Hooked to Books

Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2)

2012-05-18T07:30:00.000-04:00

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2)Ally Carter
Publish Date: October 2, 2007
Hyperion
Purchased Copy (borrow from Megan)
Reviewed by Rachael

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school. -Goodreads

Sure Megan has already reviewed the most current book in the series, Out of Sight, Out of Time, but hey, some of us are a little late to the party and that's okay.

I was super stoked to see if the second book of the Gallagher Girls series would live up to the hype built in first book and I was not disappointed in the least! I loved the integration of the boys school into the world of Gallagher Academy and the girls' daily lives. I much preferred Zach to Josh and I hope this plays out in future books (I'm trying to be good and not constantly bug Megan for spoilers!) It was nice to see Cammie as "herself" with a boy and as expected her roommates are always good for a laugh...makes you wish you were living with roommates that always have your back and shoes to borrow if the need arises!

Can't wait to get one step closer to Out of Sight, Out of Time by reading Book #3 ASAP!

The Ash-Born Boy Short Story Available

2012-05-15T10:32:00.001-04:00

I loved Victoria Schwab's The Near Witch and when she announced she had written a story about Cole I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After waiting for what felt like months - the story is now available to read! Click the link below to be taken to Cole's story and enter the world of The Near Witch again.

*****

It's May 15th!

Not only does THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab come out in paperback TODAY, but, to celebrate its release, "The Ash-Born Boy" is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion's website!

So, what IS "The Ash-Born Boy"?

It's a free story Victoria wrote as a thank-you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer ONE question: "Who was Cole before he came to Near?"

Now, if you've already read THE NEAR WITCH, "The Ash-Born Boy" is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.

And if you haven't read THE NEAR WITCH yet, don't worry, "The Ash-Born Boy" won't spoil anything!

So basically, either way, you should go read Cole's story ;)

And if you want to wait and read THE NEAR WITCH first, don't worry! Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere, and it will always be free.

And!

Cole's story isn't the only goodie to go along with the paperback release. In the back of the paperback itself, you'll find the first chapter of Victoria's new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn't come out until January!

So what are you waiting for?

Help Victoria celebrate today by taking a look at "The Ash-Born Boy," and don't forget to buy/order/pick up your own paperback copy of THE NEAR WITCH!

Giveaway: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

2012-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

The folks at Harlequin Teen have been amazing enough to offer the reader's of Hooked to Books a chance to win a copy of Goddess Interrupted!

This book has been reviewed twice here at Hooked to Books - first by Mandi (here) and then by Lindsay (here). If you missed them the first time - head back over and check out the reviews.

Below is a Q&A with Aimee Carter provided by Harlequin. What a fun interview! Make sure to check it out as well!

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How familiar were you with Greek myths and folklore before writing the Goddess Test series? Was a lot of research required?

+ I first fell in love with Greek mythology when I was a kid learning how to read, and my infatuation only grew from there. I’ve studied various kinds of mythology for years, sometimes for class and always for fun, but even then I put a great deal of research into the Goddess Test series. Mostly as a refresher to make sure I was getting my facts right, but I also researched the various myths looking for ways to tie the plots and characters together in unexpected ways.

Was Goddess Interrupted any easier or harder to write than the first book in the series, The Goddess Test?

+ It was both easier and harder, in a strange way. I rewrote The Goddess Test multiple times, and I’ve never edited a book more heavily in my life. Goddess Interrupted did require some editing, of course, but it was much easier.

However, the pressure to deliver a sequel worthy of the series made the writing process for Goddess Interrupted more difficult than I’d anticipated. There’s something called the “sophomore slump”, where sequels or second books generally don’t quite match up to the second, and I wanted to avoid that at all cost. So that added a lot of stress, but in the end, I was very happy with the results.

You give the gods and goddesses in the series “ordinary names” – Zeus is named Walter, Aphrodite goes by Ava, Hermes is named James. Why did you do that and do the more contemporary names have any significance?

+ This was something I went back and forth on multiple times. Initially the characters Kate encounters weren’t council members at all – I changed that very, very quickly though. By the second draft, I had a place for each of the Olympians, and I did some heavy rewriting to replace my first draft characters with the gods. I wanted to find a way to keep their names the same, but since they’re supposed to live among us in secret in the modern world, it didn’t really make sense. How many men named Zeus do you know, or women called Aphrodite? On top of that, keeping the council’s identities secret was incredibly important to the plot. So eventually I decided they would have changed their names when Western civilization stopped worshipping them as gods, allowing them to live freely among us.

I did choose each name for what it means, some more than others – Walter, for instance, means “army leader”, while James means “supplanter”. The exception is Calliope, which in the story was chosen by her counterpart for its Greek roots. The reason the gods changed their names – and why Artemis didn’t wind up with the name Diana – is explained throughout the series, but you get to actually see this happen in The Goddess Legacy (July 31).

Goddess Interrupted begins with the main character Kate Winters adjusting to her new life as an immortal. Given Kate’s innate strength and stubbornness, was it difficult to switch gears to portray her as a bit more vulnerable and unsure of herself in her new role as goddess AND wife?

+ Not so much, to be honest – her progression felt natural to me. While Kate is very tough in certain ways, she’s extremely vulnerable as well. She’s emotionally dependent on the people around her (her mother in the first book, Henry in the second), and that in and of itself carves the path she takes in the sequel. She’s spent six months with Henry, falling in love with him and forming a relationship she thinks is going to last for eternity. But Henry is battling his own demons and isn’t ready to be the person she needs him to be, and because Kate is so stubborn, she has a hard time coming to terms with that. In the sequel, Kate really is her own worst enemy emotionally – her entire world has changed, after all, and that’s a lot for anyone to take – but it’s all part of her development into a goddess and queen.

Kate finds herself trying to work through her rather complicated relationship with James, as well as her relationship with her new husband, Henry (Hades). Neither seems to be black and white, but rather varying shades of gray. Were any of Kate’s feelings or situations based on any relationship struggles you’ve been through?

