{Review} Between by Kerry Schafer

Between
Series: The Between #1
Author: Kerry Schafer
Release Date: January 29, 2013
by, Ace
Source: *a copy was provided by the author for review purposes*

Vivian Maylor can’t sleep. Maybe it’s because she just broke up with her boyfriend and moved to a new town, or it could be the stress of her new job at the hospital. But perhaps it’s because her dreams have started to bleed through into her waking hours.

All of her life Vivian has rejected her mother’s insane ramblings about Dreamworlds for concrete science and fact, until an emergency room patient ranting about dragons spontaneously combusts before her eyes—forcing Viv to consider the idea that her visions of mythical beasts might be real.

And when a chance encounter leads her to a man she knows only from her dreams, Vivian finds herself falling into a world that seems strange and familiar all at once—a world where the line between dream and reality is hard to determine, and hard to control…{Goodreads}

~Review:
  Where to begin....Well, first off this was my first adult fantasy book. I have read different adult books but nothing with the fantasy aspect to it. Even if I had I would have to imagine that after this book, it would be like reading adult fantasy all over again for the first time. It was that good and that standout. I will admit that I was a bit confused the first couple of chapters just trying to get into the rhythm of Kerry's writing and trying to distinguish what was dreams and what wasn't. Especially when Vivian entered the Dreamworld. I was a bit confused on whether she was there or just dreaming which in a sense I guess she was?? I don't know, maybe I am still a bit confused on how exactly it all works ;)

  Once I got into the swing of Kerry's writing I had to admire it. The way she describes the Dreamworld and paints the big picture was spectacular! I could see what she wanted me to see and what I saw, was incredible! I think the plot and characters were also very nicely written. The fact that she didn't do much research other than for the dragons for this book is impressive (how do I know? I interviewed her, check it out in the interviews if you want to know more).

  I thoroughly enjoyed Between. It was unique and magical. I can't wait to read what happens next! The ending was dramatic and left me wanting the next one. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I liked it more than I thought I would! If you like fantasy, family drama ;), and cute little penguins...you will enjoy this book. Ok, so that seems unfair. This book isn't just family drama and penguins. It is so much more. It is action, adventure, love, loss, self-discovery, intense, magical, spectacular and amazing! The characters, side and villains, only make the book more attractive. Between has lots of things that just draw you in. It took me awhile to get into it but it wasn't because of lack of interest. Once I was finally able to sit down and get into it fully I didn't want to put it down. It had this quality that transfixed you. I do suggest this book. If you haven't read adult before I think this would be a good starter. It has enough magic and other things going on to distract you from the age factor. There is one scene in the book that may be a little unsuitable for readers 13 and younger but even that part wasn't graphic. It had enough to know what was happening but it didn't go into detail. Parental and self discretion is what I suggest.

~Rating:

4 of 5 stars! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day! :D

~Jaiden

{Review} Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Everbound
Series: Everneath #1
Author: Brody Ashton
Release Date: January 22, 2013
by, Balzer + Bray
Source: bought
Pages: 358

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.{Goodreads}

~Trailer:
Dudes!! I am so in love with this trailer! So simple yet so thrilling, chilling and gorgeous!! :D
~Review:
  Do you know how long it took me to read this book? Two months. TWO WHOLE MONTHS! It wasn’t because of the lack of interest. It was more because of the fact all these other review books I had were pushing themselves to the priority pile and pleasure reading was out of the picture for a bit. I will admit that it was—If I am being honest—because of the lack of interest. Everbound started out really slow. Not to mention that Nikki isn’t one of my top protagonists. Sorry. To me she is just really whiney and annoying. I gave her leniency in the first book because she kind of just jumped into a whole new world and was drained…literally. I then tried giving her leniency in this one because she just went through some pretty tragic stuff and was completely heart-broken but…after a while I lost my patience.

  Now don’t get me wrong. I love this series. I love the plot and the writing. Brody Ashton is very talented. I just dislike Nilkki. Enough about Nikki. Bring on the boys!! ;D Now I can’t say much if you guys haven’t read Everneath. I don’t like my reviews to contain spoilers. I want you to be able to look at a review of a sequel to a series and it inspire you to read the first and get started on the series yourself. This one though is going to be hard because the whole book is revolved around the ending of the first. I shall try though.

  Without saying too much. I have done the unthinkable. One of the worst book sins. I have changed boy teams. Yes, folks you have heard me right! I have gone from #TeamJack to #TeamCole. Don’t think it is possible? Read the novella, Neverfall. Its good. Although based one some feelings and vibes going out throughout both books, I don’t see why she did it. I am hoping Ashton created that book for the reason I hope. But yes I have fallen for Cole. Kinda. I am not completely one hundred percent sure. Sometimes Cole pisses the hell out of me and I hate him and want nothing to do with him. I don’t blame Nikki for not wanting to be with him sometimes. Then others I think that there is no way it could be Jack. That it is Cole and only Cole. Actually, no. As I am writing this review, feelings are coming and my mind is once again changing.  I think right now I am #TeamWill. Either Jack or Cole is going to really step it up in the final book. They are going to have to do some real kick-ass convincing to win my heart this round.

  The ending on this one was. Wow. I completely had no clue that one was coming. I literally had my socks blown off…with my shoes still on. That. That was intense. A moment that made me #TeamWill. I have no idea what is going to happen in book 3. I am excited to see where this goes. If you haven’t started this series yet I suggest you do. Its something so unique. I have yet to read something that comes close to this series. There are lots of books involving mythology but none quite like this!

~Rating:

 

4 of 5 stars!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day! :)

~Jaiden

{Interview & Giveaway} A.G. Howard, author of Splintered

Oh my gosh!!!!

You guys!!!!!!

A.G. Howard is on the blog today!!!

*freaks out, fans self, passes out*

Such a huge fan and its an honor to do this interview!

So glad I get to share this awesomeness with you all!!!! 

Ok, ok. No more yammering. Let's get on with it! ;D <3

~The Author:

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.  

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Find her at:~Amazon~Goodreads~Blog~Website~Twitter~Facebook~ 

~The Interview:

1. How different is it to write a retelling/spinoff compared to a regular, self imagined book? What kind of limitations did you have to work with in writing Splintered? 

I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules. I do think it’s important to make the most of the original author’s vision, craft your story as a tribute and a companion to the original, by giving the characters/details a deeper meaning. When done right, it makes the reader want to revisit the original work. That, to me, makes even a retelling a successful story in its own right, when it whets the reader’s appetite to plunge into another book that might’ve been on their shelves for years, gathering dust.   

2. What made you choose Alice in Wonderland to re-create? 

I’ve always been a huge fan of Carroll’s masterpieces, but the real spark lit back in in April 2010, when I first saw the Tim Burton and Disney Alice adaptation. I’m a very visual person, and the Burton cinematography was so vivid, techno-colored, and evocative that I didn't want the movie to ever end. So I came up with my own settings in my mind, and played out Wonderland continuations and scenarios. The idea became too big to contain in my head and I had to get it out on paper.   

3. Team Jeb or Team Morpheus? What makes each boy unique and likeable? 

As the author, I refuse to choose sides! LOL. I love both guys. They each bring out and complement different qualities in Alyssa—not just her light and dark sides, but how she makes decisions, either cautiously or spontaneously; or how she views the world, either as a canvas or as a playground. She has a tough choice to make, because it’s more than just choosing a guy. It’s choosing which way she wants to live her life. If I were Al, I’d pick Jeb in the here and now because he’s steady, noble, and shares her interests and goals; but I’d pick Morpheus in the far-away future, because he’s immortal and will still be young and up for some fun even in seventy years or so.     

4. How close did you want to keep to the Alice in Wonderland classic? 

I knew I wanted my main character, Alyssa, to be able to converse with bugs and flowers, because the talking flower scenes in Carroll’s two books, the Disney cartoon, and the Tim Burton/Disney rendition, were some of my favorites. Also, I always remembered the scene from Through the Looking Glass when Alice is riding a train through the countryside and has a conversation with a gnat. Those were such quirky and indelible images, that I just had to incorporate them somehow. I wanted my heroine to be tied to the original tales in a very visceral way so I decided to make Alyssa a descendant of Alice Liddell, the real-life girl who actually inspired Carroll to write his story to begin with. The blood tie to the Liddells became the basis for all of the weird aspects of Alyssa’s life, including the talking bugs and flowers. Also, I wanted a colorful/vivid world edged with creepiness for my Wonderland setting because Carroll's works always had that underlying creepiness to it. And lastly, I wanted to incorporate one of my favorite characters who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time in the remakes that I’ve seen, the Caterpillar.     

5. Is there going to be a sequel to Splintered? If so what can we hope for? 

Yes, it’s titled UNHINGED and is due out January 2014. We’re being really sneaky and sly about the premise at the moment, but here are some hints I can share: a bridge in London, a key and a heart pendant, and The Corpse Bride’s wardrobe. Also, Morpheus, Alyssa, and Jeb all have their moments in the spotlight, along with a few favorite Wonderlandians, and even some new warped ones from the books that I haven’t touched on yet.   

6. If you could spend a day in Wonderland what would you do and who would you meet? 

Oooh. That’s a toughie. Probably the Ivory Queen’s castle where everything glimmers with ice crystals, even the transparent walls.  It’s just so beautiful to imagine. And because Ivory is so lonely (spends her days and nights looking out through the glass as the warmth of the world passes by but never actually touches her), she’s always looking for a reason to have guests. Hopefully she would throw a party so I could meet lots of different Wonderlandians all at once. ;)    

7. Do you think you would have what it takes to make it out with your head? 

Haha! Not sure. If I didn’t, hopefully Morpheus would lend me one of his fab hats to cover my empty neck. LOL   

8. A lot of things in this book had extra meanings that all came together in the end. How long did it take you to map it all out and tie it together? 

The book took me six months from start to finish, and that includes plotting/research/tying up loose ends. I usually only do skeleton plots, which allows for flexibility when I’m writing. But I did have to write a rather detailed outline of the scenes in Wonderland since it does get a little complicated—who Alyssa and Jeb would meet, what roles the creatures would play in their “quest”, and even what “tasks” she’d be expected to complete in order to come home—but it still didn’t turn out exactly as I’d planned. The characters all had a few surprises for me along the way, most especially Morpheus. And most especially at the end…      

9. What was the most difficult thing in writing Splintered? 

It was important to me that my book be a tribute to Carroll's amazing works without copying him, and that’s not an easy balance to capture. Lewis Carroll won my heart as a child by weaving underlying threads of violence and eeriness into his nonsensical scenes and characters. So I tried to pay respectful homage to those elements while coaxing the funkiness/creepiness from subtle nuance to center stage. I’m hoping I accomplished that, and if I could have only one wish for my book, it would be that Splintered will entice readers to seek out the Carroll originals if they aren’t already fans, because those books are masterpieces.

~The Book(s):

Splintered

Series: Splintered #1

Release Date: January 1, 2013

by, Amulet Books

Buy: ~Amazon~Books a Million~B&N~Indie Bound~

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now. When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. {Goodreads}

More/Upcoming:

~The Giveaway:

The Prizes:
1 Audio copy of Splintered
1 Signed Hardback Copy of Splintered
1 Splintered Swag Pack!
(Swag pack consists of:
-1 signed Splintered bookmark
-1 signed Splintered bookplate
-1 Alice in Wonderland gift tag/bookmark. *image varies)


The Details:
-Must be thirteen years old to enter
US only!!!!
-Winner has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen
-Ends 6/8/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!! :D
Hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did!!
You guys need this book! One of my 2013 debut favorites!
Enter! Don't miss this amazing opportunity!! Its stellar. Equivalent to the golden goose egg! ;D
Have a wonderful day *muahaha* ;)
~Jaiden