2012 Debut Author Challenge-Sign Me Up.

I can hardly believe that it's already time to be thinking about the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The 2011 Debut Author Challenge was my first reading challenge and I had a blast participating. So Far I have read 15 DA's and we still have a month and a half left.

For those of you who have participated in the past there are a few changes to this years challenge, however it looks to be better then ever! So head over and check it out!

I have a list of 14 books so far that I am hoping to read. This will most likely change-some I'll get to, some I won't, and I am sure that there will be others added. But here is my preliminary list. 

**All links lead to Goodreads**

1. Tempest by Julie Cross
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3. The Catatsrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
4. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
5. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
6. Fractured by Megan Miranda
7. Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
8. Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
9. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
10. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
11. Immortal City by Scott Speer
12. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
13. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
14. What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen

As I said, I am pretty excited to be taking part again this year. I look forward to seeing everyone else's list. So let me know if you are participating, and what you are excited to read.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

 
Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.
 
Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

**ARC received by Simon and Schuster Canada**

I hadn't heard of Virtuosity when it showed up in my mailbox a few months ago. What I did notice right away was the cover. Look at that cover, It's beautiful! And after reading the novel, the cover is very fitting for the story. I really like this book. A lot. I enjoyed the musical world Jessica Martinez created. It was fun and complex, and the competitiveness that takes over the lives of young musicians I found very original. One often reads about competitive sports competitions, but this concept of a musical skill being all consuming is not something that I have read about before, and I found it incredibly interesting. 

I was sucked in Virtuosity from the very beginning. I absolutely love when an author does that. When she is able to create such a gripping tale, that sucks you in from the first line.  Martinez was able to convey the extreme emotions that Carmen was made to feel because of the Guarneri competition. I felt for Carmen, and her I could understand her anxiety. It made sense to me. Her confusion over her feelings for Jeremy was clear, and well developed. I loved reading about it. Her feelings of not being good enough were something that as a reader, you were empathic to.  I enjoyed this part of the novel immensely.

I liked Carmen. I really liked Carmen. She was a fairly timid  girl and even with her timidity she tried to be strong. For a lot of the time she attempted to be the person everyone else wanted her to be, and that almost destroyed her. She lost sight of the thing that she loved the most- her music. What I loved the most about Carmen was when she made the decision to stand up for herself, and live her life, she stuck to it (for the most part), she knew that she needed a change and she was the only one to bring to make that change a reality. Although it was not easy for her. Carmen's mother was a piece of work. She was in no way supportive of her daughter. She was controlling and manipulative, and she almost destroyed her daughter. It really irked me. I really dislike the notion of parents living vicariously through their children, nine times out of ten it's not going to end well. Which we saw in Virtuosity.  A mother's obsession that almost ruined her daughter.

Jeremy. Oh, Jeremy. I liked Jeremy when her first made an appearance. I thought he was cocky, and funny, and he brought Carmen out of her shell. I wasn't a huge fan of this, a boy being the reason a girl could be herself. Girls don't need boys to be themselves. But, that's beyond the point. In this sense Jeremy was good for Carmen, and they had something in common. Her understood her. He knew what she was going through, and how the competition was all consuming, he knew the feeling. It was great. However, Jeremy wasn't all good. He did some pretty crappy things, which led to Carmen's downfall. However her redeemed himself, sort of. Jeremy wasn't without his faults, but he was pretty terrific.

Overall, Virtuosity was a great book. I loved this story, and I loved the world that Martinez created.  It was complex, and magical, and totally worth the read.

~Happy Reading!

My Thoughts: Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

16-year-old Molly Dix loves her ordinary life in suburban Indiana, so when her single mother passes away, she is shocked to discover that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world famous movie star and red carpet regular.
 
Equally intrigued and terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Southern California and plunges head-first into the deep end of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her new life and family couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous and spoiled half-sister whom welcomes Molly to la-la land with a healthy dose of passive-aggressive "sisterly love."
 
Set against the backdrop of a sparkling and fashion-filled Los Angeles, this deliciously dysfunctional family soap opera will satisfy every reader looking for their next lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous beach read.


Sometimes all a girl needs in life is a nice easy read. Something that doesn't take a lot of thought when reading it. Something that will make you laugh and roll your eyes at it's content. Something that you can get lost in while you're reading, but have no problem putting down when you need to. That is exactly what I got out of the debut novel by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, Spoiled.  I enjoyed reading this novel; about a sixteen year old girl-Molly- who finds out that her dad is a mega super star and after the death of her mother, she decides to go and live with him and his other daughter. Spoiled tells of her adventures in this new land of papporazzi, and mean girls.

This was a fluff novel. When I say that I mean, and novel that doesn't have a whole lot of substance. That isn't the nicest thing to say, but it's the truth.  I liked this book, will I remember it in a couple of weeks? No. I barely remember it now. I do know that it didn't take me long to read, and that it did make me laugh.  The world that Cocks and Morgan created was so ludicris. The portrait they paint of Hollywood society is so out of this world, that I had to roll my eyes at their drama. Sometimes less is more. I loss a sense of reality while reading this book, and sometimes is wasn't in a good way. Specifically with the ridiculous demands that the rich and famous make. The Girls' father Brick, was out of this world insane. Kind of funny when you think of it, but it was slightly over the top. I should mention that Cocks and Morgan could have done a better job with the end. It kind of just cut off, without any sort of resolution.

The characters were funny though, if not a little annoying. The situations were a little grating. But overall, I liked Molly and I liked Bridget. However, they weren't anything special. 

That's the thing with this book, there was nothing overly special about it. It was all just Meh.  Meh characters, meh writing. But at the same time, it was exactly what I needed. I wasn't bored. The rich and famous have always intrigued me. So I think when it comes to Spoiled, I am indifferent.


~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
 
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
 
There is.
 
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
 
She's wrong.






ARC received from Simon and Schuster Canada


WOW!! That's what I have to say. This is not going to be a long review, there are millions out there already  raving about this book. But I NEED to share my love for this novel.

 I knew The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was going to be good, I just wasn't expecting this good. I am stunned that this is Michelle Hodkin's first novel. The writing style is excellent, the plot is insane, the characters are complex. It was incredible.

Mara Dyer is a 16 year girl who has suffered a terrible accident. She is the sole survivor of a collapsed building that killed three of her friends- one of them being her best friend Rachel and her boyfriend Jude. Having survived this tragedy, Mara and her family leave the town they were living in, to make a new start. But, it's not a new start Mara gets. Soon after, Mara begins having hallucinations involving her dead friends. She begins seeing things, and hearing voices, and things die when she wills them to. Freaky eh? Yeah.  I found myself yelling asking, "what the heck is going on?" so many times, while reading this story. There were twists and turns everywhere. It was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it.

I think that I am generally pretty good at figuring out what's going on in a book. Plot twists and cliff hangers aren't usually that exciting or shocking to me. This was not the case in Mara Dyer, I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on with Mara, I didn't know what she was. The paranormal aspect I couldn't figure out; is she a witch? is she a ghost? I have no idea. Also, that end totally floored me. I was not expecting it at all. Not. At. All. However, I was reading an ARC, and I have heard that the end is a little different in the finished version. Regardless it was crazy.

If you want an amazing read. That will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin is it.  It is a fantastic read  that will not disappoint.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the chance to read this.

My Thoughts: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
 
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this one.


Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of angel books. They have frequently let me down. So when I found out that A Beautiful Dark was about angels I was less then enthused. However I had already committed myself to reading it and I thought I would give it a try. I am pleased and relieved to announce that I really enjoyed this story. There have been few angel stories that I have liked, and I discuss this in depth here. So Jocelyn Davies, congratulations. This one was a win!

Many are saying that A Beautiful Dark is been there done that kind of book. Perhaps this is true to some extent. But no one has done it like Jocelyn Davies has. There is a teenage girl, Skye, who is enamored by the two new mysterious boys in town- Asher and Devin. Davies has taken the typical love triangle story and given it a spin that is well worth the read. Two boys-angels- vying for the attention of one girl. But why?

What I liked the most about this story was the suspense/mystery of the whole thing. I could kind of guess what was going on, but I was never for sure about the whole thing. Sometimes in paranormal YA, the mystery is revealed to soon, and then the story goes down hill. A Beautiful Dark had a perfect pace for me. on the other hand, I sometimes felt like things were a bit rushed in terms of description. I would sometimes wish for a little more explanation. specifically in areas where Skye and Asher would be having a conversation, they would often go by so quickly, and I would have no idea what Skye was feeling during this time, or have any sense of their surroundings. Davies is a great writer and this was her first novel, so I feel as she grows as a writer this will improve.

The characters were definitely my favourite. I loved Asher, he was funny and cocky, but he also wasn't a BSer. I appreciated that. In turn, I wasn't a huge fan of Devin, he was far to docile for me. I enjoyed reading Skye's interactions with Asher, they were the most fun. Skye as a protagonist was pretty cool, she's not hugely memorable. But she wasn't incredibly annoying either. What I really liked about Skye was that she wasn't a push over. She didn't let Asher or Devin order/push her around. She had a mind of her own. She knew what was important to her, and nothing was going to change that.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. If you're like me and have been disappointed with angel books lately, give this one a try, because it's unlike those out there.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

 
It’s all a fake.
 
