Tour Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Synopsis:
Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be

Publication Date: November 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Source: Thanks to the Souther Book Bloggers for allowing me to be a part of this book tour!



Review:
The only way I can describe this book is: Adorable. It is simply sweet and scrumptiously adorable. I had a good idea of where the book was going, but there are enough little twists to keep you feeling satisfied with the story.

This book has one of my favorite personality combinations to read: uptight, rule-folllower type of girl and the free-spirited, life-loving dude that inspires her to just be herself. Julia and Jason's relationship is so sweet and progresses so honestly throughout the book. I also loved how Jason isn't exactly what he appears to be on the outside. He can be really deep and considerate and sweet. I keep using that word, but if you read the book you'll see why :)

If you love contemporary fiction that keeps you hooked in, but the subject matter isn't too dark then this is the perfect book to read. It's a quick book to go through, but leaves you feeling warm and happy with how it ends. A good weekend type of book to read :)

Tour Review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Synopsis:
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.

And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their lives back to normal. Or at least as normal as the lives of a pirate and an assassin can be.

Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure
Source: Thanks to Southern Book Bloggers for letting me be a part of this tour!

Review:
I was so excited to read this book because it sounded so original in comparison to a lot of the things I've been reading lately. Not to say that being original automatically makes something better, of course, but I was really eager to get started.

I have to say I wasn't completely sold at the beginning, but the characters really pull this story along and make it into something really special. I loved that Ananna is an independent chick. She's a seriously skilled pirate, and she can push past her fear. I think those are admirable qualities in a female main character. Plus, she has those traits while still maintaining her emotions and the things that make her feminine as well. I think that's a hard balance to strike.

Another thing I really loved about The Assassin's Curse is that Ananna and Naji's relationship is so very subtle. I'm all about a deep, angsty love story, but this book really proves that it's not necessary to still be wrapped up in the interaction between the characters. Ananna builds a wary friendship with Naji after he tries to kill her, and they end up with their futures bound up together. Their journey to break this bond and be rid of each other is the very thing that begins to bring them together.

I think this book sets the stage for a wonderful new series, and I'm really looking forward to the next book.

Review: Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

Synopsis:
It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Publication Date: October 14, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Post Apocalyptic, Adventure
Source: Thanks so much to Tanglewood Press for making this title available through Netgalley!


Review:
First off, what do you think of that cover? Amazing, yes? I like it even more after finishing this book. I almost had a heart attack when I saw this on Netgalley because I loved the first one so much.  The awesome male POV and the way that I really felt the cold and the hunger right along with Alex and Darla carried into this second novel as well.

In Ashfall Alex is finding his way in the new world after the eruption.  He's still figuring things out.  In Ashen Winter they've been living this hard life a bit longer and you can really notice the changes in Alex from one book to the next. 

As would be expected after an apocalyptic event there are groups struggling against each other for survival. Trusting somebody means putting your life in their hands and most of the people Alex runs into aren't the type that you want putting their hands on you.  Most groups and communites of survivors aren't friendly to outsiders, but other gangs of people are just plain criminal, preying off of anybody weaker.  And you better not trust in the Government either because they sure as heck don't have your best interest at heart in this case.

It's these human interactions that cause most of the problems for Alex and Darla as they look for Alex's parents.  Hunger, cold, fatigue.  All a factor, but those play second string to the crazy-ass people dominating  the world.  I would probably end up buried under a pile of snow and dead within days of something like this happening :) Luckily the characters in this book aren't such horrible wimps!

I felt like Alex was really just taking hit after hit in Ashen Winter. Talk about some bad freaking luck. I think it really proved his character and what he's willing to go through for the people he loves.

A ton of great action and tension throughout this one. I love being immersed in this world and was sad to reach the end. The mark of a great book!

Review: The Mephisto Kiss by Trinity Faegen

Synopsis:
The eyes never lie. No one’s eyes are darker than Eryx. Not even the Devil’s.

When Jax and Sasha first see Jordan Ellis, they know she is no ordinary teenager. She’s the daughter of the President after all, but she’s also Anabo – a descendant of Eve.

