A book is a device to ignite the imagination. (Alan Bennett)

I am being lulled again deep down the path of YA fantasy novels. After getting to this new place, I thought I had graduated from reading fantasy/dystopian series. I told myself it's time to grow up and switch to a genre that would suit my age more. Well, I am not saying I am old, but I'm definitely not in my teens anymore. Also, for an avid reader like me, no one is too old for YA novels, or so I believe. It's just that I wanted to try more mature storylines without angels or gods or superpowers. I've been trying to avoid fantasy or dystopian novels but how could I resist them if they have 4-5-star rating in Goodreads or Shelfari? Furthermore, how could I say no to them if all I need is a library card and I could read them all for free? Anyway, here are the titles that woke the fantasy/dystopian-YA-lover in me again. SPOILERS AHEAD

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Oh for heaven's sake! I thought it's over. No one informed me that it's not a trilogy. The Selection is one of my favorite series. When I learned about it and when I finally got my hands on the fourth book, I just couldn't hide my excitement. I ate the book right away. I mean I read it as much as my poor eyes can handle. I was so happy that I was able to read about America and Maxon living happily with their children. Eventhough it was about their daughter I couldn't help but remember how I fell in love with the series. As for the story, well Eadlyn was annoying but it was manageable for me. Usually, you would have an idea who the character will fall in love with. But with this one, I am really not sure who will win the Selection. Well, Kile is a strong contender because of his circumstances. And it screams childhood friends turned sweehearts. But it feels like the author is trying to confuse me and it feels too easy or too predictable which made me unsure. Also, it seems like Kile doesn't care. It's just that I couldn't see the other contestants winning the Selection even Henri. The weird thing is that I am actually finding Erik, the translator, as a contender for Eadlyn's heart. By the way, no matter how predictable it is for me, I'm still in team Kile. LoL.

And oh please Kiera, don't take America from Maxon. Please don't do this to your fans, please? I AM BEGGING YOU.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I found the beginning slow and I had a hard time at first understanding it because of the terms and social classes like Scholars, Martials, Illustrians, Gens and others. I am not very familiar with ancient Rome, and Percy Jackson, the Camp Jupiter Part, is the closest I've read with ancient Rome so the only term I recognized was Legionnaires. I don't even know what the hell scims are! Context clues told me they're probably swords and they're probably short for scimitar, a term I learned from playing video games. LoL. Actually, for me, aEitA is like the Lost Heroes meets Blood Red Road. It's like Percy Jackson but violent and brutal. And Laia searching for Darin is like Saba searching for Lugh. I did not finish BRR so the searching/rescuing-the-brother part is the only similarity I know. The violence and brutality  (fighting and killing stuff) also reminded me of Maze Runner. The characters were subjected to a trial and along the way, most of them die. Killing your own friends would make you emperor, really? Seriously!? It felt like everybody is dying.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

It was a very simple read but I got hooked with the story. Who would have thought that the deadliest and most feared female assassin is actually the long lost heir of the kingdom? I also don't know how I got hooked. Probably because of Chaol. I've been rooting for him from the start. I was like, "please Celeana, not the prince." And so I was ecstatic when she chose Chaol, although their relationship did not last long. Just imagine how heartbroken I got when they had a falling out, and when I learned about someone called Rowan would be her love interest in the next book. Oh well, we'll see when I got my hands on the next books.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Now this one, is the one that really made me feel giddy. It's like Selection meets Shatter Me... Or probably X-men. I haven't read enough novels with super powers or special abilities so my comparison about that is limited. Not only the she-left-her-bestfriend-for-the-prince plot reminds me of Selection but also the heroine's name. Mare - Mer (what Aspen calls America). I know that's silly but when I was reading it, sometimes I just read or pronounce it as Mer in my mind because it's faster. LoL.

Anyway, while reading it, despite Mare's foolishness to believe that she is the only one who was lying and using the princes, every other single thing screams of betrayal. At the end of the book, both Mare and Cal were in their lowest. The only saving grace for Mare was Shade. I knew it! Probably because everyone is saying and repeating that Shade is dead, that's why I felt like there is a possibility that he isn't really dead. Actually, until now I was hoping that Lucas and Julian are still alive. I can't wait for the next book to see what will happen between Cal and Mare. How they would repair things between them. And I hope there would be tension between Cal and Kilorn.

It's a Beautiful Day to Save Lives

How ironic it is that while everyone was smiling and dancing in Grey's Anatomy Season 11 Finale, I was crying. That made me actually question my sanity. But hey, how the hell would I be able to control my tears if they had just shown Derek Shepherd on a cruise ship smiling while leaving (which turned out to be) his last message to his wife? Also that scene felt like it sealed Derek's exit from the show. It was like Shonda saying "hey Derek fanatics say goodbye to your beloved doctor because this is going to be his last scene ever!" Never in my wildest dreams have I imagined him dying on that show! Couldn't he just exit the series like Cristina? Why kill him Shonda? Why!? I don't really know why she decided to kill the character because I did not bother finding out because I don't want to read any excuses or whatever. But of course if you think about it, Derek would not really choose D.C. or his career over his family which is what actually was happening before he got freaking hit by a...a... was it a truck? (I couldn't even remember what hit his car because I was so shocked when it happened.) So it was not really logical to make him go like Cristina. But still! She did not have to kill him!

The moment he got critical, I knew he was going to die. He had been fatally wounded before and was saved by Cristina. He survived a plane crash. It was just very unrealistic for Shonda to save his character one more time. But there was a thread of hope telling me that he was a major character and Meredith's husband so he could not die and he was detrimental to the show, or so I believed. When they were pulling the plug, I was still in denial. I told myself this is not happening. My tears just kept on falling. I bawled. Heart breaking was an understatement. It was devastating! For 8 years that I've been watching Grey's Anatomy, I am emotionally invested with the show or rather with Derek Shepherd. Anger, despair... I wouldn't see my favorite doctor ever again. Shonda should just end the series for good for all I care.

But at the end of the day, life still goes on. Derek Shepherd was just a fictional character. But still... How could I ever watch Grey's again without him!? Chasing Cars and How to Save a Life are two of my favorite songs which I came to love because of the series. But because of Derek's death, and because they were playing it during those heart breaking/ devastating scenes, I could not listen to them any longer without feeling grief... Without seeing Meredith in my mind watching the nurse or whoever it was unplugging Derek.

"I wish you could see this. Weather’s classic Seattle. Oh, the water is so blue. 

It may be the most perfect ferryboat ride I’ve ever had in my life. 

I love you. I love our family … I’ll see you when I get home."

- Derek Shepherd

PS: I think this is the first time that Grey's Season Finale did not have a crazy cliff hanger. Maybe Shonda gave everyone a chance to breathe and recover from her cruelty. Everyone was happy at the end except for April and Jackson. Shonda could have just ended the series with the last scene. Sorry, I'm still bitter and recovering from Derek's death.