Amaterasu Reads

Review: If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent + Interview!

2012-02-11T23:30:00.000+08:00

My goodness, Rachel Vincent has outdone herself in the fifth and latest installment of the Soul Screamers series.

This book just wowed me. Team Tod! Raise your banners!!!

Title: If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent
Pages: 342
Release Date: September 27th 2011
Published by: Mira Ink
Source: Publisher (thanks Lucy!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

No one wants to be this teacher's pet…

The entire school’s talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr Beck. That is, everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee’s no ordinary high-school junior. She’s a banshee — she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah — it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee’s going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine — her boyfriend’s needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human, either.

But Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life. Anything.

I said in my previous review for My Soul to Steal that it was my favorite book. I'm taking it back, because If I Die has just topped my rankings of my favorite book in the series! If you think the first four book is good, then this one is great. It's more heart stopping, more emotional and just intense! I had to catch my breath and give myself a few minutes to wrap my head around all that has happened.

Kaylee's living on borrowed time and she doesn't have much of it, but before it all ends, she had one more thing to do: save every girl in school from an incubus. Kaylee's just reminded me why I loved her. She's got sass, she's strong, she's smart and very much selfless. Even knowing that death is virtually staring her in the face, she still manages to be brave and still thinks of others before herself.

And finally! Team Tod, put up your banners and wave them proudly! I've had issues with Nash after reading My Soul to Steal, starting with his Frost addiction and this book just established all the reasons I had why I'm on Team Tod. Trust me, there's A LOT of him in this book and we're finally seeing more developments in his relationship with Kaylee. Finally! I can't give away any more details without spoiling you but I knew I was on to something when I finally hated Nash in the fourth book.

Rachel Vincent just turned up the ante on this book. What a roller coaster of emotions I went through while reading. Rachel's style of writing is simple, but there's just something in it that's so addictive I couldn't stop reading this book. It's nerve wracking, it's sad, it's scary, it's frustrating, but overall it is one intense ride that is worth every moment. The twists and turns are enough to drive anyone insane after reading. Frankly speaking I did not see most of the developments in this book coming. It's the wonderful type of being blind sided. Rachel Vincent has given her readers a lot to think about with the wonderful twist at the end of this book. Is it the end for Kaylee or not? I don't know about any of you but I will be patiently waiting for Before I Wake!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Warning: May cause insanity because of intense emotions and countless twists in the story

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Gorgeous!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

-----

And as part of Mira Ink's Blog Tour, I was able to ask Rachel a few questions about a few of her favorites. Check it out:

Your most favorite quote in the book?

Most of my favourite If I Die quotes are spoilery, so I’ll pick one that isn’t. It’s from Kaylee’s dad: “I should have made something stronger than Coke floats.”

The most favorite song you listen to while writing If I Die? Or if you don't listen to music while you write, the most favorite thing you do while writing?

I rarely listen to music while writing, because the lyrics distract me. But I often listen to it while plotting.

Your most favorite moment/part of If I Die?

The part where Kaylee decides to fight back.

Do you have any favorite character this time in the book?

As always, I love writing Sabine and Tod. Tod gets to be funny, and Sabine gets to say whatever she’s thinking. That’s fun for an author.

Your most favorite cover of If I Die? (US, UK, French)

You know, I like them all, for different reasons. The US cover nicely reflects Nash and Kaylee’s changing relationship. But the dresses aren’t immediately relevant to the plot. The UK cover captures the tone of the book really well, I think. But the butterfly isn’t immediately relevant to the plot. The French cover uses the art from the UK cover of My Soul To Take, but with a slight adjustment in saturation and tone, they’ve managed to capture the intense feel of the last third of the book. So…I think they’re all great illustrations of various aspects of the story.

Interview with Teri Terry + Slated ARC Giveaway!

2012-02-11T22:16:00.001+08:00

And DD2 continues! Now we are featuring an awesome book that I am pretty sure you all are so excited about. I am too!

We are dishing out some juicy info about Slated, so sit tight! Please welcome Teri Terry to our blog!

Follow Terry: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Teri has lived in France, Canada, Australia and England at more addresses than she can count, acquiring three degrees, a selection of passports and a silly name along
the way. The footpaths and canal ways of the Buckinghamshire Chilterns where she now lives inspired much of the setting of Slated. She hates broccoli, likes cats, and has finally worked out what she wants to do when she grows up.

-----

Your biggest inspiration in writing Slated?

Oh, go on, start with the toughest question first!

Though, when I think about it, writing a story about someone who doesn’t know who they are or where they come from was a natural place for me to go. We moved constantly when I was growing up, and I carried on dashing about the globe when I left home: always trying new things and new places. I think the sense of dislocation I’ve always felt, of not really belonging anywhere, comes out in Kyla.

What do you think is the perfect quote (from Slated) that can describe the book as a whole?

‘But how can I know who I am now, if I don’t know who I was?’

(Kyla to Ben, chapter 23).

I think this encapsulates Kyla’s growing realization of what has been done to her, and the cost of it. Her search for - and fear of - who she was, are central to her story.

What's the future like in Slated? How different is it from the present?

Slated is set in a near future. Decades before it begins, in the 2020’s and 30’s, the UK closed borders and become isolationist after collapse of the EU. Student riots, gangs and terrorists were brutally quashed by a Law and Order Government. But the Lorders had to compromise in a coalition, to give underage criminals and terrorists a second chance and a new life: Slating.

Kyla’s story begins in 2054 England. Mobile phones are illegal to under 21s, there are only 3 channels on TV and unauthorized public assembly is forbidden. Computers and internet use are closely monitored. Teens still live with their parents, go to school, have friends. But they are watched; their lives are controlled. This true for all but particularly so for Slateds like Kyla.

Would you like to be "Slated"?

Definitely not!

Yet…there is a certain attraction to the idea of being able to start over, to have a second chance. Everyone, I’m sure, has moments they wish they could take back, events they’d rather forget than relive in their minds. Decisions they’d like to reverse. Yet you lose everything; it isn’t selective. I’ve never been in a dark enough place to want that.

What are the themes tackled in your novel?

Identity is a big one. Also learning to listen to yourself, to your instincts. Understanding that people are complicated: most of us are good and bad, not just one or the other. And no matter how hopeless things seem or how stacked against you, you still have a voice: you can’t stand by and be quiet when things are wrong.

Who's the character that is the hardest to write? The one you enjoyed writing the most? Do you have a favorite character?
Did you ever base Kyla (or any of your characters) on a real person(s)?

Kyla was my favorite character to write. She is strong, deceptively so, even though she doesn’t always know it. She was also tricky to write in some respects, because she does have different sides. Hidden sides. Especially in the sequel which I’ve just finished writing, but you’ll have to wait until 2013 for that one!

None of my characters are based on real people: they live entirely in my head. They have loud arguments there if I don’t pay enough attention to what they want.

Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?

I’d like to pick the last two lines of Slated: they are given as two sentences, though they need to be read together. But I can’t possibly quote that here, it would be too much of a spoiler!

Another that really sticks in my mind is the last line of chapter 1: ‘Failure is not an option.’

Imagine being in a position where you can’t make mistakes, where any wrong move could be your last…

Tell us one thing that people do not know about Slated. (A random fact, a weird habit you have developed, etc.)

The prologue was a dream: honest! As soon as I woke up I grabbed a pen and notebook I keep by the side of the bed for these moments, and scribbled it down. It came from some unknown and dark place in my subconscious: the panic, the running. What was this girl running from? Why was someone shouting to never forget who she is? What is the wall she puts up?

It took me a long time to decide if I wanted to go to this strange, dark world, and what would happen there if I did. But eventually I couldn’t stop myself. The voices in my head wouldn’t shut up.

-----

And have you seen how the cover of Slated became what it was? (A captivating, haunting cover befitting such an intriguing book?) Check out the post at Notes from the Slushpile.

Slated by Teri Terry
Add Slated to your Goodreads list!

Kyla's memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost forever.

She's been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

Orchard Books, May 2012

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN AN ARC OF SLATED BY TERI TERRY!

The lovely folks over at Hachette UK has given us an ARC to giveaway! You can read Slated 3 months before it's release! This is your chance! And yes, this is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.

Fill out the form below and the very same question I asked Teri:

Would you like to be Slated? Why or why not? (If you don't know what Slated means, it's a process of wiping out someone's memory and giving that person an entire different identity.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore

2012-02-11T00:22:00.000+08:00

I prefer to define 'stalking' as 'intense observation', or substitute that with the other phrase. Because really, would you want to be labeled as a 'stalker'? The word has such a negative connotation that the way we see someone called as such changes dramatically. And in Cammie's case she is one, but she's not afraid to admit it.

Title: The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore
Pages: 240
Release Date: March 27th 2012
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Sophomore Cammie Bliss has long been labeled a stalker by her peers, but when a cute new boy named Toby arrives at her small town high school, Cammie has a chance to be "normal." Trouble is, she can't really help herself and she's up to her old tricks of "intense observation and following" pretty quick. Making things worse, her younger brother is dating one of the most popular girls in the school, her parents have separated, and her dad has begun to watch their house most nights. Cammie has simply got to figure out why she behaves the way she does, and end it once and for all.

