The Paper Critic

[Flashback Friday] - #83

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past release that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!

Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: July 15th, 2014

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

"Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet." — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You

My Stance:

Breathe, Annie, Breathe isn't one of my top picks when I look back at some of the lists, but at the same time it is one of those sweet, romantic and just plain cute. I have been slightly interested in reading more contemporary novels lately. So this book lately has been fitting in with my style of reading lately, and I am hoping it tends to follow some of the same great standard Miranda has done in the past.

There are some questions I have for the book though, it's more of a synopsis issue than a book issue. I am looking at the Annie and Kyle issue. I know it's more than likely going to be the major point in the book, but what happens to Kyle that Annie seems to feel guilty. I get that he's dead, did he commit suicide, or something else? I think ti's a hard topic, but at the same time, the other aspect of the book that I think is great; at what point do you move on? This book just seems great, and well thought through.

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 18th, 2007
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Review:

I hunted and hunted for this book, I had heard so much about this book and how touching and fantastic it was. I didn't want to read some paperback flimsy book, I wanted to find a good first edition and get the full reading experience out of this novel. The synopsis caught me straight and over my two month hunt for this book, I found it and devoured the book in a few days. This book just tore me apart, there is so much that touches you and the aspect this novel takes is so unique, well thought, and just straight downright brilliant that I am so glad I found a first edition to sit on my shrine. This book will stay with me, forever; in fact it will probably haunt me afterwards as well. This is the caliber of book that should and needs to be passed down through generations.

This book was near torture, and it's mainly because of Hannah. Hannah kills herself, and the suicide really isn't what gets you, but how she handles her death, and what goes into the whole ordeal. Prior to her death she makes a series of 13 cassette tapes, and mails them to the 13 people who played a part in her demise. It's such a sad story, and while I don't buy into all of Hannah's story, it's more of a difference of opinion/perspective, but I completely understand and see where she is coming from. That's the part that makes the book great, is while it differs from my personal ideals, I find the book relatable and overall enjoyable.

The story picks up with Clay who is just overall likeable, maybe a bit too much.He's the one who while not the first (more so the middle of the pack) who receive the tapes, is by far the most devastated by their implication. I mean how can someone like Clay be part of Hannah's death? His reaction to the tapes is the most realistic and I can only imagine how I would react if I had to deal with listening to tapes of those nature.

Now most of everyone is probably asking, why doesn't he just stop and not listen to them. That's what my first question and issue was which was addressed quickly; Hannah made a second set of tapes and another student (her friend of sorts) and their supposed to keep track of where the tapes are at and if they don't make it to the end, the second set is to happen to show up at a police office. I find this adding a dynamic to the book that forces the reader and Clay to continue.

What makes this book so impactful is the message. While at the beginning the acts against Hannah are almost laughable and so miniscule that even I almost gave up on the book. However, as the book keeps going, those small little events escalated to a much larger issue. It's how even in high school no one really thought of how their actions would affect the person, let alone the long term. It's that part there that makes this book so realistic, and so compoundly amazing. I wish there was more to this novel and about Clay, because it deserves it.

Jay Asher lit up the whole YA world with this novel, and frankly I wish there were more books like this. Its life changing and while it's probably one of my favorite books of the year, there are parts that I disagree with. Now I am able to look past that and really, those differences don't hurt the book at all. Its more of a lifestyle difference, it's those difference that make the book that great and realistic. I found that this book makes the whole situation heart-wrenching and an emotional rollercoaster. There need to be more books like this.

Title: Fault Line
Author: Christa Desir
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 15th, 2013
My Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0

Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl — sarcastic free-spirit, Ani. Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could ever want.

But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone.

Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really happened, and who is to blame?

Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he loves.

My Review:

I have to probably put this down for one of the worst books I've read to date. While I didn't absolutely hate it, but the more I think about the more I dislike it. There is so much wrong with this book I have a problem giving it the 2.5, but it did do some things right. The plus side is I liked some of the originality that it brought to the hard topic, but at the same time it just falls so so short. I want to warn everyone right away, this book will either be one of two things, You'll love it, or you'll hate it. I don't believe a book like this can go either way, and that itself is what drove me crazy.

