Book Review- Unraveling

I just finished reading Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.
 
I am totally not into sci-fi books.  And I didn't know this was one.  And if I had known I wouldn't have signed up to read it.  But I'm soooo glad that I didn't know!  I really enjoyed it!  It had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what was happening and why.  I was hooked.  I don't usually like sci-fi because a lot of the time I feel lost and have no clue what's going on.  But Elizabeth Norris wrote the book so I completely got what was going on.  And she threw in a great romance as well.  The book read like the TV show Fringe that my husband loves to watch (except where's Pacey? :) )
 
Janelle was a kick-butt girl who was completely true to herself.  She had a great relationship with her younger brother and her dad and tried hard to help out with her bipolar mother.  And I loved her relationship with Alex.  It was great to read about a guy/girl best-friendship with absolutely no underlying feelings of love whatsoever.  (Usually there is always one person secretly in love with the other so this was a nice change of pace).  And Ben.  Yum.  The whole stoner thing threw me off at first but it was nice to see that he wasn't really like that.
 
I don't want to give too much of the plot away.  Just know that it is definitely sci-fi, not paranormal.  And that even if you don't normally like science fiction, definitely give this one a try!  I just reading on Elizabeth Norris's website FAQ that she's turned in a sequel.  I can't wait to read it!
 
I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.
 
Unraveling will be released on April 24, 2012.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 25
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 22
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 7
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 22
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

The Teen Book Scene: Guest Blog: Katie Dale

I am honored to host Katie Dale, author of Someone Else's Life, on my blog today as part of a Teen Book Scene Blog Tour.

I asked Katie what she did when she's not writing.

When I’m not writing (or blogging/tweeting etc) I love to get out of the house. I spend so much time in my flat (often I go all day without leaving at all!) that it’s great to go out, leave my laptop behind and re-engage with the world outside.

If the weather’s nice, there’s nothing like a long walk in the countryside, with fresh air and sunshine and birdsong, to clear your head and lift your spirits. Two things I miss since moving to Cambridge are hills (Cambridge is pretty much completely flat) and the sea (it’s a two-hour drive to the nearest coast) but when I go back to Sussex (where SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE is set) I delight in walking on the South Downs, with its gorgeous coastal views. My mum and I share the same passion for the sea, and love to go down to the beach to watch the waves fling themselves at the shore, then we roll up our trousers to go and paddle in the shallows – even in the middle of winter! Nothing makes me feel more awake – or more alive!

I love to travel, see new places, try new things – even if it’s just for a day out. There’s so much to discover in the world, and nowhere near enough time to see everything, so I relish the new discoveries I can make.

When I’m back home with my family, all of us – from my three-year-old niece to my ninety-three-year-old granddad love to play mini-golf, so we can often be found crowded round the green or crazy golf course desperately trying to put balls into impossible holes! And laughing. A lot. Any time spent with my family – especially my little niece – is an absolute joy. She has her own unique view of the world – and it’s completely hysterical!

Acting is my other passion. I trained as an actress after university and have performed in national Shakespeare tours (Juliet, Viola) and in a couple of independent films, and I love to take on new characters, as I do when I write, losing myself in someone else’s world. It’s the closest I can get to trying on other peoples’ lives, if only for a little while, and I think it can be quite magical.

If the weather’s horrid (or even if it isn’t) I just love going to the movies. There’s just something so special and timeless about sitting in those velvet chairs in front of the big screen, buzzing with anticipation – and I always make sure I get there in time for the trailers – sometimes they’re the best bit!

Finally, I love snuggling down in bed with a good book. There’s nothing like reading – for pleasure, for romance, for education or thrills, books have got it all.

Perhaps that’s why I choose to write them.

That's so neat the you also trained in acting!  And I agree about the trailers sometimes being the best bit..I absolutely CANNOT miss them! Thanks for sharing with us, Katie!

Waiting on Wednesday- March 14, 2012

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Whisper
by Alyson Noel
Publication Release Date: April 24, 2012

From Alyson Noel's website:

After the problems with her last mission, Riley practically begged the Council for a more challenging Soul Catch. She is determined to prove herself. But this time her challenge may be more than she can handle. Now she's been assigned to a real Roman gladiator. So fearsome he was named the Pillar of Doom. How is Riley, a scrawny twelve-year-old, supposed to get through to him?

When Riley stumbles upon Messalina, the beautiful girl who has been around for centuries, she may have found the answer. Messalina convinces Riley her only chance is to become a part of the gladiator world. To do this, Riley must go through a dramatic make-over and become the teenager she's always wanted to be. She's beautiful, she's mature, and she may even find her first boyfriend. But with a dream this enchanting, will Riley complete her mission and return to Bodhi and Buttercup, or will she stay in Messalina's world forever?

The Teen Book Scene: Guest Blog: Rachel McClellan

I am honored to host Rachel McClellan, author of Fractured Light, on my blog today as part of a Teen Book Scene Blog Tour.

I asked Rachel what her Top Ten Movies were.  Her reply

Top Ten Movies

10. Ladyhawk
9. Napolean Dynomite
8. Nacho Libre
7. Phantom of the Opera
6. Far and Away
5. Alias series with Jennifer Garner (okay, not technically a movie, but one of my favorite DVD’s)
4. Moulin Rouge
3. Batman series except for the weird ones, Batman 3 and 4.
2. Count of Monte Cristo
1. Underworld’s

I've heard of all of the movies, but only seen Moulin Rouge (so love this one!)  and I watched the Alias series when it was on!  I need to check out the other movies.

Thanks, Rachel!

In My Mailbox- March 12, 2012

In My Mailbox: Here's what came in my mailbox this week



MONDAY

Lies Beneath- Anne Greenwood Brown--review for a Teen Book Scene Blog Tour

Eternal: More Love Stories With a Bite- P.C. Cast--PaperbackSwap

TUESDAY

Midnight (The Vampire Diaries: The Return #3)- L.J. Smith--Bookmooch










WEDNESDAY

Dancing on Broken Glass- Ka Hancock--for review from publisher

The Sunday Salon- March 11, 2012

The Sunday Salon

So apparently I completely forgot to do this last weekend.  Oops!  Well, today Kory and I have been married 9 months!  Time really flies!  I've also run 5 miles!  Only 2 more weeks until our 10k...gulp!  This past Tuesday I was running a 3 miler and I'm pretty used to those by now but all of a sudden I must have gotten a horrible case of shin splints.  I was limping even while I was running.  It hurt so badly!  I've read up on it and it says that rest is needed but I really can't do that right now.  Does anyone have any tips that I could use?

I finished and reviewed the following books in the past two weeks:

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Miracle by Elizabeth Scott

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis










I fulfilled items in the following challenges in the past week:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 20, 21, 22
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 18, 19
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 18, 19
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-3
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 3, 4

I am currently reading Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale and if I don't get another tour book, then up next is Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard.

Waiting on Wednesday- March 7, 2012

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Endlessly
by Kiersten White
Publication Release Date: July 24, 2012

From Goodreads:

Try as she might, Evie can’t seem to escape her not-so-normal past. And what was supposed to be a blissfully normal school break is ruined when a massive group of paranormals shows up at her house, claiming that Evie is the only one who can protect them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The deadly war between the faerie courts looms ever closer. The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its future rests solely in Evie’s hands.

So much for normal.

With a perfect blend of humor and suspense, Endlessly is everything readers could dream of in a conclusion—and the unexpected twists will keep them guessing until the very last page.

In My Mailbox- March 5, 2012

In My Mailbox: Here's what came in my mailbox this week


MONDAY

Wanderlove- Kirsten Hubbard

Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas Treasury- Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen--contest win from The Shady Glade

Glimmer- Phoebe Kitanidis--review for an Around the World ARC Tour

Miracle- Elizabeth Scott--review for an Around the World ARC Tour











TUESDAY

Fractured Light- Rachel McClellan--review for a Teen Book Scene Tour











SATURDAY

She Went All the Way- Meg Cabot--PaperbackSwap

When Good Wishes Go Bad (As You Wish #2)- Mindy Klasky--PaperbackSwap

Book Review- Glimmer

I just finished reading Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.
 
The beginning of this book really had me hooked.  I wanted to know just why Marshall and Elyse have amnesia, how it happened, and what really happened in the past.  I wanted to know all about why the members of the town lost their bad memories.  But once it started delving into the magic of it all, I got lost and didn't enjoy it as much.
 
I enjoyed Elyse and Marshall.  I loved reading about thier personalities now after they woke up and then how they were before. 
 
And I thought it was so creepy about how the people that lived in Summer Falls only remembered the good things and took a nap when something upset them.  It's like they were brainwashed, only done with magic.  But the magic part got confusing.  The story of  who started all the magic and how left me struggling to really understand it all.
 
But its a pretty good ghost story with some magic thrown in.
 
I gavet his book a rating of 3.5/5.
 
Glimmer will be released on April 17, 2012.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 22
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 19
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 19
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 4

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Miracle

I just finished reading Miracle by Elizabeth Scott for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

I sat there and wondered again why I'd lived…

Megan is a miracle. At least, that’s what everyone says. Having survived a plane crash that killed everyone else on board, Megan knows she should be grateful just to be alive. The truth is, she doesn’t feel like a miracle. In fact, she doesn’t feel anything at all. Then memories from the crash start coming back. Scared and alone, Megan doesn’t know who to turn to. Her entire community seems unable—or maybe unwilling—to see her as anything but Miracle Megan. Except for Joe, the beautiful boy next door with a tragic past and secrets of his own... All Megan wants is for her life to get back to normal, but the harder she tries to live up to everyone’s expectations, the worse she feels. This time, she may be falling too fast to be saved…

So I just went back and checked and it seems like I always feel the same way about Elizabeth Scott.  I want her books to move and and make me feel.  The topics sure suggest that they will.  But they never do and I think it's mostly to due to how the characters are written.  I never really care about them or feel sympathetic for them.

I wanted to feel bad for Megan and feel sorry for her.  After all she witnessed at the plane crash, I wanted to like her and be hopeful for her.  But I really didn't care about her.  I get that she didn't feel anything but I don't think she needed to come off as so cold...she could have felt nothing and still been a sympathetic character. 

And there are some other smaller details that I would have liked to have known.  Was her brother diagnosed with a disease or was he just a sick kid with bad luck at always getting hurt?  Just why did the plane crash?  And I thought it was kinda weird that she was on such a small plane coming back from soccer camp.  It would have made more sense if she was on a commercial airliner (her parents didn't seem to have enough money for plane that only held 5 or 6 people) or a small plane with other soccer players. 

So yeah, it wasn't a bad story by any means, it just didn't get me to feel anything.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 21
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 18
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 18
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-3
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 3

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.