The Mark by Jen Nadol

Rating:
Characters: 14/20
Plot: 16/20
Originality: 17/20
Writing: 17/20
Recommendation: 15/20
Overall: 79/100 or C
Source: Publisher

Cassie sees a mark on someone on the day that she dies. She does understand how and when it will happen, but it will sometime that the day. Cassie begins to explore the gift that she has. She starts seeking those that have the mark and bounces between decision and destiny. She is careful to hide this secret from everyone, because she does not know how the mark works and why only she can see it. Most importantly, she wonders, if you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

I sadly couldn't connect to Cassie and found a lot that she did to a bit silly. I also found Cassie's relationship with Lucas to be odd. It was sweet at the beginning, but quickly became a dysfunctional relationship. Lucas also turned out to be a complete jerk at the end and I miss the sweet and cute one at the beginning. I also found the plot to drag on and be rather redundant. It was also a lot more of a philosophical book then I expected. I mean where was all the action? It was rather original for a paranormal book and the writer is gifted. I just wish that the book was crafted with a more action pack plot and more relatable characters.

The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank

Rating:

Characters: 16/20

Plot: 18/20

Originality: 17/20

Writing: 16/20

Recommendation: 17/20

Overall: 84/100 or B

Source: Publisher for Cybils

After a summer at Wilderness Camp, thirteen-year-old Katya decides that she absolutely cannot go back to school. At school she can't eradicate invasive alien plants, go on foraged-food-finding missions, or just be herself. Her parents, despite being "school kind of people," are willing to give it a try, but Katya has to stick to their (just-like-school!) assignments. This isn't what she had in mind. So with the help of a mysterious violin-playing boy, Milo, and new friend Francesca, Katya comes up with a plan to save her homeschooling experience. The three become the founding members of the Homeschool Liberation League––but will it be enough to convince Katya's parents that her ideas about learning might be just right for her?

Kayta was a fun character. I adored her fascination with plants and animals. I also loved Milo. He was so cute and I mean I am homeschooled, where is my cute violinist... Her friend Francesca was a nice addition to the book and I liked her. Katya's parent's attitude about homeschooling annoyed me. I am homeschooled and my parents have little structure of when I do my work. I wish that her parents would have allowed her to be more independent. Plus having her give pedicures was just odd. The thing that I liked the most is that this was a realistic account of homeschooling. Most of the time, it is about crazy religious people, hippies, or super genius. A lot of homeschooled kids are busy with medical care or work. I think that this book is perfect for anyone that has been homeschooled, wants to be homeschooled, or is currently homeschooled. It was really cute and a fun read.

Waiting on Wednesday (56)

Title: Beautiful Darkness

Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little Brown

Date: October 26th 2010

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I really loved Beautiful Creatures, so I can't wait for the next book. It sounds amazing!

Trailer Tuesday (12)

So, I found three amazing book trailers. They all have some epic hype, so I am excited to read them.

I have actually read Shade and it was an interesting concept and can't wait for the Sequel.

I plan on reading Claire De Lune next. I love the cover and it sounds amazing.

I loved Eyes Like Stars, so I am excited for Perchance to Dream. Does anyone know the song, because I love it? I actually started reading it after seeing this trailer.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 20/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 95/100 or A
Source: Gift
Meghan Chase has always felt like an outsider, luckily she has her good friend Robin Goodfellow on her side. That is until her brother is replaced by a changeling and taken away into the land of Faeries. With the help of her best friend, who is really the Puck, she enters an exciting adventure to find her brother. Meghan also finds out that she is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart.

I related to Meghan. She was fearful of the future and what could happen to her, when something suddenly happens. She was also unsure of herself, but had to take a chance on it. She was also very feisty and was set on she wanted, I admired that quality of her. Puck was really funny and made me laugh. He was a great friend to Meghan and was very loyal to her. I LOVED Ash! He was super sweet and awesome. He truly cared about Meghan even though it was against his family and who he was. Ash was totally swoon worthy. Grimalkin also added humor to the story and really made me laugh. He had the cat attitude and was very kick ass. Neverever was a vivid setting with a lot of amazing aspects in faeries.

I liked how it followed normal faeries rule like not being able to touch iron and such. I also love the idea of portals to the moral realm and how technology had created a new type of faery. I found this to be such an interesting and unique aspect that I enjoyed immensely. Romance is usually overdone or not done well in paranormal books, especially faery books. Kagawa made a balance between the adventure and the romance. I am sure that it will continue to develop in the next book. Kagawa is such a great writer. I loved how original and honest her writing was. She wrote a book that anyone can fall in love with. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The Iron Daughter comes out in August and I can't wait to read it.

The Bright Side of Book Blogging

Book blogging is an amazing world, most of the time. It is full of people that love books, writing, or are just plain awesome. Lately there has been some negative things happening, but today I am focusing on the positive. Positivity is on of the most important things in the word. It has been proven to help people with illness and overcome the most negative things in the world, I think that optimism is just what the blogging world needs. I came up with idea in earlier this month and Erica and Zoe encouraged me to post it. It is a week full of posts by different bloggers. If you would like to do your own post, just add the link to Mister Linky and I'll visit your post.
There are a lot of great people that I seriously love and think of best friends or even lost sisters. For example, Zoe and I started around the same time. We have linked minds and seem to think the same about books, movies, and TV shows. I could never imagine my life without her. I mean we live over 1000 miles away and have never met, but I feel like I know her like my sisters. Khy is also super amazing. She always seems to be upbeat. She also has the same obsessions as me. Erica does show choir which is incredibly cool of her and is also amazing. There are so many other amazing people like Adele, Devyn, Korianne, Kristi, Alicia, James, Chelsea, Hope, Jordyn, Yan, Carol, Mitali and a million other people. I would rather have the friendships that I have then any ARC that I could possibly ever get. These people have changed my life for the better. They make me laugh on skype and fangirl characters on Twitter. They also text me random silly inside jokes, usually about Mean Girls, Lady Gaga, or Doctor Who. Seriously, I love the bloggers that I have met and can't wait to meet a lot of them in person at BEA.
Blogging has also allowed me the opportunity to meet so many amazing author and even talk to them thru email or twitter. For example, I consider Courtney Summers to be like an idol. She is less then 30 and has wrote two of my most favorite books ever. I don't think that I would ever discover her books, if it weren't for blogging. I hope to have her sucess in writing someday. I also have gotten to know Holly Cupala and Kimberly Derting pretty well, before their books came out. I am really excited for the success that they will face with their amazing books. I am also excited for Victoria Schwab, Daisy Whitney, and Kody Keplinger's books. I am sure that they will be as amazing as they are.
My writing has also became a lot more amazing and detailed. I have done NaNoWriMo twice in the last two years. Last November, I was able to write one book and am now editing it. I think that without Book Blogging, my writing would be as lame as it was in the last few years. Anyways, blogging has made my life a lot more amazing.
Here are the other bloggers and I hope that you visit them.
Monday April 26th: The Book Cellar
Tuesday April 27th: Zoe's Book Reviews
Wednesday April 28th: Frenetic Reader
Thursday April 29th: Persnickety Snark
Friday April 30th: The Page Flipper
Saturday May 1st: The Compulsive Reader

I had to use an unpaid Mister Linky... so it is some random meme... lol

In My Mailbox (Week of April 24th)

This is my In My Mailbox for the week. No vlog this week, because I am at my mommy's house.

Here are the books I got for review:
Picture The Dead by Adele Griffin and Illustrated by Lisa Brown (This book sounds amazing and I love the new cover.)

We Hear The Dead by Dianne K. Salerni (Ekk, this one sounds amazing too.)

She's so Dead to Kieran Scott (I love her books. So, I am super excited for it. The cover is gorgeous.)

Glimpse by Carol Lynch Williams (This is in Verse and sounds awesome.)

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (I love this series)

These books were returned for me by Zoe:

Ballads of Suburbia and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (I love her books. Glad to have them back. Ballads was one of my favorite books from last year.)

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott (Glad to have this book back. I love it.)

So many great books that I am excited to read.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Rating:
Characters: 17/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 90/100 or A
Source: Publisher
Jess Parker has always been an outsider, that is until she gets the invitation of a lifetime to The Cinderella Society, which is a secret society of the most popular girls in school. The Cindy's world is full of makeovers and looking for Prince Charming. The Wicked begin targeting innocent girls as a war against the Cindys. Being a Cindy has more to do then reinventing themselves on the outside. She is now in a century battle of good v.s. evil. Jess is needed for a mission and wonders if maybe they have the wrong girl.
Also, the main character Jess makes some mistake and is unsure about herself, which made her more of a teen. I loved how sweet she was and really cared about people. The characters were all amazing and I could relate to each of them in some aspect. The plot of this book was just basic good vs evil in the real world and I loved it. I am also a huge fans of secret societies, so this book was full of win. I loved how empowering this book was. Each page, I felt like I was being encouraged to be a better person. It is more oriented for girls though, which is why I liked it a lot. It was a rather original book and I love that is had more then a lot of the contemporary romance that I read. Cassidy is an amazing writer and I can't wait for the next book Cindy on a Mission to come out. I would recommend this book, to fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Rating:

Characters: 14/20

Plot: 13/20

Originality: 11/20

Writing: 13/20

Recommendation: 14/20

Overall: 65/100 or D

Source: Gift

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

This book was just so horrible that I am not sure if I can find words for it. Luce Price is the most idiotic character that I have ever met. She is creepy stalking Daniel, when she barely even know him. And will do anything for him, when she only recently met him. Daniel is also a selfish and a complete asshat to Luce. Wait he doesn't even deserve that word, because he is worst then that. I didn't really learn anything about the characters, because Luce was only obsessed with Daniel. What you do learn about the other characters is rather bland and repetitive. The plot is also extremely slow. The real action only takes place in less then one hundred pages and isn't extremely interesting.. This book was really similar to a lot of the horrible paranormal romance that I have read. I would love it, someone came with a book, with a brooding paranormal character. Kate needs to put more detail into her books and also develop the story arc and characters more. You might like this book, if you enjoy paranormal romances, but I would suggest getting it from the library if you must.

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: August 31st 2010
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.
Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. His life depends on it.
I love the cover of this book and it is completely gorgeous. Also, Edgar Allen Poe stories are amazing and love so much.

Still Sucks to be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire by Kimberly Pauley

Rating:
Characters: 17/20
Plot: 16/20
Originality: 16/20
Writing: 17/20
Recommendation: 16/20
Overall: 82/100 or B
Source: ARC tour
With vampire boyfriend George and best friend Serena by her side, Mina thought she had her whole life—or rather afterlife—ahead of her. But then Mina’s parents drop a bomb. They’re moving. To Louisiana. And not somewhere cool like New Orleans, but some teeny, tiny town where cheerleaders and jocks rule the school. Mina has to fake her death, change her name, and leave everything behind, including George and Serena. Not even the Vampire Council’s shape-shifting classes can cheer her up. Then Serena shows up on Mina’s doorstep with some news that sends Mina reeling. Mina may look a lot better with fangs, but her afterlife isn’t any less complicated!

In this eagerly awaited sequel to the popular Sucks to Be Me, Kimberly Pauley addresses many of her fans’ most pressing questions (Will Serena become a vampire? What happened to Raven? What’s next for Mina and George?) with signature humor and breezy bloodsucking style.
Mina is an interesting character, because she doesn't want to be a vampire. In her new town, she doesn't struggle with the clique like in the first book, which was one of the most relatable qualities. I find her best friend Serena to be a bit too dependent on Mina and also annoying at times. The new character Cameron was probably my favorite part of the book. He was very mysterous and also rather awesome. I loved all of the chemistry between Mina and Cameron. I really wished that something happened between them. I felt that the plot was rather slow for about 200 pages, but it quickly gained momentum. It is a rather cute story and fun to read. The story was repeative at times. I do like the vampire facts and drawings at the beginning of each chapters. It was a nice touch to the story and made me giggle a few times. Pauley is a great writer with an original take on vampires. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy vampire books, but I would suggest reading Sucks To Be Me first.

Sonnet

I just finished writing this and shared it with Zoe and she liked. So I hope you do too. Enjoy!

Where Angels Come From:

The sun sets on another dark and gloomy day.
Shadows rise out of dust and cling to the
ever present darkness. As it turns gray.
Ghosts sing their ballads of another time.
When all souls were pure of all sins and lies.
Harm was not a measurement of fears,
but of the true rightness, glory, and freedom
that we all behold inside with our own strengths.

Death only comes to those without true fear.
Fear protects you from the darkness outside here.
Outside of the communities where light is,
where God stands as holy and heavenly to all.
Souls are not up to grabs here as they are
promised to become the angels in dreams

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Rating:
Characters: 17/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 19/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 90/100 or A
Source: Publisher
In the future, groups of scavengers dissemble grounded oil tankers for parts that are needed in order to survive another day. Nailer is a teenage boy that searches for copper wiring to make quota. His poverty echos the reality in present day third countries and the harsh reality of his abusive father haunt the reader. After a hurricane, Nailer discovers an exquisite clipper ship that is beached along with the old oil tankers. Along with all of the treasures on the boat, there is a gorgeous, yet wealthy girl. He could strip the ship and live a life full of wealth or he could save the girl, Nita and hope that she will lead him to a better life. This is a novel that illuminates a world where oil has been replaced by necessity, and where the gap between the haves and have-nots is now an abyss. Yet amidst the shadows of degradation, hope lies ahead.
Ship Breaker is an intensely original book. It is a dark dystopian novel, which shows both the positive and negative aspects of human nature. Nailer has lived a limited life and he has never left the tiny beach that he was born and raised on. He dreams of sailing the seas in hopes of a better future, seems impossible, until Rita comes. I loved that he has so much hope in the reality that he lived in. He also rose above the selfishness and cruelty that his father had. His best friend Pima was really strong and ruthless, but I liked that she respected his opinion and let Nailer lead the way at times. Rita was hardworking and I also liked that she didn't feel entitled for anything. Tool was a creature that was part human, dog, hyena, and tiger. I found this hybrid to be very interesting. I also liked that Tool broke the expectations of that hybrid, by not being extremely loyal. The plot was slow to beginning with, but it slowly gain momentum. Overall, it was an adventure filled story and was a page turner. Global warming had caused there to be extreme hurricane and most of the south are now in ruins. The sea is also now full of pirates and the Arctic Ocean is now water. The difference between the poor and rich was so extreme. The rich ate off of golden plates, while the poor were lucky to eat. The originality in this book seeps out from the well crafted world created by Bacigalupi. This dystopian novel makes me interested in his past works. I really enjoyed his writing style. Overall, Ship Breaker is a book full of action, betrayal, friendship, fresh ideas, and what family really should be. I highly recommend this book, it is unlike any dystopian novel that I have read in a while.

In My Mailbox (Week of April 18th)

Books I got this week:
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader
The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchinson
One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt
Shade by Jeri Ready Smith
The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells
Shadow Boxing by Sherie Posesorski
Summer of Fire by Karen Bass
Fishtailing by Wendy Phillips
The Clearing by Heather Davis(This is for Erica, since she was plotting ways to steal it when I got it. So I got it when I went to a Heather Davis's signing. I also got some swag, which is at my mommy's house.)

Winners!

The Winner of The Body Finder Grand Prize is Steph Su. Yay!
Jenny Worden wins the 2nd prize.
The winner of Radiant Shadows is Jolene Connelly.
Emails are going to be sent.
Also, I reached 500 followers yesterday. =D

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 20/20
Writing: 19/20
Recommendation: 19/20
Overall: 95/100 or A
Source: Publisher
Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now, along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I’m on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We’re hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We’ll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we’d left behind and to take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.
Kelley Armstrong creates a fantastic sequel to The Summoning and The Awakening. I loved how this book's world was so unique and one of a kind. The teens at Lyle House were a part of an experiment and the people were trying to convince them that they were crazy. This is such a unique idea and found it fantastically awesome. I also liked that more was revealed about what happened with the experiment. Chloe became more comfortable in who she was and especially with her necromancy skills. I also found her growing feelings with Derek were so cute. I have been cheering on them since book one. I love Derek, he is so sweet and amazing. Simon also seems to find out who he is in this book and contributed to the romatic tension that is in the book. Tori surprised me and was a really strong character. I found her to be fierce at times. The Reckoning wrapped up nicely and I am excited to see what will happen in the next book in the series. Armstrong is a gifted writer that creates amazing characters and a wonderfully unique premise. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed the previous books in this series or anyone looking for an original series should start with The Summoning. I know that you will love it.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

Rating:

Characters: 17/20

Plot: 18/20

Originality: 17/20

Writing: 19/20

Recommendation: 18/20

Overall: 89/100 or B

Source: Publisher

Will Grayson has two simple rules: Don't care too much and shut up. Which is easy to remember, when his best friend Tiny Cooper is constantly breaking these rules. Tiny Cooper also seems to fall in love once an hour and never stops talking. Will just seems to follow the motions of life. He just seems to follow Tiny's wake, which includes being the only straight guy in the school's Gay Straight Alliance. The other will grayson(Refered to WG for the rest of the review) hates his friends and is shut off from everyone, but his Internet boyfriend, Issac. Then one winter night, WG decides to go to Chicago to meet Issac. That same night, Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper are there for a music show. The Will Graysons meet at one random street corner and their worlds quickly intertwine as they get ready for romance and the history's most awesome musical ever made.

Will Grayson was like every other John Green character. He is a bit nerdy, yet average. Suddenly he catches attention of some gorgeous girl that he didn't know until recently. I am not saying that the character is bad, but it is rather redundant. I still found his perspective to be interesting. I love Tiny Cooper. Seriously, I wish he was my best friend. I also loved Jane. She had a lot of style and was fun. WG was depressing at times, but I think that was just teenage angst. I found the characters to all be very funny and I laughed a lot during the book. The plot was slow at times, but I felt that it gradually built up. The musical was amazing and it needs to happen in real life. Other then the fact that John Green's characters were similar, I didn't find that much unoriginality. John Green is a skilled writer. His style was rather normal, while David Levithan's style had no capitalization or structure. I liked how the style bounced off of one another and created such a great story. I found Will Grayson, Will Grayson to be a funny story about growing up and finding who you are. I think you would enjoy this book, if you liked any of John Green or David Levithan's past book.

Waiting on Wednesday (54)

Title: Glimpse
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: June 22, 2010
Twelve-year-old Hope’s life is turned upside down when her older sister, Lizzie, becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself. Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age, ever since the death of their father. Their mother, who turns tricks to support her family, is a reluctant and unreliable parent—at best. During the course of this lyrical and heartbreaking narrative from an exceptionally promising YA voice, readers will discover the chilling reason why Lizzie has stopped speaking—and why Hope is the only one who can bring the truth to light and save her sister.
This book sounds amazing. I also enjoyed her book from last year, and the cover is amazing.

Trailer Tuesday (11)

Here is the trailer of Sea made by Vania. I think it shows the book pretty well

Ginger High by Melissa Burmester

Rating:
Characters: 4/20
Plot: 5/20
Originality: 10/20
Writing: 1/20
Recommendation: 1/20
Overall: 21/100 or F
Source: Author
Ginger High is no ordinary school. It is a school for students with special "powers." Many years ago people came to earth from the Kingdom of Animist, a parallel universe. Two long time friends, Matthias and Amanta, attended the school and then returned home to Animist. The school has many unexplained deaths. Daisy Fisher attends the school after her old school burns down. Matthias and Amanta are called back to the school to help solve the mysteries. What are powers? And what is with this crazy school?
For most of this book, I had to reread passages several times and I still didn't have a clue. There were so many characters that I kept on getting confused on who was who and what exactly there purpose was in the book. Most characters were described by only there name and gender. Many of the character's little personalities changed randomly through out the book. I had no clue what was happening in the plot. I knew that there were murders and something to do with a high school. To me, it felt like it was just a ton of random events in one book. I did find the fantasy elements to be interesting, but the world wasn't described at all. I know that this book is written by the author when she was twelve-years-old. I don't think that she had much experience with writing. I think that this book needed a lot of work before it should have been published. There was a lack of plot and strong characters. This book needed a lot more development, too. I obviously don't recommend this book to anyone.

In My Mailbox(Week of April 11th)

Books that I got this week:
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey
She Thief by Daniel Finn
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
Mistwood by Leah Cypess
The Reckioning by Kelley Armstrong

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 19/20
Originality: 20/20
Writing: 17/20
Recommendation: 20/20
Overall: 94/100 or A
Source: ARC Tour
Climate change has caused all of the great lakes to evaporate. On the north shore of Unlake Superior, there is a world that is separated between the people that live inside the wall and the people that struggle on the outside. Sixteen-Year-Old Gaia Stone is a midwife who lives on the outside. Gaia's job is to advance a certain amount of infants from the poverty on the outside and into the exclusive Enclave. That is until her parents are arrested and her world is changed. Gaia is badly scarred from her childhood, because she stick out like a sore thumb. She begins to question the society that she grew up in. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.
I really enjoyed this book. Gaia was a strong character, she was always treated differently by her scars. She also cares about her family and friends so much. I really liked the voice that she had in the book and it was really strong at times. Sometimes, it felt like an adults voice. I also liked that she was very innocent about what was happening in her world. I adore Captain Grey. He was very mysterious, but O'Brien slowly unraveled his back story and his real personality. He seemed really sincere and honest after learning more about them. The Procreate was a great villain. He didn't have any redeeming qualities and was rather nasty. Gaia's father was really sweet and cared about his family a lot. There were a lot of characters that could be developed more. The plot was really original. I don't think that I have read a book like this in the while. The Baby Code part of the book was awesome. It was really interesting for the people that were inside of the wall. O'Brien is a great writer. She created a unique dystopian novel that was one of a kind. I think that you would enjoy this book, if you enjoyed The Giver or The Hunger Games. I really hope that there will be a sequel.

Five Things on a Friday

A ton of people do Friday Five. I am doing it today, so enjoy.
1. I am editing Sisters. It is my NaNoWriMo from last year and under the pressure of Zoe Alea. I think she will attack me, if she doesn't get it soon.
2. I am graduating High School in a year. I am really excited for it. I hope college will be as awesome as most people say it is. I am looking for colleges with Creative Writing, so if you have an suggestions, just tell me.
3. My twitter buddy Cassandra, posted this awesome post on her blog. Actually she has a ton of awesome post. Check out her blog here.
4. I am going to New York in about a month and a half. It is for BEA. I am so excited to meet so many people and be in The Big Apple. It shall be a blast. If you want to make plans, just tell me and we can set it up.
5. I longer am getting infusions as of May 7th. This is a trial run, but my immunoglobulins(antibodies) are at a normal low. My immunologist wants to see if I am healthy enough to go without infusions. I am so excited to see if it will work. I still have to get blood work twice a month, but that is no biggie.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Rating:
Characters: 19/20
Plot: 20/20
Originality: 18/20
Writing: 20/20
Recommendation: 20/20
Overall: 97/100 or A
Source: Bought

Gabry lives a quiet life. Her life is safe as possible in a world that is full of the living dead. The town is between the Forest of Hands and Teeth and the ocean. She is content with living on her side of the barrier. She is happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City, as she stays safe in her lighthouse. There are threats that the Barrier can't hold back. Gabry's mother's secrets are slowly appearing from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. There is also a cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. There is a stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. Everything is quickly changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry’s generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother’s past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

Gabry is the Mary's daughter. She wasn't as fearless as Mary, but I liked that she actually had fears. I also loved that she was very loyal and caring. She really loved her family and friends. The two love interest are Elias and Catcher. Catcher was really awesome. I liked that he wanted the best for Gabry, even if it didn't involve him. I really loved Elias. He really cared about Graby and was so sweet. I didn't like Mary in Forest of Hands and Teeth, but I thought that she was a great mother and was likable. The plot of The Dead-Tossed Waves was slow building, but about halfway through the book was impossible to put down. It has all of the adventure and the thrills that were in the first book. There were a lot of twist in this book, that I didn't expect and that made it seem fun. Ryan created a lot of originality in this book, like the cult that worshiped the Mudo. I also love that Vista was a part of the Protectorate, which was a really unique part of the book. It was cool that there was a society that was surviving against the zombies. Carrie Ryan is a fantastic writer. She is great at pacing the book and also a lot of zombie action. Overall, I found this book to be a amazing sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes zombies and dystopian novels.

Interview with Heidi R. Kling

I was lucky enough to get an interview with Heidi R. Kling. Her book Sea, comes out on June 10th. I have read Sea and it is a stunning book that is one of a kind. Here is a summary of Sea:

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.
She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers. And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Also here is a bit about Heidi:

Heidi R. Kling earned her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School and her BA in Creative Writing from UC Santa Cruz. In addition to authoring novels, she writes and directs theatre for kids and teens and spends way too much time online as creator/co-moderator for the 2010 YA debut group: “The 10′ers.” She runs on coconut cupcakes, half-caf. coffee drinks, and aha! moments. A native California girl, Heidi lives with her husband and two children in Palo Alto, California just over the coastal mountains from the sea.

Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the rest of the interview and pick up Sea in June.

1. Where did you get the idea for Sea?

SEA was inspired by my husband's volunteer efforts at an Indonesian orphanage after the tsunami. The detailed story of his amazing trip and the journey toward what is now the novel SEA is on my website here:http://heidirkling.com/books/

2. Sienna is haunted by what happen to her mother. Did anything in your life inspire you to write about that?

Fortunately, no. But I have had tragedy in my life that I've had to work through--just nothing like Sienna's.

3. Other then writing and reading, what do you like to do?

Spending time with my family--especially my kids. We love going to the beach and telling stories and playing and laughing. We have a lot of fun. I like Twitter and traveling and watching my favorite shows on TV. Writing retreats, movies, yoga, hanging out with friends, going out to dinner with my husband on that rare opportunity. Just enjoying life, really.

4. What are your five favorite things about being a part of The Tenners?
Debut groups are important because you are going through an experience that not many people can relate too. Publishing a novel is for one, this huge dream come true for most people and it's also a ton-of-lot of work.And it moves at a snail's pace. So to have a community that understands that is truly important. I love cheering my friend's on. Promoting their books. Right now my Mystery Book Contest highlights a bunch of The Tenners and other 2010 debut novels and people on Twitter are changing their avatar to their favorite one. So far I've seen Dead-Tossed Waves, Hex Hall, and several more. It's a neat opportunity to spread the word. YA is a tight knit, very cool and kind community and I love to give back whenever I can.

5. What are some of your favorite young adult books?

Contemporary faves are FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan, 20 BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler, THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer Hubbard, Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK, John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA, Recently I read and loved Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Generally,I like thoughtful, well-written books with a hopeful message. As far as fantasy goes, I just read HEX HALL (which was so fun!), and SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater is a fave.

6. Is there anything that you would like to add?

For more info check out my website at: http://heidirkling.com and look for my Mystery Book Contest on my blog SEA HEIDI WRITE, where I'm giving away a book a week (some signed!) until my June 10 release of SEA:http://seaheidi.livejournal.com/175715.html

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Title: Not That Kind of Girl
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Push
Date: September 1, 2010
Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.
But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up being the boy you wants to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.
Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.
I want to read this book so much. I love Siobhan Vivian other books so much. This book sounds amazing! I also love the cover.

For Keeps by Natasha Friend

Rating:

Characters: 19/20

Plot: 20/20

Originality: 17/20

Writing: 18/20

Recommendation: 19/20

Overall: 93/100 or A

Source: Publisher

Josie was deserted by her father before she was born. She fears the abandonment and heartbreak that her mother experienced. Her mother fuels Josie's fear with the lack of relationships in her life. Her best friend Liv tries to have her make connection with her family and the very cute, Matt Riggs. Then the grandparents on Josie's father's side of the family move back into the area. Josie quickly forges a friendship with her grandfather, which gives her insight into the family that she has never known. An unexpected tragedy brings the truth about Josie's family to light and provides a great opportunity to forge actual relationships with her family.

Josie reminded me a lot of my sister. My older sister didn't know her father growing up and has a similar personality with Josie. So, I quickly became attracted to her and wanted a positive outcome for her. I loved that Josie was still a teen while dealing with family stuff, like she started dating Matt. I also loved Josie and her mom's relationship, because it reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls. I rarely see positive relationships between parents and their children in Young Adult fiction. I love when good parents are actually present in YA, because they are usually absent or negative parents. I also liked that Kate had her own personality, like her fears about dating and her uncertainty. Josie's best friend Liv made the story more lively. She was a funny character that made me laugh with her personality and fashion choices. I also liked that she wasn't just some supportive character, but had her own issues in the book. I also enjoyed Josie's grandfather, Big Nick. He was very sweet and spirited. Josie's love interest Matt was also cute and lovable. The plot was quite predictable, but it didn't bother me. The characters had captured my attention so much that I didn't mind that it was predictable. The plot also had some originality that I enjoyed. I also enjoyed Friend's writing as I did in her other books. This book had me thinking about it for a long time after it. It also reminded me a lot of Looking For Alibrandi and Gilmore Girls, which I love both very much. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Friend's previous books or is searching for a wonderfully written character driven book, For Keeps is perfect for you.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroder

Rating:
Characters: 17/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 17/20
Writing: 18/20
Recommendation: 18/20
Overall: 88/100 or B
Source: Bought
Brooklyn can't sleep anymore. She has nightmares about her friend Gabe that died of an overdose. Her boyfriend Lucca died a year ago. She no idea what Gabe wants and why isn't Lucca in her dream. Nico is always running. He is trying to escape the pain that he has from missing his brother Lucca. Then he starts receiving messages from his dead brother. He needs to help Brooklyn. As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.
I found Brooklyn to be a likable character. Her grief was easy to relate to. Nico was really sweet. I enjoyed the chemistry between both of them. I preferred Nico's voice to Brooklyn. The plot was really well written. I love how Schroeder writes verse and they are such great books. This book is a companion to I Heart You and You Haunt Me. I think that if you liked Lisa Schroeder's other books, you will enjoy Chasing Brooklyn. it is also a quick and sweet read.

In My Mailbox(Week of April 4th)

In my Mailbox was started by The Story Siren and Inspired by Pop Culture Junkie!
For Review:
Maybe (short for Maybelline, her mother’s favorite mascara brand) wears oversize men’s T-shirts, uses lots of black eye makeup, and rejects everything girly—which is probably a reaction to her mother’s charm school and impending seventh marriage. This latest husband-to-be is the worst yet, and when he attempts to rape Maybe (in a scene that is realistic but not explicit), she and her friend Ted decide to join their buddy Hollywood when he moves to California for film school. Maybe’s stated goal is finding her biological father, but as she runs out of money and hope, that goal changes to finding herself. Despite the heavy topics, this is a breezy read populated with friendly characters and sunny serendipity: Maybe is welcomed into the home of an ex-stepdad, Ted, finds work as an assistant to a movie star, and Hollywood aces his first film. When your starving protagonist spends her only five dollars on eyeliner, the intended audience is obvious; for those readers, Maybe’s ugly duckling–type transformation will be predictable but pleasing.
I got this for the May book on Readergirlz. I have heard that it is cute and will try to read it soon.

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

Rating:
Characters: 18/20
Plot: 18/20
Originality: 16/20
Writing: 17/20
Recommendation: 17/20
Overall: 86/100 or B
Source: Publisher
Even Zombie Settlers with Super Hot Boyfriends get the Blues...
A few months ago I was a normal girl with a normal life. But that was before my power to Settle the Undead returned and someone tried to kill me with zombies.
Now I work magic and practice kicking butt while trying to find time for pom squad and my boyfriend, Ethan, and trying NOT to think about how freaky my life has become. It can be tough. Still…things could be worse…
Oh yeah, right:
1. Feral new super-strong zombies. Check.
2. Undead psychic hottie predicting a zombie apocolypse. Check.
3. Earth-shattering secrets that could land me in Settler prison for life. Check.
4. Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening the end of the half time as we know it. Check.
I’m going to need therapy (and a cookie) if I live through the week. Unfortunately I’m learning that’s not something Zombie Queens can take for granted.

When you think of zombies, you think of gore and sadness at least that it what I thought until I read You Are So Undead To Me. It was effortlessly funny and cute. It made me laugh and at times it had me gripping the book and wondering what is next. So, I was really excited to read Undead Much? and find that they were similar. I love Megan. She wants to be a normal teen, but she has an extraordinary power that she has no control over. I also love Ethan in this book. He is so sweet and cute. I wanted Megan and Ethan to be together. Then there is a new character Cliff. He is a zombie that can't be settled. He also has feelings for Megan. I am interested to see if anything develops out of that, because Jay left quite a cliffhanger on that front. Undead Much has as much action and mystery as the last book. There are these weird zombies that are here for some reason and it turns out to interconnected with the last book. I really enjoyed the originality in this book. It is sassy, funny, and just fantastic. The only problem that I had, was the the dialogue seemed unrealistic at times and the plot dragged out for a while. Despite these problems, Jay created an amazing book that made me laugh a lot. If you like the first book, you will enjoy this. It has humor, romance, and a touch of mystery.

The Author Hunt for April 2010

Heather Davis(The Clearing):
Friday, April 16th at 6:30PM: Queen Anne Avenue Books 1811 Queen Anne Ave N Seattle, Washington

Kimberly Derting(The Body Finder):
Saturday, April 2nd at 2PM: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97005

Gayle Forman(If I Stay):
Monday, April 5th at 7PM: Powell's Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. Beaverton, OR 97005
Tuesday, April 6th at 7PM: Third Place Books 17171 Bothell Way NE Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

For other states, visit these blogs(I'll add the links when it is posted on thier blog):
The Neverending Shelf - Southeast region
The Story Siren - Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan
The Book Cellar - Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois
YA Bliss - Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Oklahoma and Kansas
Frentic Reader - California

If you are in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho in 2010 or you are aware of events that I may have missed, please contact me at Sarahbear119@hotmail.com with the event details so that the event may be featured

Books Read In March 2010

24. The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz
25. Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton
26. Carpe Carpus by Rachel Caine
27. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
28. Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong
29. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
30. The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
31. Epitaph Road by David Patneuade
32. Shade by Jeri Ready-Smith
33. Sea by Heidi R. Kling
34. Still Sucks to be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith, Teen Vampire by Kimberly Pauley
35. The Best and Hardest Thing by Pat Brisson
36. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroder
37. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan


Reviews posted from these books: 7 of these books so far, a few are planned to be posted later.
Books from Library: 2 books
Books for Review: 9 books
Books borrowed: 2 books
My Favorite: Sea or Rampant. Both were amazingly original and I loved them.
My Least Favorite: The Best and Hardest Thing... I just didn't like it and it was unrealistic.
Challenge Update:
100+ Reading Challenge: 37 read. 63 books left
Debut Authors '10: 11 read 39 books left
Dystopian Challenge: 5 read

Melissa Marr Tour

Melissa Marr has an amazing series and since Radiant Shadow is coming out soon, she is going on tour. I am sort of jealous that she isn't coming to Washington, but hopefully some of you will be a ble to go to one. Anyways, here are the dates:
DENVER, CO April 22, 2010: Tattered Cover Book Store; 7:00 pm
LEXINGTON, KY April 23, 2010: Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm
ST. LOUIS, MO April 24, 2010: St. Louis County Library; 7:00 pm
BOSTON, MA April 26, 2010: Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA; 7:00 pm
COLUMBUS, OH April 28 May 2, 2010: Romantic Times Convention
CLEVELAND, OH May 12, 2010: Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm
PHILADELPHIA, PA May 14, 2010: Chester County Book Store, West Chester, PA; 7:00 pm
RICHMOND, VA May 15, 2010: The Fountain Bookstore; 2:00 pm
I also have one copy of Radiant Shadow for giveaway. The contest is open to The US and Canada only. The contest ends on April 15th. Fill out the form below to enter and Good Luck!