Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Summary

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awake on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into a brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Number of pages: 398

Review

**WARNING REVIEW MAY CONTAIN A SPOILER OR TWO** (sorry I usually try to leave out any spoilers but this time I cant help it, no worries though I don’t give out anything major)

Wow.

This book was... incredible. So intense. This was just the kind of book I have been craving for lately. The whole book was so powerful; I had no control to put it down. I heard a lot about Across the Universe and the great reviews it got and I completely understand why.

The entire story is divided between Elder’s point of view and Amy’s point of view. I love when books are like that. I don’t know why, I guess it’s because it feels more personal when you get both sides of the story. Anyway, Amy is frozen and put as cargo in the super spaceship, Godspeed. They hope that 300 years into the future Godspeed will reach this new habitable planet. Well would that be perfect except for the fact that she is woken up waaaaaay to early in the most horrific of ways. Elder is there to help her along the way as they try to discover who is waking up the frozens and stopping the spaceship leader from stealing free will from the people aboard. If this alone doesn’t show you how intense this book is then I seriously think you should find this book somewhere and read for yourself how strong this book is. From the first page to the last page I was kept in full suspense. Some points in the mystery seemed obvious but not in an obvious way… did that make sense? It was like you knew the puzzle pieces, and you had no way of know how those pieces fit together. It drove me crazy at night trying to see how this piece and that piece had anything to do with this one. I loved it.

I do have to warn all of you out there who are suckers for happy endings and don’t like anything less than a happily ever after, this book will not satisfy your thirst for a happy ending. It’s not going to happen. Personally, to me, the ending was the most logical one to end this story, but I can’t help wishing that after everything those two went through they had to end like that. It was sad. But all around I enjoyed racing through the ship with Amy and Elder so from 1-10? It has to be an 8.

On cover news I have to say that it looks amazing! The picture on the cover came out so incredible, but what put it over the top was the blueprint of the spaceship on the inside part of the hard cover’s slap. It made everything seem more realistic. I loved it! I’m kind of upset right now because I took off the cover so I wouldn’t damage it at the beach a couple of days ago, and now I can’t find it!!! Grrrrreat -.- . . . oh! never mind I found it! :D

I went on the author's website and read that Across the Universe is part of a trilogy! Looks like this is far from the end . . .

Read More

Review CRYER'S CROSS by Lisa McMann

CRYER'S CROSS by Lisa McMann


Details:
Hardcover, 233 pages

Published February 8th 2011 by Simon Pulse

Placement in Pile:
Reaching new Heights

Summary:
The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Review:
Lisa McMann captures a unique and compelling story of Kendall, a motivated teen girl that suffers from OCD. One thing Kendall resists most is change. So when her best friend/boyfriend go missing, Kendall must figure out if the voices in her head are a manifestation that her OCD has run rampant, or if they're clues to the disappearances. In short, this novel is compelling and disturbing. McMann crafts a clear teen voice, with internal struggles that are easy to identify with. The mystery of the story will leave you breathless, if not completely and utterly shocked. But I think you'll enjoy the ride. Should you read this? I think so. But you would most likely love it if you're into a good thriller.

Read More

Review DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

Details:
Hardcover, 487 pages

Published May 3rd 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books

Placement in Pile:
Top of the Stack!
 
Summary:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.


During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:
I hate when I hear awesome and amazing things about a book, only to read it and find it lacking somehow. Usually in character development, the character's internal struggles, plot development, or consistency in world building. So when I picked up Divergent by Veronica Roth, I was, to say the very least, skeptical. But if you devoured The Hunger Games then you'll love Divergent. Call me bold, but for me Divergent hit the dystopic crave that The Hunger Games awakened in me. It was a maze of complex plot development with action, romance, and memorable characters. The emotional struggles in the book had me turning page after page, unable to stop reading. Frankly, I loved it! Should you go out and read this? YES!

Read More

TEMPEST RISING Winner!

Thanks to all who entered to win an ARC copy of TEMPEST RISING by Tracy Deebs!

And the winner is...

Sheena!

I have your address and will send your information to the publisher today! Congrats and enjoy the book!

Read More

A Great Conversation

Hey all!

Many of you are aware of my good friend and fellow blogger Speed Reader over at My Favorite Author.

Well she just posted a very thought provoking post sparked be a twitter discussion with Barry Goldblatt.

I encourage all of my readers to go check it out and really think about this. What do you think about it? I think it is something worth discussing and understanding from both sides!

http://myfavoriteauthor.blogspot.com/2011/05/top-five-list-for-barry-goldblatt.html

Read More

Review: SO SILVER BRIGHT by Lisa Mantchev

So Silver Bright
by Lisa Mantchev
Hardcover, 320 pages
Expected publication: September 13th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
All Beatrice Shakespeare Smith has ever wanted is a true family of her own. And she’s close to reuniting her parents when her father disappears. Now Bertie must deal with a vengeful sea goddess and a mysterious queen as she tries to keep her family – and the Theatre Illuminata – from crumbling. To complicate it all, Bertie is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate.

Review:
The whole cast of The Theater Illuminata is back for their final curtain call.

It always takes me a bit to get back into her style of writing, and the thick of the story, but once I'm used to it again, I can't put it down. I particularly loved the faeries in this one, their comic relief was perfect and so well written.

Bertie's journey to try to reunite her family, and decide where her heart truly lies doesn't run smooth, that's for sure. I don't want to be spoilery, so let's just say this book ups the ante again, and finally answers all of the questions raised in the last two.

A fast-paced, satisfying conclusion to the series. I won't comment on my feelings about which love interest she ends up with, since anything I said either positive or negative would reveal the outcome to anyone who remembers which team I was rooting for. You'll just have to find out when the book is released!

Read More

TEMPEST RISING Giveaway!

Hey everyone! Walker Books for Young Readers offered up my readers a chance to win an ARC copy of TEMPEST RISING! How cool is that? Just fill out the form below!

Contest runs from today to 11:59 pm EST Saturday, May 21st. Contest winner will be announced Monday.

All entries must be USA addresses only. No P.O. Boxes please.

Good luck!

Read More

Blog Tour Review: TEMPEST RISING by Tracy Deebs

TEMPEST RISING
by Tracy Deebs
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published May 10th 2011 by Walker Books for Young Readers

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Review:
I was really excited about this one. I have never read a mermaid book even though there have been several in the YA world in the last few years. I have to say TEMPEST RISING whet my appetite for more of them. It is a fun change of pace from your everyday paranormals, something a bit more unique with an underwater world foreign yet compelling.

Tempest's character lives up to her name in many ways. She is fairly emotional, but for me it worked with the situation. Tempest deals with abandonment and anger issues, fear of becoming a mermaid, and normal teenage hormones and problems at school. I felt her to be genuine.

One of the things I loved the most about this book was how it took me back to high school. I grew up in Southern California and her descriptions of the High School, the neighborhood and the beach and ocean were things I could draw from my memory. The surf team from my high school did just as Tempest and her friends did, they went surfing very early in the morning before school every day. I could picture it clearly, and it was nice to have that personal connection to the story.

My biggest complaint, why it didn't get 5 stars it the story did feel a little slow at times and then the climax went very quickly. I would have liked to have seen more of the underwater world, and to have more face time with her mother in the book.

What I loved? Kai. Tempest has truly found her other half in Kai, and yet she already has someone she deeply cares for Mark. Normally I am not a fan of both guys in the love triangle thing, but this time, although I definitely was rooting for Kai, I could see why she felt so attracted to Mark as well.

This is the first of a series -- I assume from the ending of the book, that finishes well, but leaves open a LOT -- but this is one series I will definitely look to find out more.

Be sure to check in tomorrow for your change to win a copy of TEMPEST RISING so you can read it for yourself!

Read More

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith

Summary

Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait’s not a witch: She’s a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an initiation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens. Learning to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, Kait discovers the intensity of her power—and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. Rob is kind and athletic, and heals people with his good energy. Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious, a telepath concealing his true nature as a psychic vampire, feeding off of other’s life energy. Together, Rob and Gabriel’s opposing forces threaten the group’s stability. Then one of the experiments traps the five teens in a psychic link. A link that threatens their sanity and their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust . . . and whom to love.

• Number of pages: book one: 1-252

: book two: 253-488

: book three: 489-732

My name is Camila, and I freely admit to being a huge L.J. Smith fan. This woman is an incredible writer! I’ve been reading her series for quite some time now and each one is completely unique and amazing. This is actually the second time I’ve read Dark Visions.

Lately I’ve realized how all paranormal books have been getting very clichéd and similar to one another. Boy meets girl. Girl falls in love. Boy turns out to be something freaky. That’s the usual quota for these books, but L.J. Smith always seems to bring out something unique in her books. I don’t know how she does it, but she does! And its not just in Dark Visions, her Night World Series was one of my favorite series.

So Kait is a psychic who can see into the future whenever she starts drawing something. She is sent to the Institute to meet with other psychics and test her abilities to learn how to control them. There she meets her new friends. I am in love with the entire cast of characters. They were all so different from one another and each one was special to me. Anna is the calm, quiet girl that doesn’t miss a thing. Oh, yeah, she can also communicate with animals. Lewis is the quirky guy with telekinesis power. Then comes Rob and Gabriel. More polar opposites they can’t be. Rob is golden boy from the south with the power to heal. Gabriel is all dark shadows and he is a dangerous telepathic. These two guys hate each other with their entire being. And they are both in love with Kait. Typical, right? Well it’s not. This love triangle was very interesting from the beginning. (I was secretly rooting for Gabriel from the beginning.) All the characters in their own right were witty. Their adventure was exciting but there was a sort of lagging on their trip that kind of slowed down the story. The love stories were cute too. Really there isn’t much else to say because it was so good that there’s nothing that I would really change.

One thing that did really bother me was the cover. I HATED the cover because it has nothing at ALL to do with the book. The girl on the cover is the farthest thing that Kait looks like and the only other girl in the book was Anna and she has black hair and dark skin, and isn’t the main character. The cover is blonde and Kait is red headed. It always bothers me when the cover on the book has a person because it leaves little for the imagination to do. So when they put a person that doesn’t look or have anything to do with the characters or the story, it bothers me a lot. But don’t worry, the cover doesn’t affect the book in any way. So from 1-10? I give Dark Visions a 9.

Read More

Wild Child by Mike Wells

Summary

Briana Fox is the wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been friends for a long time...almost lovers. When Briana challenges Kyle to a swim across the lake, she's injured in a horrific accident, but also discovers a mysterious substance in an underwater cave. What seems to be a magical yet harmless "power drug" turns out to have unexpected properties. Briana soon becomes dependent on it for her very survival. When two government agents get wind of their discovery, they will stop at nothing to force Kyle and Briana to reveal its source.

Number of pages: 51

Review

Do not let the number of pages stop you from reading Wild Child. When I first got the book sent to me from the author I thought that I hadn't been sent the entire story. Turns out it was sent completely, it's just a very quick read.

This is Brie and Kyle's story, and it was so intriguing and capturing that I really do wish the story had been extended a little bit. It started off with a bang and ended with one. Everything was in perfect detail, it was as if I was there with Kyle when he witnessed the speed boat run right over Brie, and his pain and his confusion when she at last appeared back on the boat as if nothing. Or when they’re in the cave and you can see the green glow from this “magical” water. It was all very vivid. Personally I didn’t really like Brie very much, not how she was created, just as a person. If she were someone I knew then she would really be a pain. Maybe I am just saying that because she’s very out there, and I’m more conservative. Whatever the reason I think Kyle was a much better character. He seemed like a total goody-goody at first, but he sure knew how to get things done in the end.

What I did find really interesting is the part where the water is described like a drug. When you read it you can tell that its not the wisest of ideas to be drinking it. This book just showed me even more why drugs are bad, and to never, ever take them. I don’t know if it was the authors intention to have a message like that in the story, but that’s the message that I got. That sounds a little cheesy, but it's true. Now the ending was . . . wow. It was so unexpected and so unbelievable that I’m not even sure if I mean that in a good or bad way. It was so shocking that I really I had no idea it was coming which is good, but I like endings where I know how everything ended off with the characters.This was the type of book that leaves you wondering how things turned out for the characters. I’m still reeling from the surprise ending.

This is the first ebook story I’ve read, and I was thoroughly impressed. I don’t think there was one part in this story that really had me bored. Not one dry moment. I guess that’s why the book was left short, because it really didn't need anything more. I think it takes great skill to make a very big book that keeps a reader captivated throughout the entire book, but now I feel it must also be just as hard to write a short story that doesn’t give a reader a chance to be bored. So from 1-10? I give Mike Wells’ Wild Child an 8.5!

Read More

Review: A TOUCH MORTAL

A TOUCH MORTAL
by Leah Clifford
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published February 22nd 2011 by Greenwillow Books

Placement in the Pile: Middle of the stack

Summary:
Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.


Review:
This book had such an interesting premise. Unfortunately for me, the strong language and content detracted from the excitement and intrigue of the plot. The characters were interesting and complex, but quite dark--suicide, murder, and death are major themes throughout. Her mythology and world building were unique, and definitely made me want to know more.

Overall, it was an interesting read, and I'm curious to see what happens. I just wish the language hadn't been so strong, but that's obviously a personal preference.

Read More

Review: BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE by Emily Wing Smith

BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE
by Emily Wing Smith
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published April 28th 2011 by Dutton Childrens Books

Placement in the Pile: Middle of the Stack reaching to New Heights

Summary:
What's worse than getting dumped? Not even knowing if you've been dumped. Joy got no goodbye, and certainly no explanation when Zan—the love of her life and the only good thing about stifling, backward Haven, Utah—unceremoniously and unexpectedly left for college a year early. Joy needs closure almost as much as she needs Zan, so she heads for California, and Zan, riding shotgun beside Zan's former-best-friend Noah.

Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy's story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

Review:
Going into this book I wanted to be so in love with it. I had read amazing reviews from others who have read it, and I ADORE Emily. I cannot say that enough. Emily is one of the sweetest most genuine people I know and I love her to death. But my job is to review how I felt about a book, not how I feel about an author. And that dichotomy with this novel makes my job very, very hard.

Honestly, at the beginning of this book I had a very hard time because I really, really disliked the main character. Joy was whinny. And since we are jumping straight into her Bella-like obsession with her boyfriend who out of the blue left, without having any feeling for who he is and why he did it, we don't sympathize with her feelings, at least I didn't.

And on top of that I honestly have to admit I was a bit offended by the main character and completely disagreed with the image she portrayed of California Mormons verses Utah Mormons (which I will admit that I am a California Mormon who moved to Utah in my later teen years, and I have to say most of the "differences" portrayed were pretty wrong for me and my life experiences, and I couldn't get over the negative view it was portraying.)

That being said, all of those issues were in the beginning of the book. But I kept plugging along dealing with Joy because of my love of Emily.

And I'm glad I did.

In the end, the plotline was a little predictable but very enjoyable. Joy realizes that Zan is not who she thought he was, that she isn't even who she used to be with Zan. That it's okay to be herself. And that in the end, that is what makes her happy. There were some really funny moments, some really sweet moments and I have to admit, I liked Joy in the end. All in all, this story was worth reading. And it is worth giving it a try. Just remember, plug through the beginning, the end is enjoyable.

Read More