+ Not personally, no, but I did try to make Kate’s relationships with the people in her life as realistic as possible. She isn’t perfect, and neither are they, and that’s something they all have to work through at varying points in the series. None of the relationships in the books are based off of specific experiences I’ve been through though.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

+ Outlining is by far my favorite part of the process. I love the idea stage, where anything’s possible, and it’s such a shiny place. All of that comes crashing down when I write the first draft though, which is the hardest part for me. I tend to get mentally exhausted about two thirds to three quarters of the way into the manuscript, and it’s always a struggle for me to push through it, especially if I’m on a deadline. And inevitably there are a ton of problems I didn’t notice in the outline stage that have to be fixed for the story to work. I’m a perfectionist, so in order for me to continue writing the story, everything I’ve already written has to make sense.

Do you have a favorite quote or line from a poem or book?

+ I love so many quotes that I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite.

How did you get your first publishing deal and how did that feel?

+ My agent, Rosemary Stimola, sent the manuscript out to various publishers, and after a long submission process, Harlequin TEEN offered to publish it! I was stunned at first, but that quickly gave way to giddiness. It was an incredible feeling to know I’d be published, and to this day, I still can’t quite believe it.

When is the next book in the series due out? Any hints on what will happen in book 3?

+ Goddess Interrupted, the sequel to The Goddess Test, came out in late March. The next book in the series, The Goddess Legacy, will be out July 31. It’s a collection of five novellas told in the perspectives of Calliope, Ava, Persephone, James, and Henry, and together they form one story.

The third book in the series, The Goddess Inheritance, is currently scheduled to be released in March 2013. Unfortunately I can’t say too much about it, but the challenges that Kate will face are pretty clear by the end of the sequel!

After the huge success of The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted is on many, many TBR lists for this summer. What’s on your TBR list?

+ I’m so excited for a slew of books coming out – The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, Grave Mercy, The Selection, The Serpent’s Shadow, Philippa Gregory’s YA novel, and a ton of others. I never have as much time to read as I want, but I’m definitely making time for all of those and more!

Yearbook Superlatives! If you went to high school with the Greek gods and goddesses, who would you vote for?

· Most likely to succeed? - Hera

· Class clown? - Hermes

· Nicest? – Demeter or Hephaestus

· Best dressed? - Aphrodite

· Best dancer? - Apollo

· Most school spirit? - Iris

· Most likely to attend summer school? - Ares

· Teachers pet? - Athena

You can purchase a copy of Goddess Interrupted from any of the links below!

Amazon | BN | Harlequin

Giveaway!

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

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Review: The Other Life by Susan Winnacker

2012-05-10T07:00:00.045-04:00

The Weepers: The Other Life
Susan Winnacker
Publish Date: May 15, 2012
ARC from Around the World ARC Tours
Published by: Marshall Cavendish
Reviewed by Michelle

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all? -Goodreads

I was very excited to get on the blog tour for this book - anything dystopian-ish and zombie-ish I'm all for reading. While it didn't fully live up to my expectation - I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one to find out what happens with Sherry and her friends.

Sherry has been living with the same five (technically six but her grandpa died a year ago) people for the last three years in a bunker under their house. They know something bad has happened above ground but haven't been able to find out what is going on since closing the door three years ago. When their food runs out, Sherry and her dad are forced to venture out of the safety of the bunker to look for food so they don't starve to death. When they emerge from the bunker, they find a world that has been completely destroyed and nothing like the one that was in existence when they went underground. When Sherry's dad is taken by the Weepers, she is saved by another survivor, Joshua, and her eyes are opened up to a whole new world.

Once Sherry meets Joshua, The Other Life takes off at a fast pace - which isn't necessarily a good thing. I felt like a lot of world building was left out - I wanted to know more about the world that Sherry had stepped into but instead I was left trying to figure it out while the book sped on. Joshua takes Sherry to Secret Haven - a hideaway out in the middle of nowhere where he lives with a handful of other survivors. From there, Sherry and Joshua must rescue her family from the bunker, find her dad, and stay alive. While The Other Life read fast, I just wanted some more details.

As for the characters, we are introduced to so many but really don't get much of a back story. With the book ending how it did, I'm pretty sure we will be getting at least a sequel - so hopefully we find out a little bit more about all the interesting characters that Winnacker introduces us to. As for Sherry and Joshua, I could get behind their friendship but not so much the love story. The book is just so fast - the majority of the stuff happens in a matter of days - and their relationship felt forced. But, then again, if I had been living with just my family for over three years and there was a cute boy around I would probably think I was in love with him too after a week. So, there's that.

The Other Life is a fast, entertaining read. I liked the direction that Winnacker went with the Weepers and think the world that she created would be very interesting if I knew more details. I'm a details person, y'all. I love them - so I need that in my books, especially my dystopian books. The Other Life is definitely more character driven and I definitely want to know more about the characters in the book and find out what happens next.

Review: UnCONventional

2012-05-04T07:30:00.001-04:00

UnCONventional
Various Authors
Publish Date: January 13, 2012
Spencer Hill Press
Review Copy
Reviewed by Rachael

It's about to get weird... okay, weirder in here.

Alien ascensions in hotel ballrooms.
Mermaids on cruise ships.
Werewolves in dog shows.
Steampunk fairy time travelers.
A teenage superhero hitching a ride with a supervillain.
Comic books that absorb their readers.
Magical filk... and much more.

With stories by: LJ Berger, Vikki Ciaffone, Daniel Cohen, Gordon Dupuis, Anthony G. Francis, Jr., Justine Graykin, Randy O. Green, Melina Gunnett, Kate Kaynak, Danielle M. LeFevre, Kimberley Long-Ewing, Lauren Marrero, Will Morton, LS Murphy, Ira Nayman, KT Pinto, Jennifer Allis Provost, Patricia Puckett, Keshia Swaim, Sherry Thompson, Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg, and Trisha Wooldridge -Goodreads

UnCONventional is a collection of paranormal short stories which may lead you to ask, why is Rachael reviewing this book since we haven't seen her review a paranormal anything yet? Well, I think that's actually a good angle for this book review. This collection of stories, broken up by different types of paranormal subjects (faeries (which I learned are not fairies, like Tinker Bell), vampires, werewolves, aliens, myths becoming realty, etc.) There are several stories of varying lengths in each section, or "Panel" as the book puts it. It's a great intro into the paranormal world for a novice (like me) to see which niche is right for them. I would definitely recommend it to anyone trying to figure out what all the hype is about in the world of YA paranormal literature.

On a personal note, I enjoyed the faery stories more than I anticipated for sure and may try and pick up an actual book with faeries as the main characters, any suggestions for my first venture into their world?

