Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Romance?
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 584
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Blurb: How can a book so long leave me wanting so much more?!

Review: This book... whoa. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn't this. I think I assumed this book was a straight-up horror. And while there are a lot of horror/thriller elements, there is so much more. It's got horror, supernatural powers, steampunk, romance, and more. In fact, there is so much in this book, that one book can't contain it. And it doesn't, unfortunately.

The sequel to this book comes out this fall, and I don't know how people have waited so long. When I reached the end of this book I felt like a thousand gallons of information and plot had been poured over me, and yet I was still missing things! Because of this I began to doubt the book. I had read it primarily over the holiday break, and so I had large chunks of time to devote to it. Did that make it seem faster-paced than it really was? Would I have been bored by this book if I had been reading it in 30-60 minute intervals? I don't know.

What I do know, is that the characters seemed very interesting and complex. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, because I couldn't relate to them. But I still found them fascinating. And every twist and turn of the plot kept me on my toes and wondering if it really was magic, or if someone was just imitating magic. And even though I didn't feel like there was much of a cliffhanger at the end of this book I have SO MANY unanswered questions that I await the sequel with baited breath.

Other Reviews:

• TBA (Loved it!) 
• TBA (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't Like It.)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Genre: Fairy Tale, Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 304
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.

As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.


What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.

Blurb: The goal may be to sell Mattel, but this is still 100% Shannon Hale.

Review: I did have a concern going into this book, but it doesn't seem to be the same concern that most people had. In nearly every review I read I saw people saying "I was nervous about Shannon and Mattel working together." To which I say: ...why? For some reason I never had this worry. Yes, I knew that the goal of this book would be to sell the dolls, merchandise, etc. But I also felt pretty confident that Shannon wouldn't have agreed to any kind of book deal if she didn't know she could be true to her own writing.

So no, that wasn't my concern. My concern was simply that this book was clearly targeted for the middle grade audience. Not only am I not a middle grader, I actually really dislike middle grade books (just personally, not in general).

Both of these concerns were resolved by the same fact: This book was written by Shannon Hale. Despite the commercialism behind it, Shannon rocks out some awesome values. And despite the intended middle grade audience, the brilliant writing can make this appealing to all ages!

I'll admit that I struggled through the first few chapters. It was just dripping with puns, and at first the use of the word "hex" was just too much for me: "hexcellent" "hextbook" "hexting" AHHHH!!! But eventually it became just like any other book that makes up its own lexicon, and I got used to it. After that happened I loved this book. There were so many subtle things that I'm not even sure a middle grader would get, but I got it and thought it was hilarious. There were even some sections (particularly when the narrator is addressed directly) where I could hear Shannon reading the book in my head. So yes, this book is meant for middle graders, but in the same way Disney movies are made for kids: most adults can still enjoy it if they embrace a little bit of silly.

And I definitely noticed some awesome messages that Shannon had stuck into the book. There were several, but the main one that stuck out to me was how she portrayed the female body image. Yes nearly every princess in the book is described as being beautiful, but I can't remember one time a character was described as "skinny." One of the main characters puts her hands on her "broad" hips, and then later when called "plump" the character isn't bothered. And another character is positively described as having very strong legs (my favorite character in fact, guess who?). Now... I may be reading too much into this, but when I look at those dolls I see skinny waists, big eyes, and high heels. But when I read this book I see princesses that every girl can love and become. And whether or not Shannon consciously wrote this into the book, I LOVE it!

In fact, I loved everything about it. Was it fluff? Hex yes! Fluff to the max! But what did Austenland teach us about froth and fluff? It's the best part! And honestly, I am just as excited for the sequel to this book as I am for some of her YA books.

Other Reviews (TBA):

• TBA (Loved it!) I can't find one of these on a blog! Just goodreads. Anyone know where I could find one?
• Random Musings of a Bibliophile (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't Like It.) Also couldn't find a blog with one of these. Instead I found a lot of GoodReads reviews that simply said "It was too fluffy and punny, I couldn't finish."

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: January 29th, 2013
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 406
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Newsoul #2 (Review of #1)
Summary: (spoilers. Highlight to view)

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

Blurb: Incarnate raised a lot of brilliant questions, and Asunder rose to the challenge. Buckle up. These answers will blow you away.

Review: Woah. I'll keep this short to avoid being spoilery. But woah. I LOVED Incarnate and I was amazed at how Jodi was able to weave together so many (seemingly) unconnected plot elements. Asunder takes that weave and makes you step back to see the whole tapestry. Yup. That's right. This book deserves an analogy.

There were literally some moments where I gasped aloud. I will admit that the first bit went a little slow, but that was okay with me because we were meeting new people. The "slow"-ness made me feel like I was really connecting with them. And there's no sequel-phase! Hurrah!

I would still classify this as a "bridge-book" as it wasn't as action-packed as the first, and I can tell the third will have a lot more action. But it's probably the best bridge-book I've read in a long time.

Other Reviews (May contain spoilers!):

• Step Into Fiction (Loved it!)
• Enticed by Books (It was okay)
• Just(ine)xorable (Didn't Like It)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: October 30th, 2012 (US) August 2nd, 2012 (UK)
Genre: Post-Apocolypse
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 432
Rating: ()
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Dustlands #2 (Review of #1)
Summary: (Spoilers, highlight to view)

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants?

Note: I was provided a UK edition of this book for review. I have not been informed of any differences between this edition and the US edition.

Blurb: Wonderful follow-up to the amazing Blood Red Road. Not your typical 2nd-book!

Review: Once again, Moira Young has created an amazing story with AMAZING characters. I still totally love Saba. I love her because she's an idiot, and she knows it. She's still got her "I'm going alone!" attitude, but she's much quicker to acknowledge that she needs people. I loved seeing the effect of what the first book had done to her. In too many books a character is subjected to TERRIBLE things, and then they just go on to their next adventure. Not Saba. The things she does truly have an impact on her.

The relationships between all the characters were great as well. Moira perfectly captures what it's like to grow up and away from family members as you get older and gain your own experiences. It was heartbreaking, but also authentic. I imagine, though, that many people won't like this book because they'll say the characters are "too whiny" or something like that. And maybe they are, but they are REAL. Put yourselves in their shoes and tell me you wouldn't whine. You can't. Can you?

But, oh. How this book breaks your heart. In so many ways. First of all, Jack and Saba go through some HARD CORE sequel-phase. To be honest, I could have done without this. It made me super-sad. BUT, the story is still great. This book didn't read like the 2nd in a series to me. 2nd books are usually bridges: full of boring talk and setting up for adventures that will happen LATER. Not this one. There are loads of adventures in this book. We also get introduced to some new characters, reunited with some old friends, and some old enemies.

To be honest, this book was heading straight for 5 stars. No question. And then... I hit the last 100 pages. And they have made me waffle between 4 and 4.5 stars (hence that parenthetical half-star).

Those last 100 pages... they have stymied me. Clearly, they weren't BAD (I mean, I'm still giving it 4/4.5 stars), but... they were perplexing. I feel very conflicted. On the one hand, I can understand why Saba/Jack does what she/he does. On the other... I don't want them to do it. While the first 300 pages seem to go fairly slow (though action packed) the last 100 pages are BAM BAM BAM BAM of crazy decisions, people dying, and relationships destroyed. It's just left me a little... shaken. Whereas when BRR ended I felt an awesome rush but I also felt a sense of closure. There is very little closure in this book. And that distresses me, because the third book isn't even anywhere on the horizon.

As for content, there is some profanity (though it's strange phonetically-written profanity. And mild), and some sexual content (nothing graphic. I believe the two people are described as "bare as they day they was born).

So that's the gist of it. I LOVED this book, but the ending left me so bumpuzzled that I just can't give it 5 stars

Other Reviews:

• TBA (Loved it!)
• Realm Of Fiction (It was okay)
• TBA (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 3rd, 2012
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 359
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows

Blurb: Horrifying, disturbing, and absolutely un-put-downable! After reading this I think I may be a serial killer!

Review: Holy. Cow. It's been a while since I read a thriller that I loved this much. But BOY did I love this book!

