"Cress" by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 550

From Goodreads: "Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard. 

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can."

Admittedly when I first heard about Marissa's "Lunar Chronicles" series I was skeptical- it sounded like there was way too random plot elements tossed into a 400 page YA book than could possibly ever work. However, when I actually delved into the world of "Cinder", I quickly learned that that was anything but the case. It's sequel, "Scarlet", was an even stronger book, if possible, and hands down one of my most favourite books of 2013 (featuring one of my most favourite YA couples EVER, Wolf and Scarlet). Therefore, as you can imagine, when it came time for "Cress" I did everything in my power to get my hands on a copy- and, again, I was anything but disappointed.

I think that the biggest strength of these books, this book especially, is how seamless and effortless they appear when you know that that is anything but the case for author Marissa Meyer. It is truly mindblowing how many classical fairytales she has woven together- and done so from the very first book, dropping Easter eggs, so to speak, all along the way (for instance, briefly introducing Cress and making mention of Winter in "Cinder"). Furthermore, while there are a number of fairytale retellings in YA, especially as of late, I think that Marissa's stand out from the bunch, as she has truly made each of them her own.

Another strength of this book is it's pacing, after reading it it truly felt as if I had read four books instead of one, simply because of everything that happened in it. That being said, not once while reading it did I ever find myself overwhelmed, instead, being intrigued the entire way and flipping through the pages as quickly as I possibly could to see what sort of situation my favourite cast of characters would get into next. On the note of characters, you would think that with so many main characters in one book that they wouldn't get as much attention that they deserve in the way of development, but that is anything but the case- they have as many differences than they do similarities- from Cinder, to Cress, to Scarlet, to Iko, to Thorne, and on.

The only real complaint about is this book is that I wish that Scarlet had played a larger role in it- though what little role she did play in this book managed to bring on the FEELS that I so desperately wanted between her and Wolf after their book. Furthermore, this book was, like the others, a fair bit predictable, however, I am was happy with this fact because it means that much of the theories that I had thought of about the series were true!

All in all, there's no questioning it- Marissa Meyer is one of the most ingenious and unique YA authors that we've seen in quite some time, she never ceases to amaze me with her ever-growing skills and abilities. Though I only recently read this book, I know that I will be rereading it soon because I can't bear to be away from these character/ world for too long! Furthermore, the next year or so will be absolute torture waiting for the last installment in this series, "Winter"!

Rating: 5/5

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

ARC Review: "Of Triton" by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Pages: 256

From Goodreads: "In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?"

"Of Triton" by Anna Banks was one of my best reads of 2012, in fact, in my review of it I described it as being "flawless" and stated that I couldn't contain my fan-girl SQUEEing. As such, I was obviously beyond excited for this book, however, after finishing it I must admit that it is one of the most disappointing sequels that I have ever read before.

My largest complaint about this book is that I felt that it read like a first draft- I understand that I did read an ARC and therefore there may be changes made between it and the final draft, but I feel that I would only enjoy the book if extensive changes were made. I felt that the book was so flat and one-dimensional, not once while reading it did I experience any real emotion (also, I didn't once swoon for Galen, something essentially unheard of for me). Additionally, I found that a number of characters grated on my nerves in this book, Emma's mom especially. While I did like that she rediscovered her long-lost love I felt that overall she was quite inconsiderate when it came to Emma's feelings- especially when she dropped the bombshell about Emma's parentage onto her, informing her that her life was even more so, if possible, a lie. I felt that she acted more immature than the teenagers actually did. Furthermore, I was not a fan of the way in which the POVs were written in this book- Emma's in first person and Galen's in third (I noticed this much more in this book than I had in the previous book, it felt mush more jarring and obvious). I feel like we don't truly get a sense of who Galen is as a person (Errrr... Syrena) with his POV being written in third person. He comes off as being quite superficial and juvenile.

I actually think that this book could have benefited from being longer- 100 pages or so. I think that if it was longer that the characters and plot would be better developed and more complex. It felt that very little happened in this book, as if it suffered from "second book syndrome", and what did happen (ie. the conflicts) were resolved far too easily.

All in all, in my opinion, "Of Triton" lost a lot of the magic that was in "Of Poseidon". That being said, while I personally was not a fan of this book I do think that die-hard fans will be more than happy with it. Furthermore, despite my complaints I do intend to continue on with this series, if only to see how to wraps up.

Rating: 2/5

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

Marissa Meyer Interview

You can now find the transcription of Ashley's and my interview with Marissa Meyer on Ashley's blog HERE (super thanks to Ashley for transcribing all of that!).

Also, again, big thanks to Marissa, Raincoast and Chapters/ Indigo!  

Recap: Marissa Meyer Toronto Signing

As many will know by now, Marissa Meyer is one of my most favourite authors of all time (evidenced by me proposing to her on Twitter. I challenge YOU to read "Scarlet "and not want to propose to her. Or Wolf. Seriously, it's not possible). Therefore when I heard that she was coming to Toronto and that I WAS GOING (with the ever fantabulous Ashley and her mother) you can guess that my reaction was something along the lines of:

And then, when I had learned, that not only had Ashley won a one-on-one interview with Marissa, but had asked that I accompany her? Well...

Fast forward to the day of the event. Up at 6:30 am (I have seriously never woken up so quickly in my life, somehow within literally a minute I was out of bed, across the house in the bathroom and brushing my teeth), leaving here at 7:00 am, at Ashley's at 8:00 am, at the Chapters/Indigo at Yorkdale Mall around 10:30 am-ish. As soon as we got to Chapters we happened to stumble over the Ottawa Bloggettes, comprising of Ciara, Emilie, Meaghan, and Katie, and then the Toronto ladies, including Ardo, Michele, Tiff, Christa, Giselle, Liz, Siobhan, and more (seriously, there was a LOT of us bloggers there, I wanted to rename it "Blogsquad Meet-Up: Spring Edition").

There was almost the perfect amount of people there, IMO. Enough where I thought that it was worthwhile for the author, publisher, and bookstore, but where it wasn't overwhelming/ stifling (not unlike my only other experience at Yorkdale, at the Cassie Clare signing in the fall ,where it was SO busy that many of us were turned away at the door).

After talking to the girlies for about an hour Ashley and I then decided we'd better figure out where the interview with Marissa was taking place. After talking to an employee we were herded to the backroom of Chapters to wait until  Chandra from Indigo Teen Blog (and her partner in crime Natalie) finished their own interview. During that time we met Dan from Raincoast and Marissa's husband (who was kind enough to offer us Captain Thorne buttons and baked goods).

After Chandra and Natalie wrapped up their interview it was our turn. Admittedly I am an extremely anxious person, shaking, stomach aches, the whole nine yards, when it comes to being in what I perceive to be uncomfortable situations (public speaking, interviews, talking to people I don't know, etc.), but let me tell you, as soon as I met Marissa all fears that I may have had VANISHED- she completely put me at ease. Saying that she is personable is beyond an understatement. Ashley and I interviewed for her for twenty minutes, asking her such things as who her book boyfriends are, if she has any other books in mind/ in progress,  and if she could change one thing in her books what it would be. Oh, and we may have played the "Kiss, Kill, Marry" game.

Left to right: Ashley and I interviewing Marissa (you can see the baked goods), Me, Marissa and Ashley (I hate pictures, btw), Marissa signing my books, and said books. Image credits to Indigo Events, Ashley and myself. 

After wrapping up the interview it was then time for the talk/ Q&A (Raincoast/ Chapters was kind enough to save us some seats in the front row of the event). Marissa started off her talk by summarizing the books, she then discussed where her inspiration came from/ what made her first begin to write (basically, Sailor Moon + fanfic + the opportunity for a walk on role of "Star Trek"). Furthermore, the woman affirmed the fact that she  is a rockstar- her agent submitted "Cinder" on a Friday and by Monday she had offers from said publishers.

She then proceeded to tell us stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White quite unlike many of us had never heard before (who knew that there were fairytales far grimmer than the Grimm Brothers'?)- basically, they were bloody and no one survived with their eyes intact (also, one of the most hilarious things I have ever encountered before, but also kinda not... The stage was RIGHT beside the children's section of the bookstore. In fact, during the signing children were running back and forth in front of the stage. As Marissa was telling her gory stories the kids were standing there listening and THEIR PARENTS WERE LETTING THEM. I'm fairly certain that they're traumatized. But I think that it will work out for our benefit because they will be future YA readers, looking for something twisted/ different to read, not unlike Marissa's books).

Marissa regaling us with gory fairytales. 

Speaking of eyes... I have to share Marissa's version of Rapunzel as I have a theory about what is going to go down in "Cress" based upon what she said (not necessarily spoilery if you have yet to read "Scarlet"):

Basically Rapunzel's parents pawned her off to a witch after the witch gave her mother lettuce (her mother was craving lettuce while she was pregnant with Rapunzel. Also, curiously, both Cress and Rapunzel are types of lettuce). The witch locked Rapunzel into the typical tower where Rapunzel grew her long hair. 

One day a prince, as they do, was walking through the forest when he stumbled on Rapunzel's tower. After climbing her hair, Rapunzel and the prince soon fell in love. One day when the witch went to visit Rapunzel Rapunzel said something stupid along the lines of, "Gawd, mom- You're so much heavier than the prince!"

Realizing the implications of what Rapunzel had said, and the fact that Rapunzel was looking a fair bit rounder (PREGGOS), the witch, out of anger, cut off Rapunzel's hair and threw her into a desert. Unaware of this, the prince went to visit Rapunzel once again. After climbing her hair the prince came face-to-face with the witch, where she then proceeded to push him out of the window.

The prince landed in a thorn bush where he was then blinded. Now blind, the prince wandered around until one day he happened across the desert where Rapunzel had been stranded. The two eventually find one another and Rapunzel cries into his eyes, healing him.

So what am I thinking?

THAT THORNE AND CRESS FALL IN LOVE! 

And since I love, love, this makes me ecstatic. PLUS, if this is true than we have to assume that Cress is a firecracker if she is able to keep up with Thorne. 

So, yeah. Agree? Disagree? Have your say over on Goodreads!

After Marissa was finished with her fairytales she then took audience questions- the best one, in my opinion, was when an audience member asked if she wrote her books solely with shipping in mind (whoever you are, I LOVE YOU). Marissa said that her goal as an author is to entertain and to write strong female characters.

After an amazing 45 minute long talk/Q&A it was then time for the signing. Since Ashley and I had already gotten our things signed we were good to go. After waiting for the other gals (Ciara, Emilie, Meaghan, Katie, Ardo, Michele, Tiff, Christa) to get their books signed we then went out for lunch. While I love author events I gotta admit that hanging out with the girls may be just as much fun (hanging out with them *almost* makes me want to move out of my parents house and move to Toronto).

Bloggettes at lunch. Image credit goes to Michele.

All in all, as becomes evident, I had an AMAZING time. Huge thanks goes out to Marissa, Chapters/ Indigos, Indigo Events, Raincoast, and Ashley (for being the best book BFF ever)! 

"Things I Can't Forget" by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 

Pages: 320

From Goodreads: "Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. 

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…"

As becomes evident from my review of "Stealing Parker" (my introduction to Miranda Kenneally's "Hundred Oaks" series, having not read the first book in the series, "Catching Jordan", as these are companions novels and therefore prior knowledge of the series isn't required) I was not a fan of it- there was a number of things about it that irked me, from Parker's behaviour, to the "preachiness" of the novel, to the overall superficiality. That being said, despite my complaints I did decide to continue on with the series, reading this book, the third book, and I'm extremely happy that I did make the decision to do so as I liked the book twofold over the previous. 

While one would think that because the large majority of this book took place in a church camp that it might be quite "preachy", I personally didn't find that (that being said, I did spend over a decade in a church camp, even being the arts and crafts director myself, so that may play into my biases). I think that it anything this book was about character growth, namely in Kate's religious beliefs- her beliefs growing, adapting and adjusting, and her learning that there is perhaps more to life than them (and that others beliefs may differ from her own). I think that a lot of YA readers will be able to connect to her as she does face many struggles that they may be experiencing or have experienced, first boyfriend, arguments with friends, forming new friendships, and so forth. 

Matt was also an enjoyable character- I appreciated the fact that he simply was who he was- he didn't try to be someone else and he was extremely honest about it (like the ways in which he expressed his religious beliefs). I also thought that the interaction between him and his siblings were adorable, especially when his younger brother told Kate not to break his heart.  

Additionally, while I did like Kate and Matt in this novel I did find myself finally coming around to Parker (that being said, I wouldn't yet consider us to be BFFs, though we are somewhat getting there). It was nice to see her so less boy crazy in this book (her eyes only for Will) and to see her start to realize that perhaps she hadn't only been at the receiving end of misjudgment, but at the giving end. 

All in all, as becomes evident, I am glad that I did continue on with this series and I intend to read the final three books in the series (also, I will be finally picking up "Catching Jordan"). I think that those who are already fans of this series will be more than pleased by it and I thank them for their enthusiasm for this series, convincing me to give it another go. 

Rating: 4/5

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

Marissa Meyer Is Coming to Toronto!

Have you heard that Marissa Meyer is coming to Toronto? No? Well, you'd better hurry up and make your plans to see her!

As becomes evident from my recent review of "Scarlet", Marissa has quickly raised the ranks of my all time favouite authors. Oh, and this may have happened:

Since I can't decide between the two boys in her Lunar Chronicles series, as I find both to be swoon-worthy in their own right, I'd like to propose the question to Marissa herself to know who she would choose. Marissa, Kai or Wolf?

ARC Review: "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 5, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 464

From Goodreads: "Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner."

I have to start this review by thanking author Marissa Meyer- thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. It has been SO LONG since I have felt THE FEELS and SQUEEd over a book, so long so that I had come to think that the heart-pounding/ bubbly chest feeling that I experienced when reading something so good, so cute, so flaily, and so forth, was just a figment of my imagination. You, Marissa Meyer, were able to do something that so few authors have been able to do for me and I cannot thank you enough.

As becomes evident, I LOVED this book. After finishing it I had a large smile on my face and happy tears in my eyes. Not only is this one of the best sequels that I have ever read before, but one of the best books overall. I honestly cannot think of a single complaint about it- not for lack of trying. While I had found "Cinder" to be fairly predictable, correctly guessing the entire plot within the first couple of pages, I was sitting on the edge of this seat the entire time while reading this book, never quite knowing where Marissa was going to take it next.

Additionally, going into this book I was quite concerned about how Scarlet and Cinder would compare and how they would meet up- both were flawless. While both girls have big personalities, and are physically, emotionally, and mentally strong, they are each their own unique person- Cinder quite literally trying to discover where she fits in our world (or beyond) and Scarlet doing everything in her power to protect those she loves. Furthermore, their meeting felt so natural and seamless, not jarring or obvious in the slightest.

While I loved both girls I also loved Wolf- I love that he wasn't like any other bad boy I have ever read of before. He was just so subdued and understated. While I do, for instance, find Jace Wayland's arrogance, cockiness and charm to be swoon-worthy, I also found Wolf's quietness, thoughtfulness, and childlike innocence to be swoon-worthy. Furthermore, I liked seeing Kai really step up to the plate, assuming the role that he was born for. AND I LOVED Captain Thorne. He was just so over the top that you couldn't help but fall for him (in fact, I think that I may like him even more than Kai)- I think that him and Cinder compliment one another well (just as friends though, of course)- with her dryness and his head almost as big as his ship.

All in all, as becomes evident I loved this book- "Cress" and "Winter" have quickly raised in the ranks of my "Most Highly Anticipated Books of 2014 and 2015". I highly recommend this series to everyone- with memorable characters, a flawless plot, and feelings/ emotions like no other, you can't go wrong!

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,

ARC Review: "Breaking Point" by Kristen Simmons

Release Date: February 2, 2013
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 400

From Goodreads: "The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?" 

While I was somewhat iffy on the first book in this series, "Article 5" (primarily because of Ember), I did find this to be a vast improvement (it's clear that Kristen is growing tremendously as an author)- however, it's not without its faults. Personally I feel that this book suffers from "second book syndrome", to a degree. After finishing it and sitting back to consider it I found myself thinking, "That's it? All that this story centered around was trying to rescue Rebecca?" I just don't think that it was as near epic than it should have been/ there was really only one basic story line (especially when taking into consideration that there were SO many other elements that could have been added- I mean, they are living in an essentially war torn dictatorship where every single one of their actions is monitored, not unlike that of "The Hunger Games" or "Matched").

That being said, the dystopian world that Kristen has concocted is one of the best I have ever read of before (and I consider myself to be somewhat of a post-apocalyptic/ dystopian connoisseur, almost everything that I read in 2012 falling within the two genres). Her world building is second to none and I think that many authors of this genre could learn a lesson or two from her (there is an actual back story, folks!).

Furthermore, I loved that there was actual growth- in both the characters and in relationships. While Ember was somewhat whiny and nerve-grating in "Article 5" in this book she understood what was at stake and she stepped up to the plate, doing what no one else was able to. While Ember and Chase's relationship didn't play a massive role, I savored every moment that it did. Their relationship was one of the most mature and least superficial that I can ever recall reading in a YA before. 

All in all, I think that there was an even balance between things that I enjoyed in this novel and things that I didn't quite so much- regardless, I am quite looking forward to the next, and final, installment of this series, "Glass Arrow"!

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.

Stacking the Shelves: The "I'm A Lame STSer" Edition

To support my fellow Canadian bloggers I have decided to participate in Stacking the Shelves created by Tygna over at Tygna's Reviews. As Tygna 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!" 

I may be the most lame STSer ever- this is my first since the book-blogger meet-up in November. Surprisingly not a single one of these books came from Christmas!

For Review: 

• "Days of Starlight and Blood" by Laini Taylor (Thanks to HBG) 
• "The Archived" by Victoria Schwab (Thanks to HBG) 
• "The Lives We Lost" by Megan Crewe (Thanks to HBG)
• "The Friday Society" by Adrienne Kress (Thanks to Raincoast)
• "Things I Can't Forget" by Miranda Kenneally (Thanks to Raincoast)
• "Pulse" by Patrick Carman (Thanks to HarperCollins Canada)

Bought (I discovered BookCloseOuts.com... Have you ever heard of this before? It's AMAZING!)

• "The Way We Fall" by Megan Crewe
• "Ghost Town" by Rachel Caine 
• "Lost Voices" by Sarah Porter
• "Warm Bodies" by Isaac Marion 
• "Opal" by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• "Anatomy of a Boyfriend" by Daria Snadowsky
• "Picture Perfect" by Catherine Clark
• "Thrill Ride" by Rachel Hawthorne
• "Caribbean Cruising" by Rachel Hawthorne
• "Love on the Lifts" by Rachel Hawthorne
• "Suite Dreams" by Rachel Hawthorne
• "Icing on the Lake" by Catherine Clark
• "So Inn Love" by Catherine Clark

Won

• "Legacy of the Clockwork Key" by Kristin Bailey (Thanks to Elena Johnson and S&S)
• "The Infects" by Sean Beaudoin (Thanks to Sean and Ashley) 
• "Inheritance" by Christopher Paolini SIGNED (Thanks to Random House Canada)

Stacking the Shelves: The "I Broke My Shoulder Carrying These Books" Edition

To support my fellow Canadian bloggers I have decided to participate in Stacking the Shelves created by Tygna over at Tygna's Reviews. As Tygna 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!" 

So 'member that last STS post I had where I said that it was my most epic? I lied. This STS is- this a combination of books I have gotten over the last 2 weeks and the books that I got at the 2nd annual Ontario Blog Squad Meet-Up.

Trade (Thanks to all of the wonderful ladies I traded this for!):
"Rebel Heart" by Moira Young
"Lords of Misrule" by Rachel Caine
"Feast of Fools" by Rachel Caine
"Valiant" by Holly black
"Glimmerglass" by Jenna Black
"Touch" by Jus Accardo
"Clarity" by Kim Harrison
"Let's Pretend This Never Happened" by The Bloggess
"Entice" by Jessica Shrivington
"Bloodrose" by Andrea Cremer
"The Power of Six" by Pittacus Lore
"Team Human" by Justine Larbalestier
"The Raven Boys" by Maggie Stiefvater
"Carpe Diem" by Autumn Cornwell
"Audrey, Wait" by Robin Benway
"Lovestruck Summer" by Melissa Walker

Ontario Blog Squad Meet-Up (Thanks to all of the AMAZING publisher who supplied these books):
"The Crimson Crown" by Cinda Williams Chima
"Who I Kissed" by Janet Gurtler
"Sirens" by Janet Fox
"Sever" by Lauren DeStefano
"Etiquite and Espionage" by Gail Carriger
"Confessions of an Angry Girl" by Louise Rozett
"Fuse" by Julianna Baggott
"Speechless" by Hannah Harrington
"The Heart Broke In" by James Meek
"Red Moon" by Benjamen Percy
"Child of Venegance" by David Kirk
"The Edge of Courage" by Elaine Levine
"The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen" by Susin Nielsen

For Review: 
"Scorch" by Gina Damico (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"The Suburban Strange" by Nathan Kotecki (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"The Blind Spot" by Laura Ellen (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"Will Sparrow's Road" by Karen Cushman (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"The Book of Styling" by Somer Flaherty (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"The Hallowed Ones" by Laura Bickle (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"Percy's Killer Playlist" by Joe Schreiber (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"The Bronte Sisters" by Catherine Reef (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Mass (Thanks to Razorbill)
"Breaking Point" by Kristen Simmons (Thanks to Raincoast)

Borrowed (Thanks to Ashley): 
"Diety" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What did you get in your mailbox?

"Stealing Parker" by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Sourebooks Fire
Pages: 245

From Goodreads: "Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

After a scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back."

When I was presented the opportunity to read and review this book I jumped at the chance to do so (despite never having read "Catching Jordan"- yet), as it came so highly recommended to me (in fact, some of my friends who had read it had trumpeted author Miranda Kenneally as the next Stephanie Perkins and those of you who know me know that I LOVE Stephanie Perkins). Therefore, you could say that I had extremely high expectations- expectations which were not met in any way, shape, or form.

When I first started this book I felt that there was something off about the writing, something that I can't put on my finger on- I don't know if I found the writing to be too simplistic or juvenile or if I found that Parker's perspective was too jumpy and erratic- and it just spiraled downward from there. Admittedly, Parker rubbed me the wrong way from the get-go, I found her to be so superficial, selfish (for all but that one instance at the very end of the book), and the likes of- she possessed essentially every characteristic that I despise in a female character. I lost track of the number of times that she referred to herself as "hot", talked about how many boys liked her, described her tangly hair, and painted her nails (all but describing the entire process).

As my opinion of Parker was as such I had an extremely difficult time connecting to her, in fact, I had an extremely difficult time connecting to any character and the story line itself (admittedly, I also had quite a difficult time writing this review, because, in all honesty, I cared so little for this book to really be bothered to form a solid opinion of it). While I did quite like Brian in the beginning of the novel my opinion of him quickly soured as his true character was revealed. Additionally, while I did like Corndog a fair bit, I wish that he had been a bit more complex. Drew, Parker's best friend, was the brightest moment of the story for me, however my opinion of him was tarnished a fair bit by the assumptions that he made towards the end of the novel. Additionally, I had a bit of a difficult time with the religious aspect of this novel- while I withhold judgement about other's religions, I, at times, felt that this novel was a bit too "preachy"- barely a page passed without some mention of it.

All in all, while I personally was not a fan of this novel I believe that fans of Kenneally's "Chasing Jordan" will love this novel. Furthermore, despite said complaints I do intend to read Kenneally's other books, hopefully in doing so will allow me to reconsider my opinion of this book!

Rating: 2/5

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

ARC Review: "Wake" by Amanda Hocking

Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 309

From Goodreads: "Lose yourself in the magic of Watersong, an unforgettable new series about two sisters who nearly lose their lives - and their loves - when they fall under the spell of three beautiful but deadly sirens.

First in a four-book paranormal romance YA series from bestselling author, Amanda Hocking."

While I have followed Amanda Hocking success story for months, if not a year now- from a young writer rejected hundreds of times to a self-publishing author sensation- I must admit that this was the first book of hers that I have read, however, it will be by no means my last.

I think that Amanda's greatest strength is writing of entirely relateable and likable characters- from Gemma, a passionate young girl trying to find her place in the world, to her sister Harper, a girl who has been forced to grow up too quickly and who is constantly putting others before herself, to the boy next door Alex, who you can't help but find cute and charming despite all of his awkwardness.

That being said, I wish that the story line of this book had been more unique. I personally found it to be far too similar to Elizabeth Miles "Fury" series (which I will be posting reviews of later this summer)- from three strange and mysterious girls showing up in a small town, to them showing an interest in an everyday average girl, to the eventual transformation of the girl in some way, shape, or form. At times I felt that the only difference between the two books was that this book dealt with sirens, primarily water beings, while the other dealt with the furies, more so terrestrial beings.

Furthermore, overall I found the book to be quite a bit more juvenile than I had expected- in its writing, its characters, and in the plot. At times I forgot that the characters were 18 years old because they acted as how I would gauge 15 and 16 year olds would- not as soon-to-be college students would.

All in all, despite my complaints I did still find this book to be quite enjoyable and as mentioned, this will by no means be my last Amanda Hocking written read! Furthermore, I do plan to continue to read this book to see what she has in store next for the gang!

Rating: 7/10

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

"Girl Meets Boy" by Kelly Milner Halls

Release Date: December 28th, 2011
Publisher: Chronicle Books (Raincoast Books)
Pages: 204

From Goodreads: "What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story."

I jumped at the chance to read and review this book when it was offered- everything about it screamed "PERFECT" to me, from the cover, to the author list, to the theme, to the fact that each story was told from two POVs, the male characters POV and the female characters POV- as those who know me have come to learn I LOVE reading stories from male's POV (especially retellings of my favourite books, like Jace's POV of The Greenhouse Scene in "CoB", Daemon's POV of the dirty, sexy couch scene from "Obsidian", and heck, even Edward's POV in "Midnight Sun"). However, as I soon came to learn, this book was far from perfect.

While I don't have a problem with there being sex in a YA book I must admit that I did have a problem with the authors portraying the teenagers in a very stereotypical light- that they ONLY EVER have sex on their minds. As someone who not that long ago was a teenager I know this to be untrue. Yes, while some teenagers do have sex on their minds 24/7, the large majority do not (especially teenagers the same age as the characters in this book- 17 and 18 year olds who have larger concerns on their minds, graduation, post-secondary school, etc. than getting laid).

Furthermore, I found many of the stories to be tasteless (admittedly I was thinking that the stories would be not unlike Stephanie Perkin's "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Lola and the Boy Next Door" in the romance-department, fun and flirty stories which were tastefully done, but alas they were anything but)- going into a bit more detail than I had been expecting.

That being said, I did appreciate that the characters occupied a wide range of ethnicities and religions- from Rafi a Muslim individual in an interracial relationship with small-town Kerry, to Native American teens Wanda and Bobby, to African American Ruffina and your all-American, boy-next-door Sean. Furthermore, a wide spectrum of sexual orientations were also included within this book- gay, straight, transgender, etc.- many of which I personally haven't seen in YA books before.  

I took notes on each individual story as I read the book and they are as follows:

"Love or Something Like It" by Chris Crutcher/ "Some Things Never Change" by Kelly Milner Halls 
Rating: 4/10
This was by far my least favourite story in the anthology. I found it to be overtly sexual, bordering on tasteless/ tactless. I think that the authors wanted to sympathize for Wanda and all that she had experienced in her life, but I couldn't, primarily because I found that her and John showed very little redeemable characteristics (this story deals with mature/ heavy themes including rape and molestation). 

"Falling Down to See the Moon" by Joseph Bruchac/ "Mooning Over Broken Stars" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Rating: 6/10
This story was okay, but quite unmemorable (in fact as I write this review I have to skim the story to remind myself what it was about, despite only having read the book a day or two ago). The best part about the book was that it wasn't a damsel-in-distress story, but a don-in-distress story.

"Want to Meet" by James Howe/ "Meeting for Real" by Ellen Whittlinger
Rating: 9/10
Now THIS is the type of story that I had been hoping for! It was so cute and made my heart happy. It was totally unconventional and unexpected, but I couldn't have asked for anything better. I'd love to see this expanded into a full length novel. 

"No Clue, AKA Sean" by Rita Williams-Garcia/ "Sean and Raffina" by Terry Trueman
Cute tale of acceptance. Nothing more, nothing less.
Rating: 7/10

"Mouths of the Ganges" by Terry Davis/ "Mars at Night" by Rebecca Fjelland Davis 
RatingL 6.5/10
Another tale of acceptance, however I found this to be MUCH less memorable than the previous story (and at times too long, after all, these are supposed to be short stories).


"Launchpad to Neptune" by Sara Ryan and Randy Powell 
Rating: 8/10
TOTALLY unexpected, it made me a double take- I really enjoyed it. Like "Want to Meet"/ "Meeting for Real" I'd love to know more about these characters.


All in all, while I REALLY wanted to like this book, if not love it, I didn't- unfortunately the all-inclusive story lines and a few good stories here and there were unable to outweigh the at times tasteless story lines of many of these stories.

Overall Rating: 6/10

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

ARC Review: "Fated" by Alyson Noel

Release Date: May 22, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (Raincoast Books)
Pages: 306

From Goodreads: "The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy."

A few years ago I read the first few books in Alyson's "The Immortals" series, while I enjoyed the first book or so, I found myself becoming less and less enchanted by the series with each passing book- in all honesty I stopped reading the series after the third or fourth book as I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with the main character Ever, a storyline which became increasingly convoluted with each passing page, and the likes of. Since then I have admittedly given little thought to her "The Immortals" series, however, when I saw that Alyson was releasing a new series with this book, "Fated", being its first book, I jumped at the chance to read and review it and I am glad that I did as I very much enjoyed this book. In fact, I personally believe this book to be Alyson's strongest to date. 

While reading this book it became evident that Alyson is quite knowledgeable about the topic of Native American believes and practices such as spirit animals, vision quests, and the likes of- that she did a fair amount of research into said topics when writing this book. Though what is perhaps best about her knowledge about said topics is that she was able to convey it to the reader quite subtly- not once while reading this book did I ever feel like I was experiencing an 'information dump', being overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information on a topic I was admittedly quite unfamiliar with being thrown my way.  

One of my most favourite parts of this book was the prose- typically I am not one to notice something such as this as I read a book, but I couldn't not notice it as I read this book, especially in the first few chapters when Daire, the main character, was describing Morocco. For instance, "There are moments in life when everything pauses. The earth hesitates, the atmosphere stills, and time shrinks and folds onto itself until it collapses into a big tired heap" (pg. 1). 

Another part of the book which I very much enjoyed was secondary characters Xotichl's and Auden's relationship- it was perchance one of the cutest and most SQUEE-worthy relationships I have read in a fair while. A smile literally bloomed on my face whenever I read about them, especially during the following part: 

"Music and Xotichl- that's my life- it's all I need." He lifts his hand from the wheel, pulls her closer until their shoulders bump together.
"It's all true except for the last part. He loves music more than me," Xotichl says, squealing with delight when he leans in to kiss her, the sudden move causing the car to swerve slightly out of the lane before Auden rights it again. 
"Never! You know it's now true, take it back!" he says' (pg. 166). 

That being said, one of my largest complaints about this book was Dace- I personally found him to be quite underdeveloped and flat when compared to his twin brother Cade- I know who Cade is/ what sort of person he is/ what sort of evils he is capable of committing, but I am not quite sure exactly who Dace is.

All in all, I believe this to be Alyson's strongest book to date and I look forward to the next books in the series, "Echo", "Mystic" and "Horizon" (which I believe are going to be released every 6 months)- Hopefully we can see more of Auden and Xotichl and delve deeper into Dace's character (especially his role as the Echo)!

Rating: 8/10 

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

ARC Review: "Monument 14" by Emmy Laybourne

Release Date: June 5th
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Raincoast Books)
Pages: 294

From Goodreads: "Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart."

I must admit that when I first started this book I was a bit hesitant- I thought that it would be like  Suzanne Weyn's "Empty", that while enjoyable-ish was quite flat, however, this book was anything but! Unlike other books of this nature where I had only a "meh" attitude to the characters, the plot, and the likes of, in this book not only was I utterly engrossed and on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading it, but I also cared about the characters and their fates. One minute while reading it I was crying from laughing so hard (a result of the youngin's and all of the randomness that bubbled out of them) and the next I was tearing up because of all of the atrocities that said youngin's had to go through.

Each character was so dynamic and complex that I found it near impossible not to not care for and befriend them, from little Ulysses who was so lonely due to a language barrier, to the red-headed freckled twins who were one another's rocks, to straight-edged Niko, to Max, a loud talking tot with sketchy stories (who is reminiscent of Chuck from "One Tree Hill"), to Dean, a confused "kiddie cook/ booker" trying to find his place in the world and maybe get a girlfriend in the process.

That being said, I did have a problem with the book- the end. I personally despise books with ambiguous/ open-ended endings. I am very much an 'epilogue' sort of person- I LOVE for things to be laid out for me (ie. "This character survives", "This person dies", "The world fixes itself this way", etc.)- what can I say? I am fairly unimaginative when it comes to visualizing what happens to characters after their story comes to a close.

All in all, despite my complaints about the ending, this was a thrilling debut from Emmy Laybourne (not to mention a literal emotional roller coaster of a book- I'm typically not one to cry from books, but as mentioned, I did multiple times from reading this)- I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next (and I am very curious to see whether or not this is the first book in a 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.

ARC Review: "Of Poseidon" by Anna Banks

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Publisher: Felwel and Friends (Raincoast Books)
Pages: 324

From Goodreads: "Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .

Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance."

I don't think that I can eloquently sum up my feelings for this and do it justice in a review because in all honesty all I want to do is fan-girl sequel until y'all run out and pre-order yourselves a copy of this book. This book was such a pleasure to read and it is one of the best books I have read this year (it is in my top 5 books of 2012 amongst "Cinder" by Marissa Meyer, "Dearly, Departed" by Lia Habel, "The Pledge" by Kimberly Derting, and "The Selection" by Kiera Cass).

Galen is very well on his way to becoming the new Daemon Black (RE: Jennifer Armentrout's "Lux" series). How so? I expect that after this book is released and everyone gets their preorders in their hot little hands  he will develop a cult following not unlike Daemon- due to not only being utterly swoon-worthy and sarcastic, but even more- kind, caring, and sweet. Additionally, Emma was such a strong heroine, I very much appreciated the fact that she wasn't one of *those* girls- those girls being the one who completely falls head over heels for said swoon-worthy boy as soon as she sets her eyes upon him/ completely looses herself as their relationship comes into being- she was truly Galen's equal and could stand toe-to-toe with him (and out-snark him) any day of the week.

Not only did I enjoy Galen and Emma, I also LOVED the secondary characters, Rayna and Toraf. I thought that they brought so much humor to the book- from Rayna continuously rejecting Toraf/ threatening him at every turn, to Rayna and Emma's girl fight,  to Toraf bringing out the green-eyed monster in Rayna so as to get his way.

The only complaint I have of this book is that I wish that the chapters in Galen's POV had actually been from his POV- they were actually told in third person rather than first person (like Emma's chapters were). I personally ADORE reading from male characters POVs, from Cassie Clare's various rewrites of "The Mortal Instruments" in Jace's POV, to Jennifer Armentrout's rewrite of "Obsidian" from Daemon's POV, to even Stephanie Meyer's rewrite of "Twilight" ("Midnight Sun") in Edward's POV.

Criticism aside, this is a STUNNING debut from Anna- she is truly an author to keep our eyes on. As becomes evident I cannot say enough good things about this book- from the flawlessly woven and totally unexpected mystery to the amazingly developed and complex characters to the unique storyline. I eagerly impatiently await for book 2 to hear more about Galen and Emma!

Rating: 10/10

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

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: "Last Rite" by Lisa Desrochers

Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Tor (Raincoast Books)
Pages:  368

From Goodreads: "In this final installment of the thrilling, edgy Personal Demons series, the battle between Heaven and Hell has become critical, and Frannie Cavanaugh is right at the center of it.

With the help of the powerful angel Gabe and demon-turned-mortal Luc, Frannie has been able to stay one step ahead of the forces of Hell. But when the demons killed Frannie's best friend and destroyed her brother, they raised the stakes. If Frannie wants to keep her family and friends safe, she knows she has no choice but to go on the run.

Their best defense is the power Frannie has been struggling to master, but her attempts to hone her skill go horribly awry. If Frannie doesn't learn fast, the consequences could be devastating--even apocalyptic.

What happens when you can't outrun Hell...or trust the ones you love?"

I must admit that I had a bit of trouble getting into this book, I, for the life of me, struggled to remember what had happened in the earlier books, despite having read them less than a year ago. I think that this book would have benefited from the first chapter (or prologue) being a recap of everything that had occurred within the series (or a post from the author similar to what Veronica Roth did for the release of "Insurgent", "But I Read Divergent a YEAR Ago!": Your Guide to Remembering Stuff Before You Read Insurgent")- especially considering the fact that there were SO MANY revelations revealed at the end of "Original Sin" to keep track of. 

Furthermore, I had a bit of a problem with the ending- I felt that there was just SO MUCH going on that I couldn't keep track of it all. Despite having reread parts of the ending I must admit that I still don't quite understand exactly what the fate of our beloved Frannie, Luc and Gabe is/ what their new roles are. 

That being said, like with the earlier books I applaud Lisa's ability to write in multiple perspectives- Frannie's, Luc's and Gabe's. Each character is so finely developed, complex, and truly has their own voice. I enjoy reading one POV as the next. Additionally, while God quite literally played a large role in this book not once did I find myself becoming overwhelmed with the religious aspect to it, nor did I find to be preachy in the slightest. 

Furthermore, I really liked seeing more of/ learning more about Frannie's sisters. I was extremely intrigued by what each of them had to bring to the table in the ultimate showdown between Heaven and Hell (can anyone say 'spin-off'? ;) ). 

All in all, despite my criticisms I do think that this is a great addition/ finale to Lisa's "Personal Demons" series. I think that if Rachel Vincent's "Soul Screamers" series were to have a baby with Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series this series would be the result and therefore I HIGHLY recommend it to fans of said series. I'm quite excited to see what Lisa has up her sleeve for future books/ series!

Rating: 8/10

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: 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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?