Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Date Released: September 27th, 2011
Pages: 432
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
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?

Review:
I thought that Daughter of Smoke & Bone was absolutely unique and full of awesomeness.  It definitely had a really cool twist on the story of angels and demons.

In Karou's world, the demons are made up of different parts of animals. They could have a lion's head, a human's arms, a turtle's body, or a flamingo's legs.  The angels are a different story.  They are beautiful creatures, more like humans actually, with wings and gorgeous bodies, like Akiva (BTW, isn't Akiva such a cool name?).  I loved this unique aspect of the demon and angel world.  It still has the same concept that they're at war, but how they were described just seemed so vivid and amazing.

The characters were really awesome!  I loved Karou and her whimsicalness.  If she were a real person, I think she'd make a really cool friend to hang out with, although she has a tendency to lie, but still.  She's pretty amazing.  Her friend, Zusana, was SO cute!  She's described as this little, short 17(ish?) year old and full of cuteness, although she probably wouldn't want to be described as cute... But still!  Ohhh, and Akiva!  He's the gorgeous soldier of the book and Karou's love interest.  Ahhh, I think that basically sums Akiva up :)

The plot was really interesting in that it started with Karou and eventually snowballed into Karou finding out who she really is and why she and Akiva have this almost sort of instant chemistry between them.  It's definitely a starcrossed lover sort of story with both of them not meant for each other because of what they are, which makes their love for each other really sweet.  I loved how Taylor went back and forth in the second-halfish of the novel between Karou in the past and Karou in the present because it added so much more intrigue to the overall story.

Taylor's overall writing was absolutely beautiful.  With vivid descriptions of everything around Karou and the insight into her thoughts, it just really sucked me in.  Everything just flowed so well that it's almost hard to explain it.

A very whimsical book full of mystery, Daughter of Smoke & Bone was just absolutely perfect, blending the war between demons and angels with a modern-day setting of Prague and beautiful writing, giving it this cool vibe.  I'm totally going to read Taylor's other book, Lips Touch Three Times, and I'll definitely be on the look out for the second book, Days of Blood & Starlight!

Cover Review:
I LOVE this cover!  The light blue feathered mask in contrast with the white and black really makes it pop out.  I'm totally in love with the font for the title as well.  Can't wait to see what they'll do for the second book!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from the library.

Starstruck: LA Times Festival of Books!

On Saturday, I got the chance to go to the LA Times Festival of Books!!  Yeah!!  I was so excited in the morning (even though I was kind of sleep deprived).  But overall, I'm glad that I got to go because there were some fantastic authors out there on Saturday and I got to get 6 of my books signed :)

First, I went to the "YA Stage" for a panel called "To Be Continued..." which was basically about the authors and their series.  DJ MacHale was there (he's the author of the Pendragon series and Morpheous Road), as well as Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia of the Beautiful Creatures series.  Lauren Kate, who wrote the Fallen series was also there as well.  So, I got a ton of books signed (which really means I only got four books signed).  I would have brought my whole entire Pendragon series if I could, but that's a total of 10 books. 10 BOOKS!

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl posing with my copy of
Beautiful Chaos :D

*sigh* Me smiling awkwardly with Lauren Kate :)

Next, I got to see Stephanie Perkins, who wrote Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, which are absolutely amazing books.  I was so excited to meet her and she was super duper nice.  I'm kind of socially awkward when it comes to meeting new people, especially authors, I tend to freeze up and just say, "Hi!" and "Thank you!" because I really never know what to say, but she was able to get a couple more words out of me :)  Gayle Forman and Nina LaCour were also there with her, but I already had If I Stay and Where She Went signed at last year's Festival of Books, so instead I got a "Team Adam" pin and a couple posters for The Disenchantments :)  Ahhh, I'm such a happy child right now :D

Stephanie Perkins (signing another person's book;
my mom took the picture ahead of me in line)

The posters.  Aren't they awesome??

My last signing was the John Green signing.  That one was kind of hectic in a way.  And definitely confusing.  At the booth, I guess if you wanted the "priority pass" you had to buy one of his books from their booth, but I had already read all of his books and didn't really want to buy them, so I was stuck in the "non priority line."  But, my friend Victoria, a Nerdfighter who came with her "Keep Calm and DFTBA" shirt and FTL (French the Llama) poster, came with me to that signing and we talked about what her reaction would be because she was nervous but definitely excited to get to meet John Green.