Well, I guess that I should admit that it was a love-hate kind of thing. The story and characters were fabulous, but it is a very horrifying book. You get to "watch" more than one person die. And they die in terrible, terrible ways. So... it's hard for me to say that I "loved" it without adding some kind of disclaimer. It is horrific. But also wonderful.

I think my favorite part of the whole book is listening to the way Jazz thinks, and what he thinks about how he thinks (confused?). Sometimes the questions he would ask himself, and the things he would wonder would have me thinking that I might have serial-killer tendencies! Every time this kid doesn't like somebody, or looks at a knife, he has to wonder "is this a normal thought, or am I a sociopath?" Gah! It was crazy!

And I also loved his relationships with those around him. In general, people in his town just kind of treat him like a pariah. He's widely ignored except by his best friend, girlfriend, and police chief (who, THANK YOU, is a NICE GUY!). But there was one line that I absolutely loved near the beginning. It's not too spoilery, so I hope you don't mind me sharing it:

Jazz was afraid of two things in the world, and two things only. One of them was that people thought that his upbringing meant that he was cursed by nature, nurture, and predestination to be a serial killer like his father.

The second thing... was that they were right.

That line kind of sums up the whole book. It messes with your brain, people!

In terms of content: there's quite a bit of violence (hello, it's about serial killers), some language (moderate), and some sexual thoughts (Jazz is "afraid" of sex and a virgin, but he's still a teenage boy and has some... thoughts).

I'm going to be thinking about this book for a looooong time. Especially in my nightmares. Squeal!

Oh, and warning: it's a series! So the ending leaves some things resolved, but a whole lot more UNresolved. ARGH!

Other Reviews:

• Wicked Awesome Books (Loved it!)
• The Hungry Readers (It was okay)
• Gunneos (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk

Blurb: Not your typical insta-love!

Review: There was one line of this summary that made me nervous. Can you guess which one it is? You probably can, but I'll tell you anyway. "their connection is immediate and powerful." Uh-oh. Insta-love warning! And you know what, there was insta-love, but what made this book so unique was that the characters fought it, and I don't mean like they ran away from each other (thought that happened a little at first). I mean they tried not to be stupid and fall in love without knowing each other. They allowed themselves to be just friends and their relationship blossomed into something real. That was so refreshing! And it made a romance that I actually liked. Yes. You heard me. I actually liked the romance in this book.

Another awesome thing about this book, it begins with a BANG! Within the first few pages something EXTREMELY dramatic happens that sucked me in from the get-go. Granted, it doesn't keep up this racing pace for long. Most of the book is very calm and leisurely, and is more character driven than plot driven. But that doesn't make it bad, because the characters were great!

We had the sassy sister, the goofy friend, and a motley assortment of human-helpers. I loved every single one. Seriously. There wasn't a character I didn't like. That's so rare in a book!

HOWEVER, you may have noticed that I only gave it 4.5 stars. Again, that half-a star eludes me! Why? The "twist" was SO easy to guess. I guessed within the first 100 pages, was positive by 200, and it was confirmed by 300. It was still a good twist, and I'm really curious to see where it goes from here, but I like to feel a little more surprised by things while I'm reading.

But still, that's only a deficit of .5 stars. That's nothing. This book is still GREAT addition to the paranormal romance category because it stands out. It's not like all those others floating out there (and the two love interests are actually similar enough in terms of species to MAKE SENSE).

End of story? I thought it was fab.

Remember that I'm giving away a copy! Click here to enter!

Other Reviews:

• Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me (Loved it!)
• Book Brats (It was okay)
• The Bookosaur (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Genre: Apocalyptic
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 304
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Blurb: This book had me on the edge of my seat! ...and running to check my food storage every couple of minutes.

Review: I'll admit that when I first read the summary of this book... I wasn't wowed. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have been in any hurry to read it if the author wasn't coming to my area next month.

HOLY COW. I'M SO GLAD I READ THIS BOOK.