Blog Tour: Sweet Evil

2012-05-02T07:30:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to have Wendy Higgins on the blog today to answer some THIS OR THAT questions about herself.

Wendy's book, Sweet Evil, released yesterday from Harper Teen!

You can get your own copy here.

Thanks for stopping by Wendy!!

*****
Movies or TV
Movies

Mac or PC
Mac...although I've never had one (*cries*) - I WANT one!

Beach or Mountains
Love both...but I'll go with beach

Night or Day
Night

Truth or Dare
Truth

Tornado or Earthquake
Dang...*shivers* Tornado

Real Books or eBooks
Real books (although I'm dying for a Nook...right after my Macbook)

Boy Next Door or Bad Boy
I love both! But I'm a sucker for a bad boy.

Twitter or Facebook
Twitter

Coffee or Soda
Coffee!!!!

***
I love my Mac. You should spring for one as a "I got published!" gift!:)

Make sure to check out the other stops on the Sweet Evil tour!

4/23 http://www.supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/
4/24 http://imlovingbooks.com/
4/25 http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/
4/26 http://livredeamour-booksoflove.blogspot.com/
4/27 http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/
4/28 http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/
4/29 http://www.magicalurbanfantasyreads.com/
4/30 http://uniquelymoibooks.blogspot.com/
5/1 http://www.bookswithbite.net/
5/2 http://www.hookedtobooks.com/
5/3 http://www.latebloomeronline.com/
5/4 http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/

ARC review: Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

2012-04-30T12:55:00.002-04:00

Paperback, 576 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012

by Gollancz

ISBN 0575097183 (ISBN13: 9780575097186)

Reviewed by: Lindsay -The Violet Hour

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

"Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened.

But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart."

FINALLY! I have been waiting for this book for what seems like forever! I loved Bitterblue in Graceling. So innocent, yet fierce. That is a character I can definitely get behind! Kristin Cashore really blew me away with this one. I've enjoyed both previous works greatly, but she really kicked things into high gear with Bitterblue.

There was so much confusion left after her father, King Leck, was killed, that 8 years later Bitterblue was still trying to figure out who to trust, who was lying to her and how to help the people in her kingdom. I found Bitterblue to be a very kind, thoughtful queen. At times she was a little slow to catch on, but at the same time, maybe I would have been, too, if I'd really been in the thick of things as she was. I ached for her as she delved deeper and deeper into Leck's mind, as she discovered a secret way her mother tried to communicate with her and as her heart swelled and deflated in the name of romance. I am hoping that in the future there will be something between her and a certain ex-lord. Although I wanted it to happen in this book, it would have been ridiculous and way too fast to have been believable. I just WANT it to happen!! Bitterblue certainly had her hands full in this book. It was just epic, and I hardly ever use that word.

There was just so much meat to this book. Not just the story itself, but you can easily see how much thought and planning went into it. An entire language was created in order to show how crazy King Leck really was. Cashore's writing was fantastic, and even after such a long break in between books, I had no problem diving right in and getting lost in the story. In my opinion, it blows Graceling and Fire out of the water.

Teenage Garage Sale with Susanne Winnacker Author of The Other Life

2012-04-25T07:00:00.008-04:00

I'm happy to welcome Susanne Winnacker, author of The Other Life, to Hooked to Books today. Susanne will be giving us an idea of the things she liked as a teenager - garage sale style.

Thanks for stopping by Susanne!

******

Today I’m going to do a post about the things you’d find in a garage sale from my teen years.

- Backstreet Boys CDs. Many of them. I think my obsession with them started when I was 11 or 12 and lasted for about two years. (my 13 year-old self would’ve killed me if I’d sold her BB CDs!)

- Backstreet Boys posters, t-shirts, necklaces, videos, bed-linen…

- About 50 copies of “Mein Hund” which translates into “My dog” and is a German magazine for dog lovers. I read it religiously.

- Books about dog breeds, cat breeds, and all kind of other pets.

- My first computer!!! I got it when I was 16! It was huge and slow but I was so happy when my mother gave it to me. I think I was one of the last of my friends who had one. Today I can’t even imagine how I ever lived without internet!

- My first mobile phone. It was super heavy and the buttons were huge too. I rarely used it but I was very proud to own it.

- Two old walkmans and many tapes, as well as a discman.

- Two pairs of Doc Martens – one of them black and the other white with flowers. They don’t look so good anymore because I wore them almost every day when I was about 13 (that was before I started wearing high heels).

Thanks for having me on your blog today!

Review - PACK OF LIES by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

2012-04-24T11:33:00.000-04:00

ebook
Published April 8th 2012
by Boroughs Publishing Group
ISBN139780984898862
Series: Red Ridge Pack
Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reviewer - Lindsay of The Violet Hour (original review posted here)

Goodreads "The last thing Allison Wright ever expected when she moved to Red Ridge, New Mexico was to come muzzle to muzzle with the wolf of her dreams.

Seventeen-year-old Allison Wright is convinced she’s losing her mind. Uncontrollable mood swings, hot flashes, and the urge to punch anyone who gets in her way are suddenly becoming everyday occurrences. Before her erratic behavior gets out of hand, Allison’s mother finally comes clean about her dark secret. Mom is a werewolf, and soon Allison and her brother Aiden will suffer the same fate. When Allison reaches her breaking point, the family leaves their life in Texas to move to Red Ridge, New Mexico where they rejoin the pack that Allison’s mother left behind almost 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Red Ridge is thrilled about Allison’s arrival, especially when she attracts the attention of the very handsome, very taken, soon-to-be alpha, Cade Walker. Little does Allison know, her mere presence is causing a rift in a once unified pack. Not only has Cade been forbidden from being with Allison by his father, the pack’s alpha, Cade’s girlfriend, Kendall Stuart, will stop at nothing to get Allison out of the picture. Well on her way to becoming the next alpha’s mate, Kendall expects to rule the pack by Cade’s side even if it means teaming up with a rogue werewolf with an agenda of his own. Determined to get rid of Allison permanently, when Kendall and the rogue join forces, all hell breaks loose and no one in the pack is safe, especially not Cade and his true mate."