What they don’t know is that Eryx plans to kidnap Jordan and force President Ellis to pledge his soul. If Eryx’s plot succeeds, the consequences would be catastrophic.

But the Mephisto brothers do know about Jordan’s secret identity. And for one of them, she could be the match that leads to their soul’s salvation.

Now it’s a desperate race against time to save Jordan and prevent Eryx’s haunting eyes from discovering her true identity.

Publication Date: September 25, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: I won this ARC via the cover reveal giveaway for the book :D

Review:
My initial reaction to having the book focus on a different Mephisto brother was mildly pouty, maybe a bit whiney as well.  I wanted my Jax...and Sasha too.  A great pair, and I loved their story in Mephisto Covenant (my review for that one here). It didn't take long for me to become just as wrapped up in one of the other brother's (I won't spill any secrets...I won't spill any secrets *bites lip*) relationship with Jordan.

The Mephisto brothers are a complicated and intriguing lot. They each have their own hangups and issues which makes for great reading. Getting into this second book gives an even greater look into the vast history spread out behind each of them. Their struggles, strengths and screaming good looks *ahem* showcase them as distinct individuals. And this is only Book two!

I have to say that I loved the character development of Eryx. He is black-as-coal evil, no light to be seen. But we get to see some deeper glimpses of him as character, for good or bad I won't say. But it's awesome! Jordan is a great character as well. She is totally different from Sasha, but because Jordan is Anabo too they share some of the same traits.

I stand by comparing Trinity's books to candy. You can't just have one piece of candy, just like you can't read only one chapter of this book. It gets into your system and makes you keep reading :) I believe I might become a bit repetitive, but everything I love in a good, angsty, paranormal romance is what this entire book is made of. There's nothing I don't like about it.

Review: Blood Zero Sky by J. Gabriel Gates

Synopsis:
Unprofitables are banished to work camps to pay off their credit. Other tie-men and women look on apathetically. "Fair is fair. Everyone knows you shouldn't use more credit than you are worth to the Company. "They turn their attention to the next repackaged but highly coveted N-Corp product on the market, creatively advertised on the imager screens that adorn virtually every available flat surface. All the while, their mandatory cross-implants and wrist-worn "ICs" keep them focused on the endless cycle of work and consumption to which they are enslaved.

May Fields the CEO's daughter would like to believe she is above all that. Head of N-Corp's marketing team, the young woman who has almost everything anyone could want spends her days dreaming up ingenious ways to make workers buy more of what they already have and don't need. Even before May discovers that the Company is headed for its first loss in thirty years, she is feeling the stirrings of dissatisfaction with the system that has given her everything she's ever wanted . . . except the freedom to be herself.

When she is kidnapped by a member of the Protectorate a secret order dating back to the American Revolution May is suddenly faced with the frightening truth of what the Company's greed has done to our most basic human rights. Will she embrace who she is and join the battle to restore America's democratic freedom, or put her blinders back on and return to her safe and passionless life?

More prediction than fiction, "Blood Zero Sky "is a riveting, nonstop, and suspenseful gaze into the looking glass, destined to rise with the zeitgeist of our times to become the anthem of a generation.

Publication Date: October 1, 2012
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Source: Thanks to the author, Mr. Gates, for providing me with a review copy!

Review:
I hate to admit that I was a bit turned off by the cover of this book, but on the flip side I'm pleased to say that Blood Zero Sky is amazing. Period.  I'm sure I won't be the only one to compare it to George Orwell's 1984 because it shares a lot of those same themes of totalitarianism, psychological control through filtering information and propaganda and an overall sense of helplessness at the all-consuming reach of, in this book, The Company.

What is awesome about this book is that no matter how many comparisons can be made to 1984 it stands completely on its own merit.  The cautionary tale it tells is all the more frightening because the technology we have today isn't far off from that used in the book. And it's not too big a stretch to picture a large powerful entity sneaking its way into monopolizing every industry in the country. It's totally believable.

