Review: Awry by Chelsea Fine

Awry

(The Archers of Avalon # 2)

By: Chelsea Fine

Pub. Date: June 12, 2012

Publisher: Firefall Publishing

Pages: 495

Source: Bought

Three curses. Two brothers. One love triangle.

Sometimes love is meant to be. But sometimes love...is the death of you.

Seventeen-year-old Scarlet has just died. Only, dying isn't unusual for a girl under a centuries old curse that left her semi-immortal.

This time, though, she comes back to her current life instead of awaking in a new one, and she realizes the curse is changing. With the help of the immortal Archer brothers, Scarlet must piece together her life and try to break the curse before her impending death comes again. 

The Archers of Avalon books is easily becoming one of my favorite series. Secrets, curses, evil witches, and hot boys! It seriously does not get any better then that. Chelsea Fine is proving, once again, what a terrific and talented writer she is. I could not have asked for a better second book in the series and I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of book number three, Avow, due out in December.

Awry picks up at the second that Anew left off, with Scarlet dying in Tristan's arms. But this time, the curse is changing. When she dies, her body doesn't disappear like it usually does and comes back decades later. This time, she wakes up right away. Leaving Tristan, Gabriel and Nate utterly baffled. They realize that something isn't right and they desperately need to find the Fountain of Youth as soon as possible, or they might lose one of their own forever. 

What made Awry so amazing werre the flashbacks. Besides being written in Scarlet's, Tristan's and Gabriel's POV in present day, we also get to see their POVs in 1538 and we see what they were like before the curse. I got to see a whole other side to all of them and it was very interesting. Everything made so much sense and many of the questions I had after reading Anew were answered. I loved every single second of the flashback scenes.

My favorite aspect of this series is the characters. Tristan is absolutely amazing. From 1538 to the Tristan we know today, he really is just a beautiful and perfect person. His story is heartbreaking. He puts the weight of the world on his shoulders, when he doesn't have too and he never complains. God, I just love Tristan. We also get to see how perfect Tristan and Scarlet really are for each other. They are exactly the same person and they are adorable together. They truly are soul mates. I love present day Scarlet. She is funny and sweet, but 16th century Scarlet is kick ass and little by little, Scarlet remembers a bit more of who she was and it is an awesome transformation. I loved Gabriel in Anew, and don't get me wrong, I still love him, but I saw another side of him in Awry, and I did not like what I saw. I think it was wrong that he kept blaming Tristan. Like Tristan doesn't feel enough pain and guilt, he needs to be subject of Gabriel's anger too. If it wasn't obvious before, can you tell I am in love with Tristan?

The supporting characters are written perfectly as well. Nate is so hilarious, and we got to see another side to him, which was very sweet. Nate really surprised me with his awesomeness! Then there is Heather. I usually hate the sidekick/best friend but I absolutely love Heather! She's funny and cute and 100% protective of Scarlet.

Awry is a fast paced book that will keep you wanting more and the writing is absolutely perfect. With multiple point of views, in different time periods no less, you wouldn't think that it could be pulled off so flawlessly, but Fine makes it seem effortless. The writing flows so nicely and it's all put together brilliantly.

If you have not started this series yet, what are you waiting for? Awry was perfect, and I can't wait to get to hang out with these characters again in Avow! 

Books in the Series:

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn

By: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian
Pub. Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 370
Source: Netgalley

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Holy crap! I was not expecting such an amazingly fantastic read. I read Burn for Burn within two hours. I literally could not put it down. I've never been a big fan of books about revenge, I always found them to be immature in a way. But I fell in love with the cover and I am a fan of both authors, so I decided to give it a shot. Yes, it is a book about revenge, but the three girls have so much character and are so interesting and the book is about a lot more then revenge. There is also a little hint of something supernatural that is going on, and I can not wait to see what happens next!!

The story is told in the POV of Mary, Lillia and Kat. The three of them come from different backgrounds and social statues, but they each have a story that causes them to want to get revenge on someone else. Mary just moved back to Jar Island. Even though she has lived their most of her life, she went to a private school on the mainland and the only person she knew from her hometown was Reeve. But Reeve ruined her life completely and she is sick of letting what he did destroy her. She wants to move on. Lillia is the popular girl but when she finds out her best friend, Alex might have slept with her 15 year old sister, she knows she is going to have to do something about it. Lastly, there is Kat. She was once friends with the most popular girl in school, Rennie, but when Rennie thought Kat wasn't cool anymore, they stopped being friends. All three girls come together to seek revenge on the three people who have hurt them.

I absolutely loved how the story unfolded. Piece by piece you learn who these girls are and what happened in their lives that caused them to seek revenge. Some of the things they did weren't that bad, while others could have some horrible consequences.

I really enjoyed every single character in this book, especially the three girls! At first it was a little hard to keep them straight, but once I figured it out, I realized how completely different their voices really were. I really liked Alex and always had a feeling that something wasn't right with what he did to earn his punishment. Even though Reeve was an asshole, he definitely intrigued me. I hope to learn more about him in upcoming books.

Burn for Burn was a great read, I couldn't help but eagerly await what was going to happen next to the victims, but their are always consequences for your actions and I think the girls are going to learn that sooner, rather then later! I can't wait for book two. I need it now!

Dreaming Anastasia Deleted Scenes Tour + Guest Post!

Today, I am so excited to feature a deleted scene from Joy Preble's Dreaming Anastasia, the first book in the series. If you have not read these books yet, I suggest picking one up as soon as you can!

Here is a bit of background on the scene from Joy:

“It occurs after Anne and Ethan have found Professor Olensky murdered in his office. They are desperately trying to figure out what to do and being chased by Viktor's henchman Dimitri. And my initial impulse was that I very much wanted them to share their first kiss on that El train platform. It felt like the perfect moment -- the classic 'everything is going crazy and this is the person I've been running from but really he's exactly the right person for me' passionate kiss... followed by danger looming and breaking them apart.”

And then, we’re alone.

The wind’s whipping our hair and Ethan’s still holding my hand, our fingers lacing together. Neither of us says a word. The wind swirls a piece of newspaper around on the track and a couple of pigeons peck at the platform across the tracks, looking for bits of food.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan says as a twenty-something guy wearing an unzipped grey hoodie over his green scrubs plops himself down on the bench across the tracks and the pigeons, startled, fly off to search for other crumbs. He lets go of my hand and thrusts both his hands in his jacket pockets.

“You’re right. It is your battle. Probably as much as it is mine.” He blows out a breath.

“We were all so certain after the assassination that at any moment we could find a way to fulfill the prophecy. Get Anastasia back. Restore the Romanovs to power through her. But we didn’t. Ten years passed, then another ten. Then – well, it’s easier than you think for the years to slip by. Each time I though I’d found the girl who could do this, it turned out I was wrong. And each time, I think I just slipped a little farther from the person I used to be. The person who was so clear of his purpose. I never gave up, but I think I stopped trying as hard.”

Ethan stops. Looks down the track for a bit. There’s no train in sight. Across the way, a tall girl in a denim mini and black leggings joins scrub suit guy on his bench. She’s bobbing along to whatever is playing in her headphones. Everywhere I look, it seems, the world is going on like normal. Except I know it’s not.

Ethan’s gaze holds mine, his blue eyes so tired and sad that I feel like crying except I think I’ve used up my quota of tears today. “If Viktor’s betrayed us,” Ethan says, “it’s because I let him. Because I just stopped paying attention. And that part, I do have to bear alone.”

I’m not sure what to say to him. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is one of those times where I probably don’t need to say anything. But he’s standing there in such pain that I start talking.

“We’ll find her, Ethan,” I say, even though I’m not at all sure that’s ever really going to happen. “I mean, you found me, didn’t you?”

And then we just stand there. The wind dies down for a bit, although I can tell from the clouds that it’s going to pick up again soon. Underneath my feet I can feel a slight vibration. Far down the track, our train is coming. Ethan steps closer to me. My heart beats harder: thump, thump, hop in my chest.

I study his face. Those blue eyes. That shaggy chestnut hair all tousled from the wind.
He’s going to kiss me. And I guess it should be weird or whatever. But it’s not. It’s just me and him – and okay, the two strangers across the way – and all the other stuff just sort of drops away. Because when you’re going to kiss someone – really kiss someone – it’s got to be just about that and not anything else.

And then he does. Kiss me, I mean.

He bends down a little, cause he’s taller, and presses his lips to mine. And it’s way better than the kiss on the forehead. And way, way better than the dream kiss since this time he’s just kissing me, not trying to suck the life out of me. His lips are warm and full and sweet, and they feel good against mine.

So I kiss him back.

“I almost lost you, too,” Ethan whispers against my lips. His breath tickles and little sparks tingle their way down my spine. “Here, I’ve just found you, and I almost lost you.” We kiss some more. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. I rest one hand on his shoulder – right where he’s got that lion tattoo etched into his skin.

In novels, you always read phrases like ‘they kissed and time stood still.’ And until now, I’ve always thought what a load of crap that was. Cause even when I was making out with Adam Greene, time was marching right along.

And maybe it’s because Adam was a sort of slurpy kisser. And that’s why my mind kept wandering to images of Buster lapping water from his dish.

Or maybe he just wasn’t the right one.

But right now, time is still. And Ethan’s lips, and his hands that are resting against the small of my back, are filling my head so completely there’s no room for anything else.

But then our train pulls up to the platform. The doors open, and I let Ethan take my hand and lead me inside. We settle into our seats as the train gives a lurch and starts up again, headed downtown. I’m sitting next to the window. Ethan’s looking at me like I’d always hope someone who’d just kissed me would look at me.

And then he’s not. Looking at me, that is.

Because he’s looking out the window beyond me. Back over, I realize as I turn my head, to the staircase that leads up the platform we just left. Watching as the familiar figure of Dimitri rushes into view, just as the train picks up speed and carries us away.

Thank you so much Joy for sharing that very juicy scene! To make things even better, Joy also shared an essay, titled "What’s Love Got to Do with It?: The Anne/Ethan Romance!"

  
The guiding force of the DREAMING ANASTASIA series is the relationship between Anne and Ethan. Anne knows from the second she catches blue-eyed Ethan stalking her at the ballet that there is just something about him. And in fact, he proceeds to turn her life upside and sideways because it is Ethan who peels back Anne’s normal world and reveals a world of Russian fairy tales brought to life, of a hidden princess and an illegitimate royal son driven by vengeance. When they touch – and I always knew that their story would begin with a physical touch setting things in motion—everything changes.

Anne is no longer just the girl who dances ballet and goes to school and mourns the death of her brother to cancer. She is a girl with power to save a princess, power to right ancient wrongs and ultimately, the power to break a curse that is holding her birth grandmother captive. But power comes with a steep price. And when Anne accepts Baba Yaga’s bargain so she can save Ethan in book 2, she steps into the witch’s forest in a way she has up until then refused to do. Of course, I wanted her to do this for love, even if she has trouble admitting that’s what it is.

This is problem for Anne and Ethan: they do not come easily to loving each other. Or rather, Ethan comes easily to loving Anne, even if he feels that he does not deserve her or a second chance at life. Which is exactly what she gives him when she rides out of the witch’s forest with Anastasia, allowing Ethan to regain his mortality. While Viktor yearns to live forever, Ethan wants only to have what he lost for a cause that was never what he believed it to be: to live and die in the proper time. That he has found the love of his life makes him both deliriously happy as well as guilty as hell.

And Anne, well, she’s a smart girl. Even when she’s not, she has Tess watching her back, making sure she sees things as they are. Anne sees loving Ethan as an impossibility. He is too old even if he looks young. He has secrets and a long, long past. She is only sixteen. And yet I think she loves him from the moment he tells her his story. But she holds back; she is indecisive. In fact, these traits hurt her in all aspects of her life. She has trouble committing. Ethan, on the other hand, is an all-in kind of guy.

So what did I do to these two? I made them inhabit a reverse fairy tale. It is Anne who ends up saving Ethan over and over. It is Anne who is the hero. And ultimately, it is Ethan (no spoilers for book 3 quite yet) who needs redemption and forgiveness before he and Anne can be together. A happily ever after, but hard won. And not without suffering and sacrifice. This is after all, a Russian fairy tale. No one knows endurance like the Russians.

And so it goes: Ethan and Anne, circling and circling love, each running from the other, each doing the hero’s job. The question becomes, will they figure out that they belong together before it’s too late?

Of course they will!

But with these two, love isn’t simple. I think that makes them equal parts of smart and stupid. Not forbidden love. Not crazy love where the passion burns out everything else—and I think we all need some of that in our lives.

When Anne and Ethan finally figure out that they belong together, it will be a love that entwines them like two puzzle pieces, marveling at how perfectly and easily they fit. And how foolish they were not to know it.

The last book in the Dreaming Anastasia series, Anastasia Forever hits bookstores on August 1, 2012!

Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die

(Revenants # 2)
By: Amy Plum
Pub. Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 353
Source: Bought

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Until I Die is the second book in the Revenants series. There was nothing that I did not enjoy about this book. We learn more information about Revenant lore and about some of our favorite Revenants. There is also the beautiful Paris setting that completely sets the tone for the book.

Until I Die takes places a few weeks after Die For Me ended. Vincent and Kate have taken their relationship to the next level but their relationship does not come easy. If Vincent wants to stay with Kate he has to resist the urge to save humans and get himself killed. But that isn't the only problem these two lovebirds face. They are also trying to figure out their future because eventually they will have to accept the fact that Kate will die and Vincent is immortal.

One of my favorite things about this series are the characters. Vincent and Kate are absolutely perfect together. I love how sweet they are and how much trust they have for each other.  Usually I can't stand couples who are completely obsessed with one another. I find it annoying, but with Kate and Vincent, I think it's just perfect. Vincent is one of my favorite males in YA literature. He loves Kate so much and he is willing to take so much pain just to be with her and make her happy. The other Revenants also play a prominent role in the story. Jules and Ambrose are my favorite! We get to meet some other Revenants and I enjoyed getting to know them too.

Besides the characters, I also love the Paris setting. The descriptions are so vivid I felt like I was there right along with Kate. Paris seems like such a beautiful place to visit. I only hope that I am lucky enough to go and visit there one day.

There is also action and plot twists within the pages of Until I Die which kept me captivated the entire time. It was a fast paced read with terrific writing.  It ended on a completely WTF moment and I am eagerly awaiting the third book in the series, If I Should Die!

Other books in the series:

Follow Friday # 30

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:  

What drove you to start book blogging in the first place?

Answer:

In the last months of 2010 I started to read a whole lot of reviews on goodreads and I thought, I could do that! So in January 2011, I made it my New Years Resolution to start a book blog, and I did! I'm embarrassed at some of my earlier reviews, but I am happy to say that have gotten so much better.

Review: Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Such A Rush

By: Jennifer Echols

Pub. Date: July 10, 2012

Publisher: MTV Books

Pages: 320

Source: ARC from Publisher

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.  

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

I am such a huge fan of Jennifer Echols! She is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I have no idea why I haven't read any of her romantic comedies. I must read them soon! Echols has done it again with Such A Rush. I was hooked from the first paragraph, and stayed in my happy Jennifer Echols place for the rest of the book!

Leah has spent her entire life in trailer parks that were located right next to airports. From the time she was a little girl, she knew her only way out of the trailer was to fly. She has always wanted to be a pilot, and at 14 finally gets a job at an airport. It is there that she learns to fly. I thought Leah was awesome. She has her pilot license people! It seriously does not get any cooler then that. I really admired Leah because when I was growing up, I secretly wanted to be a pilot. I was totally that girl (and still am) who stares at the planes until you can't see them anymore in the sky and wonders where it's headed. In HS, I even contemplated joining the Air Force, but I was too scared to go for it. Leah wasn't scared. She was brave and kick-ass.

When Leah's boss/teacher suddenly dies, his teenage twin sons, Alex and Grayson take over the business, well Grayson takes over and Alex follows along. I really enjoyed the brother dynamic. There were definitely some issues between them, but you can tell how much they loved and cared for each other, especially with everything they were going through with losing their father and their older brother in Afghanistan. Alex was the sweet and thoughtful brother and Grayson was supposed to be the "I don't care about anything or anyone" one, but I loved Grayson! He had some really sweet moments that made me root for him. He also had some moments that totally made me want to punch him though too! I loved watching Leah and Grayson's relationship unfold. It was very interesting to watch.

Grayson was keeping way to many secrets throughout the story and you could tell that he was holding himself together by a thread. There were many times that I thought he was going to completely break down. I wanted to know these secrets so badly, and this definitely caused me to read faster and put the book down fewer times! 

The plot was fast paced and interesting, I especially enjoyed the blackmail aspects that were going on between Grayson and Leah. I am also a huge fan of the way that Echols writes. What I love most about it is that her stories and characters are just so realistic. I really feel that everything that goes on in her books can happen in real life.

If you're an Echols fan, or this is your first book of hers that you are trying out, I don't think you will be disappointed with Such A Rush. I highly recommend it, along with everything else she has ever written.

Thank you so much Gallery Books/MTV (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) for sending me a review copy of Such A Rush in exchange for an honest review!   

Review: Haunted by Joy Preble

Haunted
(Dreaming Anastasia # 2)
By: Joy Preble
Pub. Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 290
Source: Borrowed

Anne Michaelson is trying to forget everything that happened last year. But it's hard to do when her heart aches for Ethan and there's a wild-haired woman stalking her...

Ethan Kosinsky is embracing his newfound mortality. But something is drawing him back to the girl he left behind-back to Anne and back to the magic...

A mysterious stranger is hunting Anne wherever she goes. No one sees her but Anne. When she searches for the woman's identity, Anne exposes secrets about her own life- things that will change her life forever. And when the gorgeous Ethan returns, her life gets a lot more complicated.

Anne thought her journey with the Romanov family had ended, but it was just the beginning...

The Dreaming Anastasia series is a very original and enjoyable series and Haunted did not disappoint. There is still enough mystery, romance, family secrets and Russian lore to keep you very satisfied. After the events in Dreaming Anastasia, all of our favorite characters have changed, and while they thought it was all over, they realize in Haunted that it is just beginning. New threats threaten to tear them apart and it's up to Anne, once again, to try and save everyone.

Anne has been dealing with a lot since the end of DA, but pretends everything is ok. She has a nice, normal boyfriend, Ben, but her best friend Tess knows something is up. Turns out Anne's been having nightmares of Baba Yaga, is being stalked by some crazy lady in the water that only she can see (which turns out to be a Rusalkas, a Russian mermaid), feels guilty for Anastasia choosing to die, and not only that, but her power is getting stronger. On top of everything else, Ethan decided to leave America, so he can give Anne a normal life, not realizing that what she really needed is him.

I loved Ethan so much in DA, and he is just as sad and broken in this one. He loves Anne, but thinks it's best to stay away from her. He also isn't immortal anymore. He spent the last 100 years thinking one thing, to realize it was all a lie. Now he needs to learn what it's like to be mortal again.

Haunted dives deeper into Anne's family secrets and we learn a lot more about her moms biological mother, which was very interesting. I really enjoyed the parts with Anne and Ethan too. They have such a great connection and they both deserve happiness. I also loved that the book is written in different POVs. I really get a much better feel for the story and all of the different characters.

Haunted is a fast paced and enjoyable read. I am excited to see how it all comes together in the last and final book, Anastasia Forever.

Books in the series: