Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Pages: 304

Rating: 3.8 Stars

A contemporary young-adult retelling inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspense bestseller Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. 

They call me 'New Girl'... 

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. 

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault. 

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. 

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back. ~ Goodreads

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: #1 Anna
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 136
Rating: 3.7 Stars


Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . . 

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. 

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. 

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life. ~ Goodreads

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Series: #1 Legend
Pages: 305
Rating: 4.5


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' 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. ~ Goodreads

Review: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Title: Imaginary Girls
Author: Nova Ren Suma
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 348
Rating: 1.8 Stars


Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about. ~ Goodreads

Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: #1 Hex Hall
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Pages: 323
Rating: 4 Stars


Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her. ~ Goodreads

Obsidian Book Covers

What Cover to do like more?
A couple of weeks ago the new cover for Obsidian was published on Goodreasds. When I saw it I was like 'Ummmm... Not sure if I like this one better or not'. It has been bothering me a lot, so I thought why not you guys decide for me. Vote which one you prefer. 
Comment bellow to vote.

 

Review: Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey

Title: Witch Eyes
Author: Scott Tracey
Series: #1 Witch Eyes
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 332
Rating: 3.8 Stars

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain. 

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son. 
To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves. ~ Goodreads

Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Title: Finnikin of the Rock

Author: Melina Marchetta

Series: #1 Lumatere Chronicles

Publisher: Viking Australia

Pages: 416

Rating: 4.9 Stars

At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere. 

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps. 

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny. 

In a bold departure from her acclaimed contemporary novels, Printz Medalist Melina Marchetta has crafted an epic fantasy of ancient magic, feudal intrigue, romance, and bloodshed that will rivet you from the first page.  ~ Goodreads

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Series: #1 Nevermore
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages: 373
Rating: 4.2


A page-turning psychological mystery that is equal parts horror, humor, and romance, Nevermore is the story of Varen--a Poe fan and Goth--and Isobel--a cheerleader and unlikely heroine. When a Lit. project pairs the two, Isobel finds herself swept into Varen's world, one that he has created in his notebook and in his mind, one where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel slowly learns that dreams and words can be much more powerful than she'd ever imagined. As labels of "Goth" and "cheerleader" fade away, Isobel and Varen slip into a consuming romance, braced against the ever-clearer horror that the most chilling realities are those within our own minds. When Isobel has a single chance to rescue Varen from the shadows of his nightmares, will she be able to save him--and herself? ~ Goodreads

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title: Under the Never Sky 

Author: Veronica Rossi
Series: #1 Under the Never Sky

Published by:  Atom

Pages: 375

Rating: 4.7 Stars


WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. 

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. 

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. 

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. 

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers 
~ Goodreads

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creature 

Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl 
Series: #1 Caster Chronicles

Published by:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 563

Rating: 3.7 Stars


Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever--and one secret could change everything. ~ Goodreads

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster 

Author: Jamie McGuire 

Published by:  Jamie McGuire

Pages: 454

Rating: 5 Stars


The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand. 

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match. ~ Goodreads

Fever Release Count Down - 4 Days!

Eeeeek! Just four more days until Fever the second book in the trilogy The Chemical Gardens, by Lauren Destefano is released! This is a book I am, and I'm sure plenty of others, most exited to come out!

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind. 

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary. 

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.


Gahhhhh I could not be more excited!

An excerpt from FEVER –

A breeze rolls up from the water, and I realize at once how numb the cold air and wet clothes have made me. We should find someplace to stay, but where? I sit up and take in our surroundings. There’s sand and rocks for several more yards, but beyond that I can see the shadows of buildings. A lone freight truck lumbers down  a faraway road, and I think soon it’ll be dark enough for Gatherer vans to start patrolling the area with their lights off. This would be the perfect place for them to hunt; there don’t appear to be any streetlights, and the alleyways between those buildings could be full of scarlet district girls.

Gabriel, of course, is more concerned about the blood. He’s trying to wrap my palm with a piece of seaweed, and the salt is burning the wound. I just need a minute to take this all in, and then I’ll worry about the cut. This time yesterday, I was a House Governor’s bride. I had sister wives. At the end of my life, my body would end up with the wives who died before me, on a rolling cart in my father-in-law’s basement, for him to do only he knows what.

But now there’s the smell of salt, sound of the ocean. There’s a hermit crab making its way up a sand dune. And something else, too. My brother, Rowan, is somewhere out here. And there’s nothing stopping me from getting home to him.

Keen To Read

First Five

 

Now Released!: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

NEW SOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why. 

NO SOUL 
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame? 

HEART 
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all? 


Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. ~ Goodreads

This is a definite to read!

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me  

Author: Tahereh Mafi 

Series: #1 Shatter Me 

Published by: Harper/HarperCollins

Pages: 338

Rating: 4.8 Stars


Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. 

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

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

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

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

My Review
This is what happened when I first laid my eyes on the cover Shatter Me. It shined up at me, daring me to learn what lay behind it's beautiful cover. Calling my fingers to pick it up and let them explore the texture of it's pages.  And thats what they did. Next I was opening the book, letting the pages slip past my thumb, until I got to were it said "One".  I started to read the first sentence of this book, of this story. And if I wasn't hooked already, I was a goner after that sentence. 

Wow, wast that dramatic! Hahaha! Sorry, but I feel that this blog needs some drama.

Anyway, if you didn't do what I did, when you had the honour to be in presence of this book, then there is something seriously wrong with you. This book was amazing! I mean seriously good. 

********************To avoid spoiler go the the next line of stars**********************

I loved the way when you fist start reading all these questions just zap onto your brain. 

ZAP

Why is she locked up?

ZAP

Why cant she touch anyone?

ZAP

What happens when she does?

ZAP

Who is the mysterious new cell mate?

And the big one.

ZAP

What the hell is going on?

All these questions make the read more of a mystery that the readers are dying to solve. As I always say, everyone has a little mini Sherlock in them.

**********************************************************************************

These characters are like a big breath of fresh air. They are all so different from anything else I've read before. Especially the MC, Juliet. Which is so refreshing, I can't begin to explain. She isn't the only one, but she is the most refreshing, in my opinion. Which is basically the point of this review, it's my opinion. Hehe. Other people might think differently.

But my opinion, you should go down to your nearest bookshop, or go on line, or borrow it from the library, or from a friend, just get your hands on this book NOW! You wont regret it.

LAUREN MACARTHUR

'Addictive, intense, and oozing with romance'

LAUREN KATE, author of Fallen

Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shift 

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready 

Series: #2 Shade Trilogy 

Published by: Simon Pulse

Pages: 367

Rating: 4.3 Stars

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. ~ Goodreads

                     My Review

Coming Soon

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Obsidian 

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout  

Series: #1 Lux 

Published by: Entangled Publishing

Pages: 266

Rating: 4.6 Stars

Starting over sucks. 

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 

And then he opened his mouth. 

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me. 

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.  ~ Goodreads

My Review

"E.T." was the first thing that popped into my head when I read the synopsis of this book. OK that's a lie. I thought it after I read the part about Daemon. The first thing I actually thought was "Hot damn! I gotta get me one of him!" 

And I totally agree with you Cheleste from Goodreads. 

Wow, I could defiantly not put this book down. This is definitely one of my favourites of the year. While I was reading this I don't remember a time throughout the whole book when I wasn't smiling like a little school gurl, smiling like someone just got pooped on by a seagull, smiling like the little boy who's planning on stealing his sisters diary, or just haveing that googly eyed smile. Actually, I stand corrected, there were times when I wasn't smiling. That was when I wanted to throw the book across the room, and yell or cry in frustation, either way works.

My favourite character in this book, which is no surprise to any of you I'm sure, is the none other then the smokin', sarcastic, ripped, meany, dreamy, extra terrestrial Damion! EEEEEEEEEEEEK! God just thinking about him gets me all huffy and puffy. 

I dont even know what else to say but Jennifer L. Armentrout is a freakin' genius and that why cant the next one come out sooner! *crys* And such a cliff hanger. Oh, how I hate those. *crys some more*

A definite to-read, as in right now! Well, what are you waiting for? GO!

LAUREN MACARTHUR   

Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Half-Blood 

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Series: #1 Covenant 

Published by: Spencer Hill Press

Pages:  281

Rating: 3.7 Stars


The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. 


Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. 


Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow.


 Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. 


If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck. ~ Goodreads

My Review

This book was very interesting. It was funny, sad, had lots of action and it was a story that you could really get into. Hmmm, sounds familiar, I could have sworn I've read another book that had all that as well. What was it again? Oh, that right, Vampire Academy. 

The similarities between HB and VA, was pretty much everything. But lucky for HB I've read VA so many time that it was sort of nice to have something the same but different, so I'm not going to go all psycho on Jennifer L. Armentrout, who just might have copyrighted from Rachelle Mead, who is probably on my Top 5 favourite authors. 

Once I put all the similarities between VA and HB under the table, it turns out that i really liked HB. It basically had everything in it that made me also fall in love with VA.

If you've read VA I still suggest giving HB a read, and if you haven't read VA then you'll have no problem with falling getting really into this story.

So yes an interesting read, but I dont regret it.

LAUREN MACARTHUR