Pack of Lies was an interesting, entertaining read that was absolutely perfect for me after finishing a super emotional book. I was a little surprised to see that it contained 62 chapters, but I read through it in two days, which would have really been a 'one sit read' if I'd started earlier the first day. The easy flow Dailey and Weber created made consuming the pages easy.

I liked the concept of this book from the get go. It was nice to get some background on Allison and Aiden before things got crazy. There was actually quite a bit of background presented at the beginning of the story and little pieces of information here and there to help connect things. Normally we just get plopped into an already-shifted wolf story, but in PACK OF LIES we see the struggle Allison was having at school with her temper and the cause of her outburst; jealous high school girls. We also get a good view of the family dynamic. Even though I thought the mother's 'coming out' dialogue could have used some polishing, I had to laugh picturing the scene as she proved her story to Allison and Aiden. Moving the crew to New Mexico was definitely the right choice for the parents to make. Otherwise, Allison probably would have taken one (or two) of those snotty girls out!

There IS instalove, but c'mon, it's werewolves! They have to deal with imprinting and 'true mates' and mystical pack lore, so you really can't blame them. I enjoyed how the authors played out the romance. While technically it was a love triangle, it didn't feel that way because after Cade met Allison, that was it for him. He had no desire to fool with Kendall and her selfishness. After Allison and Cade have a few sizzling encounters, his father forbids him to go near her. That causes a huge problem, one that only Allison's mother realizes for what it is. When the secret comes out, Kendall pretty much goes insane. I almost felt bad for her because of how awful her mother was to her. But in the end, we're all responsible for our own actions, and I was very happy with how this first installment ended.I am definitely glad that I gave this book a shot. It was a great read!

You should add this book to your TBR pile right now! PACK OF LIES released April 6, so unfortunately I probably have quite a while to wait for book two. Unless it's already written and I can somehow get the authors to hand it over... Pretty please?

Blog Tour with Lisa Burstein

2012-04-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

Today we are pleased to welcome Lisa Burstein, author of the upcoming novel Pretty Amy, a story about a Prom night gone wrong and figuring out what's important in life. We're excited to read it when it comes out in May, and we're excited to have Lisa here today to answer a few questions for us!

1. If you were stranded on a desert island, would you try to find a way off or would you adapt to island life and work on your tan?

Definitely find a way off, I am very pale so sunburn would be an issue.

2. You didn't go to your Prom, so what did you do instead?

It's terrible, but I can't remember. I'm sure I was hanging out with some of my friends who also didn't go to the prom and I'm sure that I went to an after party. But I guess I would say, teens if you don't have the best prom night in the world and it isn't everything you hoped for, if the perfect guy doesn't ask you, or your dress rips while you're dancing, or you get arrested, it doesn't matter because 19 years later you won't remember it anyway :)

3. If you couldn't write for some reason what would be your alternate dream career?

I would love to be a chef. I love cooking and going to culinary school is another dream I have always had. I watch Food Network as much as possible. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) is my favorite chef.

4. What is the first thing you'd do with a million dollars?

Buy a house. Ugh, I'm old, right?

5. Can you let us into your writing process? For instance, mine involves a lot of procrastinating and sugar until I force my fingers to the keys. What gets you going?

Coffee or wine depending whether its day or night, potato chips, my cat, my purple laptop, my day bed and rain tip-taping outside so you don't feel like you're missing out on something. It also helps not to "think" about what you are writing- to just write. You need to turn the editor off while you write, or you'll get no words out. I tell myself there's time for revising later- the time to get my ideas out is NOW.

***********************

Thanks, Lisa! That's great writing advice. And when you make your millions we expect to be invited to your new house for a home-cooked meal!

ARC review + giveaway: THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

2012-04-18T09:26:00.000-04:00

The Immortal Rules

Julie Kagawa

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373210515 (ISBN13: 9780373210510)

Series: Blood of Eden #1

Source: Harlequin Teen via NetGalley

Reviewer: Lindsay - The Violet Hour

Goodreads "Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for."

I'm just going to start out by saying that my love for Julia Kagawa is never-ending. She became one of my absolute favorite authors with the Iron Fey series. Her ability to create a world so full and captivating, with characters so intriguing (*cough* ASH) is seriously unmatched. I was absolutely STOKED when I heard she was writing a series about vampires. I certainly was NOT disappointed.

Allison, Allie, Sekemoto is one tough chick. She lives as an Unregistered, meaning that she refuses to become blood cattle for the vampires in her city. She and her crew live off the grid, trying to survive by staying indoors at night and foraging for food during the day. Her best friend, Stick, goes along with her even though he is completely terrified of everything and usually gets them into more trouble than usual. This is just the first in a long line of reasons why I love Allie. She is strong, smart, tough yet compassionate, even when she could have done a little better for herself if she lost the "dead weight" others told her to. It is when she's trying to do something noble for her crew that her life completely changes. There are times when I cheered for her, times I was nervous for her, and times when I could have cried for her. Through it all, though, she maintained her desire to help, instead of hurt.

I absolutely LOVE the world Julia Kagawa created in Immortal Rules. We've all gotten a bit exhausted over the whole vampire scene, and it was actually very interesting to find out that Julie had vowed to never write vampire books. I am SO GLAD she decided to forgo that thought and give me (yes, ME!) this book. Her passion for creating new worlds with new rules and totally captivating the reader just shines in this new offering. There is so much depth, heartache and triumph all wrapped up in one that I could not put it down. I highly recommend that you pick IMMORTAL RULES as soon as possible. It is NOT your typical vampire book….thank God! ;)

***

Now, it's time for the giveaway!

US and Canada Only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This or That with Phoebe Kitandis Author of Glimmer

2012-04-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

Today I would like to welcome Phoebe Kitandis for a round of This or That! Thanks for stopping by and answering questions Phoebe! :)

*****

iPhone or Android.
I have an Android, but no platform loyalty. Actually, I have half a mind to switch to nothing and enjoy being unplugged and out of touch.

Coffee or Tea.
Seattle has turned me into a coffee geek. I find myself saying things like, “Mmm, nice cocoa notes in this roast!” Really.

Beach or Mountains.
Let me answer this in the form of a bad haiku:

BEACH. Sorry, mountains:
full of bears, mud, hikes, and spring
rains my husband loves.

Mac or PC.
In theory I should be a Mac person, but I’ve been using a PC since age 6, so. John Hodgman made it okay to be a PC!

