Thursday, November 29, 2012

Follow Friday #13.

Follow Friday!

This meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View. This week's features are Novel Reveries and Oh! Paper Pages. 

Q: Activity! Who is your to-die-for book crush? What do you think they look like? Add an image to make us all happy.


 Aw snap. Out of the 13 FF questions I ever answered this has got to be my favorite. So for those of you who know me, you all know how fangirly I am when it comes to fictional hot-guys, right?! Anyways, if you don't know me personally, there you go! So, my book crush, of course, is James Carstairs from Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices series.. People call him Jem. I love him. He's like, a total gentleman. He's hot, and everything. Ermagerd. He's so good at fighting demons and he's so amazing and KJFKLSJDKLFSJDL. He's on the cover of Clockwork Prince, He's so gorgeous. He's half British and half-Chinese. And so flipping FABULOUS. AND HIS HAIR. THAT HAIR. HE HAS SILVER EYES AND SILVER HAIR. AND HIS HAIR IS CURLY. OMG. His attitude is so much more hotter than his appearance, which totally seems impossible. But it's possible. Oh. He's a classic 18th century gentleman. He seriously renders a girl speechless. When I first met him in Clockwork Angel I immediately fell in love with him. Boom, there ya go. I just totally love 18th century guys..

Jem does have flaws. But he does everything to fight them. Which just makes him HOTTER. (I'm such a die-hard fangirl. My friend thinks I'm infatuated but, no.. Not really. AHA.)

If you're a new follower, just leave a comment below and I'll be more than glad to follow back! (: Happy Friday~

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Book Review: Revived by Cat Patrick.

RevivedRevived by Cat Patrick.
Book Summary: It started with a bus crash.
Daisy Appleby was a little girl when it happened, and she barely remembers the accident or being brought back to life. At that moment, though, she became one of the first subjects in a covert government program that tests a drug called Revive.
Now fifteen, Daisy has died and been Revived five times. Each death means a new name, a new city, a new identity. The only constant in Daisy's life is constant change.
Then Daisy meets Matt and Audrey McKean, charismatic siblings who quickly become her first real friends. But if she's ever to have a normal life, Daisy must escape from an experiment that's much larger--and more sinister--than she ever imagined.
From its striking first chapter to its emotionally charged ending, Cat Patrick's Revived is a riveting story about what happens when life and death collide.

Liana's Summary: Daisy has died five times. Each time she was revived with the drug they gave her. She's part of the Revive program. Only a small group of people know about this drug. When Daisy gets relocated once again, because of her 'death', she meets Audrey, and Matt. Siblings. Becoming her immediate best friend and boyfriend. She can't afford to die and leave them-- so she has to spill the secret. Even if it can lead to horrible dangers.

Rate(1-10): 10

This book was freaking amazingly great. I totally loved it. First of all, I desperately wanted to read this book because my friend read it and typed a really informational review that got me interested desperately. And then the cover. And then the title. And then the synopsis. Amaaaaazing.

Okay. The main character, Daisy, died 5 times. And she's barely 15. Talk about accident prone. Aha. Well then, there are reasons why she died 5 times but I'm not gonna say anything


A lot of reviewers point that out to prove their point about how Daisy is really dislikable. I mean, there were parts in which she would get you really irritated, but come on. She's not that bad. But she's not really my favorite either. Lol.

When she met Matt I was like, JFDSKLJF:KLSJFAKLJFKLDSJAKLJKLFJDKLSJ F<3 <3 <3 AND HE'S HOT TOOOOO. But as I got to know him more I realized he was kind of a jerk. I don't know. Other readers might like him but I don't really. He has anger issues. )x Me no like.

So, therefore, my favorite is Audrey. I love that girl. She was so full of joy and she was so free and everything...

So the thing I loved most about this book is not the plot. It's the writing. Man, if this book had suckish writing I would have fallen asleep. I'm serious. I'm not a huge fan of Contemporary books. And the Revive drug didn't really make anything Dystopian. But Cat Patrick is flipping amazing. She kept me IN the book the WHOLE time. And huh, that rarely happens. I had to sit in this uncomfortable back-breaking position on my bed, holding a flashlight, and at the same time making sure my mom didn't see me read. (I still don't have my own room. I know, sad.) But this book was totally worth it. I read it during lunch at school and even with the loudness and ratchetness of some people, I understood it. Amazing. The ending was really nice. Loved it.

I would have loved this book a lot more if I couldn't guess many things. Like, the author did a REALLY good job of foreshadowing that I wasn't surprised at most of the twists. But overall, I really did like this book.

I guess, quotes~

"..undeniably, unbelievably hot."



