Abbreviations #14 | The Novellas

Over the past few years, novellas that are part and parcel of my favorite series have been released. They've been gathering dust on my Kindle, since it's never felt particularly necessary to read them right away. In an attempt to whittle down the unread items on my Kindle, I decided to binge read a bunch of them over the past few weeks. Here are my mini-reviews for them!

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

Series: Pushing the Limits #1.1

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: April 1, 2013

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

I've always been partial to a sweet love story. I honestly barely remembered Lila from Pushing the Limits, since I read it so long ago. But that definitely didn't deter me from enjoying this novella! Reading about Lincoln and Lila was delightful, particularly because it developed in such a cute way (the letters!) and I could sense their chemistry from the first time they encounter each other. It's short, sweet and absolutely lovely; I delight in thinking about what the future was like for them. 

VERDICT: Worth a read!

The First Star to Fall by Diana Peterfreund

Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #1.5

Publisher: Noise Court Press

Publication Date: June 29, 2013

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Having read Across a Star-Swept Sea and fallen in love with Persis Blake, it was nice to see her in action again. It was interesting to see the origins of our Wild Poppy, even though it was extremely heart-breaking to see what happened to make her decide to embrace the role. It's a tragedy, true, but it also marks a turning point for Persis, which is always nice to see. It's not necessary to read this one prior to the full-length novel, but it does add an additional dimension to Persis.

VERDICT: A good in-between books story.

Fracture Me by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me #2.5

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: December 17, 2013

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Honestly, I could have done without reading this. I enjoyed the Shatter Me series as a whole, but I came to care less and less about Adam as it progressed. It was definitely nice to get more Kenji (who happens to be my favorite character in the entire series!) in this, as well as to see what goes in between books. 

VERDICT: Not very necessary at all.

Glitches by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #0.5

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: January 18, 2012

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

I adore Cinder, and I love Iko, so this short story about Cinder's early days with her adoptive family and the start of her relationship with Iko was fun to read. It was pretty cool to get to see what happened before the events in Cinder, though I certainly think this is just a good addition as opposed to something necessary to read to further your experience of the series.

VERDICT: Not quite necessary, but still interesting for fans of the series.

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo

Series: The Grisha #0.5

Publisher: Tor Books

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Fascinating, eerie, atmospheric - this story reads like a fairy tale, and a very cautionary one indeed. Bardugo again succeeds in using vivid imagery to tell her story, with just the right amount of whimsy to make it feel like an old legend and a simple, well-placed plot. I was extremely caught up in learning what would happen in this story, and it shocked me to see the turn of events. While it's not necessary to read this to read the series, it's still worth reading.

VERDICT: Worth a read as a separate story in the same world!

This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound #1.5

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: October 7, 2014

Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

Tarver Merendsen is totally my type, and has been since I first encountered him in These Broken Stars. It was really intriguing to learn about something that had happened to him prior to him meeting Lilac, the series of events that led to him getting a commendation. I certainly had lots of warm and fuzzy feelings reading this one (particularly because one of my favorite couples is still front and center), and consider it a fun addition to the series!

VERDICT: A fun addition to an awesome series!

Red at Night by Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Special Releases
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Source/Format: Bought || Kindle e-book

I really enjoyed reading stories from Katie McGarry, and Red at Night is no exception. McGarry still manages to some dimension to both characters, making Stella and Jonah individuals with stories that popped off the page. It was sweet to read about the beginning and progression of their relationship; I couldn't stop myself from wanting them to overcome everything that stood between them so they could be together. It was, altogether, a nice diversion for the hour I read it. If you're a McGarry fan, you'll definitely enjoy encountering her familiar writing style in this sweet short story.

VERDICT: Entertaining read!