For real, guys. This book grabs you by page one. Before you even know the name of the main character people are dying, things are exploding, and you're wow-ed out of your mind! And when they finally were safe inside the Greenway (Which is essentially a Wal-Mart) I thought to myself "Surely it must slow down now." Oh no. That same high-energy is maintained throughout the book, with just enough low-energy moments to stop you from pulling out all your hair from the stress.

The characters were also really interesting. Emmy created quite the hodge-podge of people in this book. No two characters are alike, although they might seem like it at first glance. Another interesting thing was that the narrator is male! There's nothing from the cover, summary, or anything that warns you of this. I read the first few pages thinking it was a female narrator, and it was very jarring to find out he was a guy. So... go in knowing that. But after I got over that shock, he was a very nice narrator. I love how he struggles with being himself, being "good," and being liked. Was a big fan of Dean by the end.

But, the reason why it's only a 4.5 stars instead of a perfect 5 is because there was quite a bit of sexual innuendo, as well as some substance abuse and swearing. Granted, some of the swearing was redacted (it looked like "f--------"), and some of the sexual content certainly added to the plot, but I can't absolutely adore a book with so much teen sex. It just makes me a little creepy crawly.

Along those same lines, though, this is a great crossover for those who only read contemporary or only read non-realistic fiction speculative fiction (like me). I think it's got enough contemporary elements to satisfy a contemporary reader, and enough apocalyptic elements to satisfy a non-realistic speculative reader (is there a word for that? Thank you, Q, for introducing me to the correct usage of "speculative")

All in all, an awesome debut. The book doesn't quite end in a "cliffhanger" per say, but it definitely leaves you begging for more. I literally begged Emmy for more. I HAVE to know what's going to happen next! Can't wait for Monument 15! (Just kidding. That's not actually what it's called)


Other Reviews:

• Books with Bite (Loved it!)
• Great Imaginations (It was okay)
• Book Labyrith (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Genre:  Sci-fi, Romance, Dystopia
Publisher: Delacorte
Pages: 352
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .(

Blurb: Fast paced and unique, Starters is a great addition to the genre!

Review: Decided to jump Starters to the top of my TBR pile last month when I saw that the author was coming to my area! I'm so glad I did. Starters reminds me a lot of the TV show Dollhouse (which I loved and was cancelled WAY too soon!). It's fast paced, engaging, and relatively unique in this blossoming genre.

I wouldn't call it deep. I didn't get absorbed into the world, or even really believe it for a second (I have a hard time believing books that make people act so terribly that I can't imagine them every being that bad), but I had fun reading!

My only complaint (aside from the cover**) is that it all wrapped up WAY too quickly. Here we have this kick-butt heroine who isn't afraid to take her fate into her own hands, and the last 70-ish pages are her handing over all responsibility to others. She just kind of goes with the flow, and flow it does. It was essentially A leads to B leads to C leads to resolution, rapid-fire. I wish Lissa had taken a deep breath, and slowed down a little. She probably could have added another 100 pages and that would have been okay with me.

Something interesting in this book, it's part of a duet. We don't get those a lot anymore. The second (and final, in case you aren't sure what a duet is) book comes out later this year. It's called Enders. I'll definitely be picking it up!

Other Reviews:

• Once a Reader, Always a Reader (Loved it!)
• Book Strings (Liked it)
• Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy (Didn't like it)

*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

**This cover weirds me out. Is it supposed to be the main character? She's described as being beautiful, not an alien. In real life the cover has some cool foil effects, but that model is just too strange. The way her hair covers her eye makes her look reptilian.

Release Date: June 21st, 2011
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow
Pages: 311
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

The Night of Souls—when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest—is only days away.

Albion is at war . . . and losing.

The wardens have descended, kidnapping innocent citizens for their army, but looking for one in particular.

And fifteen-year-old Kate Winters has just raised a blackbird from the dead.

As her home is torn apart by the wardens, Kate's discovery that she is one of the Skilled—the rare people who can cross the veil between life and death—makes her the most hunted person in all of Albion. Only she can unlock the secrets of Wintercraft, the ancient book of dangerous knowledge. Captured and taken to the graveyard city of Fume—with its secret tunnels and underground villages, and where her own parents met their deaths ten years ago—Kate must harness her extraordinary powers to save herself, her country, and the two men she cares for most. And she'll make a pact with a murderer to do it.

