Follow Friday # 17

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is: 

The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

Well, I started my blog in January 2011 and I have come a long way since then, but I am always thinking about how I can improve it. Right now, my blog is 95% reviews and I would love to do more author interviews, character interviews and guests posts. So I guess my blogging resolution would be to try to get more author involvement. 

I would also like to comment more on other people's blogs. 

What are your 2012 blogging resolutions? Leave me your link in the comments section so I can check it out! 

Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po

By: Lauren Oliver

Pub. Date: October 4, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 307

Source: Netgalley

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

I loved Lauren Oliver's Delirium and when I saw she wrote a middle grade book, I knew I had to pick it up. Liesl & Po was also getting fantastic reviews so I was very excited to get it from netgalley! Liesl & Po was everything that I could want and more. It was such a beautiful story and it had so much heart. I loved everything about it.

Liesl is one of the main characters in the story. She has been locked in the attic since her father got sick. Now that he has died she is completely alone. Her stepmother is a horrible women and treats Liesl only with abuse. One night she meets Po, a ghost from the other side. Po helps her escape the attic and agrees to go with her to bury her father's ashes in her childhood home.

While on the run, Liesl and Po meet Will. An orphaned boy who also has only known loneliness and abuse. He knows who Liesl is and has watched her through her attic window from the street below.

The characters were wonderful. There was so much to Liesl, Po and Will. I loved that the story was told in multiple view points, so we got to see the inner thoughts of each character.

The story was fast paced and I read this book in one sitting. I know that it is for middle graders, but I think people of all ages can enjoy this story. It was so beautifully written.

The illustrations throughout the story also gave the story a nice touch. Kei Acedera were beautifully done. I'm a sucker for books with illustrations and I thought it was very nicely done.

Liesl & Po is definitely a story that can be enjoyed over and over again. I have since bought myself a finished copy to add to my shelf. This is one story that is not to be missed!

The trailer is also fantastically done. I am obsessed with the song "A Train With Wings" which is featured in the trailer. 

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me

By: Tahereh Mafi

Pub. Date: November 15, 2011

Publisher: Harper

Pages: 338

Source: Bought

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting asThe Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

I didn't even know what to expect when I picked up Shatter Me. All I knew was that people were raving about it, and I had to read it! This is a debut book that is not to be missed. Tahereh Mafi has blown me away with her writing and her story!

The main character is Juliette and she has been locked away with no contact with anyone for 264 days. She has been through a lot in her life. The other kids at school were afraid of her and her parents hated her and got ride of her as soon as they could. Yet, Juliette was so full of love. She was such a good person and very admirable. I had a lot of respect for her. When she meets Adam, she really begins to grow into a strong and confident person. I really loved the dynamic between Juliette and Adam. They brought out the best in each other. It was very sweet and realistic.

Adam was awesome! He was mysterious and sweet and I loved everything about him. I am looking forward to more Adam in future books!

The secondary characters brought so much to the story as well. Kenji was so interesting and I could not figure him out! I am very excited for more scenes with him. The bad guy, Warner was fantastic! He was the epitome of a bad guy, but he also has this vulnerable side too. I loved his scenes and wanted more of him! He is definitely someone that is hard to figure out.

The writing was completely different then anything I have read and I loved it. It brought such an originality to the story and just made it so much better! The sentences were structured differently, words were repeated and some sentences were crossed out. Even though it was different, I was completely obsessed with it!

Everything about this story was amazing. It was so original and there wasn't anything I didn't love about it. I am excited to see where Mafi takes us next in the series! 

Review: Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh

Lord of the Abyss

(Royal House of Shadows # 4)

By: Nalini Singh

Pub. Date: November 22, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 288

Source: Netgalley

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Lord of the Abyss is the fourth and final book in the Royal House of Shadows series. Twenty years ago, the Kingdom of Elder was attacked by the Blood Sorcerer. Right before they were killed, the King and Queen used magic to send their four children to different realms to keep them safe. Each story centered on one of the siblings, and this one is about Micah, who was only five when his parents were killed.

But when it came to Micah, the Blood Sorcerer corrupted the magic that the King and Queen performed, and Micah ended up in the basement of the Guardian of the Abyss castle.

Micah became the Lord of the Abyss. He is cold and dark and he remembers nothing of his past life or his family. The Abyss is the last place for souls before they spend eternity being tortured. 

Liliana is the daughter of the Blood Sorcerer. She has only known abuse from her father and will do anything to destroy his power. The only way to achieve this is by getting Micah to remember who he really is. When Liliana and Micah first meet, she looks him in the eye and isn't afraid of him. Micah has never known anyone that wasn't afraid of him-so he was instantly intrigued by her.