Okay time to dive into this sexually repressed book, that overly uses rape as an explanation. The writing style was moderate to best, and when that failed, the characters fell with it. The book focuses on one of two parts that I am not sure which it's trying to get across, and once the lighter from the cover gets revealed, yeah, you'll be shocked, but that's like most of everything else in this novel. I just hate to say that yea the book deals with rape, but the majority of it is shock value.

Ben was a character I wanted to like, however, as the story goes on, he is just so dull and boring. There are times where he doesn't listen to Annika, and he acts of his own accord. I find that he was more of a chauvinistic boy than anything else, and it made me rather sad. Throwing that aside, if you were him, and had a relationship with Anni and were going through that trauma, I can't say how I would act or what would be the preferred way to act. It just made the whole story muddy and frankly I disagree with everything he did from nearly the very beginning.

Anni was the biggest part that infuriated me, I understand that she was molested or raped at a party, but from then on that's what controlled her life. She never made an excuse, it was this is who I am, and what I did, now I must act the part. It was sad, depressing, and frankly just despicable. I can see where someone may think (not act) the way that Anni did, so that's where I give some credit to the story, so it's not a complete loss. However, does that mean I enjoyed it or thought the story was worth the time reading, No; because, nothing happened.

Now there are two ways I interpreted the book. The first was looking at Anni and the story of Anni. I at first thought it was supposed to bring light to the whole rape topic and this is how they feel. I didn't buy into it, and if that's how rape victims feel, I don't see the majority of them rebounding and diving back into sex like Anni did. It's just too radical. The other way was Ben's perspective, which I think is the intended one. Yea it's tragic to have someone so close to you raped, but trying to help them through it on your won instead of seeking help, or telling someone at that age, no matter what, is above your head. It's was childish, and naive. I can't say I bought into that either, and it makes the whole intention of the novel crumble.

The book is shock value, and very poorly done at that, and while the purpose of the book is so muddied and bogged down, it just isn't conveyed well at all. I found the book to be a bigger insult, it needed a different set of eyes or something, because this is not something I would recommend to anyone whose gone through this type of situation. Again if you read this, be very careful and remember that this book isn't a happy read. In fact, there's probably other books out there that have this topic and do it better, or frankly have characters that have some resemblance of humanity in them.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #102

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!

Title: I'll Meet You There
Author: Heather Demetrios
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 3rd, 2015

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

My Stance:

Well it all started with Exquisite Captive, and from there I just fell in love with Heather Demetrios's style. But in this case the genre of the book is completely different and I want to put her style and writing to the test. I love the setup of this book, and the overall premise. Josh and Skylar have two completely differing issues, and the only connection is their job. I am curious to see how old the two are, I mean you tend to think that an ex-Marine would be in their 20s or 30s; I am just worried that the relationship will be awkward age wise. Okay I know that some ages aren't that big of an issue, but if you are 30 and the other is in their late teens it just seems creepy and almost wrong.

I like how the two seems to have their own personal lives that seem to be crumbling. In the case of Skylar she knows what she wants to do, and there are three weeks she needs to endure to make that happen. Josh being the ex-Marine has his life changed from war, and I can't fathom having to deal with the remains of what you have and what must be salvaged. I can't imagine dealing with the life changes and what choices they are both faced with. I am curious to see how the relationship works and what brings the two together.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #101

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!

Title: Shutter
Author: Courtney Alameda
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: February 3rd, 2015

Horror has a new name: introducing Courtney Alameda.

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat—a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childhood to destroy monsters both corporeal and spiritual: the corporeal undead go down by the bullet, the spiritual undead by the lens. With an analog SLR camera as her best weapon, Micheline exorcises ghosts by capturing their spiritual energy on film. She's aided by her crew: Oliver, a techno-whiz and the boy who developed her camera's technology; Jude, who can predict death; and Ryder, the boy Micheline has known and loved forever.

When a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline and the boys are infected with a curse known as a soulchain. As the ghostly chains spread through their bodies, Micheline learns that if she doesn't exorcise her entity in seven days or less, she and her friends will die. Now pursued as a renegade agent by her monster-hunting father, Leonard Helsing, she must track and destroy an entity more powerful than anything she's faced before . . . or die trying.

Lock, stock, and lens, she’s in for one hell of a week.

