Your Kiss Might Kill Me

Expected Publication:  February 25th, 2014

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)

By: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Harlequin Teen

ISBN-13:  9780373211104

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal.  But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal.  Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens - a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe - Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most.  Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on forever.

The she meets Roth -- a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets.  Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to -- especially when the whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne...it could brand her a traitor to her family.  Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Review

     This just might be my favorite book by JLA now, even more so than Obsidian.  I think Roth has replaced Daemon in my affections!  That said, I know a lot of people awaiting this book are worried that it's going to devolve into juvenile, annoying love triangle territory.  It definitely does NOT go down that road.  It reminded me a lot of her almost-semi-quasi love triangle in her Lux series.  There are a few moments where you think the heroine might really have to make a decision between the two guys.  But then you realize that she is not confused, and knows what she wants.  Layla knows what and who she wants by the time White Hot Kiss ends.  Even if it might be beyond her reach at that point...

     Layla spends a lot of the book at war with herself, and her craving for the souls of others.  Being half gargoyle she doesn't really fit in with the Wardens of Heaven that raised her, due to her demon half which Layla tries to forget exists.  But she knows that she can never be with Zayne, the guy she likes, because of the need to propagate the race of Wardens by breeding full-bloods together.  And she can't even shift like a real gargoyle.  Not to mention, most of the Wardens wish Layla was dead.  Enter in Roth, an Upper Level demon who is all of the sudden one of Layla's classmates at school.  Turns out that someone in Hell is gunning for Layla due to a yen to start the apocalypse.  Her blood opens the door so to speak, and now that she's seventeen it's game on.  Can she trust Roth, who claims to want to prevent the apocalypse?  Or should she confess everything to the Wardens before it's too late?

     The mythology of this book was really well built, and while I myself didn't know it, a friend told me that originally gargoyles were thought to be Wardens of Heaven and protectors of the people.  So there is some basis in history to that particular nugget!  Also, this book had a great secondary cast of characters including Layla's sex-obsessed and boy crazy BFF Stacey.  She absolutely cracked me up!  Sam, another friend, was a font of random knowledge and always said the weirdest stuff, completely out of the blue (which actually works to Layla's advantage later in the book).  Oh and Roth!  Oh my goodness, what a guy!  I loved the fact that his familiars were tattooed on his body (that could come to life).  A killer snake named Bambi, some vicious kittens, and a dragon named THUMPER.  Also, Roth reminded me a lot of supposed "bad-boy" Daemon Black from the Lux series, but he definitely had more of an edge that Daemon did.  Because Roth is a demon from Hell - so he technically is the bad guy!  

     Layla herself was smart, loyal and could kick-ass, even without the ability to access her Warden abilities.  I loved that she refused to let Roth or Zayne (who was seriously overprotective and yo - mixed signals to the max) boss her around.  The revelation of her Mother and Fathers' identities were pretty twisted, especially that of her father.  That one kind of broke me as a reader!  Poor Layla, to have any hope of being wanted shattered was pretty devastating.  The first sixty percent or so of this book though, is more world-building than anything else and moved kind of slow.  But the shit definitely hits the fan at the end!  Overall, I loved it and am super excited to read the next book in the series and maybe get to know Zayne a little bit better.  I highly recommend it if you're looking for something different or are already a fan of JLA.  You won't be disappointed!

VERDICT:  4.5/5 Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie & also from Harlequin Teen on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is February 25th, 2014.*

Dawn of the Apocalypse - Scavenger Hunt, GIVEAWAY and Review!

