ARC Review: Don't Turn Around - Michelle Gagnon

Release Date: August 28th 2012
Hardcover: 310 Pages
Publisher: HarperCollins

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.

 
A fast-paced enthralling novel that you will keep you hooked till its very last page. It has been awhile since I've read such an exciting novel that I couldn't even sleep before finishing the whole thing! Gagnon totally succeeded in captivating me with a story full of twists and turns filled with mystery.

The Plot: What surprised me most about Don't Turn Around was the lack of romance (don't worry, there is enough of platonic love) and yet it had the capacity of completely grabbing my attention and not letting it go one second. Gagnon's writing is a match made in heaven for a novel like this one and I would be certainly reading anything this author throws my way. Furthermore the suspense and action is just plain exciting!

The Characters: All characters fit perfectly the genre of this book. Noa was an independent, strong main character who often remembered me of Lisbeth from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Peter was the typical rebel. He is rich but doesn't have a good relationship with his parents since his brother died and he wants to make a different to the world with his hacker group. I loved the difference between them and the combination of their characters. The side characters complemented the story well and I found myself even liking them!

Don't Turn Around is a novel for those of you who are in search of an exciting novel with many action-filled scenes and suspense. If you are into such movies as The Bourne Identity or action movies and books in general, you shouldn't miss this one which is coming out tomorrow! Now is a great time to pre-order it, you won't have to wait so long for it to come out.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy for review! 

Michelle Gagnon is a former modern dancer, dog walker, bartender, freelance journalist, personal trainer, model, and Russian supper club performer. To the delight of her parents, she gave up all these occupations for an infinitely more stable and lucrative career as a crime fiction writer. Website / Twitter

ARC Review: Defiance - C.J. Redwine

Release Date: August 28th 2012
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Admittedly, the first thing that got my attention in Defiance was the main character's name, Rachel! But after reading the synopsis on Goodreads and reading many amazing reviews, I just knew that I had to get my hands on it. And boy, it sure was worth getting excited over it. Redwine's writing will have you reading Defiance in one sitting.

The Plot: Defiance starts rather quickly and not once did things slow down. If you enjoy many action and suspense scenes, you should certainly check this one out. Furthermore the post-apocalyptic and dystopian aspects of the story didn't feel repetitive to me, which could certainly happen as so many of my reads fall in this genre. However, certain aspects of the story were too superficially explained like the Cursed Ones' existence. But since Defiance is set to be a trilogy, hopefully everything will be explained. Overall, Defiance has an action-packed and enthralling plot.

The Characters: I'm not going to lie, I was going to love the main character either way, I mean, she is called Rachel! But I really loved the character's determination and resilience, though with time she became a bit too stubborn for me. Logan was an interesting character, but what got my attention the most, was that he is the complete opposite of Rachel. While she is more spontaneous, he likes to calculate everything and be certain of the outcome. The dual perspective was a great idea but after the romance starts to bloom, I felt like both their voices became too alike and lacked distinction.

Redwine's Defiance was an amazing summer read. Full of action, suspense and a sweet romance, this one will please almost everyone. Strong characters, awesome plot, what else do you need?

A big thanks to Balzer + Bray for providing me with a copy of Defiance for review.

C.J. Redwine loves stilettos, lemon bars, any movie starring Johnny Depp, and books. C.J. holds a degree in English Literature from Pepperdine University and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, four kids, two spastic cats, and one long-suffering dog. Website / Twitter

(ARC) Review: Spark - Brigid Kemmerer

Release Date: August 28th 2012
Paperback: 432 Pages
Publisher: K-Teen

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.
Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.
Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.
More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.
Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.
The fuse is lit…

I have no words, literally. Spark blew me away and I really don't think any other novel from the Elemental series will be as good as this one. Gabriel was already my favorite character in the prequel, Storm, so you can imagine my eagerness to get my hands on this one when I found out that the sequel would revolve around him. Spark didn't disappoint me at all and it was totally worth getting excited for!

The Plot: Kemmerer's writing is just amazing and if you read Storm, you know she can write every kind of scene perfectly. The romance scenes are as good as the action scenes and so on. Spark is the perfect mix of romance, action, tension and well, everything. Nevertheless I have to say that Spark wasn't in any way similar to Storm. Gabriel and Chris are completely different, therefore their stories too, which for me is a positive thing. Spark gave me the impression of being more serious and sad and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Characters: Gabriel is an interesting character; fire being his element, Gabriel is explosive and unlike his brothers, cannot use his element frequently. He struggles a lot and has to learn how to handle things alone. I think the tension between the brothers was a good twist and I loved how it all played out. Gabriel certainly grows up in Spark and we get to see another side of his character, a more sensitive one. So after reading Spark, I love Gabriel even more! Layne was a nice match for Gabriel because she is his complete opposite. The romance scenes were sweet but not the best in the book.

Spark totally made my list of favorite reads in 2012 and I most certainly will be rereading it soon. Gabriel was such an amazing and different character and I would love to read more about his twin, Nick, because I don't think he is as perfect as Gabriel thinks he is. I'm sure everybody will enjoy Spark: fans of paranormal, romance, contemporary, you name it. If you haven't read Storm yet, I can't emphasize this enough: read it now!

 Thanks to K-Teen for providing me with a copy of this wonderful book for review!

Brigid Kemmerer finds the time to write somewhere between caring for her family and working at her day job, but sometimes she ends up mothering her coworkers and managing her family. Storm: The Elemental Series is her first novel. Website