Legacy by Cayla Kluver

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

 The first boy disappeared on the day of his birth, on a night when the pale yellow moon of the nighttime sky turned red and bathed the heavens in the ghastly color of blood, on the same night the Kingdom of Cokyri abruptly ceased its merciless attack.

Across the land of Hytanica, under the shadow of the crimson moon, infant boys continued to vanish. Not until the blood had faded from the sky did the disappearances stop and the bodies of the murdered infants were found outside the gates of the city, a final word from the greatest enemy Hytanica had ever known. For the next sixteen years, peace reigned, but one mystery remained unsolved. The Cokyrians had abducted forty-nine newborns, but returned only forty-eight bodies.

Now, as seventeen-year-old Princess Alera of Hytanica is besieged from all sides by suitors vying for the Throne, a teenage Cokyrian boy, Narian, is encountered within the walls of her Kingdom, a boy who will show Alera a world where women serve a purpose and not just a husband. As Narian helps Alera find her voice, she struggles against an arranged marriage that will shatter the life she has scarcely begun to live. And when Narian's shocking past is uncovered, and war with Cokyri looms once more, he must fight to defy a fate ordained at his birth.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the story of Legacy. I started it Friday afternoon and was finished by Saturday. I thought the book was fast paced and where there were some faults in the story, overall I thought it was really good.

In the land of Hytanica, women are seen as second class citizens. Their fathers or husbands completely control them. Princess Alera has only a few months to choose a husband that will become King of Hytanica. If she is not able to find one, her father, the King, will choose one he deems best to fit the role as King. Alera knows how important this decision is, not only for her, but for the future of her Kingdom.

Hytanica has a long and brutal past with the Kingdom of Cokyri, and while there was peace between the two lands for the past years 16 years, things are starting to change and war is looming between the two Kingdoms once again. The people of Cokyri are the complete opposite of the people of Hytanica. In Cokyri, women are more important and are the rulers, black magic is used, and they have weapons and fighting skills that do not even come close to what is seen in Hytanica.

I really only have one issue with this book and that was with the characters. I understand that Alera grew up in a place where women are seen as weak. There never was any reason for her to be strong, but at the same time, I found her very immature. What really made me lose respect for her was when she told her father things about her bodyguard, London, someone who has been there for her and protected her for the past 16 years of her life, because all of a sudden she did not trust him because of one incident she didn’t know anything about. I don’t want to give anything away, but I felt that she should have handled the situation differently. Maybe then, I would have respected her. Alera did grow a lot throughout the story, which I really liked. She started to take a little bit more control over her own life. There was also the character of Narian. I was really disappointed with the development of his character. What I mean by this is that there was no development of his character. Every time I read a scene with him, I thought this is where we will learn about his past and get to know who he really is, and every time I was wrong. This frustrated me to no end.

Other then that, I liked Legacy. I wasn’t that surprised with where the story was going, but it didn’t make me like it any less. I am excited to read the second book of the series, Allegiance and I can’t wait to learn more about Narian and how the choices Alera made in Legacy will affect her. At first, I wasn’t sure how a second book would fit. But there are so many things that were alluded to in Legacy that I can’t wait to find out about, especially regarding London and his past with the Cokyri Kingdom.

In the egalley version that I read, there were maps in the beginning of the book. For those of you who are interested, I found color copies of those maps at amazon.com. I love when books have maps and pictures that go along with the story!

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.
 
My Thoughts:
I saw this book on netgalley, but I didn’t request it because it didn’t seem like a book that I would really enjoy. Then it kept popping up on people’s blogs, and I started to read a lot of positive reviews about it. I really liked the cover and let’s face it-it’s from Harlequin Teen, so how bad could it really be! Let’s just say I am so happy that I gave Spellbound a chance. From page 1, I was intrigued. I thought the story was original and I really liked the characters. I also had so many laughs out loud moments and I wish I would have wrote down some of the hilarious lines that I read.

Emma moves to NYC from PA after her alcoholic stepfather drove drunk and almost killed her. Emma already lost her twin brother, Ethan and her mother and is now living with her Great Aunt in the city. She wants to just be normal and try to forget about the horrible things that have happened. When she meets the popular, hot, and rich boy Brendan she feels an undeniable attraction to him. Brendan and Emma begin to realize that their attraction can not be helped because of a curse put upon their souls hundreds of years ago. This curse also means that Emma is going to die. I could not turn the pages fast enough. I had to know what was going to happen.