I didn't quite understand how Cammie can call herself a stalker at first. I felt like everyone had wronged her. The whispers in the corridor, the snide remarks, the laughter from the cheer leaders and the popular kids all because of one reason: she is a stalker. How did she become one? Why? When Toby came into the picture, that's when I finally understood. Cammie is, indeed, a stalker. But don't they have feelings too? Don't they get hurt? Don't they get worried? It felt like exploring an unfamiliar territory while I was reading about Cammie. There were moments I felt like it was all a joke, then I felt like it was so ridiculous, and then I felt afraid. There are things that were wrong with Cammie, but they were not all bad. Cammie's 'problem' was brought on by a dysfunctional family and growing up in a very different environment where feelings are rarely showed and she was rarely appreciated. That was all she wants, attention and love. To be liked.

But let me emphasize one thing: there's a fine line between observing people and invading their privacy. When you cross that line, that's when it becomes scary and dangerous. But this is a Young Adult book, and everything is downplayed. Toby, the object of Cammie's affection, understands a person who needs help because he used to need it. It hurts to think that the one thing Cammie and Toby had in common was because they were both different, that they were outcasts, that something is wrong with the both of them. Toby, despite being the cute boy with green eyes, went through depression and was called crazy by everyone. What made me finally love both characters were how they tried to be better. Toby became Cammie's anchor and Cammie was the one person that made Toby feel normal again. Romance be damned (at first), but there's something about those moments between them where they just shared what they felt, talked about things they liked and bonded over an abandoned theater. Simple things like that can lead to building strong friendships and maybe something more.

Yes, dear readers, do not be fooled by the pink, overly happy looking cover. The Stalker Chronicles deals with a theme far more deeper than what made it look, and that's what made me like this book, the way it had surprised me. I've expected it to be a light, fluffy, hilarious tale but I got so much more. The author did such a fantastic job of showing what was beyond Cammie's notorious persona as a stalker, that she's so much more, that she can also be a girl whose parents are getting divorced, who worries if the guy she likes will like her back, and is ultimately tired of being the 'stalker' everyone thinks she is.

Cammie's witty voice all throughout the novel is another part that I liked. It's like diving into the mind of a girl who obsesses with something she likes, but in all the wrong ways. It makes you think just how much family dynamics, school environment, friends influence you. And just when you think everything in this book is all cute and fluffy if you judge it by its cover, you'll be delighted to know just how much depth each character has with their back stories. It wasn't just about Cammie, as the story moves forward along with the rest of the characters, although it could have been better if there was more tension and a lot more conflict that can drive the story forward.

The Stalker Chronicles is a heartfelt tale of one girl's life as a stalker, and who she is behind that label. Sometimes there's a reason why people act the way they do, and people need to take a step back and see someone beyond what people label them as. Thoroughly entertaining with quite a few bursts of wit and flashes of humor, The Stalker Chronicles is a good read! If you want a book that will surprise you, get this one! I tell you, there is more to this book than that cute, flashy, pink cover.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

It was a bit anti-climactic towards the end, but with a hilarious voice, Cammie is an entertaining MC!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Love the pinkness of it!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (79) Breathless & Disharmony

2012-02-08T14:03:00.001+08:00

This week has been so hectic. I think I just realized how sickly I'm really am. *sigh*

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Breathless by Cole Gibsen
Release Date: March 27th 2012
Published by: Crescent Moon Press

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Obituary-reading emo girl Edith Small is broken - the end result of forcing herself inside a mold that doesn't fit. All she wants is to conform to her strict sergeant stepfather's rules long enough to make it to graduation day.

But a boat accident threatens to unravel the life Edith has worked so hard to keep. After waking up in a hospital with a lacerated shoulder, Edith fakes amnesia. Because admitting she received her injuries from a blue-haired girl who breathes underwater is all the reason Sir needs to send Edith on the first bus to military school.

Safe at home, Edith struggles to put the nightmare behind her. But the mysterious creatures that live in the ocean aren't about to let her forget.

After meeting Bastin - a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes - on a secluded dock, Edith learns about the war raging undersea to end human existence. A war that Edith, unwittingly, has become the key to winning.

In a world where death is an ever-present shadow and motives are as dark as the bottom of the ocean, Edith must decide if her life is worth risking for a love that can't survive past the shore.

Why I'm waiting for Breathless:

Oh my goodness, can you believe how gorgeous that cover is? Underwater shots are always my favorites. I love the mysterious vibe the book gives, it reminds me a little bit of Aimee Friedman's Sea Change. Edith's personality gives me this dark, edgy impression and it adds to the intrigue this book seem to have.

Title: Disharmony: The Telling by Leah Giarratano
Release Date: May 23rd 2012
Published by: Penguin Australia

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

A psychopath...an empath...a genius.

Three siblings who will save the world – or destroy it.
They know nothing of each other. They know nothing of the Telling.
But they'll need to learn fast if they're going to survive...

A gripping new series about a collision of worlds, the power of destiny, and the darkness in us all...

Why I'm waiting for Disharmony: The Telling:

I eagerly waited at Penguin AU's Between the Lines blog just to see the cover reveal for this book! The words psychopath, empath and genius were enough to rouse my intrigue (and excitement) for Disharmony. How can these three siblings save the world if they remain the way they are? And what is The Telling? Okay, I will stop now with the questions. That just goes to show how eager I am for this book to just come out so I can read it.

-----

Share your WoW picks this week please!

Character interview w/ Sara of What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen + Giveaway!

2012-02-07T22:06:00.002+08:00

Okay, so I'm a little late in posting this, but it's a special post!

Please welcome Apocalypsie Tracy Bilen to the blog! It's a one of a kind post! I always loved reading posts where the author interviews her protagonist! Now there's a lot of mystery surrounding Sarah and this is your chance to get to know her even before we all get to read the book!

Interview with Sara from What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen

Interviewer: What are your hobbies?
Sara: I play the E flat clarinet. My brother used to call it the shrunken clarinet.

Interviewer: How about your favorite sport?
Sara: Don’t have one. I hate all forms of organized sports.

Interviewer: Don’t you have to play in the band at football games?
Sara: That’s right. But I don’t actually watch the game. I stuff a copy of Soap Opera Digest under my uniform to read.

Interviewer: What’s that you’re reading now?
Sara: This? It’s a Stephen King book. I like horror. It helps keep things in perspective.

Interviewer: It looks like you wrote something on the front cover.
Sara: Me? No. Alex loaned me the book.

Interviewer: Alex?
Sara: Yeah, Alex Maloy. He sits next to me in history.

Interviewer: The football player?
Sara: Okay , so I may have watched a little bit of the last football game. (Blushes) But this thing with Alex, it’s never going to work out.

Interviewer: Why not?
Sara: You swear you won’t tell anyone?

Interviewer: I swear.
Sara: It’s not going to work out because I’m not going to be here. Mom and I are getting out of here. We’re leaving Dad.

Interviewer: Really? When?
Sara: Tomorrow probably.

Interviewer: Probably?
Sara: We were supposed to leave Tuesday, but Mom didn’t show up at the Dairy Dream like she was supposed to.

Interviewer: Why not?
Sara: I don’t know. But she must have had a good reason.

Interviewer: Have you heard from her since then?
Sara: No. But I’m sure she’s on her way.

Interviewer: How can you be so sure?
Sara: Because if she doesn’t come back, it can only mean one thing.

Interviewer: What’s that?
Sara: (Whispers) It means that she’s dead.

-----

Who is Alex Maloy? I'm really intrigued. And I've read Stephen King's books too, but I'm not really a big fan.

What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
Add What She Left Behind to your Goodreads list!

"Don't even think of leaving...I will find you," he whispered. "Guaranteed."

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara's abusive father. But when her mom doesn't show up as expected, Sara's terrified. Her father says that she's on a business trip, but Sara knows he's lying. Her mom is missing--and her dad had something to do with it. Each day that passes, Sara's more on edge. Her friends know that something's wrong, but she won't endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it's too late...for them both.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A FINISHED COPY OF WHERE SHE LEFT BEHIND BY TRACY BILEN!

And you know what? It's OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! All you need to do is fill out the form and answer the question:

Read the summary for What She Left Behind and tell me what you are excited about in the book! I'd love to hear your thoughts about Tracy's debut novel and it's really one of the books I'd love to read.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

2012-02-07T21:08:00.000+08:00

Welcome to the underworld.

And I don't mean it as the same place with vampires, werewolves or other supernatural creatures you can think of. It's the world of the mob, the mafia, the seedy, the illegal, the dangerous place where families rule the unpleasant and have access to what is forbidden. When chocolate was made illegal, what happens to the very family whose livelihood comes from it?