Blurb: Simply enchanting and wonderfully haunting.

Review: I feel like this book slipped under the radar. I don't remember hearing anything about it when it first came out. That's too bad, 'cause it's pretty awesome.

Shadowcry is a very simple book. It reads like the first 150 and last 50 pages of a much longer book, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It just means that there's not a lot of detail, so you feel like you're flying through the story. What a perfect read for a lazy day, or to get you out of a reading slump (as was my case). The story was engaging, though not particularly deep. I didn't feel much connection to the characters, but was easily drawn into the world. It reminded me of a very light version of Sabriel.

Burtenshaw is a master of creating the sympathetic villain. She had me perfectly conflicted. I wanted to like this guy, but he was truly evil. It takes quite a wordsmith to make such strong, conflicting feelings in a single character. I also liked that it didn't end in a cliffhanger, but still has me wanting the next book. If you aren't in the mood for a series, you could definitely read this as a stand-alone.

All in all I really enjoyed it. If you're stuck in a slump, or looking for something you can read in a single sitting, I'd recommend Shadowcry in a heartbeat.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Genre:  Um... fiction?
Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 205
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary:

The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Blurb: It's like The Giving Tree gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Review: I have an interesting relationship with this book. I'm still not sure if I love it or hate it. I thought this book was SOOOOOOO boring for the first 100+. I thought it was didactic, and I KNEW there was supposed to be some kind of deep message, but the fact that it wasn't affecting me was really bugging me.

But then... something changed. I don't know what it was. All of a sudden... I loved it. And then I thought it was a cheap shot. And then I thought it was beautiful. And then I wanted to throw it against the wall. And then I was sobbing. And then I decided that I would give this book the worst rating ever.

And here we are.

I think what was the hardest part was that by the time I finished the book and was sobbing, I thought "This isn't fair! I don't like this book, so why is it making me cry so much?!" It made me angry. I had been prepared to hate it. There was so much that made me want to hate it. And then for it to suddenly make me want to love it?! Gah! Emotional turmoil!

It boils down to this: A Monster Calls was not my kind of book. It was a little too dependant on its metaphors, etc. However, I really liked it. Hence the conflict.

The bright side is that it's really short. It only took me a couple hours to read, if that. So whether you love it or hate it, it's not going to take a lot out of your day.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: January 17th, 2011
Genre:  Romance, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 423
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Unearthly #2 (Review of #1)
Summary(Spoilers, highlight to view):

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Blurb: Only someone with steel skin wouldn't be touched by this book.

Review: This book hit my Achilles heel: mother-daughter relationships. Ah! I LOVED this book. It is written so magically and wonderfully. I even cried at the end. Seriously cried. It broke my heart.

I said I would read this book because I loved the romance in Unearthly. Unfortunately, this book suffers from quite a bit of sequel-phase and love-triangleness. So the romance wasn't doing it for me in this one.

BUT, the main reason I'm only giving it 4 flowers is because... well... nothing really happened. There was one BIG (and heartbreaking) event that the book focused on; and while I loved it, it wasn't exciting. This is really common with the second book in a series. Everything is set up for where it needs to be in book 3, but the set up made this book very... simple. Almost no action at all except for one intense car-crash scene. But that was over in a couple pages.

All in all this book didn't have the WOW factor of Unearthly, though it was still touching, and I'm really excited to see what Cynthia does with everything she's built up.


*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: April 5th, 2011
Genre:  Sci-fi, Horror, Dystopia
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Pages: 497
Rating:
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Goodreads Page: Click here
Series: Gone #4 (Review of #1, #2, #3)
Summary: (Spoilers, highlight to view) 

It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.


They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.


But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Blurb: Horrific and gripping, fans of the series won't be disappointed.

Review: I'll keep this review short since only those of you familiar with the series will care.

