Review-Spellcaster

I had never read anything by Claudia Gray before, although I have met her once and now own three of her books, this one not included, so when I saw she was coming back to Seattle for the Dark Days tour I decided I should read at least one of her books.  Before I started I was not overly enthusiastic to read this book, but when I started I found myself pleasantly surprised.  Although I wasn't filled with a sense of awe I still found myself wanting to see what happened next.  Despite the dark goings-on in the book's plot I found that there was a lightness to the writing.  Now, when I say that I don't mean it to be a bad thing.  It had an air about it that just made me kind of happy.  Yes, there were some parts that were pretty series, and it wasn't just fluff, but it had that voice that reminded me of playful books.  All of that being said the plot was really interesting.  I had never seen witchcraft have that specific twist to it, the idea that memories were most of the witches power was new and (to my knowledge) completely original.  The characters were also enjoyable.  Nadia was strong but not overly whiny or clingy.  Personally it was a little weird that the guy's name was Mateo, because I recently just met a boy with the same name, and so when reading the book I kept seeing his face, which was kind of weird (he's not my type. The real boy, the book boy sounds kinda sexy), but once I got reading my mind just skipped over that.  There will be a sequel, and I'll be sure to look into it when it comes out, because I was pleased with how it ended, and the things that were left unfinished compared to those that seemed to be wrapped up nicely.  Overall a good novel which convinced me I should pick up and actually read more of Cynthia's novels.

Out March 5, 2013

4.5/5 dust spirits

*Thank you to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Review-Requiem

Two years ago I read my first Lauren Oliver book, Delirium, and I just fell in love with it.  Her writing was so lyrical I couldn't seem to form a coherent thought about it, so when Pandemonium, came out I devoured it as well.  That being said I had to know how the series ended, and when I got an ARC and saw that Lauren was coming back for a signing I had to read it before it came out.  There has been some controversy over this book, as well as the second book, so I think it's really a toss up if you'll like it or not.  PERSONALLY I liked it.  When Lauren gets here I will be bombarding her with questions about the end, maybe even bugging the crap out of her to write a little post-series story so we can see what happens after this book ends.  So much happens.  Lena is not the same girl we met in the first book, and we see almost all of the important characters from both books come together in this last one.  I'll admit there were times when I didn't like the dual POV, not because I didn't like the voice or the plot, but because I wanted to get back to the other story, but honestly it was intriguing looking into the mind of someone who was cured.  The action in this one really pulled it all together, things come to light that surprised even me, and getting that closure, despite not being ALL I was hoping for, was still refreshing.  I can see how some people won't be pleased with this book, but overall I enjoyed it and will wait not-so-patiently for whatever Lauren comes up with next.

Out March 5, 2013

4.5/5 dust spirits

*Thank you to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

Review-Mila 2.0

This was another one of the books I got via the blogger dinner, and since the Dark Days tour is passing through Seattle and this is one of the featured titles I decided I should read it before I met Debra.  For some reason I had some trouble getting into it at first (not because of the book, but because of me.  I just kept making up excuses to NOT read), but once I got rolling I was very pleased with the outcome.  Seeing as I'm in a sci-fi/fantasy class I was interested to see a sci-fi novel in YA, because they're not very prominent.  That being said I don't read of ton of sci-fi, but I was very pleased with this one.  Surprisingly this steers away from a lot of the YA out there in terms of romance, although there is some, and focuses more on Mila's humanity.  And although never having actually been in a fight (nor ever being an android) I can't say for sure how accurate the fight scenes were, but they were believable and enjoyable, as well as well-written and engaging.  I had been told that the ending really crept up on some people, but that didn't happen to me, although you all know how hard it is to surprise me.  The villain was vicious, one of those people that you know exist in the world but you hope to Bunnies you never come face to face with.  Mila was a strong character and her humanity made her more likable, as well as more relate-able.  I have an idea of where I can see the series going, but I may be wrong.  Overall I was thrilled with this high-octane (do I sound like a Times movie reviewer?) debut and I can't wait to see what Debra comes up with next.  Fans of action and sci-fi will surely eat up this book and look forward to the sequel, most likely due out some time next year.

Out March 12, 2013

4.5/5 dust spirits

*Thank you to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

Review-Dualed

When I first heard about this book I was ecstatic, it sounded AMAZING.  Kick ass and original, something that would stick with me for quite some time.  Unfortunately I was a little underwhelmed.  The premise was, as I suspected, wholly original but I still found it a little...lacking.  There are those books that make you feel for the characters so deeply you cry and you laugh, but then there are those characters who don't. West was one of the latter characters.  It's not that she was a bad character, she wasn't.  She was likable and down to earth, not at all irritating or bitchy, but I just couldn't connect with her.  The fact that she was so hell-bent on getting her assignment, at proving she wasn't just another girl that needed saving, but then when her time came she either ran from it or brushed it off.  It also took me some time to actually get into.  I was expecting the action to happen right away, but it took a good chunk of the book for all of West's action to happen.  All of this being said I was really pleased with the action sequences that Elsie wrote, and although a little dull at times she was obviously setting up the world that she would dive deeper into in book two.  I have my suspicious about what will go down in book two.  Personally I would LOVE to see this book made into a movie, because on the big screen (or the small screen as a TV show) I feel like it would do a superb job.  I can in vision it in my head, how I would hope everything would get laid out, and I would totally watch it.  Although this one fell a little short I will most likely pick up the second book to see if my suspicions are correct.

Out February 26, 2013

4/5 dust spirits

*Thank you to Random House for providing me with an ARC (via ALA Midwinter) in return for my honest review.

Review-Mind Games

When I heard about this book I was really excited because it sounded like it would be right down my alley, and when it was a title that was given to bloggers at the dinner I was ecstatic because that means I would get an ARC!  It took some time for me to get to because of all the other books I had to read, but now that I've finally gotten to it I'm not sure why I didn't read it sooner.  I'd read Kiersten's debut novel when it came out and I loved it, the spunky, funny character that Evie was, and Lend wasn't too bad either (actually he was more than not bad), but this...this book...I'm still not entirely sure it was written by the same person.  It's raw, it's gritty, it's dark, and the style, the style is NOTHING like her previous trilogy.  Myself, I enjoyed the style of writing, I found it a lot like Tahereh Mafi's writing, only without the strike-throughs.  There was repetition of words, but it wasn't nonsense, it was a train of thought.  It was a lot like MY train of thought sometimes.  The dual POV was genius, and what was even better was the fact that we didn't just see what was happening in the present, we also saw what was happened in the past, and those things that happened were connected to the things that were happening.  The dynamics of the sister's relationship was fascinating, and reading how Kiersten created/explained their powers was unique.  Fia reminded me of Buffy from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer, not in looks, but in her spunk and her personality and her brokenness.  The fact that she was venerable made her even more real, which I appreciate in a heroine, because it shows that to be strong you don't have to be perfect.  I didn't expect what was going to happen, and that's part of what I liked about it, along with the action and the psychology.  Great novel, although completely off road from where she went before, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Sometimes when author's deviate from previous books it doesn't work, but Kiersten did a fantastic job, and I can't wait for book two in the series, and I can't wait to see what her next books hold.

Out February 19, 2013

5/5 dust spirits

*Thank you to Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in return for an honest review.

Review-Pivot Point

Another book I got from the blogger dinner I was supposed to go to, I asked the person who hosted it if I should read this one or City of A Thousand Dolls, and her response was to read this one right away.  Having now finished it I can see what she meant.  Sometimes it seems that all of the good ideas in the world have been taken, and people are only writing books with old ideas, using new strings of sentences, but then you read a book like this, and you think "wow was I wrong".  The idea for this novel was so fresh and new, I just couldn't seem to put it down.  I'm sure there will be a few people who won't like it because of the fact that the alternating chapters are in alternate futures for the same girl, but I personally just found myself adoring that.  There are two boys, a best friend that, if you're anything like Addie you know all about, and mystery/suspense, which mixed together make for a book that's really unforgettable.  The characters were real, the plot was fresh and new, and the emotions that I felt when reading were really strong.  I connected with the main character because I was honestly a lot like her (minus the mental abilities, but how cool would those be?), and ONE of the guys I just ADORED.  There were some scenes that were adorable, like, I wish they would happen to me adorable, and at the end I couldn't help but go "WHAT, NO, WHERE IS THE REST OF IT!?".  I can't wait for the next book in the series (I think it's a duology?  I hope it will be more than two books long though), and Kasie has a contemporary novel out later this year that I am just DYING to get my hands on because if it's half as cute as this it will be FLIPPING ADORABLE!  Recently I've been amazed by the debut talent that's come out of Harper particularly, and this is no exception.  When this book hits shelves I highly recommend that you pick up a copy (or ask your local library to get in a copy), because you will be in for something special.

Out February 12, 2013

5/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Harper for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Review-Scarlet

Last year I read Marissa's debut novel, Cinder, and I just fell in love.  Marissa is a local author and I had been to two of her signings before I finally decided to read her book (bad me), and once I finished it I needed book two.  Now that I've finished book two I need book three...like, NOW!  I was hesitant about book two introducing an entirely new set of characters and an entirely new plot with the plot of Cinder not being finished, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt and read on.  I loved it!  The fact that we got to see things from the POV of Scarlet (Little Red Riding Hood), along with Cinder (Cinderella) and Prince Kai (Prince Charming), was really great, and how she managed to weave the plots of the two heroines together, it was just brilliant.  We also got to see old characters (IKO!), and we got to meet two new sexy men, Wolf (rawr!) and Thorne (there should be a Captain in there somewhere), which I approved of greatly.  I enjoyed watching Cinder grow as a character throughout the book, and despite only having just met her, Scarlet grew a lot too.  There is something to be said about a girl who will do anything to protect the people they love, and those that reach their limits but push a little further.  Scarlet was spunky and hot-headed, but that only made her more lovable  and Cinder, back in all of her glory, has grown more bad-ass.  Bravo Marissa, the story you have crafted is intriguing and fresh, and your characters are more than just the one-dimensional ones you sometimes find in stories these days.  I personally can't wait to see what you come up with for book three (it really can't come fast enough) and I might even say you outdid your first novel with this follow up.  This is not one of those books where you can just jump in at the second book in the series, but with Cinder out in paperback you really don't have any excuse to not go out and give the first book a shot.

5/5 dust spirits

*Thanks to Macillan (Feiwel & Friends) for providing me with an ARC (at ALA Midwinter) in exchange for an honest review.

ALA Midwinter Giveaway (1/?)

So LAST weekend I went to ALA Midwinter, which happened to be in my city (Seattle, WOOP WOOP!) and I got a ton of cool ARCs for myself, and I decided to pick up some for you guys too!  Today is the first of at least 5 (probably more like 10) giveaways featuring ARCs from ALA Midwinter.  Starting today THREE of you have a chance to win ONE of the ARCs from the picture below.  Just fill out the rafflecopter and see if you win!  (I WILL open it up to international entries, but I can't promise that if you are international and you win you will get the book before it comes out). Now, here are the books you can pick from this time (there are more, trust me!)

• Unremembered by Jessica Brody
• In The Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
• Bruised by Sarah Skilton
• Impostor by Jill Hathaway
• Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
• Project Paper Doll: The Rules by Stacey Kade
• Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison
• The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
• Taken by Erin Bowman
• Dualed by Elsie Chapman
• Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

All links will take you to goodreads.

GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway