@PageTurnersBlog

If I Should Die by Amy Plum

noreply@blogger.com (Christina @ Allodoxophobia) — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:53:00 +0000

Title: If I Should Die
Author: Amy Plum
Date: Published May 7th 2013 by HarperTeen Synopsis:

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself. Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want. It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him. After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

Sadly, the Revenants series, one of my favorites, has come to a close. We left off at the end of the 2nd book with a very dire situation – Vincent’s body about to be burned by the scary Violette, numa-wannabe, who is preparing to take his Champion power and destroy the world. The Revenants now must band together to discover if Vincent can be reanimated, with the help of the healer Bran, and take down Violette and her evil undead army.

I think this was a very fitting final chapter for Kate, Vincent and the kindred. Over the course of the three books, I saw a lovely transformation in Kate. She went from skittish, grieving little girl to curious and willing to take a leap of faith and finally to passionate warrior. She is the glue that holds everyone together, an agent of change on many levels, and I was pleased with how her story came full circle in the end. The other characters are, as always, excellent and multi-dimensional. I’ve always liked Charlotte and Ambrose, and I love how Georgia never fails to add a jolt of humor when things get dark. Jules, hero of Die For Her, suffers in silence for loving his best friend’s girl, and must make tough decisions based on his feelings.

The plot, though slightly predictable, does manage to throw a couple of major curveballs at the reader. I was reminded in places of Harry Potter looking for horcruxes to destroy and Claudia Kincaid searching the Met to verify the authenticity of the Angel statue. The Revenant world is one I’ve felt could actually happen and us humans would be none the wiser. I think this is a testament to Plum and her creativity and attention to detail. Without giving away spoilers, I want to mention how I enjoyed the evolution of Kate and Vincent’s relationship. The thoughts and feelings both of them had as they experienced several big traumas were natural and realistic and strengthened them as a unit, a team.

I think overall, fans of this series will be satisfied with the outcome. As Plum wrote on her blog, not everyone gets their Happily Ever After, but there is closure for all. Thank you, Amy Plum, for sharing this world and these characters with us. I will miss them!

My Over All Rating:

That Time I Joined The Circus Review

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

Title: That Time I Joined The Circus
Author: J.J. Howard
Released: April 3013
Synopsis:

Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake--and facing a terrible tragedy--Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi's mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn't there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus's fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi's ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it's Lexi's own future that's thrown into question.

With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.

I'll admit it; it was the cover that drew me to this book. I am not a circus fan, but the lights, coloring and flying people made it look like a fantasy land and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

The story starts off with a bang. It alternates time frames and you know Lexi has had some issue in the past months but you aren't exactly sure what happen - this really drives the story. You want to know why this city girl ended up in the middle of a FL field waiting on the circus.

Lexi's life with the circus started out slow and I was a little disappointed with the similarities to Water for Elephants. Lexi impressed the leader and went from one job to another as soon as he learned she was educated. But that is where the similarities end. Lexi bonds with a family of circus performers and they give her something she hasn't had in a long time - a normal family life.

Lexi finally seems to be settling into her new life - she has friends and a boyfriend. Her life was completely turned upside down in last few months, but things finally are working out for her- then bam her past shows up. And another world wind adventure begins.

I really enjoyed the titles and song lyric for each chapter. It definitely gave you a "theme" for the next part of Lexi's story. JJ Howard's vivid emotional writing draws you in, you feel like you are a spectator at the circus, watching every last detail unfold. My favorite part of the story is how nothing is how it seems. Everything seems pretty straight forward, but nothing is - it is all an intricate weave of story lines. This has been my favorite 2013 Debut so far.

#YACrushTourney - YA Sisterhood & PTB are teaming up to host the Debut Boy Nominations!

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Mon, 20 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Today is the day - The nominations for the 3rd annual YA Crush Tourney begin. To help lighten the load YA Sisterhood asked 4 bloggers to help out with the nominations. As you can see PTB is handling the 2012-2013 Debut Boys.

Define Debut Boy - The debut category will include any author whose very first novel came out in either 2012 or 2013. Please double check your nominations as any vote for a crush that isn't a debut will be thrown out. Again, this is the author's first novel, not just their first YA novel.

A Note from YA Sisterhood:

Rules for the YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney 2013

PLEASE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE CATEGORY DEFINITIONS. THEY WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR EACH CATEGORY. THIS WILL SAVE TIME AND A LOT OF FRUSTRATION FOR THOSE COUNTING THE VOTES

YA only (No NA, No Middle Grade, No Adult, NO EXCEPTIONS) The lines between MG/YA/NA will be more clearly defined in the definitions of the categories.

Previous winners of the tournament are ineligible to participate. Jace(MI) Adrian(VA)

You can nominate 6 crushes from each category on the specified blogs. We will take the top 6 from each category. If a crush makes it into the top 6 of more than 1 category, he will be placed in the category in which he received the most votes.

After the nominations are complete, we will have a wild card vote. The 7th-9th places in each category will be taken, and we will have a vote off on YA Sisterhood to determine the final 4 spots in the tournament. This will leave us with a 28 seed tournament with the 1st crush in each category getting a bye in the first round.

This year we’re limiting it to 1 character per author in the tournament. You can still nominate more than 1 character from an author. However, once nominations are finalized, if more than 1 character is nominated from an author, we will only take the character with the highest votes. We realize that this might upset some of you because you love many characters, some of which are written by the same author. But the goal of this tournament has always been to introduce new books and new characters to readers, so we want to share the love. So you’ll have to decide which team you’re on, and make your votes count.

This year, advocate sign-ups will be after nominations, May 28th - June 1st. (more on advocates will come later)

Keep it clean. Keep it respectful. We have no problem banning you from the tourney. We’ve had MAJOR drama issues in the past, and even though we swore we weren’t going to do another tourney, we’re back because we love books and we love authors and we love you. But PLEASE… this time… let’s leave the hate and drama at the door.

DISCLAIMER: We reserve to add or adjust any rules as needed during the tournament.

Don't forget to nominate in the other categories.

Speculative Fiction - Fantasy Book Addict
Indie Fiction - In Books
Realistic Fiction - Fictitious Delicious

Many crushes will fit in multiple categories!!! You may vote for them in multiple categories if you would like, but keep in mind that we will only take the Top 6 in each category. Be strategic. If you have a crush that has a better chance of making it in one category than the other, then rally support for people to vote for that crush in a specific category. Use Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr--anything and everything to spread the word about your man! Keep in mind that Speculative Fiction is by far the largest category, so the most competition will be seen in that category!

Tweet away but Remember to use the Hashtag: #YACrushTourney

Top 10 boys so far:

Kaidan - Sweet Evil - 163 Cole Everneath- 41
Perry - Under the Never Sky - 85 Dante - The Collector -41
Noah - Pushing the Limits -78 Jack - Everneath -35

Tristan - Shark Bait -65 Morphius - Splintered 30
Maxon - The Selection - 59 Jase - My Life Nife Next Door-25
The Darkling- Shadow & Bone -25

Leave us a comment - We want to know about your favorite debut crushes.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight Review

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria Zumbrum) — Sun, 19 May 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E Smith
Release: Jan. 2012 by
Synopsis:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you

This book has been on my to be read list for sometime now. I am glad I finally got a chance to read it. I was not disappointed. I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the book. Jennifer E. Smith is a new author for me. I was very impressed with her writing. Jennifer writes with emotion and her characters and story are very realistic.