Boy Next Door or Bad Boy
I’ll have one of each, pls. ;)

Real Books or eBooks
Ebooks. *robot voice* I have been assimilated.

Night Owl or Morning Bird
I’m more of a classic day-type, peak hours late morning and early evening.

Truth or Dare
They’re awfully hard to separate! Ironically, truth takes more courage, but dare is more likely to lead to a good story.

TV Shows or Movies
Oh, TV shows, easy. I get unhealthily attached to characters.

Twitter or Facebook
Facebook because my family and friends are there. Thanks for asking the questions.

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

2012-03-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

Published: March 27, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
ISBN: 0373210450 (ISBN13: 9780373210459)
Series: Goddess Test #2
Source: Harlequin Teen via NetGalley
Reviewer: Lindsay
Originally posted at The Violet Hour

Goodreads: "Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive.

Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus.

But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. Henry's first wife, Persephone."

Coming straight off of a reread of The Goddess Test, I dove right into Goddess Interrupted with some expectations. I enjoy Carter's writing, even though aspects of her characters, at times, drove me absolutely batty. I have never been big into Greek mythology, but I enjoyed Goddess Interrupted. The storyline was great, and even though certain things became quite repetitive (which I'll address), it was very hard to put down and get out of my thoughts.
I really like Kate. Lots. She's strong, fiesty and not afraid to voice her opinion. Except to Henry about how she feels, how he makes her feel, etc.. Much of the book consists of Kate wringing her hands, worrying that Henry doesn't love her, and never will. And honestly, he, for his own reasons, doesn't give her much to go on. Kate sticks to her guns, though, and I was impressed with some of her decisions.

I am torn on whether or not I like Henry. In Goddess Interrupted, I found him to be a huge jerk 96% of the time. I understand his need to distance himself, but if he would have simply opened up a little bit and not assumed he knew what went down or how Kate felt, it would have been so nice…for Kate, and me as a reader! When things are sweet between Henry and Kate (aka, when they actually communicate), they are wonderful together. i'm really hoping in book 3 we get a chance to see them working together, ruling the Underworld.

Carter gives us a serious punch to the gut with the ending. I've heard that the final copy of GI has a longer ending, so that makes me happy because I felt the ARC ending could have been fleshed out a little more and tie things up as much as possible. I am definitely looking forward to everyone's reactions, and I am excited to see where Aimee Carter goes with such an interesting story.

Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

2012-03-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

The Book of Blood and Shadow

Robin Wasserman

Published April 10, 2012

Random House Children's Books

Netgalley review copy

Reviewed by Megan

It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

This book. You guys. THIS BOOK. UGH. It's really good. Um...let me try to expand on that. It's kind of amazing. No? Okay.*

I have a few confessions to make before getting into a "review."

Confession number one: I have never read a Robin Wasserman book before. I've tried. I've started more than one and it's not that they were bad. Quite the opposite. The writing was fantastic. It's just that the subject matters weren't really my thing so I sort of gave up. But as I stalk her on Twitter and want to be her BFF I felt that this would be forgiven. Especially because as soon as I heard the premise of THIS book I knew it would be the one to blow me away. And you guys? It totally did.

Confession Number Two: One spring night, as an optimistic college freshman, I sat across the street from my dorm on the side of a huge planter behind our student union reading a history text and I looked up at the stars and declared, in the way that only an optimistic freshman can, that I would change my Journalism major to an Archaeology major and I would crack codes in ancient manuscripts and I would discover lost artifacts and I would be world-famous for my numerous contributions to the modern world! It would be so exciting! Then I changed my major to English and now this is my life. But you can see why this book had me totally psyched.

So here's what you should know. Robin Wasserman's book reads like a young adult version of The Da Vinci Code with a few notable exceptions: One, it's written well. Two, she does not rely on cheap gimmicks to keep you turning the page. Like, for instance, chapters do not end in the middle of an explosion. Really, it's a bad comparison to make. What I SHOULD say is that Robin Wasserman's book reads like a better version of The Da Vinci Code in the whole fiction genre as a whole. It's smart, it's well-written, it's sharp. This is the kind of book that you give to nay-sayers to explain what good things are happening in YA and why they should shut their mouths. It's not a watered-down, happy story. People die. Stakes are high. There is blood and there is religion and there are fights and it is AWESOME.

The story is based around the Voynich Manuscript, which actually exists, and which is full of codes and secrets. In Wasserman's book, the kids break the code, thanks to seemingly inconsequential correspondence, and discover that two warring religious factions are after those secrets for two very different purposes. With the secrets they can build a device that will allow direct communication with God. One group believes this will lead to disaster and that if God wanted to communicate directly He would have allowed for it already. The other group believes God was just waiting for humans to figure out His secrets. And Nora and her friends are stuck in the middle.

This book will leaving you guessing to the end about who to trust. Just when you think you know she'll turn the tables again. It wasn't until I was about 75% of the way into the book that I was like, "Oh, yeah, I know." And I did. But even then there were still surprises. It's a fantastic mystery novel, a fantastic suspense novel, and a fantastic novel overall.

I have one complaint which has nothing to do with the writing at all and is probably not so much a complaint as it is a recommendation: I'd suggest that when (when, not if) you buy this book, you do so in hard copy. I'm not sure if it was just the ARC copy of the e-version or if it's the e-version in general, but it looks as though there are photocopied pages of the manuscript and they didn't come through on the Kindle. I felt like I was missing something. So, this may be one you want to hold in your hands. You know. WHEN you read it.

*I realize that a majority of my reviews involve gushing praise, but that's because I typically only review books I love.

Review: The Rivals (The Mockingbirds #2)

2012-03-27T07:48:00.002-04:00

The Rivals (The Mockingbirds #2)

Daisy Whitney

Published February 6, 2012

Little, Brown Books

Review Copy

Reviewed by Rachael

When Alex Patrick was assaulted by another student last year, her elite boarding school wouldn't do anything about it. This year Alex is head of the Mockingbirds, a secret society of students who police and protect the student body. While she desperately wants to live up to the legacy that's been given to her, she's now dealing with a case unlike any the Mockingbirds have seen before.

It isn't rape. It isn't bullying. It isn't hate speech. A far-reaching prescription drug ring has sprung up, and students are using the drugs to cheat. But how do you try a case with no obvious victim? Especially when the facts don't add up, and each new clue drives a wedge between Alex and the people she loves most: her friends, her boyfriend, and her fellow Mockingbirds.

As Alex unravels the layers of deceit within the school, the administration, and even the student body the Mockingbirds protect, her struggle to navigate the murky waters of vigilante justice may reveal more about herself than she ever expected. -Goodreads

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book after finishing The Mockingbirds and boy, I was not disappointed in the least! I can't believe I will have to wait so long for the third book (please tell me there will be a third book...I shall live under this assumption because when I was finished, my first thought was, "I cannot believe I can't run out and buy the next book ASAP!")

Alex and her friends are back in action and this year they stakes are high as The Mockingbirds uncover a prescription drug ring operating in the school with a huge twist. I loved where the book picked up and the way the obvious love-triangle was handled (while in general we're not teenage love-triangle lovers here at Hooked to Books, the way Daisy (who I shall now call Daisy as surely we would be BFFs in real life) is dealing with Martin and Jones is excellent, at least in my book!) Alex is definitely a mature high schooler worthy of leading The Mockingbirds. Sure, vigilante justice has its problems (which is explored in this book a bit) but the voice of the people must be heard and I love this series so much that I find myself in a Megan-state of wordlessness ;-)

Go; read The Mockingbirds and The Rivals, they are refreshing (just like your upcoming Spring Break!) and may just make you take a stand.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Journey!

It's a great way to share what you read the past week, what you are currently reading, and what you plan to read next!

Currently Reading:
The Hunger Games (reread) by Suzanne Collins - Rachael 

Just Finished:
The Mockingbirds: The Rivals by Daisy Whitney - Rachael 

Up Next:
Pure by Julianna Baggott - Rachael
UnCONventional by Various Authors - Rachael

Review: The Mockingbirds (The Mockingbirds #1)

2012-03-23T16:23:00.000-04:00

The Mockingbirds

Daisy Whitney

Published November 2, 210 (Paperback release January 2012)

Little, Brown Books

Review Copy

Reviewed by Rachael

Some schools have honor codes.

Others have handbooks.

Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way-the Themis way. So when Alex Patrick is date-raped during her junior year, she has two options: Stay silent and hope someone helps, or enlist the aid of the Mockingbirds-a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of the student body.

In this account of a teenage girl's search for her voice and the courage to use it, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that standing up for someone, especially yourself, is worth the fight. -Goodreads

I received a paperback copy of this to get me up to speed before reviewing the second book in this series, The Rivals, which came out in February 2012. I instantly fell in love with the people of Themis Academy and was sucked into Alex's story from the very first page. The Mockingbirds are a secret student council of sorts that provides disciplinary oversight to the students of Themis, which according to the teachers and administration can do no wrong as they are all brilliant (either in math, science, the arts, athletics, etc.) The hands-off approach of the faculty have made The Mockingbirds organization a necessity, even smart people do bad things (who knew?!)

The book deals with the tough subject of date-rape in, what I felt like was, a very real manner. The internal mental debates Alex puts herself through. The support of her friends and sister vs. the perceived alienation of the student-body and mockery of the guy's friends. Most importantly, I feel like this book also gives hope. Hope to victims of all sorts of injustice in a way that is very empowering. I can't wait to see what Alex and The Mockingbird gang are up to next, stayed tuned for that review soon!

Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

2012-03-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

Out of Sight, Out of Time

Ally Carter

Published March 13, 2012

Hyperion Books

Purchased Copy

Reviewed by Megan

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer.

When we saw Ally Carter last week, she suggested that the progression of these books was something like, "introduction, darker, darker, much darker, and HOLY CRAP." And you guys. Holy. Crap. This book takes these characters to a whole new level and, honestly, it was my favorite of the Gallagher Girl series thus far. Maybe it was because the action was way high stakes, maybe it was the globe-trotting, but this one kept me turning the pages until I finished. Which, okay, not necessarily different from how I read the other ones, but, you know.

Cammie doesn't remember anything from the time she left Gallagher Academy to when she wakes up in the convent. Returning to the school she must win over her friends again, re-evaluate the relationships in her life, and discover who to trust and who not to trust. But if we've learned anything in this series it is that things are not always what they seem. With the help of Bex, Liz, and Macy (and, of course, Zach, Abby, and Cam's mother), Cammie must retrace her steps and try to remember what happened to her in order to determine if everything (and everyone) is finally safe again. The things they find surprise them and they are led on a chase that leads them to believe maybe things aren't as resolved as they had hoped and maybe Cammie's mother was right when she said it would be best if Cammie didn't remember.

I'm super sad that after this there will be only one more, but seeing where she left Cammie this makes perfect sense. The next book will finish out senior year at school and, you guys...I just really have NO IDEA what can possibly come in the next book. But I'm excited to find out.

Guest Post - Jennifer Gooch Hummer

2012-03-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

Today we are honored to welcome a guest post by author Jennifer Gooch Hummer. You may remember her from our recent review of her novel, Girl Unmoored, the heart-breaking story of death and friendship. And today Jennifer provides some advice on, like, writing young adult characters.

Advice for young adults (the character kind)

The other day, someone asked me for advice on young adults. “Tell them to stop saying like so much,” was my first answer. A long pause later, I got it. “Oh. Young Adult characters you mean.” After the confirmation nod, I realized I had better come up with something smart to redeem myself. Instead, I came up with these:

1. Listen.

Writers will always tell you to read as much as you can. And it’s true. But just as important, I think, is to listen. Real dialogue (inner and outer) is not spoken the way we tend to write it. It’s staccato, incorrect, and sometimes even a little piercing. Stepping back and really listening to what kids and teens are saying is, like, so totally super important it’s not even funny.

2. Ask questions.

This has happened lately: My children have started to warn their friends about me. “Okay. My mom can pick us up, but she’s, like, going to ask you, like, a million questions on the way home. Sorry.” And I do. The first line of questioning will go something like this: What do your parents do? What do you like to do in school? Where’d you get those shoes? Yes, I’m relentless, but I’m also gathering information for my craft. A YA author’s job is to interrogate, I mean interview, younger generations. Otherwise how can we know the minds of our protagonists? This is my argument when my children start to balk. Well, this and; “If you don’t want to hoof it, like, all the way home, you better start talking.”

3. Think like a dog.

My dog stares at me all day. And when she’s not staring, she’s following. Closely. Six inches away closely. It can be dangerous when carrying a load of laundry up and down stairs. Of course I have no idea what she is thinking, but I imagine there’s something going on in there, so I try to see the world through her eyes. And it’s usually a little scary. Being twelve inches tall means that everything she sees is either gigantic or threatening. I think this is the same vantage point for most kids. Growing up is scary and to create a convincing character it’s important to incorporate a little of that fear. It doesn’t have to be a conscious over-the-top vampire-ish fear. I can come out as sassy or sarcastic, or conceited. But for me, a convincing younger character has to have at least a little apprehension about becoming an adult. Thinking like a dog reminds me to see the world from a different vantage point. I should have chosen a taller dog, now that I think about it.

This is all great advice. It's so hard to think in terms of young adults when most of the time we're thinking, "So glad that's not me!" Thanks again for stopping by, Jennifer!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-03-19T18:00:00.002-04:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Journey!

It's a great way to share what you read the past week, what you are currently reading, and what you plan to read next!

Sorry we're a little late to the party, but late is better than never, yes? Yes =)

Currently Reading:

The Mockingbirds: The Rivals by Daisy Whitney - Rachael

Just Finished: 

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney - Rachael

Up Next:

The Hunger Games (reread) by Suzanne Collins - Rachael

Pure by Julianna Baggott - Rachael

Megan and Rachael Almost Meet Ally Carter (and Rachel Hawkins)

2012-03-16T17:27:00.000-04:00

Megan and Rachael *almost* met Ally Carter. While not as cool as discovering a real-life Hale out in the world, it was a good time.

Here's our story.

Since we had Rachael's little one (L.J.) in tow, we sort of tag-teamed the Q&A. Megan took the first half and Rachael took the second and it worked out sort of perfectly. So to tell you about it, I (Megan) will talk about it and then Rachael will jump in and close us out. Also, most of the discussion (at least on my part) will center around Ally Carter. Not because Rachel Hawkins didn't seem lovely, but we haven't read her books. Also, one of us will be reviewing the new Gallagher Girl book soon.

We arrived at Bethesda library around 4:40 thinking we'd totally have plenty of time. As you can see from the picture, it was standing room only and the standing room that remained was in the doorway. The room was packed with excited teenagers, which we agreed was awesome. We were super excited that so many would come out to hear an author speak because things like that just didn't happen when we were growing up. Or if they did, certainly not in our small towns. Ally and Rachel decided not to read from their books, opting instead for a Q&A session before signing.

I think the thing that was so awesome was that although there were the typical questions about characters (Q: "Will Josh be back?" A: "I wish I'd killed him."), a lot of the questions centered around the writing process in general. So, as a writer, I found it super exciting that the readers were interested in that. Here are some of the most important things I learned.

For you Rachel Hawkins fans: This is the last Hex Hall book, but there will be a spin-off based on a character in the third book. She is also writing a new series which is about, in the simplest terms, a debutante assassin. Which sounds awesome and now I might be a Rachel Hawkins fan.

For Heist Society fans (like me!): Ally clued us in that whatever Kat steals in the book is reflected in her sunglasses on the cover. Maybe other people already knew that, but I had no idea. So someone asked what Kat was stealing in the third book and though she did not give specifics, Ally said that thing reflected in Kat's glasses....wait for it....will be HALE. Let the speculation begin!!! I'm pretty psyched. She also said that the book is currently titled something like, "The Saga of Brooding, Shirtless Hale." So yeah. I'll read that. Hale. *Swoon.*

There will be six Gallagher Girl books and, as of now, only three Heist Society.

And as for the best advice the ladies delivered about the writing process and about when you don't know where you're going you just sort of start adding stuff like car chases and more kissing, they admitted "Car chases and kisses only get you so far." Advice that I will be printing out and taping above my computer.

And then I left to go do puzzles with L.J. Take it away Rachael!

By the time I took my place at the back of the Q&A crowd it was completely out the door (hence the AWESOME photo I took of Ally and Rachel). The crowd was getting restless and parents were started to push their way inside to retrieve their children (Note to Self: if my child ever is interested enough in reading that they want to meet an actual author, let her do it...let her have the full experience and don't be the weirdo lurking in the background tapping the watch saying it's time to go.)

I'm pretty sure my favorite question was "Hale, Josh, or Nick?" To which Rachel Hawkins was the first to respond "HALE!" which got lots of giggles. (Also, obviously Megan and my choice as well.) Ally was nice and wouldn't choose...whatever, you know she meant Hale ;-)

An interesting tidbit that I'd sort of read online was that the girl on the cover of the Gallagher Girls books looks the same, but is actually a different model. The rest of the story: the original girl which they have tried to get for the other books, her mom isn't letting her model anymore until she gets her grades up. Ha! Loved this story a lot. (Lesson: You can't even be a photo-op Gallagher Girl without doing your homework!)

Both writers were asked whether or not they would ever write non-YA books and neither said it was a thing right now. Ally Carter's first two books (which one girl in the audience had and she spotted and said, "You and my mom were the only ones that read that...") were for adults and she doesn't see herself writing anymore. Rachel mentioned other genres she enjoyed, but the research aspect of say, historical fiction, was a big turn-off rather than just telling the stories that come to her imagination.

All in all the event was worth the drive, L.J. got to experience her first "building full of books" and we were inspired by the sheer number of teens that turned out. Way to go Ally and Rachel, write more books, inspire more readers and who knows, maybe a few future authors as well!

Review: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

2012-03-15T08:56:00.000-04:00

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

Meredith Zeitlin

Published March 1, 2012

G.P. Putnam's Sons

Review Copy e-book

Reviewed by Megan

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course.

Judy Blume. That was my first thought while reading this book. Meredith Zeitlin writes like Judy Blume. And it's totally awesome. This book so perfectly captures freshman year of high school and all of its awkwardness and hope and excitement and fear. Because what is high school if not every single emotion condensed into, basically, one day? Every morning you wake up and by the time you go to sleep you have probably gone through everything. High school, particularly that first year, is a turbulent time, and in this book we are right there feeling it all again (while being so glad we're past that point).

Kelsey is a great narrator. She's confident while not being cocky and she's hopeful while remaining realistic. Nothing at all goes according to her plans and by the end of the book she learns that maybe things work out even better than she could have planned. Kelsey and her friends are completely believable and relateable from the very beginning. Reading this book brought back so many memories, like stalking crushes and prank phone calls that dissolved into giggles and those first sips of unsupervised alcohol and the friends who would show up to Prom to rescue you from a disasterous evening. Not that I was invited to Prom as a freshman, but you know what I mean.

The mysterious photographer will make you swoon and you'll hate the evil junior and you'll laugh when everything in the school play goes awry. While I absolutely would not want to have to go through high school again, I would definitely read this book again and, if given the chance, go along on more adventures with Kelsey and her friends.

Review: Fair Coin by E.C. Myers

2012-03-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Fair Coin
E.C. Myers

Pyr

Published March 27, 2012

Review Copy

Reviewed by Megan

Sixteen-year-old Ephraim Scott is horrified when he comes home from school and finds his mother unconscious at the kitchen table, clutching a bottle of pills. The reason for her suicide attempt is even more disturbing: she thought she’d identified Ephraim’s body at the hospital that day.

Among his dead double’s belongings, Ephraim finds a strange coin—a coin that grants wishes when he flips it. With a flick of his thumb, he can turn his alcoholic mother into a model parent and catch the eye of the girl he’s liked since second grade. But the coin doesn’t always change things for the better. And a bad flip can destroy other people’s lives as easily as it rebuilds his own.

The coin could give Ephraim everything he’s ever wanted—if he learns to control its power before his luck runs out.

I feel like everything I can possibly say about this book would be a spoiler. So...um...read it? Is that enough? No?

Each time Ephraim flips the coin his wish comes true, but always at a cost. With every good thing he asks for he loses something, whether it be his best friend or the girl of his dreams. Eventually he is caught up in a web of wishes, a chain of events that are just similar enough to the life before that Ephraim doesn't fully comprehend what he is experiencing.

Confused? The book is not nearly as confusing as I am making it out to be. This book is smart and funny and had me on the edge of my seat wanting to find out what would be different after each wish. Things start to become a little clearer when Jena, the girl of Ephraim's dreams, explains to him the idea of parallel universes. With each flip of the coin he is creating countless other universes where different outcomes occur. While he may fall in love in this universe, in another universe he may not. In another universe he is dead and in another universe he did not find his mother in time to save her. All of time is occurring at once and all of the outcomes are possible. You read this and think, "That is totally what it's going to be!"

Only you'll be sort of right. Myers has written a brilliant book that will challenge and entertain you. If you like science fiction and shows such as Doctor Who (which you totally SHOULD), you will love, love, love this book.

Review: Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer

2012-03-12T09:13:00.000-04:00

Girl Unmoored

Jennifer Gooch Hummer
Published March 6, 2012

Fiction Std

Review Copy

Reviewed by Megan

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store and Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

Confession: 98% of the time when I pick up a book I have no idea what it's about. I either like the cover, the title, or it's been recommended to me by someone I trust. Other times I have just skimmed the blurb on the back and saw a word or two that I thought sounded good. When I read reviews I always skip the blurb. I guess I just liked being surprised. So when I volunteered to review Girl Unmoored it was because, (1) I liked the title, and (2) Jesus Christ, Superstar. Which happens to be one of my favorite musicals. So it's a bit of an understatement when I say that I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster this book would take me on. Also, I had no idea it was set in 1985. So. I was extremely clueless, as usual.

We begin with Apron (the story of her name is adorable and clever, btw) attending a production of Jesus Christ, Superstar and we can already see the tension between her and her best friend, Rennie. Let me start by saying that though the girls are in the spring semester of their seventh grade year, this book deals with some tough stuff. A lot of it has to do with the time period and may not seem so tough to us now, but for Apron experiencing it in 1985 it's a pretty huge deal.

It's definitely a coming-of-age story about a girl discovering the ups and downs of friendship, family changes, and life changes. Her stepmother is terrible and pregnant with what Apron refers to as "the little whatever" and Apron's father is oblivious to the hate exchanged between Apron and her stepmother. Like any 13-year-old girl, this and losing her best friend are enough to make her feel like her life is falling apart.

But then she meets Mike and Chad while they are delivering flowers for a wedding. Mike played Jesus in the musical and Chad was the choreographer and together they own a flower business called Scent Appeal. Mike and Chad are a gay couple in a time when tolerance was both unexpected and, to most people, undeserved. To make matters even worse, Chad has been diagnosed with AIDS, which makes the people of the small town even more afraid of what they don't understand. Apron's friendship with the guys is exactly what each needs at this time in their lives. It's a beautiful story of what love really means and learning to understand what you previously do not understand. Jennifer Gooch Hummer does a great job of understanding both sides of the situation. This story does not tell what is right or wrong, but lets you make that decision on your own. It is, quite simply, about the importance of love and friendship when everything is terrible.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

2012-03-05T07:00:00.010-05:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Journey!

It's a great way to share what you read the past week, what you are currently reading, and what you plan to read next!

Currently Reading:

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne - Michelle

(audio) Torn by Amanda Hocking - Michelle

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney - Rachael
The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman - Megan

Just Finished:

(audio) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Michelle

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker - Rachael
Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin - Megan
Fair Coin by E.C. Myers - Megan
Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer - Megan

Up Next:

A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Michelle

The Mockingbirds: The Rivals by Daisy Whitney - Rachael
I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to be your Class President by Josh Lieb - Megan

Hooked to Books

Review: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls #2)

The Ash-Born Boy Short Story Available

Giveaway: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Review: The Other Life by Susan Winnacker

Review: UnCONventional

Blog Tour: Sweet Evil

ARC review: Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore

Teenage Garage Sale with Susanne Winnacker Author of The Other Life

Review - PACK OF LIES by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber

Blog Tour with Lisa Burstein

ARC review + giveaway: THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

This or That with Phoebe Kitandis Author of Glimmer

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Review: The Rivals (The Mockingbirds #2)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Review: The Mockingbirds (The Mockingbirds #1)

Review: Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter

Guest Post - Jennifer Gooch Hummer

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Megan and Rachael *Almost* Meet Ally Carter (and Rachel Hawkins)

Review: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Review: Fair Coin by E.C. Myers

Review: Girl Unmoored by Jennifer Gooch Hummer

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Megan and Rachael Almost Meet Ally Carter (and Rachel Hawkins)