John Green! Signing another person's books (again).

Overall, it was SO fun, even though a majority of it was spent in lines and walking through hoards of people.  I've always enjoyed it and have been going to them since 2010, when I got back from China.  I never really go on both days because of homework and stuff, but it's always fun if you can go for at least one day.

The book festival definitely made up for missing Lauren Oliver and & Tahereh Mafi when they visited a bookstore literally like 5 miles away from my house.  

Ahhh!  Next year will be my last year unless I decide to stay in the LA area for college.  I'll definitely have to go next year and make it an all day event!  I'm already excited for next year.  I don't even know why.  

Cleo :)

Waiting on Wednesday (40): We Don't Die

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

We Don't Die by Emmy Laybourne

June 5th, 2012

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.  

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart. 

I'm not sure if this is called We Don't Die, or Monument 14, but this definitely sounds like it's right up my ally. I love stories like this, like the Gone series. Full of intensity and set in such an interesting environment, this totally seems like the book for me. I can't wait for it!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Like Mandarin

Title: Like Mandarin
Author: Kristen Hubbard
Date Released: March 8th, 2011
Pages: 320
Rating: 3 out of 5

Description:
It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin. 

When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their Badlands town. 

Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal.

Review:
Like Mandarin is a sort of coming of age story where main character Grace Carpenter tries to find herself, but sort of in the wrong place.  She tries to find herself in Mandarin Ramney, the complete opposite of quiet and intelligent Grace.

Grace was a pageant child, you know, like Toddlers & Tiaras, except she was smart enough to quit, even though it cost her a close win, and a close relationship with her mother.   Now she's sort of like the outcast-- she basically has no friends, and seems to have this obsession with Mandarin that she keeps to herself.  When they're put together for a school project, they become close, and Grace tries changing into Mandarin, while it's slowly discovered that Mandarin isn't who she seems to be on the outside.

Like Mandarin was definitely about Grace trying to find herself.  It was a coming of age story where Grace tries to see where she fits in.  I think that because she was so lonely, she saw herself as being "like Mandarin" who was the complete opposite in personality and lifestyle.

I liked Like Mandarin and everything that was going on, from the ruined relationships to the unpredictable personality of Mandarin and making their plans to get out of boring Washokey.  I just couldn't feel the connection with the characters though.  Grace and Mandarin just seemed really far off to me, probably due to Grace being a bit too attached Mandarin and wanting to be exactly how she was.  I think that the one character that I liked was Grace's little sister, Taffeta (weird name, but still, she's adorable).

Plot wise, I liked seeing the development of the relationship between Grace and Mandarin.  It went from sweet and nice to a bit scary.  I was becoming a little terrified after a while at how unpredictable Mandarin could be.  Sometimes it could be a little slow, but the relationship developments between Grace and Mandarin, and even her mom as well, were what made Like Mandarin.

Overall, Like Mandarin was a good book.  I wasn't completely in love with it because I don't think that it was completely for me since I tend to like a bit of romance in my books and this one doesn't have any romance.  So, sometimes I felt that it dragged on a bit, but the whole novel overall was really intriguing with getting to explore the relationships that Grace has with others around her.  I'm definitely going to pick up Kristen Hubbard's next book, Wanderlove, though to give that a try since I've only heard great things about it.

Cover Review:
I think that the cover is an okay cover.  I like the orange and green colors along with the picture on the bottom half.  It doesn't really jump out at you though or convey anything significant, although I do love the attitude that the model is expressing.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from my local library.

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Date Released: January 2nd, 2012
Pages: 256
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Description:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (Phew! That's a long title (I'm shortening it to THSPLFS)) is one of the cutest stories, right up there with Anna and the French Kiss. Why is it right up there with Anna and the French Kiss? Well, for starters, the male love interest is British. And then the book is set in England. Everything was just so darn cute!

Obviously, the book is pretty predictable (you can kind of tell by the cover), but it's everything in the middle that makes it so intriguing. The middle isn't just about Hadley realizing that she's in love with Oliver, but she also tries to come to terms with the fact that her father is remarrying... In a completely different country. There's also the longing that Hadley goes through of needing to see Oliver again. Her little adventure to go find him was really fun, too, since she was kind of exploring London at the same time, although in a bit of a rushed mode.

