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[Flashback Friday] - #55

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: Envy
   Author: Gregg Olsen
   Release Date: August 23rd, 2011

     Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.

     Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.


My Stance:

     I was initially looking through the Amazon bargain books like I usually do at the end of the week, and this book popped up, it was a simple cover design that caught my eye. Well a vlogger that I started watching, Kat, that used this book in one of her challenges and it stuck in my head that it was on her shelf. When I saw it, I read the synopsis and frankly I am not sure what to really think of this book. The genre is very hard to tell or even derive from what we're given, other than it's YA. There needs to be more into this, other than when a friend dies two twins investigate.

     Now I was leery on this, and frankly I still am. I went looking on Goodreads at the reviews and without really reading the reviews entirely (I don't like spoilers and won't risk it, I'll read them afterwards) and they were just all over the place. You would have a 1.0 followed by a 5.0 and than a random 2.0 or 3.5 in places. It was just so all over the place, but more than anything it was a resounding negative and that just makes me more interested in the book. I like to torture myself to tackle the books that some won't, and I'll pick it up and read it just so I can understand or see why there is so much negativity around this book. I just hope it's not subtle, slow moving, or extremely boring. We'll see though.

[Book Review] - All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

Title: All the Truth That's in Me
   Series: Julie Berry
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: September 26th, 2013
   My Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

     Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

My Review:

    Julie Berry creates a monster that I never saw coming. I picked this book up on a the fly and the only regret I have with this book was that I didn't get it sooner. The book is a beast, and I figure it takes place in an older time in which women are viewed as a property of men, or when they didn't have much rights. That's my only gripe with the book, is that the girls seem to worship men and view their purity far more intently than currently. I'm not saying that those don't crop up now, but they aren't much of a topic now.

     Judith is a girl whose story is far more brutal than what I thought. She and her friend are kidnapped one night and her kidnapper is astonishing. While her friend is killed and she is set free, with the catch that her tongue is partially cut out so she can't talk. When she returns to her village, from years of being kidnapped, she is viewed like a monster, everyone stays away from her or pitties her. Her own mother seems to resent that she even came back. Judith is told to go to school and come home as fast as possible, she does a few chores but nothing that is out in the community.

     When her village comes under attack, she has to entrust in the help of the unlikely person. It comes to a shock to everyone. Most of all is Lucas, the boy whose had Judith's heart, has a lot to learn and accept. Afterward the community is in upheaval and asks Judith to explain what happened to her, they want to know what happened to her, and when she can't they all push away from her. She wants to talk, she wants to get out and explain but at the same time she views herself as a monster.

     Lucas is a character that drove me crazy, he never forgave himself when he found out who kidnapped Judith. Throughout part of the book he seemed to give up on Judith from time to time. He comes and goes, deep inside he does care about Judith, but just never committed to her or stayed around. Lucas was just a washy guy, and I found that in the end I didn't know much more about him other than that he was attracted and loved Judith the entire time. The going in and out of Judith's life was a bit distracting to understanding him.

     The ending to the book is what I sort of expected, simply because it needed to happen. I don't want to give the ending away, but it was just too predictable. However, the rest of the book and how Judith wants to express herself and mold back into her society, but they just seem to avoid her at every turn. The growth of Judith was impressive and how she embraces herself, what she's dealt with, and how she overcomes every tribulation that comes her way, which is what I view the main point of the book.

     Now, this books growth of Judith is what pushes All the Truth That's in Me to the 4.5 rating. Lucas's character flaws (in my opinion) don't detract from the book in this case, but it'd be refreshing to see a companion novel. It's shocking to know what happened and see the affliction that is wrought unto Judith while she's kidnapped, but its almost worse what happens to her in her own village. How Judith rises up above everything else to face the ending, even though it was predictable, shows just how much she's grew.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #53

     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: Take Me On
   Author: Katie McGarry
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: May 27th, 2014

     Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

     Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

     West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

     Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

My Stance:

     Katie McGarry is by far one of my far authors of YA Romance. She delves into topics that aren't seen around. They don't strive on just the simple, random falling in love with people. she creates a unique story that adds some background or affliction to the characters. The hardships and conflictions they have throughout the book don't detract from there character, but gives them substance. Its how they are so troubled, so distraught, that makes them realistic and believable. For that reason it's why I love McGarry's books and search her books out when they come out. For the reason her characters are what attract me.

