Waiting on Wednesday (#23): Defiance

This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Defiance, by C.J. Redwine

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Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her. 

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. 

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making. 

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: (#18)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can do it.  You just have to do is:

 (1): Grab your current read.

(2): Open it to a random page.

(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! 

(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong

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#1: "After Serena died, there'd been long days and evenings, just the two of us, grieving, and sometimes he'd hug me, and that was fine because I knew it was just comfort.  But I didn't feel like I could do the same back without a really good excuse or he might take it the wrong way."

#2: "I rose onto all fours and crawled away from him, sweeping aside dried sticks and dead leaves and anything else that might crackle.  As I moved, I kept looking up into the trees.  I couldn't help it.  My gut instinct didn't just say to run, it said where to run.  Up."

What's your teaser this Tuesday??  Link me up!

Elemental Reality Winner!

The winner of Elemental Reality is:

 

Samantha @ PaperCuts

 

 

Review: Shattered Souls

Author: Mary Lindsey

Pages: 326

Format: Hardcover

Rating: 4/5

Summery:
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Review:
I have mixed feeling about this book:  On one hand, I loved it.  On the other, I hate it.  And on the third (What?!  There's a third hand?! :P) it creeped me out.

First off, I have to say that the idea was really good.  The society that Lindsey created was very good.  The story line was great, the staging was great, and the writing was great.  There wasn't a dull moment throughout the whole book and the story flowed together perfectly.

The characters are big problem in this book:  they're all screwed up.  Lenzi is cheating on her boyfriend and lying to him about it.  Alden keeps things from Lenzi because she "can't handle it."  And Zak is a screwed-up jerk.  I really, really hate the characters in this book.  You are supposed to respect the female main character, but how can you do that when she's cheating on her boyfriend?!  Alden, as the male main character, should be irresistible.  I, however, found myself being repulsed by him treating Lenzi like she's weak.  I have no idea why Lindsey would portray females as weak.  Plus, Alden is a creep who is "turned on by fear and pain".  What?!  Zak, I would have to say, is my favorite character, and that's just because I feel bad for him.  Honestly, I don't know why he didn't just dump Lenzi's ass.  Maybe Lindsey was trying to portray him as noble and caring, but he came across as dumb and clingy.

I don't know.  For me, this just wasn't a great book.  Even the cover is creepy.  It looks like the designers cut a model in half and threw rose petals over her.  *shiver*

Giveaway: Veiled by S.B. Niccum

Morning!

Ok, so this is a book I received for review a while ago but I don't think I'm going to read it so I decided to give it away so that someone else can read and enjoy it. :)

The Rules:

1. There will be one winner. 
2. Giveaway ends on March 31, 2012 @ 11:59 p.m.
3. Must be a GFC follower
4. Must be 13 or older.
5. US resident.  If you're not, no entry (sorry).
6. Fill out the form.

The Prize:

One winner will receive a SIGNED paperback edition of the book below.  If you have any questions or comments, don't be shy, comment below :)

Veiled, by S.B. Niccum

Fill out the Rafflecopter below and you're done :)

In my Mailbox: (#14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

FOR REVIEW:

Slated, by Teri Terry (Thanks Orchard Books!)

Stolen Away, by Aleyxandra Harvey (Thanks Walker Childrens!!)

BORROWED:

Pandemonium, by Lauren Oliver

Partials, by Dan Wells

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

The Girl of Fire and Thorns, by Rae Carson

What did you guys get in your mailbox?? :)

Review: A Beautiful Dark

A Beautiful Dark
by Jocelyn Davies
Series: A Beautiful Dark #1
Release Date: September 27, 2012
HarperTeen

Goodreads / Purchase

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine."A Beautiful Dark" is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

I will admit that the only reason I bought this book is because I adore this cover.  I mean, look at it.  It's spectacular.  Unfortunately, what's between the covers isn't as good.

To be honest, for half of the book I felt like I was reading a chic lit book.  It was all social, school, drama, all that, and the Skye making a spark of electricity here and there.  It wasn't really paranormal until the last 100 hundred pages.  And for the other 200 there was absolutely nothing going on: no action, no building, only going to school and sneaking peaks over shoulders to look at the new boys.  That was it.  There was good writing, but not really a story line.  And I mean that literally: this book was pointless until the last 100 pages.  Although I did enjoy the ending, I wish the whole book had been like it.

Usually when an author has a male character that is confidant and kind of full of himself, I love him because the author also writes him as sexy.  In this book, Asher was that guy.  Only I didn't like him.  At all.  Davies didn't take the time to develop him AT ALL.  He wasn't sexy, he wasn't kick-ass, just stuck up and annoying.  Really the only thing I liked about him was the fact that he was on the rebels' side.
The other boy in Skye's life is Devin.  I didn't like him either.  Although he was kind of nice in the beginning, he slowly turned into a jerk and he wasn't sexy at all.  And I hated the side he was on.
I didn't really like Skye either.  She wasn't particularly kick-ass or strong.
To be honest, Cassie was my favorite character, and that's because she actually had personality.  I've noticed that none of the characters are very developed.  They're just kind of there.

I will read the second book but I def won't buy it.

2 pink flowers

Review: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman
Series: If I Stay #1
Pages: 262
Format: Paperback
Rating: 2.5/5

Summery:
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces - to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

Review:

I had heard that this book is really sad and that people cried over it and all that.  So when I sat down to read it in my little reading nook I had a box of Kleenexes beside me and...nothing.

I've heard that this book was heartbreaking and heart-wrenching and that people bawled their eyes out over it, but I just didn't get that.  And I'll tell you why: When Mia's parents died she showed no emotion.  She didn't fall to her knees and scream "Why them?" then bawled her eyes out.  She was just kind of like "Oh, they're dead" and that was it.  And that isn't enough for me.  If you're going to make something sad you have to go all out, you need the main character to be broken and crying.  And that just wasn't a part of this book.
The idea was really good, the story line was ok, and the writing was pretty good, but the story moved along at a snail's pace and I found myself skipping pages to get to some action.
One thing I did like were the flashbacks.  They really explained Mia's background, and they were basically the story.

One of my favorite characters in this book is the mom.  She is hilarious!  On all her scenes I couldn't stop laughing.  she was strong, punk, and didn't care what anyone thought about her, and I love that.
My other favorite character is Adam. *swoon*  Need I say more?  He was so cute, sexy, and extremely nice and caring, and I felt so bad for him when Mia was hurt.
And finally, there's Mia herself.  I'd have to say she's one of my least favorite characters in this book.  I know it's kind of hard to have personality when you're on your death-bed, but in the flashbacks she didn't have any.  I think she was the most under-developed character in this book.

I do think I will be reading the next book (I want more Adam!!) but I'm not really excited about it.

Waiting on Wednesday (#22): Monstrous Beauty

This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Monstrous Beauty, Elizabeth Fama

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Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences. Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

Release Date: September 4, 2012

Review: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelly Keaton
Series: Gods & Monsters #1
Pages: 273
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Review:

I have never read a book like this.  I have never read a book where there is this kind of combination of paranormal beings.  It's something different and I really enjoyed it.

The story line is amazing.  There was tons of action and fighting and it was high-energy the whole time.  It was fast passed and there was never a boring moment.  It was a great idea.  I have never seen Athena portrayed as the bad guy before and I really liked the different point of view.  Kelly Keaton really knows her mythology.  She tweaked it just enough to make it a really interesting read.  The writing was perfect and I laughed out loud several times.  And, like I said, I loved the combination of supernatural beings.

I LOVE SEBASTIAN!  *swoon* *swoon* *swoon*.  I absolutely loved him.  He was so sexy and sweet and caring.  The only thing I didn't like was the supernatural he was (I won't tell because it's kind of a spoiler).  I don't like those supernaturals in general.  It's just my opinion.
I love Ari.  She's pretty, kick-ass, and can totally handle herself.  I loved that she was a strong main character and I loved that she could take care of herself.

All in all, a really good book, and I can't wait to read the next one.

In my Mailbox: (#13)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.

FOR REVIEW:

Dreamless, by Josephine Angelini (Thanks HarperTeen!!)

BOUGHT:

Shift, by Jeri Smith-Ready

Luminous, by Dawn Metcalf

Exile, by Anne Osterlund

Illuminated, by Erica Orloff

The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff

After, by Amy Efaw

Wake Unto Me, by Lisa Cach

BORROWED:

The Gathering, by Kelley Armstrong

The Vespertine,by Saundra Mitchell

Drink, Slay, Love, by Sarah Beth Durst