Oliver was SO cute. He makes me wish that I could meet a British gentleman (yes, he was very much a gentlemen) in an airport on the way to England. He was just incredibly kind to Hadley and super duper funny. I really liked Hadley, too. I guess in a way she could be stubborn and a bit of a brat with not wanting to meet her stepmother and all, but she was still cool. She had this sort of fragileness that made her fit with Oliver.

I totally wish that THSPLFS could have been a bit longer though. It's such a short book! I guess it's understandable as to why it's so short; it's about love at first sight after all. But still, I wanted to be stuck in this world of love at first sight for at least more than two days (the amount of days it took me to read it).

Overall, THSPLFS was an incredibly cute book. It was really sweet and adorable, and just the whole setting and the characters in general really sucked me into the novel. Definitely give it a shot if you're looking for a novel similar to Anna and the French Kiss, because it pretty much has that foreign country, English boy theme.  It doesn't quite beat Anna, but it's close ;)

Cover Review:
The cover is almost just as adorable as the book. I love the couple with the heart around them and how they're in a somewhat crowded airport sort of ignoring every thing around them. The font for the title absolutely adds to the cuteness factor of the cover. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the people in the background because it makes the cover seem sort of creepy in a way. Other than that, it's a cute cover :)

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

Booklopedia Has a Facebook!

Hey everyone!

I FINALLY set up a Facebook page for Booklopedia that you can like! You can click the link here to go check it out. It hasn't got much yet, but I'll definitely be updating it all the time with posts and such, so if you can't follow via GFC or Networked Blogs, then you can now follow through Facebook :)

I've been wanting to do this for a while, but wasn't sure of how to, but I finally got it last night after investigating for a while. Hopefully next Twitter will be on the way?

Cleo :)

All Things Asian Event!

So, this event actually started on Monday (April 2nd) and I really wanted to write a post about it, because not only am I interviewed and wrote a guest post, it's a pretty cool event overall celebrating all things Asian in young adult literature. The event is hosted by Julia at That Hapa Chick, Lucia at iLiveiLaughiLoveBooks, and Izzy from My Words Ate Me, so go check it out!! They're even having a really cool giveaway where you can win one of several books written by an Asian author or contains Asian characters! xD

Lucia from iLiveiLaughiLoveBooks wrote this little list of Asian stereotypes on her blog so I thought I'd share it with you because it's pretty clever... Although I don't follow half of those stereotypes so I guess I'm not really Asian ;) I'll bold the ones that I actually do follow.

Are you Asian? Are you not Asian, but think you should've been born Asian? If the majority of the following statements apply to you, then you're probably Asian! 

You wear glasses.You eat rice for most meals.You keep a straight-A report card. Anything else would result in disownment.You have your sights set on Harvard. Anything else would result in family dishonor.  You play piano. Or violin. Or both.You listen to k-pop.Sushi? Raw fish? BRING IT ON.Speed limits are trivial things.You tark Engrish rike this.You often say "Too expensive!!!" or "I'll wait until it is cheaper."Pokemon is your life.Chopsticks are basically extensions of your fingers.Your email address ends in an "8."You have anime marathons. (Sleep? What's that?)

I will say that the most astonishing thing is that I can't use chopsticks properly.  It's pretty embarrassing :/  And my parents aren't that hardcore about Harvard, but I guess it'd be nice hehe :D

I hope that you check out the event that the three lovely bloggers put together and check out my interview and guest post when they're published, which I think is on My Words Ate Me some day soon... So look out for that!

Cleo :)

Waiting on Wednesday (39): Belles

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

Belles by Jen Calonita

April 10th, 2012

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

This one sounds really good and definitely different from what I normally like to read. I don't think that I've read many books set in the South either, so this one should be a fun read :) The cover is absolutely gorgeous as well though, and I love the light pink!

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Pandemonium

Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Date Released: February 28th, 2012
Pages: 375
Rating: 5 out of 5

Description:
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Review:
After I finished this, I was like, "Whoa, this was a pretty mind blowing book." Because it just simply was. Lauren Oliver still manages to deliver an excellent sequel to the first in the trilogy, Delirium, defeating the stereotypical "sophomore slump."

In Pandemonium, you see Lena in a completely different way. She's been introduced to the deliria by Alex, and now that she's off into "real" world, she's a much stronger person who has fallen into another forbidden romance, but forbidden in a different way this time.

There are a brand new set of characters this time and all of them are uniquely amazing. Raven was realistic and like the mother of the group. Julian was pretty awesome. The way that he's described makes him seem so sheltered and innocent in a way that I for some reason like. I guess it's because then his character won't over power Lena's character, and he's sort of like how Lena was in Delirium-- learning about the deliria and how it just feels so good to love others.

Pandemonium is full of intensity because of the struggle to survive in such a harsh environment outside of the protective barrier, and the risk of being caught as a revolutionary. Every moment was full of adrenaline and made me want to jump and down like a little child getting a lollipop. Ahhh! It makes me giddy just thinking about it!!

Another reason why I absolutely loved Pandemonium was because of Lauren Oliver's writing. It just all flows beautifully and draws you in so much to the point that you can't get back out.  Also, everything that Lauren Oliver writes about seems sooo beautiful when they honestly aren't.  

Ohmygoodness... This one leaves on an even BIGGER cliffhanger than the one before!  The ending is such a crazy whirlwind of... insanity!!  I think that was the mind blowing part that really got me.  

Overall, Pandemonium was an AMAZING sequel to Delirium.  It's a new start for Lena with a new environment and new people... But she still connects to her former life through her thoughts of Alex. Intensity comes in a new form this time-- through the cruel environment rather than the oppression of society. If you haven't read Delirium yet, then DEFINITELY go out and get it. Go. Get. It. And you might as well buy Pandemonium while you're at it, too  :)

Cover Review:
I really like the cover for Pandemonium, but I just never really understood the tropical flowers and fruits concept because it isn't really like they're in the tropics, they only go as far as New York. Don't get me wrong, I still love the cover and the tropical flowers, I just simply don't really think that they fit in with the book. I also sort of secretly wish that they kept with the original cover design of Delirium. I absolutely loved the design of that cover.

Cleo :)
(the girl who's mind was blown)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.

A Little Hunger Games Inspired Post

Yesterday, I saw The Hunger Games.  To sum it up in one word, it was AMAZING.  It almost feels surreal that I watched the movie because I've been anticipating it this WHOLE entire week, and when you're really excited for something, it tends to feel unreal when you get to experience it.  

So, in honor of the release of the movie I decided to do a little post with some cool Hunger Game themed pictures!  Most of them might be of Peeta... But that's because I am sort of in love with Peeta (and Josh Hutcherson)... I really can't help it ;)

 

 

This is currently my laptop wallpaper :D
Credit

 

I want this pin so badly! 

 

 
 

If you haven't had the chance to see The Hunger Games yet, definitely try and see it soon! It won't disappoint! Some parts of it actually made me want to cry (like the scene where Rue dies), and I'm not really a cryer, so that's definitely saying something.

If you already saw the movie, what did you think of it?

Cleo :)

*All pictures (except for Peeta Wallpaper) are from weheartit.com

Review: Chopsticks

Title: Chopsticks
Author: Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral
Date Released: February 2nd, 2012
Pages: 272
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Glory is a piano prodigy.

After her mother died, she retreated into her music. Her father raised her with the goal of playing sold out shows at Carnegie Hall and across the globe. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to Frank, who moves in next door. She loses herself in his paintings and drawings, mix CD’s and late-night IM conversations. Soon, Frank becomes both her connection to the world--and her escape from reality.

Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks”; F and G notes moving closer together, and farther apart.

Now, Glory has disappeared. But nothing is what it seems. And we must decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along.

Review:
Chopsticks is definitely one of the coolest books that I've read so far this year! It's sort of like a picture book for young adults, using pictures and selected sentences to portray the story. In a way, you could also describe it as a scrapbook because of various items depicted, such as news articles and drawings, to portray Glory's story.  I loved studying each page to grasp the meaning and connect it to the story.

Chopsticks is a different novel, and one that's sort of hard to explain without giving anything away. As you can tell by the description, it's a pretty mind boggling book. "Frank becomes both her connection to the world-- and her escape from reality"? That definitely caught me off guard and by the time I finished the book, I think I finally understood what it meant.

The story doesn't really have any background to it. I guess you sort of have to assume a couple things, like the background of Glory's dad and why he's so intent on her selling all of her shows. It's all about Glory and Frank... Especially Glory. That's the primary focus of the story-- watching Glory as her life sort of spirals downward.

The ending is a little complex. I had to read it several times so I could figure out what was happening, but I eventually came to a conclusion [at the last minute... I had to return it to the library :( ]. The ending is pretty ambiguous, so you really have to go back ten or twenty pages to piece everything together, but you eventually get it.

The pictures were absolutely beautiful. You could feel the emotions through each photograph and capture the meaning of each picture.  It was definitely like each picture "was worth a thousand words." The photos had that sort of "vintage-y" feel. I don't know the exact term, but it's like they were edited using Instagram; even though they were definitely not ;) Each page was especially important in telling the story, and the photos were absolutely beautiful, really adding more to the story than words could describe.

Overall, I really liked Chopsticks. It had this cool concept with a amazing story line that will keep you guessing in the end. Having it told in pictures leaves the ending out in the open and full of many different possibilities. It's definitely one of the most unique books that I've read and I'd recommend it if you're looking for a book with a twist!

Cover Review:
I love this cover. It's sweet and soft and it makes me smile :) It has this light, airy feeling because of the light blue background and Frank's yellow shirt. I also love the title font... It's loud and bold, but doesn't quite distract from Glory and Frank.  I really love this cover and I think it explains almost everything about the book.

Cleo :)

*Descriptions and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from local library.

Waiting on Wednesday (38): The Raven Boys

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

September 18th, 2012

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart. 

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong. 

I loved Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series and LOVED The Scorpio Races. So, I definitely CANNOT wait to read The Raven Boys! Maggie manages to write the most coolest stories and about the coolest mythological creatures. Like water horses? Umm... That was pretty amazing.

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Cover Release: Burn for Burn!

I recently spotted the cover for Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian's collaboration, Burn for Burn!

 

Burn for Burn

September 18th, 2012

The start of a brand-new young adult trilogy about three very different girls who overcome their differences and band together to seek revenge on those who have wronged them, uncovering a supernatural secret about what brought them together and why in the process. Each book will rotate back and forth between the perspectives of all three characters. 

I love it! I think the story is supposed to be kind of like a bit of contemporary mixed with a bit of supernatural involved, too? I would have guessed that it was completely about the supernatural judging by the description from Goodreads, but the cover makes it seem more like a contemporary sort of novel. I really love the design overall. It's a great cover!

Jenny Han's Summer series was absolutely FANTASTIC! So, I'm definitely excited to read this one!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Review: Soul Thief

Title: Soul Thief
Author: Jana Oliver
Date Released: August 30th, 2011
Pages: 339
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…

Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

Review:
Soul Thief was definitely another roller coaster ride. The first one, The Demon Trapper's Daughter, didn't exactly amaze me, but I really liked Soul Thief a lot more. I felt like a lot more happened in Soul Thief than in The Demon Trapper's Daughter, and the story really drew me in.

The previous book left off on a sort of cliffhanger with a lot of questions that needed answering. In Soul Thief, Riley embarks on a journey of sorts to find answers to her questions.  It added another mystery to the series, really keeping you glued to the book so you could find out the answers.  While some of the questions still remain a mystery, you learn a lot more about Riley, Beck, and even grumpy old Harper.

I still loved Riley because of her strength and bravery.  She still definitely defies the norms of her society, which would be to go to school and stay out of all of the demon trapping, but being in the demon business gives her an edge and the bravery to deal with demons and get wrapped up in all this demons vs. angels business.  Simon really changed a lot, and I LOVED him in The Demon Trapper's Daughter and rooted for him to be with Riley.  However, in Soul Thief, he becomes the complete opposite of sweet and caring.  Beck also sort of changed in a way, too, and now I'm kind of rooting for him to be with Riley because he truly does care about her, even though the age difference is pretty big.

There was a new character that was added, Ori.  He's sort of the mysterious character in the novel, and I guess his place in the story is sort of like part of the love... square.  Yeah, I think that's what you'd call it since Beck likes Riley who's sort of boyfriend is Simon, but the thing is that she also likes Ori, who really likes Riley, too.  It's a really complicated love square, but by the end it's pretty much sorted out.

