Review: "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff. Published by Razorbill on September 21, 2010. 343 pages (paperback). Source: Purchased. My Rating: 5/5 Stars.

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

My Review

This book. Ahhh, I have so many feelings about this book. This was an amazing read for me. First, this book is so out of the YA loop it's not funny. I'm not saying it's not YA. What I'm saying is that the topics it touches on is nothing like other raved about YA books. There aren't any vampires, werewolves, faeries, assassins, zombies, or dystopian worlds. It didn't even focus on hot topics or today's issues. It was a wonderful story set in a small town that tried to deny their fear of the 'other worldly' town citizens that take a small child every seven years to replace with a revenant, or a look-a-like, that will die in short time.

Mackie is one of those children, but he didn't die young. He grew to be a teen boy attending high school with good friends and a lovely family, having to avoid iron and steel. But when he starts feeling more weak than usual, his sister seeks help from the people of the underground, Mackie's other family. But their help comes with a price..

This book had me on edge! And that cover. Woah! I have to admit, I bought it before I even read the synopsis all because of that marvelous cover! Every time I told my mom I wanted to stop reading everything I was trying to finish just to read this book, she kept mentioning that it looked like the cover of Rosemary's Baby.



That just makes it creepy. And, slightly awkward that my mother makes a connection between this beautifully chilling book and a 1968 classic film.

This book earns every one of those five stars from me. I love love LOVED it!

Review: "Every Day" by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan. Published by Random House on August 28, 2012. 336 Pages (hardcover).
Source: Digital Library (loan). My Rating: 5/5 Stars

In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life.

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. 

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

My Review

This book. Can I just say that David Levithan is a genius? 

The cover is absolutely gorgeous and automatically receives a 10 from me. LOVE IT. The summary. It's pretty simple and it sucked me in. Why? Because, it wasn't about werewolves, vampires, fairies, zombies, aliens, or a dystopian world. Although I love all of the above, I love even more to switch things up. To read a unique story line. This book exceeded all my expectations.

First, I'll go into a little bit about this book, which you can pretty much read about in the summary. "A" is a person who wakes up every day in a different body, required to carry out that person's life as usual so not to disrupt anything. "A" isn't a boy or a girl although it's easier to view "A" as a boy through the book. It seems to make things easier. "A" is just a person, a soul perhaps, that inhabits a different person every day. One day "A" wakes up in the body of Justin. He goes to school as usual and as Justin, "A" gets to meet Rhiannon, Justin's girlfriend. After spending a whole day with her, "A" realizes that to satisfy all desires, "A" must no longer follow the rules that he had set up for himself. "A" has found the person he wants to be with forever. To be able to fall asleep with and wake up to. But how is this possible when at midnight, he switches bodies?

This book took me on a ride from page one. Knowing that I was diving into a story about such a weird subject intrigued me. "A" makes his life sound just fine, that he may not be satisfied with being in a different body everyday but he knows he can't change how his reality is. Each body he inhabits is so different from the other, far beyond the lines of color and gender. It's kind of funny to follow "A" as a snobby teenage girl, a confident transvestite, a proud homosexual, a suicidal girl. So many personalities that "A" has to match up to as to not make family and friends suspicious. I had only one problem with the book: the cliffhanger. Please, David, please tell me there will be a sequel or, in the least, a companion novel! You can't just leave me pondering my thoughts for a resolution to all of this!

This book definitely earned my 5 stars. It's absolutely incredible. I didn't think I would get through this kind of book as fast as I did. But, in one day, I had devoured "A" and Rhiannon's story. I have cried with and for them. I found myself ultimately rooting for them. It's just so sad yet so joyous. What a great novel David has written. I loved it.

Rest In Paradise, Dakota..

A close friend of mine since early childhood, Dakota, age 17, passed away 12/12/12. It has been brought to the attention of the family that the funeral home is unable to take payments and the average funeral costs upwards of $7000 and that is fairly basic. They have not yet recovered completely from the cost of their daughter's services (passed away from cancer) to be faced with this again. I don't know how you feel but I feel that when a loved one is lost, it should be a time to grieve a loss and celebrate a life, not worry about money. Cody was a great kid and he deserves to be remembered in a wonderful celebration and I hope you will join me in helping the family. If 300 people can each give $10 we will meet our goals. 

 Thank you all for your donations. I feel that together we will be able to raise enough money to give his family the wish of a fitting and beautiful celebration of his life.

--Andrea

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GIVEAWAY! "The Magic Warble" by Victoria Simcox

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship. Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals and the evil Queen Sentiz. In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she's honored as ''the chosen one'', the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz's control. But it s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous ''Magic Warble,'' in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen s ''zelbocks'' before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Victoria Simcox

Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with her husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Her other family members are a Chihuahua, named Pipsy and two cats, named Frodo and Fritz. Besides being an author, Victoria is a home-schooling mother of twelve years and an elementary school art teacher of eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys managing her two older children's Celtic band. She also loves writing, reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and just simply hanging out with her family and friends. 

 

 

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Review: "Rattled" by Lisa Harrington

Rattled by Lisa Harrington. Published by Nimbus Publishing on March 1st, 2011. 189 pages (paperback). Received from ARCycling. My Rating: 5 Stars

Fifteen-year-old Lydia, resigned to a boring summer, is thrilled when Megan and her totally hot brother, Sam, move in across the street. But their rude and hostile mother, Mrs. Swicker, is strangely protective, and does everything she can to stop Lydia and her older sister, Jilly, from getting anywhere near her kids.
One day Lydia accidentally stumbles across something very puzzling in the Swickers' basement. Determined to find some answers, Lydia enlists the help of Jilly. But the further they investigate, the more bizarre the discoveries.
Lydia's suspicions about Mrs. Swicker are mounting, but she has no idea what a twisted, dangerous secret she has uncovered until it's too late.

My Review

This book. Omg. Everyone, please, if you have the book or if you go to the library, open this book and read the half page prologue. IT WILL SUCK YOU IN!

Let me tell you, it gets creepy. The story behind it all (the mystery part, I suppose) is crazy. I love it. But, reading the last bits at 1 AM alone in my bed with all these creepy sounds that I'm sure I was just making up had me like 

I never want to be that paranoid again. Ever.

I absolutely loved this book. It was a wonderful, short read. I'm so glad I grabbed it off my shelf when I did. I will for now and always believe my neighbors are serial killers or something. JEFFREY DAHMER ALERT. I better keep my cats inside..



Now much said in this review except for that I can't tell you how great this book was. You really do get to know and love the character, especially the narrator and her older sister. You may form some hatred towards the parents through it, but it's minor. No worries. I really can go on and on about how much I want everyone to read this book, but that would take forever. Believe me. It's such a great young adult horror mystery. Love love LOVE it. 5 stars. :)

'Matched' Trilogy Box Set GIVEAWAY! (US ONLY)

I know this is a few weeks late as Reached came out on November 13th. To celebrate the release of the conclusion to the trilogy, I'm holding an US ONLY giveaway for the Matched Trilogy Box Set, all hardcovers!

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Random Holidays Giveaway! (INT)

Happy Holidays!

This is a random holiday giveaway since I'm in the giving mood.
A book of you're choice from The Book Depository (up to $20). As usual, just fill out the Rafflecopter below!

 

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Blog Tour! "Embrace" by Stacey Rourke

Author Stacey Rourke has stopped by today with a teaser of the second book in The Gryphon Series, Embrace!

My head snapped up and my cheeks burned. “Wha…?!” Picture of eloquence, that’s me.

“Saturday. A date. You, me, dinner? Yah’ve heard of this concept, yeah?”

“Yes, the concept is somewhat foreign to me, but I’ve heard of it,” I answered. Still fearing this was some kind of joke, I couldn’t help but ask, “Why? Why are you asking me out?”

His expression was equal parts amusement and confusion. “Because if I don’t ask ya the chance of ya actually showin’ up on the date is highly unlikely, isn’t it?”