And I haven't even mentioned the characters yet :) May Fields is the MC, but she's not your typical girl.  The CEO of The Company is her dad, and she's living the high life compared to a lot of people.  She's got everything she could want, but she still feels as if something is missing in her life. May is a strong female character and the fact that she's gay isn't what defines her, nor is it what the book is about.  She does have to hide the fact that she's a lesbian because that doesn't line up with The Company's religious policies. The whole Company controlled religion was another factor that added to the feeling of power un-checked when it comes to how the people live their lives.

I thought this was a great book for a variety of reasons. It definitely makes you think and speaks to a lot of things that are currently going on in our world today. It's also just a plain good read!

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Synopsis:
"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

"An edgy romance that pulls you in and never lets go. I was hooked!"-Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author of the Intertwined series

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Publication Date: July 31, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance
Source: Thanks so much to Harlequin Teen for making this title available though Netgalley.


Review:

I can't remember the last time I cried actual tears while reading a book. Pushing the Limits kind of crept up on me. It just kept ratcheting up my emotions (in a good way) and hitting all the right nerves. I ACHED for these characters. I felt their pain. I love a book that kind of beats me up along the way. But don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a depressing book. It's very profound and touching and beautiful. I loved it! Echo is an amazing MC. Omg. Looking back after finishing the book her tra...moreI can't remember the last time I cried actual tears while reading a book. Pushing the Limits kind of crept up on me. It just kept ratcheting up my emotions (in a good way) and hitting all the right nerves. I ACHED for these characters. I felt their pain. I love a book that kind of beats me up along the way. But don't get the wrong idea, this isn't a depressing book. It's very profound and touching and beautiful. I loved it! Echo is an amazing MC. Omg. Looking back after finishing the book her transformation is breath-taking. Book perfection. She has lived through a traumatic event that she can't remember and it defines her life. She's stuck back in that black hole of not knowing and although she wants to move forward she's basically just living a shadow of a life. Trying to be normal. Noah is another great character. He's got his own issues that are holding him back and keeping him from being the person he wants to be. Their mutual school counselor throws them together and they pretty much rock each other's worlds. They recognize the broken parts of each other and are drawn together like magnets. What was great to me was that although these were two dysfunctional characters, their relationship was amazingly functional. They made each other better. The tension just builds and builds in this one and tied me up into so many knots along the way before finally smoothing them out. I love those moments in books where you just keep reading faster and faster to get to the resolution. I have a hard time stopping before that point :) This is such a beautiful and satisfying-to-the-soul kind of read.

SBB Review: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Synopsis:
It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.


Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Horror
Source: Thanks so much to Southern Book Bloggers for letting me be a part of this tour!


Review:
Girl of Nightmares more than lived up to what I had expected and hoped for from this book.  Somehow I had forgotten in between reading Anna Dressed in Blood and this book that besides being amazingly well-written and interesting...it's also effing scary :) I'll admit to being a huge chicken-faced wimp, so maybe creepy or unsettling would be better words to use. I'll let you decide that for yourselves.

I was reminded right from the start how genuinely great Cas's voice is in this book. My sister at The Elliott Review was the one that insisted that I read this book because it was awesome. One of the things she loved most was Cas as the first-person narrator.  She said he was her favorite male narrator in a book, ever. And I have to say that I 100% agree. He's such a thinking, serious type of person but it's blended perfectly with his snarky, smart-ass mouth. Add in the fact that he is in love with a dead ex-murderer girl that could rip his face off...and you get come to understand just how complex of a guy he really is. When it comes to Anna though, there are no complex issues for him to work out. He loves her and wants what's best for her, and he'll do whatever it takes for that to happen.

Now the first we see of Anna in this book is seriously messed up and creeptastic. If you are really aiming to make this a scary read make sure you are reading it at night because the parts with her in them are very unsettling. And I loved it :)

The story continues seamlessly from Anna Dressed in Blood.  Some second books have a slow start picking up where they left off, but even if it's been awhile since you've read the first one it will all come back to you in this book.  This one is another page-turner and you'll want to punch your clock when it tells you it's too late and you should go to sleep instead of finishing your book.

Review: Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Synopsis:
Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .

Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Witch
Source: Thanks so much to Bloomsbury USA for providing me with a review copy.


