Enders by Lissa Price

Title: Enders

Author: Lissa Price

Publisher: Random House Children's

Released: January 7th 2014

Pages: 288 (eBook)

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Someone is after Starters like Callie and Michael - teens with chips in their brains. They want to experiment on anyone left over from Prime Destinations -With the body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save her life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too . . . and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body?

No one is ever who they appear to be, not even the Old Man. Determined to find out who he really is and grasping at the hope of a normal life for herself and her younger brother, Callie is ready to fight for the truth. Even if it kills her.

It tied all the knots and ticked all the boxes that Starters created, but despite my complete adoration for the first instalment, Enders left a lot to be desired. I don't know whether it's the fact I've grown up a lot since Starters was released or what, but it just didn't impact me as much as I had hoped it would.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Indigo
Released: September 3rd 2013
Pages: 419 (Paperback)
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Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

Before I even began this read, I was torn - despite the interesting premise, vampire novels and I do not get along, and haven't since every one has become just another version of Twilight. But like I said, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown had a synopsis that caught my attention, and after picking the book up, putting it back down and picking it back up again, I finally got around to reading it. And now? I'm not sure what to say.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Title: Monument 14

Author: Emmy Laybourne
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books
Released: June 5th 2012
Pages: 352 (Paperback)
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Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong ...
Fourteen kids stranded inside a superstore. Inside they have everything they could ever need. There's junk food and clothes, computer games and books, drugs and alcohol ... and without adult supervision they can do whatever they want.
Sounds like fun? 

But outside the world is being ripped apart by violent storms and chemicals leaking into the atmosphere that, depending on blood type, leave victims paranoid, violent or dead. 

The kids must remain inside, forced to create their own community, unsure if they'll ever be able to leave. Can they stop the world they've created inside from self-destructing too?

As a kid - and I'm sure I'm not alone in this - I dreamt of being locked up overnight in a superstore. I mean, just imagine all the different items at your disposal (and how many games of The Floor is Lava you could play in the bedroom section); it'd be the best sleepover ever. Laybourne brings this childhood fantasy to life, but with a dark twist: the world outside is suffering from some of the most extreme natural disasters on record, and you are not trapped in the superstore for one night, oh no. You are in there for almost two weeks.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 526 (Hardback)
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The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. 

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. 

In a way, this feels like the end of an era - and to a certain extent, I guess it is. I've spent the past year anticipating the release of Allegiant after the godsmacker of a cliffhanger Insurgent left us on, and in a weird way, I don't think it could ever live up to whatever expectations I as the reader had - every fan wanted something different to happen, but nothing would ever be quite right for everyone. However, I think that's the difficulty with most trilogies - it will never be the perfect goodbye because we just don't want to let it go.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins

Released: May 1st 2012

Pages: 525 (Paperback)

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I HAVE DONE BAD THINGS.
I CAN'T TAKE THEM BACK, 
AND THEY ARE PART OF WHO I AM.

Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.

Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

It's always the way, isn't it, in dystopian trilogies? Fantastic first book and then second book syndrome. The first time I read Insurgent, I was swept away by the trilogy on a whole and it could do no wrong. But now that I've reread it, I can actually pick out some major faults. Whilst I still enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it enough to warrant the previous five star rating.

Pawn by Aimée Carter

Title: Pawn
Author: Aimée Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: November 26th 2013
Pages: 346 (eBook)
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YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

I've had my eye on Pawn for quite a while, so once I got accepted for an eGalley of it, I was ecstatic. Despite the surge of dystopian novels over the last few years, many of them still manage to come up with original concepts; Pawn is a perfect example of this.

Freakboy by Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Title: Freakboy
Author: Kristin Elizabeth Clark
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Released: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 448 (Kindle)
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From the outside, Brendan Chase seems to have it pretty easy. He’s a star wrestler, a video game aficionado, and a loving boyfriend to his seemingly perfect match, Vanessa. But on the inside, Brendan struggles to understand why his body feels so wrong—why he sometimes fantasizes having long hair, soft skin, and gentle curves. Is there even a name for guys like him? Guys who sometimes want to be girls? Or is Brendan just a freak?

In Freakboy's razor-sharp verse, Kristin Clark folds three narratives into one powerful story: Brendan trying to understand his sexual identity, Vanessa fighting to keep her and Brendan’s relationship alive, and Angel struggling to confront her demons.

This is the second verse book I have read, and the first of which I have reviewed. I'm a keen supporter of LGBT rights, and I never turn down an opportunity to learn a bit more about the different situations people of the LGBT community have been through, fictional or otherwise. I've read a few novels centred around being transgender, and I'm honestly amazed at the strength these people have - how horribly they are judged, but how they still persevere to get what they know is right. Freakboy was an amazing story, and I'm just left in awe.

The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles

Title: The Kissing Booth
Author: Beth Reekles
Publisher: Random House Children's
Released: December 13th 2012
Pages: 448 (Kindle)
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Meet Rochelle Evans: pretty, popular--and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile--and a total player. And also Elle's best friend's older brother... 

When Elle decides to run a kissing booth for the school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer--this romance seems far from fairy tale and headed for heartbreak. 

But will Elle get her happily ever after?

I don't like cheesy books and I don't like cheesy couples yet I liked The Kissing Booth.  Please go and figure. Something about this read appealed to me, so despite it's vast amount of teen angst, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're looking for a light, easy-going read, I'd definitely recommend this.

The Name on Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns

Title: The Name on Your Wrist
Author: Helen Hiorns
Publisher: RHCP Digital
Released: July 15th 2013
Pages: 185 (eBook)
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It's the first thing they teach you when you start school. But they don't need to; your parents tell you when you're first learning how to say your name. It's drummed into you whilst you're taking your first stumbling steps. It's your lullaby. From the moment it first appears, you don't tell anyone the name on your wrist.

In Corin's world, your carpinomen - the name of your soul mate, marked indelibly on your wrist from the age of two or three - is everything. It's your most preciously guarded secret; a piece of knowledge that can give another person ultimate power over you. People spend years, even decades, searching for the one they're supposed to be with.

But what if you never find that person? Or you do, but you just don't love them? What if you fall for someone else - someone other than the name on your wrist?

And what if - like Corin - the last thing in the world you want is to be found?

I can't decide on a rating. I can't decide on a rating and I hate it when that happens! The Name on Your Wrist's synopsis piqued my interest, and whilst on one hand I want to sing its praises, on the other I just can't get over the fact that nothing happened.

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Sever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: February 12h 2013
Pages: 371 (Paperback)
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With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

This is going to be a difficult review, because I both loved and hated this series. I adored Wither, as it was like no dystopian I had ever read before, and Fever proved to be good, even if it had some mild second book syndrome; Sever was supposed to collect all of those loose ends and give the readers a satisfying ending. It didn't.

Blog Tour: Panic by J. A. Huss (Review + Playlist)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.
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REVIEW
Title: Panic
Author: J. A. Huss
Publisher: Science Future Press
Released: October 15th 2013
Pages: 232 (eBook)
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Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she left behind six months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she left behind.

Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their life together.

Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true relationship that will crash and burn in the end?

Since I've followed this trilogy from the beginning, how could I not take part in the final blog tour? The Rook and Ronin series are some of the best indie books I have ever read. Full of suspense, drama, and scenes hot enough to make you sweat, it is definitely something you don't want to miss.

Blog Tour: Addicted to You by Colina Brennan (Review + Giveaway)

About The Author

I’m a new adult author with a love for the fantastical and the romantic. My new adult contemporary novel ADDICTED TO YOU will be available June 25.

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Review
Title: Addicted to You
Author: Colina Brennan
Publisher: Self
Released: June 22nd 2013
Pages: 183 (eBook)
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When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

Okay, so my track record with New Adult books isn't that great. However, Addicted to You caught my eye. The idea of sex addiction was intriguing - I mean, where is the line drawn between enjoying sex and being addicted to it? I couldn't wait to start reading it.

Blog Tour: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard (Review + Giveaway)

About The Author

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

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Review
Title: The Forgotten Ones
Author: Laura Howard
Publisher: Amazon
Released: April 28th 2013
Pages: 197 (Kindle)
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Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

I'd had my eye on The Forgotten Ones for a while, so when I was given the opportunity to join in on the blog tour, I jumped right in. The folklore genre is constantly growing on me - there is something I love about the beauty and majestic energy surrounding it. The Forgotten Ones was no exception to this, and from beginning to end, Howard swept me up into the world of the Tuatha de Danaan.

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

Title: Poltergeeks
Author: Sean Cummings
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Released: October 2nd 2012
Pages: 320 (eBook)
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15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. 

In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

I'd seen Poltergeeks around for a while, but only pushed myself into reading it as I got involved with the blog tour for Student Bodies. At first I was so excited to start it, as it promised a unique, magic-y twist on the common paranormal. Poltergeeks is full of action, adventure, and badass fight sequences that leave you reeling as if you've just watched it unfold right in front of you. The book is over before you know it.

Camp Boyfriend by J. K. Rock

Title: Camp Boyfriend
Author: J. K. Rock
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Released: July 2nd 2013
Pages: 324 (Paperback)
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The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

I don't usually like novels that revolve around romance, but the concept of this book captured my attention. Geek-turned-jock fighting off two hot guys? It's a nerd's fantasy, and I couldn't start reading it fast enough - Camp Boyfriend is a girl's ultimate summer read.

4 to 16 Characters by Kelly Hourihan

Title: 4 to 16 Characters
Author: Kelly Hourihan
Publisher: Lemon Sherbet Press
Release: November 7th 2013
Pages: 314 (eBook)
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Fifteen-year-old Jane Shilling’s best friends don’t know her real name. In fact, they don’t know anything about her at all. Jane’s life has collapsed in the last few years; following the death of her mother, her father turned to drinking, and Jane is reeling from the double blow. To escape, Jane devises a number of online personas, each with a distinct personality, life history, and set of friends. But things become trickier when she finds herself drawing close to some of her online friends, and winds up struggling with the question of how to maintain a real friendship while masquerading as a fake person. With the help of Gary, a socially awkward classmate and competitive Skeeball player who is Jane’s only offline friend, and Nora, her therapist, Jane begins to sift through her issues. The only catch is that that involves taking a long, hard look at what her life’s like when the computer is shut off, and that’s a reality she’s been fighting for years.

As soon as I found out that this book surrounded the idea of fangirling and fanfiction and all that jazz, I knew I needed to read it. As a self-confessed fangirl, I know what it's like to feel as if nothing but the fandom exists, and I was curious to see an author's portrayal of it. I was actually pleasantly surprised, as Hourihan nailed fangirling on the head - it was just something else that was slightly off.

A Taylor-Made Life by Kary Rader

Title: A Taylor-Made Life
Author: Kary Rader
Publisher: Self
Released: July 8th 2013
Pages: 216 (Kindle)
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They lived the life they were given; they loved the life they made.

Cheerleader Taylor Smith doesn’t want to die a virgin. Unfortunately, if the terminally-ill leukemia patient doesn't find a lover or a stem-cell match within months, her fear will become reality. When her cancer mentor is revealed to be a hottie entrepreneur from California, it seems fate might finally be on her side.

Tech-geek Gavin Taylor has everything he ever wanted, except someone to grieve for him when he's gone. With his melanoma cancer beyond the help of his riches, he agrees to participate in a cancer patient mentoring program where he's matched with a dying teen from Texas. Despite his immediate attraction, the Silicon Valley whiz intends only to provide friendship and happy memories to the beautiful, young woman who is determined to win his love.

When it's discovered that his frozen sperm and her harvested eggs could lead to a cure, Taylor's mother offers to be a surrogate. And Gavin must decide if he can risk the heart he has never given and a child he'll never know to a girl he just met.

How would I describe this book in three words? Cheesy, unrealistic, and adorable - not necessarily in that order. At first, I was expecting A Taylor-Made Life to be like My Sister's Keeper or The Fault in Our Stars - that it would look at the cold, hard facts of cancer and would tell a story about finding love at the end of your world. And it did, most definitely. However, the book was laced to the very brim with cheese...in the best way possible.

Forsaken by Jana Oliver

Title: Forsaken
Author: Jana Oliver
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Released: December 13th 2010
Pages: 422 (Paperback)
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Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what the demons are counting on...

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta’s local Trappers’ Guild needs all the help they can get—even from a girl. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life?

Can I just ask what is the genre of this book? Because I don't even know! It's dystopia slash post-apocalyptic slash paranormal slash whatever else! Basically, the concept of Forsaken has never been done before. It takes the normal contemporary-paranormal and puts it into a world that is familiar but only vaguely. The reader is unsure of the rules in this new world and Oliver sweeps you into it with the help of Riley, Beck, Paul and Simon. It's a rollercoaster for the imagination, if nothing else.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Atom
Released: September 1st 2012
Pages: 592 (Hardcover)
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It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright young things it's the opportunity to party like never before.

For Evie O'Neill, it's escape. She's never fit in in small town Ohio and when she causes yet another scandal, she's shipped off to stay with an uncle in the big city. But far from being exile, this is exactly what she's always wanted: the chance to show how thoroughly modern and incredibly daring she can be.

But New York City isn't about just jazz babies and follies girls. It has a darker side. Young women are being murdered across the city. And these aren't crimes of passion. They're gruesome. They're planned. They bear a strange resemblance to an obscure group of tarot cards. And the New York City police can't solve them alone.

Evie wasn't just escaping the stifling life of Ohio, she was running from the knowledge of what she could do. She has a secret. A mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first.

FINALLY! I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED THIS! I feel like I deserve a medal; The Diviners is nothing if not a marathon read, with almost 600 pages! As soon as I saw the US cover, I knew I needed to read it - but when I saw the UK cover, I absolutely fell in love. Although the book wasn't quite what I was expecting, I will stick by saying that the covers are utterly breathtaking - perhaps some of the best I have ever come across? I think this is a perfect example to not judge a book by its cover, because it can be misleading - for better or for worse.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Publisher: Corgi
Released: July 1st 2012
Pages: 369 (Paperback)
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Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Half of the time, I firmly have my head stuck in fantasy land - new worlds, dragons, goblins, elves, dwarves - I love it all! Seraphina came up on my radar back in February, as even though it was published back in 2012, it's recently started to increase in popularity. As soon as I saw the synopsis was about dragons - well, who am I to resist?