"..the kind that sexy TV villains have..."

The what?!

"He's a junior at Victory."

I bet it's that guy in her English class.

"..a few baby carrots."

I HATE CARROTS.

"I stayed up late reading,"

NOW I LOVE MATT

"If you ever take off without telling me again, you're going to be grounded for the rest of your life."


"I like someone else now."

And that someone must be her.

"You're a year older than me."

Nawderp.

"Not to be gross or anything, but did you and my brother do it or something?"



"What about you?" I ask seriously. "You never talk about any guys besides celebrities."

THAT'S JUST LIKE ME!

"Good idea,"


"I don't really get it. I mean, he's sort of old."

SOME OLD GUYS ARE HOT.

"Her name is Nora."

Knew it.

"But it doesn't work on adults."



"I know!" Mason shouts. He flips around and stares at me. He looks angry,..

But.. Mason's never angry.

"..I feel like giving my dad the finger."


---------------

And yeah, that's it! What did you think of this review? (:

Book Review: Shadowfell by Juliet Mariller.

Shadowfell (Shadowfell, #1) Shadowfell by Juliet Mariller.
Book Summary: Sixteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured and brought before him. Eager to hide her own canny skill—a uniquely powerful ability to communicate with the fairy-like Good Folk—Neryn sets out for the legendary Shadowfell, a home and training ground for a secret rebel group determined to overthrow the evil King Keldec.

During her dangerous journey, she receives aid from the Good Folk, who tell her she must pass a series of tests in order to recognize her full potential. She also finds help from a handsome young man, Flint, who rescues her from certain death—but whose motives in doing so remain unclear. Neryn struggles to trust her only allies. They both hint that she alone may be the key to Alban’s release from Keldec’s rule.

Homeless, unsure of who to trust, and trapped in an empire determined to crush her, Neryn must make it to Shadowfell not only to save herself, but to save Alban.

Rate(1-10): 9

Okay, once again: I wanted to read a book because of its fantabulous cover. I'm kind of stuck between the choices of 4 stars or 5 stars. Um. I'll just go with 5 just because.

Anyways.

The main character, Neryn, is kind of annoying and rude and everything. Even if I can understand her difficulties, I think that she would have been better off as a guy character because her attitude and personality is just so boyish I thought she was a boy in the first few pages. Until the father was like, "Daughter." And I was like, OH.

Shadowfell has a lot of adventure in it. It reminds me a lot of Kristin Cashore's Graceling (but of course Graceling is so much more amazing).

I haven't read a first-person narrated book in a while, so I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The author actually created a really good plot. Also the dramatic chapter-endings. Keeps the reader reading. 

So, even if the character of Flint, (main male role) doesn't narrate the story, he's really important and I would like to talk about him. He's, first of all, not exactly my idea of attractive. I mean, his eyes have depth and everything but judging by how the main character looks on the cover, they don't make a cute couple. And he's 5 years older than her. It's so awkward though. Despite that, he's actually a really sweet and gentle guy (still keeping his masculinity, if you're wondering) that cares for Neryn the whole time. But what annoyed me was that he kept leaving her and telling her to stay put when he was the one that didn't take responsibility for her and take her along. Even so, Neryn still got known as "Flint's girl." Screams awkwardness. 

However, even if I don't LOVE either character very much, I still like them. In the end, I figured out that they actually make a really cute couple. The romance progressed out slowly, and they finally showed some affection at the end. And then the freaking story ends.

So, the title. Shadowfell. In the story, it's quite a big part. It's actually a place that Neryn has to get to for specific reasons. 
Anyways, this is marked as Fantasy for a reason. Neryn can see spirits and she has magical powers. I think it enhanced the story just a little bit more. (:

The ending is so dramatic. Not quite cliffhanger--- but really, really, really really really dramatic. Now I want the rest of the books in this trilogy. Oh gosh, please don't be a love triangle. I just know that there's going to be more romance in the rest of the books.

Anyways, that's all I really have to say. I actually liked this book well enough to finish it in one sitting.

Quotes!
Note: Since this is an ARC galley version of this book, the quotes might not match the published version's.

"They went through my bag and took away the knife Flint had given me."


"He folded his arms, and his steady gaze met mine, shocking in its familiarity."
image

"You lied to me."

Oh C-c'mon, you got it wrong. It's backwards.

"You said you could look after yourself."




"..Flint took to coming with me and holding me up, his gaze averted..."

Oh. He's holding her up so she can pee. This is really awkward.

"Not even out to the privy- you can use a bucket."

He's going to force her to pee in a bucket?!

"I will come back," Flint said. "I give you my word."

Tsk tsk. Don't be so sure.