I found the entire story of the curse very interesting. I thought that Cara Lynn Shultz did a wonderful job explaining it.

I loved everything about Emma. She is a tough cookie. She has been through a lot in her short life, but she is still capable of love and is strong. She lets people in, and isn’t afraid to be herself. I would want Emma as my best friend. Brendan was a little hard to figure out at first and it was hard for me to be able to form an opinion about him. Once I did understand him, I loved him. As much as he loves Emma, he was willing to suffer and be without her to save her life. He wasn’t selfish, and he is genuinely a good person. He really is not the bad boy he originally appears to be.

The secondary characters were also fleshed out in a wonderful way. I enjoyed Emma’s Cousin, Ashley, who was adorable. Emma also meets Cisco and Angelique, who play a huge part in the story. Even her dead brother Ethan plays a much larger role then I would have thought!

Overall, Spellbound was a fast-paced enjoyable story. I loved the ending and I am looking forward to reading more from Shultz.

In My Mailbox (15)

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.  

Review

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey

Bought

 Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher

Possession by Elana Johnson

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski

Won

I won these two books from the awesome Lori at Pure Imagination!

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Extra

I got a card and bookplate signed by the awesome Nova Ren Suma!

Hope everyone had a great week! Let me know what you got!

The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

Summary Provided by Amazon:

The Goblin Market has always been the center of Sin’s world. But now the Market is at war with the magicians, and Sin’s place is in danger. Thrown out of the Market she loves, Sin is thrown together with brothers Nick and Alan—whom she’s always despised.

Alan has been marked by a magician and is being tortured so that the magicians can get to Nick. As Sin watches Alan struggle to protect the demon brother he loves, she begins to see him in a new light—but she and Mae are locked in a fierce rivalry over who will inherit the leadership of the Goblin Market, and a decisive battle with the Aventurine Circle is looming. Mae’s brother, Jamie, is holed up with the magicians, his loyalties in question. And Nick—well, who knows what a demon might do to save his brother? How far will Nick go to save Alan—and what will it cost them all?

My Thoughts:

I know a lot of people have been saying this, but when I first found out that Sin was going to be the narrator I thought that the book was not going to be as good as the previous two books. I am so glad I was wrong! I did not realize how much Sin’s narration was going to bring to the story. We got to see Nick and Alan in completely different lights, we learned more about the Goblin Market and the Magicians, and we get to see a whole different side to Sin that I absolutely loved! The Demon’s Surrender is the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy! I only have praise for this story and all I want to do is read the entire series again. I totally would too if I didn’t have a list of books that I still need to read!

Sin is awesome! She had the perfect one-liners for Nick and Alan and I couldn’t help but laugh at them. She is strong, brave, independent and protective of her family. She is willing to do whatever she has to do to keep them safe. I really enjoyed learning about her and reading her story.

Alan and Nick were perfect. I love their connection and their protectiveness of each other. I love when they are joking around with each other and when they are scared for the other. Nick had it really bad in this one. It was horrible to read. Sarah Rees Brennan is the only author I know that could make you fall in love with a demon and at the same time is able to make a demon grow as a character. All I wanted to do was hug Nick and tell him everything was going to be OK, but then he probably would have stabbed me. Then there is Alan, who I have loved since the beginning! Seriously, I love him, and he was even better and more swoon worthy in this one! We got to see a whole other side to him that had me melting like butter for him! 

Mae and Jamie are also in the story, though we see less of them then we did in Lexicon and Covenant. Jamie had me worried there for a while, but once he was back to his old self, I realized how much I missed him! I would love to see a companion novel full of Jamie-isms!

There are so many plot twists that I never knew where Brennan was going to take the story and the characters! I was not able to turn the pages fast enough. Seriously, this women is a genius and super talented!  She is an amazing author and I can not wait to read more from her!

The Demon’s Lexicon series is one that I am so glad I read! Surrender had an ending that leaves the reader completely satisfied. I could not have asked for a better ending to a wonderful trilogy.

Just to add to the awesomeness that is The Demon’s Surrender, Alan is on the cover and I thought this cover was the best one yet! 

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

She knows only Sam, a mysterious teenage boy. He is her sole companion; her whole life. She was born, already a teenager, lying outside a burning building in soot-stained clothes, remembering nothing, not even her name. He showed her the necklace she had on, the one that named her: Abby. Sam brought her to live in his cave-palace, where he gives her everything she needs. He loves her. He protects her from the world outside, from everyone who wants to hurt them, like the denizens of Circle Nine, Dante’s deepest circle of hell. But even in a charmed, brand-new life like Abby’s, change will come. Sam falls ill. A new girl comes to stay, and Abby begins to question Sam’s devotion. With doubt comes emotional turmoil, changes in perception, and glimpses of her past identity. In this courageous psychological thriller, Abby tells the story of living her new life and discovering her old one, while grappling with an ever-changing reality.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to read this book because the summary intrigued me. I thought that it was going to be a supernatural story set in a dystopian future, but that was not the case at all. This is a story about a boy named Sam, who after saving Abby from a burning building, has her live with him and takes care of her. Abby has no idea who she is, or how she knows Sam, but in the beginning is content with her situation. The more we read, the more we learn that Sam is actually a very controlling person and isn’t helping Abby, but hurting her. Abby decides to take matters into her own hands to find out who she really is, and why she can’t remember anything.

I really enjoyed this story and I had to keep reading to find out what happens. I had so many questions that I couldn't wait to find out the answers too. Who is Sam? Who is Abby? How do the two of them know each other? The two of them really intrigued me, and I was dying to know more!

Circle Nine is not a cookie cutter kind of story. It will leave you questioning until the very end, and then you will question even more! In some aspects, I really liked the ending, but at the same time, I was expecting a little more closure. I would have liked to know what happened to Sam. We never get to learn who Sam actually is beyond this situation, and I would have liked to see more of him. I think if the story was told in duel POV, I would have been a lot more satisfied.

Overall, Circle Nine is an interesting story and not at all what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it and I am looking forward to reading more from Anne Heltzel!

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Legend by Marie Lu

November 29, 2011

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

What is your Waiting on Wednesday? 

The Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

 Kelsey Hayes is no ordinary college freshman. In fact, the eighteen-year-old girl has just returned from India, where she risked her life—and her heart—to rescue a handsome Indian prince from a terrible curse. Back home in Oregon, Kelsey is determined to move on, despite the lingering feelings she has for the man she left behind. She meets Li, a completely average guy who offers the promise of an ordinary, curse-free life. But just when Kelsey is ready to move on, Ren reenters her life, on a quest to reclaim her heart. Danger threatens their newly rekindled love and to save him, Kelsey must journey with someone else—a man who wants her for himself. The saga begun in Tiger’s Curse continues in Tiger’s Quest, as Kelsey finds herself in an epic battle between good and evil. From the shores of the Pacific Northwest to the jungles of India, the mountains of Nepal and Tibet, and the mystical realm of Shangri-la, this suspenseful tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption is not to be missed.

My Thoughts:

When I read The Tiger’s Curse in January, I did not think I was going to be able to wait until June to read the second book in the series, The Tiger’s Quest. I was obsessed with the story that Colleen Houck created! The plot was magical and captivating, the characters were awesome and the setting was beautiful. When I finally had The Tiger’s Quest in my hand I was so happy! Then I actually started it, and while I still loved the story, there were some things that disappointed me.

Kelsey was my main issue. She was so annoying! Every single time that she opened her mouth I wanted to punch her. I honestly don’t understand how both Ren and Kishan could fall in love with her. The aspects of her that I liked from the first book were still present-she was brave, selfless, and real. I could see someone like her being my best friend. But in Quest, she was just so dramatic and at times, ridiculous, that the good points of her character were overshadowed by the annoying parts. 

My other issue was the length of this book. While I loved the added stories Houck told about Indian culture and history, there were parts that I feel could have been cut out. Did we really need Kelsey to talk for a full page about every single thing that she and Kishan ate on their journey? I found myself wanting to skip over many, many parts.

Alright, now for what I loved about this book! I loved the story! Ren is kidnapped and tortured horribly by Lokesh, who Kelsey describes as a cross between Hannibal Lecter and Lord Voldemort, but much better looking. Now it is up to Kelsey, Kishan, and Mr. Kadam to break the second part of the curse and also save Ren. The book had action, romance, and history, and I thought that the storyline was even better then it was in the first book!

Besides Kelsey, who I couldn’t stand, I really enjoyed the other characters, especially Kishan, actually I loved him! We first met him in Curse, but we didn’t really learn that much about him. In this one, we learn that there are so many different levels to him and I loved seeing every single one of them. In my opinion, he was even better then Ren, which after book one, I didn’t think could be possible! He is very fun and very complex. He is not “emo" like Ren, which was a nice change of pace. I thought he added so much to the story, and I look forward to seeing where Houck takes him. I hope is able to find the peace he so desperately needs and deserves. 

The Tiger’s Voyage, which comes out in November is supposed to be 100 pages longer but Houck left us with such a “crazy, oh-know-she-didn’t” cliffhanger that I NEED to know what happens!  

This is a book that I would still recommend to my friends, even with its faults. Also, it looks so pretty on my bookshelf!

Teaser Tuesday!

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers!

I am currently reading The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Here is my teaser. Hope you enjoy it!

"My fingers work through her mane, tying knots in threes and sevens. I sing in her ear, and all the while my inside hand turns her in smaller and smaller circles, each one away from the water. Nothing is sure."

I am loving this book so far! I am only on page 85, but it seems that Maggie has written yet another brilliant and beautiful story!

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

            My Thoughts:

I knew I had to read this book as soon as I found out it was about Mermaids! Really, who doesn’t love a great Mermaid story?? Tempest Rising was a wonderful book-the writing was excellent, the characters were awesome and the mythology that Tracy Deebs incorporated on Mermaids and other sea creatures added so much more to an a already fantastic story. There was even an evil sea witch!

The main character, Tempest is half-human and half-mermaid. She is about to turn 17 and with that comes the biggest decision of her life. She needs to choose whether to stay human and stay with her father and brothers or truly accept the mermaid side of her and live in the sea. Hell, I thought having to choose what college I wanted to go to at 17 was a big decision!

Tempest was a wonderful character to get to know. I loved watching her grow throughout the book. I loved how loyal and caring she was, how she took care of her family, and how she was willing to do whatever she had to do for the sea creatures that she had just met. Even though the Sea was not officially her home, she wanted to protect it how ever she could.

Tempest also had to choose between to awesome boys-Mark, her human boyfriend and Kai, who helps her to understand who she truly is and encourages her to come to terms with it. I think Tempest had a wonderful connection to both of these guys, which made her choice that much harder, but I definitely think she made the right choice! 

Deeds did a fantastic job describing life under the sea. Her descriptions reminded me a lot of Finding Nemo because of the rich colors and details. I also loved how the story was so much more then just a mermaid story. It was about family, friendship and trust. It was also about finding yourself and being able to do whatever you want to do with your life. 

I highly recommend reading this one and I’m excited to see what Deebs has in store for us next!

In My Mailbox (14)

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. 

Review

The Unwanteds-Lisa McMann
Gone, Gone, Gone-Hannah Moskowitz
Clean-Amy Reed
Fury-Elizabeth Miles

Bought

Hourglass-Myra McEntire
The Demon's Surrender-Sarah Rees Brennan
Imaginary Girls-Nova Ren Suma
Passion-Lauren Kate
Incarceron-Catherine Fisher
Nightshade-Andrea Cremer

I hope everyone else had an awesome book week!

Everything We Ever Wanted by Sara Shepard

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

How do you choose between your family and your history? Emotional and compelling storytelling from Sara Shepard, author of All the Things We Didn’t Say.

A late-night phone call on a Sunday evening rarely brings good news. So when Sylvie, a recently-widowed mother of two, receives a call from the head teacher of the school she's on the board of, she knows it won't be something she wants to hear. The school was founded by her grandfather, and she's inherited everything he strived to build up - a reputation, a heritage, the school and the grand old family house. And with this inheritance comes responsibility.

So when her son Scott is whispered to be involved in a scandal that led to the death of one of the boys he coaches at the school, it throws the family into chaos: Sylvie has to decide between her loyalty to the school that has been part of her family legacy for years and her son who she feels wants nothing to do with her. She starts spying on the dead boy's father, making an unlikely connection.

Sara Shepard's compelling new novel tells how hard it can be to really, truly connect to people, how making quick, easy judgments can come back to haunt you, and how the life you always planned for - and always dreamed of - often doesn't always turn out the way you imagined at all…

My Thoughts:
Let me start by saying that this review is going to be kind of short and I am sorry about that. Ok, about the book, on the one hand, there were parts of Everything We Ever Wanted that I really enjoyed. I liked learning about the secrets of the Bates-McAllister family, and how those secrets affect the members of the family today. I also really enjoyed the son, Scott and trying to figure him out, and lastly, reading the different POVs of the members of the family. What I disliked mostly was the ending. I like books with closure, and even though I feel there was a little bit of closure, it was not enough to satisfy me.  I was expecting something else at the end, which I did not get.

For me, the book dragged on a lot. The information that I wanted to know, Sara Shepard glazed over, and parts I couldn’t care less about went on for pages. 

I really enjoyed the characters. Shepard did a good job at creating distinct voices for everyone. I wish we would have gotten to learn more about Scott. I feel the whole book was basically about the adopted member of the family, and not only was he a mystery to his family, but he was a mystery to us as well. 

This was the first Shepard novel I ever read. The next book on my list from her is The Lying Game and eventually I would love to read The Pretty Little Liar series. 

Fade by Lisa McMann

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My Thoughts:
I loved Wake, the first book in the Dream Catcher trilogy. Part of me didn’t even want to read Fade because I figured it wouldn’t compare to the first one. Fade completely took me by surprise! I loved it. It was so much better then Wake and as soon as I finished, I was ready to read it again!

Fade begins a few weeks after the events of Wake. Cabel and Janie are officially a couple (well in secret anyway) and are both working for the FBI. When the Captain tells them they need to find a sex predator at their school, Janie has to be put herself in danger to catch him. I was not able to turn the pages quick enough. Fade was very intense and I couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen.

What I love most about these books is Cabel and Janie’s relationship. They are so adorable and I love how we see the two of them continue to heal and deal with their pasts. For the first time in both of their lives someone actually loves them and cares about them. Cabel is wonderful. I love him. After everything he has gone through with his abusive father, he is still the perfect guy. He’s so sweet and I can not get enough of him! He can’t stand to let anything happen to Janie. This case that him and Janie were working on was very hard for him, and I was able to feel his frustrations, anger and pain. 

I also love Janie. She is a wonderful protagonist. In Fade, she learns a lot more about her ability and how it will affect her. Instead of moping and being dramatic (and in this case, she totally has the right to be dramatic) she doesn’t let it stop her from using her ability to help others. She will do what she has to do until she literally can’t anymore.

This is turning out to be a wonderful series and I can’t wait to read Gone, the last Dream Catcher story. 

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

September 27, 2011

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
 

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Teaser Tuesday!

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers!

I am currently reading Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

 

Here is my teaser. Hope you enjoy it!

"And then I feel it. The splitting pain below my heart, pain strong enough to match the one in my head, the thing I didn't feel the other day but I feel now in panic. I am afraid of something that I am concealing from myself. It will gut me if I dwell on it."

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society. Girls sport fake baby bumps and the school cafeteria stocks folic-acid-infused food.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in Goodside, a religious community, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to convince Melody that pregging for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

From New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty comes a strikingly original look at friendship, love, and sisterhood—in a future that is eerily believable.

My Thoughts:
Alright, WOW! I was not expecting that at all! This book is awesome! Because Bumped was so good, I now have to read the entire Jessica Darling series, like right now!

Set in a not-so distant future (2035 to be exact), a virus has left everyone over the age of 18 unable to have children. To keep the population going, teen pregnancy is not only accepted, it’s encouraged! Pre-teens wear shirts that say “Born to Breed” and try on fake baby bumps at the store. Condoms are illegal and the more babies a girl can have, or the more times she “bumps” with a guy, the better off financially she will be.

Bumped is told in the duel-POV of Melody and her identical twin sister, Harmony. Melody, unlike all of her friends, has never bumped before. She is signed up with an agency that finds the perfect match for her to bump with and also finds the couple willing to pay the most. She is getting stressed because she is already 16 and her prime baby making years is already over. Harmony on the other hand grew up in a sheltered, religious community. Young boys and girls are pared off together to start a family that can best serve the church and God. There is a lot more to Melody and Harmony that meets the eye. Both characters will surprise you. I enjoyed both Melody and Harmony and liked seeing them grow as people and figure out who they really are.

While reading Bumped, it was so strange to think that this is happening only about 20 years into the future.  I can imagine a society like this hundreds of years from now, but not twenty. It was just crazy too me. When they talk about the old people, they are essentially referring to my generation! Crazy!

Overall, I loved, loved, loved this book! McCafferty left us with a pretty heavy cliffhanger and I can not wait to read the sequel! 

In My Mailbox (13)

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.

Review

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Circle Nine by Anne Heltzel

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Bought

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
A Little Harmless Addiction by Melissa Schroeder

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

Free on Nook

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa (read my review here)

Hope everyone had an awesome book week!!

Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.
 

An ebook exclusive novella from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

My Thoughts:

Can I just start by saying that I love Puck. I love Ash. I love The Iron Fey series and I love the amazing and talented Julie Kagawa for creating such amazing stories and characters! Summer’s Crossing takes place after the events in The Iron Queen but before The Iron Knight. I do not recommend reading Summer’s Crossing until you have read the first three books of the series!! Puck and Ash are on their way to look for Grimalkin when Leanansidhe, Queen of the Exiles, finds them and wants to cash in on a favor owed to her by Ash. The task is simple really, all Ash has to do is go into the heart of the Summer Court, retrieve a violin that Queen Titania stole from her and bring it back to her. Real easy stuff for the Prince of the Winter Court! Puck and Ash have to pull off one of the biggest pranks in Puck’s life and it is not going to be easy, but Puck is definitely up for the challenge!

What I loved most about Summer’s Crossing is the dynamic between Puck and Ash. They can’t stand each other, but at the same time you know they still care deeply for each other and might actually miss being best friends! I absolutely love them together and it just gets me more excited for The Iron Knight, the story told in Ash’s perspective. Summer’s Crossing also made me see Puck in a new light. I have a deeper respect for him then I had in the first three books, and I am glad that Kagawa revealed to us a little bit about Puck’s inner thoughts and feelings.

Overall, a MUST for any Iron Fey fan!! It made me remember why I love this series so much and got me so much more pumped for The Iron Knight!!

Stay by Deb Caletti

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

My Thoughts:

Stay is my first experience with a Deb Caletti book and I have to say that I was not disappointed. Stay is about a girl named, Clara who, with her dad, Bobby, has to leave town to get away from Christian, the crazy and jealous ex-boyfriend. Christian is the kind of boy who acts sweet and polite until he sees her talking to another boy, even if that boy is her friend. He puts her down, and he puts himself down. He loves her so much and is  so afraid to lose her, that he would do anything to keep her. Yeah Christian, real smart, act psychotic, that will get her to stay (ha! Stay!). Clara and Bobby rent a house on the beach for the summer and try to move on from what happened and at the same time, both learn to move on. Clara begins a friendship/relationship with a local boy named Finn, while her dad tries to work out things from his past.

I really liked the characters, especially Clara. I liked that she was still open to finding the right guy for her. I liked that she was able to be comfortable around Finn and open up to him. I was also proud that she was able to break up with Christian, no matter what he said or did to her to try to get her to stay with him. She had a confidence about her that I admired. Even the secondary characters including, Sylvie Genovese and Annabelle Aurora brought so much dimension to the story.

Stay is told in the present tense and in flashbacks. We get to see how the relationship between Clara and Christian and began, and how it turned into a nightmare for Clara. There were also footnotes were Clara added little facts or extra information that I really enjoyed reading. It made the story, and Clara so much more real for me.

This story is about a lot more then just moving on from an abusive relationship. It’s about acceptance and forgiveness, not just for other people, but for your self as well. Stay is a beautiful story that was wonderfully written. I am looking forward to reading some of Caletti’s other work and excited to see what she comes up with next.

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

 

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

September 29, 2011

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket - a gifted inventor and engineer - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Teaser Tuesday!

I haven't done one of these in a while...

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given
• Please avoid spoilers!

I am currently reading Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

 

Here is my teaser! Hope you enjoy it :)

"But it was gone. Just another crazy trick of my imagination, I figured, as I turned back toward the rocks and started running. Or was something there, waiting for me?" (pg. 157)

I'm really enjoying Tempest Rising so far! I can't wait to find out what happens. Also, I really love the cover!

Anathema by Megg Jensen

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

Forget prophecy. Make your own destiny.

Sheltered from the outside world with no hope for escape, slave girl Reychel dreads her fifteenth birthday - when her master’s symbol is burned on the back of her bald scalp. Her best friend disappears the night before, leaving her to face the branding ceremony alone. She soon discovers nothing is as it seems when people desperate for freedom beg for Reychel's help.

Can Reychel learn to believe in herself?

My Thoughts:
I was really excited when I got this book from the author, Megg Jensen to review. Well, actually I asked her to review it because I really wanted to read it! I had read the summary on goodreads and thought it sounded very interesting. This book did not disappoint! I was captivated from page one, and it only got better and better.  

The heroine, Reychel has been a slave her entire life. On her 15^th birthday she will be branded with a fox on her neck, her master’s symbol. This means she will always belong to him. Before the branding “ceremony” can take place, Reychel is able to escape with the help of some invisible, magical people which will eventually become her friends. Free for the first time in her life, Reychel begins to learn who she truly is and secrets of her past are revealed.

What I liked most about Anathema was how everything flowed perfectly. No plot points were dragged on for eternity, but at the same time, nothing was said to quickly (did that even make sense??). There were so many questions of mine that were answered, but there is still enough for a second book to take place. I think what I am trying to say is that nothing was forced onto the reader, everything was told to us at the appropriate times.

The characters were also very well written. I loved Reychel. After everything she had been through, she was still trusting, honest, and brave. Then there is Mark, the hero and love interest to Reychel. There is more to him then meets the eye, and I can’t wait to see him again and hopefully, learn more about him! 

Anathema is a great read, especially for fantasy lovers! It might seem like a short novel, but even at only 160 pages (nook pages), there was still an entire world that was to be discovered. I hope in Oubliette (the second one in the series-due out June 20^th) we get to learn more about the Malborns, and why they were able to rise to power.

On a side note, Jensen writes in the acknowledgments about how her daughter gave her the idea for this book, which I thought was very cute!

What Happened To Goodbye By Sarah Dessen

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

In the past two years, Mclean Sweet has moved four times. At each stop, she assumes a new persona, but it never quite works. Whether she's an effervescent cheerleader or an intense drama queen, nothing can permanently dispel the turmoil and rage at her mother since her parents' divorce. Sarah Dessen's novel about a teenager and her restaurant manager father captures the vulnerability that young people often experience after the dissolution of their family. A compelling story; strong characterization; and with a touch of romance.

My Thoughts:
I have a love/hate relationship with Sarah Dessen books. They always seem so interesting and then when I finish them I realize again what I don’t like about her books. The last one I read from her, Along for the Ride, I absolutely loved so I thought I would love this one too. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either.

I always end up loving the male characters more then the female ones in Dessen’s book. She always writes the guys as mature and knowledgeable beyond their years, while the girls are whiney bitches. This one was no exception. Dave was fun, smart, cute, and sweet. I really enjoyed his character. Mclean on the other hand I felt was dramatic, whiney and overall just annoying. The other secondary characters I really liked, especially Mclean’s dad and her new friend, Deb (Actually I loved Deb-she brought a lot to the story!).

I thought the story was cute. Mclean moves around with her dad because of his job. At every school she tweaks her name, Mclean Elizabeth, and changes it to Liz, Eliza, Beth, ect. She also changes her interests. When she has to move she just leaves without ever saying goodbye to her new friends, causing the guy she was seeing at the last place she lived to post on her UMe wall, “What happened to goodbye?”

I really enjoyed the ending. I love how everything came together for everyone. I love a story that ends with all the characters in a good place.