An abrupt—and incredibly loud—laugh erupted out of me. “True. But why? Why would you ask out the freaky purring girl?”

“Yar laugh is amazin’.” He grinned. Another wave of heat rushed through me. “And because from the moment I laid eyes on ya I knew there was somethin’ different about ya. The purrin’ just supported the theory. So, would ya like to go out with me?”

“Yes, I’d like to. Go on a date. With you. Please.” Smooth, huh?

On her way to another table, Sophia passed behind me. “Give him your number.”

“My what? Oh! My number! I have a number!” I scribbled it on my order pad and tore off the page to hand to him.

His chin jerked up slightly. “Who do I ask for when I call?”

I agreed to go on a date with a guy before I even knew his name, or told him mine. Please, don’t tell my mother.

“Celeste.” I chewed on my lower lip and I brushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

He caught my raised hand and drew it gently to him. His emerald eyes stayed locked on mine, as he bowed his head to brush his lips across the back of my hand. Tingles of excitement tracked up my arm and down my spine. I clamped my teeth together to stifle the purr that threatened to escape.

“It’s nice to formally meet ya, Celeste. The name’s Caleb.”

Title: Embrace

Author: Stacey Rourke

Publisher: Anchor Group

Pages: 194

Blurb:

Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a “normal life” would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn’t know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her.

Now, she’d like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won’t allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust—if anyone.

Author Links:

Purchase on Amazon

Purchase on Smashwords

Goodreads

Anchor Publishing

Book Trailer

About Stacey Rourke:

Writing is something I have always done. I can remember in elementary school creating stories that I would stand up and read aloud to my classmates…whether they liked it or not. As I grew older I didn’t flaunt my writing as freely. It became something I did just for me to vent my teenage angst, or chronicle my journey to adulthood. I never thought about becoming a writer because that title prompted the visual of a grey-haired man in a tweed smoking jacket with suede elbow patches, slaving over an old fashion typewriter while puffing away on a pipe. No way was that stuffy kind of life for me. (Plus tweed is itchy.) Instead I wanted to be in the spotlight! I wanted to be–pause for dramatic effect–an actress! I gave it my best shot, too. Got about as far as any aspiring actress can get in Flint, Michigan. Which is exactly no where. But I did get two great things out of my time delving into the theatrical world; I gained the ability to act out the scenes I write to make sure they’re believable (yes, I really do that and no, you can’t watch) and I met my amazing husband.

My theater ambitions behind me, I decided to do the “mature,” “grown up” thing and went back to college. As I worked toward my Bachelor’s degree in marketing I did a lot of writing. Essays, research papers, PowerPoint presentations. All of it mandatory, none of it what I would ever call fun. Even then, becoming a writer never entered my mind. No, then I was going to be a business tycoon…or somethin’.

Truth be told, I never picked writing. It picked me. During my time as a stay at home mom I needed an outlet to give me a mental break from diapers, formula and midnight feedings. That’s when my hands found their way back to the keyboard. Story ideas began coming at such an incessant rate that my rapidly clicking fingers couldn’t keep up. Post-It notes and scrapes of paper with story ideas decorated every inch of our house. In mid-conversation with my husband I would dart off to jot down things that would come to me. Sweet guy my hubby is, he would just shake his head at my obvious rudeness and hold my place in the conversation.

My first book was completed for an entire year before I told anyone about it. I outed myself as an author and then sent out my first round of query letters to literary agents. Surely, it would be picked up immediately and become an overnight success! Yeah, not so much. For two years I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection, after rejection…you get the idea. Thankfully with the ever increasing pile of rejections came feedback. I digested all the suggestions and applied the usable ones to my manuscript. Little by little, the rough edges were chipped away and the diamond shone through. The work paid off when I received an email from a publisher offering me a contract on The Conduit.

It’s been a long road, and it ain’t over yet. But now, at thirty-mumble, mumble years old I finally know what I wanna be when I grow up–-a writer.

Review: "If I Lie" by Corrine Jackson

"If I Lie" by Corrine Jackson
Published by Simon Pulse in August 28th, 2012
276 Pages (Hardcover)
Source: I received this book from the author in return for an honest review.
My Rating: 5 Stars

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.







      My Review

Oh. My. God. All the feels. Just..my emotions..



So, if you haven't read the summary, this book is about a chick named Sophie (aka-Quinn) who's 'boyfriend', Carey, is a marine MIA in Afghanistan. The whole town hates her because she cheated on him before he deployed. But, she didn't cheat. Yet, she can't tell anybody that because she promised to keep Carey's secret, in which you don't find out about until several chapters in. While she goes through the pain of Carey being in possible danger and dealing with the blame of her mother's past, she works with an old man named George at the veteran's hospital. He teaches her of photography and together they work on a project to bring all the veterans' war stories together.

This book had a good beginning. The first chapter alone set up the whole story for me. Even if you don't care for military-affiliated books, you should still give this one a shot. Really, it was easy for me to look beyond that and onto the general pain of the story. And the anger. Oh, the anger that this one girl holds in her. For her mother. For her father. For her Uncle Eddie. For Carey. For the best friend whom the whole story is pretty much based around, Blake. For the jealous bitches that know nothing about her. Oh, how I came to hate many of the characters. But, I pushed it aside for the sake of the story itself. I can say that I cried so much reading this, mostly towards the last few chapters. I just want to say I am uber proud of what Sophie did at the end *imaginary hug*. Corrine Jackson, if this is based on a true story, please give this Sophie character a hug for me. 5 stars. It was absolutely amazing. Just. Amazing.

UNBOXING! My pre-order of REACHED!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by Book Journey

Read this week: Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman (Review here!)

Currently reading: If I Lie by Corrine Jackson AND Collateral by Ellen Hopkins

Next on the list: The Kill Order by James Dashner AND The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

What are you reading this week?

Review: "Jersey Angel" by Beth Ann Bauman

Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman
Published May 8, 2012 by Wendy Lamb Books
Source: ARCycling
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

It’s the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She’s not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn’t sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn’t start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn’t want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn’t want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself spending more time with Inggy’s boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

My Review

I can honestly say that I didn't have high hopes for this book. Oh, cool. A girl named Angel (who is far from one, by the way) that lives in New Jersey right by the ocean with two younger siblings and a slutty mom and rides her bike over to boys' houses at two in the morning..Intriguing.

But, this book was so much more. There was an actual moral to the story. Well, maybe even more than one, but I'm still trying to digest it all. Angel tells her story consisting of all the guys she's hooked up with..and where.. I mean, after a few chapters, I was starting to think that this was 50 Shades of Grey for teens or something. The language wasn't gross. I'm 17 so it's not like I don't hear it in the halls at school or even speak like that from time to time. But, there is so much sex. And betrayal. At times, I came to hate Angel. I seriously wanted to jump through the pages and beat the living crap out of her. Too bad that's impossible..

It's not until the end that you end up seeing how much hurt she's going through. Some of us can even relate to her struggles (no, not sexual ones) and develop a soft side for her. For me, it was hard to get through the book. Not because it was poorly written, not because it was boring, but because I could connect to a lot of the struggles in the book. Some of it made be realize that I didn't have it too bad after all. Overall, this was an amazing read. Definitely earned my 5 beaming stars.

Christmas Giveaway!

 So many winners! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below :)

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Follow Friday #5

Q: Do you mind books with similar ideas to other books? Similar concepts, backgrounds, retellings or pulled-to-publish fanfic?

 

A: Not necessarily. Many YA novels have had similar ideas, such as fallen angels, vampires, werewolves, demons, faeries, etc. Each has it's own story, which to me is all that matters. I adore retellings! :)

 

Comment below with you're FF post and whether or not you're a new follower so I can follow you back. :)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by Book Journey

 

Read this week: 'The Death Cure' by James Dashner (review coming soon!)

Currently reading: 'The Raven Boys' by Maggie Stiefvater

Next on the list: I'll let you guys pick that for me! :)

 

Review: 'The Scorch Trials' by James Dashner

Title: The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)
Author: James Dashner
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 360
Source: Local Library
My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end. No more puzzles. No more variables. And no more running. Thomas was sure that escape meant he and the Gladers would get their lives back. But no one really knew what sort of life they were going back to.

In the Maze, life was easy. They had food, and shelter, and safety . . . until Teresa triggered the end. In the world outside the Maze, however, the end was triggered long ago.

Burned by sun flares and baked by a new, brutal climate, the earth is a wasteland. Government has disintegrated—and with it, order—and now Cranks, people covered in festering wounds and driven to murderous insanity by the infectious disease known as the Flare, roam the crumbling cities hunting for their next victim . . . and meal.

The Gladers are far from finished with running. Instead of freedom, they find themselves faced with another trial. They must cross the Scorch, the most burned-out section of the world, and arrive at a safe haven in two weeks. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

Thomas can only wonder—does he hold the secret of freedom somewhere in his mind? Or will he forever be at the mercy of WICKED?

 My Review

I can honestly say that the Scorch Trials kind of pissed me off. Not the book. The ACTUAL Scorch Trials IN the book. I don't think I understand the concept behind it yet. I just finished The Death Cure and STILL don't get why they had to experience those variables. But, any who..

I loved this book. It was a great continuation to the series. I would love to say that I learned a lot more about the main characters in this installment, but I really didn't. The only character that you are more introduced to is Teresa and let me say that I loved hating her in this book. In The Maze Runner, I wanted her to be like a heroine of some sort, but she just didn't reach those expectations, which in my opinion paid off in the book. After reading this, I seriously came to hate her. I mean, what good is she, you know? Ughh. End Teresa rant.

I waited to write this review until after I finished reading the final installment of this series because I thought I would have more insight. Well, I don't. I rank this as the worst book in The Maze Runner series and it STILL receives 4 stars from me. It was a great read, it was. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the fact that Teresa is the most horrible character in the history of dystopian characters and that the variables that they had to encounter were pointless. Absolutely pointless, if you ask me atleast.

All in all, this is an awesome continuation of the series. No matter how much any certain character in this pisses you off, I urge you to finish the series. It's truly amazing. :)

I Pre-ordered Reached!

Guess who just pre-ordered the conclusion to the Matched trilogy..??!

I DID!!

 Too Excited..

 

Review: Quarantined by J.O. Osbourne

Title: Quarantined
Author: J.O. Osbourne
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Pages: 120
Source: Amazon
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

The zombie apocalypse has begun in Kentucky and has been spread across the entire Eastern Standard quarter of the United States. College students Mandy, Mike, and Jack have to escape the epidemic with a teenager in tow, but what happens when one of them joins the undead?
Excerpt:
The rubber-men are walking up and down the medical room, gathering the data the now dead doctors and nurses had compiled. They didn't see as the nurse stood on trembling legs and approached them.
Sensing the faint twinge of life that still hummed within me, several of the dead bore down upon me, mouths wide open to tear at my skin. My slowing heart flutters in my chest. I was right, I want to shout. I never lied; I was right all along!

My Review 

Every now and then, I go on Amazon and look at what free books are available to download to my Kindle app. This was on of them. Although at the moment there isn't a picture available on Goodreads, the picture on Amazon is what gripped me.

This was a VERY short read. In my opinion, it has to be the best short story I've read to date. This story starts out with a girl named Kit who has been having dreams about a specific, unknown illness that causes humans to start deteriorating and eventually die only to get up and start walking among the living once again. Her dreams turn out to have been a prediction. The story continues in New York with four main characters that have no idea about this illness until they experience it first hand. On a journey to Illinois to escape the epidemic yet find the source of it all, the truth is uncovered.

My emotions were all over the place with this story! I just..I can't even tell you how I feel trying to write this review. The story wasn't scary at all, but I don't think the author was shooting for horror. It was an emotional ride, for sure. I'm sure once you start reading this, you'll know and understand that some characters that you've grown to love will die. The way the deaths are portrayed through the words, though, just kills me. Almost literally. It's so sad! I won't say I cried reading this, but I will admit that I teared up. It gave me a whole new perspective on zombies

Have You Joined The Army of Ten Yet?

To promote her latest novel Gretchen McNeil who you may know from her weekly vlogs on the YA Rebels or her horror novel Posses she has set up the Army of Ten! Ten is a YA horror novel featuring 10 teens on an island with a serial killer!

So go support Ten here!

Review: Anna Dressed In Blood

Title: Anna Dressed In Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 316
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

My Review

Everybody has been ranting and raving about this book and after reading the summary about it, I knew it would intrigue me. It's supposed to be an ironic paranormal romance which made me slightly nervous because I honestly thought it would be cheesy and not my type of read. Don't get me wrong, contemporary and romance are great, but mixed with a paranormal plot, it just didn't sound too exciting.

I think the order of this book was very well written and it set up the story awesomely. It started out very action packed which I honestly didn't see coming. I didn't expect this ghost story to be gory at all, but this had some very disgusting aspects.

I can honestly say this book made me tear up at some parts. It makes you have hope for some characters. It makes you want to reach into the book and smack the hell out of the others. Point is, either way you felt about them, it still made you feel something. That's what I was hoping for in this book. It exceeded my expectations.

Winner of my 100 followers giveaway!

I seriously need to apologize to everyone for the long wait. I have been without internet for a while and can only get on maybe once a week or every two weeks. Still, that's no excuse for holding off on announcing the winner of my 100 followers giveaway. So, to get right to it, the winner of the $25 Amazon GC is....

Katie B.!!!

I've already received her confirmation email. Don't be discouraged, I still have giveaways going on and plenty more to come!

Review: The Maze Runner

Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner 
Publisher: Delacorte Books 
Pages: 374
Source: Public Library
My Rating: 5/5 Stars

 When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

My Review

Everybody is always ranting and raving about the awesomeness that is in the works of James Dashner's 'The Maze Runner'. So, when I walked into my library and saw it sitting there calling my name, I had to pick it up. The cover is boring when you first look at it. There isn't anything that's really eye catching. It's plain. The font is just..there. I was pretty sure I'd hate it for all it was worth.

I started reading the book out of curiosity. I told myself that I wouldn't read it until I finished all the books I was reading first. I figured, "Hey, why not? Just one chapter won't hurt anything." Oh, was I completely wrong. Apparently I didn't know what I was getting myself into. After reading the first chapter, I was hooked. Something about it sucked me in! Maybe it was the fact that this boy, Thomas, finds himself sitting there in the darkness of unknown territory without any memories of his life other than his name. It might have been the fact that only teenage boys of the male gender resided in the Glade. Or, it could have even been the weird dialect of the language. Either way, I devoured this book! It's one of those books that you don't want to finish in one or two days because you never want it to end, but you can't help it! I simple just couldn't put it down.

The story starts out with Thomas sitting in pitch-black darkness with no memories of a life he was sure he once lived. When light finally makes it's way to him, he realizes he isn't alone. Several dozens of boys, all around the same age, help him up out of the somber hole. They speak English, but with a weird, selective vocabulary. All seems casual in the Glade aside from having no adults present and having their memories wiped. Every month on the same day, a new boy is subjected to the Glade. But, the day after Thomas arrives, a girl is delivered, unconscious and with a message, and all hell seems to break loose.

This book is absolutely fantastic, a new favorite series for me! I'm already almost half way through the second book and it only get's better. I highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a good dystopian read. I laughed, I bawled my eyes out, and I hoped. I had so much hope for the characters of this story, but sometimes, all the hope in the world can't help them against the evils that find them. I never thought I'd say this, but it sure blows 'The Hunger Games' out of the water!

GIVEAWAY!! Audrey's Guide To Witchcraft

Falling in Love, baking a magical cake, fighting an evil necromancer—it’s all in a day’s work for Audrey Oliver, seventeen-year-old witch-in-training. When her mother goes missing and her twenty-one-year-old witchy cousin shows up out of the blue, Audrey knows something’s gone horribly, dangerously wrong. Now it’s up to her to get her own magical powers up to speed before everyone she loves is destroyed by the sorcerer intricately connected to her mother’s secret past.

 

Jody Gehrman

 Jody is the author of seven novels and numerous plays. Audrey's Guide to Witchcraft is her newest YA novel, available July 18th, 2012. Babe in Boyland was published in 2011 by Penguin's Dial books and has recently been optioned by Disney. She also writes stage plays, screenplays, and  sometimes even songs. Her plays have been produced in Ashland, New York, San Francisco and L.A. She and her partner David Wolf won the New Generation Playwrights Award for their one-act, Jake Savage, Jungle P.I. She's a professor of English at Mendocino College.

 

 

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What Should I Read Next?!

"First Frost" Promo!

Author Liz DeJesus has stopped by today with a teaser from her book First Frost.

At four o’clock in the afternoon, they closed the doors of the museum, a couple of hours earlier than usual. Thankfully no one complained. Bianca locked the doors, counted the money in the cash register, and locked it in the safe underneath Rose’s desk. Unfortunately, she hadn’t found anything in her mother’s office or in any other room in the museum, at least nothing that seemed like an obvious place to hide a really old spell book.

“Done?” Ming asked as soon as Bianca stepped out of Rose’s office.

“Almost. I have to set the alarm before we leave here tonight,” Bianca said.

“Okay. I’ll try to remind you,” Ming promised.

Bianca went to the utility closet and grabbed two flashlights. She handed one to Ming and lead the way up to the attic. She thought about the last time she was in that room. Rose and Bianca had explored one of the trunks and had found a treasure trove. She could only hope that she would find what she was desperately searching for.

“So what does this book look like? Any idea?” Ming asked.

“I have no idea what it looks like.” Bianca took a deep breath and added sarcastically, “This should be fun.”

“Well…I’m sure it’s not going to say Evil Queen’s Spell Book on the cover of it. Right?”

“Right.”

Bianca wondered why no one recognized that Queen Mirabel was evil sooner. How it was that she could hide her true nature for so many years. Most of the time people can sense when there’s something wrong with a person. Yet…Queen Mirabel was able to hide her intentions very well. The only one who saw right through the charade was Snow White.

Maybe that’s why she hated Snow White so much. Maybe it had nothing to do with Mirabel’s jealousy of her beauty and everything to do with the fact that Snow White saw right through her.

“Right!” Bianca shouted.

“What?” Ming asked with a frown.

“It’s not going to some big creepy book. She was a queen. She needed to hide what she really was from her husband, the king, and everyone else. It has to be in a book that looks harmless and possibly even…boring.”

“Boring, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Ye Olde Knitting Book?” Ming joked.

Bianca giggled. “Probably something along those lines.”

“Ye Olde Cooking Book?” Ming suggested.

“Ye Olde Cleaning Book.”

They made more jokes that involved “Ye Olde” as they looked in the boxes in the attic.



© Liz DeJesus 2012



Official blurb:



For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.



About the author:

Liz DeJesus was born on the tiny island of Puerto Rico. She is a novelist and a poet. She has been writing for as long as she was capable of holding a pen. She is the author of the novel Nina (Blu Phi'er Publishing, October 2007), The Jackets (Arte Publico Press, March 31st 2011) and First Frost (Musa Publishing, June 2012). Liz is currently working on a romance novel and the sequel to First Frost.

Author's Links:

Website

Facebook

Purchase First Frost

Labor Day Read-A-Thon!

 

I needed some motivation to get reading some of the books I've been dying to devour for the last month or so. Therefore, I've decided to participate in the Labor Day Read-A-Thon! It's hosted by Letters Inside Out and sign ups are still open!

I'm hoping to read these 3 books:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Taken At Dusk by C.C. Hunter

So, that's what I'll be reading for this Read-A-Thon.

What will you be reading this Labor Day weekend?