This is definitely the most gruesome of the books. I would certainly call it horror. Nevertheless, it was still just as gripping as the other three. More action than Lies, but not quite as good as Gone or Hunger. I've devoted over 2,000 pages to this series, and I could easily devote another 2,000. These books fly by. I read them in about the same amount of time it would take me to read a book half as long.

Great series, but don't start it unless you plan to finish it. Because once you start, you won't have a choice.



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: July 26th, 2011
Genre:  Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 400
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary: 

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Blurb: Fans of Nightshade won't be disappointed. Wolfsbane will leave them howling for more.


Review: HOLY CARP! I lurved this book. One of my favorite things about fantasy/dystopia books is learning about the world of the book. Wolfsbane is the most interesting history book you will ever read. So much history and past turmoils that all come together in an action-packed, kick-butt story!

We also get introduced to some great new characters in this book. The Searchers are pretty fun people! I loved meeting them, and seeing what happened to some of my favorite characters from the previous book.

It wasn't perfect, hence the 4 star. Calla is a weird emotional mess in this book: AND SHE TOTALLY HAS A RIGHT TO BE. Her whole world has totally turned upside-down. However, after a while I had a hard time relating to her. I wanted her to be the Calla I knew and loved. Oh. And this book fell victim to a little sequel-phase. But that didn't bother me so bad. Especially with the twist at the end. Who-boy!

This is also very much a bridge book. Nightshade ended with a plot twist, and Wolfsbane ends with a plot twist, but in-between there is very little plot-twisting. We learn a lot about the characters and the history of the world, we have a lot of things set up from some future plot-twists, but this book is fairly straight forward. Nothing major happens until the end. But that's what a lot of sequels do, so I was expecting it.

All in all, a great sequel, and the perfect setup for Bloodrose. Can't wait!




*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.

Release Date: June 7th, 2011 (TODAY!)
Genre:  Sci-fi, Romance, Dystopia
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 416
Rating:
Amazon Link*: Click Here
Goodreads Page: Click here
Summary: 

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Review: This book was so original and AWESOME. I've never read a dystopia like it, it certainly doesn't blend in with the mass of dystopias currently being released. It does have hints of Matched, Uglies, and maybe a little bit of The Giver, but its story is completely unique. There is a fairly heavy amount of mild swearing, but it's very mild. Nothing above H* and D* I think.

This summary is interesting, because it really doesn't tell you what the book is about. The summary doesn't tell you about the massive amounts of super-cool technology, that people are born with sort of "super-powers," and Violet has a tech-sensing super-power.

It also doesn't tell you about the badlands--the world very similar to our own on the fringes of Violet's "perfect world,"--which is where Jag grew up and learned how to live. One of the most interesting things in the book is the politics between between the "Goodgrounds" where Violet lives, and the "Badlands."

Perhaps the summary doesn't tell you about these things, because the book itself doesn't tell you a lot about them. The book IMMEDIATELY jumps into the action-- Violet is arrested in the first scene. This is a great way to instantly suck a reader into the story. Unfortunately, it also prevents the reader from learning about the society before being thrust into it.

As a consequence, I spent the whole book asking a lot of questions. Questions like "Wait... does everyone have super powers? Is that normal?" "What is a Thinker?" "What is a comm?" "What is life like in the Goodgrounds? Why are people so desperate to get away?" Some of these questions are answered in the book, but none of them are completely answered. I wish I knew more about Violet's world, so that I could better understand what she's going through.

However, I don't think this took too much away from the book. Violet spends most of the story doubting her own thoughts, and really confused. I spent the whole book doubting my own thoughts, and really confused. As such, I almost felt like I was Violet, and was living in the story. I didn't understand what she was thinking, but I easily understood how she was feeling.

There is a kind of "love-triangle" in this book, but it didn't bother me at all. Why? Because I didn't like either of the boys. Not in a both-of-them-suck kind of way, instead I thought that Violet was such a kick-butt character, that I didn't think she needed a boy. I like her enough on her own. But if she wants to pick a boy, that's fine with me. I'm team Violet.

And I'm team Posession!

This review is part of Utah Author Month. (was read in May)



*I am an amazon affiliate. If you purchase this book using my link, I will get a tiny fraction of the purchase, which goes toward contests.