Hadley is a very emotional seventeen (17) year old and has been deeply affected and hurt by her parents divorce. She is very angry with her Father for what he did to her Mother. Hadley wants nothing to do with her Father. She is unable to forgive him for leaving them for another woman. Hadley's father is marrying another woman and she has been invited to be involved with the wedding. Her mother convinces her to go telling her she will regret if she doesnt.

Hadley misses her flight and is waiting for the next flight when she meets Oliver. Meeting Oliver changes everything for Hadley. I really felt the chemistry between Hadley and Oliver. They truly enjoyed being together and talking during the flight. You could feel that they were truly meant to be together. When they arrive in London, they have to separate never expecting to see each other again but they do. Oliver is never far from Hadley's mind. Fate keeps bringing Oliver back into her life.

Jennifer is such an awesome writer. I truly felt every character's emotion and pain throughout the book. Jennifer makes me believe in love at first sight. That it is possible. Anything is possible when Fate intervenes. I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.

While It Lasts Audiobook Review

noreply@blogger.com (Sallie Mazzur) — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Title: While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
Author: Abbi Glines
Publish Date: April 2013 by Simon & Schuster
Synopsis:

Cage brings his playboy prowess to the countryside as the Sea Breeze hookups continue, from self-published phenomenon Abbi Glines. Low broke Cage’s heart by getting with Marcus in Because of Low. Cage went into a tailspin that ended in a DUI. In order to salvage his baseball scholarship—the one thing he truly valued besides Low—Cage must take a summer job. At a farm. Away from Sea Breeze. With lots of cows, but no hot girls. Maybe that’s what Cage needs to get back on track.

But wait—there’s that hostile daughter of the farm boss. She’s pretty and occasionally sweet, and there seems to be a lot of sadness and mystery behind her anger. Cage is dying to strip her down—physically and mentally—in the back of the barn. But is he prepared for what will happen afterward?

Abbi Glines is known for her sexy New Adult novels, among them, The Vincent Boys, many of which are in a series that are out right now, self-published and published by houses like Simon and Schuster. I hadn't read anything by this author prior to While It Lasts. This is my first audio book of a New Adult novel so I'm not sure if my initial response (not digging it) will happen every time I listen to a New Adult audio book, but I hope they all turn out the same way (me totally digging it)!

This is the third book in Glines’ Seabreeze series, but I was able to pick up along the lines of the story very easily without having read the first two books in the series. Knowing that I probably wouldn't be able to read the first two books by the time I got around to listening to this audio book, I did a little bit of research and I found out the main characters of the first two books and when they happen to come up in the story during the third book, so I knew who they are and the reason why they're there. (Although I will now be adding books 1 and 2 to my TBR pile!)

My first reaction to this audio book was holy cow, their accents are so exaggerated. Cage and Eva, the main romantic interests of the story are both from the south, so they have southern accents. As I live in New England, the only accents I’ve come accustomed to hearing are along the lines of, “pahk the cah in hahvad yahd (park the car in Harvard yard). This would be the Boston, MA accent that found its way into Rhode Island as well. Dropping r’s and adding them in other words (idea = idear, for example) is the accent of choice where I live. So to have the audio book read by a male and female voice actor with southern accents threw me off. I admit I kind of hated the characters in the beginning because of how annoying their accents were to me. It seemed like they were being forced a bit too much.

The two main characters are Eva, daughter of a farmer and widow to Josh (fiancé killed in Baghdad), and Cage, who is stuck on the same farm helping Eva’s father who also happens to be Cage’s baseball coache’s brother. In exchange for working on the farm all summer, his coach will wipe the slate clean for Cage’s baseball scholarship.

When we are first introduced to Eva, she is reading a letter Josh had written prior to his death in case he did die in the line of duty. As Eva is reading the letter she has a hard time getting through it because while she doesn't blame Josh for his death fighting for their country, she blames him for leaving in the first place and not caring enough to make sure they would live together forever, growing old together.

What’s great about first impressions is that they change. As I listened to Eva and Cage’s interactions and how they grew to know each other and that love spark got hotter and hotter, their accents became less of a concern. Although they did talk slower than I’m used to, I found myself enjoying the build up between Cage and Eva. They DID NOT get along in the beginning. More so on Eva’s side, there was definite dislike between the two and it was one of those cases where they didn’t lie to each other, but they withheld the truth so they doubted each other. A lot of those moments where you shake your book and yell out “just tell them already!” happened to me, except it was my kindle and every time I shook it, I would then hug it and apologize.

The audio book is about six hours long, and within the first hour we see a hint of the steamy scenes to come for these characters. There is the typical scene where Cage tries to make Eva jealous with her neighbor, only it doesn’t work out so well for any of them. There’s a few hot lake scenes (they live on a farm, and it’s hot, like they need a reason!), and I just generally enjoyed getting to know Eva and Cage’s back stories. I was surprised at how touching yet simple Glines was able to incorporate the war in Baghdad into her story without it overwhelming the plot. I’m never drawn to stories about the war overseas, but I do like how it's subtly there, holding Eva back from opening back up again and it makes the scenes where she is able to open herself even sweeter.

The only thing I didn’t like about this story was Cage’s cursing at the beginning. I realize that people curse in real life and it's a part of our generations language, but whether or not it was the way the voice actor was saying it every time, it just felt extremely cheesy and it didn't feel warranted. Every time cages character cursed it didn't seem realistic. It's one thing to have a character shout or yell a bunch of expletives, but with Cage it felt forced and just pointless. But I’m realizing that it may have been part of his character development, to have him curse and act a certain way at the beginning, only to behave and become more of a gentleman after spending time with Eva throughout the course of the story.

I recommend this audio book for anyone who wants their southern accent fill, but who also wants to enjoy a coming of age love story between two people who did not see it coming. There are some mature scenes, so I would say this would be a 17+ novel. I’m looking forward to checking out the first books in this series!

My Over All Rating:

Beauty Blog Tour: Guest Post by Nancy Ohlin

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Thorn Abby & Beauty author Nany Ohlin is stopping by today to discuss her "messed up" heroines. This blog tour is being hosted by Mundiemoms.

HEAD CASES

The main characters in my novels tend to have serious issues. In Beauty, Princess Tatiana Anatolia (called Ana) deliberately makes herself ugly in order to gain her vain, narcissistic mother’s affection. In Thorn Abbey, the deeply insecure Tess constantly worries that she will never measure up to her boyfriend’s dead, perfect ex.

Why am I drawn to such messed-up heroines?

For me, there’s something really interesting about an MC

who has a lot of growing up to do. As a writer, I love getting into the “belly of the beast” of a character’s darker moments. In Beauty, Ana shears off her long, lovely hair with a paring knife so her attractiveness won’t be a threat to her mother. In another scene, she puts on a dress that is too tight in order to emphasize her rolls of fat, same reason.

In Thorn Abbey, Tess practically stalks her new crush out of a movie, even though he clearly wants to be alone. Later, she bolts out of a study date with him because he has a book of love poems given to him by his former girlfriend.

Eventually, both Ana and Tess overcome their respective crazies and get to a better place (albeit with various unexpected twists and consequences). As the author, I could have chosen to make these heroines secure, confident, and independent on page 1. But then their journeys would have been a lot less real. And as someone who’s done her share of awkward, difficult growing up, I definitely prefer real—even if it’s not always pretty.

author Photo by Emma Dodge Hanson

By: Nancy Ohlin

Published by: Simon Teen

Released on: May 7th, 2013

Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Looks to kill for...

Ana is nothing like her glamorous mother, Queen Veda, whose hair is black as ravens and whose lips are red as roses. Alas, Queen Veda loathes anyone whose beauty dares to rival her own—including her daughter.

And despite Ana’s attempts to be plain to earn her mother’s affection,
she’s sent away to the kingdom’s exclusive boarding school.

At the Academy, Ana is devastated when her only friend abandons her for the popular girls. Isolated and alone, Ana resolves to look like a true princess to earn the acceptance she desires.

But when she uncovers the dangerous secret that makes all of the girls at the Academy so gorgeous, just how far will Ana go to fit in?

About the Author:

I am the author of Thorn Abbey, a YA retelling of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and Beauty. a YA retelling of the Snow White tale.

I've also contributed to several celebrity novels, including a New York Times-bestselling YA trilogy.

I'm currently hard at work on my next YA novel, which will be as romantic and mind-bending as Thorn Abbey (I hope!).

My favorite cures for writers' block are long walks, long showers, popcorn, chocolate, and really expensive coffee. I talk to myself a lot while I write (you know, to make sure the dialogue zings).

Visit Nancy via her: Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Giveaway:

Thank you to Simon & Schuster, you can enter to win a copy of Nancy Ohlin's BEAUTY. Follow the tour for your chance to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unremembered Review

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:18:00 +0000

Title: Unremembered
Author: Jessica Brody
Release: March 2013
Synopsis:

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn't on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn't know, plagued by abilities she doesn't understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

I like authors that can make me laugh. It doesn't matter the type of book as long as there is some strategically placed humor I tend to enjoy the book. This is the first book I have read by Jessica Brody but it definitely won't be the last. She has that thing called comedic timing and it shows up in her writing. It's not forced, it just comes naturally.

Unremembered is kind of hard to explain. Violet (named in the hospital for her eye color)is the lone survivor of a plane crash. She is pulled from the water and taken to the hospital. She cannot remember anything, it is like her memory has been wiped clean. The authorities cannot identify her either so they put her face on the news. After weeks of no one claiming her she is put into foster care. The interactions with her foster family is my favorite part of the story. I love that it shows foster families is a positive light. The foster brother is my favorite character in the book, he is funny and awkward and does crazy stuff for her.

A boy keeps following Violet and tells her her name is Seraphina and he knows much more about her - stuff like they are in love and that she is in grave danger. She is not sure if she should trust him, but when these abnormal things start happening and men start chasing her, he is the only one she can run to.

This story-line intrigued me; I wanted to know all the whys and hows. It turned out a lot differently than I expected and I cannot wait to see how things work out in the next book.

Overall 3.5

Natural Born Angel Review

noreply@blogger.com (Joy) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Title: Natural Born Angel (Immortal City, #2)
Author: Scott Speer
Published: April 23rd 2013 by Razorbill
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Life turned upside down for Maddy Montgomery when she found out she was half-Angel and was catapulted into the scene of flashbulbs, paparazzi, and the fervent adulation that comes with being in the celebrity Angel world. She's trying to juggle her ordinary life—high school, family, friends—with the intense demands of being in the public eye as heartthrob Angel Jackson Godspeed's girlfriend.

And now Maddy must face the most difficult choice of her life. She's been offered the chance to become a Guardian. This means entering into dangerous and high stakes training, with no guarantee that she can succeed. But more than that, it would mean leaving her mortal life behind—forever—and allying with the Angels at a time when their relationship with humans is heading for war. . . .

I'm happy to say, for those of you wondering, Maddy finally toughens up. Yes, I was also worried about that aspect of her character. In Natural Born Angel, Maddy has to choose between human life and angel life...between college and becoming a Guardian. I think it was a well done character developing moment for Maddy. She grows up a little when she makes the decision take on the Guardian training and turn away from what she thought she had always wanted. Maddy thinks she may be able to change the way the angels do things if she is in the inside rather than the outside looking in. That's a noble sentiment, right? First, she actually has to pass the training. Maddy must work twice a hard for every inch of success she can find. Nothing is given to her just because she is the first half human, half angel to try to become a Guardian. Will Maddy make a choice that will forever change her?

At the same time Maddy is training and finding the spotlight in the media, Jackson, who was injured in Immortal Angel, is dealing with his own problems. Doctor after doctor, treatment after treatment, and still nothing has been able to help him fly again. He's still a pretty face, but slowly he is losing the media's favoritism. If he can't fly, he can't make any saves. It’s as simple as that. As Maddy's popularity is going up, Jackson's is going down. As much as he is happy for her, somewhere inside him, with all the negative answers from the medical community weighing on him mind and heart, he just can't be truly happy. In the end, will he make a decision he can’t come back from?

Natural Born Angel has mystery and intrigue, murder and pretense, and betrayal and success. Maddy finds out everything good comes with a cost. She just has to decide if she is willing to pay it and deal with the consequences.

OVERALL RATING

Georgetown Academy Book 4 Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:01:00 +0000

Georgetown Academy, Book Four
by Jessica Koosed Etting & Alyssa Embree Schwartz

Out June 11, 2013!

(see my review of the

first 3 books HERE)

When the vice president resigns and Ellie and Taryn’s parents emerge as the frontrunners, the girls find themselves back in the spotlight.

Ellie could not care less about becoming the Second Daughter, but she knows how much the opportunity to make history means to her mother – and women everywhere. With her family taking center stage, Ellie must decide whether she can put her feelings for Gabe on hold - again.

Taryn, so used to captivating the hearts and minds of everyone she meets, is unbothered by the increased media scrutiny. But an inopportune screw-up has her beholden to an unlikely – and unfriendly – source for help.

Overnight, Evan has skyrocketed from social pariah to Miss Popular. As she and her reluctant parents adjust to her new lifestyle, the last thing she needs is a front-page scandal.

Brinley can’t stop thinking about her Stowe-bound hook-up…until her father’s intern, Patrick, starts flirting. Is it time to abandon her fling now that she has a more appropriate suitor?

With the second highest office in the land up for grabs, everyone is picking sides. But where does the heart lie when duty, truth, and love collide?

Find GTA online: Webpage / Twitter / Facebook
Learn more about the first 3 and find buy links HERE!
Find Coliloquy online: Webpage / Twitter / Facebook

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Coliloquy is hosting an awesome giveaway to celebrate the release of GTA 4. Use the Rafflecopter widget below and be sure to click "terms and conditions" on the widget to see all the rules because this is not being hosted by PTB, it's a Coliloquy giveaway.

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Reconstructing Amelia Review

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle Hinojosa) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:44:00 +0000

Title: Reconstructing Amelia
Author: Kimberly McCreight
Date: April 2013 by Harper Collins
Synopsis:

Litigation lawyer and harried single mother Kate Baron is stunned when her daughter's exclusive private school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, calls with disturbing news: her intelligent, high-achieving fifteen-year-old daughter, Amelia, has been caught cheating.

Kate can't believe that Amelia, an ambitious, levelheaded girl who's never been in trouble would do something like that. But by the time she arrives at Grace Hall, Kate's faced with far more devastating news. Amelia is dead.

Seemingly unable to cope with what she'd done, a despondent Amelia has jumped from the school's roof in an act of "spontaneous" suicide. At least that's the story Grace Hall and the police tell Kate. And overwhelmed as she is by her own guilt and shattered by grief, it is the story that Kate believes until she gets the anonymous text:

She didn't jump.

Sifting through Amelia's emails, text messages, social media postings, and cell phone logs, Kate is determined to learn the heartbreaking truth about why Amelia was on Grace Hall's roof that day-and why she died.

The story line had me intrigued right from the start. What could be worse than the loss of a child? This story revolves around its two main characters Kate, an attorney and single mother, and her daughter Amelia. Kate is often consumed by her work leaving her feeling a sense of guilt for not always being there for her daughter. Amelia is smart, not the popular girl in school by any means and prefers to hang around with her long time friend, Sylvia.

When Kate learns about her daughters death she is devastated. When she finally starts to come to terms with the fact that she will never see her daughter again she is hit with an anonymous text that sends her world spinning. Feeling that Amelia's death may not have been a suicide she begins to sift through her daughters texts, emails and social media excerpts to search for a clue as to why this happened and who may have had a hand in it.

From this point on the story line continues to jump back and forth between present and past in the form of point of view of the characters, texts, blog entries and postings on Facebook. I personally found this to be slightly distracting at several points throughout the book.

There are some definite twists that I did not see coming which proved to be a little shocking. When Amelia introduces the cliques in the school I was taken back by how mean some of these characters are portrayed to be, but the story wouldn't have been the same if they were written any other way.

Although this story did not keep me on the edge of my seat as I expected I feel like there where good intentions, but it was a slow read for me. At some points the next chapter almost felt predictable, like I new what would be revealed next.

All things considered it was enjoyable and I think it will appeal to older teenagers or even parents of teenagers.

The Beautiful and The Cursed Blog Tour: Author Q & A & Giveaways!

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

The Beautiful and The Cursed author Page Morgan is stopping by to answer a few questions. This tour is being hosted by Books Complete Me & Once Upon A Twilight.

If you could pick one favorite thing about Gargoyle mythology – what would it be and why?

I love that gargoyles are meant to scare away evil demons or spirits, and that the people within a building that is adorned with gargoyles are supposedly protected against harm. That one little nugget gave me so much to work with!

Other than The Beautiful and the Cursed what has been your favorite YA this year?

I have two favorites: I absolutely loved The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd and Revel by Maurissa Guibord. Next in my TBR pile is Taken by Erin Bowman and Dualed by Elsie Chapman. So many awesome books!

I noticed that the original title was Grotesque; was it hard for you to let go of that title or did you prefer The Beautiful and the Cursed?

It was very difficult to let Grotesque go, since that had been my working title for so long. I actually still sometimes slip and call it Grotesque! But I have to say, The Beautiful and the Cursed is just so much more appealing so I’m happy we changed it!

Can you give us a little insight on Ingrid and Grayson –maybe describe each one of them using only adjectives or 5 words. Whatever works?

Ingrid: contemplative, cautious, intelligent, curious, unafraid.

Grayson: secretive, temperamental, remorseful, reluctant, struggling

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I wanted to write what I most love to read, and historical fiction with dark, paranormal and romantic elements fit the bill. I actually don’t think I have much control over what story ideas end up sticking and demanding they be written. They just sort of show up and tell me what to do.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you? What has been the best compliment?

I've stopped reading reviews—they mess with my head—but unfortunately I saw that Kirkus called TB&TC “clumsily executed” and that hurt. The glowing reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly helped assuage the burn, but still… The best compliment has to be from my editor, who called the book a perfect blend between commercial and literary fiction. I wanted to hug her!

I have noticed that you have two covers on goodreads one says hardcover (fainting girl) and the other paperback (girl next to gargoyle) – Which cover do you prefer?

The UK cover (the girl and the gargoyle) has so many awesome elements! I love the moody tone, the rain, the gargoyle, and the title font. But I have to say I prefer the pink and red US cover, even though the girl looks like a total damsel in distress (which Ingrid and Gabby are not!). It just pops right out there and says, “Pick me up! Pet my lovely cover!”

Links to find Page Morgan Online: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Author Bio: PAGE MORGAN has been fascinated with les grotesques ever since she came across an old, black-and-white photograph of a Notre Dame gargoyle keeping watch over the city of Paris. The gargoyle mythologies she went on to research fed her imagination, and she became inspired to piece together her own story and mythology for these remarkably complex stone figures. Page lives in New Hampshire with her husband and their three children.

Giveaway Time : Details from BCM

There are two giveaways during this tour. One is the rafflecopter The second giveaway is for *two* signed, annotated copies of THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE CURSED by Page Morgan! Yay! To enter this giveaway, you'll need to follow a few steps, but trust us, it will be worth it! Each blog participating in this tour will have trivia question or a trivia answer. They will be broken down between two teams, TEAM DISPOSSESSED and TEAM WAVERLY, with each blog having either one question or one answer from each team.

Match up as many correct TEAM WAVERLY and TEAM DISPOSSESSED trivia questions and answers as you can, and when you're sure you've got them right send an email to: TBandTCgiveaway@gmail.com with all your answers paired up. There will be a few clues scattered throughout the tour to help you in finding the correct answers, but you do not wait until the last day of the tour to enter. You may enter at any time during the tour. However, once you've emailed in your answers, you may NOT enter again, so be sure to wait until you're certain.

TRIVIA QUESTION & ANSWER

Team DISPOSSESSED Trivia QUESTION: How do gargoyles locate their human charges?

Team WAVERLY Trivia ANSWER: Set her friend’s ballroom on fire.

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The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen Review

noreply@blogger.com (Christina @ Allodoxophobia) — Sat, 11 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Title: The Moon and More
Author: Sarah Dessen
Date: Published June 4th 2013 by Viking Juvenile Synopsis:

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby. Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going? Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

I’ve been a Sarah Dessen fan since way back. She has a knack for creating realistic characters set in situations that anyone, regardless of age, can relate to. This is the first book of hers I’ve read in several years, though, and I was pleased to see that the Dessen I always loved is still there.

Emaline is a high school graduate, getting ready to go off to college. Despite a few bumps and growing pains, she is generally happy with her lot in life, until it gets shaken up. Her biological father inserts himself unexpectedly, and a city-boy shows up and tries to teach her about the “real world.” Emaline has to navigate these changes and find her own path.

I found this to be a very sweet and light book, a perfect beach read for anyone who wants a temporary escape. The conflicts that Emaline deals with over the course of her summer are not earth-shattering or monumental, but they are very truthful. Every kid on the verge of adulthood and independence deals with these things: changes in friendships, family squabbles, romantic relationships, and making choices that are right for YOU and you alone. While at times the story seemed slow, in the end I realized that was all part of Dessen’s design. The way that Emaline puts the pieces together, taking bits from her summer experiences and from her past, happens exactly as it does in real life, which doesn’t always go at a breakneck pace. In the end, I think she absolutely came to the right conclusion and I hope most readers will agree with her choices.

