Crewel by Gennifer Albin Review

Title: Crewel   
Author: Gennifer Albin 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)  
Release Date: October 16,2012  
Received: For review from publisher

Summary:  Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Review: 
If you are tired of the distopian genre then Crewel is the book for you. While it is a distopian it is so original and different that it is almost like reading another genre. In fact, I got a fairy-tale like vibe off of it. 

I really liked Adelice as a protagonist. She was awesome and snarky. The supporting characters were also brilliant they were so vibrant and different. Though some of them had prejudices that I did not quite understand and unnerved me I liked how their stories slowly wove into the story.

Gennifer Albin is a great writer. She wove such a beautiful tale which was one of the reasons that it felt like a fantasy. She was also amazing at writing the villains. They were evil and totally a bunch of psychopaths but in some cases you could see why they did the things they did. 

I liked the mythology behind the Spinsters. I loved learning how the world was created and I cannot wait to find out more about it. The government system was so complex and I wish that we had gotten to find out more about it and gotten to understand it better but I am sure that we will learn more in the other books.

If you are a fan of distopian, science fiction, or fantasy Crewel is a book I totally recommend!

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama

Title: Monstrous Beauty  

Author: Elizabeth Fama 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux 
Release Date: September 4, 2012 

Received: For review from publisher

Summary:  Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago. 

Review:  Mermaids are one of my favorite mythical creatures to read about. I love them and I really like seeing all the different ways that authors can take them.

Case in point, I recently read Of Poseidon by Anna Banks and then I read Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama. Now I did not go into these books thinking that they were going to be anything alike but reading them in the span of a few months showed me just how different two mermaid books can be. 

Monstrous Beauty switches from present day to historical times, each chapter (until near the end) switches between Syrenka's story and Hester's story, and while we know they must be intertwined it is slowly shown just how much as you continue reading.

Elizabeth Fama succeeded in writing a mildly scary book, it made me not want to go in the water. I think the reason she was able to achieve all this was because of the vivid and beautiful world she built. I could see the things happening and could imagine it being real.

I liked Hester as a main character. Though I thought her to be stupid quite often and wanted to shake her for some of the decisions she made I could see why she made them. I also thought Peter was a great character and I wish he had been in it more. 

Curses, mermaids, ghosts, and historical towns. What else could you want in a book?

The only thing I had problems with was that the beginning was a little slow and slightly confusing but once I started to be pulled into the story I couldn't look away!

If you are looking for a lighter mermaid book check out my review of Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Received From: Bought

Summary: 

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.

Review:

The Selection by Kiera Cass was unlike anything I had ever read before. It was a dystopian but with a fairy tale twist, but unlike in many other dystopian novels Kiera Cass was not so focused on world-building that nothing happened in the first book. Instead The Selection was engaging, fun, and entertaining. 
 
America is a wonderful protagonist. She was strong and so willing to help her family but she didn't have that robot feel where I couldn’t connect with her. America felt so real, and I am sure that if I met her she and I could be great friends. Kiera Cass has created a great cast of characters because even though there are so many, it never seems as if they are there just for filler. They all have a purpose and have such different personalities that I couldn't wait to learn more about them.
 
The dystopian part to The Selection, while important to the plot and why the Selection is happening, is not so in your face that people who don't usually like dystopians will be turned off. When I was reading it I thought of it mostly as a fairy-tale with a dystopian setting. Because truly that's what it is.
Kiera Cass has created a world with castes, romance, and unrest that kept me up all night wanting to know more. I cannot wait for the next book in the series so I can find out what happens next!
 
Cover thoughts: I adore this cover! Yes it is a girl in a dress but visually it is different and I so want that dress!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Title: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release Date: May 22, 2012
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary:

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

Review:

I love myself a good mermaid book, and I think I have found my absolute favorite in Anna Banks’ debut.

From the first page of this book I was drawn into this hilarious and awesome book. Emma is such a klutz and her inner monologue has to be one of the most spot-on depictions that I have read in a non-contemporary novel, in that Emma reacts to everything that happens in a realistic way.Of Poseidon alternates from Galen’s point of view and Emma’s. I really enjoyed this because I got to know both of their intentions and I think it gave more depth and layers to the story.

Of Poseidon is unlike any other mermaid book I have ever read. I really enjoyed understanding the mythology and background of the Syrena. I particularly enjoyed learning about the feud between the descendants of Triton and the decedents of Poseidon. I think it added something very interesting and different to the plot.

Now even though Galen and Emma are the main characters this book would not be nearly as entertaining without Rayna and Toraf. Their banter and points of view added to the story and did not for once take away from the main focus of the story. Anna Banks did a skillful job of weaving those secondary characters in without making them seem like distractions.

While I personally kind of expected the ending, suspecting did not take anything from the book. Plus I was never absolutely sure which I enjoyed. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and neither will you once you read this amazing book. I will also read anything else Anna Banks chooses to write, her writing was so funny and awesome that I will forever be a fan!

If you need any more convincing check out the trailer and then be sure to pick up Of Poseidon out May 22!

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

Title: When the Sea is Rising Red

Author: Cat Hellisen

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Release Date: February 28, 2012
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it. 

 

Review:

When I first read the summary for When the Sea is Rising Red I knew I had to read it. I mean, first of all it’s fantasy, and we all know my weakness for fantasy. And it looked to be dark, creepy fantasy, which hooked me in even more.

 

When the Sea is Rising Red did not disappoint. It was dark, creepy, and surprising. When I first read the synopsis I was bummed because it looked like it gave everything away but it doesn’t. Each new page was filled with magic, and surprises. Keeping me interested and longing to find out more.

 

I’m not going to lie, Felicita kind of annoyed me. She seemed to have no plan and was just wandering around willy-nilly waiting for things to fall into place. Now granted toward the end she started taking control over her life and surroundings but in the beginning she made the decision to run away and then just kind of floated. The good thing about her being this way was the fact that it let other characters shine.

 

Cat Hellisen did magic with her integration of Vampires. They were a part of the story without being overly vampireish and they provided a fabulous foil to Felicita’s family.

 

Like Felicita I never knew who was good, who was trying ruin Pelimburg, and who was caught in the middle. every time I thought I had figured it out something would happen to change my point of view.

 

The ending of When the Sea is Rising Red was interesting and kind of confusing. While I really enjoyed the way in which it was written I wish it had been a bit more clear, or that it had been more drawn out so I could fully understand what was happening. But I guess that was part of the intrigue of the ending.

 

Overall I enjoyed this book though I wish the ending had been a little clearer.

 

Oh, and I need a sequel.

 

 

 

P.S. Do you see that cover? SO GORGEOUS!

 

The International Kissing Club Review

Title: The International Kissing Club

Author: Ivy Adams

Publisher: Walker & Company (Bloomsbury)

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Received From: Publisher via Teen {Book} Scene

Summary:  Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships-and their friendships-be able to survive?

Review:

This was a very cute book, and an interesting subject. Books that take place in different countries are always very interesting to me.

 

Now, this book started off interesting but then sort of petered off before they left on their adventures. I feel like some of the build up to them leaving could have been left out. But it was not that big of a deal.

 

One thing I really appreciated about this book was the fact that their adventures in the different countries were not perfect and wonderful. I felt that that was more indicative of what it would actually be like, the homesickness and doubt made it more realistic.

 

I also liked how one of the girls stayed home. The feeling of being left and having to deal with that was one of the most relatable parts of the story. But it was the most boring to me.

 

The blog was a fun way to see their different thoughts as well as getting to see new people chime in.

 

The best thing about this book was their friendships after they came back. They would have all changed so much during the time away, and I was glad to see that the author addressed that issue.

 

Overall this was a good book. A little slow at times but an interesting look into friendship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cinder

Title: Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

Happy New Year!

Today I have a review of a book I read back in October but comes out this week! I loved this book and definitely recommend you pick it up! Now onto my review:
I adore fairy tale retellings and this is one of my favorite ones I have read so far! This is a semi retelling of Cinderella, but it is so much more than that! There is romance, action, mystery, an evil stepmother, a land on the brink of war, and a deadly disease that is ravaging New Beijing.
I also liked how this wasn’t an “oh I need to be rescued” storyline. Cinder is a kick butt awesome character! She is self-sufficient but not cold, she lets certain people into her life and those she lets in, and who appreciate her she is loyal to.
The plague angle was a twist I would not have expected to have gone as well as it did, it was fully integrated into the storyline and added intrigue and an extra bit of leverage for the Lunars.
I have to admit I figured out one of the major plot twists in the story pretty early, but since I kept wavering about whether it was true or not it didn’t ruin it for me.
The dynamic between all the different characters I really liked. And I LOVED Kai, he was so sweet and down to earth, yet willing to do anything to protect his people.
Overall I loved this book and am left clamoring for the next book!
(Also I adore the cover!!!!)

Shattered Souls Review

Title: Shattered Souls

Author: Mary Lindsay

Publisher: Philomel/ Penguin

Release Date: December 8, 2011 (TODAY)
Received From: Teen {Book} Scene

Summary: 

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Review:

I really liked this book! I haven’t read too many books about ghosts but I think this is my favorite of the ones I have read so far.

 

One thing that I really liked about this book was that Lenzi was a strong heroine, she didn’t just sit back and complain or wait for other to help her like many other paranormal books. If you love paranormal you will really love this book, but even if you are kind of tired of it, this book is so original and different that I think you would still like it.

 

The chemistry between Alden and Lenzi was awesome and it just wasn’t insta-love, like many other paranormal books.

 

This book while being action-packed wasn’t so overwhelming that I got tired of the action, it was also about Alden and Lenzi growing together and Lenzi growing in her abilities.

 

I would recommend this book to fans of Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, not because they are the same by any means but because they have the similar Protector/Savior thing going on with the main characters.

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about what books Alden would pick up see this post.

Cold Kiss

Title: Cold Kiss

Author: Amy Garvey

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: September 20, 2011
Received From: Publisher; In return for a honest review

Summary: 

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.
That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”
When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.
Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Review:

This book was really different, I mean it’s paranormal but its also about dealing with consequences of your actions. It’s also about dealing with loss, and letting go.

Zombies and witches. Those are the paranormal creatures in this book, I was not aware that is what this book was about, but it makes sense now that I know. Wren is a hardcore witch with spells and growing into her powers etc.. So if you don’t like that kind of thing then this is not the book for you.

This book was ok, I mean its nothing like what I expected so I think that threw me for a loop at the beginning. But while it interested me I was not captivated, I was interested to see how the problem was going to be solved but honestly I would not have cared if I never knew. It was just so-so.

The main problem I had was with Wren. She just annoyed me, I mean I could see why she did it, but I feel like she was very selfish and then after she realized what she had done was wrong she wasn’t really willing to suck it up and fix her mistake. She was just very wishy washy, and primarily only thought of herself.

I loved Gabriel though, he was so sweet and was willing to help Wren even when, in my opinion, she didn’t really deserve it or thank him properly.

Overall I didn’t really like this book, it just wasn’t for me, though if you want a different take on zombies then I would recommend it.

 

 

 

Frost

Title: Frost

Author: Marianna Baer

Publisher: Balzer & Bray (Harper Collins)

Release Date: September 13, 2011
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: 

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night?

Review:

I received this book right before i went to college. I found this ironic because while I am living in a huge dorm, the whole living with different people and the oddness of living in an old building I could totally relate to. Also I was hoping that my dorm was nothing like Frost House. (It’s not )

This book was creepy, but not overly, I mean if you stopped and thought about what was going on then yeah, but if you just read through it, it’s not scary till the end. (But I’m a huge wimp so take that into account.) It was mostly creepy, like creepy beyond all reason.

The only problem I had with this book was Leena. She was aggravating and dull, in my opinion she had some serious issues that while addressed a little in the book should have been elaborated on. Also it seemed like some of the stuff she did that was wrong she wasn’t called out for enough, like maybe it was mentioned but I feel like it should have been a bigger part of the story.

So basically I liked the plot but the characters with the exception of David who I loved. I did enjoy it but I just couldn't get past Leena.

If you want a creepy book for the Halloween season and don’t mind putting up with Leena then I totally recommend this book!

 

 

Deadly Cool

Title: Deadly Cool
Author: Gemma Halliday
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary: 

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

Review:

I WOW’ed this book earlier this month so I was super excited to get the chance to review it.

First of all I love this cover! I think it is really pretty and the headphones totally make sense after the beginning of the book, oh and I totally want the girl’s eyes!

This book, like it says on the back, is similar to Veronica Mars. I watched Veronica Mars for the first time this summer and really enjoyed it, so there were aspects of this book that were similar to the show.

I really liked Hartley but I didn’t really understand her relationship with Josh, I mean he cheated on you, and while I could see looking into the murder, I wouldn't put myself in danger to find the killer. But then again I’ve never been put in that position so I don’t know for sure what I would do.

I adore mysteries and did enjoy this one. I like how couldn't figure out who the killer was till almost the very end. The twists in this story really made it for me. 

I would recommend this story for someone who likes mysteries, and even people who aren't sure, because it’s not too complex, so anyone could enjoy it.

 

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Release Date: May 1, 2011
Received From: Public Library

Summary: 

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. (REMOVED FOR SPOILER)  Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

I had heard many wonderful things about this book and all of them were true! It was engaging, entertaining, and really made me think about what I would do if I were in that situation. What faction I would choose etc..
I loved Tris as a character, she was strong, but vulnerable, and her worries were valid and sound. Her spunk is what propelled this story. The other characters were great as well, the tension between Four and Eric really showed the cracks in the system as well as creating a great foil for the conflict between Abignation and Erudite.
I’m not going to lie, most of this book was set up for the next books but Roth did an excellent job making sure it wasn’t boring or too drawn out. I especially liked the different stages and thinking about how I would react in that situation.
The romance in this book was not too in your face, for the first 3/4 of the book it was barely there which I liked because it grew not just instant love like in many other books lately.
Overall an amazing dystopian tale which will keep you on your toes and challenge what you believe about society.