     So guys I am involved in yet another fun event, this one hosted by the lovely Diane, at Oops! I Read Again Tours.  Me and some other bloggers got together under her direction to bring you this fun scavenger hunt/giveaway and reviews of an awesomely terrifying book, Dawn of the Apocalypse by E.S.P.  Be sure to click on the banner above to be taken to the tour page, so you can visit all the stops and get the clues for the giveaway!  To join the scavenger hunt, all you need to do is collect two words from each tour stop and form three sentences out of them. The first sentence has 11 words, the second one has 2 words and the last sentence has 15 words. Once you collect all words you can try to solve the puzzle and enter the giveaway.  My two words that you will need will be bolded and in red in my review.  I am the last stop for this tour!!!  Good luck and happy hunting! :)

January 1, 2000.
May 21, 2011.
December 21, 2012

These are just a few of the days humans prophesied as bringing catastrophic events that would end the world. We predicted nuclear warfare. Drastic climate change. A call from God.

We were wrong.

Cue the gargoyle invasion—laboratory bred mutants designed to slaughter humans. When the government goes AWOL and gargoyles are swarming by the hundreds, it's up to the citizens of the United States to regroup and save themselves.

Meet Cliff Matthews, a teenage boy separated from his entire family with the exception of his younger sister, whom he is desperate to keep alive. Along the quest to save their lives, he encounters people who aren't all that they seem. Everyday's a battle, but if he can't trust his own species, where does that leave his family?

And we can't forget the man who may be willing to sacrifice Cliff's life, if it means world domination.

In terms of doomsday, no one could've seen this coming. The dawn of the apocalypse…

Review

 

     I can safely state that I have never read anything like this before!  When I first became a tour host for Oops! I Read Again and was looking at the list of available tours, this immediately caught my eye.  Killer gargoyles created from mutated genetic material in a laboratory?  Sign me up!  I'm glad that I participated.  This is definitely an example of the exception to the general rule of junk in the self-publication pile.  This was a book full of rich descriptions, heart stopping action and really sympathetic characters.  It begins in Mexico with a visit by El Presidente to a small village, where they are all attacked by the killer gargoyles.  It's a pretty horrific spectacle.  Then it goes to 15 year old Cliff, at the subway station with the rest of his family.  When his little sisters Angel and Andy have to use the bathroom before they board the train, Cliff is the one to take them.  Fifteen minutes later their entire world is in ruins, half his family is missing and it's up to Cliff to keep his remaining sister safe when Andy disappears with their older brother Todd.  Along with the mysterious Hunter, a girl with some major problems who helps save him in the bus stop, it's up to Cliff to find a way to stay alive in a danger zone.  But when the government's lying to you, the news is reporting bullshit and everything outside is chaos, who do you trust? 

     I honestly had such a great time reading this and I think a big part of that is the fact that NO ONE WAS SAFE.  That's the problem with a lot of mainstream, big publishing house YA nowadays.  If an apocalyptic book makes it to the market, there is one character who is the main focus.  They are guaranteed survival through the whole novel/series.  Maybe they'll die at the end, but no matter what happens during they will be alive.  With E.S.P.'s novel I had no clue who was going to live or die at the hands of the terrifying, flesh-eating gargoyles roaming the New York city streets.  And that's a great feeling to have when reading a book - that you can still be surprised by what's going to happen next!  The multiple points of view from Cliff, Hunter and a few others kept things fresh and especially unpredictable, but there were moments when I really thought Hunter and little Angel, or even Cliff might die.  Thanks for that Ms. ESP!  It made the experience awesome. 

     There were some minor grammatical/spelling errors, but nothing really annoying or obvious.  Plus my copy was an ARC, so maybe they're corrected in the final version.  The ending left things wide open for a sequel and had me wanting one right away.  I have to know what really happened to Cliff, Hunter and Angel dammit!  Plus there has to be more to the main villain than what we were shown.  I wish there had been a little more development on him but overall, a entirely enjoyable reading experience.  I wish there were more like it.

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received a review copy for my Kindle, courtesy of Oops! I Read Again Tours and the author, E.S.P.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review (I promise, I'm still poor! :).  This book was published August 9th, 2013.*

 

 

About E.S.P.

