Waiting on Wednesday #5

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by breakingthespine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's most anticipated book is:
Until I Die
Author: Amy Plum
Release Date: May 8
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

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.


After rereading Die For Me this week, I'm even more eager for the release of Until I Die! May can't come soon enough..

The Way We Fall - Megan Crewe

Release Date: January 24
Number of pages: 309
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

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

And then you're dead.

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

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

I am not going to say that I didn't enjoy reading The Way We Fall, but it surely isn't one of my favorites this year. Megan Crewe did create an amazingly realistic world, where a virus risk the lives of everyone on an island. I don't know if the reason of my dislike is because of the theme. A virus, which slowly kills everyone, it's kind of morbid for a book. But I'm not saying that this book was not an enjoyable read!

Kaelyn was a great character. Crewe wrote a really realistic main character. Probably because the book is written from her point of view in the form of letter to her best friend (which kind of feels like a diary). We get to experience her feelings first-handly and because she is the daughter of the island's only microbiologist we also get to know a lot about the disease and the victims of it.

Another plus point for this book is its realism. After the virus' wide spread everyone reacts differently to it. Some people go crazy, some people shies away from the hospital, some people (like Quinn, a school acquaintance) go to the bad side. They rob other people and act really selfish, even aggressive at times. Gav, Kaelyn's love interest in the book, is one of the good guys. He and his friends help other people, distributing food to each house in the city. But I totally loved the romance in this book. Gav and Kaelyn make a great couple and I loved their scenes together, even though some of them were sad. It was also realistic-written and wasn't that type of romance that is just over the top!

I disliked the beginning because I felt like I received too little information about everything. Kaelyn kept mentioning Toronto and that she came back to the island but I never knew when did this happened. Kaelyn was also a strange person. She was always alone and after fighting with her best friend, Leo, she was a completely outsider. She was also difficult to identify and to "connect" with.
And of course in a book with a deadly virus, a lot of people will die! I realized that before I started reading, but afterwards it was kind of sad the whole time. But it's completely understandable that some characters just have to die.

To summarize I enjoyed reading The Way We Fall but I just expected some more. But I understand that in a book like this one, you just can't expect good things all the time or that it will have a happy ending. But I will without a doubt read the next book coming out next year. Crewe left a big cliffhanger in the end of this one and I can't wait to read what will happen next! Overall this book was a good read, not one of the best but I guess not all books can be great. If you won't have a problem with people dying and some really sad and stressing scenes, then this is the book for you!

A Million Suns - Beth Revis

Release Date: January 10
Number of Pages: 386
Publisher: Razorbill

Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.

I still don't know what to write in my review of A Million Suns. I took two days after finishing it to organize my thoughts but I still have no idea what to write! This book was really really enthralling.  Even if I wanted to I couldn't put it down, the result was that I finished it in one day.

The thing is that Across the Universe wasn't even one of my favorite reads last year and while I still like it a lot I didn't think I would like A Million Suns this much. I don't know how Beth Revis does it but she does it alright: this book was amazing!


Elder is still dealing with so many problems on Godspeed, people are off Phydus and starting to rebel. And to make things worse, people are getting killed with the words Follow The Leader on them. More mysteries just keep on coming, but unlike many other books Beth Revis does answer a lot of our question, not only from Across the  Universe but also question raised in this book. 


Furthermore Orion left some clues for Amy to find out more about the situation of Godspeed (what is truly wrong with it). And OhMyGospeed was the expression I had to use! I really didn't see that coming. I can't wait to read what will happen in the next and final book, Shades of Earth. If you like a big cliffhanger, then this is the book for you!


The relationship between Amy and Elder grows a lot in this book. But I'm sure many of you will be wanting more of it, because it surely isn't the main concern in A Million Suns. Elder is completely in love with Amy (still!) but Amy can't really decide what to do. She likes him but thinks her decision has be taken away from her (he is the only teenager on the ship!). But we do get some romantic scenes, so sweet! 
Both Elder and Amy grow a lot in this book by comparison with the first one. Elder begins to be more of a leader for Godspeed and by the end of the book I think he has made the right choices for the good of the ship.


