"The Immortal Rules" by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 480

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have read a number of reviews where people have stated that this book has been their most favourite of 2012- unfortunately I am not amongst those people. That is not to say that this is a bad book- far from it! In fact, I believe this book to be Julie's strongest book to date. However, I just don't feel that it fully reached its potential on the vampire front. I wish that Julie had brought something new to the table, showed us a completely new race of vampires, vampires literally unlike any we have ever seen fore and not the stereotypical bad-ass, all black/ leather wearing female who wields a katana (seriously, off of the top of my head I can name at least 5 female vampires who wield one of these- I wish that Allie *had* been able to convince Kanin to let her use a flail) she presented in this story. 

Furthermore, I also had a problem with the the romance aspect of it- namely being, I didn't buy it. Nothing about Zeke and Allie screamed "Sparks!" and "Chemistry!" to me, which I find quite strange because if there is any even a tiny of inclination of romance in a book I AM ALL OVER IT (me= hopeless romantic). I personally found that they made a better team being friends/ comrades than girlfriend/ boyfriend. 

That being said, I think that this book (specifically Allie as a character) has one of the strongest voices I have ever read (in all honesty I don't usually pay attention to things like this, but I couldn't help but not notice this as I read the book). Allie was not only a complex and beautifully constructed character, but a real one at that.

Furthermore, I did enjoy the pacing of the story and the setting- both were so well crafted and finely tuned that it I believe it impossible to not easily situate yourself into the dilapidated and run-down vampire city teeming with rats, mole-men, and vampires, and into the those areas outside of the city that were slowly becoming reclaimed by nature and which were slowly becoming more and more overrun with rapids.

All in all, despite my complaints, I thought that this was a great debut to a new series from author Julie Kagawa- it becomes evident that Julie grows more and more as an author with each book she writes and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the second book in this series!

Rating: 8/10

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

Memorable lines from the book: 

'"If you're going to bite me, just get it over with." Though don't expect me to lie down and take it. You'll have a pocketknife shoved through your eye before I'm done, I swear' (8%). 

"I wished I could've said that I would rather die than become a bloodsucker. I wished I had the courage, the strength, to stick with my convictions. But in reality, when faced with death and the great unknown that came after, my survival instinct snatched wildly at whatever lifeline was offered. I didn't want to die. Even if it meant becoming something I loathed, my nature was, first and always, to survive" (14%). 

"Hey, what was that?" Easing forward, I tried peering into the box on tiptoe, but he shouldered me away. "Oh, come on. I want to see the big-spiky-ball thing." 
"You do *not* need a flail," Kanin scowled' (24%). 

"Charming," I muttered under my breath and felt my fangs poking my gums. "Well, we know who's going to get bitten first now, don't we?" (44%). 

"You make me question everything I've learned, everything I know" (81%).  

Big Box O'Books Giveaway!

<center><a href="http://averysbooknook.blogspot.ca/2012/05/big-box-obooks-giveaway.html" target="_blank"><img alt="YA Sisterhood" src="http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb396/AverysBookNook/boxofbooks.png"/></a></center>

For the last couple of months I have been been hoarding away all of my duplicate ARCS and books in preparation of this giveaway so I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally announce my BIG BOX O'BOOKS GIVEAWAY!

As the name suggests the prize for this giveaway is a fairly large sized book full of YA books- at this moment in time there are 15 books in the box (if possible I will squeeze another one or two into it).

So you might be wondering, "What sorts of books are in this box?" Well, its a surprise! What I will tell you is:

• They are all YA 
• They are all paranormal and/or dystopian
• They are a combination of finished copies (both hardcover and softcover) and ARCs
• They are some of the most popular YA books within the last year or two
• 2 of the books contained in the box are MY MOST FAVOURITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME (if you've followed my blog for a while now you have probably heard me incessantly rave about these books) 
• At least 5 of the books have had their film rights sold (I know that at least 2 of these are starting to film sometime this summer!) 
• I met the author of one of these books last summer when I went to her book signing
• My WoW post about one of these series is still to this day my most popular post of ALL TIME

So onto the official stuff:

• To enter this giveaway you do not have to be a GFC follower of my blog, though it would be much appreciated if you were ;)  
• This giveaway is US only (however, if you are international and have a friend or family member located within the US who this prize could be mailed to, you can enter using their address- Sorry to my international friends). 
• This giveaway is one month long (it begins today, May 7th and closes on June 6th- the winner will be announced on June 8th- upon winning I will contact the winner and they will have 48 hours to respond, if not I will draw a new winner) 
• One entry per person peeps (I will disqualify anyone who enters multiple times) 
• Please allow upwards of one month for delivery

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below

Stacking the Shelves: The Amanda Hocking Edition

As Tygna, the creator of this new feature, writes, "Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!" It is inspired  by IMM by The Story Siren.

For Review

• "Torn" by Amanda Hocking (Silly me, I thought that this was the first book in the series- it's not, it's the second, so I will have to get myself a copy of the first before I read this) (Thanks to Raincoast Books!)

• "Wake" ARC by Amanda Hocking (Thanks to Raincoast Books!)

• "Late Rite" ARC by Lisa Desrochers (I reviewed this on the blog on Friday) (Thanks to Raincoast Books!)

• "Cold Fury" by T.M. Goeglen (Thanks to Razorbill!)

Won

• "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Seth Grahame-Smith (Thanks to Hachette Canada)

ARC Review: "The Selection" by Kiera Cass

Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Pages: 327

From Goodreads: "For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined." 

While this book has by far one of the worst endings I have ever read before- think Sophie Jordan's "Firelight" or Tera Lynn Childs' "Sweet Venom", where the story ends right at the most epic moment (seriously, the last line of this book reads "END OF BOOK ONE")- I still really enjoyed it (in fact, prior to reading this book I was in quite a book rut- being unsatisfied with the large majority of books I had been reading and this book was able to lift me out of said rut).

I think that one of the biggest reasons why I enjoyed this book is because it is quite unlike anything I have ever read before and because it was just so different from my typical go-to book (I mean, this book has been marketed as a book for fans of "The Bachelor" and I have never felt any inclination to watch "The Bachelor").

Both America and Prince Maxon were such fun characters to read about- America in all of her bluntness, honesty, and snark, and Maxon in all of his awkwardness, dryness, and just overall goodness. Furthermore, I also quite intrigued by the love triangle presented in this book (trust me, I am as shocked as you are as I typically loathe love triangles). I think that both Maxon and Aspen are quite swoon-worthy characters in their own rights and that they each bring out a different- and frankly better- side of America.

All in all, I do think that this is quite a strong debut from Kiera- I think that Kiersten White best describes this book when she states, "Charming, captivating, and filled with just the right amount of swoon". I am very much looking forward to seeing what Kiera has in store for us in the next book in this series (and I am entirely excited by the prospect that this book's television adaptation has been picked up by the CW network)!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review.

In My Mailbox: Werewolves and Shapeshifters Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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Received for Review 

"Into the Snow" by S.D. Crocket (Thanks to Raincoast and Crystal)

"Fated" by Alison Noel (Thanks to Raincoast and Crystal)

Won 

"Pure" ARC by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Thanks to the wonderful ladies over at YA Sisterhood)

"Obsidian" by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Thanks to the wonderful ladies over at YA Sisterhood)

"Under My Skin" by Charles de Lint (Thanks to the Razorbill community)

Bought

"The Savage Grace" by Bree Despain

What did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox: The Avery Found A Book Sale Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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Bought
"Wings of the Wicked" by Courtney Allison Moulton
"Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver
"Jessica Guide to Dating the Dark Side" by Beth Fantaskey
"Low Red Moon" by Ivy Devlin
"Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld
"The Poison Diaries" by Maryrose Wood
"Eyes Like Stars" by Lisa Mantchev
"The Morganville Vampires Volume 2" by Rachel Caine
"The Radleys" by Matt Haig 

For Review 
"Girl Meets Boy" by Kelley Milner Halls (Thanks to Raincoast Books and Crystal!)
"Of Poseidon" by Anna Banks (Thanks to Raincoast Books and Crystal!)

What did you get in your mailbox?

"Fever" by Lauren DeStefano

From Goodreads: "Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever."

I must admit that it took me a really long time to get into this book (I struggled to get through the first sixty or so pages of this book, I could literally only read ten or so pages a day, and then after having read the first sixty pages I set the book down for about a month or two before picking it up once again)- something that is quite unheard of for me. The main reason why I struggled through the first bit of this book was because I found that it didn't jive whatsoever with the world that we had come to know and love (errrrr.... perhaps "love" is not the best word to use when describing a world in which young girls are forced into polygamous marriages and die in their early twenties ;) ) in "Wither", the first book in the series. However, once I was able to get past the first sixty pages, I found that the book was a lot more manageable and I was able to read the remainder of the book within a couple of hours.

There were a number of things that irked me about "Wither" (for instance, did Rhine and Gabriel technically have a relationship, Rhine didn't give Gabriel a choice in running away, etc.) and I very much appreciated and was quite surprised by the fact that this book addressed almost every single problem that I had had (it gave me a new found respect of everything that went down in "Wither", not to mention a different perspective). Furthermore, I did quite like a few of the newly introduced characters (Maddie especially) and the reintroduction of old characters (old characters who I frankly didn't think we would ever see again). 

That being said, while I quite liked all of my burning questions being answered in this book and the introduction of new characters, I was overall quite a bit disappointed by the plot of this book overall. I felt that very little was accomplished in this book- that the plot was a vicious circle of sorts and that Rhine and Gabriel ended up exactly where they started. Furthermore, I felt that the big reveal (the big reveal surrounding Vaughn and Rhine) was almost too far "out there", that nothing in "Wither" led up/ gave any indication that that was going to happen (that it very much came out of left field). Also, (as I have mentioned numerous times) I personally quite dislike it when a character fades in and out of consciousness  throughout the book as I find that it makes the plot unnecessarily convoluted (I mean, how do you know what is real?) and therefore I disliked that that happened with Rhine.

All in all, while I did not enjoy this book near as much as I enjoyed its predecessor, I will still read the last book in this trilogy. Here's hoping that it will be just as good, if not better than, the original!

Rating: 6.5/10

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

"Article 5" by Kristen Simmons

From Goodreads: "New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved."

While this was not the most unique dystopian/ post-apocalyptic book that I have ever read (I have read a ridiculous number of dystopian/ post-apocalyptic books as of late and I cannot help but compare them), I still very much enjoyed it. I think that where at times the world-building of the book was lacking, the extremely well-developed and complex characters more than made up for it. 

I must admit that there were times that I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Ember, the main female character. I thought that she often did things with little to no thought (for instance, thinking that running away from Chase would be a good idea- it wasn't- and her being so obtuse when it came Chase's real intentions for rescuing her/ his feelings for her), however I very much enjoyed the fact that she actually grew and matured throughout the novel- mentally, physically, and emotionally (seriously, by the end of this book she could give Tris from Veronica Roth's "Divergent" or Juliette from Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me" a run for their money).

While Chase, the main male lead, is by far one of the best book boys I have had the pleasure of reading in quite some time- while at times he was quite prickly and stoic, he always had the best intentions at heart.  And when he did show his soft side? Well, he is a force to be reckoned with (he hands down gets my swoon-worthy stamp of approval).

All in all, despite a few minor complaints I think that this is an amazing debut from author Kristen Simmons. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the next installment of this series- here's hoping that it is just as fast-paced, engaging, and as page-turning as this book was!

Rating: 9/10

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

In My Mailbox: The Sisterwives and Automans Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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I sound kinda crazy. I blame all of the essays and exams I have had to do over the last week or so. My brain is officially fried. So no worries if you don't understand me. I barely understand myself. ;)

Bought

"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi 

"Clockwork Prince" by Cassie Claire

"Wither" by Lauren DeStefano 

For Review

"Partials" by Dan Wells (Special thanks to HarperCollins Canada and Shannon)

Won

"Guardian of the Gate" by Michelle Zink (Thanks Michelle!)

Don't forget that Tessa and I will be going against Luce from Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series this WEDNESDAY in the YA Sisterhood Heroine Tournament! And if you planning on voting for Tessa, Clary, or Izzy in YA Sisterhood's Tournament of Heroines Stuck in Books, Letters Inside Out, Cassie Claire, and myself (the girl's advocates) have some AMAZING PRIZES FOR YOU! Includes a copy of CP, Winner's Choice of Cassie Clare book, Hebel Design bookmark and a CA Angel Pendant! Find out all of the giveaway details HERE!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Bought

"The Pledge" by Kimberly Derting

For Review

"Fever" by Lauren DeStefano (Special thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada)

What did you get in your mailbox?

The Challenge: Shrinking My TBR Pile

I have always prided myself on reading every book that I own in a timely manner (typically I start a book as soon as I get it in my hands, finishing it in a day or two, if not in hours- especially books on their release date) and not having much of a TBR pile. However, over the past couple of months I have noticed that my TBR pile has been growing at an alarming rate (mainly because I have been reading WAY more for review than for myself)- seriously, some of the books in my TBR pile have been in there since July (it really hurts my heart). Therefore, I am dedicating the month of November to reading only books for myself (similarly to what Pam over at Bookalicious did in September), in the hopes of shrinking down my TBR pile.

I know that I won't be able to get through all of these books, especially because I have a ton more books headed my way this month including "Lola and the Boy Next Door" by Stephanie Perkins, "Drink Deep" by Chloe Neill, "Reckoning" by Lili St. Crow, "Crossed" by Ally Condie and "The Pledge" by Kimberly Derting (and I also want to reread "Matched" by Ally before I delve into "Crossed" AND I want to reread "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi because it is the most fantabulous book of all time). However, I am going to try my darnedest to get through at least ten of these books (thankfully November isn't too, too crazy with school- compared to October/ December when I have a MILLION midterms and finals).

"Enthralled" by Some Of The Most Amazing YA Authors Of All Time (This book is HUGE. But it is entirely composed of short stories so I don't really have an excuse to not read at least a few of them).

"Wherever You Go" be Heather Davis (Okay, so this book is technically for review. But had I not received it to review I would have bought it myself and it would have ended up on this pile anyways).

"Jane" by April Linder (So I haven't had this book for all that long AND it isn't a YA paranormal, so I am not too concerned if it takes me a bit to get to it- as terrible as that sounds).

"The Demon Trappers Daughter" by Jana Oliver (It's been sooooooo long since I last read this that I don't feel comfortable starting "Soul Thief" until I reread this, hence it being on the pile).

"Soul Thief" by Jana Oliver (see explanation above. PS. If Riley doesn't end up with Beck I will be super cheesed off). 

"Wildefire" by Karsten Knight (I HAD to buy this book after hearing Rachel from over at Fiktshun love hard on it).

"Blood Magic" by Tessa Gratton (THIS IS THE BOOK THAT I HAVE HAD SINCE JULY AND HAVE YET TO READ. *Shame on me. I feel really guilty*).

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth (I feel like the last person on earth who has yet to read this book).

"The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkins (Like "Divergent" I feel like I am the last person on earth to read this book. I am sooooo intrigued by it- I NEED to know what the paranormal element is).

"Fateful" by Claudia Gray (EEK! This just reminded me that I have yet to read "Afterlife" yet, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE HARD IT SINCE MARCH. Can't really consider myself an "Evernight" diehard if I have yet to read the final book in the series, can I?).

"The Candidates" by Inara Scott (Like "The Demon Trapper's Daughter" I feel that I need to reread this before I start the next book in the series, "The Watchers").

"The Watchers" by Inara Scott (I think that I won this ARC in August... What in the world did I do with my summer? Obviously not read! ;) ).

"Silence" by Becca Fitzpatrick (I should probably reread "Crescendo" before I reread this,  but I don't know if I should really add another book to this pile).

"Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer (Do you see a pattern emerging? ;) It's been FOREVER since I read this book and I don't think that I should start into "Wolfsbane" without having read this).

"Wolfsbane" by Andrea Cremer (I believe that I got this book on the release date. I haven't even cracked the cover yet).

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor (I don't know much about this book, except for the fact that EVERYONE who has read it has LOVED it- despite it sounding totally cracked out- in a good way. Therefore, I MUST read it. And I must figure out a way to get my hair to naturally grow blue).

Here is my preliminary reading list: 

"Reckoning"

"Drink Deep"

"Wherever You Go" 

"Lola and the Boy Next Door" 

"Shatter Me" 

"Daughter of Smoke and Bone" 

"Fateful" 

 "Matched"

"Crossed"

"The Candidates" 

"The Watchers"

???

Anyone want to partake in this challenge with me? Pretty please? ;)

PS. Now that I look this pile over I have bought at least 8 of these books solely based upon reviews that I have read (reviews written by fellow book bloggers)- hows that for book bloggers not selling books? ;)

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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Seriously, how many times did I say, "I am excited", in this video?

For Review
"Where You Go" by Heather Davis (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Sons!)
"Blood Wounds" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Sons!)
"Dark of the Moon" by Tracy Barrett (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Sons!)
"The Fate of the Muse" by Derrolyn Anderson
"Savor" by Megan Duncan
"Radiant Desire" by Inara Scott

Bought
"Sisterhood Everlasting" by Ann Brashares
"Matched" by Ally Condie
"Soul Thief" by Jana Oliver
"Some Girls Bite" by Chloe Neill
"Friday Night Bites" by Chloe Neill
"Twice Bitten" by Chloe Neill
"Hard Bitten" by Chloe Neill

What did you get in your mailbox?

"Cold Kiss" by Amy Garvey

From Goodreads: "It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder. That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.

When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned."

Stories of resurrected romance have been told over and over again (heck, just watch the cartoon of the Peverell brothers in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 or check out the "Prom Dates From Hell" or "Vacations From Hell" anthologies), however, this book had a wholly unique spin on it, as unlike many of those other resurrected romance stories, this one constituted an entire book, rather than mere pages of an anthology or a small portion of a larger tale. As such, the characters were so much more developed in this book than they ever have been in the shorter tales, as was the plot and the overall feel of the book.

However, I do think that the short resurrected romance stories had one thing over this book- their endings (in many of the short stories I have read the resurrected partner begins to become mentally unstable and wrecks havoc everywhere that they go). I think that the ending of this book would have been much more interesting and creepy had Danny done more than yelled at a tree and hugged Wren too tight (for instance, with the cat. Now this may sound a bit morbid and shocking coming from me as I am a certified cat-lady-in-the-making, but I think that had Danny done something to the cat when it was lost, ie. killed it or whatevs, as opposed to petting it on its head and sending it on its merry way with a note attached to it). At times, I couldn't understand why Gabriel and Wren were getting so worked up and frantic about Danny when he rarely did anything aside from sleep and draw in the attic- had he actually done something MAJOR I think that their reactions would have been more justified.  

The earlier romance between Danny and Wren was so sweet and amazingly written (seriously, Amy's prose in this book was breathtaking) that I think it near impossible for the reader to not fall for them. And then when Gabriel came along and tried to sweep Wren off of her feet, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't not like him- mainly because he was so open-minded and non-judgmental when it came to Wren (and her selfishness).    

All in all, this is a perfect book for YA readers who love a book that has more emphasis on romantic elements than paranormal elements (Twi-hards will gobble this book up in no time and ask for seconds) and I am quite excited to see what Amy has in store for us next! 

Rating: 8/10

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

In My Mailbox (First Vlog Ever)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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 So, as I mention in the Vlog, I finally figured out how to use the webcam on my computer. I don't know if I will regularly Vlog my IMM from this point forward, but I do know that I did have quite a bit of fun doing this one (oh, and please don't mind the stuffy nose, darn you back-to-school-cold!)! 

BTW... I have no idea how to make the books not backwards? (*grumbles about being technologically challenged).

Bought

"Bone Crossed" by Patricia Briggs 

"Dreamfever" by Karen Marie Moning 

"Fragile Eternity" by Melissa Marr

"Jane" by April Linder 

"The Poison Eaters" by Holly Black

"The Demon Trapper's Daughter" by Jana Oliver 

"Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins 

For Review 

"Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi (Special thanks to Shannon and HarperCollins Canada)

"If I Die" by Rachel Vincent (Special thanks to HarlequinTeen)

What did you get in your mailbox?

PS. Don't forget to enter my 21st Birthday/ 1 Year Blogiversary GIVEAWAY! 

"Sweet Venom" by Tera Lynn Childs

From Goodreads: "Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight."

 I must admit that after having read a few other YA books that reworked Greek mythology this year I was a bit hesitant to read this, primarily because every single one of the other modern-day Greek mythology books that I had read didn't live up to my expectations- I was expecting to be blown away with their creativity, characters, and the likes of, and I wasn't and therefore I assumed that that would also be the case with this book. But it wasn't whatsoever. This book, unlike those others, was really creative, had characters with personalities, and was a book that I literally couldn't put down (while those other books? In all honesty I struggled to finish them).

Each of the girls in the book were so well defined- while reading the book you definitely notice a difference in their voices, Greer had a more sophisticated and refined way of speaking, Grace a more innocent and positive voice, while Gretchen obviously had the 'bad-ass'/ tell-it-like-it-is vibe going on and as such, it was easy to relate to them/ ingrain yourself into their lives. Furthermore, the boys of the book were also extremely well defined and were swoon-worthy- I seriously cannot chose a favourite between Milo, Nick, and Thane!

However, I personally wasn't entirely satisfied with the book. I felt that the ending of the book was somewhat reminiscent of Sophie Jordan's "Firelight"- that the book really ended at the most action-packed/ critical moment. It didn't feel like we got an entire story- with a beginning, middle, and end.

All in all, this book and its characters are definitely going to stick with me for quite some time and despite my complaints, I am excited to see what happens in book 2! Furthermore, after having read this book I now wanna go check out Tera Lynn's other series' "Forgive My Fins", "Oh.My.Gods", and "City Chicks"!

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.

Special thanks to HarperCollins Canada and Shannon! 

"Supernaturally" by Kiersten White

From Goodreads: "Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees. 

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself. 

So much for normal."

Even from reading the first couple pages of this book I knew that I was in for a treat primarily because Kiersten began it off on such a humorous note, humor which in my opinion eclipses that seen in the first book of the series, "Paranormalcy" (Kiersten is most definitely tied alongside Rachel Hawkins, in my opinion, as the most hilarious current YA authors). There were countless times while reading this book I found myself sputtering and guffawing at what came out of the characters mouths (typically Evie's) and how events unfolded (events which typically involved a little blonde maniac- surprisingly, not Evie).

I have always though Evie to be a pretty enigmatic character with her heritage, abilities, and so forth, and therefore I was beyond shocked (and ecstatic) for us to actually learn quite a bit more about her- unlike in other YA books, I found that this book provided us with so many more answers than questions and for that I am seriously appreciative and grateful.

While Lend obviously did play quite a large role in this book, I do wish that he had even played more so of one (seriously, who needs college?)- I really came to miss the carefree and easy-going banter that he and Evie shared nd when they were together I found their relationship to be quite strained which was quite a booger (though when I take it into consideration is actually more realistic than the typical 'perfect relationship' which seems to predominate YA literature).

The characters in the previous book that I wouldn't really stand, or I was on the fence about, totally stole my heart in this book (seriously, never in a million years did I imagine that I would like Reth, or heck, even Vivian). And hey-oh! I must say that I loved the addition of Jack to this story. Typically I dislike it when a new character is introduced to an already well developed plot line, I feel like they are just thrown in for the sake of filling up a few additional pages, however, I did not find myself feeling that at all with Jack.

Unfortunately I felt that the epic action sequence that we had been so looking forward came at the last possible moment (within the last ten or so pages of the book) and as such, that the ending was a fair bit rushed. I felt like the book was heading in one direction and BAM! It went in a totally different one- that there was very little development leading up to said "OMGish!" moment. However, I am quite excited to see in what direction Kiersten takes the next book in the series, "Endlessly".

Rating: 9/10

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

Special thanks to HarperCollins and Shannon!

Memorable lines from this book:

"Jack fell to his knees on the bench, his eyes rolling back in ectasy as he clutched both hands to his heart. "Oh, heavens above, to have seen such beauty with my own eyes! It's more than I ever hoped for. But how can I live now, knowing that you're not mine? Please." He crawled forward to the edge of the bench. "Marry me. Nay, marriage will cost us precious moments together. Let us make sweet, passionate love right here. Let me bear your children." 
A primal growl signaled Miss Lynn getting over her shock as being this addressed. She lunged forward; Jack deftly rolled off of the bench, jumping out of her reach. 
"Goodness, I didn't expect toy to be quite this enthusiastic about my advances. If I don't play hard to get, how will I ever know whether or not you respect me?" (pg. 80). 

"Too bad he was a lunatic; they would have made a cute couple" (pg. 121). 

"Apparently this unicorn hadn't gotten the memo. It was ugly. Like, seriously ugly. Coat a mottled brown and gray, horn a dingy, stubby thing; hair a matted mess. It looked more like a goat than anything else, with a small, filthy beard and square pupils" (pg. 126).

"Something we have in common, then, besides the world's most perfect hair colour" (pg. 129).

"He wrinkled his nose. "Well, that was... interesting. Always wanted to try it, but now that I have, I'm pretty sure I never want to again" (pg. 228).

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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I didn't receive all that much in my mailbox this week, but they are both books that I have wanting for pretty much forever.

For Review 
"Sweet Venom" ARC by Tera Lynn Childs (Thanks so much Shannon and HarperCollins Canada)

Bought 
"Passion" by Lauren Kate

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
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 Bought (I am finally getting around to buying books that I have had on my wishlist forever/ books that I have read and absolutely loved, but didn't own myself)
"Paranormalcy" by Kiersten White
"Delirium" by Lauren Oliver
"Shade" by Jeri Smith-Ready
"Shift" by Jeri Smith-Ready

Review 
"Supernaturally" ARC by Kiersten White (Special thanks to Shannon and HarperCollins Canada)

What did you get in your mailbox?

In My (OMG) Mailbox!

 

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Bought
"Illusions" by Aprilynne Pike (I have already read and reviewed it HERE)
"Tales of the Otherworld" by Kelley Armstrong (My Kelley Armstrong collection is almost complete! All I need now is "Walking the Witch" and "Spellbound". If you haven't read this anthology yet I highly recommend doing so ASAP. While I like Kelley's full length novels I think that I love the anthologies even more- which is weird for me because I am typically not an anthology kind of girl).

Received for Review
"If I Die" by Rachel Vincent (The other day I was having such a cruddy day and my mom texted me to let me know that a book had arrived for me and I was more than a bit confused because I wasn't expecting anything, so I raced home to see what it was. When she handed me the envelope and I saw that it was from Harlequin Teen I almost had a heart attack and then when I opened it and saw that it was this book, well... There may have been tears involved. It totally made my cruddy day go away... I finished reading it a few hours after starting it and let me tell you, y'all are in for a treat this fall. Special thanks to Harlequin Teen and Lisa. PS. I totally learned how to use my [somewhat cruddy] webcam after having my laptop for 3 years... ;) ).

Received for Review 
"Released" by Megan Duncan (Thanks Megan!)
"Airel" by Aaron Patterson and Chris White (Thanks Dorothy and Pump Up Your Books!)
"The Commander and the Den Assan Rautu" by Michelle Franklin (Thanks Michelle!)
"After Eden" by Katherine Pine (Thanks Katherine!)

What did you get in your mailbox?