The Iron Queen Giveaway!

Greetings, lovely readers! Today, thanks to the fabulous C. at Big Honcho Media, I have a copy of The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa AND a The Iron Queen t-shirt to give away. Exciting times!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I absolutely adore the Iron Fey series (evidence: my review of book one and book two, and an interview I did with the author way back when) which is why I am so happy to give away a copy of the third book in the series.

Here's a bit about the book (note: even though the third in the series, I think the summary is not very spoiler-y to read if you haven't read The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. However, you should totally read the books before you read The Iron Queen because they are AWESOME):

The winds of war gather in acclaimed author Julie Kagawa's newest novel.

Meghan Chase thought they’d left Faery behind forever, but pressing matters cause the three exiles to be summoned to war.

A new alliance is made, along with a few contracts, of course, and Meghan, half Summer faery princess, half human, is pressed to choose Fey over her mortal beginnings. Will she abandon her human heart for an iron will that will help her survive? For as Meghan Chase can confirm—in real life, unlike books, faery tales don’t necessarily have happy endings.

"I thought it was over...The impossible choices, the sacrifices of those I loved. But a storm is approaching and they will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Back into a conflict so powerful...I'm not sure anyone can survive it." - Meghan Chase in The Iron Queen

You may also watch the trailer, which features very sparkly letters:




Other places you can find Iron Fey related goodness are the facebook page and the blog tour, which is currently going on.

And here is the t-shirt that one person will win, along with the book:

Fill out the form to enter!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. Descriptions and such from goodreads!

Got a few things for review this week, whoo.

Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowksi

A new life is just a phone call away!

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left.

Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago!

Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self?

Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything?

Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise .

---This sounds super cute and fun. I haven't heard much about it either, so I look forward to seeing how I like it.

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune. A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister.

---WHOO HISTORICAL!

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.

That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

---I adored Coffehouse Angel by the same author so I am super excited to read this one.

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin

Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

---I finished this one last night and it wasn't terrible, wasn't amazing. My review will be up...soon. Ish.

Break-Up

I need to tell you something.

I've dumped Paranormal YA.

I'd been thinking about it for a while, and the more I thought about, the more I knew that I needed to end our relationship.

We started off fine. Back in 2008, he was still new, and I heard good things about him, but we had never met, so I didn't think of much of him. However, the more praise I heard, the more curious I became. I began to see him everywhere. Everyone seemed to love him. Finally, I couldn't resist any longer. I had to see what all the hype was about.

We went out.

And it was great. We had an amazing time. He was unique, passionate, loving, caring, beautiful. He listened to me. He knew exactly what I was going through. It's like we had known each for years, even though we only went out once.

Needless to say, I fell for him. I fell hard and fast. I became obsessed. We saw each other all the time-- on weekends, after school, and sometimes, I skipped sleep and saw him early in the morning. Every meeting was better and better.

We were in love.

But eventually, everything started changing. I was used to hearing everyone talk about how great he was, but it's like their praise increased tenfold. Everyone was truly obsessed. I admit, I was jealous. I felt like we had something special, but as more people started fawning over him, I realized that maybe we didn't.

Suddenly, I kept noticing things I had never noticed before. Like, that sometimes, he could be so overdramatic. He always tried to make me feel sorry for him. He used the most flowery language, trying to get me to do what he wanted, trying to make me keep seeing him.

But I thought, no, our relationship was fine. Maybe it was just me. I was just jealous of all the other girls who wouldn't stop talking about him.

We kept going out, but our relationship was never really the same. Our dates were getting worse. He would come up with these amazing plans, these amazing ideas, but they never worked out. He would cancel at the last minute, change our plans unexpectedly, and there were even times when he was being so controlling, so demanding, so melodramatic, that we didn't have any fun at all.

It wasn't bad all the time, though. Sometimes, he acted like the great person I know he is deep down, the person I know he can still be. He kept his plans. They were better than I expected. It was great. But those dates were few and never sequential. He would always end up going back to his arrogant self.

Finally, I realized that this wasn't the boy I fell in love with. I couldn't keep doing this any more. I couldn't keep getting my heart broken. I could no longer deal with being disappointed. I tried to make it work. I kept going out with him, hoping it would get better, but it was just not working.

We haven't been seeing each other for a while, but today, I'm telling you. So you can make sure I don't go back.

I'll carry out the plans we've already made. I'll finish the series I've started. I'm sure that we'll even hang out unplanned occasionally. Sometimes, I just can't resist his cute smile and elaborate, creative plans.

I don't think he'll miss me, though. He's got plenty of people dying to go out with him.

And I admit, I don't think I've been all that fair to him either. Sometimes, I could be overly critical. Sometimes, I canceled our plans, because I just couldn't face the idea of disappointment.

I think the split will be good for us. We might go out again regularly one day, but for now, I've got a new boyfriend.

His name is Contemporary YA. We've hung out in the past, but I never committed because I was still hoping Paranormal would get his act together. This new genre is cute and funny, but still has a deep, dark, raw side. We're still in the new phase of our relationship, but I think we'll last a long, long time.

(This post is a new level of insane, even by my standards.)

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

[description from goodreads]

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone--one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship--tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review:

I think spaceships, aliens, robots, and the like are severely lacking in YA fiction today, so I was unbelievably excited to read Across the Universe, even though it only features one of the three aforementioned sci-fi elements. And for now, I think my spaceship desire is satisfied, because this book rocks.

Before I began reading, I wasn't aware that this book was told from the point of view of Amy, the frozen girl, as well as Elder, the boy who will one day take over the ship. However, I am glad it was told from two perspectives, because each of them explores wildly different feelings and events around the ship, but things that are all worthwhile and interesting. Their differing views on certain events was especially nice in the beginning, which occasionally dragged and contained excitement and intrigue only in the themes it brought up, not in actual action. I did like the themes the book brought up, though, because I did not expect them at all and because they were discussed in a subtle, intelligent way. Among the big topics that arise once Amy is unfrozen are xenophobia, omnipotence, and medical ethics. Each of these, and many more, fit perfectly in to this ship, and I liked seeing how each of the characters dealt with them. A few of the issues nearly disappeared at the end, but were replaced with so many twists and action that I didn't really notice they left. The twists occur quickly, occasionally too quickly, but they were each so exciting and shocking that I could not stop reading.

I was also better able to understand the characters through the dual narrative, particularly Amy and Elder. I appreciated that I was able to read their thoughts before they met, because Amy is not immediately unfrozen. Getting to know them before they begin to interact and rebel was nice, as I could understand their values and normal personality before they were thrown in to a more intense and fluctuating environment. It was also fun to see them become allies and friends from both of their point of views, because they each noticed things about each other that made them unique and different than each of themselves thought. I still don't buy them as love interests because they still have a lot to learn about each other, but part of me thinks that maybe they weren't exactly supposed to be love interests, despite what the summary is trying to make me believe. Similarly, I didn't always buy Eldest and the other characters in whatever role they were filling. Often, they were so dramatic and exaggerated that it was hard to figure out if they had more than one personality trait. It was the little glimpses into their personal lives that made them seem human at least at one point in the novel.

Across the Universe is an exciting, well-developed sci-fi read that manages to discuss big themes even though it takes place in one small ship. Well, small compared to Earth. And small in terms of how little room there is for each of the characters to hide.

Book details: Razorbill/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

[description from goodreads]

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Review:

I read this book near the end of 2010 in a last attempt to find a paranormal novel that I actually enjoyed.* And even though the paranormal aspect of this book did not come into play for a while, I can say that this is a book I definitely enjoyed.

I was immediately interested in Nevermore because Edgar Allan Poe is one of the few writers I've read for school who I do not hate with every fiber of my being. I enjoyed the incorporation of his works into the novel not only because I like them, but also because it gave the story a bit of originality. This book is delightfully free of cliche paranormal creatures and creepy love interests, because of the inspiration drawn from Poe and adherence to that inspiration.** The inclusion of his work also made the book a more intriguing read, especially in the long, slow beginning. As Varen and Isobel delved further into their report on Poe, more spooky elements began to arise, making the long beginning worth it because eventually everything tied together to make an epic, action-packed end.

However, I also felt as the paranormal aspect of this book could have been better developed once it finally manifested itself fully. The book is over 500 pages long and it takes a few hundred pages for the creepiest paranormal creatures to arrive. And even when they do, I was confused as to what they were, exactly, and, in some cases, how they even got there in the first place. There is definite potential for them to develop in the next installments, though.

Luckily, the development of the characters in this book was better than the development of the paranormal. Isobel first appears to be a stereotypical mean cheerleader, but she becomes far more tolerable once she begins hanging out with Varen and strays away from her creepy boyfriend. I enjoyed seeing her go from her cheerleader attitude to taking an active role in the story by doing some heavy research and trying to figure out what was going on. However, when she wasn't with Varen, she kind of paled in comparison to the scary and mysterious things going on around her. I often forgot that she was the main focus because she wasn't very...loud. Still, even without a large, noticeable defining characteristic, she was at least three-dimensional and grew throughout the novel. However, Varen is totally the star of this book. I'm so used to reading about creepy, borderline abusive boys in YA, but Varen is far from that. He's mysterious but also manages to have a personality, especially as the book progresses. Love.

Nevermore probably could have benefited from a slightly shorter beginning and more development with the paranormal world. Despite its faults, I found this book to be original, spooky, and a true delight to read. Now I just need the second in the series because THAT ENDING.

*I did read a few paranormal books I enjoyed last year but near the end of the year I read a few that I did not like at ALL, so I was going through my TBR pile, hoping to find a paranormal gem.
**I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Poe for never writing about werewolves or vampires. (At least, to my knowledge he never did.)

Book details: Athneum/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

"You are waiting on" Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

Today, instead of telling you something I'm waiting for, I'm telling you about a book you might me waiting for and what I think of it-- a pre-review, I suppose.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

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.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

---

Blood Red Road will be out on June 7, but it already has some buzz going for it because it sold not too long ago and many bloggers were sent copies over the holidays. I read mine over Christmas break just because I COULD and to see if it was worth the publisher's excitement, and I think it is!

It's definitely a bizarre book, in terms of genre. To me, it's like part post-apocalyptic tale, part high fantasy, part western, with elements that remind me of pirates and gladiators. None of those things don't seem like they go together, but they work wonderfully in this book. It probably didn't hurt that there was plenty of actions and twists, because every time I started trying to place this book in a category, I was distracted by some of Saba's butt-kicking.

I'm really excited for this book to come out just because I'm interested in seeing how it does and what everyone else thinks. I cannot find any reviews for it yet and it's driving me nuts. I would like to DISCUSS IT. Which is basically why I chose to write this post today. x)

Sybil Nelson on the Books We Forget

Sybil Nelson is the author of the totally adorable Priscilla the Great. You may read my review of it here, or, if you would just rather know what it is about, here's the description straight from goodreads:

Meet Priscilla Sumner, an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts. As if middle school isn’t hard enough, not only does Priscilla have to fight pimples and bullies, but genetically enhanced assassins trying to kill her and her family. Armed with wit, strength, and a genius best friend, Priscilla must defeat the Selliwood Institute, an organization dead set on turning children into killing machines.

Add an older brother annoyingly obsessed with Christina Aguilera, mischievous baby twin brothers who could scare the sin off of Satan, and parents more puzzling than a Rubik’s cube in the Bermuda triangle and expect a smoking page-turner

And, without further ado, here is Sybil talking about the books we forget:

Books We Forget

I’ve been doing many interviews lately for my blog tour publicizing my Middle Grade novel Priscilla the Great. One common question I get is “What was your favorite book as a child?” or “What book influenced you the most?” Those are tough questions for me. I read so much as a child that it’s hard for me to pinpoint one book that had the most influence. Not only that, but there are several books that were very important to me at one time or another that I have just forgotten about. One book in particular was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I forgot about it until yesterday when I heard someone mention it on the radio. Hearing that title again almost brought tears to my eyes for two reasons.

1. Absolutely adored that book as a child. I remember thinking it was the best thing ever written. I wanted to be Meg and I often imagined myself in that book. Just thinking about the book brought back all the warm, fuzzy moments from childhood. And since it was a Science Fantasy book featuring a young girl, it no doubt influenced me to write Priscilla the Great which is a Science Fiction book featuring a strong young female main character.

1. 2. I wanted to cry because until that moment, I had completely forgotten about it. I didn’t even mention it in my other interviews when asked about my favorite books. How do I forget a book as wonderful as A Wrinkle in Time? Especially since I taught for six years at the high school Madeleine L’Engle attended as a child (Ashley Hall in South Carolina). It’s inexcusable!

But it did get me thinking. How many other books in my life have I forgotten not because they weren’t extremely important to me, but simply because the sheer number of books I’ve read makes it impossible to recall them all by name? Every single book that I’ve read has influenced me in one way or another whether I know it or not. Sometimes the books we forget are just as important as the books we remember.

---

Thanks, Sybil!

And for those of you reading this: have you ever remembered a book you forgotten? Do you love A Wrinkle in Time? I haven't read it since like second grade, but I remember reading it over and over.

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

[description from goodreads]

Meet Priscilla Sumner, an ordinary seventh grader with extraordinary gifts. As if middle school isn’t hard enough, not only does Priscilla have to fight pimples and bullies, but genetically enhanced assassins trying to kill her and her family. Armed with wit, strength, and a genius best friend, Priscilla must defeat the Selliwood Institute, an organization dead set on turning children into killing machines.

Add an older brother annoyingly obsessed with Christina Aguilera, mischievous baby twin brothers who could scare the sin off of Satan, and parents more puzzling than a Rubik’s cube in the Bermuda triangle and expect a smoking page-turner!

Review:

I rarely read middle grade novels, but whenever I do, I always find them to be adorable and fun. Priscilla the Great fits that description and more.

There are really two separate plots in this book, as it is divided in Part One and Part Two. I was not the biggest fan of this split, because they almost felt like two separate books that each could have been expanded upon. Each part at least had their own conflict, though, which kept things fresh and exciting. Sometimes the plot in either section is a bit far-fetched, even for an superhero-ish book, but it was still immensely fun. It took a while to get to the action in part one, but once I got there, there was nonstop excitement until the end. The book has plenty of fighting, fire, and more fighting, which definitely appeals to my more bloodthirsty side. However, there is more to the book than just action. There's an adorable romance, one that sometimes seems older than the people its about, but is still cute nonetheless. There is also a lovely subplot going on with Priscilla and her friend Tai, and the growth they went through because of their conflict was easily identifiable and appreciated.

The humor and the rest of the characters kept the book as amusing in the beginning as well. Each of the characters are funny in their own ways-- the twin siblings often provide immature, but amusing, humor; Priscilla's older brother provides some excellent Christina Aguilera singing; and her parents provide some realistic over-protection and concern that is so true that I could not help but laugh. Priscilla is the rightful star of the book, though; her tone definitely sounds young, but she is so funny, feisty, fierce, etc. that I always enjoyed reading about her adventures. I wish there was a bit more development of her school mates because they were mentioned often in the beginning, and some of the people she meets near the end, but because they were not in the book that often, I did not really mind.

I think the young tone in Priscilla the Great prevented me from loving it, but I still found it to be cute and action-packed, with a hilarious cast of characters.

Book details: WorldMakerMedia/Paperback/$14.95

Source: sent by author for review

Another good thing about this book is that while reading, this was stuck in my head:



*dances*

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. Descriptions and such from goodreads!

I got a bunch of things for review this week, which is always exciting.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms.

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade.

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

---

Sounds like it will be another fabulous addition to the ever-growing dystopian genre!

---


Love, Love, Love by Deborah Reber and Caroline Goode

Two sweet stories about finding your one true love.

In Language of Love, Janna is quickly adapting to life in Seattle as a high school exchange student from Hungary. Or at least Julian, the cute boy she met in a coffee shop, thinks she is. The truth is, he overheard Janna using a phony accent, and now she’s stuck playing the part….Will Julian want to be with the real Janna? Or will she discover that lies don’t always translate to love?

In Cupidity, high school is the single worst place to find a boyfriend. And Laura Sweeney is no exception. She hasn't had a date since...well, ever. So Laura needs guidance. A proven "get the guy" strategy. Luckily she knows exactly the expert to call. He's a matchmaking mastermind who actually has the bow and arrow to prove it. Let's just call him...Cupid.

---

This one volume contains two books, which is always fun. Both of the books inside sound adorable!

---

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

---

OMG SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE! Sounds like a more original take on faeries. Plus, gorgeous faeries! Can't go wrong with that.

---


Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda ( + the sequel Dark Goddess)

Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she would have to make sacrifices to be in the Knights Templar. Sacrifices like losing her mother to the Templar's ongoing battle against the Unholy; sacrifices like trading her childhood in for relentless training; sacrifices that keep her completely isolated from the world of a normal teen girl.

Billi's lone wolf status is challenged when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from his psychic training in Jerusalem. Kay manages to stir things up quickly -- he's gorgeous, arrogant, and wants to slide right back into his old place in Billi's life. Billi is skeptical, but interested, until she meets Michael -- an ethereally handsome guy who seems to understand her like no one before him, and effortlessly stakes a claim in her heart.

Just as Billi's starting to enjoy this pleasant new twist to her life, Kay ruins everything. In a moment of bravado, Kay uses the last of the Templar's treasures, King Solomon's cursed mirror, drawing the attention of one of the most dangerous of the Templars' enemies -- The Angel of Death.

Only with the mirror can the dark angel unleash his full powers, and now that he's heard the call of the mirror, he'll stop at nothing to get it. To save London from catastrophe, Billi will have to make sacrifices greater than she'd ever imagined.

----

This sounds so original and exciting. The mention of King Solomon made me have horrid flashbacks of last years' religion class, but I'm sure that this book will be much better than that class ever was.

5 Words to Stop Using

We're three weeks into the new year, but it's never too late to make New Year's resolutions. Which is why I've decided to try to not use these 5 words in my reviews (as often):

1. Interesting or intriguing - My go-to word used to be "interesting" but then I tried to stop using it and switched to "intriguing." I abuse these words. I need to explain why things are interesting/intriguing/fascinating/other synonyms for those words instead of just saying that they are.

2. Enjoyable - The more I look at this word, the more it doesn't seem like a word. It just sounds very bizarre and too general.

3. Well-developed - I guess I don't want to try to cut down on this word as much as I think I should expand upon why characters are well-developed. Usually my reviews are so long that I avoid going into too much detail, but I think I can go a little more in depth without making things much longer. Hopefully.

4. You - As in "you will feel ___ while reading," not "you should read this book." How am I supposed to know what you will feel when reading a certain book? I am not a psychic. (I don't really do this now, but I usually do in first drafts of reviews before I start editing.)

5. Awesome/amazing/fantastic/fabulous - I just feel like I need some new adjectives that start with different letters. I use adjectives that start with "a" and "f" all the time, it seems.

MORAL OF THIS POST: I need a thesaurus.

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Spoilers for the first book in the series, The Dark Divine, ahead! You can read my review of that book here, if you wish.

[description from goodreads]

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, ravenous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.

Review:

Even though I've been burned out on paranormal novels lately, I was excited to read The Lost Saint because of the excellent reviews I had read and because it is the continuation of The Dark Divine, which I very much enjoyed. However, I don't think I was in the right mood for it. It was good, but I think because I am so tired of paranormal I couldn't make myself enjoy it.

I mean, certain paranormal things just don't sit well with me. I don't like how in every sequel, the boy and girl start to stray away from each other, no matter how in love they claim they are. It just...bothers me that that storyline is used over and over. This book had that aspect, but it really was not as bad as some other paranormal books I have read. I appreciated that it was more of Grace's doing, and that she had a good reason to stray from Daniel, though I was annoyed by the inclusion of the cliche "pretty girl who likes my boyfriend and tries to hang out with him." I wish the new boy Grace hangs out with could have been far more developed so that storyline was better, but I can't go further into that because of ~spoilers.

I did prefer reading about Grace's new hobbies, though, because, as a result, there was plenty of action and new things being discovered. But mostly action. Some of her choices were so painfully dumb and obvious, but even her occasional poor judgment caused some fighting and excitement to occur. And many twists! Some of the twists in this book were just fantastic-- sometimes a bit out of the blue, but always gasp-worthy enough to get me to keep reading.

I also appreciate the more unique take on the werewolf tale this book attempts. I laugh every time they say "do not succumb to the wolf~~~" or talk about "Urbats" because I think it sounds like a neopet, but I like that this book is giving werewolves a new spin. I wish there was more development of the myth, but I like where it is going and I think more will be revealed in the next installment of the series.

The Lost Saint, it's not you, it's me. I'm sure that fans of the first novel will enjoy the action and romance shake-up of this book, but I am so blah about paranormal lately that I cannot get over the predictable and overdramatic moments. Hopefully I will be out of my paranormal funk by the time the third book comes out, though, because there is a major cliffhanger at the end of this one.

Book details: EgmontUSA/Hardcover/$17.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Nostalgia post!

Guess what I found on my kitchen table last week?

A Scholastic Book Club 0rder form.

I KNOW.

My brother is still in 8th grade, so he receives them every so often and every time he brings one home it is happy dance time for me. I MISS THESE. I don't get anything this exciting to bring home in high school.

I expressed my joy of finding this gem on twitter, where Sara of The Hiding Spot and Meagan of By The Book and I, among others, started talking about the amazingness of Scholastic Book Fairs. I could not resist doing a post about my brother's (well, now it is MINE) order form. Let's take a look:



The front! My favorite things about this front page is that I quickly notice how CHEAP the books are and that there is a gratuitous picture of Alex Pettyfer on the top.

I also enjoy seeing books by authors I have seen on the interwebs often or books that some of my fellow bloggers adore, like North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley.

(I think that if you click on the pictures, they should be big enough to read, BY THE WAY.)



THEY STILL HAVE THE SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK SERIES! Those books have been in like every book order I have ever seen. I remember getting these from the classroom library and reading them and not being scared at all.

I also love that they still have that random stuff in the bottom, like webcams and stuff. However, this book order has way less of that extra, not as bookish stuff as some of my childhood ones had! Lucky.

Also, more authors who I see on the internet! I spy a Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg. Funsies.



They have a STEAMPUNK SECTION. How awesome is that?! I am so jealous. Why did I not get steampunk as a child? (Also, I am amused that they have H.G. Wells in the steampunk section. I love that they throw random classics in everywhere.)

The above page is probably my favorite. I love that they have Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt, Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors, How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier, and the Death by... series by Linda Gerber. So much love for those books!

Plus, they have Just Listen, the second best Sarah Dessen book. Although I don't understand why it's under the "princesses, fairies, and spies" section. I bet Owen is secretly a princess.


Heck yes Uglies series.


We were doing so well until we got to this page, book order. Although I will say I am pleased that they have included more vampires than only the Twilight series. The only book from that series in here is New Moon.

Yay for more Elizabeth Eulberg!

I am so pleased that book orders still look the same as when they did when I was a young'n, though they obviously include some newer, festive books.

Did you get book orders when you were in school? Do you love them as much as I do?

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

[description from goodreads]

Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run.

Everyone believes it was an accident, despite the phone threats Jane swears were real. But the truth is a thorny thing. As Jane's boyfriend, friends, and admirers come to visit, more memories surface not just from the party, but from deeper in her past . . . including the night her best friend Bonnie died.

With nearly everyone in her life a suspect now, Jane must unravel the mystery before her killer attacks again. Along the way, she's forced to examine the consequences of her life choices in this compulsively readable thriller.

Review:

When I first received this book in the mail, I thought it was going to be paranormal, based on the cover. It wasn't, though, so I had to adjust my expectations when I began reading. And even though I adjusted my expectations, I think I felt the same as I would have if it was a paranormal: it was okay.

I really enjoyed the idea of this novel; I love mysteries oh so very much but never seem to read them. And I think this book succeeded in being a good mystery. I liked seeing the story unfold, especially since most of the clues were brought about through flashbacks where everyone seemed more natural. Enough clues were given as to make the culprit identifiable, but not so many that it was necessarily easy to figure out. That is, until the ending. Once I got to the ending it was much easier to piece things together, and even though I expected the outcome, I didn't feel like the outing of the culprit was particularly well done. All of a sudden everyone in the story, not just the attempted murderer, became over-the-top and exaggerated, which bothered me very much-- it's like the author wanted every character to be sent off with a bang.

Similarly, many of the characters were well-developed until the end of their roles of the story. Because the book is comprised of both flashbacks and scenes in the hospital, the characters could be observed in their ~natural habitat~ and in their sympathetic, caring roles. It was nice to see them in both situations, because through their actions in the different areas, it was easier to see what they were actually like. However, sometimes they totally lost me. Each of Jane's love interests were just...what? Her boyfriend, David, is a manipulative creeper, which makes me uncomfortable in any book, though at least there were other boys. Pete, the boy she meets in the hospital, must have only appeared for thirty pages . Her photography friend Scott was fine until one of the novels twists occurred. Really, most of Jane's friends and love interests are fine until they too suffer from a "twist." These twists did provide for excitement and suspense, but they often came out of nowhere and made everything confusing. Luckily, Jane was a much more believable character than her friends, though she was painfully slow at times, especially times involving her boyfriend. I liked seeing her learn from her flashbacks more than the present circumstances, as her past was much more scandalous and intriguing. She also had more things to learn from the past, and her reflection upon it helped her develop and grow as a character.

Rosebush has the suspense and action needed in a mystery, but almost every time it attempted a big twist, it lost me.

Book details: Razorbill/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Waiting on Wednesday: ALA Books

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

Last week, I was able to attend the American Library Association Midwinter Conference. Here are two books I picked up there that I am particularly excited to read.

Karma by Cathy Ostlere

On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that sixteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. KARMA is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.

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I hadn't heard of this book prior to receiving it at the conference, but the cover was too classy for me to pass up. It sounds like it will be super intense.

Released March 31.

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Four Seasons by Jane Breskin Zalben

Allegra Katz has been playing piano since she was four. But these aren't just any piano lessons. She studies at the Julliard School in New York, where careers are being formed—or not.

Between strict practice schedules, music classes, and regular school, Ally doesn't have time for much else. Sometimes she wishes she could break free, but she's never known any other way. Her parents—a professional violinist and a singer—would kill her if they knew she was thinking about quitting piano, especially her mother.

So she keeps on going, but as the months go by, she begins to ask herself, does she even love the piano? Why does she play? And how much longer can she stand the pressure before she breaks?

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Time for nothing but school? It sounds vaguely like my life, but with more musical talent. This sounds like it will be a very realistic read-- I can't wait to start reading it.

Released February 8.

The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

[description from goodreads]

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew.

Review:

This is another book I read last year but didn't get around to reviewing until I was able to reread it over break. My bad. Better late than never, though, right? Especially in the case of a book as great as this.

In total, the book is narrated by four characters: Lily, Noah, Simon, and Simon's sister, Suzanne. Because they each get to tell part of their story, it's only fair that I discuss each of them individually. Suzanne only narrates two chapters, which was a bit bizarre, but it did serve to start things off with a bang. Lily is the first character to narrate a substantial portion of the book, and I think her section was my favorite. I liked her snarky tone and attitude, even though she kept talking about math and I couldn't always understand what her obsession with Simon was all about. Noah kind of got the short end of the stick because even though he does discuss his issues, he didn't get very many pages to do it in, and I think the intensity of his situation was dulled because of that. I also felt like I was missing a lot of his personality, but I still liked him because he reminds me of JJ from Skins. Together, I sometimes felt like he and Lily just served to introduce Simon, who got most of the novel to talk and who is really the only one whose storyline was resolved in the end.

However, Simon did have the best story of the three (or four, if you count Suzanne's two chapters), even if I didn't particular like him (he strikes me as the type who carries a messenger bag and wears skinny jeans and flannel exclusively). Even though both Lily and Noah had their fair share of problems, Simon's struck me as the most emotional and intense, which is probably a good thing since his story was the saddest. His writing wonderfully captured the emotions of a person dealing with a loved one's illness, especially with his poetry.

Collectively, I wish there was a bit more action in the story, or at least more varied action. When each person begins their narration, they each begin in the same spot. Which is fine, because they each get to give their own perspective, but I personally don't like when I go from A to B, then A to B, and then A to B AGAIN. However, I'm not completely sure that more action would have worked well in this book, because it was more about the ~emotions.

The Absolute Value of -1 is an emotional novel, with well-developed characters and fantastic writing. Even though it does involve math.

Book details: Carolrhoda Lab/Hardcover/$16.95

Source: ARC sent by publisher for review, hardcover from BEA

Minder by Kate Kaynak

[description from goodreads]

Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place.

Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control.

A stray thought can burn a building to the ground.

And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey. Especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

Review:

I accepted Minder for review because it sounded like a paranormal novel that wasn't really paranormal, because of its inclusion of powers, like mind control, instead of supernatural creatures. In some ways, I got what I was expecting, but in other ways, I so did not.

The book mainly focuses on the relationship between Maddie and Trevor, the boy she meets at school. There really wasn't a solid story line beside their relationship until the end, where there was plenty of action. However, getting to that exciting end was not always a pleasant journey. Trevor suffers from being like many supernatural novel love interests: he has no personality. I literally cannot remember a thing about him, except his name and that his relationship with Maddie was horribly rushed and seemingly artificial. I could not understand why they liked each other so much, especially once they started prattling on about their intense ~love~ for each other.

I did really like the concept of Minder, though. The idea of having superpowers is not original, but I enjoyed that these powers were more science-based. It made everything make more sense and gave them a bit of originality. I also enjoyed the boarding school setting, because with it, a variety of fun and interesting characters were introduced and able to be observed.

The love story's unbelievable, lightning-fast pace completely turned me off this book, but I think fans of supernatural romances will find plenty of enjoyment in Minder, even though I didn't.

Book details: Spencer Hill Press/Paperback/$12.99

Source: sent for review

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie. Descriptions and such from goodreads!

I got a whole bunch of books from ALA this week, too many for me to even want to list. If you really want to see what I got, you can look at my goodreads TBR pile, starting with Vixen and ending with Love, Inc. (Plus A Need So Beautiful and Cryer's Cross, which I got from the awesome Alicia.)

I also got some non-ALA books this week. I received a review copy of this beauty:

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

I love this series SO MUCH so I cannot wait to get to this book. Eee!

I also bought The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan.

A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entries.

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you're in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn't pass, that's it--you're done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it's even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover's face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

I am so excited for this book, you have no idea. I'm probably going to read it today instead of doing my homework.

ALA/David Levithan Signing

This past week, I was lucky enough to attend the American Library Assosciation Midwinter Conference as well as David Levithan's signing for his new book The Lover's Dictionary. Here are pictures and stories and such from both those events!

ALA:

My mom and I got to the conference at about 9:00, when the exhibits (the publisher booths, etc.) first opened. Just to I don't have to type out their blogs later, here are most of the people I saw and hung out with throughout the day:

• Alicia from Shooting Stars Mag
• Angela from Dark Faerie Tales
• Pam from Bookalicious Pam
• Nancy from Ravenous Reader
• Jordyn from Ten Cent Notes
• Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy
• Alethea from Read Now Sleep Later
• Amy from My Friend Amy
  

...and probably some other I am forgetting at the moment omg sorry.

ANYWAY. Right when the exhibits opened, Alicia and I (and Pam and Angela and Nancy but eventually we all kind of got separated.) headed toward the young adult publishers' booths to see what books they had available for us to take/look at/pet.

Each of the booths had books on display:

I am now wondering why I took that picture from the wrong angle because you can't even see any of those books. OH WELL.

Because it's primarily a librarian conference, the books had all had stars and such in them to mark what awards/honors they have been given. There's Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler, one of my favorites of 2010, hanging out, looking pretty with its VOYA star.

I must say that I am fan of giant book posters, particularly of pretty ones like The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney.

The publishers' booths also had plenty of advanced readers' copies out for taking. There's a giant stack of Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins sitting at the Disney/Hyperion booth.

Other stories and such from ALA:

- So, when I went to Book Expo America, another book conference, last year, Erica from The Book Cellar and spent like 20 minutes looking for Alexandra Bracken, the author of Brightly Woven because we are both huge fans of her and her book. We found her but we were silly and forgot to get a picture, which was AMAZINGLY FRUSTRATING. However, Alex was at ALA, so I found her and finally got my picture with her! HUZZAH! Aren't we lovely?


- I got SO MANY books I am excited about. I probably won't list them all because there is A LOT, but some of the ones I am most excited about are Withering Tights by Louise Rennison, Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, Beauty Queens by Libba Bray, Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin, and many more!

- I hung out with Alicia and Jordyn the most throughout the day, which is always amazingly fun! I also had lunch with Angela and Alicia (and Alicia's mom and my mom). It was nice to eat lunch with them and talk books and such.

- Talking to publicists is funtimes. I got to discuss my love of Anna and the French Kiss and contemporary books at the Penguin booth, the awesomeness of Cindy Pon (author of the fabulous Silver Phoenix) at the HarperCollins booth, covers at the Hyperion booth, etc. So much lovely! I was particularly a fan of the publicist at the Flux booth because he was very enthusiastic. Which is why I felt bad when Alicia, Jordyn, and I noticed and mentioned that But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (aka Mandy Hubbard) was stolen from their booth. He seemed rather sad about it but it is nice to know he loves the book enough to be mad that it was gone. xD

- Alex Bracken was my fave publishing person to talk to though because she is AWESOME and didn't seem TOO alarmed when Alicia and Jordyn and I (but mostly me) showed up at the booth she was at approximately a million times throughout the day.

- One of my favorite parts of the day was when the editor of John Green's books and Anna and the French Kiss walked by Jordyn, Amy, and I and I said "THAT'S JOHN GREEN'S EDITOR!" However, we did not follow her because we can control ourselves. (Sometimes.)

And that was ALA! SO MUCH FUN!

David Levithan signing:

David Levithan is my favorite author EVER and I lovelovelove going to his events and hearing him speak and such because he's amazing.

He's so awesome that his name was in a MARQUEE (or whatever this thing is called):


It does not get more legit than that.

Before the signing began, I got to see Jessica from Jessica Love Writes, who is super lovely and awesome, and not only because she is a David fan.

First, David read from The Lover's Dictionary, which is composed of nothing but dictionary entries. He read all of the A and B words, and omg so good. Usually I get bored during readings but David is the best speaker/reader/narrator/whatever I have heard/seen. I love hearing him read!

After the reading, he answered a few questions. Things learned (that I can remember):

- One of his favorite entries in the book is "elegy." He also read this entry and omg. SO GOOD.

- Like some of his YA novels, The Lover's Dictionary started out as a Valentine's Day story for his friends but then took on a life of its own.

- His editor didn't understand the entry for "non sequitur," which says "This is what it sounds like when doves cry." Apparently this is a song by Prince but I did not know this either so I kind of just pretended to laugh while everyone else did.

- He said most of his upcoming book ideas are for YA books, not adult like The Lover's Dictionary. But who cares? I shall read whatever he writes because I am obsessed devoted.

However, the highlight of the night? HE REMEMBERED MY NAME! I've seen him numerous times before but I am always sure that he never remembers me, which is why I kind of died when he was like "I'm signing it to Khy, right?" Everything that after that is a bit of a blur. A very happy blur.

The Lying Game by Sara Shepard

[description from goodreads]

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

Review:

Being such a big Pretty Little Liars fan, I was eager to read this new offering from Sara Shepard, It sounded like it would have the same dark overtones and gripping mystery as Shepard's first series but a fresh setting and story line. And while it did have some of that, I didn't find it as captivating as her other work.

The Lying Game is essentially narrated by Sutton, the murdered girl, as she watches her sister, Emma, take over her life and try to solve the murder. I found it very disconcerting that I would read chapters of third person narration but suddenly be bombarded with first person pronouns. I often forgot that Sutton was telling the story because the third person narration discussing Emma comprised most of the book; however, occasionally she would throw in her own opinions and guesses as to who killed her and what was going on with the people back home. Her random jumping in allowed for more insight into the mystery, especially her chapters of memories, but her views were so few compared to Emma's story that it was often a bit obnoxious to begin randomly reading her opinions.

There is a fundamental problem with the characterization in this book, because Emma and Sutton are impossible to figure out. Sutton can't remember her past, and Emma has to learn about Sutton as she pretends to be her, leaving me a bit confused as to what Sutton, and Emma, because she cannot be herself, are really like. Because Emma is nearly clueless about the personalities of her friends, so was I-- they just seemed like typical mean girls to me. However, this fundamental setback to the characterization did help to enhance the mystery, because I was able to to learn alongside Emma about what was going on. As she gained new insights, so did I, and as she had new theories about the murder, so did I. This, along with the many vicious pranks and secrets, made this book extremely fun to read.

Though I had some issues with The Lying Game, I am definitely going to continue read the next installment because there is definitely potential for the series to better develop the characters and make the mystery even more intriguing than it already is.

Book details: HarperTeen/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: bought

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

[description from goodreads]

For months, Cass Meyer has heard her best friend Julia, a wannabe Broadway composer, whispering about a top-secret project. Then Julia is killed in a sudden car accident, and while Cass is still reeling from her death, Julia’s boyfriend and her other drama friends make it their mission to bring to fruition the nearly-completed secret project: a musical about an orphaned ninja princess entitled Totally Sweet Ninja Death Squad.

Cass isn’t one of the drama people. She doesn’t feel at home with Julia’s drama friends, and she doesn’t see a place for her in the play. Things only get worse when she finds out that Heather Galloway, the girl who made her miserable all through middle school, has been cast as the ninja princess.

Cass can’t take a summer of swallowing her pride and painting sets, so she decides to follow her original plan for a cross-country road trip with Julia. Even if she has a touring bicycle instead of a driver’s license, and even if Julia’s ashes are coming along in Tupperware.

A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend is a story about friendship. About love. About traveling a thousand miles just to find yourself. About making peace with the past, and making sense of it. And it’s a story about the bloodiest high school musical one quiet suburb has ever seen.

Review:

I originally read this book in early 2010 but never got around to reviewing it until now. (Oops.) I gave it a reread before writing this review, but my feelings on it remained as mixed as they were after my first read.

Let's start with the positives, though. Whenever a book involves a musical or ninjas, I become immediately intrigued. Mix them together and you have me squealing in delight. I loved the musical aspect of this book, especially when songs and scenes were described or included. It gave a festive backdrop to the rest of the story and provided plenty of laughs. I also really liked the relationship between Cass and Heather, both before they got along and after. Cass's feelings about Heather's return and her middle school treatment rang true for me, because I feel similarly whenever I am forced to interact with the people I didn't like in middle school. (Except, thank goodness, we do not like each other afterward.) Their post-awkward-feelings relationship was fantastic as well-- it was paced so perfectly and was delightfully realistic.

However, there were a few things that did not work for me at all. Cass spends every other chapter describing her bike trip, but as she describes her trip and her memories, I disliked Julia more and more. She didn't seem like a real person, and I couldn't understand why Cass and she were such good friends since Cass seemed so awkward in comparison. I didn't understand why Cass hung out with any of the people in the book, really, because their brief appearances didn't give me much insight into their personalities. Both her friends at home and the people she meets on her trip seemed flat, but especially the trip people. I wasn't a fan of the trip chapters much to begin with because I'm obsessed and always want more musical, even though the trip bits did provide some humor and excitement. The people she met were so brief and annoying that I wasn't a fan. But I suppose she didn't know much about them either, so how was I supposed to?

My feelings are pretty evenly split on A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend: I liked the "Now" and the main people in it but didn't like the "Then." Because of my split feelings, I'm not even sure who I would recommend this to. Fans of GLBTQ novels, yes. Fans of "grief" novels, maybe. All I know is that those who will love this book will really love it, and those who won't really won't.

Book details: Dial/Hardcover/$16.99

Source: sent by publisher for review

Waiting on Wednesday: Verse

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. Descriptions and such from goodreads.

Today I'm waiting on two books written in verse, a style that I tend to love.

Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

In the dim light of the darkroom, I'm alone, but not for long.
As white turns to gray, Kate is with me.
The background of the dance studio blurred, so the focus is all on her
legs extended in a perfect soaring split.
The straight line to my squiggle,
my forever-best friend.

Sixteen-year-old Liz Grayson is photogirl—sharp, focused and ready to take the world by storm with her camera. But Liz's entire life is called into question when her brother is accused of a crime—and the accuser is Liz's own best friend. As the aftershocks from that accusation rip through Liz's world, everything she thought she knew about photography, family, friendship and herself, shifts out of focus. And for the first time in her life, Liz finds herself unable to trust her own point of view. Told in stunning, searingly raw free verse, Exposed is Kimberly Marcus's gut-wrenching, riveting debut and will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Virginia Euwer Wolff.

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Ooh, pictures. Those are fun. This book doesn't sound fun, per se, but it does sound like it will be intense and powerful.

Released February 22.

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Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

When Lupita sees Mami crying over a pesky mesquite growing in her rose garden, she knows something is wrong. Through the kitchen window, she overhears that Mami has cancer. After an operation, things seem to return to normal for Lupita and her family, and they go on with their lives, going back and forth between attending school, working, and living in the United States and visiting family and friends in Mexico. However, when Mami’s cancer returns, Papi doesn’t know whether he should accompany Mami during her long convalescence at an out of town cancer clinic or stay home to care for Lupita and her seven brothers and sisters. Suddenly, being a high school student, dealing with difficult friends, starring in the school play, even writing, become less important to Lupita than doing whatever it takes to save Mami’s life.

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This sounds like it will be very intense too. And sad, which is probably fitting for a novel in verse, because I don't think there is such a thing as a happy verse book.

Released in May.