YA

Review: Dare You To

April 26, 2013

Dare You To by Katie McGarry Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #2

Summary: If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all…

My Thoughts: Dare You To by Katie McGarry is a book I had high expectations for. I absolutely LOVED Pushing the Limits, and was very excited to be getting more from McGarry so soon! I can honestly say that Dare You To did not disappoint. While I didn’t find it quite as good as Pushing the Limits, I still very much enjoyed it. It really wasn’t at all disappointing. I think it is just impossible to surpass the awesomeness that was the first book. This one didn’t keep me up until 4 a.m., but I’m OK with that!

Beth and Ryan are very interesting characters. Beth is clearly very, very emotionally scarred, but I don’t think Ryan’s quite as much of a mess – not even close. While his family pushes to show perfection to the world, the inside is very different. It’s nowhere near as dark as Beth’s world, but it’s enough that he’s able to relate to her in ways she never anticipates.

I found I liked Ryan a lot, lot more than Beth. (Yes, he’s definite book boyfriend material!) He’s not perfect, but then who is? But, I think that he’s overall a pretty decent person. Not that Beth isn’t – she’s just a bit farther away than he is. Her perspective on things was quite messed up in many, many ways. Yes, she has been through a lot, but I’m not so sure her level of hardness isn’t too extreme. Her one bad experience with dating the “perfect” guy at her old school was enough to make her hate all golden-boy jocks? Yes, she’s not had many positive males in her life, but her quickness to jump to such a huge generalization seemed a bit much. Perhaps, though, coupled with the other things she’s faced, that was just the proverbial straw. I don’t know. What I do know is that I preferred Ryan’s perspective on just about everything. Especially toward the end. And, really, despite her issues, after all they go through to get to finally really being together, I cannot believe she’d accept Gwen’s lies without giving him at least a tiny chance to address it all. Well, I guess I have to believe it, but I was so, so frustrated with her.

Anyway … I hope I haven’t said too much. I’m trying hard not to spoil anything.

Overall, if you enjoyed Pushing the Limits, then definitely read this. We see Noah and Echo a little bit, which was a nice touch. Plus, this book is just as well-written and enjoyable as that one was. I cannot wait for Crash Into You, which is Isaiah’s story!

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review. (Also obtained an e-copy through NetGalley, because I had to mail it out before I’d finished.)

Read It: Dare You To is scheduled for release around May 28, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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1 Comment Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 4.5 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, book boyfriends, contemporary, Katie McGarry, kindle, NetGalley, Pushing the Limits, review, romance, YA

Review: The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2

April 12, 2013

The Grimm Chronicles Vol. 2 Title: The Grimm Chronicles Volume 2
Authors: Isabella Fontaine, Ken Brosky
Series: The Grimm Chronicles (Episodes 4-6: The Orphanage of Doom, Blood and Thunder, The Order of the Golden Dragon)

Summary: 200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm changed everything.

With the help of a little magic, fairy tales were made real, manifesting all over the world. Charming princes. Gold-hunting dwarfs. Terrible step-mothers. Heroic animals.

Then, slowly, they began to change. Everyone—from Prince Charming to the old miller—grew more evil. Corrupted. A hero was chosen to stop them, hunting them down one by one and destroying them with the help of a magic pen and a special rabbit assistant.

For 200 years, the hero’s magic pen has been passed on from generation to generation. The newest hero is Alice Goodenough, an 18-year-old junior from Washington High School. While her friends spent their summer working and having fun, Alice found herself doing battle with creatures most human beings don’t even realize exist. A giant snake. A blood-sucking prince. A terrifying half-man, half-hedgehog. Dastardly dwarfs intent on mind-controlling everyone who uses a cell phone.

Now, senior year has begun. With it comes a new challenge at school, where bullies have grown bolder and classes more challenging. As if that’s not enough, Alice must face off against a collection of Corrupted who all share a terrible secret, one that might awaken a creature capable of doing untold damage. To uncover the secret, Alice will have to face off against a man-eating lizard, a bloodthirsty sea captain, and a mysterious wizard who can see into the future …

Bonus material for this edition includes The Lost Journal of Eugene Washington, assorted fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, and A Legacy of Red (a mini-story featuring Alice Goodenough).

My Thoughts: In case you missed it last month, I absolutely loved The Grimm Chronicles Vol. 1 by Ken Brosky and Isabella Fontaine. It exceeded my expectations – by far. Very far. My only complaints were minor errors that needed fixing (mostly typos) and some things I found annoying about Alice. I am happy to say that both were much improved. I liked Alice even more than I did last time. She’s a hero, but she’s not perfect. She’s still human. Real. I like that. A lot. And she said gawd a LOT less than she did in the first volume. She said it little enough that I didn’t find it annoying this time around. As for the errors and such, this second volume is much cleaner (meaning it has fewer errors/typos). There were still a few things here and there, but not nearly as many as before.

These new stories are just as unique and exciting as the ones in the first volume. Extra bonus, we have some Melville thrown in there for good measure. As a lit. major, I loved that added in there! My only question is how his characters were able to appear in Alice’s adventures. Had Melville once had possession of the magic pen and paper? If not, how was it possible for his characters (and, really, largely his story) to have become real? That is one thing that maybe should be explained. Still, I loved seeing a classic American author’s work show up!

As with the first volume, I loved all of the extras. A Legacy of Red was probably my favorite of the extras. It’s a great little story (although a little gruesome). The Grimms’ tales at the end were quite helpful to me in better understanding the Corrupted encountered by Alice. Most of these tales are ones with which I’m not familiar, so it was nice to be able to read them after seeing the characters in the book. They’re actually done in such a way that you could easily read the related tale before encountering the corresponding Corrupted, but I’m not a fan of trying to jump around on my Kindle so I just waited until the end. I think this is one set of books I’d prefer to have a physical copy of in order to make flipping around easier.

Overall, if you are a fan of fairy tales, I highly encourage you to give these books a try. Unless you’re a rigid purist, I’m confident saying you’ll be glad you did. I am very much looking forward to Volume 3!

Source: Received an ebook as part of a blog tour hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer. (Click the button below for more tour stops.)

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

About the Authors: Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.

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2 Comments Filed Under: blog tour, Reviews Tagged With: 5 stars, blog tour, fairy tales, favorites, Grimm Brothers, I Am A Reader Not A Writer, Isabella Fontaine, Ken Brosky, kindle, review, The Grimm Chronicles, YA

Review: Wild Awake

April 5, 2013

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith Title: Wild Awake
Author: Hilary T. Smith
Series: n/a

Summary: Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

My Thoughts: I’ve been finished with Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith for a few hours now, and I still cannot decide what to think – or how to feel – about it. One thing I can think consistently is, “Wild is right …” The book has a strong start, and then there’s a gasp-worthy revelation. And it’s all downhill from there. By the time the book ended, I couldn’t decide if I liked it or hated it. I also couldn’t figure out what the point of this story is. And the end, well, it left me wanting a lot.

Kiri, whom I kept thinking of as Kiki for some reason, is an … interesting(?) character. The phone call mentioned in the summary changes her summer – and likely her life. And I’m not so sure it’s a good change. On one hand, she’s much more WIDE awake than she’d ever been. But that wide certainly is WILD – as the title implies. I want to say more about this, but I really don’t want to risk spoiling anything. Let’s just say I absolutely hate her parents. They make me look like the Mother of the Century. And, honestly, I’m not sure how that situation works. It takes place in Canada, and I’m not aware in any way of what their laws are like. Here in the States, any parents leaving their child home alone for six weeks with zero adult supervision would likely be hearing from DCFS, or whatever various states call their child/family services.

Overall, there were moments I loved the book. Moments I wasn’t too fond of it. Moments of confusion. And the ending was not at all satisfying. Although, in some odd way, it makes sense of the rest of the book. At the end, I did feel I better understood Kiri and the point of the whole book. But, I still wanted a little more of what’s next for her. An epilogue would’ve been nice.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Wild Awake is scheduled for release around May 28, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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3 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 3 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, Hilary T. Smith, review, YA

Review: Dead Silence

April 3, 2013

Title: Dead Silence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Body Finder #4

Summary: Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

My Thoughts: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting is a book that pulled me in from the very beginning – complete with a gasp or two! And there were a couple of gasps thrown in the rest of the book, too. While I’m still not quite as into this series as I am into The Pledge, I felt this book was satisfying and an enjoyable read. What I can’t remember is whether this series stops here or if it’s one of those open-ended series with an unplanned number of books. It could go either way. Based on the way this one ends, I wouldn’t be surprised in any way if there’s more coming. And I wouldn’t mind.

Violet is mostly pretty cool. Not so wise at times, but then what teenager is? She grows quite a bit by the end of the book, and I just loved the box of things from her grandmother. The journals were awesome.

Fans of The Body Finder series likely will enjoy this one. While I wouldn’t say it’s the best, it was still quite good. I’m happy I have continued following Violet and her friends/team in their adventures. Oh, and I totally see Jay as book boyfriend material!

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Dead Silence is scheduled for release around April 16, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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1 Comment Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 4 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, book boyfriends, Kimberly Derting, review, The Body Finder, YA

Review: The End Games

April 2, 2013

Title: The End Games
Author: T. Michael Martin
Series: n/a

Summary: It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

My Thoughts: The End Games by T. Michael Martin reminds me so, so much of The Walking Dead, which happens to be a TV show I like. For some reason, though, this book just wasn’t quite my thing. It’s very, very dark. Almost hopelessly dark. And it’s actually quite gruesome. Yes, I know, it’s not like the TV show is any more hopeful or any less gruesome, but let’s face it: the show isn’t specifically geared for teenagers. I’m sure it’s many teens’ favorites, but most of the main characters are adults. The main characters of the book, not adults. Michael is the central character, Patrick is the other main character. A 17-year-old and a 5-year-old. Let me make it clear that I don’t have a problem with the book. It doesn’t bother me that these characters are so young. I think it just – for some inexplicable reason – made me a bit surprised by just how dark and nasty (in some places) this book could be.

What do I mean by nasty? Well, gruesome, really. The descriptions of these Bellows (which, really, are zombies) are very detailed – and these guys aren’t pretty! Some of the descriptions of things – not just the Bellows – are downright disgusting. Ick. Yes, it paints a clear picture. But, um, eeew!

I felt the ending didn’t provide me enough closure. There were plenty of questions left in my head upon closing the book. Too many for my liking. It makes me wonder, will there be another book? If not, why were these questions (big ones, like whether this problem is throughout the world and/or country; whether others are safe somewhere; whether Michael and Patrick have any living relatives; etc.) left unanswered? I hate, hate, hate having so many unsettled questions at the end, but I can handle it better if I know more is coming.

That said, the book is written very well. It’s easy to read, and the overall plot is rather interesting. But, with the gruesomeness and hopelessness, I’d put this more in the horror genre. And, generally speaking, horror is so not my thing. I suspect others – especially fans of Stephen King and other such writers – might really enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it’s just not for me.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: The End Games is scheduled for release around May 7, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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2 Comments Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 3 stars, ARC, Around the World Tours, horror, review, sci-fi, T. Michael Martin, YA, zombies

Review: Invisibility

March 27, 2013

Title: Invisibility
Authors: Andrea Cremer, David Levithan
Series: n/a

Summary: Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

My Thoughts: I hesitate to write that this isn’t part of a series, because I get the feeling that there very well could be more. But everywhere I look (and, honestly, I’ve not looked too far) I don’t see any indication that there is another one (or more, I suppose) coming. But I hope there is.

And I’m getting ahead of myself. Sorry.

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan is unique, compelling, and emotional. Poor Stephen, to basically has had little to no human contact for his whole life, and none since is mother died. You can feel his pain, his loneliness. He’s one strong guy – he’s got to be to make it through such an existence. Half of the book is told in his perspective, and I found him easy to relate to. Elizabeth is the other perspective we’re told the story through. Chapters alternate between each of them, and it’s clear who’s telling the story when. I had no trouble following anything.

My one problem with these people was their lying. When he first meets Elizabeth, he doesn’t want to tell her he’s invisible. And, really, I can totally get how that would happen. She’s obviously not believe him – at least not at first. It sounds impossible! But, there’s also the fear that he’s going to push her away when she finds that out – not intentionally, but just that knowledge could repel her. So, as much as it frustrated me, I could see his reasons for not telling her the full truth. And when the full truth comes out, I think her reaction is completely unreasonable. Yes, he lied to you, but it’s not like he said he was single when he wasn’t. A moment of thought, and one should be able to see why he lied like that. And then she becomes the liar. And she recognizes her hypocrisy, but dismisses it. Apparently it’s OK for her to lie to him, just don’t you dare lie to her. Frustrated me very much. She thinks she’s protecting him, and he thought he was protecting her. Maybe after all that they’ve been through she can better understand his side of that whole thing.

Anyway, I felt the book has a good resolution, but it does leave the possibility of more open. And I sure hope there’s more. I really enjoyed this story. The use of magic is unique and quite interesting. I’d love to see more of what comes for these characters, and not just Stephen and Elizabeth. Millie and Laurie specifically come to mind.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Invisibility is scheduled for release around May 7, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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1 Comment Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: 4 stars, Andrea Cremer, ARC, Around the World Tours, David Levithan, fantasy, magic, paranormal, review, YA

Review: You Look Different in Real Life

March 20, 2013

Title: You Look Different in Real Life
Author: Jennifer Castle
Series: n/a

Summary: For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they’re real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There’d be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn’t feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what’s on film. They’ve all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else’s eyes.

My Thoughts: You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle was so much better than I was expecting. While it’s not sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat riveting or anything, it grabbed me, pulled me in, and spit me back out with a smile on my face. There’s a lot of emotion, interesting situations, and fun all inside.

Justine is the narrator. The whole story is told from her perspective, and it works really well. Her take on things was quite insightful at times, while still showing her youth – attempts at rebellion (for the sake thereof), innocent mistakes, etc. She’s a very likable person, and I absolutely loved watching her grow. And she grows quite a lot through the course of herself. While she considers herself a fat, boring version of the girl from the previous movies, she really isn’t. She’s just insecure. And she’s not yet really discovered herself. But she does so through the course of this book. I found it really neat to watch.

The relationships between these five kids are quite complex. As is common at that point in life, their relationships have all shifted, and everyone thinks they know about everyone else. But no one really knows anything about anyone else. Misunderstandings and unwarranted hard feelings abound – along with plenty of deserved hard feelings. Watching these teens learn to work through these things through the course of the events of this book was quite interesting. Every one of these kids grows quite a lot during this book.

I had a blast with this book. It was fun, exciting, emotional, and one of those books I just wanted to keep reading. And keep reading. I was amazed by how quickly I was able to read it. Not because I was racing to finish it, but because I was so engrossed that before I knew it I’d read 60 pages – or more. This is a fantastic book that I would highly recommend.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: You Look Different in Real Life is scheduled for release around June 4, 2013. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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