As far as characters, Emaline was a good heroine in that it was easy to see her evolution as the summer went on. Her voice is strong and it was clear that she was struggling with the decisions she had to make about her family, about her dating life and ultimately college and her future. She wrestled with trying to make the right choices and learned to trust herself and her instincts along the way. I loved her sisters; they added some good jolts of humor. Her dad, her father, Benji, Clyde, and Ivy, all secondary but essential to the story, were multi-dimensional and fun to read. The two love interests, Luke and Theo, were just alright for me. Neither was worthy of swooning in my book, but they were pleasant enough. The character that puzzled me the most was Morris, Emaline’s supposed best friend, who was meant to be the kid who is kind of lost in life, who isn’t going to college, who is a diamond in the rough, but he was kind of a mess for me. I never got why he and Emaline were friends, or why Daisy, the other best friend, loved him. I want to mention the setting – a small beach town in North Carolina that is very obviously somewhere in The Outer Banks. This is one of my favorite places in the world and Dessen nailed it. I could feel the sand on my toes and smell the ocean as I read.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. It isn’t my favorite Sarah Dessen book, but fans will eat it up and I can see it being on the top of lists of 2013 Beach Reads.

My Over All Rating:

Reboot Blog Tour - Excerpt & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Reboot author Amy Tintera is stopping by PTB today to tell us a little bit about her main character Wren. Enjoy!

Writing Wren’s (lack of) Emotions

When I started writing Reboot, I knew more about Wren than I did about the plot. I knew she’d been dead for 178 minutes, that she was strong and fast, and that she didn’t feel things the way other people did. Most of the characters in the book would see her as cold and emotionless, and she would make them uncomfortable.

But Wren’s isn’t so much “emotionless” as only in touch with certain emotions (like anger). And from page one it’s pretty obvious she’s experiencing emotions, she’s just not expressing them in way that anyone can understand.

I loved the idea of other characters perceiving her as emotionless, and scary, and being frightened of her. It wasn’t only Wren’s skill as a solider that scared them, it was that she didn’t act the way they thought a teenage girl should. She didn’t emote properly. Even her fellow Reboots thought she was doing this whole “feelings” thing wrong, and they were going to let her know it.

So, as you can probably guess, I created Wren out of my own frustrations with the expectations put on women’s behavior. We are often expected to be chatty and smile and our faces are supposed to be expressive and open. In books and films and TV shows we see women reduced to tears all the time. Men? Occasionally, and it’s a BIG DEAL when it happens.

So I took all my frustrations about women being told how to emote and I threw them into Wren. I worried that she wouldn’t be likeable, but soon realized that wasn’t really the point. It was more important that she be realistic, complex, and conflicted. And I think that made me like her even more. It made writing the romance, where a boy sees something about her that no one else sees, even easier.

She became one of my favorite characters to write, and I’m hoping she’s one that women will like or identify

About the Book:

By: Amy Tintera
Published by: Harper Teen

To Be Released on: May 7th, 2013

Purchase It Up From: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Add it to Goodreads

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders

About the Author:

Hi! I’m Amy Tintera, and I write novels for young adults. I grew up in Austin, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in journalism. After receiving a masters in film at Emerson College I moved to Los Angeles, where I promptly discovered I didn’t enjoy working in the film industry, and went back to my first love, writing.

HarperCollins/HarperTeen will publish my debut, REBOOT, a young adult novel about teens in a future Texas who reboot after death and are subsequently forced into slavery. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000. I am represented by Emmanuelle Morgen at Stonesong. (source)

Visit Amy via her: Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Facebook

The Giveaway:
Thank you Harper Teen, one lucky blog tour follower will win a copy of Amy's REBOOT. To enter, follow the tour or fill out the form below (this form will be featured on each blog stop).

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Join us for a twitter chat with Elizabeth Wein, author of Code Name Verity on 5/10

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Code Name Verity was one of my FAVORITE books of 2012. It has so much heart at crazy twists and turns that had me held captivated till the bitter end. I was SUPER excited to hear that there will be a companion sequel coming out this fall. But if you haven't picked up Code Name Verity yet, it's now out in paperback with a cool new cover (I still LOVE the hardcover cover too), so you should go snag a copy right now! And if you're an audiobook person, CNV is AMAZING on audio, the two narrators did an greate job bringing the story to life.

We are pleased to invite you to a special Twitter chat with Elizabeth:

Please join us on Friday, May 10th at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern / 8pm BST on twitter for a fun filled chat with Elizabeth Wein.

To follow the chat, use the hashtag #CodeNameVerity (we suggest using tweetchat.com to follow the chat)
and then follow these amazing people on twitter:

Elizabeth Wein - @EWein2412
Hyperion Teens - @HyperionTeens (Moderator)

Guest Bloggers who are co-hosting:
Lisa Von Drasek - @lvondrasek
Emmy (Dark Faerie Tales) - @DarkFaerieTales
Stacey (PageTurnersBlog)- @pageturnersblog
Jen Robinson - @JensBookPage

We'll be talking about Code Name Verity, asking Elizabeth Q's and then debuting the cover of the companion sequel, Rose Under Fire! Hope you can join us!!!

(graphic from the publisher's weekly children's bookshelf newsletter email)

Review: Game by Barry Lyga

noreply@blogger.com (Lexie) — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Title: Game (Jasper Dent #2)
Author: Barry Lyga
Publish Date: April 2013- Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Synopsis:
I Hunt Killers introduced the world to Jasper (Jazz) Dent, the son of the world's most infamous serial killer. When a desperate New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz's door asking for help with a new case, Jazz can't say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple--and its police force running scared with no leads. So Jazz and his girlfriend Connie hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer's murderous game. Meanwhile, Jazz's dad Billy is watching...and waiting.

Ack. Sequels. The are SO MANY WAYS to get them wrong. And when they follow up an exceptionally good first book, they are so much more painful. If I ever become an author, I think I’ll just stick to the stand-alone novels. Because sequels? They are So. Hard. To. Do. Right.

This review is written with apologies to the great Barry Lyga. Barry, I love your work and I have always loved your work. I Hunt Killers was one of my favorite books not only of 2012, but of like, my whole reading existence. It was lightning in a bottle. The characters, the scenario, the plot, the themes…. GAH! I could go on and on. Or you could just read my five starred review of it on GoodReads.

All that said, Game (which let me note- if it was anything BUT the sequel to I Hunt Killers would have been fantastic) was disappointing.

Here are my issues with it:

1. Characters: the characters felt new and fresh in IHK, but are starting to feel old and formulaic. There’s nothing new and exciting. Yes, Jazz is still struggling not to be like his dad. Yes, Connie is still trying to save him. Yes, Howie is still a hormonally driven adolescent. But they’re not discovering any real depths. And there are some characters (like Lana or even Aunt Samantha) who seem kind of pointless.

2. Plot: I’m not going to go into this too much, except to say that the reader can figure out the basic plot from the cover and the subtitles to some of the chapters. And once you get to the answer it’s still kind of disappointing. Lyga spends so much time on this convoluted and mysterious murder plot, there’s not much time left to address anything else. It's much more your typical serial killer type of read. That's what I expected when I picked up I Hunt Killers (and why I was so blown away when it was so much more). Yes, there are questions left. But they’re not the “I wonder about that? Let me contemplate” kind of questions. They’re the “Oh c’mon and give me the answer so I can move on with my life” kind of questions. And obviously, there’s a third book coming out.

