{Review} Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards
Series: Wild Cards #1
Author: Simone Elkeles
Release Date: September 24, 2013
by, Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?{Goodreads}

~Review:
 Holy flipping cow!!!! I can't believe I even got this book! Simone Elkeles is a really well known author thanks to her Perfect Chemistry series. So when I found I had this book in my possession post release I about freaked!! I did a happy jog and everything.

  Now, that being said I still haven't read the Perfect Chemistry series yet but it's another one I have been dying to read! I will get to it soon enough I promise! Now to talk about Wild Cards. I really liked it. It was cute and it was funny! Derek is an absolute dream boat and Ashton is snarky and independent. The banter between these two was delightful. I enjoyed the multiple POVs. It's always nice to know what is going on through each characters head as they start to fall. Ashton was probably the most stubborn about it. I loved it. ;) Ashton is the star kicker...on the boys varsity football team. How great is that!? The last book--and only other book--that I read with a girl on a boys football team was Catching Jordan. I liked that one but I think I liked this one more....sorry Miranda Kennealy! Even though they were similar I liked Elkeles version better because of the family she put together. The boys on the team looked out for Ashton but they also respected her. I also liked how the verbal language was considerably higher in decency. There weren't as many cuss words as there were in Catching Jordan. I don't mind it often because hello! We are teens and this day in age swearing is about as normal as breathing. But there is respect in words. Elkeles gives that respect. Ashton is beyond independent and even more stubborn. She has the will of--of I don't know (running short in comparisons) but she has a lot of will and determination. She doesn't like things being handed to her. She likes to work for her earnings. I love that about her. She has her quirky habits. She plays to win and she wins because she plays....hard.

  Derek is a bad boy. Whoopdey Doo! Isn't it always a bad boy!? Yes. Am I complaining? No. ;) Derek is more of a punk than a bad boy. He is witty and charming and likes to grease pigs and set them loose during graduation ceremonies. Haha ok so he is trouble with a capital T but he is harmless. He isn't the roofing bad boy. He is the prancing bad boy. Ultimately he has a great heart. He fixes up sheds and mows lawn with no ulterior motive. The boy just has a serious mouth and prank problem.

  Put the two together and you got one heck of a couple. Goodness these two were making me laugh! They are both incredibly stubborn. It was like watching those goats with the horns ram each other over and over again. Haha lets just say when the first time a couple meets ends with a pitch fork in a shoe...it's bound to be interesting. It was. I read this book pretty fast. The stuff that both Ashton and Derek had Togo through had my full attention. This isn't a light read. It had more depth. Both characters had struggles they had to deal with. This wasn't a heavy read either. It was a light heavy? I don't know don't ask.

  Simone Elkeles righting is nice. It flows easily. Each words slides into the next and before you know it you have read half the book. She has a nice sense of humor being able to commit to the snarky replies Derek and Ashton throw at each other. Ultimately Derek and Ashton were adorable especially at the end. Oh my goodness that end was adorable!! I can't wait to read the next one! There was only one thing that bothered me about the book. There was some round about incest. It wasn't true incest but it was enough to make me not jump on the TeamDerekandAshton boat. Derek's stepmom is Ashton's sister. So basically Ashton is Derek's aunt-in-law. No blood ties but I don't know I like to stay away from that stuff. Ya just weird to me. There are so many different ways you could come about a couple meeting and I prefer to stay away from instances like this. Eventually I kind of just ignored that little fact as best as I could and enjoyed the story for what it was.

  Wild Cards was an enjoyable read. I loved Simone Elkeles writing style and the story she created. The characters were well developed and the love was adorable. I can't say it was a favorite but it was well worth the read! I would recommend it to all contemporary fans! Like I said before, I haven't read anything else's from Simone Elkeles so I can't compare it to her Perfect Chemistry series. Bottom line: Wild Cards was good..great even! It was fun, funny, and really cute. I really liked it! Give it a try when you got the chance. Borrow it, buy it. However you see fit but I do think it is worth the shot. :)

~Rating:

4 of 5 stars!

*a copy was provided for review purposes*

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{Blog Tour} Canary by Rachele Alpine

Canary
Author: Rachele Alpine
Release Date: August 1, 2013
by, Medallion Press
Pages: 288

Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.
Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete.

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes.

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.{Goodreads}

~Review:
  What is this!? Did someone send out a letter saying that depressing, struggling, coming of age stories were in? I've read so many it feels like this year! I sure didn't get the memo. Now, I am not in any way saying that is a bad thing. I like these stories best. I like the broken being fixed. The struggles it takes for someone to find themselves. It's real and  true.

  Rachele Alpine does not disappoint. Like I said before, it seems as if I have read these types of stories back to back, and again, I am not complaining. Mrs. Alpine tackled the story of teenage life and it's ups and downs, high school's hierarchy and the struggle to "be on top", the everyday life struggles that mold us teens into the adults we can become and might I say...she nailed it! Now, high school isn't like the movies. Most of the time you don't get a raging bitch who runs the school. You do get bitches and asses but...well, you get those everywhere. I think when Mrs. Alpine was portraying the high school heirarchy, the elites, the rulers of campus, whatever you want to call them she was just giving a bigger picture of how tough fitting in can be. You want to be recognized, loved, adored. You don't realize just how slippery of a slope that can be.

  We are given the character of Kate to take the dark road for us. Man, my hear actually physically hurt when reading this book. The things she had to go through was rough. She was strong because she feared, be cause she loved and lost, because she lost sight of what was important, because she lost herself. Strong because despite all that, she made it through, she found herself, she found what was important and lost what was not. She was strong because she survived. Not survived as in fought an army with one a pin and needle but survived what might have other's cracking. I loved her. She is a protagonist worthy of the term "heroine". Sometimes society distorts all of what we hold dearly and we are temporarily blinded by it all. We cause our own pain, our own destruction. This is what Rachele shows us. This is why it was so devastating...because whether we want to see it or not...its all true.

  Canary is a powerful read. It takes you on a journey filled with loss, heartache, betrayal, and the road that leads you to finding yourself, voice, and fully accepting who you are. It was not an easy journey. That's what I loved about it so much. These days so many stories (books, movies, etc) show the bad and the outcome being completely unaffected by it. That's not true and that's not real. We have to struggle to get to the top. We have to make mistake after mistake until we finally get it right. Sometimes we have so many problems that your drowning in them and you think you will never catch your breath but when you finally do....its worth it. It doesn't seem like it at the time but its true. As they say: "A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor." This is true in Canary.

  I was hooked from page one. The writing of Rachele Alpine is intoxicating. She pushes the boundaries. She pushes herself. She pushes Kate. The most unique thing about this book is the daily blog entries. Kate's "Daily Truth". Yes, Kate keeps track of everything in a blog. She writes all the happenings of her day, every day. The way she writes them is so beautiful. Some are so heart-wrenching but they are beautiful. They are lyrical, poetic, inspiring. So not only does Rachele write a book but a blog in a book, talk about talent. I haven't read something like that. It was unique and captivating.

  The amount of talent Rachele Alpine is unbelievable. She has truly made a fan out of me. I will read anything and everything by her. I can hardly believe that she was the one coming to me at the beginning of the year asking me if I wanted to read her book. That she was giving me and my blog compliments. That it was an honor of hers if I would read and review her book. All along it should have been me begging her for a chance to read her book. The honor is truly all mine. It was an absolute pleasure to be gifted with an advanced copy of her book. To get a chance to read the greatness that is Canary. My emotions ran wild with this book. I teared up, I got angry, I got depressed. Rachele has your emotions in the palm of your hand and she will own them. You will not be in control of them when reading this book. I wasn't..that is for sure.

  So all in all, when this book comes out, read it. It is a book that will capture you from the beginning leaving you breathless at the end. It's not one with a happy ending waiting at the end. It's not terrible but the road to the end is torture. You will be reading Kate's snowball effect and have no power over it. All you can do is continue reading and anticipate the end. You watch that snowflake touch the ground and start rolling, picking up speed and increasing inside, seeing Kate at the bottom in direct line of impact. You can scream, you can shout warning after warning but you are powerless. The outcome is inevitable. And you want to save yourself the horror but you can't because you are so hooked. Canary's got its claws hooked into your heart, its song singing for you to continue while also voicing a warning. I felt as if I was in one of those sound proof glass boxes with the one way vision except you got the vision and no one can see you...seeing and hearing everything but having no one hear or see you. Its torture and again, I couldn't stop. It was amazing. By the end I was truly breathless. My heart hurt and all I could do was lay down for the night and think it all over.

  Read it, hate it, love it. ;D Those are the three steps to an amazing book. The books associated with the word "great" are the ones that aren't perfect. They don't have the indestructible heroine with the fearlessness and courage to feed an army of thousands, they have the rough and the tough that is all too true. Those are the books I find to steal my heart and Canary is one of them. The one's that are 5 star worthy. It's one I will swear up and down on. Keep with me as a reminder, as a source of inspiration. I will encourage this book to all.


~Rating:

5 of 5 stars!

*This review is a part of the Canary Book Tour hosted by AtomR Tours*

~The Author:

  Rachele Alpine is a lover of sushi, fake mustaches, and Michael Jackson. One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn’t last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she’s a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. By day she’s a high school English teacher, and by night she writes with the companionship of the world’s cutest dog, Radley, a big cup of coffee, and a full bag of gummy peaches. Rachele lives with her husband in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of moving back to Boston, the city she fell in love with while attending graduate school there.

Website | Twitter  | Facebook | Goodreads

{Book Blitz} Summer Love by Marysue G Hobika

~The Book:

Summer Love

Series: Senior Year #1

Author: Marysue G. Hobika 

Release Date: June 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Buy: ~Amazon~

Carly and her best friend Becca are ready to drop a nuclear bomb on summer. It’s the last one before reality sets in and they’re off on their own. Carly is ready to break the mold and stop being known as a goody-two-shoes. In order to get the ball rolling, she agrees to a double date with Gavin – her good-looking, yet moody, lab partner.


Gavin doesn’t have summer plans except to work at his two jobs and hang out in his room drawing. He likes to keep to himself, but lets his brother Nate talk him into going on a double date. Carly isn’t like the rest of the girls at school that drive him crazy. She doesn’t ask a lot of questions and seems to know when to give him the space he craves. Gavin always thought that she was beautiful, but he believes that relationships and love are a lost cause.

Will their date prove that summer love is right around the corner or will it be a dead end?

This book is intended for audiences 17+{Goodreads}

~The Excerpt:

The band played and I held my breath, waiting to hear Carly’s voice. I thought maybe she’d lost her nerve. I was ready to rush in and rescue her, even if she didn’t want me to, when, like magic, she began to sing. The notes that came out of her mouth were full and sensuous, changing the band’s sound completely. It was harmonious, free flowing, and full.

  I’d heard the band last summer, and even though they were good, something had always been missing. That something was Carly. Her voice fit and molded perfectly with Nate’s, and I felt another tinge of jealousy. Their sound filtered through the cracks and walls of the garage and into the night air. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I found myself slinking back into the garage as the song came to an end. I felt empty and lost when she hit the last note, and every cell in my body craved more. I’d been wrong. So very wrong.

  Everyone in the garage was silent, as if the music had cast a spell on them. All of a sudden, led by Ed, claps and cheers echoed. Carly looked elated until her gaze landed on me. I read in her eyes that she thought I was a jerk for not believing in her, and I couldn’t blame her. I was a jerk.

“Damn!” shouted Ed. “That gave me goose bumps.” He hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his arms.

“I told you Carly could sing,” Becca said, directing her words toward Nate.

~The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~The Grand Prize:

$25 Amazon Gift Card!!

(INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Review} The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Lost Prince
Series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: October 23, 2012
by, Harlequin Teen
Source: bought
Pages: 377

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them. 

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.{Goodreads}

~Review:
  I wasn't so sure I was gonna love this book like I loved The Iron Fey-Ash, Megan, and Pucks story. Truth is? I didn't. I couldn't. It may be the same world but it is not the same series and once I accepted that I was blown away. I never once doubted Julie and her talents. I doubted my ability to let go of the characters I had grown so find of. I didn't think I could see the world of the far without thinking of Megan and Ash and Puck. It took me some time to get over but it didn't take that long.

  Julie has this uncanny ability to draw you and and submerse you in the pages. It's pretty freaking ridiculous because I always feel so vulnerable and out of control while reading her books. I think I've said this before but Julie Kagawa has your heart and emotions in her hand while you read her books. You're like putty that she just molds and breaks. She throws you into these worlds and holds you down in them. You no longer have control over yourself. She brings these characters in that steal you from the beginning. She's got her claws deep in your heart as after words...it all lingers. Footprints of each story--each character, are imprinted there forever.

  I was so surprised with Ethan. I was like "Uhmm...who is this and where did Ethan go?" I was a bit sad that this is where Ethan came. Te world of the Fae haunts him. He now has a bad boy rep. While I was kind of sad I couldn't complain...Ethan is well, hot. I feel kind if weird saying it because the last time I had seen him he was only a little boy but well...he is no little boy anymore! Even though Ethan gives us this bad boy act, he is still the sweet boy he always was just minus the stuffed animal. He seems standoffish because he doesn't want to get close to anyone. Being close means bringing them right down with him into the Fae world.

  Keirran was funny and a total free spirit. I loved him. In many ways Ethan and Keirran were the new Ash and Puck. Ethan was brooding like Ash and Keirran was the lively Puck. It was nice having the banter from these two. It was like Ash and Puck before the enemies. They weren't Ash and Puck but there were similarities. Again, it was super hard not seeing my beloved characters again but I enjoyed Keirran and Ethan's story.

  You do get a special visit from the young adult worlds best fictional boys and that made me extremely happy! We even get a visit from grim, razor, and Megan. I love Julie's story telling. It's amazing! And now she is taking the Iron Fey series to a whole other level! Some serious shit is gonna go down. It's bigger than the iron fey. We get a call from the forgotten. Dang these thugs are creepy! I'm so excited that she decided to make a spin off on my favorite series. It's action packed, heart warming and thrilling! The new characters that enter the story are great and like able. Everything was done well. Julie Kagawa never disappoints. No. She always ends up exceeding our expectations. She is what authors hope to be!

  If you haven't read the Iron Fey series (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight) I suggest you read it first. You don't HAVE to but one, it's flipping amazing and my uptime favorite series and two, you might understand the fey world a bit better and Ethan. You get to see the Ethan before it all. The sweet little innocent boy who started it all. These books are one of the best books I have ever read. Julie is my favorite author because she brings all cards to the table. She is so talented. Her books are cinematic! Basically, all her books will be the best books you have ever read. Each one will capture you. Read each one! You will not be disappointed. If you were to ask me what to read Julie's books will always be my first suggestion. There is a reason and that reason is greatness.

~Rating:

Need-In-Order-To-Breathe (5 stars times a million) 

{Book Blitz} Now or Never by A.J. Bennett

~The Book:

Now or Never

Author: A.J. Bennett

Release Date: June 19, 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary 

Buy: ~Amazon~B&N~

Twenty-one year old Grayson Alexander finally breaks away from an abusive relationship and finds herself free for the first time in three years.

Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, Grayson is intent on sticking with ‘no strings attached’ relationships—one-night stands, and steamy sex.

But she didn’t plan on Derrick.

Her attraction to the sexy man in uniform quickly turns into an unhealthy relationship. They both try to resist the pull, but neither can stay away.

When tragedy strikes, Grayson realizes it’s now or never—walk away or make it work{Goodreads}

~The Author:

~Website~Goodreads~Facebook~Twitter~

A.J. Bennett lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and bulldog. She’s addicted to coffee, popcorn and books. Becoming an author has been a lifelong dream, and she’s extremely excited about her debut novel Now or Never.

~The Excerpt:

Why was she acting like an idiot? He was just a guy; he probably didn’t even give her another thought after their brief eye gaze exchange.

     Once she got her drink, she made her way to the cream and sugar stand to grab a napkin and hightail it out of there. Grayson turned to leave and slammed into a solid wall of muscle.

     Shit.

     Coffee spilled on her hand and down the front of his black T-shirt. As she held the remains of her coffee out of harms way, her chest pressed firmly against his. Horrified, she lifted her gaze.

      He cupped her elbows with both hands and steadied her, his startling green eyes ringed with gold swept over her. Then he reached around her, grabbed a napkin, and wiped the hot coffee off her hand. She caught herself giving him the once over while she had his gaze elsewhere; he was so hot, his dark red hair was so fitting to his rugged facial features.

     “You alright?”

     Grayson mumbled something that didn’t sound like English. Her breath caught at her throat as she took in his powerful frame: his legs were slightly parted and his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs. His T-shirt was stretched over his broad shoulders. 

     He smiled instantly softening his hard face. “Why don’t you come and sit down with me?”

     “Um, what?”

     He tilted his head towards his seat, “The cafe is full. You can share my table.”

     Good grief.

     All she did was make eye contact with the guy, and now he thought that gave him the right to invite her to sit down? She’d clearly been in a relationship way too long, because she had no idea how to react to his question. A part of her was curious about this man who made her heart rate speed up with just a glance, but a much bigger part of her wanted to turn and run. She just got out of one relationship; she wasn’t about to start another the moment she drove into town. Besides, she’d always heard two redheads were a disaster waiting to happen.

     No thanks, she thought, I have had enough disaster in my life for at least five more years. 

     Although, her mother claims she’s only half redhead, the other half light blonde. So maybe it would only be half a disaster?

     Snap out of it Grayson, she thought, trying to get her shit together and not look like a blabbering idiot.

     “I can’t. I have to meet my family. But thanks for the offer.” Grayson tried to step by him, but he widened his stance and blocked her. 

     “Can I at least give you my number?”

     Oh my God, Grayson thought, this guy was persistent. He was hot as hell, but come on.

     “Do you hit on every girl who walks through the door?” Grayson asked with a little attitude in her voice; she couldn’t let another man gain the upper hand on her so fast.

     He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and she wondered how old he was. “Not all of them.”

~The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Follow Friday} #51

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

~This Week's Features:

Guiltless Reader {Feature}
&
 
Nikki @ There were books involved. . .

~This Week's Question:
Q: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

~My Answer:

That would have to be my local library's park. It is close enough for me to walk to and it has all these pretty trees on the hill (its like a bowl..the park that is...well there is one side for a soccer field and then the playground further on and then there is a side with a dog park and just a bunch of grass and trees. I usually go to the bowl shaped side) that give off shade. I like hearing the peaceful bustle of the people there and then the sun and shade and sometimes slight wind just give off a perfect reading vibe. Now, if I lived somewhere like Cali it would be the beach. I LOVE the beach! I recently went on vacation there and reading there was the best! The sound of the ocean, the sand...ah! Pure bliss!

What about you?

Leave your links below! :)

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!! 

~Jaiden

{Review} Boundless by Cynthia Hand

Boundless
Series: Unearthly #3
Author: Cynthia Hand
Release Date: January 22, 2013
by, HarperTeen
Source: Bought
Pages: 438

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.{Goodreads}

~Trailer:

 ~Review:
  So even though there has even a significant amount of amazing 2013 debuts...there have also been some let downs. Especially in the finishing department. Finishing department?

  The final books to series. Is this one of them? In some ways yes, sadly. The Unearlthy series was one of my first loves. Tucker one of my first boy loves and Cynthia Hand being one of my first Author loves. It was seriously amazing!!! The writing of Cynthia was so fresh and lovely it was hard not to fall in love with the books!

  Now I can't complain too much. The book was full of action, turns, pieces being out together, love!! It was all fantastic! I was so into the book I had trouble putting it down! I forgot the talent of Cynthia. Her ability to just draw you in with the easy flow of her writing. So if it was so great....why is it a disappointment in some ways?

  It left me disappointed for one reason and one reason alone. The absence of Tucker and the abundance of Christians presence. I started to fall out of love with Tucker and in love with Christian. I was routing for Tucker the entire time while reading it. In my mind set I was going to throw a hissy fit if Clara didn't end up with Tucker.

BEWARE OF SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I hated the way she ended the book. I found the way she got Tucker with Clare was childish. I almost would have been ok with him dying and Clara ending up with Christian after her heartbreak. My emotions weren't hit as hard as they probably should have. When he died and she saw him in his death before walking into the light I did. I was heart broken. But the after felt as if she needed a reason to keep Tucker alive so she did the first thing she thought of. Wth!!? Tucker is now part angel? That I felt was stupid. And not to mention she left a lot of loose ends. She kind of gave a well this and this so because of that they got a happily ever after. What about Jeremy? Angela!?Christian? I mean poor dude. It wasn't the way I saw it all ending.

END OF SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Like Requiem by Lauren Oliver I was left disappointed because of the cliche endings and the lack of tying the last ribbon. I felt as if it was incomplete. Everything up to the ending was absolutely amazing! It was everything I hoped it to be! That was the stuff I know Cynthia is capable of. The stuff I love her for. I wasn't completely disappointed but I was never the less. It is still a series I hold dearly to me but...I don't know. The ending was just off. I mean I was happy about it but not as happy as I thought I'd be. It's just this jumble of feelings I have. In the end the good out weighed the bad I think.

  If you haven't read this series yet I insist you do. It's beautiful and wonderful. Don't let me get in the way of you starting it. I encourage you to. Even though I had a slight disappointment it didn't completely ruin the series for me. This last book to the Unearthly series is alike with Requiem, the last of the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver. Both series that I love dearly and both with endings that left me feeling it didn't end. Try it out! You may feel completely different than I did with the ending. Again the ending was my only disappointment everything was wonderful! I can't wait to get something new from Cynthia Hand. She is an incredible author!

~Rating:

4 of 5 stars!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful day,

~Jaiden

{Book Blitz} Rush by Eve Silver (Giveaway+Teasers)

Rush 
Series: (The Game #1)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

by, Harper Teen

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?
When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Available from:

    

Teaser #1:

He smiles, a faint curve of his lips that reveals the barest hint of a long dimple carved in his right cheek. “No, but I can read your expression. And I’ve been doing this long enough that I know what most people tend to think when they first open their eyes.”

“Doing what long enough?”

“This,” he says, and nothing more.

A second of silence stretches into two. Though I can’t see behind his glasses, I have the feeling he’s not looking at me anymore, that he’s scanning the area, looking for…something. But as I stare at him, I see me—tiny distorted reflections of me in the shiny, convex lenses.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Teaser #2:

I stare at the things in front of me: the Drau. I can’t look away.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember Jackson talking about Medusa.

Don’t look at their eyes.

Their mercury eyes.

They’re poison.

They will kill me.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

Teaser #3:

Color and sound explode, too bright, too loud. Even the air on my skin feels like it’s too much. My fingers go lax. The bag’s handle slides down my palm, then along my fingers to the tips, impossibly slow. The world tips and tilts and I flail for balance.

Luka grabs my hand and holds tight.

I blink. My house, my open front door, Dad, they’re all gone. My breath comes in short gasps and every muscle in my body feels like it’s knotted up tight.

I’m standing in a grassy clearing bounded by trees.

The lobby.

We’ve been pulled.

Copyright © 2013. Eve Silver. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author
Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up. She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013. She also writes books for adults.

Author Links:

     

***GIVEAWAY***

Signed copy of Rush, US and Canada only.

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{Waiting on Wednesday} #41 The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on.....

The Brokenhearted
Author: Amelia Kahaney
Release Date: October 8, 2013
by, Harper Teen

A teenage girl is transformed into a reluctant superhero and must balance her old life with the dark secret of who she has become. 

Prima ballerina Anthem Fleet is closely guarded by her parents in their penthouse apartment. But when she meets the handsome Gavin at a party on the wrong side of town, she is immediately drawn into his dangerous world. Then, in a tragic accident, Anthem falls to her death. She awakes in an underground lab, with a bionic heart ticking in her chest. As she navigates her new life, she uncovers the sinister truth behind those she trusted the most, and the chilling secret of her family lineage…and her duty to uphold it. 

The Dark Knight meets Cinder in this gripping and cinematic story of heartbreak and revenge. From Alloy Entertainment, this inventive new superhero story is sure to captivate any reader.{Goodreads}

One...look at that cover! I LOVE it! Second...ok so the bold head line is a bit cheesy and if I'm being honest, if it was just that, that I heard about the book I would turn it down. But the synopsis, oh my, the synopsis intrigues me. It kind of gives me a Frankenstein cyborg kind of feel. I like the The Dark Knight and Cinder comparison. Two things I love: Cinder (Quick shout out: Thank you Marissa Meyer for this amazing series!) and batman! Ok, so I am more of a Captain America, Spiderman kind-of chick but hey...got a love a man in black right? ;) Anywho! I am super excited for this book because I have a feeling its going to bring some new playing cards to the YA table. I feel its gonna bring something fresh and I am going to love it! Just a hunch but ya.!

What about you?

  What are you waiting on this week?

      Leave your links in the comments!

  Have a great day!! Happy Wednesdays!!

~Jaiden

{Review} The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty
Release Date: May 5, 2009
It's Not Summer Without You
Release Date: April 27, 2010
We'll Always Have Summer
Release Date: April 26, 2011
(all) by, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Series: The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy #1-3
Author: Jenny Han
Source: bought; ebook

Belly has always lived for the summertime because it means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach and the Fisher boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. She has spent every summer with them at Cousins Beach for as long as she can remember. She has always been in love with Conrad and finally, one summer, it seems like he might have feelings for her too. But it turns out, so does Jeremiah.

As the summers go on, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her as she comes to the realization that she will have to break one of their hearts.

For the first time, all three Summer novels are in one collection, including The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer.{Goodreads}

~Review:
  I've been dying to read this series for forever!! It always appealed to me! It sounded so cute and light and and I never got the chance to read it. It's been two years since the last book came out and I barely read it! So I was on a super long road trip and had just finished Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi. I needed something cute and fun to help me calm down from the super hot emotional ride that was Unravel Me. I went to read something else but thought about it and thought it was about damn time I read this series!

 I flew through this series! I read the first two in a matter of a seven hour drive and the last in one day while we rested at the hotel. They were short and simple but they were oh so cute and absolutely adorable! They were cliche in some parts but idk I think that's what I liked about them! Jenny Han has a cute writing style. Yes, I'm going to continue to use the words cute and adorable in this review. That's what they were though! If I could compare them to anything I think it would be a ballerina  music box. Both are girly, cute, delicate and sweet.

We follow Belly throughout her love life. She has only ever loved Conrad but the feelings were never reciprocated. The summer of her 14 birthday she comes back to the Fisher beach house like they do every summer but this summer, this summer she turns pretty. Well, she just gains the attention that she has always but by BOTH Fisher boys. Belly is whiny and frustrating at times but when it comes down to it she is just an ordinary girl hoping to find love. I liked Conrad and I enjoyed Jeremiah's presence. Both boys are like night and day. Jeremiah is fun and loud and a bundle of joy. Conrad is more grim and brooding. Both are cute and each loves Belly.

  I think my favorite would be the third book. Belly finally matures some more and there was enough of other stuff going on that it's not all about the beach house and Conrad. Each boy has had their turn with Belly by the third book and it's now Jeremiah's turn. Ok so actually my favorite would have to be the end of the second book.

  All in all I am glad I finally read this series. It was fun. It definitely wasn't a big favorite of mine but I did enjoy it! It was perfect for a simple beach read or road trip read. It was full of promises, growing up, love, loss, and those cute fluffy thoughts some girls embrace and others keep hidden. If you are looking for simple, fun and frilly then this is your book! If you like some of the more intense, broken, complicated romance books I would completely recommend it. There's not a whole lot of depth to these books but I wouldn't not recommend it. It was really good for what it was. If it peaks your interest definitely give t a try! :)

~Rating:

3.5 of 5 stars!

(the whole series) 

{Review} Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem
Series: Delirium #3
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 5, 2013
by, Harper Collin's Childrens Books
Source: bought
Pages: 391

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.{Goodreads}

~Review:
  Sigh...I don't know where to begin. I guess I will start with my thoughts. That's always a good start right? I mean that is what makes up reviews...

My first thought's when starting Delirium was "Love as a disease? Really? That sounds kind of really stupid. How far can you even go with that?"

My thoughts after Delirium: "Holy flipping crap! Why the heck had I ever doubted? This is one of the best books I have ever read!!"

My thoughts after Pandemonium: "What the flipping hell!! How could Lauren Oliver do this to us!? Do I seriously have to wait a whole year to read the finale?"

My thoughts before Requiem: "It's here! It's here! It is finally here! This book is going to be the death of me! I love Julian and I hope he gets a nice little girl for himself but Alex, Alex deserves the world. It will always be Alex at the top and he better be with her at the end. Holy crap I'm opening the book! Oh my gosh! Look there is the first word!"

My thoughts on Requiem:

  Alex is in my top five favorite guys! He is sharing the second place with Puck from The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. Now, I had my dad read this series because he is the only other person in my family who loves books as much as I. I recommend books to him and he reads the ones I most highly recommend. I got him started and currently he is on book two. My point? He asked me why I liked Alex as much as I do. My answer: I don't know. I mean really he isn't as great as some. He is missing for all (or most?? sorry no spoilers) of the second book. His appearance in the third sucks because of circumstances. I guess maybe because he was one of my first book loves. Because in Delirium he was so high on life and freedom it was contagious. He had eyes that shone, a smile that gleamed and a laugh that could brighten a room. He was kind and loving and adventurous. He loved Lena unconditionally. He showed her things she never could have known without him. He was life. He was energy. He was love.

  Lena was different from protagonists. She grew. She was weak and vulnerable and innocent and ignorant. Seeing her grow throughout each book was amazing. I loved how she was scared and weak but she turned out to be courageous because of her fear and strong because she was weak. She had to work. She had to grow. It never came easy to her. She was shown different paths. She struggled. She knew love because of Alex. I liked following her throughout the series. In this final book she was the strongest she could be. I hated that she had to share a spotlight with Hana. I liked her POVs but I would have liked more of Lena.

  There wasn't a lot of action in the book but there wasn't much during the whole series. There are bits and pieces but its more of a love story wrapped up in a pretty little dystopia bow. It didn't need action to thrill me. There was enough tension and drama coming elsewhere.

  I had high hopes for this book. It is after all one of my ultimate favorite books. In some ways it succeeded and in others it failed. I wasn't all that happy with the ending. I was disappointed. I mean I can't complain too much because in the end I was well let's just say I was happy with specific choices. I hated it took so long for Alex to open up. I hated seeing Alex the way he was portrayed in this book. It was like someone constantly punching me in the gut. Happy, high on life, loving Alex was gone leaving a mirror image in its place. One that, like a mirror, could only mimic. It wasn't real and it wasn't true. I hated a certain girl throughout the whole book. Coral. Ugh. I hated seeing the light being dim in his eyes. No smile touching his lips but to be snide and hurtful. No words sweet and loving but vicious and cruel instead. It was torture. But when he finally opened up and let his wall down it was all over. The book was at its end and it...sucked.
There was so many loose threads.

SPOILER~
* highlight the paragraph to see spoiler!*

What happened to Hana? Julian? Did they get happy endings? I mean poor Julian he deserved better than that. I am happy Alex got the girl but Julian was way to sweet of a guy to just be left. I mean I seriously thought that was messed up.

~END SPOILER

  Then there were certain deaths that were stupid. Secrets that died with the person for no one to know. The death, I feel, unjustified. It was terrible! I felt like Lauren just kind of sent everyone over the the bridge and into the water waiting to be rescued...just...floating...This big huge ending was....ended. Too fast. Too quick. Not enough answers to leave me satisfied. There was no peace. It kind of just...ended. It was good but it wasn't great. The loose ends is what turned me off the most. Then the two lovers (not saying who) didn't get a great happy ending. No big kiss. No big ending.The finale to the fireworks show was worse than the opening. It was done backwards.

  And then the mother wasn't in it like....at all. After the big cliff hanger of Pandemonium she should have been a bigger part of Requiem I thought. I think Lauren Oliver was building up to the ending so much she forgot she actually forgot it needed to end. I don't know. I don't know if she left it like that to start a spinoff. An "after its all over" beginning. The world after the rebellion. Who knows. I have a hard time believing a woman with as much talent as Lauren Oliver would end a book like that. I thought for sure I would have a settling piece after finishing it. I big breath after the storm. A feeling of contentment. I don't even to this day and I read it almost a month ago. There is just things that unnerve me. I can't fully explain it.

My thoughts after Requiem (after my befuddlement and rage: "I can't believe it's over. I will miss them all."

My thoughts on the series: "Even though it didn't end quite like I wanted it is still one of my favorite series. I will always love Alex. I will always love Alex and Lena. I will always love Julian. These characters and this story will always be in my heart and mind."

  My thoughts to you: Read this series. Don't listen to me or others about how it ended. Read the first two books because it was worth it. those two books are outstanding. They are amazing in every way. Lauren Oliver's writing is beautiful and lyrical. The first two things that come to mind when I think of her writing is birds and water....and music. Birds because they are free. They have this peace about them when you see them in flight. They are beautiful. Water because it flows. It flows so easily. It doesn't need a constant hand pushing it along it rides its own drift. It goes where it wants and where it ends up is perfect. It quenches us. It fills us. It is essential in life. Music because it is both...free and fluid. Its peace to those who seek it. It is an extension of some. It can tell a story more than other things. It lets us into different versions of people ad ourselves. Call me corny but it's all true. This series is a story of love, loss, self finding and trust. Lies, betrayal, heart-break and redemption. The third one is great. the story is awesome its just the ending that turns people off. And its really not that bad. Its worth it. Trust me.

~Rating:

4 of 5 stars!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day,

~Jaiden 

{Monthly Roundup} June, 2013

~Monthly Roundup:

*This will normally occur on the LAST Saturday of the month but...I failed so it is going to be held on the FIRST Saturday of the new month...posted for the last month. Confusing, I know but it kind of just worked out that way this month!

Reviews:

-Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

-Ink by Amanda Sun

-The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

-Smashed by Lisa Luedeke

-Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

-Blood Moon by Teri Harman

-The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Blog Tours:

-Blood Moon by Teri Harman

Interviews:

-Sangu Mandanna {Author of The Lost Girl}

*There is a giveaway going on now! Enter to win a signed copy of Smashed by Lisa Luedeke! US only; ends July 15, 2013

~Stacking the Shelves: This is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Here's what I got this week....

For Review:

-Mystic by Alyson Noel

-Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

-Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

-If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

*Thank you to St. Martins Press!!!*

-Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

*Thanks to Netgalley*

Bought:

-Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

-Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

-The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

-The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

What about you? What'd you get this week?
Leave your link below! :)
Have a great weekend!!
~Jaiden