Review:

I was so excited to read this book after seeing what it was about from the synopsis. I admit to having high expectations for it to meet. And now that I've read it I really have to say that it blew me out of the water. The writing is superb, dual perspective stunningly executed, killer storyline, perfectly built world...it has it all. Burn Mark is set in Britain and it was the perfect backdrop for this story. Add in a bit of magic, politics, old-school-style-mob-like covens, and illegal magic use....moreI was so excited to read this book after seeing what it was about from the synopsis. I admit to having high expectations for it, and now that I've read it I really have to say that it blew me out of the water. The writing is superb, dual perspective stunningly executed, killer storyline, perfectly built world...it has it all. Burn Mark is set in Britain and it was the perfect backdrop for this story. Add in a bit of magic, politics, old-school-style-mob-like covens, and illegal magic use...um, yes, please! Ah! World-building done supremely right. The whole system of how the Inquisition worked along with cooperating witches from the WICA organization was so interesting. And I LOVED how the covens were set up as these scarily powerful mob-types. The fact that the girl MC, Glory is the one that grew up and is comfortable in this setting makes her a crazy-cool and street smart kind of girl. Lucas is the one that finds himself reeling when his plans of joining The Inquisition are shattered after he comes into his fae powers. Laura Powell writes a mean male POV. I really loved his character. If you read my blog at all you know I'm kind of a sucker for romancey-schmancy type stories. This is a great example of a book that builds a relationship within the story, but the story isn't about the love. And guess what? I didn't care that it wasn't only about Lucas and Glory's relationship. Yes, that is a part of it, but the entire plot is so well-rounded that nothing is left out. As I mentioned before Burn Mark is written from the POV of Lucas and Glory. They are from two different worlds and through a surprising turn of events they end up having to work together. I loved how they gradually came to see their similarities and really just the whole evolution of their relationship. While being a paranormal book at its core, Burn Mark felt equal parts Thriller to me with all the conspiracy and corruption going on. Everything came together to make this a hard to put down book. I SO look forward to any follow-up novels in this series. Fans of the paranormal and magic in particular will want to try this one out!

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure
Source: Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Children's for making this title available on Netgalley.

Review:
My first reaction to this book was, 'OMG, an awesome YA Fantasy!'. I seriously loved the fact that Celeana is this badass, cutthroat chick that is so physically and mentally strong she has survived an entire year in a slave-run death camp. That's where you meet her in the story, when Prince Dorian pulls her out of the camp to compete for the chance to be King's Champion...and basically win her freedom from slavery forever. The main thing keeping this one from a higher rating for me was a large chunk of the middle of the novel that I got bogged down in. I was overall entertained and pleased with the book, but a lot of the mid-book stuff felt repetitive.

My first impressions of Celeana's character were all positive. She'd rather kill her rescuers than thank them. Dorian and Chaol, Captain of the Guard, don't trust her at all, but Dorian needs her help. Celeana was put in the slave camp because she was sold out by someone and was caught. Did I forget to mention she was the world's most infamous and astoundingly brutal assassin. Seriously? Awesome! You've got to love a girl that has all these big tough guys sweating that she's going to slit their throats open :) During the novel you get to see her opening up and showing her more sensitive side. I really loved the juxtaposition of those parts of her personality. My only complaint would be that I wished there had been more instances of her showing what made her such a feared assassin. The parts that were in it were amazing, and I'm pretty sure there will be a ton of that in the second book.

I also liked the romance in this book. It wasn't overdone, but added a nice layer to the story. I like (*ahem* LOVE) the strong, silent type so I am totally Team Chaol. There's still something very magnetic about Dorian and his transparency. I'd call this  a love-triangle-that's-not-really-a-triangle-but-still-kind-of-is-a-love-triangle kind of thing. Does that make sense? It's got the potential for one, but is still interesting without full love triangle status :) I'll shut up now...

An entertaining Fantasy read with enough magic to make things interesting without being overly complicated which will appeal to those that aren't automatically drawn to this genre. The characters are all nice and round, just like they should be :) I was giddy over the beginning of the novel, kind of 'meh' about the middle, then back to being excited towards the end.

