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!

The Near Witch paperback release day surprise!

It's May 15th!

Not only does THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab come out in paperback TODAY, but, to celebrate its release, "The Ash-Born Boy" is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion's website!

So, what IS "The Ash-Born Boy"?

It's a free story Victoria wrote as a thank-you to her fans, and she wrote it to answer ONE question: "Who was Cole before he came to Near?"

Now, if you've already read THE NEAR WITCH, "The Ash-Born Boy" is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.

And if you haven't read THE NEAR WITCH yet, don't worry, "The Ash-Born Boy" won't spoil anything! But let's be honest here, WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ IT? Reasons you should read it are outlined here.

So basically, either way, you should go read Cole's story ;)

And if you want to wait and read THE NEAR WITCH first, don't worry! Cole's story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion's website, and if it ever comes down, Victoria will carve out a space for it on her own site. It will always be available somewhere, and it will always be free.

And!

Cole's story isn't the only goodie to go along with the paperback release. In the back of the paperback itself, you'll find the first chapter of Victoria's new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn't come out until January!

So what are you waiting for?

Help Victoria celebrate today by taking a look at "The Ash-Born Boy," and don't forget to buy/order/pick up your own paperback copy of THE NEAR WITCH! Go do it now

And after you read it you should talk to me about it on twitter, I would love to discuss it! My username is @readeradventure.

Dark Days + Nail Polish giveaway!

Hello!

So  a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to go to a Dark Days event featuring Dan Wells (Partials), Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder series, and The Pledge), and Jill Hathaway (Slide).

It was so much fun and I got to hang out with some fabulous bloggers!

Dan Wells, Me, Danielle, Kimberly Derting, Erica, Cindy, Nikki, Jill Hathaway

 If you ever have a chance to meet any of these authors make sure to. They were nice and so funny!

Courtesy of Kimberly Derting I have 5 bottles of The Last Echo nail polish to giveaway!

Rules:

Only available to those with a U.S mailing address (costs sorry)

Contest ends May 7th

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

(Pictures from Kimberly Derting's site, and facebook)

Friday talks Series

Today I'm on Interrobang YA talking about series!

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: April 24, 2012
Received From: Publisher in return for an honest review

Summary:

You will kill. The only question is when.
In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.
Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.
Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

Review:

I am one of the many people who fell in love with Julie Kagawa’s storytelling and writing in her Iron Fey series. This newest book is completely different from that world and takes a new and inventive look at vampires.

I know what you're thinking. Vampires? Really? Trust me I know how you feel. But Julie Kagawa makes them new again in The Immortal Rules, and its not just a world with vampires, there are humans and rabids as well. I personally found the rabids creation story to be fascinating.

The vampires are the ruling class in this post-apocalyptic world.  Which was a twist that I found interesting, and it affirmed the fact that vampires are DANGEROUS and not to be messed with. I also really liked how Allie struggled to keep hold of her humanity, it made her easier to relate with and made you feel for her even though she is a vampire.

Also Allie is a bad-ass before she gets bitten, which I appreciated because I am not a fan of weak female characters. There is also a little romance, but it is not a big thing that consumes the whole story which I really liked.

I liked so many things about The Immortal Rules but my absolute favorite was learning the mythology behind Julie Kagawa’s vampires. The way they were created and how their bodies work made so much sense to me, and I loved learning about it.

Even though The Immortal Rules is a pretty size-able book I was able to finish rather quickly and I never got bored. I totally recommend it for fans of vampires and those who are a little tired of them as well. And if you fell in love with Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series I think you will like this as well! I cannot wait for the next one!

An Adventurer's Guide to What to Read

Hi everyone! I hope you are having a great day! A couple of weeks ago I created an Amazon store that I could fill with lists of my must read books, so if you are looking for a quick way to decide what to read next the store is divided into genres and contains the books that I really love in that genre, so be sure to check it out. You can access it by clicking on An Adventurer's Guide to What to Read up in the navigation bar, or by clicking on that link! I hope you like it!

Friday says hello!

Hi everyone I am going to be a new member of Interrobang YA and today I am introducing myself.

Belles

Title: Belles

Author: Jen Calonita

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: April 10, 2012
Received From: Publisher in return for a honest review

Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

Review:

I have read and loved Jen Calonita’s Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and so I was super excited to read Belles especially after reading the summary.

Contemporary fiction is not really my thing, I mean I like it enough but give me a historical or a fantasy over contemp. any day. But then I read books like this and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and I remember how much I actually like contemporary fiction.

I really enjoyed Belles. It was so much more than I originally expected. I loved seeing the plot unfold from both Izzy and Mira’s points of view, it made the story much more 3 dimensional. Though I have to say that I liked the ones from Izzy’s POV more, but that may just be because she had more story to tell.

Savannah is terrible. Are you kidding me? When you think of that mean girl in movies or whatever this is the quintessential girl, and unlike how sometimes in those movies/books the girls learns her lesson and becomes nice, this does not happen to Savannah. Which I really appreciated because that doesn't happen to often in real life so it was nice to see that.

I felt like Izzy and Mira were both perfectly written, they were conflicted and thought they were doing the right things when in reality it was the opposite of what needed to be done. I felt like that was pretty true to life, especially Izzy’s hesitance for buying new clothes and stuff.

The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that the twist didn’t surprise me too much, but it was okay because the book was so good besides that. I cannot wait for the next installment!

Interview with Robin Wasserman author of The Book of Blood and Shadow

Today I have with me the author of The Book of Blood and Shadow Robin Wasserman!



Your book primarily takes place in Prague. Did you visit it? If not what kind of research did you have to do to write about the palaces mentioned in the book?

Yes, I spent a couple weeks prowling around Prague with my notebook in hand (feeling like kind of a fool every time I stopped in the middle of the street and whipped out my trusty moleskine to write down a passing thought). I had never been there before, and It turned out to be really crucial for both the writing and the plotting of the book. Seeing the city in person gave me a much richer sense of its flavor—not just how it looked, but how it sounded and smelled and felt. (You can see some of the pictures I took along the way on my new website, www.thebookofbloodandshadow.com.) But I hadn’t expected how much the trip would also inform the plot. The Book of Blood and Shadow is part mystery and part scavenger hunt, which meant I had to spend a lot of time traipsing across the city trying to figure out where my characters might find their clues.  A lot of pivotal scenes—including the climax—got entirely new locations once I saw the city for myself.
 
The main character is fluent in Latin and some of the other characters are fluent in different languages as well. Are you fluent in any language besides English? Is there any language that you wish you were?

I wish I were fluent in any language besides English, but sadly, I’m nowhere close.  I took years and years of French in high school and college, and I’m pretty decent at reading it and, let’s say, passable at writing it. But my speaking skills are abhorrent and my listening comprehension is nonexistent. I suspect to ever approach fluency I’d have to move to Paris. Which isn’t a bad idea, come to think of it. If I could magically snap my fingers and be fluent in anything, though, it would be French (the better to move to Paris with) and then probably German. I  took a couple years of conversational German in grad school, but all I really took from it are the words for overhead projector and dishwasher.
 
Where did you first hear of Elizabeth’s letters? And what drew you to her story?

Once I’d decided to set my story in Prague, I started researching all of the well known people who spent time in the city around the end of the sixteenth century, and I pretty quickly honed in on Edward Kelley, who was one of the most flamboyant figures (and, conveniently, is famously associated with the Voynich Manuscript).  Once I discovered that he had a teenage daughter at that time—and that the daughter grew up to be this remarkable woman and famous writer—I knew I had my historical protagonist. It was all too perfect, and too tempting for me not to write the story: The adopted daughter of a shady alchemist, forced to live at the foot of his prison and then, after his death, fend for herself on the streets of Renaissance Prague and insinuate herself with the court enough to regain her property and her former life, all the while scribbling Latin poetry? It deserves a novel in itself!
The characters in your book go for a wild and unbelievable journey to find the truth. What is something you would like to go to the “ends of the earth” to discover/find the truth of?

Well, proving or disproving the existence of God would be a pretty irresistible one, I suppose, if I ever got the chance. Any of those Indiana Jones adventures also seem worthwhile quests. And the power to bring people back from the dead? I’d go for that, if I got the suggestion there was such a thing. Although I’m pretty much a lazy coward, so the idea of me traveling to the ends of the earth for anything—especially if it would involve murderous secret societies chasing me—are low.
Oh! Also: Alien life. I’d actually do anything to find the truth of that, if it seemed like the truth was out there…
 
If someone only gets one thing out of The Book of Blood and Shadow what do you hope it is?

That’s a hard question to answer, because all I really hope for my books is that readers find something to get out of them. It doesn’t really matter what—everyone grabs something different from the books that matter to them. It’s the idea of writing a book that matters, for whatever reason, that really drives me.  But if there’s one thing I got out of the story, in the process of telling it, it’s the idea that we all have to somehow choose what we believe in, and more importantly, who.
 
Thank you so much for coming on the blog Robin!
 
Now go make sure you check out my review! And then be sure to check out The Book of Blood and Shadow in stores today!