Title: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
Pages: 354
Release Date: September 6th 2011
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Can you imagine a world without chocolate? Welcome to the year 2083, where things we never thought we would be without (coffee, paper and chocolate) are now illegal or hard to find. Crime is rampant and Anya, daughter of a murdered crime boss has her plate full taking care of a brother who wouldn't grow up, a younger sister and a grandmother teetering on the edge of life. Her boyfriend tried to take advantage of her and after a huge fight, he almost died by eating the very chocolate her family's company once produce. Worse, Anya's falling in love with the one person she shouldn't: the new District Attorney's son.

Anya is a one of a kind girl. She's a fighter, one who has been toughened by the things she has seen and has went through as the eldest daughter of a powerful man. Fiercely protective of what was left of her family, Anya tries to live on through the lessons her father has taught her. It's not easy to try to do good when all you've been surrounded with all your life is crime. The cold, hard shell she projects just makes me want to give her a hug. If there was only someone to protect her. It makes my heart ache. The current state of New York, her home, forced her to take on everything. Who can she turn to other than herself? Gabrielle Zevin wrote of a heroine who doesn't always play by the rules, but she's one who will lay her life for her family no questions asked.

Anya and Win's relationship felt a little like Romeo and Juliet. Starcrossed. Doomed to fail, but determined to defy the odds. So bad, it's good. Them against the world. Their relationship should've been simple, but the world they move in were just too different. I detested Win's father. Call me a romantic, but can't he just let his son be happy? Future or not, you will still see how people would like to maintain appearances and protect their reputations, even when it means sacrificing emotions and manipulating people like Anya to get what they want.

I was expecting to see a world influenced directly by the lack of chocolate and caffeine. The concept treating chocolates and caffeine like contraband is definitely interesting and I really wish this concept could have been explored in detail, because it's what gives the story more intrigue. However, Gabrielle Zevin presented it in a different angle that made the story unique in itself. A darker, secretive and more dangerous way. The inner workings and machinations surrounding a family of mobster, whose legacy revolves around things dangerous and not necessarily legal is evident in All These Things I've Done. Who knew chocolate can be so deadly?

What I loved the most in this novel, however, is the interesting portrait Anya's Nana presents. It's weird to see this generation, our current generation, being described to a future character like Anya in detail by someone from a time that has long since passed. Two different generations co-existing together even for a brief moment. You see the choices made by the generation before Anya affecting what became of the future then. The moments Anya and her Nana had, the sharing of experiences and tales of a time long gone is something teens should read. It's a unique way of showing teens just how choices made by those that lived before them shaped what is their present and it's up to them to make the changes if they want to make the world a better place.

All These Things I've Done is a wonderful mix of mystery, crime, dystopia and the complicated dynamics of family and relationships. With a gripping plot and characters that will make your heart ache so much you thought it will burst, All These Things I've Done is as bittersweet as and addicting as the Balanchine chocolates. What if the things you love is prohibited? Are you willing to commit a crime to obtain them? Something different to sink your teeth into. Definitely a great read!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
I want chocolates now...

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In My Mailbox (62)

2012-02-05T10:30:00.000+08:00

So how's the week for you guys? Mine's pretty good and my mailbox is really really happy. I can't wait to dive into all these awesome books!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. This meme allows bloggers to showcase the books they've received, bought or borrowed from the library.

For review:

Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles
Silence (The Queen of the Dead #1) by Michelle Sagara West

Heaven by Christoph Marzi
The Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor
A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) by Ruth Warburton

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Borrowed:

My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates

Thanks to Camilla (my friend), Marsha Hayles, Amy and Henry Holt, Vicki at Egmont UK as well as the fabulous Laure and Vicki over at Hachette UK!

An interview with Heather Burch + Halflings Giveaway!

2012-02-04T22:54:00.001+08:00

And Dystopian Domination continues! What? You think we're finished? No! We're far from over! Oh, and check back tomorrow as we reveal the winners for Part 1 of DD2!

Today we have debut author Heather Burch sharing a little bit about her Angel themed novel, Halflings! Want to read about a bunch of teenage Angels with a constant need to feel the breath of life? Then this book is for you!

Follow Heather: Website | Twitter

What or who inspired you to write Halflings?

Several things inspired me to write Halflings. My two sons were a big factor. They are polar opposites (much like Mace and Raven) and I find it compelling to watch the two handle situations so differently. I guess a part of me wanted to explore that dynamic. One of my boys is a musician, the other is an athlete. Yeah, you can imagine the wars.

Can you tell us something about your main character, Nikki?

She’s a spitfire. Even though she’s a tough girl, she’s really uncertain about the world and her place in it. She doesn’t really feel like she fits … of course, the reader pretty quickly learns that she doesn’t fit into THIS world. But the Halflings introduce her to another world, one she may not want to fit into, but one she inevitably does.

What are the themes tackled in your novel?

The Halflings books are really about sacrifice. Being willing to lay down your life for someone else. I didn’t choose this as a theme. But the subject matter demands it. The Lost Boys are sacrificing for Nikki. Will, the heavenly angel sacrifices for the sake of the Lost Boys. Even Bo, Nikki’s dog makes a supreme sacrifice to protect her from hell hounds. As the stories unfold, Nikki must make some pretty tough decisions—these lead to several sacrificial situations. It’s also about that unstoppable energy—pure love. By the end of book three, readers will have taken a journey that ultimately demonstrates the power and the relentless force of true love.

What is the best thing someone said about your novel?

I’ve had several people tell me they read it in one sitting. That’s golden. I’ve had books I’ve read in one chunk and they are magic when you find them. To me, that’s been the ultimate compliment.

Did you ever base any of your characters on real persons?

The only character that isn’t a compilation of several people I know is Crash. You won’t meet him until book three, but he is based on a young man that was in school with my husband. Crash has earned his name, and when you get to that book, you’ll understand why! He makes me smile every time I think of him!

Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?

Sure!

“Raven,” Nikki whispered, tilting closer. “Thanks for teaching me how to destroy you.”

“Anytime.”

That was the funnest scene to write! In fact, before I began book two, I kept saying to myself, “I have to find a way to incorporate more scenes like the one in the woods where Raven is teaching Nikki how to fight supernatural enemies. So far, it’s been a fan favorite as well.”

-----

I laughed out loud when I've read that line! Definitely unforgettable. The best part is, this is only the first book in a trilogy! Thanks Heather for letting us host you on our blog today!

Halflings by Heather Burch
Add Halflings to your Goodreads list!

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

Halflings came out Feb 1st and is published by Zondervan.

Buy a copy from Amazon or The Book Depository!

You know what comes afterwards, right?

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A FINISHED COPY OF HALFLINGS BY HEATHER BURCH!

The contest is Open to EVERYONE! Here's your chance to read about three (or is it four?) mischievous Angels who's got a knack for saving people and pissing off each other every single time.

Fill out the form below and answer this question:

The guys in Halflings crave for The Breath of Life. What is the one thing you constantly crave for and/or can't live without?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodluck everyone!

ARC Review: Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler

2012-02-04T20:27:00.002+08:00

Cynical and pessimistic, two words that describe Piper, and maybe some of the girls out there.

How ironic this book's premise is. A girl born on Valentines Day and yet she's someone who hates the very thought of celebrating that very day, much less thinking about that dreaded four letter word: LOVE.

Title: Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler
Pages: 272
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Published by: Dial
Source: Author (thanks Heather!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.
In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe - and it might be closer than you think.

Piper's was born on Valentines Day and yet she doesn't share the same excitement and anticipation for it as everyone else. In fact, she feels the opposite. And like everyone else who has been let down, abandoned and got hurt because of love, may they be familial or for another person, Piper has learned to despise the very day. And yet she works in a shop that sells sweets and treats that celebrate it. Now her friends pressure her to not be alone on Valentine's, but can a non believer of love like Piper date?

Piper is this smart, kind kid who is afraid, and that's all there is to it. It's quite understandable. Why get your heart broken again? Her biological father deserted her, her step father walked out on them and all she ever does was date guys who wouldn't have the power to hurt her, make her serious, make her emotionally invested. But deep down, I think Piper still believes in love. How can she care for her younger siblings and her friends and her family if she doesn't?

I wish I had such supportive friends like Piper, who makes magic infused truffles for fun and do makeovers. It makes one miss girl bonding. Despite Piper's cynic view of love, her friends are always hopeful and helpful. Though their own relationships aren't the best example for Piper, they still do their best to remain positive, something Piper should do. You see the different types of love and the complications it brings through Piper's Mom, Claire, Jillian and Jan. The moments Piper and her friends spent crushing on Ben Donovan (yes, you have to say his complete name every time!) just made me laugh out loud. It's like me during high school all over again when I see my crush!

The truffles and all types of confectioneries this book has listed made me crave for a lot of sweets and chocolates! Can you imagine eating a Bacon flavored truffle? How about Silver M&Ms? Or Piper's Consternation Hearts! (Like what's on the book's cover)

What I know is this: You do not need magic to be in love. Some say love is like magic but there is no such thing as using spells to make someone fall in love with you. Love doesn't work that way. Piper and her friends were desperately looking for dates and a new love for Valentines Day, they didn't realize that what they're looking for is right in front of them. Like Charlie, who is such an amusing character! A guy through and through, from the huge appetite to being oblivious of most girls feelings for him even when that girl is right in front of him. This book is full of so many dense people that it's such a treat finding out if and how they will eventually come to that realization that who they need has been there all along. I live for the simple but awfully thoughtful and swift moments Charlie and Piper share. Just because everyone thinks you're going to end up together doesn't mean you will. It's the key to all of Piper's problems. She has to tell people how she really feels if she wants to move forward.

Love? Maybe is a fun, cute, short and sweet fluffy novel! It's a charming story about one girl who is not as unlovable like she thinks she is and her journey to appreciate all the love she's getting. Sometimes we get burned and we become afraid, but giving a person a second chance could go a long way. It's hard, but at least we can tell ourselves that we tried once more. With lots of funny scenes and smart advices about that four letter word, Love? Maybe is a book that will warm your hearts and make you think that maybe Valentine's Day isn't so bad. Each and every character in this book provides their own unique thoughts about love and even though some of them are not good, most will make you laugh out loud and think of how we view love in our own way.

For the cynical, for those who do not believe, Love? Maybe is a book that shows how it is to love and be loved. It's a perfect read for Valentine's Day!

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Chocolate hearts! I want!

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Robin Bridges Interview + The Gathering Storm Giveaway!

2012-02-01T22:13:00.000+08:00

And WE ARE BACK!!!

Today is the kick off of our Apocalypsies and Debut authors leg for Dystopian Domination. Technically it's not DD anymore but hey! Debut authors! 2012 authors! Apocalypsies!~ Here they come!

Today we have debut author Robin Bridges to talk about her debut novel, The Gathering Storm! Welcome Robin to the blog!

Follow Robin: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Please describe The Gathering Storm in one sentence.

In 1880’s Imperial Russia, young Katerina of Oldenburg hides a dangerous secret: she can raise the dead.

How much research have you done for The Gathering Storm? How difficult is it to write a book set during Czarist Russia/Russian Empire? Why Czarist Russia?

I’ve always been fascinated with Russian history, thanks to my great-grandparents. I researched and read a TON of Russian history books for this trilogy! It was difficult because even with the wealth of information I have, there are so many Russian history books and Romanov diaries that are only available in Russian. I wish I could read and speak Russian!

Did you ever base any of your characters on real person(s)?

Several of the characters in TGS are based on real Romanovs, who alas, were not actually fairies or blood drinkers. Evgenia of Leuchtenberg really existed, as well as her husband the Duke of Oldenburg and her son Petya. But the Oldenburgs did not have a daughter, so Katerina is completely fictional.

What is the best thing that a reviewer (or someone) said about your novel?

“Bridges could become a worthy successor to Libba Bray with this historical fantasy. Her lush settings, secret rituals, and paranormal creatures make for an atmospheric political adventure… Katiya is a strong female hero whose further adventures are worth following.” - Voya

Can you give us one line from your novel that you find important, striking or unforgettable?

Militza smiled. “Necromancy is the most vile, the darkest of the black arts, Duchess. Certainly you cannot think the tsarina could allow one such as you to remain under her roof? Or indeed, even to continue attending Smolny?”

She had me trapped in her web. “What do you want from me?” I whispered.

-----

I was certainly teased by that line. I wonder why? I am DYING to read this book! And fabulous answers, Robin!

The Gathering Storm (Katerina Alexandrovna #1) by Robin Bridges
Add to your Goodreads list!

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

The Gathering Storm came out January 10th, published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

Buy a copy from AMAZON or BOOK DEPOSITORY!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A SIGNED FINISHED COPY OF THE GATHERING STORM + SWAG PACK BY ROBIN BRIDGES!

That's right. For those of you who haven't read it yet (including me) you'll have a chance to win a copy of the book and some cool The Gathering Storm swag. And yes! This is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! Go enter the contest now by filling out the form and answering this question:

If you have the power to raise the dead, will you consider bringing someone back to life? Who and why?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

2012-02-01T21:36:00.000+08:00

The Way We Fall just made me face my biggest fear in one single sitting. Death.

How far are you willing to go to save your family? It was the first question I ever thought of after I read the summary. I will admit it, I never want to be put in a situation such as what happened in this book. I don't want to lose my family to a plague, or a virus.

Title: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Pages: 309
Release Date: January 24th 2012
Published by: Pier 9 Books
Source: Publisher (thanks Ashlea!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you're dead.

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival.

As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?

A word to the wise: This is not a very happy book.

How would you feel when one by one, the people around you dies? Friends, schoolmates, relatives, family. When a once quite neighborhood becomes a place where death hangs on almost every door? When you know what's happening and you are powerless to stop it? A deep sadness and that feeling of despair will accompany you while reading The Way We Fall and it never goes away.

All Kaelyn wants is to not be invisible anymore, to make more friends and be close to Leo again and to do that, she knew she had to change. But the events that happened in her life in a span of a month made that the least of her priorities as the whole island she lives in was quarantined and separated from the rest of the world due to the threat of a deadly virus. And the citizens trapped within the island was left to deal with the horror of the disease.

Chronicled by Kaelyn through her journal entries for her friend Leo, my heart ached the whole time while I was reading The Way We Fall. I felt like it was stepped on a couple of times and was picked up and put back into place towards the end. Hope. That was what I was looking for in this novel. That amidst the countless tragedies, the despair, the loss everyone experienced there is still something to live for, a reason to go on. Kaelyn has played such an extraordinary role to the lives of those in the island and not just because she's a doctor's daughter but because she was there to help, to do whatever she can for everyone. She didn't run like her older brother did, she stayed and helped like her parents.

Kaelyn witnessed firsthand what happens when people lose hope, when fear started taking over reason. When everything else clouded one's judgment. Desperation came, and Kaelyn had to do whatever it takes to be alive, may it be scouring for food and medicine, it doesn't matter how. Kaelyn has lived through the horror. She wasn't just a bystander. Like everyone else she lost loved ones but she caught the virus and by some miracle, lived. And she was hated for it. Why her? Why did she get to live when everyone else died? It's one of the things that made my heart ache so much. People still have the capacity to be cruel and blame others instead of just being thankful that at least a life was spared.

Friendship and romance were a few of the things that cleared the haze of sadness a little bit. Who would have thought that with the current circumstances, Kaelyn will find love? Will find a great friend in Tessa? Maybe it would have been better if people had more of that emotion, of love. It can heal. It's that single emotion that can help overcome the tragedy. If only people cared more for each other's welfare maybe Kaelyn's uncle didn't die a meaningless death, maybe instead of hoarding food and being selfish, Quentin and his gang could've saved for other people, and maybe they wouldn't kill infected people or burned houses in ignorant hopes that with the fire, the virus will eventually die too. Maybe.

It's amazing what one can do when faced with an insurmountable foe, in this case the disease. Gav thinks he was just a boy, but through his efforts to get food and making sure everyone gets them when the government has seemed to abandon them, he was able to save lives. He's a brave, kind-hearted kid who was selfless enough to think of other people even when his own parents were infected. Gave became Kaelyn's strength through the tough times and vice versa. I needed the sweetness and the emotions Kaelyn and Gav felt to help me get through the book in one piece.

The Way We Fall might not be a light read but it's wonderful in it's own way. It showed how horrific and terrible humans behave when enveloped with fear and uncertainty. But it also showed resilience amidst such daunting conditions. It showed how some are still capable of doing good. That there will always be good amidst everything bad. And how some people still have faith and still believe that everything will be better when all hope seems lost. Death will eventually come for all of us, and like Kaelyn who has lost her loved ones, we should also be determined to live on and carry them in us. People live and die, what matters is we keep them alive inside of us, in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Kudos, Megan Crewe! The Way We Fall's charm lies in Megan's eloquent writing and her vivid portrayal of the emotions each and every character has. Moving and emotional, The Way We Fall is a frightening, truthful piece of work that readers will appreciate. I sure did, and I never regretted joining Kaelyn in her journey through the most difficult moments one can encounter in his or her life.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Amazing

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

Gorgeous cover, it makes you think a bit of what really the book is all about.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (78)

2012-02-01T14:26:00.000+08:00

It's only Wednesday and I am extremely tired already. *sigh* How's your week so far?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Rock On: A story of guitars, gigs, girls, and a brother (not necessarily in that order) by Denise Vega
Release Date: March 5th 2012
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Want? Add to your Goodreads shelf!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ori Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known as the mini version of his sports-star brother, Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest. Oh, and maybe finally working up the nerve to talk to a girl in person instead of just over e-mail. But when Del suddenly returns from college, he expects Ori to step back into his role of little brother, just when Ori is starting to come into his own.
With his confidence wavering, will Ori be able to overcome his stage fright and lead the band to rock glory? Will the Band To Be Named Later ever get a real name? Will their best performances remain in the garage?
Denise Vega's deft exploration of brothers, bands, friends, and crushes promises to have readers tuning in page after page, because among all the ups and downs of being a teen, one thing's for sure: It's hard to rock out in high school.

Why I'm waiting for Rock On:

Are you kidding? A band named "Band To Be Named Later"? It sounds really cute. I love books about music and usually it's always about the girls, and I find it quite intriguing reading a book through a guy's point of view. It's like Flavors of Dumb mixed with Indigo Blues. I'd love to see how Ori will stop being a shadow of his brother's Del's.

Title: The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando
Release Date: July 5th 2012
Published by: Penguin Group USA, Inc

Want? Add to your Goodreads shelf!

Summary (from Goodreads):

An all-day scavenger hunt in the name of eternal small-town glory
With only a week until graduation, there’s one last thing Mary and her friends must do together: participate in the Oyster Point High Official Unofficial Senior Week Scavenger Hunt. And Mary is determined to win.

Mary lost her spot at Georgetown to self-professed “it” bully Pete Lembo, and she’s not about to lose again. But everyone is racing for the finish line with complicated motives, and the team’s all-night adventure becomes all-night drama as shifting alliances, flared tempers, and crushing crushes take over. As the items and points pile up, Mary and her team must reinvent their strategy—and themselves—in order to win.

Why I'm waiting for The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life:

Aside from the fabulous cover, reading about a scavenger hunt sounds like fun! And even though no one dies in this particular type of hunt (been reading too much dystopian novels) it's as crazy as it can be with alliances, conflicts, people outsmarting each other and feelings getting in the way! I'd love to read about all of that!

-----

Share your WoW links please!

Harper Teen Dystopian Prize Pack Giveaway!

2012-01-31T13:08:00.001+08:00

And with this post marks the last day of Part 1 of our Dystopian Domination giveaway!

We've had so much fun featuring the dystopian books and their authors and we hope you all had fun too! Check out the list below for the wonderful posts and giveaways! You can still enter and win!

Character Interview with Ana (Jodi Meadows) + Giveaway of Incarnate – Ends tomorrow!
Interview with Theodore Goeglein + Giveaway of Cold Fury ARC
Character Interview with Ember (Kristen Simmons)+ Giveaway of Article 5 (2 copies)
Trailer + First Chapter of Eden + Giveaway of Eden by Keary Taylor
Character interview with Zoe (Heather Anastasiu)+ Giveaway of Under the Never Sky
Guest Post with Susan Kaye Quinn + Open Minds Giveaway
Character Interview with Cass (Catherine Knutsson) + Giveaway of ARC
Guest Post with Megan Crewe + Giveaway of The Way We Fall
Giveaway of 2 Signed Copies of Under the Stars by Rebecca A. Rogers
Guest Post by Jay Kristoff + Giveaway: Signed ARC of Stormdancer
Guest Post with John Bemis + Review of The Prince Who Fell From the Sky
Character Interview (Angie Smibert) + Giveaway: Signed ARC of The Forgetting Curve
Author Interview with Catherine Austen + Giveaway of All Good Children
Review: The Hunt by Andrew Xia Fukuda + Giveaway
Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt + Giveaway: Ebook of Chosen Ones
Character Interview with Faris (KaSonndra Leigh) + Giveaway: When Copper Suns Fall (Paperback and Ebook)
Review + Giveaway of Angelfall by Susan Ee
Author Interview with Jill + Giveaway: Replication

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Harper Teen Dystopian Prize Pack Giveaway!

The prize will be sent by the publisher, so it’s only open to US residents. If you have someone in the US who can receive books for you, then you may enter. Sorry! Publisher request! :)

This form and the form at Fragments of Life is the same, so you only need to enter once!

And this isn't really required, but if you want, please leave a comment on which feature/book/author interview you liked the most and why. We'd like to know what you guys think so we can improve the event the next time!

The prize pack includes these AWESOME DYSTOPIAN books:

Finished copy of Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Finished copy of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Finished copy of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We hope you had fun! But don’t worry, it’s not yet over! There’s more. Dystopian Domination 2, Part 2: Debut and Apocalypsies Novels stars soon!

Review: The Jerk Magnet (Life at Kingston High #1) by Melody Carlson

2012-01-31T10:09:00.000+08:00

Does first impression really last? Not always.

Looks can be highly deceiving, and some teens in this book learned it the hard way as seen through Chelsea's experiences when she transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful teenage girl.

Title: The Jerk Magnet (Life at Kingston High #1) by Melody Carlson
Pages: 217
Release Date: January 1st 2012
Published by: Revell
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her. But her hot new look has a downside. She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks. And stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't endear her to the girls either.

Chelsea finally finds a true friend in Janelle Parker, and a non-jerk, Nicholas, catches her eye. Janelle keeps telling her to be herself, but Nicholas is the only guy around who doesn't give her a second look. Can Chelsea and Janelle come up with a plan to get his attention? Or will Chelsea's new image ruin everything?

Teen favorite and bestselling author Melody Carlson helps girls uncover the real source of beauty in this true-to-life story of young love, friendship, and being yourself.

Chelsea is a character that was as dynamic as any teen could be. What's amazing is I find myself responding to Chelsea because I can relate to her. You can only take so much time blending with the rest of the crowd and being under the radar before you feel the need to break free and be noticed. But what she should have realized is this: You do not change for anyone, you change for yourself. Not because your stepmother thinks you need it, but because you really want to. I still feel weary about it, but if it helped Chelsea with her self-confidence and it became a way for her to bond with a new member of the family, then I guess it's a great experience for the both of them.

However, Chelsea's transformation comes with a price. The trouble and the hassle she gets by being 'noticed' is the biggest drawback of her transformation. However, I can't say that Chelsea didn't ask for it. In her quest to outgrow her "wallflower" attitude she has made rash decisions and actions that warranted those unwanted and inappropriate attentions from the jerks. Boys respond to something they see, or they thought they saw, and Chelsea might not have encouraged it, but re-inventing one's self can go a really long way, and it's not always in the right way.

The Jerk Magnet has some sweet moments that made me think of how much fun and lively teenage life is. Because being a teen comes the drama, the friendships you will form that will last a long time and a thing or two about love and relationships. Sometimes it doesn't hurt for us to reconnect with Him especially if we feel lost. Chelsea got to the point where she barely know who she was, stuck in between being a pretty girl and wanting to just be someone who looks nice and still be as geeky as she was before. The social experiment she made with Janelle can open the eyes of many with how most people treat everyone else based on what they see. It makes readers look past the physical appearance of someone and learn to take time to know the person, give them a chance to prove themselves beyond the clothes they wear, their perfume, the way they arrange their hair, or what shoes they're wearing.

Although I agree with Nicholas on being intimidated, because there's something about very pretty girls who scares some guys off, to me this reason seemed a little bit shallow. Nicholas' attitude is a perfect example of a person's sweeping generalization, as opposed to getting to know Chelsea better. Forming opinions when you do not know the person at all might be natural, but it was unfair to Chelsea. It makes me think that he would befriend girls who aren't as pretty out of pity, and stay away from those who looked good like there is something wrong with them. Nicholas still has a lot to learn to become a great guy.

The Jerk Magnet's appeal lies in the truths ingrained in Chelsea's situation. I would have acted the same way towards a pretty girl because I am intimidated. I would have been a snob. I would have casted her off as someone extremely flawed, called her names because that makes me feel better and a little less insecure. Melody Carlson wrote an honest story about how we see ourselves and how people react to it. Beauty might only be skin deep but we humans have always cared so much about appearances that it affects greatly how we interact with the people around us.

Melody Carlson wrote a novel that teens these days should read, especially those who pay so much attention to how they look than what they feel inside. It's got a nice blend of teenage angst and drama, and a little something about one's faith, which most teens these days tend to ignore.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

.5
Okay: Liked, but The Goddess demands more!

Book Cover:

In My Mailbox (61) EPICNESS Part 2

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000+08:00

Because I really can't decide how I'm gonna divide the IMMs into two, I figured this would do. Behold! The Hardbacks, most recent releases and 2012 ARCs from the magical box of books!

Rosebush by Michelle Jaffe
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
Orchards by Holly Thompson
I Am J by Chris Beam
Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick (US Proof, 3 copies)

Wintertown (!!!!) by Stephen Emond
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

2012 ARCs:

Chained by Lynne Kelly
The Boy on Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone
Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1) by Aimee Agresti

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

If I Die (Soul Screamers #5) by Rachel Vincent
The Look by Sophia Bennett

Thanks to HarperTeen, Tor Teen, Lynne Kelly, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Scholastic, Little Brown, Egmont USA, Razorbill, Lucy at Mira Ink and the fabulous peeps over at Chicken House!

Teen Book Scene: Around the World in 80 Kisses Smooch Stop (International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams)

2012-01-29T00:04:00.000+08:00

Hey everyone! Today is my stop for The International Kissing Club blog tour organized by the fabulous folks over at Teen Book Scene. One of the characters in the book, Shellee Roberts will share some odd facts about her. Check it out below!

Odd Facts About Me: Shellee Roberts

1. I love, LOVE to travel. Anywhere. I inherited the travel bug bad from my globe-trotting parents, and for fun I sometimes spend hours online (when I should be writing) planning trips that I have neither the time nor means to afford. And not just web surfing pretty pictures, I mean down to flight schedules, hotels and itineraries. This is why writing all the travel scenes in The International Kissing Club was so much fun! All of the places that Cassidy visits in Sydney, I’d actually been to. The caveat to all this is I hate, HATE to fly. Just the thought of getting on an airplane makes the nerves in my stomach start jumping around like a kindergarten class on Mountain Dew. It’s a testament to my burning desire to see the world that I’m actually willing to get on one of those tubes of death.

2. I am severely nyctophobic, meaning I’m really frakkin’ scared of the dark. I cannot walk across my own house without a light on. Which means on nights when I’m up late writing in the office at the front of our house, I sometimes have to call my husband on the telephone in the bedroom at the back of the house to come walk me to bed. Yes, I am a grown woman.

3. I totally, absolutely believe in ghosts. My grandmother has been visited by ghosts her whole life, and going to stay with her when I was a kid was creepy cause there was always some weird stuff happening there. This may also explain #2 above.

4. My husband and I have a goal of skiing all 34 major US ski resorts before we die. So far we’ve hit nine. But since we live in the middle of Texas (means it’s tough to get out of the state quickly or cheaply) and we both have bad knees from past skiing accidents, we’re going to have to step it up from going only once a year if we’re going to make it before we’re too old.

5. My first job was working the gate at a living history farm in my hometown. I was fifteen and seriously in love with history, so I thought it would be super fun to work there for the summer, in the Texas heat. I wore a full on 1870s era costume—long skirt, petticoat and bonnet—with not even a fan (cause there was no electricity). This is when I realized that really living in the past is romantic only in books. In reality it was hot and sweaty and really, really hard work all day long.

Thank you for hosting us today!

-----

Got any weird phobias? Tell us in the comments (leave your email so we can contact you) to be entered to win the Around the World In 80 Kisses daily and weekly prize and also become eligible to win the Grand Prize, a Kindle Fire. For a list of all our Smooch Posts you can visit and earn more entries to win, visit us here.

The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams is the story of four best friends: Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy--the misfits of Paris, Texas. Their whole lives, they’ve dreamed of escaping small-town life and seeing the world. So when Piper is the victim of an embarrassing prank that goes viral online, she gets the idea that the girls should escape via the school’s international exchange program, in search of fun, love and internet redemption.

Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts and Tracy Deebs write under the pseudonym Ivy Adams. They shop, gossip and watch movies in Austin, Texas.

Angelfall by Susan Ee Feature + Giveaway!

2012-01-26T16:20:00.001+08:00

AHA! You think we're finished with Dystopian Domination 2? No!

Today we have a fabulous author whose book created massive waves last year, with her HIGHLY impressive debut! Welcome Susan Ee as our last author for the Dystopian authors leg for our blog event. After this, watch out for the Apocalypsies!

Follow Susan: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Susan Ee is the author of Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 1). Her short stories have been in various publications including Realms of Fantasy and The Dragon and the Stars anthology. She is also a filmmaker whose latest film played at major film festivals and on cable TV stations throughout the U.S. She studied creative writing through workshops at Stanford, The Iowa Writers' Workshop and Clarion West.

-----

I bought, read and reviewed Angelfall in my blog a few weeks ago and here's an excerpt if you are interested:

"Susan Ee presents the readers a new face of the apocalypse. Dangerous, dark to the point of hopelessness. The author was able to draw a dreadful and horrific landscape, a great backdrop for a great set of dynamic characters and very engaging storyline.

I can't really put it into this words but Angelfall is one of the best books I've read in 2011, hands down. It brought back my faith in self-published books, seeing how well-made this one is.

There's tons of action, spine-chilling scenes and heart aching romance. And the plot will just wow you into oblivion. Angelfall will sweep you into a tide of emotions, excitement, fear, hope, love. Susan Ee will make you feel a roller coaster of emotions as she takes you into one astounding ride of a story."

Read the rest of my review HERE.

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee
Add Angelfall to your Goodreads list!

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

You can buy the Angelfall ebook for $0.99 via Amazon or Barnes and Noble!

GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN AN EBOOK OF ANGELFALL!

I know you want to! Come on, a fabulous book for free? Want!!! Just fill out the form below and answer the question to make sure your entries count.

Answer this question: If you were an Angel, who would you be and why?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

2012-01-26T09:30:00.000+08:00

Color me surprised. The cover screams "paranormal" to me, but it's actually not.
And I was surprised and glad with what I found out when I started reading.

Title: Night School by C.J. Daugherty
Pages: 451
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Published by: ATOM
Source: Author (thanks, Christi!)
Buy: Book Depository

Summary:

Sometimes school is murder.

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

I have said this before and I will say it again. I like books that make me think, make me draw my own conclusions, make me want to anticipate what happens next and make me guess what's in store for the characters and the story itself, and that's just what Night School made me do.

I have no idea what was going on more than half the time, and as I dive into the story deeper, questions start piling up one by one, and I will be honest, not all of them have been answered. But it's a brilliant move to build up the suspense up to the very last minute, as I'm sure the readers will find the book gripping. Anything can happen anytime and you have no idea what it is, who's done it and what they are after. I think that's what makes this book scary, not knowing who to trust, what happens next and if it's your turn to die.

Allie's character is quite fascinating. She's a problem child who somehow transformed into someone fragile who needs to be protected when she came to Cimmeria. It's as if her tough, wild exterior was peeled off in one swift stroke when she entered the Academy. She found herself locked in an inescapable place filled with the privileged and the stark contrast of it to her life outside felt like one big shock therapy. She doesn't have a trust fund, nor is she gifted. So why was she there? One thing that stands out in Cimmeria: everyone has secrets. And some would kill to protect them. The more you hide something, the more people cannot resist to find out what it is.

This is the first book I've read this year that makes me feel completely torn between the two male leads, Carter and Sylvain. They're both highly irresistible in their own ways, one a bad boy and the other a ladies man. I will admit it, Sylvain caught my eye almost instantly. Not because he is rich or because he is French. His charm rests in the fact that he is 'for everyone' when in reality, he is only looking for that someone who will complete him. He's passionate and smooth and intense. And Carter? He's completely misunderstood, your typical brooding boy next door. Weigh in yourselves which one you think fits Allie's personality, because they have proven themselves in the course of the book that they're both capable of protecting her.

The mystery of figuring out the reasons why Allie was brought to Cimmeria, why there was so much rules to follow, why it's constricting and strict and the presence of the elusive Night School is like an addictive puzzle. Readers would want to figure it out immediately. Yes dear readers, Night School is a thriller whose secrets keep on piling up to the brim until all of them are revealed and spilled on the last few pages of the book. The waiting is excruciating! Do not blink while you read, or else you will miss out essential details and clues!

Night School reminds me of the movie The Skulls. Shrouded in mystery, cryptic. A highly secretive society that exist to shape and produce future leaders of the world. Sometimes being part of an elite and exclusive organization comes with a price. If you want to become one capable of ruling the world and taking your place among the leaders, movers and shakers and be powerful, you have to keep secrets, however dark and deadly they may be.

Christi Daugherty's debut is an enigma in itself. It's mystery and intrigue blended into one delectable book that will make you jump, make you weary, make you cautious and make you think of who to trust, who to believe and who to turn to if you want to stay alive. An addictive, spine chilling, thriller! With a plot filled with surprise at every turn of the page and striking characters, Night School is a one of a kind read. Definitely a highly refreshing read for 2012!

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Love!

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

The red makes me think of the word 'bloody'.

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (77)

2012-01-25T11:48:00.000+08:00

Well my week sucks. It's the first month of the year and I already got sick. *sigh*

This week we're featuring two books that makes us think how awesome 2012 is going to be. Have you seen the line up for this year? Lots of dystopian, paranormal and tons of contemporary YA coming out which are all the types I want to read. Just... wow!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: The Nightworld by Jack Blaine
Release Date: April 2012
Published by: HarperCollins Children's Books

Want? Add to your Goodreads shelf!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Scraping by in classes, hanging out with his best friend Charlie, and trying to get a date with Lara Hanover, the prettiest girl in school—that was Nick Robbins’ life.

Survival was the last thing on his mind.

Then, a strange cloud appeared over the city. A cloud that kept growing. The darkness on the horizon consumed the light around it. And Nick’s dad, a Department of Defense energy physicist, might have something to do with it. Soon, it became clear that the world Nick knew would never be the same.

Now, night is never-ending. The temperature is falling as heat leaves the world. Plants and animals are dying and people are turning into predators waiting for any small advantage. But Nick is determined not to disappear like the fading light. Desperate to glimpse a familiar face in the shadows, Nick races to find his friends—and the one clue that’s his glimmer of hope.

Why I'm waiting for Nightworld:

Is that the final cover? Because I think that darkness just conveys the theme of the book perfectly. And also... can you imagine living in a world where daylight doesn't happen? A never ending night... I wonder how that would be like? The whole world plunged into darkness and along with the never ending darkness comes lower temperature. Winter all year long? Millions will die! Okay, I am getting way ahead of myself now, but this book makes me so excited! Can I read it now? Please?

Title: Silence (The Queen of the Dead #1) by Michelle Sagara
Release Date: May 1st 2012
Published by: DAW

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

“It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….”

Why I'm waiting for Silence:

That summary just gave me the chills. It reminds me a little bit of In The Arms of Stone Angels, when the female lead visits the cemetery at night. An ancient woman made of rags... how's that for scary imagery? I'm curious to know what role Eric and the old woman will play in Emma's life and honestly, the words "Queen of the Dead" made me really curious. Will this be about ghosts? The afterlife?

-----

So what books are you waiting for this week? Share your picks please!

ARC Review: Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

2012-01-24T22:10:00.000+08:00

The course of true love never did run smooth, and it got as many bumps and was as difficult as it can get in Justina's case. This is a love story of twists and turns, bends and curves and one girl's dilemma. How do you know if it's the right time? If he really likes you? If he's more than a friend or just a friend? The question goes on and on.

Title: Ditched: A Love Story by Robim Mellom
Pages: 288
Release Date: January 10th 2012
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Filled with humor, charm, and romance, Ditched: A Love Story by debut novelist Robin Mellom will have readers dreaming of love on their own prom nights.

Assumptions. Assumptions. Assumptions. I think we girls are the queens and the masters of assuming anything and everything. We think we know it all by putting meanings on a guy's gestures or the way he speaks or what he says to us but sometimes things aren't as complicated as we thought. Justina and Ian have been friends since the day they bonded over a silver bat, and until today, they insist that they are just "friends". But Justina's ready to take that first step, to cross that dangerous line between friends and lovers. The only problem is? Does Ian feel the same way? Or is it just her?

Connecting with Justina was never a problem. She's you and me and every other girl who is going through the intricacies of love the first time around. It wasn't easy because the subject of her affection is her best friend, and we all know that once you become lovers, you can never go back to just being friends if it doesn't work out.She obsesses about every single thing there is to worry about and she's very concerned with keeping up with appearances. It doesn't help that she's a notorious serial kisser but like I said, some of us had a wild teenage life and Justina, in her quest for finding the one for her, might have made a not so pleasant reputation for herself.

Sometimes you find friends in the most unexpected of places and times. Justina had the advantage of having fresh eyes and ears when she was reliving the story of her very disastrous prom night while stranded in a 7-eleven with a stain filled dress, without money and a $350 debt. Donna and Gilda had experience and I love that no matter how jaded or skeptical they might be, they were there for Justina, and though their wisdom might not be the best, they helped Justina clear the haze of disappointment, confusion and outrageous behavior the night before gave her while sharing their experiences as well. Also, stoners Mike and Mike and their girlfriends (though I never approve of their behavior!) helped Justina in more ways than Hailey or even Ian could. They might be a bunch of kids who love getting high but no matter how appalling their behaviors were, Justina found friends in them. And they made Justina's night all the more interesting.

Ian might be a "professional boyfriend", but he's the kind of guy best friend you want to have, and the kind of guy who you want to fall in love as well. Who wouldn't want to have an extremely caring guy friend? The kind who worries about you and your needs, who is so kind sometimes it's not funny anymore.

Ditched is a cute, fluffy read that made me smile when I remember my own prom night. You feel the anxiety, the giddiness, the nervousness and all the feelings, whether they be good or bad, that comes along with Prom. Justina had the worse luck in the world but each and every stain, every bruise, every tattoo tells a story. A very confusing but nevertheless entertaining and sweet love story between her and Ian. Lesson learned: never assume. Sometimes the only way to move forward in whatever relationships we have, take it to the next level is to be vocal about it and tell the other person how we feel. It's nice to try figuring out things once in a while but most of the time, it's better to ask that person than to assume.Just because everyone thinks you will end up together doesn't mean it will happen. You need to make it happen.

It's a sweet, sweet novel from Robin Mellom! If you want a book that takes you back to those days of prom, of fun and of those complicated friendships and relationships, better grab a copy of Ditched!

My rating

Content (plot, story flow, character):

Fun, quick read!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Very Justina!

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Character Interview: Velvet from The Forgetting Curve by Angie Smibert + Giveaway!

2012-01-23T21:46:00.000+08:00

We are winding down to just a few dystopian authors to be featured for DD2. But hey, who says that's the end of this event? Watch out for DD2 Part 2, where we will be featuring Apocalypsies!

I have read Memento Nora, the first book in the series and I tell you IT IS AWESOME. It's one of my favorite 2011 reads and I am so excited for the sequel, The Forgetting Curve to hit the shelves soon! Today we have Velvet, a character from The Forgetting Curve. It's always interesting to know the thoughts of the characters outside the book, so... READ ON!

Follow Angie: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Book of Velvet

The Forgetting Curve is a sequel to Memento Nora, but the story is told from the point of view of a few new or newish characters, including Winter’s best friend (whom you met briefly in the first book), Velvet Kowalcyk. (The other points of views are from Winter and her cousin, Aiden.)

When I asked Velvet if I could interview her for this blog post, her response was typical Velvet:

“Don’t give yourself away. Book of Velvet. Chapter 23, Verse 3. Not for free at least.”

As you can see, Velvet is a regular little Sun Tzu. (You know, the ancient Chinese philosopher-general who wrote the Art of War. Yeah, that guy.) In fact, I think she stole the above pearl of “sagiosity” from him, sort of. Velvet sees life as a battle and ascribes to her wisdom to her unwritten, ever-growing tome, the Book of Velvet. Even her friends call it that. So I thought I’d share a few of the other chapters and verses from this work-in-progress:

Do not wear fishnet stockings and a boiled wool skirt to a dank garage. Or any garage. In June. Book of Velvet. Chapter 47, Verse 233.

Do not run. Book of Velvet. Chapter 3, Verse 12. Not from or toward anything.

Don’t talk to fools when you’re still mad at them. Or yourself. Book of Velvet. Yada, yada, yada.

When a cute rich guy asks you to hang out, be worried if he shows up with an antenna made out of a potato chip can. Book of Velvet.

Do not volunteer for something until you’re sure it doesn’t include manual labor. Book of Velvet.

When you don’t know what to say, do not scream something self-centered and lame. Book of Velvet. New chapter. New verse.

A girl can’t wait for Prince Charming to rescue her ass or save the universe. Book of Velvet. Last Chapter. Last Verse.

Hope that gives you a little taste of Velvet. If you want to know more about The Forgetting Curve (and the character of Aiden Nomura), please check out the Memento Nora book site (http://www.mementonora.com/the-forgetting-curve.) I’ll be adding more info about the new book, including an excerpt very soon.

The Forgetting Curve (Memento Nora #2) by Angie Smibert
Add to your Goodreads list!

Aiden Nomura likes to open doors—especially using his skills as a hacker—to see what’s hidden inside. He believes everything is part of a greater system: the universe. The universe shows him the doors, and he keeps pulling until one cracks open. Aiden exposes the flaw, and the universe—or someone else—will fix it. It’s like a game.

Until it isn’t.

When a TFC opens in Bern, Switzerland, where Aiden is attending boarding school, he knows things are changing. Shortly after, bombs go off within quiet, safe Bern. Then Aiden learns that his cousin Winter, back in the States, has had a mental breakdown. He returns to the US immediately.

But when he arrives home in Hamilton, Winter’s mental state isn’t the only thing that’s different. The city is becoming even stricter, and an underground movement is growing.

Along with Winter’s friend, Velvet, Aiden slowly cracks open doors in this new world. But behind those doors are things Aiden doesn’t want to see—things about his society, his city, even his own family. And this time Aiden may be the only one who can fix things... before someone else gets hurt.

GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN A SIGNED ARC OF THE FORGETTING CURVE!

The giveaway, as usual, is Open INTERNATIONALLY! And hey, it's signed! How awesome is that?

When you fill out the form, don't forget to answer the question Angie herself has thought of!

Answer this: If you had your own Book of Velvet (or Book of [insert your name here]), what would be in it?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox (60) EPICNESS PART 1

2012-01-22T12:03:00.000+08:00

I decided to split the IMM to two, so I'm doing it like this. Even I am feeling overwhelmed by how much books have piled up on my friend's place. So here it is! These are 2011 releases from January up to December. :)

Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
Night School by C.J. Daugherty
Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton
Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

For review (2011):

Isle of Night (The Watchers #1) by Veronica Wolff
So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
Nickel Plated by Aric Davis
Pearl by Jo Knowles
Trapped by Michael Northtrop
Ruby Red (Edelstein Trilogie #1) by Kerstin Gier
The Girl Is Murder (Girl Is Murder #1) by Kathryn Miller Haines

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley
Hades (Halo #2) by Alexandra Adornetto
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa
The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone
The Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen
OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy
The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1) by James Patterson

All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1) by Gabrielle Zevin
The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegen
Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
Abandon by Meg Cabot
The Shattering by Karen Healey
The Jewel and the Key by Louise Spiegler
Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1) by C.C. Hunter

Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution by Michelle Moran
Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley Cartwright
Belle's Song by KM Grant
The Daughter Breaks the Rules by Joanna Philbin
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

I've only read Where I Belong and The Iron Queen from this pile, so you can just imagine how much my TBR pile is kicking my butt. But it's fun seeing all these books on my shelves though. I'll be giving away most of these, so watch out for a new wave of contests once our Dystopian Domination event is done!

