Cover of the Week (33)

When the Sea Is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

Farrar, Straus, & Giroux/2.28.2012

Description (from Goodreads):
After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it. 

I want it. Seriously. Awesome description and such a moody cover... The only thing I'd change is possibly making the title larger. There's almost too much open space around it. Otherwise, I love it.


Add it on Goodreads here.

Win a copy of MY LIFE UNDECIDED by Jessica Brody

Zeitghost Media has kindly provided a copy of Jessica Brody's MY LIFE UNDECIDED for one lucky winner at The Hiding Spot!

About the Book

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Check out the book trailer:

Find out more about MY LIFE UNDECIDED here.


Check out my review of the book here.

The Giveaway

Prize:

1 winner will receive:
(1) finished copy of MY LIFE UNDECIDED

How to Enter:
You MUST leave a comment on this post with an email address so I can contact you if you win.

Details:
Contest will close October 17th, 2011. Open to the US and Canada only! You must be age 13 or older to enter.

Good luck!

Review: The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Title: The Beginning of After
Author: Jennifer Castle
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: 9.6.2011
Genre: Contemporary
Keywords: Loss, Grief, Family, Friendship, Love
Pages: 432
Description (from Goodreads):

Anyone who’s had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It’s all about Before and After. What I’m talking about here is the ka-pow, shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel’s world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel’s life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss—a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

It isn't often that a book makes me cry. The few that have are those that have heartbreaking conclusions. THE BEGINNING OF AFTER had me sobbing right from the start. And not just one time...

Wow. What an intense debut novel. Comparisons have been made between the author and Sarah Dessen and , though I'm a huge fan of Dessen's work, I felt Castle's writing had a slightly different feel... almost like Castle's writing had more emotional depth. Much of this was subtle; one carefully chosen word would make my breath catch and eyes water.

I love a book with a good romantic story line, but I'm not sure I'd say that this is a characteristic that clearly identifies this book. The main character does have romantic counterparts, but they aren't a main focus - which makes sense. After all, Laurel has just lost her family... She's got a lot more going on than whether or not a boy likes her. Sure, she still thinks about it, but there are other things that require her attention as well. So, while I usually prefer my novels to have romance, I actually liked the fact that it wasn't a focus in THE BEGINNING OF AFTER... I don't think it would have been fitting at all.

I'll be reading subsequent novels by Jennifer Castle... She's definitely a new contemporary YA voice to watch.

BUY IT.

Support independent bookstores - use the link below!

Review Copy provided by Amazon Vine.

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pub. Date: 9.27.2011
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Keywords: Good vs Evil, Orphans, Love, Magic, Wishes
Pages: 544
Description (from Goodreads):
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?


It's been a long time since I've loved a book as passionately as I love DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE. Laini Taylor has created a fascinating novel with a lush, atmospheric setting and terrifyingly beautiful characters. I really, truly never wanted to leave.


Karou leads a double life. As art student in Prague, she creates fantastical artwork and elaborate stories that amuse and entertain her peers and teachers. She has an ex-boyfriend that she can't seem to shake and a protective, and adorably vicious, best friend. 


What no one knows is that Karou's artwork and stories aren't just a product of an overactive imagination. The "monsters" she depicts and fanciful stories that accompany their images are all true... These "monsters" are her family.


Karou has no memory of a time before her unconventional family. She was raised in a curious shop by even more curious creatures. Many would call them monstrosities - they call themselves chimaera. Chimaera have both human and animal characteristics and speak a language entirely their own. 


I found myself particularly drawn to a specific member of Karou's family: Brimstone. He's a very private creature and that deals in teeth and wishes. He shoulders an immense responsibility - though Karou, and the reader, aren't exactly sure what this responsibility entails. The mystery surrounding his past, his shop, and his wishes was one of the many reasons I couldn't set this book down. 


Karou herself is a mystery. She has no recollection of who she is and where she came from. In one moment she appears very young, using wishes to create awkward itchiness for her ex-boyfriend, the next moment she seems much wiser and older than the body she inhabits. Who is this peculiar blue-haired girl?


All of this, coupled with the arrival of painfully beautiful Akiva, builds to an truth of epic proportions.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine.

Cover of the Week (32)

Taking a month long break from blogging and stalking Goodreads makes coming back a bit overwhelming... AND exciting. There are so many new covers to look at... for example, this one:

THE GIRLS OF NO RETURN by Erin Saldin

Arthur A. Levine Books/2.28.2012

CUT meets HATCHET in this lacerating debut about girls, knives, and redemption.

The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area stretches across two million acres in northern Idaho. In its heart sits the Alice Marshall School, where fifty teenage girls come to escape their histories and themselves.

Lida Wallace has tried to negate herself in every way possible. At Alice Marshall, she meets Elsa Boone, a fierce native Idahoan; Jules, who seems too healthy to belong at the school; and Gia Longchamps, whose glamour entrances the entire camp. As the girls prepare for a wilderness trek, Lida is both thrilled and terrified to be chosen as Gia's friend. But everyone has their secrets--their "Things" they try to protect; and when those come out, the knives do as well.

THE GIRLS OF NO RETURN is a bold and powerful debut.

"CUT meets HATCHET." That's a lot to live up to... it gives me goosebumps.

I love the color scheme of this cover. I like the girly font of "THE GIRLS" and the stark font of "OF NO RETURN." The slash marks through the title are the finishing touch... genius.

Check out THE GIRLS OF NO RETURN on Goodreads!

Review: And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky

Title: And Then Things Fall Apart
Author: Arlaina Tibensky
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: 7.26.2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Chicken Pox, Relationships, Family, The Bell Jar, Humor
Pages: 272
Description (from Goodreads):

Keek’s life was totally perfect.

Keek and her boyfriend just had their Worst Fight Ever, her best friend heinously betrayed her, her parents are divorcing, and her mom’s across the country caring for her newborn cousin, who may or may not make it home from the hospital. To top it all off, Keek’s got the plague. (Well, the chicken pox.) Now she’s holed up at her grandmother’s technologically-barren house until further notice. Not quite the summer vacation Keek had in mind.

With only an old typewriter and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar for solace and guidance, Keek’s alone with her swirling thoughts. But one thing’s clear through her feverish haze—she’s got to figure out why things went wrong so she can put them right.

I very much enjoyed AND THEN THINGS FALL APART. The entire story is told primarily from a sickbed, as the main character, Keek, has been struck by a late case of the chicken pox. Keek's parents are getting divorced, her mom is across the country, and her boyfriend is AWOL. All Keek has to distract her from the itching and other unfortunate side effects is her grandmother, well-loved copy of Sylvia Plath's THE BELL JAR, and an ancient typewriter.

For me, it was Keek's voice that made the novel. She's jaded, sarcastic, generally disillusioned... and who can blame her? It's no surprise that she identifies so closely with THE BELL JAR, even though she fully admits that sometimes she has no clue what Plath is talking about.

I loved the visual the author evoked of Keek sitting in a bed, covered in itchy bumps and perhaps a bit smelly, with a huge typewriter sitting atop her lap. Or maybe beside her... though I more frequently pictured it perched on her legs as she sat Indian-style. She sits in this room, on this bed, with a typewriter and types through her problems. It's like extreme journaling.

Though Keek's grandmother only pops up in the story here and there, I can't seem to forget about her. She's nothing like the grandmother that we might stereotypically imagine... she's a bit harder, a bit more mysterious. I like that though... Keek's grandmother would sometimes show Keek a bit of her history that I think we often forget grandmothers have... It made me look at my own grandmother in a slightly different light.

I'm curious to see what Arlaina Tibensky will offer readers next... Keek's personality stands out for me above the other main characters of other recent reads and I'm wondering if her next MC will follow suit.

So it's been awhile...

... but I'm back!


After computer issues, then internet connection issues, then a short vacation:


I'M BACK.


Well, for the most part. School starts in a little over a week, but I fully intend to keep a fairly normal reading/blogging schedule. We'll see if my organizational skills have improved since last year...


I'll be posting reviews soon... and maybe some contests too!


Happy to be back,

A Broken Computer & While I've Been Gone...

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to post a note saying that I've been reading plenty of amazing books, BUT my laptop is currently ou to order (due to a kitten with a habit of chewing on things. Like charger cords.) I'm hoping I'll be able to get it fixed sometime this week, but until then, I will still be unable to post.

In the meantime, check out these books that I'll be reviewing when I'm back:

PARADISE by Jill S. Alexander

AND THEN THINGS FALL APART by Arlaina Tibensky

HOOKED by Catherine Greenman

THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

I'll be back soon! <3

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon: July 11-13

This Read-a-thon is hosted by Lori at Pure Imagination, Candace at Candace's Book Blog, and Reading Angel. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 11 to 11:59 PM on July 13th.

To participate, go HERE and fill out the form!

_______________________

This Read-a-Thon starts tomorrow and I have the next four days off - which NEVER happens. I usually have long shifts during every Read-a-Thon I want to partipate in, so I better make this one count!

Reading List

• (Finish) EON by Alison Goodman
• PARADISE by Jill S. Alexander
• THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab
• MERCY by Rebecca Lim
• IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
• SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS by Lauren Barnholdt
• HOOKED by Catherine Greenman
• THIS DARK ENDEAVOR by Kenneth Oppel

This list may change, but these are the books I pulled off my shelves!

Win a copy of FORGOTTEN by Cat Patrick!

Little, Brown has kindly provided two copies of Cat Patrick's FORGOTTEN for two lucky winners at The Hiding Spot!

About the Book

What if every day when you woke up, you had no recollection of the days before?

Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can “remember” are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you’d easily forget, but try as she might, London can’t find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it’s time to learn about the past she keeps 

forgetting – before it destroys her future.

Check out one of London's video diaries:

Find out more about FORGOTTEN here.

About the Author

On a rainy November morning, new baby sleep deprived, Cat Patrick forgot what she was doing. She retraced her steps but instead of remembering, the idea for Forgotten was born.

Cat lives near Seattle with her husband and twin daughters who now, thankfully, sleep through the night. Forgotten is her debut novel.

The Giveaway

Prize:

2 winners will receive:
(1) finished copy of FORGOTTEN

How to Enter:
You MUST leave a comment on this post with an email address so I can contact you if you win.

Details:
Contest will close July 10th, 2011. Open to the US only! You must be age 13 or older to enter.

Good luck!

Review: Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Sean Griswold's Head 
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 3.1.2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Romance, Family, Acceptance, Friendship
Pages: 288
Description (from Goodreads):

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.


SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD is my first Lindsey Leavitt novel, but it won't be my last.


This book is cute and funny. I'd heard lots of great things about it before deciding to pick it up, but was worried it'd be more middle grade than YA. Instead, I'd say it's more upper MG - it's definitely MG appropriate - and YA-friendly. 


When Payton chooses her classmate's head as a focus object, she isn't taking the assignment very seriously, but her journal entries about it are hilarious. It doesn't take Payton long to realize that there's more to Sean Griswold than a big head... and that that big head is actually kind of cute.


Eventually, Payton's father's MS becomes more apparent and she realizes she needs to face her fears and feelings about the situation... because sarcasm and anger isn't going to make it go away. Her focus object actually ends up being more help than she'd imagined - considering she basically chose Sean's head to be rebellious - and Payton realizes that it isn't always about fixing a situation, but rather how you react and respond to the problem.


Annnnnd this cover is adorable. I don't think it appeals to guys in any way, but it fits the book perfectly!


If you're looking for a relatively quick read that has humor and shares a worthwhile message, pick up this latest offering from Leavitt.

Review: My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody

Title: My Life Undecided
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux BYR
Pub. Date: 6.7.2011
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Blogging, Decisions, Family, Friends, Love, High School
Pages: 320
Description (from Goodreads):
PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.


Oh, Jessica Brody, you've done it again... 


I adored Brody's THE KARMA CLUB and have been anxiously awaiting MY LIFE UNDECIDED for months. After all, MLU combines a teen girl, cute boys, bad decisions, funny decisions, and a BLOG. Really, the blog alone (okay, and maybe the boys) would have done it for me, but Brody goes above and beyond, which is always a good thing in an author...


At first, I worried that Brooklyn's age, 15, coupled with this particular plot would make the novel feel a bit too immature for my tastes, but I shouldn't have worried. While Brooklyn does, for the most part, act like a 15 year old, Brody's use of humor provided a healthy balance and served as a distraction. I never felt like the story was slowed... she was able to just be a confused 15 year old girl, even if the reader is a few years older. Additionally, I would feel comfortable handing this novel to a younger reader as well... Perhaps not any younger than Middle School, but there wasn't anything particularly scandalous.


I love the whole concept of this novel. It may not be entirely realistic, but, as a real life blogger, I can say there are parts of this novel that ring true. I've never had an entire blog dedicated to my life decisions, but I can't tell you how many times I've utilized Twitter when making a decision... Should I buy this? Did anyone see this movie and like it? I'm bored... what should I do? Brooklyn takes this idea to a whole new level... and learns quite a few things in the process.


The endeavor might have been slightly misguided, but many teens will empathize with Brooklyn. She's really screwed up this time around... And making the wrong decision is sometimes entirely too tempting. Having someone else make your decisions takes all the pressure off you. If it's a good decision, great! If it's a bad decision, hey... I didn't make it! At some point in your life, you'll realize that, ultimately, only you can make your decisions - it's just the way the world works - but it was an adventure to watch Brooklyn discover this for herself (and in a much more fun and exciting way than most of us do)!


I can't wait to read Brody's next offering... I fully expect it'll make me laugh... and think.

Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: 6.14.2011
Genre: Paranormal YA
Keywords: Time Travel, Romance, Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: 397
Description (from Goodreads):

One hour to rewrite the past . . .
 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.


I fell in love with the cover of HOURGLASS the first time I saw it and thought there was a good chance I'd like the novel, but I was entirely unprepared for just how much I would love it.


Myra McEntire's debut novel is absolutely fantastic. I haven't read all the many time travel novels other than HOURGLASS, but, if other authors can do it half as well as McEntire, I feel I should make this a priority.


Time travel is such a crazy, whimsical idea and I'm pretty confident that most people have had time travel fantasies, so a novel in which a character, who has experienced great tragedy in her life, discovers that it isn't impossible to jump back in time - and perhaps even change the past -  is a very, very good idea. The entire premise is incredibly seductive. 


One of the best things about this novel? The romance. Hands down. At times, the whole 'we're ridiculously drawn to one another but are forbidden to actually pursue out feelings' thing can be annoying, but I really enjoyed it in HOURGLASS. I think it helped that Emerson and Michael weren't kept apart just because Michael had some deep, dark secret, but also for normal, teenage reasons - like Emerson's brother/guardian insisting she and Michael keep their relationship professional.


Plus, this novel is twisty. It has an epic air about it and just as soon as the reader gets comfortable, McEntire throws in a totally unexpected element. Readers won't sit back and casually enjoy the ride with this one - this author keeps you on your toes.


Sometimes I feel like I need a break from paranormal YA, but then I pick up one like this and I remember just why this genre is so wonderful!

Win a copy of CUT by Patricia McCormick!

Big Honcho Media has kindly provided two copies of Patricia McCormick's CUT for two lucky winners at The Hiding Spot in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the novel's release.

About the Book

A tingle arced across my scalp. The floor tipped up at me and my body spiraled away. Then I was on the ceiling looking down, waiting to see what would happen next.

 

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside. Now she’s at Sea Pines, a “residential treatment facility” filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn’t want to have anything to do with them. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with anyone. She won’t even speak. But Callie can only stay silent for so long…

The 10^th Anniversary edition of Cut includes a brand-new afterword from author Patricia McCormick, an author Q&A, and added resources.

About the Author

Patricia McCormick spent three years researching and writing her first novel, Cut. She is also the author of the National Book Award finalist Sold, as well as Purple Heart and My Brother’s Keeper. She lives in Manhattan. Learn more at www.pattymccormick.com.

The Giveaway

Prize:

2 winners will receive:
(1) finished copy of CUT

How to Enter:
You MUST fill out this FORM. If you neglect to fill out the form, you will not be entered to win.

Details:
Contest will close July 4thth, 2011. Open to the US only! You must be age 13 or older to enter.

Good luck!

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