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
 
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him

Simon and Schuster Canada sent this book to me a couple months ago. It was another one that I knew nothing about, but am glad that I got to read it. I found the synopsis of this novel is VERY misleading. But don't let that deter you from checking it out. It is WAY better then what the synopsis tells you. A fast past read, that is full of laugh out loud moments, and times where you'll feel annoyed with yourself for not reading faster.

The story is actually about two boys. Ryder; a Witchlander boy who has spent his life away from the coven and the witches that have been ruling his life for as long as he can remember. There is also Falpian, a Baen boy who is mourning the death of his twin brother. These two boys have a connection, and it's discovering what the connection is that makes Witchlanders such a fantastic read. Falpian and Ryder are sworn enemies. Years before there was a war that took place between the Withclanders and The Baens. Now there is a very distinct boarder that separates the Bitterlands (Baen land) and  that of the Witchlanders. And very strict rules that the two peoples are never to meet.

Lena Coakley's debut novel is one of the best books I have read this year.  Witchlanders is pretty high fantasy- which is not a genre that I enjoy reading. Although Withlanders is high fantasy it's not so fantastical that it is unrealistic. It is ultimately a tale about brotherhood and learning to trust yourself. It's totally a coming of age novel, that takes place in a fictional world. It is an amazing adventure. Ryder and Falpian get to know one another, they learn to like each other, but do they learn to trust each other?

One thing that always truly amazes me, is when a person has enough imagination and ability to create a whole new world. A world that has societies, and rules, and a hierarchy. There are so many details involved in creating a such a place, and I find that incredibly fascinating. I have read novels where this is done so poorly you wonder how the book was even published. However, what Coakley created was so intricate and complex you would think it would be impossible to do well. But, she did it. She didn't miss one single thing. There were no holes in her details, and you didn't need to stretch your imagination to much to believe what she was tell you, I was so impressed by this. The world she created wasn't trivial or clichéd, it was majestic and beautiful. I cannot explain how magical it was.


My favourite thing about this novel was the male point of view. Coakley wasn't writing just one male POV, but two. I loved the male perspective. I have sometimes read what was supposed to be a male POV, but found it to be very feminine. This was not something that I experienced with Ryder or Falpian. They were boys, and I never forgot that. I also was never confused when she would switch perspectives. It was always very clear who's mind I was in.

Although the synopsis alludes to a romance, Witchlanders contains none. I had no idea that I was getting sick of paranormal/contemporary romance, until I read this novel. I think that those who NEED a little romance in their books will enjoy this one, because of the way that Ryder and Falpian's relationship (which is TOTALLY platonic) develops. It is so endearing that you won't mind that lack of "sexual tension" that happens between the boy and the girl.

There are a lot more great things I could touch on when it comes to Witchlanders. But I think you need to experience it yourself.  There a few bloggers giving away copies of Witchlanders and I think you should head over to enter. If that's to much work, I think you should just go out and buy the book. It is really a fantastic novel. I can't wait to read more about Ryder and Falpian's adventure.

Witchlander Giveaways:
Bookish
YA Booklover Blog
The Zealous Reader
Rayment's Readings, Rants, and Ramblings


~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.







It's not often that I come away from a book not sure about whether I liked it or not.  But that's how I feel about Falling Under by Gwen Hayes.  It was an interesting read, that is for sure.  The concept of the story I didn't find particularly original, the whole paranormal piece felt very formulaic in a |been there done that", type of way.  In saying that, I shouldn't say the whole story was completely unoriginal. There were a few times where Hayes surprised me, and in a totally fabulous way. 

I have read multiple reviews where readers have loved the characters of Falling Under, I have also read as many reviews who have said that they sucked. I really liked the characters in Falling Under with the exception of one or two. Theia was a sweet girl -she maybe have been slightly annoying in a "Oh, I love him, and would do anything for him even though it's only been a few days" kind of way, but she was cute. Her anxiety at talking to boys was endearing, and it made me smile. Her friends, Donny and Amelia, were great. I think as far as friends go, they were pretty amazing. I really appreciated that Hayes did not fade Donny and Amelia to the background of this novel. They were true supporting characters- and they were important to the story, which isn't something that happens often. I liked Donny and her attitude towards Gabe, I thought it was pretty funny. One of my favourite characters was Varnie, haha. The 19 year old cross dressing psychic. So funny.  Totally made this book worth the read. 