Being the daughter of an accomplished author, E.S.P. grew up listening to stories and telling her own to classmates. After writing for several years and even publishing some short works, she finally decided to take the plunge to write (plus finish!) a full length novel. Thus, Dawn of the Apocalypse was born. When she's not writing, she's either reading books, blogging at whoistheserialreader.blogspot.com, or watching eighties movies twitter.com/bloggerESP

Purchase Links:  Amazon

 

 

THE GIVEAWAY

 

 

Under My Skin

Published:  October 28th, 2010
Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies # 1)
By: Isaac Marion
Atria/Emily Bestler Books
ISBN-13:  9781476717463

R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn’t want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

Review  (BEWARE OF SPOILERS)

 

     Zombies are not my thing - AT ALL.  Especially not zombie love stories, which feel a little too much like they're cribbing from the Twilight playbook.  This book is the story of a boy (if you can call a zombie that in any real capacity) named 'R' and a girl named Julie.  One day when 'R' is out hunting with the other zombies living at the airport with him, he munches on Julie's boyfriend Perry.  Which does something weird to him and causes 'R' to kidnap Julie to keep her safe from the other zombies.  The story follows them as they grow closer and 'R' regains some of his humanity bit by bit.  Together they try to change the world and bring together the zombies and the remaining humans.  But can they really make a difference and what consequences could there be for a zombie and a human girl in a forbidden romance?  Never until just now did I realize all the Romeo & Juliet parallels between character names and even the reduxed storyline!  It was more than I expected, with the almost human 'families' that the zombies form with each other and the guidance provided by the elders, known as the 'Boneys' because they are nothing but skeletons.  I loved the fact that 'R' lived in a 747 and listened to Sinatra, with a romantic streak a mile wide.  But I felt like the fact that zombies munch on people and gain their memories/feelings was a little bit simplistic in theory and never really explained to my satisfaction.  Also, Julie is scared at first but accepts 'R' into her life a little too easily, especially knowing that he was most likely the one who ate her boyfriend Perry.  The scenes within the compound when Julie and her friend are trying to disguise 'R' from everyone and pass him off as human were more than a little ridiculous and unbelievable.  I mean, really?  These people who spend their entire lives keeping the zombies out and trying to eliminate them aren't going to notice when there's one in their midst?  They're not even gonna look closely at a supposed 'friend' from another compound?  Gimme a break!  And the way this ends, with the zombies beginning to transform into humans again because they're starting to 'feel' and experience things like the living (a.k.a. love and other schmaltzy things) made me want to gag!  If you're going to have it be a zombie/human romance, don't cop-out at the end and make things all shiny and new, with the zombie becoming human!  I liked the humor and oddness compared to other zombie novels, but the romance completely tanked this book for me.  Romeo & Juliet is so overplayed and I am so sick of retellings that try to camouflage themselves that I could scream.  Not the book for me at all and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a fan of zombie books, romance and overly graphic/gory descriptiveness.

 

VERDICT:  2.75/5  Stars (Mostly props for originality and description I could picture in my head - and keeping me reading, which is the ultimate challenge.)

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

Hearts On Fire, Hiding From the World

Expected Publication: May 28th, 2013
Monument 14: Sky On Fire (Monument 14 # 2)
By: Emmy Laybourne
Feiwel and Friends
ISBN-13: 9780312569044

The world hasn't ended...yet.

In this sequel to MONUMENT 14, the group of survivors, originally trapped together in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, has split in two. Most of the kids are making a desperate run on their recently repaired school bus for the Denver airport where they hope to reunite with their parents, be evacuated to safety, and save their dying friend.

But the world outside is dark and filled with dangerous chemicals that turn people into bloodthirsty monsters, and not all the kids were willing to get on the bus. Left behind in a sanctuary that has already been disturbed once, the remaining kids try to rebuild the community they lost. But when the issues are life and death, love and hate, who can you really trust?

Review

 

     Brothers Dean and Alex have parted ways, with Dean staying behind at the superstore and Alex going away with most of the other kids on the school bus, trying to make it to Denver.  Both groups still face horrible dangers, with all of the kids in the store being Blood Type O which makes them violent when exposed to the chemical compounds in the air outside.  When the bus is hijacked and the store is under siege by a group of teenage raiders, it will be up to Dean and his brother to each try and keep their respective charges safe until they can find a way out of their destroyed world and back to their families, in the safety of the world beyond.  So, I had really enjoyed the first book and went into this one with pretty high expectations.  I mean who has never once wondered what it would be like to live in one of those superstores.  Well, this book picks up right where the first one left off.  It deals with some harsh realities, like when to give up on a friend if they're dying and there's nothing you can do.  Jake, the father of Astrid's baby, finds his way back to the superstore but because he wants the drugs in the pharmacy not to help anyone else.  Dean still has feelings for Astrid and she treats him like shit until the chemical reactions bring them together involuntarily (which I still don't know how I feel about that - did she even really like him, or was it 'just because?').  The kids on the bus deal with being stolen from, on the verge of starving, and being the guests of a crazy old guy in an airtight bunker (who is most likely a killer).  The fact that more than half of their parents are still MIA was very realistic and I was disappointed that not everyone made it to Denver, but the author's realism pleased me and makes up for it.  This is an 'apocalypse' book.  Not everyone gets a happy ending if the author's doing it right!  I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next one in the series, especially with the cliffhanger the author dropped on me at the last second!  I highly recommend this series to fans of Ashfall by Mike Mullins, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and Article 5 by Kristen Simmons.

 

VERDICT:  4/5 Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on May 28th, 2013.*

Silver Bells and Cockleshells

Expected Publication: October 2nd, 2012
Posion Princess (The Arcana Chronicles # 1)
By: Kresley Cole
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781442436640

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

Review

 

   Evie Greene was leading a great life with the perfect boyfriend, popularity and good friends.  Then she started to have visions about the end of the world, which led to her being committed to a mental hospital and brainwashed.  Now that she's out, Evie is ready to make a fresh start without any more psychic nightmares and predictions of doom.  But when the visions start up again and her drawings of them get the attention of Cajun bad-boy Jackson Deveaux, Evie begins to spiral out of control again.  So when the apocalypse really does happen, she and her Mom barely survive.  Struggling with the meaning of her visions, Evie and Jackson find out that the end hasn't quite happened yet and the worst is still on its way.  But when your blood gives life and you have secrets that could kill, who can you trust?  Will they survive when the truth comes out into the open?  Or are Evie and Jackson about to lost the fight once and for all?  This was an intriguing concept and I had never read anything by Kresley Cole before.  So I decided to give it a shot.  I couldn't put it down once I started reading!  Evie is a realistic portrayl of a teenage girl, who is by turns annoyingly weak and strong beyond her years.  The situation of love-hate with Jackson was funny and sad all at the same time.  They're two of the only surviving teens in the whole area around where they live.  Of course they would cling to what they know - represented by each other.  The idea of the apocalypse being a battle between the living embodiments of the tarot deck is something I doubt anyone else has ever thought of before.  The originality was very pleasing.  Some of my biggest complaints were how long it took before anything actually happened and Evie's stupid obsession with finding her Grandma (the one who knows about her place in the tarot and what it means).  She should focus more on surviving before worrying about finding someone who is 99 percent more likely to be dead than alive!  It also took almost  a fourth of the book before the apocalypse actually happened.  The beginning was filled with average high school happenings.  Yes, they gave a backstory.  But they also got boring after the first fifty pages or so.  I liked some of the plot twists, especially the ending which really shocked me.  I did not expect it AT ALL.  I will be reading the next one for sure when it comes out!  Not perfect by far, but a really good start to a fresh new YA series.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on October 2nd, 2012.*