Monday, April 29, 2013

"Dark Triumph" by Robin LaFevers

Release Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Houghton
Pages: 385

From Goodreads: "Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats."

This book... This book is one of those books that sneaks up on you. Admittedly I hadn't expected too, too much of it- only being a fan of "Grave Mercy" (rather than an uber fan), but after having finished it, all I can do is kick myself for having second guessed it. This book was one of the most satisfying that I can recall reading in an extremely long time and, after having done so, all I want to do was reread it (something which I only allow for my most favourite books).

The biggest strength of this book? Beast and Sybella. Have a favourite literary couple? After reading this book I can guarantee that you will be hard-pressed to not want to kick them to the curb, replacing them with these two. Why I think that Beast and Sybella work so well together is that they compliment one another to a tee- Sybella is extremely broken, bitchy, and bad-ass and Beast is light, loveable, and lonely. While they are both strong characters individually, together they could literally take over the world. Furthermore, the build-up to their relationship is second to none, it had the perfect pacing- never feeling too insta-lovey or too long-drawn.

All in all, I know that I will never tire of rereading this book. I thought that there was a perfect balance of politics and romance (whereas I had found that the political aspect of "Grave Mercy" had far, far overshadowed the romance). I think that with each book in this series Robin truly grows as an author- therefore I, obviously, cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the third (and final) book in this series, "Mortal Heart"!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

On My Wishlist



On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Ultraviolet"
Author: R.J. Anderson
Publisher: Orchard
Release Date: June 2, 2011

From Goodreads: "Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.This is not her story.
Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?"

Thursday, April 25, 2013

"Twisted Perfection" by Abbi Glines


Release Date: April 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published

From Goodreads: "Life outside of her house was a new experience for Della Sloane. The dark secrets of her past weren’t something she ever intended to share with anyone. They would never understand. No one would ever get close enough to find out. Besides there was always a chance she’d go crazy sooner than they expected…

Woods Kerrington had never been one to be attracted to fragile females. They seemed like too much work. He wasn’t in it for the work just the pleasure. A night full of naughty fun had been exactly what was on his mind when he’d laid eyes on the hot little number that didn’t know how to pump gas and needed some help.

What he didn’t know was she was as fragile as they came.

The carefree girl who spoke her mind and didn’t care what the world thought of her was more breakable than he could ever imagine…"



While in "Fallen Too Far" and "Never Too Far" I rooted for Rush and Blaire to be together, I couldn't help but harbour some feelings for Woods. Why? Because he was just so good. He went above and beyond to help those around him, no matter how much or how little he knew them, and, out of the boys in the series, he was, without a doubt, the most admirable. Therefore, as you can imagine, when I learned that he was getting his own book I was ecstatic. However, after having finished this book I must admit that my feelings towards him have changed...

As mentioned, I found Woods to be an extremely good character in the "Too Far" books and while he was in this book, it wasn't near as much as I had hoped he would be. As I read more and more, I found that Woods came across as more Rush-y than Woods-y. I feel like there was very little separation between their thoughts (if I didn't know that this book was told in Woods POV I would have assumed it was in Rush's)- very little crossed his mind aside from how good Della's butt looked, how much he wanted to jump her, and so forth. Furthermore, the storyline between Blaire and Della is near identical- both have extremely traumatic pasts stemming from their mothers, both have nowhere to go, both run back to their hometowns, into the arms of their best friends, when times get tough, neither boy's families approve of their girlfriends, both boys are uber rich and the girls... aren't, and so forth.

That being said, Abbi has an extremely addicting writing style- once I start her books I literally cannot put them down. They are the epitome of "one sitting reading". Furthermore, after reading them all I want to do is read more of them or similar books (which results in me being stuck in a continuous loop of contemporary or NA).

All in all, while this wasn't the most unique NA book that I have read to date (especially when compared to the original series that it stems from) I still really loved the couple hours of escapism that it offered me. Furthermore, HOLY MOTHER OF CLIFFHANGERS. This book has one of the craziest cliffhangers I have ever experienced before and I NEED the next book in this series to find out how this revelation affects Woods and Della (which I found surprising as I had assumed this to be a standalone). I have no doubt that this book will hit the various bestseller lists within days of its release.


Rating: 4/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Charm & Strange"
Author: Stephanie Kuehn
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: June 11, 2013

From Goodreads: "When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying."

