TagRomance Takes a Backseat

The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave, #1) by Rick Yancey

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Series: The 5th Wave

Release Date: May 7th, 2013

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker.

Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

<strong>Ending</strong>

 Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Violence (Blood and gore)
– Weapon violence
– Gang violence
• Death (of parents and children)
• Death camps
• Separation (abandonment) from loved ones
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Cursing
• Allusions to sex, but (see below)
• Sexual activity doesn’t go beyond kissing
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter

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Series: Standalone

Release Date: February 26th, 2013

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Me: Evelyn, closet good girl turned bad.

When she decided to earn herself a bad reputation, Evelyn was never planning on falling in love.

Him: Todd, supposed Friend with Benefits

She just wanted to piss Them off. To make people take notice.

Them: the cold, distant parents.

She wasn’t planning on ruining her valedictorian status or losing her best friend, and she definitely wasn’t aiming to get pregnant.

It: the baby growing inside her.

Now, Evelyn needs a plan. And someone to help with the heart-wrenching decisions that are coming up fast.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Lesbian couple supporting characters
• Chinese supporting character
• Latina supporting character
• Black side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• No abuse
• Unprotected sex
• Teen pregnancy
• Discussion of abortion and adoption
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Sex
• Infidelity
• Underage drinking
• Drug use
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.75/5 stars

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Painted Lines by Brei Betzold

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Series: Standalone

Release Date: June 16th, 2013

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Warning: This is not a fluffy love story – it contains and alludes to violence, torture and rape – a heroine broken in mind but not spirit – a hero with his own past regrets.

Scout has always wanted to follow in her family’s business of custom bike building. Being female never stopped her from getting greasy and slapping on paint with the best of them, and made her work even harder at opening up her own shop someday.

When an opportunity to win $500,000 dollars in prize money presents itself, Scout and her group of misfit friends sign on the dotted line to be filmed for a reality television show to win it. But like anything in life there’s always a catch to free money.

When nightmares of the past meet dreams of the future, Scout is forced to face her demons, or be quickly over run by the memories. In the midst of her inner turmoil, family will come home, and possibly a life she never expected to have could be within her grasp.

<strong>Ending</strong>

HFN
<strong>Representation</strong>
• LGBTQIA+ side characters
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Allusions to rape
• Allusions to violence and torture
• Heroine dealing with significant PTSD
<strong>Safety Rating:</strong> Safe with Exceptions
No cheating
No descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
Does have the Hero and Heroine pushing away
Does not have a separation between the Hero and Heroine
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars

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Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die, #1) by Danielle Paige

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Series: Dorothy Must Die

Release Date: April 1st, 2014 

<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado – taking you with it – you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I’ve read the books. I’ve seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can’t be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There’s still the yellow brick road, though – but even that’s crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They said she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm – and I’m the other girl from Kansas. 

I’ve been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. 

I’ve been trained to fight. 

And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman’s heart.
Steal the Scarecrow’s brain.
Take the Lion’s courage.

Then and only then – Dorothy must die!

<strong>Ending</strong>

 Cliffhanger
<strong>Representation</strong>
No strong representations of the following:
• BIPOC characters
• LGBTQIA+ characters
• characters with a disability
And doesn’t address fatphobia
<strong>Possible Triggers</strong>
• Drug addiction
• Violence (Blood and gore)
• Murder
• Slavery
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Some kissing
• Mild language
• Underage drinking
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

(more…)

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