My Stance:

Shutter just sounds really cool and I have this Anna Dressed in Blood feeling. I hope the sci-fi/thrill in this novel will be the book that revives my interest in thrillers and the paranormal. What reminds me of Anna is the whole girl hunting the ghosts, however this team seems more nerdy and just rather obscure. I don't really see it as a possibility, but at the same time I am curious to see how it works. I have one question, does anyone notice how often the nerdy rag tag group is showing up in novels now?

What I don't understand though is Micheline being infected with a curse, does that imply that her father is chasing her? This ads a different aspect to the novel, and what does the curse do to the group? There is so many ways this book can track and I am curious. So Courtney Alameda, I am looking forward to the story and what it holds. Thanks.

[Teaser Tuesday] - #43

Hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Take your Current Read.
Grab 2 Teaser sentences from the book (please be sure to avoid spoilers)
Post it on your blog with the title and author, so other Teasing Tuesday participants can add it to their To Be Read list.
When visiting other Teasing Tuesday participants, leave a link with your current TT in their comments.

Title: Chosen
Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Release Date: March 4th, 2008

Quote: "The familiar tone in her voice flattened out to expressionless and cold. 'What would the Twins say if they could see me now?'
I met _______'s red eyes. 'They'd say you need a bath and an attitude check, but they'd also be unbelievably happy that you're alive.'"

--- Page 123

[Stacking the Shelves] - #87

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

Firefight	All Fall Down	Zodiac	The 100
Five Summers	Elixir	Nerve	Waiting for You

Shelf Additions:

Title: Firefight
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 6th, 2015

From the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of Words of Radiance coauthor of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and creator of the internationally bestselling Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson presents the second book in the Reckoners series: Firefight, the sequel to the #1 bestseller Steelheart.

They told David it was impossible--that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart--invincible, immortal, unconquerable--is dead. And he died by David's hand.

vEliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David's willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David's heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic--Firefight. And he's willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 20th, 2015

A new series of global proportions -- from master of intrigue, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter.

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Title: Zodiac
Author: Romina Russell
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 8th, 2014

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs.

Title: The 100
Author: Kass Morgan
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 3rd, 2013

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Title: Five Summers
Author: Una LaMarche
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 16th, 2013

Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summersis a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Ann Brashare's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Four best friends, five summers of camp memories

Emma, Skylar, Jo, and Maddie have all come back to camp for a weekend of tipsy canoe trips to the island, midnight skinny dipping in the lake, and an epic game of capture the flag—boys versus girls. But the weekend isn't quite as sunwashed as they'd imagined as the memories come flooding back. . . .

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded “Skylar’s friend Emma” by the infamous Adam Loring . . .
The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth . . .
The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle . . .
The summer we were twelve: Skylar’s love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us—except Skylar . . .
Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie’s secret. Skylar did something unthinkable . . . and whether we knew it then or not, five summers of friendship began to fall apart.

A young adult book with a friendship story that will last long after the last s'more is gone.

Title: Elixir
Author: Hilary Duff
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 12th, 2010

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.

When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.

Title: Nerve
Author: Jeanne Ryan
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 13th, 2012

For fans of The Hunger Games

A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly

When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it's exhilarating--Vee and Ian's fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they're directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they're playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?

Debut author Jeanne Ryan delivers an un-putdownable suspense thriller.

Title: Waiting for You
Author: Susane Colasanti
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 14th, 2009

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school’s ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she? In Waiting For You, this third romantic novel from Susane Colasanti, Marisa learns how to “be in the Now” and realizes that the love she’s been waiting for has been right in front of her all along.

[Update] - 1/23/15

Hello, and welcome back to everyone who has been here before. There have been a few changes, not sure if anyone noticed. I went and revamped the "To Read" list, It's updated so far, but there's no guarantee that will stay up to date tomorrow. I moved the whole wishlist buttons to the About Me section, I thought it was too much of a detraction from the site to have them on everything. I like them better there and they still serve the same purpose. Next, I went and updated the lovely Review pages in which I added the reviews that weren't up. It's currently up to date as well. So there's been some work and progress getting things updated and starting on the right foot, I didn't realize how far behind I had gotten and it took almost a day or so to update some things.

