Road to Somewhere Blog Tour - Book Spotlight and Giveaway!!!

TOUR SCHEDULE: 

http://www.itchingforbooks.com/2014/02/blog-tour-sign-uproad-to-somewhere-by.html

Release date: March 11th 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Purchase: Amazon

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18460372-road-to-somewhere

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

New! From Bloomsbury Spark, a sunny heartwarming story of discovery and sisterhood. 

A road trip. A singing competition. And super-hot cowboys. 

What could be better? 

For Charlie, a post-high school road trip isn't just a vacation, it's life changing. While her parents think she's helping a friend move, a chance at fame is the real reason to grab her best friends and drive to L.A. But when her super annoying, uber-responsible, younger sister, Lucy, has to tag along, it isn't quite the summer of fun she imagined. 

Add in a detour to her grandparents' ranch in Texas, and between mucking the stalls, down-home cookin’, and drool worthy ranch hands, this could just turn into the best, and most complicated, summer of their lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kelley Lynn was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands. Music plays a large role in her writing process as well as the characters and plot lines within her stories.

getbetweenthebookends.blogspot.com | twitter.com/KelleyLynn1 | facebook.com/AuthorKelleyLynn

Jenny S. Morris is a YA author who loves all things geek, may have a Kdrama addiction, and prefers the rainy NW to any place she's ever lived. Road to Somewhere is her debut novel.

jennysimaginaryworld.blogspot.com | twitter.com/jennysmorris | facebook.com/JennyS.Morrs

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Neverwas, Otherwhen & Maybe Soon...

Published:  January 7th, 2014

Neverwas (The Amber House Trilogy #2)

By: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, & Larkin Reed

Arthur A. Levine

ISBN-13:  9780545434188

"I was sixteen the second time I had my first kiss..."

At the end of AMBER HOUSE, Sarah made a choice that transformed everything -- and now she must choose it all again.

Things are very different -- better -- for Sarah and her family: her Aunt Maggie grew up; her parents are happily married; her grandmother died after a long, productive and respected life.  But other things are different too, and not for the better.

After growing up in the free country of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Parsons has settled in at Amber House, the stately Maryland home that's been in her family for generations.  But the world surrounding the House feels deeply wrong to Sarah.  It's a place where the colonists lost the 1776 Insurrection, where the American Confederation of States still struggles with segregation, and where Sarah is haunted by echoes of a better world that she knows never existed.

Her friend Jackson shares these visions of a different world -- and together, they manage both to remember the way things ought to be, and to plan a daring mission that will reset the universe once again.  Sarah must figure out what has changed, and why, and how she can fix it -- how she can find her way to an otherwhen.

Review

     I can see why some people would be confused by this book, especially the theory behind the alternate history in it.  It's a whole Hell of a lot to take in, even if you have read the first book in the series.  I did understand that in saving her younger brother, Sarah has managed to reset time.  She is now living in an alternate reality, where the colonists lost the Revolutionary War (known as the "Insurrection") and "America" doesn't exist as we know it.  Slavery continued a lot later on, the Civil Rights movement is basically happening now and North "America" is divided up into territories (the naming of the land as the American Confederation of States confuses me, as it's NOT really America).  In Sarah's own life, her Aunt Maggie is still alive, her brother Sam is okay, her Grandma wasn't a lonely alcoholic who drank herself to death and her parents are still marries.  For the Parsons family, life is good.  Everyone else, not so much.  Oh, and did I forget to mention that the Nazis won WWII and they are still around as a major political influence?  But the major mystery is what exactly did Sarah do that changed things so drastically?  Just saving Sam, or even Maggie couldn't have caused such a ripple effect, so far back in time.  So what else is different?  Where does the buck stop?  And just what lengths will Sara have to go to, to make the world the way it should be?

     I enjoyed trying to figure out the catalyst for the time travel and the break as to where the major shift was caused.  I definitely loved all of the intricacies of the plot involving Sarah's family history and the way it played into the present of the alternate timeline - and Sarah's original timeline as well.  As in the first book, Amber House in this one seemed like a living character alongside all of the people.  The addition of Aunt Maggie mixed things up in the family dynamic, with it causing Sarah and Sammy to not be quite as close as in the original scenario.  Also, the cultural differences definitely showed us that this Sarah was different from the old Sarah.  Similar in some ways, but definitely different in others (this Sarah loves designers, is comfortable with wealth, and only seems to be liberal when it suits her to be).  The relationships between Sarah and Jackson, & Sarah and Richard were at a contrast in different ways in this book than in the first.  Especially with a South that is reminiscent of Jim Crow era-South in our own timeline.  

      Sarah's biggest challenge in this book is to do what she knows to be right.  She spends a lot of the book trying to puzzle through her visions of an alternate timeline, with some help from Jackson, and waffles quite a bit on whether or not she wants to mess with the timeline again.  What if she makes things worse this time around?  Is it worth trying to get back to where she was, if it means the possibility of something even more horrific than her current time?  Probably the biggest problem for me was the contradictions of the alternate timeline.  At times it felt completely clear to me, and others it was a bit of a muddled haze.  How could a failed Insurrection in 1776 lead to WWII?  With a skewed geography, history and timeline of events, you'd think Europe would be more heavily effected than it seemed to be.  Also that means WWI still happened in this timeline.  How much different or the same was that from originally?  This is just the nitpicky history nerd in me though, dying to puzzle everything out, and fit it together!  Overall though, it's definitely a pulse-pounding adventure, sweet romance, historical mystery and time travel adventure of the one-of-a-kind variety!  It keeps you thinking the whole way through, and if you're willing to suspend some disbelief and enjoyed the first one, you should check it out!  Personally I can't wait to see how the ladies resolve it this time around, in the last book!

VERDICT:  3.5/5 Stars

*I received this book from Scholastic on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 7th, 2014.*

You've Got Mail

Expected Publication:  December 24th, 2013

Roomies

By: Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13:  9780316217491

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge.  That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex.  With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by the change, it suddenly seems the only people that Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives...and each other.  Even though they've never met.

Review

     Elizabeth (called EB by her friends) is really excited to finally be leaving for college in just a couple short months.  So when she gets her roommate assignment, EB shoots of an e-mail to figure out who's bringing what.  Lauren on the other hand is less than thrilled with having a roommate, as she had originally requested a single.  Coming from a home with five younger brothers and sisters, all Lauren wants is to go to Berkeley and get some peace, quiet and freedom.  When EB contacts her Lauren is busy working, being babysitter to her siblings and trying to keep her friendships afloat even though she doesn't have time to be involved with all the technology her friends use as a lifeline - especially her best friend Zoe.  At first the girls get off on the wrong foot, but when they really start responding to each other both EB and Lauren come to rely on one another as sounding boards - and friends.  With complicated guy and family situations can EB and Lauren make the right decisions and manage to become the people they need to be?

     I really enjoyed reading this book!  I went into it expecting it to be a pretty good read, but braced for disappointment.  It takes a really great writer to work with a partner and not come up with a mediocre book.  It's all about the flow and style of the narrative being smooth, while still having distinctive characters, etc. so that not everything sounds exactly the same.  EB is an only child who lives with her Mom, after her Dad walked out on them when she was five.  Turns out he was gay and didn't want to pretend anymore.  Not that her Mom is perfect either, having affairs with married men and always being gone from the apartment.  Everything is changing with E.B.'s friends too, who are all staying close by for college.  She breaks up with her boyfriend who is pressuring her for sex, only to find herself attracted to a landscaping client's son.  Lauren is the opposite, trying to figure out her romantic feelings for her co-worker Keyon, searching Goodwill for antiques they can flip, babysitting her five siblings and working for money she's going to need at college.  I could appreciate EB's inability to admit how she felt, her mixed feelings towards her Mom (who she loves, even if she is distant and doing the morally wrong thing more often than not).  I identified with Lauren's struggle to separate her identity from her place in the family.  Both girls were written extremely real.