A Million Suns beat all my expectation. I really wasn't expecting such an amazing book, when I didn't loooove Across The Universe in the first place. Beth Revis wrote an amazing, fast-paced book which you really can't put down. Do yourselves a favor and read it!

Waiting on Wednesday #4

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by breakingthespine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week's most anticipated book is:
Chosen Ones
Author: Tiffany Truitt

Release Date: April 10
Publisher:  Entangled Publishing

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.

But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Can't wait for this one! I'm a dystopian fan through and through :))

Shatter Me #2 - Title Reveal and Some Disappointing/Exciting News?

I'll just let Tahereh Mafi share the news herself :)
Here is the link to her blog entry:
http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/2012/02/book-2-title-reveal-plus-other-exciting.html



What do you guys think about the title for Shatter Me #2?

Forbidden - Syrie James & Ryan M. James

Release Date: January 24
Number of Pages: 411
Goodreads


She should not exist.
He should not love her.
Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she's desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there's no way she's going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she's been having or the creepy warnings that she's in danger.
Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn't factored Claire into his plans. . . .
Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire's unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?


Forbidden was a really enjoyable read. I love books which involve angels and forbidden love. But Forbidden by Syrie James and her son Ryan James is nothing like the others angelic books I've read so far. It sure gave some freshness to this ever-growing genre.

The book already starts off with some mystery revolving around Claire (she starts having visions of the future/past) and we already have a glimpse of her mother, who seems to be really really overprotective. The obvious love interest, Alec Mckenzie, also makes an appearance in the first chapter. But Claire and Alec aren't love birds from the start, since Claire is in love with someone else: Neil, who doesn't even know Claire that well.

From the very first chapter I loved Claire's best friends, Erica and Brian. They were funny, nice and gave the book a nice touch of normal. They help Claire find out more about her powers and also with love problems. I can't wait to read more about them if the sequel comes to fruition. Even I want some friends like them in real life :)

Alec was a great love interest: he is a real sweetheart but can be a bad boy if the situation calls for it. He has a crush on Claire from the start but knows that she doesn't like him back (or does she?!). He is kind of a tortured soul, because he didn't like his past job but was obliged to do it. So he escapes and hides himself in Southern California's Emerson Academy. But of course hiding is not forever and he is discovered, will he have to deal with the consequences of giving up his line of work and what are the consequences? Does he know that having a relationship with Claire is forbidden, or will they even care?

Claire wasn't the type of heroine I like. I don't know what about her that didn't make me like her that much, but she was annoying sometimes. When Alec saves her and her friends she can't stop asking him questions and even treat him a bit differently, but I ask myself if I would be any different. But hello?! The guy just saved your life if he wants to keep it a secret, there must be a good reason behind it..but besides that she was a nice character.

The thing I enjoyed most about Forbidden, is also a thing that I disliked about it. I loved how the authors leave us guessing in the beginning about Claire's and Alec's powers. We don't know what they are till further in the book and that makes Forbidden an awesome read. But at the same time when you pick this book up, the first thing you see are the wings on the girl's back! And the summary even mentions "angelic forefathers"..so actually you start reading with the idea of angels in your head. I think that is a shame, because even though you don't know for certain what they are, the book would be even more enjoyable if I had absolutely no idea about angels. But no, I won't tell you what they are, you will have to read it for yourselves!

The plot was amazingly different from what I expected. There were several plot twists I wasn't expecting and that I really enjoyed. It is really nice to be surprised in YA books, since many books have a lot of similarities. The love triangle wasn't something annoying, either, which surely is another surprise! I can't criticize anything about the plot.

I enjoyed reading Forbidden very much. Syrie and Ryan James want to write a trilogy for Forbidden but it seems that HarperTeen only committed to one book. Hopefully this book will receive some well-deserved attention because I can't wait to read more about these characters! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys young adult books with a touch of paranormal.

Article 5 - Kristen Simmons

Release Date: January 31
Number of Pages: 384

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

WOW! I must be on really lucky streak because all the books I've read so far, have been great! This book is no exception. In a not so impossible future, a third world war has destroyed everything. The United States is not what it had been and the president issued the Moral Statues, which are awful and unfair. And ends up being caught by the unfairness of it all. But can she escape? And if so, can she remain hidden?

I loved this book from the very start. The action didn't take long to kick in and soon I was too caught up to put it down (I read the whole book in one sitting!). Ember tries to live by the rules while her mother is the impulsive one. So it may come as a surprise when right at the beginnning the Federal Bureau of Reformation comes to separate her from her mother. Oh and Chase Jennings doesn't do anything against them, he is one of them now. Seems like you can't expect anything from the only boy you ever loved, or can you?

I asked myself the whole time, what is up with Chase Jennings? I loved the mystery around him. There were times I thought he was really a pain and other in which I just could grab him for myself. The question revolving around Chase were one of many good things about this book. I loved that Chase and Ember already knew each other before the book even started and that we had to ask ourselves what could have happened between them. Kristen Simmons also had the great idea of having this small flashbacks, in which we could have some glimpses about their relationship before everything went crashing down.

Ember was a great protagonist. In the beginning she is a fragile girl with two best friends and a rather rebellious mother. But after being separated from her mother and having to endure really hard situations you can experience the character's growth. She is much stronger by the end of the book and I can't wait to see what Kristen will do to this amazing character in the sequel.
Chase was also really well-written. Realistic is the word I'd use. (I guess the entire book is really realistic, if the world were to be like that, many people would probably react a lot like the characters in Article 5.) Chase went through a lot during the war and after it aswell, so it is understandable that he is rather tough and isn't completely healed psychologically. We see a lot of different sides to him and he just won't let anyone (or almost anyone!) break through his hard shell. But inside he is completely sweet and swoon-material!

Rebecca and Sean, some of the characters Ember get to know after being caught by the FBR, were really interesting and I can't wait to get to know them better in the next book. But Beth and Ryan, Ember's best friends, just disappeared! They were there in the opening scenes but then they were totally irrelevant. I guess I expected to hear more from them. And hopefully we will get to know more about the Moral Statues and the president in the sequel.

Kristen Simmons' writting was impressive. Article 5 is her debut novel, so I wasn't expecting anything near this good. She sets the pace perfectly and for me this story couldn't have been better written. And I loved the flashbacks to let us know more about Chase's and Ember's relationship. Each character had a new side to them and were really well-written. The happy and sad moments in the book were almost palpable and had a great contrast to one another. The flashbacks and the present time had a great transition so you really couldn't be confused about what you were reading.

This book beat my expectations. I can't wait to see what Kristen has in store for these brilliant characters and for the amazing story! Any dystopian junkie out there, this is the book for you!

If you enjoyed my review and want to read this book too, click on the amazon link below:

Waiting on Wednesday #3

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by breakingthespine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


This week's most anticipated book is:

Darkness Before Dawn
Author:  J.A. London
Release Date: May 29th
Publisher: HarperTeen



This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters....

Paranormal and dystopia? Count me in!

Incarnate - Jodi Meadows

Release Date: January 31st
Number of Pages: 384

 

New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 

Let's start admiring the cover: I fell in love with it the first time I saw it; it's so beeeautiful! And the butterfly touch is great, it has everything to do with the book. But if the cover didn't get your attention, then the story certainly will.

There are not enough words in my vocabulary to describe how good this book is, but the one I would choose to best describe Incarnate is: STUNNING! I loved this book from beginning to end, I don't know why I didn't read it sooner. But when I did start reading it, I couldn't put it down! I don't think my teachers were that happy with me at school (sorry!) but it was worth it.

I never gave much thought to incarnation, but now I enjoy reading about it. How would you feel if you were the only one who wasn't reborn? And better yet if you took the place of a person who was supposed to be reborn and people were angry with you because they knew that person for 5000 years?! Well, Ana's life is no picnic. Besides struggling with all these things, she had to endure mother's lack of love for 18 years. Actually lack of love is saying it nicely, she hated Ana and mistreated her every chance she got.

But finally Ana's 18th birthday arrives and she can go to Heart and try to find out more about her birth and the reasons behind it. On the way to the city she meets Sam. Hottie-and-swoon-worthy Sam. Not that the hit off from the start. Ana is a bit suspicious of everything but Sam is nothing but patient and nice to her. I loved the way he was with her, even when he was still hesitating about their relationship. But I mean an easy romance is not a good romance! And even the conflict about Sam's and Ana's age (he has been around for 5000 years!) put a new edge on the romance. And I loved Stef, Sam's friend. She/He was funny and I wanted to see more of her/him in the book but maybe next time..

Ana was a great heroine, probably one of my favorites (and I don't have many!). She was impulsive but knew how to behave, brave and nice. I also liked that even being in a really bad situation, she wasn't a depressed character the whole time and made the most out of everything anyway. Let her kick her clothes to let off some steam! She also had a bit of a bad temper and was cynical, much like me! So I identified myself a lot with her. Jodi writes wonderfully, she really has a way to describe how Ana's feeling so you can imagine yourself in the situation perfectly.

And the end was amazing! The next book can't come out soon enough..this year will be a very very long year. But at least we have other amazing books coming out till then to occupy us :). I would recommend this book to anyone who loved Under The Never Sky ( I don't know why this book specifically but Incarnate reminded a bit of it) but mostly anyone who enjoys young adult books, will enjoy it.

Follower Love Giveaway Hop!

Hello everyone! February finally arrived and it's time for my first giveaway! I'm participating in the Love Follower Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and co-hosted by  Rachael Renee Anderson, so be sure to check their blogs, too.

This giveaway hop will run from February 7th to 14th and there are almost 300 blogs hosting their own giveaway, so you will have lots of chances to win something!

So what is up for giveaway on my blog?

You can win an e-book from amazon (so be sure to have the kindle app, I guess). But there is a catch. Since it is February, you will have to choose a book which will be or was released in February too. There are so many amazing books being released this month so there are many book to choose from (you can also pick a book which hasn't been released yet! I'll just pre-order it for you). If you need some help choosing a book you can go to this page on my blog to get some ideas: http://bookstoconsider.blogspot.com/p/2012-must-reads.html .

a Rafflecopter giveaway





Do you want to participate in another awesome giveaway? Then go to any of these participating blogs:

The Hunger Games - New Trailer!

I can't wait for this movie to come out! I don't know if it will live up to our expectations, but it does look really good!

Cover Reveal: Lucid by P.T. Michelle

Isn't this cover gorgeous?!It's the sequel to P.T. Michelle's Brightest Kind of Darkness. If you have yet to read the first one, I would read it soon because: it's an amazing book (I can't imagine how good the second one will be!) and Lucid is coming out sometime this Spring! So you still have some time to catch up with your reading :)

I can't wait to read this book, which will only mean more dreams about Ethan...

Just click here to go to my review of Brightest Kind of Darkness!

Waiting on Wednesday #2

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by breakingthespine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's most anticipated book is:

The sequel to Moira Young's Blood Red Road: Rebel Heart
Release Date: October 30th 2012
For those of you who haven't read Blood Red Road, here is the summary:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization. 

And now the summary to its sequel Rebel Heart:

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well.
But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack.


(ps.: how awesome are these new covers? I'm in love with them!)