Monday, April 22, 2013

ARC Review: "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam
Pages: 480

From Goodreads: "The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

As many will know, this book has had major hype surrounding it- perchance the most hype that the world of young adult literature has experienced in years. While in the large majority of cases I do believe that hyped up books deserve all of the hype surrounding them, I must admit that I didn't believe that that to be the case for this book. While overall I did really enjoy it, I can't think of a single reason why this book stands out more than any other YA book of this nature out there.

While I hate making book comparisons with best-sellers, I do find the following titles to be the most apt description- this book is "The Hunger Games" meets "The Host". Like Katniss, Cassie goes out of her way to protect her brother at all costs- even if means sacrificing herself, she's quick on the draw, and she has a difficult time trusting people. Like "The Host", this book makes us question what makes humans human and whether others are capable of humanity. Furthermore, like "The Host", the aliens implant themselves within humans and have a similar make-up.

I think that my largest complaints about this book was the pacing of the book- I personally found the first 100 pages to be a draaaaag- almost entirely composed of world-building/ back story. There were a number of times when I thought that the characters were dragging their feet/ not realizing the severity of the situation that they were in/ the action-packed moments never really felt as such. If upwards of a 100 pages of this book were shaved off I think that I would have enjoyed it more so.

Furthermore, I didn't find the plot to be near as unique as I had hoped (as becomes evident with my comparing it to "The Hunger Games" and "The Host")- we have a kick-butt female character, a mysterious male who quickly sweeps her off of her feet, a post-apocalyptic society reminiscent of "Partials" by Dan Wells, and so forth. Additionally, I found myself growing increasingly overwhelmed with the changes in POV (we have POVs from Cassie, Zombie, and Cassie's young brother)- especially with the POVs being so un-uniform (one character's POV would be a hundred pages, the next 20 pages, the next 60, and so forth)- every time I found myself finally starting to settle into a character it switched.

That being said, Yancey knows how to write THE FEELS/ twisty turns quite unlike any other. There were a number of times while reading this book that I literally gasped out loud. Furthermore, I LOVED Evan- he is very likely to knock a number of my top YA book boyfriends down the list, if not entirely off of it.

All in all, while I did overall enjoy this book I do question whether or not it has the potential to become the "next big thing in YA". I personally find it to be no different than many other books on the market, the aforementioned "The Hunger Games" and "The Host", "Partials", "Blood Red Road", and so forth. That being said, I will continue on with this series, if only just to see how it wraps up.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

On My Wishlist



On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Austenland"
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 29th, 2007

From Goodreads: "Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined. 

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen;or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?"

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Tandem"
Author: Anna Jarzab
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: October 8, 2013

From Goodreads: "Everything repeats.You. Your best friend. Every person you know.
Many worlds. Many lives--infinite possibilities.
Welcome to the multiverse.

Sixteen-year-old Sasha Lawson has only ever known one small, ordinary life. When she was young, she loved her grandfather's stories of parallel worlds inhabited by girls who looked like her but led totally different lives. Sasha never believed such worlds were real--until now, when she finds herself thrust into one against her will.

To prevent imminent war, Sasha must slip into the life of an alternate version of herself, a princess who has vanished on the eve of her arranged marriage. If Sasha succeeds in fooling everyone, she will be returned home; if she fails, she'll be trapped in another girl's life forever. As time runs out, Sasha finds herself torn between two worlds, two lives, and two young men vying for her love--one who knows her secret, and one who thinks she's someone she's not.

The first book in the Many-Worlds Trilogy, Tandem is a riveting saga of love and betrayal set in parallel universes in which nothing--and no one--is what it seems."

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

"Deeper We Fall" by Chelsea Cameron

Release Date: January 24, 2013
Publisher: Self-Pubbed
Pages: 280

From Goodreads: "Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache."


While I am a huge fan of New Adult, I must admit that I do tire of seeing the same story line over and over and over again (broken girl, stemming from something in her past, playerish bad boy, with tattoos dripping off of his eight pack, a love and hate relationship, the eventual falling into one another's bed, and so forth), therefore, I was ecstatic to see that this book didn't follow the themes of those other books of this genre- it truly marched to the beat of its own drum.