     In this case, Haley's reason for leaving a kickboxing ring and vowing to not return isn't there (while I know this is just a synopsis and it doesn't need to be there), it's what intrigues me. Than West Young enters and accepts a fight in her honor, and changes her outlook. West is troubled by something that his family is going through. I am curious on what he did to his family, and why he feels he needs to redeem himself with Haley. Its this character afflictions that define who they are, and make them more believable and allow me to fall for them over and over.

[Teaser Tuesday] - #11

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

Title: Tease
   Author: Amanda Maciel
   Release Date: April 29th, 201

     Quote: "I look over, suprised he's agreeing with me, but he's just staring at Beth and Cherrie. Or maybe he's staring past them—it's hard to tell.

     'The world is full of phonies,' he reiterates, but it doesn't seem like he's talking to me anymore. It sounds more like he's reminding himself of something. Something he'd almost been able to forget."

--- Page 52


[Stacking the Shelves] - #56

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!

     Good start to the week everyone! Hope you had a great weekend and a great Mother's Day. Also if you are part of all the bizarre weather out there, my thoughts go out to you. Hope everything is safe, and you keep yourself safe as well. I have been working on my test blog with getting a new blog template thats more visually appealing. I am getting bored with this one, and it makes me a bit sad to get rid of it, but I want something up to date, and what to a fresh look. Either way, I am going to keep posting till I can work out the bugs and kinks in the template. I will keep everyone informed with what I am working on, and the new posts as well. I hope you all are safe and thank you all for your visits and continued support. Thanks!

     So without further adieu:

Shift
Nobody But Us
Ruined
The House of the Scorpion
Tease
Wanderers
Sweet Reckoning
Fangirl

Shelf Additions:

Title: Shift
   Author: Em Bailey
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: May 22nd, 2012

     Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.

     She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After "the incident," Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.
But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.

     But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?

     A chilling psychological thriller that tears through themes of identity, loss, and toxic friendship, Shift will leave readers guessing until the final pages.






Title:  Nobody But Us
   Author: Kristin Halbrook
   Format: Paperback
   Release Date: January 29th, 2013

     Will

     Maybe I'm too late. Maybe Zoe's dad stole all her fifteen years and taught her to be scared. I'll undo it. Help her learn to be strong again, and brave. Not that I'm any kind of example, but we can learn together.

     When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can't run fast enough.

----

     Zoe

     Maybe it'll take Will years to come to terms with being abandoned. Maybe it'll take forever. I'll stay with him no matter how long it takes to prove that people don't always leave, don't always give up on you.






Title: Ruined
   Author: Maria V. Snyder
   Format: Paperback
   Release Date: August 1st, 2009

     A gripping YA supernatural novel set in New Orleans: TWILIGHT with a ghostly twist.

     Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her Aunt Claudia, who reads Tarot cards for a living. And at the snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city.






Title:  The House of the Scorpion
   Author: Nancy Farmer
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: September 1st, 2002

     At his coming-of-age party, Matteo Alacrán asks El Patrón's bodyguard, "How old am I? ... I know I don't have a birthday like humans, but I was born."

     "You were harvested," Tam Lin reminds him. "You were grown in that poor cow for nine months and then you were cut out of her."

     To most people around him, Matt is not a boy, but a beast. But for El Patrón, lord of a country called Opium--a strip of poppy field lying between the U.S. and what was once called Mexico--Matt is a guarantee of eternal life. El Patrón loves Matt as he loves himself, for Matt is himself. They share identical DNA.

     As Matt struggles to understand his existence, he is threatened by a sinister, grasping cast of characters, including El Patrón's power-hungry family. He is surrounded by a dangerous army of bodyguards and by the mindless slaves of Opium, brain-deadened 'eejits' who toil in the poppy fields.

     Escape from the Alacrán Estate is no guarantee of freedom because Matt is marked by his difference in ways he doesn't even suspect. Around every turn in this vivid, futuristic adventure is a new, heart-stopping surprise.






Title: Tease
   Author: Amanda Maciel
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: April 29th, 2014

     From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.

     Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

     With its powerful narrative, unconventional point of view, and strong anti-bullying theme, this coming-of-age story offers smart, insightful, and nuanced views on high school society, toxic friendships, and family relationships.

     Supports the Common Core State Standards.






Title: Wanderers
   Author: Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: March 25th, 2014

     The Emmy Award-nominee and Edgar Award-winning duo bring readers back to the Wasteland in this thrilling sequel.

     Karin Slaughter, bestselling author of Criminal, called Wasteland, "A Lord of the Flies for future generations. An irresistible page-turner."

     The former citizens of Prin are running out of time. The Source has been destroyed, so food is scarcer than ever. Tensions are rising…and then an earthquake hits.

     So Esther and Caleb hit the road, leading a ragtag caravan. Their destination? A mythical city where they hope to find food and shelter - not to mention a way to make it past age nineteen.

     On the way, alliances and romances blossom and fracture. Esther must rally to take charge with the help of a blind guide, Aras. He seems unbelievably cruel, but not everything is as it seems in the Wasteland.…

     In this sequel to Wasteland, the stakes are even higher for Esther, Caleb, and the rest of their clan. They're pinning all their hopes on the road...but what if it's the most dangerous place of all?






Title: Sweet Reckoning
   Author: Wendy Higgins
   Format: Paperback
   Release Date: April 29th, 2014

     It’s time.

     Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

     The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

     In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom.






Title: Fangirl
   Author: Rainbow Rowell
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: April 22nd, 2014

     A coming-of-age tale of fanfiction, family, and first love.

     Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

     Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan.... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she's really good at it. She and her twin, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it's what got them through their mother leaving.

     Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fanfiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

     Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to.

     Now that they're going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She's got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend; a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world; a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

     For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

[Flashback Friday] - #54

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: A Spark Unseen
   Author: Sharon Cameron
   Release Date: September 24th, 2013

     The thrilling sequel to Sharon Cameron's blockbuster gothic steampunk romance, THE DARK UNWINDING, will captivate readers anew with mystery and intrigue aplenty.

     When Katharine Tulman wakes in the middle of the night and accidentally foils a kidnapping attempt on her uncle, she realizes Stranwyne Keep is no longer safe for Uncle Tully and his genius inventions. She flees to Paris, where she hopes to remain undetected and also find the mysterious and handsome Lane, who is suspected to be dead.

     But the search for Lane is not easy, and Katharine soon finds herself embroiled in a labyrinth of political intrigue. And with unexpected enemies and allies at every turn, Katharine will have to figure out whom she can trust--if anyone--to protect her uncle from danger once and for all.

     Filled with deadly twists, whispering romance, and heart-stopping suspense, this sequel to THE DARK UNWINDING whisks readers off on another thrilling adventure.


My Stance:

     A Spark Unseen is a book that i've seen on bookshelves and picked up on more than one occassion. However I haven't gotten around to reading The Dark Unwinding. I am just not sure if I am going to enjoy the story enough to continue the sequence, but than against the steampunk aspect of it is what has my complete interest. I want to like it, I just need to get into it and that'll be the deciding factor, but that's a bit obvious isn't it. I have had too many books on my list that I'm reading and some current books as well, but I haven't forgot some of my first purchases and I will get back to them soon.

     There isn't much I can say about this book having not read the first, but being the completionist that I am, it's still a good Flashback book. I want to read the series, and if I plan on doing that I sort of need this book to do so. So don't take me completely serious on this, read the synopsis and a few reviews and judge your opinion from there.

[Book Review] - Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Steelheart
   Series: Brandon Sanderson
   Series: #1 - Reckoners
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: February 26th, 2013
   My Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

     There are no heroes.

     Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics.

     But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

     Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

     And David wants in. He wants Steelheart—the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning—and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

     He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

My Review:

    Steelheart was a refreshing read between Eleanor & Park and the next book which at the time I was looking for another Rainbow Rowell book to perk my interest in  her novels back up. However, Fangirl being out, the story just doesn't interest me completely. So maybe it's another Romance novel or something, but this was between everything and I wanted to use this novel as something new. It did that, and acted like a good pallet cleanser, I just didn't understand what the book was until the end.

     A different breed of humans run Manhattan or a similar style city, Epics; humans with extraordinary abilities or powers. Epics run the city with ruthless aggression and take what they want, when they want. The Epics are divided into classes ranging on the number of powers they have and the severity of them together and how well they all mesh together. The catch is though, no matter how strong an Epic is, there is always one or two ways or weaknesses to all of them. Each ability hides an innate weakness, and while some may be so obscure it's more fun for the reader to try to guess the weakness than just straight being told.