Review: This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Synopsis:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

Publication Date: June 19, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Zombie
Source: My own Tower of Books


Review:
Not since I read The Book Thief over four years ago have I been so in awe of somebody's writing. I'm not saying the writing is the same as in that book, but it is so totally different from any other style/approach to a story and it is freaking amazing. The words 'verbal vomit' come to mind. BUT not in a bad way at all.  It's as if the author can harness the insane way our own brains work and think through things in our heads, where only we can hear, and that's how she writes for the MC in this book, Sloane. The emotions in it are so truthfully deep. Purely genius and fan-frickin-tastic to read.

Sloane (wishing I could have a fourth child to use this name on :) is living with her father when the world goes to hell. And it all goes wrong on the day she was planning to kill herself to be free from her abusive father and also to be free from the ache and betrayal of her sister leaving her there with her dad to basically suffer his abuse alone.

The progression of her character in this book is beautiful and poetic to read. She finds herself in a group of survivors inside of her old school. The problem being that she has never wanted to survive, the zombie outbreak hasn't shattered her world like it has all the others because she's never felt like she had something to live for anyway. As she's narrating the story I noticed that at first she's always talking about everyone else, narrating what's going on while she watches. She doesn't really get involved but as she starts trying to come to terms with the things warring within her she gradually becomes more present in her first person narrative. If that makes sense :) I was seriously in awe of Courtney Summers writing in this, like it was blowing my mind as to how someone could even write something so amazing.

I should definitely mention that this book will be appealing to absolutely everyone. Yes, I'm going to stand by that blanket statement. You don't like zombies? Cool, because this book isn't about zombies. You love zombies? Great, because this book has those. It's a book about people and emotions and motivations and so many other things...that just so happens to have zombies in it as the catalyst for all those other things to be revealed.

I want to also bring up how much I love the cover and title of this book.  The cover is just straight up awesome.  And I should point out that you'll be seeing some more blood spattering on the pages within the book as you go along. Now that title. Before reading the book I just assumed that it was playing into the fact that they were trapped in a school and it's not a test, get it? More literally it's taken from a radio broadcast in the book that repeats 'This Is Not a Test' over and over. But once you've read the whole thing it takes on such a new meaning in regards to Sloane and how she deals with the entire situation.

Obviously I loved this book and I think everyone should read it and love it too :)

Review: The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

Synopsis:
3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Post Apocalyptic, Zombie
Source: Thanks to Marshall Cavendish for making this title available through Netgalley.


Review:
I have to say I agree with alot of the reviews I read about this book. A decently entertaining read that really gets interesting the last 20 pgs or so. I liked the book alright, but never had any 'wow' moments. The plot is interesting, especially once you find out the history behind the virus that has changed so many people and how it has affected the rest of the world.

I know alot of people could go either way as far as romance is concerned in their books. But I find that I will like a book exponentially more if it does have romance at least threaded throughout. There is some of that in The Weepers but it's not the focus of the book. Like I said, that's not a problem for some people.

There were only a few things that really stood out to me that I disliked. First, the MC's name is mentioned so few times that I had to look it up to even write it out in this review. (It's Sherry btw) The second thing is just all the counting of days. Sherry lived in a bunker with her family for years and the total days is something like 1,141. For me, when I see a number written like that I have to say it all out. One thousand, one hundred forty-one. It kept jumping me out of the book. That might not bother anybody else but me...

I really liked the story of how The Weepers came to be. I think it's pretty unique as far as zombie-esque stories go. I liked the fact that these infected humans still have some sort of intelligence which makes them a bit more daunting to face down. I really liked Tyler's character but wished there was more of him in it...which is a distinct possibility for the next book.

All in all, this is an entertaining and quick read. I can see the series getting more and more interesting as it goes.

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Synopsis:
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Publication Date: May 26, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Source: My own Tower of Books


Review:
One of my book friends texted me and told me I had to read this book. We have similar book taste so I bought it and started it the next day. I swear I would have walked around the house with my Kindle all day not speaking to anyone if I could've gotten away with it. It's like the perfect storm of everything I die for in a book.