While the female character is usually the more emotionally vulnerable character of the two in books of this nature, in this instance, I think that the male character, Zan, is, while the female character, Lottie, is the emotionally stronger one, the one to lift him out of his deep, dark past. Their relationship is one of the cutest that I have encountered in the genre. Furthermore, I love the fact that both characters are so relateable/ approachable- especially with all of their literary references in the novel.

Aside from loving the main characters, this book has some of the best secondary characters that I have read in a long time- I was highly invested in all of them, from Will, to Simon, to Audrey, to Trish and Stryker, to even Katie, and truly wanted to learn more about them. Therefore, as you can imagine, I am beyond excited to learn more about Stryker and Katie's story in the companion novel to this book, "Faster We Burn" (Katie, who might at first come across as a stereotypical girly girl, but who is so much more, and Stryker, the bad boy who you can't wait to peel the layers off of- both in clothes and emotions).

Rating: 5/5

Saturday, April 13, 2013

On My Wishlist



On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Crown of Midnight"
Author: Sarah Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: August 27, 2013

From Goodreads: "An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?"

Thursday, April 11, 2013

"Unravel Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 461

From Goodreads: "ticktick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life."


Despite "Shatter Me" being one of my most favourite books of all time, I must admit that I was extremely hesitant to read this book. Why? Because of second book syndrome- I didn't think it possible for me to like this more than I did "Shatter Me" (I mean, how does one top essentially perfection?). However, after having finished this book all I can do is shake my head at my earlier stupidity. This book, if possible, is even better than "Shatter Me".

While there were countless aspects of this novel that I loved, the largest would most likely be the love triangle (no, I can't believe that I wrote that either). This book has, what I like to call, a successful love triangle. What might a successful love triangle be? One where there is actual competition. I literally have no idea who Juliette will end up with (if either of them). On the one hand everything that Adam has done in his life has been for Juliette, but on the other hand ,Warner has entirely given himself to Juliette. How does one choose between the boy who is steady and safe or the boy who is anything but, but burns so brightly with his passion for her.

As becomes evident, I am more so leaning towards Warner in this novel, despite having declared my undying love for Adam in "Shatter Me". While I have always been intrigued by Warner in "Shatter Me", those feelings were amplified in this novel, becoming something more. I think that him and Juliette are so perfect together because they are so broken and as such, who better to put one another back together than each other?

Aside from the boys, I did enjoy Juliette in this novel, though perhaps not as much as I had hoped to (while she has grown, I do think that she still has a ways to go before she truly becomes the person that she is meant to be). And, of course, Kenji. Whenever you feel like you are going to choke on emotions, Kenji appears, bringing with him a breath of fresh air.

If I had to come up with a complaint it would be the predictability. I had guessed the big surprise surrounding two of the characters halfway through "Shatter Me". That being said, I do look forward to seeing how it will be addressed/ played out in the third, and final, book in the series. I think that its reveal could quite literally reshape everything we have ever known about these books and the characters within their pages.

All in all, Tahereh has been able to do what I believe that few authors have been able to- write a sequel that is worthy of the original. I think that she has elevated YA and really brought to light how artful/ beautiful it can be. I cannot recommend this series enough and I cannot wait for said third book in this series.

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Cover Reveal: "Falling for Hadie" by Komal Kant

Today I am excited to be a part of the re-reveal of  Komal Kant's "Falling for Hadie"! What are your thoughts on the new cover?


From Goodreads: “Sometimes there is a single moment that changes your life forever.”

Hadie Swinton is giving up on boys.

After a disastrous relationship, she is convinced that all males are the same—arrogant, self-assured, and complete jerks.

Lincoln Bracks is giving up on his old life.

After moving to a new town to escape the problems plaguing him, he is set against ever getting close to anyone again.

When Hadie and Lincoln’s worlds collide, their intrigue for one another leads them to open up to each other against their better judgment. Despite the attraction that is pulling them together, insecurities, secrets, and shattered hopes stand in the way of them ever being together.

At a time when darkness consumes their lives, Hadie and Lincoln learn that hope and love can still be found in the most unlikely place."

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Reviewers Needed- "Faster We Burn" by Chelsea Cameron (NA Contemp)

Were you a fan of Chelsea Cameron's "Deeper We Fall" or a budding New Adult aficionado? Here is your chance to read and review an eARC of Chelsea's upcoming release "Faster We Burn" (companion novel to "Deeper We Fall")!

As Chelsea writes, "You don't HAVE to have read the first book, but it is helpful to know the characters and their dynamic."

If you would be interested in reading and reviewing the book contact Chelsea at chel.c.cam@gmail.com (and let her know which format you would like the book in)!


From Goodreads: "Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?"


"Faster We Burn" releases on April 20th, 2013.

Monday, April 8, 2013

"Infatuate" by Aimee Agresti

Publisher: Harcourt
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Pages: 416

From Goodreads: "Haven Terra is still recovering from an internship that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble. Graduating early from high school leaves the spring semester free, so Haven and her friends Dante and Lance head to the Big Easy to volunteer with community service projects. But their true mission becomes clear when they run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe. New Orleans is a free-for-all for these shape-shifting devils, who are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered. And they soon discover their French Quarter housemates are also angels-in-training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings. But Haven’s resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks her for help escaping the underworld. Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings—and her life? Thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises, this gripping sequel to Illuminate takes the battle of good and evil to the next level."

As becomes evident in my review of "Illuminate" I absolutely loved it- admittedly I hadn't expected much from it, and that was perhaps the best part, it exceeding my expectations by tenfold. Therefore, as you can imagine, I was super excited to delve into this book, its sequel. However, after having finished it I must admit that it wasn't near as satisfying as I had found the first- I think that this book lost a lot of the magic from its predecessor. 

I think that my largest complaints of this book was the drama, lack of emotions, and general busyness. Everywhere I turned in this book there was drama and I felt that almost all of it was extremely forced/ unnecessary- drama between Haven and Lance, drama between Haven and her roommate, Sabine, drama between the teens and their mentor, Connor, and so forth. The characters had just graduated high school, however it felt like they were still stuck in it. As for emotions, I experienced none while reading the book- no swoon, no heart-pounding during the moments of action, no hair-raising during the creepy parts of the many cemetery scenes- nothing. Finally, on the note of busyness, it felt like a lot happened in this novel, however, when I sat back and considered it, not much did. I felt like very little was accomplished and that that was was glossed over (for instance, the summer camps that the teens helped to run, their time at the library, and so forth). 

That being said, I obviously enjoyed the book enough to finish it- I did enjoy seeing the characters coming into themselves and their powers more (Dante especially, he always makes the books for me). Furthermore, I loved seeing Lucian's progression from being of the Underworld to something more.  I also love/ appreciate the fact that Aimee featured a setting which few YA authors do- that of New Orleans. I have found that in her writing she is always able to transport the characters to the setting with all of the minute (yet not overwhelming) details.

All in all, while I do believe that this book did suffer from second book syndrome, to a degree, I did enjoy it enough that I will continue on with this series. I can't wait to see how Haven and the boys try to get out of their next predicament next!

Rating: 3/5 

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly e

Saturday, April 6, 2013

On My Wishlist



On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Title: "Moon Called" 
Author: Patricia Briggs 
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: January 31, 2006

From Goodreads: "Mercy Thompson's life is not exactly normal. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy isn't exactly normal herself."

Friday, April 5, 2013

"Mortality" by Kellie Sheridan

Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Self-Pub
Pages: 271

From Goodreads: "After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough."


While I love all paranormal beings, I must admit that zombies are by far my most favourite (I'm totally one of those people counting down the days until the zombie Apocalypse). Therefore when I heard about this book I knew that I HAD to get my hands on it. After having finished reading it, my overall impression of this book is, "OMG, Savannah is bad-ass." While she was the only girl running in her group of boys, she certainly never let that drag her down, going toe-to-toe with them on a number of instances. Furthermore, her loyalty to said boys was second to none- she was willing to sacrifice her own safety for them time and time again. That being said, she wasn't perfect, at times she didn't make the wisest of  decisions, but I do think that that made her much more relatable to the reader.

Therefore, because I liked Savannah so much, I must admit that I did put up a bit of a fight when it came to Zarah's side of the story (alternating chapters)- I didn't want to let Savannah and her gang go. However, I do think that Zarah's story is necessary to the book, it completely changes our perception/ understanding of what these zombies are. And after learning what they truly are you can't help but... pity them. Furthermore, Zarah and Liam's relationship brought the FEELS quite unlike those experienced in Savvy's side of the story.

All in all, I think that this was an amazing debut from author Kellie Sheridan! I think that this will equally appeal to male and female readers and those of all ages. Furthermore, I believe that zombie fans will appreciate Kellie's different take on thegenre (differing "waves" of zombies, zombies who react to the climate, and so forth). I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the next installment of her "The Hitchhiker Strain" series and I highly recommend checking out the prequel to this, "End Dayz", to have a better understanding of how the zombie Apocalypse came to be and how it truly impacted the characters lives.

Rating: 4/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review. 

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Blog Tour: "Mortality" by Kellie Sheridan

Today I am excited to have author Kellie Sheridan (and fellow Ontarian book blogger) to tell us a bit about her debut novel "Mortality"!

As a Canuck who reads a lot of books, I have a tendency to award Canadian books with bonus points. They’re Whose Line is it Anyways style points since they don’t really count for much, but if a story is written by a Canadian or set in Canada, I take notice. I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way about novels set in their hometown/state/country. A book set in a place you already know has the ability to suck you that much farther into the story. If something amazing can happen there, then something amazing can happen to you.

So why didn’t I set my own debut novel in the Great White North? Believe me, I wanted to. I’d always intended to. But I didn’t, and despite making my decisions for all the right reasons, I still feel a little bad about it. Canada can get pretty cold. We don’t actually live in igloos, but there is sometimes a desire to hibernate during the coldest months of the year. The zombies I created for The Hitchhiker Strain (at least some of them) freeze if left out in the cold for too long. With the initial outbreak of the virus happening in September, that gave maybe three months until most Canadians would see a significant uptick in their survival rate. Good for the characters maybe, but bad for the plot.

There were also some geographical issues. Most of our cities sit relatively close to the U.S. border, but we’re dealing with a large expanse of land. It was difficult for me to see how an infection that started in say—Calgary, would be able to spread and eventually overwhelm the world. I tried to science-it-out multiple times, but I just couldn’t get it to work in a way that worked with the story I wanted to tell. I was forced to rethink my plan.

Finally, there’s the issue of place recognition. Which city do you think is more well-known—Jackson, Mississippi or Mississauga, Ontario? Sacramento or Saskatoon? It’s really not much of a debate. While Canadian cities might be significant to me, that wouldn’t be the case for all of my readers. Part of what scares me about the idea of a zombie apocalypse, is you can imagine how it would unfold, how it just might be possible. If putting easily recognized landmarks into my character’s lives would help readers to immerse themselves that much farther into the world I’d created, then I had to go for it.

Or maybe I just didn’t want to have to imagine zombies running around in the streets of Toronto.

So, will my next series be set in Canada? Alas, probably not. My next few projects have a decidedly fantasy twist to them and won’t be set anywhere we can actually visit (except within the pages of a book, of course). But until I do manage to find a story that can allow a city or town in Canada to become that ‘could be anywhere’ setting for one of my novels, I won’t feel like I’ve checked off all the boxes on my writing career bucket list.

From Goodreads: "After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough."

About the Author: I have been in love with stories in all of their forms for as long as I can remember.

Admittedly, sometimes that means falling into places like Stars Hollow and Sunnydale, but books have always been my true love. In early 2011 I began writing a book blog in order to share my favorite reads with book lovers. From there, the bookish community encouraged me to stop sitting on my own stories and share them instead. Since then I’ve been madly devouring everything I can about digital publishing.

For the past two years I have been mainly obsessed with young adult books, but my favorite stories still come from the adult fantasy genre. As far as I’m concerned, Briggs, Bishop, Vincent and Vaughn are all must reads.

I spent part of my twenties living in Galway, Ireland and swooning after various lilting accents but am now back home in Ontario, Canada. My family includes two Glen of Imaal Terriers and a Green Cheek Conure.

Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Barnes&Noble Kobo iTunes
Website- http://www.kellie.snarkybooks.com
Twitter- https://twitter.com/Kellie_Sheridan
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579646.Kellie_Sheridan



Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday




"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...
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Title: "Inheritance" 
Author: Malinda Lo
Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown

From Goodreads: "The triangular spaceship hovered motionless in the sky above Reese Holloway’s house, as inscrutable as a black hole. It had seemed like a good idea when they were inside: to tell the truth about what happened to them at Area 51. It didn’t seem like such a good idea now.

Reese and David are not normal teens—not since they were adapted with alien DNA by the Imria, an extraterrestrial race that has been secretly visiting Earth for decades. Now everyone is trying to get to them: the government, the Imria, and a mysterious corporation that would do anything for the upper hand against the aliens.

Beyond the web of conspiracies, Reese can’t reconcile her love for David with her feelings for her ex-girlfriend Amber, an Imrian. But her choice between two worlds will play a critical role in determining the future of humanity, the Imria’s place in it, and the inheritance she and David will bring to the universe.

In this gripping sequel to Adaptation, Malinda Lo brings a thoughtful exploration of adolescence, sexuality, and “the other” to a science fiction thriller that is impossible to put down."

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Twitter Tuesday



As some of my Twitter followers may have noticed (with all of my #amwriting and #amediting Tweets) I've been trying my hand at writing the last year or so. "Trying" being the operative word- I have struggled with my writing so much during that time, especially in the first drafts. However, I've found a lot of comfort in perhaps one of the most unlikely places- Twitter. How so? Through reading some of my favorite authors writing experiences- namely in their similar struggles. Reading their Tweets really helps put things into perspective for me, reminding me that even the most successful authors struggle every now and again, but that they've been able to overcome it and, that if they can, we can too! Some are funny, some are sad, but I think that we will all be able to relate to one or two!



Monday, April 1, 2013

Author Interview: Anna Carey


Today I am excited to have author Anna Carey stop by the blog to celebrate the release of the last book in her "Eve" series, "Rise"! 
How does it feel to have officially wrapped up the EVE trilogy?
It’s strange…it doesn’t feel like it’s over. I obviously wrote the last pages and have seen the final book, but the characters are still alive to me, still very real. It’s as if we all graduated and went our separate ways. I’m waiting to see pictures of Eve and Caleb on facebook.

What is your favorite scene in your series?
I have several, but I especially love the scene in Once when Eve sees Caleb for the first time (that’s all I can say without being too spoilery). The second book was the most challenging to write, but it also contains one of the biggest twists, which I love hearing people’s reactions to.

Which character did you have the hardest time saying goodbye to?
It was hardest to say good-bye to Arden. She experiences a lot over the course of these books, much of which we don’t see. I feel like her story hasn’t been fully told (that would take another book…or three).

What was the most difficult thing you encountered when writing the series?
I found the sequel incredibly challenging to write. There’s always this fear that you’re painting yourself into a corner. You can feel the story moving towards its end, and that’s sometimes scary. I ended up cutting apart the third draft of the book, rewriting big sections, and putting it back together.

How much research went into writing the series? What was the most interesting (or random) fact that you encountered?
I know way too much about the shelf life of canned food, wild boar populations in Northern California, and Grizzly bear attacks. I was constantly looking up maps of the roads Eve travels, or researching medical conditions (How do you set a bone? What does a gunshot wound look like?). There’s a funeral in Rise, and I had a strange, surreal moment when I googled “How deep do you have to bury a body for it never to be discovered?”. The internet is a strange place.

Do you have any more books (or ideas) up your sleeves? If so, can you tell us a bit about them (for instance, are you looking to write outside of post-apocalyptic)?
I’m writing a new series called Blackbird. Official details will be announced soon!

From Goodreads: "How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?

When she lost her soul mate, Caleb, Eve felt like her world had ended. Trapped in the palace, forced to play the part of the happy, patriotic princess of The New America—and the blushing bride of her father's top adviser—Eve's whole life is a lie. The only thing that keeps her going is Caleb's memory, and the revolution he started.

Now, Eve is taking over where Caleb left off. With the help of Moss, an undercover subversive in the King's court, she plots to take down The New America, beginning with the capital, the City of Sand. Will Eve be able to bring about a new, free world when she's called upon to perform the ultimate act of rebellion—killing her father?

In Rise, Eve must choose who to leave behind, who to save, and who to fight as Anna Carey's epic tale of romance and sacrifice in the chilling dystopia of The New America comes to a stunning conclusion."

About the Author: Anna Carey has been a gift wrapper, face painter, nanny, horrific cocktail waitress, sofa saleswoman and children's book editor. She graduated from New York University and has an MFA in fiction from Brooklyn College. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she can be found writing, reading, and doodling on the giant chalkboard in her kitchen.



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