Review of The Springsweet

Title & Author:
The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell
Publisher:
Harcourt Children’s
Publication Date:
April 15, 2012
Pages:
275
Source:
ARC from Lynn, purchased finished copy

Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land. Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living. – Goodreads

I read The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell several months ago and I still can’t get over how amazing it was.

If you’ve read The Vespertine, you know how beautiful Saundra Mitchell’s writing truly is – and The Springsweet was even better. I mean, my biggest complaint with The Vespertine was that I wanted to know more about what happened to Zora, and voila, a whole book about Zora!

I loved Zora Stewart. I may or may not have loved her more than Amelia, I plead the fifth. I just thought Zora was amazing and going through so many hard things yet still managed to awesome. And her elemental power things were super cool, and helpful to the community she lived in.

Also, I loved the setting! Old western, Little House on the Prairie like times? Sign me up! I thought Saundra Mitchell described the setting and reflected the emotion of the time beautifully.

Seriously – if you’re looking for a beautiful historical fiction with paranormal elements, here you go! The Vespertine and The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell are some of my favourite books that I’ve read in the past few years, and I am dying to read Aetherborne.

Other books in the series

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

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Review of Revived

Title & Author:
Revived by Cat Patrick
Publisher:
Little Brown
Publication Date:
May 08, 2012
Pages:
336
Source:
Southern Book Bloggers

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined. – Goodreads

I hadn’t read Cat Patrick’s first book, Forgotten, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Revived. But the concept sounded pretty awesome, so I gave it a shot.

And man, I am so glad I did! Revived by Cat Patrick is legit. I was surprised by how hooked I got! Revived wasn’t really something I expected to pick up and wanted to keep reading until I finished, but Daisy dug her claws in. Revived definitely has a unique concept for YA and I loved the science aspect of it all, plus I got super giddy during some romantic bits.

I loved the plot of Revived by Cat Patrick. It was mysterious and dealt with some heavy science. I loved Daisy and her indecisive loyalty and her attempts to figure out what exactly is going on.

And Daisy. I loved Daisy in general, and her first real friends, Matt and Audrey. Speaking of which, Matt is a GREAT name for a first love because I know a ton of people (including myself) who first fell for a guy named Matt. But that’s beside the point. I loved Daisy and Matt together, and I loved Daisy and Audrey’s friendship – and man, did I cry while reading Revived.

Seriously – if you’re looking for a fun sci-fiish book with giddy romance and beautiful friendships, go check out Revived by Cat Patrick. It’s a quick read and thoroughly engaging.

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Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s a weekly meme that allows bloggers to talk about what upcoming book they’re most looking forward to read :)

Lauren Oliver + middle grade = THE BEST. What else could I ever want in a book?

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver – 10/02/2012

When Liza’s younger brother Patrick’s soul is stolen by the evil Spindlers, spider-like creatures who live underground, she knows she must set out on a heroic quest to the world Below to rescue it.

Goodreads | Amazon

I mean, seriously. Doesn’t The Spindlers book look freaking awesome? What are you guys waiting for? Let me know!

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Review of Until I Die

Title & Author:
Until I Die by Amy Plum
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Publication Date:
May 08, 2012
Pages:
357
Source:
Giselle

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series. – Goodreads

I read Die for Me by Amy Plum on a long plane ride back from London, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to. But I picked up Until I Die anyway, mainly because hello, it takes place in Paris!

And guys, I have to say – I got so into Until I Die! I thought it was so much better than Die For Me, perhaps because I wasn’t stuck in an uncomfortable seat thousands of miles in the air.

I was way more impressed with Kate in Until I Die. She was determined and strong and she wanted to solve things for herself, rather than wait around for people to tell her what to do, which I loved. I always admire protagonists that refuse to be doormats just because they love a boy.

There were some bits of Until I Die which dragged on a bit, in terms of all the information given at one time, but the story itself (not to mention how proud I was of Kate for figuring things out) definitely pushed me through that.

The romance was much more believable to me in Until I Die as well. Perhaps because I wasn’t watching them fall for each other, but just seeing them together was a different experience. A better one, I thought.

Can I just ask – am I the only person who finds that they want the protagonists to get together with someone totally different than the love interest? And I don’t mean in a love triangle this is supposed to be hard kind of way, I just mean a random friend and I’m like SHE SHOULD GET TOGETHER WITH HIM! In the case of Until I Die, I’m referring to Jules. But I think this usually happens to me with paranormal romances.

But anyway. If you found yourself on the fence with Die For Me – or if you loved it – I highly recommend picking up Until I Die by Amy Plum. I enjoyed it so much more than the first – Until I Die was full of action and twists and a headstrong protagonist, not to mention a gorgeous setting.

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Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

I am full of happy feelings whenever I think about Wanderlove. Everything about this book resonated with me and I think you should go read it. Right now. Immediately. My full review can be found here.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Okay, Meant to Be is ME. Basically, I have a sneaking suspicion that Lauren Morrill sat down and was like “Hmmm, let me take all of the elements of Tara and put them into a book.” And voila, there was Meant to Be.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

SOB SOB SOB. Also, SO MUCH LOVE for Second Chance Summer. It was just absolutely stunning. My review is more of a sentence than anything, but you can find it here.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

GUYS. Scarlet has Robin Hood and swords and a badass female protagonist and also, did I mention Robin Hood? Because he’s definitely swoon worthy. My full review is here.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B. was my first novel in verse EVER, or rather that I can remember (I’m sure I read one or two as a kid), and it was brilliant and emotional and powerful – also, set during the prairie times, which is AWESOME. Full review here.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

GUYS. Hemlock totally re-changed my mind about werewolves. I thought I was over them and then BAM. Such an epic book. Full review here!

Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank

Child of the Mountains is stunning and quiet and powerful. A very moving historical fiction. My full review can be found here.

7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

7 Clues to Winning You is legit the PERFECT pick-me-up. I had so much reading it, my bad mood was completely gone! My review is here.

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked has WITCHES. Swoon worthy boys and WITCHES. My full review can be found here.

Awkward by Marni Bates

I loved Awkward! Fun and cute and HILARIOUS. I need more from Marni Bates! My review is here.

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Here’s Shannon Greenland, author of the fun summer book The Summer My Life Began with a word association post! This is my first time doing a word association interview and I had a lot of fun. Check it out!

To view other posts on the tour, click here!

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website
Author Twitter | My Review Elizabeth Margaret—better known as Em—has always known what life would contain: an internship at her father’s firm, a degree from Harvard and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is that it’s not what she wants. When she gets the opportunity to get away from it all and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em pursues her secret dream of being a chef, and she also learns that her family has kept some significant secrets from her, too. And then there’s Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn’t. Naturally, she can’t resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels she is living on her own terms for the first time. – Goodreads

Word Associations with Shannon Greenland
author of The Summer My Life Began

Stars: Dancing
You’ve got mail!: Meg Ryan
Puppies: Cuuuuuuuute!
Would you like fries with that?: And burn ‘em!
Tell me a story.: Dad.
Jingle bells: Snow.
Marathon: Training.
Toes: Purple
New York: Busy, busy, busy
Airplanes: Unsanitary
Sugar: Espresso

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Alright guys, this is going to be my first time participating in Bout of Books! I need to catch up – and get ahead – on my reading before BEA, so hopefully Bout of Books will give me the push I need!

So, because my hope is to catch up and get ahead of my reading, my goal is a bit…lofty. But partially doable, I think, considering I won’t be too busy for the next week!

I will be updating this post each day with my progress, rather than posting individual updates.

Goals

Until I Die by Amy Plum
Black City by Elizabeth Elizabeth Richards
Chained by Lynne Kelly
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn
The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson
One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Gilt by Katherine Longshore
Fated by Alyson Noel
Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Madhattan Mystery by John Bonk

Updates

5/14
Number of books I’ve read today: 3
Total number of books I’ve read: 3
Books: Until I Die by Amy Plum, One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan (audiobook)

5/15
Number of books I’ve read today: 1
Total number of books I’ve read: 4
Books: A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker, 100 pages of The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson, 30 pages of Black City by Elizabeth Richards, and two hours of The Coven by Cate Tiernan (audiobook).

5/16
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 6
Books: The Coven by Cate Tiernan (audiobook) and Black City by Elizabeth Richards.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by awesome Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.

I am drowning in awesome tour books this week! Seriously, so much goodness! And also – book buying ban? What book buying ban? HAHA.

For Review

Reunited by Hilary Weisman Graham (ARC Tour)
Black City by Elizabeth Richards (ARC Tour)
Chained by Lynne Kelly (DAC ARC Tours)
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfeund (borrowed from Pam via Anna)
Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield (LibraryThing)
Madhattan Mystery by John Bonk (from publisher)
A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger (NetGalley)
Here Where the Sunbeams are Green by Helen Phillips (NetGalley)

Bought/Gifted

Magic in Manhattan by Sarah Mlynowski
A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison (from my dad, who spent the past two weeks in London)
Wentworth Hall by Abby Grahame
In Honor by Jessi Kirby (originally read as an ARC)
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (originally read as an ARC)
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Signed Velveteen bookmarks from Daniel Marks

05/11 – Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (Review)
05/10 – Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Review)
05/09 – Being Friends with Boys by Terra Elan McVoy (Review)
05/09 – Waiting on Wednesday: What Happens Next (Feature)
05/08 – Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe (Review)
05/06 – When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle (Review + Giveaway)

So that’s what I got in my mailbox this week! What did you all get in your mailbox? Please comment and let me know! :)

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Review of Second Chance Summer

Title & Author:
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Publication Date:
May 08, 2012
Pages:
480
Source:
Purchased

Taylor’s family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it’s stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love. – Goodreads

This book broke me.

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Review of Unbreak My Heart

Title & Author:
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Publisher:
Bloomsbury
Publication Date:
May 01, 2012
Pages:
240
Source:
NetGalley

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart? Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to. – Goodreads

I loved Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker. The story was unbelievably touching and I loved the uniqueness of the setting.

For a YA book about cheating, I loved the way Unbreak My Heart was told. We knew from the beginning, or rather we learned in bits and pieces, what exactly happened, and so were able to understand the main character, Clementine, much better than we would have if we were just thrown into the middle of all the drama. There were a few journal entries scattered throughout Unbreak My Heart that I thought also added to the story.

The family dynamics in Unbreak My Heart were awesome. I love to read about different families and I thought it was so cool how Clementine, her sister, and her parents interacted each other, especially on the small boat. It was great to see Clementine start to open up to her family and have fun again. And her sister, gah. I just loved how her sister always looked up to Clem and wanted to hang out with her.

The setting in Unbreak My Heart was one of the coolest I’ve read about in a while. I love the idea of taking off on a boat up the coast for a summer. They stopped at all these cool towns and met a lot of really unique people, like James! I loved James so much – and his story really fit with Clementine’s.

I wasn’t totally satisfied with the ending of Unbreak My Heart. I mean, I totally appreciate Melissa Walker for not completely wrapping everything up with a tidy ribbon, but Unbreak My Heart was one of those books where I wanted more. I wanted everything spelled out for me and perfect, you know? So it’s not a BAD ending or anything, I was just left wanting to know more.

Guys, despite my ending woes, Unbreak My Heart is moving and relatable and fun. I loved Melissa Walker‘s Small Town Sinner, and after Unbreak My Heart, I can’t wait to see what she cooks up next!

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