     The worst one being an Epic named Steelheart. Is believed to be immortal, an Epic that is nearly impervious to everything and holds allegiances to multiple other Epics that help aid in his power. He can also turn anything into steel. There are parts of Steelheart that amaze me, he goes through great lengths to control those around him, afraid of whoever may just figure out his secret weakness. Going to great lengths to destroy, not just kill, anyone who possibly comes close.

     Enter David the main protagonist, he's a young boy who in the start of the book, is in the middle of a bank as an Epic starts a robbery. Most humans just drop and give him what he wants, until Steelheart enters and the whole situation becomes awkward, Epic vs. Epic. This part I enjoyed, it was the power of two immense powers clashing, well one immense power. But during the end he witnesses the one thing that drives him for life, he witnesses Steelheart bleed, at the hands of his father. Which is the only extent of Steelhearts great wrath and immense display of power.

     David is consumed by revenge, but it's not a blind driven revenge. He thinks through everything methodically, going through great detail on every Epic, and finding their weaknesses. I loved how revenge didn't drive him insane, but fueled him and guided him. However, the main thing David needs is the Reckoners. The only group that fights for humans rights, and their need to stand up against the Epics. Its through them that the story continues.

     The Reckoners weren't altogether what I thought, Megan was the one that stood out the most to me. Which is sad, I wanted the rest of the cast to stand out better, but there just wasn't that connection or relationship with David and them like Megan. However, they each had a unique personality and helped drive the story further as they aided David. The problem I had though was, a group of organized resisters just seemed to drop everything for "good" information they hadn't seen and from a teenager. It just seemed like a big leap for a group of that size, but maybe they just didn't have many options. I just wasn't sold on them buying into David that quick.

     The plot was pretty much linear, I wanted some more twist. While there was a twist, it wasn't until the end to setup the sequel, and to me its not a plot twister the book needed to just catapult this book further. David and Megan's relationship was rather short and when it got good, it ended too short. I woulda put that further into the story to make what happened to her more drastic and heartfelt. I wanted more from this book and I expected it, but while it was just a whim read, it did satisfy me, just not to where I thought it would go.

     I came back to this again when writing the review, initially I gave it a 4.0 and had to drop it to a 3.5. I just didn't see it extending that far. It needed a good twist, or something that brought a better thrill or suspense to the book. The plot was too linear and predictable that while it kept my attention, it didn't leave me wanting a sequel or to read the next chapter like I would expect in a 4.0 or higher book. Not saying I won't read the sequel, I will because Firelight sounds like a great Epic to read about.

[Waiting on Wednesday] - #52

     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: Raging Star
   Author: Moira Young
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: May 13th, 2014

     Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo and the Tonton...until she meets him and he confounds all her expectations with his seductive vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to create and build a healthy, stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The few who can pay.

     Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Still uncertain, her connection with DeMalo a secret, Saba commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, anxious for the land in New Eden, Saba leads an inexperienced guerilla band against the powerfully charismatic DeMalo, in command of his settlers and the Tonton militia. What chance do they have? Saba must act. And be willing to pay the price.

My Stance:

     I am not sure if this is the final book in the series, but either way the series has captivating me throughout. I love Saba and Jack, however I don't understand DeMalo and the attraction that Saba seems to see (in being seduced or whatever) in him. Further the charismatic bits of DeMalo is the part that I just see as him being a cocky, self-pretentious douche. So maybe I just view the character differently than what the author intends, just has me worried on this when a major plot point is Saba being torn between two choices.

     This book has been on my list since last year, and arguably since I read Blood Red Road. Completing the series is always something I strive to do, and I don't plan on starting here. Raging start just has my hopes set high, because of how great the series is. I don't foresee a bad or low rating in this book, however it all can happen. Young is such a great author that I see it doing well, and my worries being a bit over zealous. We'll see next week!

[Teaser Tuesday] - #10

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

Title: Into the Still Blue
   Author: Imogen Howson
   Release Date: June 11th, 2013

     Quote: " 'It's ... ' Elissa bit her lip, trying to think of anything close to the right words. 'You know it's not your fault, right? You don't need to be ashamed ... ashamed. They did that to you. They just randomly decided to take you  - ' "

--- Page 112


[Stacking the Shelves] - #55

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!

     Greetings everyone, I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend and that over the week/weekend a few of your highly sought after books came in. I look forward to seeing some of the books that came in and ultimately add to my TBR list as well. I am always looking for new suggestions (like Sabriel this week). Furthermore, I completed a book I thought was my April Viewers Choice book; however, when I looked back it was wrong. I read the wrong book, figures. I will read another book and get to the correct one. I also noticed that I didn't do a May Viewers Choice poll, I apologize for that, I'll get Junes up quickly. In it's place I hope to do a build up for The Fault In Our Stars movie, because frankly that should be great as well.

     So without further adieu:

SYLO
Revolution 19
Inside Out
Abandon
Salvage
To All the Boys I’ve
Loved Before
Dear Killer
Talker 25

Shelf Additions:

Title: SYLO
   Author: D.J. MacHale
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: July 22nd, 2013

     Does Tucker Pierce have what it takes to be a hero when the U.S. military quarantines his island?

     Fourteen-year-old Tucker Pierce prefers to fly under the radar. He’s used to navigating around summer tourists in his hometown on idyllic Pemberwick Island, Maine. He’s content to sit on the sidelines as a backup player on the high school football team. And though his best friend Quinn tells him to “go for it," he’s too chicken to ask Tori Sleeper on a date. There’s always tomorrow, he figures. Then Pemberwick Island is invaded by a mysterious branch of the U.S. military called SYLO. And sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option for Tucker, because tomorrow may never come.

     It’s up to Tucker, Quinn, and Tori to uncover the truth about the singing aircraft that appears only at night—and the stranger named Feit who’s pushing a red crystal he calls the Ruby that brings unique powers to all who take it. Tucker and his friends must rescue not just Pemberwick Island, but the fate of the world—and all before tomorrow is too late.

     #1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale brings his brilliant plotting and breathless pacing to SYLO, the first in this ultimate end-of-the-world adventure trilogy.






Title:  Revolution 19
   Author: Gregg Rosenblum
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: January 8th, 2013

     Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

     Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

     Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn’t be missed.






Title: Inside Out
   Author: Maria V. Snyder
   Format: Paperback
   Release Date: April 1st, 2010

     Keep Your Head Down.
     Don't Get Noticed.
     Or Else.


I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.






Title:  Abandon
   Author: Elana Johnson
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: June 4th, 2013

     The fight for independent thought becomes a matter of life or death in this sizzling and intense conclusion to the Possession trilogy.

     Vi has made her choice between Jag and Zenn, and the resistance may have suffered for it. But with the Thinkers as strong as ever, the rebels still have a job to do. Vi knows better than anyone that there's more at stake than a few broken hearts.

     But there is a traitor among them…and the choices he makes could lead to the total destruction of everything Vi has fought for.

     Vi, Jag, and Zenn must set their problems aside for the resistance to have any hope of ending the Thinkers' reign. Their success means everything…and their failure means death.






Title: Salvage
   Author: Alexandra Duncan
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: April 1st, 2014

     Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.






Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
   Author: Jenny Han
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: April 15th, 2014

     Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

     What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them... all at once?

     Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.






Title: Dear Killer
   Author: Katherine Ewell
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: April 1st, 2014

     Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong.
     Rule Two—Be careful.
     Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.
     Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible.
     Rule Five—The letters are the law.

     Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer" seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer," and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known.

     But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

     Katherine Ewell’s Dear Killer is a sinister psychological thriller that explores the thin line between good and evil, and the messiness of that inevitable moment when life contradicts everything you believe.






Title: Talker 25
   Author: Joshua McCune
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: April 22nd, 2014

     Debut author Joshua McCune's gritty and heart-pounding novel is a masterful reimagining of popular dragon fantasy lore, set in a militant future reminiscent of Paolo Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker and Ann Aguirre's Outpost.

     It's a high school prank gone horribly wrong-sneaking onto the rez to pose next to a sleeping dragon-and now senior Melissa Callahan has become an unsuspecting pawn in a war between Man and Monster, between family and friends and the dragons she has despised her whole life. Chilling, epic, and wholly original, this debut novel imagines a North America where dragons are kept on reservations, where strict blackout rules are obeyed no matter the cost, where the highly weaponized military operates in chilling secret, and where a gruesome television show called Kissing Dragons unites the population. Joshua McCune's debut novel offers action, adventure, fantasy, and a reimagining of popular dragon lore.

