ARC Review: "Earthbound" by Aprilynne Pike

Release Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 352

From Goodreads: "Love, fate, and power collide in this new series by #1 New York Timesbestselling author Aprilynne Pike!

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. Tavia will soon discover that she’s an Earthbound—someone with the ability to create matter out of nothing—and that she alone holds the key to stopping the Reduciata, an evil society that manipulates global events for its own shadowy purposes. Tavia will ultimately have to make a choice: to come into her powers and save the world from the evil Reduciata or to choose free will and a love of her own."

Admittedly I was quite hesitant to read this book- why? Because Aprilynne's "Wings" series is one of my most favourite series and I didn't think that there was any way that this book could compare. Am I ever glad that I was wrong. This book is, without a doubt Aprilynne's strongest book to date and one of the better books that I have read this year. That being said, that is not to say that this book is without its fault.

The largest strength of this book, in my opinion, is its complexity. While Aprilynne's "Wings" series was complex in the make-up of its world of faerie, I don't think that it could touch this in that aspect. I was never quite sure where Aprilynne was going to take the story next- for instance, I didn't know what paranormal beings the characters were (if any), who could be trusted, and so forth.

That being said, I wasn't a massive fan of the love triangle element of this book- I felt that it was near impossible to make a connection to Quinn and therefore it fell quite flat. Furthermore, when one of the paranormal elements of the storyline was revealed, I couldn't help but wish that it was more unique- it seemed a bit too similar to Lauren Kate's "Fallen" series for my liking. Last, after finishing it, I had the sense that, while a lot happened, not a lot did (what did happen seemed more so action-y than answer-y, very much along the lines of "answering questions with questions").

That being said, I do think that this is an extremely promising to Aprilynne's new series- it becomes evident that with each book she grows tremendously as an author- and, as I am sure that you can imagine, despite my complaints, I am more than excited to see what she has next in store for these characters. As such, I do highly recommend this book as I do think that overall she has done something a bit different than we have seen in the world of YA to this point.

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.

Blog Tour: "The Ruining" by Anna Collomore

Release Date: February 7, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 313

From Goodreads: "Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door. 

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity."

When I first started to read this book I was excited- it had all of the elements that I enjoy in books of this nature, psychological thrillers, where the main character struggles to differentiate between fact and fiction- a fast-paced plotline where you are constantly sitting on the edge of your seat, a build-up and swell of emotions as the main character spirals more and more downwards into insanity, and a villain who is so convincing that you can't help but wonder if they actually are a villain. That being said, I feel that at the crescendo of the book, the most epic part, it just... fell flat, ending on a sour note, or, in this case, too normal of a note, bordering on domestic.

Additionally, I did find the romance element of the book, between Annie and Owen, to be fairly unconvincing. Only after a few encounters, in all of which Annie was horrid to Owen, he was willing to do anything for her. While I think that the author had intended for this to come across as being romantic, I thought that it was anything but- I couldn't help but think that Annie had ended up in almost an identical situation to that of which she was in with Libby, with Owen (being bossed around by another, not having control of her life, etc.)- you'd think that with everything that she had suffered through she would know better than to do that again.

As becomes evident, I am quite torn about this book, perhaps the most torn that I have ever been while rating a book before- does the awesome first 3/4 of the book outweigh the iffy last 1/4? Or is the last 1/4 do disappointing that it colours everything else? Is the book worth 3 stars? 4? Or even 5? Would I recommend this book? Or would I recommend similar books instead? Overall, while I do love the concept of the book I think that the execution is lacking, especially at the end. I personally find that "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkins and "Lucid" by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass are more successful at tackling this genre than this book is. That being said, I can see myself rereading this book again in the future- a sign that I like it enough to do so.

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. 

"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 404

From Goodreads: "After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

If I were to be asked what the first thing that pops into my head when I think about this book was it would be the characters- It has some of the best that I can recall reading in quite some time, main and secondary alike. From Celaena, a young assassin who is trying to find exactly where she stands in life and is loyal through and through, despite not owing anyone anything, to Prince Dorian, who, despite knowing that you'll just be another notch in his belt, you can't help but fall for,due to his larger-than-life personality, to Chaol, perhaps one of the most mature YA boys I have ever read of before, to Nox, a fellow criminal who is thrown into the champion competition alongside Celaena, providing her with the much needed camaraderie/ support that she so desperately needs (I don't know about y'all but for a while there I was totally rooting for Nox to be the third arm in the love triangle).

That being said, if I were then asked what the second word that pops into my head is it would be "busy". At times I thought that there was WAY too much going on- from a crazy king hellbent on committing essentially genocide, to a battle of champions, to a rebellious princess, to Fae,  to a gateway between worlds, to religions and holidays, and the likes of. I personally would have preferred if the champion competition had played a larger role, after all, it is the core of the book- I found that in the latter half of the book especially it was too glossed over, with Celaena just mentioning it in passing (for instance, something along the lines of, "After the sixth competition that I did today..." Would you care to give us a bit more information about what exactly you had to do? How everyone fared, etc.?)- it seemed to be one of those instances of "told" rather than "showed".