Next up on the backlog is the Signed books page, I want to do something a bit different with that and I will probably redo the whole thing. I hope you all will enjoy the new idea, we'll see. I think I got all the padding, if its there's an issue on an older post, feel free to send me a message, I have looked and hunted, I think we're good.

Now in the real world, I am personally going through my shelf and looking at some of the books I can get rid of. Most of what I have is self bought, and I will try to turn around and sell those books and try to supplement or easy the future book surge that will inevitably follow shortly. I know I know, I am in the process of cutting my shelf back, when I do the Shelf Tour you will see. I can't wait to start it and finish it, it's just going to be magnificent, and a bit much. That's about all I have for the moment.

Thanks!

[Flashback Friday] - #82

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past release that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!

Title: The Iron Thorn
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Release Date: February 22nd, 2011

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.

My Stance:

I was watching a friendly person do a book unboxing, and while the unboxing this book was one that she revealed. I didn't realize this book was altogether a steampunk novel, and frankly I am curious to get into the series. I am curious on the concept and why the madness is really even a thing in this novel. I mean what does it mean to go mad, do you become one of the creatures that roam the night and eat people? I may have to pick up this book sooner than I expected, I am curious on this novel.

Aoife is one of the hardest names to say, that I've read thus far. Can anybody say it correctly on their first sight? However with her knowing that there's a chance you will go mad at 16 like the rest of your family is kind of scarey and would be looming over your head. Next I have to call into question does that mean your parents had you when they were 14 or 15, cause at 16 they would have gone insane. Small little loop hole, but something that can be overlooked. I am curious however on the whole city and how it's working to fit in with the whole steampunk theme.

Title: The Eye of Minds
Author: James Dashner
Series: #1 - The Mortality Doctrine
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 8th, 2013
My Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0

An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Minds is the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever.

My Review:

The Eye of Minds the book that followed BZRK by Michael Grant and I know that the are different in terms of the levels of reality and alternative worlds. There are significant differences between the two however, and frankly this one just does everything better. Yeah, okay one is reality but on a microscopic level and the other is a virtual reality. This one focuses more on the VR world, and reality isn't around in this book as much. I'll touch more on that later. I know I said I wouldn't compare books, but BZRK just didn't quench a thirst of world building and original worlds so I went to something similar-esque and was much happier with the result.

The world James Dashner creates is original but is believable. Now the in the real world is just like normal, maybe a bit more dull and dreary. I got the feeling the world is depressing and everyone is just trying to get home and dive into the VirtNet, a virtual reality where you can spend your real money for appearances and other commodities in a "second life" of sorts. I could see it possible, but at the same time the hole thing is a giant advertisement for the VirtNet and different games inside the virtual reality. At the same time a lot of the book pertains to the Virtual Reality world, that just hardens the idea that everyone wants to escape the real world.

Now the VirtNet is where 90% of the story takes place and while the plot is great, the real world is there just enough to support that it matters still. The VirtNet is coded into a core in everyone's head, I thought this would be a point of contention, where the dystopia part may fall in, but it never did. In the VirtNet you got the idea that anything could happen, if you know how to hack and glitch the system. However, there are cops of sort that monitor certain aspects of the world and there are rules most of which are don't do anything to really kill yourself. But the world building in the VirtNet was great, the multiple uses of different eras. The characters were just great, and while we question what the character really look like in reality there are parts that I believe are true with Michael in the VirtNet.

Michael is a gamer and frankly I view him not entirely as a super-geeky guy, but he is smart and spends almost every day in the VirtNet when he's not in school. Michael and his friends while having never met in the real world, they can 'hack' the world and do certain glitches. He takes missions in the VirtNet to earn money or something of the sort, but one mission questions everything that he's thought to believe. Michael witnesses a girl rip out the core to the VirtNet from her head, which should be impossible and not only does it end your VirtNet experience forever, but kills you in reality as well.

Michael's friends, Sarah and Bryson, give light to the dynamic relationship between them. There are parts that while they are sad and take a tole on Michael, as a reader I didn't feel that loss at all. That's one point of contention that I feel should be worked on as the series continues. However there seems to be more to Sarah and Michael than meets the eye, and I would like to see that develop. To be honest, I was shocked that more didn't happen between the two in the first book.

When I think of James Dashner and how great The Maze Runner series was and how different this concept was, I had my doubts and reservations about this novel. They were so far wrong, while it's not perfect and isn;t the best book if the year, there are parts of the book that stick with me. It was original and thoroughly thought through. There's parts of the book that had me riding the on the edge of the seat, but the side characters lacked that attachment and I found that rather disturbing for a Dashner novel. The next book is calling my name, and maybe this year I'll get around to it in the midst of Project Marathon.

Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: #3 - Grisha Trilogy
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 17th, 2014
My Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0

The capital has fallen.
The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

My Review:

Ruin and Rising a book that I was debating on how I felt going into it. I was excited for another Leigh Bardugo book, but after the ending of Siege and Storm I had doubts on the direction this book would lead me. So I wasn't all that hyped going into it as I had been for Siege and Storm, but that didn't deter me from the plot and the twists and turns that Leigh Bardugo throws at her readers. The story was complex and at times it was heart-wrenching. While I didn't agree with the ending entirely, it was warm and cozy and just plain enjoyable.

The book picks up shortly after the end of Siege and Storm with maybe a few days/months having past. Alina's recovering in the midst of the Apparat and his nearly completely delusional zealots who worship as if she's a god. Alina has no interest in being their worshiping figure, but wants to give them freedom from not only the Darkling but anyone who wants the power he possess. Which is one thing that keeps coming back to me over and over with Alina; she tends to react for the greater good before thinking about herself. It occurs more often than anything in this book, which is more heroic and saint-like than what she thinks.

Alina and Mal are on the hunt for the phoenix to complete Morozova's color, and while she they are searching for it, the Darkling is on their tail nearly at every turn. The Darkling has declared nearly all out war on anyone affiliated with Alina and Nikolai. I find that there wasn't enough Darkling in this book. He wasn't a villain more of an evil guy that just happens to show up at random times. Yea there are some visions and insights into him, but there it just never added up to gain an attachment or fear him at all.

Now Nikolai was a figure that while being the sassy attractive figure that everyone grew to love in Siege and Storm. However in Ruin and Rising he just falls sort of his normal attachment. I rarely found that he was trying to win Alina over like previous and was more of that creepy guy hanging out in the bushes. But further when he gets involved with the Darkling the outcome just leaves him a shell of who he was. For a good part of the book he was the light, the comic relief of the book and by removing that the book just got dark and depressing. It needed Nikolai, and far far more of his light heartedness.

Getting on with Mal, there was just not enough of him to really comment on that anyone who read the first book wouldn't already know. The character growth for Mal was what he was in the beginning, being the sword that will fight for Alina. While that is at times costly, it just keeps Mal locked into one roll that cannot and will not change. I find Mal likable and would have preferred to see what he could have done if he didn't need to find that phoenix for Alina. It was just so tragic to see a preferred love interest just get locked into one spot and not allowed to deviate.

The world in this book is generally the same. The beginning of the novel is rather lackluster tunnel system, that is more confusing than anything else. I wanted more out of this, some sort of way to tell what is going on inside the tunnels. Outside and in the normal world which is the rest of the book, it was all similar to the previous parts of the series. Ruin and Rising just rinsed and repeated what's already been done. There was a new outpost with Nikolai and the little journey to find the Phoenix. But at the same time, so much of the book was reused and rehashed, that it just stole from what hope was there.

I would say that this book was an easy book to rate and deserves the rating it got. However, when I started writing this review and even in my notes I have it done for a solid 4.0 rating. The reason it got lowered is after typing up some of the notes and the comments I had on the characters and how the world just wasn't there. I found that the title lives up to the plot. The first two were decent to great, but this just seemed to fall where Siege and Storm left off. Its sad to say, I am not sure what could have been done to make this book better other than to just start over. It just fell flat.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #100

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Title: Beautiful Redemption
Author: Jamie McGuire
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 27th, 2015

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first?

No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case.

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI.

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all.

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

My Stance:

Beautiful Redemption. I have this book pre-ordered straight from the one and only Jamie McGuire. While I could have gone to a local bookstore or whatever, I would rather support the author wholeheartedly than a bookstore. I find that letting them know how much I appreciate the novels, and their work, maybe they will keep going and writing. It's no question how I feel about the Beautiful series, and if not all of her novels. I need to catch up and maybe read the rest of her novels and do a McGuire e-marathon.

So I was a huge fan of Beautiful Redemption and when that novel ended I instantly knew who the next one would be. I have to say that Thomas isn't one I know much about, other than how him and Travis sort of fit in. There wasn't much about Thomas in the novels other than the first one with Abby, so I'm curious to see how he differs from Trenton and Travis.

Going into this synopsis, I see the one thing that I always questioned. How did Travis managed to get out of the whole basement fire. Thomas tends to explain that and maybe a bit more. I love how McGuire tends to bring all the stories together and around the same timeline or something that brings all the novels together. However in Thomas's case, the case of a broken heart and a new love is just new grounds for McGuire (in terms of the novels I have read from her), and I am looking forward to it.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #99

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 27th, 2015

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

My Stance:

Fairest while not being my most impressive book this week or one that I'm exactly looking forward to, this book has my attention. First thing I should note that I have only read Cinder, and I really enjoyed it, Scarlet and Cress are on my shelf. It's not that I think the novels are bad or anything, it's more of I haven't gotten into the series as of yet. I plan on marathoning the books this year so, it's on my list.

After Cinder I loved the whole world and the presentation of the story. Marissa Meyer instantly became a fan of her novels. However this book seems to be a prequel, and while I am going to marathon them, I am not sure which order I should read the books in. I will probably wing it. I mean should I read Scarlet and then Cress, but where should Fairest fit in. I know the timeline apparently is Fairest - Cinder - Scarlet - Cress, but we'll see. I am not sure if I remember how Levana even is, now saying that, I may have to go back and do a Cinder reread or review. Either way this book is going to be a great addition to the series and I know Meyer won't let us down.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #98

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 27th, 2015

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

My Stance:

I am looking to add this book to my Gayle Forman shrine shelf. I love nearly all of her work, she has a way of touching me and changing my outlook on life. It may not be world changing but it's small bits that tend to make an impact. This book though seems to take a completely different turn. Lately I have found myself reading a lot of suicide novels, and the impact it has on the characters around them. I find that in this novel its the best friend that is left to pick up the pieces where the one left off. I find that to be a heart-wrenching experience and the emotional toll it must have on Cody.

What I find pretty good about this novel is that the story seems layered. It's not Meg drank a bottle of cleaner and committed suicide, but there is everything leading up to the death and why. Cody not only has to go through the emotional rollercoaster that her friend died, but going to college and trying to pick up the affects, leads to an even more emotional ride. I can't imagine finding out everything and what Cody was hiding, especially if it was your best friend and you might have been able to help them. This book is going to be packed full of emotions, and knowing Gayle, it won't let me down at all.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #97

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Title: All Fall Down
Author: Ally Carter
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 27th, 2015

My Stance:

Now I don't know why I am attracted to this book at all, frankly reading the synopsis has me a bit skeptical, because we know almost nothing about the plot of the story other than Grace is solving her mothers murder/death. The rest of the book just seems to be thrown up in the air and we're left to guess. I am not sure that's the best way to really handle a synopsis, and give insight into what the book is about overall. I really wish there was more detail about the story and what happened to her mother.

I will say this though about the synopsis, the detail about Grace was by far worth the lack of plot. However there are holes in that as well. The big issue I see is, the description we get says one thing but the plot and where I see the book head (a mystery of sorts) tells that she needs detective or some sort of police training. There doesn't appear to be any overlap, but I may not be looking in the right spots or the Army may be a bit different.

Now I may sound like I am talking down the book that I'm not sure if it'll be good or not. I don't know whether it'll be good or not, but I am curious on taking the risk on this book. It's one of those books that I see potential and could lead to a good series. I will keep it on my watch list, and maybe do a bit more research as the novel comes out. This book's setup is vague and does leave me guessing, I just hope it has the right direction for the readers. I have faith!

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #96

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?
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Title: A Cold Legacy
Author: Megan Shepherd
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 27th, 2015

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity.

My Stance:

A Cold Legacy is another book in The Madman's Daughter series, I was a fan of the first book and while I haven't started the second one yet. The books were so dark and gritty that the whole time I nearly devoured the whole first book in a short time span. The whole bit was original and well thought through. Juliet was a character that I fell for and the romance with Montgomery was refreshing and different. Further the retelling of the classics is always great, and the little twists and adaptations Shepherd ads to the stories adds that sort of flare that I enjoy.

Now I would normally talk about this novel off hand, but seeing how I haven't read the second book I would like to hold off on the synopsis here. I plan on marathoning the two books sometime this year. I will make an update on why that is the plan. This book is on my schedule to read for this year.

[Teaser Tuesday] - #42

Hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Take your Current Read.
Grab 2 Teaser sentences from the book (please be sure to avoid spoilers)
Post it on your blog with the title and author, so other Teasing Tuesday participants can add it to their To Be Read list.
When visiting other Teasing Tuesday participants, leave a link with your current TT in their comments.

Title: Ruby Red
Author: Kerstin Gier
Release Date: May 10th, 2011

Quote: "'Much to my relief, before Dr. White could think what he would do to me if I refused (and my imagination was coming up with some unappetizing ideas at the speed of light), Mr. de Villiers interrupted us. 'I'll ask Mrs. Jenkins to go with you,' he said. 'And Mr. George will stay with you until she arrives.'"

--- Page 148

[Stacking the Shelves] - #86

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

The Darkest Part of the Forest	Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend	Starbreak	The Defiant
Wintergirls	Infinity	Monument 14	So Close To You

Shelf Additions:

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest
Author: Holly Black
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: January 13th, 2015

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.

Until one day, he does…

As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

Title: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend
Author: Katie Finn
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 13th, 2014

Hot sun. Blue waves. New romances. Old secrets.

Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes a sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence.

Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friends (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don't hold grudges forever. Do they?

Gemma intends on making amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago—including Hallie and her dreamy brother, Josh—to believe she's someone else. As though the summer wasn't complicated enough already.

Filled with summer sun, boys, and friendships gone sour, Katie Finn's first novel in the Broken Hearts and Revenge series sizzles and delights.

Title: Starbreak
Author: Phoebe North
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 8th, 2014

The Asherah has finally reached Zehava, the long-promised planet. There, Terra finds harsh conditions and a familiar foe—Aleksandra Wolff, leader of her ship’s rebel forces. Terra and Aleksandra first lock horns with each other . . . but soon realize they face a much more dangerous enemy in violent alien beasts—and alien hunters.

Then Terra finally discovers Vadix. The boy who has haunted her dreams may be their key to survival—but his own dark past has yet to be revealed. And when Aleksandra gets humanity expelled from the planet, it’s up to Terra, with Vadix by her side, to unite her people—and to forge an alliance with the alien hosts, who want nothing more than to see humanity gone forever.

Title: The Defiant
Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 8th, 2014

In this gripping conclusion to The Forsaken Trilogy, Alenna’s loyalties are put the ultimate test—and it’s one of life and death.
Alenna Shawcross and the others who escaped the wheel are working toward an all-out assault on the United Northern Alliance. The plan is to dismantle it from the inside—and Alenna is one of the few people who can access the organization’s inner sanctum. But when she returns to the home she has nearly forgotten, she encounters old friends and is swept into a secret plan that puts everything she loves in danger.

Knowing what is at stake for her and her friends, Alenna ventures into the heart of the treacherous UNA. She’s determined to bring them down, because freedom is the only choice. Or is it?

Title: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: March 19th, 2009

“Dead girl walking”, the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret”, the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

Title: Infinity
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: May 25th, 2010

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

Title: Monument 14
Author: Emmy Laybourne
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: June 5th, 2012

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.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, 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.

Title: So Close To You
Author: Rachel Carter
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: July 10th, 2012

Lydia Bentley has heard stories about the Montauk Project all her life: stories about the strange things that took place at the abandoned military base near her home and people who've disappeared over the years. Stories about people like her own great-grandfather.

When Lydia stumbles into a portal that transports her to a dangerous and strange new reality, she discovers that all the stories she's heard about the Montauk Project are true, and that she's in the middle of one of the most dangerous experiments in history.

Alongside a darkly mysterious boy she is wary to trust, Lydia begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Project. But the truths behind these secrets force her to questions all her choices - and if Lydia chooses wrong, she might not save her family but destroy them... and herself.

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Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet	All the Rage by Courtney Summers

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