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.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is one of those books that you go into not knowing ANYTHING about it. The summary gives nothing away, yet, you still want to read this story. I absolutely loved it! I thought it was amazing and I have nothing but praise for it.
The main character is Mara. She just lost her best friend in a horrible accident and she can't remember anything about it. When her family moves down to Florida, things just keep getting weirder and weirder for Mara and she has no clue what is happening to her. I also loved Mara's family. I loved how involved they were in Mara's life. It was very refreshing and the whole family was well written.
Noah Shaw is a character that is very hard to figure out. Is he a womanizer or not? Is he really that much of an ass or is it just a defense mechanism? Noah was so interesting and I loved everything about it. Him and Mara's connection and their quick wit together was hilarious. I was laughing very hard at some of their conversations. Just read this, and tell me you aren't laughing!
“Asscrown,” I muttered under my breath as I headed to my next class. I wasn’t proud of swearing at a complete stranger, no. but he started it.
Noah matched my pace. “Don’t you mean ‘assclown’?” He looked amused.
“No,” I said, louder this time. “I mean asscrown. The crown on top of the asshat that covers the asshole of the assclown. The very zenith in the hierarchy of asses,” I said, as though I was reading from a dictionary of modern profanity.
“I guess you nailed me then.”
Love it!
The story is so well written that I was never bored and I could not turn the pages fast enough. Mara Dyer ends on a WTF-did-that-really-just-happen cliffhanger and I can not wait for the second book! I would definitely recommend it. It is one of my favorite reads of 2011!
In her new fantasy romance book for teens, popular young adult writer Abra Ebner tells the story of Samantha, her alcoholic father, her relationships at school and the ghost of a mother who communicates in a way that is both intriguing and complex. Samantha's salvation is found in an unexpected romance with another misfit until she finds out the undeniable truth of her love. Can a ladybug be the source of the answers she so desperately searches for?
Ladybird, Ladybird is nothing like what I expected. But that doesn't mean it still wasn't a beautifully written story that I loved. What first drew me to Ladybird, Ladybird was the title because, well, in case you couldn't tell (sarcasm lol), I am obsessed with ladybugs, then I watched the trailer and knew I needed to read this book as soon as possible! I really had no clue where the story was going to take me, especially since I was expecting something completely different.
Samantha has never known love from her father. He blames her for killing the love of his life, and never lets her forget that pain. But Sam still has her mom in a magical way. Even though her mother died in childbirth, she stills communicates with Sam through the use of keys and a magical box.
One day, while Sam is hiding from her life and father, she meets Leith, a quiet farm boy from her school. Leith teaches her to open up to love and shows her that she is deserving of it. It was nice to see Sam's transformation from a lonely girl, to a girl who has finally found the peace she deserves.
It's hard to write this review without giving anything away, but the ending will take your breath away. It isn't your conventional happily-ever-after ending, but it will definitely put a smile on your face
By: Lia Habel
Pub. Date: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Pages: 480
Source: Netgalley
Love can never die.
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.
Dearly, Departed is one of those books that starts off with a BANG, and then just gets better and better. Seriously, this book is awesome. It's completely original, the characters were great and the writing kept my attention the entire time.
I think what I loved most about Dearly, Departed was the setting. It's set in a futuristic Victorian era. I loved it!! Buggies, corsets, televisions AND cell phones!! How cool is that??
Dearly, Departed is told in multiple POVs, and sometimes this can be confusing, but I think Lia Habel did a terrific job not making this confusing! Each character had their own voice. The only problem I had was even though I was enjoying the story, for the first half of it, I was just lost. I really didn't understand what was going on. I think this was because Habel created such an original world, that I was taken back. So really, Habel, in my opinion, is a creative genius!
Nora Dearly is your average teenager. She is an aristocrat whose father died a year ago. Since it is technically the Victorian age, girls are seen as weak and in need of protection. But Nora is anything but weak. She has a passion for military and political history, and really isn't like other girls her age. I really loved her! She didn't have to grow on me like other female protagonists. She was just awesome from the very beginning.
Nora's best friend is Pamela. She is the opposite of Nora, in that she is a typical Victorian girl. She wants to find a suitor, and she follows the rules. But she and Nora are the best of friends and I loved their chemistry and relationship. The two of them protect each other like no other would and I loved how faithful they were too each other. When zombies start to take over her town, Pam can hold her own. She definitely becomes a kick ass character!
Then there is Bram. Lovely, amazing, and dead, Bram. Bram's a zombie, but due to modern technology he is able to hold onto his memories and mannerisms. He doesn't walk around eating flesh. He is actually a very sweet, brave, thoughtful and interesting guy. I never thought I would say this about a zombie, but I definitely have a crush on jim.
Bram and Nora together was so special and sweet. I loved them! They were adorable and I enjoyed watching Bram get Nora to trust him.
Even the secondary characters were great. I loved Bram's entire zombie crew. Each one had their own personalities and voices, even if they were missing body parts!
Many times throughout the book I found myself laughing out loud. This book was amazing, and I am extremely excited for the rest of this series and what Habel has in store for us! I definitely recommend this read!!
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 is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!
I have a two main pet peeves:
1. I hate when nothing exciting happens the entire book and then the last chapter is so exciting, you can't put it down. I feel like authors do this because they don't have enough interesting material for a series, so they keep us bored until the very end when we are guaranteed to buy the second book, then put all their eggs in that basket.
2. Unrealistic conversations between the characters. If a character is a certain age, I want them to talk like they are that age. I understand mature characters and immature characters would talk and act differently, but I am talking about a 12 year old talking like they are 40.
What are your pet peeves? Leave me a link so I can check it out!
Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to FortEden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?
Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality.
Dark Eden is a very quick and suspenseful read. I actually spent most of the book confused. I think that was because I was expecting a little bit of a different story. But by the end I was completely engrossed in this story. It was creepy and the ending was very surprising. I was not expecting that ending at all!
The story is told in Will POV. He goes to this institution to help cure is fear, but is to afraid to actually walk into the doors, so he hides and waits for the week to be over so he could go home. While hiding in a basement, he finds TV monitors and he is able to see everyone else get "healed" from their fears. It seems to good to be true and Will is trying to get to the bottom of it before it is too late.
All of the secondary characters were interesting too. They each have their own phobias and it was interesting to see what caused each person to become afraid. Rainsford, the mysterious DR curing everyone was especially interesting and I could not wait to find out what his deal was.
Overall, Dark Eden was an interesting read. I read it in a few hours time and the ending was just crazy!
While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbour Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something more?
Sophie & Carter is one of the stories that you can read in one sitting, know how it is going to end, and still enjoy every single moment of it. I only have praise for Sophie & Carter. Even the length didn't bother me, because the story was absolutely perfect!!
Sophie and Carter are neighbors. At school they pretend that they don't really know each other because they like to pretend they are normal, but at home they are each other's protector, best friend, and family. Sophie has been having to raise her younger brothers and sisters ever since her mom started doing drugs and prostituting. Carter has to take care of his mentally ill mom ever since his father beat him and his mother so much, she has become brain damaged. Both characters are so lost but through each other they can find the peace they need and start to heal.
Told in the POV of both Sophie and Carter we learn about their sad pasts through the eyes of the other. I thought this was brilliantly done and so heartbreaking. They both broke my heart, but reading how Carter got all of his scars, just about killed me. There were tears in my eyes, and I never cry when I read!
These two damaged people deserve each other so much and I loved, loved, loved reading their story. I would recommend reading this book to every single person I meet. It's completely worth it!