All in all, despite my complaints I did quite enjoy the book- it is one of the better that I have read in quite some time and I will be continuing on with this series as I am quite curious to see how all of the various elements will come together. I think that fans of Tamora Pierce will devour this book as it is, in my opinion, her "Song of the Lioness" meets her "Trickster's" duet (and then some).

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.

Guest Post: Adrienne Kress

Today I am excited to have author Adrienne Kress stop by the blog to tell us a bit about her writing process- Adrienne is the author of "The Friday Society", a book which I recently read and adored! 

Comedy

Why do I like comedy so much, and why do I make it an important element of my writing?  For these five reasons:

1. I love to laugh. 

2. I love to make other people laugh.

3.  The fact that something is funny doesn’t mean it can’t also speak to human truths and have serious moments.  In fact, I tend to find comedies can pack even more of an emotional wallop than pure drama.  Life, in general, is absurd.  And to deny that absurdity is to take something honest and real away from the moment.  Yes, there are purely serious moments, and, in fact, I have such moments in all my books.  But those are rare.  Usually we feel a mix of feelings, life isn’t all black and white.  I remember when I was delivering the eulogy at my grandmother’s funeral.  I’m an actor as well as an author and I tend to work best when I get audience feedback, be it laughter, applause, etc.  Of course at a funeral people aren’t really doing any of those things.  They are sitting listening to you.  Not really responding that much.  So as I was reading my eulogy, and was getting all teary and missing my grandmother so much, I also couldn’t help thinking, “Wow, tough crowd.”

See? Absurd, right?

4.  Speaking of absurdity.  Douglas Adams has got to be one of my greatest literary influences.  It was his absurd humour that taught me I was allowed to play in the telling of a story.  My father read to me before bed every night, and we worked our way through the classics (Dickens, Tolkien, etc).  But then one day he picked up THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, and my perspective on books and on writing changed in that moment.  I don’t think my mind would have been nearly as blown had I not been introduced to the classics first.  And I think it is very important to have a solid grounding before you start to hop around like a crazy person.  But Adams definitely inspired my love of absurdity, and that tends to be at the core of most of my humour.  I think, going back to point 3, what I like best about it is that life is kind of absurd.  And building up on that idea to an extreme is still a very honest reflection of how humans live.  It is also hilarious.

  

5. A shared joke that everyone loves brings people together in a wonderful way.  It’s an instant moment of connection.  Of “Even if we are quite different, we have this in common.”  The best evenings out with friends are the ones where everyone is laughing, where everyone is having fun.  I really love bonding over comedy.  It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

From Goodreads: "Be your own hero.

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures."

About the Author: Adrienne Kress is a Toronto born actor and author who loves to play make-believe. She also loves hot chocolate. And cheese. Not necessarily together.

She is the author of two children's novels: ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN and TIMOTHY AND THE DRAGON'S GATE (Scholastic). Her debut YA novel, THE FRIDAY SOCIETY, launches Fall 2012 from Dial, Penguin.

She is a theatre graduate of the Univeristy of Toronto and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the UK. Published around the world, ALEX was featured in the New York Post as a "Post Potter Pick," as well as on the CBS early show. It won the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award in the UK and was nominated for the Red Cedar. The sequel, TIMOTHY, was nominated for the Audie, Red Cedar and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards, and was recently optioned for film.

Blog Tour: "The Friday Society" by Adrienne Kress

Release Date: December 6, 2012
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 440

From Goodreads: "An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all.

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures."

As I have said time and time again, it is very rare for me to like female characters- especially when compared to their male counterparts. I feel like the male characters are so built up, that we, as readers, know everything about them, from the differentiating flecks of colour in their eyes, how their hair falls just perfectly over their forehead, how the one corner of their mouth quirks up, etc., whereas the female characters are often just shells that female readers can insert themselves into- that is, until I read this book and met its three main females- Michiko, Nellie, and Cora.

Each of these girls is so dynamic, multifaceted, insert adjective of that nature here (and with such BIG personalities)- but best of all, I think it darn near impossible to pick a favourite out of the three as they each bring something unique to the table- from Michiko's understated strength and elegance to Cora's intelligence and witty comebacks to Nellie's charm and just overall likeability. They are some of few characters that I know that I will never tire of revisiting.

Another element of this book that really stuck out to me was the setting- a sort of Victorian-era setting with a Steampunk vibe. While I have read many books of this nature I have only found one to be truly successful in carrying it out before- Lia Habel's "Dearly, Departed", again, that is, until I read this novel. In fact, I think that the setting of this book may be even better than that of Habel's as I find the Steampunk to be not so glaringly obvious (ie. almost as if it is just thrown in there for the sake of being there), like Michiko's understated strength and elegance the Steampunkness is, too, understated.

While I know that some will have complaints that this novel isn't historically accurate, that the characters speak in too modern of a manner, etc. I personally really enjoyed that aspect- I found that it made the book much more fun and lighthearted than books of this nature typically are- much less heavy than usual. Plus, I feel like I could relate to them more as the way that we think is very similar.

All in all, I believe this to be a stunning debut from author Adrienne Kress- not only can I not wait to see what she has in store for us next, but I will be adding a finished copy of this to my shelves! I highly recommend this for those looking for memorable characters with a fun (not to mention sometimes flirty) storyline!

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.

ARC Review: "Black City" by Elizabeth Richards

Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths."

When I first received this book to read and review I was beyond excitement because I think that this book is one of few books being released this fall/ winter that has had a ton of hype surrounding it- everywhere I turned person after person was raving about how amazing this book was and how it would grace their "Top Tens of 2012" lists, but after reading it myself I honestly cannot think of why. This book has been one of the more disappointing ones I have read in quite some time.

While there were many disappointing elements of this book the most would, by far, be the melodramatics of it. There were countless instances where all I could do was shake my head or roll my eyes at what came out of the characters mouths- from declarations of insta-love (not unlike 'Twilight's" "I'd rather die than live without you") to talking about the "seriousness" of their relationships at age 14 and 15 (something along the lines of "When we were fourteen we were so in love"), to just general angst-iness (not the good kind of angst- I mean, Jace Wayland is my favourite character so you know that I love angst- this was "grates on your nerves", "sets your teeth on edge" angst).

As I found the book overall to be quite melodramatic I obviously found the characters to be as well. Being melodramatic and, frankly, immature (think of the most immature high school student you know, amplify them, and you have these characters) I had an extremely difficult time relating to them. In fact, if I were asked right now to describe the characters, mere hours after finishing it, I don't think that I could as they made so little of an impact upon me. Additionally, I found that there were a lot of characters and many of them had similar names- Beetle, Roach, etc.- that made it difficult to differentiate between them, especially in action-packed scenes where all of them were congregated in one place.

That being said, I think that the concept of the novel was extremely inventive and quite unlike anything I have ever seen in YA before. Furthermore I think that the twist was quite well done- I thought that I had it all figured out and it turned out that I was (partially) wrong. Finally, obviously the book does have a readability factor as I did finish it, rather than DNFing it- it's the sort of book that you can't not finish as you do need to know how it all ends.

All in all, admittedly I am on the fence about whether or not I will read the last two books in this series which is quite surprising as I am the sort of person who must finish a series no matter how much, in that moment, I may hate myself for doing so (ie. with the "House of Night" series and "Morganville Vampires"). I think that this book had a ton of potential but that it didn't live up to it in the slightest. That being said, I think that those occupying the younger end of the YA spectrum (13-16 years old) would really enjoy this book- especially fans of the aforementioned "Twilight" or "Romeo and Juliette" retellings.

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.

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?

"Lucid" by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 342

From Goodreads: "What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts." 

Like Michelle Hodkin's "Mara Dyer" series I admittedly only understood between 27.3% to 45.8% of what was going on in this book at any one time, however that did not stop me from liking this book in the slightest- with likeable characters, entertaining character arcs, an idea like no other and the likes of I believe it near impossible to not like this book.

On the note of interesting characters, while I really like both of the girls, Maggie and Sloan, I surprisingly enjoyed Maggie more, which I found to be quite surprising as Sloan is almost always the sort of girl I veer towards- the stereotypical all American/ girl next door character, who is extremely focused on school, rather than the flighty LA/  New York model/ actress/(insert occupation of that nature here) who gallivants around her city as if she owns it. I just found Maggie's story to be so much more relateable, real and raw- she was just so good, always trying to see the best in everyone around her and more often than not putting others before her (I mean, essentially mothering her little sister, Jade? That is no small feat).

Additionally, much like preferring Maggie over Sloan I also preferred Maggie's love interest, Andrew, over Sloan's, James. James was almost too perfect in my opinion, to the point of being unapproachable, whereas Andrew is the sort of person I think that anyone would be happy to consider a friend- a boy who makes mistakes and who isn't afraid to admit it. He had nothing on Maggie when it came to handling her younger sister.

That being said, not only were the mains and their love interests great characters, but so were the secondary characters- from Jade, Maggie's aforementioned little sister, with a personality almost as big as her crush on Andrew, to Gordy, Sloan's rock, of sorts, the boy who is dependable and who you can always count on, through thick or thin, to Sloan's gossipy bestie girly friends who help to balance out her serious personality.

As mentioned, while I only understood between 27.3% to 45.8% of the story overall, I think that I only understood 2.4% of the ending, but I'm okay with that. I like how it is open-ended and really up to the reader's discretion/ imagination about what exactly happened.

All in all, this is an extremely fascinating reading and one that I will pick up over and over again, not only to see if I can get a better grasp on the ending, but also to relive everything amazing that this book has to offer- great characters with interesting arcs, a unique plot, and the likes of.

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.

ARC Review: "Venom" by Fiona Paul

Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Philomel
Pages: 432

From Goodreads: "Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself."

If I were asked to describe this book in one word it would be "long". Despite it only being a 432 page book (I know, I'm also considering my sanity by writing "despite it only being a 432 page book"- what can I say? I've grown accustomed to books that are at least 500 pages long) it felt much, much longer. Everything just felt so long drawn out and slow- from the plot, all of the descriptions that Fiona writes, and the likes of. And as such, I personally could only read a few chapters every night (for almost a week and a half) when I am used to reading a book in a single sitting.

But then there is a flip-side, I did finish it despite my complaints- this means that I liked it enough and was intrigued enough to do so. What made the story for me were the characters- Cassanda and Falco. Despite not typically being a fan of female characters I did really like Cass. I found that overall she had a fairly strong head on her shoulders and was someone that readers can really relate with. While Falco may not have started out as being totally swoon-worthy with his cocky arrogance I did soon find myself swept off of my feet by him as the story progressed and we learned more and more of his true character.

I was also interested in the love triangle- who is better for Cass? The boy who makes her loose her inhibitions and feel alive? Or the boy who is unwavering solid and can offer her not only the world, but her family? However, personally I believe that it was one of the most dissatisfying love triangles I have ever encountered before mainly because I love love and I hate to see it go to waste  (Let's just say that if you weren't a fan of how the love triangle ended in Lili St. Crow's "Strange Angels" series that you will most likely not be a fan of how this love triangle also ends).

Another aspect which I am a bit iffy on is the ending- the last chapter is mainly composed of Cass questioning everyone and everything around her- by the end of this book very little is revealed (I mean, the series is named "Secrets of the Eternal Rose" yet the Eternal Rose is mentioned all of two? Three times? It's not like Cassie Clare named her "Mortal Instrument" series as such and didn't make mention of the Mortal Instruments until the third book or so).

All in all, despite my complaints, I, as mentioned, did enjoy the book- it is an extremely unique YA, "The Diviners" by Libba Bray meets "The Thief Lord" Cornelia Funk. Furthermore, I do plan on continuing with this series if only to see how it all wraps up.

Rating: 3/5

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

Stacking the Shelves

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... This is probably the most epic STS I have ever had before- but only because this is the first STS post that I have had in a month (since before my hiatus).

For Review

• "The Evolution of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin (Thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada): I recently read this and absolutely LOVED IT- I can't wait to get a finished copy in a couple of weeks!
• "Adaptation" by Malinda Lo (Thanks to Hachette Canada): I recently read and reviewed this on the blog! 
• "Black City" by Elizabeth Richards (Thanks to Razorbill Canada): I've heard such great things about this book that I can't wait to start reading it! 
• "Stealing Parker" by Miranda Kenneally (Thanks to Raincoast): I also recently read this, the review will be up in the next little while! 
• "The Diviners" by Libba Bray (Thanks to Hachette Canada): I also recently read this, the review will be up on Tuesday, I believe! 
• "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer (Thanks to Raincoast): This is one of my most highly anticipated books of 2013- I can't wait to reread "Cinder" and then start on this! 
• "The Broken Lands" by Kate Mildford (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "Sons of the 613" by Michael Rubens (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son) 
• "What Came from the Stars" by Gary D. Schmidt (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "Dead is a Killer Tune" by Marlene Perez (Thanks to Thomas Allen and Son)
• "The Casual Vacancy" (Not pictured- Thanks to Hachette)

Bought

• "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin: I finally replaced my ARC with this finished copy- bought at Chapters for a mere $4.99! 
• "Avengers Season One" by Marvel: I bought this alongside my DVD of "The Avengers" 
• "Fury" by Elizabeth Miles: After borrowing my library's copy of this I knew that it was a keeper- and it comes at the perfect timing, author Elizabeth Miles will be coming to the Ontario Blog Squad's meet-up in a couple of weeks! 
• "Spellbound" by Kelley Armstrong: I finally got this after waiting for a year for the Canadian paperback to be released! 
• "Graveminder" by Marissa Marr: I have always been really curious about this therefore when I saw it at Chapters for $5.99 I couldn't pass it up! 
• "Red Glove" by Holly Black: Again, I couldn't pass this book up when I saw it for $5.99 at Chapters! 
• "The Eternal Ones" by Kirsten Miller: Ditto w/ "Red Glove"
• "The Nine Lives of Chloe King: Volume 1" by Liz Braswell: You can't really do much better than the first three books in the series for $4.99! 

Won

• "Rage Within" by Jeyn Roberts (Thanks to Jen over at Lost in the Library and S&S Canada!)

Stacking the Shelves

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!" 

For Review (Special thanks to Razorbill Canada!)

• "Lucid"by Adrienne Stoltz
• "Rift"by Andrea Cremer

Bought

• "Onyx" by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
• "The Golden Lily" by Richelle Mead 
• "Before I Wake" by Rachel Vincent 
• "Biting Cold" by Chloe Neill 

I managed to snag all of the books in the above pic for a mere $25! Special thanks to Giselle over at Xpresso Reads for sharing the awesome sale Chapters was having!

• "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff 
• "Eternal" by Cynthia Leitich Smith 
• "I Am Number Four" by Pittacus Lore 
• "Vesper" by Jeff Sampson
• "Cinder" by Marissa Meyer

What did you get in your mailbox?

"Soulbound" by Heather Brewer

Release Date: June 19, 2012
Publisher: DIAL
Pages: 394

From Goodreads: "Tril is a world where Barrons and Healers are Bound to each other: Barrons fight and Healers cure their Barrons' wounds in the ongoing war with the evil Graplar King. Seventeen-year-old Kaya was born a Healer, but she wants to fight. In Tril, and at Shadow Academy, where she is sent to learn to heal, it is against Protocol for Healers to fight. So Kaya must learn in secret. Enter two young men: One charming, rule-following Barron who becomes Bound to Kaya and whose life she must protect at all costs. And one with a mysterious past who seems bent on making Kaya's life as difficult as possible. Kaya asks both to train her, but only one will, and the consequences will change their lives forever."

Admittedly when I first got this book to read and review I was a bit hesitant to do so namely because of the cover- what can I say? I am a bono fide cover whore and this cover? Well, it didn't do anything for me, therefore resulting in me projecting those "meh" feelings onto the book. However, as I began to delve deeper and deeper into the book I began to realize that my initial reaction of the book was a silly assumption at best- and we all know what happens when you assume. ;) This book was SUCH a pleasure to read and in all honestly I am trying REALLY hard to write a coherent review/ keep my excitement, mainly in the form of jumping up and down, whilst SQUEEing about how you have to run out and buy this book RIGHT NOW, contained. Oh, and that cover? The only weak point about this book IMO, I can literally not think of a single complaint about the characters, plot, setting, essentially all of the important parts of this book.

What made this book so successful was three things: the strongest female character I think that I have EVER encountered before, TWO utterly swoon-worthy male characters, and a love triangle like no other.

As many have come to know (since I almost ALWAYS complain about it) heroines don't often do anything for me, I feel that they are too underdeveloped (especially when compared to their male counterparts), that they are too reliant upon the males in their lives, etc., however I did not find that whatsoever when it came to Kaya. As mentioned, she is without a doubt the strongest female character I have ever read before- mentally, physically, and emotionally. I think that compared to a lot of female characters I have read of over the years that she gave the most thought to everything that she did, she made informed decisions that benefited all of those around her in some way, shape or form, as opposed to jumping into something with seemingly little thought. She always strove to be better and not once complained when things didn't go her way. Furthermore, she didn't allow herself to be guided only by her heart, she also used her brain- she didn't turn into a gigantic puddle of mush as soon as one of the boys so much as showed her an ounce of attention.

As for Darius and Trayton, the two main males of the book? SWOONFEST! But what is perhaps the best about them is the love triangle they present- perchance one of the best I have ever read of. Why I enjoyed this love triangle is that there is ACTUAL competition (as opposed to what I consider to be an unsuccessful love triangle, where it is evident from the get-go who the lead is going to be with, as in the case of Simon, Jace, and Clary)- whenever I thought I was being swayed in one boys direction the other would do something to sweep me off of my feet. At this point in time I don't know who I would prefer to see Kaya end up with. Each of them truly brings out a bigger and better side of Kaya.

All in all, a strong heroine, amazing male characters, strong love triangle, coupled with a fast paced plot and interesting storyline makes this a MUST read and without a doubt the best epic fantasy I have read this year. I literally cannot say enough about this book (I'm not ashamed to admit that even 100 pages into this book I *may* have been shedding happy tears because it was just *that* good)- basically go out and buy it. Or you will regret it. Heather has easily soared to the top of my "authors to keep an eye out for" list- I CANNOT wait to see what she has up her sleeve next!

Rating: 5/5

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

Blog Tour: "Rift" by Andrea Cremer

Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Philomel
Pages:448

From Goodreads: "Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels."

Literally hours before I picked up this book to began reading it I had been complaining on Twitter that it had been FOREVER since I had last been passionate about a book (or more accurately 29 books read, the last book being "The Golden Lily" by Richelle Mead) and then I read this and all complaints were soon forgotten. Because this book is truly one to get passionate about (which I must admit I was quite surprised by, as I wasn't the world's biggest fan of Andrea's "Nightshade" series). Without a doubt I will be adding have added a finished copy of it to my bookshelves.

Despite being an epic fantasy of sorts I didn't find the book, specifically the language, to be heavy in the slightest- once I started reading it I was quite literally unable to put it down due to said fact, coupled alongside a well paced, interesting story line. Furthermore, despite there being a quite large cast of characters I didn't find myself growing tired of being introduced to one after another, nor did I find myself confusing them, as I find oft happens in books of this nature- each character was so well developed and complex, truly their own person.

Included amongst said well developed and complex characters was main character Ember- a noblemen's daughter who wanted more from life than being a mere housewife expected to do no more arduous task than raise children and lift a needle to an embroidery hoop- who wanted a life of action and adventure, which she not only got, but excelled at. She is perchance one of the strongest heroines I have ever had the pleasure of reading of before.

That being said, I wish that Barrow, both Ember's mentor and  love interest, had been a tad more developed- he was a bit too standoffish and stoic for my liking- I think that had that been done he would have been even more so swoon-worthy!

All in all, as becomes evident from this review I highly recommend this book to everyone- especially fans of Tamora Pierce, Robin La Fevers, and the likes of. A cast of amazingly developed characters, an epic plot quite unlike anything like I have ever read before, and a fast paced story line makes it a must read. I truly cannot wait to see what Andrea has in store for this amazing cast of characters in the next book! 

Rating: 5/5

Memorable lines from this book:

"I've never considered whether you'd get to the ceremony faster rolling instead of walking, but I'm game to find out. Would you like to start over from the very top of the staircase?" (pg. 49). 

"Alistair is as fine as option as Ember. He may not play the part of a helpless young woman, but he'll easily appear an overconfident fool" (pg. 231).

"What are you asking of me?" 
"Too much." He drew a shuddering breath. "I thought myself strong, but discover I am weak as the next man. Perhaps weaker" (pg. 411). 

"They set off at a dead run... Two riders flying to over the earth as if trying to escape the very night" (pg. 431). 

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

"The Dead I Know" by Scot Gardner

Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date:  August 7, 2012
Pages: 216

From Goodreads: "When Aaron gets a job at a funeral home, he surprisingly takes to it. But there are dark secrets hidden in Aaron’s subconscious. He experiences dangerous bouts of sleepwalking and recurring dreams he can’t explain: a lifeless hand, a lipsticked mouth, a man, a gun... Can he piece the clues together and figure out the truth of his past?"

I think that my largest complaint about this book is that I found the writing to be overly simplistic- bordering on flat, from the story line itself and the emotions surrounding it (not once while reading it did I really feel anything, no concern for Aaron for his sleepwalking, nor no sympathy for him, no pounding heart at the end when all was revealed- nothing), to the characters themselves (Aaron more so out of anyone). Furthermore, I wish that it would have been more evident that this in an Australian YA book (I must admit that I very rarely ever do research into an author prior to reading their books, therefore I was unaware of the fact that this book was set in Australia and that Scot is Australian himself- I do oftentimes take books at face value)- because I was initially unaware of the fact that this book was set in Australia I was thrown by the differences in language use (for instance, "caravan" instead of "trailer" or "camper") and it did take me a fair while to adjust to it.

That being said, I thought that the secondary characters, John and his daughter, Skye, especially, were fantastic characters- I thought that they brought a lot of lightheartedness to this otherwise quite heavy/ bordering on depressing novel. John was such a strong male character, a true role model- not once did he judge Aaron or his lifestyle when everyone else was- and because of his belief in and support of Aaron he allowed him to become a better person/ he person that he was destined to be. I thought that Skye also brought out a different side of Aaron, a lighter, more brotherly side, as opposed to his stoic/ robotic side. Furthermore, I thought that the ending was also quite good, much better than the earlier 3/4- it turned out to be a true 'feel-good' sort of ending with a mild moral.

All in all, this book just wasn't my cup of tea- that's not to say that it was a bad book, it wasn't-  I think that external factors (ie. the time that I was reading this book) really impacted my views of it and the fact that it is somewhat outside of my comfort zone (YA paranormals). Despite my criticisms I am quite intrigued by Scot as an author and I do intend on checking out his other books!

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.

"The Dead I Know" Blog Tour: Author Interview

Today I am excited to be a part of Razorbill Canada's blog tour of Scot Gardner's "The Dead I Know" which was released this past Tuesday- August 7th, 2012! 

Scot was kind enough to allow me to pick his brain on wide array of topics from "The Dead I Know" itself to his writing process! 

From Goodreads: "When Aaron gets a job at a funeral home, he surprisingly takes to it. But there are dark secrets hidden in Aaron’s subconscious. He experiences dangerous bouts of sleepwalking and recurring dreams he can’t explain: a lifeless hand, a lipsticked mouth, a man, a gun... Can he piece the clues together and fi gure out the truth of his past?"

Describe THE DEAD I KNOW in five words or less. 

Troubled Goth dude becomes mortician.

Who was your most favourite character to write in THE DEAD I KNOW? 

My favourite character to write was John Barton’s teenage daughter, Skye. She’s feisty, not easily pleased and highly opinionated. She’s small enough and persistent enough to slip under Aaron’s defences.

Why unhappy families? If the situation called for it would you write a happy one? 

I like living in a happy family, but there’s not much tension between the characters to write about. I’ve written about happy families before, but the story has revolved around them falling into dysfunction. I’ve set myself the writing challenge of crafting an interesting happy family but as yet don’t have the tools to pull it off.

Have you found that the saying of 'practice makes perfect' hold true? Do you find that you have an easier time writing a book now, when you already have a number under your belt, than you did when you first started out? 

Half a million published words into my career, I can comfortably say that there are aspects of writing that have become easier with practice—like an eye for the right level of detail and an awareness of when something’s overwritten (and then choosing to ignore that sense, only to find an editor has picked it up and put a line through it anyway). Some things get harder. My ‘inner editor’ has a much bigger vocabulary than when I started and I argue with myself about plot and characterisation like I never did in the beginning. Every book ups the ante just a little more and I have to stop and shake off the self-consciousness from time to time and get back to writing bare bones. Writing is best when it’s honest, frugal and clean.

Any advice for aspiring authors? 

Australian author Andy Griffiths (master of classics like The Day My Bum Went Psycho and The Cat on the Mat is Flat) gave me some advice when I was starting out that I practice every day—read your work aloud. It’s a simple thing but it can turn your writing from words to prose or poetry.

What are you reading right now?

John Medina’s Brain Rules. It’s a cracking, accessible metastudy about the way the brain works.

If you weren't an author what do you think that you'd be doing now? 

If I wasn’t a writer, I think I’d build houses. Unique, energy efficient, sustainably constructed dwellings. I’d like a job where you can stand back at the end of the day and see what you’ve achieved. Writing seems to be years of gestation between offspring. That can be dispiriting at times, but I love what I do.

About The Author: Scot Gardner wasn't born reading and writing; in fact, he left school in year eleven to undertake an apprenticeship in gardening with the local council. He has worked as a waiter, masseur, delivery truck driver, home dad, counselor, and musician.
These days he spends half the year writing and half the year on the road talking to people about his books and the craft of writing.

"The Vindico" by Wesley King

Release Date: June 14, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 272

From Goodreads: "The Vindico are a group of supervillains who have been fighting the League of Heroes for as long as anyone can remember. Realizing they’re not as young as they used to be, they devise a plan to kidnap a group of teenagers to take over for them when they retire—after all, how hard can it be to teach a bunch of angsty teens to be evil?

Held captive in a remote mansion, five teens train with their mentors and receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams. Struggling to uncover the motives of the Vindico, the teens have to trust each other to plot their escape. But they quickly learn that the differences between good and evil are not as black and white as they seem, and they are left wondering whose side they should be fighting on after all . . .

With fast-paced action, punchy dialogue, and sarcastic humor, this high-stakes adventure from a talented new YA voice pulls you in from the first page."

Before I fell head over heels for paranormal I was in love with superheroes- you name it and I was probably all over it, whether it be the X-Men, Justice League, and the likes of. Therefore when I read the synopsis of this book I KNEW that I had to get my hands on a copy of it to A) be relive my childhood and B) IT IS ABOUT SUPERHEROES. While many book characters that I have read over the years could be considered superheroes in their own right I personally have never read a book about legitimate superheroes, nor does a single one that deals with them come to mind (if you know of any feel free to let me know, I'd love to check them out!).

When I first started this book I found it to be a fair bit juvenile (on the verge of being MG), I had expected the characters to be young adults, so between sixteen and eighteen years of age and they weren't. I believe that the youngest, Sam, was thirteen, and that the oldest was no older than fifteen or sixteen. That being said, as I got more and more into the story the characters and their situations really started to grow on me and I found myself having less and less of a problem with its juvenile-ness.

Overall, I did really enjoy the book, while it was most definitely cute and funny, it did have its more serious moments such as bullying, loss, and dysfunctional families- at one point in time I actually found myself tearing up by the plot (specifically the plot surrounding Emily), something that I don't often do while reading books. I believe this to be a testament to author Wesley's ability as an author, that his words have an impact upon the reader.

I think that what personally made the book for me were the characters, specifically Hayden, Rono, and the Torturer. Had Hayden been a few years older I would have found him to be utterly swoon-worthy with his bad boy/ playboy-ish attitude and swagger. He brought so much humor to this book that I literally lit up whenever I read about it. I also really enjoyed Rono and the Torturer because I found them to be more than mere villains, I loved seeing them interact with their students James and Emily- it became obvious that despite everything they really came to care for the kids.

All in all I think that this is a fantabulous read- while more so targeted at those occupying the younger ends of the YA spectrum I do think that older readers will also enjoy it, also this book, without a doubt, would appeal to both male and female readers alike (can't get the young male in your life to read, give him a copy of this and I guarantee that you will make a reader out of him!).

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.

Stacking the Shelves

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!" 

For Review

• "Pushing The Limits" by Katie McGarry (special thanks to Harlequin Teen!): I recently read this- be sure to check out my review that will go live in a few weeks. This is one book that YOU MUST check out y'all!. 
• "Venom" by Fiona Paul (special thanks to Razorbill!)

Bought

• "Sirensong" by Jenna Black

Traded (Special thanks to Ashley over at Book Labyrinth!)

• "Thief's Covenant" by Ari Marmell 
• "False Covenant" by Ari Marmell 
• "Cursed" ARC by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
• "Auracle" by Gina Rosati 

What did you get in your mailbox?

"Cold Fury" by T.M. Goeglein

Release Date: July 24th, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 313

From Goodreads: "Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure

Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.

Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour."

When I first read the synopsis of this book I knew that I had to get my hands on a copy- everything about it sounded intriguing, a kick-ass heroine, a budding romance, a fast packed story line and the likes of. Then when I started reading it and I learned that it has a subtle paranormal element to it I fell even more so for this book (as I am a totally paranormal junkie)- the paranormal-ish element seemed so realistic, potentially the most realistic/ least far-fetched paranormal element I have ever read in a book before, and I found that it fit seamlessly within the feel of this book- it wasn't just there for the sake of being there, like some other books, it actually impacted and shaped the story line, making it better than I think that it would have been had it not existed.

So much was thrown at Sara in this book and she took everything in stride and kept a strong head on her shoulders the entire time. Furthermore, I really enjoyed the Al Capone aspect to it- like with another book that I recently read and enjoyed that incorporates the story of Capone into it's plot (Aimee Agretsi's "Illuminate") I thought that it was extremely interesting and educational without feeling like it- all of the information surrounding it was seamlessly intertwined with the remainder of the book and not once while reading it did I feel like overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by it.

That being said, my biggest complaint about this book was the 'budding romance', I'm not entirely convinced that the promise of it was delivered upon (admittedly I am a HUGE romance fan and I have actually started to find that I have difficulties getting through a book if it doesn't have some sort of romance to it)- unlike the paranormal element I don't feel like the romance was a necessary element, I do feel like it was there simply for the sake of being there and, in all honesty, I think that I would have preferred if hadn't existed because then I wouldn't have felt disappointed by the lack of it. Additionally, I sort of felt that the ending lacked resolution- however, I can slightly forgive it as this is the first book in a series.

All in all, there was literally never a dull moment in this book- I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading it. I think that because of this this book will appeal to both male and female readers, despite having a female lead (think "Divergent" level intensity/ action and adventure). I think that this is an amazing debut from Goeglein and I cannot wait to see what is thrown at Sara next.

Rating: 9.5/10

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

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 haven't done a STS post in forever! These are all of the books that I have received in my mailbox over the last 3ish weeks, if not a month.

Bought

• "Tiger Lily" by Jodi Lynn Anderson (I bought both of the following books solely because of Brenna's, from Esther's Ever After, glowing reviews of them!)

• "For Darkness Shows the Stars" by Diana Peterfreund 

For Review 

• "Revived" by Cat Patrick (I reviewed this a few weeks back already)

• "Rift" by Andrea Cremer ARC (This has been, without a doubt, one of my most favourite books of this year. My review will be going up mid-August as part of the Razorbill blog tour)

• "The Dead I Know" by Scott Gardner ARC (I have also read this, my review will also be going up early August as part of the Razorbill blog tour)

• "Junk-Box Jewelery" by Sarah Drew (I do a lot of crafts, but jewelery making isn't one of them so I am really excited to try some of these!)

• "Waking Storm" by Sarah Porter (Unfortunately I haven't read "Lost Voices" yet, but hopefully I can find a copy so that I can read this!)

• "The Vindico" by Wesley King (I have heard a lot of good things about this book so I am really excited about it)

• "Soulbound" by Heather Brewer (Ditto)

Special thanks goes out to Hachette Book Group Canada, Razorbill Canada and Thomas Allen and Son!

"Under My Skin" by Charles de Lint

Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 408

From Goodreads: "From "one of the world's leading fantasists" comes an exhilarating new series that will thrill teen and adult readers alike.

For the past six months, something has been happening to young people in Santa Feliz. Week after week, there's news of another teen changing shape, transforming from human to wild animal and back again. The federal government has stepped in, running public service announcements calling for affected youth to turn themselves in for "orientation and training."

Josh Saunders has seen the news reports, but he is still unprepared when it happens to him. One minute he's arguing with his mother's boyfriend and the next, he is looming over the man, blood dripping from his claws—he has transformed into a mountain lion. When he switches back to his human body, he knows his life has changed forever. He has become a Wildling.

Trusting only his best friends Des and Marina with his secret, Josh tries to return to regular living. But an encounter with Elzie, another Wildling, brings him unwanted attention from the authorities. And when an accidental betrayal reveals Josh's secret, his carefully constructed cover is ripped apart, forcing his friends to intervene. They must grudgingly put their trust in others, including other Wildlings—and, most challenging, in each other—if they ever hope to save him."

When I first read the premise of this book I was instantly excited, I was excited by the prospect that shifters would finally get their long-deserved chance in the spotlight (I find that while there have been numerous books about werewolves there have been few on their cousins, the shifters, those who do not necessarily shift into wolves, but a whole range of different animal species- in fact, I can personally only recount two other series which deals with shifters, Rachel Vincent's aptly named "Shifters" series and Kelley Armstrong's "Darkness Rising" series), coupled alongside the fact that this book was written by world-renown fantasy author Charles de Lint I knew that I was in for a treat.

This book was successful for a number of reasons, one being that it was a high-octane action and adventure that literally kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading it. Another being its memorable cast, from oblivious Des to Chaingang, a big and burly outlaw with a teddy bear kangaroo mouse residing within him, to passionate and selfless Marina and Josh, a boy trying to find his place inner beast in the world.

That being said, there were a few things that irked me about this book, one being the change in POV (one chapter was told in Josh's POV, the other told in Marina's)- typically I LOVE a book being told in multiple POVs, but with this book I could have taken or leaved it. I found that it didn't enhance the story in any way (say unlike how the crossed out words in Tahereh Mafi's "Shatter Me" did). Furthermore, I disliked the Elder/ Otherworld aspect of the book (I think that this can be attributed to the fact that when I read this book I had just finished a book whose central focus had been on the Otherworld and I found that the other book had done a much better job with it than this book did)- Like the multiple POVs I don't think that this aspect enchanced the book in any way, it just added an unnecessary level of complexity. Additionally, I disliked the love interest, Elzie- clearly there is a better option out there for Josh (or better yet, a better option right in front of his face), he allowed himself to be swayed by a pretty face rather than someone deserving (I found Elzie to be far too selfish and far too flaky for my liking). 

All in all, despite my complaints I do think that this is a successful book primarily because of the aforementioned likeable characters and the fast plot. I feel like this is exactly the sort of book that can get hesitant teen boys to not only read but actually care about what they are reading. I am looking forward to seeing what Charles has in store for us in the next book in this series.

Rating: 8.5/10

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