Review: Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

Stay With Me

By: Paul Griffin

Pub. Date: September 8, 2011

Publisher: Dial

Pages: 304

Source: Library

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit


Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.


From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

Stay With Me had everything I could have asked for in a novel. The characters were awesome, the plot was fast paced and realistic and overall, Stay With Me had me laughing and crying the entire time.

Mack had my heart from the beginning. His mother left when he was a kid and his father is an abusive drunk. Yet, Mack is 100% good. He puts others first. He is sweet and considerate and the way he treats animals is just amazing. Even after his "horrible mistake", I still only saw good, and understood why he did what he did. I think any animal lover would.  Cece was also great and I loved watching Mack and Cece get together. It was so amazingly sweet. Even the secondary characters were fantastic! Every single one was well written. I couldn't get enough of them!

Stay With Me will break your heart. The ending is bittersweet but it worked perfectly for the story. Parts of the story were definitely hard to read, but it was so realistic and well written. Everything was just so believable. My heart broke many times throughout the story, especially concerning Mack. I was rooting for him the entire time.

I honestly could not have asked for a better story. I fell in love with it and it's characters and will definitely be picking up my own copy!  

In My Mailbox (27)

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.

~Bought~

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (I already read this from netgalley, but I needed my own copy!)

Sophie & Carter by Chelsea Fine (I read it this week and loved it!)

Touch by Jus Accardo

~Borrowed~

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey 

~Extra~

The other day Kimberly Derting (one of my favorite authors) asked for 50 people to be members of The Pledge street team. I was lucky enough to get a spot, and I got all of this awesome swag to give out to people. I got a personalized poster, bookmarks, stickers, signed passports and a few more signed posters (not pictured). Look out for giveaways coming soon!! 

That's all for me this week. What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave me your link in the comments so I can check it out! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Also, be sure to check out my giveaway going on right now to win a copy of Raven by Nuayma Jeggels!   

Giveaway: Raven by Nuayma Jeggels

A girl, a coma, a Plague, and an empty grave.

When Shardaie wakes up, she doesn’t know who she is, why she can’t understand emotions, why she has been unconscious for nearly nine of her thirteen years, or why the dead just won’t stay dead. The only clue to her past is a locket, but the Plague, which finally stretches its unnatural hand to her village, forces her to leave and to learn to protect herself. But everything has a cost: the protection against the undead reveals a secret that Shardaie and her classmates just don’t want to accept, and at the end, Shardaie realises that some secrets shouldn’t be revealed. Secrets have the power to destroy, and the power to change her view on humanity for ever.

Here is a brief teaser that the author has provided about the main character:

Shardaie was lying on her side on the floor, nose nearly pressed against the struggling lizard. Her violet eyes slowly blinked, watching as the creature waved its limbs and tried its best to get up and crawl away. Watching, but not understanding. She inhaled deeply, then released the breath as she muttered, “What are you feeling?”     The lizard’s eyes flitted this way and that way, and when Shardaie realised that the world had to look just too big for it, she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. What was it feeling? She spread out her legs and her arms, then tried to see the room from the lizard’s perspective.     Window, too far away. She started to wave her arms. Floor, too wide. She started to wave her legs. Walls, nearly never-ending. Her stomach clenched, then a sheen of sweat covered her brow. Shardaie blinked, and as she stopped moving, she thought, that didn’t help. She still didn’t understand what she was feeling.     Shardaie looked back at the lizard, but only found an empty space bathed in sunlight. She rolled onto her side, in the direction of her bedroom doorway, and watched as her guest scuttled away, its broken tail twitching occasionally. “Go,” she whispered, remembering the words a girl had once said to a different lizard, “be free.”     Then she pulled herself up, but when she straightened, she accidentally knocked her arm against the edge of the windowsill. Shardaie noticed the sudden prickling sensation in her flesh, and when she raised her arm, brow twitching as her eyes narrowed, she took note of the scratch and the thin line of blood that stood out vividly against her pale skin.     Wasn’t she supposed to be doing something? she thought as she tilted her head to the left and then to the right continuously, she was supposed to react, wasn’t she? Her arm lowered to her side. She looked up and licked her lips, then thought about the girl, who loved to speak to lizards, before she turned to stare at the floor.     Shardaie began with her face: she started to arch her eyebrows and then opened and closed her mouth. Her calves twitched, so she started to shake her legs, but that turned into a hopping-on-the-spot. She tried her best to re-enact a scene she had witnessed a while ago, of a little child noticing a wound, but when she spun around, arms flapping in the air, she realised that she wasn’t alone.     Celio, her red-haired guardian, stood in the doorway, his hand on the doorknob. He cocked his head and then frowned at her. “What are you doing?”     Shardaie immediately stood still and smacked her lips. She looked at her arm, then raised it and replied, “I’m reacting.”     Celio looked at her arm, then glanced over his shoulder to address someone before turning back to her. “Give me a moment, child,” he turned around, but kept his gaze on her face, “keep your arm clean.”     Shardaie nodded at the suddenly empty doorway, then turned around, marched up to her bed and sat down. She wriggled around for a moment, but sat still and stared ahead. Her eyes blinked. Her fingers twitched occasionally. A lock of her hair fell down to caress her nose. She looked at her arm and then raised it before sitting upright and staring at the doorway once more.     Stomp, stomp, stomp announced Celio’s presence, but Shardaie didn’t move and didn’t look away from the doorway. Celio walked into the room and sat down beside her, then took her raised arm and started to wipe a wet cloth over the scratch. Shardaie watched him work, watched how he bowed his head and slowly turned his wrist, but when he was done and he turned to her as though he was expecting something, she remained silent for a while before saying, “Thank you, sir.”     Celio nodded, then looked away and studied his cloth. “Everything’s all right now.” He smiled at Shardaie, placed a hand on her shoulder and stood up. “It’s time for dinner. Come.”     Shardaie didn’t follow him, even when he made a beckoning motion with his hand, and when he had left the room, she looked back at her arm and thought. The prickling sensation was still there, but it was fainter. She looked at the doorway that both Celio and the lizard had used, then crawled across her bed and threw her blanket over her body and her head.     Her stomach clenched. Her bottom lip trembled. Shardaie closed her eyes, and as she felt her breath flutter across her upper lip, she started to wave her legs and her arms. Nothing. How was everything all right? Shardaie continued to wave her limbs. She still couldn’t understand what she was feeling …

Doesn't this book sound fantastic! I have to say that I want a copy for myself!

The author has graciously agreed to give away three ebooks.  All you have to do is fill out the form with your name and email address. When the winners are announced I will pass the three winning emails to the author and she will send you the ebook in your preferred format! Contest is open internationally!

About the author:

Nuayma Jeggels lives in South Africa with her imaginary cat named Pookie. When she isn’t writing or reading, she is battling mathematics and gravity. Her favourite colour is violet. Her favourite meal is lasagne.

Follow Friday # 10

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 could have dinner with your favorite book character, who would you eat with and what would you serve?

My Answer: 

I would love to have dinner with Magnus Bane from The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series. We could either eat something real simple, like pizza, or we could go to this totally classy place that Magnus would pick out! I would love to hear all about his life from different times in history. 

I also think meeting Percy Jackson would be kind of cool. His dad is Poseidon, who is actually my favorite god and Percy seems like a really awesome guy. I think he would be a lot of fun to hang out with! Maybe we could go to an arcade and eat pretzels and nachos and cheese. 

Review: Sleepers by Megg Jensen

Sleepers

(The Swarm # 1)

By: Megg Jensen

Pub. Date: July 20, 2011

Publisher: DarkSide Publishing

Source: Author

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her. 
Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy? 

 I don't even know how to begin explaining how awesome this book was! It was AMAZING!! The characters were great and the plot kept me guessing until the very end!

Sleepers is the story of Lianne, who along with two boys, Kellen and Bryden were given to the enemy of a neighboring land as a peace offering when they were babies. Kellen is the oldest and a born fighter, where Bryden is quiet and crippled from a childhood accident which killed his adoptive parents. I LOVED the little love triangle that was happening here. All of her life, Lianne has liked Kellen. When he finally notices her, they become boyfriend and girlfriend. But now, Bryden is back in her life and you can tell the two of them have a very strong connection. There was a lot to Bryden and at first he came off as a jerk, but as the story progressed, I fell more and more in love with him!

Lianne was a kick ass chick! She was so loyal and even in the toughest situations she knew how to handle herself. She never really knew who she could trust, but I liked that she was still willing to give people a chance.  

Sleepers was very fast paced. The story just flowed nicely and it kept my interest the entire time. I am so looking forward to the second book, because WOAH that ending was intense!

Megg Jensen has proved herself to be a very talented author! I look forward to reading  everything that lady writes! If you haven't read her other books, The Cloud Prophecy series, what are you waiting for?! Go read them NOW! You will not be disappointed!   

Review: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

Lord of Rage

(Royal House of Shadows # 2)

By: Jill Monroe

Pub. Date: September 20, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

Pages: 288

Source: Netgalley

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.
  The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.

Lord of Rage is the second book in the Royal House of Shadows series and it does not disappoint. This series is getting better and better with every book and I can not wait to see how it will all come together in the fourth and final book.

The second installment follows Princess Brenna and all she has is her power to survive, no matter what. When she stumbles upon a cottage in the middle of woods, she eats the food in the kitchen and takes a much needed rest in the bed. She wakes up to find the owners of the house, Osborn and his two younger brothers. Osborn wants her to leave as soon as possible. The ironic part of this is that Osborn is the source of Princess Brenna's fantasies and Brenna's has been Osborn's for years.

Osborn is a berserker, a man who can channel the spirit of the bear to become a very strong and power warrior. After his entire clan is murdered, with the exception of his two young brothers, by vampires of the empire of Elden, he becomes a mercenary to care and protect for his brothers and put food on their table.  He also vows that one day he will avenge his family and his clan and destroy Elden and the people in it.

The Princess wants nothing more than the man from her fantasies to help her avenge her parents murder, but he refuses to help her. He also has no clue that the very people she wants to avenge are the people who murdered his family. It's all very complicated!

Despite the fact that he doesn't want to help her, Osborn is drawn to the Princess. She is determined in her quest, which Osborn admires.

I really loved the connection between Osborn and Brenna. They were both seeking revenge for the families, so the two of them had a lot in common. I also enjoyed seeing Brenna's transformation from spoiled Princess to fearless leader.

The first book in the series, Lord of the Vampires, which I already read and reviewed is written by Gena Showalter. Stay tuned for my reviews on book three, Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson and book four, Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh.   

Review: You Are My Only by Beth Kephart

You Are My Only

By: Beth Kephart

Pub. Date: October 25, 2011

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley

Emmy Rane is married at nineteen, a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock.
  Fourteen years later, Sophie, a home schooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the "No Good." One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that gives Sophie the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . . .
  The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

I really hate to say this, but You Are My Only fell completely flat for me. While I thought the story was a real interesting one, I didn't really like the execution of it and I didn't like the characters. They just didn't seem real and I didn't care about them.

Fourteen years ago, Emmy went away for only a few moments, but when she came back to her baby, she was gone.

Sophie is a 14 year old girl who is home schooled and not allowed to see or talk to anyone. Her mother is very strict and makes the two of them move around all the time. Eventually, Sophie breaks the rules and meets her neighbor Joey and his two aunts. They are not the conventional family. Joey is an orphan who is raised by his two older aunts. His aunts are not sisters either, but this doesn't make them any less of a family. Sophie begins to see what having a family is like, which causes her to look into her past.

The story is told in alternating POV between Emmy and Sophie. The part that is interesting is Emmy's POV is set fourteen years ago, and Sophie's POV is set in the present time. At first, I really liked this about the story and thought it was perfect, but then it started to annoy because I wanted the two views to eventually meet.

Overall, I think that even though I did not enjoy You Are My Only as much as I thought I would, I think there are others out there who will love it! It wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't my cup of tea. 

Review: A Little Harmless Submission by Melissa Schroeder

A Little Harmless Submission

(Harmless # 6)

By: Melissa Schroeder

Pub. Date: October 25, 2011

Source: eARC from Author

For a tough as nails Dom hunting a sadistic serial killer is nothing compared to losing his heart.
 Rome Carino is hunting a predator. One who likes to hurt submissives and the most popular BDSM club’s patrons are being targeted. With each fresh kill, he gets more brazen. Rome knows he just needs one little break, but before he can make headway, the FBI shows up. Worse, the uptight, buttoned-down Special Agent Maria Callahan suggests a plan that is dangerous, but worth it because it might just catch the killer. If Rome can keep his mind on the case and off the beautiful FBI agent, he'll be just fine.
 Maria is still trying to step out of her legendary father's shadow and knows just how to do it. Luring the killer by posing as Rome's new sub seems like a good idea. That is, until undercover becomes real life and she finds herself tangled up with a man who amazes and scares her at the same time. Her growing attraction to the Honolulu Police Detective is a little too much to handle. Even knowing that, she can't help falling in love with the tough Dom and losing herself in the games they play in the bedroom.
 Rome is overwhelmed by his need for Maria. He has never had a sub respond to him the way she does and no matter what he does, he feels himself slipping off that cliff into love. As their relationship starts to unfold, he realizes that he will do anything to win her heart, to convince her to become his sub for a lifetime. But before he can do anything, the killer turns his attention on Rome and the one thing he holds dear: Maria.

WARNING: The following book contains: A Dom who thinks he can do no wrong, a new sub who is about to teach him he can, palm trees, a trip or two to Rough ‘n Ready, a flirty Aussie Dom with questionable motives, old friends, and a new enemy. Yeah, it might be called Harmless, but you Addicts know it’s anything but.

Wow! This story is HOT. The characters, the plot, EVERYTHING, makes this story one of the best in the Harmless series! Even though I have the most overwhelming reading pile that actually makes me nervous, as soon as I was sent an eARC, I put everything else aside to read it. As soon as I found out Submission was going to feature Rome, I could not wait to read it! Schroeder, once again, has written a fantastic novel and clearly does not disappoint.

Rome Carina is a tough detective whose latest work has him looking for a serial killer that has been killing subs that go to the local BSDM club, "Rough and Ready". Being a member of the club as well, Rome finds this case very personal and will do anything in his power to find the killer before he kills another female. Maria is a member of the FBI who goes to Hawaii to catch the killer. She is willing to do anything to prove herself in force, even if that means posing as Rome's sub and putting herself right in the killer's view.

Rome and Maria have amazing and hot chemistry. I could not have asked for a better couple to get to know! I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow. It totally worked for me because it seemed so real.

Evan is still my favorite Harmless hero, but Rome is definitely a close second! A Little Harmless Submission is not to be missed! Actually, the entire Harmless series should not be missed!  

In My Mailbox (26)

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~

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber (via netgalley)

Sacrifice by Melinda Metz & Laura J. Burns (via author)

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (via netgalley)

Melinda Metz was so nice! She sent me a signed copy of Sacrifice, and also 3 copies (2 in which are signed!) for a giveaway. So keep a look out for that giveaway happening soon! 

~Bought~

Ladybird, Ladybird by Abra Ebner 

This book looks fantastic! And hello, ladybugs are apart of it, so I knew I had to have it. The story also looks very sweet. I can't wait to start it. I might read it next! 

~Borrowed~

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Fateful by Claudia Gray (Read this week and LOVED it!)

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

That's all for me this week. What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave me your link in the comments so I can check it out! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Also, be sure to check out my giveaway going on right now to win a copy of Raven by Nuayma Jeggels!  

Review: Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Lord of the Vampires

Royal House of Shadows # 1

By: Gena Showalter

Pub. Date: August 23, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin

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 a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.

Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.

When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey. She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm. But for this human, all is not a fairy tale. For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...

I have to admit, I was confused for most of the story. I didn’t really understand what was going on. Piece by piece everything started to come together and make sense. Once that happened, I was able to enjoy the story and I ended up really liking it!

I loved Nicolai. As a sex slave to a sadistic women, he lives every day being raped and beaten. With no memory of who he is, he doesn’t even know if Nicolai is his real name. All he knows is that he has a need for revenge. He was so brute and caveman like, and actually, he’s kind of ass. But once we get to know him, and his memories start to come back, we see a completely different side to him. His polar opposite personalities made for a great character that I really enjoyed reading about.

I didn’t really like Jane. I liked that she was willing to help Nicolai, but she was also kind of stupid and whiney, which annoyed me a little. I did like watching Jane and Nicolai relationship blossom as they escaped. I thought it was very sweet.

Overall, I enjoyed Lord of the Vampires and I am excited to read the next three books in the series, all written by different authors, which I think is pretty neat.

More information on the Royal House of Shadows series.

Royal House of Shadows trailer: 

Review: Crave by Melissa Darnell

Crave

(The Clann # 1)

By: Melissa Darnell

Pub. Date: October 18, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 416

Source: Netgalley

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.
 For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

There was many aspects of Crave that I enjoyed. I liked the characters and felt for them. I also thought the plot was very original, which is saying a lot because there are so many books about Vampires and Witches already out there. I also loved that Darnell used the POV of both Savannah and Tristan.

Savannah has been an outcast at school since elementary school, when her best friends decided not talk to her anymore. I think every single teenage girl has experienced this at one time or another. Tristan is the golden boy at school, and unbeknownst to Savannah, has secretly liked her, since, well, forever. He has never forgiven himself for hurting her by being one of the people to end his friendship with her.

"The Clann" is a powerful set of witches, and the parents have forbade their children with interacting with Savannah. None of the other kids know why, they just know to stay away from her. Tristan is not able too, and Savannah can't stay away from him either. Despite what both of their families say, the two of them need to find a way to stay together.

Even though there were so many supernatural elements going on around them, I liked that Savannah and Tristan were still normal teenagers. They were going through the same pressures as everyone else. They had to deal with keeping their families and friends happy, which is a lot of pressure for a teenager.

Crave definitely ended with a BAM and I am looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out. The only complaint I have about it was that it was too long. I think it could have been shortened by at least 100 or so pages, then the book would have been perfect for me!  

Review: Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey

Yours To Keep

(Kowalski Family #3)

By: Shannon Stacey

Pub. Date: June 6, 2011

Pubsliher: Carina Press

Source: Netgalley

Sean Kowalski no sooner leaves the army than he’s recruited by Emma Shaw to be her fake fiancé. Emma needs to produce a husband-to-be for her grandmother’s upcoming visit, and, though Sean doesn’t like the deception, he could use the landscaping job Emma’s offering while he decides what to do with his civilian life. And, despite his attraction to Emma, there’s no chance he’ll fall for a woman with deep roots in a town he’s not planning to call home.

Emma’s not interested in a real relationship either; not with a man whose idea of home is wherever he drops his duffel bag. No matter how amazing his “pretend” kisses are…

I saw Yours To Keep on netgalley, loved the cover, and requested it. I had no idea that it was a series, and that I would be reading book three. But, no matter, I understood everything perfectly, because it seems that each book is about a different member of the family, so you don’t have to read the books in any kind of order.

I loved Yours To Keep. It was completely adorable. It was fun and fresh. Reading the summary, I’m sure you can tell what the outcome of this is going to be, but Shannon Stacey added some hilarious surprise twists that I absolutely loved!

Sean was amazing. He’s strong, capable, hot, and a military man. But he’s also sweet, funny, kind and respectful. He was definitely swoon-worthy! Emma got herself in such a predicament that I couldn’t help but feel bad for her, but she carried herself in such a way that was believable. I was rooting for Sean and Emma the entire time, but they were both so freakin’ stubborn, I thought they would never get together!

I have nothing but awesome things to say about Yours To Keep, and I have been gushing to my friends about this book for weeks now. I recommend downloading this book onto your nook or kindle ASAP and spend a night curled up in bed laughing your ass off and enjoying a wonderful story.

And for those of you who read it, how adorable were those post-its!

In My Mailbox (25)

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.

Sorry that I have been MIA for the past two weeks. I haven't written any reviews, or visited other people's blogs. I just moved from New York to Texas and things have been CRAZY! Hoping to get things back on track with the blog this week!


This IMM is about three weeks worth of books!

~Review~

Tempest by Julie Cross (via netgalley)

The Glass Collector by Anna Perena (via netgalley)

Dark Eden by Patrick Carmen (via netgalley)

Dangerous Reflections by Shay Fabbro (via author)

Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (via netgalley)

A Little Harmless Submission by Melissa Schroeder (via author)

Waiting To Forget by Sheila Kelly Welch (via netgalley)

~Bought~

 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen 

~Borrowed~

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ryan

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave your link in my comments so I can check it out!

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

By: Ransom Riggs

Pub. Date: June 7, 2011

Publisher: Quirk Publishing

Source: Bought

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

I’ll be honest, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was not at all what I was expecting! Actually, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that everyone else who read it had LOVED it, and I had to read it ASAP! I am so glad that I can finally say I read Peculiar Children! It wasn’t like anything I had read before, and the creepy pictures and setting just added to the mystery of the story.

The beginning of the book did go kind of slow for me, and I would have stopped reading if I didn’t trust some of the reviews I read on it. I felt like for the first quarter of the book I was just waiting and waiting for something exciting to happen. When I started to figure out what was going on, that’s when the book just flew by.

I really enjoyed the main character, Jacob. He was funny and extremely loyal.  The way he was able to digest the information about the peculiar children, I thought, was very believable. I also loved all of the peculiar children. They were so much fun! I thought they were going to be evil, but they weren’t, which was nice.

Ransom is a very talented writer and storyteller. Even while the book was slow for me in the beginning, I still thought that the writing flowed nicely. The story was also very original. I heard there will be a second book, and I am extremely excited to read it!

And those pictures! They just added so much to the story and I loved how Riggs incorporated them into the story. They fit perfectly!

This is a story that is not to be missed. I recommend every one who hasn’t to go out and read it right away!  

I bought Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children for my nook when it first came out, but I am definitely buying a second copy to go on my shelf!

Also, the trailer for it is amazing!!