[Flashback Friday] - #53

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: Twinmaker
   Author: Sean Williams
   Release Date: May 29th, 2012

     High-stakes action combines with issues of friendship and body image in this timely and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of technology and identity.

     You can be Improved....

     In a near-future world in which technology can transport you anywhere instantly, can a coded note enable you to change your body—to become taller, stronger, more beautiful? Clair is pretty sure the offer is too good to be true. But her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try, longing for a new, improved version of herself.

     What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious—but powerful—stranger called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.

     Action and danger fuel Sean Williams’ tale of technology, identity, and the lengths to which one girl will go to save her best friend.


My Stance:

     Twin maker didn't make my list initially, mainly because I hadn't heard of it until I caught Crash on Tea Time. I loved the cover of the book and what Margot and Aubry said about the book. The style of the book is what kept me off first, I wasn't sure what to expect out of it and I still don't. I am confused on Clair and her friend Libby, who is the one who actually gets improved. I mean from looking at the synopsis, I can see that one of them gets improved I just wish to know which

     So this coded note that changes you, how exactly does that work? I mean it just doesn't seem possible to read a slip of paper and magically it changes some part of you. If it's not explain, it'll be a slight issue, because that in turn effects some of the underground community and why they may want to protect that secret. It also would show how dangerous they are, in a more indirect manor. but then again in a future world how dangerous can a secret world be or how secret is it. It seems silly. While I may see a bit negative to this book, I am not saying or questioning the book in a that fashion. I am curious more or so than negative to this book.

[Book Review] - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Eleanor & Park
   Author: Rainbow Rowell
   Format: Hardback
   Release Date: February 26th, 2013
   My Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

     Two misfits.
     One extraordinary love.


     Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.

     Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.

     Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

My Review:

    Eleanor & Park was a book that I wanted to step into Rainbow Rowell novels and get a taste of what her writing style is like. While I was looking forward to the book, I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed by this style. I sifted through this book for something higher than just okay or I like it, and while I looked there just wasn't anything to latch onto. With a giant sigh I have to give this a 3.5 rating, which doesn't mean it is a bad book at all, just a simple mediocre book that didn't leave me a lasting impression on me.

     Eleanor is a girl who I am not sure if she views herself as overweight, taller than normal or if she actually is. Her view of herself is what I question, and I am not trying to be negative or say anything bad about that view. I just question which the view is. Further her life at home is questionable. Her stepfather is mean or abusive, however you want to view it, and she huddles up in her room with her brothers and sisters. She even has to hide her personal belongings, so her siblings don't steal them.

     Park is a half-Korean in a nearly pure white school and neighborhood. He's give enough credibility and attention from the popular kids around school so he gets by rather quickly. He nods or says just enough to get by and not get noticed, like how Eleanor gets noticed nearly constantly. The major difference is his home life, which is nearly entirely perfect minus the slight badgering from his father. He's a great kid, with his head on his shoulders and while he's great and all, I just didn't believe his character completely. I mean, he's normal and almost too normal. I didn't see a major flaw in his character or something that jumped out at me that screamed wrong, which isn't the case of any real life person.

     So one day on the bus, Eleanor can't find a seat and is forced to sit with Park. The relationship starts there, a choice to see and listen to music. It progresses through passes comics back and forth and mixed tapes passing back and forth. Their relationship is mainly more or less friendly and not a boyfriend/girlfriend type yet. I never saw in the book where their relationship moved past friendly to a serious relationship. I lacked that gap and it bothered me, because it was a story issue that bothered me.

     The book is primarily a character building story and while it was good the major component wasn't there. That's the major flaw I had, the growth of Eleanor and Park was great though. Park was more or less the best. He was the one that surprised me, the growth of him maturing and wanting that serious relationship with Eleanor was there. I just don't see anything that seemed to bridge that gap. Eleanor was the one who seemed to grow up and want to get out of her home. She wanted to be away, and start a life of her own away from her stepfather.

     So there isn't much else to talk about this book. It revolves around those two and while I could go on more, I don't want to give away about the ending or the book in general. The characters were great, and even some of the secondary characters (Park's parents and Eleanor's siblings) were great. However, even with all the benefits, when a book is supposed to be about First Love and when the reader doesn't feel that a serious relationship actually forms and stays more friendly, it just falls flat and short of the ultimate goal. I am not going to stop or define the novels Rowell does; I am going to continue and see if there's other books that better frame my idea of her novels.
 
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