I was skeptical the first two chapters because I thought 'Been here, seen this.' Um, no. The entire story is so unique and Abby and Travis's relationship is absurdly addicting to read. Their relationship is passionate and volatile...and sweet. Abby is so likeable and every decision she makes made sense to me, I didn't have to forgive the book anything because there was nothing to pick apart. Travis is...how do I put this...I mean, can I marry a fictional character yet? Is that possible? :)

Seriously though, there are so many reasons to love this book and I can't do it justice. Read it!! It stands on its own merit. This is definitely a must-read and I'm now dying to read it again. AND I *needs* to see this as a movie!

I am freaking out over this author and will be reading everything she writes! If you want to buy this book (and YOU SHOULD :) it's only $2.99 on Amazon. So worth that price and more.

Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Synopsis:
Your heart misleads you. That's what my friends and family say. But I love Noah. And he loves me. We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms. It should be ROSE & NOAH forever, easy. But it won't be. Because he's Amish. And I'm not.

Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Source: Thanks so much to Harlequin Teen for making this title available through Netgalley!

Review:
Temptation has a really cool and unique forbidden romance going on in it. Rose and Noah definitely should not be together, but they find it impossible to stay apart.

I had a mixed bag of feelings about this novel. From the beginning I was pretty sure I knew how things would turn out between these two young characters, but I was actually kept guessing the entire time. They can't be together...maybe they can! Nope, no way. It could never work out, Buuuut...(yes, I did this the entire time I was reading :) My need to find out how things would play out kept me reading and I got through this one really fast. I shouldn't forget to mention that the characterization is really well done even though I wasn't totally sold on the romantic element.

As much as I was interested in how Rose and Noah's love would be resolved, their relationship was lacking in intensity to me. I never quite got how they fell so madly in love apart from just a physical attraction that was mistaken for something more...the story of teenagers' lives really. Sometimes I'd be rooting for things to work out for them, and then other times I was pretty sure it was the worst possible idea.

Although the romance was missing a spark for me, the plot does a good job of keeping you drawn in, not wanting to miss what will happen. And although you *kind of* find out what happens between these two young lovers, this is the first book in a series and the reader is left on a smallish cliffhanger :) Since I still feel a great need to see what goes down I'll be keeping an eye out for Temptation's sequel.

Review: Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Synopsis:
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

Publication Date: June 12, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: Thanks to EgmontUSA for making this title available on Netgalley!

Review:
I just recently read the first book in this series, Hourglass. I pretty much died over it :) So I've been really excited to dig into this one. It met alot of my expectations and missed a few as well. Overall I'd say it was a satisfying read and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Kaleb was probably (definitely) my favorite character in Hourglass. He's not in it nearly as much as Michael or Emerson, but he makes an impact :) I was surprised to start reading and have Kaleb be the narrator in Timepiece as a opposed to Emerson. I really liked Kaleb as narrator for the most part. It gave me a greater insight into his character and his motivations and whatnot. But it also took away some of the mystery and excitement. And I know this is going to sound wishy-washy, but he was almost too much of a stand-up guy in this book. It totally makes sense why he is, but still :)

The plot in Timepiece is superbly twisty and turny. But not so much so that you fry your brain trying to keep up with time traveling jargon and whatnot. I really love that these are 'time travel' books without all the hurt-your-brain time travel stuff. Does that make sense? Anyway, the story is really fast-paced and action-y. I also got a better understanding of the Hourglass organization within the story and there is plenty of character development across the board. I read this one almost as fast as I read Hourglass.

I think this is a solid second book. I'll be waiting impatiently for Book 3!

Blog Tour Review: Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker

Synopsis:
Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.

Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.

Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

Publication Date: May 22, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction
Source: Thanks so much to Bloomsbury and Walker for letting me be a part of this tour!


Review:
Contemporary greatness strikes again. I always think of myself as a 'paranormal' type of gal, but these contemp books just strike at my heart. This one is no exception. The emotions hit and then keep piling up as you read further into the pages. Whether or not you can relate to this exact situation, I think the feelings that saturate the MC are so relatable.

Clementine is a girl stuck on a boat with her family for the summer. She's been blacklisted from her best friend and bad-mouthed by the entire school. Her family boating trip comes at the perfect time to let her figure out who she really is and separate it from what everyone says she is. She's a girl with a lot of baggage and it has crushed her self-worth. I was railing at the injustice of how she was made to shoulder the full blame for what happened, especially the more I knew about it.

Surrounded by her family and senior citizens it is most fortunate that she meets James. He helps her see past her sadness and guilt to what is REAL. He is a sweet, flame-haired love interest for Clem . . . even if she doesn't want him to be :)

This is a poignant story with a beautiful message about love and forgiveness. A perfect summer read!

SBB Tour Review: The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova

Synopsis:For Tristan Hart, everything changes with one crashing wave.

He was gone for three days. Sucked out to sea in a tidal wave and spit back ashore at Coney Island with no memory of what happened. Now his dreams are haunted by a terrifying silver mermaid with razor-sharp teeth.

His best friend Layla is convinced something is wrong. But how can he explain he can sense emotion like never before? How can he explain he’s heir to a kingdom he never knew existed? That he’s suddenly a pawn in a battle as ancient as the gods.

Something happened to him in those three days. He was claimed by the sea…and now it wants him back.

Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: Thanks to Southern Book Bloggers for letting me be a part of this blog tour!


Review:
This is actually the first 'mermaid' type book I've read. Technically it's a 'merman' book, but you know what I mean. It didn't quite meet my expectation of a Young Adult novel. I think it would be more appropriately categorized as Middle Grade. That being said it is an interesting story.

I find the idea of an underwater world really cool. I did grow up with The Little Mermaid after all. The plot is simple and direct. Tristan finds out he has some royal mermaid heritage on his mother's side and is whisked into the turmoil going on under the sea. I do wish the characters had been fleshed out more and there was a huge lack of dialogue in my opinion. That may have been why I couldn't connect with the characters.  Also, there were instances of crude language and themes, which I don't have a problem with, but they were inconsistent with the rest of the book.
As I said, I think this would make a really great Middle Grade read (aside from the mature parts).

Graphic Novel Review: Avatar - The Last Airbender Volume 1

Synopsis:
The wait is over! Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its millions of fans have been hungry for more--and it's finally here!

This series of digests rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!

* The continuation of Airbender and the link to its upcoming sequel, Legend of Korra!

Publication Date: January 25, 2012
Genre: Graphic Novel, Comics
Source: Thanks so much to Dark Horse for making this awesome title available on Netgalley!


Review:
So I know for a fact that I'm not the only adult with an Avatar obsession. It all began with my husband watching the show with our 5 year old. Eventually our whole family ended up loving it and we were so sad when it ended. The next step in the tv series is Legend of Korra and it takes place many years later and the new Avatar is a girl. Still an awesome show! Anyway! All that to say that this comic is after the events of the first show and will show us what happened to Aang, Sokka, Kitara, Zuko and the rest.

If you are a fan of the show you HAVE to read this :) The quirky, weird humor in the show is exactly the same in the comic. Aang's enormous smile, Sokka's many range of facial expressions and Kitara being all Kitara-y. The art is almost exactly the same as Avatar which is good. If they'd made it look way more mature it wouldn't have felt right. It does tackle some more mature issues, but still in a light-hearted way.

I'm so happy that there is another way to get my Avatar fix :) And yes, I'm an adult that still watches cartoons. I like to just blame it on the fact that 'my kids watch it' and move on. If you love the show, you will love this comic! And I think someone that hasn't watched or kept up with the tv show would still enjoy them. It has a quick refresher at the very beginning for those that need it. Definitely one to check out!

'Late to the Party' Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Synopsis:
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Publication Date: June 14, 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: My own Tower of Books.


Review:
Ohmygosh!! I've had this sitting in a pile by my bed forevs. I wanted to read Timepiece (Book 2) so I finally got my butt in gear and ended up reading Hourglass in one day. I was skeptical at first since I kept hearing how amazing it was. But all the hype was true. This book is basically perfect.

I'm going to have a hard time mentioning anything other than all the crazy freaking chemistry going on amongst Emerson, Michael and Kaleb . . . so I'll just mention really quickly that the storyline and writing are great too :)

Emerson gets involved with Michael when he comes to 'help' with her problem of seeing what she thinks are ghosts. He's all dreamy, perfect, and yum. THEN, in comes Kaleb and, be still my fictional character loving heart, he is even better! Talk about some sexual tension brewing! This book has an overflowing abundance of that. If you've read the Sookie Stackhouse books you'll get my next comparison. The whole Micheal/Kaleb thing was very similar to how I felt about Bill/Eric. Bill is totally acceptable until Eric enters the picture. Then you have a hard time getting him out of your head :) There were some parts I 'Eeeee'd over for sure!

Ah! Hourglass was so amazing! If you haven't read it, read it! And if you HAVE, what did you think about Michael vs. Kaleb? Now on to Timepiece :D

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampire
Source: Thanks very much to Harlequin Teen for making this title available on Netgalley.


Review:

I had very mixed feelings about this book and that made it hard to decide on the rating. It was very love/meh for me. I thought the beginning was amazing! The world is awesome, the vampires are scary and there is plenty of action. The middle really dragged for me...and it being a long book, there was a lot of middle. Then the end gears back up and is also awesome and amazing. As far as the characters go, I really liked Allie. She's a decisive fighter type girl when she is first introduced. As her...moreI had very mixed feelings about this book. It was very love/meh for me. I thought the beginning was amazing! The world is awesome, the vampires are scary and there is plenty of action. The middle really dragged for me...and it being a long book, there was a lot of middle. Then the end gears back up and is also awesome and amazing. As far as the characters go, I really liked Allie. She's a decisive fighter type girl when she is first introduced. As her character evolves she is less sure of her path, but still holds to her core values. And she's still very . . . fighter-y :) Her mentor, Kanin, was one of the more interesting characters to me. He's not in the book a whole lot, but he makes an impact. Then there's Zeke. I liked Zeke. Zeke's a good guy. BUT, especially compared to Allie, he came off kind of wimpy to me. I think this is a book a lot of people will love. It's a very cool vampire book with a unique story. For me there were just a lot of slow parts. Of course like I mentioned before, the last 50 pages of the book made sure I'll be reading the next one.

Graphic Novel Review: House of Night by P. C. Cast/Dark Horse Comics

Synopsis:
* The magical world of New York Times best-selling authors P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast comes to comics!

Until recently, Zoey Redbird was an average high-school student worrying about grades, boys, and breakouts. But priorities have a way of changing when you’re Marked as a vampyre, enroll in the vampyre academy House of Night, and have to figure out a whole new social hierarchy, affinities for elemental magic, and physiological changes that make you crave blood! Collects issues #1-#5 of the series.

Follow Zoey, and her group of devoted friends, as they turn toThe Fledgling Handbook, a historical vampyre tome, in hopes of better understanding this big, new world of vampyrism.



Publication Date: July 4, 2012
Genre: Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Young Adult
Source: Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for making this title available on Netgalley.


Review:
I've recently become very enamored by graphic novels. This one caught my eye because I've read most of the books in this series. The books are easy to read and entertaining, maybe slightly addicting. But it's been awhile since I've read them, especially the first ones. This comic does the novels so much justice and it's basically awesome in its own right.

I was GAGA over the artwork. It is seriously eye-poppingly gorgeous. The attention to detail on every single character is superb. And the colors! I read this as an e-galley, but plan on heading to our local comic book haunt to buy this one once it releases. It's just beautiful. And me wants it on my shelf.

Like I mentioned, it's been awhile since I've read the books and I don't remember how much detail was told about the history of the Dark Daughters, but the comic goes in-depth and shows each of the five stories. Those parts might have been my favorite. I know I keep saying it, but the artwork just blew my mind. The history of the five elements is broken up by Zoey trying to navigate her way as the new leader of the Dark Daughters at the House of Night. The banter that goes on amongst Zoey and her group of friends stays true to the novels and was very well done.

Fans of the House of Night series will love this, as well as those that have never read them. I hope there are many more in this comic series because I would love to collect them :)