Release Day: September 29th 2015 St. Martin's

Generations of children and teens have grown up on R.L. Stine's bestselling and hugely popular horror series, Fear Street andGoosebumps. Now, the Fear Street series is back with a chilling new installment, packed with pure nightmare fodder that will scare Stine's avid fan base of teen readers and adults. 

New student Lizzy Palmer is the talk of Shadyside High. Michael and his girlfriend Pepper befriend her, but the closer they get to her, the stranger she seems… and the more attractive she is to Michael. He invites her to join him on a snowmobile race that ends in a tragic accident. Soon, Michael's friends start being murdered, and Pepper becomes convinced that Lizzy is behind the killings. But to her total shock, she and Michael are drawn into a tragic story of an unthinkable betrayal committed over 60 years ago. Frightening and tense in the way that only this master of horror can deliver, The Lost Girl is another terrifying Fear Street novel by the king of juvenile horror.

Publication Day Review: Dreamland by Robert L. Anderson

Title: Dreamland

Author: Robert L. Anderson

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication: September 22nd 2015

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

I haven’t read anything that has dealt with dream walking before, so I was quite excited to read this. I had high hopes and I was left unsatisfied.

 During the whole book it was very slow. Slow to the point that I wanted to put it down several times and not finish it, but I was still intrigued by dream traveling so I kept at it.

  I didn’t have a connection to any of the characters like I usually do when I read. They didn’t seem real enough for me. I had a hard time relating to them.

 The story was all over the place. It didn’t just focus on dream traveling, but so many other things and that made me uninterested. I wanted to know more about dream traveling then all the side plots. A few parts during the story we get to learn about what Odea can do, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy me.

 Sadly, I didn’t really like this book. I couldn’t get into the story fully or connect with the characters on any level. I felt the story was all over the place, which made it seem really slow. I was interested in the dream traveling, but I didn’t receive what I wanted from the book.

“Maybe everyone was walking around carrying ugly monsters and dark little corners, nightmares and broken pasts.” -Odea

Overall, I gave the book 2.5/5 stars.

Release Day: September 22nd 2015 Entangled Teen

The sequel to the chilling Winter People returns to the world of Faerie, and is a romantic and enchanting follow-up.

Salome left humankind behind to be with her boyfriend, Gareth, in the Kingdom of Summer. But now forces of darkness are rising. Her happily-ever-after is coming apart, and the Kingdom is on the brink of war. 

Newly-single Kadie Byers is on her way home for Thanksgiving, imagining a visit filled with hot chocolate, a hot guy for a little rebound action, and some girl time with her bestie, Salome. Except she receives a message from Salome with two important words: PLEASE HURRY.

When Kadie rushes to help Salome, she’s ripped from the human world and pulled into the kingdoms of Faerie, where she's shocked to learn that Salome's monsters are real, and that she's now at the mercy of one extremely vengeful Winter Queen... 

Now both Salome and Kadie must find a way to survive the deadly chaos...or lose themselves to Winter's deadly, icy grasp.

Author Spotlight: When You Leave by Monica Ropal

Title: When You Leave

Author: Monica Ropal

Publisher: Running Press Kids

Publication: April 7th 2015

Cover Rating: 2/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Going into this book, I had no idea what it was about. Once I started reading it, I was intrigued.

I took a liking of Cass from the very beginning. She is one of those girls who hang with the guys doing things with them. I like seeing characters like that because those girls exist and we don’t get to see them enough. Cass is a strong female character. She grows into herself as the story goes on.

I also like Mattie. The relationship that he has with Cass is one that everyone should have in their lives. They are as close as two people can be.

I found the story to be quite slow. Intriguing, but slow. I feel Cooper should have played a bigger part of the story as well. I don’t like that we get introduced to him and as soon as we do, he is gone from us.

Though the story was slow, the one thing that kept me reading is who actually did the crime. Cass creates a list to try and figure out who it could be. It turns out, it was someone that none of us suspected. I like when stories and twists and turns. It keeps you thinking.

I did have my issues with the story, but I did enjoy it none the less.

“Nobody likes goodbyes. But it’s better to say it than just leave. Then everybody knows you are going.” –Cass

Overall, I gave the book 3.5/5 stars.

1. Why did you choose a high school setting for the murder case?

Murder mysteries are compelling, but in the adult mystery genre you often involve hard boiled detectives that are not personally or emotionally involved in the case. On the other side of the spectrum is the Young Adult genre. A playground for emotionally raw and honest characters and experiences that change the character in amazing ways. I wanted to combine those aspects. To have a murder that felt more real, more personal, and explore how a murder effects and changes that character as she faces not only the death but the prospect of violence in general. 

2. Were any of the characters based on someone you know personally?

No. Not wholly. Bits here and there. Creating characters is a funny thing, isn't it? Some of them come out rather fully formed, and others I tease out, get-to-know sort of. But it's like they just live inside my head, and they are just waiting to come out and play. 

3. Which character do you see being friends with if you went to school with them?

Mattie. I mean OF COURSE Mattie. Right?

4) Coffee or tea?

I love my coffee. But just this morning I had a tickle in my throat with the change of weather and I brewed up some English Breakfast Tea with a splash of milk and I might have to make a habit of it!

5) What is your favorite book?

Ugh. That's like picking from your children! I'm going to say . . . Eleanor & Park. Final answer. (But FANGIRL! also Fangirl. Always! *is riddled with guilt*)

6) Did you always want to be an author?

I wanted to write. But I was enamored with film when I was a teen. So I thought I was going to write screenplays. But then I fell in love, like really really fell in love novels when I started reading middle grade and YA in college. So finally one day I thought, I'm going to learn to write one of these! 

Review: Firewalker by Josephine Angelini

Title: Firewalker

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication: September 1st 2015

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Bit disappointed by it after the first book.

But lets not start with negatives. I liked the Lily was back and with Rowan. I love the world building that Angelini does, that's always a tough thing to do in my opinion, make another world seem possibly and like you're there with the characters, seeing it all without a question. The story itself is very ... addicting? I cant think of the proper word. Like the reader gets really into it.

Now onto what I didn't really like about it. I didn't like the way that Angelini kept the secrets that Lily wouldn't tell Rowan, I felt as if  Rowan became not so ... THERE as he was in the first book.

And i felt as if this was kind of from the very beginning. The whole like... lacking romance part of the book.

Maybe because it focused more on action than it did on romance?

I was hoping for romance xD

BUT

that cliffhanger though!

Recommend it?

mmmm just brace yourself that its not as good as the first book.

OR if you're hoping for more romance, this is for you.

Review: Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

Title: Fans of the Impossible Life

Author: Kate Scelsa

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication: September 8th 2015

Cover Rating: 3/5

Goodreads | Amazon

I love books that deal with the struggles a teen can go through in high school. Not everyone’s high school experience is nice. For some, it is some of the worst years of their life.

We follow three teens. Jeremy, Mira and Sebby. From the beginning, I got hooked to each of these characters stories. Seeing them struggle with their problems that they face and how they went about solving them. Not only that, but also seeing these characters form a bond among themselves and seeing it dwindle.

Jeremy faces people picking on him because of the gender he likes and because he has two dads. But he meets Sebby and things change for him.

Sebby spirals. He is in a foster home and doesn’t go to school and starts hanging out with someone who is bad news, but he keeps going back to him.

Mira faces episodes. She ends up in the hospital a few times because of them.

Through everything, they come to rely on the English teacher Peter. Peter does everything he can for all of his students. He is a real down to earth guy and is very wise.

I really enjoyed Fans Of The Impossible Life. More than I thought I would. I wanted more from the ending. It just ends and doesn’t give much of a description of how each character is doing or where they are at in their lives at that point.

“…how the presence of other people could not be counted on to protect him. And that even though you could touch someone it did not always mean that they were really there.” -Jeremy

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

Review: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Title: Meant to Be

Author: Lauren Morrill

Publisher: Delecorte Press

Publication: November 13th 2012

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Review:

I freaking loved this book, holy damn, I couldnt stop, I wish there was more like these. It was such a quick and easy read. While the whole book was kind of cliche-ish, sometimes that is all I need in a day. I love when characters are out in different places, like Anna and the French Kiss, with Anna going over to Europe or when they live there like Cinder in China and just things like that, its things that are different from where I am, duh, and its just like seeing things for the first time... Again, duh for me .I really like Jason, I wish I had a Jason in my life, I also wish that we wouldnt gotten to see what happend with them after everything, like a few years later or just when they were back at school or something like that.

Recommend it?

Yup

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

Review: The End or Something Like That by Ann Dee Ellis

Title: The End or Something Like That

Author: Ann Dee Ellis

Publisher: Speak

Publication: July 7th 2015

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

The End or Something Like That has been on my wishlist since I first saw it on Goodreads. It sounded like it would be very awesome. Sadly, it did not live up to any sort of awesomeness. It felt very flat and I feel like the whole talking to the dead thing was done in very poor taste. The book consists of death, "ghosts", talking back and being totally terrible to parents and friends, and the biggest part of all is the main characters EPIC ability to throw the worlds worst pity part for herself. The one GOOD thing I can say is that the book is a quick read. Some pages only having like four sentences on them and others being a page or two long. 

Emmy is very whiny. She go through so many stages of different things that she whines about. Bully at school, she whines. Being overweight, she whines. Best friend is dead, she whines, not the crying kind either. Why did she die? Why did she leave me? Why won't the bully leave me alone? Maybe if you stopped having a pity party for yourself EVERY DAY you might have a decent life instead of hiding in your closet eating chocolate and other sweets. Wah, I don't want to do this, Wah, I don't want to do that. This little girl needed a huge slap in the face and some better parenting.

Gabby is a complete bitch. She might only be 14 or 15 but dear lord she needs to be slapped as well. She is horrible to Emmy after Kim dies, granted, Emmy doesn't exactly make it easy to be nice to her. But it also leads me to wonder what kind of 14-15 year old girl has so much nastiness and hate inside her that she would be the way Gabby was. Privilege and money do not breed better people. Just people who THINK they are better. I also got the feeling that, had Kim lived, her and Emmy wouldn't have been best friends for much longer because Gabby was changing Kim. But then again maybe if Kim hadn't of been dying she wouldn't have wanted to try things out and go to parties as badly. I think Kim was trying to stuff an entire life into a few months.

I liked Skeeter. I don't like his name, makes me wanna swat him, but he is a genuinely nice guy and he cares about Emmy so much and she doesn't even really see it. I am glad the book ended the way it did but I kind of feel like Emmy didn't deserve it. She was whiny and so horrible throughout the entire book yet she got a happy ending. 

I do admit that people were overly mean in this book. Like Emmy was teased by a lot of people for no apparent reason other than that fact that she was chubby and her best friend was dead. I don't think the cruelty shown in this book was very factual. I know kids can be mean but there is just a very aplified meanness in this book and it felt very comedic and sad.

One part of the book that I want to rant about is when the girls meet Dr. Ted Farnsworth for the first time... Uh sounds like someone from Futurama. But that isn't the rant part. In one of the chapters Emmy says the doctor is an orange Yoda. Uhh, NO. He said "This is in your favor." but if it was truly meant to sound anything like Yoda it would have said "In your favor, this is." . I feel the need to stand up for Yoda because he is wise and not at all like the orange money grubbing Dr. Ted. So, if you are going to compare something to an iconic character such as Yoda please do it right, you must.

There was nothing magical or spectacular about this book. It didn't even have any good parts until the very VERY end and I don't even know if I would classify that as a good part. The book just wasn't that great and a lot of it was hidden under very crappy "humor". The only good thing I think this book might teach is that you should never stay mad at someone you love and can't live without because what happens if they die? Life is too short to be mad.

Overall, I gave the book 3/5 stars.

Release Day: September 15th 2015 St. Martin's

From Kat Spears, author of Sway, comes a new novel that asks the question: when a group of four best friends begin to drift apart, what will it take to bring them back together?

When Jason Marshall's younger sister dies, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates — Mario, Jordie, and Chick — to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who's not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick. Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in love with, grieving for his sister, and trying to hold onto the friendships he has always relied on. 

A witty and emotionally moving tale of friendship, first love, and loss, Breakaway is Kat Spears at her finest.

For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find. 

Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees. 

Beautifully written, and richly imaginative, The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

Beautifully written with an astonishing maturity, Breathe is the haunting confession of nineteen-year-old Charlene Boher. From her prison cell, Charlene recounts her troubled childhood and lonely adolescence-that is, until she meets the confident and charismatic Sarah, the new girl at school with a magnetic presence. To Charlene's disbelief and delight, they become the best of friends. But as their seemingly idyllic relationship sours and friendship veers toward obsession, Charlene's blind devotion spirals into hatred. Is Sarah really as manipulative and malicious as Charlene thinks? Or has Charlene become unhinged and poisoned by jealousy? Unfolding slowly and eerily toward its conclusion, Breathe is a psychologically rich and convincing portrait of the dangerous intensity of friendship.

Review: Emmy And Oliver by Robin Benway

Title: Emmy and Oliver

Author: Robin Benway

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication: June 23rd 2015

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

This was a very fast and cute read. I really loved the beginning of the book and thought it was super intense. There was a few things that annoyed me in the book which is why I gave it a 4 and not a 5. I don't know if I'm being too critic on it because my teeth hurt (getting 2 wisdom teeth removed later this week) or if it  would've annoyed me regardless of my physical pain XD Like I felt like their relationship just moved way too quickly after they shared their first kiss. I get it that they knew each other as kids but still, like all the sudden all this shit starts happening and they are like an old married couple >.> It could also be the fact that there are soooo many books out there that do that and I'm starting to find it cliche? I don't really know xD It was a great book though, would probably read it again :)

Recommend it?

Yeah, its an easy and cute summer read. 

Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication: April 24th 2012

Cover Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

So I actually reread this one, and well Im currently working on rereading the whole series. I love this series, I dont know why I love it so much but I do. America can be a little stubborn, specially when it comes to Aspen and her feelings for Maxon. But I get it, when you fall in love with someone, you cant help how you act towards them. They could treat you awfully and you would still do anything for them. You would forgive A LOT of what they do. I love the way that Kiera Cass has written these character. How you get to see pieces and bits of Maxon as he slowly starts to bring down his walls and you slowly see the transition of America starting to get feelings towards him, yet she still keeps Aspen in mind. To me, its very realistic, I know I find myself still doing that a lot, its just something you cant help even if you have started to build feelings towards someone else. You always have that other person in mind, you might not be in love with them anymore, but you still have them in mind.

Recommend it?

eehhh.... Yeah, I mean you either love it or hate it XD

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Day Before

Author: Lisa Schroeder

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication: June 28th 2011

Cover Rating: 3/5

Goodreads | Amazon

Have you ever read a few books by a certain author and decided the authors writing style and work just wasn't for you? Well, The Day Before is one of those books where I am glad I didn't give up on the author. Lisa Schroeders word isn't bad by any means. I just didn't connect to most of her characters and her books seemed very plain. 

This book was full of such raw emotion that it is hard to NOT like it. It is told in the span of one day, pretty much, and in this one day the two main characters go through so much. Pain, fear, sadness, love, loss and pretty much anything else you can think of. Both of the characters stories are very vague in the beginning and I did get confused and impatient a few times but it was worth it. I did start to figure out Amber's story a little bit before it was revealed.

Amber has one day. She chooses to spend that day alone, doing things she has planned out. One day to go to the beach, the aquarium, and where ever else she wants. 

Caden was not part of that plan. 

Amber and Caden help each other get through the day. They both have huge things to face the next day but they both want to live their last day to the fullest. Amber does, at least. I am not sure what Caden's plans were before he met Amber. I wish that would have been explained a bit more. I do know he went to put stuff on his fathers boat so it was ready to be used again but other than that I have no idea what he was going to do all day.

This book shows that you never know what someone else is going through. Your problems might seem big to you but the person standing next to you might feel the same way. We can all help each other. I am not saying this book can really happen, it seems highly unlikely, but we as humans need to start being a bit more caring towards one another.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.

Author Spotlight: A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin

Kathleen Baldwin loves adventure in books and in real life. She taught rock climbing in the Rockies, survival camped in the desert, was stalked by a mountain lion, lost an argument with a rattlesnake, enjoyed way too many classes in college, fell in love at least a dozen times, and married her very own hero. Together they’ve raised four free-spirited adventurous children.

She's written several award-winning Regency romances for adults. A School for Unusual Girls, is her first historical romance for young adults. It is a Junior Library Guild selection. Publisher’s Lunch listed it in their 2015 Young Adult BookBuzz, Scholastic licensed it for book fairs this fall, and New York Times Book Review called it “enticing from the first sentence.”

Title: A School for Unusual Girls

Author: Kathleen Baldwin

Publisher: TOR Teen

Publication: May 19th 2015

Cover Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

As with almost all other Historical Fiction, A School for Unusual Girls is a book where you either love it or you don't. There is no in between. I have recently found a love for Historical Fiction but I have come across a few books that I did not like one bit. Luckily, I loved this book. 

Georgiana was perfect. She was smart and funny and didn't let things like ballgowns and gossip change her. I loved that she didn't let society define her. She knew the things she enjoyed weren't normal for a young woman but she did them anyway. She didn't let herself believe that she would ever be loved or sought after which was a little sad. Everyone deserves to be loved.

Sebastian was a tough case at first. I could tell he felt some attraction towards Georgiana but the way she talked about herself made it seem like she was this hideous ogre that no man could ever find attractive. He teased her and was a complete jackwagon for most of the book but no matter what time period it is you can always tell that is how a guy treats a girl he likes. 

The other girls in the book were so awesome. The different personalities and things they could do were pretty extraordinary and that is what led to them being put in Stranje House. One of my favorite things about the girls would have to be the rat thing. I know many people have rats as pets but I could never picture them being the way they were in the book. It was actually kind of cute.

The School was meant to be this scary torturous place and that was definitely what I was expecting but that IS NOT what I got. Miss Stranje was not what I expected her to be at all. She was described as some sort of mistress of pain. Not that I didn't enjoy what really happened but I would love to read a book where the synopsis played out exactly as it sounded like it would for this book.

The entire book takes place during the war in Europe. Georgiana lost someone very dear to her in the war and ever since she has been trying to come up with this special 'weapon' that can be used to make sure no one else dies the same way, or at least that is what she hopes for. She has to perfect this 'weapon' ASAP and hundreds of lives depend on it. 

I cannot wait for the next book! I need to know what happens. I know this is such a vague review but I do not want to spoil any of it. It is so amazing and you can never really guess whats going on. 

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 stars.

1) What was the inspiration behind A School for Unusual Girls?
 I’ve always written about strong-willed smart young women who don’t fit in. That’s my thing. Every writer tends to have a theme in his or her work. I suppose that’s mine. Secrets also fascinate me. So, spies and mysteries are a natural fit for me.

The Regency era is a fascinating little corner of history, ripe with bizarre social behaviors, many of which were just plain silly. That silliness contrasts sharply with Napoleon trying to conquer the world, making it also a tumultuous time full of loss and pain.

The perfect setting for a school filled with girls who don’t fit into society.

2) What is your favorite book?
This is such a hard question. I have so many favorites and it changes from time to time. Right now, I think it is Marissa Meyer’s fabulous Lunar Chronicles, I found CRESS un-put-down-able. But I just read and loved Robin McKinley’s BLUE SWORD.

3) Which do you prefer? Men from the 1800's or men from the current time?
You may have read the dedication in A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS and guessed that I’m madly in love with my husband, and he’s current. If he lived back in 1814, I would find a way to get there. He would be cool no matter when he lived.

4) Which would you rather keep as a pet? A rat or a wolf?
Wolf

5) Chocolate chip cookies or brownies? And would you have milk with them?
Chocolate chip! Yum. Oh, Jenn, you’re making me drool. No milk required.

6) What is the most cherished thing you own?(Mine is a stuffed mouse I've had for 26 years.)
We moved a lot growing up, so I’m kind of wild at heart and a roamer. I never get very attached to anything material. Although I do have an awesome recording of my youngest son playing my guitar and singing (he has an amazing voice) sitting on top of a huge sandstone spire overlooking the canyonlands (he rock climbs). I think that’s my most cherished thing.

7) If you had been born in the 1800's would you be a proper young lady or would you have been sent to an asylum/school for bad girls?
I would have tried to be well behaved, really I would, but eventually they’d have sent me away to a school for unusual girls — no question.