3. Scenario: So the basic feel I got for this book was “Let’s see what happens when we pull some of our characters from a small town and toss them into a big city like NYC”. Except for all of the growth and exploration you would think could possibly happen doesn't.

4. Writing: There were some really awesome quotable moments in IHK. Some amazing philosophical depths of conversation that I just loved. There wasn't anything comparable in Game.

Okay, so I guess I should just take a step back here and say, I didn't hate the book. In fact, like I said above- if it were anything BUT the sequel to I Hunt Killers I would probably like it. And even as a sequel it had it’s good moments. It wasn't too “Two Towers-y” (the sequel plague that runs rife through all fiction: when the sequel is just the in-between moments that are sandwiched between the original of the Trilogy and the Finale). It could actually stand alone with a plot that had a beginning, middle, and end. And I actually finished and plan to read the next one. Do you know how rarely that happens to me in YA fiction these days? (Divergent, Ashes, and Cinder all failed that test for me.)

So because I actually enjoyed it and made it all the way through, it's getting a “Marvelous” from me. Which is really high for a sequel!

BUT! I Hunt Killers was so excellent, it’s really hard to compare anything to it. And that’s where Game really comes up short. Sure it’s a great read, but it’s nothing compared to it’s older brother. I’m bummed out about this one, Lyga.

Still, if you liked I Hunt Killers, you should pick up Game. You’ll want to know what happens to Jazz, Connie, Howie, and the rest of the crew. An obviously if it got this big of a response from me, it’s got something to it.
My Over All Rating:

The Program Mini Audio Review & Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

The Program : Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Indiebound / Goodreads / Official Webpage

Author, Suzanne Young: Official Webpage / Twitter

Find SimonTeen Online: Twitter / Facebook

About The Program:

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Thanks to SimonAudio, I've been listening to the Audiobook of The Program over the last couple of days. It's an interesting premise, to ride kids of their desire to commit suicide, but I'm finding myself wondering what's really going on. These kids, who show signs of depression, and who are on the path to committing suicide, are flagged and then sent to the Program to get fixed. And unlike other books, ie Delirium, where an aspect of a person his surgically removed, or something similar happens, in The Program, things seem a little bit more sketchy. I'm about halfway through the book right now and I'm really curious to see where the story goes.

In regards to the audio, it's well done. The narrator is engaging and brings Sloane and the rest of the characters to life without being too over the top. This is definitely not a story to listen to in a multi-age family car ride situation because it does deal with a lot of mature subject matter, think of this more as an issue book meets sci-fi, but definitely one to listen to with headphones in while doing other things.

Be sure to check out Lexi's full review HERE.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Thanks to Big Honcho Media & Simon & Schuster, we have a fun Program related giveaway for you! We have a $10 iTunes gift card so you can download some amazing music (or audiobooks) to help keep the Program at bay and a copy of The Program by Suzanne Young! This giveaway is open to US address only and please use the rafflecopter widget to enter.

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Indelible by Dawn Metcalf ARC Tour Sign-up

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Every so often we find a book that we want to share with the world in a special way, and Dawn Metcalf's Indelible is one of those books. We are teaming up with Wastepaper Prose to host a tour and kick-start the buzz for Dawn Metcalf's Indelible.

We're looking for 12 bloggers who'd like to get an early shot at reading this book and would be willing to share their thoughts in reviews on their sites. If you're interested just fill out the FORM below before 11:59 p.m. EST on May 14. The bloggers selected to participate will be notified on May 15 and books will begin to circulate shortly after that.

If you aren't familiar with Indelible yet, read the description below and a special note from Dawn enticing you to add Indelible to your TBR. Hurry and sign up! We can't wait for you to read this one.

A note from Dawn...

Dawn Metcalf

Hi! I'm Dawn Metcalf. Don't mind the hat, it's all part of the show. Come over here, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Several someones, in fact, but you can't see them yet. Hang on...stay still...okay? There. Better? Great! Now just smile and look pretty and try not to make any sudden moves.

Those two in front? They're the Scribes. What? Oh, yes, those really are their eyes. The guy over there with the scowl? That's Kurt. But he's not the one you have to watch out for. That would be Graus Claude, the Bailiwick of the Twixt. That's him in the back. Yes, it's real and yes, it's alive. Really. So's Kestrel over there... Well, of course you can't see her, she's wearing a camouflaged hood! And don't cross Brairhook, either. Or Hasp, for that matter. Or, um, any of them actually. They can be wonderful once you get to know them, but you have to understand the Folk aren't too keen on humans...especially those who can See them. Yes, well, okay so that is my fault. But *you* wanted to know!
Here. Take this. No, it's not a spell book. It's an arc of Indelible! You have a chance to be one of the first to read about Joy, Ink and the Twixt by following this tour as well as chances to receive Indelible swag.

Release Date: July 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pre-Order: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT

Icons Blog Tour Stop: Icons Review

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Title: Icons
Author: Margaret Sthol
Release: May 2013
Synopsis:

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

I'll admit, I was a little nervous about reading Margaret's solo book. It's not that I don't love her writing, I do - but the writing I love is also co written. What if the humor or the visually descriptive writing that I love, isn't in Icons? What if, what if, what if I am worrying for nothing....and of course I was.

Icons is very different from Beautiful Creatures; it is more dystopian sci fi, which I love so I was hooked from the first page. The visual descriptive writing that I was worried would be missing was right there, in prologue reassuring me that I am going to enjoy this book. And the humor was sprinkled in a little. Not a lot of room for the funny stuff in this one.

Oddly enough my favorite parts of the book where the little minute details that were added in - the "cover" page and the letters to the ambassador; letters from Doc and pieces of literature from the Grass Root rebellions. They were able to explain certain issues within the story in a very precise way - that made the story move along, with out slowing us down with lots of back history.

Dol/Dolly belongs to a group of children refereed to as the "Icon Children"(children with special powers - like Dol is an empath) . She doesn't really know who she at first, she is just this timid child that has a special connection with her friend Ro. Everything changes when they are captured by the ambassadors soldiers; one of them turns out to be another Icon child and talks Dol into trusting him enough to turn themselves over.

This is where the story really gets interesting and I don't want to spoil any of the story line. But here are the basics: there are four icon children, and the question is, are they weapons/saviors for the human race or possibly something else? Just when you think things are going to go one way BAM, everything is mixed up. Throughout the story you will get these little hints and they lead you to conclusions that don't always pan out the way you think they will.

Icons was a great setup for a series, I can't wait to see how it all pans out. All in all I really enjoyed it, it sort of reminded me of Ender's Game (the kids fighting an alien battle). I do wish the "how" to the invasion was explained more and that the third icon child(they are numbered) Tima, wasn't so one sided. I would have liked the learn more about her and less about the lovey dovey stuff.

Over all a 3.5

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I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Pixie) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:00:00 +0000

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and a group of bloggers & authors are hosting another Kindle Fire giveaway. All you have to do is enter.

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER SPONSORED GIVEAWAY!

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

click to see the full rules and how to enter.

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). Ends 5/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Dark Days of Summer Hits Chicago!

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:06:00 +0000

The Dark Days of Summer hosted by HarperTeen and Pitchdark Books is coming back to Chicago!!!