Now lets talk about Haden. He bugged me like Edward from Twilight bugged me. I cannot stand the whole- I love you, but we can't be together it's to dangerous, but I can't stay away from you-crap. It's crap. I hate it. I'm sorry. Haden wasn't all bad. He's hot, like any male protagonist in a paranormal romance should be. He wasn't a total fail, I enjoyed his-I need Theia to lose interest in me-antics. Which he would then turn into another reason for her to love him.  That's about all that I liked about him.

The end of Falling Under was pretty good though, not at all what I was expecting. Which was kind of fun. I will probably keep reading the series, just to see what comes out of it. I think you should read this story, because some parts of it were pretty cool. But it's not a grrrrrrrreat read, it's an okay read.

~Happy Reading Everyone.

My Thoughts: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
 
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
 
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
 
The Keeper likes to keep things.
 
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.





Believe it or not, but I don't know the fairy tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. So when word of Entwined got out, and people were saying it was a retelling of the fable, I was like great. I did like the sound of it, and I was curious about the story, never mind the beautiful cover. 

I grabbed this book from the library a few months ago, and tried to read it, but I wasn't really in the mood for it, so I gave up, but I knew I was going to try again. I wanted to know what this book was all about. I picked it again a couple of days ago, and boy am I ever glad I did not give up on this book. I really enjoyed it. It was funny, and sweet, and sometimes it freaked me out (Keeper on the ceiling, anyone?), other times it made me tear up.  It really was a pleasure for me to read.

We have Azalea the eldest daughter of the Royal Family, who has just lost her mother in child birth. So, unexpectedly her and her 11 sisters are forced into mourning. Mourning means the curtains are drawn, the girls are not allowed outside, there are no visitors, and absolutely NO dancing for one year. For these girls this is tragic. Dancing was the one thing they had that could connect them to their mother. On top of that, their somewhat strained relationship with their father is further damaged by his own grief, and sudden departure from the girls' life. So these 12 girls are lonely, suffering with the death of their dearest mother. But, somehow they found refuge with a secret passage that leads from their room to a grand pavilion where they are given the opportunity to dance, and dance they do. However, it's not for free.

The thing that I loved the very most about this story was the family dynamics.  The relationship between the sisters and all their varying personalities. They were a lot of fun to read about, and I'd imagine a lot of fun to write. I really enjoyed their father, The King. In the beginning he grieved the loss of his queen, and did not know how to deal with his sorrow, nor the sorrow of his daughters. This was very sad. The family needed each other, and they couldn't be there for one another. The family needed to heal, and they needed each other to heal, and that's partially what this story was about. It really was a great story. 

The characters that Heather Dixon created were very well rounded, and very well developed. I thought Keeper was one creepy dude, and I loved that. He would do the weirdest things,  that would royally weird me out. I did not trust him from the very beginning, but I was not expecting what I got.  Lord Teddy was one of my favourite characters. He was really funny. I laughed at everything he did, and when it came to Bramble, well that was a lot of fun.

There were a lot of different elements in this story, and I loved that. It meant that I was never bored, and I always had something to look forward to. So many different things happened, and I really enjoyed that. I would recommend that everyone read Entwined. It is worth the time.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark.
Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

I was very excited when this beauty came in the mail a couple months ago.  So excited that I wanted to drop everything and get right to it. But I didn't, I waited. When I finally got to Wildefire, it was a slow start, which I wasn't expecting considering that the first couple of pages were so strong, and full of action, and I got the impression that it would just continue to be the action packed novel that was presented in the beginning. However, having finished this book, the slow start doesn't really seem like that big a deal. Karsten Knight is a very talented writer who wrote a story that-to me- was original and fun to read.

I think my favourite thing about this book, was the diversity of the characters. I have made it no secret that it's the characters that make or break the story for me, and the characters in Wildefire were absolutely, fantastically written and wonderfully developed. I loved them.  Ashline was a fierce protagonist. She was feisty and mouthy, but she also had a softer side, she was caring and gentle, and I loved her.  I loved the friends she made at her new school (one of which is from Winnipeg- a small Canadian city, in which I was born and continue to live today- so I was very proud), and I loved how she made an effort to find her place there. 

What I also really appreciated about Wildefire was the ethnic and culture diversity, which was an integral part of the novel.  Not all the characters were Caucasian (the majority weren't), and that's not something that you see a lot of in most mainstream fiction these days.  I also really appreciated that the Gods/Goddesses in this book were not all from one culture. There were many cultures represented in Knight's novel, and I loved that.

Karsten Knight sure knows how to write a villain. I hated Eve. I wanted her to go away so badly. Normally the antagonist doesn't bother me, I mean they're bad, and annoying, but never has one made me as mad, as Evelyn Wilde. She was a perfect villain, good and terrible. She made me nash my teeth a few times.

The ides of Gods and Goddesses is a really fun idea, and I loved reading about it in Wildefire and seeing how these Gods and Goddesses come into themselves.  I really enjoyed reading about they're personal struggles, and they're desire to just be normal (as least for a little while). 

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and I would encourage all of you to check it out this coming Tuesday when it hits shelves.  You will not be disappointed.

I would like to thank Simon and Schuster Canada for the ARC, and the opportunity to read this novel.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.  
Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.
Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

Believe it or not but I have never read anything by Megan McCafferty. Yes, I am totally admitting to having not read the Jessica Darling series, and after reading McCafferty's first official YA novel, Bumped, I am not sure that I will read the Jessica Darling series. It's hard to explain my exact feelings on this book. I liked it, sort of, there were some things that I did not like, and that could have possibly made me not like the book at all, almost to the point of thinking it wasn't a very good story.  I should mention that I have not read very many dystopian novels, as I am not a huge fan of the genre. But I have read a couple that I have enjoyed, and seeing as dystopian novels are growing in popularity in YA fiction, I will keep giving them a try.

The issues that I had with this novel stemmed mainly from the language. I did not like how complicated some of the language was, using words like reproaesthetical, I was sometimes confused with what the characters were talking about. This really irritated me. The language that McCafferty created for Bumped came across as very immature and trite to me. The vocabulary that was used by the characters did not add to the novel in any way, it actually cut into how I read the book. I would get stuck on a word and have to try and figure out what it meant. Which was hassle.

I thought the characters were ok. Not great. I liked Harmony (even though many thought she was annoying), I thought she was kind of funny, and endearing, regardless of her being incredibly naive. She was earnest and I enjoyed that about her. I was not fond of Melody, I found her to be very spoiled, which did not sit well with me. The guys in the story left me wanting. Although Zen was kind of funny. But again he was nothing special. Mediocre characters is what Bumped was filled with.

I did appreciate McCafferty's attempt to show that teenagers are not mature enough to be having babies. With all the television shows out there these days glamorizing teen pregnancy, this book showcases that having kids is a big responsibility, and that it's not something teenagers should have to take on. I also liked the idea of once a baby is there that you can't take care of, give him/her a couple who wants it SO badly but can' conceive themselves (although Bumped said this a little differently I think it was the general idea). I felt like this book was pro-adoption in it's own way.  I also liked how McCafferty brought to light how some faith groups can be so fanatical that they forget their grass roots, and what some people will do in the name of God-and how off they can be.

There were small things in this book that I appreciated however I don't think the execution was very smooth.  I am curious about what happens next in this series which is the only reason why I am considering the next book. But I don't know that I will read it. We'll see.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?



I am a terribly slow reader. It's awful. I can generally read a book in about three days, but that usually means non-stop reading. In saying that, me finishing a book in 24 hours in not a common practice. But, that is exactly what I did with Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. This was an AMAZING book. Which is really exciting for me. I've read some really great books in the last couple of weeks, that I've become spoiled by great writing and am leery when starting a new book. Even more so that I have had little success with angel books. First let me say that Unearthly has spent the last four and a half months looking pretty on my shelf, I don't know why I hadn't read it before now. But I want to quickly bring to your attention the cover. Is it not beautiful? Yeah, I thought so to.

I think I am going to have a hard time articulating what I enjoyed about this book. But I'll try.

When I picked this up Saturday afternoon, I had just finished reading Halfway to the Grave (I'm trying to alternate my YA reading with non-YA stuff), normally after I've finished reading something it takes a little while before I can fully immerse myself in something else, but I am a reader so I can't not be reading anything. So I picked up Unearthly not expecting to get further then a handful of pages in. Before I knew it I was 50 pages in and had no desire to stop. I loved Hand's writing. I say that a lot, but there wasn't a single thing in this book that I did not like.

The book starts with Clara recalling her vision, her 'purpose', which is basically her raison d'etre-her reason for being- The one task that she is destined to complete during her time on Earth. With the unveiling of her vision Clara with the help of her half angel mother is able to determine that her vision is calling her to Wyoming, specifically to a boy-Christian- Whom Clara was supposed to save.  There was some initial plot build up at the beginning of the book, but it wasn't tedious and annoying. It was a small part of the book, and I really appreciated it. For the most part, the reader experiences everything with Clara, and figures things out with her. I thought this was a brilliant change from most modern day novels.  I really enjoyed experiencing everything with her. 