     That old saying that it's easier to talk to a stranger is really well demonstrated in this book.  Neither girl really knows how to connect at first, but they can't talk about their problems with anyone else.  So they unload on each other.  But both of them are conflicted about becoming friends that way, before they've ever even met each other.  They still kind of resent each other as well, for being so involved.  EB even retaliates when Lauren looks up her estranged Dad's art gallery in San Francisco and finds out something hurtful.  Lauren decides to tell EB anyway and the anger gets focused on her instead.  The romantic relationship between Lauren and Keyon was very 'first love' in it's hesitation and shy newness.  It was nice to have such an innocent relationship in a YA book.  I did like EB's relationship with Mark, but it felt really whirlwind and insta-love to me.  Yes, his character was awesome.  But I felt like the "I love you" mentality was way unrealistic.  Overall, this is a book about friendships (old and new), family, romance and learning how to balance them all while dealing with the change of growing up.  I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it, whether you're already a fan of Zarr or Altebrando, or both even.

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.  This book's expected publication date is December 24th, 2013.*

Frozen, But What Can I Do?

Expected Publication:  September 17th, 2013
Frozen (Heart of Dread #1)
By: Melissa De La Cruz & Michael Johnston
Putnam Juvenile
ISBN-13:  9780399257544

Welcome to New Vegas, a city once covered in bling, now blanketed in ice. Like much of the destroyed planet, the place knows only one temperature—freezing. But some things never change. The diamond in the ice desert is still a 24-hour hedonistic playground and nothing keeps the crowds away from the casino floors, never mind the rumors about sinister sorcery in its shadows.

At the heart of this city is Natasha Kestal, a young blackjack dealer looking for a way out. Like many, she's heard of a mythical land simply called “the Blue.” They say it’s a paradise, where the sun still shines and the waters are turquoise. More importantly, it’s a place where Nat won’t be persecuted, even if her darkest secret comes to light.

But passage to the Blue is treacherous, if not impossible, and her only shot is to bet on a ragtag crew of mercenaries led by a cocky runner named Ryan Wesson to take her there. Danger and deceit await on every corner, even as Nat and Wes find themselves inexorably drawn to each other. But can true love survive the lies? Fiery hearts collide in this fantastic tale of the evil men do and the awesome power within us all.

Review

 

     Natasha 'Nat' Kestal is living in the city of sin, New Vegas, as a blackjack dealer.  All she wants though is to find a way out and to the mythical land known as the Blue - which may or may not actually exist.  In a world with nothing but pockets of land left, floating in a sea of toxic waters, the Blue is said to be a land of pure water, sunshine and perfect days.  Nat has a secret though - she is marked, one of those that the government wants nothing more than to exterminate for their special abilities.  When she out-hustles cocky ex-military guy Ryan Wesson, Nat turns around and hires Wes and his crew to sail her out to find the blue.  Drawn to each other, but both wary and hiding secrets, Nat and Wes must learn to trust one another and make some difficult decisions.  If they're both going to survive and make it to the Blue, the time will come to tell the whole truth.  But could that be just as deadly as the secrets they keep?

     I went into this with a bit of hesitance, seeing as when a mysterious 'co-author' is suddenly introduced, it's usually code for "this person is my ghostwriter and I've given up on hiding it."  Thankfully, the difference in the alternating third-person omniscient point of views is distinctly and obviously written by two separate authors.  That said, this was by no means the best book that I've ever read.  Most of the time, reading it was like a cross between an action movie (a la Waterworld), a cheesy romance and a hard boiled noir.  I found myself struggling to get involved in the story at first, but once they finally get out of the city things began to pick up for me.  I loved the character development on the side characters, like Shakes (whose loyalty is beautiful) and the 'little men' that are rescued by Wes' crew from the pirates.  I did feel like I was reading character types, more than actual characters at times with Nat and Wes. 

     There is something that was bothering me about the world-building, sitting in the back of my mind nagging at my suspension of disbelief.  If the water was so toxic, how could there be fish in it that were alive and safe to eat?  And with that in mind, why the HELL weren't they just melting/boiling the damn ice for a water source???  If your whole world is covered in ice, you'd think there'd be a way to utilize that!  I guess that wouldn't make for a very interesting plot though, and would eliminate pretty much the entire conflict of the novel.  So I suppose I can live with that particular plot hole! :)  Even if it is a pretty large one.  This book reminds me of watching an action movie, and that is probably what saved it for me as a reader.  There are some interesting elements to the world-building besides the non-believable water shortage and it did make me do some thinking.  Where the authors lost me was near the end when the fantasy elements came into full swing and added in a dragon.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see if I decide to read the second book when it's released.  If you're able to glibly read some actiony fluff, you may enjoy this.  Otherwise I'd advise you to avoid it.  Unless you live for cheesy, bland romances.  Then you may like it with complete seriousness, heaven help you!

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  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.  This book's expected publication is September 17th, 2013.*

W.A.R....What Is It Good For?

Expected Publication:  July 2nd, 2013
This Is W.A.R.
By: Lisa Roecker & Laura Roecker
Soho Teen
ISBN-13:  9781616952617

This is W.A.R. begins with a victim who can no longer speak for herself, and whose murder blossoms into a call-to-arms.  Enter four very different girls, four very different motives to avenge Willa Ames-Rowan, and only one rule to start: Destroy James Gregory and his family at any cost.  Willa's initials spell the secret rallying cry that spurs the foursome to pool their considerable resources and deliver their particular brand of vigilante justice.  Innocence is lost, battles are won—and the pursuit of the truth ultimately threatens to destroy them all.

Review

 

     Everyone knows that James Gregory murdered Willa Ames-Rowan, but no one is willing to speak out against the most powerful family in town.  Those who go against the Gregorys tend to disappear or have bad things happen to them.  But Willa's best friends have had enough and are determined to exact justice for themselves, if the police won't take any real action.  Rose wants to help because she regrets not letting herself really be Willa's friend and also, she is feeling guilty from lying to her police detective Father about what she happened to see.  Rose joins forces with Lina, Sloane, and Madge to punish who they believe to be guilty - but when the truth is exposed what decision is truly the one to honor Willa's memory? 

     I feel like this one was a mixed bag for me personally as a reader.  I actually had originally thought this book sounded like a modern interpretation of An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser.  It seemed like more of a cross between that book, the Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard and with a hint of John Tucker Must Die.  The beginning gives the last moments of Willa as she is being drowned and then cuts to Rose's narration of the aftermath (for some reason Rose's voice reminded me of the unnamed second wife in Rebecca - in the best way possible) scene at the exclusive Club they all frequent.  Rose's point of view caught me the most because she was completely on the fringes, with only a slight connection to Willa.  Her Mom is a club employee and her Dad is a cop.  But her interactions with the other girls made her my favorite character by far.  Lina is a complicated, tattooed girl with no one who cares about her, except for her friends.  Madge, Willa's stepsister, is the most vengeful and zealous of all the girls when it comes to waging W.A.R. and avenging Willa's murder.  Her intensity and overall bitchiness for a major portion of the novel kept me waffling as to whether or not I liked her character.  Sloane is basically the stereotypical smart Asian girl, except she got there by faking it and cheating in school.  Willa was the only person who believed in her enough to help her try to do things the right way.

     Plot in this novel starts out intriguing and full of wonderful ambiguity, but quickly devolves into something more teen 'movie of the week-esque.'    The girls' revenge ideas for James and his demented brother Trip are juvenile at best and completely ridiculous at worst.  They have $75,000 at their disposal and the best they can come up with is hormone therapy, nude picture scandals, and stealing Cartier watches to auction on eBay.  And they naively seem to think that these things are enough 'bad behavior' for the brothers to be disinherited based on a morality clause in their Grandfather's will.  Yeah, whatever!  I could barely suspend my disbelief on that part.  Also, a lot of the girls' plotting sessions, interactions with each other and thought patterns were extremely shallow and didn't move too far past the clichéd 'killing for the money' trope.  Some of the conversations between James, Trip and their Grandfather (any combo thereof) were pretty chilling though.  It was entirely predictable, but had a very nice tone to most of the novel.  My only real confusion was over the ending.  I won't give any details, but suffice it to say that the prose was beautiful, but nonsensical in relation to the plot (at least in my opinion).  The characters were decently developed, but my favorite was a tie between Lina (who was a truly good person) and Rose, who was completely loyal to the girls who became her friends.  Sloane's emphasized stupidity really bothered me though.  It's like the authors felt it necessary to emulate all the stereotypes in one fell swoop.  Overall a decent read that keeps you guessing at the details of the ending, even if you know most of it already.  This would be a good beach read for the summer, nice and relaxing with more fluff than anticipated.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is July 2nd, 2013.*

Revel In The Night

Expected Publication:  June 18th, 2013
Defy the Dark
Edited By: Saundra Mitchell
HarperTeen
ISBN-13:  9780062123541

Defy the Dark, an all-new anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell. Coming Summer 2013 from HarperTeen!

It features 16 stories by critically-acclaimed and bestselling YA authors as they explore things that can only happen in the dark. Authors include Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Hawkins, Carrie Ryan, Aprilynne Pike, Malinda Lo, Courtney Summers, Beth Revis, Sarah Ockler, and more.

Contemporary, genre, these stories will explore every corner of our world- and so many others. What will be the final story that defies the dark? Who will the author be?

Review

 

     The whole idea of this anthology is to explore things that happen in the dark and the ways they change us as people.  I first decided to pick up this book because I have read full length novels by most of these authors and enjoyed their writing styles/plots.  I was particularly excited about the stories written by Malinda Lo, Beth Revis, Saundra Mitchell and Sarah Ockler.  There were some really good stories and some really weird, on the fence ones.  I'm going to give a story by story breakdown, but they'll each be short as I am loathe to give anything away.  I will say that overall it was an interesting anthology, so far I still haven't read an anthology that I've loved completely.

 

Sleepstalk by Courtney Summers

 

- From what I managed to figure out, this was a story about a girl obsessed with a boy who doesn't feel the same.  She stands outside his house every night debating whether or not to throw a rock through his window.  This was more contemporary than paranormal (unlike most of the other stories) and in so short of a story, the girl came across completely crazy to me and not at all likeable or relatable.  Definitely my one of my least favorite stories in the anthology. VERDICT: 1.5/5 Stars

 

Nature by Aprilynne Pike

 

- This story had the spark for me that I wished Bumped by Megan McCafferty would have had.  I like the premise, a dystopian world where people are separated into the educated and the menial laborers.  Nature versus Nurture, a very old debate.  Only your test scores and your physical characteristics can decide which one you are.  And the latter can outweigh the first so easily.  The main character is on one track and gets thrust in the opposite direction after a routine physical.  This broke my heart, but I could honestly see it happening.  Scary, but really good and I would love to read this as a full-length novel! :)  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

 

The Dark Side of the Moon by Dia Reeves

 

- To be completely honest, I was bored straight out of the gate with this one.  I could tell it was a sort of dystopian universe or something, but it started out so trite.  Girl and boy are in love, but sneaking around because her Mom and Dad won't approve (he's wrong side of the tracks).  There was a paranormal element to it, but it just never struck a chord with me.  VERDICT: 1/5 Stars

 

Ghost Town by Malinda Lo

 

- I really enjoyed this story and while I didn't love it, I think I could have if there had been more time with the characters developing the plot.  I did love that it wasn't the typical thing, but at the same time I enjoyed the whole cliché of new girl Ty being lured to 'explore' a haunted house by mean girl McKenzie.  The ending was different from what I expected and I can honestly say I really enjoyed this one. 

My only complaint is it started to seem repetitive closer to the end.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

 

Eyes In The Dark by Rachel Hawkins

 

- This story was a lot like those really weird urban legends that everyone believes.  Like what happens when the guy gets out of the car to explore the mysterious noise and the girl finds his corpse hanging from a tree or something.  There was a little bit more to this one, with the girl expecting to cheat on her boyfriend and ending up in creepy, deadly situation.  Gave me chills, but was really undeveloped and simplistic for my tastes.  VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars

 

Stillwater by Valerie Kemp

 

- Possibly one of my favorite stories in the whole anthology (by an author I've never even heard of before), it is set in a small southern town where nothing ever changes - until a boy and girl whose families have been feuding for generations manage to look past the fog and actually see each other.  Can they escape the madness embraced by the rest of the town?  I liked that it had a contemporary setting, but an element of magic/random paranormal events to its plot.  Also, I really liked the main characters and got invested in their fates.  This was some powerful writing and I'll definitely be looking this author up.  VERDICT: 5/5 Stars

 

I Gave You My Love By The Light Of The Moon by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

- Berthe is just an average teenage girl, but when she's bit by something on a hiking trip her life changes drastically.  With the help of Stephen, will she be able to keep living her life like always?  I liked the growth of the relationship between Berthe and Stephen.  I thought though, that it was kind of bittersweet and unrealistically drawn.  But I honestly liked this a lot more than the actual full length books I've read by Rees Brennan.  She's a great character writer, and that really shines through in this piece.  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

 

Night Swimming by Beth Revis

 

- This was a short story set in the same universe as Revis' Across the Universe series.  It was distinctively different from the others in the collection, being the only one with any real sci-fi elements to it.  I wanted to love it, seeing how I'm a gigantic fan of her series. But I spent the whole story unsure of who the narrator was and that ruined it for me.  It had no true emotional impact, because I didn't know who I was supposed to be feeling sorry for.  I did like having a peek into Elder, Harley, Kayleigh and Orion's past before Amy entered into their lives.  VERDICT: 3/5 Stars

 

Almost Normal by Carrie Ryan

 

- Something about the hopefulness and youthful feeling of invincibility on the part of the main characters endeared this one to me.  The zombies are closing in, so a group of teenage friends decides to spend one last night being free at the amusement park.  Things go horrifically wrong.  I have never read Ryan's zombie series, Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I felt like this short story was a part of that universe.  That said, it was easy to immerse myself into it and get completely terrified.  I did want to shout at the kids about their stupidity, just like when you watch a horror movie and can see the killer behind the victim!  Interesting, but in this case the lack of resolution wasn't a good thing for me as a curious reader.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

 

There's Nowhere Else by Jon Skovron

 

- Basically a twist on the downtrodden hero, where Sebastian's Mom has an abusive boyfriend and refuses to leave him.  At night when he dreams, Sebastian becomes other people - literally.  And the things he does as other people have very real consequences.  With a power like his, soon he'll have a choice to make.  Good versus evil, what will Sebastian choose?  The random entry of an entity that almost reminded me of Loki (only super evil) and another entity who was basically a voodoo priest made up the interesting parts of this story.  Honestly, felt mediocre about this one.  Could take it or leave it.  VERDICT: 3/5 Stars

 

Naughty or Nice by Myra McEntire

 

- Bex is on a school trip to Bavaria with her best friend Henry.  Things start to go awry when a local legend of a killer in a guise resembling Santa Clause throw them into terrifying circumstances.  Will they make it home alive?  This was so creative! :)  I absolutely loved the premise and the execution had the right amount of sass, mystery, legend and spine-tingling creepiness.  Probably tied with Stillwater for my fave story in the book!  VERDICT: 5/5 Stars

 

Shadowed by Christine Johnson

- The second out of two stories that I completely had no interest in, over the course of reading the anthology.  Princess Esme is cursed and must keep in the shadows, away from the light.  Longing to be free, maybe the handsome Knight Rylan can help her escape her tower.  Not at ALL in keeping with the rest of the anthology, which seems to be made up of contemporary or futuristic dystopian stories.  This was a jarring addition, that felt to me like it didn't fit at all.  I was not paying any real attention and was glad when it was over.  Maybe if it had been in a different anthology I would have liked it.  VERDICT: 1/5 Stars

Now Bid Time Return by Saundra Mitchell

- Dacey enters a contest and wins the trip of a lifetime, to the Scandinavian part of Europe to photograph the Northern Lights for a week.  When her pictures all have the same mark/defect on them, she thinks her camera is faulty.  But there might be another more supernatural explanation, by the name of Kristian.  The imagery, plot and romance in this one were absolutely gorgeous!  I loved that it was part ghost story and part alternate dimension/time travel interlude.  It was wonderful and while I am a romantic at heart, it still had my eyes rolling slightly at the tooth achingly sweet ending.  Still one of my top stories in the anthology for sure.  VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

The Moth and The Spider by Sarah Ockler

- Very different from everything else I have ever read by Sarah Ockler, but definitely intriguing.  As always she has a way with words and I enjoyed the machinations of the main character, Cali.  Felt like there was something missing, but overall it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go.  Another good piece of writing from one of my favorite authors.  VERDICT: 3.75/5 Stars

Where the Light Is by Jackson Pearce

- Born a miner, die a miner.  Or at least that's what Will thinks his fate is until he meets Ennor, one of the Knockers, a creature living in the mines with the power to create cave-ins.  The power to control a miner's very fate.  Will they be able to bridge the gap between their worlds, or will they both combust from a lethal encounter?  An interesting and more literal take on the theme of darkness and I enjoyed the folklore feeling that the myth of the Knockers created for the story.  It was very American to me, in that everything has to have it's own origin story.  I liked it, but felt that the romantic interest between Ennor and Will was entirely unnecessary.  VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

This Was Ophelia by Tessa Gratton

- Ophelia wishes she'd been born as a man and lives like one, in the time of Prohibition.  She meets and falls in love with privileged Halden King.  The only trouble is, he thought he was falling in love with another man.  And he may not want Ophelia romantically once he knows she's a woman.  She wants freedom and Halden, but he wants a different kind of love.  Will they stay together?  Ophelia in this was portrayed definitely as a stronger woman than in the original play...but the point is that she doesn't even really view herself as a woman.  I did like the premise, but at the same time thought it was kind of dated in its execution.  Thoroughly original idea though.  VERDICT: 3.5/5 Stars

OVERALL AVERAGE VERDICT:  4.56/5 Stars, Overall it was a very good collection and I would highly recommend it to fans of these individual authors and fans of scary stories or stories with paranormal elements at the foundation. 

*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 became available for purchase on June 18th, 2013.*

A Waste of My Time

Expected Publication:  March 26th, 2013

Wasteland

By: Susan Kim & Laurence Klavan

HarperTeen

ISBN-13: 9780062118516

Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants—hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.

Review

     Esther and all of the others living in Prin are just trying to live through one day at a time.  The difference between her and them, is that she is friends with a Variant named Skar and they believe Variants are an abomination.  Then the Variants begin to attack the town of Prin, firebombing buildings and killing innocent citizens for seemingly no reason.  Around this time Caleb, a stranger, comes to town on a mission.  Caleb is determined to find out who murdered his wife and kidnapped their infant son - and more importantly, why they did it.  And what does the Source have to do with everything?  Esther is shunned and Caleb is run out of town as they get closer and closer to the truth.  With time running out, can they figure out what's really going on, save the town and get Caleb's son back?  I was wary about this book from the get-go because of the authors feeling the need to make the 'bad guys' hermaphrodites and outcasts.  Oh, so just because they don't have one set gender they're deformed and disgusting?  Shame on both of you assholes for perpetuating stereotypes, even in dystopian fiction.  I managed to slog my way through the book, even without any real world-building to get me involved in the story and some horrifically one-dimensional characters.  Esther is a spoiled brat, who lets her sister do all the work and then steals food to give to her friends when her sister isn't watching.  She admits that she doesn't know how to do anything, but it's almost like Esther's proud of it, even though it makes her useless, in a high-risk, low-survival world.  I liked Caleb, but I feel like I didn't get to know him very well and that while his quest was admirable it was also prepackaged to fit anyone.  The romance between Esther and Caleb was unrealistic and majorly based on lust and nothing else.  It was sickeningly obvious from their first interaction that they were going to be thrown together.  I did like the revelation about what was underneath Joseph's building and way Levi was defeated.  Overall, a very lazy attempt at high grade dystopia and I will definitely NOT be reading the next one.

VERDICT:  1.5/5  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 March 26th, 2013.*

This Tempest Is Gonna Blow

Expected Publication:  December 18th, 2012
Tempestuous (Twisted Lit # 1)
By: Kim Askew & Amy Helmes
Merit Press
ISBN-13:  9781440552649

Recently banished, unfairly, by the school’s popular crowd, former “it girl,” Miranda Prospero, finds herself in a brave new world: holding dominion amongst a rag-tag crew of geeks and misfits where she works at the Hot-Dog Kabob in the food court of her local mall. When the worst winter storm of the season causes mall workers and last-minute shoppers to be snowed-in for the night, Miranda seizes the opportunity to get revenge against the catty clique behind her social exile. With help from her delightfully dweeby coworker, Ariel, and a sullen loner named Caleb who works at the mall’s nearby gaming and magic shop, Miranda uses charm and trickery to set things to right during this spirited take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Review

 

     Miranda Prospero has always had the best ideas.  But her latest one, to start a tutoring hook-up service, has blown up in her face, after evolving into a major cheating ring.  Now she's stuck paying restitution working a crappy job at the mall and all of her ex-friends, along with her slimy ex-boyfriend, are going on the school trip skiing trip without her.  But when she is stuck at the mall on the night before the trip with the aforementioned classmates and various co-workers because of a blizzard, things begin to get really interesting.  This time her rich, stuck-up classmates have gone too far.  And it's time for Miranda and her downtrodden mall friends to get revenge.  Though how this involved Miranda and smoldering, sharp-tongued Caleb being hand-cuffed together, she has no clue.  Also, none of them counted on a burglar being trapped inside the mall with them.  Things have the potential to turn deadly at any second, but that isn't going to stop Miranda and her co-worker Ariel from having plenty of fun while they can.  This book was lots of fun.  It was a cross between The Tempest, of which it claims to be a retelling, Emma and Pride and Prejudice.  I loved Miranda's revenge schemes and her elaborate plans for everyone to have a good time.  I don't want to give anything away, but there were glitter bombs! :)  I also enjoyed the subplot with the burglar, because it added an undercurrent of danger and suspense that gave the book something extra and a little more substantial.  Caleb and Miranda's relationship didn't seem at all believeable to me as a reader, but it was cute in a Mr. Knightley and Emma sort of way.  Ariel was the one who seemed to develop the most over the course of the novel.  This book won't change the world and it was about as substantial as cotton candy - but it was so much fun and well-written enough that I found myself not caring at all.  I want to say that Miranda learned her lesson, but in reality she was mostly unchanged, just less snobbish at the end.  Overall, a fun book and I highly recommend it for those who like to laugh and enjoy a good fluffy teen romance.

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is December 18th, 2012.*

If I Took You Home It'd Be A Home Run

Expected Publication: October 1st, 2012
Amber House
By: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, & Larkin Reed
Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN-13: 9780545434164

"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

Review

   Sarah Parsons is not really excited when she is forced to travel to Maryland with her feuding parents and little brother to attend her estranged Grandmother's funeral.  But once she's there, Sarah and her little brother Sammy both feel some sort of intrinsic connection to the family's ancestral home, Amber House, that neither can explain.  So they manipulate their Mom into staying for a few weeks until they can sell the house and everything in it.  During that time Sarah discovers that there might be a hidden fortune in diamonds and decides to find it with the help of Jackson, who is a distant cousin and the grandson of her Grandma's housekeeper Rose.  She also finds herself falling into the world of Richard Hathaway, the son of a Senator (who is her Mom's old boyfriend), as her Mom gets ready to throw her a lavish sixteenth birthday party that will double as an open house.  But as the day of the party draws near, more and more family secrets become exposed leaving Sarah to wonder if perhaps there is a sinister presence in the house after all.  And if there is, can she save herself and her family from it before it's too late?  So I was not really expecting to be drawn into this book as much as I was.  Then again, as a reader I can never resist a good family secret.  I loved Sarah because she was a very realistic, average teenager.  She never knew quite how to feel about either of her parents due to her Mom's cold tactless behavior and her Dad's infidelity.  As the constant caretaker of her autistic little brother Sammy, Sarah also feels like it's her responsibility to protect him no matter what, because she has an unexplainable psychic connection to him and always knows where he is.  She does find out that there are reasons behind her Mom's seemingly unexplainably mean behavior and that she has suffered a lot in her life.  Sarah gets to discover that nothing is black and white in the real world, which fleshes out the side characters very nicely.  There is a love triangle that is not quite a love triangle, a search for lost family treasure that turns into something much more dangerous and the possiblity of changing the past.  Sarah inherits the ability to see and be part of echos of the past that haunt the house.  She is privy to the actual happenings of her ancestors in a way that makes me geek out cause I'm a total history nerd.  I loved that the house was almost alive with the energy of the past.  The ending was perfect in my opinion and seriously made me want to cry because I found it beautiful.  Overall, one of the best books I've read so far this year and I highly recommend it to fans of romance, Gothic novels, ghosts, time travel and history.

VERDICT:  5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is October 1st, 2012.*