Thanks to Catherine at Simon & Schuster UK, C.J. Daugherty and Atom, Beth Neff and Penguin, Little Brown, Macmillan, Crown Publishing, Amazon Encore, Henry Holt, Scholastic, Harlequin Teen, Meg Cabot, HarperTeen.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda Feature + Giveaway!

2012-01-21T18:56:00.001+08:00

Okay, what day is it for Dystopian Domination 2? Have you had enough of the awesome prizes we are giving away and the lovely authors we are featuring? No? Well check out what we have in store for you today!

I have just finished reading The Hunt and I guarantee you, it's awesome!

Follow Andrew: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
Add to your Goodreads list!

Seventeen-year-old Gene struggles to survive in a society where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the remaining humans, he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing.

The Hunt comes out May 8th 2012 by Simon & Schuster (UK) and St. Martin's Press (US) Go pre-order you copy at: Amazon | Book Depository

But of course it doesn't stop there. We have a giveaway for all of you!

GIVEAWAY TIME! WIN AN ARC OF THE HUNT BY ANDREW FUKUDA!

Good news! Thanks to the lovely people at S&S UK, we have 1 copy of The Hunt to give away. And guess what? This contest is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! You'll get to read The Hunt almost 4 months before the release date. How about that?

Answer this question : Would you rather be a vampire or be a Heper? Why?

You must answer the question so your entries will count!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

2012-01-21T18:26:00.000+08:00

See when Richelle Mead said The Hunt is "terrifying and fascinating", I should have taken her word for it. I really should have.

Title: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
Pages: 304
Release Date: May 8th 2012
Published by: Simon & Schuster UK / St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Publisher (thanks Amy and Frances!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository
Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Gene struggles to survive in a society where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the remaining humans, he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing.

I am writing this review with my heart still up on my throat, pounding frantically from the adrenaline rush this book provided. I'm pretty much feeling utterly terrified right now, and I am not exaggerating.

We are all humans, that's an undeniable fact. I am human, and I have never before appreciated being one until I have read this book. It saddened and somehow repulsed me to see humanity die and deteriorate to the unimaginable. You never appreciate humanity as it is now until you read of something like what is portrayed in The Hunt, where the population was reduced to flesh eating, merciless creatures. The few remaining survivors are stripped of even the most basic thing, to be called a "human", a live breathing person. Instead they are called "Hepers", nothing more but food, much like a cattle, for consumption and entertainment. They were educated, well fed and kept in a dome, unaware of the doom their young existence will meet shortly. How ironic the vampires in the book consider themselves superior when they behave the way they do, with insatiable thirst for flesh and blood, like savages. Like monsters.

The children in this book have my respect for surviving as long as they have. I would never last a day if it was me. Fear is a great motivator to stay alive. Gene has done all he can to live, even the unthinkable: to walk with the very same people who are out to get someone like him. Years of pretending to be someone he was not felt like he was slowly forgetting who he was. The father he has lost taught him these: Do not stand out, be like them, do not show emotions. The vampires are just like what I expected them to be, merciless and vicious. You cannot outrun them, you cannot escape from them, you cannot win against them. If you are a Heper, you will die. It was a fact in this book. He couldn't do anything to stop it, not if he wants to survive. Self preservation is an instinct, and Gene's reluctance to help the Hepers were understandable, but seeing and finally understanding that he and them were the same, he couldn't possibly let them die. Not for him, not for Ashley June. The only thing that gave hope in this book is the confusing and fragile romance between Ashley June and Gene and in some ways it is also sad.

The little details that makes the vampires who they are, no matter how horrific it was, fascinated me. They express laughter by scratching their wrists, they show affection by touching elbows and armpits. They do not smile. In a way it felt like they were dead inside. Imagine a whole place filled with creatures like them. They walk and they talk, but that's where the similarities end.

Gene had a front row seat to witness first hand the devouring of Hepers, of his kind, his people, when he was selected to take part in The Hunt. What a sick and twisted way of entertainment. But it wasn't just for that, even the government found a way to make it a tool for gaining support and popularity. I keep on asking myself "how is this all possible?". Why can't they just be satisfied with synthetic meat? With produced blood? To hunt humans as a sport? Make it a form of entertainment? Some sort of a campaign? This is what happens when the order of things change. What was natural for humans will never apply to these creatures. Basking in the sunshine, sleeping under the shade and eating apples were all but trivial things. What a horrifying society the world had in this distant future.

The Hunt is full of unexpected surprises and twists and turns tucked within pages of hair raising, high octane scenes. Expect carnage, expect blood, expect the unexpected. I felt my heart skipped a beat more times than I can count while reading. Andrew Fukuda paints a frightening, bloody picture of the future. What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted? The knowledge that you can die any minute is evident from the page one, like a dark cloud hanging over you, and it will not go away easily. I felt a myriad of emotions while reading this book, from total, utter fascination to something that made me sick to my stomach. But it's good. Very good. The kind of good that will leave you speechless.

Mankind's downfall will be ourselves, and The Hunt will show the readers just how hopeless, dark and savage the world can be if we become the very monsters we are all afraid of.

My rating:

Content (plot, story flow, character):

WOW. Just... WOW

Stunning: Worthy of a Goddess' Praise!

Book Cover:

You'll get an idea of what happens in the book just by looking at the cover.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff + Giveaway!

2012-01-19T00:40:00.000+08:00

It's day... uh, I've lost track. What day is it for our Dystopian Domination blog event? :)

How fitting is this book to my blog? Stormdancer is Japanese inspired and based on Japanese mythology, and Amaterasu (from my blog's title) is the Japanese Sun Goddess!

One of the most awesome authors I've had a chance to talk to, we are featuring Jay Kristoff on our blog today! He'll be talking a little bit about his upcoming book, Stormdancer, and basically just being awesome while doing so.

Follow Jay: Blog | Twitter | Facebook

People call STORMDANCER a Japanese Steampunk novel, but it’d be less like lying to say that Stormdancer is Japanese-inspired. It’s set in an island empire called Shima (Japanese for ‘island’). The customs, language and culture are inspired by Japan’s samurai age, but they have contraptions like air-ships and chainsaw katanas, the sky is choked with pollution, and animal life on the island has been virtually extinguished. Shima is a dystopia, with a capital D. No fluffy squirrels or cuddly bunnies here, friends.

So how does mythology tie into this dying land? I based the religion in Stormdancer on Shinto, a religion in ancient Japan that’s made of awesome. The most important Shinto story is the myth of Lord Izanagi and Lady Izanami – the great maker gods with the easily confused names. Izanagi and Izanami were in wuuuuv, but Izanami died giving birth to the world (and yes, I imagine that would be quite painful). Izanagi went to the underworld to reclaim her, but she’d become corrupted by the darkness (no, not that kind, the other kind). Izanagi fled, and in a rage, Izanami vowed that she’d kill a thousand people every day to punish her husband for leaving her. To which he replied, “Then I will give life to fifteen hundred.” Snap.

Now sure, on the surface STORMDANCER is a story about a girl who can speak to animals, and her friendship with the last griffin left alive. But underneath, Shinto mythology (particularly the tale of Izanagi and Izanami) is at the heart of the series. I had to figure out how the other gods of Shinto would fit into a dystopia too – how would people feel about the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, for example, when the sun is bright enough to barbeque your eyes if you look at it with your naked eye? Or Tsukiyomi, the Moon God, when the pollution is so dense you can’t even see the stars at night? It was a lot of fun figuring out the answer to these questions, and creating a brand new world that’s interwoven with a mythology that’s thousands of years old.

But now I’m running over-length, so as to exactly how it all fits together, I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out 

-----

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
Add Stormdancer to your Goodreads list!

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, land choked with toxic pollution, wildlife ravaged by mass extinctions.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima's imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary beast, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows thunder tigers have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A SIXTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a hidden gift that would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

Stormdancer comes out September 1st 2012 and is published by St Martin’s Press (US) & Tor (UK)
Preorder your copy now on: BOOK DEPOSITORY

GIVEAWAY TIME!

WIN A SIGNED ARC OF STORMDANCER!

Yes, you can! And it'll be signed! And it's also open internationally!
All you need to do is fill out the form and then answer this simple question:

Place yourself into Stormdancer's world. You're in Shima. If you were a Japanese God / Goddess, who would you like to be and why?

a Rafflecopter giveaway