Teaser Tuesday (60)

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

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from:

Pretties

Author: Scott Westerfeld

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Teaser:

With Peris in her arms, it didn't feel like the party was going to suck, or that anyone was going to vote against her. His big brown eyes beamed down inro hers, and he lifted her up and squeezed her hard.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Uglies. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what happens next now that Tally is a pretty!

Review: I'm With Stupid by Geoff Herbach

I'm With Stupid

Author: Geoff Herbach

Publication Date: May 21, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

Felton Reinstein, dork-turned-athlete, must make peace with his father's death and accept his own ability to be brutal like his dad once was. Final chapter in the Stupid Fast series.

My Thoughts: I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I didn't realise at first that it was the last book in a series, so I was worried that I wouldn't understand everything that was going on. There was no need for me to worry though. Geoff Herbach does a great job of making sure that you get the information you need from Felton's background so that I didn't feel like I was completely missing out on anything. I still understood the story, which was great.

The story is focused around Felton, who is a star football player who all the colleges want. He is completely being harassed (at least I felt that way) by them all, trying to talk him into attending their school. And to make it worse? He agreed to give his college choice on live TV (which doesn't go as well as it should). So needless to say, Felton is feeling the stress. The poor guy is on the verge of a nervous breakdown for the majority of the book. I was completely prepared for his break at any moment. I expected it.

What really bothered me though? NOBODY really seemed to notice. His life was spiralling, I was worried he would kill himself (suicide is a big theme in the book since his father killed himself when Felton was 5 and another student kills himself). The only people who seemed to notice what was happening were too far away to really do anything but call and Felton could just ignore their calls. His mom had the phone unplugged as well because of all of the people calling the landline leaving nasty messages. His mom was basically completely self absorbed, so I didn't really like her at all.

I guess I basically wished the whole time that someone would notice before things got as bad as they did. He was showing all of these signs and everyone ignored them. Only a teacher kind of noticed, but it was a bit late at that point. I'd like to think that if my kids are ever having a rough time like Felton was, that I'd notice. He was a bomb just waiting to go off and he wanted someone to notice and help him.

Overall the story is quite good. I just got stuck on that one hangup that made me want to strangle all of the other characters and point at Felton and scream at them to help him before something bad happens. It is a quick read as well, the chapters are fairly short, which is something I like depending on the book. This was one of them. I would recommend this book to teens, so they could see that it isn't weak to get help when you need it. That it's a good thing. There is definitely a heavy theme of suicide and teen drinking though, but it shows how you don't need them.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

Owl Post (49)

Owl Post is a weekly feature at Owl Read It where we let you know what new books we got in the past week as well as recap reviews posted during the week. It is inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox Theme.

Jenn's Haul:

No books for me this week, I guess I'll be working on getting my TBR pile read some more :)

Meghan's Haul:
Nothing for me this week either :).

Kristal's Haul:

Yay, I got this this week: :D

The Elite by Kiera Cass

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Reviews from this week:

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Half World by Hiromi Goto
The Elite by Kiera Cass
How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

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What new reads did you get this week?

Review: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

How I Lost You

Author: Janet Gurtler

Publication Date: April 23, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

My Thoughts: This is the first time I've read one of Janet Gurtler's books and I have to say that I was very happy with it. I have seen them around a lot and they looked good, I just didn't get a chance to try one until now. I'm glad I read this one because it does deal with a pretty heavy topic, rape, but at the same time, it was a light, quick read. I really liked that about it. Gurtler's writing style really appealed to me and I really liked how she could make me feel about the characters. The character building is great and you really learn to sympathise with them.

The protagonist is Grace, she's a paintballer with ambitions of going pro. She takes a lot of crap from the guys who think that it's not a sport for girls, so she has to be extra tough. She is fine with it though because she has her BFF Kya right there with her, kicking the boys butts. Together they are unstoppable on the field. Kya has a secret that Grace keeps for her, even from their other BFF James. Grace always sticks up for Kya, someone needs to and she just feels bad for her. I felt bad for her in the beginning too. Kya was raped and the guy got off with a slap on the wrist. Unfortunately, I know that's how those types of things work. Most times girls don't even report rapes because you are just going to suffer more than you already are and somehow they feel like it's their fault. So yes, I felt bad for her. However, this happened four years ago and while I know it can take a long time for these traumas to heal, Kya was completely using it as a crutch to get whatever she wanted. She always guilted Grace into doing things for her and Grace's life was suffering for it. So as the book went on, I began to despise Kya. She used guys, James hated her, drunk and just seemed to not care in general about anything. They had a very toxic friendship and I was waiting the whole time for Grace to finally stand up to her.

Despite my growing dislike of Kya, I still really enjoyed this book and the lightish writing style. I was able to read it quite quickly, barely pausing to put it down because I was just waiting for that moment when Grace would finally realise that Kya was bad for her. I also didn't realise that paint ball was a sport that people played professionally, so that was very interesting. I don't know much about it, so I got to learn a bit while reading. I can say that I will definitely be looking to read more by Janet Gurtler, she writes a great book!

*A copy was provided for review from the publisher*

Blog Tour: How I Lost You

First off, Thank you to JeanBook Nerd for letting me join in this tour! You can check out the other tour stops HERE!

How I Lost You

Author: Janet Gurtler

Publication Date: April 23, 2013

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Synopsis:

There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

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Excerpt from How I Lost You 

“I will happily join you in a Ben & Jerry’s binge to make you feel better,” Dad said.

“Ice cream with breakfast might be good,” I answered.

“I am here to make these sorts of sacrifices for my family,” Dad said, jumping up. “Red Velvet, Chunky Monkey, and Vanilla.”

Mom swatted his butt as he got up to go on his mission. “Vanilla?” she asked, as if it were a surprise after all these years.

“I like my ice cream the way I like my women,” Dad said. “Plain and simple.”

“Then why the hell did you marry me?” Mom winked at him.

“Because for every rule, there is an exception. I’m off to the freezer. Monkey pancakes a la mode.”

We watched him leave. “We’re here for you, Grace,” Mom said.

“I know.”

***

Janet lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a little dog named Bruce. She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot. 

Janet only gives 5 stars to the books she reviews because she is an author herself and knows that no book can appeal to everyone, but like a child, it is very special to the creator.

I'M NOT HER was published by Sourcebooks Teen Fire in May 2011. 

IF I TELL released Oct 1, 2011 from Sourcebooks Teen Fire.

WHO I KISSED Sourcebooks Fire 2012.

Janet's work will also appear in the THE FIRST TIME anthology, DEAR TEEN ME anthology and WHO DONE IT anthology.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

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Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite
The Selection #2

Author: Kiera Cass

Publication Date: April 23, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Genre: Dystopian

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Synopsis:

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn't sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

My Thoughts: Okay, so I have been waiting for this one for what seems like eternity and as soon as I laid my hands on it I did not put it down.  It had me pulled back into the world of Illea from the very first page and I may or may not have done a happy dance when my husband brought it home for me (after he made the employees at the store hunt it down since they had still been boxed).

America Singer has made it into the top six of the Selection and is now an Elite.  The competition is getting more fierce and more personal than it has ever before and yet America still can't decide between Aspen and Maxon. When her heart is swayed one way, a horrifying experience makes her do a one-eighty and start questioning everything she knows all over again.  She must then determined what she wants, who she wants and who she was meant to be.

America is a little bit different, a little more hesitant for most of this novel.  In the Selection she came in guns-a-blazing and new what she want and what she definitely didn't want.  This America questions all of that.  Since she met Maxon her heart has been swayed and she begins wondering if maybe she does have what it take to rule beside him.  Just as quickly as those thoughts come they are replaced by insecurities, jealousies and doubt.  It is different from the America I am used to, but definitely a new side of her that makes her seem her age.  Never fear though, when needed the old America comes out with a force to be reckoned with that leaves you cheering for her.

Maxon probably surprised me the most.  He had always been, in the Selection, sweet and caring and a little bit of a pushover to me.  I loved him regardless.  They say that when two people spend a lot of time together that they start to pull pieces of each other's personality and you can definitely see that for Maxon and America in the Elite.  Maxon is down to his final six girls, and although he has always wanted America, he has decided that she may decide not to want him in the end.  He grows a backbone and is firm with America that she will have to make a decision at some point.  And near the end he really comes into himself and I was so proud and happy and in love with him that I think I was blushing the whole time.

This book was excellent.  There were so many moments that made me blush, anxious, tearful and overjoyed that it was like I was riding an emotional roller coaster.  There wasn't too much plot development in terms of movement, but there was some.  There was, however, a bucket load of character development that made me fall more in love with America and Maxon than I have ever been before.  If you haven`t started reading this series you definitely should.  If you have read The Selection you should already have The Elite in your hands!

Review: Half World by Hiromi Goto

Half World

Author: Hiromi Goto

Publication Date: January 30th, 2009

Publisher: Puffin Canada

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Horror

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Synopsis:

Melanie Tamaki is human—but her parents aren’t. They are from Half World, a Limbo between our world and the afterlife, and her father is still there. When her mother disappears, Melanie must follow her to Half World—and neither of them may return alive.

My Thoughts:  This book has sat on my shelf unread for far too long! I've been wanting to read this series for the longest time and I'm so glad I finally pulled it off the shelf and cracked it open. My high expectations were not let down.

If you are into the manga or Asian cultural scene at all then you definitely have to give this book a whirl. This was such a fantastic story filled with crazy extraordinary, literally out of this world adventure. It was dazzling and dark. It was eerie and breath taking. It was an epic struggle of evil and purity and more proof that sometimes even the smallest most seemingly insignificant people can completely change the course of the world and save our lives as we know them.

Half World is the story of 3 connected realms that have been knocked out of sequence. Every thing and every one has been doomed to remain in their realms eternally instead of passing on. But owing to the bravery of a few amazing characters all that is about to change.

I adored the character depictions, and the visuals this story held. I could envision all of it and it was all so deliciously creepy, dripping and oozing with creativity, with bursts of unexpected beauty and wonder. Melanie is a heroine we can all root for! She is just an average young girl faced with saving the world and re-connecting the realms. She's admittedly terrified and just barely stumbles her way through and because of that it was so easy to relate to her.

This book would be an enjoyable read for girls and boys of all ages! I even read some of it to my 4 year old daughter and she sat there and loved it :D. I am so glad I already own the sequel because I can't wait to see what happens next!

Waiting on Wednesday (65)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

Insomnia

Author: J.R Johansson

Expected Publication Date: June 8th 2013

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Synopsis:

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death. Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker. Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

My Thoughts:  This book sounds super awesome and wonderfully unique! I can't wait to read this one :D

Teaser Tuesday (59)

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

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from:

Kissing Fire

Author: A.M Hargrove

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Teaser:

He was right. I knew it, but I didn't want to accept it. I wanted normal. Now. I wanted Avery. Now. I wanted everything that was impossibly out of my reach.

My Thoughts: I am always down for a Hargrove read! She never fails to rock my world :)

Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure

Author: AJulie Kagawa

Publication Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Genre: Paranormal / Dystopia

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Synopsis:

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally. Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

My Thoughts: Once again Julie has done it. I loved The Eternity Cure. I honestly don't think it's possible fore her to write something I'll dislike. I have enjoyed everything that I've read by her so far, which is everything she has out, I think. If I've missed something, I'm pretty sure I'll have to read it soon! All I can say is I did see what happens at the end coming, well not all of it but one thing! I'm pretty sure I need the next book like yesterday.

I liked Allie's character again. She is pretty kick butt and has a lot of self control. She is still trying to avoid being a monster and wants to make Kanin proud of her. She has a lot of loyalty for her maker. She is still in love with Zeke, even after she's left him behind at Eden. She is a decent vampire, only goes for "bad" guys. She doesn't like to hurt people if she can help it, but occasionally the monster will poke it's head out (which totally just made me think of A Game of Thrones and Dany's physcotic brother telling her not to wake the dragon). Regardless, I think she is an awesome character.

We get to see Jackal again. And he's not a complete jerk all the time! Only most of the time. Stick is back too, he's a complete jerk and I didn't like him at all. Even someone you won't expect shows up. Oh and let's not forget Sarren. He is still a creepy and crazy vampire.

The Eternity Cure is a great read overall. I absolutely loved everything about it. The story line flows pretty quickly for the most part. There are some slow bits but they didn't really bother me at all. Julie Kagawa just has this writing style that I can't seem to get enough of. I love this series and can't wait to see what happens next!

Owl Post (48)

Owl Post is a weekly feature at Owl Read It where we let you know what new books we got in the past week as well as recap reviews posted during the week. It is inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox Theme.

Jenn's Haul:

I got a couple books for review this week and bought a couple!

Dreamsongs, Volume 1 by George R.R. Martin

Dreamsongs, Volume 2 by George R.R. Martin

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler 

*Thank you Raincoast Books & NetGalley!*

Amity & Sorrow by Peggy Riley

*Thank you Little Brown & NetGalley!*

Meghan's Haul:
I got a bunch of review books this week :) Something I haven't gotten in a while so I am excited :D

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Shattered Edge by A.M Hargrove

The Secret Eater by Ros Jackson

Kissing Fire by A.M Hargrove

Kristal's Haul:
I actually got something this week :)  Thanks to Jenn for giving me:

 

Infatuate by Aimee Agresti

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Reviews from this week:

Furious by Jill Wolfson
Imaginable by J. Meyers
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

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What new reads did you get this week?

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: March 19th, 2013

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Romance

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Synopsis:

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

My Thoughts: The day this book arrived in the mail for me was one of the most exciting days ever! I have fallen so deeply in love with this series since I discovered it about a year ago. Since then I have devoured these books as well as The Mortal Instrument Books and I have adored every single page within. Cassandra Clare is the author to one of my most favorite series' and I just can't ever get enough.

I feel like I had to wait forever for Clockwork Princess to get here and luckily when it did arrive it was a busy time for me so I wasn't able to plow right through it like I usually would. So I did get to savor it a little bit before the heartache of not having any more in the series to read set in. Of course, that's where I am now, and the next Mortal Instrument Book isn't due for about another year. That's a painful thought.

So I am usually prepared to be emotional whilst reading these books. I've come to expect the cracks in my heart and emotional blows, but this book knocked me right off my feet. I cried so many times while reading this book. I can't believe how attached I've become to these characters. There is just no way you can read these books and not become hopelessly lost within and completely immersed with no sign of surfacing any time soon. And you won't want it any other way either. You won't want to be pulled away from this book. You will love every minute spent within their world.

I just can't find a single reason for anyone not to like these books.  I don't have a single negative word to say. This book was a phenomenal addition to the series. Finally getting the answers to Tessa's history and watching her face her truths and battle them was nothing short of amazing. Everything was wrapped up so nicely but even still I would do unspeakable things to  read more into the series.

I don't believe I will ever find a love triangle to rival the one between Tessa, Will and Jem. Never before has my heart been so torn and confused. I am definitely team Will, but that doesn't mean I don't also love Jem immensely.  I hope everyone loves the ending as much as I did. I can see why some might have found it catered to the fans a bit much to please everyone. But what's so wrong about everyone  finding what they were hoping to find? I thought it was perfect and  I wouldn't have changed a single thing.

If you are still on the fence about this series, or you are sitting there thinking about how you've been meaning to read this series and you should soon. Please just do it now. Do yourself the biggest favor ever and pick up these books! Just don't forget to bring some tissues ;).