I really liked Liliana. She has been through a lot in her life and had never known love. I think she was the perfect person to get Micah to remember that he is the youngest Prince of Elder. 

I was really disappointed in the ending. After reading four books, I have become attached to the characters. I wanted a huge reunion of the siblings, and their reunion was completely glossed over. Actually this didn't just disappoint me, it completely pissed me off! I wanted hugs and tears. I got none of that. It almost makes me feel that I have wasted my time with reading this series.

Read my reviews on the first three books:

1. Lord of the Vampires

2. Lord of Rage

3. Lord of the Wolfyn

Follow Friday # 16

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is:

If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

OOh. This one is a hard one! I can't choose just one, so my answer would have to include:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2. Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood # 3)

3. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse # 3)

These three books are fantastic and I have read them more then once. I can see myself reading them another 100 times! 

What book would you want to spend eternity with? Leave me your link in the comments section so I can check it out!

Review: Hearts In Darkness by Laura Kaye

Hearts in Darkness

By: Laura Kaye

Pub. Date: April 21, 2011

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 230

Source: Bought

Makenna James thinks her day can't get any worse, until she finds herself stuck in a pitch-black elevator with a complete stranger. Distracted by a phone call and juggling too much stuff, the pin-striped accountant caught only a glimpse of a dragon tattoo on his hand before the lights went out.

Caden Grayson is amused when a redhead literally falls at his feet. His amusement turns to panic when the power fails. Despite his piercings, tats, and vicious scar, he's terrified of the dark and confined spaces. Now, he's trapped in his own worst nightmare.

To fight fear, they must both reach out and open up. With no preconceived notions based on looks to hold them back, they discover just how much they have in common. In the warming darkness, attraction grows and sparks fly, but will they feel the same when the lights come back on?

I haven't even heard of this book until I read The Reading Lark's My Book Boyfriend post on Caden Grayson. I was instantly intrigued and purchased the book on my nook right away. I was not disappointed. The four dollars I spent was completely worth it!

Hearts in Darkness is about two strangers-Makenna and Caden who are trapped in an elevator together. They don't even know what the other looks like except for a quick glance before the power went out. Makenna is a put together accountant and Caden is a paramedic with tattoos, facial piercings and scars. He kind of reminded me of Zsadist from The Black Dagger Brotherhood. But Caden is so sweet and kind, and you definitely shouldn't judge him by the way he looks. He was such a big, soft teddy bear. He is quiet and shy and I just loved everything about him!

When Caden was fourteen, him and his family were in a horrific car accident which killed his mother and younger brother. He was trapped in the car for hours before help came and because of this he is extremely claustrophobic, causing many panic attacks during their entrapment of the elevator.

It was sweet how Makenna and Caden connected on the elevator. Without using their looks, they really connected on a much deeper level. It really did seem so realistic to me. I am not a fan of love-at-first-sight stories but this isn't one of those because they hadn't actually seen each other until the power came back on!

I loved everything about this story. I thought it was a cute, fast-paced story. The characters were great and the writing was fantastic.

Kudos To Laura Kaye. I will definitely be reading some of her other works! 

Author Interview: Chelsea Fine

I read Sophie & Carter a few weeks and instantly fell in love with it. It is easily one of my favorite books that I read in 2011. When I had the opportunity to interview the talented Chelsea Fine, I jumped at the chance!

Chelsea is as nice and sweet as she looks in this picture and I was so grateful that she agreed to do this interview. Now unto the interview!

How would you describe Sophie & Carter to someone who has never heard of it?

I would say it's a heart-breaking tale of true love and hope despite the hardships of life. 

How did you come up with the concept for it? 

Sophie & Carter was actually a writing exercise. I know that sounds lame, haha. I had been working on a different book at the time and I hit a wall. So, I opened up a blank Word document and started typing out some nonsense--just to clear my head. Before I knew it, I had characters and this heavy plot, and I was crying and typing like crazy. Haha :)

The characters were heartbreaking. I said this in my review, but when Carter was talking about every scar, I was sitting there crying. I could not take it, and I never cry when I read. How did you come up with the backgrounds of Sophie and Carter? Which one was harder to write? 

Because I didn't plan to write Sophie and Carter, I didn't have an outline or anything when I developed the characters. So, they pretty much just appeared in my head. I think I wanted to write something about hope and encouragement--something that defeated the odds and made readers really care about the characters. And Sophie & Carter's back stories made that possible. Carter was harder to write...and I think that's because he's a guy. I don't really know how guys think, or what motivates them to become better men, so I had a hard time committing to Carter's inner thoughts. I asked my husband for advice MANY times, haha. 

Who would be your ideal actor and actress for the characters of Sophie and Carter? 

Oh, this question is so hard for me, haha!  Hmmm...actors... I think I would do Jessica Alba for Sophie and Zac Efron for Carter.

When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? 

In college. I took a creative writing class that forced me to write short stories and essays about completely fictional things and I absolutely LOVED it!! I felt energized and inspired and, just, totally on fire! It was then that I was like, "Okay. I HAVE to do this with my life." Haha. 

Tell us about your new book Anew. I love the cover for it! 

Anew is the first book in my new paranormal series, The Archers of Avalon. It's about a girl, who wakes up in the woods without her memories and tries to piece her history back together. She meets a boy with a familiar voice and, slowly, memories of her past start to fall into place. As she falls for this boy, she soon meets his dark and mysterious brother, and then her world gets CRAZY! Turns out both brothers know a lot more about her than they're letting on....  

Anew is a story of magic, love, jealousy, strength, life, death, friendship and promises. It's by FAR my favorite of all the stories I've ever written and I really, REALLY hope people like it. :) 

What are you working on now? 

Right now, I'm working on book 2 in the series, Awry. I'm also working on a Christmas love story for next year....a sequel to Sophie & Carter...and a funny book about a matchmaker in high school trying to set her teachers up on a date. :) Haha. 

Favorite book? 

Hmmm..it's a tie between The Count of Monte Cristo and The Notebook. I just love them both SO much!!! 

Favorite book character? 

Good question! Hermione, from Harry Potter. She's so fearless and awesome! :) 

Favorite music group? 

Florence+The Machine --I could listen to them ALL day! 

Favorite TV show? 

Vampire Diaries. Hands down. I'm totally Team Damon. (Although, this last season, I was kinda Team Stefan...I think I have a thing for bad boys... haha)

Favorite movie? 

Ooooh, another tie between Big Fish and The Princess Bride. 

Anything else that you want your readers to know about yourself or your work? 

Hmm....I guess I would want people to know that I write from my heart. :) I, literally, wake up in the morning and sit at my desk typing for at least 10-12 hours nonstop. I don't stop to eat, I don't take breaks...I just write and write until I'm either laughing or crying or nervous for my characters. I get completely immersed in my stories until I feel like I'm in the scenes--and I hope my readers feel the same way when they read my work. I hope they laugh. And I hope they worry about the characters when something bad happens in the plot. 

Ooh! But always know this: I will always, ALWAYS, have a happy ending to my books! :) The world has too much sadness in it already...books are meant to take us away and give us a whole new world to believe in. And because of that, my books will always end well. :)

~

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something more?

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.

Read my review of Sophie & Carter! This is a book that is not to be missed. I am also looking forward to reading Anew!

Add these books to your goodreads pages!

Review: The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

The Magic Warble

By: Victoria Simcox

Pub. Date: January 1, 2009

Publisher: Two Harbors Press

Pages: 267

Source: Author

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen - all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

The Magic Warble is a magical story that fourth through seven graders will absolutely love. There are gnomes, fairies, evil queens, and many other magical creatures.

The main character is 12 year old Kristina. Her only friend is her rat, Raymond. When she is given the magic warble by her teacher she is transported to the magical land of Bernovem, where animals talk and anything goes.

Bernovem used to be a peaceful land until Queen Sentiz came into power. She destroyed lands and families and everyone is afraid of her. If Kristina could get the magic warble to it's final resting place the Queen will lose her power, and everything will go back to normal.

My favorite characters were the two fairies, Clover and Looper. They were so much fun! the raven and Prince Werrien were also very interesting.

My main issue with The Magic Warble  was the writing of Kristina's character. No 12 year old American girl talks the way Kristina talks. For example, at one point Kristina wonders, " Is this handsome young man coming to rescue me?". At another point she says, " Wait a minute! I haven't had a chance to thank Rumalock for his hospitality or even say goodbye to him". See what I mean, what 12 year old pre-teen says handsome young man?? It just wasn't realistic to me and turned me off a bit.

I think it is a wonderful story for young children. I think it teaches them to use their imagination. Even if life seems hard sometimes and they have no friends like Kristina, they can still do anything they want and still achieve great things.  

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan

By: Miranda Kenneally

Pub. Date: December 1, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 288

Source: Netgalley..then I purchased my own copy!

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Oh my god!! Catching Jordan is definitely one of my favorite books that I read in 2011. This book is amazing. It was fun, cute, and sweet. The plot was really interesting and original and the characters were great! I just really loved everything about this story. This whole review is going to be me gushing over how great Catching Jordan is and how everyone should read this book!! Even the one thing that did bother me about the main character was changed by the end!

I loved the writing. It flowed so nicely and it was hilarious!! I found myself laughing out loud so many different times.

Jordan is one of my favorite characters that I've ever seen in a book. She's a 17 year old girl who is the captain and quarterback of her high school championship football team. How freakin' cool is that??  Some of my favorite lines of the book are from her:

"...I top off the outfit with flip-flops and chapstick. Ty better appreciate how hard I've worked to make myself attractive for him this morning, because I am fucking spent"

"I snort and chocolate milk comes out of my nose. Yeah, I know, I'm the sexiest creature on the planet"

This girl is me! She was just so great. No matter how confident she was on the football field, when it came to guys she was completely clueless and it was adorable!

Jordan is in her senior year of high school and about to get a full ride to college. Everything changes when Tyler Green moves from Texas to Tennessee. Ty was star quarterback at his old school, but due to some very sad circumstances he has had to move in the middle of the school year. I really thought that Ty was going to be a douche. I thought that he was going to do whatever he had to do to take away the quarterback role from Jordan-even by romancing her. I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case at all. Ty really was a really sweet guy and would never want to hurt Jordan-or anyone else for that matter.

The best part of Catching Jordan was Jordan's teammates and friends. These guys were awesome! They had no problem taking orders from a girl, which I thought was a great touch. These guys were your typical football player type-yet they respected and protected Jordan and I loved that about them! Jordan's best friend, Sam Henry is hilarious. You can totally tell that he is in love with Jordan, and he was just so much fun!

My one teeny-tiny problem was Jordan's issue with other girls. She never gave any of the girls a chance. She was always thinking "girls are horrible, they are so stupid, they only care about shopping". It definitely started to bother me. But by the end, she started to give them a chance, and realized that girls can be just as cool as guys!

Seriously though, this book was AWESOME! I think that everyone needs to read it! It had everything that I could want in a book and more.

I also really loved the cover. I say loved because on further inspection, the guy is missing a foot. A FOOT!! I hope they fix that on second publication. And yes, this book better get a second publication because everyone should read it!!  

In My Mailbox (32)

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren to share with everyone the books they bought, borrowed, or received for review.


I didn't do an IMM post last week because my parents were in town, so this is two weeks of books and I had an excellent two weeks!

~Bought~

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Tommy Nightmare by J.L. Bryan

Alexander Death by J.L. Bryan

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey 

For my nook:

Treachery by Andrea Cremer

A Little Harmless Gift by Melissa Schroeder

Exiled by M.R. Merrick

The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

~Review~

Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer (via author)

Supergirl Mixtapes by Meagan Brothers (via netgalley)

~Book Signing~

Last night I went to the Sophie Jordan and Mary Lindsey book signing at Murder By the Book in Houston. Both authors were super awesome. I got some books signed and also got some swag!

 What did you get in your mailboxes? Leave me a link so I can check it out.

Follow Friday # 15

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is:

When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

Answer: Right before I moved (about 2 1/2 months ago) I gave away a few massive boxes of books to my book loving friends. I tried to donate some to the library, but they didn't want them!

Lately, I've been getting a lot of books from the library, so I return them when I am done. If it is a book I bought, or received for review, I find a place for it on my new bookshelves :).

What do you guys do with your books? Leave me a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Review: Antara by Marilena Mexi

Antara

By: Marilena Mexi

Pub. Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Lulu

Pages: 146

Source: Author

Peace and tranquility on the island of Aster, home to both humans and 'merfolk', has long been broken by a devastating phenomenon, recurring every five years. A storm including gusting winds and huge waves mysteriously appeared and eradicated much of the population. The misunderstandings, suspicion and hate born of this disaster have torn the two races apart, and the peace loving merfolk are now in a never-ending struggle to prove their innocence and restore peace to the island. On the human side, things are even worse; under the tyranny of cruel king Orestis, the people suffer and all their king cares for is vengeance against the "fish", as he spitefully calls them, executing merfolk after merfolk for just being near his lands. Secrets, intense emotions and strange phenomena will upset their lives forever.

When the author emailed me asking to review her book, I was instantly intrigued with the story. I've read a few other mermaid stories and really enjoyed them, and Antara had a really interesting premise to it.

Once upon a time, humans and the merfolk were friends and lived in peace. Until one day, a massive storm destroyed most of the human land, and killed countless merfolk and humans. The humans blamed the merfolk for the destruction and since then, the two groups have been enemies. King Orestis, the king of the humans, will have any merfolk killed if they go on their land.