"Do not trust him!"


image

"And I dreamed of you, Neryn."


image

"Don't touch me!"
Oh my goodness.

"Neryn, listen to me!"
"Get away! Leave me alone!"


image

"He took one last look up toward the wood, and then he was gone."

Oh gosh. Is he really that easy to chase away?

"I don't need you. I don't want you. I'll get to Shadowfell on my own."



"A hand came over my mouth, strong, leather-gloved, stifling any sound."

image

"Regan?"




"I don't care if the lock of hair belongs to you or..."


image

"If you wish, I will return it to you now."

Hey, I took off some of your hair. Want it back?

"I am not worthy to be your friend."



SHUT UP FLINT. TAKE HER HAND AND RUN OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
----------

That's it! What did you think of this review? (:

Monday, November 26, 2012

Blog Tour: The Burning of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel.

The Burning of Isobel Key The Burning of Isobel Key by Jen McConnel.

Summary: Lou is in the middle of a quarter-life crisis. Ever since college, she’s lacked direction, working as a clerk in a local bookstore. But when she quits her job just before the winter holidays, Lou must do some serious soul searching to overcome her fears of straying from the mainstream. On a whim, she accompanies her best friend, Tammy, to Scotland for the winter holidays, but the vacation soon turns into an emotional roller coaster.

When she becomes embroiled in a hunt for information about Isobel Key, a woman falsely accused of witchcraft in the seventeenth century, Lou opens up to her intuition and makes a startling discovery about her own heritage.
Click here to read my review.

There's a giveaway! Prize: $25 Visa Giftcard - US and Canada ONLY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpts:


1----------
“I quit!” Lou’s words echoed around the checkout line, and customers craned their necks to see what was happening. Red in the face, Lou looked down at her register in embarrassment. Her manager patted her shoulder.
“Let’s go back in the office to talk about this.” He turned, expecting her to follow.
“No!” Louder than she’d intended, Lou stood her ground. “You heard me. I’ve had enough of this store.” As she spoke, she tossed her nametag on the counter. An errant brown curl flipped over her eye, and she pushed it away. Under the shocked gaze of her manager and the curious stares of a snake-like line of holiday shoppers, Lou fled.
Once she was outside in the bitter December wind, she headed for the nearest T stop, acting out of habit more than conscious thought. She’d walked this easy route between the bookstore and the T for the past four years, and her body took over while her mind churned.
She had a college degree, for Pete’s sake! Cum laude from Duke University had landed her a job selling books and stationary to the snobby suburbanites outside of Boston. Sighing, she paid her fare and took her seat on the train bound for the city center.
Suddenly, the weight of what she had done hit her, and she buried her face in her hands. What was she thinking, quitting her job like that? Lou replayed the afternoon in her mind. Nothing had happened today that hadn’t happened a thousand other times. Maybe it was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back: four years of answering bizarre questions and customers who were always right had finally taken its toll on her psyche.
But now what would she do? Lou wasn’t a person who acted on impulse: she was cautious and considered her options. And now she was unemployed the week before Christmas. Lou slumped in her seat. Unless she figured something out, and fast, she might have to move back in with her family. It wasn’t that Lou had anything against her family, not really: her parents had adopted her shortly after her birth, and they’d never made her feel like anything but their cherished only child.
But Lou was almost 27, and it had never been part of her plan to live at home after college. Part of her plan: that was funny, she thought. It sounded like she’d ever had a plan.
Sure, she always knew that she’d attend college after high school. With parents who had both made careers in the medical field, Lou had never doubted that she’d follow their lead and soak up as much education as she could. Money wasn’t an issue, so when she turned 18 and Duke University accepted her, she thought it would be ideal. She moved to North Carolina and spent four years studying the liberal arts, unable to decide on a tangible career path. Nothing seemed to fit, and even though she earned her degree, she didn’t really know what she was going to do after college. It was lucky that her best friend needed a roommate in Boston, Lou mused, or she might have ended up back with her parents four years ago.
Shaking her head, Lou glanced up as the train rolled to a stop. Standing unsteadily, she tried to ignore the raging pity party in her mind. As the doors whooshed open, the cold winter air assaulted her again. For the first time she realized that she’d left her coat behind in the employee lounge.

2--------------------------
Hesitating for a moment, Lou considered taking the train back and getting her things.
“There’s no going back,” she whispered. Even the excuse of her coat might be enough to put her back in her manager’s office, begging for her job back. Shivering, Lou hurried up the stairs and out of the tunnel. The old black light posts were swathed in candy cane stripes, and every window she passed displayed some holiday decorations. What a time to be unemployed, Lou thought sourly as she buzzed the doorman at her apartment.
Unlocking the door on the seventeenth floor, Lou called out nervously, “Hello? Tammy?” Her roommate didn’t answer, and Lou felt relieved. She wasn’t ready to face anyone yet, not until she’d figured out her next step. Checking the kitschy clock on the wall of the hallway, Lou realized it was only a quarter after four. Tammy wouldn’t be home ‘til seven or later. Relaxing, Lou stacked her boots neatly in the hall closet and headed to the kitchen.
The sleek, modern kitchen was a mess: remnants from Tammy’s last party were still strewn across the stainless countertops. Sighing, Lou plugged in the electric kettle and searched for a mug. While she waited for the kettle to whistle, she started to tidy up. She loaded the dishwasher carelessly and overfilled the soap container, but when she was done the room looked much more presentable. Satisfied, Lou added a packet of hot chocolate to the mug. After a moment’s hesitation, she stirred a hearty dollop of vanilla vodka into the chipped Disney World souvenir.
Leaning against the counter, Lou studied the apartment. The kitchen was open to the rest of the space, and from her vantage point, Lou could see the living room and the stairs that led to her lofted bedroom. She sighed, wondering how much longer she’d get to enjoy this apartment with her best friend. Her parents had helped her out with bills from time to time, but Lou felt certain that all assistance of this kind would stop if they found out she was no longer employed.
“What’s the matter with me?” She wondered out loud, tears in her eyes. Taking her mug, she crossed to the living room and flopped down on the fluffy red sofa. She began flipping aimlessly through the stack of magazines on the coffee table.
Suddenly, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. Glancing at the cracked screen, Lou saw that it was Tammy calling. Sighing, she flipped the phone open.
“Hello?”
Tammy’s voice was crackly but excited. “Lou? Guess what? You’ll never guess what happened!”
Lou sighed, annoyed. “What?”
“They gave me an account!” Tammy squealed in delight. “Did you hear?”
“Tammy, that’s amazing!”
“And the best part is, guess where the account is based? Guess!”
Not wanting to play games, Lou asked, “Would you just tell me?”
“Scotland! Isn’t that awesome?”
Stunned speechless, Lou just stared at the phone.
“Lou! Louisa! Are you still there?”
She shook herself. “Yes, I’m here. Tammy, that’s great!”
“I know! They want me to go over there next week to check things out and meet everybody.”
“But isn’t next week Christmas? What about your family?”

3------------------------------
Tammy laughed. “They won’t care. But Lou, wouldn’t it be perfect to spend Christmas in Scotland?”
Lou agreed that it would be. She ignored the small bubble of jealousy starting to form in her heart.
“Tammy, I’m really excited for you.”
“For us, you mean.”
“What are you talking about?”
Tammy’s voice broke into a garbled stream of words.
“Tammy!” Lou shouted. “I can’t hear you.”
“In the T…we’ll talk… home…”
The cell phone made a crunching sound and the call dropped. Lou looked at her phone and leaned back into the couch cushions. Wasn’t it just like fate to give Tammy something so wonderful, she mused, when she was so miserable? Sniffing, Lou drained her cup of spiked cocoa and headed upstairs to lie down.

4-----------------------

As the flames rose, Isobel stopped cursing and instead started to make a shrill, screaming whine, much like the sound of the sap boiling in the logs at her feet. It was so eerie, so utterly un-human that even the executioner, a man long seasoned to the sounds of death, wanted to cover his ears and sob into the skirt of the nearest woman.
The sound carried from the village green, through the streets and wynds, penetrating the windows and doors shut tight against the execution. It was as if not attending could erase the sin of allowing it to happen in the first place. No one who heard that sound could reconcile it with the once melodious voice of the burning woman. The evil thing at the stake was not a woman they remembered or recognized.
Their memories were as short as the day, from the morning after her terrible deeds were revealed and the witch was brought into town bound in the back of a pony cart. It was suddenly as if none of the villagers knew the poor creature at all. None could recall seeking her help, and none would avow that she had always been kind and ready to bake breads for town feasts or to watch the little ones play while their parents danced together. Kindness lingers less than murder, for it was obvious to all that the woman had murdered at least three souls, if not countless others. Justice was being served, and her blood would not stain the god fearing hands in St. Andrews. She was not their responsibility, and they wanted to take no claim for her evil.
-------------

That's it! Everyone, go ahead and read this book. It's fantastic.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Book Review: Origin by Jessica Khoury.

Origin Origin by Jessica Khoury.
Book Summary: Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

Liana's Summary: Pia is 'perfect'. Immortal. She can't die. She's forever young. She's determined to reach her one goal- to become one of the scientists of Little Cam- to be let in on the secret of creating more immortals like her. And one day, just one day- she'll be surrounded by immortals. The whole world will be full of immortals that can't die. That is her dream. But when she meets Eio in the forest, she's not so sure anymore of what she actually wants.

Rate(1-10): 10!

Oh my goodness. This book was so ridiculously good. I mean, I thought it would be good already because of the gorgeous cover. I first heard/saw this book on my Goodreads sidebar when I was browsing. Thank you, Goodreads! The ad totally caught my attention. I've been wanting to read this for such a long while. I was about to save it for way later but then my friend read it and said it was good so it got me motivated. And the book ended up being better than the cover! Which is totally mind-blowing. This is now one of my favorites. omg.

Anyways, my city's library had this book giveaway thing, and of course I went- had a book haul of 17. And this book was one of them. I was literally screaming in my head when I saw it.

Enough of that--

So, the main character, Pia, seems really conceited at first. Mainly because she's immortal and she's 'perfect'. She has perfect memory, really good reflexes, etc, etc. And she can't even die. It got really annoying how she thought she was all that. Afterwards, though, I found out that she's insecure. Just a bit. Because all the scientists in Little Cambridge want her to pass all the tests. She's wondering if she's able to do it. Sometimes it's like she's conceited without meaning to be. Also, her attitude is kind of alkjfaljklajfdklaj (I can't even put it in words) that she adds fuel to the already-huge fire. Which just makes things worse. But what I like about her is that she's stubborn. And curious. Don't forget the curious. (Curiosity killed the cat, but immortals can't be killed.) If she wasn't curious at all I would be dying of boredom. All the scientists in Little Cam are hiding something from her, which is really rude because she deserves to know her origin. Gosh. They were being so secretive it got on my nerves. All their secrets caused her to be a frog in a well. Which is a fable, talking about the ignorance the frog had in its well, thinking that the well was the center of the universe, etc, not believing that there was an outside world at all. Well, Pia was sort of like that.

"OMG, LITTLE CAMBRIDGE CAN'T BE THAT SMALL!"

Her ignorance was disconcerting and it was bothering me a bit. But then it's not really her fault. So I can't blame her. I can just blame all the scientists.

Pia is a really great protagonist, though. She stayed strong throughout the book and refused to fall. Also she's a really good example of a character that wants something at first, so sure of what they want, and then later, deciding that they don't want it so bad after all.

Anyways, t
here's this specific character. Harriet Fields. Aka Dr. Fields. Aka Dr. Klutz. Aka Aunt Harriet (A lot of aunts are named Harriet. Guess that has a nice ring to it.). Or just Harriet in the end. When she's first introduced to the story, you don't know whether to trust her, to hate her, or something. She's totally unpredictable. But then, oh-ho. Later in the story. She just tells her readers what to think! (No assumptions guys. Can be good or bad.)

The author does a really good job of foreshadowing that the reader could guess what was about to happen. Which is really cool. At first I thought that something was going to happen to the pet because something always happens to poor little fictional animals. But thank goodness nothing happened. I wanted to cry in relief.
Oh, and Eio. Ermahgerd. He is so amazing. He's so beguiling I can't even breathe. Okay, I love his hotness. (Abs, jawline, eyes. omg.) I love his attitude. But most of all, I love how he never gave up.

So I'm going to make a Delirium reference. If you guys haven't read Delirium by Lauren Oliver, feel free to skip the next paragraph. Includes a minor spoiler. (Or major, depending on how much spoilers mean to you.)

So. Alex from Delirium. Eio reminds me of him in physical appearance. Tan skin, beautiful eyes, etc, etc. But then their attitude. So I know Alex may not be the only guy that does this, but how Eio was different reminded me of Alex greatly. So. When Alex told Lena that he was an Invalid, all she did was "EW ALEX GUHHH AWEYYY." and he didn't chase after her, didn't try to do anything. It frustrated so much out of me. But Eio. Wow. Pia was so mean to him "I don't want you; I don't need you, go away," and he still chased after her, saying "WAIT, PIA! YOU CAN'T GO INTO THESE WOODS ALONE. I'M SO SORRY." And it is so awesome and romantic and everything. No, I do not think he's a creeper. Although it's kind of creepy how every time Pia snuck into the forest he knew where she was and found her immediately. 

Basically, I just love Eio so freaking much. (Hunk.) Wow. His persistence is the best part of him, though. Because of that, he made the romance perfect. Absolutely PERFECT.

This book reminds me of Catherine Knuttson's Shadows Cast by Stars. Because of the Dystopian world and the native tribes and everything. It's like, old fashioned but still dystopian. Pretty cool, right?!

Anyways, readers, before you dive into this book, there's something you all should know- see the cover? That flower in her left hand? (Or right, depending on if she's turned the other way around. Our left, anyways.) The purple one? Well, it's called elysia. It's a huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge huge part in this story. REALLY HUGE. That's all I'll say before I arouse some spoilers.

The author is such an amazing writer. Suspenseful chapter-endings are the best. It just makes the reader want to go on, make them feel thankful that they still have pages to turn to continue the story. She's also a soccer coach. Wow. This is such an amazing debut novel.

Anyways, quotes! I didn't get this much quotes in a while!
Note: Since I got an ARC version of this book, the quotes might not be exactly alike with the published version's.


"No books,"




"Immortals. But all I see is one scrawny girl with an attitude bigger than her bra size--"

Ou snap.

"I'll stay young forever."




"You don't need to worry about anything but your studies,"

JUST LIKE MY MOTHER.

"You think I'm ugly?"
"Of course," he says,..




"I'm perfect."
image

"You are in  fact very beautiful. More beautiful than any girl I know."
image

"I know what electrified is."

I'm annoyed at how ignorant she thinks he is.

"I knew we should never have taken down the cameras in her room."


"Once, in high school, I had three boyfriends at the same time."


"You...don't know what a boyfriend is?"
/facedesk

"I want, I want..."

TO BE LOVED BY YOU~~


"You could belong with me."
Nah

"Eio's eyes slowly wander to my mouth, and he leans down..."
image

"Eio and I break apart..."
image


"It destroyed us both, Eio. Do you dare risk that?"


"..her hand is on his knee..."

Wow. Worst mom ever. I never liked her mom. Her mom is like a huge part in the antagonist group.

"Traitor."
image

"I'm sorry, Pia."

DON'T SAY YOU'RE SORRY BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT! JFDKLJ:FSLDJFSD

"WHERE IS MY SON?" Uncle Antonio bellows, leveling the two AK-47s he's holding at the lot of us. "Get away from him, you bastards!"



"I never asked to be,..."


image
------------------

Lots of physical reactions. (Explains why I couldn't breathe)
The ending of this book is so perfect. PERFECT. fdajkldajfljdaljf <3 <3
Anyways, that's it! What did you think of this review? (:

Cover Reveal: Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell.

 Deadly to Love by Mia Hoddell.

Description

There is a love that is so dangerous, so powerful, so intoxicating that it embraces your heart and smothers your mind until it leaves you defenceless.

Serena knew that but still, it didn't stop her. His name was Kai. He was the most beautiful, irresistible man she had ever encountered. Their attraction was too compelling to fight and she knew she would go to the end of the world beside him. That is love.

However behind the allure was hidden a deadly secret – a secret that threatened her fragile life... But secrets best left unsaid never remain hidden forever. When Kai reveals his true identity, she is exposed to a frightening world she had no idea existed. Controlled by powerful Elemental forces her life is placed in mortal danger.

Unbeknown to them, their lives have been entwined from the beginning and it leads her to discover an even greater secret about who she really is. As the pieces begin to unravel and death becomes a reality, Serena is forced to decide what is more important...her love or life.


The book will be released on Amazon Kindle on the 28th of November!

Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal
About the Author
Mia Hoddell lives in the UK with her family and two cats. She spends most of her time writing or reading and her preferred genre is Young Adult, Paranormal Romance. Before 2009, Mia wouldn't even pick up a book and was more interested in sports. However she finally found some novels that captured her interest and developed a love of both reading and writing. Mia began with poems and after getting two published in separate anthologies she moved onto short stories. Although she enjoyed this, Mia found she had too much to tell with too little space, so later on she created her first series The Wanderer Trilogy and from there other ideas have emerged which she hopes to turn into novels as well. The Elementals is her second series and book two will be out soon. 

For more information about Mia, her work or giveaways visit:

Friday, November 23, 2012

Book Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott.

Pure by Julianna Baggott Pure by Julianna Baggott.
Book Summary: We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run. Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her. When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Liana's Summary: Pressia is on the run from the OSR. They're going to take her. Patridge can never confide in his father. He never listens to him. Lyda is trying to get Patridge to want her. But it seems that he doesn't love her. When Pressia meets Patridge, everything is exploded into chaos.

Rate(1-10): 8

This book. I sort of liked it and I sort of didn't. But as you can see, liked it more than disliked it. (; Four stars!

I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while, first of all, because the cover is GORGEOUS (Simple covers tend to be gorgeous) and the title is so creative and the summary is so DYSTOPIAN I immediately fell in love with it. But inside I knew not to expect too much because I actually judged this book by its cover and I didn't know what to expect at all. 

In the end, I was pretty satisfied!

There are like, a lot of POVs. 3-4. All in third person. But it kind of helps that it's in third person because if it was in 1st person I would be so lost at the alternating character voices. 

I picked this book as one of the books I was going to read this week because I just had this dystopia streak- yeah, visiting my favorite genre and staying for quite a while. I can never get tired of it like I get tired of contemporary romance because each dystopian world is different. I just read ONE contemporary and I couldn't stay away from the dystopia. So I read this.

Anyways, as the cover says. People who are not part-cyborg are 'Pure'. Well, not necessarily cyborg, anyways. They're just humans that lost body parts and need replacements for arms legs and such. For example, the main character, Pressia, has a doll-head hand. It's kind of creeps. But then again she can't help it. It all reminds me of Marissa Meyer's Cinder since Cinder has a fake foot. (Ridiculously cool, right?)

Anyways, most books just show the 'propaganda' of one side, completely alienating the other side. But this book is from both Pure and un-pure point of view. So basically they're nothing shocking when an un-pure meets a Pure or a Pure meets an un-pure. Like, "OMG! IT'S A PURE! ALIEN!" But then the un-pures were really acting like that, LOL. The point is, the reader wasn't, because they've already been introduced.

The cover. The gorgeous, gorgeous cover. Mhm. That cover. It's a butterfly toy. (I hate butterflies. They're so freaking creepy.) I think it's a sort of snowglobe thing that when you twist the handle the butterfly flaps its wings. Great cover. It's gorgeous, but I still hate butterflies. How ironic.

I took longer than I thought I would (2 days for 400 pages. Seriously?) and halfway through I got really tired and the plot just didn't suck me in that much. But the latter half- oh, that's a totally different story. I LOVED THE LATTER HALF. THE LATTER HALF SAVED THIS BOOK'S RATING. It's where all the action, suspense, and traces of romance APPEAR. Wow. 

The beginning is just not cute. But then 1/3 through it STARTED to suck me in because Pressia and Patridge met. And then it lost me again.. and then I got sucked in after.

One of the characters that had a point of view, Lyda, was this girl that was trying to suck up to Patridge. Honestly, I could have cared less about her chapters. I still don't like her. But I guess other people are obliged to like her because of what she did. But I still don't like her. 

Patridge is such an interesting name. It's a nickname for Ripkard and they don't even sound alike. Wow. AND HE'S NOT EVEN HOT. But then I love his character. He's all very tolerant and determined and everything and still tolerant after people treat him like that just because he's Pure and they cut off his finger and even after that-- yeah. Basically my point is expressed.

The romance is just wow. No. I don't like it. It's really really really really really really really really really slow and I expected Patridge and Pressia to get together but.... no.

Anyways, that's all I really have to say. The amount of dystopia in this book is flipping amazing.

The ending is pretty cool. Liked it.

Quotes!

"...on the left side, over his heart.."

Hearts are in the middle of your chest, for goodness sake.

"She likes his face, a survivor's face, a sharp jaw.."




"What are you doing that for?"




(I love Dean omg)

"People call me Patridge."


Moriarty: GASP!!!

"The dirt," he says, his voice strangely peaceful.
"What about it?" she asks.
"It's dirty."




(I love Niall too)

"The sound--almost a pop--"




"For some reason, she likes it."

Being called a bastard? Uh huh.

"Maybe they just didn't have anywhere they needed to go."

Gosh I love this quote so much.

"Did he have a thing for you?"

Ermagerd, LOL. Nope. She wishes.

" She almost starts to cry..."

What a braaaaaat.

"Go collect my fine wife."

One does not simply say that.

"He kisses her on the lips,..."




"I'm El Capitan."




"I'd like to kill one Pure before I die."




"Impossible. He was always old. He was born old."

Just like Dumbledore.

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Anyways, that's it! What did you think of this review?(;

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Follow Friday #12!

Follow Friday!

This meme is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View. Featured blogs are.. Julie @ My 5 Monkeys and Bewitched Bookworms.


Q: Are you thankful for a fellow blogger? Tell us about him or her.

Well, let's see. Today I would like to thank Cindy at http://bookaholicfaggots.blogspot.com. Because she's more than my fellow book blogger! We can always talk books and talk about more than that. We can fangirl together and stuff. Her book recommendations are 95% of the time KILLER. Love them. Most of the time, anyways. (Yeah Cindy, 5% lost because of that one series. omg.) Buuuuuut, what would I do without her? I used to blog with her but then I got too busy and I quit, and then she was being so nice about it. She didn't even get mad! We always, always write and work on our to-be-one-day-read-by-many books together and share ideas and everything. She always gives me food too. She's like, amazing. I would love to thank her today ESPECIALLY because she entered me in this week's Feature and Follow because I called her and said I didn't have computer access earlier. LOL. Anyways, I actually am thankful for ALL my followers for giving me so much encouragement with their comments and letting me have fun seeing the enthusiastic reactions I get from my reviews. Okay, so yeah!


If you follow me, just leave a comment below and I'll be more than glad to follow back!

Happy Friday and Happy Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

Before I Fall Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.
Book Summary: What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Liana's Summary: After dying, Sam only has one day to live- over and over and over again. She wakes up, boom. It's the morning of that same day after she lived it already. The 'best' part is, no one remembers what happens each day. So Sam can start from a clean slate every day and experiment all she wants. But that doesn't really mean it's a good thing.

Rate(1-10): 10

Wow. I totally wanted to read this because it came from LAUREN OLIVER. You know what Lauren Oliver did to me. She has to make her fans wait so long just for book 3 of Delirium! UGH. I'm literally dying here. Anyways, I totally forgot how amazing her writing style is. This book just reminded me. Wow. Just wow. I always thought that I was in love with Delirium because of the amazing plot and plot twists but all that was because of Lauren Oliver's writing.

Okay. Enough of that. The plot.

Basically, Sam. How do I explain her. She's so freaking ugh in the beginning. Like, ew. I just didn't like her at all. She tried to be all bad and mean and ahem, 'cool and popular.' But.. the good thing is, the amount of character development that unfolded before my eyes is flipping amazing. I seriously liked Sam a lot at the end of the book. I seriously hated her in the beginning though. She MADE OUT with her freaking teacher. And she doesn't care about other people's life and death. Ugh.

The plot is all so tragic. (Yet lovely)

Anyways, the main character just dies one day and then wakes up as herself the day she died, in the morning, completely fine, starting the day over again, and then the next day she wakes up that same day. If that makes sense. Gosh, I just reread that sentence and caused myself to get a headache. Well, basically she's reliving the same day over and over again with a clean slate every morning without anyone remembering she did anything. Which isn't good but good at the same time because, well, she can fix her mistakes and try different things out. But then she has to fall in love ALL OVER AGAIN EVERY DAY. It's not like it's too difficult because the poor guy has already loved her for a long time. The romance is perfect. Liana approves. In fact, I applaud. I love love love love love the romance here.

My favorite part in the whole entire book is where she told Kent that his kiss was the best kiss she had, and then he says that he never kissed her, and then she says that he'd better hurry up and kiss her then. It was so cute. Wow. He just totally reminds me of Twilight because Kent radiates heat like Jacob does. Wow. It's too.. contemporary for werewolves to exist anyways.

This book reminds me of David Levithan's Every Day and Alex Flinn's Bewitching because, like EVERY DAY, the main characters is forced to live a day that she doesn't exactly want to. And they both do reckless things just because no one will know except themselves. It's different, but still the same. LOL. And like Bewitching, there's social bullying problems and at least one of the characters are a $*32$!@(#*$*#@$)@%&DFSKLJFSKL:DJ. yeah. You get it. It's just like Bewitching and Every Day mixed and mashed together, with the awesome extra ingredient of Lauren Oliver's writing style.

I seriously think the reliving-the-day-over-again was pretty cool. It just made Sam realize how horrible she was in the beginning and change for the better. If the ending wasn't so tragic everything would have been different. I guess it's a necessary sacrifice.

The title means a lot, now that I look at it. This book is fabulously amazing.

Anyways, quotes!

"My parents are away this weekend.."

My question: Why do fictional teenagers always do badass things when their parents are away?!

"She's always going off on tangents.."

That's the definition of one of my former teachers omg.

"..and Ally's OCD and.."

I'M OCD!!

"..planting a wet kiss on my cheek.."

image

"Open-mouthed, slurpy, moaning kind of kissing..."
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"..taking one of her infamously long showers.."

Psh. I take like 40 minutes.

"..away and starts flirting with the waiters in bad French."

C'est nul.

"R u sick?"

This is what I wanted to comment about. So, Sam's boyfriend, Rob, is a huge jerk. Why are they even still together? All he wants is to have sex. This is partially the reason why I didn't like Sam in the beginning. Because she didn't know. He can't even say "I love you" without abbreviating it to "Luv ya" and he can't even type out the ARE when he texts his girlfriend to asks if she's sick. Just wow.

"..that my head fits perfectly in Kent's shoulder..."

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"..punch in Kent's number..."

Someone tell me how she memorizes his number.
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And yeah, that's it! Man, I just realized these quotes are so ridiculously quotable.
What did you think of this review? (;