Hand draws an amazing picture of the Wyoming mountain range. I live with winter about 7 months out of the year and I hate it, I am not called to winter nor am i swayed by it, but Hand writes about a winter that is beautiful. Even for Clara who moved from sunny California. She describes everything so well, but she doesn't spend the whole of the book describing everything. She does it in a way that puts you in the scene but allows your imagination to take over. It's so much fun. 

The Characters in this book are great (big surprise), I loved the relationship that Clara had with her mother. I have mentioned before that I have found parents abnormally absent in most YA books. So the fact that Clara's mother was present was a welcome difference. Their relationship was also believable. Clara's mom was just that a mom, she exerted her authority when she needed to, but gave her daughter space to find herself as well. Christain was an interesting character and things between him and Clara did not go as I expected them to. Which was fine. I read somewhere that people did not like Wendy's character, that she was a meaningless character, I don't agree with this at all. I thought she complimented Clara, showcased Clara's humanity, kept her grounded (no pun intended). I also read somewhere that Unearthly does teen romance the way teen romance should be done, and I agree 100%.  It was slow and sweet and it evolved from friendship and totally by accident *Sigh*.

I am very much looking forward to the rest of this series. The end of this book brought on a lot of "WHAT?!?!?!" Which I would be mad at, if Unearthly wasn't such a pleasure to read.  Overall I would encourage anywho who is feel discouraged with angel novels. This will exceed expectations.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

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 awaken 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 the 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.




Across the Universe was an AMAZING book. I am totally surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  I love it when I find something to read that is well written. Beth Revis is a fantastic writer. For me she was meant to write. The detail that she put into her work; the details in the way things looked and people's emotions was incredible. I don't know what else to say. It was amazing ( I have a feeling that this word might be over used in the next couple paragraphs).  I am very glad that this book was published and that I had the chance to read it.

The thing I loved the most about this book was how original the plot was. I feel like there isn't a whole lot of sci fi for young adults that isn't totally, completely sci fi. I mean this wasn't so overly technical that I got bored with it. Godspeed-The Ship- is 250 years in the future. A lot can come about in 250 years, not only is  it 250 years in the future it's travelling to a new planet, with people on board who have never seen land. It's so far in the future that there are new technologies, new systems and new ways of living. Revis was able to describe all of this beautifully. I can see, smell and feel this new world.  I would sometimes need to put this book down because I could feel Amy's claustrophobia. I can't imagine being awaken at the wrong time, and know that you are now stuck on a ship. It was scary but it was a thrill to read. 

I loved the beginning for the book. When Amy is describing the process of freezing. It was freaky, and not something that I would have been able to go through with after witnessing such a thing. The fact that Amy did describes the type of person she is. I liked Amy. I liked her because she wasn't this perfect person. She was flawed. She was unreasonable and erratic at times, but at other times she was also very understanding and level headed.  She was also pretty independent, even on a ship where she was unfamiliar with the customs, and didn't know anyone. She wanted to find out about what was going on. This was important to her.  I liked that about her. Elder on the other hand did not stand out for me, but that's ok. I found him to be pretty blah. He was far to passive for me. He didn't really fight for what he believed in. He didn't fight the politics of the ship, even when he didn't agree with what was going on.  He was a little to mute for my liking. He focused far to much on Amy's opinions and feelings then his own.  That was a little annoying. But again, I think that is just proof of good writing.

There are probably tons allegorical meanings in this book. Hidden and not so hidden meanings. But I'm not very good at discussing those (actually, I barely notice them, but they're there). But I feel like I cannot talk about this book without mentioning the political themes in this book. They're there and they're well written and covertly done. It was impressive.

Over all, this was a good book. It was a fun and interesting read. I have SO many theories about what's going to happen in the upcoming books. I really do. So if you've read this book and have theories as well, comment below and share them, because I am so curious. Thanks.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan







This isn't going to be much of a review, as I did not finish Iron Witch because I did not like it. I got terribly bored with it, and had to put it down. I tried a few times to pick it back up, but wouldn't get very far before I had to stop again.  I contemplated even posting a "review" but here I am...

I was looking forward to this book. I thought it was going to be excellent, and I was so terribly disappointed. I did not like the way the story moved. I found it very slow, painfully so. I don't know if there was anything that I myself enjoyed about this book.  Usually there is something, but not in this one. I got bored. The characters were annoying and not very likable. The one thing that I found interesting was Donna's mother and her mysterious message to Donna. But even that prospect could keep me reading.

I will maybe finish this book someday. Little by little. But not now.

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

I was ecstatic when I received an ARC of Wither by Lauren DeStefano from Simon and Schuster Canada. I had been coveting this book for a while and wasn’t sure if I could wait till release day (March 22nd 2011). Generally I don’t like dystopian novels. There is something terribly hopeless about them, very rarely is there a happy ending. Granted when I think of dystopian novels I think A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and 1984 by George Orwell. Wither is the first Young Adult dystopian that I’ve read, and I totally loved it! I am still in awe of how amazing this book.

I was little nervous to start reading this. The cover is gorgeous, really beautiful and the synopsis totally intrigued me. I was however a little scared it was going to be a little to Flowers in the Attic for me, and I am not a fan of VC Andrews. So Wither sat on my shelf for a couple weeks looking pretty.

I did not get into the story right away. I don’t know that it’s because it was slow in the beginning or if I was still under the impression that dystopian novels mean a great deal of sadness that are supposed to teach me a moral lesson that I never seem to understand. But for whatever reason it took me about 50 pages to be fully engrossed in the story, but after that I could not put the book down, not until I was done.

DeStafano is an amazing writer. I don’t say that lightly. Wither is her first novel to be published and the writing is flawless. The story ran smoothly, there were no bumps or plot holes, events and situations tied together beautifully. The writing was authentic and real. What really amazed me about Wither was how I forgot I was reading a YA novel. Because of the state of the world, men die at 25 and women at 20, kids are forced to grow up quickly, so all the characters in this story have an air of maturity about them.

Rhine the female protagonist is a lovely character. She is strong and determined to get free of this marriage she was forced into. She will do whatever it takes to get free. She is not heartless though, and finds herself starting to care for her sister wives and even her husband Linden. Linden is portrayed as this weak man who is so naive it’s painful. He comes off needy and dependent. I wonder if we will see that change in future books. Linden’s character grows and develops more personality through the novel, due mostly to the attention Rhine gives him in an attempt to become first wife and earn his trust. Of the two sister wives, Jenna and Cecily, Cecily is my favourite, she’s a child bride and the most eager of the three for their husband’s attention. Rhine’s “love interest” Gabriel was a little underdeveloped. I liked him and I liked the interactions between him and Rhine, however I think that he was a bit stale. We did not see much of him and when he disappeared halfway through the book I did not feel that him being gone took away from the story (I did not want him to be hurt or dead) I guess I just did not believe that there really was any romance between him and Rhine. We should be seeing more of him in books to come so maybe he’ll grow on me.

I really enjoyed reading this book and when I was done I was really eager to know what was going to happen to all the characters. I look forward to the sequels.

Happy Reading Everyone!

** I am giving away a Copy of Choker

By Elizabeth Woods. Check it out here.**

My Thoughts: What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. And they expect her to marry a boy from the neighborhood, to settle down, and to have grandbabies. If she wants a job, she could always be an assistant manager at the local grocery store.
At school, it's another story. Marisa's calc teacher expects her to ace the AP test and to get into an engineering program in Austin—a city that seems unimaginably far away. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants—other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over.

I don't know how I feel about Ashley Hope Perez's debut novel What Can't Wait. I liked the writing, and I liked the characters-mostly- but something bothered me about this book.

Marissa is a great girl. She works hard in school and at her job, she also works hard to please her family, even when her family seems hell bent on destroying her future. I think that's what bothered me about What Can't Wait; here was this girl, who was smart and I mean really smart, and she had big dreams. She wanted to beat the odds of her family and get a post secondary education. She did not want to be like her older sister who had a baby at 17 and was now married to a dead beat. Her family however-mainly her mother and father- did not want this for her. To them Marissa's grades were of no importance. This made me really sad. Her father would get annoyed when she left her math book on the kitchen table.

I guess my problem with is how against university Marissa's parents were, I would assume that they would want the best for her. I don't understand this concept of striving for an entry level job. I guess I am one of those 'go to university to get a better education to get a better paying job' type of people. Marissa's parents did not think more schooling was important. They thought it was her duty to work and make an income so the she could contribute to the family. They also expected her to watch her niece whenever they asked regardless of any school work that needed to be done in order for her to graduate. This really irritated me, and I found it hard to read when Marissa was being told all of this, and how sometimes she would let it get to her. She would sometimes give up and not concern herself with school at all.

I DID NOT hate this book. I liked it well enough. I don't think that I wasted my time at all while reading this story. I just felt frustrated and annoyed at Marissa's situation. I assume there are some parents who are out there who don't care what they're kids do as long as it brings in the money. This upsets me.


Happy Reading Everyone!



** I'm giving away a copy of Choker by Elizabeth woods.
Be sure to check it out here.**

My Thoughts: Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Heroine, Bridget Duke, rules her high school, but when she crashes her car and ends up in limbo, she must confront the people she has wronged, all of whom want her to go to hell. The outcome of these meetings will decide her final destination.







High school for me was an interesting experience, very interesting. Don’t get me wrong I had friends, good friends and I did well, however my school was full of so many social clicks it was ridiculous. There were those that you knew and talked about, and they probably had no idea who you were, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. There were some nasty girls for sure, but none of them were like Bridget Duke star of Paige Harbison’s Here Lies Bridget. No, none of the girls I went to school with were like this foul mouth, selfish little brat.

I was lucky enough to gain a copy of this book through netGalley, lucky because Harbison did an amazing job in making you truly hate the protagonist. There is absolutely no way to like Bridget. You can’t. It’s not possible. She is honestly a terrible person. Some of the things she does and some of the things she says, well they make you just want to shout, and wonder why her “friends” put up with her abuse. Being able to see into Bridget’s head and know what she’s thinking and know that she is aware of her behaviour and “unable” to help herself is even more maddening. I laugh now thinking about it. How much I disliked this character, and that you were supposed to not like her.

I liked this book. I’ve read a few reviews were people did not like it, but I really enjoyed it. I thought it was well written and dare I say it, cute. Bridget is a terrible person who hurt a lot of people. She did this mostly because she was scared of being herself. But when Bridget drives her car over a cliff, she is forced to step into someone else’s shoes and see just how much her actions have hurt others. She is forced to decide whether this is the kind of life she wants to continue living. Most of what I have read about people not enjoying this book is that they think Bridget doesn’t grovel enough in the end. This is true, however, to play Devil’s advocate here; Bridget knows what she’s done wrong and she’s trying to make things right. At that point she wasn’t trying to be forgiven she was trying acknowledge her behaviour and apologize (she was about to die).

Over all Here Lies Bridget was a good read. It was maddening and annoying, it was happy and hopeful, and it sometimes brought a tear to my eye. Who doesn't deserve a second chance now and again?

Happy Reading Everyone!

My Thoughts: Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner ever since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team, but they're not really her friends. Mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her, and avoiding the popular girls who call her "Choker" after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria.

Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she has her BFF there to confide in.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect—including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

I have two copies of Choker by Elizabeth Woods. None of the bookstores in my city had it on release day, which really annoyed me. So I ordered it, totally forgetting that I sent an e-mail to Simon and Schuster asking for a copy (they had some promo, and all you had to do was send an e-mail with your address). So One day I received that copy and the day after I received the copy that I bought (I might do a give away, we'll see).

Anywho, this book was ok, and I'll tell you why. I figured everything out by page ten, I had the whole story figured out. So once I knew that it was hard to get excited about reading it. Like getting really into a movie, but having the end spoiled by someone. My own mind spoiled this one for me.

It was good. The story was intriguing, and the writing was good. The characters were a little blah for me. But again I don't know if that's just me. I really liked the concept of the story and found it pretty creepy at times. I hated Cara's parents, they knew something was going on with Cara but chose to ignore it. They really irked me.

As I think about it more, I would recommend this book. It was an interesting read, not something I have every read before. For a debut novel, I am actually pretty impressed. My figuring out what was going on, was not due to bad writing, not at all. I seem to be able to do that sometimes. I haven't seen Johnny Depp's new movie The Tourist and I already know that he's in on the whole thing (sorry for everyone who wanted to see that).

So go out and buy this book, it was good and I want to know what everyone thought, so if you've read it, leave me a comment, and tell me your thoughts.

Happy Reading everyone!

2011 Debut Author Challenge

My new found addiction is young adult literature. It's a great genre, and because I am so new to it (I've read other YA before but it's not what I usually go to) I am not always aware of the up and coming (not even a little bit). Which is why I have decided to take part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren, what this is and how you can also participate can be found over on her blog (http://www.thestorysiren.com).

Basically what you want to aim to do is read 12 debut authors of the YA genre in the year 2011, you can read more or less even. But the challenge is 12. There are rules and other stuff but Kristie does a great job explaining everything, so go check it out.

This year I am planning on reading at the very least 12 (Probably more, but I don't want to make any promises). The first six I know that I am going to read and that I am super pumped about are:

1) Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
2) XIV by Julia Karr
3) Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
4) Entwined by Heather Dixon
5) Clarity by Kim Harrington
6) Falling Under-Gwen Hayes

I am totally looking forward to getting my hands on these books and getting lost in every single one.

Just in case anyone was wondering, YA isn't the only thing that I am going to be reading from now on. I still need me some romance and I don't think that I could ever turn my back on my true love. But it's nice to change things up every once in a while, broaden the horizons. So that's what I am doing. So with that being said,

Happy Reading.