Now, the merfolk know that another storm is coming and they want to warn the humans. Asteria, the King of the merfolk's granddaughter, comes up with a plan to disguise herself as a human and bring out the good in Orestis so he would trust the merfolk and save his people.

As I said earlier, I really liked the story. I thought it was interesting that the humans knew about the merfolk and at one time, lived in harmony with them.  Also, the illustrations in Antara were beautiful! Marilena Mexi is a very talented artist.

The main issue I did have with Antara was the actual writing, especially the fact that whoever was having a conversation with each other used their name in every single sentence. People don't do that in a conversation. One or two times, I could have overlooked it, but it happened a lot. It was too the point that I wanted to skip over many conversations.

The other thing that bothered we was the connection between Asteria and Orestis. They knew each other less then a day and the King was ready to change everything he ever knew, and they were both madly in love. It just didn't seem realistic too me.

Even though King Orestis was a bastard, inside he was a really sweet guy and I enjoyed reading the parts when he was the real him. He was polite and always saying please and thank you. But then he would turn a switch and be a douche again. He was an intriguing guy and I look forward to reading more about him.   

I did enjoy Antara. It was an interesting read. Even if I hated it, the drawings would have been worth picking this book up!!

Two of my favorite drawings: 

 

Review: Touch by Jus Accardo

Touch

(Denazen # 1)

By: Jus Accardo

Pub. Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Pages: 251

Source: Purchased

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her.

It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life.

And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills.

The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

This book is fantastic and amazing and awesome. I loved everything about it. From the writing, to the characters, to the plot-everything was perfect and it all came together for a wonderful story! It reminded me a lot of the TV show Heroes. But even with that similarity, Touch was still a very unique and original read!

The main character is Dez. She is an adrenaline junkie and will do anything to get her father's attention, who basically ignores her. She would rather her father think she is a slut that sleeps around, because at least she is getting a response from him. One night on her way home she runs into a young man named Kale. He looks terrified and is obviously on the run from someone. She decides to help him, because if her father comes home and sees a guy in her room, she will get a rise out of him. What happens next is intense and the rest of the story is never-ending action.

I loved Kale and my heart broke for him. He spent his entire life being a prisoner at the Denazen Corporation basically being tortured. He's been through so much and forced to do some very horrible things, but he was still so innocent and loving.

Dez was hilarious. I loved her! My absolute favorite quote in Touch is from Dez:

I wonder what the FML post would look like- Today, when my father tried to shoot me, I found out he was an assassin monger who's been keeping my mom locked away in a secret facility for freaky killers. FML.

How can you not love that she created her own FML post. I think it's hilarious!

I found the romance between Dez and Kale very sweet. Dez had to explain basic romance to Kale, from holding hands, to kissing, to sex. I love the questions Kale asked and the explanations Dez gave him. It was so cute and innocent. Kale sees the world in a completely different and refreshing way and I loved it. His innocence is just adorable.

The entire story was terrific. There was never a dull moment and you never knew where Jus Accardo was going to take us next. You never knew what was going to happen, and you never knew who to trust. The ending was completely satisfying, and while it didn't really end on a cliffhanger, the story is still open for a second book, and I can't wait to read about Kale and Dez again!     

Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Darker Still

(Magic Most Foul # 1)

By: Leanna Renee Hieber

Pub. Date: November 8, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 317

Source: Netgalley

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
 
New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

The main character of Darker Still is a 17 year old named Natalie. Since her mother's death as a child, Natalie has been mute. As much as she has wanted to talk, she just wasn't able too. Despite this, I think that Natalie was strong-willed and overall a good person. Many people that she comes across thinks that she is slow due to her disability, but Natalie very quickly puts them in there place. I loved that about her!

Darker Still is being compared to Pride & Prejudice, and Lord Denbury definitely reminded me of a character in an Austin novel. He was such a gentleman!

I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. I loved Natalie's father specifically and Mrs. Northe was a lot of fun too!

I thought the plot was very interesting. It revolves around Natalie trying to help Denbury, who is stuck in a painting due to some really bad dark magic. This was so intriguing me and I couldn't wait to find out more.

Overall though, I was disappointed with Darker Still. Don't get me wrong, it was a good story and I liked the characters, but I was expecting something different. A lot of people have been raving about this book and I definitely see this book being popular with a lot of people!  

Follow Friday # 14

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!

This weeks question is:

Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?

Out of the books that I have read in 2011, I would choose:

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
2. Sophie & Carter
3. Touch
4. The entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

What books would you guys recommend? Leave me your link in the comment section so I can check it out.

Happy Friday!