Soul Thief brought in a lot of magic, making the story different from most demons vs. angels type novels.  The necromancers were also a lot more involved, so the story has become a lot more diverse, bringing in angels, demons, necromancers, witches, and magic.  It's definitely made the book really interesting with tying in all of these different paranormal figures, especially with the whole demons vs. angels concept.  It's been a little confusing because I don't quite understand who's on what side, which could just be me, but other than that I loved everything that was happening.

Soul Thief also has its little moments of intensity.  There were scenes where there would be a lot of spellbinding action, but then the action would die down for a bit, and then pick up.  The ending was definitely  really intriguing as well.  It's a surprising ending that catches you off guard.  It's a little confusing, but it keeps you wanting more.

Overall, I really liked Soul Thief and I thought it was better than The Demon Trapper's Daughter, actually, in terms of how captivating it was.  I'm definitely looking forward to see how it all plays out in the next one, Forgiven!

Cover Review:
I can't say that I'm the biggest fan of the cover, but I still kind of like it because of the contrast between the solid blue and then the black and white.  I like how they've kept with the same cover concept.  The gravestone's really add a cool touch as well, and I love the vibe that it gives off which is kind of an old and dark vibe.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy borrowed from the local library.

Waiting on Wednesday (37): Timepiece

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.
This week, I absolutely can't wait for...

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking... 

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?  

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.  

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...  

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

I really liked Hourglass and the whole story was really, really cool. So, I'm totally looking forward to Timepiece! And look at that cover... Isn't it beautiful? I love the whole defying gravity theme that all the covers in the series have so far.

What are you waiting for today?

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Cover Releases: Light & Romeo Redeemed

Yay!! I just spotted the cover for Light by Michael Grant and Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay on my Goodreads!

Even though I still haven't read the third one, Lies, I'm still pretty excited for the release of Light because hopefully by then I'll be caught up with the rest of the books!

I really like the cover, although it's a little confusing because the title is Light, but the cover still seems sort of dark in a way. Either way, I really like it and how they've kept with the same cover concept for all of the books in the series. Light still doesn't come out for another year, but I'm definitely excited for its release!

I just recently read Juliet Immortal, which was really good BTW, so definitely check that out. Naturally, I was excited when I heard that there was a sequel to Juliet Immortal because it just didn't seem complete when I reached the ending.

I think that this cover is cool and I like how they try to tie in some sort of masculinity into the cover with all the blue because obviously the font isn't very masculine, and the two characters are clearly enjoying their time in the water which would probably appeal more to girls. The story is all about Romeo this time, so I just thought that it would be a smidge different. But I really do love the cover and I can't wait until it comes out in October!

What are your thoughts on the covers?

Cleo :)

*Cover from goodreads.com

Review: Under the Never Sky

Title: Under the Never Sky
Author: Veronica Rossi
Date Released: January 3rd, 2012
Pages: 374
Rating: 4 out of 5

Description:
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Review:
This has got to be one of the coolest books ever! I love dystopian novels because all of them are never really the same, and Under the Never Sky is definitely no exception.

In Under the Never Sky had some pretty cool world building going on. In this dystopian/post-apocalyptic society, living outside in The Death Shop, or even being exiled, means being at risk of losing your life to cannibals or the violent Aether storms that ravage Earth. For Aria, who's lived in her protective Pod, this fact terrifies her, but she has to face her fears after being exiled for something that she didn't commit. The whole world that Rossi creates is unpredictable and full of excitement, really keeping me glued to the book.

Aria and Perry were both really cool characters and I loved them both. Perry seems really tough on the outside, but in the inside he cares about his family, his tribe, and everything else that's really important to him. In other words, he has a soft side that makes him... lovable. Aria has that inner strength that I admire and that most dystopian female characters have. She's also pretty brave to be able to trust a "Savage" and take on the tumultuous environment that the world has become.

The relationship that develops between Aria and Perry is really sweet. It's kind of like one of those really unlikely relationships, but they somehow make it work out. Also, Perry's so nice and kind that you really can't help but just root for him and Aria to be together!

The overall storyline of Under the Never Sky was really captivating. Alternating between Aria and Perry's point of view, everything that happened was just really exciting to read about. Some parts were a little bit slow at times, but the plot would quickly pick up throwing Aria and Perry into intense situations. For me, the beginning also started off at this sort of fast pace that threw me off a bit, and I sort of felt like everything there was to know about Aria's world was being thrown at me a little to fast. But, it all played out well after a couple chapters.

