Review: Sublime by Christina Lauren

Title: Sublime

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 10.14.2014

Pages: 336

Genre: Young Adult, Ghosts, Paranormal

Series: N/A

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Lucy walks out of a frozen forest, wearing only a silk dress and sandals, she isn’t sure how she got there. But when she sees Colin, she knows for sure that she’s here for him.

Colin has never been captivated by a girl the way he is by Lucy. With each passing day their lives intertwine, and even as Lucy begins to remember more of her life—and her death—neither of them is willing to give up what they have, no matter how impossible it is. And when Colin finds a way to physically be with Lucy, taking himself to the brink of death where his reality and Lucy’s overlap, the joy of being together for those brief stolen moments drowns out everything in the outside world. But some lines weren’t meant to be crossed… 

Review:

Have you ever done something that you just felt was right? No explanation why, just that you knew you were supposed to do it. That's how Lucy feels. And so does Colin.

Meeting Lucy was definitely memorable. You could feel her emptiness, loneliness, and confusion. Christina Lauren is a magician with words. How she carries the emotions through the pages and right into you. It gives you this feeling a memory that you can almost remember. Just like Lucy.

There is a lot of sadness for Colin and Lucy seems like that ray of light at the end of the tunnel; his spark of life returning after the tragic accident. But he loses himself in her and as he does, Lucy realizes too late her purpose.

This story seems like such a forbidden love that you wish it was real, that they could live happily ever after. And they do, just not in the way you imagine. Despite their differences they find each other and their love wins, even if it means heartache for everyone else.

Buy: Sublime by Christina Lauren

Review: Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Title: Exquisite Captive

Author: Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 10.7.2014

Pages: 480

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Dark Caravan Cycle #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Forced to obey her master.
Compelled to help her enemy.
Determined to free herself. 

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle.

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it?

Review:

When I read the summary of this I immediately went back to being a little girl dressed up on Halloween as The I Dream of Genie girl. I loved her, obviously. I love books that make me remember something from my childhood and genies, or jinni's in this book, gave me a grown up version.

I haven't read a single book about jinni's, ever, to my knowledge. So I thought that this was going to be really good or ruin my vision of a childhood memory. Once I started reading, I knew I would love this book. Nalia's beginning intrigued me right away. Jinni's bottles are supposed to be their home right? Well, not in this case. This made me rethink my version of "genies".  And I loved it.

Nalia's emotions were so real. They were described in such detail that you not only could you "see" them you could feel them.  Heather definitely has a talent with getting how her characters feel and what they might be thinking across by describing everything, from an eye twitch to jaw muscles clenching, so perfectly that you know how they feel before she says it. Like your are literally reading a movie. And that's just not in Nalia's case. That's with all the characters. One of my favorite things is how the jinnis are broken up into castes and the descriptive hatred among them. I don't know what language she incorporated in this book but the "cussing" or derogatory terms they used with each other were perfect.

Humans as a race are mostly greedy. We all know that. And with this expanded world of humans and jinnis, centered mainly in California, you get a perfect picture of that. And it's not a bad thing. I love seeing how a fiction book can relate to real life, a lot of them do.  We will do almost anything for the ones we love and you have both the good and the bad with those decisions here. Nalia's love and determination, after self doubt and denial, and Malek's selfishness and determination for world dominance, and not just his own world.

There is love, hatred, denial, determination, and finally acceptance all wrapped up into an adventure that I couldn't put down. There aren't a lot of books out there like this one, even if it's just because of the jinnis or another reason you find. I loved this book and cannot wait for the next.

Review: Revels by Molly Cochran

Title: Revels

Author: Molly Cochran

Publisher: Smashwords

Publication Date: 9.12.2014

Genre: Young Adult, Novella, Paranormal

Series: Legacy #3.5

Source: eBook from author

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

A Halloween camping trip goes hopelessly awry when Katy Ainsworth and her boarding school friends decide to make the outing a party, only to find themselves surrounded by an uncontrollable mob of ghouls, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and zombies who’ve shown up as uninvited—and lethal—guests!

Review:

Oh how I love Katy and all her Whitfield friends.  They always have so much fun even if it means trouble. This little book was full of it. I can't believe how much Molly packed into this.

If you have read Legacy and Poison, you know that Katy hasn't always fit in and Peter was the only one who really stood by her. Eventually she gets to her place among the other witches of Whitfield and has a strong group of friends. I love seeing that friendship.

The adventure these kids embark on was thrilling and heartbreaking. Even though the go through so much, they still try to stick together and do what's best. And then it's all like some just kidding! And I was relieved but scared for them at the same time.

I just can't get over the amount of action in this little book. I couldn't put it down. It was always like oh no! Gotta keep reading just to find out. It was an exciting, thrilling, suspenseful yet sad short story. I loved it! Who couldn't if you know about the Whitfield group of friends and family.

Buy Revels on Amazon

Review: Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

Title: Keep Me Safe

Author: Maya Banks

Publisher: Avon

Publication Date: 10.7.2014

Pages: 256

Genre: Adult, Romance, Paranormal

Series: Slow Burn #1

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

A sizzling story of a woman who risks her life and her heart to find a wealthy man’s missing sister—the first novel in a sexy new romantic suspense series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks

When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, this scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot.

While Ramie can connect to victims and locate them by feeling their pain, her ability comes with a price. Every time she uses it, it costs her a piece of herself. Helping the infuriatingly attractive and impatient Caleb successfully find his sister nearly destroys her. Even though his sexual intensity draws her like a magnet, she needs to get as far away from him as she can.

Deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused, Caleb is determined to make things right. But just when he thinks Ramie's vanished forever, she reappears. She’s in trouble and she needs his help. Now, Caleb will risk everything to protect her—including his heart. . . .

Review:

I am a huge fan of Maya Banks and her books, but I have to admit, that this wasn't my favorite Banks book. It started off strong - I loved that Ramie and Caleb didn't have a normal introduction or anything. I loved that she met him at his most ruthless and it only could go up from there.

Ramie I enjoyed immensely. I loved her progression as a broken young woman to a strong adult. She truly came alive in this book and that alone was enough to keep me reading. She was one of those characters I just loved and wanted to protect from the world. She has such a big heart and such a wounded spirit.

I wasn't a big fan of how fast they fell in love. In the span of 3 days Caleb went from infatuation to true love and it just never felt genuine. The relationship just never really seemed to click for me. Possibly because Caleb was a hypocritical ass for much of the book that left me (and Ramie) frequently frustrated.

I am curious to see how other books in this series go from here. Banks introduced a lot of great potential characters for future books, and knowing her style, they will each get their own happily ever after. KEEP ME SAFE is a great launching platform for the next books, and I will definitely be reading them.

Buy Keep Me SafeNow

Review: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

Title: Sekret

Author: Lindsay Smith

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Publication Date: 4.1.2014

Pages: 337

Genre: Young Adult, Historical, Paranormal

Series: Sekret #1

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

Review:

What would you do if nothing you thought or did was safe? Your mind was a treasure chest full of secrets and past events were memories used to find you. Sekret is a wonderful book, historically so, of the Russians and Americans with an added twist with psychics.

I was really pleased with setting. Lindsay have you the perfect picture of 1960 Russia. The dreary towns with their poverty, the splendid towers in the city and even the castle like fortress Yulia soon lives at; you can picture them perfectly, even if you don't want to.

I loves how Yulia is just as confused about who or what she is as you. There always seems like there is so much more right around the corner but it's just out of reach. She had her ideals and beliefs and didn't allow anyone to make her give in or change her ways. Her struggle with the KGB and trust and even  herself is a true testimony of strong will.

Now I have read a few historical fiction books and they weren't bad. The history was put in in such a way that it really added to the story. With Sekret I felt like I was reading a book for world history class. If you were to take out the only level of fiction, the psychics, that's what it would be. In the end of the book it describes he reasoning for this and I understand it and why she did it that way. I can only the imagine the amount of research on this particular event that went into creating this.

If you like this type of historical fiction then this is definitely the type of book for you, it just wasn't mine. I can only applause Lindsay for the work that went into this.

 Buy: Amazon

Review: Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: Conjured

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publication Date: 9.3.2013

Pages: 368

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: No

Source: ARC from a friend

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name—but no memories of her past. She’s been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access—and there is nothing they won’t say—or do—to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things—things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed—and she’s lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her—but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined. 

Review:

I will never think of a circus the same again! I honestly have never read a book quite like this. Nor have I ever read anything about a circus. This book is a confusing, bewildering ride on a never ending coaster paralleled with Inception.

I have got to give it to Sarah in the way she writes. I was reading the beginning, and I promise you I was giving this book the stink eye while reading with my cocked sideways. I had no ideas what was going on or who was who and why they were there. But all of that confusion and ???? popping up over your head is perfect with Eve. It allows you to become her and understand her struggles. You learn with her. And as her pieces fall together, you slowly out them together in your head.  With the way she wrote this, you are literally in Eve's shoes. It allows you to form a "relationship" with her.

Not only was Eve made to become a part of the reader, but so was everyone else. Sarah put so much emotion into characters that it was actually quite touching. I'm pretty sure I had a stray tear at the end. These characters are easily imaginable. And that's something I love about books.

I couldn't put this down (I'm surprised I didn't get in trouble at work). It was so riveting and intriguing I just couldn't stop until I was done. I would love to hear more about Eve, Zach, and The Triplets as I call them. Second one? Maybe, please. 

Buy: Amazon

Review: A Breath of Frost by Alxyandra Harvey

Title: A Breath of Frost

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publication Date: 1.7.2014

Pages: 496

Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Series: The Lovegrove Legacy #1

Source: ARC from ublisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld. 

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies. 

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away? 

Review:

Who said chivalry was dead?! Well, you certainly get a wonderful look at what it was like when you meet Emma and her interesting cousins. Not only would I love to be in their time but to find out your a witch like this, and have all this happen to you seems quite exciting.

I love how Harvey gave each of the cousins their own unique identities, even Cormac has something I like. You got a real piece of everyone's mind and heart. While you get to know them in their struggles, they still end up surprising you. My favorite part about these lovely ladies was how I could relate to Gretchen. She seems just like me, well, how I would be if I was made to wear fancy dresses with lots of layers and be a debutante.

You know how people said when you were younger if a boy picks on you it means he likes you? Well, this gives you another level of getting picked on, while subtly getting saved even f you don't know it. The little tiff between these two is amusing and childish yet you understand it, as the time warrants such behavior.  I am thinking of all the possible outcomes for them and will still probably be wrong but they are great together!

I have always wanted to know what it would be like to love else where. Or be someone else. The details Alyxandra shoved at you (in a good way!) made me envious of Emma. I really felt like I was walking with her down the streets, cowled in a cape. Or running through the forest hiding in trees. It was all very real to me. This is definitely a book I will read again if not for the story then for the amazing imagery.

While I loved this book immensely and CANNOT WAIT for the next one, I felt as if it was slow I start, almost to wordy. Obviously, it wasn't bad enough to put down and I'm grateful I didn't! This is definitely a good read. 

Buy: Amazon

Review: Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer

Title: Snakeroot

Author: Andrea Cremer

Publisher: Philomel

Publication Date: 12.10.2013

Pages: 366

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Nightshade Legacy #1

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Fans asked for it, and now they've got it! Andrea Cremer is continuing the story she began in in her internationally bestselling trilogy: Nightshade, Wolfsbane and Bloodrose. In this new installment, Bosque Mar haunts the dreams of both Adne and Logan, trying to escape for the Nether, where Calla, Shay and the other Guardians trapped him in the final battle in the War of All Against All. Will he turn Adne to the dark side? Will Logan reclaim his birthright? And will darkness take over our world?

Review:

This is one of those books I had to take a deep breath and brace myself for before reading. Andrea Cremer blew me away with her debut novel, Nightshade when I first started blogging. I raved about this book, but I became increasingly frustrated with the characters and at the end of that series, I was heartbroken. Destroyed. In the worst way possible.

And then I heard a little rumor about this book that gave me this flutter of hope. And since it happens in the beginning of the book, I don’t see it as spoilery:

Ren is ALIVE.

Sort of. We’ll get to that. But Ren plays a huge part in Snakeroot and I’m sure the rest of the series. For you Ren fans, that may be reason enough to pull you back into this incredible world that Cremer has created. But there’s more.

This obviously takes place after the events of the original Nightshade trilogy. And while we were stuck in Calla’s head for that series, Cremer pulls back and we get a glimpse of the bigger picture and see what’s happening in this world now that things have fallen apart. Adne is a huge part of the reason Ren is back, and I feel like this will be Adne’s story—Adne is Ren’s half-sister, for those who may have forgotten.

My heart is still fragile after the way it was crushed my last time around with Cremer. But I’m willing to give this a go because I adore the way Andrea Cremer writes a story and creates a world. It’s magic and beautiful and so vivid. Everyone needs to go read this. Read and adore Cremer’s books, and know that the Ren fans now have hope.

Buy: Amazon

Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Title: Alice in Zombieland

Author: Gena Showalter

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Publication Date: 9.25.2012

Pages: 404

Genre: Paranormal

Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #1

Source: Finished copy from BEA

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

Review:

So, zombies. I'm thinking moaning, stumbling around, and yelling "I'm going to eat your brain!" That's the only thing I think of when it comes to zombies. Now, I'm not much into this kind of thing, so I was a little hesitant to read it. Can I tell you how glad I am that I did read it!

This book was so surprising. But in a good way! While we were at BEA 2013 I had heard that a few people weren't into it. So I was like, "Eh I probably won't be either." READ IT!! Gena created a world that is much more than Resident Evil or Zombie Apocalypse, and a little deeper than those as well.

Alice, the groupies, and Kat were my favorite. You got the clique drama and stereo types but also that sense that everyone is holding something secret. Not only do you have that secrecy, you are literally inside Alice's head the whole way. I know I was freaking out when she was!

One of my other favorites about this book was the story itself. Yes you had "zombies" but it's surprising yet a fresh, new way to have zombies. I don't want to spoil it so I’ll leave it to your imagination and say that you have to read it.

Alice is Zombieland is a refreshing twist on zombies that is nail biting, emotional, and addicting!

Buy: Amazon

Review: Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock

Title: Thornhill

Author: Kathleen Peacock

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publication Date: 9.10.2013

Pages: 368

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Hemlock #2

Source: ARC from swap

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.

Review:

I swear I have been anxiously awaiting this book since I first turned the last page of my Hemlock ARC back in March of 2012. Nearly a year and a half later, this book is finally out and I am still just as in love with the world Kathleen Peacock made as ever.

Thornhill picks up where book one left us … and it picks up with one of the best scenes ever. Seriously. Made my shipper heart swoon and do more tumbles than an Olympic gymnast.

Mac is just one of my favorite YA heroines—she’s so utterly likeable and relatable.  Peacock breathes a strength and resilience in her that is both admirable and believable, but never does she come off as a character who can do everything. Mac is very breakable and has her flaws, which makes her all the more loveable.

One of the big reasons I love this series is the love story between Mac and Kyle, mainly because these two went from best friends to more, so there was no insta-love here. It was something that had been building for a while before it was acted upon. If Hemlock was the book of young love, Thornhill is the book where Kyle and Mac grow up and start treating each other as equals. Yes, they make mistakes, but they don’t pout or dwell on their problems—they hash it out and move on.

Thank you, Kathleen, for a healthy YA relationship.

And let’s not forget Jason. I have been a Jason fan since the beginning. This is a series where my heart is truly torn over the triangle. Typically I treat love triangles like I would Typhoid Mary—I give them a wide berth and keep interactions with them to a minimum. This is one triangle that I’m just totally all right with because it’s so natural. And while my heart will always beat for Kyle and Mac, I need Jason to have his happily ever after.

You hear that, Kathleen? I need it.

This is a fantastic paranormal series that has wowed me from the start. If you’re looking for something that stands out in the world of vampires, angels, werewolves and other paranormal monsters, look no further than this series.

Buy: Amazon 

Blog Tour: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

Welcome to the last stop of the Touching the Surface tour! I am sure you all are going to love this book (and Kimberly Sabatini) as much as I do!

~The Book~

Experience the afterlife in this lyrical, paranormal debut novel that will send your heart soaring.When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right.

     Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

     As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | THE BOOK DEPOSITORY | GOODREADS

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release date: October 30, 2012

Pages: 352

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

~The Review~

One of the very best parts about being a book blogger is that I get exposed to so many books, often months before they hit the shelves. But one of the realties of being a book blogger is that there are so many books coming out every year, month, and day that sometimes you miss an amazing one.

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini is that book that fell through the cracks last year for me. I am so thankful I got a chance to correct that wrong.

I fell in love with the very start of this book. Something about the way Sabatini writes just reached out through the pages and grabbed my attention right away. I was utterly and completely under her thrall during this book. The main reason I was able to sink so effortlessly into this story is Elliott.

Call me a masochist or angst whore, but sometimes I love when a character is a little bit broken. Elliott is struggling. She is full of self-doubt and self-criticism. She’s dark and brooding and there are so many layers to her that even when I came to the end of the book, I was still learning more. But don’t think that this makes for a dark, depressing read. It just means you need to go into this not expecting hearts and flowers. Let Sabatini and Elliott sweep you away on this journey.

While reincarnation stories are frequently more miss than hit with me, I love the originality that there isn’t an endless supply of do-overs. It adds to Elliott’s desperation and helps propel the story along. It means this is her last chance to everything is heightened, everything is dissected.

Touching the Surface is a raw, lyrical novel that drew me in and carried me off on an amazing ride that I cannot wait to share with others. Sabatini is a gifted writer, and I cannot wait to see where she goes from here.

~The Author~

(Photo credit: *Author photo by Dawn Sela Photography - www.dawnsela.com.)

Kimberly Sabatini is a former Special Education Teacher who is now a stay-at-home mom and a part-time dance instructor for three and four year olds. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with her husband and three boys.

Kimberly writes Young Adult fiction and is represented by Michelle Wolfson of Wolfson Literary Agency. TOUCHING THE SURFACE is her debut novel. (Simon Pulse – Simon & Schuster, October 30, 2012)

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE | BLOG | GOODREADS

~The Giveaway~

A SIGNED hardcover copy of TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini to FOUR (4) winners – US ONLY.

A SIGNED hardcover copy of TOUCHING THE SURFACE by Kimberly Sabatini to ONE (1) winner – International ONLY.

It is a tour-wide giveaway shared across all the stops via a common Rafflecopter.

Giveaway #1 is US only. Giveaway #2 is International only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Giveaway ends July 22 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific.

Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter and contacted by email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~The Tour~

Week One

July 8 – The Book Cellar – Guest Post

July 9 – Alluring Reads – Review

July 10 – The Happy Booker – Guest Post

July 11 – In Bed With Books – Interview

July 12 – The Book Belles – Review

Week Two

July 15 – Parajunkee – Guest Post

July 16 – Reader Girls – Review

July 17 – Books Complete Me – Interview

July 18 – Imaginary Reads – Review

July 19 – The Irish Banana Review – Review

Review: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Life After Theft

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 4.30.2013

Pages: 352

Genre: Paranormal

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto. 

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Review:

Hello high school drama, with a twist! I laughed and gasped and felt right along with Jeff and Kimberlee.

Great characters. Aprilynne Pike nailed this on the head. Being the new guy, Jeff cannot be anymore different. You get a glimpse of the life he left behind while seeing his new life unfold in ways he could never imagine. I always like having a character you can relate to. Kimberlee seems like the typical popular girl. But even she has secrets. Learning about Kimberlee definitely made you gasp. Even though these were two people were the main focal point, Pike lets you see into a few others and through it all connects them.

The thing I think I liked most was the little lessons you learn on the way. Not necessarily you the reader, unless you got into this as much as I did.

Pike did an amazing job delivering this funny, heartfelt, tragic twist on the usual high school drama scene.

Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository

Reviewer: Gabrielle

Review: Cursed by Jennifer Armentrout

Title: Cursed

Author: Jennifer Armentrout

Publisher:  Spencer Hill Press

Publication Date: 9.18.2012

Pages: 304

Genre: Paranormal

Series: No

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows. 

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he's a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she's more than interested. There's just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she's willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she's not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

Review:

What an amazing story.  The characters were unbelievable. You really felt like you knew them. Ember, the main character, was my favorite. Jennifer did an outstanding job getting you to understand their feelings and points of view. 

The overall believability of this story is very high. You can relate to the characters' courage, strengths, and determination in any real life situation. Especially with the help and companionship of great friends. 

Personally, I would love to read more of Ember and Hayden but she did a great job of ending this wonderful story. I loved this book.

Definitely would recommend it to anyone who loves this kind of thing. I love how you can relate to the situations even if you don't have a killer touch or can blow things up with your mind. It is more believable for the connection to the situation the reader can relate to with their own personal story. The only thing I think could have been improved on was more description of Mr. Theo and the facility. It would have given more explanation of the fear of it. 

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Reviewer: Gabrielle