Owl Recommend (9)

Owl Recommend is feature at Owl Read It where we try to help you find your next great read! :)

Oh yes, both of these are hilarious at points! I really enjoyed both and I think that there are quite a few similarities between them, So if you liked one, chances are, you'll like the other!

Review: Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Fathomless
(Fairytale Retellings #3)

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publication Date: September 4th, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Fantasy / Fairy Tale Retelling

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Synopsis:

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo. Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality. When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

My Thoughts: Alright, Jackson Pearce is so utterly amazing. This is the only the second book I've read by her, the first being Purity, I freaking loved them both!!! (I know, I'm terrible for not having read the other fairy tale retellings, but now I want to even more!!) I went in thinking this was about mermaids (Little Mermaid retelling, so yeah) but Lo is totally NOT a mermaid. I still don't really understand what she was, Pearce called her an ocean girl. No fins or flippers! Just two legs and the ability to walk on land, albeit painfully. So what exactly did I love about Fathomless?? EVERYTHING!! I started reading it and got completely hooked (no pun intended.. or was it?). I seriously was reading this book every spare moment I had, carrying it around to steal a few word here and there. Pearce has definitely made it into my favorite authors!

There are two (well three, kind of) protagonists in Fathomless. There is Celia, the triplet with the power to see the past and Lo, the ocean girl. Then of course there is Naida, who is Lo, or is she really? Lo and Naida are the same girl, yet they are so different. Each has a different voice, as the reader can plainly tell from reading. Celia is trying to help Lo/Naida remember her past, before she was an ocean girl. All Lo/Naida wants is to not forget, not lose herself again. Celia can help her remember. They meet after the rescue Jude, a boy who fell in the water. The both fall in love with him, but how can Lo even be with him? She lives in the water and the only way to become human again is to steal his soul, which means killing him, so what's the point really.

I will admit, the ending caught me slightly by surprise. I wasn't expecting it. Pearce has a way of writing that seems to keep me guessing and I really enjoy it. If you are looking for a book that will have you dragging it around, unable to put down, I think you should try something by her. I love her writing style, her characters, her imagination. It's just amazing. This was comepletely different from what I was expecting, and I couldn't be happier. There is just something great about a book when you finish it, close it and just stare at it with a giant grin. That is what this book did for me. So yes, yes you should read it!

Author Love

2012 has been a huge year in reading for me so far. I barely read anything for the last six years and in November 2011 I discovered Goodreads. I've read more books so far this year than the last six years combined, most likely even more.

With a huge increase in reading I was bound to find some new authors to enjoy. This is five of the authors I found and fell in love with this year!

1. Veronica Roth

I read both Divergent and Insurgent this year, both were read in less than a day each. I completely devoured them!! They are absolutely amazing! If you haven't checked out this series yet, you should!

 2. Julie Kagawa

 I will honestly say that I  had not read a fey book until reading The Iron King. While I didn't fall in love with that book (I still really, really liked it!), by the time I got to The Iron Queen there was just no going back. I completely fell in love with her writing. I absolutely love Grimalkin, Ash and Ironhorse and will read these books again, many times. I also LOVED The Immortal Rules, I've discovered this year  that I love dystopia, add some vampires and amazing writing and I'm hooked!

3. Richelle Mead

This summer I joined Jen @ JenRyland/YA Romantics, Steph @ The Fake Steph dot com and Ashelynn @ Gypsy Book Reviews for St. Vladmir's Summer School. We were joined by Lauren @ The Headless Owl soon after. I am so glad that I joined these ladies! If not I would still be procrastinating and wouldn't have read the amazing Vampire Academy series. I've already ordered Bloodlines and am waiting for it in the mail because I am now in love with Richelle Mead's writing and imagintaion.

 4. Jackson Pearce

I've read two books by this lovely lady so far. One was Purity, which was hilarious and sad at the same time. I absolutely loved it. I laughed and cried so hard throughout the book. Luckily I was reading in front of a non-judgemental toddler. The other book I read was Fathomless, one of her fairy tale retellings. It was another one I loved. Her imagination is amazing. Ineed to read her other retellings. 

 5. Robin LaFevers

I'm a huge sucker for historical fiction, when I read the decription for Grave Mercy and saw that not only was is historical, but there was a kick butt female assassin as the protagonist.. I knew I had to read it. I'm glad I did because it was awesome! I can't wait for the next book in the series!

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I just know there are more amazing authors out there waiting for me to discover them! 

Have you found any new authors to love this year? Who are your favorites? Have you read any of these authors? How did you like them?

Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

Purity

Author: Jackson Pearce

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Thank you Hatchett Book Group Canada for the Review Copy

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

My Thoughts: This was my first time reading a book by Jackson Pearce and I have to say, she has a new fan! I just loved this book! Within the first 50 pages it had made me laugh to tears and cry from sadness. It was a complete roller coaster of emotion, but in a good way! I received more than one odd look from those around me while I was reading, I couldn't help it, some of the events in it are just too funny. I also love the simplicity of the cover for this book, it works great for this one. 

This book is told from a first person point of view and revolves around Shelby Crewes as she tries to live her life by the Promises she made to her mother before she died. She finds out her father wants her participate in the Princess Ball, which he has taken it upon himself to help plan. The Ball ends with a vow to live a pure life.  Basically meaning, no drugs, no under aged drinking, no sex before marriage. Clearly this doesn't fit in with Promise Three, which is to live without restraint. But she can't not go to the Ball because her father wants her to, and Promise One is to listen to her father. Shelby Lives by these rules, so clearly she needs to try and find a loophole so that the vow is void. Which means, she needs to have sex before the Ball, which is just five weeks away!