It’s four authors packed into one great night for a special Young Adult readers event presented by Anderson’s. It’s the Dark Days of Summer Tour, starring Kiera Cass (The Elite), Elizabeth Norris (Unbreakable), Amy Tintera (Reboot) and Aprilynne Pike (Life After Theft). Ready, willing and able to greet fans!

THURSDAY, MAY 9 at 7:00 p.m.Anderson's Bookshop Naperville |
123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville Tel: (630) 355-2665 · Fax: (630) 355-3470

Can't make the signing? Call Anderson's or order online they ship to the US and Canada! And you can follow the Chicago stop on twitter, I'll (Stacey) be there live tweeting the event! Follow @PageTurnersBlog and #PitchDarkDays for all the fun!

Books + Authors

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The 35 girls of the Selection have been narrowed down to the Elite, and the competition to win Prince Maxon’s love is fiercer than ever. America is desperate for more time to decide where her heart truly lies—in a breathless fairy-tale romance with Maxon, or with her first love, Aspen? But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want, and America’s chance to choose is about to slip away.

Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human-trafficking ring—and Janelle’s vanished love Ben is the prime suspect. In this heart-pounding sequel to UNRAVELING, author Elizabeth Norris explores the sacrifices we make to save the people we love and the worlds we’ll travel to find them.

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous . . . but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff’s help with her unfinished business. When she was alive, Kimberlee was not only a mean girl but also a total kleptomaniac—and if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he’ll have to help her return everything she stole.

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Five years ago, Wren Connolly died. 178 minutes later, she woke up as a Reboot—stronger, faster, and able to heal quickly, but less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return, making Wren 178 the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. She’s the perfect elite soldier . . . until she’s given an order she refuses to obey.

Legacy of the Clockwork Key Review

noreply@blogger.com (Victoria Zumbrum) — Sun, 05 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Title: Legacy of the Clockwork Key
Author: Kristin Bailey
Release: March 2013 by Simon Pulse
Synopsis:

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

I was really excited to read this book. Since I have never read anything by this author before. I loved the author's story-line about a secret society of inventors but I found myself struggling to finish the book.

I felt as if story dragged out too much and it just didn't hold my interest. I did find Meg to be a very fascinating and strong character throughout the book. Although I felt her pain when she lost her parents the romantic connection between her and Will just wasn't happening. The other characters in the book were very one sided, I felt that they didn't really contribute much to the story.

The book picked up speed for me towards the end - when they went on the hunt so they could find the plates and to destroy the machine. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy the story. I would like to read more books by this author. I would like to give her another chance. Just because I didn't like this book doesn't mean I might not like some of her other writings.

Book Review Fall of Night

noreply@blogger.com (mamafox/Meagen) — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Title: Fall of Night
Author: Rachel Caine
Publish Date: 5/7/2013 Penguin Group
Synopsis:

Thanks to its unique combination of human and vampire residents, Morganville, Texas, is a small college town with big time problems. When student Claire Danvers gets the chance to experience life on the outside, she takes it. But Morganville isn’t the only town with vampire trouble… Claire never thought she’d get to leave Morganville, but she can’t pass up the chance to finally attend her dream school, MIT. After all, getting to invent anti-vamp devices with Professor Anderson—a Morganville exile herself—sounds like a dream come true…until Claire realizes that there are sinister forces in play, and she’s not the only one with a vampire-related agenda. Without her friends Shane, Eve and Michael, surviving a killer schedule may be hard…but with them, it might turn out to be impossible.

Wow. That is the first word that comes to mind when I think about this book. Claire is setting out on her own and is ready to grab the world by the horns. She is afraid to leave the comfort of Morganville, which she finds ironic since it is filled with vampires, but she wants to see if she can do it. Can she do something for herself and at the same time, help those she loves? Ameille allows her to leave and stretch her wings and it comes at a time when Claire isn’t sure what to do with her feelings and anger toward the one person she is afraid to live without. Shane.

Arriving in Boston, at MIT, she hits the college scene and tries to keep her head down. Unfortunately, she finds the real world is just as scary as Morganville and even though she is there, seemingly alone, she is really surrounded by people who know what life is like in Morganville and are loyal one way or another. Claire’s best friend from high school is different, hiding from her own demons and ultimately becomes bait in order to lure Claire into the trap set by forces Claire didn’t know existed.
And whether she likes it or not, everyone she loves is suddenly drawn into the web of deceit she is trapped in. Oliver, Shane, Michael, Eve, and Myrnin are there and she has to make a difficult decision that just might end them all.

The ending is, once again, a cliffhanger and I was yelling when I finished reading. (I read it in a day! Couldn't put this book down!) Caine leaves you hanging and I hate waiting, but this was something I couldn’t have guessed was coming. The twists and turns make this an exciting read- lots of action, some emotional moments that had me in tears and several anxious moments made for an incredible read. One of my favorites in the series.
My Over All Rating:

Belonging Blog Tour: Character Q&A and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

We first meet Noah and Rose in Temptation
Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

Your heart misleads you.
That's what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.
And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other's arms.

It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won't be.

Because he's Amish.
And I'm not.

And now their story continues with Belonging
Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

I left everything I knew behind.

But it was worth it. He was worth it.

No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren't even allowed to see each other. Not until I've proven myself.

If I can find a way to make it work, we'll be NOAH & ROSE

together forever.

But not everybody believes this is where I belong.

Noah and Rose have joined us on the blog today answering a few questions to support the release of Belonging, the 2nd book in the Temptation Trilogy. We hope you enjoy getting to know them a little better and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Noah:

What is your biggest concern about Rose joining your community?
For so long, all I’ve wanted is to be with Rose. I’ll do anything to make it happen. Even walk away from my family and community. And I was close to doing just that, but things worked out differently. Rose is going to become one of us. But doubts are still nagging at me. First off, I’m not sure if she can handle the work load. As an English girl, she doesn’t have many chores or responsibilities and that’ll change when she moves in with the Hershbergers. And then there’s the whole authority issue that puts a knot in my stomach when I think too much about it. Rose isn’t a timid field mouse who’ll automatically do what she’s told. It’s going to be struggle for a long while. But, I think she’s up to the challenge—at least I pray she is.

Would you ever consider leaving your community for Rose?
I was ready to walk away from the community when Rose told me she’d become Amish for us to be together. Yeah, I know, I do feel guilty about and all, but this is the best way for us to start our family. If we’re Amish, we’ll have help from my family and the church. The outside world is difficult and dangerous…and certainly not a place to raise our children.

What are you most excited for Rose to experience as part of your community?
Every autumn when the leaves are changing colors and the air becomes crisp, the community holds an auction day at Marcus Yoder’s farm. There are dozens of wagons filled with all manner of things. Rose will be amazed at the handmade furniture and tools for sale. But what she’ll enjoy most is sitting at one of the many picnic tables with the other girls, eating fried cakes and watching the horses and livestock sell. And, if my plan works out, we’ll be able to sneak away from the crowd into one of the barns where I can steal a kiss. Well, with my Rose, it’s never stealing, but you get the idea.

When you first saw Rose, what drew her to you?
The first time I laid eyes on Rose, she was in her father’s foyer, soaking wet, with her long brown hair tangled around her shoulders. But what really got me was that she was wrestling with her brother like a wildcat. I’d never seen a girl acting that way, and I guess I have to say that it intrigued me. There was a fiery quality to her that I was instantly drawn to…and then I noticed her Robin-egg blue eyes and I was a goner.

What is your favorite part about being Amish?
Farming the land and working with horses is in my blood. I can’t imagine a life without leather reins in my hand and mud on my boots, but even more important to me is my family and the community. My ties are strong here.

Rose:

What are you most excited to experience while learning the ways of the Amish?
To be honest, I’m a bit freaked out about the whole thing. With the cooking, cleaning and washing, I’ll be totally out of my element. But, I’m looking forward to learning how to harness up a horse to a buggy and taking a drive up the road by myself. Ever since Noah’s accident, I’ve been scared to death to get in a buggy again, and I hate the feeling. I’ll have to get over my fear. I bet when I finally do it, it’ll be really cool.

What concerns do you have about giving up your family to join the Amish community?
I’m not giving up my family to be with the Amish at all. I plan to see Dad and the boys on a regular basis. Unlike Noah, my family won’t shun me for my decisions. They’re not happy about it all, but I know in the end, they’ll support me.

What kind of pressure do you feel to make this work?
If I don’t make it in the Amish community, everything will fall apart between me and Noah. He’d have to give up his entire family to be with me, and even though I know he loves me and might even do it, he’d be miserable in my world. I can’t even imagine him not being Amish. That’s why it’s so important for me to make it work. For me and Noah, I have to.

What's been the coolest thing you've experienced since moving into the Amish community?
I’ve learned how to sew my own dress and make grape jelly.

What's your favorite things about Noah?
Noah is the most mature guy I’ve ever before. He thinks about the future all the time and is super protective. I guess since Mom died, I need someone to watch over me. I’m amazed that he’s a skilled builder at only eighteen and I love the fact that he’s a horseman. And, it doesn’t hurt that he’s drop-dead gorgeous. Sometimes, when we’re together, I look away and blush. I can hardly believe he’s all mine.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

This giveaway is being hosted by Kismet Blog Tours. Please use the rafflecopter widget below to enter, and click on the "terms and conditions" link to see all the official rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Learn more about Karen Ann Hopkins, the author of these two provocative books online:
Blog / Facebook / Goodreads

Check out the rest of the tour:

The official Kismet Blog Tours Page for Belonging
Monday, April 22th - Ashley loves books
Tuesday, April 23th - A Little Shelf of Heaven
Wednesday, April 24th - One Day YA
Thursday, April 25h - Fic Talk
Friday, April 26th - Bittersweet Enchantment

Monday, April 29th - Reader Girls
Tuesday, April 30th - Bumbles and Fairy Tales
Wednesday, May 1sh - The YA Bookworm
Thursday, May 2nd - The Book Heist
Friday, May 3rd - Page Turners

Monday, May 6th - Books Complete Me
Tuesday, May 7th - Bookish Escape
Wednesday, May 8th - Book Sp(l)ot Reviews
Thursday, May 9th - Irish Banana
Friday, May 10th - The Cozy Reader

Belonging Review

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:40:00 +0000

Title: Belonging (book 2 in the Temptation Trilogy)
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Published: April 30, 2013 from Harlequin Teen
Synopsis:

I left everything I knew behind.

But it was worth it. He was worth it.

No one thought an ordinary girl like me would last two minutes living with the Amish, not even me. There are a lot more rules and a lot less freedom, and I miss my family and the life I once had. Worst of all, Noah and I aren't even allowed to see each other. Not until I've proven myself.

If I can find a way to make it work, we'll be NOAH & ROSE

together forever.

But not everybody believes this is where I belong.

This is a series that has me reeling, I can't stop thinking about it and I've been annoying everyone around me about it for days now. The world that Karen Ann Hopkins has created has me warring with myself trying to find the balance between cultural understanding and what it means to be a modern "English" girl. And I'm dying to know how Rose and Noah's relationship will work itself out in book three.

Belonging picks up right where Temptation leaves off. Rose is pursuing the Amish life to be with Noah and things seem to be moving forward in the Amish way. Rose is learning what it's like to do wash without electricity, how to mend clothes and so much more. Both Noah and Rose have to deal with their physical attraction to each other, which isn't always the easiest thing to do while living within the rules set by the Amish religion and culture. Even with all the hardships and setbacks, things are moving forward and their relationship is just as strong before Rose went Amish, but while attending an Amish wedding, Rose starts to have second thoughts. From this moment forward, the book takes some amazing twists and turns that left me craving book 3.

I loved that Karen opened up the Amish world in Belonging. Karen did a great job of showing both the good and the bad that lives in this particular Amish community that fulled my inner struggle between cultural understanding and women's rights, in the best possible way. The secondary characters we meet and those we get to know better have depth and dimension to them, that bring this world to life.

This is a book that will have you wanting to talk about it and thinking about it for days and weeks after you finish it. This series would be great for a book club discussion, there's so many things to think about and work through.

My Overall Review:

Game. Set. Match. Review

noreply@blogger.com (Stacey) — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:13:00 +0000

Title: Game. Set. Match
Author: Jennifer Iacopelli
Published: May 1, 2013 from Coliloquy
Synopsis:

Nestled along the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the world's most elite training facility. In this pressure-cooker environment, futures are forged in blood and sweat, and dreams are shattered in an instant.

Penny Harrison, a rising female star, is determined to win the French Open and beat her archrival, Zina Lutrova. But when her coach imports British bad boy Alex Russell as her new training partner, will Penny be able to keep her laser-like focus?

Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. The daughter of two Grand Slam champions, she's hell-bent on extending her family’s legacy and writing her own happily-ever-after...until her chosen Prince Charming gives her the just-friends speech right before the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic.

With a powerful serve and killer forehand, newcomer Indiana Gaffney is turning heads. She’s thrilled by all of the attention, especially from Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and hot older brother, except he keeps backing off every time things start heating up.

With so much at stake, dreams—and hearts—are bound to break. Welcome to OBX: Where LOVE is a four-letter word, on and off the court.

Game. Set. Match is a fun, flirty, and entertaining read, I LOVED every page of this book. Game. Set. Match. totally reminded me of the movie Wimbledon, with Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany & Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (yep, Jamie Lannister himself! hehe). It gives you just enough tennis to know what's going on, but not so much that if you're not a fan of the sport it doesn't bog down the story.

Game. Set. Match. is not an "action fiction" Coliloquy title, it doesn't have the choose your own path feature, but it is a multiple point of view book that had me hooked from the start. This story follows Penny Harrison, the rising start of American tennis, Jasmine Randazzo, the daughter of two tennis greats who is trying to live up to their greatness and Indiana "Indy" Gaffney, the new girl on the scene with amazing raw talent that could be the next big thing. These three girls are all dealing with their own issues as they work to make their mark in the tennis world, but their budding friendships with each other may be what gets them to their end goals. And yes, there's some fun budding romances going on too. I liked the fact that the relationships are real, they are full of insecurities and both involved make mistakes and learn and grow from them. If you're looking for a great contemporary, story, Game. Set. Match. is definitely worth checking out!

This is technically a "new adult" title, but content wise it is very appropriate for YA readers 14 and up. I very much enjoyed every aspect of the story and the characters and I cannot wait till the next book.

My Overall Review: