Book Review- Furious

I finished reading Furious by Jill Wolfson today on the plane back from Denver for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious.

I've always loved Greek mythology and even took a couple of classes in college on the topic.  So this story intersted me right away.  Unfortunately, the writing did it in.

The writing was almost--crude.  I'm not sure if that's the word but there were things that could have been left out of the story.  And there seemed to a pretty big focus on the chest area (for example "the Double D twins".  Really?) 

The actual storyline was okay.  I think I could have gotten more into it if the writing didn't put me off.  The characters were interesting enough in themselves and I wanted to feel sorry that they were outcasts, but I just didn't.

It wasn't a horrible book, it just didn't do anything for me.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 24
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 16
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 20
2013 Standalone Reading Challenge: 5

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

2012 ARC Reading Challenge--Completed!

2012 ARC Reading Challenge

Note: I use the term "ARC" loosely,any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.

The Levels

Level Bronze:
a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS

Level Gold: Read 30 ARCS

Level Platinum: Read 35 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well.

You Can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year.

You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky. Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

HAVE FUN!

*I will be signing up for the Platinum Level
*I finished this challenge on 5/12 but I am going to keep adding on to it to see how many ARCs I read this year.

1.  Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer
2.  It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
3.  Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
4.  Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton
5.  Fracture by Megan Miranda
6.  Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
7.  Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
8.  A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young
9.  Dreaming Awake (Fallling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes
10.  Slide by Jill Hathaway
11.  A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava 
12.  Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
13.  The Selection by Kiera Cass
14.  The Marked (Delcoix Academy #2) by Inara Scott
15.  The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
16.  Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
17.  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
18.  Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
19.  Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
20.  Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
21.  Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale 
22.  Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
23.  The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
24.  Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
25.  The Savage Grace by Bree Despain
26.  Perception by Kim Harrington
27.  Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard
28.  The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
29.  Elemental by Emily White
30.  Wake by Amanda Hocking
31.  7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
32.  Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
33.  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
34.  Belles by Jen Calonita
35. So Close to You by Rachel Carter
36. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
37. Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
38. Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
39. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
40. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
41. Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
42. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
43. Flock by Wendy Delsol
44. Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley
45. Once by Anna Carrey
46. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
47. Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
48. Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel
49. The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
50. Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
51. Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer
52. The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer
53. Origin by Jessica Khoury
54. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
55. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
56. Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey
57. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
58. What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang
59. 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
60. Beta by Rachel Cohn
61. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
62. A Fracutred Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies
63. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
64. Altered by Jennifer Rush
65. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
66. Mind Games by Kiersten White
67. Shards & Ashes edited by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr
68. Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
69. Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass
70. Lullaby by Amanda Hocking
71. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
72. Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi
73. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
74. Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

Book Review- Try Not to Breathe

I finished Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard earlier today.

From Goodreads:

Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bounds of friendship and forgiveness.

Often times, I have a hard time connecting when the main character is a male.  And unfortunately, that was the case in this story.  I never really connected with either of the main characters--Ryan or Nicki, or with the story. 

Sure, I felt sorry for Ryan and Nicki and their own personal problems.  But I didn't really care that much.  Which is sad because I wanted to.  Suicide is such a strong topic and I wanted to feel for them but I just felt distant.  And I don't think the way the story was written helped much either.  I just never really got into it.

It wasn't a bad story by any means.  And it did hold my attention. But I just could never get as emotional wrapped up as I wanted to be.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 93
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 74
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 80
Completely Contemp Challenge 2012: 2012-18
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: 6
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 19
2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge: 10

*FTC Disclosure: This book was given to me for free by the publisher for a honest review.

Book Review- Wither

I just finished reading Wither by Lauren DeStefano.

From Goodreads:

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Wither was another one of those books that I had heard people raving about, but didn't know anything about.  So I was a little hesitant when starting it since I don't always love what everyone else does.  But I really enjoyed this story!

I thought the premise of the story was pretty unique--The population is dying out.  Women die at the age of 20 and men die at the age of 25.  To combat that, and antidote is trying to be made but meanwhile young teenage girls are being kidnapped to brides of rich men so they can bear more children.  Most of these men have multiple wives.

I really liked Rhine.  She tried so hard to stay strong but showed some vulnerability in her fondness for Linden.  And I loved how she bonded with her sister wives.  Jenna and Cecily were fun characters too.  And I felt bad for Linden.  He was just as much trapped in his own home as the sister wives were too.  But I felt like he really loved Rhine and wanted her to be happy.  Gabriel, was okay.  I didn't really get Rhine's attraction to him, but to each her own.

I got pretty engrossed in this story.  I could never figure out if she was going to be able to escape or if she would change her mind and stay in the house.  But the ending was a good one and I'm glad I have the next book in the Chemical Garden series, Fever, coming to me next. And I just saw that there is a short story from the first bride's point of view that I think I will download to read next.  It's called Seeds of Wither.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 91
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 73
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 79
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge: 4

*FTC Disclosure: This book was given to me for free by the publisher for a honest review.

Book Review- Unravel Me

I finished reading Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi last night for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Unfortunately, I am horrible about remembering what has happened in previous books in a series.  So when I get the chance to review them close together, I always feel more relieved.  And luckily, I was able to do that with the first 2 books in the Shatter Me series.

Since I had just read Shatter Me less than a month ago, I remembered how unusual the writing was and was able to get absorbed into it right away.  And I loved it just as much this time around.

For some reason, this book reminds me of the X-Men.  Except I don't like that movie and I love these books!  I love how all of these superpowers are coming into play.  It has me on the edge of my seat.  And there are definitely some surprise twists and turns.  Especially with Juliette and Adam and his power. 

I didn't want to put this book down and I don't know how I'm going to wait until the third book comes out.  I did just discover that there is an e-book set between the first two books, Destroy Me, so I'll be downloading that one right away!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

Unravel Me will be released on February 5, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 89
 2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 72
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 77
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 10

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

Book Review- Scarlet

I finished reading Scarlet on Tuesday night for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

I remember reading Cinder, the first book in the series, and loved it because it was a take on the Cinderella fairy tales and we all know how much I love my fairy tales.  I thought this would be a continuation of that fairy tale.  Instead, it took me a while to figure it out (I don't know why since the quotes at the beginning of some sections should have given it away) but it was based on Little Red Riding Hood.  And yes, the title and cover should have given it away too.  Looking back, I really can't see why it took me so long to figure it out!

Anyways, this book didn't hook me as much as Cinder did.  I certainly liked the characters well enough but I think it was a little too sci-fi for me.  Or maybe it was the switching of the story being told between characters so I never really completely into one character or the other.

But I liked how Cinder's world tied in to Scarlet's world.  I figured it out about halfway through and liked seeing how it all turned out.  I believe the third book is called Cress and will include a Rapunzel character and the fourth book is called Winter and will involve Snow White.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Scarlet will be released on February 5, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 88
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 71
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 76
2012 Mammoth Book Challenge: 9

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

Book Review- Lullaby

I finished reading Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking for an Around the World ARC Tour on Friday night.

From Goodreads:

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers.

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?

Prepare to fall under the spell of Lullaby, the second book in the Watersong series from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

I had a hard time getting into this book for some reason.  While I ended up reading the last half in one sitting, I just couldn't focus on it.  I'm not so sure if it was the book or if I'm just really tired right now.

The characters were all good (although I never really got Harper's reasoning for liking Daniel.  There was only one part at the end where I got it.)  The sirens were all very siren-y and I was just starting to actually like Thea.  Harper was a great older sister and Gemma tried hard to stay true to herself and not give in to the siren ways.  But if I had to pick, my favorite character would be Alex.  I love how dedicated he was to finding Gemma.

If I had one complaint, it would be about the ending.  This time I think it was too easy.  There was no fight.  The sirens just said "okay" to Gemma's wishes.  I think they would have been more forceful.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 87
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 70
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 75
2012 Sophomore Reading Challenge: 8

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

2012 ARC Reading Challenge- December Update

2012 ARC Reading Challenge

Note: I use the term "ARC" loosely,any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.

The Levels

Level Bronze:
a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS

Level Gold: Read 30 ARCS

Level Platinum: Read 35 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well.

You Can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year.

You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky. Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

HAVE FUN!

*I will be signing up for the Platinum Level
*I finished this challenge on 5/12 but I am going to keep adding on to it to see how many ARCs I read this year.

1.  Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer
2.  It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
3.  Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
4.  Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton
5.  Fracture by Megan Miranda
6.  Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
7.  Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
8.  A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young
9.  Dreaming Awake (Fallling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes
10.  Slide by Jill Hathaway
11.  A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava 
12.  Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
13.  The Selection by Kiera Cass
14.  The Marked (Delcoix Academy #2) by Inara Scott
15.  The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
16.  Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
17.  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
18.  Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
19.  Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
20.  Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
21.  Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale 
22.  Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
23.  The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
24.  Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
25.  The Savage Grace by Bree Despain
26.  Perception by Kim Harrington
27.  Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard
28.  The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
29.  Elemental by Emily White
30.  Wake by Amanda Hocking
31.  7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
32.  Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
33.  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
34.  Belles by Jen Calonita
35. So Close to You by Rachel Carter
36. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
37. Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
38. Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
39. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
40. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
41. Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
42. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
43. Flock by Wendy Delsol
44. Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley
45. Once by Anna Carrey
46. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
47. Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
48. Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel
49. The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
50. Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
51. Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer
52. The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer
53. Origin by Jessica Khoury
54. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
55. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
56. Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey
57. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
58. What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang
59. 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
60. Beta by Rachel Cohn
61. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
62. A Fracutred Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies
63. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
64. Altered by Jennifer Rush
65. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
66. Mind Games by Kiersten White
67. Shards & Ashes edited by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr
68. Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway
69. Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass

Book Review- Lucid

I just finished reading Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts.

Wow.  After sititng here reading the ending, my mind is circling round and round trying to figure out just what happened.  I mean, I'm pretty sure I got who the real person was at the end, but getting there was just weird. 

I liked both girls.  I liked reading about Maggie's glamourous-ish life but also felt so sorry for her.  Her mother who acted more like a sister instead of a parent.  Her father who died too soon.  And the responsibility of taking care of a younger sister who she was crazy about.  And I liked Sloane.  I liked who she was as a person and wanted her to be happy.  She seemed so normal, with the loving family yet slight teenage angst towards her mom.

I knew that it would turn out that one girl was the real one, but there was also this part of me that was just waiting for the book to turn into some sci/fi story.  Luckily, it did not.  But the ending completely threw me for a loop.  The last couple of chapters were just so random and both girls' thoughts were thrown together so it was hard to get who was thinking and saying what.  And I didn't particularly enjoy that.  In fact, I really enjoyed the book up until that point.  And then it just lost my interest.  It was too much.  I bet a lot of readers will love this ending but it just wasn't my cup of tea.  Oh well.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 83
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 69
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 72
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 21
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 18

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

Book Review- Touch of Death

I just finished reading Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  And I read it all in one sitting.  It's been awhile since I've done that.  But I do have some issues with things.

But first:  I really liked Jodi.  I liked how she kept her morals about her.  I loved how she cared about the "servants" and knew how wrong it was.  And she was strong yet still vulnerable.  A great combo.  I also liked the premise of the story.  I had never heard of this 13th sign of the zodiac (and I'm not sure if this is something the author made up or is widely written about--I'll have to do my research).  And I liked how the story all related back to Medusa.  It kept me interested.

That being said, I did have some problems with things in the story.  First of all, it was completely obvious about what Jodi was after reading about her class and the lecture on Medusa.  I would think she would have figured things out sooner.  And I think Jodi got over the whole Matt situation way too quickly.  She had such a heart about everything else but her reaction to the incident didn't really fit. 

I liked the ending and thought it wrapped up well and could easily be a standalone.  But I see that this is the first book of a series and I'll definitely be picking up the next one.

I gave this a rating of 3.5/5.

Touch of Death will be released on January 15, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 82
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 68
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 71

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

Book Review- Shards & Ashes

I finished reading Shards & Ashes edited by Kelley Armstrong and  Melissa Marr for an Around the World ARC Tour a couple of days ago.

From Goodreads:

Gripping original stories of dystopian worlds from nine New York Times bestselling authors, edited by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong

The world is gone, destroyed by human, ecological, or supernatural causes. Survivors dodge chemical warfare and cruel gods; they travel the reaches of space and inhabit underground caverns. Their enemies are disease, corrupt corporations, and one another; their resources are few, and their courage is tested.

Powerful original dystopian tales from nine bestselling authors offer bleak insight, prophetic visions, and precious glimmers of light among the shards and ashes of a ruined world.

Stories from:
Kelley Armstrong
Rachel Caine
Kami Garcia
Nancy Holder
Melissa Marr
Beth Revis
Veronica Roth
Carrie Ryan
Margaret Stohl

It's so hard for me to write reviews for anthologies.  There are always some stories that I like and some that I don't. 

I liked that all of the stories had to do with the dystopian world.  I find that I am pretty into that genre right now so this book was right up my alley.  My only complaint really is that they're all short stories (yes, I know that's the point of an anthology).  But sometimes I was left wanting to read more about the characters and the story.  I didn't want a lot of them to end and could easily have read whole books with those plots!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Shards & Ashes will be released on February 19, 2013.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 81
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 67
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 70

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

Book Review- Mind Games

I finished reading Mind Games by Kiersten White early this morning for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I absolutely ADORE the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White so I was sooo excited when I got to read this one!  And while I enjoyed it, I definitely love the Paranormalcy series more.

Mind Games started off confusing for me.  I couldn't figure out what was happening.  Some chapters were flashbacks and some were current day.  Unfortunately, I don't really like feeling confused.

That being said, I really liked the characters.  A lot of Fia's thoughts are in parentheses and at first that got on  my nerves but then it just became part of her personality.  I liked that she had to be so tough but she was so protective of her sister and really just wanted to be loved.  I also liked Annie.  She just wanted to feel normal for once, what with her disability and her special abilities.  And James.  A guy who is so wrong yet so right.  I liked him right away.  His heart is in the right place even if his actions aren't always.

I think this book was too short (only 200-something pages).  I think if maybe the school had been explained more then I wouldn't have had such a hard time figuring things out.  That being said, I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Mind Games will be released on February 19, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 80
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 66
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 69

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

Book Review- Just One Day

A little earlier, I finished reading Just One Day by Gayle Forman for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay.

 When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

I can't decide how I feel about this book.  For the first part, it was okay.  I thought it was a little odd that this girl who is a goody goody and always follows the rules suddenly goes off with this guy to Paris for a day, but I went with it.  I liked reading about the different parts of Europe that Allyson went to and reminiscing about my trip 10 years ago. 

I did not like the middle part.  Allyson was just too mopey and depressing.  I mean, she was only with the guy for one day!  I understand that she went through something tough but I just wanted to say "Get over it and move on!"  Especially since she was starting college and had so been looking forward to it.  At that point in the book, I kind of just wanted it be over.

But then towards the end, I got back into the story again.  And what I thought was going to be the end felt right. The door to that part of her life was shut.  But it didn't end there.  It continued for just a couple of more pages.  And after the last sentence I found myself shouting "No!  The book can't just end there!"  I didn't realize how much I wanted the book to continue until then.  And now I'm anxiously waiting until the next book comes out telling Willem's side!

Just One Day will be released on January 8, 2013.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 79
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 65
What's in a Name? 5 Challenge: Something You'd Find on a Calendar
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 68

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

2012 ARC Reading Challenge- November Update

2012 ARC Reading Challenge

Note: I use the term "ARC" loosely,any book a publisher or author gives you with the expectation that you review it, counts for this challenge.

The Levels

Level Bronze:
a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS

Level Gold: Read 30 ARCS

Level Platinum: Read 35 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well.

You Can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year.

You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky. Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

HAVE FUN!

*I will be signing up for the Platinum Level
*I finished this challenge on 5/12 but I am going to keep adding on to it to see how many ARCs I read this year.

1.  Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer
2.  It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake
3.  Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne
4.  Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton
5.  Fracture by Megan Miranda
6.  Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
7.  Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
8.  A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young
9.  Dreaming Awake (Fallling Under #2) by Gwen Hayes
10.  Slide by Jill Hathaway
11.  A Closer Look by Karen DelleCava 
12.  Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
13.  The Selection by Kiera Cass
14.  The Marked (Delcoix Academy #2) by Inara Scott
15.  The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
16.  Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
17.  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
18.  Miracle by Elizabeth Scott
19.  Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
20.  Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
21.  Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale 
22.  Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
23.  The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
24.  Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
25.  The Savage Grace by Bree Despain
26.  Perception by Kim Harrington
27.  Dangerous Boy by Mandy Hubbard
28.  The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
29.  Elemental by Emily White
30.  Wake by Amanda Hocking
31.  7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
32.  Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols
33.  Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
34.  Belles by Jen Calonita
35. So Close to You by Rachel Carter
36. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
37. Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
38. Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
39. When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle
40. This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
41. Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
42. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan
43. Flock by Wendy Delsol
44. Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley
45. Once by Anna Carrey
46. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
47. Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
48. Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel
49. The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
50. Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
51. Rift (Nightshade Prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer
52. The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer
53. Origin by Jessica Khoury
54. Crewel by Gennifer Albin
55. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
56. Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey
57. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
58. What's Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) by Kat Zhang
59. 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues
60. Beta by Rachel Cohn
61. Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
62. A Fracutred Light (A Beautiful Dark #2) by Jocelyn Davies
63. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
64. Altered by Jennifer Rush

Book Review- Altered

Early this morning I finished reading Altered by Jennifer Rush for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

A story that starts with a girl and a boy. A girl who loves a boy so much , she'll risk anything for him. And a boy who knows only one thing--- kill anyone who stands in his way.

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

I really enjoyed this book.  I was sucked in right away reading about Anna and the four boys--each one so different from each other but tied to each other in some way.  The book was so easy to read and flowed so well.  I pretty much devoured it.

There were some definite twists and turns in the book.  And there were surprises that I didn't see coming.  I so love it when that happens.  After reading about these surprises, it made me think back to earlier in the book and go "oooohhhh." 

There was definitely a lot of action (and gory action, at that) but a lot of it was character-driven too.  Which, as I've said before, is my favorite kind of story.  I liked Anna.  She seemed so normal and down-to-earth yet kick-butt when she needed to be.  And  I really liked Trev and Cas.  Trev just seemed like a sweetheart and Cas was the class clown.  For most of the book, I didn't really get Anna's attraction to Sam.  I mean he wasn't bad or anything, just not as great as Trev and Cas.  Although I did get it after one of the surprises came out.  And I couldn't stand Nick (although we're not supposed to).  So yeah, just great characters. 

So what do you get when you combine awesome character with a captivating plot?  A great debut by Jennifer Rush!  My only complaint--having to wait so long for the next book to come out!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

Altered will be released on January 2, 2013.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 77
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 64
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 67

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

Book Review- Poison Princess

I just finished reading Poison Princess by Kresley Cole for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole introduces The Arcana Chronicles, post-apocalyptic tales filled with riveting action, the dark mysticism of Tarot cards, and breathtaking romance.

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can’t do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side….

This book was dark.  Really dark.  Too dark for me.   I need at least a little light in my stories whether it be humor or a good romance or hope or something.  But this book didn't have any of those things.  And while that might be right up a bunch of readers' alleys, its not up mine.

The prologue started off really creepy and disturbing.  I was completely freaked out right away.  And the visions that Evie got didn't get any better.  Eek.  It was just too much for me.  I do have to say that the idea of the characters on Tarot cards coming to life was a new one to me.  And I enjoyed the idea of that.

Evie was okay.  I liked that she was so nice although I'm not sure it was really believable.  But I liked her for the most part.  Jackson on the other hand--I couldn't stand him.  I thought he was a jerk and condescending and I didn't get why Evie had any feeling for him at all.  Even his accent and the way it was written got on my nerves. 

The ending wasn't one I saw coming exactly.  I mean, I did think that Evie would eventually accept her powers but not the way it happened in the story.  And I think there's a lot left to come.  Only I'm not sure I'll be picking up the next one.  We'll see.

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 76
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 63
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 20
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 66

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