The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney

Title: The Iron Witch
Author: Karen Mahoney
Pages: 289
Genre: Young Adult|Paranormal
Publication Date: 2/8/2011
Rating: *

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

I was really looking forward to this, but could not get into it for anything. I didn't really like Donna or Nav, which I'm sad to say. This one has been on my TBR list since last year but I just couldn't get into it.

I think that this is one that could have been something completely awesome but unfortunately wasn't. I just felt that it was a bit flat and had the potential to be way better than what it was. I can't say that I would recommend it (although I'm sure some will love it) or that I will be buying the next in the series.

Teaser Tuesday - 1/31

This week's teaser comes from The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney.

Her gloves might hide her tattoos -- those strange symbols she refused to show even Navin -- but they did nothing to hide how strong she really was. Just one of the many secrets she was forced to keep.

pg. 6





Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You can visit her fantastic blog here.
These are the rules (anyone can participate):
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

January 2012 Recap

January has come and gone pretty quickly. I was finally able to get of my long reading slump and I'm back to chowing down books! Here is what I read this month:

Songs for a Teenage Nomad - Kim Culbertson
Ash - Malinda Lo
Crossed - Ally Condie
Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins


The Strange Case of Finley Jayne - Kady Cross
The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher
Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson
New Girl - Paige Harbison
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Total: 10




Books I am dying to read in February:



Beneath a Meth Moon [2/2]
Born Wicked [2/7]
The Nightmare Garden [2/14]
Arcadia Awakens [2/14]
Fever [2/21]
Pandemonium [2/28]

Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 316
Genre: Young Adult|Paranormal|Horror
Publication Date: 8/30/2011
Rating: *****

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story. . .

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Wow! This book was amazing! As in: captivating, awesome main character, will scare your pants off, can't put it down amazing!

Theseus 'Cas' Lowood is a ghost killer. Not your Casper type ghosts -- the ones that make you fear for your life. These are the ghosts that kill and it's Cas's job to get rid of them... until he meets Anna - Anna Dressed in Blood.

Again, wow! That was quite the ride! I really had a hard time putting this one down and even now I'm still reeling from the adventure. Ms. Blake's descriptions of death, gore and all things ghostly had me hooked. I loved Cas's voice and reading from his POV.

I thought I was starting to learn my lesson with the whole ghost/paranormal/spook factor, but I have gone and done it again. Yeah, good luck me getting to sleep with vivid images of blood and icky spooks! I would recommend this to older teens and adults because bits can be pretty graphic for younger readers and there is some strong language.

I don't even want to say too much because to me Anna Dressed in Blood is just one of those you have to read for yourself. Don't let this one slip by you! Go get it NOW!

In My Mailbox - 1/30

In My MailBox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren to show off what books you've gotten over the past week.

This week:

Wintergirls

One Amazing Thing

New Girl - Paige Harbison

Title: New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Publication Date: 1/31/2012 (eARC provided by NetGalley/HarlequinTEEN)
Rating: ***

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

After just finishing New Girl, I feel totally confused and have that thought of 'What...huh?'. I can't say that I totally hated this book but I can't say I loved it either. This was comparable to some kind of whirlwind that is filled with a bunch of what-in-the-world? with flashes and bits of things that keep you reading (this isn't necessarily a bad thing here).

New Girl (you won't be finding out her real name until the end of the book) has just started Manderly Academy and finds herself shadowed by a missing student: Becca Normandy. This book is told from New Girl and Becca's perspective, New Girl in present day and Becca before she went missing.

Okay, I have a few things good bit to get off my chest here. First, I really did not like New Girl or Becca, although half way through I started liking New Girl more and of course, Becca even less. New Girl really, really - and yes, I mean really - needed to grow a backbone and tell people to shut it already. That grated on my nerves something awful. She would let these other students talk to her so horribly and talk behind her back and wouldn't say anything. Luckily, that gets better eventually.

Becca. This girl obviously had no morals or any kind of decency or respect to anyone or herself. I am not even going into this one otherwise it will overtake the whole review.

Max and Johnny were semi-okay. I think they could have been better, but all in all not bad - when they weren't tied up around Becca anyway. Dana was a complete nut case and there were times I would wonder why she wasn't in some kind of counseling or therapy... or perhaps a strait jacket when she went into one of her screaming-crazy-Becca-obsessed fits (although later on I did develop some sort of sympathy for her).

With all that out of the way, I say again, I didn't actually hate this book. There was a great mystery to it, I had to know who New Girl was (not just her name) and I had to know what exactly happened to Becca and why on earth she was such a vile person. At the end though, I still felt like there was something to know that was left unsaid and was left feeling a little uneasy. I don't know if it was the overall weirdness of the story or what. It wasn't written poorly, but the story in itself was strange. I am curious now to read Rebecca which is what this story is based off of.

Overall, I would say read at your own risk. It's not one I would run out and demand people to read, but at the same time I wouldn't say never read it, just to enter with caution.

Sunday Recap - 1/29

Hope everyone has had a great week!

Here is what I read last week:

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
The Water Wars
Paranormalcy
The Name of the Star

What I'm reading:

Last week's features...

Teaser Tuesday
Waiting on Wednesday
Cover Crazy
Follow Friday

The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson

Title: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Pages: 372
Genre: Young Adult|Paranormal
Publication Date: 9/29/2011
Rating: *****

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

A book about a killer mirroring Jack the Ripper? Heck yeah! Paranormal twist? Even better! I can say that I really enjoyed reading this one - some moments I would be laughing, other times sitting with eyebrows knit together, and of course other times I would be looking around the room in a frenzied paranoia, worried that for some unfathomable reason, a Jack the Ripper knock off was prancing about my house somewhere ready to strike at any moments notice (and of course, I HAVE to wonder, why do I do this? I have this same problem with horror films, which are of course way worse in my opinion. Yet, I still subject myself to their horrendous plots and crazy creatures). Note: I also caused myself to bubble up a little paranoia with The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. I also tortured myself with Unsolved Mysteries on television as a kid. At night. In the dark. So with my rambling about my weird relationship with things involving mystery/horror/spooks out of the way...

I really liked how Rory was different from most of the heroines we meet. She wasn't anything grand, but I wouldn't say she was boring either, she was just normal. Rory is now at Wexford, a boarding school in London, coming all the way from Louisiana. She is spending her senior year there when soon, someone starts to copy the murders of Jack the Ripper.

This wasn't rushed, yet is wasn't painfully slow either. It was set a pretty decent pace. There wasn't a huge love triangle or conflict with other students, which frankly is a great change. It really focused on what was going on with the murders and finding out who was behind them. Oh, and about that...

Ms. Johnson did an excellent job in writing about the Ripper and his murders. She described enough that it was chilling but not in a blood and guts and wow that's really gross kind of way. I think she did a fantastic job in writing The Name of the Star. This is the first novel I have read by her, and am interested in more. I really can't wait until the next one comes out (I noticed this is a series, which makes me pretty excited, although I am going to have to wait until the end of September for the second book in the series, which is NOT exciting).

So, if you are looking for an awesome, edge-of-your-seat, thriller/mystery with a dash of paranormal, grab this book. ASAP. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Follow Friday (9)

Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

I usually avoid religious novels and nonfiction, unless it is a topic that really interests me.
Friday Features:

Book'd Out & Fiction Fervor




Submit your own link to the linky list @ Parajunkee or Alison Can Read.

Cover Crazy - 1/26

Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish.

What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.

I am totally in love with this cover. It is simplistic, but so stunning. I like how her white dress stands out against the dark, aquatic background. The font is great as well, definitely loving that. It flows really well with the picture. Again, I love this cover and this one is getting added to my TBR list. It's expected publication date is 5/22.




Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms.

Paranormalcy - Kiersten White

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Pages: 335
Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: 9/1/2010
Rating: ****

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I can say that Paranormalcy ended up being different than what I expected - in a very good way! Anything that started out with something like this:

He pulled his exaggerated white fangs back behind his lips. "What, imminent death isn't exciting enough for you?"
"Oh, stop pouting. But, really, the widow's peak? The pale skin? The black cape? Where did you even get that thing, a costume store?"

is bound to be entertaining. It honestly hooked me from the start.

I wasn't sure how much I would end up liking Evie at first - she is a big girly girl and usually I'm kind of eh on the super girly thing, but I ended up really liking her character. She's quite the comedic heroine.

When we meet Evie, she is working for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Committee), where she catches and tags paranormals in order to ensure the safety of humans. Her best friend is Lisha, a mermaid living in a tank at the Center and she also has a creepy stalker ex-boyfriend, Reth, who is a faerie. Overall, as odd as her job and friends are, she is pretty comfortable with her life until paranormals start dying mysteriously.

Soon, after discovering that paranormals were being murdered, she meets Lend - different from any paranormal she has met. Lend was a fantastic character! He was a genuinely nice person paranormal. He really helped Evie find out more about who she was throughout the story.

Another that kept me reading was the mystery of who was behind the killings. One moment I would think I might be on the trail of the truth, when I would be given a new piece of information and then would be thrown off again. There was much to unravel - who was behind the killings? What did the prophecy mean? What were the motives? Of course, there was a lot to learn about Evie too!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Even with all the mystery, it was an easy, fun read, and it leaves me wanting to read the next in the series, Supernaturally.

Waiting on Wednesday - 1/25

Waiting On Wednesdays shows books that I am stoked about and can't wait to read!

Here are some that I am drooling over this week...

Struck
Jennifer Bosworth
5/8/2012

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

The Selection
Kiera Cass
4/24/2012

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Article 5
Kristen Simmons
1/31/2012

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Teaser Tuesday - 1/24

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You can visit her fantastic blog here.

These are the rules (anyone can participate):

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

He pulled his exaggerated white fangs back behind his lips. "What, imminent death isn't exciting enough for you?"
"Oh, stop pouting. But, really, the widow's peak? The pale skin? The black cape? Where did you even get that thing, a costume store?"

pg. 2

The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher

Title: The Water Wars
Author: Cameron Stracher
Pages: 240
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Publication Date: 1/1/2011
Rating: *

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than gold or oil-and worth killing for...

Vera and her brother, Will, live in the shadow of the Great Panic, in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are dammed, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey in search of him-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations. Timely and eerily familiar, acclaimed author Cameron Stracher makes a stunning YA debut that's impossible to forget.

Honestly, the one star is mostly for the cover. The cover is fantastic! The writing however...

I tried desperately to get into this one and just couldn't. I will be honest and say that I didn't even make it halfway through. I know some really liked it or hated it for one reason or another. For me, I just couldn't get past the writing. It seemed too monotone for me. Not only was it monotonous, but it just felt like this:

"We have no water, spilling water is illegal blah blah... Random filler stuff blah blah... Introduce new blah character...", etc.

That sums up my feelings on this one, but it could still work for some readers. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne - Kady Cross

Title: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
Author: Kady Cross
Pages: 78 (Kindle)
Genre: Young Adult/Steampunk
Publication Date: 5/1/2011
Rating: ***

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

This was a pretty decent read. I was struggling with whether or not to give it 2 stars or 3, but decided on 3 in the end just simply because it has gotten me interested to continue reading The Girl in the Steel Corset again, which I had picked up a couple of times but haven't finished.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne is somewhat of a mini-mystery. We are introduced to Finley - a young woman with some incredible abilities. When we first meet her, she is in the process of being fired from her job for hitting a governess. Eventually, she acquires another job, which is to be a companion to Lady Morton's daughter, Phoebe.

Throughout the story, we are basically led along to discover the true motives of Phoebe's fiance.

One thing I can say I was not crazy about was Finley's constant talk to herself of 'there's something wrong with me, I'm not normal, I have a dark side, blah blah...' It might just be me, but it grated on my nerves a little after the first few comments made about this. In general, I did like Finley, so don't get me wrong there. It was this one minor thing I had issues with.

Overall, this wasn't bad and the good news is that it is free (ebook only). You can pick that up here.

Sunday Recap - 1/22

I hope everyone has had a great week! You know, I'm beginning to think that perhaps where I am (not sure about the rest of the world in weather terms), the seasons are quite confused! Normally January is our coldest month and when we would usually get wintry weather, but that doesn't seem to be the case this winter. I am actually a little disappointed. So, I have added my own little bit of winter, since Mother Nature has decided its not exactly winter, but more of some weird fall/spring/sprinkle in a few cold days AND a couple of thunderstorms season. I can only hope that when spring and summer roll around it's not dreadfully hot -- this girl is not a hot weather person in the least!

Here is what I have read this week:



Crossed
Anna and the French Kiss

Here is what I am currently reading:



And in case you missed it...

In My Mailbox
Teaser Tuesday
Waiting on Wednesday
Cover Crazy
Follow Friday
TGIF

Also here is the post about Dystopian Domination!

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 372
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Publication Date: 12/2/2010
Rating: *****

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

How have I not read this already?!

I have read so many spectacular reviews for Anna and the French Kiss and yet for some reason kept putting it off. All I can say is I only wish I had picked it up sooner!

Anna Oliphant is a senior who is being shipped off to boarding school in Paris by her father - and she hates it. She only wants to be in Atlanta with her friends, her brother, and her crush (who she had a one time kiss with), Toph. Fortunately, while there she manages to make some pretty great friends - one of which is Etienne St. Clair.

Etienne was great. He was perfect, yet flawed and it worked so well. Don't be surprised if you end up developing a fictional crush on Etienne St. Clair! It was wonderful how their friendship developed at a slow pace and their conversations seemed realistic. It wasn't all gushing over one another, rather they had real conversations about their life, great moments of joking around, and just simply enjoying being in the company of one another.

It was great to see how Anna's friends were able to help bring her out of her fearful, shy-girl shell and into a girl who was more confident and outgoing. Everything about the relationships she had with her friends seemed natural and real, from their fun times to their conflicts.

Oh and I totally want to go to Paris now, by the way. As if the scenery described isn't enough - the food! I swear while reading the bits about the food, my stomach grumbled a little. I loved the descriptions of Paris, the area, the landmarks, did I mention the delicious sounding food?

I really and truly enjoyed reading this novel. I would catch myself laughing out loud at times and then holding my breath during other moments. If you are looking for a feel good book, this is it. This is my first novel by Stephanie Perkins, and it won't be the last. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door.

Dystopian Domination with Interviews + Giveaways!

What's Dystopian Domination? It is a month worth of spectacular interviews and giveaways!

Dystopian Domination runs from January 9 through February 11 and is hosted by Amaterasu Reads and Fragments of Life. You can see a copy of the month long schedule on both of their blogs along with all the interviews and giveaways. So exciting!!

TGIF - 1/20

Recommend It: Which book from the last 10 you've read
would you recommend to a friend?

I would have to say The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge.
You can find my review for it here.

Follow Friday (8)

Q: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

I can't say that I have done anything super crazy for a book.



This week's features are:

Crossed - Ally Condie

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 367
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian
Publication Date: 11/1/2011
Rating: ***

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

I really and truly have mixed feelings with this second book in the Matched Trilogy. Sure, I liked it enough to continue reading and I definitely want to read the next book, which is supposed to come out in November of this year.

First, Crossed started out a bit on the slow side. It took me a little longer to really get into it, then once I did, it would slow the pace down again. I enjoyed it, but a lot of it seemed to just be thrown in there to lead up to the final book in the trilogy.

We are filled in a little on the history of the Society and life outside it, but naturally I have more questions about it. I'm still anxious to see what is going to happen with Cassia, Ky, and Xander. I want to know more about the Society and how it came about. There is so much I am wanting to know, and am honestly having flashbacks of the Fallen series in that I am left with a million questions.

Crossed is also told from two different points of view - Cassia and Ky's. I liked this except for the fact that sometimes I wouldn't realize who was the one narrating. I think it could have been a little better done in that it would have been easier to tell if it was Cassia or Ky. However, we still get to learn more about Ky and the world he is from.

At the end, I wouldn't have too high of expectations, but it isn't terrible. It was just a bit disappointing, but I'm hoping things will be resolved in the final book.

Cover Crazy - 1/19

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life. 98,409,602 seconds since the heavy, steel door had fallen shut and sealed us off from the world...

Sherry has lived with her family in a sealed bunker since things went wrong up above. But when they run out of food, Sherry and her dad must venture outside. There they find a world of devastation, desolation...and the Weepers: savage, mutant killers.

When Sherry's dad is snatched, she joins forces with gorgeous but troubled Joshua - an Avenger, determined to destroy the Weepers.

But can Sherry keep her family and Joshua safe, when his desire for vengeance threatens them all?

This is ultra creepy, but I love it. I think the sketched look adds to that effect. What really drew me in was the eerie sketches in the butterfly wings. It makes me curious, and this one is on my TBR list (2/1/2012)! I also like how on the cover it says

Danger isn't the only thing that makes your heart beat faster...

All in all I think the cover is wonderful, even as creepy as it may be.

Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms.

Waiting on Wednesday - 1/18

Waiting On Wednesdays shows books that I am stoked about and can't wait to read!

Here are some that I am drooling over this week...

Sean Griswold's Head
Lindsey Leavitt
3/1/2012

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

Dead to You
Lisa McMann
2/7/2012

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives Of Katherine Of Aragon And Juana, Queen Of Castile
Julia Fox
1/31/2012

The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years. But historian Julia Fox, whose previous work painted an unprecedented portrait of Jane Boleyn, Anne’s sister, offers deeper insight in this first dual biography of Katherine and Juana, the daughters of Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, whose family ties remained strong despite their separation. Looking through the lens of their Spanish origins, Fox reveals these queens as flesh-and-blood women—equipped with character, intelligence, and conviction—who are worthy historical figures in their own right...

Keep Holding On
Susan Colasanti
6/14/2012

Between Noelle’s difficult home life and the bullying she endures at school, all she wants is to get out of her small town. Noelle would give anything to be with Julian Porter. But staying with her emotionally distant boyfriend is safer. When things heat up between Noelle and Julian, she has to decide whether she can be her true self with him.

Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine