Title: Everything, Everything Author: Nicola Yoon Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers Publication Date: September 1st, 2015 Genre: Contemporary , YA, Fiction, Romance Format: ebook My Rating: 4/5 stars Links: GoodReads Amazon Blurb: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. My Review: I received an ecopy of Everything,Everything from Random House via NetGalley. Everything, Everything is everything you need in a YA diverse book ! As if this wasn't enough, the author was able to catch my attention from the first few pages. I was going to start by saying "If you enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars, then you will love Everything, Everything; HOWEVER, I did not really like TFIOS, but enjoyed reading Everything, Everything ! I felt like I am experiencing something epic ,especially with all of the images, doodles,and 1 sentence book reviews. Observing these images made the book very unique; Nope, it is not a Graphic novel, or a picture book. Something that always crossed my mind is how Nicola would feel if people reviewed Everything,Everything, the way Maddie did ,in one sentence .Honestly the way she did it was impressive. Short, but very expressive! I kind of saw the plot twist coming , but I still enjoyed the story anyway because the events that lead to the plot twist,and followed it were very captivating . One of my favorite quotes: "For the first time in a long time, I want more than I have"- Madeline While reading this book, my grandma passed away. I stopped reading for a while, but found my way back to favorite thing to do because of Nicola's story,Maddie, and Olly. The ending was simply.......PERFECT ! I really enjoyed reading this book,and I can't wait to read Nicola's upcoming novel, The Sun Is Also A Star. I am so happy that this book is going to be turned into a movie;I even cried upon reading her tweet ! I give this book 4/5 stars. About the Author: Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. Everything, Everything is her first novel.
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Title: Inked ( Inked #1)
Author: Eric Smith Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark Publication Date: January 20th, 2015 Format: Ebook Genre: YA, Fantasy My Rating: 4/5 stars Blurb: Tattoos once were an act of rebellion. Now they decide your destiny the moment the magical Ink settles under your skin. And in a world where Ink controls your fate, Caenum can't escape soon enough. He is ready to run from his family, and his best friend Dreya, and the home he has known, just to have a chance at a choice. But when he upsets the very Scribe scheduled to give him his Ink on his eighteenth birthday, he unwittingly sets in motion a series of events that sends the corrupt, magic-fearing government, The Citadel, after him and those he loves. Now Caenum, Dreya, and their reluctant companion Kenzi must find their way to the Sanctuary, a secret town where those with the gift of magic are safe. Along the way, they learn the truth behind Ink, its dark origins, and why they are the only ones who can stop the Citadel. Eric Smith takes you on a high-octane fantasy adventure, perfect for anyone who has dreamed of being different… only to discover that fate is more than skin deep. My Review: I received a review copy of inked from the author via YA Bound Books in exchange with an honest review. I usually dive into books knowing so little about the plot, and this was the case with Inked. By only reading the 1st two sentences in the blurb, I was intrigued to know what happens next. I wasn't disappointed ! The author was not only to capture my attention to pick the book, but also to continue reading it. I was hooked from chapter 1. I loved the way the author described the tattoo given, and how it affects a person's career. Fate is meant to be discovered along the way, and not to be a method of control. Trying to control people's fates , which is the point of being inked, is extremely dangerous ; Eric did a brilliant job of showing it. I didn't like the character development. I found it to be rushed at times, and no explanation would support how fast a character's state of mind changed. I really enjoyed Inked, and I am glad to know that there is going to be a sequel published in May 2016. I give it 4/5 stars. Enter the Giveaway :
About the Author:
Eric Smith is the author of THE GEEK'S GUIDE TO DATING, out now via Quirk Books, and INKED, a YA novel out with Bloomsbury Spark. His writing has appeared locally in the Philly Weekly, The Inquirer, and on Philly.com. He's written for the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Boing Boing, and is a regular contributor to BookRiot and Geekosystem. His essays have appeared in the Bygone Bureau and The Apiary, and his first published piece will appear in THE ASTEROID BELT ALMANAC with the Hand & the Hand Press in April 2014. He's the co-founder of Geekadelphia, a popular hyperlocal geek blog in Philly, and the Philly Geek Awards, a ceremony honoring local geeks in his city. Eric holds a BA in English from Kean University and an MA in English from Arcadia University. He currently lives in Philly. You can find him on Twitter at @ericsmithrocks and @geekadelphia. Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook Title: Seriously Wicked ( The Seriously #1) Author: Tina Connolly Publisher: Tor Teen Publication Date: May 5th, 2015 Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal Format: e ARC My Rating: 4/5 stars Blurb: The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one. Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch. Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school. Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance. To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too? My Review: I received a review copy of Seriously Wicked from Teen Tor via Net Galley, in exchange with an honest review . You will be taken on a journey filled with magic and wicked Witches ; you will absolutely enjoy it . Tina's creativity is endless ! From her weird spell components , to the description of demons, this author will leave you amazed ! This is a story where the girl saves the day, and her crush ! #Finally My only problem was that the story seemed to be aimed for a more juvenile readers. In other words, it felt more like a MG , rather than a YA, with characters in their mid Teens . This is not such a negative thing at all ! I just was prepared fora more YAish feel. I did not realize that this is a part of the series until the end, which made me excited to read more of this series.I can't wait to see what Tina has to show us with her outstanding imagination. I give Seriously Wicked 4/5 stars.
Title: Awakening (Awakening #1)
Author: Shannon Duffy Publisher: Entangled teen Publication Date: April 7th Genre: Dystopia,YA,Sci-Fi My Rating:4/5 stars (B+) Purchase Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books Blurb: A thrilling, futuristic sci-fi novel set in a unique and thought-provoking world, from author Shannon Duffy. Desiree Six (because she was born on a Friday) believes in everything the Protectorate stands for. She likes the safety and security of having her entire life planned out—her career, her mate, even the date of her death. She doesn't even think to question when Darian, her childhood friend and neighbor, is convicted of murdering his parents. They had seemed like such a loving family. But if he was convicted, then he must have done it. Then Darian shows up in her room late one night. He has escaped from the Terrorscape—a nightmare machine used to punish all Noncompliants—and needs Desiree's help. What he tells her rocks her world to its core and makes her doubt everything she's ever been told. With this new information, will Desiree and Darian be able to escape the Protectorate before it's too late? My Review: I received an eARC of Awakening in exchange with my honest review during the Awakening Blog Tour hosted by YA Blog tours. Shannon Duffy mixes several popular aspects from the YA culture, and adds her own touch of individuality when she speculates the concepts of sleep,dreams,and nightmares to come with such an entertaining novel to read. In a world where the protectorate use Fate to decide everything for you, from how many years you live to who you marry ,the so called Utopian world becomes Dystopian ! I absolutely enjoyed reading Awakening. It was a fast read with many elements such as sci-fi technology and romance in it. The beginning of the book is dedicated to describe the world and a briefing on why has it evolved to become this way. We also follow Desiree, who believes that the system is right no matter what. Things become more interesting when Darian is added to the picture . What I really like about the romance that it wasn't rushed or overdone . It was just perfect. My favorite line is " I love it when you owe me" ! Tell me if you agree ! I really enjoyed visualizing the Terrorscape ; it was one of my favorite chapters to read. It displayed the author's creativity in the best way possible. There are some gaps in the story that may or may not be answered in the next book.I also thought that the character building and the ending was a bit rushed. A bit more elaboration would have served the story more justice, but it does not change how this story is a must read. The world building and the story Awakening has to tell is so thrilling that it might keep you up too late to finish it. Unfortunately, it ends with a cliffhanger. A very good cliffhanger that I hope will elaborate on the points that were not thoroughly discussed in Awakened! I really enjoyed Awakened ,and I can't wait to read the next book. I give it 4/5 stars and a B+ according to my own rating scale.
About the Author
Author of MG and YA books full of adventure. I grew up on the east coast of Canada in the province of Newfoundland and now live in Ontario. I love writing, reading, fashion, fitness, and traveling. Title: Ignite Author: Erica Crouch Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: June 11th 2013 Genre: YA, Paranormal,Romance,Angels and Demons Format: e-ARC My rating: 4/5 (B+) Blurb: Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed. As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice. With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark. My Review: I received an e ARC of Ignite from Patchwork Press via Net Galley in exchange with an honest review. I went into this knowing nothing but that it revolved around Angels and Demons''Paranormal". I also heard nothing but good things about it, and watched the author's vlogs and decided that this book must be awesome. And I was right, I enjoyed reading Ignite and here is why! The writing is, and I am in no way exaggerating this,is magical ! It is just so beautiful, that I plan on getting back to it and rereading in a much slower pace to take in and enjoy the writing more! I am adding Erica Crouch to my list of Authors with Beautiful writing Style,which includes Lauren Oliver,Tahereh Mafi, and A.G Howard! However, there were times were the descriptions were a bit long and the story was a bit slow.During these descriptions, a concept was repeated a lot. Sometimes it slowed the story,and other times it was what made the story great. Each character had his/her own little flavor to add to this story. No one is the same, and every character affects and is effected by another one. What I really liked about it is that nothing was rushed. There was not a second where I thought a character's thought were all over the place. In other words, the character building was pretty much well done! Ignite is more about getting to know the background stories of everyone, and in my opinion, settling the accounts within each character to what they believe and how should they proceed in life. The Romance here is just spectacular and I can't wait to see what happens next. I would also love to add that by the end of this book, I was craving more than ever to go back to high school for that 1 hour of literature everyday! Erica's writing seems to be inspired by brilliant authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Frost, two of my favorite writers ever! I give Ignite 4/5 stars and a B+ according to my own rating scale ! Title: The Henderson Harbor Killings: Summer Shack 2 Author: Kelli Landon Publisher: Self-Published Publication Date: August 21, 2014 Genre: Mystery,thriller Format: e-ARC My Rating:4/5 stars ( B) Blurb: Revenge doesn’t come with an expiration date. Before Summer Shack (A Killer Vacation), Cynthia Barnett was a classmate and neighbor of Burt Whitehead’s. Graduating from Birchville High in 2000, she was known as the girl who got away. She was frowned upon for hanging with Burt’s bullies, but she held her own against the ridicule they put him through. The story leading up to high school graduation is told through Cynthia’s eyes. The Whiteheads lead a very different lifestyle. Burt tries to live his own life while dealing with his dominating mother, Vera. Rumors of Vera’s missing husband as well as the child abuse afflicted upon Burt, don’t make life easy for him. While working up at the Henderson Harbor lighthouse, Burt practices his revenge in ways he learned from his mother and another relative. His crimes rock Door County as he takes to the Internet to lure in his victims. Burt Whitehead’s story makes up Part Two of The Henderson Harbor Killings. My Review: I received Summer Shack Prequel from the author Kelli Landon in exchange with an honest review. You don't have to read Summer Shack: Book 1 to enjoy this. This is a Prequel, not a sequel. Revenge does not come with an expiration Date.......Intriguing right?? I absolutely loved this; the way the author build up the case of Burt, who was a normal kid and turned into a psychopath is literally amazing. During this huge transformation, you get to sympathize with Burt and get creeped by him at the same time. You get to observe his swinging emotions until they are completely destroyed. So there was a lot of character Building in this book. However,I kind of did not buy his final switch into a complete killer.There was just too much killing going on. This is just a minor thing that I did not like; other than that, I really enjoyed Summer Shack 2 with the mystery and the thrilling, and sometimes kind of terrifying, cold events. I give it 4/5 stars and a B according to my own rating scale. Title: Puppet Author: Pauline C. Harris Publisher: Patchwork Press Publication Date: October 24, 2014 Format: eARC My Rating: 4/5 stars ( B) Blurb: Penelope lives in a world of advanced technology but many claim society has yet to catch up. Marionettes have advanced in the form of robots; lifelike creations remote controlled to perform super human tasks. When Penelope makes a deal with Jed, a marionette-obsessed scientist, she doesn’t fully realize what she’s getting herself into. In order for Jed to take her away from the orphanage she lives in, she must first agree to undergo his experiments and tests, ultimately creating something no one ever dreamed possible; the first living marionette. My Review: I received an e ARC copy of puppet from Patchwork press via Netgalley in exchange with an honest review. Puppet is a retelling of the classic Pinocchio. The author finds such an exquisite and unique plot filled with advanced technology & action and weavers it perfectly with many Pinocchio aspects. It took me a bit to see the Pinocchio resemblance,but once i saw it, there was no going back. It is magnificent ! I loved how the author kept going back and forth between the life she gave away, and was what she signed up for really worth it. The Self discovery journey is mind blowing,especially when everyone seems to control you , except for you. I think the romance element was a bit rushed. There were literally no signs to show that those two certain characters both had feelings for each other. Also, there was that one description that was repeated way more than it needed to convey the message. However, this was definitely an enjoyable read, a perfect retelling, and a great self discovery story. I gave Puppet 4/5 stars and a B according to my own rating scale. Title: Tortured Souls ( The Orion Circle #1) Author: Kimber Leigh Wheaton Publisher: Sea Dragon Press Publication Date: July 1 2014 Genre: YA, Supernatural,Suspense,Paranormal Edition: eARC My Rating: 4/5 stars ( B+) Blurb: Sometimes Rest in Peace isn't an option... Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it's ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can't keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity. My Review: I received an eARC copy from Sea Dragon Press via NetGalley in exchange with my honest review. A stunning Paranormal story that is perfect for The Ghost Whisper and The Medium lovers! I could totally understand now how fitting is this cover with what happens in the story. This is a great fast read packed up with great paranormal events . A great choice if someone is going through a reading slump . There is always something worth anticipating for in the next chapter. I kind of felt that sometimes things where fast paced a bit , well actually. two things where fast paced. Mild Spoiler Alert!!! 1) The love story 2) When her father finally listens to what Kacie says and actually tries to believe. Why not before? I also had the impact that Kacie was too dependent at times, it was a bit annoying, but the story is great so those where kind of easy to disregard. I love the other characters, especially Carl ! Why is everyone so mean to him ?? :D Each character brings in a different shade of awesomeness to add to the story. I can't wait to see how the series go on, literally waiting to grab book 2 whenever is out! I give this book 4/5 stars and a B according to my own scale Blurb:
Make him pay, Bayley. Make him pay. It’s as if the wooden chest is luring me, urging me to open it – daring me almost. Open me up. Look inside. Come on, just for a second; it won’t hurt. Celina O’Malley was sixteen years old when she disappeared. Now, almost forty years later, Bayley is sleeping in Celina’s room, wearing her clothes, hearing her voice. What does Celina want? And who will suffer because of it? A ghost story. A love story. A story of revenge. My Review: I received this book from Switch Press via NetGalley in exchange with my honest review. Portraits of Celina is an intriguing story with elements of Mystery and Supernatural events that will keep you guessing what actually happened. The dialogue between Oliver and Bayley is hilarious . I had a ridiculous grin glued to my face while reading them. Although I kind of correctly guessed the mystery, it was still interesting knowing exactly how it happened. Besides, I had at least 3 more guesses, which shows how the author skillfully diverts your thoughts throughout the book. A great read with the theme of everything is not what it seems, which includes burying your burdens, secrets, lies and much more. I really enjoyed reading Portraits of Celina and I am interested in checking out more of Sue Whiting's Novels. I gave this book 4/5 stars and a B according to my own rating scale. Title: Maddy Kettle ( The Adventure of the ThimbleWitch ) Author: Eric Orchard Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors Publication Date: September 3oth 2014 Genre: Children's Fiction,Graphic Novel,Fantasy Edition: eARC My Rating: 4/5 ( B+) Blurb: Eleven-year-old Maddy loved working in her parents' bookstore... especially when joined by her pet flying toad Ralph. But that was before the mysterious Thimblewitch turned her mom & dad into kangaroo rats! Now Maddy's on the adventure of a lifetime. To save her parents, she'll need to sneak past an army of spider-goblins, scarecrow warriors, and much more... Fortunately, an assortment of new friends await, including the cloud cartographers Harry and Silvio, a bear and raccoon who explore the world in their moon-balloon. They'll help her along the way, but in the end, the fate of everyone will depend on Maddy's courage, compassion, and creativity. Full of surprises and stunning artwork, Maddy Kettle is a truly magical debut for Spectrum-Award-winning cartoonist Eric Orchard. Climb aboard and let your imagination soar. My Review: I received an eARC of this Graphic Novel from Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley in exchange for an honest Review. This Graphic Novel is going to take you on a journey of awesomeness with its fascinating fictional characters and creative settings. The illustrations are beyond beautiful and this was really useful in graphic novels because sometimes looking at the picture alone gives lots of extra information that wasn't told . The plot grabs the readers attention and takes him/her on an exquisite journey filled with magic and friendship. There were few moments were I got a feeling that something was missing in form of text. But it could only be nothing. It might just be that the character was so Naive during that scene. I really enjoyed the first book from the Maddy Kettle series , and i would absolutely read the next installations. This is a brilliant read for children. I highly recommend it. I gave this book 4/5 stars and a B+ according to my own rating scale. |
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