goal in mind – and too many secrets to count.

Here in the Tower, no one is safe – because someone is watching their every move, someone with revenge in mind. After all, in a world of such dazzling heights, you’re always only one step away from a devastating fall….
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: Leda, Avery and Rylin are still reeling over the aftermath of that night. Haunted by nightmares and regrets, they all tread a dangerous line, for eventually the truth will come out. A new arrival in the tower may not seem like much of a deal for the girls, but Calliope Brown is dressed to kill. Ready to wreak a havoc, her devious plans may just undermine them all and crown her the new queen of New York...

There's so much character growth in this book, I love it. Leda has many harsh challenges to face, and the realisations she makes will help her become a better, much improved version of herself; Avery may have everything, but it isn't going to last with the ghosts haunting her; and Rylin is thrust into a new world which will make or break her. There is certainly no shortage of drama in this sequel told from the perspectives of Leda, Avery, Rylin, Watt, and Calliope.

The issues covered in The Dazzling Heights are mostly the same as in The Thousandth Floor, which means it does get a bit boring with the lack of new conflict. Certain characters and events were downplayed. Making them a larger part of the novel could've induced more excitement. On a positive note, I enjoyed getting to know Rylin, who did have a bigger part to play.

If you love teen fiction, you don't want to miss this series. The Dazzling heights builds on the layers created in The Thousandth floor and adds more juicy secrets to the tantalising list of lies. New characters, new stories, new dilemmas. Who will end up on top of this deadly tower?       
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of teen fiction.

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: A novel about growing up ... and blowing up.

Mara Carlyle's senior year is going as normally as could be expected, until- wa-bam!-fellow senior Katelyn Ogden explodes during third period pre-calc.

Katelyn is the first, but she won't be the last senior to blow up without warning or explanation.With the whole country watching, the FBI soon rolls into Mara's suburban New Jersey hometown and the search is on for answers.
Whip-smart and blunt, Mara narrates the end of their world as she knows it while trying to make it to graduation in one piece. It's an explosive year punctuated by romance, quarantine, lifelong friendship, hallucinogenic mushrooms, bloggers, ice-cream trucks, "Snooze ButtonTM" and the filthiest language you've ever heard from
the president of the United States.

Aaron Starmer defies every rule in Spontaneous, but beneath the outrageous is a ridiculously funny, super honest, and truly moving exemplar of the absurd and raw truths of being a teenager in the twenty-first century-and the heartache of saying good-bye.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Mara Carlyle isn't have a normal senior year. If drama, talk of prom and sports is normal, then her senior year was perfectly normal... Until Katelyn Ogden exploded. As Mara's classmates explode, she must try and get through senior year alive.

Spontaneous combustion isn't something I've really heard of, or know much about. But in Spontaneous, Aaron Starmer describes the explosions in vivid detail, down to the icky blood splatters on people around what was just a person. Mara's personality is perfect for this tale, her witty jokes on death are under appreciated.

There are ups and downs to this tale, and I think some parts of Mara are built to be "relatable" however shouldn't have been. Those parts seemed to directly contrast with her personality which is why I didn't like them; I would've preferred a not quite as relatable, but a more genuine girl and main character.

Aaron Starmer has created a hilarious tale about some high school seniors who must rally together as their class mates start exploding. From thwarting the FBI to being confined to Covington, these teenagers are thrown around by the "big kids". Spontaneous is a hilarious tale about how being a teenager is a roller coaster and problems no one foresees can appear in your life at any moment.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of honest teen fiction.

Perfect (Flawed #2) by Cecelia Ahern
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books
Goodreads Summary: Celestine North lives in a society that demands perfection. After she was branded Flawed by a morality court, Celestine's life has completely fractured--all her freedoms gone.

Since Judge Crevan has declared her the number one threat to the public, she has been a ghost, on the run with Carrick--the only person she can trust.

But Celestine has a secret--one that could bring the entire Flawed system crumbling to the ground. A secret that has already caused countless people to go missing.

Judge Crevan is gaining the upper hand, and time is running out for Celestine. With tensions building, Celestine must make a choice: save just herself or to risk her life to save all Flawed people.

And, most important of all, can she prove that to be human in itself is to be Flawed?
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: Celestine North is a wanted fugitive. Hiding in plain sight no longer works when one day, Whistleblowers show up unexpectedly and Celestine is forced to go on the run for real. Trust no one is the only way she'll survive, but that doesn't stop the hurt that comes from being betrayed by those thought to have better intentions.

Perfect isn't a tale of perfection, or a story where the main characters get off scot free. Celestine must fight for what she believes in, and when she is offered the choice of freedom she must hear out all the conditions before deciding whether she should accept. We see a little more of Carrick and Art, both their stories are resolved in this book.

There's a great plot spurring on Perfect, but I miss the cut-throat action of Flawed which is why I didn't give this book five stars. Of course I loved the high points of Perfect, but sometimes the plot got really boring and that is the only thing I disliked about Perfect. Judge Crevan seems less villainous but perhaps he shouldn't be.

A romance that irons out all its creases in order to be happy, a future in the free world... What more could you ask of Cecelia Ahern? Perfect brings us a conclusion of sorts to this duo about a defiant girl who dared to go against everything her society stood for and takes a stand for what she believes in even when her life is at stake. Cecelia Ahern is known for beautiful words, and Perfect certainly isn't an exception.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from HarperCollins New Zealand and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of contemporary romance and dystopia.

The End of Oz (Dorothy Must Die #4) by Danielle Paige
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: Ding dong—Dorothy is dead.

I watched as the Emerald Palace crumbled to the ground, burying Dorothy, the Girl Who Rode the Cyclone, under the rubble. And now that the rightful ruler, Ozma, has been restored to the throne…

Oz is finally free.

My name is Amy Gumm. You might remember me as the other girl from Kansas. When a tornado whisked me away to the magical land of Oz, I was given a mission: Dorothy must die.

But it turns out girls from Kansas are harder to kill than we look.

Now the Road of Yellow Brick is leading me away from Oz to the dark world of Ev, where I have a new, powerful enemy to deal with: the Nome King. And—surprise—he has a gingham-clad bride.

With my magical shoes and a shrinking group of allies, I have one final chance to fulfill my mission, and save not only what’s left of Oz, but Kansas, too. As the line between Good and Wicked blurs even further, I have to find a way to get rid of Dorothy once and for all—without turning into a monster myself.

Dorothy once said there’s no place like home. Can I stop her from destroying mine? 
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: Amy Gumm is the other girl from Kansas. After leaving Dorothy under a collapsing palace, her next mission is to kill the Nome King. Alongside Nox and former bully Madison Pendleton, the Yellow Brick Road transports them to Ev where they'll need everything they have to restore Oz. Many trials will test them to see if they are truly ready to save Oz.

"'Hi, Amy,' she said. Her grotesque grin had suddenly transformed into a joyful snarl. 'Are you going to kill me now?'"

The theme of books one to three is mainly 'kill Dorothy', while The End of Oz focuses much more on other subjects, such as the downfall of the Nome King, gaining a princess's trust, explaining the magical world to Amy's old tormentor, and why of course, relationship drama. Honestly? I didn't expect that Amy and Nox would be so big a part of the book when previously they'd been minuscule at the most. Sure, I love it, but the element of romance just seems strange when the focus has always been war/violence oriented.

"The air around us held still.
Then the world fell apart."

Sacrifices must be mad if Oz is to be returned to its former glory. This section of the book is bittersweet and conflicting, but all turns out to be okay. This quote really makes you think. All the goals you aspire for, they can become impossible moments after you've achieved them. It makes you wonder if all that hard work was pointless, a constant uphill battle. So why try?

"When she took a last step forward, the magic from our shoes rippled like she was wading through water."

Amy/Dorothy's shoes are a crucial part of the ending, something which makes me wonder why Danielle Paige chose to end the series in such an uncertain way, an ending which tells us nothing about the future, or what is to become of our beloved characters. To me, the element of wonder is exciting and all but this series is extremely definite and the ending should've been the same way. You like Oz? This is definitely the right series for you.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of retellings.

Carve The Mark (Carve The Mark #1) by Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads Summary: On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not—their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive—no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive—or to destroy one another.

Fans of Star Wars and Divergent will revel in internationally bestselling author Veronica Roth’s stunning new science-fiction fantasy series.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: Set in a different universe, Carve the Mark tells the tale of Akos Kereseth, a fate favoured Thuvhesit farmer's son and Cyra Noavek, sister of the tyrant Ryzek Noavek of Shotet. Two opposite worlds on two faces of the same plant come crashing together when Ryzek kidnaps Akos and his brother.

I expected more from this book, and perhaps my assumptions were unfair. Carve the Mark took a lot of getting used to; the world is so different from ours, and at first all the references to items of their world are only confusing. The new information seemed to stop for a bit, then start again, a slower trickle which is how it should be. Facts were cleverly repeated many times to ensure readers would remember it.

Cyra's currentgift causes her pain and allows her to inflict in on others. Her brother uses her as a weapon and torture tool. I like how currentgifts can change, evolve as the person does and they have a direct connection to their owners' personality. Akos's gift's reasoning is yet to be revealed, but I'm curious nonetheless. The second half of the book fared a lot better than the first because it contained much more action, plan devising and conflicting matters.

The introduction is conducted poorly, but Carve the Mark is very enjoyable once you've figured out what's happening and what these terms mean. And if in doubt there is a glossary provided at the back of the book. These characters and their 'sealed fates' only make the story more interesting. I was able to predict part of one major event, due to clues hidden in the first chapters. Science fiction, advanced technology, different beliefs and environments... Carve the mark.
Purchase Location: ~I received a copy from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of sci-fi.

The Watcher by Ross Armstrong
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: The Girl on the Train meets Rear Window, The Watcher is an absolutely addictive and on trend commercial psychological suspense read, with a captivating unreliable narrator and some powerful narrative twists. She's watching you, but who's watching her? Lily Gullick lives with her husband Aiden in a new-build flat opposite an estate which has been marked for demolition. A keen birdwatcher, she can't help spying on her neighbours. Until one day Lily sees something suspicious through her binoculars and soon her elderly neighbour Jean is found dead. Lily, intrigued by the social divide in her local area as it becomes increasingly gentrified, knows that she has to act. But her interference is not going unnoticed, and as she starts to get close to the truth, her own life comes under threat. But can Lily really trust everything she sees?
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review: Lily Gullick spies on her neighbours. A bird watcher, she uses her binoculars to look out her apartment window and make up stories about her neighbours' lives. When an old woman is murdered a night after Lily has visited her, Lily realises that she may have more information on the killer. The police don't believe her, so she conducts her own investigation. Her snooping doesn't go unnoticed, and soon she is being watched too. But the truth isn't always separated from lies...

This book is written in an original style. At first it took me awhile to understand Lily's observations, but the more I read the easier it became. The stories and names generated by Lily's mind were nothing short of intriguing. The story is directed at Lily's father and is similar to the daily diary entries suggested by Lily's therapist Helen. The mystery side of the novel is nice, I predicted the outcome early on, however at various points throughout the novel Ross Armstrong managed to convince me that I was wrong, make me doubt my theory to the point where I began believing Lily's thoughts.

Other than Lily, the characters that intrigued me are the siblings, Chris and Nathan. While Nathan has very few appearances and Chris a few more, they have a great symbolism and aid Lily throughout her adventure. They're complex because they have little reason to help and not betray Lily but some cash and sense of respect/loyalty. Chris also sees Lily as someone other than the "crazy girl down the road".

Lily's dad was very influential during his short appearance in The Watcher. After his arrival many aspects of the story are revealed, a lot becomes clearer, plus some of the truth and lies are separated. Lily's personality is partially a health condition as well as her underlying curious personality. The Watcher tells the tale of a woman trying to do the right thing and solve a murder mystery while being branded as psychotic and troubled.
Purchase Location:  ~I received a physical ARC from HarperCollins NZ and willingly reviewed it~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of mystery and slightly crazy characters.

Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) by Sara Raasch
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Goodreads Summary: Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.

Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.

The Thousandth Floor (The Thousandth Floor #1) by Katharine McGee
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: New York City as you’ve never seen it before. A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future, where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

Welcome to Manhattan, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. But people never change: everyone here wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

Leda Cole’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

Eris Dodd-Radson’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

Rylin Myers’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will her new life cost Rylin her old one?

Watt Bakradi is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy by an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is Avery Fuller, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

American Monsters (Demon Road #3) by Derek Landy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Goodreads Summary: Bigger, meaner, stronger.

Amber closes in on her murderous parents as they make one last desperate play for power. Her own last hopes of salvation, however, rest beyond vengeance, beyond the abominable killers - living and dead - that she and Milo will have to face.

For Amber's future lies in her family's past, in the brother and sister she never knew, and the horrors beyond imagining that befell them.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Amber Lamont takes complicated to a whole new level as she becomes the Shining Demon, Astaroth's representative, and together with her companion Milo Sebastian and her ghost of a friend Glen she takes up her most dangerous quest yet as she seeks a way to defeat her parents once and for all, double-cross the Shining Demon, and escape alive.

American Monsters certainly isn't uninteresting, but I think there's a lot more room for adventure and excitement. I didn't get bored while reading it, Amber's 'daily life' had a certain degree of interest. However, I felt that a lot of the 'adventures' ended with the heroes escaping with very little consequence. In my opinion the ending is rushed, and the book in general is void of anything super exciting until two thirds through.

In this book, Amber changes a lot, especially when compared to the original Amber Lamont of book one, Demon Road. This is a necessary change backed by character development, which I liked. She learns a lot more skills and with the help of Milo gains control of her demon self.

I liked the final chapter, but some of it's preceding chapters weren't to my taste. Maybe it's just my expectations, but besides a few vicious fights there appears to be little double crossing from anyone other than Amber. I mean, surely someone would've found out about her plans and hatched something to stop her. American Monsters is a relaxing, gentle read, and I recommend it if you don't mind books with less action and adventure.
Purchase Location: ~HarperCollins NZ provided a review copy~
Edition: Paperback
Buy the book: Book Depository
Recommended for: Fans of heroines with flaws.