Under the Never Sky was definitely an awesome debut. Sometimes it could be a little slow, or a little too fast, but other than that, the world building and the characters were great! It left on a cliffhanger, so I'm definitely looking forward to the next one, Through the Ever Night!  If you're in need of a dystopian/post-apocalyptic read, then look no further.  I'm sure that you'll like it :)

Cover Review:
I totally love this cover! I love the swirly designs in the background, and how Aria is sort of like rising out of the swirly designs. I also really like the dark bottom half in contrast with the light upper half. Overall, it's a REALLY cool cover!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy won from a giveaway.

Waiting on Wednesday (36): Time Between Us

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is brought to you by Jill at Breaking the Spine! This meme is where you can post about what book(s) you're really look forward to.

This week, I absolutely can't wait for... 

 

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.  

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.  

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, TIME BETWEEN US is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction. 

I'm really excited for this one! It kind of reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife, but like a young adult version. Look for it on shelves on October 9th!

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com

Cover Release: Beautiful Redemption!

Basically, it's the same story as the one for how I found the cover for Reached... I went onto my Goodreads account and looked at My Books, when I realized there was a snazzy new cover for Beautiful Redemption, the final book  in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl!

Isn't it such a cool cover?  I really like that green against the black and white photo.  The stairs add a really cool touch to the cover as well.  Beautiful Redemption  hits shelves on October 23rd!  Gaah!  I'm so excited :D

What are your thoughts on the cover?

Cleo :)

Review: The Way We Fall

Title: The Way We Fall
Author: Megan Crewe
Release Date: January 24th, 2012
Pages: 309
Rating: 3 out of 5

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

And then you're dead.

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

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

Megan Crewe crafts a powerful and gripping exploration of self-preservation, first love, and hope. Poignant and dizzying, this heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit will leave readers fervently awaiting the next book in this standout new series.

Review:
Full of intensity with a dark, depressing atmosphere, The Way We Fall was definitely a very captivating novel in terms of concept. It was kind of like a book version of the movie, Contagion, except the virus breaks out on a smaller scale, only within an island off the coast of Canada.

The Way We Fall is written sort of like a letter, from main character Kaelyn to her former best friend, Leo. Although I thought it seemed more like a journal than a letter since she never plans to send the letter off. It's also a lot more personal, so you would kind of forget that Kaelyn was writing to Leo until she becomes nostalgic about the good times they had together, or had a flashback to their last fight.

I really liked the concept because jogging back through my memory, I haven't really read anything like it, although it did remind me a lot of the movie Contagion. Reading about the symptoms and all of the technical things was just really cool to me because I'm really into all of the science-y stuff.

The beginning was pretty slow, and action was pretty minimal. The ending didn't really feel complete or leave me fully satisfied because it felt like a really quick wrap up. I also didn't feel the urgency in the ending like I do with most books with a sequel. It was more of a hopeful ending than a dramatic cliffhanger.

Even though I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of action, the whole novel overall was pretty intense because of the situation that Kaelyn was in. It started off with the symptoms of the virus and deaths of a couple people and eventually quickly progressed to consume almost the whole entire island. People were dying, turning violent, suffering, going crazy... These characteristics of how the islanders reacted all contributed to the dark and depressing atmosphere that Kaelyn wrote about in her account of the outbreak.

Even though I was completely in love with the concept and the plot, I wasn't so in love with the main character, Kaelyn. I felt like she had a flat personality, sort of devoid of emotion and a little monotone. It was her personality to be sort of boring and quiet, but I just felt distant from her.

The Way We Fall was definitely an interesting read. I loved the idea and the intensity of the novel, but I wasn't exactly a big fan of Kaelyn or the little bits of action. I think that I might pick up the sequel to The Way We Fall because it has piqued my interest and the ending left some questions that need to be answered. I'd also really like to see the direction in which the novel is headed.

Cover Review:
I really like this cover because it's kind of mysterious and gives off this dark vibe, but also has a solid yellow background to really make the photo stand out. The cover kind of reminded me of one of the promotional posters for the I Am Number Four movie, but I really like it and its simplicity.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy one in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.